Fertile grounds: Ixchel Beach Hotel in Isla Mujeres is ripe with cheap hotel deals -- and breathtaking views.
By Valerie Moloney
The Mayans were onto something when they named this 5-mile-wide island after the goddess of fertility. With sugary beaches and water tinted the perfect aquamarine, it’s easy to see how lovers could lose themselves in a sea of coral, fresh ocean eats and tequila.Well here’s another reason: price. Isla Mujeres, or the Island of Women, rules as a budget beach destination. Think boutique hotels with some of the same amenities as pricier Cancun hotels – sans the partiers – and on a stretch only accessible by ferry.
Our cheap Mexico hotel recommendations
- Cheap: Ixchel Beach Hotel (Low $100s to low $200s*)
Set on pixel-perfect Playa Norte, Ixchel keeps to focus right where it needs to be: on the water. Sporting just 117 rooms ranging from one bedrooms to full penthouses complete with sea-facing balcony hot tubs, the hotel hugs 2 sparkling pools with eyeshot of the Caribbean. - Cheaper: Avalon Reef Club Isla Mujeres (Low $100s, sometimes cheaper for mid-week stays*)
Anyone who’s been to an all-inclusive knows the built-in value of paying up front for what might otherwise be an unrestrained tab. Here, indulge all you want. Count two bars, two restaurants, a kids club, Scuba facilities and all the dance lessons you can squeeze into your holiday – if you can manage yourself off the lounge chair. - Cheapest: Casa Isla Mujeres – Adults Oriented (under $100 to low $100s*)
Call your parents – this is one vacation that you should take without the kids. Sweet and petite, this hotelito boasts just 8 suites, minimizing the risk of contending with rowdy spring breakers. Treat yourself to the chakra pool and a refreshing meal at the rooftop restaurant. If in nine months there’s a present from your visit, you can blame the healing salts.
*Rates are based on dates and subject to availability.
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Valerie Moloney, who publishes the CheapTickets blog, envisions herself on a scooter in Isla Mujeres looking the tangiest ceviche on the island.