Mexico’s Most Exclusive Resorts & Vacation-Rental Communities
Mexico’s most exclusive resorts and vacation rental communities have a number of things in common, including white-glove service, high-end amenities, and around the clock security. Often located in regions known for their beautiful landscapes, these communities also offer proximity to cultural and recreational areas.
In this article, we’ll tour some of the most prestigious resorts and vacation-rental communities across Mexico, all known for their exclusivity, tranquility and luxury.
Travel Itinerary
Our journey through Mexico will take us to eight different destinations, with each one offering travelers copious options for both villa rentals and resort stays.
Profiled communities
- Punta Mita, Nayarit
- El Tigre Golf and Country Club, Nuevo Vallarta
- Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas
- Palmilla, Los Cabos
- Puerto Los Cabos, San José del Cabo
- Yucatan Country Club, Merida
- Las Brisas, Acapulco
- La Punta, Manzanillo
Profiled resorts
- Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
- St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
- Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
- Nobu Hotel Los Cabos
- Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Los Cabos
- One&Only Palmilla
- Encanto Acapulco
- Banyan Tree Cabo Marques
- Bonus: Grand Velas (the best all-inclusive in Mexico?)
Punta Mita, Nayarit
Punta Mita is a luxurious, 1,500-acre resort and residential community that lies on a spear-shaped peninsula surrounded by Pacific Ocean waters and lush tropical flora.
Situated north of Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita is easily accessible with direct commercial flights from major airports throughout the U.S. After arriving, its a 28-mile ride to the resort (50 minutes by car).
The community is home to a variety of offerings, including luxury hotels (Four Seasons & St. Regis), villas and condos, two Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses, a tennis center, and beach clubs.
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
Four Seasons resort is set in a 21-hectare (52-acre) nature preserve on a private peninsula just northwest of Puerto Vallarta on the Bahía de Banderas.
- Total rooms: 177
- Guest rooms: 139
- Suites: 38
- Villas, Residences and Beach Homes (Private Retreats): 22 Villas, 7 Residences and 3 Beach Homes
- Pools: 4
- Tennis courts: 10
- Golf courses: Pacifico Golf Course, Bahia Golf Course
Negative sentiment: 6.46% (percentage of reviewers rating the hotel below ‘very good’).
St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
The St. Regis Punta Mita sits on 22 acres of prime real estate on a coastal peninsula overlooking the Bahia de Banderas in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. It opened in 2008 with 89 rooms and 39 suites.
While the resort is part of the Punta Mita luxury real estate development, it’s insulated from the rest of the community, and you need to leave the resort gates to explore other parts of it.
To get to Punta Mita, most folks fly into Gustavo Dia Ordaz International Airport (PVR) in Puerto Vallarta. From there, you can arrange for a car service, get a taxi or rent a car.
Negative sentiment: 5.99% (percentage of reviewers rating the hotel below ‘very good’).
El Tigre Golf and Country Club, Nuevo Vallarta
El Tigre is situated in Nuevo Vallarta on the El Tigre Golf Course near the shores of Banderas Bay, Mexico. This is one of the most privileged gated residential communities in Puerto Vallarta, offering 260 home sites.
The entire development is encircled by a seven kilometer long barrier which provides privacy and security for its residents.
Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas
Pedregal is located at the southern tip of Baja California Sur, overlooking Cabo San Lucas. Just steps from the Cabo San Lucas Marina, this hillside community has been a beacon of luxury for almost 40 years. Pedregal is Los Cabos’s first luxury residential community, and still its most well-known.
Resorts of note in the area include: Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Los Cabos.
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
Negative sentiment: 2.66% (percentage of reviewers rating the hotel below ‘very good’).
Nobu Hotel Los Cabos
Negative sentiment: 4.78% (percentage of reviewers rating the hotel below ‘very good’).
Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Los Cabos
This all-inclusive resort is located 30 minutes from Los Cabos International Airport and 55 minutes from Cabo San Lucas International Airport.
