Where to stay: MEXICO

Located on a breathtaking coastal boardwalk in La Paz – Baja California Sur’s capital, a city brimming with history – Grupo Habita have completed their 14th project, the brand renowned for ‘leading a design revolution in Mexico’s hospitality industry since 2000′ having opened Baja Club, a 32-roomed hotel housed in an early 20th century, bringing desert chic to the handsome Mexican city.

Set right on the beach, against the backdrop of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, the Four Seasons is by far the area’s sleekest stay. Exclusivity is of course a draw—a handful of celebrities from L.A. are rumored to have bought villas. But there’s also a strong outdoor-adventure pull, from snorkeling in nearby Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, where giant polka-dot whale sharks hunt for plankton, to quad-biking empty sand dunes.

Nestled in a canopy of palms, the resort's treehouses are accessible via foliage-bedecked paths, offering complete privacy. Clad in screening of thin sticks sourced from local palo de arco trees, the wood-floored, cement-roofed suites - which look a bit like cubist, modernist birds’ nests from the outside - allow breezes to flow through and natural light to filter in. Heavy canvas curtains can be drawn around the inside of the walls if you’d like it to be darker.

In one of the world’s most elevated hotel towns, Ritz-Carlton shows that the bar can always be raised. The 115 suites and villas with butler service feel both comfortable and considered, with vast living rooms featuring blue-and-white textiles, objets d’art from local artisans (woven leather baskets, painted pottery), and terraces with firepits. There is a vast spa and swimming pool, 3 restaurants, a bar and a fitness centre.

The new 35-suite resort is set before a palm tree oasis in a cactus-studded desert about 20 minutes from a deserted beach and is made up of a series of brutalist-inspired structures designed by architects Ruben Valdez and Yashar Yektajo. Though the property’s architecture is exceptional enough to warrant a visit, a stay at Paradero is all about the included experiences, like hiking tours, spa treatments, surfing, cooking classes and boating and fishing expeditions.

Set in a former whitewashed apartment building, Drift San José is a hip boutique-style hotel with minimalist interiors inspired by modern Baja ranch life. The hotel is located in the historic city center of San José del Cabo, just a block from the main plaza and Gallery district and a 12-minute walk to the nearest beach.

Whitewashed walls provide backdrops for cacti and frame ocean views at the laid-back Hotel San Cristóbal, with the hotel's vibe minimal and beachy, reminiscent of the Baja in the 1970s. The boutique hotel is located directly on the beach of Todos Santos. One of Mexico's "pueblos magicos" it is in a transition from fishing village to bohemian getaway to emerging tourist destination.

Encuentro Guadelupe (formerly Hotel Endemico) is a unique design hotel surrounded by the vineyards of the Valle de Guadalupe. Rooms are set in freestanding 'boxes' on a steep hillside and feature a minimalist décor, and come with a deck and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the valley. There is a restaurant and an outdoor pool. Massage services are also provided. On weekends, there is a local market with local produce and goods. There are 45 vineyards in the area.

The newly opened resort blends laid-back Mexican chic with minimalistic Japanese sophistication on the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. With four swimming pools, unrivalled beachfront location, Malibu Farm's first Mexican outpost, stunning architecture, a luxurious spa, nearby championship golf course and a Nobu restaurant…what more could you ask for?

The resort, which was designed by renowned Mexican architectural firm Sordo Madaleno, features cascading terraces that blend desert vegetation with quarry stone, granite, marble and wood to create a literal architectural work of art. The design celebrates the landscape of Baja, as the property features a sustainable lush “dry jungle” that features endemic species and flora.

Mexican practice PPAA has designed Octavia Casa, a boutique hotel in Mexico City that is based around the eponymous fashion brand. A facade of slim wooden lattices covers the hotel’s concrete and glass exterior, shading the interiors from harsh sunlight and creating a delicate pattern of shadows.

Las Alcobas delivers quiet luxury with an intimate atmosphere: 31 spacious rooms and four suites with polished wooden furnishings.

This historic building once belonged to one of Mexico’s greatest art collectors, Guillermo Tovar y de Teresa. In the rooms you’ll nd cosmetics by Persea and artisanal textiles.

This California-style townhouse is a cross between luxury home and boutique hotel, with three spacious apartments.

