Help us pick a place!

[broot]

Hey everyone - I've been cruising the boards for awhile now and this is my first post. My fiance and I will be honeymooning in Tulum in about 2 1/2 weeks and I'm trying to select our place to stay. We are seasoned 3rd world travelers who are looking for something a bit nicer than the places we usually stay at but that is still relaxed and fairly inexpensive. Definitely want to pay less than $150 and need a hammock.

Right now deciding between Dos Ceibas, Tierras del Sol, Hamaca Loca, Cabanas Copal and Cabanas Tulum.

Any comments or recs for us to help us with our choice?

Thanks a lot!

ps Will be staying a night or two in Puerto Morales - anyone stay at Posado el Moro or have a different rec?

[AdGuy]

So you've checked the five candidate hotels for availability, right? :)

[broot]

Yup - they all have availability and are in our price range.

They've all been commented on in some form in this forum ... just want to know if anyone can help me decide by saying one is more amazing than the others.
thanks

[AdGuy]

Okay then...I've not visited Cabanas Copal, but of the other four my preference (but what the heck to I know?) would be:

Hamaca Loca
Tierras del Sol
Dos Ceibas
Cabanas Tulum

[broot]

Adman: Can I ask why? The margaritas, the hammock, the view, the staff?

[AdGuy]

Adman: Can I ask why? The margaritas, the hammock, the view, the staff?

The beach is best in front of HL/TDS. HL only has four units...only one worth staying at in my opinion and it's gorgous (and a better value than TDS which is why I gave it the top spot). On the low end, while CT is cheap, it's like staying in a cross between a Motel 6 and a fallout bunker.

[broot]

May I ask which Cabana at HL is the great one? I was looking at Caracol and Luna.

[mariposa]

Haven't stayed there but everyone says Tortuga..and walking by it looks like the one I'd choose too..(by the way I'm consumed with envy that your going in just 2 weeks..) So I take it you're getting married in the next couple weeks too? Congratulations!:beerchug:

[TnTWalter]

Someone was recently at HL La Tortuga...It looks wonderful.

I'm assuming you're going still in April? Because we're going in May and the prices for many places were just under $150 [Nueva Vida, La Luna, Posada Lamar].

Enjoy.:eat-drink:

[Gale in KY]

You might want to check with Newsman on Locogringo re: Posada El Moro, he stays there when he travels to Mexico. Just search for him by screen name and drop him a private message for all the details. If you arent' a member of LG, I think I have his email somewhere, I can ask him to send me his description, but I do know he loves the place.

I am curious about Haciendas Morelos. We are picking up a friend in Cancun on Sat..thought about staying in PM on Friday night to be closer to the airport.

[beachreader]

Tortuga is definitely the best unit at Hamaca Loca, hands down. Caracol is very nice, very cool, awesome bathroom, etc., but because they had to build a fence along that north side of their property when La Via Laktea went in, they don't have nearly the open beach access they once had. Tortuga, for sure.

There's only one, maybe two units I'd stay at Dos Ceibas, the others are behind the primary dune and don't get much breeze.

Have you checked Cabanas La Luna for price? $150 seems like one of their units might fit, and it's a very cool place.

Cabanas Tulum is only $70, maybe less by May. No charm at all, no beach furniture, but large rooms, great patios (they'll hook up hammocks for you but make sure they're right for you--ours were too tight/new to use so we gave them back), comfortable beds, and at that rate you can pay for a lot of food and rental car! But if you're looking for romance, maybe not. Each room has two double beds, not exactly honeymoon-esque.

Check into Cabanas la Luna, see if they have anything in your range for your dates. They've been booking up (partly our fault), but worth a try.

[Lynnette]

You might want to check with Newsman on Locogringo re: Posada El Moro, he stays there when he travels to Mexico. Just search for him by screen name and drop him a private message for all the details. If you arent' a member of LG, I think I have his email somewhere, I can ask him to send me his description, but I do know he loves the place.

I am curious about Haciendas Morelos. We are picking up a friend in Cancun on Sat..thought about staying in PM on Friday night to be closer to the airport.

Gale......Hacienda Morelos was great!! We did a walk up last May...I want to say around $60 for a night. The room was basic, but clean with a/c. The pool and bar were right outside our back door, with nice water views. It's only a few blocks to the square...wonderful restaurants!!! I'd stay there again in a heartbeat.

[PhyllisB]

Hey there,

I'd probably do HL or TDS, and I might swap them from AdGuy's order of preference and do TDS first. They have a restaurant on site (not sure if breakfast is included in the daily rate or not) and I really like that. HL doesn't, as far as I know. Plus, Jana's trip report has me convinced that TDS is awesome.

