Guide to Mexico's Best Design Hotel

Residing in a luxury hotel with an original design and a hip ambiance will give you a remarkable vacation experience. These six coveted Mexican hotels are a safe bet.

ESENCIA

A sumptuous heaven set at the tropical Caribbean seaside on the Yucatan Peninsula. Wake up for a cooling swim in the pool, a session of yoga, an organic Spa treatment or an ocean dive with skilled scuba instructors. If needed, multilingual nannies can provide baby-sitting. This laid-back hotel has 29 rooms, 17 suites and two cottages for $525-$2,800 a night, including breakfast. As it darkens outside, relish the chef Alejandro Rojas' Meso-American cuisine at the hotel's restaurant Sal y Fuego, sip an Esencia Carbena in the chill-out lounge or stroll to the beach and watch the sunset.

Location: Carretera Cancun Tulum, Pedio Rustico Xpu-Ha Lote 18, Quintana Roo

IKA DEL MAR

Living in one of the 30 villas boasting their own private pool and outdoor terrace with beds and hammocks costs $585-$2,500 a night, including breakfasts. To ensure peace and quiet, cell phones are prohibited on Ika del Mar's premises and no children under 16 are allowed. Available activities include hatha yoga, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing and horse-riding. End the day with Azul Restaurant's international and domestic gourmet cuisine.

Location: Playa Xcalacoco Frac 7, Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo

CONDESA DF

Javier Sanche's architectural gem stands along a Jacaranda-lined avenue in the trendy Condesa district, 30 minutes from the international airport. The Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes has listed the building as cultural heritage. A tranquil site filled with funky simplicity and glamorous cool, especially the central patio devoted to relaxation, dining, and people watching. The 40 rooms and suites have an airy feel, chocolate brown tones and functional furnishing. Don't miss the club in the basement or a sushi at La Terazza bar offering views to neighboring Parque de Espana and the Castillo de Chapultepec.

Location: Avenida Veracruz 102, Mexico City

HABITA

Mexican architects Bernardo Gomes-Pimienta and Enrique Norten teamed up with hotel keepers Carlos Couturier and Moises Micha for a 2000 premiere. The result? A contemporary designed five storey hotel with 32 rooms and four suites in the fashionable Polanco neighborhood, near Chapultepec Park in the city's business center. Enjoy the aesthetic rooms, admire the view from the rooftop bar - almost a must in a luxury hotel - and savor Aura Restaurant's modern cuisine.
Location: Av. Presidente Masaryk 201, Col. Polanco C.P, Mexico City

DESEO

Situated in a charming fishing village 35 minutes drive south from Cancun International Airport, Deseo is one of the hottest spots on the Mayan Riviera. The 15 rooms and suites - some with ocean view - have a plain feel with natural colors and white marble floors. The hip hotel pool terrace offers king-size beds and pillows for optimal relaxation.

Location: 5th Av and 12th St, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

AZUCAR

According to hotelier Carlos Couturier, the elegant Azucar hotel is a tribute to the sugar industry, the Cuban salsa singer Celia Cruz who dedicated a song to the sugar cane and items special for Mexico: the huarache (Mexican sandal), the machete (Mexican cutting knife), and the sombrero (Mexican hat). The 20 spacious bungalows with thatched roofs, white colors and cotton attire all have a private terrace facing the Gulf of Mexico.

Location: Km 83.5 Carretera Poza Rica - Nautla, Loocalidad Montegordo Veracruz