Where to stay in Tulum...
 

Will be there from March 30-April 4. Budget is $250 total per night including taxes, but would love to spend less. Totally understand Tulum is breezy and on the beach, but I really want air conditioning in the room in case there is a heatwave.

I'm wavering between beachfront and closer to town. Playa Canek, Rosa del Viento and a Airbnb condo at Baha Principe are all about a 20 min drive to and from town. If I stay in/near town what are the beach options? What would you suggest for beach access?

Tulum hotel to avoid!
 

Hola :)

We stayed last year in May in Tulum. Great place to visit the ruins of Tulum, as well as many other things around (great cenote, Akumal, Coba, the Tulum pueblo itself, ...).

But we hated the hotel where we stayed, Yoga Shala Tulum. Service was not friendly, even when complained of the hot weather - no AC in the rooms and it's not located beachfront. It was easily 100+ in the room. And you had to sleep under the canopy bed because of the bugs, which made it worse. No pool. It's an eco hotel, which is something we normaly appreciate, but there are limits to a zero comfort place (it doesn't have to be hell!).

This was part of a 20 days Yucatan trip that brought us from one side of Yucatan to the other. We never give bad ratings to hotels (as you have to be fair : sometimes you realize you chose an hotel that is not for you, mistakes of that kind can happen), but this is the first time we tell people to avoid at all costs.

Last point on Tulum beach itself: from what I now know and hear on forums, Tulum beach itself is expensive and fairly snobby. It doesn't feel like Mexico at all! We were glad to leave this area after two days, but the hotel mediocre quality surely had a lot to do with this. We much more enjoyed the rest of our Yucatan trip.

Hope it helped,

Joël

Thanks for the heads up. I ended up booking a new, modern Airbnb that's situated between town and the beach (with air conditioning!). A friend of mine recently stayed at the place and raved about it. We'll have a car, but will probably use their bikes to get around most places.

Would love it if someone here could recommend a beach club to plant ourselves at every day. Thanks!

Doesn't sound like the best place to visit. I guess if you set your expectations accordingly.

We spent a week in Tulum two years ago at the end of March for my birthday. We stayed at Be Tulum http://www.betulum.com/eng/index.php and had a great time. The staff and hotel itself were great. There is a pool but we used the ocean. They easily allow people coming from the beach to use their restaurant and bar which serve great food for reasonable Tulum Beachfront prices. Tulum beach isn't cheap for Mexico but the food quality is quite good. Casa Banana, you'll want a reservation, is more on the higher end but quite good. In town go to El Camello, it's where the locals go to eat for lunch and dinner. Price is a fraction of Tulum beach and true local Mexican cuisine. Mateo's makes one of the best fish tacos I've had in my life.

Akumal Bay Beach Resort is near Tulum, and we loves it there! All-inclusive and such a great deal!!

Based on your budget and to avoid terrible expierience, I would go with Airbnb as you did. I never stayed in Tulum itself, I stayed in Playa del Carmen and travelled there. All the hotels there were pretty great.

Try Ana y Jose on the beach road going south. They have a small parking lot right off the road (on the left, water side). Nice service staff. The food is good and at reasonable (period, not just for Tulum beach road) prices. Drinks are good. There is a big open air, covered restaurant. Walk toward the water further and you can rent a bed, or sit (free with food/drink purchase) at a covered table in a kiosk right on the beach. There are bathrooms and showers. The beach there is nice, with rolling waves and not too steep. You can walk, wandering, from there down the beach in both directions..