Where to stay in Mexico, from tree houses to luxury hotels
We’ve selected dozens of our favorite hotels, hostels, resorts and unique accommodations that will appeal to every kind of traveler.
Accommodations in Mexico range as broadly as do the marvelous country’s beaches, mountains, ancient sites, historic towns and world-class cities.
Across the country, you can lay your head down in everything from thatch-roof beachfront cabañas to impossibly luxurious resorts, from converted convents to tree houses in the jungle. Choosing the right accommodation will only enhance memories of your trip – and a truly one-of-a-kind stay may even be a highlight you can brag about.
Which is why we’ve rounded some of our favorite hotels, hostels and resorts all over Mexico, grouping them into categories to appeal to every type of traveler. It’s time to get planning.
Luxury hotels
Casa Natalia: In Los Cabos, the fabulous Natalia opens onto San José’s plaza and has rooms overlooking a descending series of luxurious swimming pools.
Temptation Cancún: Bright colors and bold designs characterize this modern, adults-only resort in Cancún. Expect playfulness and sensuality in both ambience and amenities.
Hotel Geneve: Dripping in gold, this institution in Mexico City’s Zona Rosa maintains a belle époque ambience, in the middle of the CDMX action.
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende: This opulent palace is fit for a wedding or extravagant bachelorette party. The rooftop bar, Luna, has some of the best city views of the historic city.
Hotel de la Soledad: Morelia’s centuries-old inn is a palm-fringed showstopper, its individually styled rooms combining period features and mod cons.
Boutique hotels
Casa Lum: This boutique hotel in San Cristóbal de las Casas is built with reclaimed wood and tiles. The intimate spaces feature upcycled furniture and textiles from Indigenous artisans.
Punta Caliza: An architectural experience on Isla Holbox, this small hotel is crafted from traditional materials (red cedar and thatch palapa roofs) in an exquisitely innovative design. The swimming-pool setup is fantastic.
Casa de los Sueños: This smallish hotel at the southern end of Isla Mujeres has elegant rooms and a spectacular infinity pool. Bikes, kayaks, paddle boards and snorkel gear are all available at the associated beach club, Kin Ha.
Central Hotel Boutique: This monastery-turned-hotel in Chihuahua matches romantic European charm with contemporary furnishings and an excellent restaurant.
Hotel Misión Cerocahui: Wood-beamed ceilings, fireplaces and leather Chesterfield sofas give this upscale hotel a charming old-world atmosphere. It’s a good base before or after riding the scenic railway known as El Chepe.
Casa Antonieta: A colonial-era convent in Oaxaca City now features luxurious hotel rooms plus a lovely rooftop cafe.
Best resorts
Nizuc Resort & Spa: Besides its wonderful aesthetic, Nizuc in Cancún is a standout option for its intimate setting and attentive service. Choose all-inclusive or room-only rates.
Le Blanc: The world-class restaurants at Le Blanc in Cancún go above and beyond your expectations for an all-inclusive, especially the French fine dining at Lumière. For extra romance, book a private dinner on the beach.
El Santuario Resort: This hillside hotel in Valle de Bravo has an infinity pool, fountains, an in-house spa and rooms with magnificent lake views and personal mini-pools. There’s also a golf course, horse stables and a marina.
Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués: This jungly all-inclusive resort in Acapulco has secluded villas, an infinity pool, a spa and a Thai restaurant.
Almar Resort: Puerto Vallarta’s only luxury LGBTIQ+ resort has perks including a spa, rooftop bar, bluff-top location and infinity pool abutting Los Muertos beach.
Quinta Bella Hotel: This resort hotel on Playa Chahué in Huatulco (Oaxaca state) has poolside service, six restaurants and evening entertainment.
Family-friendly accommodations
Wyndham Alltra: Kids get wet and wild at this family-friendly resort in Cancún, which features waterslides and splash pads. Evening entertainment includes movies and magic shows, while teens can hang out in their own arcade lounge.
Hotel Avándaro: This forested estate epitomizes Valle de Bravo’s escapism thanks to its pool, golf course, spa, tennis and neat cabins. It’s a great choice for families – including four-legged members.
Posada Real Ixtapa: Multiple pools, proximity to Ixtapa’s golf course and family-friendly facilities beckon at this beachfront hotel in Ixtapa.
Inn at Mazatlán Resort & Spa: Our pick of Mazatlán’s family-friendly resorts abuts Playa Sábalo, and has numerous water sports, an excellent spa, Jacuzzis and pools.
Quinta Alberto Boutique Hotel: This family-friendly place in San Blas has multiple pools, tiled rooms in neutral shades and a handy central location.
Budget-friendly stays
Che Playa: For party vibes and a social atmosphere, Che is Playa del Carmen’s best hostel, with a rooftop bar (and tiny pool), plus activities including mixology classes, salsa lessons and tours.
