Riviera Maya, Cancún & Tulum and their hotels
Five-star hotels in Riviera Maya, Cancún & Tulum
5 hotels
The Mexican Caribbean runs south from Cancún's Hotel Zone to Tulum and the edge of the Sian Ka'an biosphere. From Punta Nizuc the coast passes the lagoons of Mayakoba and the mangroves of Kanai, then Playa del Carmen and the coves of Xcaret and Xpu-Ha, and the hotels along it range from a duchess's old estate to an all-inclusive with a park attached. All five hold five-star standing, including the one we list in Cancún. We looked at every serious address from Playa Mujeres to the biosphere and kept only those whose service holds up to the water. Five made the cut.
Cancún & Playa Mujeres
The north end of the coast, where the Hotel Zone and Playa Mujeres sit within easy reach of the airport. The Hotel Zone's long beach runs between the Caribbean and the Nichupté lagoon, with Punta Nizuc at its southern tip; the quieter shore of Playa Mujeres lies north of the city.
The neighborhoods
Cancún & Playa Mujeres
The north end of the coast, where the Hotel Zone and Playa Mujeres sit within easy reach of the airport. The Hotel Zone's long beach runs between the Caribbean and the Nichupté lagoon, with Punta Nizuc at its southern tip; the quieter shore of Playa Mujeres lies north of the city.
Kanai & Punta Maroma
Mangrove country half an hour south of Cancún's airport, behind a quiet beach. Punta Maroma's old hideaway stands on the point and the newer resorts of Kanai are raised among the mangroves, with the quiet beach in front of them all and Puerto Morelos up the road.
Rosewood Mayakoba · Playa del Carmen & Mayakoba — © Rosewood Hotel GroupPlaya del Carmen & Mayakoba
The coast's busiest stretch, from the Mayakoba reserve to the town of Playa del Carmen. The reserve's lagoons, golf course and villas lie just north of town, with jungle resorts behind the beach; Playa del Carmen's Fifth Avenue and the Cozumel ferry are a short drive south.
Hotel Esencia · Xpu-Ha, Xcaret & Tulum — © Hotel EsenciaXpu-Ha, Xcaret & Tulum
The south, the farthest and wildest end of the coast, running down to the edge of the Sian Ka'an biosphere. It takes in the Xcaret parks and their coves, Xpu-Ha's long beach and the cenotes of the Tulum jungle; the biosphere's edge lies past the Tulum ruins.
Good to know
Which are the five-star hotels in Riviera Maya, Cancún & Tulum?
Five. Every hotel we list in Riviera Maya, Cancún & Tulum holds five-star standing: Hotel Esencia; Rosewood Mayakoba; Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya; La Casa de la Playa; and NIZUC Resort & Spa. Each has its own page, reached from the list above, with a concierge behind every stay.
Which part of the coast should I stay in?
Cancún is the north end – the Hotel Zone's long beach with the one five-star we list there, at Punta Nizuc, the closest to the airport. Punta Maroma, half an hour south of the airport, is mangrove country: a Belmond hideaway on the point behind a quiet beach. Playa del Carmen and Mayakoba are the middle – lagoons, a golf course and villas inside the Mayakoba reserve, with the town's Fifth Avenue and the Cozumel ferry a short drive away. Xpu-Ha and Xcaret are the south – a duchess's old estate on Xpu-Ha beach and the five-star beside the Xcaret parks, the farthest of the five from the airport.
When is the best season for the Riviera Maya?
December through April – dry days in the eighties, the sea at its clearest and the coast's social calendar in full swing, so book early around Christmas, New Year and the spring holidays. May through October runs hotter and wetter, with short afternoon storms and the coast at its quietest; the Atlantic hurricane season peaks from August into October, and sargassum seaweed can reach some beaches in the warmer months, so it is worth asking the concierge how a particular shore is doing before you settle on it. Whale sharks gather in the open water off Isla Mujeres and Holbox from June into September – one of the better reasons to come in summer.
Are these hotels all-inclusive?
One of the five is. La Casa de la Playa is the only all-inclusive we list on the Riviera Maya – adults only, sixty-three suites beside Xcaret. The other four – Hotel Esencia, Rosewood Mayakoba, Maroma and NIZUC – are conventional hotels where you pay for what you order, and the concierge will say plainly which model suits your stay before you book.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on the hotel's page to see reference rates, then send the concierge a request. The concierge confirms exact rates and availability with you before anything is booked, and any payment and its timing are set out before you confirm.
