The best accommodations Yucatán Peninsula

Budget & Tips

Accommodation is available on any budget in Mexico, even in the most popular tourist resorts such as Cancún and Playa del Carmen. The key is whether you prefer a private pool or a shared bathroom (on the landing)... Budget travelers can opt for hammocks or camping. In classic hotels, rates are generally quoted per room (which can sometimes accommodate 4 or 6 people, depending on the number of beds), except for all-inclusive establishments(todo incluido), which are very numerous in Cancún's Zona Hotelera. Prices are also quoted per person in hostels, but only for dormitory beds, not for private rooms (most hostels now offer both). Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but generally incur additional charges of around 5%. Rates are quoted in pesos or US dollars, especially for the more expensive establishments. It's 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% to 19%); always check. Hotel classification ranges from 1 to 5 stars, followed by Grand Tourism, Special Category and Boutique Hotel for luxury hotels. However, 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 in the same category in France. It should be noted that some higher-level hotels, including all-inclusives, are reserved for adultsonly, in order to preserve the tranquility of the premises. Many hotels offer substantial discounts, up to 50% in low season, on their websites.

Haciendas remain Mexico's most typical luxury accommodation. The rooms, often few in number, nestle in an atmosphere steeped in history, especially when the furniture is original. Room rates often exceed US$150.

Economy-class hotels are called hostals, casa de huéspedes, pensión or hospedaje. Rooms range from US$20 to US$40. But be careful where you put your feet, as the cheapest ones are sometimes used as a hotel de passe.

Motels in Latin America don't mean cheap roadside hotels, as they do in the U.S., but places where discretion is de rigueur (you arrive by car directly into a cubicle that gives access to a room), to spend a pleasant moment with your partner, official or otherwise. Payment is by the hour. They are often located on the outskirts of towns. In case of doubt, the "romantic" name of the establishment should tell you what it is!

Bed and breakfast. Staying with a local is not part of the country's habits and customs. The few establishments of this type are often run by foreigners. On the other hand, platforms such as Airbnb now offer a substantial range of apartments for rent, providing an interesting alternative to hotels for families or groups of friends (usually with kitchen facilities).

Youth hostels. Known as hostels or hostal, these offer single rooms or dormitory beds (sometimes mixed or exclusively for women). Dormitory beds cost between US$9 and US$25. Room rates are similar to those of conventional hotels, but you'll generally have access to a shared kitchen and to facilities and activities that make it easier to meet other travelers. Comfort, cleanliness and ambience vary greatly from one hostel to the next: from the zen and tranquil seaside hostel, to the more festive with rooftop bar and tequila fiestas and wet T-shirts every night, to the hostel for digital nomads with coworking space; or a mixture of all of these more often than not.

Camping takes place on beaches or in natural areas. Wild camping is strongly discouraged, however, due to the prevailing safety conditions in Mexico. The usual practice is to ask a hotel for permission to camp in its garden or on its beach in exchange for a few pennies, 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 spending the winter in Mexico in their motorhomes. You can also rent a hammock and sleep under the stars. In any case, beware of bugs: spiders, scorpions, mosquitoes and ants. Before going to sleep, always make sure that no one has taken up residence in your sleeping bag... Take the same precaution with your shoes in the early hours of the morning. It's the kind of thing you'll regret forgetting to do! The cost of pitching a tent or renting a palapa for a hammock is around US$10 and US$5 respectively.

To be booked

Reservations are essential if you're coming during the peak season: around Christmas and New Year, not forgetting spring break, between mid-February and early April, when hundreds of thousands of American students descend on Mexico's beaches. Semana Santa (Holy Week), whose dates vary from year to year (between late March and mid-April), is the main vacation season for Mexicans, who leave the big cities in droves for the seaside 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 prohibited inside hotel establishments, 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 off-limits to minors.

Tourist traps

When you stay in large hotels, you'll undoubtedly be offered excursions at a high price. The same goes for the cab services, more or less VIP, that work with the hotel.