Yak Lake House: On the shoreline of Laguna Bacalar, this festive, socially minded hostel has both dorms and private rooms, along with a restaurant and bar, tours and activities.
Mayan Monkey: This socially minded hostel in Tulum has wide-ranging appeal, with amenities like a swing bar, giant terrace, swimming pool and many activities (yoga, salsa classes, live music).
Casa Samay: This delightful hostel just outside the town center of Cozumel has both dorms and private rooms, and the owners have a wealth of tips on diving and surfing.
Casa de los Amigos: In Mexico City’s Alameda Central, this Quaker-run guesthouse is popular with social activists but welcomes walk-in travelers, too (minimum two nights). Note that there’s no alcohol, and 10pm to 7am are quiet hours.
Hotel Ecológico Temazcal: The best budget option in town has well-priced rooms and hospitable hosts. It’s located in Creel, gateway to adventures in the Copper Canyon.
Iturbide 500 Hostal: This gorgeous place in San Luís Potosí is almost too beautiful to be called a hostel. Its elegant coworking space, kitchen and bathrooms belong in a design magazine.
Hospedarte Centro Histórico: This fun Guadalajara hostel has spacious, fan-cooled dorms with lockers, and numerous group activities for its young-traveler clientele.
Eco-friendly and sustainable options
Chalet del Carmen: Run by a friendly local and Swiss couple, this eco-friendly B&B in Coyoacán, Mexico City, has a kitchen and antique furnishings.
Genesis Eco-Oasis: Outside of the Maya ruins of Ek’ Balam in the Yucatán, this lovely, eco-friendly guesthouse makes a great base for cultural tourism.
Xkopek: This forested beekeeping park in Valladolid also has eco-friendly lodging, including camping (gear available) and simple wooden bungalows.
El Rey del Caribe: At this beautiful, eco-friendly oasis in Cancún, a lush jungly courtyard surrounds a swimming pool.
Beloved Playa Mujeres: This romantic couples-only option in Cancún has earned a “gold” certification from EarthCheck for its efforts to limit single-use plastics, conserve water, recycle and reforest. The resort also relies on renewable resources (wind turbines) for 98% of its energy needs.
Campo Archelon: This former turtle research center on Bahía de los Ángeles is a beautifully run “ecotourist campground.” Accommodations range from basic beach palapas (huts) for camping to spacious waterfront houses.
Refugio Terraza de la Tierra: In San José del Pacífico, Oaxaca, you’ll find these artful, solar-powered cabins with waterfalls, a meditation room and a vegan restaurant.
Romantic getaways and honeymoon spots
Casa Las Tortugas: This beachfront oasis in Isla Holbox has 30 gorgeous rooms – rustic on the outside but luxurious on the inside – plus rejuvenating spa treatments and a phenomenal restaurant.
Posada La Poza: In Todos Santos, La Poza combines Mexican hospitality with exquisite design details. This private, adults-only retreat is located in a drop-dead gorgeous palm oasis on the Pacific.
La Villa del Valle: This beautiful, adults-only B&B overlooks the rolling vineyards and fields in Valle de Guadalupe’s wine country. This Baja beauty feels like a modern, ultraluxe place in Tuscany.
Antigua Capilla: In San Miguel de Allende, this stylish B&B is built around a tiny 17th-century chapel, and offers extraordinary breakfasts and a gorgeous plant-lined courtyard.
La Casa Que Canta: The “house that sings” is a clifftop, thatch-roofed, adults-only hotel in Zihuatanejo with exquisitely decorated sea-view suites, some with private terraces and plunge pools.
Hotel Tentaciones: The crème de la crème of Zihuatanejo accommodation, this adults-only retreat melds marble, thatch, water features and greenery to devastating effect. It has a superb restaurant, too.
Unique stays: from tree houses to haciendas
Aldea Maya Toktli Orígenes: In Izamal, you can stay overnight in a one-of-a-kind Casa Maya, a sustainably designed traditional thatch-roof dwelling set around a productive garden.
Ajal Tulum: This sustainably designed property near Cenote Escondido has beautifully designed tree houses made of native woods, with hammock-strung decks and a romantic restaurant.
Acre: Channel your inner Tarzan at this upscale tree-house village in Los Cabos. Yet rather than the deep jungle, you’ll get farm-to-table gardens and the full boutique treatment.
Camp Cecil: On Espíritu Santo Island off southern Baja, sleep under the stars in large dome tents with beds. Glampsite rates include meals, transportation, kayaks, cocktails and more.
Hotel Tapasoli: In keeping with the surreal theme, these “hobbit” houses in Xilitla offer cabins with round doors that Bilbo Baggins would have loved.
Hotel Mansión del Cupatitzio: This gorgeous 57-room hacienda in Uruapan sits amid landscaped gardens with a pool. Splurge on an executive room.
