Conrad Tulum {MEX}
Apr 15, 2022, 7:35 am
#76
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Posts: 2,385
I’m here now. Full review to come later. Answering @kryten22uk here. Both shower and toilet doors are opaque glass.
May 5, 2022, 2:38 pm
#78
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 328
Had the Conrad / Hilton AI as my new aspirational HH redemption goals.
Is there any wildlife around these properties? Are there any hiking activities? How far is it to outside jungle hikes? Do external tour companies pick one up from those hotels, if they are quite far away?
I feel like these properties might not be what I expected. Looks more like a fancy beach hotel but full of seaweed and being overpriced. What I had hoped for was something "wild" like the Hilton Seychelles Labriz.
Is there any wildlife around these properties? Are there any hiking activities? How far is it to outside jungle hikes? Do external tour companies pick one up from those hotels, if they are quite far away?
I feel like these properties might not be what I expected. Looks more like a fancy beach hotel but full of seaweed and being overpriced. What I had hoped for was something "wild" like the Hilton Seychelles Labriz.
May 10, 2022, 9:28 am
#79
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DC
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 597
Hotel review below. We travelled as a family of four (15 and 10 year old boys in tow) and stayed for six nights in later April. We had a great stay with some hiccups but overall really enjoyed it. Hope this review helps.Layout. The resort is built in a horseshoe around the cove and broken into 6 casas, each consisting of two large buildings. Casa 1 begins on the north side where the cove opens into the ocean and the buildings go up in number from there, counterclockwise around the beach. Being on the ends and flaring out towards the water, casas 1 and 6 look out to the sea where it meets the lagoon . Note: casa 6 is a very long walk to the lobby. More on getting around later. We were in casa 5 which looks directly across the cove but unlike the other buildings there is no walkway, pool or beach access in front of Casa 5 and the building is slightly closer to the rocky shoreline. Building 3 is at the middle of the horseshoe and looks directly out at the cove and ocean but is also farthest from the beach line, being separated by both a pool and the beach. Casa 2 (south building) and Casa 3 (north building) are closest to the lobby.
The lobby building hosts all of the main restaurants, concierge, kids club, gym, ultra bar and infinity pool. Breakfast and the coffee/sundries shop are also in the lobby building. Not much for sale here other than basics so come prepared. The resort is sprawling. To get a ride you can call for a golf cart (we never did because it seemed like a long process), grab one of the hotel bikes or walk. The bikes are great but note that there are no kids sizes, just adjustable seat adult bikes. They are also hit or miss on availability. There are usually a few at reception but people leave them and you’re free to take them, as long as they are where you’re looking. IE If you are in casa 1 or 6 you may be out of luck and walking. The grounds are beautiful and the walk, whether on the ocean side by the pools or the jungle side is pleasant.
Rooms. The buildings are all three stories high. I didn’t see any other rooms but all rooms face the ocean. From the layout I am guessing that the 3rd floors are all designated as ocean view. Second floor is partial . Ground floor is garden view . Interestingly the patio tub on the ground floor units is more like a plunge pool, at least 2x the size of the tubs on the balconies. It also looks like the ground floor rooms have larger patios . Note there isn’t a ton of privacy between your plunge pool and your neighbors, just some bamboo. While we were there the only ground floor room we saw in use was the one used for COVID testing. Some ground floor rooms look quite private while others are right along foot paths. Can’t make a recommendation which is best other than much of casa 5 doesn’t seem to have any foot path access on the ocean side. The patio tubs are a cool feature, We saw the staff skimming the ground floor tub/pools daily. These did not look refillable like the 2nd and 3rd floor tubs. Instead they came filled and looks like they accumulate debris from the trees and foliage all around. We needed to get housekeeping to come and clean out our empty tub before we filled it--it was kind of grimy and filled with lots of leaves and stuff you don't want to relax in.