Negative sentiment: 5.51% (percentage of reviewers rating the hotel below ‘very good’).
Palmilla, Los Cabos
Palmilla’s dramatic setting on the edge of the sea of Cortez, is the backdrop for some of the most magnificent homes in the world.
This master-planned community features the world famous One&Only Hotel, a 27 hole Nicklaus Signature golf course, commercial shopping center, luxury homes and high-end condominiums.
One&Only Palmilla
Set amongst the stunning natural geography of the Baja Peninsula alongside the Sea of Cortez, One&Only Palmilla affords extraordinary views of the Los Cabos landscape and beachfront access to one of the few swimmable beaches in the entire region.
The 173 rooms and villas blend classic Mexican design with contemporary accents like Venetian stucco and walls of windows to create bright, elegant spaces. All rooms have terraces, many with direct ocean views, and some include private pools.
With a 6:1 staff to guest ratio, it’s difficult not to feel pampered here.
Pros:
- secluded, jungle shrouded location
- 15 min drive from artsy San Jose Del Cabo
- two pools, a gorgeous spa, and a proper gym
- tennis courts lit for night play, plus a Jack Nicklaus golf course
Negative sentiment: 6.64% (percentage of reviewers rating the hotel below ‘very good’).
Puerto Los Cabos, San José del Cabo
Located on a pristine stretch of coastline along the Sea of Cortez, just east of the San Jose del Cabo estuary, Puerto Los Cabos is a 2,000 acre, master-planned, mixed-use resort community.
The community encompasses gated residential neighborhoods, hotels, golf courses, a world-class marina, botanical and sculptural gardens, and the Puerto Los Cabos Club.
Puerto Los Cabos is a 20-minute drive from the airport and just 5 minutes from downtown San Jose del Cabo.
Hotels
- Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve (113 rooms, suites and villas)
- JW Marriott Loas Cabos Beach Resort & Spa
- Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort (all-inclusive)
- El Ganzo
Yucatan Country Club, Merida
Yucatan Country Club is an exclusive, gated real estate development, situated in an area of more than 330 hectares. It houses various residential concepts arranged around a spectacular golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.
The Mérida Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport is 20 minutes away.
The Country Club in Mérida was conceived as the most innovative and exclusive residential development on the Yucatán Peninsula;
It covers a perimeter of 320 hectares and is distinguished by the fine architecture of its luxurious Club House, a 5-hectare building that has within its walls, 5 restaurants and 5 bars, as well as: courts, swimming pools and a spectacular view of the golf course.
The Yucatan Country Club hosts a number of residential projects, including lakefront villas, luxury residences and apartments:
Las Brisas, Acapulco
Las Brisas, Acapulco’s wealthiest residential section, is comprised of a number of contiguous neighborhoods, with multi-million-dollar villas set into the hillside, overlooking Acapulco’s bay.
While Las Brisas is not known for its beaches, this is compensated for by the breathtaking views the area enjoys of Acapulco — particularly at night.
The only way in or out of Las Brisas is via the Scenic Highway (“Carretera Escénica”). The narrow road has many blind curves, virtually no shoulders, and no room for pedestrians.
Two resorts of note in the area are the Encanto Acapulco and Banyan Tree Cabo Marques.
Encanto Acapulco
Located at the highest point of Brisas Marques, the hotel is tucked away in one of the most privileged hideaways above Acapulco’s main bay, offering guests a quiet, peaceful and private alcove.
The hotel may be minimalist, but its certainly not modest — everything about it is eye-catching, with all while décor contrasting boldly against the bright blue waters of the pool as well as the ocean on the horizon.
Pros:
- 10 min drive to downtown Acapulco
- boutique feel, with only 44 guest rooms
- all rooms include balconies, some with plunge pools and dining areas
Negative sentiment: 8.68% (percentage of reviewers rating the hotel below ‘very good’).
