Viceroy Riviera Maya

Set between the beach and a lush, tropical forest in Mexico’s booming resort region on the Yucatán Peninsula, the Tides still retains a sense of exclusivity and seclusion. Flip-flop-wearing travelers unpack in one of 30 stand-alone villas (all of which are more than 1,000 square feet with marble bathrooms and outdoor terraces). But change is underfoot at this Yucatán standout, where an additional 11 oceanfront villas are under construction, as is a state-of-the-art indoor gym, boutique, and seaside restaurant and bar. The property’s location in the village of Playa Xcalacoco near Playa del Carmen means that the Caribbean Sea is a draw; when visitors tire of snorkeling, boating, or scuba diving, yoga classes are available alongside the crashing surf and the property’s palapa-roofed cabanas. For a different kind of relaxation, the resort’s mayordomo can help arrange for a chocolate-and-mud massage, followed by grouper served with a crab-bisque sauce at the romantic seaside La Marea restaurant.