Which of these luxury mexico resorts will you choose for your next family vacation?
Oh, Mexico! Where else in the world can you find white-sand beaches, rocky cliffs, biodiversity, and a rich cultural heritage, just a quick flight from the States? And did we mention the food? If you are willing to look past the all inclusive resorts, Michelin-starred fine dining, mezcal, tacos, guacamole, and the freshest ceviche are just a few of the culinary indulgences that await at a luxury Mexican resort.
With dozens of luxury resorts opened in the past few years, from the Riviera Maya to the Baja Peninsula, the hardest part of planning a Mexico vacation is choosing where to stay. Whether your family seeks all inclusive luxury resorts, an action-packed Riviera Maya adventure, or a quiet jungle retreat in the Riviera Nayarit, there’s no shortage of choices that offer the utmost in luxury.
We’ve narrowed down our top choices in Mexico for families that provide five-star service, stunning scenery, natural beauty, and the most delicious food…don’t get us started on the food.
When we book your Mexico vacation, we can pass along several VIP and complimentary amenities for your stay: complimentary breakfasts, resort credits, upgrades, and more. Please reach out so we can create one of your most memorable family vacations.
You’ll want to consider these luxury hotels on your next family vacation. The challenge? Narrowing it down to one!
Riviera Maya and Cancun
Rosewood Mayakoba
- Fly Into: Cancun
- All-Inclusive Resort: No
- Kids Club: Yes
The Mexican Riviera’s most luxurious large resort is Rosewood Mayakoba, a luxe eco-conscious resort surrounded by the Caribbean Sea on one side, and freshwater lagoons on the other. The Rosewood resort is part of gated Mayakoba complex that includes three other resorts, (The Fairmont, Banyan Tree, and Andaz) private residences, golf courses, a replica Mexican village, and dozens of restaurants.
With 129 suites and private residences, all accommodations emphasize a harmony with nature, with indoor/outdoor showers, and overwater lagoon terraces with plunge pools or oceanfront terraces. The smallest guests rooms start at 800 square-feet, and larger family suites range from three to six bedrooms. All feature contemporary Mexican furnishings and personalized butler service.
For the ultimate in luxury in the Yucatan Peninsula, book the newly built Founder’s Villa. The six-bedroom, 16,000 sq-foot villa starts at $20,000/night and includes private airport and boat transfers, use of a golf cart, a media/screening room, open-air courtyard, beachfront fire pit and infinity pool.
Eight restaurants and bars serve everything from traditional Mexican street food to communal family dining. An outstanding wellness program and massive spa offer Mayan healing treatments and private sessions with the resort’s shaman.
The resort’s four pools and large private beach offer complimentary watersports like snorkeling and paddleboarding. Little ones should take advantage of the excellent Rosewood Explorers program, with daily activities like cooking classes, ecotours and cultural immersion such as Spanish lessons and Mayan storytelling.
Nizuc Cancun
- Fly Into: Cancun
- All-Inclusive Resort: No
- Kids Club: Yes
This resort is perfect for the long weekend break. Situated on the quieter south end of the island, Nizuc Cancun is a secluded luxury resort that offers privacy and serenity, yet is just minutes to the Cancun airport. This is the perfect places to stay if you want to start your vacation time as soon as your plane lands. Set on 29 oceanfront acres, Nizuc is a Legend category property of the Preferred group of hotels.
NIZUC Resort & Spa Ocean Suites
With 274 villas and suites, including an adults-only section, each accommodation comes with private balcony or terrace, and many have private plunge pools. The décor of Nizuc is contemporary minimalism with a relaxed vibe, keeping the focus on the lush vegetation and unobstructed ocean views. Nizuc is enviably located outside the hotel zone in a more remote area whose beaches tend to avoid red tide issues compared to other locations.
The state-of-the-art Winik Kids Club has activities like cooking classes and ceramics painting. With five different oceanfront pools and exceptional snorkeling from the MesoAmerican Reef, there are plenty of watersports to keep the family busy.
With six on-site restaurants all offering gourmet dining, guests can choose anything from fresh ceviche and seafood, traditional Mexican or Peruvian cuisine, to gourmet Italian. The Nizuc spa is the first ESPA spa in the Mexican Caribbean and features nine treatment rooms and a newly opened luxury nail salon.
Grand Velas Riviera Maya
- Fly Into: Cancun
- All-Inclusive Resort: Yes
- Kids Club: Yes and a teen club
If an all inclusive luxury resort is what you want, it doesn’t get much better than the Grand Velas Riviera Maya resort, a AAA-Five-Diamond property in Playa Carmen. The 205-acre resort is divided into three sections: Grand, Ambassador, and Zen class. The adults-only Grand section of the resort is perfect for a romantic getaway, while families will love the oceanfront Ambassador section of the resort or the Zen section, surrounded by lush jungle vegetation.
These luxury suites start at 1300-square feet and feature living spaces, large terraces, and personalized butler service. A stunning stretch of private beach offers every kind of water sport and the three infinity pools—one with zero entry for little ones—are all oceanfront.
