The hotel scene in Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean is booming, and the area is home to around 75% of all new hotels in Mexico. Despite a slowdown caused by the COVID pandemic and the consequent drop in international travel, pent-up demand has led to new hotel openings being announced regularly around the region. We’ve rounded up the Mexican Caribbean destinations that have seen the highest number of new hotels built recently.
Recent statistics reveal that since 2016, the number of hotels in Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean has increased by nearly 30%. Overall, the state of Quintana Roo is home to a total of 125,000 hotel rooms and a whopping 1314 hotels. Look out for these destinations on your next trip to the Mexican Caribbean for the best chances of finding top-notch accommodation.
Riviera Maya
Being the tourist magnet that it is, many would expect Cancun to come out on top when it comes to new hotels. However, the Riviera Maya surprisingly has seen a flurry of fresh hotel openings recently, and the area is home to up to 44% or 55,000 of the state’s hotel inventory.
The Riviera Maya is increasingly popular among luxury brands, who find its seaside location ideal for new openings. Compared to Cancun, the Riviera Maya has quieter and more remote beach areas, perfect for private-access beaches and lush natural surroundings. Set to open next year, the new 355-room Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Maya is just one resort that will offer top luxury in pristine coastal nature.
Stretching from Puerto Morelos to Tulum in the south, the Riviera Maya occupies an extensive stretch of land, encompassing several popular beachside resort destinations. This, perhaps, explains its leading position in new hotel openings.
Cancun
Coming in at second place, Cancun’s 42,000 hotel rooms mean that visitors won’t have a shortage of accommodation to choose from. With everything from the packed hotel zone, home to nearly 100 resorts, to the more residential areas in downtown Cancun, tourists will find over 14 miles of beach and hundreds of properties in the coastal city.
Although much of the city’s hotel zone is already built up, many properties there undergo renovation or are replaced with new hotels. Some 11 new hotels have been built in Cancun over the past two years.
Some of the major recent hotel openings in Cancun include:
- Royal Uno All-Inclusive Resort & Spa: 540-room 4 star, family-friendly resort in Cancun’s hotel zone. Nightly fares start at, $370 per night for two guests.
- Hilton Garden Inn: Opening in March this year, this 3-star hotel is conveniently located next to the city’s airport.
- Secrets Riviera Resort & Spa: adult-oriented 5-start on Bahia Petempich lagoon complete with a personalized experience.
Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres was voted best island destination in Mexico this year at the annual World Travel Awards, a prestigious industry-leading organization. Renowned for its quiet beaches and charming, magical village life, Isla Mujeres has seen hotel occupancy skyrocket this summer.
With 34% of all Mexican Caribbean hotel rooms located on the idyllic island, travelers will find an array of luxury and budget-friendly options here. To cope with record demand, several new hotels have opened on the island recently and Apple Leisure Group is opening a brand-new adults-only resort this December.
The new property only has 125 luxury villas, where privacy is at the heart of the experience, to the extent that guests are provided private transfers from mainland Cancun onto the hotel’s own private dock.
With so many new hotel openings, in addition to the already existing ones, it’s no surprise that the Mexican Caribbean continues to attract the most international travelers in Mexico.
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