All suites were booked when we visited (Easter plus two weddings). We were upgraded as Diamond members to an ocean view (from garden view) booked on points and certificates. The 2x queen rooms aren’t huge but big enough to be comfortable. As discussed in other posts, the bathroom is separated from the bedroom by an open wall while the toilet and showers both have opaque glass doors. You can choose to close your shower shutters or show your goods. Basic amenities: body wash, shampoo, conditioner. Not much else provided. The minibar is a bunch of overpriced soda and bottles of water. You’ll also get 2 small glass bottles of water each day (we asked and they provided more), coffee maker and pods, ice bucket, wine glasses. No corkscrews--we had to borrow one from the pizza folks. Air con worked great. Didn't turn the TV on once during our stay but it looked nice on the wall
Check In/Out. We arrived around 2p. When we entered our room it was obviously not cleaned and was being used as a staging area. We did not get into a new room until 7p which was frustrating but the staff was super apologetic, very aware of the issue and offered us dinner for the family at any restaurant which was a very nice gesture and took the sting out of the issue. The check in process is super easy and all takes place in the lobby over a cold drink before you are driven to your casa. We checked out at 7am in order to get to CUN early (the airport is chaotic). No issues with our bill, but if you like to pour over line items you may be frustrated as the bill is a jumble of info with very little to guide you as to what charge is for what expense. Best to get a copy the night before and review.
Gym. We’re a late-day gym family vs early am. When we visited 4p+ the gym was pretty empty. Gym is a decent size with lots of bikes, a bike class room, ellipticals and treadmills. Additionally there are weight stations and some side rooms for stretching. The gym was unmanned when we went and had no issues with our 15 year old working out. Machines all worked well but bring your own entertainment as internet service to the machines wasn't working.
Food. Saying that food is expensive is like saying that rooms in NYC are small. Expect it and you won’t be upset. To those ends I’ll skip the prices of the meals in this post. Every bill has a 10% service charge included. We would then leave 10-15% on top for each check. Upon check in you get a QR code with info on all restaurants and beach grills. We made reservations for each night's dinner and were told that some restaurants were full, but when we went to dinner almost all restaurants were empty. Maybe they are understaffed or undercooking as the resort ramps up. You can see all of the restaurants with menus and prices here:
https://conradtulum.sabio.host/#/
For diamonds, Breakfast each morning was free for two people. There was very little wiggle room on this, though It was free for our 10 year old son. It was NOT free for our 15 year old and not worth the cost for the chocolate muffin he’d eat so he would get breakfast at the coffee shop each am—juice and a sandwich. As stated in other posts breakfast is extensive with most items made to order. Pancakes, French toast, avocado toast and multiple egg stations. Fresh fruit, yogurts and what looked like packaged pastries are also abundant. Breakfast has both indoor and outdoor seating. It never got too busy but If you want to sit outside you may need to wait a few min at peak times. Folks also just kind of hang out vs eat and run. The breakfast check in process is a bit antiquated and involves the staff writing your info on small slips of paper then cross referencing your name to the guest list. Needless to say, the line can get long while they do this for every guest. Once at a table, waitstaff will bring coffee, coffee drinks, water etc. Specialty drinks like cappuccinos are available as well. The fresh fruit station is popular and they go through hundreds of mangos. They will also split a coconut for you to drink but there is a $10 uncharge per coconut.
We ate dinner at Ukai, Kengai, Maratea, Autor as well as Ultra Bar, Carbon, Crudo and the new pizza place all the way down at Casa 6. Restaurants were all great. Just expect the price tags. We travelled on Easter week and the hotel was busy so reservations were necessary. For families (or anyone) a great alternative to fine dining is having dinner at Ultra bar, crudo, carbon or pizza. They all close at 6p and have limited menus but they are casual, right on the beach and a fraction of the price. We had brought some very good bottles of wine and had a beach pizza party. Do watch out. As advised in other posts, you’ll be constantly steered towards very expensive bottled water but you can also get filtered water everywhere and it’s served with a smile. Every casa also has a water bottle filler and ice machine—so glad to see this vs thousands of spent plastic bottles. Also look out for the drink upsells. They can get very expensive so know what you’re in for before agreeing to the extra special drink! Our older son had room service one night. There were some language issues ordering but it arrived quickly and was decent enough. For us, the food at the other locations was superior to room service.
