You can trust Michelin’s stamp of approval, as evidenced by their coveted Stars, in the restaurant industry. This year, they launched the Michelin Key, the Michelin Star of hotels. Michelin has awarded Keys to properties in France, Italy, Spain, the US, Japan and Canada — and now, Mexico.
From secluded jungle resorts to eco-friendly yoga retreats, Mexico’s Michelin-Key hotels have unique personalities and a strong sense of place. I’ve highlighted a few of my favorites, followed by the full list for each tier. When you’re ready to travel, reach out to plan and book your Michelin-approved vacation.
Three-Key hotels
A mere three hotels earned three Keys. The criteria is strict, but these properties more than check all the boxes; they go above and beyond.
One&Only Mandarina
At One&Only Mandarina, you’ll stay in magical treehouses equipped with private plunge pools. The property is especially ideal for honeymooners and couples looking for romance, as well as friend groups looking for a secluded, discreet stay. (There are also sprawling villas and homes available.)
One&Only Mandarina’s restaurants take a garden-to-table approach, with a contemporary, elevated flair. Famed Mexican chef Enrique Olvera, who’s behind the bucket-list restaurant Pujol, helms the on-site, ultra-stylish Carao. Local Mexican ingredients take center stage. Choose from the range of agave spirits, local beer and natural wine to complement your meal.
Get out in nature, surf, fish and embark on a sunset cruise on the Riviera Nayarit. Then, retreat to homebase, where you can learn from curanderas (traditional native healers), enjoy a two-hour massage in a rainforest cabana or take a sound-therapy session on the dreamy Aura Deck.
Fora Perks:
- $100 hotel / resort credit, breakfast daily, an upgrade and extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Hotel Esencia
Hotel Esencia is luxuriously discreet. It’s a secluded, playful retreat in Tulum housed in the former home of an Italian duchess. Rooms are sleekly whitewashed, with pops of color and handsome wooden furniture.
It’s no surprise that Hotel Esencia’s organic spa has been called Mexico’s best. Talented therapists incorporate local plants, spices and oils into handcrafted healing balms and tinctures. A traditional temazcal, sensory-deprivation tank, ice chamber, infrared sauna, steam rooms and more only add to the spa’s impressively holistic offerings.
The whole-body nourishment extends to the food. Locally sourced ingredients add a nutrient-dense, delicious sense of place to menus inspired by Japanese and Mediterranean traditions.
Fora Perks:
- $100 hotel / resort credit, a bottle of wine, $60 daily breakfast credit, an upgrade and extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Xinalani
Wellness enthusiasts and yogis will feel especially at home at this eco retreat south of Puerto Vallarta. It feels blissfully remote, and is located near a charming, cobblestone fishing village called Quimixto.
The food, which is served via a buffet, is meticulously, thoughtfully sourced and prepared. It’s healthy and delicious; vegan and gluten-free options are available at every meal. Rooms and casitas blur the delineation between the indoors and outdoors. In 17 of the 33 rooms, there are only three walls. Relax on your hammock and take in the ocean views — or the breezy, eco-chic décor.
Activities, unsurprisingly, are optimized for nature immersion: zipline, kayak, scuba dive, snorkel, trek and more. Yoga classes (for all levels), meditation classes, sound-healing sessions, ice-bath therapy and cacao ceremonies are much-welcome mainstays — and not to be missed.
Fora Perks:
- $25 bar credit, a two-hour complimentary paddleboard rental, a two-hour complimentary surfboard rental and an upgrade whenever possible.
Two-Key hotels
Twenty-one hotels were bestowed with two Keys. These properties promise “exceptional stays,” and are well worth any detour.
Chablé Yucatán
Chablé Yucatán is where you go for a vacation that is culturally immersive, wellness-oriented and exceptionally designed. The entire property is in fact a former hacienda. You’ll stay in beautiful casitas with magical bathrooms equipped with outdoor showers.
Traditional Mexican cuisine is expertly prepared with ingredients grown in Chablé’s organic gardens. Try a tequila tasting (a must) while you’re at it, and save at least one night for dinner at Ixi’im. The sleek, dimly lit restaurant fortified one of the hacienda’s original structures with stylish metal beams and walls of glass, which frame the lush property grounds.
Fora Perks:
- $100 hotel / resort credit, breakfast daily and an upgrade whenever possible.
Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya
In typical Belmond fashion, Maroma goes above and beyond in every domain. For one, the Guerlain spa is exceptional. It has its own apothecary, where you can concoct your own balms and scrubs using garden herbs and other healing ingredients.
The food itself is reason enough to visit. Start your day with the hotel’s signature homemade quesadillas and coffee — some of the best beans Ronit has ever had. Before dinner at Woodend by Curtis Stone or Casa Mayor, grab a cocktail at Freddy’s Bar, a beachside hangout primed for sundowners accompanied by lively music. If you’re craving a bite, you’ll love the locally sourced raw bar and fresh seafood.
Fora Perks:
- $90 hotel / resort credit, welcome amenities, breakfast daily & an upgrade whenever possible.
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
Fora’s community loves Four Seasons Punta Mita for its broad, luxe appeal. It’s perfect for families, with ample activities and tons of space. Adults can taste mezcal and attend educational lectures delivered by local Huichol people. Kids can craft beaded art in the Huichol tradition and enjoy a private piñata party.
