Our Habitas Bacalar — Hotel in Quintana Roo

Habitas Bacalar is truly a gorgeous and serene oasis, which showcases Mexican hospitality at its absolute finest.

The property is a masterpiece that is nestled seamlessly within the natural elements around it. The rooms are tastefully decorated and if you have any concerns about being in the middle of the Mayan jungle with low shower pressure - fear not; because somehow the showers have been designed with the most perfect water pressure that feels like rain (needless to say but we were in absolute awe). The service here is top-tier! Regardless of whether the staff are part of front desk management, at the restaurant or otherwise , they are all incredibly kind and professional and have amazing follow-through while remaining patient.

Through a series of very unfortunate events (to no fault of the property), my partner and I had the most difficult traveling day prior to our arrival at Habitas. We missed our flight from CDMX to Chetumal, and what should have been an easy hop over to Bacalar (less than 4 hours of travel) turned into a nightmare of many, many hours of travel. Instead of arriving at 1 pm on Thursday, we only arrived at 1am - on Friday morning. We were in constant communication with the front desk staff and felt incredibly guilty and embarrassed about having to text them almost consistently throughout our travel day - despite all the back and forth, they remained reassuring and sincerely kind. Upon arrival at 1am , absolutely no fuss was made by the staff to check us in right then and there (which I've experienced countless times at other hotel properties). Instead the staff, focused on our comfort and getting us to our rooms to rest and told us not to worry about checking in immediately and simply asked for identification to ensure that we were who we said we were - which took less than a minute. We can not say how thankful we were for the kindness shown, and that level of service continued to shine throughout our stay.

If there is something you can be sure of when it comes to all Habitas properties , it's the quality of food presented at their restaurants. It's refreshing to see a resort restaurant that takes into consideration the local produce and blends it into their amazing menu to make well-known dishes with a twist. We are huge foodies and absolutely loved every one of our meals. If anything, we were trying not to over order because there were so many amazing dishes to choose from.

The lagoon ofcourse is a wonder, and taking swims throughout the day was amazing because the water is the most magnificent crytal clear blue and refreshingly cool. My partner and I are beach people, but this was a unique and incredible experience for us both.

The only thing I'd like to see implemented is encouraging guests to maintain the serene nature of the property at the Lagoon deck. At times, there were too many guests being obnoxiously loud on their phones and / or laptops whilst others sat around them trying to enjoy the moment and their vacation. On two separate occasions, other guests who were seated next to us had the same remark, as they were also irritated by guests being loud. I honestly feel it's something that should be told to guests upon arrival and to have a sign at the lagoon deck stating in a kind way that unnecessary noise is strongly discouraged.

Since there are so many Habitas properties opening up around the world - we truly hope to see them also implement a loyalty program where returning guests who visit their properties (regardless of the country) can enjoy a rewards program. During our visit this weekend we met a staff member from Habitas Namibia, and since discovering that they have a property there, we plan to include a stay there when we visit South Africa as Namibia is a short flight away.

If you are considering staying at Habitas Bacalar , don't hesitate to make the booking! Couldn't recommend this property enough! We have plans to...

I had very high expectations for Our Habitas Bacalar, but unfortunately, it turned into the worst vacation of our lives. For the $400-a-night price tag, we expected a true luxury experience, but what we encountered was a poorly managed hotel that lacked basic hospitality and guest care.

The only highlight was our initial welcome—Ros at reception was outstanding—but everything after that was a nightmare. Our room was in unacceptable condition: on our first night, a cockroach (in the first picture) crawled out from under the bed and into our luggage, which we never found again. The room had no proper storage, and everything from the toilet seat to the sink and soap dispenser was broken. We reported all of this early on and gave the staff the entire day to address it, only to return to find nothing fixed, despite being told otherwise.

Facilities were just as frustrating. The rooms are located about a kilometer from the lobby and parking lot, and you’re completely dependent on golf carts, which often take 10 minutes or more to arrive—even with prior notice. This layout adds unnecessary inconvenience and waiting to every part of your stay. Even worse, we noticed some guests were allowed to park by their villas, while others (like us) were not, with no clear explanation.

