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Cancun welcomes over 10 million visitors a year and reigns as Mexico’s top tourist destination. Year-round beach weather, beautiful white sand beaches, jungle coastline, and its deep turquoise water are massive natural draws, but this sunkissed spot on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula also has a reputation for catering to all types of travelers. Whether you’re planning a trip around romance, celebration, adventure, or gastronomy, Cancun can deliver.
Fabulous hotels are not hard to come by here — Cancun is home to several winners from T+L’s World’s Best Awards and It List — making it difficult to choose the best place to stay. Luckily, I’ve personally stayed at a majority of the properties along the Hotel Zone, Punta Nizuc, Costa Mujeres, Puerto Morelos, and even more secluded spots down the coast. Here is a list of the best of the best.
Why I’m the Expert
Katherine Alex Beaven fell in love with the Yucatan Peninsula on her first-ever international trip at age five. Over the decades, she’s continued to travel for work and leisure in the area, most notably as a hotel reviewer. Throughout the last 10 years, Alex has visited and stayed at a majority of the properties on Cancun’s Hotel Zone strip as well as hotels all the way down the coast to Tulum, offering her a unique expertise on the variety of accommodations in the region — and what makes a Cancun hotel or resort stand out among the competition.
Courtesy of Atelier Playa Mujeres
Also available to book at Expedia.com
This adults-only all-inclusive is located just north of the Cancun Hotel Zone on the stunning and somewhat secluded Costa Mujeres peninsular coast. Atelier Playa Mujeres’ 593 suites were most recently touched up in 2021, just three years after the resort’s opening. Rooms start at a spacious 742-square feet, reach a whopping 3,000-square feet, and feature welcoming, warm yet sophisticated decor.
This eco-friendly luxury resort also goes big when it comes to its many luxe amenities, and guests can work their way through menus at the all-included 13 restaurants and 12 bars on site, soak up the stunning oceanfront views in the 14,000-square-foot pool, and swing through the 18-hole Greg Norman golf course. It’s easy to see why this hotel landed a spot in our World’s Best Awards 2023. The resort’s signature restaurant, Maria Delores by Edgar Nunez, features seasonal menus with pre-Hispanic dishes and ingredients. Don’t miss taking a guided art walk through the property or splurge at the three-level 3,000-foot NUUP Spa.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible with limitations
- Wi-Fi: Included
- Loyalty Programs: I Prefer Hotel Rewards, American Express Travel
- Parking: Included
- Pet Policy: $35 per night for one dog up to 20 pounds
- Rates: From $495 per night
Courtesy of Excellence Playa Mujeres
Also available to book at Expedia.com
Excellence Playa Mujeres was a World’s Best Awards 2022 winner, and it remains a heavy contender against competitors in the luxury all-inclusive category. This adults-only resort offers a little bit of everything from cooking classes and kayaking to nine restaurants with global flavors, and impressively swanky marbled suites that start off at 800 square feet. Reasonably priced room upgrades snag extras like swim-up pools, stunning terraces, and plunge pools with rooftop views.
This resort appeals equally to friends and couples looking to relax against a gorgeous beachfront background or get pampered with a nourishing spa treatment, and those who like to actively try new things (archery or water polo, anyone?) and cheers with fellow travelers with a craft cocktail at one of the bars. For an even more seamless experience, opt for the Excellence Club level which will get you extra perks galore from total pool and whirlpool access, an exclusive beach area, and thoughtful in-room touches like fresh flowers.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
- Wi-Fi: Included
- Loyalty Programs: Excellence Club
- Parking: Included
- Pet Policy: Not allowed
- Rates: From $603 per night
Also available to book at Tripadvisor.com
La Villa du Golf Cancun is an independently-owned outlier of a property in the Hotel Zone. This six-room guesthouse-style boutique offers intimate vibes, and you’ll likely know the whole staff by name by the time you check out. The multi-level gated villa has a Spanish Colonial style with bright blue doors, colorful bougainvillea, wrought iron, and detailed tiling throughout.
Rooms are spacious, clean, and air-conditioned. On-site amenities are sparse but include breakfast, a garden courtyard pool and sun terrace, and in-room massages for suites. This small hotel is located in a quiet area within a 20-minute walk to the central Hotel Zone area, though we recommend taking a taxi back after dark. Guests get free Wi-Fi and parking, and the hotel can arrange airport transfers.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Reach out to the resort directly for details
- Wi-Fi: Included
- Parking: Yes
- Pet Policy: Not allowed
- Loyalty Programs: None
- Rates: From $76 per night
Courtesy of Hyatt
Also available to book at Expedia.com
Hyatt Ziva Cancun first came on the scene back in 2016. This all-inclusive resort is chock-full of activities, eats, drinks, and beautiful peninsular views off Punta Cancun. It’s an all-suite property with 547 suites that range from fairly average-sized at 483 square feet to incredibly spacious at 4,381 square feet. Suites come standard with stocked minibars, Bluetooth speakers, and 24-hour room service.
