Mexico Luxury Hotels

The rich and famous have for decades made Acapulco their second home, building stunning villas with magnificent vistas and large swimming pools.  Many of these fine villas are available today for rental, and the wealth of properties available means that rental costs are affordable throughout the year.  Outside of the peak season it is also possible to rent a villa for just a few days, making a luxurious short break feasible.  In Acapulco villa rentals generally include a full complement of staff, including maids, cook and often waiters too.  You can add a priced-per-day meal plan and create a virtually all-inclusive package; perhaps add a yacht rental for a day or enjoy spa services in your villa.  Concierge service is available too, with all the advice you'll need to make your stay in Acapulco either action-packed or totally relaxing.

Located in Campeche this 17th century hacienda has been carefully and sympathetically restored to its former glory. Many of the hacienda's original features are still evident, from its thick stone walls to the beautifully tiled floors.

With just 16 rooms, the hotel feels small and intimate, more like a grand home than a hotel. With every luxury to pamper guests, from its excellent restaurant to the unique swimming pool, it's a great place relax and unwind. The decor and furnishing of the guest rooms is elegant and lavish, reflecting the opulence and style of the hacienda's heyday.

This is the perfect hideaway for those who prefer a more cosmopolitan ambience over total seclusion.  The location is fairly remote - a pretty cove with lush forest surroundings on the undeveloped Costa Alegre - and with the maximum number of guests at around 100 or so, it isn't a large resort.  Yet there's usually a buzz of activity around the attractive terraced restaurant, and the irregular array of red tiled roofs and balconies give the air of a Mediterranean village.  There's even a small selection of boutiques and a deli.

We also like the range of accommodations at the Careyes; the junior suites are spacious and indulgent enough to envelop honeymooners for a week or more, whilst the luxurious casitas can accommodate a family in comfort.  And the facilities are surprisingly child-friendly; the pool is big enough for everyone to share, baby sitting services are available and there's a good range of activities for all ages.

This secluded resort is a perfect blend of rusticity, romance and sheer indulgence.  The Tamarindo is set in two thousand acres of rainforest; an area of breathtaking natural beauty where wooded ravines meet the palm fringed Pacific shores.  The attractions include one of the most spectacular golf courses in the country, several secluded beaches and an enticing clear blue sea.

With such inspiring surroundings the last place guests will want to spend time is in their room.  In response, the Tamarindo's villas offer a rare treat of expansive, private and sublimely comfortable outdoor living spaces - huge palapa topped verandahs opening out from stylish interiors and just steps away from a private plunge pool or Jacuzzi.

Some villas have ocean views, others are hidden amongst dense pine groves higher up the hillside.   Although tropical in appearance, the villas include all modern amenities, including air-conditioning, refrigerators, direct dial telephone and oversized bathrooms.  

A current favorite of Hollywood stars and a member of the prestigious Auberge Resort group, Esperanza is an elegant and tranquil hideaway. Guests return here time after time to enjoy blissful dinners under the stars, wallow in the infinity pool while watching the waves crash on the rocks below, and to indulge in a comprehensive range of naturally therapeutic spa treatments.

Each of the resorts' casitas has a large balcony or terrace with ocean views, a fabulously equipped bedroom and a lavish bathroom.

We love the property's Ocean Front Junior Suites for their magnificent views and well appointed interiors - Jacuzzi bathtubs, luxury bed linens and CD players are standard here .

The Casitas are our top choice for families, with private plunge pools and close to the ocean. They also feature kitchenettes and sitting rooms.

With just fifteen sumptuous guest rooms, the Hacienda San Jose offers guests the chance to experience the lavish lifestyle of the henequen lords.

The Hacienda is ideally situated close to Chichen Itza and many other of the "must-sees" of the Yucatan, yet also offers guests the chance to lighten their sightseeing trip with a little indulgent relaxation.

Formerly the 16th Century convent of Santa Catalina, the hotel is a beautiful combination of the historical, together with the excellent facilities and services of the prestigious Camino Real Group.