Wrapped in a glass skin that completely reconfigures the original Fifties building, and which glows after dark, Habita is an impressive architectural landmark. Inside is also sleek, with white dominating most spaces and original features stylishly contained within contemporary lines. Contemporary art, floor-to-ceiling windows and modernist Artemide and Flos lamps generate an arty, meditative ambience.

Housed in a refurbished apartment block built in 1928, the façade of Condesa DF (the initials refer to the old name for Mexico City, “Distrito Federal”) combines geometric forms with understated neoclassicism. Inside is bespoke furniture designed by Paris-based designer India Mahdavi. The overall feel is modernist, sleek and sophisticated, with a hint of fun. One of the Condesa neighbourhood’s first designer hotels, Condesa DF is still cool enough to attract visiting pop stars and film…

With just four rooms, everything about casa9 is intimate. Architects Rafael Rivera and Javier Claveri (of trailblazing architectural firm Habitación 116) are known for their playful and experimental designs, and that’s something that’s on full display here. Wood paneling that recalls mid-century modernism, floor-to-ceiling window walls, and elegant, minimal furnishings that would make the Eameses blush — that’s the look in a nutshell.

Located in the posh Polanco neighbourhood, this 21-room boutique hotel consists of two adjacent buildings: a three-story 1930s-era mansion and a mid-century annex next door. The interior decor is a quirky hodgepodge of mint-condition, mid-century modern furniture and bohemian arts-and-crafts. Art and color play prominent roles in the more-is-more aesthetic.

Set in Mexico City’s fascinating Roma neighbourhood, Brick Hotel fuses the best in contemporary luxury with atmospheric Belle Époque architecture. Constructed from English bricks, the mansion was originally a grand home for the first manager of the Bank of London & Mexico. Later it was owned by the Mexican president before becoming the ‘go-to’ spot for the rich and famous in the 1930s.

- will boast 144 hotel rooms including 15 luxury suites and 126 branded residences.

district: Centro Histórico. Grupo Habita has done it again. Here in its hometown, Mexico’s trailblazing boutique hotels chain have reimagined a 19th century residential building, housing a modern ground floor marketplace, 18 guestrooms and seven suites. Crowning the property is a rooftop bar and restaurant, combining al fresco dining with sweeping vistas of the Metropolitan Cathedral (the oldest in the Americas), the National Palace, and the Templo Mayor for a fully rounded view of the city.

Blending colonial 17th century grandeur with a raw industrial edge, Downtown is a design hotel integrating local indigenous culture into its concept while celebrating its location in the historic downtown of Mexico City. The hotel's -known as the “Palacio de los Condes de Miravalle” characteristics include ornate detailing around the windows of the facade and a stone-forge staircase with intricate handrails sit alongside grey volcanic rock walls and handmade cement tiles.

Architecture aficionados should book at least one night at Camino Real in Polanco. The hotel, built for the 1968 Olympics, was designed by the late architect Ricardo Legorreta, who was renowned for his Mexican modernist style. In the Camino Real, that style is expressed through a reverent nod to Mexico's past, with part of the hotel's exterior evoking a pre-Hispanic pyramid.

Located on Paseo de la Reforma, one of the most iconic avenues worldwide, Sofitel Mexico City Reforma is the first luxury hotel to open in Mexico City in more than a decade. A sophisticated and stylish address in the heart of Mexico City, the hotel boasts a stunning contemporary exterior and features 275 luxurious guestrooms, two elegant dining experiences and three bars, a Sofitel Spa with L’Occitane, a state-of-the-art fitness center and an indoor pool.

Ignacia is no ordinary guest house. Set in the upscale Colonia Roma, the mansion that’s stood on this site since 1913 was already impressive enough. Now, thanks to an ultra-modern expansion, it’s the kind of house that gets written about in architecture magazines — and for guests, it’s one of the most unique hotel experiences in the city.

Known for its sandy beaches, green setting and surfing spots, Mexico’s Puerto Escondido now has one more card up its leafy sleeve: a new hotel with strong sustainability credentials, designed by acclaimed Mexican architect Alberto Kalach. Casona Sforza, conceived by the entrepreneur Ezequiel Ayarza Sforza, has just opened its doors and combines an eco-approach with striking architecture and state-of-the-art hospitality and interiors.

Pug Seal’s pocket-sized boutique B&Bs feel like perfect little secrets in the vastness of Mexico City — in the compact historical center of Oaxaca City, however, a 20-suite boutique hotel looms larger. Not to worry: Pug Seal Oaxaca is just as tranquil, just as residential in atmosphere as its cousins in the capital, designed as it is around a central courtyard decorated with colorful murals.