Excursions. We left the resort one day for a trip to the Tulum ruins. It took about a half hour to get there (the Conrad is no where near central Tulum (a good thing)). The taxi was $40 one way and we could have easily found on there to return home BUT we had no cash and wanted to pay with a credit card. We set up a cab to do a round trip excursion. The taxi waited about 4 hours for us and we used a CC to pay for the whole shebang. It was about $40 more to have the taxi wait vs finding another ride home. Well worth the get away but it was HOT at the ruins. If you go, bring lots of water and go early. We left at 8:30a and only waited 15 min to buy tickets and enter. When we left there were hundreds of people in line. Note: the beach was inundated with seaweed when we went.
Beach and pools. For nearly our entire stay the hotel had 8-13 people, a massive backhoe, two smaller ground movers and flatbed trucks for 12 hours a day all working on the seaweed. And they could not keep up. There was a never-ending, always growing mountain of the stuff. It's not the Conrad's fault it's there and it looked to us that they were doing all they could to mitigate the issue. We did get to wade into the water once, just to say we did it. When the beach is clear, it will be amazing to swim/sit and there were people who waded through the seaweed but for now it's kinda gross. Also the massive pile of drying sargassum gets seriously stinky if you are downwind. If you just want to sit on the sand, there are multiple beach areas where you can sit in chairs or cabanas and not have to see/smell the seaweed. The hotel was moderately busy but certainly not sold out. The best chairs/cabanas go quick in the AM. There are always other options but they may not have umbrellas or be farther from the pool. The cabanas are double seater loungers with side and overhead sun blockers. By 8a, the cabanas and prime seats all had books/water bottles and towels on them. Note, there are a TON of pools and always chairs avail. Pool service was VERY attentive.
Other "stuff." We booked transportation through the concierge. A private SUV was pretty close in cost to other operators. Pick up at CUN was quick and efficient but the SUV's are not owned and operated by Conrad (no Conrad branding or staff drivers). In hindsight, if there was another option for private SUV transfer at a better price, we would have considered it. COVID testing to return to the US is offered at the hotel in and administered in one of the jungle view rooms. You need to make an appointment in advance and bring your passports and credit card. You cannot charge the fee to your room. It was about $25 a person. The test email came after about 2 hours and we were able to use Verifly to check into our AA flight online. My wife and older son went to the spa and raved about it. Not cheap but you get what you pay for.
Next door neighbors. We rode our bikes over to the new all inclusive Hilton one afternoon. To say the Hilton is MASSIVE is like saying the Conrad food is expensive! It goes on and on... and on. The long line of rooms are three stories high like the Conrad but with rooms on both sides (ocean and jungle). It looks like an 800 room resort. Parts looked complete but most of it looked like a giant construction site. They were set to open the week after we left. Where as the Conrad's beach has a few rows of chains the Hilton has row after row after row of chairs and the rocky beach looked pretty un-swimmable. Interestingly, there were multiple families at the Conrad (found this out via our 15 year old who met other kids) who were booked to be staying at Hilton properties in Cancun but found overbooked hotels upon arrival. They were re-bookd at the Hilton and then sent to the Conrad (many with full board included--not too shabby).
Final thoughts... The hotel looks and feels like what you would expect from a Conrad (ie, not a Casa Marina experience). The food is legit good all around from the casual beach spots to the more formal dining spaces. The grounds are beautiful. The rooms, though smaller in size, are well designed and laid out. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt and attributing sometimes spotty service (skipped room cleaning, issues with check in, crossed lines etc) to growing pains. But all issues were address with a smile and speed so we were happy with how things were handled. I'm conflicted on cost vs reward on this property right now. It's a great use of certifs and points but I'm not sure room rate is in line with what you get. That's an individual decision I think.
Enjoy your travels!
The lobby building hosts all of the main restaurants, concierge, kids club, gym, ultra bar and infinity pool. Breakfast and the coffee/sundries shop are also in the lobby building. Not much for sale here other than basics so come prepared. The resort is sprawling. To get a ride you can call for a golf cart (we never did because it seemed like a long process), grab one of the hotel bikes or walk. The bikes are great but note that there are no kids sizes, just adjustable seat adult bikes. They are also hit or miss on availability. There are usually a few at reception but people leave them and you’re free to take them, as long as they are where you’re looking. IE If you are in casa 1 or 6 you may be out of luck and walking. The grounds are beautiful and the walk, whether on the ocean side by the pools or the jungle side is pleasant.
