261 Best Hotels in Mexico

Rising from Bahía de San Carlos, this huge resort is the most luxurious lodging in Sonora. The arresting atrium lobby opens onto a large pool and beach. Pleasing rooms—all with at least a partial ocean view—have contemporary, if uninspiring, furnishings. Rooms on the first two floors have balconies overlooking the sea. Children love the swimming-pool slide and horseback riding on magnificent Algodones beach.

The first hostel in Latin America has been renovated by trendy travel and co-working brand Selina and is now the kind of place we all dreamed existed when we were young—one whose options range from cute and comfortable private rooms with en-suite baths to dorms for 4 to 12 people with shared bathrooms. A cool co-working area, yoga and meditation lessons, and a movie room guarantee that you'll be entertained and never alone. It's perfect for digital nomads and social travelers.

Set on a lovely beach, this property has accommodations—all adorned with Mexican pottery and other collectibles—that include two apartments with private kitchens; a secluded jungle studio (which the owners refer to as "a tree house for adults"); and a house divided into three suites that share a kitchen, dining room, sundeck, and library full of books and board games. Yogurt and homemade granola prepared with coconut from the property's trees are stocked in the refrigerator for breakfast. Kayaks (suitable for both the ocean and the two lagoons just behind the property), fat-tire beach bikes, boogie boards, and snorkel gear are included in the rate. Guests are always greeted with free, strong frozen margaritas and a warm welcome from the friendly hosts.

One of the first megacomplexes in Rocky Point, this massive pink resort operates much like a hotel, but it has one-, two-, and three-bedroom, fully furnished condominiums in place of standard rooms. The Sonoran Grill ($$–$$$) serves steaks and seafood, as well as a great spicy lasagna made with chipotle chilies. The beach in front is never crowded, and you can do plenty here without leaving the resort—a good thing, since it is a bit far from the center of town.

This sparkling, French country–meets–Spanish colonial hotel, owned by a Parisian interior designer, is pristine and comfortable. Each one- or two-story apartment feels like a private home, with fresh flowers, a sprinkling of carefully chosen antiques, and blue-and-white Mexican tiles. The kitchenettes are sizable, and the shared pool area is a nice place to escape the heat. Wi-Fi is free. The hotel is a five-minute walk from Playa Carrizalillo, a good beach for swimming. Tax is already included in room rates, so they may seem higher than they actually are.

This small, cheerful beachfront boutique hotel owned by a mother and her two daughters sits right in the center of town, across from the wonderful La Mexicana restaurant. The atmosphere is laid-back and sociable: an outdoor wood-burning oven is fired up for community pizza nights, and an intimate palapa lounge near the small infinity pool encourages sunset socializing. Rooms are done up in bright colors with wood furnishings and open-beam ceilings; each one has its own small patio and private open-air bathroom.

The lights of San Miguel are a distant glow on the horizon when you look west from the windward coast's only lodging, a small rustic inn that's run on generator power and has spacious, simply furnished rooms with patios or balconies. Two-story suites have a bedroom and full bath upstairs plus a living area, half bath, and kitchenette downstairs. Mexican-style meals are served on the open-air deck. Sleeping with the doors and windows open allows you to be lulled by the pounding surf. Sea turtles nest on the long beach beside the hotel in summer, and tropical fish gather by the rocky point.

This homey hotel is on a hill above quiet La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, and offers garden-view or ocean-facing suites; several have a terrace overlooking the coast, and a large dining area/kitchen and living room. A big breakfast is served in the open-air dining room; the adjacent common area has a computer with Internet access. The small swimming pool overlooks a tropical hillside, the marina, and the town of La Cruz.

Across from one of the nicer sections of the downtown beach, this hotel lets you enjoy the sun of Veracruz without the scene of Boca del Río. As you might guess when you see the small playground, it caters mostly to families. The spacious rooms surround a garden with a tennis court, swimming pool, and hot tub.

This five-star resort, which blends Maya and modern architecture, makes you feel right at home in apartment-like rooms with full kitchens, living rooms, dining areas, and spacious balconies draped with hammocks. Suites add washers and dryers, two full bathrooms, and private whirlpool tubs. Since the hotel is U-shaped, 90% of the accommodations enjoy ocean views. The center of the property has manicured gardens, three pools (one adults-only), and flower-shaped hot tubs centered with firepits. A bridge crosses over the pool area and tunnels through massive towers that are illuminated at night. On-site activities include kayaking, art classes, and salsa lessons. Although the beach is narrow, plenty of sun chairs line the soft sand, and decent snorkeling awaits just offshore.

