Cabanas Copal - 2nd Visit

[BeachDude]

This was my 2nd trip to Copal (April 2006) and unfortunately things have gone downhill since my last visit... I posted a simaler review on TA and had to tone it down a bit, so consider this the "unedited version". ;)

I'm a little confused about why some people would go to a "clothing-optional" resort and then complain and/or post immature comments regarding nudity on the premises! Makes no sense... Frankly, I have no idea why anyone would visit a "clothing optional" place and wear clothes the entire time. What's the point? There are many other better hotels in the area. Sorry, but someone had to say it. ;)

The Good:
Copal is a very beautiful resort, the property is very nice everywhere from the beach to the jungle gardens. The cabanas are rustic, but kept very clean, the housekeepers do a wonderful job with that. Candles and drinking water are provided for free in the cabanas.

The Bad:
Well, unfortunately there was more bad than good during this 2nd visit...

- I booked my reservation online and when I arrived at Copal, there were still other guests in my cabana. The desk clerk blamed the other guests, said they were supposed to have checked out - the other guests said that Copal messed up their reservation. Who knows what the real story was, but I was moved to a different cabana and then back to another one the next morning. Small inconvenience, but not fun.

- When I was at Copal in 2005, I rated the staff/service as "first class". Well that has changed to more like "3rd class" now. I didn't recognize most of the faces, seems like Copal hired an entire new staff. Very unfriendly and seemed like they'd rather be somewhere else.

- I didn't eat any meals at Copal's restaurant, in fact, it seemed to be practically empty every night. However, I did order beverages (coffee, cervezas) from the restaurant bar. Depending on who was serving you, the prices seemed to change almost every day! Be careful and make sure to count your change... There were several other instances where waiters (from other restaurants) and taxi drivers would go ahead and take their own "propina" (tip), but I was disappointed to see this going on at Copal.

- However, I did eat twice at Zahra next door which is owned by the same company. The first time I got a fish entree, food was okay, but nothing great. The 2nd time at Zahra was a bad experience. As I was being shown which tables they had available, a larger party came in and the waiter left me standing there while he attended to them. I stood there for about 5 minutes waiting to be seated and finally realized the waiter had disappeared, would rather focus his efforts on the larger party! I was very annoyed and left, went to Zamas next door instead.

- A big problem was PRIVACY... by the lack of respect from other guests and Copal STAFF! Understand that Copal is a very busy.crowded place, the cabanas are very close together, and there are large 1" to 3" gaps inbetween the sticks in the cabana walls. I can tolerate that, this is what staying in a cabana is like. What I do have a problem with is people walking by and STARING into your cabana while you are getting dressed or lying in bed. I mean, people would even stop and crook their necks to GAWK at you - and I am a male!! I understand Copal can't babysit their guests, but it is completely unacceptable for staff to be doing this!

- While I'm on the topic of privacy and respect, I have to mention that one day, I witnessed another guest on the beach taking many photos of a nude woman entering the ocean. I gave the guy the dirtiest look ever and he walked away back to his wife, looking sheepish.

- Lastly the thing that bothered me the most was the constant construction going on. I literally had staff members lugging building materials, etc. and passing by my cabana every 5 to 10 minutes, all day long, no exaggeration! They were also chopping logs on the beach, making a huge racket in the middle of the afternoon - and I saw many annoyed looking guests. This is hardly a place for peace and quiet relaxation and I find it extremely inconsiderate of Copal management to allow this to happen.

Unfortunately, this whole experience turned me off to Copal and I would never stay there again. It's a shame because it's such a beautiful property, but the disgusting lack of respect by both guests and staff was a major turn-off. :mad:

[Gale in KY]

Well, this is such a huge disappointment about a place that has always been a favorite of mine. The staff is what made the place for me, my stays there have always been enjoyable because the staff treated you like family. Even though the cabanas were close together, I never felt my privacy was at risk. In the seaview cabanas I have stayed in, there was not a problem with space in the chink walls, it was filled in pretty well, but I have been twice in a cabana on a main path and never had the staff or other guests make me feel uncomfortable.

I saw some recent pictures of Copal and noticed they have done quite a bit of construction around the Bar Tun Tun. Read a report about beach beds and you need to get to the beach before 6am to secure one??? This sounds so much like a mega resort in Cancun, not the Copal I know and love. Sunrise was always a time for reflection (and quite a bit of picture taking) in the quiet of the early morning..most guests were on the beach, but no one spoke, except in whispers, it seemed almost ceremonial to be included by mother nature in her spectacular start to the day over the water..now we have guests battling over the last beach bed? What a way to ruin a stunning sunrise.

What construction are they doing there Beach Dude? From what I saw, there is now alot of decking/seating that has been added across the cliff around the Beach Bar?

Music piped in at the Beach Bar? Oh, NO! Tun Tun was a great place to stop after a day on the beach for a quiet moment and a couple of good drinks..and some conversation with the bartender...there was no music there at all my last stay. It also closed right at sunset or a little after..I would have hated music and crowds there since my favorite cabana is very close to the bar.