Rooms. The buildings are all three stories high. I didn’t see any other rooms but all rooms face the ocean. From the layout I am guessing that the 3rd floors are all designated as ocean view. Second floor is partial . Ground floor is garden view . Interestingly the patio tub on the ground floor units is more like a plunge pool, at least 2x the size of the tubs on the balconies. It also looks like the ground floor rooms have larger patios . Note there isn’t a ton of privacy between your plunge pool and your neighbors, just some bamboo. While we were there the only ground floor room we saw in use was the one used for COVID testing. Some ground floor rooms look quite private while others are right along foot paths. Can’t make a recommendation which is best other than much of casa 5 doesn’t seem to have any foot path access on the ocean side. The patio tubs are a cool feature, We saw the staff skimming the ground floor tub/pools daily. These did not look refillable like the 2nd and 3rd floor tubs. Instead they came filled and looks like they accumulate debris from the trees and foliage all around. We needed to get housekeeping to come and clean out our empty tub before we filled it--it was kind of grimy and filled with lots of leaves and stuff you don't want to relax in.
All suites were booked when we visited (Easter plus two weddings). We were upgraded as Diamond members to an ocean view (from garden view) booked on points and certificates. The 2x queen rooms aren’t huge but big enough to be comfortable. As discussed in other posts, the bathroom is separated from the bedroom by an open wall while the toilet and showers both have opaque glass doors. You can choose to close your shower shutters or show your goods. Basic amenities: body wash, shampoo, conditioner. Not much else provided. The minibar is a bunch of overpriced soda and bottles of water. You’ll also get 2 small glass bottles of water each day (we asked and they provided more), coffee maker and pods, ice bucket, wine glasses. No corkscrews--we had to borrow one from the pizza folks. Air con worked great. Didn't turn the TV on once during our stay but it looked nice on the wall
Check In/Out. We arrived around 2p. When we entered our room it was obviously not cleaned and was being used as a staging area. We did not get into a new room until 7p which was frustrating but the staff was super apologetic, very aware of the issue and offered us dinner for the family at any restaurant which was a very nice gesture and took the sting out of the issue. The check in process is super easy and all takes place in the lobby over a cold drink before you are driven to your casa. We checked out at 7am in order to get to CUN early (the airport is chaotic). No issues with our bill, but if you like to pour over line items you may be frustrated as the bill is a jumble of info with very little to guide you as to what charge is for what expense. Best to get a copy the night before and review.
Gym. We’re a late-day gym family vs early am. When we visited 4p+ the gym was pretty empty. Gym is a decent size with lots of bikes, a bike class room, ellipticals and treadmills. Additionally there are weight stations and some side rooms for stretching. The gym was unmanned when we went and had no issues with our 15 year old working out. Machines all worked well but bring your own entertainment as internet service to the machines wasn't working.
Food. Saying that food is expensive is like saying that rooms in NYC are small. Expect it and you won’t be upset. To those ends I’ll skip the prices of the meals in this post. Every bill has a 10% service charge included. We would then leave 10-15% on top for each check. Upon check in you get a QR code with info on all restaurants and beach grills. We made reservations for each night's dinner and were told that some restaurants were full, but when we went to dinner almost all restaurants were empty. Maybe they are understaffed or undercooking as the resort ramps up. You can see all of the restaurants with menus and prices here:
https://conradtulum.sabio.host/#/
For diamonds, Breakfast each morning was free for two people. There was very little wiggle room on this, though It was free for our 10 year old son. It was NOT free for our 15 year old and not worth the cost for the chocolate muffin he’d eat so he would get breakfast at the coffee shop each am—juice and a sandwich. As stated in other posts breakfast is extensive with most items made to order. Pancakes, French toast, avocado toast and multiple egg stations. Fresh fruit, yogurts and what looked like packaged pastries are also abundant. Breakfast has both indoor and outdoor seating. It never got too busy but If you want to sit outside you may need to wait a few min at peak times. Folks also just kind of hang out vs eat and run. The breakfast check in process is a bit antiquated and involves the staff writing your info on small slips of paper then cross referencing your name to the guest list. Needless to say, the line can get long while they do this for every guest. Once at a table, waitstaff will bring coffee, coffee drinks, water etc. Specialty drinks like cappuccinos are available as well. The fresh fruit station is popular and they go through hundreds of mangos. They will also split a coconut for you to drink but there is a $10 uncharge per coconut.