Dining options range from stylish Mexican hotspots and themed pop-ups to a beachfront “Salad Shack,” a health-conscious kitchen and lively cocktail bars. There are boat tours and day cruises, fishing and surfing. You can golf, hike, venture out by ATV and more.
Punta Mita’s natural beauty is impressive, as is its concentration of luxury. The private peninsula sits about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. In other words, it’s easy to get to, especially for those of us on the west coast. A fair warning, thought: Punta Mita may quickly become a habit you won’t be able to shake.
Fora Perks:
- When you book Four Seasons with me, you will enjoy exclusive Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities. I’ll be pleased to give you more details.
More two-Key hotels to love
I can unlock perks at the majority of these properties. Reach out to learn more.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba
Casa Chablé
Casa de Sierra Nevada, A Belmond Hotel, San Miguel de Allende
Casa Polanco
Casa Silencio
Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection
Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection
Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection
Las Alamandas
Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort
Montage Los Cabos
One&Only Palmilla Resort
Palmaïa-The House of AïA
Playa Viva
Rosewood Mayakoba
Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
Zadun, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
One-Key hotels
Each of the 63 one-Key hotels are personality-driven and refreshingly authentic. Expect amazing service and bespoke, curated amenities — especially for their respective price points.
La Valise Mexico City
All La Valise properties — there’s one in CDMX, San Miguel de Allende and Tulum — feel hyperlocal and intimate, like they couldn’t be anywhere else. This is especially true of La Valise Mexico City, a discreet haven in a French-inspired townhouse.
There are a mere eight suites. Colorful rugs add softness to handsome wooden floors; rare collectibles and antiques add warmth. Many people talk about the heavenly beds. The El Patio suite is particularly special. When you finally wake up from perhaps the best sleep of your life, breakfast arrives warm and fresh, sourced from local bakeries.
Fora Perks:
- Welcome amenities, an upgrade and extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Our Habitas San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Mexico. Our Habitas San Miguel de Allende is a celebration of the city’s artistic vibrancy and local, colorful feel. Our Habitas as a whole takes a sustainable approach to luxury, and has a bohemian-chic aesthetic that reflects its eco-conscious sensibility.
In San Miguel de Allende, you’ll love the stand-alone rooms dressed in warm desert hues, soft fabrics and giant windows framing desert views. Explore the town, and then retreat to the hotel’s holistic spa, followed by a wood-fired, locally sourced meal at the breezy contemporary Mexican restaurant, Comunidad.
Fora Perks:
- $100 spa credit, welcome amenities and an upgrade whenever possible.
Be Tulum Beach & Spa Resort
As part of Nômade hotels, it’s no surprise Be Tulum takes sustainability very seriously. It’s carbon neutral and sources everything locally. Dine on elevated Mexican fare in tranquil, open-air settings filled with plants and reclaimed wood.
You’ll love the overall zen vibe, courtesy of the hotel’s natural materials, leafy beachfront setting and spa treatments inspired by ancient Mayan rituals. In between sauna sessions and deeply relaxing treatments, try the daily, complimentary yoga and meditation sessions. Mindfulness is a pervasive theme here.
Fora Perks:
- Welcome amenities, breakfast daily, reduced food / beverage rates, an upgrade and early check-in whenever possible.
More one-Key hotels to love
I can unlock perks at the majority of these properties. Reach out to learn more.
Amomoxtli
Anticavilla Hotel
Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués
Banyan Tree Puebla
BellView Boutique Hotel
Boca de Agua Bacalar
Brick Hotel
Bungalows & Casitas de las Flores in Careyes
Cala de Mar Resort & Spa Ixtapa
Campos Polanco
Casa 1810 Hotel Boutique
Casa Hormiga
Casa Hoyos – Hotel Boutique
Casa Kimberly
Casona Sforza
Central Hotel Boutique
Chablé Maroma
Colima 71 Art Community Hotel
Decu Downtown
Grana B&B
Hacienda Peña Pobre
Hacienda San Angel
Hotel Bo
Hotel Casa Blanca 7
Hotel Casa Santo Origen
Hotel CIGNO
Hotel Matilda
Hotel San Cristóbal
Hotel San Fernando
Hotel Sureño
Hotel Terrestre
Ignacia Guest House
L’Ôtel – Casa Arca
La Casa que Canta
Las Casas B+B Hotel
Maison Mexique
MILAM
Nima Local House Hotel
Nobu Hotel Los Cabos
Nomade Holbox
Nueve 25 Hotel Boutique
Octavia Casa
Our Habitas Bacalar
Paradero Todos Santos – Exclusive Experiences
Pug Seal Allan Poe
Pug Seal Anatole France
Pug Seal Oaxaca
Sofitel Mexico City Reforma
The Cape, a Thompson Hotel
The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya
The St. Regis Mexico City
The Wild Oscar
TreeHouse Boutique Hotel
Viceroy Los Cabos
Viceroy Riviera Maya, a Luxury Villa Resort
Villa Santa Cruz
VOLGA
Wakax Hacienda – Cenote & Boutique Hotel
Waldorf Astoria Cancun
Zoa Hotel
Email: italia.dutton@fora.travel
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