Casa tulum — Hotel in Quintana Roo

Overall nice place and stay. Denise was  very responsive and helpful. I got in late straight from the Airport. For some reason the GPS wasnt able to locate the airbnb until we were in Tulum. Aside that I had no issues checking in through the gate. The photos are an accurate representation of the space. I was able to rent a scooter through them (their associate Juliet) which was great. It was at a good location, close enough to many things to do, like visit cenotes, Holistika, get food nearby, convenient store and pharmacy around the corner. It was a 15-20 min scooter ride to the beach/hotel zone. There was also an organic/health food store near called Gypsea Market but warning it VERY expensive. I recommend Pepe's street tacos down the street. It was very quiet stay which I loved. It felt like I had a lot of privacy and alone time. The place had a very nice aesthetic to it. It was amazing to have a front and back balcony and waking up to jungle sounds and nature. I loved the resident pets and everyone I encountered whether staff or other people staying were very friendly.

There were a few points where I was unimpressed.

There was this feeling of abandoned hotel to it which was strange, no one ever at reception or available for questions in person. There was a lounge, but it was always completely empty. It would have been nice to be greeted or meet the owners from the getgo or get help to carry my luggages. I bumped into Denise in person closer to the end of the stay and she clarified that it was shifting towards a more independent stay vibe vs hotel/staff presence. I was confused initially from reading older reviews where the owners were more involved and there was reception. I would have to say the space has more potential to be more lively and homey but to each their own.

Cleanliness: Although everything was organized and clear of clutter, the floors, counters and couch were quite dusty. I'm not sure what it was but the sheets made my sensitive skin break out. I had asked them to change them incase it was dust or dirty and they did quickly and I felt better but still itchy. It may have been an allergic reaction to laundry detergent. There was mildew stains on the couch pillows and outdoor lounge pillows. The hand soap in the washroom was broken and had mold inside of it.

Kitchen: I'm super happy to have kitchen where I stay so I am grateful for it. They told me it was fully equipped with everything I need which was not accurate. There were no lids to the pots/pans, no microwave for warming up food, no oils or spices. I had to purchase my own oil and spices to cook here. At least there was salt. I'm accustomed to anywhere with a fully equipped kitchen having these items so maybe that's just my experiences. If you are staying for longer and like cooking, know that the fridge is small with minimal space, like a hotel fridge.

This was my first time solo travelling and I had a decent experience here. Due to my itchiness in the space and questionable cleanliness, I am not sure if I will come back here but can recommend to others with more simple needs and prefer independence and quiet...

No complaints and nothing was bad---but the stay was a little strange. I’ll start with the good--and there was definitely good:

Our room was a great set up for our family of three. Bedroom had a king bed and strong aircon. Nice decor. Small kitchen/dining/living area had a single bed for our son and fan. The whole apartment stayed cool at night. Was very clean. Kitchen had what we needed to cook breakfasts and some lunches (no microwave. Fridge is small size). The garden setting is lush, and the pool is great. We used it daily. It’s a lovely little haven---away from nightlife but still a short taxi away to downtown (35 pesos into town and 50 back). There’s a small, locked parking lot for cars (one night there were too many cars and no room, but street parking is ample too). We stayed a week and had what we needed. We were on a ground floor that opened out to the pool. In the mornings, we saw toucans in the trees.

And now the strange--not terrible--just strange: I get the feeling this hotel was probably fantastic a year ago. The toilet seat lid was completely broken off and the toilet had an awesome quirk of shooting its contents upward with each flush (we learned to rest the broken lid on top early), some hinges on kitchen cupboards were broken. Glassware was chipped. Around the grounds broken bits and pieces leaned here and there. There was just overall evidence of a better time. There’s a sign that says “rooftop garden”, but it led to an empty roof. Some reviews mention a back patio. We had a small area in the back of our unit, but the lounger on it could not be used (too dirty).

Did we just catch a weird week? Our experience seems genuinely off from what other reviews mention. Pool water was cleaned daily, but the same dirty glass and beer bottle sat poolside for days, pool cushions were never cleaned of debris. Daily something disappeared from the room after housekeeping--not ours (we felt very safe and secure)--the hotel’s. One day it was all our son’s bedding. Another day toilet paper and tissues. Then the dish towels. All trash liners. Pool towels never resurfaced after day 1. (and yes, we started the week by asking for the items back, but after three days of doing that one starts to feel like a nuisance…and the cleaning really was great--just a bit haphazard!) Another guest held a loud party until 4am one night, and when I asked the next morning if anyone was on duty at night, I was told no--staff leaves around 10pm. (along with, “Oh yes, that guest comes every year, and she likes to party.” That said, thankfully, there were no parties after that.) One person at the front desk would get us taxis right away. The other one told us it would be a 20 minute wait, and we were better off getting our own. No complaints---just seems like things needed a little extra care all around. Add the myriad of stray cats trying to sneak into our room at all times, and it added up to a strange--yet fine--week.

Again--pretty spot. Great little apartment. But in the words of my son, "Are we in an abandoned hotel?"

Final FYI: I work online, and it wasn’t possible given...

Positives: love the green garden and the charming little pool, the rooms are nice and spacious. Staff is friendly. Negatives: there were many little details that could be improved. For starters the room was not well cleaned, I had to move the side table to connect the lamp and the floor under was full of hair and dust. The linens and pillows smelled horribly like humidity (like they had not washed them in a while) and were stained, the blanket smelled worse, not at all a place someone would like to sleep in. The toilet seat cover was broken. Finally I think a couple of basic amenities would really give the place an extra: for example, leaving some courtesy water in the room (even if the hotel doesn’t want to use plastic bottles they could leave a pitcher or something like that) and some curtesy coffee or tea to prepare oneself in the morning would be great. The three stars are mainly because...