104 Best Hotels in Mexico

This new seven-room B&B is one of the more remote in Zihuatanejo, and the location has its plusses (tranquillity, sweeping bay views) and its minuses (it's a long walk to get anywhere, so expect to take a lot of cabs). Suites are spacious and airy, nicely decorated in neutral tones and polished concrete, each with its own private entrance, though the cheapest garden-view room is a bit cavelike. The grand suites have vaulted, exposed-beam ceilings, outdoor showers, and bay-view terraces equipped with lounge chairs and hammocks. A tasty breakfast is served daily in a palapa overlooking the infinity pool and small sundeck; with only a few snack options available (guacamole, quesadillas), it's not the best place to lounge poolside all day, though there is an honor bar stocked with beer, wine, and juice for those who want to do just that.

This unassuming and exceptionally affordable guesthouse on pretty Calle Presidente Carranza, which parallels Avenida Francisco Sosa and is just a short hop from Jardín Centenario, offers pleasantly furnished rooms and public areas decorated with a carefully curated collection of contemporary Mexican art. It's set around an expansive courtyard with flowering trees and ivy-covered walls. Guests can use the well-equipped common kitchen, and although breakfast isn't available, coffee, tea, and cookies are served.

This peaceful oasis that's just a couple of blocks from Jardín Centenario is set around an art-filled, early 20th-century mansion abundant with inviting common spaces, including a shared kitchen, entertainment lounge, and patios shaded by orange and magnolia trees. Some rooms have kitchenettes and terraces.

Tranquility and seclusion are the name of the game in these adults-only, cozy bungalows located a stone's throw from the beach. Although small, each has a bath, a queen- or king-size bed, a hammock, and a terrace that leads to a garden; the three-person suite has an extra pullout bed and a kitchenette. Added creature comforts include hair dryers, TVs, Wi-Fi, refrigerators, and coffeemakers. Meals are served in an on-site restaurant, where the menu includes seafood, grilled dishes, and brick-oven pizzas. To cool off, there's a small swimming pool and the beach is just a two-minute walk away.

A couple of friendly American expats run this charming cliff-top hideaway with gorgeous views of the ocean and Boca de Iguanas Beach below. The furniture is stylish, and homey touches like lamps and aquatic wall decorations make the snug apartments just right for holing up. The two apartments upstairs, with thatched roofs and kitchen and living room open to the elements, are not usually available in summer due to the rain; the rest of the year they're highly coveted.

This stately 19th-century home contains one of Cholula's most welcoming accommodations, and it's just a stone's throw from the Great Pyramid and a short walk from numerous restaurants and bars. The courtyard has a Talavera-tile-lined fountain and huge laurels for shade, and there is a rooftop terrace with a pool and spectacular views. The high-ceiling rooms are elegantly uncluttered, and many of the smartly designed bathrooms have deep soaking tubs. 

Although branding itself as a boutique hotel, the Flycatcher Inn is actually comprised of seven freestanding casitas, each brightly decorated with yellow walls and Mayan art. Pebble strewn pathways wind throughout the manicured gardens, and towering palms are wrapped in fairy lights. There are no in-room phones, TVs or Internet here, but the location is ideal for exploring the Uxmal ruins (they're just 15-minutes away). Larger groups can rent "Owl's Cottage," which is equipped with a full kitchen and living room. The multipurpose terrace of the main house serves as the reception area, library, TV lounge, and breakfast room.

This small hotel is a repurposed 25-year-old house that caters mostly to divers who come to the XTC Dive Center and use it as launching point for their adventures and explorations. The rooms are cozy and fresh, with ceiling fan and comfortable mattresses. Some include a kitchenette, while others enjoy gorgeous ocean views. 

If you're looking for a real getaway far from the madding crowd, book yourself into a real hacienda—once a stop along the Camino Real, the main road for transporting gold, silver, and supplies from the mining towns to Spanish coffers—under an hour's drive north of San Miguel. Here you can turn back the clock and relax in vast rooms whose walls are 3 feet thick, lounge in the shade of colonnaded porticos, or roam the countryside on a pony or mountain bike, all included in the room rate.