The Pacific coast of Oaxaca isn’t exactly undiscovered, but it’s pleasantly under-developed, probably because it’s still satisfyingly tough to get to. Boutique hotels were understandably rather late reaching places like Mazunte — in a tropical paradise like this, you’d be happy with the most rudimentary lodging. But the advent of a place like the Cocolia Hotel marks the beginning of a new era; finally this fantastic destination has a small but stylish and full-featured hotel to call its own.

The 17th-century colonial structure housing Hotel Sin Nombre is unlike anything else in Oaxaca, Mexico’s mezcal capital. Restored over the course of six years by Portuguese architect João Boto Caeiro, the 22-room property is the vision of local artist and California native Elliott Coon.

While parts of Mexico are famously overdeveloped, the Pacific coastline of Oaxaca is not. This stretch of south-facing beach, spanning the villages of Mazunte and San Agustinillo, is spectacular, and the towns are lively but not crowded, off-the-radar but not impossible to reach. And while the beginnings of a luxury travel scene are present, they’re tasteful and restrained — a description that suits Zoa perfectly.

Hotel Escondido in Oaxaca City is a boutique design hotel set in a 19th-century historic city mansion and a brutalist style new "tower". With a color palette steeped in greens, ochers, and off-whites; local materials that include quarry stones, terracotta, indigenous textiles, and sabino wood; and custom-made black pottery, this is a sublimely alluring, handcrafted testament to the Mexico of yesterday and of the present moment.

Mexican studios Taller Lu’um and At-te designed this boutique hotel in Oaxaca to showcase local craft with earthen walls, doors made from local wood and a thatched roof. Called Monte Uzulu, the hotel is located in San Agustinillo, a small fishing village and beach in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Located on a pristine beach, Hotel Escondido is a barefoot luxury hotel, a 20-minute drive from Puerto Escondido. It offers palapas (thatched roof bungalows) in a minimalist-rustic style Bungalows come with ocean views, air-conditioning, a cable TV, a DVD player, a minibar, and a private (plunge) pool. There is a beach club, a restaurant serving local seafood, a bar and a lively underground nightclub. Local bars, restaurants and grocery stores can be found in Llano Grande (4km).

With Tulum getting busier, guests are looking for a bit of extra privacy and seclusion, and hoteliers, looking for space, are establishing hotels outside of the most obvious locations. Una Vida is one of these — set on a verdant piece of land west of city center, where the rainforest meets the town, it’s a villa-style hotel, its rooms and suites clustered together in groups of two or three across the property.

Long simply a stopping point between Mérida and the beach town of Sisal, Hotel Agua de Ciénega is one reason why travelers are now spending a night in the quaint town of Hunucma. The four-poster beds of tzalam wood, outdoor showers, and local textiles in black-and-white woven designs create an atmosphere that is at once contemporary and romantic.

The town of Espita is becoming an increasingly popular base to explore the Maya sites of Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam, and swim in the many cenotes (sinkholes) nearby. The 9-room Casona Los Cedros, which is the brainchild of owner, architect, and designer Laura Lecué. From the woven basket lamps in the rooms to the wooden chaises by the pool, French-born Lecué was determined that every element of the hotel be produced in Espita itself whenever possible.

This restored mansion, which can be rented as a whole, near Parque de las Americas is filled with an eclectic and cosmopolitan selection of furniture pieces and works of art. Headboards in the bedrooms are by local furniture designer Gabriel Peón, there are aluminum tables and chairs by Argentinian Jorge Pensi, and a sofa and tables by Philippe Starck are in a garden with a small pool and fruit trees.

This house built in 1914 in Mérida’s García Ginerés neighborhood was lovingly restored by Mexico City furniture dealer Claudia Fernandez and turned into an intimate six-room hotel. Fernandez, whose discerning eye has helped drive interest in midcentury design (both by Mexican and international designers), has created spaces that are at once inviting and understatedly spare.

Much of traditional Yucatán design skews toward the feminine with fanciful tiles, embroidered linens, and a penchant for pastels. This newhotel, a block from the city’s grand boulevard, Paseo Montejo, opts for a decidedly masculine aesthetic instead. The palette is largely black, white, and gray with details using tzalam, a local tropical wood. A winged figure by sculptor Jorge Marín greets guests in the small central courtyard, while a race car theme drives the decor of the largest suite.

