The 9 most exciting resorts opening in the Caribbean and Mexico in 2024

The Caribbean region’s popularity continues to rise as more US-based travellers seek luxury tropical vacations close to home.

And with business at resorts now spanning most of the year, rather than just the winter and spring months, more hoteliers are looking to invest.

Last year brought growth primarily in airlines and air routes, yielding more ways to island hop than ever before; now, industry leaders like Marriott International and Montage Hotels and Resorts are betting much on the region’s luxury appeal by offering enticing new five-star escapes.

Whether they’re on private islands or smack in the middle of popular beachfronts, the new spots largely share a sense of seclusion, a vast range of amenities and a strong sense of place. Some are working hard to raise the bar for culinary experiences, aided by globally recognised chefs.

From the Dominican Republic and Grenada to Mexico’s Caribbean coastline, here’s a look at some of the most promising resorts slated to open this year, listed in chronological order.

Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai, Mexico

You can already get a room at Marriott’s latest Edition, in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, which has been in preview mode since late November.

Set to open fully in February, it’s the third hotel in the area’s new Kanai development – an ultra-high-end resort complex that currently includes Auberge’s Etéreo and a new St. Regis.

All three hotels sit on a lush, 620-acre nature reserve with two miles of white sand beaches, but only Edition has floating cabanas in its lagoon-like pool, along with seafood-centric restaurants from two of Mexico’s most prominent up-and-coming chefs, Francisco ‘Paco’ Ruano and Tomás Bermúdez, whose establishments top the list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. Expect fresh catch in all its forms, from oysters to Mexican shrimp ceviche.

The 182 rooms have slatted wood panelling, custom four-poster beds and curved sofas, and many have plunge pools and terraces that provide stunning views of ocean or mangroves.

Of note is a 27,000-square-foot, five-suite penthouse with five plunge pools, two kitchens and a rooftop infinity pool. Rooms from €590.

W Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The first W Hotel in the Dominican Republic, expected to open in spring 2024, will be a 349-room, all-inclusive, adults-only resort.

It’s part of Marriott Hotels International’s strategic push into all-inclusive hotels, and it’s one of the first instances in which the company is taking one of its established luxury brands and applying a different cost structure for guests who prefer to set it and forget it when it comes to paying. Additional all-inclusive locations will include JW Marriott and Luxury Collection openings in Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

W Punta Cana will sit along Uvero Alto beach on the Yucatan’s Atlantic coast – known for wide-open golden sands and body-boarding fun – and will count 11 bars and restaurants and three pools.

While design details remain sparse, there’s the property will be co-managed by acclaimed Dominican luxury developer Grupo Puntacana, which runs celebrity favourite Tortuga Bay. Rates to be announced.

St. Regis Cap Cana, Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic set a record in 2023 with 10 million arrivals, most of whom opted to stay in Punta Cana.

Now the spring 2024 opening of the St. Regis Cap Cana promises to usher a new era of luxury into the exclusive Cap Cana area, which includes a marina, equestrian centre, multiple restaurants and a golf club. St. Regis Cap Cana, Dominican Republic.

Set along 800 feet of white sand beach, the hotel interior’s will incorporate nods to local culture, from a palm tree-inspired colour scheme to sculptures and artefacts said to represent merengue, the country’s national dance.

The ratio of pools to guests may be one of the highest in the area, with seven places to swim and just 200 rooms. Add a beach club, a 10-room spa and seven restaurants run by renowned Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz, whose résumé includes acclaimed spots in Lima and New York. Rates to be announced.

Six Senses La Sagesse, Grenada

The first Caribbean hotel by haute wellness brand Six Senses will open in Grenada in May, bolstering the island’s growing reputation for luxury.

Set along 38 acres of Grenada’s southeastern coastline, Six Senses La Sagesse’s 56 suites and 15 villas – done up in earth tones and teal accents – will be scattered around the coast, a lagoon and a verdant hillside in a low-density design that mimics a Caribbean village.

