While the Caribbean coast of Mexico is filled with everything-included hotels, finding the more authentic, European-plan hotels is not always an easy proposition.
But if you look closely, you can find them.
Indeed, tucked away in the sea of megaresorts that pepper the area are some rarefied, beautiful hotels, from funky boutiques to larger, more traditional luxury hotels, a diverse collection that’s still something of a secret for most travelers.
At each one, you’ll get a different Mexico experience — what you’ll find at all of them are quality, personality and wonderful design.
Here are five Mexico hotels to try right now.
Belmond Maroma Arguably the leading luxury hotel in the Mexican Caribbean, this Belmond retreat is set on a 200-acre direct beachfront site. The 63-unit hotel has both rooms and suites (we’re partial to the oceanfront one-bedrooms right on the beach), along with an impressive gastronomic offering that’s what you expect from the Belmond brand. And then there’s the Kinan Spa, a enchantingly designed space that focuses on Mayan healing rituals.
Nomade Tulum Tulum has become the Mexican Caribbean’s capital of cool, but its vast collection of small hotels can often be difficult to navigate, with the line sometimes blurred between luxury and rustic. Our favorite right now? Nomade Tulum, a place that’s got all of the eclectic chic that brought you to Tulum in the first place, married with a breezy, almost meditative ambience that’s the foundation of Tulum’s funky appeal.
Nizuc Cancun This isn’t the Cancun you know. In a hub of fortress-like hotels, this 274-room luxury outpost is a full-fledged sanctuary. This 29-acre retreat is all about indulgent luxury, from private pools in the rooms to free-standing tubs to six outstanding restaurants under the stewardship of Executive Chef Sylvain Desbois. That’s without mentioning the ESPA spa, the brand’s first in the Mexican Caribbean.
Thompson Playa del Carmen Thompson’s first Caribbean hotel has become the Riviera Maya’s most energetic hotel, with a prime position in the heart of happening Playa del Carmen and a dual-resort complex that marries a beach hotel and an urban getaway, the latter anchored by the city’s top rooftop pool, along with a great culinary program led by the team from New York seafood joint CATCH.
Grand Residences Riviera Cancun This Leading Hotel of the World remains a favorite for in-the-know aficionados of the Mexican Caribbean, thanks to its almost impossibly large suites, its terrific cuisine and what just might be the best service in the region — on either side of the Caribbean Sea — and almost certainly among Mexico hotels.
— CJ