Thanks again for the honest report. I hope these problems are temporary and future guests can enjoy Copal's secluded and quiet atmosphere as much as I always have in the past.

[BeachDude]

Well, this is such a huge disappointment about a place that has always been a favorite of mine. The staff is what made the place for me, my stays there have always been enjoyable because the staff treated you like family.

Yeah, it's an entirely new staff since last time I was there in 2005. I think most of the spa people are the same, but everyone else seemed to be new, didn't recognize anyone. In 2005, the staff would always greet you with a big smile and an 'hola!' anytime you saw them - not so anymore, not even at the restaurant bar...


I saw some recent pictures of Copal and noticed they have done quite a bit of construction around the Bar Tun Tun. Read a report about beach beds and you need to get to the beach before 6am to secure one??? This sounds so much like a mega resort in Cancun, not the Copal I know and love.

That sounds about right... I was not up at 6am to witness that, lol, but people would get to the beach early and claim a beach bed for the entire day. They would just leave their things on there, then take off for awhile, (sometimes HOURS) and hog the beds all day... no one else could use them, even though they were empty.


What construction are they doing there Beach Dude? From what I saw, there is now alot of decking/seating that has been added across the cliff around the Beach Bar?

Ok, on the beach, they have these UGLY sheets of raw plywood holding up the "cliffs", or the embankment, whatever you wanna call it, lol. It's really unattractive looking. There were some staff guys chopping logs to use as poles to help support the plywood. It was really loud 'banging' sound and in the middle of the afternoon, right next to several guests. Above the beach bar, there is roof/shelter kind of thing and there were workers installing some electrical wiring and rope lights - this also going on during the middle of the day, while guests were sitting there underneath the structure! And btw, the beach bar is now open until 8pm I believe, and on Saturdays, until 11 or 12pm... with music playing and electric lights.

There was other construction stuff going on all over the property, a lot of work was being done on the tall water tower by the gardenview/jungle cabanas. Also workers with chirping walkie-talkies going back and forth all day, lugging wood and other building materials between Azulik and Copal. You had to dodge them on the paths to the cabanas, the spa, etc.


Thanks again for the honest report. I hope these problems are temporary and future guests can enjoy Copal's secluded and quiet atmosphere as much as I always have in the past.

Believe me, I would've much rather have written a positive report!
But the place has just gotten so out of hand, you were LUCKY to get even 15 solid minutes of peace/quiet, no joke.

They really need to limit the days/hours during which construction and maintenance work can be done... limit it to 2-3 days/week, or 2-3 hours/day. While I was there, this was going on 7 days/week, from 7am to 6pm! And it seemed more like "busy work", this was no emergency construction stuff... If it's really important for things to get done, then they should take the loss and shut down for a few weeks.

They also need to create a seperate "service path" for staff workers to use... dodging workers hauling materials while on your way to your cabana is inexcusable. I have nothing against the workers, they are just doing their job - it's the management that needs to shape up. :p

[calowie]

We just spent three lovely, quiet, relaxing days at Copal (April 23-26). There have been several changes since our last visit in 2004, some good, some just different. It is true that the beach beds were taken by 7 AM, and even though we were there by 6:30 we rarely used them. More would be appreciated I am sure. We heard no noise, no major construction going on, or loud music, even at the beach bar. I was surprised that the lights at the beach bar seemed to be left on all night which reduced our late night time spent on the beach- we just moved down in front of papaya playa. Neither did we have any problems with other people gawking. Beachdude must have hit a bad week, and we will all agree that sometimes repairs and construction have to be done. Perhaps if more privacy is required you can pick the isolated seaview kings next to azulik.

We did notice several changes in the last two years. The clientele has changed. When we used to go, most of the visitors were the backpacking crowd- of all ages, and some families. Most seemed to be european, with fewer americans (who tended to not be nude). On this trip the parking lot was full of rental cars, the clientele older (mainly couples, the odd family with young and nude children), and english was the predominant language spoken. The staff is now more professional and bilingual, which does not affect us as we are fluent in spanish. However with the increase in size of Playa del carmen, the obvious american infiuence there (McDonalds, Burger King, etc) and the improved roads bring more people to Tulum, and the associated changes. Tulum used to be too far to visit. Now the tour buses visit the ruins and then go to Paraiso beach club. The road to Punta Allen used all but the intrepid visitors; this trip only took us 2 hours along the paved or hard packed road all the way to the brand new bridge. We had to compete with jeeps of tourists from Cancun racing (literally) down to P. Allen. The changes in Sian Kaan (cement houses and major development) have changed this area significantly.

We enjoyed ourselves tremendously at Copal, spent some great downtime bouncing naked in the waves, and just spending a very quiet few days. We are planning a return trip with friends! How will things change in the next year?

