Accommodation Review: Group Accommodation in Latin America

Understanding what works for your group, from private villas to full-service resorts.

Finding somewhere to stay when you're traveling alone or with one or two people can be relatively straightforward. Add another 10, 15 or 20 people, and accommodation becomes an entirely different endeavor.

You're no longer just looking for somewhere nice to sleep. You're thinking about whether everyone can actually stay together. How many people have to share a room? Where does everyone gather when you're not out exploring? Can you have dinner together at the property? Is there enough privacy? And if you're celebrating something, can you actually host an event there? Even something as simple as breakfast becomes a consideration. Is it easy for everyone to eat together? How does the group congregate? Would they feel more comfortable sharing a villa, or would a hotel give everyone the right balance of privacy and independence?

Those are some of the considerations behind this assessment. I'm looking at accommodation across Latin America specifically through a group travel lens: capacity, room configurations, gathering spaces, service, privacy and, perhaps most importantly, how well the accommodation supports the experience you're trying to create for your group.

Belize

Belize is particularly well suited to groups looking for a resort-based stay. The accommodation landscape ranges from intimate beachfront properties and private island escapes to jungle resorts surrounded by rainforest, the resort landscape is incredibly diverse. For the right sized group, a full property buyout can also create the privacy of having the resort to yourselves while retaining hotel-style service.

Many resorts can also shape the stay around the group, with options such as private boat trips, dinners, cooking classes and other activities. Some offer villa-style accommodation too, which can work well when certain members of the group want to stay together without giving up access to resort amenities.

That's what makes resorts particularly interesting here. The accommodation isn't simply solving where everyone sleeps. It can also solve meals, gathering spaces, activities and service in one place.

Accommodation	Group Accommodation Rating
Hotels	★☆☆☆☆
Boutique Hotels	★☆☆☆☆
Resorts	★☆☆☆☆
Lodges	★☆☆☆☆
Villas	★★★★★

Costa Rica 

Costa Rica has built an accommodation landscape around nature, wellness and a slower way of living. That translates into everything from elaborate villas surrounded by lush greenery to waterfront resorts and intimate boutique hotels and lodges tucked into the landscape. For groups, resorts, lodge-style hotels and villas are particularly interesting because the country's focus on nature can become part of the stay itself. Think private balconies overlooking the ocean or surrounding landscape, expansive rooms with plenty of space to move around and designs that make the outdoors feel like an extension of the room. Some properties also offer a combination of traditional rooms and multi-bedroom villas, giving groups flexibility in how they stay together while still sharing the wider property. Standalone villas open up even more possibilities. The inventory I reviewed included larger properties accommodating 20 to 30 or more people, with pools, generous living and dining areas and multiple indoor and outdoor spaces for gathering. The important thing to look at, however, is the room configuration. A property may accommodate a large group but still require some guests to share rooms. Service also varies considerably. Some properties offer private chefs, housekeeping and concierge support, while others operate more like traditional vacation rentals.

Accommodation	Group Accommodation Rating
Hotels	★★☆☆☆
Boutique Hotels	★★☆☆☆
Resorts	★★★★☆
Lodges	★★★★☆
Villas	★★★★★

Mexico

Mexico is one of those destinations where almost every accommodation type can work for a group. The better question is what kind of experience you're trying to create.

A beach trip might call for a waterfront resort or villa, while a food and culture trip could be better suited to a boutique hotel in the middle of the city. If you're going to Mexico to party, location becomes particularly important because no one wants to figure out how to get 15 people back to accommodation at 2am after partying in Tulum or Cancun. For wine, wellness or nature-focused trips, however, accommodation that embodies the vibe of the purpose of the trip would be the focus. In places such as Tulum, Riviera Nayarit, Lost Cabos, San Miguel de Allende, a lot of the accommodations available are well suited to support a wellness trip if that’s what your group is looking for. Where you stay should ultimately complement the experience you're trying to create.

I do think Mexican villas are some of the most out-of-this-world I’ve seen. There’s so much thought, detail and intricacy put into the design and architecture that can add a little whimsy to a trip. The inventory I reviewed included villas accommodating 20 or more guests, including properties with as many as 15 bedrooms, although larger properties like these are naturally more limited.

With Mexico, the sheer range of options is both the advantage and the challenge. It's less about finding the “right” type of accommodation and more about knowing what you want the trip to feel like before you start looking.