Three miles north of town, this 1811 hacienda strikes a perfect balance between the old and the new in dramatic rooms and suites with contemporary paintings, antique mirrors, polished cement floors, handcrafted Mexican furnishings, and spacious bathrooms that feature vanity areas and walk-in showers built with local stones. Be sure to tour the sprawling grounds landscaped with bougainvillea, hibiscus, tamarind, and lime and orange trees. The patio hammocks are great for an afternoon nap after a dip in the pool. Meals are served on the veranda at a 14-person mahogany table, in a dining room with old murals, or in the original chapel.

Five blocks south of San Miguel's main plaza, this small inn consists of two-story buildings set around a lush courtyard. Second-floor rooms get far more air and light than those at ground level, but all have coffeemakers, purified water, and bathrobes. There’s also a town house with a full kitchen and two bedrooms. There is no pool, but the ocean is just a block away. Dive packages are offered at a discount.

This small hotel is the best option on Plaza Independencia. There are crafts in every room and hallway, in some of the most unexpected places. The terraced rooms present great views of the plaza. There are tables in the quiet courtyard, where tasty typical cuisine and a range of fruit and vegetable juices are served.

This cheerful hotel on the corner of Plaza Independencia is an excellent option for its location alone. Rooms are cozy, with brightly colored bedspreads and headboards carved by local artisans; some have kitschy hot tubs tucked into a corner. The restaurant ($) is by far the most enchanting on the square and has wonderful views of the town.

From the lush jungle courtyard to the airy, stone-walled rooms to the sunny, plush rooftop deck with distant ocean views, this boutique hotel is designed to charm at every turn. Rustic chic hits you head on—you enter via a narrow hallway that spills into an open-air courtyard with fountains and streams leading to a breakfast atrium that overlooks a cenote. Purchased at Mexican flea markets, one-of-a-kind room furnishings range from vintage refrigerators to headboards made from 1960s mail-carrier bags; creature comforts include air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and organic bath products. For extra space, request Room 8 (with an outdoor shower) or Room 9 (with a tub on the terrace). The beautiful rooftop deck has sun beds and a cozy hammock. Laundry service and wine are included in the price.

Attentive proprietors Daniel and Sofija Bosco have ensured that this lovely bed-and-breakfast, set on a quiet street seven blocks from the main plaza, has lots of thoughtful touches, from carefully chosen folk-art decor and fine cotton linens to remote-controlled air-conditioning and pressurized shower heads. The second-floor suite even has a well-stocked kitchen. You can pick up the Wi-Fi signal in some rooms but not others, so let the staff know if you're bringing a laptop or smartphone when you book.

With no sign out front and a location on a quiet street a block from Roma's border with Condesa, this inviting oasis anchored by a restored two-story Porfirian mansion stands out for its lovely staff, delicious food, and tasteful balance between old-world elegance and modern convenience. Rooms in the main house retain their 20th-century architectural details, including high ceilings, but also feature wide-screen mounted TVs, individual climate control, and L'Occitane bath products; the larger suites, which are in a newer wing, have an even more contemporary feel. The filling full breakfast is included, but other meals are available for a charge.

Folk-art lovers are drawn to this "house of happy spirits" for its collection of crafts. Owned by a California artist and textile collector, the lovingly restored hacienda (circa 1700) has thick stone walls and serene, almost jungle-like grounds covered with bougainvillea and calla lilies. Hand-glazed-tile baths, fireplaces, and private terraces are standard with each room, but otherwise, all rooms are unique. Marfil is a 15-minute drive from the center of town—frequent buses are available. Taxi drivers may be unfamiliar with the hotel, so come prepared with directions.

On a quiet street several blocks from the shopping district is this bed-and-breakfast with clean and cheerful rooms overlooking a garden. Upstairs rooms have private terraces. There's an open-air reading area, and complimentary continental breakfast is served in the courtyard.

Well-kept gardens framed in bougainvillea define this inviting inn. Rooms are large, with high ceilings and local crafts. Villas share a courtyard and have tile kitchenettes. The bar has jazz or Caribbean music some weekend evenings. Out in the garden restaurant strands of tiny white lights set the mood for an evening meal.

