At the crossroads of the emerald Yucatan jungle and the turquoise Caribbean Sea, Mexico’s Grand Velas Riviera Maya is teeming with natural beauty. And when you add in terraces lined with magenta bougainvillea, palm-filled grounds and sparkling pools, and the all-inclusive hotel gets even more photogenic.
All these scenic touches helped Grand Velas win Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Hotel Instagram of the Year.
For the seventh annual accolade, the editorial department scrolled through numerous hotel Instagram accounts, looking for feeds that spurred wanderlust and radiated personality. Five nominees (including Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, Bvlgari Hotel Roma, The St. Regis Red Sea Resort and Wynn Las Vegas) were chosen from the most popular hotel posts on FTG’s Instagram account last year. Readers and followers then selected the winner via an online survey.
Get an inside look at this picturesque property:
Relax on a lounger on the white-sand beach or partake in watersports.
Spanning more than 90,000 square feet, SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya is the region’s largest spa. Don’t miss its Water Ceremony, a seven-step hydrotherapy circuit that includes a sensation pool with waterfalls and a bubble volcano.
Plunge into your choice of three on-property pools.
The Riviera Maya hotel sprawls across 206 acres of lush jungle and mangroves.
Choose your own Grand Velas getaway: get romantic in the adults-only Grand Class, enjoy a family-friendly vacation overlooking the ocean in the Ambassador wing or prioritize seclusion with the kids in the midst of the jungle with Zen Grand.
Among Grand Velas’ eight restaurants, Cocina de Autor is the shining star. Chef Nahúm Velasco crafts a creative, multi-sensory tasting menu.
The spacious and airy Ambassador wing lobby offers a dramatic ocean reveal.
All 539 luxurious suites measure a minimum of 1,100 square feet and come with amenities like terraces, indoor Jacuzzis and 24-hour personal concierges.
The hotel caters to families with a nature-themed Kids’ Club with workshops and scavenger hunts. It also provides a Teens’ Club with gaming pods and a new Jungle Kids’ Spa featuring shiatsu massage chairs, specialized facials and hair styling.
