165 Best Hotels in Mexico

This all-inclusive 45 minutes north of Manzanillo is the kind of place where you might be tempted to stay for days without leaving the grounds. The major draw here is the lovely secluded bay with jungly mountain backdrop. You might catch a glimpse of turtles, dolphins, or whales while kayaking here or even just sitting on the beach. Things are in need of refurbishing; don't be surprised to see paint-chipped exteriors and furniture that's seen better days. Still, all rooms face the bay; the food is tasty; and there are activities for children, night shows, and a choice of water activities or tours.

This eco-friendly hotel, just a block from the lagoon shore, offers a laid-back atmosphere and personalized service. Rooms are small but simply and tastefully decorated, while the swimming pool is a piece of art divided into five parts, including a diving pit. The Waah restaurant and the Luuk bar provide interesting dining and wining experiences.  

The very large and well-appointed suites in this boutique hotel overlook the marina in Nuevo Vallarta and, if you're in the rooms facing west, you'll see spectacular sunsets, too. All suites have washers and dryers, hair dryers, toiletries, air conditioning, and several other amenities. The master suites accommodate up to eight people; larger suites also have full kitchens and balconies overlooking the marina. There's a brand-new on-site restaurant offering mostly seafood and local specialties, and there are a few other great dining choices within walking distance.

Come here if you're looking for an all-inclusive bargain with a wealth of activities. On the one hand, rooms have strong air conditioning and amenities like hair dryers, irons, and ironing boards; on the other, they have small tubs, cheap doors, and uninspired modern decor. There's an extra charge, inexplicably, for the use of in-room safes. Only a few units have ocean views, but there are plenty of individual palapas and lounge chairs at the beach. If you go to bed early, avoid the Club building, with a downstairs karaoke bar that goes on until midnight.

The Marriott is hushed and stately in some places, lively and casual in others. All of the restaurants—including a sleek Asian restaurant serving Thai, sushi, and teppanyaki and a large, pleasant sports bar—have kids' menus. The meandering grounds boast a large infinity pool as well as gardens of indigenous plants. Rooms have cheery, classy decor; each has a balcony and most have an ocean view.

Break out the bottle service: ME Cabo is the perfect base for affluent travelers looking to let loose. Thanks to a partnership with Grupo Rosa Negra, Mexico's premiere high-end, high-energy restaurant group, there's on-site action every afternoon and evening, and beautiful people abound. The same can be said for the scenery; the view of Land's End from the open-air lobby is particularly jaw-dropping. ME Cabo sits on one of the only swimmable beaches in town and was the first hotel in Los Cabos to receive a Queer Destinations distinction for commitment to inclusivity.

One of the first international-class hotels in Cozumel, Meliá continues to satisfy by offering guests a bit of everything, including a wide variety of restaurants and activities, including motorized and nonmotorized water sports. An 18-hole mini-golf course, plus well-equipped kids' club and games room, mean that children and teenagers will be busy and happy; a top-notch spa is available for parents to unwind and disconnect. 

The sprawling, all-inclusive Meliá, on the beach and close to the golf course, is popular with families. Rooms are quiet havens in subdued blue, cream, and sand. There's a huge pool, an outdoor theater with nightly shows, and elaborate children's programs and amenities—including a climbing wall and a batting cage. Considering it's an all-inclusive, prices are very reasonable.

This boutique beach property—complete with oceanfront pool and exquisite accommodations just steps from the secluded white sand—is one of the area's best. Each room has an indoor–outdoor lounge area, a king-size bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, air-conditioning, and cable TV; some also have luxuries like dual showerheads, additional queen-size trundle beds, and personal plunge pools that can be cooled or heated. Kayaks, snorkel equipment, and bikes are free for guests, and a private dock is the perfect place for a romantic dinner, wedding reception, or sunset cocktail—all of which the hotel would be happy to arrange.

Sharing a lobby and some amenities with the similarly upscale Andaz hotel, this contemporary art-themed hotel with dynamic murals in the guestrooms occupies part of a large mid-20th-century building designed by celebrated architect Jose Luis Benlliure and filled with see-and-be-seen lounges and restaurants, including Skybar Condesa, with its sweeping city and mountain views. Tall windows allow sunlight to flood the guestrooms, which are outfitted with premium sound systems, lightening-fast Wi-Fi, and top-quality bath products. Some amenities are shared with the Andaz.

A boutique hotel with only eighteen rooms, Orchid House provides an intimate experience for its guests.  With an acclaimed in-house restaurant (get the pizza), it's a convenient place to stay in a beautiful part of Polanco.

This Nuevo Vallarta hotel and time-share property is perfect for families, with lots of activities geared toward children. Many people love it, although the property's dedication to timeshare guests makes some other guests feel excluded. Most suites have balconies with either marina or ocean views. Furnishings are attractive as well as functional, with pretty cane sofa beds in a soothing palette and well-equipped kitchens. Locals like to visit the clean, well-organized spa, which smells divine and is praised for its massages and facials. The beach here is tranquil enough for swimming, although some small waves are suitable for bodysurfing.

Resembling a Maya temple, this enormous, modern beachfront property features atriums topped by pyramid-shaped skylights and spacious rooms that are decorated with hints of orange and have marble floors, balconies, and lagoon or ocean views. For more privacy, upgrade to The Reserve, the hotel's impeccable VIP area. Golfers will enjoy the 9-hole, par-3 executive course, and foodies will appreciate the diverse selection of cuisine—Mexican, Asian, Latin, French, and Mediterranean—at the ten restaurants. 

This beachside all-inclusive adults-only resort has fabulous rooms decorated in beachy tones of turquoise and gold, with private terraces overlooking the ocean or gardens as well as swim-up rooms, part of The Reserve upgrade section. Step inside the white-and-gold lobby and grab a cocktail from the hip Gastro Bar where chill-out music will make you lose track of time. By day, guests can play volleyball or lounge by the pool, and by night, enjoy movies under the stars or listen to live music. The resort offers one of the largest meeting centers in the region, holding up to 1,100 guests.

Named after the famous pirate, this warm and family-friendly resort has multiunit cabanas plus freestanding bungalows on the beach's north end that are more private and charming. The A-frame bungalows are actually more like mini log cabins with pine furnishings from Chiapas and small lofts accessible by a ladder; each sleeps five and has a porch that faces a sandy path leading to the beach. The older units, simply decorated in shades of blue and white, have balconies, and some are practically flush with the ocean. An on-site animal refuge and a games room with Ping-Pong and billiards appeal to children.

Playa Azul feels like a charming, understated Mexican hacienda—there's elegance in its simplicity, and its spacious rooms overlooking the courtyard pool and ocean are tastefully decorated with Mexican furnishings. Palapas shade the lounge chairs on the sandy beach, and you can arrange snorkeling or diving trips at the hotel's dive shop. An on-site spa offers body and beauty treatments. The all-inclusive option includes the restaurant's à la carte menu, and the adjacent beach club serves lighter fare and live music on Sunday. The hotel offers frequent Web-only specials.

One of Acapulco’s most famous hotels (Howard Hughes once hid away in a suite here) continues its long tradition of great service to this day. Near the reception desk, fantastic ponds with waterfalls and a slatted bridge hint at the luxury throughout the property. Large, airy rooms have cane furniture, marble floors, and wireless Internet access. You can dine in six excellent restaurants, then burn off the calories in a match at the tennis center, which sometimes hosts international tournaments. The superb spa, open to guests and nonguests, has aromatherapy, thalassotherapy, and body wraps, plus a fitness center, Swiss showers, a hair salon, and a Jacuzzi. A shuttle runs frequently to the adjacent Pierre Mundo Imperial Hotel, where you can use all the facilities there.

Perched on the sugary shores of Playa Norte, this five-story resort is one of the island's largest and one of the few to offer an all-inclusive plan. Modern guest rooms have light wooden furniture, marble floors, and balconies (some with water views and whirlpool tubs). Palapa umbrellas dot the beach, and guests can relax in one of the poolside casitas where massages are offered. There are three on-site restaurants—Sabor (international), Satay (Asian fusion), and Playa Norte (beach club)—and the pool bar, but proximity to downtown restaurants makes the all-inclusive package somewhat unnecessary. Snorkeling tours, golf-cart rentals, and airport transportation are available upon request.

A sense of calm, confident service pervades this all-suites hotel. Colors in the garden are rich: deep terra-cotta, strolling pink flamingos, expansive green palms, pristine white umbrellas, and golden koi ponds. Chandeliers and beveled-glass doors sparkle in the imposing lobby. Guest quarters have cool aqua-tile floors, built-in sofas with earth-tone upholstery, beds with egg-crate-foam and pillow-top mattress pads, and pillow menus that let you choose the cushioning that's best for you. Kitchens are well equipped. It all opens out onto a glistening beach.

The neoclassical elements of Mazatlán's most remote and luxurious resort feel so close to holy that you may find yourself whispering. Balconies protrude from all 425-square-foot suites, where you can contemplate gardens that undulate with the curves of spotless sidewalks, then seem to melt into the shifting sand and rippling ocean beyond. It's easy to enjoy the pillow-top mattresses or 350-foot-long shocking-blue pool. But if you don't like being marooned 10 km (6 mi) north of town, then choose another location. There is a driving range, and a golf course is planned for the future.

