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About
4.5
#4 of 13 boutique hotels in Tulum
Location
4.4
Rooms
4.4
Value
3.6
Cleanliness
4.6
Service
4.1
Sleep Quality
4.6
A boutique hotel where modern luxury plays in seamless harmony with the natural beauty of Tulum, the trendiest beach destination. Nestled in a pristine white-sand Caribbean beach, this hotel features thirteen elegant villas, a gourmet Mexican kitchen, and a beach club at Playa Pescadores. A privileged location overlooking the Mayan Ruins.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Luxury
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
Carretera Tulum Boca Paila Km 0.5 Zona Hotelera, Tulum 77780 Mexico
Name/address in local language
Kai Tulum
315 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
First of all I want to start by saying the hotel is beautiful, the water is clear and the views are amazing. Our room was soooo pretty. The food and drinks are pricey but worth every dime, really fresh and delicious. The reason I won’t return is the service we got from the restaurant staff. Listen, the hotel is small and not cheap, I would expect a level of care and attention from the staff that reflects the quality of the hotel. My husband is Mexican and I am of Hispanic descent and I noticed from day 1 that the staff was extremely nice and friendly to the non Spanish speaking guests. I was asked on two occasions when I got up to use bathroom if I was going to pick up my towels or should they pick them up. We would have to reiterate that we were guests of hotel and were just leaving beach bed for a little while. They never asked other guests to remove items from Beach beds. When ordering food and I asked to have it charged to my room I was asked if I had credit. While at restaurant I overheard a couple of guests ask in English the same thing and they were not asked if they had credit. Waiters would go to neighboring beds to collect empty drinks and wouldn’t even acknowledge us if we needed anything. I did mention this to front desk and on last day when we spoke in person to front desk, I think he did mention it to staff and all of a sudden during lunch, they were very friendly and asking us if we needed anything. We’ve stayed numerous times at Villa Pescadores next door and they were always nice and friendly and helpful. Listen, we weren’t looking to have them wait on us hand and foot but at least give us the same respect they were obviously giving the other guests. I work with people who make millions to others barely making minimum wage and I treat every single one of them with the same respect and attention. I expected that at this hotel and was very disappointed.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed 4 glorious nights at Kai Tulum with our two kids ages 13 and 10. We were in a double suite with partial ocean view and it was so worth the extra $$. We were tucked away in the corner with no one in front of us. Every morning my husband and I enjoyed our coffee on the patio and looked out at the beautiful Aqua blue ocean. It was such a nice touch having coffee delivered to our patio every morning and they even brought our kids a glass of milk! Check in was very easy and they helped us bring our heavy luggage to our bungalow. Every morning there was someone cleaning up the area in front of the rooms; ranking, picking up leaves and clearing any other fallen debris. We enjoyed many meals at the Kai restaurant and beach club. The servers are so attentive and kind! Josue, we are going to miss you!! We don’t drink so sometimes I feel like our servers are a little put off by that but not Josue! Thank you for making us feel so special! We will definitely be back! Highly recommended!
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Enjoy the Kai Beach club! It’s a wonderful perk of staying at Kai Tulum.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Me and my boyfriend had an incredible experience at Kai Tulum. Our luxury villa was literally in front of the ocean. We fall asleep every night with the sound of the waves. The staff was extremely professional and really covid conscious ( face masks on all the time and hand sanitizers around the hotel). The hotel is located in one of the most beautiful beaches of Tulum: Playa Paradiso. The beach is stunning (white sand and crystal water) and you can walk to the Tulum’s mayan ruins. The restaurant is on the beach and there any many delicious dishes to taste. My favorite is roasted octopus and apple pie with Ice cream. Our stay was like a dream! Can’t wait to go back to Kai ! ❤️
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from pedro maupome, Director General at Kai Tulum
Responded Nov 3, 2020
Hi Luca, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with our readers. Our main goal it´s to pamper our guest as they were at home Also, we follow all the strict procedures that the government requires from us to protect the health of our guest and team members. We can´t wait to have you, Olly and Mr. Fitz back. Thank you! Hector Lizarraga Guest Experience Manager
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I came here with a friend for the day to lounge at the beach and try a new spot. We were able to get 2 lounge chairs that were set away from the others and had a canopy cover, which is lovely. The chairs are comfy.
There is a minimum spend on food and drinks if you aren’t a hotel guest (1k pesos per person). It is doable with some drinks and food, only if they would actually come around and provide service! We were able to get drinks a couple of times but then it seem to have a long wait for anyone to come around to check in on us. They were full and had a decent amount of staff during the covid pandemic. At the end, the server was nice to only charge us the minimum for 1 person instead of 2 of us.
