Mexico’s West Coast — despite a brief and now-subsided outbreak of violence in February in Puerto Vallarta — remains a major travel destination for Hollywood, with a host of new resorts casting an allure.
From Cabo (just a two-hour plane ride from Los Angeles) to spots farther south in the Punta Mita and Costalegre areas, here are top places to check in along the coast.
Cabo
Cabo is popping with new and renovated hotels, further bolstering its front-row positioning as a Hollywood travel mainstay. The entire region is experiencing a growth spurt, starting with the recent opening of the first Park Hyatt in Mexico at the Cabo del Sol development. Upcoming openings include the first Soho House in Cabo (coming this fall) and the eagerly anticipated Amanvari (from Aman), which will join Four Seasons in the Costa Palmas development along the East Cape.
Global brands are not just launching new properties, but are also adding elite services to existing concepts. Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, recently partnered with Sensei to offer the luxury well-being company’s highly personalized programs at the property, located near San José del Cabo. Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal just completed property-wide renovations and upgrades, including adding a new bubbly and seafood tasting experience at the Champagne Terrace at El Farallon, its cliffside restaurant overlooking the sea.
Responding to a rising demand among affluent second-home buyers for properties that offer resort amenities, it seems that every major hospitality brand operating in Cabo now offers a community-based residential component as well, from Four Seasons Private Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas and Park Hyatt Los Cabos Residences at Cabo Del Sol to the in-development Rosewood Residences Old Lighthouse, set on a 550-acre estate.
Punta de Mita and Riviera Nayarit
Punta de Mita in the Riviera Nayarit area was once upon a time a sleepy fishing village north of Puerto Vallarta, but it has been growing exponentially over the past decade. Up until a handful of years ago, Four Seasons and St. Regis dominated the luxury market, drawing repeat celebrity visitors such as John Legend, Lady Gaga and the Kardashian clan. While the area experienced a two-day outbreak of retaliatory violence and road blockades earlier this year following the killing of a drug cartel leader by the government, no international tourists were harmed during the incidents and Puerto Vallarta is by all accounts back to business as usual.
Covering 1,500 acres with more than 20 residential communities, the sprawling Punta Mita development already includes Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort. “It has been the pioneer and setting the benchmark in the region because of the Four Seasons and St. Regis, and real estate values have done very well. It created the confidence of other brands to develop in the area after observing the growth over the last few decades,” says Carl Emberson, director marketing and operations for the $700 million Punta Mita development, which is estimated to be completed in 2030. A pair of new hotels from Montage and Pendry will open at Punta Mita in 2027 and 2028, respectively. Elsewhere in the area, Conrad, W and One&Only have opened properties in recent years and fractional luxury home ownership company Pacaso has just debuted Uavi, a four-bedroom penthouse residence near Punta Mita, while Omni and Belmond have plans to debut new resorts there.
Here are a few other luxury spots — all opened within the past three or so years — to check in to in the area:
Bonding With Nature: Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort
Located next to Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita (with access to all of its amenities including a lazy river), Naviva offers 15 tent-style bungalows surrounded by jungle, set on the edge of a private peninsula. This isn’t glamping, though. Accommodations feature a living room and separate king bedroom, a private plunge pool, a hammock, fire pit, outdoor shower, and oversized bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and skylit showers. This is the brand’s first adult-only, all-inclusive resort in the world with a biophilic design geared toward immersing guests in the natural surroundings. To deepen the relaxation, purify your mind and body during a temescal sweat-lodge ceremony or schedule a treatment in one of the two cocoon-like spa pods, each of which features a private garden.
Diverse Ecosystems and Local Traditions: Rosewood Mandarina
The new Rosewood Mandarina is an all-suite sanctuary spread across three distinct ecosystems, from ocean to mountain and flatlands. The grounds include design elements crafted by local artisans found throughout the 134 suites as well as two stand-alone villas with private plunge pool. The culinary offerings range from Mexican fare at La Cocina and Spanish flavors on the beach at Buena Onda to Japanese fine dining at Toppu. Activities on offer include horseback riding, surfing, golf, ziplining and world-class polo at the Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club. For holistic wellness, Asaya Spa offers treatments and rituals rooted in the healing traditions of the local Huichol and Cora cultures.
From the Jungle to the Beach: Nauka with Siari Riviera Nayarit, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Located within the 920-acre Nauka private-member community, Siari Riviera Nayarit, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is named for the Uto-Aztecan word siari, meaning green. Set in a landscape of jungles and mangroves near the region’s largest swimmable beach, the resort is perched on the edge of a coastal cliff, featuring 91 suites and rooms and 34 residences, including the five-bedroom Siari Presidential Suite. Guests can enjoy a meal at one of the property’s three restaurants, including Zula from celebrated Mexican chef David Castro Hussong; personalized butler service; and golf at the development’s Tom Fazio-designed course. Siari’s private FBO services means guests can arrive by private jet or helicopter, while Nauka features a rare 400-slip deep-water marina accommodating yachts up to 220 feet.
Ideal For Families: Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Collection
Set between jungled cliffs and a stretch of shoreline overlooking Bahía de Banderas in Punta de Mita, this resort offers 82 ocean-view studios, casitas and suites, along with 30 two to five-bedroom casas and oceanfront residences, plus a seven-bedroom signature villa. Susurros del Corazón is highlighted by three infinity-edge pools that cascade down to the beach; Morritos Kids Club; and four dining options including La Boquita, an open-air taqueria with ceviches and agave-forward cocktails. The ONDA spa will have you covered when it comes to decompressing, from bodywork to breathwork, while activities range from pottery-making and cooking classes to private surf lessons, fishing trips and a healing cacao ceremony.
