11 Best Hotels in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
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Nestled between Cancún and Tulum, Playa del Carmen’s luxurious hotels and resorts complement the natural splendor of Mexico's Caribbean coastline. The area boasts everything from meticulously restored former estates—including one that once served as the secluded retreat of an Italian duchess—to sophisticated properties tucked within expansive multi-resort developments like Maroma, Mayakoba, and Kanai. These complexes often feature amenities like celebrity-designed golf courses and an abundance of dining venues, as well as natural perks, like serene mangrove-lined canals that wind their way directly to the Caribbean Sea, and private natural limestone cenotes filled with crystal-clear water.
As with any destination, location is everything, and most of Playa del Carmen’s top luxury hotels are located along the oceanfront to provide immediate ocean access. Properties within the above exclusive developments offer additional space and privacy, surrounded by carefully preserved environments with unmatched amenities.
If you're seeking a getaway to this Mexican Caribbean paradise, you've got options: Whether prioritizing oceanfront views, architectural design, or kid-friendly amenities, Playa del Carmen's hotel scene delivers exceptional options for every type of traveler. Read on to see some of our top picks.
How we choose the best hotels in Playa del Carmen
Every hotel review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.
Durston SaylorhotelRosewood Mayakoba
$$$ |
Gold List 2018 
Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Situated on a mile of white-sand beachfront, a stay at Rosewood Mayakoba is just as much about luxury as it is about immersing oneself in the wilds of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. When not relaxing in one of the 129 suites, well-to-do couples and families can usually be found congregating at one of Rosewood Mayakoba’s six swimming pools and four pool decks, from Casa del Lago, a relaxing multi-level pool overlooking the lagoon, to the Punta Bonita, a family-friendly infinity pool near the shores of the Caribbean Sea. Then there’s the Sense spa, renowned for its herbal treatments, and the numerous dining venues, including Agave Azul, an indoor-outdoor restaurant overlooking the lagoon and serving Baja California-style cuisine, and Zapote Bar, a day-to-night venue known for its cocktails, with signature drinks named after endemic Yucatecan animals (hummingbird, boa, monkey) and made with local ingredients and techniques.
Nikolas Koenig/The Riviera Maya EDITION at KanaihotelThe Edition Riviera Maya at Kanai
Hot List 2024Making its debut in Latin America, The Edition Riviera Maya at Kanai brings the brand’s quintessential late-night soirees and chic city style to an expansive, 620-acre nature reserve in the Yucatán Peninsula’s Riviera Maya. With interiors by the Ian Schrager Company in collaboration with the design firm Rockwell Group, and architecture by Edmonds International, the resort was created with cenotes (freshwater limestone pools) in mind. After walking up an orchid-lined staircase, guests arrive at a seating area with views of an oversized lagoon-like swimming pool—the resort’s centerpiece—that looks straight to a palm-lined path leading to the sea. It’s here where the property’s cenote-inspired architecture really shines, courtesy of a bamboo yoga deck designed by Eduardo Neira. The structure’s undulating walls continue to the surrounding limestone buildings—mimicking the seismic ripple that occurred when an ancient asteroid struck Chicxulub—which contain 182 guest rooms, including 30 suites, most with plunge pools and terraces providing either ocean or mangrove views.
