Cancun Solidifies Itself As The Undisputed King Of Mexican Tourism With Massive Hotel Expansion

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If you’ve felt like Cancun keeps leveling up every season—you’re not wrong.

We at The Cancun Sun have been tracking a once-in-a-generation hotel boom across the Mexican Caribbean, and new data confirms it: Cancun and the Riviera Maya captured a staggering 97% of all new hotel rooms opened in Mexico in the first half of 2025.

That’s not a typo—ninety-seven percent.

A building spree that keeps accelerating

Between January and (early) summer 2025, over 2,100 rooms were added in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, with thousands more slated to open before year-end, according to CBRE.

The firm estimates another ~3,900 rooms will enter operation in the second half of 2025, cementing Cancun’s lead for the foreseeable future. We’ve been seeing the groundwork for this all year.

Back in July, we reported that roughly 90% of the hotels under construction in Mexico are in Cancun & Riviera Maya, with high-profile brands like Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt lining up beach-bliss debuts. If you like being among the first to try new resorts (and score soft-opening promos), keep an eye on these projects.

Why investors keep choosing Cancun

It isn’t just cranes and press releases.

The fundamentals are hot, too. CBRE notes double-digit growth in revenue per available room (RevPAR) and average daily rates this year: RevPAR up ~12% in Cancun (and ~27% in the Riviera Maya), with ADR up ~15% and ~21% respectively from January through August.

Translation: demand is easily absorbing the new supply, which is exactly what hotel developers want to see. Occupancy has also hovered at healthy levels—~76% in Cancun and ~76% in the Riviera Maya during the second week of summer—even as more keys come online.

Airports tell the same story

On the aviation side, Cancun International Airport remains Mexico’s #1 gateway for international visitors, accounting for ~12.4 million arrivals so far this year—about a third of all international air arrivals nationwide. Even with a modest year-over-year dip, traffic is near record highs.

Meanwhile, Tulum International Airport is not just a side character—it welcomed ~461,000 foreign visitors from January to July, up 53% year over year, expanding the region’s lift and options for travelers who prefer to land closer to the Riviera Maya.

For a broader look at how Cancun ranks in the region, our recent analysis with Anáhuac University’s data shows Cancun is among Latin America’s three busiest airports—and getting more efficient with expanded e-gates and streamlined arrivals.

What this means for your next trip

More choice. From chic lifestyle hotels to splashy luxury all-inclusives, the pipeline means more room types, new restaurants, fresh beach clubs, and upgraded spas.

Competitive deals—if you plan smart. Rates have risen, but new inventory plus shoulder-season timing can work in your favor. Book flexible dates, compare opening offers at new resorts, and watch for airfare dips tied to additional airline capacity. For context on price trends (and when to pounce), see our deep dive on rising costs and how to outsmart them.

Airport strategy matters. If you’re staying south of Playa, consider pricing both CUN and TQO (Tulum). You might shave time off your transfer and, on certain dates, your total trip cost. And yes—CUN is operating smoothly even at massive volumes, thanks to tech upgrades we’ve covered recently.

The bottom line

With 97% of Mexico’s new rooms opening in Cancun & the Riviera Maya so far this year—and thousands more on the way—the Mexican Caribbean has officially lapped the field.

That’s great news for travelers: more hotels, more vibes, and more chances to match your budget to the vacation you actually want.

Keep following us here at The Cancun Sun—we’ll keep scouting the best new stays, breaking down the airport data, and sharing the smart-money strategies that make this region so irresistible.