The Best Boutique Hotels in Mexico

A mystical experience awaits on the cliffs of the Tulum coast. Villas are habitable sculptures that cling to the dramatic Mexican coastline, stripped of technology, allowing you to unplug from urban life and connect with your surroundings. Private nests, tucked in the treetops, form the Kin Toh restaurant, serving avant-garde Mexican cuisine. For art workshops, look no further than SFER IK, an interdisciplinary creative space where contemporary artists come for residencies.

Included on our guide to the best hotels in Oaxaca, we also think Hotel Azul is one of the best boutique hotels in the whole country. Throughout the 19th-century compound, the modern Mexican vibe is palpable with bright splashes of colour and local artwork. Don’t miss the cactus-filled courtyard with a fountain (designed by Francisco Toledo), or the ground floor art gallery; they’re both Hotel Azul highlights. Finish your day with a mezcal at the Azul Terrace bar.

This Vogue-approved hotel is the epitome of boutique luxury on the Caribbean coastline. Once the estate of an Italian duchess, turned Playa del Carmen hotel, Esencia overlooks the Yucatán jungle and white sands of Xpu-ha. Scattered over a sprawling complex are 45 suites offering plunge pools, ocean views and complimentary morning pastries and coffee. Start your day with sunrise yoga and finish it with a kobe steak or crispy Chilean seabass at the restaurant, Beefbar. It’s no wonder this resort has been voted one of the top hotels in the world by Condé Nast Traveler.

Gorgeous Mérida is the safest travel destination in all of Mexico and also one of the most charming colonial cities in the country. At Casa Lecanda, Mérida’s top boutique hotel with just seven rooms, you can enjoy the central location just off the Paseo de Montejo. Effortlessly combining original features, custom furniture and modern necessities (free wifi throughout), Casa Lecanda’s interior decor brings together past and present Mérida beautifully. Don’t overlook the communal patios, gorgeous tiled details or the chance to take a dip in the outdoor pool.

Guanajuato, with its colourful buildings and colonial history, is a traveller favourite on the Mexico tourism scene. It’s no surprise the city is home to one of the country’s best boutique hotels. The clue is in the name. This slick, centrally located hotel has Egyptian cotton bed linen, fluffy bathrobes and a complimentary newspaper delivered to your door. Boasting just 20 rooms, all named after women, you can choose from the “pillow menu” to ensure the best night’s sleep possible after enjoying your mezcal at the rooftop bar with its incredible views across the city.

Considered Mexico’s first ever hotel and contemporary art gallery combo, Hotel Encanto in Acapulco is a sight to behold with all white walls, sharp angles and sweeping lines. Private infinity pools and floor-to-ceiling windows allow unobstructed ocean views from the larger suites. At night, the hotel is illuminated while you dine on seared tuna medallions with hibiscus flower crust at the Origen restaurant. Encanto proves simple doesn’t mean sparse.

Situated in Guadalajara’s Zona Rosa is the beautiful boutique hotel Villa Ganz, a 1930s townhouse with original stone floors and marble staircase. Each of the 10 rooms pay homage to a character from the famed Pedro Páramonovel by Jalisco native, Juan Rulfo. Take, for example, the eponymous Pedro Páramo suite with Persian carpets, hardwood furniture and two-person Jacuzzi bath. This hotel should be anyone’s first port of call in the vibrant city of Guadalajara, book lovers especially.

Cabo San Lucas takes much of Baja California’s international limelight, given that it’s a popular haunt with numerous celebs. However, San José del Cabo (the second of the “Cabos”) is much quieter. Here, you’ll find the marvellous Casa Natalia. A 19-room boutique hotel with a fantastic adjoining restaurant, Mi Cocina, artsy Casa Natalia offers a gorgeous secluded hideout. Cool down in the half moon courtyard pool or while the afternoon away in a hammock – either way, you’ll never want to leave.