The last review expresses a lot of our feelings about Retiro Maya. We were fortunate enough not to be robbed, but the owner's response doesn't surprise me; her interactions with us were defensive, borderline hostile. It sounds like it was a really rough week for her, a crisis every day, but don't take it out on the guests. I

We arrived exhausted, up since 5am, after a 10 hour trip, to find that she'd given away our room (why? we arrived at 6:00 pm, not the middle of the night). She did find another ocean view room for us, but the whole process took half a hour or more, by which time it was dark. She gestured toward our room, said that's yours, no offer to find someone to help with our bags, and we were too tired to try to unpack by flashlight or try to shower in the dark. I know they had their hands full with a big group, but it was a gloomy start to our vacation.

We knew there was no electricity, and we came prepared with flashlights and reading lights, but for the money we paid, I think she could offer a few more amenities than 3 little candles. We had a enjoyable stay at another "eco-resort" in Mexico, but that place provided lanterns, a big flashlight,lots of candles, including citronella for the bugs, good quality mosquito nets and generally seemed to have thought hard about ways to keep guests comfortable, as well as environmentally friendly. From the amenities provided at Retiro, it looked like the main concern was spending as little money as possible. I didn't realize they don't have a night watchman, but that sounds like part of the economy scheme. Potential guests should realize that they have to pay for breakfast, which I don't think is the case with a lot of the other hotels in the area.

Then there's the water situation. Maybe it's the same at a lot of the smaller lodgings on the beach, but I don't remember seeing this mentioned in other reviews.There's no water early in the morning, and sometimes later in the morning, although it's reliable, and even hot if you want it, the rest of the day.. A couple of mornings, the water was on at 6:00 or so, another day at 7:00, another day at 8:00 and another day it still wasn't on when we left at 8:30. Maybe some folks don't care, but if you like to flush the toilet and wash your face in the morning, it's unpleasant, and if you get a stomach bug, like both my husband and I did one day, it gets pretty squalid pretty quickly. Don't know if this can be remedied by better management, or if it's just the way things are on this property.

Better organization and attitude could improve other problems. When we said we needed breakfast, just something simple asap, as our tour was picking us up at 8:45 (we'd been waiting in the restaurant since 8:00), the owner suggested we go elsewhere. It must have been the day the cook quit, and I'm sorry, I am, but we were starving, and there was no time to go anywhere else.

So, I know it was stressful for her, but problem solve with us, hand us an orange and a box of cereal, but don't just give me attitude. If you freak out at every crisis, the hospitality field is not a good match.

Sorry,everyone for this screed, if anyone's still reading it. Retiro was not our first choice, but a lot of places we wanted were already booked, and the pictures and most of the reviews sounded great. Maybe this was just a bad week, at least in terms of the owner's temperament. The beach is definitely gorgeous, the views from most of the cabanas are lovely, the outdoor bathrooms are great when they have water in them, and we liked the beds OK. But if someone wants the most natural experience possible, I'd suggest checking out the Sian Kaan lodgings (Cesiak?). It's more like camping, but it's less expensive and the beach is even more beautiful.

We stayed for 10 nights at Retiro Maya and it was our first time in Tulum. In our internet research we were astonished about the high prices for the beach cabanas (US$ 150) compared to other places like Asia where you pay for a similar quality US$ 40 or less. But that's Tulum. The Retiro Maya offers an interesting mix of simplicity (sand floor, no electricity) and luxury (private terrace with deckchairs and mattress, very comfortable king size bed, nicely decorated and open bathroom). All cabanas are some kind of linked with each other, they don't stand alone. We had an ocean front cabana which was just 25 meters to the beach - lovely view and very convenient.
Lu - the owner - is very helpful and all staff members were very friendly.
There are more rustic cabanas and also more luxury cabanas around, but the Retiro Maya offers a good mixture - although the simplicity felt a bit artifical to me because there was a concrete floor below the sand and an electric cable without bulb over the bed. On the other hand we really enjoyed the candle light atmosphere (but you need a torch to read!).
We were also very happy with the beach area and the location. Great for walking on the beach and not too far to Tulum Pueblo (by taxi or hitch-hiking).

The welcome here was cold and distance as was the answer to all inquiries, no matter how mild. The food was mediocre. Employee unhappiness was rampant. The chef quit. Others were looking for new jobs. It is one of the few hotels/cabanas without a night watchman. Two guests had items stolen from their cabanas including a high-end cell phone and the hotel extended no help such as an offer of a cell phone or e-mail to call the provider. I, a fellow guest, ended up driving the guest into town to make his cell phone arrangements. Appointments from routine tours to massages to laundry were time-consuming to make and often goofed-up. The owner told our group of guests at the end of our stay that since the employees made so little money, we should tip them generously because the owner believe in abundance!!!. The beach is beautiful, the full room I had was great, and the location is paradise and one hundred yards in either direction is the same thing offered by properties that know the meaning of hospitality and have a deep appreciation for their guests.

This small group of cabanas is on a beautiful beach. There are a lot of other hotels and restaurants on the beach but it did not seem crowded at all, perhaps because we were there before Christmas and all the tourists. The cabana was very romantic, but remember that it gets very dark at night as all you have for light is a few candles. I would recommend bringing a small flashlight to locate any items dropped on the sand floor. The bathroom has a flushing toilet and perfectly working shower but you better not be shy, as anyone walking by in the right angle could see you. I really enjoyed staying at an eco-friendly hotel, but I was concerned with how environmentally friendly their flushing toilets really are. Another important note, you are not allowed to bring food into the hotel. There was a restaurant but it was closed and so were the other ones further down the beach. We found ourselves starving at dinnertime with no taxis traveling by in the dark. We were lucky to catch a ride with a family going to Tulum, or we would have been very hungry and probably not able to enjoy our stay... So, plan accordingly.