The so-called Riviera Maya may grab the headlines, but it’s worth venturing a little farther, to the southern reaches of the Yucatán Peninsula, for a truly transformative experience. Here, close to the border with Belize, is the town of Bacalar, along the shores of the impossibly clear blue lake of the same name; and it’s in this town that you’ll find the beautifully tranquil Casa Hormiga Hotel & Rituales.

A raft of awards has already started rolling in for Chablé’s impressive design. Mexico City-based interior designer Paulina Moran is responsible for an artsy laid-back vibe, sprinkling the main hub – a restored 19th-century hacienda – with antique tiles, modern art and vivid colour pops. Crumbling arches, snaking tree roots and Parota trees hung with lanterns add a magical dimension to exploring the gardens – especially by night when fireflies flicker.

Tulum, like many a destination before it, has rapidly evolved from undiscovered paradise to hotel hotspot. The best hotels, naturally, are the ones that recapture some of that ends-of-the-earth feeling, and Tago Tulum, with its close-set suites surrounded by wild greenery and its splendid little stretch of white-sand beach, combines modest size and thoughtful luxuries to create a cloistered, serene little world in the heart of one of Mexico’s most famous places.

Located right on the beach, Nomade brands itself as a human-centered hotel, as a temporary habitat for, well, nomads. It’s a mission that’s perfectly in keeping with Tulum’s slightly starry-eyed vibe, as are the Nômade’s “self evolution” philosophy, not to mention the shaman-led workshops and meditation workshops. But even a nonbeliever has to admit: this is a gorgeous and thoroughly peaceful beach hotel.

There’s not much in the way of concept to separate one of Tulum’s beachfront boutique hotels from any of the others — you can pretty much count on a laid-back, indoor-outdoor vibe, a sort of rustic-minimalist approach to design, and a wealth of arts and crafts by local makers. The differences come down to execution, and Nest Tulum is earning a following by getting all the details just right.

Just steps away from the Caribbean yet shrouded by lush greenery, Habitas Tulum is the first hotel from an experience-led hospitality brand behind a host of chic homes, clubhouses and private members’ clubs; created by Oliver Ripley, Kfir Levy and Eduardo Castillo, Habitas create spaces in inspiring destinations with the aim of developing deeper human connections through a experience and culture.

Tulum's best boutique hotels balance deep immersion in this unique environment with the high-end comforts modern travelers expect. Hotel Bardo, set on the lush, forested west side of town, walks the line well: its minimal-modern concrete-clad villas open onto private jungle gardens with hammocks and plunge pools, and while air conditioning and wi-fi are present, you’re encouraged to go without.

Set in a leafy residential neighborhood on the western edge of town, means urban life isn’t far away, but the immediate surroundings are verdant, quiet, and exceedingly private. Architecturally, it’s an appealing building, blending the orderly geometries of modernism with the appealingly warm and organic textures of traditional carpentry. The walls are made from chukum, a sand-based stucco, and there’s sisal and organic cotton everywhere, a tactile contrast with the cool polished concrete…

For most casual vacationers, Cancun is known more as a raucous spring break destination than a sophisticated beach retreat. Despite appearances, however, it’s a location that lends itself to Mexico’s emphasis on craftsmanship and tradition. This is what Chicago-based Curioso wanted to celebrate with Atelier Playa Mujeres, an elevated, all-inclusive luxury resort that is one with its lush landscape.

A whitewashed hideaway of tropical plants and Mexican vintage finds, Hotel La Semilla is situated in a well-heeled residential area of Playa del Carmen. The gorgeous beach is only five minutes' walk away and a 2-minute stroll will bring you to the 5th Avenue plethora of shops and restaurants. Complimentary bicycles are available to explore the surroundings. La Semilla offers a secluded garden filled with hammocks and an ocean-view rooftop terrace, perfect for a sundown cocktail.

Be Playa is a boutique design hotel located in Playa del Carmen, a few imuntes' walk from Fifth Avenue shopping and the beach. Rooms have clean white walls, white marble and hardwood floors and come with a flat-screen TV and an iPod docking station. Selected suites have freestanding baths and balconies. The hotel's all-day restaurant "Sushi Club" serves gourmet sushi and Asian cuisine. There is a rooftop pool lounge offering signature cocktails.