One block from Tlaquepaque's main plaza and shopping area, this B&B has rooms of varying sizes and degrees of natural light; suites are spacious and face out to the pool. There's remarkable tile work in the master suite. Hearty continental breakfasts—with fruit, cereal, toast, and sweet breads, plus juice and coffee—are served in an inner courtyard. Tasty pizzas are baked in the brick oven at the hotel's Mexican-Italian restaurant (closed Monday). If you stay three nights or more, they'll shuttle you to and from the airport or bus station.

Stone-and-brick walls, colonial arches, and objets d'art fill this luxury hotel's public areas. Suites are plush, though on the small side, with neocolonial-style furnishings, original art, and faux fireplaces. Master suites have separate seating areas with love seats and marble-top desks. For a bit more, the Grand Class suites have luxurious touches like round whirlpool tubs. The wood-floor gym is outfitted with the latest equipment and plasma-screen TVs.

This low-slung hillside resort, a member of one of Mexico’s best hotel chains, overlooks the sea and sits at the western end of Playa Revolcadero. The 62 suites have balconies, Mexican-made hardwood furniture, and closet door handles shaped like iguanas—the chain's signature motif. Six suites have private hot tubs and small pools on their balconies. If you can snag one of those, they don't cost much more than the standard suites.

Bring on the partying at this beachfront high-rise just inside the southern entrance to the Zona Dorada. It's home to Joe's Oyster Bar, an open-air dance club–volleyball court that is popular with locals and tourists alike; things really rev up on weekends. Amenities are tasteful, however, with comfortable white-walled rooms highlighted by blue-and-green fabrics.

This strictly adults-only boutique arts hotel is one block back from the malecón, but the views from the towering (for the area) fifth floor rooftop cannot be beat. While the exterior architecture looks a bit unusual from afar, the interior design of the lobby, restaurants, and rooms are outstanding. Some design choices, however, take the "aesthetic" too far and disrupt the functionality of the space.

Designed with romance in mind, this boutique hotel has a roses-and-chocolate theme that carries from the pink exterior through to the Belgian truffles sold in the gift shop and the chocolate soaps provided in the bathrooms. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, Bose stereos, private outdoor shower-tubs, and espresso machines; three luxury suites in a private tower have spacious terraces. Common spaces are stunning, featuring clean, modern lines with antique ceramic tiles and pops of bright color. In addition to an acclaimed restaurant, there's also a courtyard terrace, a patio terrace with views of Paseo de Montejo, and an open-air rooftop lounge that often features live jazz. The spa specializes in holistic treatments, using chocolate in many of them.

This high-volume hotel at the south end of long and lovely Bucerías Beach has manicured grounds and a pool for each of its six buildings. Rooms are plain and not particularly modern, but that's a small price to pay for the excellent beachfront location and astoundingly low all-inclusive prices. Rooms in the older section have the best views, since they were built along the water; rooms on the other side of the road have the benefit of being adults-only and are almost brand new. Besides location, the only real distinction between one room and another is whether the room has a king or two double beds. The median age of the clientele here is around 50 years old.

Everything feels supersize in this 12-story pyramid in the throbbing heart of the Zona Dorada, from the marble-heavy atrium lobby to the one- and two-bedroom suites that are done in bold blues and oranges. Even the glass elevators that take you to and fro offer amazing views. All rooms have balconies (be sure to request an ocean view, and if possible a room above the third floor). A delicate touch is the bridge to the pool, which spans a fishpond.

High on a hill off the main boulevard, this refined yet relaxed hotel offers personalized service and rooms that blend art deco and Maya styles, are done in soothing shades of cream and mauve, and have either ocean or lagoon views. All-inclusive perks include fully stocked minibars and 24-hour room service. The three infinity swimming pools are stunning, and the stellar on-site spa has 14 treatment rooms. The property also includes tennis courts and a large fitness center.

This adults-only resort offers "unlimited luxury," so even butler service, international calls, 24-hour room service, taxes, and gratuities are included in the rate. The property also stands out from the pack for its no-bracelets, no-reservations dining policy and its “Vine” concept—you can join the hotel's sommelier for wine tastings or enjoy wine-therapy treatments at the spa. The cozy lobby has a fireplace and board games. Rooms are tastefully decorated in neutral tones and have large balconies; due to the long, narrow shape of the hotel, however, only the 17 suites have full ocean views. The Secrets app lets you connect with other guests and stay informed about daily activities.