We ate dinner at Ukai, Kengai, Maratea, Autor as well as Ultra Bar, Carbon, Crudo and the new pizza place all the way down at Casa 6. Restaurants were all great. Just expect the price tags. We travelled on Easter week and the hotel was busy so reservations were necessary. For families (or anyone) a great alternative to fine dining is having dinner at Ultra bar, crudo, carbon or pizza. They all close at 6p and have limited menus but they are casual, right on the beach and a fraction of the price. We had brought some very good bottles of wine and had a beach pizza party. Do watch out. As advised in other posts, you’ll be constantly steered towards very expensive bottled water but you can also get filtered water everywhere and it’s served with a smile. Every casa also has a water bottle filler and ice machine—so glad to see this vs thousands of spent plastic bottles. Also look out for the drink upsells. They can get very expensive so know what you’re in for before agreeing to the extra special drink! Our older son had room service one night. There were some language issues ordering but it arrived quickly and was decent enough. For us, the food at the other locations was superior to room service.
Excursions. We left the resort one day for a trip to the Tulum ruins. It took about a half hour to get there (the Conrad is no where near central Tulum (a good thing)). The taxi was $40 one way and we could have easily found on there to return home BUT we had no cash and wanted to pay with a credit card. We set up a cab to do a round trip excursion. The taxi waited about 4 hours for us and we used a CC to pay for the whole shebang. It was about $40 more to have the taxi wait vs finding another ride home. Well worth the get away but it was HOT at the ruins. If you go, bring lots of water and go early. We left at 8:30a and only waited 15 min to buy tickets and enter. When we left there were hundreds of people in line. Note: the beach was inundated with seaweed when we went.
Beach and pools. For nearly our entire stay the hotel had 8-13 people, a massive backhoe, two smaller ground movers and flatbed trucks for 12 hours a day all working on the seaweed. And they could not keep up. There was a never-ending, always growing mountain of the stuff. It's not the Conrad's fault it's there and it looked to us that they were doing all they could to mitigate the issue. We did get to wade into the water once, just to say we did it. When the beach is clear, it will be amazing to swim/sit and there were people who waded through the seaweed but for now it's kinda gross. Also the massive pile of drying sargassum gets seriously stinky if you are downwind. If you just want to sit on the sand, there are multiple beach areas where you can sit in chairs or cabanas and not have to see/smell the seaweed. The hotel was moderately busy but certainly not sold out. The best chairs/cabanas go quick in the AM. There are always other options but they may not have umbrellas or be farther from the pool. The cabanas are double seater loungers with side and overhead sun blockers. By 8a, the cabanas and prime seats all had books/water bottles and towels on them. Note, there are a TON of pools and always chairs avail. Pool service was VERY attentive.
Other "stuff." We booked transportation through the concierge. A private SUV was pretty close in cost to other operators. Pick up at CUN was quick and efficient but the SUV's are not owned and operated by Conrad (no Conrad branding or staff drivers). In hindsight, if there was another option for private SUV transfer at a better price, we would have considered it. COVID testing to return to the US is offered at the hotel in and administered in one of the jungle view rooms. You need to make an appointment in advance and bring your passports and credit card. You cannot charge the fee to your room. It was about $25 a person. The test email came after about 2 hours and we were able to use Verifly to check into our AA flight online. My wife and older son went to the spa and raved about it. Not cheap but you get what you pay for.