Voted the world's most instagrammable hotel 2020. The NIZUC Resort & Spa is nestled on nearly 30 seaside acres in Cancún. A wealth of natural materials – local stone; mangrove, ziricote, and puce woods – and an earthy palette establish a placid tone. The hotel’s designer worked with Mexico City’s Museo Nacional de Antropología to reproduce a 16th-century convent mural, which graces one of the six restaurants, and the Mayan hieroglyphics that appear throughout the rooms, giving a sense of…

Cocooned by the jungle on a pristine stretch of the Caribbean coast, lies a raw-luxe camp with an urban spirit – a communal playground for a creative community seeking reconnection with nature and themselves. Together with Emilio Heredia, owner of the existing Papaya Playa Beach Bungalow Resort, Design Hotels™ has created a destination in paradise.

The 174-room urban oasis is situated in Cancun's lively 'Hotel Zone' overlooking the natural beauty of Nichupté Bay. Guests can discover the locale of Cancun woven within each element of the property through architecture, design, gastronomy and programming alongside the legendary comforts of Hilton.

The typical Tulum boutique hotel is set right on the beach, and it’s not hard to see the appeal of that approach. But for a stay that’s more centered on nightlife than on communing with nature, Tulum’s town center offers an increasing number of options — none, perhaps, quite so moody and atmospheric as Aroma Tulum.

Casa Azul Hotel Monumento Histórico is a magnificent historic hotel located a few steps away from the iconic Paseo de Montejo. Built during the 19th century, the hotel was declared a Historical Monument of Mexico. Under the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, the boom of the henequen plant gave the area a new source of wealth and prosperity. The community celebrated this success by constructing many new magnificent buildings, including what is now the Casa Azul.

Set in a former henequen plantation from 1810, Hacienda Ticum is a colourful boutique hotel set in lush tropical gardens. The archaeological site of Aké is a few minutes away, while the city of Mérida is a 45 minute drive.

Set in two restored Yucatan mansions, Rosas & Xocolate is a boutique design hotel offering 17 intimate rooms, each with a private terrace, an outdoor bathtub, an iPod dock, and contemporary furniture. It is located on Merida's grand Paseo de Montejo. Splash around in the courtyard pool, or dine in the Moon Lounge (voted Mexico's best hotel restaurant). If you like your literature served with a side of lime and salt, try the Tequila Bar and Library.

Located in the historic centre of Comitán is Casa Delina, a colonial mansion dating back to 1851 turned into an stylish boutique hotel and art centre. Emerging artists from around the world were each given a room and invited to do their thing, lending a truly international boutique vibe. Among those involved were Egor Kraft (Austria), Tony Easley (UK) and local mosaic artisans Los Chacales, preserving an endangered Chiapas art form.

Although a 13 plus–acre resort (the largest in the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s cobblestone historic center), the Rosewood San Miguel evokes an authentic sense of place, with buildings made with the limestone used to build parts of the old town, and decor crafted by local artists and artisans.

Built in 1693, it was rumored to once have been home to a priest who “healed people and performed miracles,” hence its good juju, but today it’s been transformed into three distinctive guest suites and a retail spot, a model that is unlike anything else in the colorful tourist town.

Architect Andrés Gutiérrez has converted a fading 17th-century family manor into a sparkling 16-room boutique hotel. The original footprint is still recognisable, though an internal courtyard which once stored seed and grain has been reimagined as the lobby and rooms. A palette of desert-bright hues of burnt orange and yellow swathes the graciously proportioned loggias and public spaces.

A bijou bolthole on the cobblestoned, colonial streets of San Miguel de Allende, Casa Delphine is a short stroll from the famous Parroquia and its pretty pink spires. The cosy casa in possibly Mexico’s most charming city has just a handful of suites, each created by the jewellery-designer owner who’s turned out to be a natural at interiors, too. There’s no restaurant, but a bountiful breakfast of local produce is laid out for guests each morning.

Originally built for the local bishop in the 18th century, this stunning 6 room mansion is tucked into the heart of San Miguel de Allende. The late fashion photographer Deborah Turbeville lived in Casa No Name for more than twenty years, and made it famous in a photo book not long before her death. Fortunately the photos aren’t the only way to remember Casa No Name: in its new life it’s a luxurious little boutique hotel, in which the old master suite — now Deborah’s Suite — is only one…

Las Brisas is an iconic hotel nestled in 40 acres of lush hibiscus gardens on a hill overlooking the Acapulco Bay. Rooms are set in pink casitas and have shared or private pools. The hotel has its own beach club with freshwater and saltwater pools which can be reached by free transfer every 20 minutes. Guests will enjoy a welcome cocktail upon arrival as well as coffee and sweet rolls delivered in-room every morning. The small on-site spa offers relaxing massages and body treatments.