For travelers with children in tow, the resort delivers with its kids’ club that offers programming for kids up to age 19 along with scheduled daily activities for the whole family. It’s a true multi-generational gem — but it also offers a separate adults-only tower where upgrades include butler service, expansive views from the highest floors, and exclusive access to adults-only dining, bar, and pool areas.
Additionally, the resort has a whopping 17 restaurants and bars, including unique spots like a microbrewery and tequilería and dining experiences like teppanyaki at your table. Plus, with nearly everything included in your rate outside of the spa, this World’s Best Awards 2023 winner keeps the vacation math easy.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible and visual alarms in hallways
- Wi-Fi: Included in public spaces
- Loyalty Programs: World of Hyatt
- Parking: Yes
- Pet Policy: Not allowed
- Rates: From $585 per night
Also available to book at Expedia.com
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This hotel boasts comfy beds, luxe bathrooms, and a relaxing guided hydrotherapy circuit at the spa.
Indulgence comes easy at Le Blanc Spa Resort Cancun where it’s hard to not be tempted by the huge full-service Mayan spa, five incredible a la carte restaurants, full reign over top-shelf drinks, and superior service that is by your side from your room to the pool to the beach. Add to that the absolutely stunning white sand beach and jungle landscape and it’s easy to mistake Le Blanc for a five-star slice of heaven.
Rates include practically everything (often even airport transfers), and if for some reason you feel the need to venture off-property, you’ll have access to all of the Palace sister resorts, like the dizzyingly large Moon Palace complex, Playacar Palace, and Cozumel Palace. The 260 suites start smaller than average at 429 square feet, but come with friendly and on-point private butler service, full-size liquor dispensers, two-person jetted marble bathtubs, stocked minibars, and an in-room Lavazza coffee maker. This property was voted onto our World’s Best Awards list in 2022 and 2023.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible parking
- Wi-Fi: Included
- Loyalty Programs: Palace Resorts Rewards
- Parking: Yes
- Pet Policy: Not allowed
- Rates: From $761 per night
Courtesy of Marriott
Also available to book at Hotels.com
The Renaissance Cancun Resort & Marina opened in 2019 as the first Renaissance property in Mexico. This 169-room hotel has a slightly removed and very walkable waterfront location in the affluent 800-acre community of Puerto Cancun, just south of the rambunctious Hotel Zone, but the vibe here can still be very lively.
Rooms and suites are snug at 336 square feet and have modern contemporary decor that echoes the best of the Renaissance brand. Expect balconies, picture windows with views, loveseat sitting areas, and walk-in glass showers with rainfall showerheads. Bottled water is free, but minibar service and Wi-Fi will incur fees (Wi-Fi is free for Bonvoy members). This is an excellent and affordable non-all-inclusive option with two restaurants on site, a 24-hour gym, and access to a nearby golf course. Guests also have free entry to a beach club within walking distance, and the hotel’s location is ideal for catching cabs to the middle of the strip.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible public spaces
- Wi-Fi: $15 per day
- Loyalty Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
- Parking: Yes
- Pet Policy: Not allowed
- Rates: From $201 per night
Victor Elias / Courtesy of Hilton
Also available to book at Expedia.com
The Waldorf Astoria Cancun opened its doors in 2002, bringing the brand’s elegant Art Deco design to 100 acres of jungle and beachfront roughly 30 minutes south of Cancun’s Hotel Zone. Rooms and suites are immaculate with a neutral color palette, private balconies, and soaking tubs, with rooms starting at a spacious 675 square feet and suites practically doubling the size and adding larger balconies and a separate living room lounge space with a convertible sofa.
The secluded location offers a more relaxed and low-key vacation with on-site activities that include two excellent restaurants, two pools, a private beach, and an incredible 21-room spa oasis with a separate menu, pool, and water therapy features. It didn’t take long for this opulent gem to make it onto our 2023 It List.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible and braille signage
- Wi-Fi: Included
- Loyalty Program: Hilton Honors and AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts
- Parking: Yes
- Pet Policy: $75 fee per room, per night for up to two dogs with a maximum weight of 51 pounds each
- Rates: From $360 per night
Tony Perrottet, T+L Contributor
The palatial interiors designed by Singapore-based Hirsch Bedner Associates subtly translate the Jazz Age glamor of the original Waldorf Astoria in New York to the tropics. The lobby offers both expanses of gleaming marble — including a homage to the Manhattan hotel’s famous (though now closed) bar, Peacock Alley — and enormous picture windows to frame the sparkling blue ocean.
— Tony Perrottet, T+L Contributor
Courtesy of Hyatt
Also available to book at Expedia.com
Dreams Riviera Cancun offers an archetypal family-friendly Mexican all-inclusive experience. Opened in 2009, this 486-room property is loaded with six bars, six a la carte restaurants, and one main buffet, and a wine cellar with a private dining room. This resort offers a good mix of relaxing and having fun, and it’s easy to make friends at the swim-up pool bar or participating in one of the many daily entertainment activities and challenges.
