Because Cuernavaca has been an upscale city since long before the word “upscale” existed,  you’d expect to have a good choice of fine places to stay. That is indeed the case. Many of the hotels have extensive gardens, one-of-a-kind rooms furnished with antiques, and many more amenities.

Some of the best hotels include: Camino Real Sumiya (formerly the home of the heiress Barbara Hutton), Casa Tamayo, Las Mañanitas (with one of Mexico’s most famous restaurants), and Misión del Sol (an upscale health retreat with solar power).

Other very attractive hotels in Cuernavaca include: Casa Colonial (in a converted 18th-century building), Cuernavaca Racquet Club, El Nido, Hacienda Cocoyoc, Hacienda de Cortés ( a restored 16th-century hacienda actually built for Hernán Cortés), Hacienda Vista Hermosa (a 17th century hacienda), Hostería Las Quintas Resort & Spa, Jacarandas Las Villas de Bellavista, María Cristina, Maximiliano y Carlota, Rancho Cuernavaca (with an eight-acre estate and its own waterfall), Villa Bejar, Villa Bejar Beach Club & Spa, and Villa del Conquistador (with a panoramic view of the city).

Cuernavaca might be a good place to splurge and stay in a nice place. Budget hotels exist as well, though this city isn’t a bargain-hound’s paradise.

As well as the usual seasonal popularity of hotels in Mexico, since people leave Mexico City for a nice break, the weekends tend to be quite busy for Cuernavaca hotels.