I have been to Cancun/Playa del Carmen a few times and Cabo once, which Steve and I loved, and we visited Zihuatanejo once several years ago, which I am sad to say we did not enjoy, but there are many places on my wish list to visit in Mexico.  While most of them are beach resorts, there are a few non-beach cities and hotels I would also love to visit so I have included them as well.

Viceroy Hotel – Riviera Maya

Steve and I stayed here for a holiday weekend in 2016 and were smitten with this hotel.  It’s located about 5 minutes south of Playa del Carmen, which is about 45 minutes from the Cancun airport.  All of the rooms are individual palapa style cottages with private plunge pools, indoor and outdoor showers and huge covered patios with loungers, a hammock and a day bed.  Most of the rooms are set within a landscaped jungle-like setting with waterfalls and monkeys in the trees.

It’s also right on a beautiful white sand beach but the curvaceous pool is hard to tear yourself away from (in the top image of this post).  Finally, the food and drinks here were simply outstanding.  We loved this hotel so much that we are returning for a full week stay this November so I think that speaks for itself!

Casa Kimberly, Puerto Vallarta

This hotel is not located on the beach but rather is within the old town of Puerto Vallarta and has incredible views of the city with the ocean in the distance.  The big draw for me is that this was the former residence and love nest of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and it’s been lovingly and carefully restored.

You can even stay in Liz’s old master suite, which still has her original pink “heart-shaped” bathtub in it. Apparently there was a little translation confusion and when the tub was delivered, she realized that it was in the amorphous shape of an anatomical human heart rather than the cartoon valentine’s day heart image we are used to seeing but she decided to keep it anyway.  There is also a 5 star restaurant on the property that is getting great reviews but the rooms and suites here are to die for.

Rosewood Hotel, San Miguel de Allende

As most people know, a lot of the interior of Mexico is off-limits due to unforgiving terrain or drug/crime problems.  However, San Miguel de Allende is said to be a colonial jewel in the middle of the country, just north of Mexico City (I believe you fly into Leon or Querertero to get there).

The Rosewood chain, one of my all-time favorites for service, opened a hotel in the middle of this gorgeous colonial city just 2 or 3 years ago.  San Miguel is a Unesco world heritage site and many people go to take cooking classes on interior Mexican food and to soak up the colonial culture and ambience.

Rosewood Hotel, Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Cabo San Lucas

Steve and I stayed here for 3 nights to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary and it goes down as one of our nicest and most relaxing (and expensive) weekends.  Yes, it’s a pricey hotel but the rooms are drop dead gorgeous with massive patios that overlook the Sea of Cortez.

You really can’t swim on the beach here because of the waves but the hotel has multiple pools that are all super quiet, well-staffed and are kept at just the right temperature.  The staff literally keeps an eye out at all time – if you get up to adjust your chair, there is someone there to do it for you in about 3 seconds.  I also had one the best margaritas in my life at this hotel and the service is above and beyond what you would expect anywhere else.  I never wanted to leave this place but our wallets could only take so much abuse but I assure you it was worth every penny.

Casa Imanta, Punta Mita

There are 3 high end hotels in Punta Mita, which is about 30-40 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, but Casa Imanta caught my eye.  It used to be a private residence but was turned into a boutique luxury hotel a few years ago.  Each room is like a private villa with plunge pools or views of the ocean as the hotel sits up on a cliff overlooking the Pacific.  It’s also set back in a jungle setting so it has a very exotic look and feel to it.  I haven’t been here but a coworker of mine visited for 2 years ago and still raves about how great the rooms and service was at this hotel.

I am really drawn to the boutique feel of this hotel and while I am sure the Four Seasons Punta Mita and St. Regis Punta Mita are amazing, they seem a little more “corporate” in my view.

I know there are probably some pretty amazing hotels in Mexico City, but frankly, I just haven’t had much desire to visit the city due to pollution and congestion but maybe one day we will venture there.  For now, I’ll keep these places above on my short list as possible future destinations.