Sun, sand, and the beach, perfect paradise that is perceived as so, as long as you can enjoy it from the comfort of your sunbed, under the shade, while holding a piña colada… for this purpose, Mexico is one of the destinations which betters knows how to pamper.
We made a list of exclusive hotels where you will not only feel in paradise, but also their location, buildings, harmony (with the environment), curatorship (in their decoration), and the attention to details, will allow you to relax and get lost in the ocean’s pure beauty.
Alaya in Tulum, Quintana Roo. Place built by Studio Arquitectos to find a full connection with nature. 18 rooms with high respect for the habitat, which, through the use of permaculture science, imitate a healthy ecosystem, improve biodiversity, and allow for a harmonic coexistence with the environment. They do not only save a substantial amount of water, electricity, paper, cleaning agents, plastic bags, butane gas and diesel, but they transform all their organic waste from the kitchen and bars into compost they later use to fertilize the garden, where they grow some aromatic herbs used in the kitchen. Also, they offer yoga, therapeutic massages, kitesurfing, and diving.
Casa Kimberly is located in the heart of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. The houses that used to belong to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were refurbished to become nine suites, each one individually designed and decorated with antiques, crystal chandeliers, and hand-painted tiles. It features a spa with special cabins for couples, swimming pool, outdoor restaurant (La Iguana) with views of the city and the Banderas Bay, tequila bar, and the well-kept Love Bridge, where the couple of actors would meet to avoid the lenses of paparazzi. Taylor and Burton’s luxurious lifestyle has been recreated and adapted in this hotel, with all the amenities of the 21st century.
Mi amor, in Tulum, Quintana Roo is a 17-room hotel nestled on a small rocky outcrop where the ocean, the playful decoration, and its design invite the senses to wake up, disconnect, connect again, and feel free. Designed by Muro Rojo architectural firm, it features 1,800 m2 of land, where nature and style are celebrated. You can either relax by taking a plunge in a private pool or enjoy a live DJ set while you swim and/or enjoy cocktails in the infinity pool.
Punta Pájaros in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca is an eco-friendly and restorative development, designed by architect Alberto Kalach. The space offers eight independent villas in a 20,000-m2 surface and 200 meters of beach. Through a conscious design, they have managed to recover the place’s native jungle through the reincorporation of over 20,000 plants from different species, since far from just looking to reduce their impact on the environment, the restoration pretends to enhance the quality of the habitat and to evolve hand in hand with nature. Their villas have been built to have the least environmental impact possible and offer maximum comfort.
Verana in Yelapa, Jalisco. “Handmade” hotel surrounded by jungle, which removed the dirt with machetes. The original idea was for it to be one house only, but other structures followed and the pieces turned into a whole with eight rooms. It is built under a hippie-chic style on the cliffs and it belongs to the eco-lodge type. Finding it becomes part of the adventure, since in order to reach it, you have to take a cab from Puerto Vallarta to Tomatlán and once there, you take a boat that sails across the Banderas Bay and takes you to Yelapa, where mules await on the rocks to take your luggage on their backs; from this point, you just need to walk across the hill amidst the jungle. The journey is worthy.
These hotels help us get to know the better version of the country’s beach areas, by enjoying the constant feeling of being in paradise, surrounded by design, and without having to give up the best service.
*cover photo Guillermo Montesinos