The Best Boutique Hotels in Chiapas, Mexico

Cathedral of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
Cathedral of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico | © Olga Kolos / Alamy Stock Photo

Most of Chiapas‘ best hotels are clustered around San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque, the state’s two biggest draws, and you can book them all with Culture Trip.

The options are as varied as the tourists themselves who come to this stunning part of Mexico’s south. Here you will find luxury boutique stays, kitschy B&Bs, city finery and country charm. We’re sure this list of hotels in Palenque and beyond will get you excited about seeing the land of the Maya.

1. Casa Santa Lucia

Hotel

Cosy bedroom with colorful traditional Mexican embroidery and crosses, antique chest and rustic wood accents at Casa Santa Lucia
Courtesy of Casa Santa Lucia / Expedia

Step back in time at this lovely nine-room San Cristóbal hotel. The property is listed on the national register of historical monuments and the interiors are decked out with Mexican textiles and upholstery, giving the space a homey flair. Rooms range from twins to master suites and some include fireplaces. The central courtyard atrium is a serene space where a delicious breakfast is served. The pancakes are a must-try. Along with a charming ambience, the friendly service here is another highlight

2. Hotel Boutique Amorini

Boutique Hotel

A grand, ornate bed in a hotel room with plush bedding and button-tufted headboard.
Courtesy of Hotel Boutique Amorini / Booking.com

With seven rooms that have a bit of a regal air to them – think upholstered headboards, plush chairs, and elegant sitting tables – Boutique Amorini is a gem of a place in the heart of the action in San Cristóbal. Each room has its own rich color scheme, and common areas follow the decadent theme with open-beam ceilings, pillars, and antique-style furnishings. The terrace bar, complete with a big fireplace, is a great place to hang out before calling it a night and heading back to your decidedly swanky room.

4. Sereno Art Hotel

Boutique Hotel

A large and spacious hotel room with double doors opening out on to a pretty courtyard.
Courtesy of Sereno Art Hotel / Booking.com

If you’re looking for something a bit different, this charming hotel offers six creatively decorated rooms. While each space is different, high ceilings run throughout, along with an abundance of wood furnishings. Another highlight is the bricked beer garden courtyard with its handsome fountain. This makes for an ideal spot for sampling local and international craft beers or catching a game on the television. This little hotel stuffs a lot into a boutique San Cristóbal space – including a small spa for facials and massages.

5. Guayaba Inn

Boutique Hotel, Inn

A twin room in modern style with a mustard-hued plastered wall and contemporary furniture.
Courtesy of Guayaba Inn / Booking.com

With its old-world feel, San Cristóbal’s Guayaba Inn offers travelers cozy accommodations (some with fireplaces) in a peaceful neighborhood. Big banister beds, dark wood and earth-tone stucco walls add to the colonial character of this delightful property. A delicious breakfast is made to order every morning in the cool gardens, where you can sit and admire the koi pond. It’s in the El Cerrillo barrio, and its grounds and stone patio are full of flowers (bromeliads, orchids, and more), giving this small hotel yet another level of calm.

6. Magnolias Boutique Suites

Boutique Hotel

A simple hotel room with views over the citys red-tiled rooftops.
Courtesy of Magnolias Boutique Suites & SPA / Booking.com

This boutique hotel, with eight uniquely decorated rooms and stylish suites, which come with dining areas and kitchens, is all about Feng Shui. For instance, you have the water room (agua), which comes complete with a hammock, a blue color scheme, a terrace, a small waterfall, and a designer stream running through it. Moving to the fire (fuego) room, this space features wood floors, reddish hues and a loft space. Other rooms follow different Feng Shui themes such as bamboo, wood, and sky. Magnolias is set in the artsy El Cerrillo neighborhood, and is steps away from the ‘Zocalo’ main square, which makes it a prime spot for your San Cristóbal stay.

7. Boutique Hotel Quinta Chanabnal

Independent Hotel

A grand four-poster bed in a room with ornate wood-carved artwork and furniture.
Courtesy of Hotel Boutique Quinta Chanabnal / Booking.com

It may be a little kitsch for some, but for anyone obsessed with Mayan culture and architecture, this hotel in Palenque will be your favorite spot in Chiapas. Near the Palenque ruins, Boutique Hotel Quinta Chanabnal is designed as a recreated Mayan palace, with traditional building techniques and modern amenities. They offer four categories of suites – junior, deluxe, queen and presidential, with the presidential including a jacuzzi and coffee machine en suite. Take note that the junior suites don’t have internet in the room.

