Monte Uzulu
This hotel, in the languid Oaxacan fishing village of San Agustinillo, overlooks the Pacific Ocean from its perch in the jungle of the Sierra Madre del Sur. The rose-tinted retreat’s 11 rooms showcase traditional crafts from across the country: straw lamps from Michoacán, textiles from Teotitlán del Valle, and wooden furniture made right there in Oaxaca. Surrounding the suites is a lush (and edible) landscape brimming with papayas, cucumbers, mangoes, and chili peppers. The nearby village is filled with boutiques selling Oaxacan goods and restaurants serving local specialties. Guests can also stroll to three bays—one small and calm for swimming, the other two ideal for surfing. Suites from $180.
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Paradero Todos Santos
In a laid-back Baja enclave, the first property from luxury adventure brand Paradero Hotels opened in January within a community of family farms on a site that had been vacant for years. Owners Pablo Carmona and Josh Kremer have cultivated more than 60 endemic species for the botanical garden, which supplies both the spa and the restaurant (where corn tortillas come fresh from the Oaxacan clay oven). The 35 suites offer views of the surrounding farms, mountains, and ocean, and daily outings include surfing and mountain biking. But it’s not all action all the time: Paradero also offers cooking classes, art gallery visits, and beach picnics. Suites from $550.
One&Only Mandarina
This highly anticipated newcomer has the pedigree and pristine setting to become one of the Pacific coast’s most beloved destinations. Sibling to the historic One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mandarina opened in November in a new development set on a sweeping stretch of the Riviera Nayarit coast, north of Punta Mita. The resort’s 160 villas and residences overlook the ocean from atop canopy-covered cliffs, where trails wind through rain forest down to sandy beaches and swimmable coves. The Robinson Crusoe–like setting comes to life at the 42,000-square-foot KidsOnly club, with its network of tree houses, suspension bridges, and slides created by a Hollywood production designer. But while families are a focus at Mandarina, it’s adults-only at the resort’s fine-dining restaurant, Carao, overseen by famed Mexico City chef Enrique Olvera. Beyond the hotel, the Mandarina complex will also include a beach club and an equestrian and polo club. Villas from $990.
Hotel Panamera
This 14-room boutique resort has already become a go-to spot on Tulum Beach, where it’s close to the action of the hotel zone but far away enough to promise plenty of peace and quiet. Still, the hotel offers a scene of its own, with a community of creative types gathering at its beach club and around its red-and-white-checkered tile pool. Guest rooms have a clean white-and-beige look that would be just as cool in Crete as it is in Tulum. Rooms from $350.
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Habitas Bacalar and Todos Santos
After opening its first hotel in 2017 in Tulum, the Habitas group ventured halfway around the planet for its second effort, a safari lodge in Namibia. Now the company is doubling down on its home country with a pair of waterfront resorts debuting this year. A few hours south of Tulum, Habitas Bacalar will bring a wellness focus to the jungle-lined shores of Lake Bacalar. Spa treatments and floating meditation sessions will complement kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkeling in the implausibly clear lagoon (a phenomenon owing in part to its white-limestone bottom). About an hour north of Los Cabos, Habitas Todos Santos takes full advantage of the rugged beauty of Baja California’s desert and Pacific coast. The resort is a beachfront property, with the Sierra de la Laguna located behind it. Habitas’s sustainability-minded business model includes modular construction: Each hotel is designed and built at the company’s Mexico facilities and then shipped and assembled on site. At Bacalar, that means 35 cabanas attuned to the tropical surroundings, while Todos Santos will have 80 rooms in desert hues. Rooms from $300.