In contrast to the traditional-looking, blue-and-white exterior of this hotel, which is part of Hilton's Curio Collection, its lobby is austerely modern, and its guest rooms are contemporary, though with little to remind you that you're in Mexico. On-site amenities include the Asai Japanese restaurant, an outdoor pool, and a fitness center.

This comfortable hotel is one of the newest in the area. Spacious, modern, and clean rooms are distributed in 16 large buildings with thatch roofs that they call bungalows. The inviting lobby is also under a palapa roof, as is the large adjacent restaurant. You can access Wi-Fi in the lobby.

Villas El Tuito is a big, three-room house done in a contemporary Mexican style. As El Tuito has so few lodging options, clean rooms and Wi-Fi access are just about all you can ask for. The rooms include a TV, shared kitchen, bath, and shower.

Not only is the island's largest property right on the beach, but it has everything you need to be comfortable—an open-air palapa lobby, a temazcal (Maya sweat lodge), a large pool, a buffet-style restaurant, manicured gardens laced with sandy paths leading to freestanding, bungalow-style accommodations. Standard rooms have private entrances and wooden floors; master suites have two floors, a bathtub, whirlpool, and ocean views. Rope handrails, wooden masks, and bright Mexican fabrics enhance the decor. Note that, in addition to all-inclusive rates, the resort offers  half-board and breakfast-only plans.

If you don't mind being near the beach, rather than on it, here's one of the most affordable hotels in Las Hadas Peninsula. Rooms in the Spanish-style villas are spacious and decorated simply with carved wooden furniture, and equipped with microwaves, refrigerators, and toasters. Master suites are outfitted with more complete kitchens, a Jacuzzi, and a large seating area, and make a good option for a housekeeping holiday.

This all-suites hotel in García Ginerés blurs the line between indoors and outdoors—after checking into a mid-20th-century house, you'll pass through lush gardens with seating areas, fountains, and contemporary sculptures on the way to your accommodations. In lieu of dark hallways, open-air paths above the gardens connect the different new additions that house the guest rooms. Cuna, the hotel's restaurant, is a culinary destination in its own right. 

Every unit here—four-person studio or eight-person villa—is oceanfront and equipped with a washer and dryer, full kitchen, whirlpool tub, and delightful design touches like recessed lighting and built-in shelves displaying Mexican pottery. Rooms are housed in 14 towers, but those in Building 9, Phase 4, have the best views. All of the pools are heated, and the one designated for children has a waterslide. Families can also enjoy miniature golf, tennis courts, and a playground. Connected to the property are the historic Yamil Lu'um ruins and a stunning beach. Keep in mind that this is not an all-inclusive, and the three on-site restaurants are somewhat pricey.

Pampering touches—like the white-tea mist that periodically sprays in the lobby and the beds so heavenly that some guests buy them for their own homes—are what make this hotel extraordinary. Rooms juxtapose modern and traditional, with sleek dark-wood furniture offset by bright rugs and the occasional blue or yellow wall. There are two beaches—an expansive one on the Caribbean side and a smaller one facing Laguna Nichupté—so you always have a place to sunbathe. Due to its quiet, isolated nature, this Westin outpost mainly attracts families with small children and adults in their thirties and forties.

The most basic lodging option at this resort is a spacious junior suite with a sofa bed, sitting area, flat-screen TV, stocked minibar, and balcony; family suites have bunk beds and direct access to the Kids' Club via sliding glass doors. Due to the resort's size, the pools here may feel a bit crowded, but if you're lucky (and quick) you can snag a chaise in the outdoor areas. The aqua park with a pirate ship and waterslide—one for kids and one for adults—is the perfect way to cool off.

This hotel couldn't have a better location—it's right on the Zócalo and close to a gaggle of museums, restaurants, and historic buildings. You'd expect nothing less than to be in the heart of the city, given that one wing of the building was once the home of Hernán Cortés. Rooms are very small, but the most recently renovated ones are nicely appointed, with wood floors, crisp white bedspreads, and flat-screen TVs. The restaurant and bar have sweeping views of the Catedral Metropolitana and Palacio Nacional.  And rooms have double pane windows so while it may be in a busy part of town, it is quiet inside. Cafe Central in the lobby supplies food and drinks to all guests 24-hours a day at no extra fee.