Most of Chiapas’ best hotels are clustered around San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque, the state’s two biggest draws. 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, kitschy B&Bs, city finery and country charm. We’re sure this list of hotels will get you excited about seeing the land of the Maya.
This hotel may be a little kitsch for some, but for anyone obsessed with Maya culture and architecture it’ll 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 amentities. 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.
Set in an 18th century mansion in the heart of San Cristobal de las Casas, the Grand Guadalupe by Inmense is a collection of 12 suites that circle a innner courtyard – classic architecture of Mexico’s Colonial era. The rooms have a grandiose style of antique furniture and artistic touches, lots of color, and plenty of character. The hotel has a prime spot right next to the Guadalupe church and is an easy walk to most main attractions in San Cristobal. For a taste of history and opulence, Grand Gaudalupe is perfect.
Another architectural monument to the Colonial era in Mexico, Casa Vieja has a slightly more subdued and traditional look than the Grand Gaudalupe. Tucked around patios overflowing with greenery, are Casa Vieja’s four room categories – double, junior, master and “special” – whose only real difference seem to be there sizes and types and size of beds, amentities are pretty much the same in all. There are two on-site restaurants, a meeting room, reading room and a rustic-chic wine cellar for intimate events.
This luxury boutique blends spa-like amentities 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 (breakfast, as good as it is, is a separate charge from your nightly rate), a swimming pool, a spa and 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 like the Aluxes zoo and various jungle waterfalls and hiking trails.
With just a small 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 their rooms. Tucked up into a hillside, there are of course 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 Cristobal — the hotel is just steps away from the center of town and its main attractions.
The Plaza Gallery has a kind of 80’s chic, with art and deocrative 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 charm and ease to them that attract guests to sit for a spell. There are four room categories – deluxe junior, deluxe junior standard, atico and master – most amentities are the same regardless of category but the master suite has 6 balconies, for a 360-degree view of the city.
Quite possibly the most centrally located San Cristobal hotel on this list, the Casa del Alma sits just blocks from the city’s main plaza. There are five room categories with the Master suite and Junior suite with the most amount of space with separate sitting rooms and kitchenettes (the master also has a whirlpool tub). Nearly all rooms come with black out curtains and one category is disabled accessible. They have a full list of treatments available at their spa, as well as a steam room, suana, and jacuzzi for guests to use.
Hotel Bo is a funky and modern boutique hotel in the heart of San Cristobal whose decor is fresh and contemporary. There are five room categories with some stand-out features: the executive suite has an outdoor tub Venetian mosaic, the Garden Suite has a private garden and fireplace, and the Bo suite is two floors. Their Lum Restuarant has a menu of local and regional specialities and an area for kids with an on-site babysitter.
With lots of outdoor spaces and local flora to admire from your vantage point under the arched patios, the Hacienda Parador Santa Maria is a nice break from city life and chance to rejuvenate in the fresh air and historic grounds of the ancient hacienda. The eight rooms are each decorated in a different historic era and have plenty of ambiance and romance. There are also swimming pools, lots of grounds to explore and an on-site restaurant with regional and national cuisine.
