Hotels in Mexico

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"There's a surprise at every turn" in this Baroque former sixteenth-century convent. Near colonial, Mixtec, and Zapotec ruins, it was later a jail and a Masonic temple. Restored frescoes line the corridors, and rooms with rough-wood furniture and locally loomed drapes have views of "a bougainvillea-filled courtyard." Moles figure prominently on the "pricey but worthwhile menu"; for dessert, try the rose-petal sorbet.

91 rooms

Amenities: Pool

Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

This former Camino Real on the northern tip of the hotel zone has the Caribbean on three sides. It blends "traditional Mayan architecture with contemporary design," and on its 71 acres, bright rooms with colonial mosaics are in either the pyramid building or the tower. Night owls dance to salsa and merengue at Az

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

On the bluffs of Punta Ballena, above the Sea of Cortes, this resort has desert-colored suites in thatched-roof casitas with local art and furnishings. The service is "six on a scale of one to five." Tapas opened last spring and delivers small plates from the different regions of Mexico. At the spa, get a papaya enzyme peel.

56 suites

Amenities: Beach, Golf, Pool, Spa, Water sports

New to the Gold List

Guests "return again and again" to this family getaway with activities ranging from guacamole preparation (for the kids) to golf on a Jack Nicklaus course. A sprawling, multilayered resort, it's surrounded by mountains and beaches and is "beautiful, though not at the level of others in the area." Guests enjoy ocean views from the private balconies of their "contemporary Mexican rooms." At Rosato's, the specialty is Northern Italian.

250 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"Pretty during the day but stunning at night," this property set around a courtyard near Chapultepec Castle is "a great Mexico City experience." Colonial rooms are decorated in earthy hues, and perks include 24-hour multilingual concierge service. Loosen up with mezcal at the library-themed El Bar.

240 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"It's a drive from the airport down an unfinished road, but the golf is unbelievable": Jack Nicklaus's 18-hole course has one hole on an island 200 yards offshore. Rooms with Mexican art and louvered doors are in tile-roofed casitas that lead to the beach. On the Pacific-facing patio, the Nuna Bar specializes in fresh seviche. Charter the hotel's new 55-foot yacht.

145 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Golf, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

New to the Gold List

The Mediterranean exterior of this five-year-old beachfront resort encloses "spacious rooms" currently being updated with a warmer color palette and Mexican design elements. Guests praise the infinity pool, which has a swim-up sushi bar; at La Hacienda, the food is "largely American." Spa Ixchel has special treatments tailored to children, including a Baja herbal foot soak.

375 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Golf, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

New to the Gold List

Located in Polanco, the city's "safest neighborhood," this sleek concrete high-rise near the Modern Art Museum is "ideally situated whether you're here on business or for shopping." Staff are "always willing to go the extra mile": "They served me dinner in the hotel lobby." Simple contemporary rooms, furnished in warm colors, are under renovation. Asian cuisine at the pub-style O'Mei is "expensive and unimpressive."

752 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

This "modernist but distinctly Mexican" Polanco high-rise is close to shopping and the Anthropological Museum. Spacious rooms with regional furnishings, colonial headboards, and original art are "among the best in Mexico." The specialty on the Mediterranean menu at La Griglia is fish with fine herbs. "Your enjoyment of a stay here is only enhanced by the charming staff."

311 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2006

All the rooms at this "warm and welcoming oceanfront resort" near the Kukulkan Plaza mall have private balconies with ocean views. The 35,000-square-foot Mayan-inspired spa offers treatments using avocado, papaya, and honey. Cafe Salsa serves contemporary Mexican fare overlooking the sea. At the kids' club, children learn coconut bowling and Spanish from the "pleasant, thoughtful staff."

448 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"Little touches" combine to produce a slew of perfect scores at this "beautifully landscaped" cliffside resort above Playa La Ropa. Rooms in adobe buildings have louvered doorways, showers, and local Mexican handicrafts and "take your breath away." Lime pancakes and huevos Mexican style await guests at breakfast, while at dinner the emphasis is on seafood and the views of Zihuatanejo Bay. "Service doesn't come any better."

33 suites

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

This "contemporary Latin-style" retreat is a meandering network of pools, bars, terraces, and suites. Cedar doors lead to "pretty-large rooms" with raised platform beds and inlaid-pebble floors. The cuisine at the restaurant is Baja-Mediterranean. Weekly movie screenings on the beach come with champagne and bites such as fish with chipotle mayonnaise.

71 suites

Amenities: Golf, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

The "upscale, Mexican-style rooms" at this resort have sliding doors that open onto the Caribbean and Nichupte Lagoon. Dine alfresco on Mediterranean dishes on Aioli's terrace. To unwind, try a wrap of marine plants and algae or a massage at Spa del Mar, then refresh in its Swiss showers and outdoor whirlpool.

213 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

Constructed on a former coconut plantation by Mayan masons, this hacienda-style resort of white stucco buildings was aligned with the stars to maximize energy flow. "Rooms are pleasantly rustic," with hand-loomed bedding and private terraces. The spa menu at Cilantro lists the nutritional information on each dish.

65 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

With buildings dotting a villagelike compound, this resort "feels like a fantasy." Each villa has handcrafted furniture, wrought iron doors, and "a sumptuous bathroom." The property's "quaint and rustic chapel," surrounded by beds of flowers, often hosts weddings and can accommodate up to 40 guests. At the palapa-style Agua's, dine on Mediterranean-Mexican cuisine prepared by a Moroccan chef.

172 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Golf, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

With 1,200 feet of white sand beach, a tiled roof, fountains, and sculptures, this clay-colored resort has "a rich design that works with the beachfront location." Rooms in light pastels are "uplifting but not overbearing." Club Grille serves fresh seafood and prime cuts to the strains of live jazz. Renovations following Hurricane Wilma added a culinary center.

365 rooms

Amenities: Golf, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2006

A series of three-story Spanish colonial villas,each with a relaxation pool and a personal concierge,make up this beachfront all-inclusive refurbished after Hurricane Wilma. Rooms are outfitted with cotton and bamboo rugs, upholstered headboards, and hydromassage bathtubs. Thoughtful staff "posted a WELCOME BACK sign on our door." "There's so much to do here," from windsurfing to tennis to spa treatments.

200 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2006

"Intuitive staff know when to assist you" at this 19-year-old beachfront resort. Rooms in two-story casitas are individually decorated with natural woods and hammocks; all suites add private infinity pools to the mix. The restaurant La Villa has weekly fiestas with a live mariachi band. In 2006, the spa was expanded.

72 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports