Banyan Tree Mayakoba

Each private villa opens directly onto a lagoon, with a pool large enough that you'll forget the resort has a beach at all (it does, a short boat ride down the canal). This Forbes Four Star, Michelin 2 Key resort in the Mayakoba enclave blends Asian hospitality with Mayan surroundings, and the mangroves, herons, and occasional crocodile do most of the decorating. Rates start around $500 a night, which buys you a convincing illusion that Playa del Carmen simply doesn't exist.