InterContinental Presidente Cancun

The knock against some big luxury hotels is that they isolate you too much from their setting. But in places like Cancún, whose entire raison d’être is tourism, a little seclusion is often just what you want — and to wall yourself inside the Intercontinental Presidente Cancún is to surround yourself with extravagant comforts in a setting where everything is oriented towards a spectacular white-sand beach.

Its 300 rooms and suites make very few stylistic concessions to tropical themes aside from their nature-inspired color palette, opting instead for a clean-lined and contemporary look that’s not far off from what you’d find in an urban luxury hotel. They’re provided with all the typical high-end comforts, including extravagant spa-like bathrooms, and many have views of the ocean or the lagoon.

Its restaurants include the self-explanatory El Caribeño, the Le Cap beach club, and, for light fare, Café Urbano. They’re joined by a couple of bars, an IKAL spa, and a capacious fitness center, as well as a wide array of water-sports offerings — and excursions range from cenote or reef tours to Maya archaeological sites or a round of golf at one of the region’s many courses.