Hotel Azúcar — Hotel in Veracruz

Hotel Azucar was a lucky find. It was recommended for a wedding I attended in the area and was the cheaper alternative to Maison Couturier (which is not seaside, but is also an amazing option). Both are mentioned in The Design Hotels Book. Azucar is made up of palm-leaf roofed, white bungalows with direct access to the beach. I stayed in an independent bungalow surrounded by beautiful landscaping with its own patio and hammock, although there were two story bungalows that appeared to have two units. The room was a modern stark white, spacious and simple. It had an outdoor shower to wash off in that led directly into the interior shower. ||||Honestly I spent little to no time in my bungalow and all my time at the hotel in the pool. The white pool deck, with a view of the beach, slopes directly into the white pool, optimal for sun tanning. It’s bright so bring your darkest sunglasses. Around the pool are a few covered cabanas for shade, the bar, and a deck overlooking the beach. It was a short trip and I saw nothing of the local town, but it was an amazing getaway lounging, ordering poolside drinks and grilled octopus (all reasonably priced). While the location is a bit difficult to get to, as there is no close local airport, I would definitely consider going back just to lounge by...

Hotel Azucar is not your hotel if you are looking for a rowdy vacation in a gated resort (which is exactly what we were not looking for). The interior of the buildings and rooms are beautifully simplistic and the entire property seems like it is straight out of a dream. I speak little to no spanish, and even though there was a huge language barrier with the spanish speaking staff, they were all wonderfully friendly, helpful and were not only not judgmental, they seemed to truly appreciate our efforts to speak spanish. We were not planning on eating there as much as we did, but the kitchen (which felt like eating at a more luxurious family members house) was outstanding and we were never once disappointed. I rarely have the urge to visit the same place twice, but the wonderful staff/food, peaceful and luxurious aesthetics of the hotel and the beautiful surrounding culture will definitely bring me back...

This hotel sits amid many many many more hotels side by side on the so called costa Esmeralda on the Gulf of Mexico's coast. I never went inside any of the other hotels but this one for one had a nicer entrance!||The rooms are confortable but minimal very basic. Instead of two lamps by the bed you get two votive candles very romantic. No door for the washbasin and closet. A door for the wc and shower made out of translucent fiberglass. There is astonishly a tv. All caters to a wonderful beach culture with a very spacious terrace and even an outdoor shower. There is one outdoor, thatched roof covered restaurant with very local excellent fare. A good sized swimming pool with lots of cushions and lovely spots to sunbathe. A good choice among many others. The staff is just unbelievably nice...