5. The Beach Tulum
The Beach Tulum overlooks the Caribbean Sea from its position on Tulum, Mexico’s coast. The intimate hotel features 28 rooms, all of which come equipped with private pools or Jacuzzis, air conditioning and coffee makers. Every guest also has access to free perks, such as flip-flops, daily yoga classes, Wi-Fi access and beach bags with towels. When visitors want to take advantage of the hotel’s waterfront location, they can book excursions like diving, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, fly-fishing and turtle watching. Or, they can spend a leisurely day lounging on the beach or by the pool. The hotel also houses a spa and offers a variety of fee-based alcohol tastings and cooking classes (for a fee), with recent travelers strongly recommending the tequila tastings. After working up an appetite, guests can savor the international cuisine and fresh seafood served at Ziggy’s Restaurant and Bar or the healthy fare dished up at Fresco’s. There is also beachfront service, and a pool bar is available for those who prefer to snack and lounge. While past guests uniformly praised The Beach Tulum, several expected the hotel to offer more given its pricey rates.
6. Isla Mujeres Palace
With an air of tropical romance and intimate surroundings, this couples-only resort on the southwestern coast of Isla Mujeres especially appeals to those in pursuit of a honeymoon or destination wedding retreat. What Isla Mujeres Palace lacks in size guests say it makes up for in personalized service. And while there are only 62 of them, each guest room comes with a private balcony, double Jacuzzi, minibar and flat-screen LCD TV. Your meals are covered by the all-inclusive cost, but there is only one restaurant, Azul. (Recent visitors, though, say the food is varied and delicious, so you probably won’t get bored). But while the beach and pool are lovely, some guests can start to go a little stir-crazy without the constant excitement that Cancun’s mainland hotels bring. However, if it’s quiet seclusion you want, then Isla Mujeres Palace can deliver.