1. Acapulco
Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués: Infinity pool with ocean views.
Courtesy Banyan Tree Cabo Marques
Acapulco’s skyscraper-lined beaches and stunning cliff-top mansions have long been the stuff of vacation legend. Sadly, its star faded in the 1980s and 1990s as younger, better-planned Mexican resorts took center stage.
Like other gracefully aging beauties, however, Acapulco has been having some work done. It’s once again filled with updated attractions, top-flight golf courses and outstanding new hotels. It’s also one of Mexico’s best deals on a five-star vacation — and, yes, Acapulco’s famed cliff divers are still an attraction.
Go big: Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués
Fantastic views from luxuriously outfitted villas scattered along the oceanfront are just part of this outstanding hotel’s charm.
Go boutique: Casa Yalma Kaan
Nine rustic wooden bungalows will satisfy the most discriminating traveler looking to get lost in a secluded spot along a quiet stretch of sand.
2. Cabo San Lucas
The Resort at Pedregal: Opulent both inside and out.
Courtesy of The Resort at Pedregal
At the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, Cabo attracts celebs, wealthy jet-setters, championship golfers, US party boys and girls, families and anyone interested in living luxuriously along the Pacific.
Outdoor attractions include scuba diving, sport fishing, surfing, sailing and basic beach bumming — but Cabo’s fine dining options and nightlife may surprise you.
Go big: Esperanza
Cabo has scores of upscale resorts, but this award-winning property gets raves for its huge rooms, excellent spa, secluded beach and other extras.
Go boutique: The Resort at Pedregal
By Cabo’s mega-resort standards, 113 opulent rooms — plunge pools, local decor, digital amenities — still count as boutique hotel. This one is in an unforgettably dramatic setting, with a glorious oceanfront pool.
3. Cancún and the Mayan Riviera
Guests can enjoy a private catamaran at Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya.
Mexico’s most famous vacation destination is Cancún; flawless by design, the site was chosen and designed in the 1970s using computer models. Really.
Perfect white beaches, fantastic weather and cheap plane tickets from the United States have attracted a selection of five-star resorts unparalleled in Latin America.
The entire area is now swimming in great options. Isla Mujeres is a mellow island just offshore, and the Mayan Riviera is a seemingly endless strand of resorts and hotels stretching south to Tulúm.
Go big: The Ritz-Carlton Cancún
It’s hard to choose just one of Cancún’s many mega-resorts, but this classic beauty’s fine rooms, luxury spa and gorgeous beach stand out from the crowd.
Go boutique: Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya
Wrapped in wildlife and wilderness just 30 kilometers south of Cancún, this luxury property’s pretty beach bungalows and jungle ground front an almost undisturbed beach.
4. Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo
Capella Ixtapa: Set on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Courtesy Capella Ixtapa
Only recently discovered by the luxury crowd, these twin resort towns on the Central Pacific coast couldn’t be more different.
Like Cancún, Ixtapa was planned from the start, its flawless coastline carpeted with gleaming high-rises, golf courses and shopping. Neighboring Zihuatanejo started out as an authentic Mexican fishing village, and still has charm to spare.
The two compliment each other well, with glitz matched by atmosphere.
Go big: Capella Ixtapa
Rustic but luxurious rooms perched on ocean cliffs come complete with personal assistants and other extravagant amenities found nowhere else in the region.
Go boutique: Amuleto
Upscale travelers have a bohemian outpost in laid-back Zihuatanejo in this luxurious and well-appointed bamboo-and-thatch hotel.
5. Mexico City
Hotel Condesa df: If the private patio is too quiet, there’s always the rooftop bar.
Hotel Condesa DF
Mexico’s capital is a metropolis with more than 20 million people, the elite of which are at the center of the business, political and cultural hub of the nation.
World-class museums, trendy restaurants, glittering boutiques, bohemian galleries and an artistic undercurrent make Mexico City one the most vibrant cities on the planet.
Luxury travelers will feel most at home in Polanco, just north of famed Chapultepec Park. It’s loaded with designer suits, gourmet meals and expensive golf courses.
Go big: W Mexico City
Mexico City has five-star, business-class hotels to spare, but the W’s cool, clubby ambiance, complete with neon and sleek design, remains a magnet for the stylin’ crowd.
Go boutique: Condesa df
The star of the trendy, bohemian Condesa neighborhood is this hip hotel, famed for its French facades, modern interiors and a fresh rooftop bar.
6. Oaxaca
Quinta Real Oaxaca: A gracefully restored convent.
Courtesy Quinta Real Oaxaca
The “culinary capital of Mexico” is much more than its restaurant scene.
Carved from glistening cantera stone into a splendid example of harmonious Spanish Colonial architecture, it’s home to exquisite churches, museums, pre-Columbian ruins and shops selling seriously psychedelic handicrafts.
Go big: Quinta Real Oaxaca
Built almost 450 years ago, graceful Santa Catalina Convent has had its courtyards, gardens and rooms refurbished by Mexican luxury chain Camino Real. Classic.
Go boutique: Casa Oaxaca
This whitewashed gem offers seven perfect rooms surrounding a sunny courtyard with one of Oaxaca’s best restaurants; guests can arrange meals, cooking classes and market tours.
7. San Miguel de Allende
Its artsy ambiance, refreshing climate and UNESCO historic district make the magical mountain town of San Miguel de Allende a magnet for both adventurous expats and wealthy Mexican families.
In recent years, its “quality of light,” and quality of life, have been enhanced with renowned art schools, gourmet restaurants, eclectic nightlife, fine hotels and real estate agencies (with English-speaking employees) on every block.
Go big: Rosewood San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel’s plushest property offers world-class accommodation in the heart of the historic center.
Go boutique: Casa Misha
Each detail is anticipated in this elegant seven-room winner, featuring balcony views over San Miguel’s famous Parroquia.
Editor’s note: This article was reformatted, updated and republished in 2017.