Banyan Tree Cabo Marques
The Banyan Tree Cabo Marques boasts a distinctively Asian flavor, with steeply pitched roofs, wide eaves, and villas built on stilts into the cliff-side. From its majestic cliff-top location, the hotel pairs panoramic views with Banyan Tree’s signature privacy and comfort.
The 45 villas are subtly opulent, beautifully blending the brand’s Asian décor with Mexican accents. Striking ocean views, great restaurants, and a wonderful spa combine to create an experience that is hard to beat.
The hotel is a 20 min drive from Acapulco International Airport.
Negative sentiment: 4.63% (percentage of reviewers rating the hotel below ‘very good’).
La Punta, Manzanillo
La Punta is an exclusive, professionally managed, gated community with approximately 170 houses and lots, located in the state of Colima on Mexico’s Pacific Coast between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco.
Manzanillo’s Playa de Oro International Airport (ZLO) is located 20 minutes north of the city.
Bonus — Grand Velas Resorts
Offering an all-inclusive experience, Velas properties include Grand Velas Los Cabos, with its dramatic ocean views and the luxurious 35,000 sq ft SE spa, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, which enjoys a long stretch of pristine beach and a dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Madre mountains; and the Grand Velas Riviera Maya, offering a resort experience with a jungle and beach setting.
U.S. News 2023 Best Hotels Report ranked all three Velas properties in its top 10.
In addition, Grand Velas Los Cabos recently became the first and only all-inclusive in Mexico to receive the Five-Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide. The resort was additionally honored among the best all-inclusive resorts worldwide and the best luxury hotels in Mexico.
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit opened in November 2002 as the first luxury all-inclusive resort in Mexico. With 267 suites, the resort is just 15 minutes from Marina Vallarta, 25 minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta and 15 minutes from the airport.
Riviera Nayarit enjoys a privileged setting beside a long stretch of walkable beach with a dramatic backdrop of the Sierra Madre mountains.
Of the resorts 267 suites, many feature ocean-views, with some featuring private plunge pools. The resort has 6 restaurants, four of which, serving French, Italian, Asian and Mexican gourmet cuisine, have received AAA Four Diamond awards for distinguished cuisine and presentation.
To explore suite options, click here.
Grand Velas Riviera Maya
Set on 206 acres of pristine jungle and mangroves, Grand Velas Riviera Maya opened in 2008, with 539 suites, and five signature restaurants. All suites are exceptionally spacious at more than 1,100 square feet each, all with balconies, and some with private plunge pools.
The resort offers 3 pools: Zen, Ambassador, Grand Class (Adults only).
To explore suite options, click here.
Grand Velas Los Cabos
Grand Velas Los Cabos opened in 2017, featuring five signature restaurants, and the world-class, 35,000 sq. ft SE spa. The resort is situated 35 minutes southwest of Los Cabos International Airport.
The property features two family pools and one for adults only named Serenity Pool, available for ages 16 and older. There is also a kids’ pool to splash in. The one downside is that due to dangerous ocean conditions, the ocean area in front of the resort is not swimmable.
The 307 suites are arranged in classes rising from the ambassador tier to the Presidential Suite. There are no garden-view accommodations at the hotel, as the property was cleverly designed so that each suite boasts beautiful Sea of Cortés views.
To explore suite options, click here.
Getting There
Southwest has direct flights to four airports in Mexico, — two on the west coast and two on the east coast — Los Cabos (Los Cabos, MX — SJD), Puerto Vallarta (Puerto Vallarta, MX — PVR), Cancun (Cancun, Mexico — CUN) and Cozumel (Cozumel, Quintana Roo — CZM).
- Nonstop flights to Los Cabos: leaving from Austin, Houston, San Antonio
- Nonstop to Puerto Vallarta: Austin, Houston
- Nonstop to Cancun: Austin, Houston, San Antonio
- Nonstop to Cozumel: Houston
For those needing a direct flight from Dallas, DFW offers a number of options.
