[Editor’s note: this 5-Diamond Resorts of Mexico post was updated in March of 2024.]
The AAA 5-Diamond Awards are, in most respects, essentially the most unique listings on the market for North American accommodations and resorts. There’s an intensive vetting and inspection course of the properties undergo and a protracted guidelines of facilities that must be in place to qualify. Not like a membership group like Main Accommodations of the World, this isn’t a paid reservation system for accommodations. The AAA inspectors are about as neutral as you will get.
When you’ve ever heard the phrase “true 5-star lodge,” the individual is mostly referring how straightforward it’s for a lodge to be categorised as “5-star,” particularly by the native tourism board or lodge affiliation. For these 5-diamond awards, nevertheless, in 2023 there are solely 5 properties making the lower for all of Canada. There are solely 5 for Hawaii. There are solely 11 for all of the Caribbean, together with simply 2 within the in style Dominican Republic.
Mexico is a unique story although on the subject of 5 diamond resorts, with a number of in every main seaside resort space and a number of other inland, with 33 in all. Every year that quantity goes up, not down: it was 24 the primary time I put up this publish. One did drop off this time for some cause although: Auberge Resort Esperanza in Los Cabos.
We’ve got detailed critiques of virtually all of the 5-diamond properties in Mexico. We’re unsure how the 2 Grand Luxxe timeshare properties received on this accommodations checklist since you need to purchase into their fractional possession system except you hire from an “proprietor” or via RCI. however we don’t make the foundations. We did keep at their Riviera Maya property as soon as as their visitor and it was fairly good. (We by no means wrote about it although as a result of they refused to provide us any costs!)
We don’t have among the Secrets and techniques chain ones coated as a result of there are extra discerning choices close by not aimed on the mass-market tourism crowd (just like the Belmond Maroma or Waldorf-Astoria Cancun) and the Xcaret Resort property “with eight theme parks” is aimed extra at serving 1,000 visitors (with 700 extra rooms within the works) than pleasing the luxurious journey crowd.
You do have to grasp that the standards for these rankings relies on an in depth checklist of required services and facilities, so it’s simpler for an enormous resort to qualify than a $1,000-per-night luxurious boutique lodge the place your service is custom-made.
Right here’s who made the present AAA 5 Diamond Checklist for 2024 in Mexico.
Cancun and Riviera Maya 5-Diamond Resorts
Le Blanc Spa Resort
Casa de la Playa
Nizuc Resort and Spa Cancun
Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya
Fairmont Mayakoba
Grand Luxxe Riviera Maya
Grand Velas Riviera Maya
Rosewood Mayakoba
Banyan Tree Mayakoba
Secrets and techniques Akumal Riviera Maya
Secrets and techniques Maroma Seaside Riviera Cancun
Secrets and techniques Moxche – Playa del Carmen
Unico 20 °N 87 °W Resort Riviera Maya
Waldorf Astoria Cancun
Resort Xcaret and Resort Xcaret Arte
Puerto Vallarta to Punta Mita
Resort Mousai
Grand Luxxe Riviera Nayarit
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
4 Seasons Resort Punta Mita
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
Wish to learn to get upgraded at these resorts and others if you journey? Be a part of our checklist of insiders right here:
Los Cabos 5-Diamond Resorts
Waldorf Astoria Resort at Pedregal
Grand Velas Los Cabos
Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort
Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos
Montage Los Cabos
One&Solely Palmilla
Ritz-Carlton Reserve Zadun Los Cabos
4 Seasons at Costa Palmas (1.5 hours from San Jose del Cabo)
Mexico Metropolis 5-Diamond
4 Seasons Resort Mexico Metropolis
St. Regis Mexico Metropolis
San Miguel de Allende
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende
Adjustments for the 5-Diamond Resorts in Mexico
After years of no additions, 5 extra properties received the 5-diamond lodge nod for Mexico for 2023 and three extra received bumped up for 2024. The brand new ones are all in Quintana Roo: La Casa de la Playa by Xcaret, Impression Moxché by Secrets and techniques, and Waldorf Astoria Cancun (truly south of the Cancun airport). Click on these hyperlinks for posts with video excursions.
Generally new properties take some time to make the lower although: Rosewood San Miguel de Allende and St. Regis Mexico Metropolis had been open for years earlier than they received acknowledged. It was a lot faster for these new ones above, perhaps as a result of they got down to examine off all of the AAA five-diamond bins upon opening. For current accommodations, generally they will drop off the checklist after which be added again after they make enhancements.
As finest we are able to inform, just one Mexico property dropped off the checklist the previous two years. The Ritz-Carlton Cancun turned Grand Resort Cancun by Kempinski. They’ve been taking part in hide-and-seek with the media ever since and visitor stories say it doesn’t match as much as its previous. That’s apparently what the inspectors thought too.
When you don’t see your favourite luxurious resort on this checklist, remember that inclusion is commonly a matter of “extra is best” on the subject of facilities. Luxurious properties like Royal Hideaway Playacar and might be at an obstacle in comparison with newer openings in the event that they don’t do huge renovations to examine off all the proper amenity bins {that a} new construct will embrace from the beginning. They may very well be excluded for not having a separate bathe and tub, for not having a cellphone within the rest room, for not offering 24-hour room service, and many others. AAA tends to favor large mass-market resorts greater than boutique accommodations except they’ve actually crammed in lots of public areas and facilities.
An intimate boutique lodge with superlative service, like Resort Esencia within the Riviera Maya, will not be going to make the lower. An enormous conference lodge might although, so long as all of the rooms meet the guidelines necessities and there are many good eating places and bars. See extra explanations at the AAA newsroom web site.
See extra critiques of the finest Mexico luxurious accommodations, together with many smaller boutique properties with private service.
Wish to get month-to-month updates on what’s new in luxurious journey in Latin America? Get on our insiders checklist and obtain a free report on scoring common lodge room upgrades.
Article by Timothy
Timothy Scott is the founder and editor of Luxurious Latin America and has been protecting the area as a journey journalist for the reason that mid-2000s. He has visited every nation we cowl a number of occasions and relies in a UNESCO World Heritage metropolis in central Mexico, the place he owns a house. See contact info right here.
