"Set on a rocky outcrop overlooking the beach in Tulum, this adults-only boutique hotel is filled with romantic little nooks from which to take in the sun and surf: egg-shaped chairs dangling over the pool, cushioned daybeds in private gazebos, hammocks slung from private patios. There’s a beachy minimalism to the guest rooms, where you’ll want to leave the sliding doors open to invite in the sea breeze. At the onsite restaurant, Australian chef Paul Bentley serves the kind of Mexican-meets-Mediterranean cooking you want to eat in a setting like this, with dishes such as squid ink garganelli with braised octopus and tempura fish tacos with jalapeño peanut salsa, while spa treatments include ground coffee exfoliation, chocolate mud wraps, and flower baths. Best of all, you’re about a 35-minute walk from the Mayan ruins of the Tulum archaeological site." - Nicholas DeRenzo