261 Best Hotels in Mexico

In an enchanting colonial-era building with long corridors and graceful arches, the Meson del Mar is an intimate hotel near the waterfront. A staircase leads up to a breezy patio where you have a view over the rooftops. Exposed-wood beams and tile floors in the guest rooms recall a more gracious era. Rooms facing the busy street have double-paned windows that keep out most noise. Gandara, the open-air restaurant, serves a wide variety of fish dishes.

Elegant without being pretentious, this tranquil hotel is a true sanctuary with sandy pathways winding through a jungle setting that spills onto the beach. Garden rooms near the pool have tile floors, large patios, palapa roofs, and contemporary Mexican decor with Maya influences; pricier beachside rooms have marble floors and white bedding; suites come with a private plunge pool or whirlpool tub. Meals made from the freshest ingredients are served at Zazil Ha restaurant. For a relaxing escape, head to the spa or meditation room, where you can take yoga classes.

Situated just steps from the ferries to Isla Mujeres, this family-friendly property has lots of pool-side activities, as well as a roomy kids' clubhouse with a small outdoor play area. If you crave peace, escape to the spa, where the cold-water plunge, steam room, sauna, and whirlpool tub are free of charge. All rooms have white marble floors and orange stucco walls; the suites, which come with private whirlpool tubs, are a luxurious splurge.

Shoppers appreciate this lively resort's proximity to a couple of malls, but there’s plenty here to keep non-shoppers occupied, too—including volleyball games and water-polo matches in the activities pool. Although sound from busier areas sometimes carries, you can find a bit more peace at two other pools, one of which has built-in chaise lounges for ultimate relaxation. The salmon-color hotel is offset by bright blue accents throughout. To secure an oceanfront room, you'll have to pay extra. And don't lose your towel card, because it will cost you MX$340.

This graceful high-rise sits in the middle of the Zona Luz, not far from downtown. A waterfall sets the mood in the spacious marble lobby. Seemingly dozens of employees are ready at a moment's notice to bring a fresh towel or hail a taxi. The best of the tastefully decorated rooms are in the back.

Located in Paamul, south of Playa del Carmen, this rustic resort sits on a perfect white-sand beach. There are queen, king, and master suites, all of them fully equipped with air conditioning, TV, bathtub, and kitchenette. Ground-floor rooms feature private patios and direct beach access. There are RV and tent sites here, too. Facilities include a swimming pool, minimart, and restaurant; the full-service dive shop conducts PADI- and NAUI-certification courses.

Although located on the south side of town along the main road connecting Malinalco to Chalma and beyond, this friendly and informal spa retreat is quiet and surrounded by lush gardens, lawns, and terraces with grand vistas of the countryside. The simple but spacious rooms have high ceilings, adobe brick walls, tile floors, and colorful tapestries. Guests are treated to a complimentary full breakfast in the restaurant, which also serves à la carte lunch and dinner later in the day. A favorite feature are the heated and cool plunge pools, solarium terrace, and small spa where you can book aromatherapy massage and hydromassage treatments. 

Opened in 2014, this is Oaxaca’s newest lodging option, providing a modern take on the traditional Mexican hotel. With an excellent location on the main pedestrianized thoroughfare, you'll have easy access to museums, bars, and restaurants. The real selling point is the rooftop swimming pool where guests can enjoy 360-degree views of the city. The rooms have all the conveniences you would expect (flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, a safe, a dock for your iPhone), and the restaurant has a room-service option. The decoration of the rooms is minimal and lacks Oaxacan flair, but with the city center on your doorstop, you'll want to spend more time there than in your room.

The Paramar is a small boutique hotel that makes the most of its outstanding location just steps from Playa Camarones, the only beach in downtown Vallarta. The whole place has a laidback atmosphere, quite different from that of the big resorts. Rooms are large and modern—some include kitchenettes—and the penthouses come with a large terrace and private Jacuzzi.

