19 Best Hotels in Sonora, Mexico

This hotel, whose name means the "House of Treasures," is an idyllic and romantic converted 18th-century convent. The rooms were once nuns' cells, but they're no longer austere—they've now got fireplaces, tile baths, antique furnishings, and striking local art. The restaurant is excellent, and the in-house guitar trio provides the mood music.

Though it's in an unlikely spot 3 km (2 mi) off the highway into Álamos, the restaurant here has a reputation as the best in the state. The restored 17th-century customhouse presents exceptional four-course, prix-fixe menus, with entrées such as tenderloin tips, pork tenderloin, beef medallions, and chicken in an apple-chipotle cream sauce. Although the walls and floors of the bed-and-breakfast here are the restored originals, modern luxuries haven't been overlooked: soft linens, comfortable beds, and thick bath towels add to the charm. Guest rooms have 4-foot-thick walls, which reflect their former duties as vaults for the riches that came from this area's mines. Your stay includes breakfast and four-course dinner.

Hermosillo's top hotel, Fiesta Americana is especially popular among business executives. The guest rooms, with their tasteful beige-and-forest-green design, appeal to travelers as well. The adjacent disco is the biggest attraction in the town's sleepy nightlife scene.

Every room in this small, beachfront, family-run hotel soaks up views of the Gulf. The rooms are clean and well maintained, with exceedingly comfortable beds. Some rooms with kitchens are available.

Sonora's swankest hotel rambles across the grounds of five restored colonial mansions; you'll be entirely secluded from the outside world by the walls of these former haciendas. In gracious courtyards and lining long porticos are centuries-old pieces of religious art and hand-carved antique furniture, all collected by the American owners. The spacious bedrooms also have antiques, as well as fireplaces. A 100-year-old bar brought from Cuernavaca presents for your pleasure 400 different varieties of tequila, and a spa gives massage and beauty treatments. All rooms here are no-smoking.

Most of the handsome rooms in this two-story hotel surround an expansive lawn and an inviting pool. The hotel is a bargain, given the fact that it has some amenities and is in the convenient and generally pricey Zona Hotelera.

This hotel has a well-kept pool and a popular coffee shop where locals gather for power breakfasts. At the steak house, El Oeste ($$–$$$), the stuffed and mounted heads of mountain goats, cougars, and buffalo gaze down. Large, bright accommodations are plain but serviceable, with comfortable beds; many have balconies overlooking the pool. Rooms at the back are a great bargain.

This pleasant small property has a trio of assets: comfortable rooms, convenient location, and a good restaurant. The bougainvillea-covered bungalows facing the parking lot are most popular; other rooms surround the pool. Guests are free to use the facilities at the Holiday Inn across the street.

This hotel and trailer park across from the beach on the town's main street is part of the Best Western chain. Rooms are generic but clean, and each has a balcony or patio, a few with a view of the sea.

Built in 1928, this beachside villa is one of the most romantic lodgings in Sonora. The cute bungalows set amid bougainvillea-filled gardens have a 1920s-era quality. The common areas are decorated with antique furniture and heavy wooden chandeliers. The low-walled garden sweeps out to face the rocky shore of alluring Bahia Bacochibampo.

The four rooms in this restored hacienda are gorgeous, with antique furnishings and wood-and-glass doors leading outdoors. A small courtyard holds a café and a tiny pool not much bigger than a hot tub. The American owners, a bird expert and a yoga teacher, are building El Pedregal, a 20-acre retreat just outside of town.

This is the only hotel in Kino that's actually on the beach, making it quite a find. The rooms in the Mediterranean-style whitewashed buildings are simple, but tidy and extremely well maintained: all have views of the water. The owner is mercurial, however: to preserve the peace and quiet, he's likely to turn away young people and families with children.

Although it was built in the 1950s, this New Orleans–style hotel feels a century older. Facing the Alameda and just steps from the public market, the hotel's wrought-iron-and-marble courtyard calls to mind a more refined era. The owner, who named the place after his late father, plays acoustic guitar and violin in the comfortable wood-paneled lobby upstairs.

This resort overlooks the San Carlos marina and has a commanding view of Cerro Tetakawi. Pastels soften the rooms, most of which have tiny kitchenettes. Some corner rooms have hot tubs on outdoor patios at no extra cost. A shuttle takes guests to the hotel beach club, which is a great place to hang out poolside or take a walk on the beach. El Embarcadero restaurant ($–$$) is a good place to try hearty, traditional Mexican soups like the caldo Xochitl, a steaming chicken consommé with white rice and avocado, garnished with chili.

One of the first hotels in Puerto Peñasco, Playa Bonita is beginning to show its age, though rooms are clean and comfortable. Ask for one facing the hotel's broad, sandy beach. An RV park provides 300 hookups at $17–$20 a day. As the name of the Puesta del Sol restaurant ("setting of the sun") implies, this is a perfect place to see the sun set. Don't miss the divine margaritas.

The oldest building in town, this 80-year-old stone villa is also the most winsome. Constructed by the current proprietor's grandfather, it has plenty of history. This is where gangster Al Capone hid out from the government in 1927, or so it's said. The rooms are small but expertly restored, with thick wooden doors and castlelike walls.

Rising from Bahía de San Carlos, this huge resort is the most luxurious lodging in Sonora. The arresting atrium lobby opens onto a large pool and beach. Pleasing rooms—all with at least a partial ocean view—have contemporary, if uninspiring, furnishings. Rooms on the first two floors have balconies overlooking the sea. Children love the swimming-pool slide and horseback riding on magnificent Algodones beach.

One of the first megacomplexes in Rocky Point, this massive pink resort operates much like a hotel, but it has one-, two-, and three-bedroom, fully furnished condominiums in place of standard rooms. The Sonoran Grill ($$–$$$) serves steaks and seafood, as well as a great spicy lasagna made with chipotle chilies. The beach in front is never crowded, and you can do plenty here without leaving the resort—a good thing, since it is a bit far from the center of town.

Overlooking the ocean, this tidy hotel is the kind of place where you want to admire the sweeping views. That would be a shame, as it is steps away from the shops and restaurants of the town's waterfront walk. Rooms here are bright but sparsely decorated; some are excellent places to take in the sunset, but most of them actually don't have views, so take a look around first.