[Gale in KY]

I am a bit concerned about the lights at the beachbar..as turtle nesting season is upon us and the lights confuse the baby turtles as they make their way into the sea after hatching. For those of us who enjoy the darkness on the beach at Copal, I know we much prefer that the illumination of the sand and sea at night is done by the moon and stars, and not electricity.

Change is inevitable, as more and more people venture out of "civilized" Cancun and make their way south, I never in my dreams thought I would read the phrase, "cars racing up and down the road to Boca Paila"..lol!

Thanks for the update, would love to see some updated pictures!:)

[austxdan]

Wow,

These are two completely different takes on Copal. We are booked May 14 - 24th so we'll see for ourselves. I agree, that you can have different clientele on different days that can change your trip. We've hit places where other groups have made us ashamed to be from US, and other times we have made great vacation friends. Luck of the draw I guess.

I am pretty laid back as it is, so I can roll with just about anything. We've got the Seaview King and only plan to rent a car for about 4-5 out of 10 days. Therefore parking won't be much of a problem ;) .

The goal is a relaxing vacation on the beach in Tulum, and any activity is secondary. I am sure that Copal will fit the bill for this.


Dan

[gabrielgdl]

Dear Beachdude:
I'm seriously worried about your comments. We've booked for Copal from June 16/23 for a Oceanview Quad cabana. I'll go with my wife and my 11 and 4 y/o male children. I hope June will be low season, so the place will be more peaceful.
Please, to everybody, put your comments, negative and positive.
Gabriel.

[BeachDude]

I agree, that you can have different clientele on different days that can change your trip. We've hit places where other groups have made us ashamed to be from US, and other times we have made great vacation friends. Luck of the draw I guess.

Yes, I definitely agree on that... Copal is usually very crowded and with the cabanas so close together, the clientele on any given week can have an effect on your time there. It is possible that I was just unlucky and hit a bad crowd.



The goal is a relaxing vacation on the beach in Tulum, and any activity is secondary. I am sure that Copal will fit the bill for this.
Hmmm, that was my goal too, but didn't work out that way. :(
I should note, that I was staying in a jungle cabana, #46 to be exact. There is a path that runs in front the last row of cabanas, and behind the 2nd row of gardenviews. This path is extremely busy, as the workers were *constantly* hustling between Azulik and Copal through here. Also MANY spa attendants going back and forth with supplies, etc. People were passing by every 5 minutes or so, all day long - I'm not kidding!

I think it might not be as bad if you have a seaview or partial cabana, unless you're located on the main beach path. In 2005, I had cabana #11 which was in a very busy area and that's why I decided to get a jungle cabana this time, I thought I would have more privacy there.

[austxdan]

BeachDude,

I appreciate the honesty and calm presentation of your situation. So often a bad experience leads to a lethal "slamming" on boards such as these. I understand your experiences and I'll hope for something better ourselves, and report back after our trip.

So please allow me one minor little diversion from the thread, for a question. I know that Copal does not provide safes in the rooms, and only has a safe in the reception area. Therefore how do you manage not having to carry all your important stuff around with you? A 'day at the beach' shouldn't have to include my passport, camera, all my $$$, etc. Did you lock your suitcases and chain them to a bed? I'm just a little confused by what to expect on this. We're probably going to just pack into a backpack each, but I thought about getting some sort of baggage lock/cable for them.

Your thoughts? And thank you in advance for your help.

Dan

[BeachDude]

I know that Copal does not provide safes in the rooms, and only has a safe in the reception area. Therefore how do you manage not having to carry all your important stuff around with you?

Hey Dan,
Good question! I've been to Copal twice and have never had to worry about theft or crime. I've felt pretty comfortable about leaving valuables in the room while I was gone at the beach, etc.

For luggage, I only had a large duffle bag and kept that in the bottom of the "closet area", away from the cabana windows. I kept my wallet/passport in the bag, tucked away inbetween some clothes. But the bulk of my cash was stashed away inside an empty Band-Aid box at the bottom of my bag. Cell phone was also kept in my bag, in a zippered pocket. I didn't really bring any other 'valuables' besides that (less to worry about!)

As for the Copal safe, well, I've heard that sometimes it's 'available' and sometimes it's not - you can't rely on having 24 hour access to your stuff. Actually, while I was at the reception desk, I saw a guest come by to drop off a small bag of stuff for the safe and the clerk just put it aside, told the guest he would put it in the safe 'later'. I couldn't believe it that the guest was ok with this and just walked away, lol. :rolleyes: I don't think anyone would steal from the safe, but not sure I would trust leaving any major valuables in there...

If you're concerned about locking up your luggage, a good idea might be a bicycle lock or one of those laptop cable locks... you could put your luggage under the bed and chain it to the frame.

Not to worry you too much, but the latches on the cabana doors are rusty and kind of flimsy. If someone *really* wanted to bust into your cabana, they probably could. It's a $1 piece of hardware, not sure why Copal hasn't replaced the latches yet.

So yeah, just use basic common sense and you should be fine - don't leave any valuables out in the open, etc. :)