Built amid a landscape of lush jungle, rugged coastline and fragrant fruit plantations, Cuixmala is in one of the most beautiful and biodiverse pockets of western Mexico. Famous for its opulent architecture and abundant wildlife, this 25,000-acre estate has long been a magnet for high profile visitors – Kissinger, Reagan and Nixon all holidayed here when it was home to British magnate James Goldsmith.

Set in beautiful tropical gardens on a 1500-acre nature reserve, Las Alamandas Resort is a magical hideaway with just 16 suites in seven characteristically brightly painted casitas. This is the perfect place to really get away from it all with a vast stretch of white sand beach, fresh-water lagoons, coves and rocky islands to discover. Guests also enjoy two restaurants and bars, a wealth of spa treatments and a large pool to relax beside.

The mixed-use structure was designed by Javier Sordo-Madaleno Architects, and consists of four stacked geometric volumes encased in a crisscross aluminum frame that includes an energy generating curtain wall. At the base is the 188-roomed hotel, crowned by a wraparound infinity pool and sky deck with views across the city. Interiors are mostly monochrome but feature some interesting design quirks; poured concrete ceilings in the guest rooms, and an original printed crystal graffiti.

Creative firm Grupo Mitote has overhauled a 16-century colonial mansion near Guadalajara, Mexico to create the Juana Bautista Hotel. The historic estate, located in the artistic enclave of Tlaquepaque, is treasured for being the site in which General Celestino Negrete signed his support for the Plan of Iguala, a milestone in Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1821.

Set in a renovated 18th century city palace, Cantera 10 Hotel Boutique features eleven designer suites, a Mexican restaurant and a cocktail bar. The hotel is located right in the heart of Morelia, on its central square opposite the cathedral.

This hidden luxury retreat is nestled upon a rare undeveloped stretch of coastline along the Riviera Nayarit. The resort is set in a spectacular cliff-side location overlooking the Pacific Ocean with dramatic vistas and a lush rainforest setting. One&Only Mandarina is an all-villa resort with 105 spacious, standalone chic treehouses and villas within the emerald cliffsides, a stone’s throw from palm-fringed sands, swimmable shores and an energetic environment crafted for reconnection.

Set within a curved tower, Hotel Habita Monterrey is a homage to modernism. The hotel features a dramitical rooftop pool and bar with vertiginous views over the city and valley. The on-site restaurant serves Mexican cuisine. Guest rooms feature an iPod docking station, a video game system, a tablet, a minibar and air-conditioning. Bathrooms come with tubs and Aesop toiletries. Business center and 24-hour security.

Mexican pride is at the heart of this design hotel in the revived, Unesco-listed city of Puebla. Constructed from the remains of a historic mansion and tile factory, it’s filled with paintings and sculptures by Mexican artists, with top Mexican cuisine served in a restaurant with views of the city and volcanoes beyond.

This grand hotel (the former Rosewood Hotel) in the Unesco-listed city of Puebla has a comfortingly old-school approach to luxury. The hotel is constructed from two former colonial houses and a pink chapel, with a courtyard, fountains and purple jacaranda trees. Public areas and bedrooms are decorated with Mexican art. Service is impeccable.

The style at this nineteenth-century estate is broadly historical, but it’s immediately apparent that it was assembled with a designer’s eye. The Maison’s rustic atmosphere is all the more impressive given that fact. Eight bungalows make up the bulk of the accommodation, augmented by an Owner’s Suite in the estate’s main house. They’re only just as modern as they need to be — a/c, internet, plasma screens — but there’s nothing to break the spell of the Maison’s countrified elegance.

Named for the sugar cane grown in its home state of Veracruz, the Azúcar is a bohemian chic hotel overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The hotel has 20 low-slung thatched-toof bungalows, all in an intense white-on-white colour scheme, with private terraces, each with its own locally made hammock for naps or reading sessions cooled by the sea breeze. Public spaces are mainly open-air, including the library, a spa area and a restaurant.