Only one of the famous old iron keys and antique locks remain, but the vibe that permeates this bright-pink beachfront lodging is as special as ever. Hoteliers Lisa and Juan Martínez have carefully applied their personal touch to a place that has been a favorite with North Americans since 1957. The large, open-air living-dining-bar area has rustic walls and equipale (pigskin and wood) furnishings. Only a few rooms have balconies, but all have screened windows. There's an honor-system beer and soda bar. You'll find a real sense of community among staff and guests, around the pool and over the complimentary morning breakfast. You receive a slight discount if you opt for no air-conditioning, but you'll need it here.

Although it was built in the 1950s, this New Orleans–style hotel feels a century older. Facing the Alameda and just steps from the public market, the hotel's wrought-iron-and-marble courtyard calls to mind a more refined era. The owner, who named the place after his late father, plays acoustic guitar and violin in the comfortable wood-paneled lobby upstairs.

A 10-minute walk from Tlaquepaque's center, this intimate B&B is near lots of shopping. The restored 19th-century hacienda has thick, white adobe walls, exposed-beam ceilings, and plants in huge unglazed pots. Smokers should request a room with private balcony; smoking isn't allowed anywhere inside the hotel. Room rates include a full, hot breakfast.

Perched on a hilltop overlooking Vena Cava winery, this luxury inn is reminiscent of a Tuscan villa. Bright, romantic bedrooms are individually decorated with terra-cotta tile flooring and Mexican accents in the colorful rugs and pillows. Stone and tiled bathrooms were designed by owners Phil and Eileen, who have integrated green practices into their property, right down to their own line of organic bath products. Three of the rooms have full balconies separated by partitions, with chaise lounges and Mexican chimeneas. Stone stairs lead to a swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Spa treatments are available in a designated room next to the lounge. Room rates include wine tasting, teatime, afternoon appetizers, and a full organic breakfast. If you're still hungry, swing by their on-site food truck for fresh Baja cuisine.

Three of the four rooms in this restored mansion face the shore; all have high ceilings and whitewashed oak furniture. Rates include an English-style breakfast (with a continental breakfast on Sunday).

María Teresa Villarreal, the owner and operator of this pleasant little place, proudly shows off her restored colonial-style home, which is not fancy but has the lived-in feeling that many people are looking for in Oaxaca. You can mingle with other guests (some long-term) on the open patio gladdened with laurel and lemon trees. Those staying in standard rooms share a brightly colored outdoor kitchen, while those who have booked studios get kitchenettes with coffeemakers and other essentials.

An elegant entrance, Spanish-tile floors, and hand-crafted Guadalajara furnishings greet you at this classy inn, where guest rooms have terraces, as well as sitting areas with dark hardwood furnishings and interesting local crafts. Although all rooms have been upgraded with soundproofed windows, some noise does get through those overlooking Avenida 5 rather than the garden. Breakfast is basic, but hotel offers designated parking ($12 per day) and free access to several beach clubs. Book direct for a 15% discount.

Each artsy bungalow here has its own themed decor—the Asian room has a Chinese checkers board and origami decorations, while the Safari room has artifacts from Mexico and Africa. Some have skylights or hammock chairs on a front porch; all have screened windows and are surrounded by gardens with bamboo, birds-of-paradise, and bougainvillea. As a result, the gated property feels like a hidden village, with bungalows spread throughout. The "hacienda building" at the back of the grounds has five rooms that can also be rented by the month. There is a cenotelike pool and a palapa restaurant offering salads and other healthy fare.

Far from the boardwalk, this small inn on the beach is a quiet, relaxing place, where the cabanas have simple concrete rooms—with private roof decks where you watch the moon rise from the sea—and the decor is a mishmash of styles with painted murals and Mexican blankets. You'll be tempted to spend much of your time outside, though, perhaps in one of the hammocks that sway under palapa umbrellas. Families might want to request Room 3, which accommodates four people. The Dutch owners are often in their small restaurant, where photos of Frida Kahlo, Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, and other Mexican notables line the walls. Guests are served complimentary breakfast there; nonguests often show up between 3:30 and 8 pm to dine on specialties like the stuffed pineapple and get away from the bustle of town.

This funky inn a short block from the main square, once a convent, absolutely oozes charm, from the fresh flowers strewn throughout the cabinlike rooms to the overgrown courtyard where the exceptional breakfast buffet is served. Room 11's large terrace was built around a massive tree, lending dappled shade and giving the effect of living in a tree-house suite. Rates are discounted by about a third during the week.