Category Archives: Cabanas

Cabanas and hotels in Tulum

Rosa del Viento, a top boutique hotel, restaurant and beach club (for a fraction of its value!)

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I was recommended Rosa del Viento last year in one of my express visits to Tulum, but for one reason or the other I had never had enough time to stop by. What a regret!

I always thought hotels and restaurants are more about people than anything else. Actually, success with every business, sport or hobby is always about passionate people. I was on the plane today reading June’s Wired edition (back from Tulum to Mexico City) while accidentally stumbled upon by an article about the next generation of social networks. The journalist was saying that in order to pick the winner you need to watch how obsessed are the founders about the issue they want to “solve” more than anything else. And this is what I’ve found at Rosa del Viento: obsession with the Tulum’s finest lifestyle, meaning top food, style and relax at a perfect beach.

Let’s start with the best: people! Massimo, Elisa and the rest of the crew of Rosa del Viento make the big difference. From the Mediterranean Sicily, Massimo has a family tradition and obsession for good food. You just need to spend five minutes close to the kitchen watching Massimo taking care of every detail, and eventually sending back to the oven (or trash) one dish every now and then because his “Nonna” or “Mamma” would not be proud of it. Elisa provides the nice PR touch, and takes care of patrons. She is clearly the macro manager of Massimo’s up-to-the-detail micro-macromanagement. Perfect matching.

Food is just great. Simple, as the best of Italian cuisine, it is all about good quality ingredients, love and artsy touch. The wood oven is the key piece of Rosa del Viento’s cuisine. Freshly made Italian pizzas and whole fishes are baked alike at the oven. The Napolitan pizza I had three days in a row only has a matching peer in Napoli. The whole “boquinete” or “mero” fishes slowly cooked on the oven can create addiction. They also have amazingly fresh pasta, just made of Italian imported flour to keep the original flavor (Lobster ravioli or Seafood tagliatelli were my favorites). The wine list is one of the best at the Tulum beach, a decent line-up of Italians (usually very pricey in Mexico- same as in New York City) and a greatly balanced offer of Argentines Malbecs and Torronteses for less than $50. I had Aguijón de Abeja Torrontés (Salta, Northern Argentina) to marry the Ceviche, and a powerful Bianchi Particular (Cabernet Blend from San Rafael, south Mendoza) to tame the anchovies of the Napolitan pizza. Rosa del Viento also boasts typical mexican beach staples: fish tacos and ceviche. They are both fresh and tasty. The fish tacos (had ‘em three times!) have an amazing taste of chipotle chili’s.

Then, there’s the great beach club and an the white sand beach. Best beach south of Tulum. Pristine powder white sand, perfect turquoise sea, and almost no rocks under your feet, just a comfy sand bed. A group of stoic palm trees to give you the shade you want, beach chairs and beds, and attentive waiters to see when your Victoria beer has got warm to replace it by a new one…

The hotel has 15 rooms, most of them with sea view. They are all air-conditioned and very comfortable, and extremely clean (not always the rule in some of the Tulum eco-chic hotels). Rosa del Viento is a place suitable for top models, trendy tourists, the average family, honeymooners, couples with kids, retirees, and mostly everybody other than the hordes of cheap-all-inclusive individuals looking for inexpensive beer. While we were there the crowd included top models, photographers and other celebrities, couples from USA, Canada and Europe, hipsters from Mexico city and families with kids and dogs from Tulum and Playa del Carmen. Big bias on New Yorkers and Californians.

The hotel and restaurant have another great advantage: they are really low cost compared to the value you get. Hotel rooms cost from US$ 150 to US$ 250 in top season, a fraction of the cost in similar places in Tulum. Food at the restaurant is also very reasonably priced, including the wines and liquors (the latter extremely inexpensive – good drinks from US$ 6).

Rosa del Viento will soon be spotted by the New York mainstream media as already happened with Be Tulum, Coqui Coqui and Hartwood, and become a favorite of the fashion and trendy crowds.

