Date 30 April 2017
From the sprawling beaches and Mayan ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula, to the teeming, foodie’s paradise of Mexico City, from Guadalajara’s mural-splashed alleyways to the glamorous beach clubs of Acapulco, few countries in the world can rival Mexico for natural and cultural riches. As a travel destination, the country is always at the top of our list, so we’re counting down Mexico’s top 12 travel destinations and taking a peek at some of the must-visit hotels scattered through its diverse landscape.
Situated in Mexico’s Jalisco state on the Pacific Coast, Puerto Vallarta is vibrant, culturally rich, and boasts some of the country’s best beaches. First popularized as a tourist destination in the 1950s when stars such as Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Ava Gardner fell in love with the region while shooting John Huston’s “The Night of the Iguana,” today it’s a staple of discerning vacationers. A standout of the current scene is Hotel Amapa, which blends ambitious architecture with boho-contemporary Mexican design in the city’s historic center, just a stone’s throw from the lovely Playa Los Muertos, where individual palapa bungalows with private plunge pools encourage local-style indulgence in this Oaxacan village by the sea.
A beachfront city in the heart of the Mayan Riviera, Playa del Carmen is the region’s top destination for shopping, dining, and nightlife, abounding with sleek beach resorts, boutiques, and culinary draws from five-star restaurants to mouthwatering street tacos. At La Semilla, vintage Mexican furniture and carefully curated flea market treasures give soul to a sophisticated haven in the hippest part of Playa del Carmen.
Papaya Playa
Casa Malca
Situated on the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula, Tulum is a place of myth and mystery, with Mayan temples, majestic cliffs, lush green mangrove jungle, and crystalline Caribbean waters. This hippie haven is also a place for experimentation, which might be why its accommodations are so extraordinary, from Casa Malca, a nine-room contemporary art filled resort set along a private white sand beach, to Papaya Playa Project, a communal playground for the creative community launched in collaboration with Design Hotels™ and cocooned by the jungle on a pristine stretch of the Caribbean coast.
The so-called queen of Mexican beach resorts, Acapulco played host to such Golden Age Hollywood luminaries as Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra. Its beautiful beaches, pristine cliffs, and world class al-fresco dining make it easy to see why. It’s fitting then that one of its hottest contemporary draws is the 1950s retro-cool Boca Chica in the district of Caleta. With reinvigorated interiors by designers Frida Escobedo and José Rojas, the spacious, tropically-designed rooms come with large hammocks, outdoor living rooms, and private gardens.
Maison Couturier
Azucar
Enigmatic, gritty, romantic, wild—these are just some of the words that describe Veracruz, a stirring port city anchored by its lively main square, or “zócalo”, and surrounded by miles of beautiful coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. The city is home to two extraordinary properties that are both part of the Grupo Habita collection: Maison Couturier, a 19th-century French agricultural estate transformed into a secluded contemporary tropical enclave, and Azúcar, where thatched roofs, broad-slat wood flooring, and clean-lined furniture create a stylish seaside haven.
The proud capital of mole, chiles en nogada, and chalupas (among other culinary delights), Puebla is one of Mexico’s top foodie destinations—not to mention a thriving cultural hub, filled with irresistible shops, galleries, and other urban attractions. Located in the city’s historic center, La Purificadora is the new incarnation of a late 19th-century factory long used to purify water. Renowned Mexican architectural firm Legorreta + Legorreta preserved many of the building’s original elements, including crumbling walls and stone aqueducts, juxtaposing them with modern accents like sleek purple lounge chairs and a glass-walled swimming pool. The resulting mix of new and old is truly stunning.
Known as the “Sultan of the north,” Monterrey is not only one of Mexico’s most important centers of industry, transport, and culture—it’s also a visual feast, filled with dazzling architecture and surrounded by breathtaking mountains. At Habita Monterrey, the seventh property by Mexican hoteliers extraordinaire Grupo Habita, you can take in the breathtaking views amid crisp, curved designs in a sanctuary of clean, mid-century charm.
Casa Fayette
Mexico’s second largest city and a hotspot for modernist architecture, Guadalajara has been undergoing a low-key renaissance, with cafés, restaurants, and bookstores sprouting up in its jacaranda-filled neighborhoods, transforming it into one of the country’s hippest hubs. Set in Guadalajara’s trending Lafayette district, Casa Fayette is a 37-room Art Deco showcase that masterfully blends early 20th-century architecture with the polished grandeur of a heavenly tower.
Rosas & Xocolate
The vibrant, balmy capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, Merida features handsome colonial architecture, bustling markets, gastronomic pleasures, and the region’s best museums. With Rosas & Xocolate, a romantic retreat housed in two repurposed colonial mansions, hotel owner Carol Kolozs has breathed new life into the once glorious avenue of Paseo Montejo, now the cornerstone of the cultural capital’s rehabilitation.
Hotel Matilda
With its narrow cobblestone streets, fetching architecture, and vibrant art and gastronomy scenes, it’s no wonder San Miguel de Allende has become one of Mexico’s most beloved destinations. And a couple stand-out hotels stand as proof: Hotel Matilda, a sharp and style-conscious hideout that celebrates the city’s prolific artistic and culinary arts, and Dos Casas Hotel & Spa, a sophisticated retreat set in adjacent 18th-century colonial residences where bespoke contemporary design melds with time-honored Mexican hospitality.
Escondido
The name means “Hidden Port”, but Puerto Escondido is no longer such a well-kept secret. The small coastal settlement in southern Mexico is loved by surfers, vacationers, and locals, alike for its superb beaches and supreme natural beauty. The place to stay, of course, is Grupo Habita’s Hotel Escondido, where individual palapa bungalows with private plunge pools encourage local-style indulgence in this Oaxacan village by the sea.
Condesa df
Distrito Capital
Downtown Mexico
Habita Hotel
Finally, our top can’t-miss destination: One of the world’s largest metropolises, Mexico City dazzles with ancient ruins, Colonial-era architectural marvels, state-of-the-art museums, and restaurants for days, from taco stands to Michelin-starred sanctums of fine dining. Whatever you’re into, Mexico’s fascinating capital is a must-see destination for any discerning traveler. And its hotels are as legion as its cultural draws, from the hip creative minimalism of Distrito Capital in the skyscraper district of Santa Fe, to Condesa df, where designer India Mahdavi constructed an informal, relaxed, high-tech flirtation with French neoclassical style, to the iconic Habita Hotel, five stories of floating glass that embrace a dreamy aesthetic defined by modernistic wonders, Mexican art, and rare designer furniture.
Check out Design Hotels entire Mexican collection here, and start exploring!
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