The best accommodations Yucatán Peninsula

Budget & Tips

It is possible to stay in Mexico for any budget, even in the most touristic resorts like Cancún or Playa del Carmen. The only thing is to know if you prefer the private pool or the common bathroom (on the landing)... The smallest budgets can opt for the hammock, or the camping. In the classic hotels, the prices are generally indicated per room (which can sometimes accommodate 4 or 6 people depending on the number of beds), except for the all-inclusive establishments(accommodation, food, drinks, certain activities...), which are very numerous in the Zona Hotelera of Cancún. Prices are also indicated per person in hostels (youth hostels) but only for dormitory beds, not for private rooms (most hostels nowadays have both formulas). Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but sometimes there are additional fees, around 5%. Rates are quoted in pesos or US dollars, especially for the more expensive establishments. It is best to pay in pesos, as the exchange rate is rarely favorable when paying in dollars. Some higher category hotels do not include taxes (14-19%), so always check. The classification of hotels is based on a scheme of 1 to 5 stars, followed by the categories of Grand Tourism, Special Category and Boutique Hotel, which apply to luxury hotels. Nevertheless, no organization controls the classification of establishments and, very often, the services of a 3-star hotel in Mexico are inferior to those of an establishment of the same category in France. It should be noted that some hotels of higher levels, including all-inclusive hotels, are reserved for adultsonly, in order to preserve the tranquility of the place. Many hotels offer significant discounts, up to 50% in low season, on their websites.

The haciendas

remain the most typical luxury accommodation in Mexico. The rooms, often few in number, are nestled in an atmosphere steeped in history, especially when the furniture is original. Room rates are often over US$150.

Economy hotels are called hostals, casa de huéspedes, pensión or hospedaje

. Rooms in these hotels range from 20 to 40 US$. But be careful where you step, as the cheapest ones are sometimes used as hostels.

Motels

in Latin America are not cheap roadside hotels, as they are in the United States, but places where discretion is the rule (you arrive by car directly in a box that gives access to a room), to spend a pleasant moment with your partner, official or not. The payment is made by time slot. They are often located on the outskirts of cities. In case of doubt, the name "romantic" of the establishment should tell you what it is!

Bed and Breakfast.

Sleeping in a guesthouse is not a common practice in the country. The few establishments of this type are often run by foreigners. On the other hand, platforms such as Airbnb now offer a significant number of apartments for rent, constituting an interesting alternative to hotels for families or groups of friends (usually with kitchen facilities).

Youth hostels. Called hostel or hostal

, they offer single rooms or beds in dormitories (sometimes mixed or exclusively female). Dormitory beds cost between US$9 and US$18. Room prices are similar to those of traditional hotels, but they usually have access to a common kitchen and facilities and activities that make it easier to meet other travelers. The comfort, cleanliness and atmosphere are very different from one hostel to another: from the zen and quiet hostel by the sea, to the more festive one with a rooftop bar and tequila fiestas and wet t-shirts every night, to the hostel for digital nomads with a coworking space; or a mix of all of these most often.

Camping is practiced on beaches or in natural areas. But wild camping is strongly discouraged because of the security conditions that prevail in Mexico. It is customary to ask a hotel for permission to camp in its garden or on its beach in exchange for a few cents, in order to avoid spending the night isolated and to be able to use the hotel's toilets and showers. On the Riviera Maya, there are a number of campgrounds designed to accommodate Canadians who spend the winter in Mexico in their motor homes. You can also rent a hammock and sleep under the stars. In any case, beware of bugs: spiders, scorpions, mosquitoes, ants. Always make sure before going to sleep that no one has taken up residence in your sleeping bag... Same precaution for your shoes in the morning. This is the kind of thing we regret having forgotten to do! The location of a tent or the rental of a palapa where you can install your hammock cost respectively 10 and 5 US$.

To be booked

Reservations are essential if you are coming during the peak season: around Christmas and New Year's, not to mention spring break, between mid-February and early April, when hundreds of thousands of American students descend on Mexican beaches. Semana Santa (Holy Week), which varies every year (between the end of March and mid-April), is the main vacation time for Mexicans who leave the big cities in droves for the resorts.

What's very local

A little glamorous but important precision: as in all Latin America, in the vast majority of hotel toilets (but also in private homes, restaurants, etc.), you have to throw the toilet paper in the bin provided for this purpose, and not in the toilet bowl, at the risk of clogging the pipes. It's a good habit to get into...

For food lovers

Breakfast is usually included in the price of the night. You can choose from a classic continental breakfast, which is rather sweet, but you can also choose from salty Mexican specialties, such as tortillas, tamales or chilaquiles (fried corn cakes with onions, grated cheese, chili pepper and cream, with eggs or chicken). In large hotels, all inclusive or not, desayuno is often served as a buffet. Do not arrive at the deadline, otherwise you will have only the leftovers, the most appetizing dishes or pastries go quickly!

Smokers

Smoking is not permitted inside hotels, including in gardens or by swimming pools, on room balconies or on the terraces of bars, restaurants and cafés. The very few smoking areas that exist in hotels are subject to very strict rules and are forbidden to minors.

Tourist traps

When you stay in large hotels, excursions will probably be offered to you, at a high price. As well as the services of taxis, more or less VIP, which work with the hotel.