You can contact Rosa del Viento at : +52 (984)-164-9903
Email: rosadelviento@gmail.com

How to get to Rosa del Viento? If you drive from Cancún or Playa del Carmen, when you get to Tulum, before getting into town, turn left at the Boca Paila road (at the crossroad of the San Francisco supermarket), once you get to the beach crossroad (Adonis hotel) turn right and drive 6 kilometers on the beach road, you will see the Rosa del Viento sign on your left.

Coqui Coqui: design boutique hotel in Tulum (new visit)

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Last week I paid a new visit to Coqui Coqui to know more about the success story of this beautiful boutique hotel at the Tulum beach. Coqui Coqui, founded by the ex-model Nicolás Maleville, is one of the top eco chic hotels at the Tulum beach strip.

I sat with Marcos, one of the two hotel managers at the cute cafeteria decorated with large mirrors and perfumerie glasses and we let the chat flow.

Coqui Coqui Tulum has only seven rooms. The hotel was built on what was Nicolás’ own beach refuge (the cafeteria/reception was a large sea facing living room). In the 8 years the hotel has been operating it has built a recurrent base of happy guests, many of them celebrities from the fashion industry and Hollywood. And the reason why they come to Tulum is to find what they miss in New York, LA, Paris or London: anonymity, laid-back relax and being treated as any other guest. Many of the fashion celebrities are former colleagues and friends of Nicolás Maleville, like Kate Moss or Giselle Bundchen, but the fame of the Coqui Coqui in this special group of people has gone beyond a personal network and reached specialized and exclusive design, travel and lifestyle publications (including this site lol!). Many of this famous clients visit Coqui Coqui up to three times every year.

Due to the small size of the hotel, occupation rate is high, only September can be considered kind of a low season. To book a night in the top season (around New Year’s Eve) you’d better book 4-5 months in advance. Rates can go from $210 in low season for a regular room to $430 for a suite in higher season. Rates are relatively low compared to neighbor hotel and also very chic Be Tulum (nothing below $350).

For those clients who prefer to stay for dinner, Coqui Coqui has hired Sergio Granados, a famous chef who built his reputation at Los Cabos. Upon reservation, and for $86 per person (including wine) Sergio can surprise you with three-course meal of delicious mexican cuisine inspired in old mayan recipes. Most clients combine the Coqui Coqui restaurant dining with scouting excursions to the other good restaurants in town, mainly to the Hartwood (I found three Coqui Coqui guests there after my visit), located 200 yards across the beach road.

Coqui Coqui has a unique spa service, using all the house’s perfumes, soaps, creams and scents. The spa offer is ample and tempting for both individuals and couples. The spa area has amazing design. Located on the top of the building, it has natural ventilation and you can hear the soft rumour of the Caribbean waves washing the beach (no need for the typical ambience music of the spas).

The hotel is operated by just 10 people, with Marcos and Gabriela shifting the hands-on daily management. Service is very close, all guests called by their names by all the personnel.

Coqui Coqui also has a presence in nearby Valladolid, Cobá ruins and the city of Mérida. The Valladolid and Mérida hotels are one bedroom old mansions, they are rented on an exclusive basis for $280/night. The Cobá ruins property has 5 bedrooms in front of the Cobá lagoon. The rooms upstair have a view on the amazing Cobá pyramids surrounded by the Mayan jungle.

Read the previous & complete review of Coqui Coqui hotel Tulum.

Posada Marguerita: cozy boutique hotel and best Italian restaurant in Tulum

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Posada Marguerita is one of the best hotels in the Tulum beach, and certainly the best Italian restaurant in Tulum.   It is Italian owned and operated, with the exception of the knowledgeable local staff who actually prepares the food.

