It would be hard to imagine a more distinguished setting for a hotel in Chihuahua than this, right in the heart of the historic city center, next to the Plaza de Armas and the 18th-century cathedral. And the Central Hotel Boutique makes its home in a distinguished building as well: Casa Trías dates back to 1845, and is the city’s oldest estate-style courtyard house. And today, after more than two decades under its present ownership, it’s attained some distinction as a hotel: this is by a considerable distance the most stylish and most luxurious lodging in town.

Mexico’s got its share of ultra-modern design hotels, and it’s got its share of splendid old houses turned luxury hotels. And in Anticavilla Hotel & Spa it’s got a little bit of both. This stunning colonial-era property in Cuernavaca has been not just lovingly restored, but positively reconfigured by the efforts of architect Bernardo Gómez Pimienta, whose modernist interventions in the old house’s interiors lead to some ultra-modern external spaces, including a new spa and a dazzling open-air restaurant and lounge facing into the hotel’s gardens.

The capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán is Mérida, and if all you know about the Yucatán peninsula is the Caribbean coast, you’re in for a surprise: a stunning colonial city, established nearly 500 years ago, right on top of an existing Maya one. The result, needless to say, is a place that’s chock full of historical resonance, and the same can be said for the astonishingly lovely (and adults-only!) Treehouse Boutique Hotel.

In a city as vast and overwhelming as Mexico City it’s no accident that the most enjoyable hotels are often the smallest. And while Casa Goliana has plenty else going for it as well, its most immediately apparent characteristic is its small size. Weighing in at just eight rooms, this 20th-century house in the hip and upscale Roma district blurs the line between boutique hotel and bed and breakfast — but by any name, it’s a charming, intimate, and extremely stylish stay.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more exemplary hospitality success story than casa9 in Mexico City. Originally built in the early 20th century as a decadent private residence for a wealthy family, the home slowly fell into disrepair and became lost in the vast expanse of the city. Decrepit and overgrown with local fauna, the house was left neglected for decades before a new family eventually purchased the structure, and they were quick to give it a second chance at life along with a top-to-bottom makeover. Now — years later and world away from where it was — it exists as one of the most exquisite bed and breakfasts in Mexico City.

There are few cities in the world quite as overwhelming as Mexico City, but even here there are green spaces to be found, if you know where to look. Hacienda Peña Pobre lies not in the ultra-urban heart of the city but near its southern edge; more importantly, it’s set just yards from the Bosque de Tlalpan, a sizable urban forest and a popular destination for locals in need of some greenery.

Valle de Bravo, the charming lakeside town two hours’ drive to the southwest of Mexico City, has its fair share of devotees, attracted by the colonial atmosphere, the lush valley, and the waters of Lake Avándaro. This is a town with no fewer than three very fine boutique hotels, all of them doing business under the Rodavento name. This one, Cinco Rodavento, is the largest of the three, and the one that most resembles a proper urban boutique hotel — though in Valle de Bravo, “urban” is a concept with fluid boundaries.

The more typical destinations in Mexico have done such a good job selling themselves that it’s quite easy to forget what a three-dimensional country it is. Maybe that’s why it’s mostly travelers from elsewhere within Mexico who know the Valle de Bravo — this lush mountain valley defies all the stereotypes, from sun-kissed beaches to colonial-era haciendas. Instead it’s got the Rodavento, which bills itself as a boutique hotel but is in actual fact quite a bit more than that.

For a country as large and diverse as Mexico to concentrate its travel infrastructure in just a few destinations feels like a major missed opportunity. But the flip side of that is that there are some magical places that haven’t yet been given the full Cancún or Los Cabos treatment. Valle de Bravo, on the shores of Lake Avándaro, two hours’ drive from Mexico City, is one of these places — though it’s well known to domestic travelers, international visitors are only beginning to catch on. La Casa Rodavento will get you quickly up to speed on this charming town.

Cuernavaca is a destination that’s most popular among residents of Mexico City, which makes sense, given that it’s just two hours’ drive from the capital. But international travelers will find a stop here makes a delightful counterpoint to the Distrito Federal — and for a laid-back, low-key luxury boutique experience you could hardly do better than Las Casas B+B Hotel, an 11-room hideaway right in the heart of Cuernavaca’s pocket-sized downtown.

Casa Polanco is an understated name, but it says all it needs to say. This small and intimate boutique hotel is set in one of Mexico City’s poshest neighborhoods, and it occupies what was once a private house — two of them, actually, a Forties Neocolonial mansion and the unmistakably modernist addition next door.

The upscale residential neighborhood of Roma is home to more than a few century-old mansions, but this one is unique — built from bricks shipped over from England, it was the custom-built residence for the head of the Bank of London & Mexico. It was later owned by one of Mexico’s presidents, and today, after a thorough but sensitive renovation, it’s one of Mexico City’s finest small luxury hotels.

It’s always cool to be contrary — especially in the world of cutting-edge boutique hotels. Let the big chains scramble to outdo each other with bigger spas and better restaurants, sparkling fitness centers and Olympic-sized infinity pools, more pillows on the menu, more of everything. An achingly hip little hotel like La Valise in Mexico City doesn’t need any of that. In fact, the three-suite property, located above a shop in a 1920s townhouse in the happening Roma neighborhood, makes a virtue of its small size.

There’s something deliciously ironic about the fact that the biggest city in North America is home to some of the world’s finest small hotels. And by small, we really do mean small: Nima Local House Hotel, with just four rooms, is probably more house than hotel, and, to borrow a catch phrase, it’s the perfect way to live like a local in the Mexican capital’s charming and stylish Roma district.

Mérida, the capital of the state of Yucatán, is relatively under-traveled compared to the peninsula’s famous coastal destinations, but the White City is well worth a visit — especially with hotels like the stunning Decu Downtown as a part of the package. The location, next to the cathedral in the heart of the city center, is as central as the name implies, though the inside-out compound-like construction means the experience is a remarkably tranquil one.

San Miguel de Allende: this once-sleepy colonial masterpiece has become a mecca for foodies and the Instagram set alike (just take one look at the colorful facades and cobblestone streets — we defy you to leave your smartphone or camera at home). Just about 150 miles outside Mexico City, a healthy expat contingent has turned San Miguel de Allende into one of Mexico’s most cosmopolitan cities. And in the very heart of town — a UNESCO World Heritage site, no less — sits the L’Ôtel at Dôce18 Concept House.

For too long Mexican travel, for overseas visitors, meant nothing but sun, sand, and surf. In the boutique-hotel era, however, there are opportunities for all kinds of destinations to shine. Among them is Tepoztlán, a mountain town near Mexico City that’s known for its significance in Aztec history and culture — as well as the ruins of the nearby El Tepozteco temple, and the national park that surrounds it. And with the advent of Amomoxtli, the region’s first high-end luxury boutique hotel, it’s a destination that’s set to welcome a new crop of international travelers.

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