KAN Tulum — Hotel in Quintana Roo

We stayed at Kan with our parents after our destination wedding in Playa Del Carmen. They market themselves as a luxury property and when we booked they had luxury pricing (they have since gone down in price $200/night). I applaud their mission and purpose of sustainability and integration into the jungle, after our 7 night stay I wouldn’t categorize this property as “luxury”.

PROS: -Food: The menu at the restaurant was complex and impressive. We were very happy with the included breakfast - which was very well rounded. The food was appropriately priced.

-Architecture: The property is beautiful and thoughtfully designed. Their integration of structure into the surrounding flora and fauna will have that property looking beautiful once the plants on the bio-skin are more established.

-Staff: Benjamin and Gustavo were the best!

CONS:

-Inconsistent power: Their generator gets turned off. Twice during our 7 night stay the power went out (includes Wi-Fi, air, etc.) Thankfully we brought our own flashlights. We walked up to the top of the nest and realized we were the only property without power. The owner told us they have turned off their solar panels because they were not working properly so the property is dependent on a generator. We just wish they would’ve communicated with us, provided flashlights, and had staff available to ask questions.

-Short staffed: The couple servers were really hustling. The service was slow at times due to them being stretched so thin. The restaurant and bar servers are also the employees that run room service which makes it difficult to get quick service in the restaurant and bar. We left early in the morning and there was no staff at the front desk. Our ride was late and we wish there would’ve been a staff member available to help us call a taxi since the service in that area is unreliable.

-Spa: I would skip it. It seems like an afterthought tucked in the corner. The massages are a similar price point to 5 star spas in the area where you get access to other amenities. It is a single room without air conditioning under the yoga studio. It was not a therapeutic massage, more along the lines of a “rub down.” My sheets were stained brown with what I assume is self tanner. Overall an experience I could’ve skipped.

-Convenience/Amenities: The property does not have a lot of the services expected at a luxury property such as bellhop, concierge, on-site laundry.

-Other: We tipped the servers in cash as we went and charged the food to the room. At the end of the stay we received the final bill and it included a 15% tip for each meal/beverage. We tipped over 15% for each meal/drink anyways and we were not happy about the undisclosed tip that was added. We still would’ve given the servers extra but it seemed deceptive to not disclose that gratuity would be automatically added.

The furniture is very uncomfortable. I appreciate the sentiment of sustainability by reusing scraps from local construction projects to build the furniture. However, it was definitely a miss and they traded comfort. We would’ve eaten dinner at the restaurant more but found ourselves leaving the property for comfort.

The shower was directly above the tub. I think for a couple days it would’ve been fine but with 2 people it was messy and subsequently slippery.

My husband and I love the Yucatan but I think for the price point, we would rather check out other properties in the area when we go back. This property is better suited as a 3-star hotel for the mid-budget traveler that prioritizes sustainable travel and...

I had a reservation at KAN Tulum in August 2024, for my husband and I. When I arrived at the hotel to check in, the air conditioning in the room was not working. The temperature was 90Fahrenheit . So they moved us to another room. The air conditioning in the second room also did not work well, but it was better than the first. The hotel said that it was normal for the air conditioning not to cool due to the very hot temperature of the day, but we stayed in a rental house for 4 days before and the air conditioning worked very well. At 2 am I sent a text message to the front desk saying that the air conditioning had stopped working. We couldn't sleep. We were sweating. There were mosquitoes in the room ,the light in the room turned on by itself a few times during the night, the shower water wouldn't heat up. No one answered . So I went to the front desk and asked for a refund because we had the worst experience in a hotel room. I stayed from 9:10 am to 5:00 pm trying I could to get them to refund what I had paid. I waited 8 hours at the front desk for a solution. The least you guys could to do was refund me the full amount since we had horrible time like a horror movie. We lost a day and a night of fun because we were so exhausted. The hotel was not at all welcoming, it was very hot, they didn't even offer us water, the hotel manager promised to talk to me in 20 minutes and only came back after 2 hours and 30 minutes. The reservation was made through Expedia , at first the hotel said they couldn't refund the amount paid because Expedia wouldn't authorize it. And Expedia did authorize it. I have the calls that Expedia made trying to get in touch with them, at one point I managed to get the hotel and Expedia and the hotel manager said that the air conditioning worked perfectly, in other words, calling me a liar. They made it difficult from beginning to end to contact Expedia. In the end the hotel promised me a 50% refund. However, the hotel doesn't respond to emails or calls. I have an email from the manager Enrique Lopez confirming that they will refund me 50%. However, he hasn't answered anymore . I preferred to pay for another hotel than to stay in this hotel. Emotionally, physically, and psychologically I was in a terrible state after 8 hours of the hotel making me look like an idiot, the reception was very hot, I wasn't fed, no human rights were preserved. I hired a lawyer and the court will be in January and expedia provided to me all the evidence that I spent 8 hours at the hotel reception asking for help and nothing was done so it was given to my lawyer . Kan Tulum is a dishonest hotel, very disrespectful to the customer and I'm sure that most of the reviews here on Google are fake , It's not possible for them to have this score since they treat guests so badly . I was deceived to chose this hotel because of the good reviews but I was deceived , that's not the reality. And I have a video and an email from the manager promising to refund me 50% of the amount I paid and that never happened. Absurd. You are DISHONEST Enrique Lopez Carrillo !!! I like to travel a lot , and this has never happened to me on any...

Overall had a great stay here with friends. The hotel advertises itself as sustainable, which I thought it was for the most part, however in terms of materials with all the wood cladding and decorative elements surrounding the rooms / pods in Tulum's monsoon-like rain during low season, it was clear this had needed to be replaced multiple times in the short time the hotel has been open, so it's debatable whether the design is sustainable. The food and cocktails were fantastic, not cheap but fairly priced for Tulum (which is pricey for anyone who hasn't been!). Great restaurant and cute speak-easy bar below. The staff were fantastic, shout out to Gus at the restaurant, who not only was one of the best waiters I've ever met (I work in hospitality myself) but also a super nice guy all around and he shared so many tips and recommendations with us. Every dish we had, breakfast and dinner, was fantastic. Only let down was the coffee, really not great. The hotel is located in no-mans land between the beach area and downtown which are separated, so be prepared you'll need taxis to get everywhere and the taxi drivers rip off tourists. We tried walking one evening but the roads are horrendous (potholes likes craters), no street lights (even the long drive way to the hotel - get some street lights for your guests guys!) and in many areas there are no sidewalks - so I wouldn't recommend walking in the dark. We were not impressed by the beach club recommendations (their partner beach clubs - they were dead / no vibe). Had a massage which was ok, nothing special. We went mid-October and experienced two full days of torrential non-stop rain, so choose your dates wisely. The hotel advertises it offers bikes, what it doesn't mention is that they charge and it's through a third-party, the cost was outrageous and the bikes were in ill repair - as a sustainable hotel I really think they should offer bikes to their guests and charge a deposit. We were looking forward to getting around by bike in Tulum but the prices really were crazy so we took taxis. We didn't swim in the cenote at the hotel as was a bit mucky. The artificial waterfall was noisy, our room was next to it. The rooms were nice (no TVs, I get the concept of switching off but as we had so many rainy days on occasion would have been nice to have one to chrome cast from your phone). The bathrooms are a case of style over functionality. Not much privacy with a free standing bath/shower but that's fine, however the water from showering went absolutely everywhere. Also the hotel is not smoker friendly, which is listed on their website but I didn't spot it beforehand. Not a massive issue but worth noting for smokers. Overall beautifully designed, very green, very peaceful, great service and above all else great...