Accommodation	Group Accommodation Rating
Hotels	★★★★★
Boutique Hotels	★★★★★
Resorts	★★★★★
Lodges	★★★★★
Villas	★★★★★

Brazil

Brazil is a very interesting destination for groups because the accommodation landscape changes significantly depending on where you go.

In major cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, hotels and boutique hotels make up a much larger part of the accommodation mix. Villas become more interesting as you move towards coastal towns and more secluded areas, ranging from larger private homes designed for groups to smaller, design-led properties. The villa inventory is not as extensive as what you find in Mexico or Costa Rica, so larger groups may need to spend more time finding the right property. For a group where the accommodation itself is central to the experience, that can make the search more involved.

Resorts are another option, particularly in Northeastern Brazil, where you’ll find everything from large beachfront resorts to all-inclusive properties. So with Brazil, the destination you choose within the country has a significant influence on the accommodation options available to your group.

Accommodation	Group Accommodation Rating
Hotels	★★★★★
Boutique Hotels	★★★★★
Resorts	★☆☆☆☆
Lodges	★★★☆☆
Villas	★★★☆☆

Colombia

Colombia has a pretty diverse accommodation landscape for groups, and as with Brazil, what works best depends heavily on where you're going. . In cities like Bogotá and Medellín, hotels and boutique hotels are the most straightforward options. Cartagena becomes more interesting for groups, with a strong collection of boutique hotels alongside private homes and villas, particularly within and around the historic city and along the coast. Some of the smaller properties also create opportunities for full buyouts, giving groups the privacy of a villa with more of the services associated with a hotel. Outside the major cities, larger private homes become more prominent, particularly around the Caribbean coast, coffee region and countryside. These can offer groups considerably more space, although I wouldn't necessarily choose Colombia purely because of its villa inventory. There are simply other destinations in the region with a stronger selection. Resorts are available, particularly around Cartagena and Colombia’s Caribbean coast, but I wouldn’t consider Colombia primarily a resort destination. They are another option rather than the defining feature of the accommodation landscape.

Accommodation	Group Accommodation Rating
Hotels	★★★★★
Boutique Hotels	★★★★★
Resorts	★★★☆☆
Lodges	★☆☆☆☆
Villas	★★★☆☆

Argentina, Chile & Peru

Argentina, Chile and Peru are interesting because the accommodation landscape becomes increasingly connected to the reason you're visiting as you move beyond the major cities. . In the cities, hotels and boutique hotels are the most straightforward options for groups. But once you move into wine regions, mountains, countryside and other landscape-driven destinations, the accommodation itself can become part of the experience. Villas and private homes exist across all three countries, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider them the standout accommodation category. They become more relevant in specific destinations. In Argentina, for example, Mendoza offers private estates, vineyard stays and wine-focused properties. Chile has accommodation connected to its wine valleys, Atacama desert and more remote landscapes, while in Peru, hotels, boutique properties and lodges tend to play a larger role.

This is where these destinations become particularly interesting for groups. You have vineyard hotels and wine estates in Argentina and Chile, lodges in Patagonia and Atacama, and properties built around Peru's mountains, valleys and historic landscapes.

In these cases, choosing accommodation isn't simply about finding enough rooms for everyone. The property now becomes part of the reason you're there.

Accommodation	Group Accommodation Rating
Hotels	★★★★★
Boutique Hotels	★★★★★
Resorts	★☆☆☆☆
Lodges	★★★★★
Villas	★★★☆☆

The Accommodation Should Serve the Trip

The biggest takeaway from looking across these destinations is that there isn't one accommodation type that works best for every group.

A villa might be perfect for a birthday trip where everyone wants to spend time together. A resort may make more sense when the group wants activities, meals and service handled in one place. A boutique hotel can be the better choice for a city-focused trip where location matters more than shared living space. The right accommodation is ultimately the one that supports the experience you're trying to create. But you also need to be aware of what’s available in the destination you choose to travel to so that it blends well with the type of experience your group is looking for. 

For group travel, where you stay isn't just one of the logistical decisions. It can shape how the group spends time together, how much privacy people have, how easily everyone gathers and ultimately, how the trip feels. Don’t ever listen to anyone that says accommodation doesn’t matter. It’s probably most important for group trips. 

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