Which are the top hotels in Mexico according to the USA’s two most popular travel magazines? Well, there are a few surprises and a few that left us scratching our heads, but overall there are a lot of great properties on both the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List (picked by editors) and the Travel + Leisure Top 100 in the world list (picked by readers) that came out this year.
We tend to be very skeptical about readers’ polls that purport to list the “best hotels around the world” for a whole lot of reasons. One is that nobody on this planet has stayed in enough luxury resorts to tell you by experience which ones are the best, even on one continent. You’d have to be staying in hotels and resorts every night of the year, moving around constantly. I’ve probably stayed in more luxury hotels in Latin America than almost anyone, but I need our freelance contributors in order to really cover them all in depth through personal stays.
So people only vote for the ones they’ve stayed in or the ones their friends have raved about. The most famous places tend to stay on top.
Second, there’s a massive amount of ballot stuffing going on. Only a tiny percentage of regular readers will go through all the effort required to fill out these lengthy surveys. Everyone with a stake in the outcome does though. Some PR agencies and hotel chain offices have been known to get subscriptions for the entire staff for this one purpose: voting in the annual readers’ poll. (With instructions to staffers about the correct way to vote, of course.)
That doesn’t even count the begging, “Please vote for us!!” e-mails that go out by the thousands. I get dozens a week when the voting period is in play. Then the problem with editors’ picks, even mine, is it’s rare that an editor has stayed in every hotel even in one region, much less the whole country.
Still, we humans love to see things ranked and scored, so the various “Best in the World” list issues are naturally one of the glossy travel magazines’ most popular of the year. (The issue and its online counterpart also pull in lots of advertising as a result.)
The hotels win too of course: it can provide a nice bump in business for the resorts that come out on top. They’ll brag about this listing for years, even if it’s the direct result of their marketing/voting campaign to get there, just like with the Oscars and the Grammys.
Fortunately, Mexico has a lot of fantastic luxury resorts, so it’s often more a matter of “Why isn’t ____ on there?” than it is about an undeserving resort making the list. , so these properties fared better than most around the world. The country frequently has multiple properties listing in the “top 100 properties in the world” and San Miguel de Allende has won “best city” or “best small city” for years now.
Here’s the list for this year of who made the top-100 in the world lists for top Mexico hotels and resorts in T+L and the Gold List from CNT, with a link to where you can see our detailed, first-person review along with some original photos.
Top Hotels in Mexico
Chable Yucatan – Outside Merida
The long-established chain of Hacienda hotels near Merida closed for renovations at the same time after changing hands, leaving Chable standing as the top ex-hacienda to stay in. This one clings to tradition less than the others have, with a modern wing added onto the original building. Follow that link for the full first-person review from our contributor.
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende
Competition is heating up in San Miguel de Allende, but it’s going to be hard for anyone to top the Rosewood since it is a rare large hotel that’s actually an easy walk to the heart of the historic center instead of being located outside it. With a terrific roof bar, a large swimming pool complex, and a well-regarded spa, you can’t go wrong staying here if you’ve got the budget. Follow the link to see our full review.
Top Resorts in Mexico
La Casa de la Playa – Riviera Maya
For once we’re in agreement with Travel + Leisure for who deserves the #1 resort in Mexico spot. La Casa de la Playa is a true luxury all-inclusive resort, the kind of place that even the most picky rich traveler will be wowed by. Some of the world’s top chefs have restaurants here, there are dedicated “help yourself” rooms for chocolate, mezcal, and wine, and the rooms are works of art, complete with jellyfish aquariums. Amazing all around.
The link at the top will take you to the full review or you can see our blog post: 27 things we loved about La Casa de la Playa. (On another note, T+L also called out the two neighboring Xcaret properties, but those are mass-market resorts, not luxury ones.)
Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection – Punta de Mita
This property is only a couple of years old but it landed with a splash and deserves all the accolades. This is the kind of resort that makes interior designers and architects swoon and it’s a great reflection of modern Mexican aesthetics. You’ll have days of beauty everywhere you look here and the service is top-notch in a region with heavy competition. See a photo at the very top of this article and follow the link above to see our detailed review.
The Cape, a Thompson Hotel – Los Cabos
We’ll be back at this gorgeous resort in November and will publish and updated review and video tour, but if you’re reading this before that you can still click on that link above to get details and photos. This beachfront resort not far from Cabo San Lucas has views of surfers up close and the famous arch in the distance. The Cape attracts a bit younger crowd than most luxury resorts and with Thompson now part of the Hyatt Group, you can cash in loyalty points earned on all those business trips too.
Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood Resort – Los Cabos
Still the top resort in the region in many respects, this is one of the originals that still manages to keep its edge. This Rosewood resort, opened by the founder of Beanie Babies, is the place to go if you want superlative service in every aspect and a real sense of place right on the ocean. It seems like half the general managers I’ve met in Latin America worked here at one point, which is a testament to the excellent training program where you’ll be pampered at every turn.
The spa here also frequently shows up in polls as one of the best in Mexico.
Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection – Los Cabos
Travel + Leisure readers must have a soft spot for Auberge, either that or the company is especially good at getting out the vote, because most of their properties show up on best in the world lists there. This one has a stunning cliffside location where you can fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves. With a well-regarded spa, good restaurants, and a golf course nearby, Esperanza gets a lot of raves from repeat guests.
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
We’re hoping to get back in here in November to bring you an updated review since they closed for two months to carry out renovations recently. Expect Waldorf Astoria service and fantastic cliffside views from the public areas and rooms, in a location that’s conveniently close to downtown Cabo San Lucas. And hey, you can earn Hilton loyalty points here or cash them in.
One&Only Mandarina — Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
We haven’t made it to this resort yet, so I don’t have a review to link to. It has been a hit with Hollywood celebrities and tech biz bros who want to be isolated and hidden since this resort is a looonngg way from the Puerto Vallarta airport. Based on what we’ve seen at the Los Cabos One&Only over several stays, however, you can expect terrific service and impeccably maintained grounds at this resort that mixes beach and jungle. See more details here.
Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection – Riviera Maya
We tried to get into this resort to review it for you last time we were in the area, but they had just opened and apparently didn’t want the media to see it yet while they worked out their kinks, so we got rebuffed. Hopefully they’ll be less press-shy next time, but meanwhile you can see more details here.
New and Hot in Mexico
Conde Nast Traveler also publishes a “Hot List” each year of the most notable new openings around the world. Here are the two that showed up for Mexico, both places that we got into early to review them for you.
Banyan Tree Valle de Guadalupe – Baja Peninsula
Most of the luxury hotels in Baja California Norte are small boutique properties attached to wineries or great restaurants. Banyan Tree Valle de Guadalupe is a full resort though and is a sign that Mexico’s top wine region is hitting the big leagues. Naturally there’s a good spa at this Thai company’s resort and you’ll drink plenty of good wine if you’d like while relaxing on your balcony. Click above to see a detailed review.
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol
That mouthful of a name is for a Four Seasons resort in Baja that’s situated between San Jose del Cabo and La Paz, on a previously empty stretch of coast near Cabo Pulmo marine park. It’s part of a big residential development and golf course, far away from much else but with plenty of excellent restaurants and bars to keep you sated. The beach here is stunning and unlike most of them in Los Cabos, safe for swimming.
See all our reviews of the best luxury hotels in Mexico.