In one of the bougainvillea decked courtyards is a stunning swimming pool, surrounded by ancient stone walls, restored frescoes and flowering shrubs. In another, tables from the restaurant spill out under colonnades, and echoes of Gregorian chants drift in the breeze.

Ceiba del Mar is a breath of fresh air. It's luxury and indulgence at its best, without the expense that usually goes with it. Even the most active person could easily spend at least a week here and not become bored. The vast amount of facilities - ranging from a fully equipped gym to motor bikes to jogging track - are more than ample to keep you busy.

In addition, the excellent Spa offers massages on the beach, yoga classes, a sauna and beauty salon.

Mayakoba is a group of luxurious and prestigious resorts which have been developed in the tropical forests and mangroves that edge an idyllic stretch of Caribbean coast.  The Fairmont was the first resort to open here and offers extensive facilities and amenities including championship golf course, Willow Stream Spa, fitness room, restaurants and swimming pools.   Many of the rooms are arranged in small buildings of just two or four and set around one of the many fresh water rivers that run through the resort.  This is an excellent choice for families with children of all ages, as well as being a romantic and exotic retreat for couples.

Le Reve is an intimate and romantic little hotel located right on Playa Xcalacoco which is approximately 10 minutes drive from Playa del Carmen.  The twenty five rooms are simple but chic with white minimal interiors which are accented by brightly colored accessories and traditional hand-made tiles from Merida. Almost all of the rooms have ocean views while the Beach Front  Bungalows have prime positions right on the edge of the beach.  The resort has a beautiful freeform swimming pool facing the ocean, a small spa area and beachfront bar.  There is an excellent restaurant with a further bar which has a great ambiance at night. 

The Four Seasons' newest Mexican property lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty.  Secluded, pristine beaches and unusually calm and clear ocean make swimming and water sports especially enticing.  These beaches are the nesting grounds of several species of marine turtle, and whales, dolphins and manta rays are occasional visitors.  For the moment this is the only resort in the area, although more are planned, and the relatively small scale of the resort adds a sense of exclusivity and privacy.

We recommend the resort to couples looking for some serious pampering - a world class spa and breathtakingly scenic golf course may be reasons enough alone for a visit.  Punta Mita is also a great place for families.  The surprisingly child friendly facilities and the "Kids for all Seasons" club mean that parents have time for some private relaxation.  But don't worry if you want to escape the family environment - there's plenty of space for everyone and even during the busiest holiday season, it's still possible to find a secluded beach of your own.  

With luxurious rooms arranged throughout several exquisitely restored mansions, the Casa Sierra Nevada is the ultimate place to stay in San Miguel. Guest rooms boast wood burning fires or sunny terraces, and the room service is impeccable.

For a break from the rigors of sightseeing spend an afternoon by the magnificent heated swimming pool, delightfully set in a gardened courtyard.  In the evening enjoy a gourmet restaurant, one of the most highly regarded in the country, and one of our favorites for its sumptuous decor and refined elegance.

The Hacienda Santa Rosa is a true haven for those intent on seeing the very best that the Yucatan has to offer. We particularly like the intimacy and serenity of the Santa Rosa. A visit here is rather like staying with friends - the welcome is warm and sincere and it's fun to watch the daily activity around this rather grand house.

Rooms offer glorious oversized bathrooms, soaring ceilings - some more than twenty feet high - and enormous, heavy doors that lend so much to the atmosphere. Some original floor tiles also remain, and the rough walls have been repainted in typically Mexican yellows, oranges and blues.

This wonderfully romantic property comes pretty close to our idea of perfection.  The guest rooms capture all of the colors and charms of this richly-textured country and the suites include some of the most luxurious accommodations you'll find anywhere.  Lush tropical gardens stretch right to the sands, where you'll find the surprisingly sophisticated palapa-roofed restaurant "la Villa" and engaging boat-shaped bar.  A further restaurant "la Cantina" has tables spilling out onto the sands and serves Mexican dishes and seafood.

The ambience of the Tides Zihuatanejo is just perfect for a beach resort; relaxed and low key in the daytime, enchantingly elegant in the evening.  And although the Tides has now grown to encompass a total of seventy rooms and suites it still has all the charm and intimacy of a boutique hotel.