As Alessandro Carozzino, one of the Genoese owners will explain, the pasta (tagliatelli, fetuccini) is hand made at the very moment you order from the very short but rounded menu.  He usually sits at the tables and explains the menu in an entertained way only an Italian could do. We were briskly cut off by an authoritarian Alessandro when asking about appetizers, he would bring a full table with pizza, focaccia bread, olives and raw coleflower to keep us busy while we waited for the entrée and sip some good Italian wine.

The food is pricey for Tulum (mains around $30), but they are extremely good, especially the pasta (order your favorite one with crutatta of vegetables -pine nuts, tomato, zucchini- or seefood -shimps).  The fish dishes depend on the catch of the day, local fisherman from Tulum would deliver the best they get every morning to Alessandro and his crew directly from the boat.  The fish dishes are mostly cooked using sea water and lemon juice.   Do not miss the excellent Tiramisú, it is made with actual italian Mascarpone cheese.

The Posada Marguerita boutique hotel only has 8 rooms, in a rustic and minimalistic style (called eco-chic now).   The rooms upstairs are said to have a better view, but all are beautifully decorated and located between palm trees, enjoying the sound of the sea turf from every room.

The beach of the hotel is just perfect, 3 km of pristine beaches only shared with few other boutique hotels.  The restaurant is very small, there are not that many good options for fine dining in Tulum yet, so make sure you make a reservation at +52 984 801 8493.

 

If you just walk-in and have to wait for a while it is not that bad, the place is always lively and fun to have a drink at the small lounge areas.  The architecture is very simple: a combination of “palapa” (thatched roof) with rustic wood tables and floor, and open spaces overlooking a tropical garden and the sand.  You’ll be relaxed and comfortable.   The whole place is mostly powered by solar panels (your iphone needs to be recharged at the reception or restaurant).

 

Hotel Posada Marguerita is located at the 4.5 km of the Tulum-Boca Paila road (you need a car or cab ride to get there, or ride your bicyble from the Tulum town for 30 minutes).   There are other good options for dining near Posada Marguerita, if you stay there and want some change you can head to The Hartwood (a top restaurant) or Casa Jaguar, a trendy restaurant and bar for drinks after dinner.

Coqui Coqui, eco-chic hotel and fashion celebrities at the Tulum beach

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Coqui Coqui is a one of a kind hotel in Tulum and one of the best examples of the trendy eco-chic design style that predominates in Tulum.  Founded by the famous Burberry, Donna Karan, etc. model Nicolás Maleville, this 7-room hotel is visited by celebrities and owner’s friends from the fashion industry and Hollywood.

Daria Werbowy, Kate Bosworth, James Rousseau, Rene Zellweger, Sienna Miller and Amy Sacco among other are some of the names in the guest list.  The perfect Mayan beach, far away from tourists and fan hordes are an irresistible attraction for true celebrities.

The Coqui Coqui hotel value proposition is simple, yet unique in Tulum: architecture resembling the Mayan ruins (local limestone), traditional mayan handycrafts (including a hammock) and a gadget-less life (rooms have no electricity, and night light is provided by an unlimited amount of hand made candles).  Mobile phone coverage is dodgy or non-existent. All the hotel 7 rooms and the restaurant-bar are powered by 12 volts solar panels; back to basics.

Coqui Coqui is the perfect romantic getaway for couples, do not expect much more than a perfect beach, a blue Caribbean sea, a lively coral reef and a cozy rustic-design room.  If traveling with kids Coqui Coqui might not be the most comfortable place, and you might spoil somebody’s honeymoon or romantic escape.  Dogs are welcome.

If you feel like leaving your little heaven in Coqui Coqui for some more social activity and try the Tulum dining scene you have very good alternatives just a 30 minute walk again (or a 5 minute bicycle drive away).  Just 1.500 meters/0.9 mile away (on the direction of the Sian Kan natural reserve) you have Casa Jaguar, the trendiest bar in Tulum, 200 meters more and you can find The Hartwood, the best of the New York dining scene with local organic ingredients, creative tropical cocktails, a wood fired oven and a sandy floor.

