The Best New Hotels in the Caribbean, Mexico, and the North Atlantic: 2022 Hot List
Each year, we index the best, brightest openings, but for the 26th edition of Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List, we’ve upped the ante: This time, editors at all seven worldwide editions had a hand in scouting and selecting the entries. At its heart, this is still a hotel list—a whopping 96 made the cut this year, which is a true testament to the industry’s resilience. But because (almost) no hotel is an island, we’ve widened the lens to include the restaurants, culture, transportation, and cruises you need to know, and the destinations that are reinventing themselves. We mean it when we say this may be the hottest Hot List yet. Here, the eight best new hotels in the Caribbean, Mexico, and North Atlantic.
Click here to see the entire Hot List for 2022.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Baja Club HotelhotelBaja Club Hotel — La Paz, Mexico
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Hot List 2022With the opening of Baja Club Hotel along the esplanade of La Paz, the coastal town now has its first proper boutique hotel. Attracting the creative, artistic elite of Mexico City and beyond, the 32-room, Spanish colonial–style property serves as a base for further explorations in the Sea of Cortez, from swimming with the area’s seasonal visitors—whale sharks and blue whales—to boating trips to the biodiverse Espíritu Santo island. The rooms all have either a balcony, terrace, or private outdoor patio, with cream-and-coral striped banquettes as well as Grupo Habita’s classic minibar staple: a house bottle of Mezcal for guests to enjoy. Rooms from $290. —Michaela Trimble
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Victor EliashotelConrad Tulum Riviera Maya — Mexico
$$$ | Hot List 2022The most distinctive part of Hilton’s luxury debut on Mexico’s Riviera Maya is its chameleon-like approach to hospitality. Yes, with its 349 rooms, acres of pools, 11 restaurants, and kids’ and (soon) teens’ clubs, the Conrad is the type of resort whose (large bronze) gates a traveler would be content to pass through only twice: right before check-in and right after checkout. Spiritually, though, it aligns more closely with the smaller-scale properties 30 minutes north in Tulum that seek to connect guests with the surrounding destination. Honoring the Mayan cultures that have occupied this stretch of Caribbean coast for centuries, a traditional sacbe, or “white road”—the name of the ancient roadways Mayans created to travel by moonlight—cuts through the jungled grounds. In the lobby, a soaring art installation takes a cue from Mayan macramé. And at the cenote-inspired spa, a traditional four-hands massage is second only to a jalapeño margarita in the open-air bar as a way to immediately shed any lingering real-life stress remaining after a dip in the sea. Rooms from $495. —Erin Florio
Ken Hayden/Rosewood Le Guanahani St. BarthhotelRosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth
$$$ | Hot List 2022The newly reopened Rosewood Le Guanahani is located along an 18-acre peninsula overlooking Marigot Bay, the so-called other side of the island. The resort feels considerably more secluded than some of its competitors because of this, with each of its discrete 66 cottages (all with private entrances; many suites have private pools) enveloped by lazily drooping palm trees and other local fauna. Another perk of its location along this quiet northeast-coast peninsula? The endless breeze wafting across the beachside infinity pool and into Beach House St. Barth, an airy eatery that feels more like a chic friend’s home in the Mediterranean or French Riviera than a resort restaurant in the Caribbean. Rooms from $1,253. —Lale Arikoglu
hotelCasa Silencio — Xaagá, Mexico
$$$ | Hot List 2022Located in a windswept valley within the community of Xaagá (about one hour outside downtown Oaxaca City), this six-room boutique property is an isolated refuge for spirits enthusiasts who desire to taste rare editions of Mezcal El Silencio. Designed by the Mexican architect Alejandro D’Acosta, using a rose-hued shade of compressed clay—along with reclaimed wood, steel, and stone—the property’s heartbeat is an open-air dining room with outdoor fire pits, where its legendary mezcal tastings are held. Each of the six rooms features a moody aesthetic, with design touches like abstract black-and-white textiles produced by local artisans, copper light fixtures, and wood-burning fireplaces. Rooms from $1,000. —Michaela Trimble
Tanveer BadalhotelHabitas Bacalar — Mexico
$$ | Hot List 2022A four-hour drive south of heavily touristed Cancún, the discreet Habitas Bacalar entrance on the side of a remote road makes you feel like you’ve been let in on a grand secret. The place is small—just 34 rooms, each with a maximum occupancy of two—and has a very communal vibe. The hotel makes an effort to bring the community to you, by hosting local vendors for guest experiences like a cacao-and-wine tasting, and partnering with local businesses for complimentary paddle board tours, yoga lessons, and more. Meanwhile, the wellness program sources local ingredients for its spa products, and restaurant Siete uses traditional Mayan cooking techniques. Rooms from $380. —Mercedes Bleth
Moskito IslandhotelMoskito Island — British Virgin Islands
$$$ | Hot List 2022Although more expensive than your average luxury hotel, Moskito Island makes living the life of a billionaire a tiny bit more accessible. Five-star restaurants are swapped for private chefs, hotel suites for exclusive estates, and concierges for dedicated house managers capable of making nearly anything you want possible. The only guests in sight are those in your immediate party—that is, unless you decide to venture to the communal Manchioneel Beach, complete with a floating trampoline and bartenders at the ready, or the Beach House, a community recreational area where you can play a round of tennis and mingle with estate owners (you may even spot Richard Branson himself). Estates from $17,500. —Jordi Lippe-McGraw
Saba Rock ResorthotelSaba Rock — British Virgin Islands
$$$ | Hot List 2022At just one acre, Saba is truly a speck on the map—and one worth traveling to, thanks to this new nine-room boutique hotel. The property’s rebirth after the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Irma and Maria brings this beloved island property off Virgin Gorda back to its former glory, with nautical designs, fresh Caribbean flavors, wellness experiences, and water sports galore. The accommodations boast big picture windows and sliding glass doors overlooking swaying palms and turquoise water. If you can swing it, the two spacious suites are well worth the splurge for their sprawling terraces, picturesque panoramas, and deep-soaking tubs. Rooms from $550. —Sallie Lewis
The St. Regis Bermuda ResorthotelThe St. Regis Bermuda Resort
$$$ | Hot List 2022If you’re aching for an easy but high-caliber dose of downtime, this new St. Regis fits the bill. Far from late-night revelry and shots on the beach, this is a place for languorous days around the pool, hours set aside for golf and massages, and slow dinners overlooking the ocean. The food is consistently light and fresh—exactly what you’d want when you’re sitting under the Bermuda sun all day—and incorporates lots of local bounty, particularly the abundant fresh fish. Rooms keep up the resort’s upscale but relaxed vibe, with shades of mint green, blue, and light stone used throughout. Rooms from $550. —Betsy Blumenthal