Next door neighbors. We rode our bikes over to the new all inclusive Hilton one afternoon. To say the Hilton is MASSIVE is like saying the Conrad food is expensive! It goes on and on... and on. The long line of rooms are three stories high like the Conrad but with rooms on both sides (ocean and jungle). It looks like an 800 room resort. Parts looked complete but most of it looked like a giant construction site. They were set to open the week after we left. Where as the Conrad's beach has a few rows of chains the Hilton has row after row after row of chairs and the rocky beach looked pretty un-swimmable. Interestingly, there were multiple families at the Conrad (found this out via our 15 year old who met other kids) who were booked to be staying at Hilton properties in Cancun but found overbooked hotels upon arrival. They were re-bookd at the Hilton and then sent to the Conrad (many with full board included--not too shabby).
Final thoughts... The hotel looks and feels like what you would expect from a Conrad (ie, not a Casa Marina experience). The food is legit good all around from the casual beach spots to the more formal dining spaces. The grounds are beautiful. The rooms, though smaller in size, are well designed and laid out. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt and attributing sometimes spotty service (skipped room cleaning, issues with check in, crossed lines etc) to growing pains. But all issues were address with a smile and speed so we were happy with how things were handled. I'm conflicted on cost vs reward on this property right now. It's a great use of certifs and points but I'm not sure room rate is in line with what you get. That's an individual decision I think.
Enjoy your travels!
May 14, 2022, 6:48 am
#83
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Posts: 2,385
It's a pretty familiar set of considerations really when comparing a Hilton and a Conrad; I.e. the latter being a step up in all aspects such as quality of room, facilities, dining, service. In this particular case you then have the benefit of the Conrad not being an All Inclusive! However, you seem to have that on the pros rather than cons, so it offsets the otherwise improvements Conrad offers.
May 14, 2022, 10:10 am
#84
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,514
Final thoughts... The hotel looks and feels like what you would expect from a Conrad (ie, not a Casa Marina experience). The food is legit good all around from the casual beach spots to the more formal dining spaces. The grounds are beautiful. The rooms, though smaller in size, are well designed and laid out. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt and attributing sometimes spotty service (skipped room cleaning, issues with check in, crossed lines etc) to growing pains. But all issues were address with a smile and speed so we were happy with how things were handled. I'm conflicted on cost vs reward on this property right now. It's a great use of certifs and points but I'm not sure room rate is in line with what you get. That's an individual decision I think.
Enjoy your travels!
Enjoy your travels!
I won't contradict anything you said, maybe clarify some things and also add our experiences:
** per some questions above, you CAN'T see into the shower or toilet areas from the room. If you're staying with friends who are in the soaking tub on the balcony at exactly the same time you're showering, then you need to pull the shades; otherwise, it's not an issue and you're worrying too much.
** checked in as a Diamond and got lucky with a nice upgrade: a "Jungle View" suite, second floor, from which you could see through/over the trees some glimpses of ocean, since it faces the ocean but they didn't cut down all the trees. Only 3rd floor is likely a true "Ocean View" but we preferred the suite over a view! Rooms are lots of black marble/black tile, very nicely appointed, nice furnishings. The room was huge, with two full balconies (one with a full sofa, one with a smaller sofa and a soaking tub). It had a 6-person full dining table, and one room had a couch with TV, the other had a couch and a King bed. Fantastic. Priced the room on day of arrival; US$8700 for 5 nights, and we were on points. Nice!
**Totally concur about the seaweed. Not a Conrad issue, but a Riviera Maya issue. Conrad doing its best to remove dump truck after dump truck of seaweed every day, but it was still there. Actually, we did swim every day as the seaweed is generally on the shore and not much was floating. But most people stuck to the very nice pools.
**loved the water bottle filling stations and ice machines located at the middle, first floor, of all buildings.
**We used the bikes to get to/from the main building many times; more bikes would be great but at least 75% of the time there was one when we needed one.
** one of the nicest hotel gyms you'll find; great morning classes-- took spin class one day and a core class another day. Taught at a level that anyone can get a good workout, from moderate to advanced. Disappointed that the AM yoga classes were cancelled the whole week we were there; seems to depend on staffing and which teachers are there.
**breakfast was fantastic, though not super quick; that surely didn't bother us since we were there to relax and have multiple cups of coffee and make our way through the awesome food stations at every breakfast. Avocado toast, chilaquiles, sopes, 15 kinds of fresh fruit, waffles, omelets, etc,-- all made to order. Much, much better than an all inclusive, but yes you have to pay if you're not a Diamond. Don't even know how much it was.
