Ikal Tulum Hotel

The cabin and facilities

Tulum is not what like it used to be, the beach was deserted, everything was closed around.

Tulum has had its ups and downs, but this visit restored my faith. Our Mayan Plunge Pool Suite was absolutely gorgeous, the bed luxurious, the air conditioning perfect and we never wanted to leave our private pool. Ed and Sofia at the Front Desk could not be more attentive and made sure we made the best of our time, enjoying the excellent (and included) morning yoga in the beach palapa with Brenda and Chachi, guiding us to the ruins and nearby cenotes and even making reservations including parking at a nearby restaurant. The hotel restaurant serves some delicious breakfast options too. The whole experience was wonderful and incredible value for money. The new rules under the program Tulum Renace (Tulum is Reborn) means now no one has to pay to get access to Parque Jaguar (where the hotel is located) but the guards at the entrance still check bags and the car trunk for prohibited items such as plastic and glass bottles etc, so bear that in mind if you are carrying bottled water, duty free etc.

Struttura meravigliosa, abbiamo soggiornato una notte in un appartamento immerso nella natura con piccola piscina privata. Ristorante dell’Hotel buono ma molto caro, spiaggia non valutabile per presenza di sargasso ma apparentemente ben servita.

La struttura è all’interno del parco del giaguaro a ridosso delle rovine di Tulum, il che la rende unica da un punto di vista paesaggistico e comodo per la visita delle rovine. Tuttavia il paese di tulum è a distanza a piedi di almeno un’ora e quindi è mandatorio per spostarsi prenotare taxi (a prezzi molto costosi) anche per brevi tragitti o raggiungere ai piedi le fermate dei collectivos.

Beautiful and unique rooms, and set in a lovely location with access to the beach

Because of the location, there is limited access to other restaurants and the one onsite is incredibly overpriced. The food is good, but it is 3-4 times the cost you’ll pay anywhere else outside Tulum/Cancun in Mexico and just isn’t worth it. Staff are also weirdly passive aggressive, especially in the restaurant. The service is also outrageously slow considering they basically force you to tip 15%. The hotel also has a hippy vibe, which you can either love or hate. But it does has the air of pretentious people thinking they’re in touch with nature - although still paying ridiculous sums to be there. Not personally for me but might be for others.