Though the resort is all-inclusive, you won’t find families doing dance contests poolside; this is an elevated experience with five-star dinner shows, ecotours, cooking classes and an extensive list of scheduled family activities. The kids’ club and teen clubs are separate spaces that include traditional offerings like crafts and sports, but also guided bike rides, sailing lessons, and state-of-the-art gaming facilities.
Eight restaurants on-site are part of the all-inclusive experience and feature French, Spanish, and traditional Mexican cuisine. Twenty-four-hour room service is also included in the rates—perfect for tired kids after a long day. Don’t miss a visit to the spa at Grand Velas, a whopping 90,000 square-feet space renowned for its hydrotherapy treatments.
Read our full review of the Grand Velas Riviera Maya and Los Cabos locations.
Los Cabos
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Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos
- Fly Into: Los Cabos
- All-Inclusive: No
- Kids Club: Yes
Voted the #1 resort in Mexico by readers of Travel and Leisure, this spectacular resort is situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Drive through a torch-lit tunnel toward the open-air lobby and you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. The 119 suites take full advantage of the oceanfront vistas. Beautiful rooms have terraces and plunge pools that make the most of the incredible sunsets.
The smallest suite starts at 865-square-feet, and all are furnished with custom-made furniture carved by local craftsman, luxe linens, and oversized bathrooms with rain showers. Every guest is assigned a personal concierge who handles everything from restaurant to spa bookings.
Families will love the Beach Club’s casual dining, and dedicated family pool, while the Tortuguitas Kids Club offers movie nights, cooking classes, and scavenger hunts. Dining at the resort happens at seven different restaurants and lounges, including El Farallon, a cliffside seafood restaurant consistently voted one of the best in Cabos. Spirit enthusiasts will love the curated Mezcal experience at Agave Study, the resort’s open-air, beachfront bar or the picturesque Champagne Terrace set right in the sand. Luna y Mar, the resort’s spa, features its own infinity pool, sound therapy rooms and traditional Bajan healing treatments.
Zadun, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
- Fly Into: Los Cabos
- All-inclusive: No
- Kids Club: Yes, but it houses the Ambassadors for the Environment programs for families
For minimalists seeking a Zen vibe, look no further than, Zadun, a Ritz reserve property.
One of only five reserve properties of the Ritz Carlton, this is one of the most luxurious resorts in the Ritz brand. This 115-room property is known for its personalized butler service, serene atmosphere, and extensive wellness offerings. Rooms are spacious with minimal décor, and each room has its own dining and living area, private balcony or terrace, and plunge pool.
Dedicated butler service adds to the personalized service for which the resort is known. Resort guests have access to three golf courses: a Jack Nicklaus signature resort, a nine-hole Greg Norman signature course, and the Mission Course.
The Alkemia Spa is a jaw-dropper, with a dramatic entry that features water and fire elements and a large outdoor pool with multiple hydrotherapy areas. In keeping with local wellness traditions, there is a traditional Mexican temezcal for heated meditation, as well as a yoga studio with Savasana sound healing experience.
The unique family program, Ambassadors of the Environment, offers curated programs for kids and families, including desert hikes, snorkeling, stargazing, and whale watching. In addition to an exceptional kids club, there is specific programming for teens up to sixteen.
We enjoyed making our own hot chocolate with the team from scratch, starting with the cocoa bean. I got a good chuckle asking them if they wanted to try our version using almond milk. You would have thought I’d asked them to try hot chocolate with live snails. They bravely tasted our American modification and enjoyed it.
Dining at Zadun focuses on Latin American cuisine, with an Argentinian steakhouse, a traditional casual Mexican restaurant, and an adults-only raw bar featuring the freshest seafood.
Montage Los Cabos
- Fly Into: Los Cabos
- All-inclusive: No
- Kids Club: Yes
Set on 39 acres just north of central Cabo San Lucas, the Montage Los Cabos is part of the Preferred group of hotels and consistently ranks at the top of best Cabo resorts. The Forbes Five-Star property is exceptional for its massive horseshoe shaped beach set in a calm cove, remarkable for an area where many beaches are known for rocky cliffs and rough seas.
This is where to go if a swimmable private beach is important to you. I thought it was the most beautiful in the area. While beaches are public in the Cabo area, this beach cove is hard to access from either side unless you are coming from the resort.
Accommodations at the resort are spread out among low-rise buildings, and all have private balconies or terraces and floor-to-ceiling sliding windows for indoor/outdoor living.
Families can book classic rooms, suites, or for more space, two and three-bedroom casas. Three pools, tennis courts and dedicated pickleball courts offer plenty of activity, while golfers love the resort’s Twin Dolphins golf course.
Montage is renowned for its excellent fitness offerings and horseback riding, jet skiing, and snorkeling are all offered onsite, in addition to the 40,000-square-foot spa. The three restaurants feature Thai, Mexican and Italian cuisine, with frequent pop-up offerings from celebrity chefs. PaintBox, the resort’s kids’ program, has an array of educational and outdoor activities for kids including hiking, snorkeling, and cooking.