** we had a rental car and the valet was always quick and friendly, even with our cheap tiny rental sedan (compared to the gorgeous SUVs they were likely used to). And that follows with every staff member we came across-- friendly, gentle, easy going, and mostly on top of things. Definitely some hiccups but a very nice stay.
** we used the bikes to ride around the grounds and check out the Hilton, which wasn't open yet; there were hundreds of workers still putting on the finishing touches. The Conrad has NO rooms that face the back of the property; all face the oceanside, but some are called "jungle view" because they face the trees that face the ocean. The Hilton has hundreds of rooms facing inland, so I'd be more careful about which room type I'm booking there.
** nature is around, but not a ton of it. One way to know it's still full of nature was when I noticed something black crawling across the black tile floor one morning.... an alecran, cousin of the scorpion! Staff came immediately to remove it, but we'd already gotten it inside a trash can and thrown it off the balcony. One morning while walking to the beach along the shaded pathways in front of the building (between most of the buildings and the ocean is a lovely shaded path) we happened upon a huge, red-plumed, woodpecker that was just stunning. Lots of other birds, too.
** Before we arrived at the Conrad, we had rented a car at CUN airport upon arrival instead of staying in the touristy areas-- and drove to Piste, the town next to Chichen-Itza pyramids, spent two nights there, and then two nights in Valladolid, a cute colonial city, both less than 2 hours from the Conrad.
We loved our rural, local experiences, as well as the stunning pyramids and cenotes!-- before spending 5 nights at the very upscale Conrad. If you have any questions about seeing the other side of the touristy Riviera Maya, PM me.
** Agree on the Tulum Ruins-- GO EARLY because you will be in a huge line if you go later in the day, and while they are cool and impressive, going early avoids more of the crowds, lines, and vendors that can make the experience less than magical. Oh and since the Conrad breakfast goes till noon, you can even go out for some quick morning excursions and be back for a late breakfast!
May 15, 2022, 8:30 am
#85
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 97
It's a pretty familiar set of considerations really when comparing a Hilton and a Conrad; I.e. the latter being a step up in all aspects such as quality of room, facilities, dining, service. In this particular case you then have the benefit of the Conrad not being an All Inclusive! However, you seem to have that on the pros rather than cons, so it offsets the otherwise improvements Conrad offers.
May 15, 2022, 1:05 pm
#86
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 6
Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-inclusive
Hello, long time Hilton Diamond member here. The wife and I are staying at the new Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive this week.
We had a flight issue and didn't arrive until about 11pm yesterday night.
One thing we found is that all of the restaurants and bars are closed by 11pm, and room service stops taking orders at 10:30pm. That meant we got in after a day of traveling with no options for food or drinks other than the limited mini-bar selections.
Since I have Diamond status I was hoping for an upgrade. We were told at the front desk that they had room upgrades with an Ocean side view available, but I'd have to pay $190 additional/night (6 nights total). This was pretty frustrating, but the manager clarified that they actually don't have availability and should've never offered that in the first place. She was helpful and tried to do some things to make it right at least. We were upgraded to a "club room" but I'm not sure if that's different from a normal room other than being closer to the main building. The view from this side is definitely not as nice as an ocean view room. Tried posting pics but FT won't let me.
The breakfast buffet was really good and had plenty of options and I've heard the food at the other restaurants is really good.
It's a new resort and seems like they have some kinks to work out still. Later this week after we've had some time here I'll post an update.
We had a flight issue and didn't arrive until about 11pm yesterday night.
One thing we found is that all of the restaurants and bars are closed by 11pm, and room service stops taking orders at 10:30pm. That meant we got in after a day of traveling with no options for food or drinks other than the limited mini-bar selections.
Since I have Diamond status I was hoping for an upgrade. We were told at the front desk that they had room upgrades with an Ocean side view available, but I'd have to pay $190 additional/night (6 nights total). This was pretty frustrating, but the manager clarified that they actually don't have availability and should've never offered that in the first place. She was helpful and tried to do some things to make it right at least. We were upgraded to a "club room" but I'm not sure if that's different from a normal room other than being closer to the main building. The view from this side is definitely not as nice as an ocean view room. Tried posting pics but FT won't let me.
