ferg01

Hi All,

Off to Mexico at the end of August and I am having difficulty in figuring out the best option re: the hotels below. Tripadvisor lists them in different towns even though they're very close by so I find it more difficult than usual to figure it out. Anyway, if anyone could offer some guidance as to which is the top out of the following list I'd appreciate it.

1) Catolonia Royal Tulum
2) Barcelo Maya Caribe
3) Barcelo Maya Colonial
4) Grand Bahia Principe Tulum
5) Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach

We'll be travelling late August so I'm afraid we're going to have to put up with some weather risk - in general, is it usually just a quick downpour with a brief interruption to sun?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Ferg

JDiver

I can't speak to any of those, but weather will be quite hot, it might shower in the afternoon and rain overnight - but there's a chance of a tropical storm and even a hurricane.

GatoAndaluz

Tulum has a lot of boutique hotels worth checking out, for a break from the same-old. I particularly like Zamas. August will be hot as hell, with the small chance of a hurricane.

georgeroads

I get bored at all inclusive hotels so I agree that the boutique hotels near Tulum are quite attractive. They are not actually in the landlocked town of Tulum but rather on the road to Boca Paila, if we're talking about the same thing.

That said, I did stay at the Grand Sirenis which has an impressive entrance (they all seem to compete on this). The spa at GS had a hydromassage circuit which was worth visiting a few times. Five years ago the drinks were pretty watered down so check on more recent reviews.

While an AI seems like a good deal drinks and food in Mexico are not that expensive. IMO, after a few days the AI seems like Groundhogs Day.

GatoAndaluz

Pretty much everything high-end on the beach in Tulum will be self-contained, with their own generator electricity and on-site restaurants and bars. There is nothing else out there after dark, and the town is 3km from the beach at the closest point (near the ruins). It's a good idea to stock up on snacks and booze in the town, as everything on the beach is expensive. Tulum is definitely a good place to check out some offbeat places to stay, as it still has a very indy kind of vibe to it.