It's really hard to figure out which room is larger than the other with camera angles and all. I know you want the absolute best for your vacation, but at times, you'll obsess over every detail between this room and that - this hotel and that - to find your room has been taken. It's happened to me.

Both hotels have great beaches. Shambala has better lounging areas outdoors, but smaller, less styled rooms. I have some photos that I can email you.

Eats are good near Lamar at Kin Ha and Posada Margherita. Shambala has a few places near it: Los Lirios and Esmeralda K (I wouldn't eat at either). A bit more of a walk is Cabanas Tulum for very basic cheap food and Ana y Jose for better food at a higher price (more in-line with pricing at Posada Margherita).

thanks pepper...i know-- i have the tendency to "over think" things. and, to complicate things even more, jade just replied to me about 2 rooms they have available--metail and air -- which both look lovely. do you know anything about this hotel? any, can you send me pictres-- my email is jeanna.michele@gmail.com. thanks so much for your help.

Hi, I haven't stayed at any of these places but I've seen them all. I just visited Jade (remember they pronounce it "Hahday"--took me a while to realize where I was), and the rooms are all really cool. I don't know which ones specifically you're being offered, but we saw three and all very cool.

Problem with Jade (IMO) is that there's no restaurant and I didn't see any beach chairs out front. Now, it was an on-and-off rainy day so maybe they just weren't out, but I like knowing what kind of chairs I'll have my behind planted in all day long. But it is a verrry cool place, all built up in the trees like that.

Shambala has great beach accomodations. Beds, loungers, Adirondack chairs, the whole gamut. It's their best thing. The grounds at Shambala are stunning. Most of the rooms (other than the casa eolo on the oceanfront) are quite small, and I was surprised to see the prices they're asking for such small rooms. Shambala used to be (even last year) very inexpensive.

Posada la Mar (or is it Lamar? never sure) seems pretty cool, but again, nothing in the way of beach chairs that I could see. I passed some people who were staying there but they were lounging on towels in the sand. Me, I like a good chair.

Hemingway has a good variety of chairs, beds and hammocks, and really nice rooms (I'm the one that wrote the review--shocked that it's still the only one on here). They're doing some work to their kitchen, but I've been assured life continues apace there and their food service is not interrupted. Who knows.

Good luck finding a place! I'm just starting my process for my next trip, late Feb./early March.

That's really interesting about the beach chairs or lack of. I wonder what the theory is behind it....no beach chairs on a beach vacation at a beach hotel. Just another thing to add to the checklist when inquiring about hotels...ugh!!!

Thanks so much for the info....we now have a decision to make mas pronto. We are debating between Bungalow Rubi at Posada Lamar which is right on the ocean or the Air--a.k.a "Jungle Nest"-- at Jade. Boty seem very nice but I want to make sure we can get drinks easily at Jade and I like the fact that Posada lamar is right next to a decent restaraunt. Since we will not have a car, i wonder which one is more convenient for eating and such. Both seem to have excellent beaches and great ambience. Decisions, decisions...

Lamar is definitely the closest to good food and drink. Literally next door to Kin-Ha and Posada Margarita.

And I reviewed my beach pictures, and I think I was wrong about their beach chairs and such. They do have them. For some reason the people I talked to were just hanging on towels, but maybe they were just more comfortable on the sand. But they do have chairs and such, at least they did last March.

Jeanna, just wondering if you made your decision and when you'll be going. I'm leaning toward Lamar if I can get a room, but I might just go stay at Kin-Ha after all.

i have been away for a while. we decided on shambala and will be going in 9 days. thanks so much for all of your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!