Though we were told the hotel wasn’t pet-friendly, we saw multiple guests with dogs. When we asked about the inconsistency, the response was vague and dismissive. There’s also no pool, and while the lagoon is beautiful, it’s not deep enough to relax in and has a strong current. There are many lounge chairs, but very little shade—even during peak heat. The few shaded areas are minimal and don’t offer full-day coverage, making it almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors comfortably. Dining was the same: most tables were uncovered, forcing guests to eat under the blazing sun.

The food was another letdown. The menu is extremely limited, with small portions, high prices, and poor quality. After just a couple of meals, we were already bored and disappointed. We ended up eating in Bacalar town, where the food was far better and much more reasonably priced.

While most staff members were kind, service was slow and unreliable. For example, we ordered a slice of cake for my husband’s birthday, but after waiting more than 30 minutes, it never arrived, and we had to cancel it.

The final straw was losing our room key. Instead of helping us feel secure, the hotel told us they had no duplicate and made no effort to replace it—even when we offered to pay for a locksmith. We spent the next three days unable to lock our room, with no support or follow-up from staff. That level of disregard for guest safety and peace of mind is completely unacceptable.

The management excused every issue by saying the hotel is growing with Bacalar, but that doesn’t justify such a lack of care and service. In contrast, we’ve stayed at Rancho Encantado three times—a more affordable hotel that truly delivers on luxury, comfort, and guest experience. I deeply regret booking Our Habitas and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Save yourself the frustration and money. There are far better places to stay in Bacalar. This hotel simply...

I am writing to share the deeply disappointing and frankly unsafe - experience my partner and I endured at Habitas Bacalar. Despite its beautiful setting, the guest service was shockingly poor, marked by appalling communication failures and negligence that impacted our entire stay.

Early Check-In Catastrophe

We arrived at 9:00 AM after requesting early check-in the day before. The staff assured us they’d try to accommodate us. Upon arrival, we were told the room might be ready by 12:00 PM, but we would be notified via WhatsApp - the property’s only form of communication.

From that point, every message we sent went unanswered for hours or was ignored entirely. We waited in limbo from 10:00 AM until after 3:00 PM without access to our belongings - no sunscreen, no essentials, no clear updates. Staff on-site brushed us off with vague “just a little longer” assurances. Finally, at 3:10 PM (late for even standard check-in), we were given our room. Worse, we learned the delay was because the previous guests had done a late check-out—information that could have been communicated earlier, saving us a day of waiting in frustration and discomfort.

Medical Emergency Ignored

At 1:00 AM, my partner developed a fever. With no phones, no concierge, and no signal on the property, I messaged the hotel via WhatsApp asking for help - a thermometer, paracetamol, anything. No response for 5 hours.

At 6:00 AM, they finally replied to say they had paracetamol but no thermometer. An hour later, they backtracked, saying they only had aspirin. A property of this caliber lacking basic medical supplies, first aid, or 24-hour emergency communication is inexcusable. What would have happened in a real emergency? This was not just poor service—it was dangerous negligence.

Departure Delays

On our final morning, we requested luggage assistance for 7:00 AM as the distance from our room to the front desk was nearly 1 km and required a golf cart through the jungle. I sent a reminder at 6:30 AM because our taxi was scheduled for 7:15 AM.

The cart arrived at 7:13 AM, with the excuse being a “shift change.” We were left scrambling to make our flight, stressed and frustrated.

Recurring Problem: Communication Failures

The most glaring issue was the complete lack of timely communication. Every interaction via WhatsApp (the only method of contacting staff) was met with hours of delay or no response at all. Whether it was a check-in question, an emergency, or a simple request, we were left feeling ignored and helpless.

Urgent Action Required

This property’s lack of communication, preparedness, and emergency protocol poses a significant risk to guests. These failures were not just inconvenient—they were dangerous and unacceptable.

The only positive aspect of our stay was the restaurant staff, who were attentive and...