One and Only Palmilla
- Fly Into: Los Cabos
- All-inclusive: No
- Kids Club: Yes
As the original ultra-luxe resort in Cabo, the One and Only Palmilla is a romantic, 174-room resort that consistently attracts celebrities, but is also a great destination for families. The resort’s hacienda style architecture, colonial pueblos and ancient chapel evoke an old-world vibe that feels authentic in an area of Los Cabos teeming with newer resorts.
One and Only Palmilla boasts one of the only swimmable beaches in Cabo and a first-class surf school, making it a premier resort in the area for families. Watersports like snorkeling and diving are available daily at the beach and family activities like boat charters, whale-watching cruises and jeep safaris can be arranged on-site.
Families that want educational experiences have their share of choices from Mexican cooking classes and local art walks to ancient healing rituals and tequila tastings. The KidsOnly kids club offers indoor and outdoor play and activities like treasure hunts, pinata making, and excursions like snorkeling and golfing lessons.
Rooms feature traditional Mexican décor and spectacular views of the Sea of Cortez. Families who want more space should book the oceanfront suites or private villas, most equipped with private plunge pools. Dining at the One and Only Palmilla is exceptional, and the four on-site restaurants offer everything from Asian Fusion to traditional Mexican fare and a restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Riviera Nayarit and Punta Mita
One and Only Mandarina
- Fly Into: Puerto Vallerta
- All-inclusive: No
- Kids Club: Yes
Designed by Rick Joy, one of the designers of the renowned Amangiri Resort in Utah, The One and Only Mandarina on the Riviera Nayarit opened in 2021 and is a design-lover’s paradise. With treehouse style villas perched high above the Pacific, the resort’s accommodations are the ultimate in eco-conscious luxury.
The 105 villas engulfed in the lush canopy of the jungle, were designed to ‘hide in plain sight.’ Perched on cliffs overlooking the Pacific, every villa has its own plunge pool, living and dining area, outdoor shower, and over-bed skylights. While all boast Pacific views and indoor/outdoor terraces and living spaces, the Panoramic Ocean Treehouses have the best views.
There are four dining options and a treetop bar on property, including the casual Mexican-style Jetty Beach Club, the beachfront Italian restaurant Allora, Mediterranean restaurant Alma, and the fine dining restaurant Carao, featuring celebrity chef Enrique Olvera.
Activities abound for both couples and kids. The resort includes the Canalan Beach Club, a beachfront complex that includes child-friendly infinity pools, watersports such as snorkeling and paddleboarding, and family activities like hiking and ziplining. The resort’s on-site Polo and Equestrian Club also offers beachfront horseback riding.
The worth-the-trip KidsOnly kids club is a 42,000-sq-foot outdoor jungle playground that includes climbing walls, treehouses and hiking trails that aim to disconnect children with technology and connect them with nature.
The One and Only Spa has an extensive menu of holistic wellness offerings, yoga and private treatment rooms, and skincare products by Tata Harper.
Four Seasons Punta Mita
- Fly Into: Puerto Vallerta
- All-inclusive: No
- Kids Club: Yes
With spectacular views along the Riviera Nayarit coastline, an abundance of amenities, and the exceptional service Four Seasons is known for, this Punta Mita resort is consistently a favorite of luxury travelers. Having undergone a total property renovation, the resort’s prime Pacific coast location, thoughtful décor and tropical setting are better than ever. Read our full review of the Four Seasons Punta Mita.
Enter the massive, thatched roof lobby and you’ll be greeted with spectacular Pacific views. Casita style rooms have traditional Mexican décor, oversized bathrooms and private balconies or terraces.
Four Seasons Orlando addicts will feel at home at the lazy river and lounging in the hut-style loungers. There are three pools, including a heated oceanfront infinity pool, but it’s the resorts lazy river that will keep kids entertained from sunrise to sunset. Fourteen tennis courts and two signature Jack Nicklaus golf courses are also a part of the FS Punta Mita resort.
Four Seasons resorts are known for their kids’ clubs, and this one — complimentary for kids up to age 12 — offers everything from painting to chocolate making classes.
Ten restaurants and bars serve everything from fresh seafood to steak as well as traditional Mexican cuisine. The award-winning wellness program has signature spa treatments, meditation classes and beachfront yoga, but it’s the extraordinary service that keeps families returning to the Four Seasons Punta Mita year after year.
Booking Your Mexico Vacation
Did you know Luxe Recess is a magazine and an exclusive partner with access to special reates at all of these hotels? What does that mean for you? It means that as both a luxury family travel magazine and travel agency, we can give our clients numerous complimentary amenities.
Our rates at these properties always include complimentary breakfasts for two per room and resort credits, and —based on availability— upgrades and early check-in and late check-out. If you would like to add these amenities to your stay at no cost to you, please complete this hotel booking form.
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