 Mexico Redefines High-End
A Unique Blend of the Old and the New Make Mexico’s Luxury Offerings Unique
Mexico has a well-earned reputation as a haven for budget travelers, but the country’s
unique blend of the modern and the traditional also makes it synonymous with luxury. From prehispanic spa treatments
and Tequila massages to golf courses nestled between the desert and the sea, Mexico has it all for the pamper-happy
traveler.
Haute Hotels
World-class international chains are building hotels in Mexico faster than you can say “room service.” For travelers
wanting ultramodern luxury, the award-winning Hotel Habita (www.hotelhabita.com),
designed by renowned Ten Arquitectos in Mexico City, is perhaps the most cutting-edge boutique hotel in Mexico’s
bustling capital, boasting a clean, minimalist design and icy translucent façade that earned it the nickname
“ice cube.” But despite its frosty exterior, the interior is quite cozy, with a long brick fireplace and pale wood
furnishings custom made by Ten Arquitectos. With only 32 rooms and 4 junior suites, this luxury boutique hotel
is strategically located in the heart of the upscale Polanco district, perfect for shopping and gallery hopping.
Among other amenities, the hotel features a lap pool, open-air terrace and a full-service spa.
Less intimate but equally chic is the W Mexico City (www.whotels.com),
owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, also located in the Polanco district. Opened in 2003, the W features indoor
koi ponds, cherry red walls in all 237 guest rooms and a full-service spa with the traditional temazcal (prehispanic-style
steam bath). The W Mexico City’s round tubs have since gained worldwide popularity, and many guests have actually
purchased the tubs.
Starwood boasts several luxury properties in Mexico, including the Sheraton and Westin resorts, but it also has
a handful of unique haciendas. The meticulously preserved Hacienda Temozon (www.starwood.com), located in the heart of the Yucatan peninsula, just outside the city of
Merida, is a popular destination. Once a private family-run estate, the hacienda's exquisitely furnished 26 rooms
and suites offer guests a return to the grandeur and affluence of the region’s past. With spacious gardens, a 157-foot
swimming pool and a 17th century church, it is the ideal place for relaxation or the starting point to discover
the surrounding Mayan architectural sites.
The Quinta Real (www.quintareal.com) chain is the feather
in Mexico’s cap of hotel chains. Mexican owned and managed, the Quinta Real places high emphasis on authentic Mexico,
with the majority of its hotels properties in converted historic buildings. An example of Quintana Real’s charm
is its hotel in Zacatecas City in the central state of Zacatecas. The building is a restored bullfighting ring
whose banquet halls and guest rooms overlook the arena, which has been transformed into an immense circular patio.
With Andalusian flavor in its cobblestone grounds and abundant flowers, it is a picturesque and unique setting
for the celebrating an important social event or reliving a bit of history.
Travelers looking for a more intimate setting can choose from more than 20 elegantly designed boutique hotels (www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com) throughout the country.
Located just five minutes away from Morelia on the slope of the Cerro de Santa Maria, the Hotel Villa Montaña
is a true colonial gem with 36 suites spread among small casitas surrounded by lush gardens. With colonial architecture,
decor and exquisite service, this boutique hotel captures the atmosphere of a Mexican hacienda from the first few
years of the 20th century. Behind the raw stone or deep red stucco walls of the casitas, the rooms feature heavy
wood furniture that contrasts with either delicate French accessories or fine European antique objets d'art.
The world-renowned Orient-Express Hotels’ collection of romantic luxury hotels and resorts around the world also
includes an award-winning resort in Mexico, the Maroma Resort and Spa, a luxurious hacienda-style resort
located on an exclusive 500-acre beach and rainforest in the Riviera Maya. Among its several awards, this resort
was also named the 2004 Best Romantic Beach in the world by the Travel Channel.
Also worth mentioning are Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Award winners for 2004. In the Top 10 Latin
American Resorts category, Mexican resorts occupied nine of the top 10 slots. Top four include the One&Only
Palmilla in Cancun, Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas, Las Ventanas al Paraiso in San Jose del Cabo
and the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun respectively. The Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach in Cancun took
sixth place, with La Casa Que Canta in Zihuatanejo (which also took Travel + Leisure’s 2004 World’s Best
Hotel in Latin America Award), Four Seasons in Punta Mita, Hilton Cancun Beach & Golf Resort
in Cancun and Las Brisas in Acapulco occupying the remaining Top 10 slots.
As for top hotels in the region, Las Mañanitas in Cuernavaca took first place, while the Four
Seasons in Mexico City, Maroma in Yucatan, Camino Real in Oaxaca, JW Marriott in Mexico
City, Casa de Sierra Nevada in San Miguel del Allende, Marquis Reforma in Mexico City and Casa
Natalia in San Jose del Cabo also occupied the top 10.
Designer Courses Drive Golfers to Mexico
Want to golf? Top designers such as Jack Nicklaus and Robert Von Hagge have transformed the Mexican terrain into
a paradise for golfers of all tastes and skill levels. And many of these courses are in the desert, along pristine
beaches, surrounded by jungle or close to archaeological ruins, quaint villages or other attractions, enabling
both golfers and their companions to enjoy an unforgettable stay.
Mexico's unique courses have attracted the attention not only of leisure golfers, but of pros as well. The Senior
PGA Tour, Tour of the Americas, Canadian Tour and EMC-World Cup are only some of the world-class golfing events
Mexico has hosted recently. In all, there are 190 golf courses distributed along 30 of Mexico's 31 states, with
another 20 under construction. Of these, 51 are public or resort courses and 78 more are semi-private, open to
members but to outside golfers as well.
A Whole New Ahhhh in Spaaaa
An increasingly booming industry in Mexico, spas attract more than 300,000 people every year – a highly profiled
audience that typically spends up to five times more than the average tourist. Why such a draw to Mexican spas?
Since pre-Colombian times, the indigenous people of Mexico have tapped into their country’s abundance of native
plants, mineral-rich volcanic mud and soothing hot springs to bring health and juvenility to others.
Clients in Mexico can choose from a destination spa, a spa whose purpose is to provide guests with lifestyle improvement
and health enhancement; the resort spa, centered on golf, tennis and R&R; adventure spas that combine Mexico’s
geographic diversity with outdoor activities and eco-fitness adventure; and holistic retreats, focusing on programs
that strengthen the mind, body and spirit with yoga, vegetarian cuisines and other disciplines.
A Guide to All Things Chic
In response to the demand for more information on Mexico’s high end offerings, the  Mexico Tourism Board,
in collaboration with publisher Nigel Bolding, has just published the ultimate high-end guide book Mexico Chic,
available on www.amazon.com. With stunning images and striking
copy, Mexico Chic showcases Mexico’s best luxury hotels, resorts and spas - each one chosen for their individuality
and chic appeal.
“This unique guide book will compel tourists to learn more about Mexico’s premium products such as spas, luxury
hotels, first class flights, golf courses and more,” said Karla Mawcinitt, public relations director of the Mexico
Tourism Board. “I am confident that Mexico Chic will put many of Mexico’s destinations on the map for those
who demand the best of the best.”
Source: The Mexico Tourism Board
Web published Feb. 2005
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