­­I’m barely over the shock of seeing not one but two white Rolls Royces parked in front of Live Aqua Resort & Spa  in Cancun when an employee, dressed in oddly medical-looking uniform consisting of white capris and a white tunic, guides me into a plush chair in the resort’s enormous lobby and begins giving me a hand massage. A hand massage.

Can this be Cancun? Yes, but a fresh Live Aqua take on Cancun where, despite its size (371 rooms and suites all with ocean view and private balcony), nurturing, personalized touches more commonly associated with a boutique hotel abound.  

­The JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa looks and feels like a JW anywhere in the world: polished, accommodating, understated. You can count on a copy of USA Today being delivered to your room every morning along with your freshly polished shoes. However, take a look out the windows of any of the 448 rooms (all have water views) and the signature aquamarine blue of the Caribbean reminds you exactly where you are.

The newest place to stay- and party- in Cancun is ME Cancun. The hotel is located on an island  between the Nichupté Lagoon to the west and the Caribbean  to the  east,  and the hotel is shaped like a pyramid in a nod to the area's Mayan ruins. The hotel has 448 guest rooms, including 32 Loft Suites, four Level Suites, and four Passion Suites (oh la la!) offering ocean and sunset lagoon views. Each piece of furniture is a one-of-a-kind work and in room goodies include a 32-inch  interactive  plasma TV, an extensive DVD library, iPod adaptors  and docking  stations, 300 thread count sheets and AVEDA beauty products. Nightlife impresario Rande Gerber and his brother Scott have partnered with Maxim magazine to  open  the  first  Maxim  Beach at the resort's pool and beach areas, where guests can chill out to world class DJs. The Gerbers have also created the Rose Bar lobby lounge, and the Infinity  Bar”“ located at the adults-only swimming pool. For dining, there's Salt, a Mediterranean restaurant, and Silk, an Asian bistro.