You’ll also have beach access and a choice of spa treatments that can be experienced in a breezy outdoor palapa. A 2023 renovation brought in a kids’ waterpark and all-ages arcade to keep the youngsters happy. Rooms and suites feature contemporary Mexican decor with heavy warm wood, a unique octagonal shape, massive mirrors, and decked-out marble bathrooms. Unlike most of the hotels on this list, the resort has a tropical ambiance with the occasional thatched palapa roof and woven rattan decor accents like fan blades shaped like large palm fronds. Be sure to bring some pesos with you since gratuities are not included in the rate.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
- Wi-Fi: Included
- Loyalty Programs: World of Hyatt
- Parking: Yes
- Pet Policy: Not allowed
- Rates: From $432 per night
Taylor Fox, Commerce Editor
We stayed at this hotel in November 2021 for a destination wedding and it was the perfect location for all of the guests and family to gather for fun together. It’s a huge resort with multiple pools, beachfront cabanas, and many restaurants, so it gives you a bit of everything. We were able to gather with other wedding guests at the pool and on the beach, but if we wanted some alone time, we could easily sneak off and do our own thing.
— Taylor Fox, Commerce Editor
Courtesy of Hotel Mousai Cancun
Also available to book at Tripadvisor.com
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Opting for the all-inclusive package gets you perks like free daily activities and excursions, top-shelf alcohol, 24-hour room service, and stocked minibars.
This 88-suite boutique property on the picturesque Costa Mujeres beachfront opened in 2024. It quickly became a favorite for travelers because of its excellent dining options, superb service, and spacious, teched-out ocean view suites that start at a generous 947 square feet. Standard features like huge private terraces with heated infinity plunge pools, warming Toto bidet toilets, walk-in marble showers, ocean views, and iPad-incorporated tech controls make even the entry-level suites feel like you’ve sprung for an upgrade.
Actual upgrades to Ultra Suites stack on extras like hydrotherapy spa access, private butler service, and a high-floor location. Guests will find a top-of-the-line gym, two infinity pools, and three bars and restaurants on site, but you’ll also have access to neighboring sister properties Garza Blanca and Villa del Palmar which up the count to 16 restaurants, seven bars, and 15 pools. Beach access is through Garza Blanca.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Limited wheelchair accessibility
- Wi-Fi: Included
- Loyalty Programs: TAFER Rewards
- Parking: Yes
- Pet Policy: Not allowed
- Rates: From $564 per night
Also available to book at Tripadvisor.com
Nizuc Resort & Spa is no stranger to our World’s Best Awards – it made the list in 2021, 2022, and 2023. This small, stylish, and sophisticated resort manages to carve out its own secluded piece of paradise despite being adjacent to the Cancun Hotel Zone. Sleek open-air architecture and its 274 modern suites and villas melt into the oceanfront and jungle surroundings. Stone tile floors, polished dark marble, natural wood, and neutral beach tones add to the tranquil vibe, and the villas with soaking tubs and plunge pools feel like a true private island escape.
Six gourmet restaurants offer delicious cuisine from around the world from China to Peru to Italy, while Nizuc’s three bars serve up excellent cocktails, views, and atmosphere. Additional experiences like paella classes, hand-rolled cigars, tequila and wine tastings, spa treatments, and private tennis lessons round out your stay nicely, while daily activities like kids’ club programming, snorkeling and kayaking, and live music are included. The main pool and beach are family-friendly, and there is a separate adults-only pool.
The Details:
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
- Wi-Fi: Included
- Loyalty Program: I Prefer Hotel Rewards
- Parking: Yes
- Pet Policy: $150 fee per stay for one dog up to 26 pounds. Service animals are exempt.
- Rates: From $720 per night
Know Before You Go
Expect year-round beach weather
Cancun is home to year-round warm weather, an average of 250 days of sunshine a year, and gorgeous beaches. This makes this destination a win no matter the time of year. However, summers can get oppressively hot with high temperatures mixing with high humidity, and it’s common to encounter occasional downpours.
Stick to bottled water
Even touristy areas of Mexico do not have drinkable tap water, including Cancun. Always ask your hotel if the water is safe to drink or even brush your teeth with (sometimes resorts install purification systems). Oftentimes your hotel will supply bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth.
Consider the pros and cons of traveling during hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season typically runs from June 1st through the end of October. Rates during hurricane season (which is also the hottest time of the year) are often lower, making for some great deals. However, book with caution (and travel insurance) as hurricanes and tropical storms are more likely to occur during this time, which can not only put you in physical danger and ruin your plans, but can also cause costly trip extensions and flight cancellations.
How We Chose These Hotels
For this article, K. Alex Beaven sifted through Cancun’s best hotel offerings, took recommendations from friends and colleagues, and relied on her own experience at the area’s many hotels. As a professional hotel reviewer who has visited a majority of the hotels in Cancun, Alex knows what makes a hotel in the area stand out in terms of design, location, experience, service, and amenities. Any hotels earning a spot on T+L’s World’s Best Awards list were also considered and prioritized during evaluation (see the 2024 winners here).
For all of our hotel roundups, editors ensure our hotel recommendations align with our core T+L Hotel Values.
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