7. Hotel Matilda
Hotel Matilda breaks the mold of San Miguel de Allende hotels: While other luxury mainstays highlight the city’s history by preserving antique architecture and dressing their rooms in colonial-style decor, Matilda showcases contemporary art and chic interior design. Guest rooms feature white, gray and brown hues (with a few turquoise accents), as well as top-notch amenities like 49-inch smart TVs, iPod docking stations, MALIN+GOETZ bath products and complimentary Wi-Fi access. The hotel also boasts an infinity pool with a sundeck, as well as the Spa Matilda, where you can enjoy a soothing massage or body treatment. When you’re ready for a bite to eat, Moxi Restaurant offers a menu filled with traditional Mexican eats along with inventive dishes. What’s more, Hotel Matilda earns high praise from past visitors for its location in the heart of San Miguel de Allende – less than a block north of Juarez Park – and many guests feel the property delivers first-rate customer service.
8. Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun
Situated less than 5 miles north of its sister property, Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun, this Preferred-affiliated resort boasts all of the alluring amenities of its southern sibling with an extra touch of luxury. It may look like an older property from the outside, but each of this resort’s 602 suites offers expansive views overlooking the Caribbean Sea, as well as a terrace and a private sitting area. The relaxing atmosphere extends into the 40,000-square-foot Gem Spa, where you can enjoy a hydrotherapy treatment or a soak in the Sensations Pool. If it’s sunshine you seek, head to the resort’s lagoon-inspired pool or its palapa-studded beach, which hugs Caribbean waters and offers vistas of Isla Mujeres. Even dining at Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun is an elegant affair; guests are consistently wowed by the French-Mediterranean cuisine served at Le Basilic, as well as the hand-rolled cigars and Mexican fare found at La Joya (along with the resort’s four other restaurants and bars). Kids can also join in the fun with supervised activities at the Coral Kids’ Club. Keep in mind, a $25 daily resort fee applies. To cut costs, members of the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program can pay for stays with free night certificates.