The breakfast buffet was really good and had plenty of options and I've heard the food at the other restaurants is really good.
It's a new resort and seems like they have some kinks to work out still. Later this week after we've had some time here I'll post an update.
May 15, 2022, 1:14 pm
#87
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Posts: 2,385
May 22, 2022, 5:20 am
#88
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 328
Very interesting about the nature part. Are there any small trails around the property that you can walk? Is the resort surrounded by actual jungle on the inner sides, or just some scrub? And as for the excursion, where there any other excursions (other than Tulum Ruins) on offer, particularly jungle hikes or something along that line?
In my expectations, I (probably wrongly...) imagined this (and the Hilton Tulum) to be sort of like a mexican version of the Hilton Seychelles Labriz, with beautiful beaches (with corresponding water activities on offer) on one side and beautiful lush jungle (with corresponding hiking activities available) on the other side. But if now on one side most jungle is cut down with hardly any animals left, and on the other side the beach is constantly unusable due to seaweed, then what is the point. Seems more like a sandbox for americans to lie around the pool all day and inflate F&B prices with their addiction to insane tipping (no offense).
In my expectations, I (probably wrongly...) imagined this (and the Hilton Tulum) to be sort of like a mexican version of the Hilton Seychelles Labriz, with beautiful beaches (with corresponding water activities on offer) on one side and beautiful lush jungle (with corresponding hiking activities available) on the other side. But if now on one side most jungle is cut down with hardly any animals left, and on the other side the beach is constantly unusable due to seaweed, then what is the point. Seems more like a sandbox for americans to lie around the pool all day and inflate F&B prices with their addiction to insane tipping (no offense).
Last edited by ArnoldB; May 22, 2022 at 5:34 am
May 22, 2022, 10:03 am
#89
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,514
Very interesting about the nature part. Are there any small trails around the property that you can walk? Is the resort surrounded by actual jungle on the inner sides, or just some scrub? And as for the excursion, where there any other excursions (other than Tulum Ruins) on offer, particularly jungle hikes or something along that line?
In my expectations, I (probably wrongly...) imagined this (and the Hilton Tulum) to be sort of like a mexican version of the Hilton Seychelles Labriz, with beautiful beaches (with corresponding water activities on offer) on one side and beautiful lush jungle (with corresponding hiking activities available) on the other side. But if now on one side most jungle is cut down with hardly any animals left, and on the other side the beach is constantly unusable due to seaweed, then what is the point. Seems more like a sandbox for americans to lie around the pool all day and inflate F&B prices with their addiction to insane tipping (no offense).
In my expectations, I (probably wrongly...) imagined this (and the Hilton Tulum) to be sort of like a mexican version of the Hilton Seychelles Labriz, with beautiful beaches (with corresponding water activities on offer) on one side and beautiful lush jungle (with corresponding hiking activities available) on the other side. But if now on one side most jungle is cut down with hardly any animals left, and on the other side the beach is constantly unusable due to seaweed, then what is the point. Seems more like a sandbox for americans to lie around the pool all day and inflate F&B prices with their addiction to insane tipping (no offense).
As I said above-- if you are trying to escape busy areas, drive inland an hour or two and you're in traditional, lovely Mexico. We spent 2 nights in Piste (walking distance from Chichen Itza Mayan pyramids) and 2 nights in Valladolid and loved those.
We did a "turtle swim" just north of the Conrad and while we did see several turtles, it's mobbed with people and didn't feel very much like a jungle adventure.
Tulum Ruins are very good but again-- go super early or you. will. wait. for. an. hour. to. even. buy. a. ticket. to. enter.
May 22, 2022, 1:18 pm
#90
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: Delta DM, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Rewards Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,046
Conrad Tulum is offering a 4th night free through Hilton Impresario for stays through March 31st of 2023. This is combinable with the other Hilton Impresario benefits including a $100 resort credit, daily breakfast for two, double Hilton Honors points and a room upgrade (if available at check-in).