During a stay, guests are privy to the menus of two Mexican chefs who both appear on the World’s 50 Best lists: Francisco Ruano leads the resort’s signature restaurant Ki’is (meaning “zest” in Mayan), which is known for its revolving tasting menu; while Tomás Bermúdez helms So’ol (Mayan for “oyster”), an outdoor seafood eatery overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
Courtesy Fairmont MayakobahotelFairmont Mayakoba
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Situated along the Caribbean Sea, the Fairmont Mayakoba is the perfect family-friendly stay in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Families will love spending time outdoors at one of Fairmont Mayakoba’s five on-site swimming pools, including the three along the oceanfront with alluring views of the Caribbean Sea. The resort is especially accommodating for kids—they eat free when selecting a meal from the children’s menu and have access to free programming at the Balam and Coatí kids clubs, which offer plenty of cultural and wellness activities. The resort is home to several dining venues, including two breakfast spots, several lunch outposts, and a few evening dining options, like the Greek restaurant Gaia, and Ki, a beach bar and Korean grill offering dumplings, pork tenderloin, short ribs, and Wagyu beef. There are also three bars, including the lounge-style, adults-only Cielo Rooftop Bar with ocean views and the Las Olas Pool Bar, where drinks are served in the family-friendly main pool area. Surrounded by emerald jungle and winding lagoons, a stay here is also about exploring Mayakoba, a 620-acre ecological enclave nestled within a mangrove jungle, featuring 20 restaurants and bars, as well as El Camaleón, the PGA Tour Championship Golf Course.
Courtesy Jason Dewey/St. Regis KanaihotelThe St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya
$$$ | Hot List 2024 Readers' Choice Awards 2024When viewed from above, the St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya, looks like a deconstructed Olympic logo—a series of curvaceous shapes sitting on over a mile of private beach. It’s meant to be a celestial schematic (inspired by the 1,000-plus stars in the constellation Pleiades), with gleaming, ultramodern white buildings hovering over protected mangroves. While the scale may seem overwhelming at first, the genius of its indoor-outdoor architecture reveals itself throughout one’s stay. Every thoughtfully designed, Mayan-inspired room has a view of the sea; there are elevated wooden walkways in lieu of cement paths; and the whole place is surrounded by a ridiculous amount of greenery. The generous footprint allows for a variety of tastes and needs to be accommodated—solo travelers, honeymooners, girlfriends on getaways, extended families—with minimal overlap. There are multiple beach clubs, a kids club, and seven dining options (and dedicated butlers to help you manage it all). But the pièce de résistance here is the spa: It’s like a boutique resort within the resort, and you could easily spend the entire day there, whether getting pampered or not. Offerings include separate men’s and women’s outdoor aqua-thermal circuits with pools and a menu of treatments that incorporate ancient Mayan traditions. Best yet, the spa can be experienced even if you’re not staying on property. Similarly, St. Regis guests can easily pop over to the Edition or the Etéreo (an Auberge resort), the hotel’s neighbors in this gated development. —Rima Suqi
Etéreo, Auberge Resorts CollectionhotelEtéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2022, 2023, 2024Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection is only a 30-minute drive from the Cancún airport, but this slice of heaven on the Riviera Maya feels light-years away from the chaos. The resort is incredibly family-friendly, but not in a way that sacrifices any of its sophistication. It’s the type of place where you stay put and enjoy everything it has to offer, like luxurious spa treatments, unique culinary experiences, and pool and beachside lounging, unless you’re going on one of the excursions organized by the hotel, which range from water activities, like cenote exploration and sailing to a tour of the local archaeological zones. Every single one of the 75 rooms is ocean-facing, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors framing the view, and leading to private terraces perched above the mangroves. Couples and families with young kids looking for an easy, peaceful escape would do well to book a stay at this intimate property. —Mercedes Bleth
Banyan Tree MayakobahotelBanyan Tree Mayakoba
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023, 2024After its $50 million expansion, this is the star of the Mayakoba development in Playa del Carmen, with 34 private beachfront pool suites and a brand-new beach club with an infinity pool overlooking the ocean. Beneath wooden pergolas and linen umbrellas of the Sands Beach Club, city dwellers on a seaside escape bask in the balmy Yucatán air before the languid Caribbean waters of Riviera Maya. The development includes a waterway lined with mangroves perfect for kayaking excursions, over two miles of biking and walking trails, and a Greg Norman-designed, 18-hole golf course. The resort also has its very own turtle field where four of the seven species worldwide come to nest on the beaches of the complex.
