HotelChatter

The celeb list here is a long one, but for starters there's Nicholas Cage, Patrick Stewart, John Travolta, Dennis Quaid, and enough supermodels on fashion shoots to fill a whole magazine. Brad and Jen rented out the whole place in the good ole days to throw a millenium party. "Ed Bradley used to fly his whole family in here each Christmas," says the manager. "We'll miss them."

What's the attraction? First of all space--lots of space. The resort sits on some 1,500 acres of land with four long sandy beaches, a lake, and a river. Yet there are only 14 rooms in 6 villas. When the place is "full" there will never be more than 30 guests. If that's not private enough, the staff will block off a specific beach for one couple or family, giving them a walkie-talking to call in with when they want to leave and putting a security guard at each access point to make sure nobody else stumbles upon the private beach for a day. There's a dramatic lookout point where two beaches intersect and here the staff can set up a private romantic dinner to beat them all.

The resort itself is a splash of color, with lots of pink, orange, and yellow against the impeccably green landscaping. Breakfast is under a palapa looking out at the crashing waves, with spots to lie on a bed or lounge chair there as well. Rooms are all large, well-equipped, and very Mexican in feel: there's no fear that you'll wake up here and forget where you are. Villas facing the ocean are the most expensive, though the ones set back a bit have a private rooftop terrace where you can sunbathe nude (or whatever) without anyone seeing. Every room has some furnished outdoor space and much of the year you'll feel like you have the whole grounds to yourself anyway.

There's a nice pool, a cinema room, a gym (where Robert DeNiro picked out the equipment), and plenty of diversions like boat trips, boogie boarding, and mountain biking. But really, most people seem happy enough to lounge around with a cocktail, drinking it all in.

All this seclusion and personal service doesn't come cheap. This is one of the most expensive spots in Mexico, starting at $360 a night for the smallest room in the off season and going up to several thousand for a large suite in high season. You can sometimes ease the rate pain a little bit by checking the packages posted at Mexico Boutique Hotels. Right now, for instance, there are some extra goodies for those paying with a Mastercard Premium or a 15% discount for using an American Express card. Still, if you're going to hang with the A-list celebs, millionaires, and royalty coming here, you'd better have a fat wallet at your disposal.

Tags: Celebrity Scoop / Mexico Hotel Reviews / Boutique Hotels / Beachfront Hotels

by Tim L.