Renovated for maximum comfort without compromising historical charm, this hotel in an 1840s mansion features a striking antique-meets-contemporary decor, including in guest rooms, which have tile floors, high ceilings, period details, and sleek modern furnishings and amenities. There's a lovely pool with a designated hammock area, and the location, one block from Plaza Grande and the cathedral, means you might wake up to the sound of church bells. If you plan on dining here, request the romantic cave for two; it's part of what was a secret passageway connecting several Mérida mansions to the church. 

One of the first hotels in Puerto Peñasco, Playa Bonita is beginning to show its age, though rooms are clean and comfortable. Ask for one facing the hotel's broad, sandy beach. An RV park provides 300 hookups at $17–$20 a day. As the name of the Puesta del Sol restaurant ("setting of the sun") implies, this is a perfect place to see the sun set. Don't miss the divine margaritas.

This breezy palapa-roofed hotel on Half Moon Beach has rooms decorated in neutral colors, with hammocks, king-size beds, and balconies or terraces overlooking the pool and ocean beyond. If you don't mind skipping the view and continental breakfast, bare-bones Rocas Rooms are about half the price of deluxe ones; however, it's worth paying extra for the upgrade. There's a shared rocky beach with Hotel Secreto. For better swimming, try the neighboring cove in front of Mia Reef Resort.

Accommodations are sunny, clean, and tasteful, and most open onto terraces or balconies. The well-kept grounds are mature but not dowdy, the pool is large, and there are palapas lining the beach. When you ask for an ocean-view room, specify that you want one away from Joe's Oyster Bar; also check that it's one of the refurbished rooms.

The downtown location—on a quiet street near the main plaza—puts you close to everything in the Zona Luz. The lobby and common areas are painted in eye-popping bright pink, blue, and yellow. Ask for a room overlooking the river on one of the upper floors.

Located in the small city of San Juan Teotihuacán, just a few minutes’ drive (or half-hour walk) from the nearest entrance gate to the pyramids, this charming inn is set in a walled 18th-century hacienda with a pool, a small candlelit spa, a restaurant, and beautifully landscaped grounds. Rooms are clean and simply furnished—they're not fancy but they are comfortable and have stone walls, wood-beam ceilings, and other rustic accents.

One of San Miguel's oldest families has opened its ranch-style home as a hotel, complete with a common area with fireplace and a library full of Mexican and international art books. Only blocks from the action of downtown, rooms here open onto lush gardens and trees. From an ample terrace with sweeping views you can enjoy an organic breakfast. One of the rooms has its own swimming pool.

Although nothing to write home about, Hotel Posada de la Aldea has some qualities that make it worth considering if you are a bargain shopper. Rooms are spacious, though the furnishings are a bit tired, and there's ample free parking, a restaurant-bar, heated swimming pool (rare in budget San Miguel hotels), and an excellent location not far from all the downtown sights. It's also near many more good restaurants on Calle Ancha de San Antonio. Better prices are often available during nonpeak seasons.

Enjoy splendid views of both the village and the pyramid as you stroll through the terraced gardens of this grand and historic hotel that has hosted numerous celebrities over the years---including Diego Rivera, Dolores Del Rio, and Gael García Bernal---and enjoys an ideal hilltop setting steps from downtown restaurants, shops, and attractions. A honeymooners' favorite, the inn is also a good place for families, with its pool table, pool, and several rooms with two beds. Most rooms have balconies and some have hot tubs---try to request one with views of the pyramid. The patio restaurant has a lovely setting, though somewhat mediocre food.

When he wasn't living in his jungle hut, Edward James stayed in town (a 10-minute drive away) in a whimsical house that feels like an extension of the garden structures at Las Pozas—except that it has walls. The house, El Castillo (the Castle), is now a quirky inn run by the granddaughter of James's boon companion and chief designer-builder, Plutarco Gastelum. Rooms are adorned with simple wooden furnishings; the best rooms have huge Gothic windows and panoramic mountain views. You can arrange to have meals here, although there are lately more dining options in Xilitla, which has grown to 15,000 souls, than in previous years.