Costalegre, Jalisco
Meaning “the coast of joy,” this coastal stretch farther south along the Pacific Coast is less developed than Riviera Nayarit, making the Costalegre a popular yet low-key destination for creatives seeking downtime. The area may be a little harder to get to than some destinations — many resorts are a 60- or 90-minute drive from Manzanillo airport, while private aircraft can fly into Costalegre COJ Airport. The remote location translates to a landscape that is replete with protected biosphere reserves and marine ecosystems with turtle sanctuaries.
Careyes, a gated community known for its idiosyncratic architecture, and Cuixmala, an eco-resort with a biodynamic farm, were early pioneers of the Costalegre, which has been a favorite over the years for the likes of Mick Jagger, Kevin Hart, Emily Ratajkowski, Tom Ford and producer Lee Daniels.
Now larger hospitality brands are in the area as well, with Four Seasons opening a property there in 2022 and Chablé Hotels planning an arrival in 2027. The latter, a Yucatan-based design-driven hotel company, is expanding into branded residential real estate in the Costalegre with a plan for three communities. The Residences at Chablé Costalegre will be part of Reserva Tezcalame, a master-planned development with 19 ocean-view homes and an adjacent 71-key hotel, designed by Cuaik SDS with landscape architecture by Maat Handasa. Planned amenities include three restaurants overseen by chef Jorge Vallejo, a beach club, spa facilities and community event spaces.
For Privacy and Seclusion: Las Rosadas Private Villas
Spread out over a 387-acre nature preserve on a quiet, secluded beach, this is an ideal choice for discerning celebrities who crave privacy. Las Rosadas is made up exclusively of seven private homes offering concierge services, including two villa estates, four Ocean Club Villas and one charming beach bungalow. For the ultimate in privacy, book the new four-bedroom Villa Esperanza, with expansive outdoor entertaining areas and stunning ocean views in a secluded area of the resort.
And while it’s not a hotel, the amenities are abundant. Beside a private ocean cove, you’ll find Bar Mono and lounging areas under a palm-thatched palapa in the sand, not far from the Playa Pool and open-air garden patio of La Terraza restaurant near a palm grove. Michelin-starred French chef Laurent Manrique creates a seasonal menu with farm-to-table fruits and vegetables. At dusk, a tequila tasting might be followed by a shared fresh seafood-themed meal by a beach bonfire. This is not a party place, but one for connecting with family and friends. On-site nature-preserve tours, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and yoga classes by the shore can all be arranged. On display throughout the property is an impressive art collection focusing on emerging and established Latin American and international talents with large-scale sculptures, oil paintings, ceramics, mosaics and lithographs.
Jungle Vibes and Farm-to-Table Fare: Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo
This luxury jungle-meets-beach resort, which opened in 2022, is adding a collection of Four Seasons Private Residences nestled within a secluded 3,000-acre nature reserve. Now in active sales, the portfolio includes 25 luxury villas and estates. Envisioned by three of Mexico’s most renowned contemporary architects, Victor Legorreta, Mauricio Rocha and Mario Schjetnan — in collaboration with Uribe Krayer and Estudio Esterlina for interior design — each understated, contemporary residence will offer soothing ocean views.
Owners receive access to the full amenities of Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, including a full-service spa, fine dining from Michelin-starred chef Elena Reygadas, a private on-site farm, golf at the David Flemming-designed El Tamarindo Course, and a plethora of winding nature trails and hikes to explore the landscapes that are under the care of an on-site team of biologists and conservationists.
OG Pioneer: Cuixmala
Once the private home of Sir James Goldsmith, this resort, which opened in the late 1990s, is still owned by the Goldsmith family.
With 43 lavishly decorated rooms, Cuixmala is situated on a 30,000-acre nature reserve that traverses landscapes of lush jungle, coconut palm groves, lagoons and sweeping grasslands. The property includes Casa Cuixmala, Goldsmith’s former residence, which is perched on a small hill overlooking a 2-mile private beach, lagoons and mountains. Guests staying in any of the Casa’s four suites or in the adjacent Bungalows enjoy access to three ocean-view palapas with outdoor dining and lounge areas, and a saltwater pool.
The majority of produce for meals comes from the property’s biodynamic gardens and organic ranch, or from sister property Hacienda de San Antonio. Yoga and sound healing are among the wellness offerings, and Cuixmala even has an animal sanctuary where you can see more than 40 zebras and other exotic animals roaming free across the plains.
One-of-a-Kind Architecture: Villas at Careyes
Careyes was inaugurated in the 1970s by visionary Italian developer Gianfranco Brignone, who differentiated the community from other destination resorts with a mix of brightly colored architecture, unique castle-like villas and exciting events.
The latter includes the Spring Agua Alta Polo Tournament at the Careyes Polo Club (created in 1990 by Brignone) with the two regulation Bermuda grass polo fields (the largest in Mexico); the tourney brings in global brands such as Land Rover Defender and Bulgari along with chic locals and travelers in the know.
Emmy-nominated producer Mekita Faiye decided to have a birthday party-meets-girls trip with six other friends at the resort recently. She had been looking for somewhere different with a twist and was intrigued by the backstory of the property and its founder. As a lover of the Amalfi Coast, Faiye tells THR she found a similar “Mediterranean elegance, mixed with Mexican vibrancy.” Faiye’s getaway in a butler-attended villa included turtle-release activities, a private boat trip to see whales and local caves, horse-back riding and an “unmatched sound healing experience,” she says.
“It was an excellent bonding experience, and we are now planning annual trips as a group,” says Faiye. Some of the guests didn’t know each other previously, but now, she says, “the magic of Careyes inspired us to stay connected forever.”
This story appears in The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Travel Issue. Click here to read more.
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