The showstoppers are likely to be the five four-bedroom villas perched on a bluff with 270-degree ocean and beach views, sprawling verandas and private infinity pools.

Wellness here will be indulgent: the three on-site restaurants include a farm-to-table venue that promises to incorporate Grenada’s famed spices, and the lagoon-facing spa will have a handful of outdoor treatment rooms.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s ‘Experiences Centre’ will be the activity hub for all ages, with workshops that range from making your own spa products to yoga and offsite tours. Rooms from €925.

Hotel Indigo, Cayman Islands

Located off Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman, Hotel Indigo brings a streamlined aesthetic that leans into blond wood and clean lines peppered with plants and other natural materials.

It’s a particularly stylish take for this mid-scale boutique brand by InterContinental Hotels Group, which often caters to value-minded Gen X-ers.

Opening in June, its 282 sea-view guest rooms will flank a stunning, palm tree-lined infinity pool with a waterfall feature and candy-striped sun shades. Expect spectacular ocean views at the rooftop bar. Rooms from €460.

Xixim Mundo Imperial, Mexico

If you’ve never heard of Mexican hospitality group Mundo Imperial, which has five standout hotels in the country, you’re likely to learn about it in 2024, when photos of Xixim Mundo Imperial go viral.

Expected to open this summer, the eco-resort will comprise 32 suites tucked between jungle and sea, each with a futuristic twist on a Mexican palapa roof that swoops around a private deck.

It will hug three miles of white sand coast within a biosphere reserve in Celestún, about 90 minutes from Mérida airport. Among efforts to limit its carbon footprint are pools that use a non-chemical filtration system; a line-up of wellness offerings is set to include meditation, cooking and stargazing. Rates to be announced.

Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands

The original Peter Island Resort was a beloved, exclusive getaway in the British Virgin Islands known for glorious beaches and a laid-back vibe – until it was decimated by the twin hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017.

Six years in the making, Peter Island 2.0 is set to open in October on the largest private island in the BVI, one characterised by pristine sands and lush foliage.

The redo retains many original footprints of the 48 rooms and suites (there are also four villas), all perched near the water’s edge, but the design is brighter, airier and far more modern.

Gone are the stone walls and dark, cherry-toned ceilings; in their place are neat wood beams and a whitewashed look peppered with loads of natural accents and panoramic windows.

Still intact is the long list of activities that include sailing and water sports, plus a beach club with an infinity pool and a steakhouse. Also taking a page from the original is the rebuilt 10,000-square-foot beachfront spa overlooking Big Reef Bay. Rooms from €925.

Salterra Resort & Spa, Turks & Caicos Islands

Largely undeveloped South Caicos – an island that currently counts just two luxury resorts on its 8.2 square miles and feels more like a large fishing village – is set to get a lot more attention in November, when Marriott opens a Luxury Collection outpost in what used to be the East Bay Resort.

Now called Salterra Resort & Spa, it will have 100 balconied rooms and suites (including three-bedroom penthouse units), with cosy, neutral-toned interiors.

Amenities will range from six restaurants to a stand-alone spa with eight treatment rooms and a hammam. Bonus: The resort plans to have a coral nursery and to draw more than 50 per cent of its energy from solar power. Rates from €785.

Montage Cay Private Island Resort, Bahamas

Montage Hotels & Resorts’ first property in the Bahamas, Montage Cay Private Island Resort, is expected to open at the end of the year on Great Abaco, a secluded, 53-acre private island circled by white sand beaches 100 miles north of Nassau.

50 suites will be outfitted with spacious verandas and plunge pools in addition to roomy lounge areas and outdoor showers.

Details on the spa and restaurants are to be announced, but expectations are high for a brand that tends to do both things well.

Getting there commercially will entail a hop from Nassau to the Marsh Harbour airport and a 10-minute boat ride; the resort will also accommodate guests who arrive via yacht, helicopter or seaplane. Rates to be announced.