Coqui Coqui offers double rooms and suites from $250 (and up to $500), a reasonable price for a piece of paradise and a 24hs of cable, wireless, wired, 3g, 4g and satellite disconnect.  Anywhere, if you just cannot wait to update your Facebook status and post photos of your feet at the perfect pristine beach you can access free internet wifi at the lobby/restaurant.

Coqui Coqui offers full spa service, using the scents, soaps and oils made by themselves using local ingredients (also provided at the rooms as part of the service).   Rene Zellweger is told to ship tons of them on her way back to the US.

The hotel is run by Nicolas’ friends and family, and the help of friendly locals.  Expect warm service, like your family’s tropical beach retreat.  Actually, the hotel was born as Nicolás’ idea of a private beach cabana, but living in New York City while modeling required a lot of attention and maintenance costs, so Nicolas’s decided to start renting it out.  Coming from a tiny town lost in the Argentine Pampas (Adela María, 60km south of Río Cuarto, Córdoba Province), he was fascinated with the Tulum pristine beaches and palm trees as me when he first visited them in 2001.  Nicolás now lives in Williamsburgh (Brooklyn, New York City), only 3 hours away to the Cancún airport.  If the Tulúm airport (Aeropuerto de la Riviera Maya) is built he and all the New Yorkers that love Tulum will be closer to paradise than ever.

Nicolás Maleville also owns another two boutique hotels, one in the middle of the Yucatán Jungle nearby the impressive Mayan ruins of Cobá (probably the most authentic, uncovered, jungle surrounded ones) and another one at the cozy small town of Valladolid, a XVII’s century Spanish colonial town and the heart of the splendor of the “henequen” (rope) exploitation in the XIX’s century, a place worth visiting to fly back on time just 1 hour drive from Tulum.

If you notice the hotels’ decoration and landscaping are just perfect it is not a coincidence.  Nicolás Maleville graduated as landscape architect.  He studied in Argentina and then in London, where he used to have garden clients in Chelsea and other affluent neighborhoods.  His career as a model started just by chance.  He was visiting Punta del Este, the trendy summer spot in Uruguay, working part time at Los Negros, the famous Francis Mallman restaurant when he was spotted by Kate Moss and his agent.

Coqui Coqui is a great place for a long weekend.  Get to JFK or La Guardia, catch a three hour flight.  Once in Cancún rent a car, drive south 1.5 hour.  Once you get to Tulum (before entering into town and after the Tulum Mayan ruins) go to the crossroad that leads to the beach (Tulum-Boca Paila road).  Get your odometer (milage counter) to zero, turn left towards the beach (you will see a “Chedraui” supermarket and the firefighters station on your left), drive 3km and once you get to the crossroad turn on your right.  You will start seeing hotels on your left and some shops on your right.  And jungle, and people in their bicycles heading to the beaches and beach clubs.  When your odometer marks 5.9 you will see the Coqui Coqui hotel sign.  Enjoy!

 

 

Be Tulum, a top eco-chic hotel, restaurant and beach club in Tulum Mexico

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Be Tulum is a one-of-a-kind place in Tulum.  Recently opened (2011), it boasts stylish cabanas secluded in the jungle, most of them in the upper floors featuring private terraces with jacuzzi and a breathtaking view to both sea and the jungle of the Sian Kaan reserve.

With a combination of excellent materials, love and a lots of good taste, Be Tulum is probably the nicest hotel at the Tulum Beach.  Its sophistication has a cost though, double rooms start above $300, a bit more than other hotels in the area with less enchantment.

The beach club and restaurant is a great option for both hotel guests and visitors.  On weekends they offer a tasty barbecue.  They have a great wine list and live music (the jazz band played the best version of “Summertime” I have ever listened to in a live event).  A plus of the beach clubs is that it boasts the hipster crowd of the Tulum sand.