Atop the main beach and in the center of the action, this property is the focal point of Puerto Aventuras, but its low-key luxury is a cut above the town's other resorts. Small for a full-service facility, it feels spacious and peaceful. Rooms have sitting areas with a plasma TV, plus terraces with hot tubs and views of the ocean, pool, or marina. There are plenty of spots to get your feet wet—including two connecting pools, a swim-up bar, a children’s pool, and the beach dotted with Bali beds. A 9-hole golf course is within walking distance, and the marina is just around the corner. Breakfast and a newspaper arrive at your room daily by way of a cubbyhole, to avoid disturbing your slumber.

If you follow design blogs or Instagram accounts, photos of Punta Caliza may have already caught your eye—its central pool is surrounded by three white-washed, thatched-roof buildings containing rooms that are elegantly minimalist, with cedar-planked walls and ceilings, concrete floors, crisp white linens, and private plunge pool areas that connect to the main one. Although the property is a block back from the beach, it has is a beach club with a bar for guests. The restaurant serves generous breakfasts and traditional Mexican dishes with an emphasis on seafood at other meals.

In one of Ensenada’s most beautiful settings, this 27-room hotel has charm and tranquillity to spare with spacious rooms that have balconies facing the ocean. A long driveway leads to a modern glass-walled lobby and three buildings housing rooms with flat-screen TV’s, minibars, and Wi-Fi. Those in building No. 2 are slightly larger and have direct views of the pool and ocean. For outstanding seafood, visit the restaurant where you can enjoy a refreshing cocktail and watch the sunset. Unlike other hotels in the area, this family-owned property is set far back from the main road for the ultimate peace and privacy.

This sophisticated country inn, which has both a pool and an inviting restaurant, is just a few blocks from Malinalco's main plaza and is filled with contemporary artwork and interesting decorative pieces collected by the well-traveled owner. The thoughtful staff is happy to provide recommendations of local attractions and restaurants, and massage treatments can be arranged in-room or in the garden. 

With excellent views of Guanajuato, suites at this renovated 19th-century property, a Mexico Boutique Hotel member, are handsomely decorated with period European or Mexican furnishings. It's an utterly relaxing place, with a pretty restaurant and newly renovated bar specializing in artisanal mezcals. Take a stroll along Paseo de la Presa to admire the early-20th-century homes built by mining execs imported from Europe. Walk into town (take a cab back, it's uphill), to the de la Olla Dam, or just stretch your legs in the newly renovated Florencio Antillón park, almost across the street from the hotel.

Catering to small groups and family outings, this ranch-style lodging near the entrance to town also accepts individual travelers. All interiors are pine-wood simple, with ceiling beams and tile roofs, and plain furnishings. The villas have kitchens, and most have a porch and fireplace; many sport a king-size bed. This working ranch offers horseback riding and also rents bicycles and ATVs. Because most guests are Guadalajarans on weekends, prices are discounted 20% Sunday through Thursday.

The moment you arrive at this jungle hotel, you'll be invited to pull up a chair at the bar, flip through literature about the area, and swap stories with the owners and other guests before retiring to your freestanding "jungalow" or palapa cabana. The jungalows are separated by winding paths and have tin roofs, cozy beds with mosquito nets, ceiling fans, and either a shared or private bathroom. The roomier cabanas have one or two bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms. Both types of accommodations have a private terrace and 24-hour hot water and electricity. Reserve in advance if you're interested in visiting local ruins—the owners lead tour groups and are happy to slot you in if they have notice. Stays of more than a single night are discounted.

The decor is minimalist and quirky: walls are awash with electric colors, the furniture is asymmetrical, the accents are futuristic. Flat-screen TVs and free Internet access in every room are nice touches. Suites on the top floor all have balconies with decent views.

Charm and location have the slight edge over comfort at this landmark hotel built in 1924. More traditional rooms in the oldest section have hand-painted wooden beams and heavy dark furnishings. The more modern rooms in the three towers have air-conditioning, king-size beds, stone floors, balconies, and pastel color schemes. The 17-story Pacifico Tower (facing the pier) has the best views, modern rooms, gym access, and a pool bar open on weekends. The larger rooms have kitchenettes, living rooms, and two TVs. The affordable pampering sessions at the spa help compensate for some areas that are in dire need of attention, like the older rooms that come at a marked-up price due to supply and demand on busy weekends.