La Luna would also be a nice option.

Maineacs just posted a trip report and they stayed a few days in Puerto Morelos. I'm not familiar with it, so don't exactly remember the hotel name, but they seemed to like it.

[Gale in KY]

Thanks Lynnette..I am going to sugggest this to Holly for Friday Night! We both want to spend a bit of time in PM, this would be the perfect option!

[Jana]

I'd probably do HL or TDS, and I might swap them from AdGuy's order of preference and do TDS first. They have a restaurant on site (not sure if breakfast is included in the daily rate or not) and I really like that.

Breakfast isn't included at TDS but it's nice to have an on site option when you're feeling especially lazy! ;) I'm obviously a big fan of TDS and my top two would be it and HL (only La Tortuga though). I think the rooms are nicer at these two as well. I second the recommendations to check out La Luna - it looks like a great spot.

Jana

[broot]

Thanks so much everyone! Your input really helps. I think we are going to do the Crazy Hammock but couldn't get the Tortuga cabana. Cabana el Caracol there will be OK, right??

If not, the garden cabin at TDS - any opinions on the garden cabin?

[beachreader]

One warning about Hamaca Loca--the beds are not the greatest (unless they've upgraded their mattresses since December). After four nights my back was complaining.

Some friends who were staying at another place with a hard bed ran up to Playa del Carmen and bought a mattress pad, said it helped a lot. So you might consider that on the way down if you go the HL route, or bring one from here and just leave it down there.

And really, the Caracol unit is very nice (you can see pictures in my December trip report, it's where I stayed--the link is below), but you'll be so jealous of the Tortuga unit! I had total room envy the whole time.

[Jana]

Hi broot,

I don't think I'd do the garden rooms at TDS. They don't have their own outdoor space (terrace or balcony) so you'd have to go down to the beach to sit outside - which isn't a huge hard ship (!) but I wouldn't like that so I thought I'd point it out. I also think I read on Tripadvisor that the garden rooms are pretty dark and don't get much breeze because of how they're situated. El Caracol at HL sounds like a much better choice.

Jana

[beachreader]

There's nothing available at Cabanas La Luna? Darn, I think that would be a great place to stay.

Casa de Miel might give you a deal on a rate since it's so close to departure if they have a room available. Might be worth a try, and the beds and such are great. Bit of a busier part of the beach, though.

Uno Astrolodge has some very cool rooms, might fit your budget and the hammocks on the porch in their Gaia room would be cool. And if you're used to backpacking, the outdoor bathroom would be cool for you.

I don't mean to sway your decision away from Hamaca Loca, just trying to find you the most romantic room'/best bed possible for a honeymoon.

[heenan]

Can't help with those particular resorts as we have not stayed at them. I can second the statements about the south end of the Tulum beach being fantastic. We stayed at La Via Laktea next to Hamaca Loco in February. The beach was very uncrowded and quiet. It was a short walk to Dos Ciebas or Las Ranitas for a drink or a meal. Heenan

[beachreader]

La Via Laktea is a beautiful place. I know their rates stay high through April, but maybe you can talk them into it since you're so close to departure and it's your honeymoon?

[SoKaliBeachBoy]

I can vouch for LVL....... not cheap but the top rooms are spacious and great views.... beach is casual and next to HL and TDS........ :bullseye:

[Armchairshrink]

Just another opinion...

I stayed in Caracol at Hamaca Loca last July (before the fence was put up!) and would stay there again in a heartbeat. It's a cute rustic cabana with good access to the wind, which was really important for us because it was hot, hot, hot. We enjoyed drinking at Dos Ciebas but the cabanas looked awfully far away from those breezes and just not as nice as Hamaca Loca. I think it's a fantastic choice in Tulum.

[Kenster]

I'm a big fan of Copal. I started going there about nine years ago. I have spent the past few years at Azulik, or half a week at Azulik and half at Copal's Casita. But even when staying at Azulik I spend most of my time over at Copal. So, as you might have gathered, I have to really like the place to keep going back year after year. (And nine more days to go until this year's trip!)

I like the whole atmosphere of the place. The staff is warm and friendly, and especially responsive to you when you treat them the same. Copal has a nice beach bar with good food and great drinks that can be delivered to you down on the beach without you ever having to leave your swinging bed.

I meet lots of great people each year from all over the world.

The beach is nice, though it can be in a state of flux if a storm system has been through recently. There is a break in the reef that allows the current to focus on the Copal beach when the waves and wind are just right. But I've seen it virtually rebuild it self over the course of a couple of days.

The price is fair. Get a Sea View unit to catch the great sea breezes.

Copal/Azulik is my favorite place on Earth!