Courtesy Hotel EsenciahotelHotel Esencia
$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019, 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2019, 2024Right on Xpu-ha beach, the best stretch of white sands on this part of Mexico's Caribbean coast, Esencia is one of those hotels that is spoken about in hushed tones by bohemians in the know, none of whom want to let this secret get out. But those who do make it here discover a small, natural beauty of place set on a palm-swaying estate on the edge of the tumbling sea. There are hammocks to laze in, and a dimly lit spa where lotions and potions made from garden herbs are crushed into poultices to smooth out knots. For snorkeling among rainbow-colored fish, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is a five-minute hop on the hotel’s catamaran. There are ceviches and tiraditos to try at Mistura, a restaurant with views of the moon-dappled sea, and a wooden beach bar that does the best Margaritas in Mexico. Then there are the rooms. The interiors of the house, originally built as a hideaway for an Italian duchess, have splashes of ’50s art, and huge bedrooms with generous terraces. There are jungle suites with plunge pools and beach suites that are a study in white. All in all, it is perfect. —Mary Lussiana
Courtesy Viceroy Hotels and ResortshotelViceroy Riviera Maya
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024An eight-time Readers' Choice Award winner, this beachfront luxury resort is home to 41 villas with modern amenities, two dining options, and a sparkling resort pool. Staying at the Viceroy Riviera Maya is a vacation in the truest sense of the word: Palapa villas with lots of wood and rattan (each with a private pool, sunbathing deck, and outdoor shower) are connected by meandering pathways that fan out to lush, fragrant gardens. And it’s all fronted by seven miles of glorious white-sand beaches. Just remember that you are in the jungle, so be sure to keep your eye out for wily spider monkeys.
William Jess LairdhotelMaroma, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya
$$$ | Hot List 2024 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024This palm-studded resort has been one of the most beloved destinations on the Riviera Maya since it opened in 1995. But a complete reimagining of the 72-room boutique hotel has given it a renewed edge over its neighbors—without losing any of its soul. Arriving at Maroma involves driving through thick mangroves where spider monkeys swing from the trees (the property sits on 200 acres of jungle) before reaching its signature whitewashed architecture and thatched roofs. The design still leans heavily on the region’s Mayan vernacular—the curved stucco buildings are based on ancient geometric principles—and wider Mexican craftsmanship. In fact, almost every detail of the restoration, overseen by interior designer Tara Bernerd, prioritized Mexican makers and artisans (80 percent of the property’s furnishings and objects were made in the country). Rooms overlook the palm tree-lined pool, the Caribbean Sea, or both, and feature more of those beautiful tiles, along with whitewashed walls hung with regional textiles. —Lale Arikoglu
Courtesy Karisma Hotels & Resorts/©2014 Paul DyerhotelEl Dorado Maroma
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2024Fronting one of the prettiest beaches in the world, just 10 minutes north of Playa del Carmen, El Dorado Maroma stands out for its impeccable sand and incredible staff. Favorite picks of the accommodations are the royal swim up suites with direct access to the main pool via a lazy river. All are spacious and romantic, flaunting a creamy orange and deep purple paint job. Lunch at Papitos Gourmet Beach Club can be followed by dinner at the Japanese-centric Kiyoko or Mediterranean-inspired Mio Cuccina Italiana restaurants.
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Grand Hyatt Playa del CarmenhotelGrand Hyatt Playa del Carmen
Readers' Choice Awards 2024There's a serene aura that surrounds the design of the Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen, with its terraced infinity pool that seems as if it feeds directly into the ocean. The highlights of the guest rooms here are the balconies, which perch over the crystalline waters of Playa del Carmen and the emerald branches of the property’s mangrove trees. Some even come with plunge pools for guests looking for a quiet spot to unwind anytime. The bathrooms are spa-like with granite, striped marble, and teak wood details, but you’ll really feel all your knots melt away at the expert hands of Cenote Spa.
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