8. Grand Guadalupe by Inmense

Boutique Hotel

A twin room with two double beds and walls in tones of purple.
Courtesy of Grand Guadalupe by Inmense / Booking.com

Set in an 18th-century mansion in the heart of San Cristóbal de las Casas, the Grand Guadalupe by Inmense is a collection of 12 suites that circle an inner courtyard. The architecture and interiors play to Mexico’s colonial era. The rooms have a grandiose style of antique furniture and artistic touches, lots of colors and plenty of character. The hotel is in a prime spot right next to the Guadalupe church and is an easy walk to most main attractions in San Cristóbal. For a taste of history and opulence, Grand Guadalupe is perfect.

9. Hotel Casa Vieja

Boutique Hotel

A large bed in a hotel room with metal framed dining table and chairs seen behind.
Courtesy of Hotel Casavieja / Booking.com

Another architectural nod to the colonial era comes in the form of Casa Vieja. This property has a slightly more subdued and traditional look than the Grand Guadalupe. The rooms are tucked around verdant patio spaces and there are four categories, varying in size. There are two on-site restaurants, a meeting room, a reading room, and a rustic-chic wine cellar for intimate events.

10. Piedra de Agua

Boutique Hotel

This luxury boutique hotel in Palenque blends spa-like amenities and traditional Mexican textiles with an outstanding natural environment that you can enjoy from your outdoor bathtub or a hammock on your terrace. There is an on-site restaurant that serves up a delightful breakfast (not included in the rate), a swimming pool, a spa, and another perk is that you are greeted with a welcome cocktail when you walk through the door. Piedra de Agua is close to the Palenque ruins and other local attractions such as the Aluxes zoo and various jungle waterfalls and hiking trails.

11. Las Escaleras by Inmense

Boutique Hotel

A large bed in a simple hotel room with red-tiled floor and an en suite bathroom visible through an open door.
Courtesy of Las Escaleras by Inmense / Booking.com

With just a handful of rooms, Las Escaleras offers rustic style with pops of color and inspiration — in the form of quotes and phrases that adorn the headboard walls of each room. Nestled on a hillside, there are stairs to be climbed (escaleras means stairs) but there are also fires to be enjoyed and hot drinks to be drunk. Enjoy the morning sunshine out on the patio and then get out and see San Cristóbal – the hotel is just steps away from the center of town and its main attractions.

12. Plaza Gallery Hotel and Boutique

Independent Hotel

A hotel room in warm rustic tones with a large bed and copper artwork under a wood-beamed ceiling.
Courtesy of Plaza Gallery Hotel Boutique / Booking.com

The Plaza Gallery has a 1980s chic vibe, with art and decorative pieces that keep you guessing around every corner. The hotel is housed in a gorgeous 1940s-era neoclassic monster and its common spaces have a charming and welcoming atmosphere. There are four room categories – deluxe junior, deluxe junior standard, atico, and master – but if you want to push the boat out, opt for the latter, as it comes with six balconies, for a 360-degree view of the city.

13. Casa Del Alma Hotel Boutique & Spa

Boutique Hotel

The gallery landings filled with planters full of lush green plants and pale-pink blooming flowers in a modern hotel.
Courtesy of Casa del Alma Hotel Boutique & Spa / Booking.com

Quite possibly the most centrally located San Cristóbal hotel on this list, the Casa del Alma sits just blocks from the city’s main plaza. There are five room categories, with the suites offering separate sitting rooms and kitchenettes, and the master also has a soothing whirlpool tub. Nearly all rooms come with black-out curtains so you can get a good night’s sleep. If you need a little more relaxation, head to the spa, where you’ll find treatment rooms, a steam room, sauna, and jacuzzi.

14. Hotel Bo

Boutique Hotel

A large bed with striped bedspread and a leather headboard and views of the en suite bathroom through an open sliding door.
Courtesy of Hotel Bo / Booking.com

Hotel Bo is a funky and modern boutique hotel in the heart of San Cristóbal. There are five room categories with some stand-out features: the executive suite has an outdoor tub decked out with Venetian mosaic; the Garden Suite has a private garden and fireplace; while the Bo suite sprawls over two floors. The onsite Lum Restaurant has a menu of local and regional specialties and if you’re traveling with kids and fancy a date night, there is a babysitter readily available.

15. Hacienda Parador Santa Maria

Independent Hotel

An antique canopied bed in a hotel room with grand antique furniture and an brick floor.
Courtesy of Parador-Museo Santa Maria / Booking.com

If you fancy a break from the city, this spot fits the bill. The Hacienda Parador Santa Maria is located in the historic grounds of an ancient hacienda and if features lots of green outdoor spaces. The eight rooms are decorated according to different historical eras and exude an air of romance. There are also swimming pools, lots of grounds to explore, and an on-site restaurant with regional and national cuisine to feast on.

Carl Pettit contributed additional reporting to this article.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
Edit article