The location of this place on the beach is right in front of the boats going out for snorkeling tours. It was quite crowded at times and the swimming area was blocked off. Just know there is an extra wake when boats come in and out.
The music at the place next door was more upbeat for daytime beach lounging and enjoyable.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from pedro maupome, Director General at Kai Tulum
Responded Jan 6, 2021
Hello Susan, Thank you for sharing your experience with our future visitors! As you realized, December was a really busy period in Tulum but we did our best effort to have more staff in our beach club and restaurant to support high season. We will take your feedback in order to improve the quality of our service . We hope to have you back soon! Thank you! Hector Lizarraga Ahau Collection
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We found Kai by accident in March, when COVID closed one of the sister hotels, Villa Pescadores. We were happily surprised when we saw it was a true upgrade. The villas at Kai are top notch, with great AC, spacious shower, and a very comfortable bed.
Each villa has its own deck and is just steps to the bar, restaurant, and beach. The food and drinks are fresh and delicious, and the pricing is very reasonable for such a comfortable stay.
But the best part about Kai (and Villa Pescadores next door) is the friendly staff. Everyone from the security staff, cleaning staff (Guadalupe was awesome), wait staff, to the managers are absolutely here to create a great stay. We enjoyed it so much, we returned for another 2 weeks in October. Again, the staff was eager to please. Both of the managers, Angel and Raquel, really put forward such great energy and helped to make our stay fantastic. Raquel even surprised us with a beautiful rose petal display after returning from dinner one evening.
When Hurricane Zeta rolled through and we had to be moved to an inland hotel for the night, we were treated extremely well through the whole process.
Definitely consider this convenient stop for beach activities, ruins, and doing absolutely nothing with great drinks!
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Date of stay: October 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pedro Maupome, General Manager at Kai Tulum
Responded Oct 28, 2020
Hi Tim, Thank you so much for your kind review, for Kai and Villa Pescadores family was a pleasure to have you as a guest. We will pass along your comments to all our staff! I am sure they are going to be really happy to hear from you! We hope to see you very soon in paradise! Thank you! Hector Lizarraga Social Media Manager
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After nearly 7 months of being apart from my fiancé because of Covid. We were extremely excited to reunite at Kai Tulum. Kai was the perfect setting for our long awaited reunion. The location of the hotel is paradise, right on the edge of the most stunning white beach with crystal clear, turquoise waters. Our bungalow was decorated beautifully with all the amentities needed with breakfast delivered to our door each morning. The restaurant serves a delicious and creative menu of traditional and new dishes. Service at the hotel is top notch with all staff not only taking covid19 seriously with all the necessary precautions, but doing so with ease and keeping things as normal as possible. There are plenty of things to see and do around the area. We took a quick boat trip to the ruins which are very close by, we also got to swim with turtles and rays. Beautiful sunset beach walks. There is even a nearby jungle gym. Only a short taxi ride to town and local restaurants. We loved our stay at Kai and cant wait to return. Perfect for a romantic get away or a chill weekend with family and friends. Would very much recommend.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:get a beach facing bungalow
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from pedro maupome, Director General at Kai Tulum
Responded Nov 3, 2020
Hi Olly, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderul reunion with us and be part of such an amazing experience at Kai Tulum. We were thrilled that you, Luca and Mr. Fitz stayed with us and were able to enjoyed the restaurant, beach club and the most important that you felt at home. We can´t wait to have you back in the near future. Best Regards, Hector Lizarraga Guest Experience Manager
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I stayed at Kai Tulum for five nights during a solo trip at the end of January. I loved everything about this hotel — the rooms are beautifully decorated with thoughtful and eco-friendly design details. The entire staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and the restaurant was terrific. I tried much of the restaurant’s menu during my stay— the fish was my favorite—and the chef even made me a few special items on request that weren’t on the menu. I enjoyed the quiet location on Playa Pescadores near the ruins. Many restaurants are an easy taxi ride away, and I walked to yoga classes at Azulik and Papaya Playa Project.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pedro M, Guest Relations Manager at Kai Tulum
Responded Jun 3, 2020
Hi Molly, We are so happy that you enjoyed yourself during your stay at Kai Tulum; sometimes you just have to treat yourself in a solo vacation! Our main goal it's to provide the best experience to guest and make them feel that they are at home. We are working to have more recreational activities in our premises. We hope you are going good and please do not hesitate to contact us if you want to plan a trip down to Kai! Thank you and stay safe! Hector Lizarraga guestexperience@kaitulum.com Guest Experience Manager
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This hotel and staff are wonderful especially the manager Fernando and his assistant Antonio. The beach restaurant has excellent food and service by very friendly staff. Everyone at the hotel do there utmost to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. It is in an excellent beachfront position with the placement of the rooms in a lovely garden which has palm trees and associated fauna that will only improve as they mature. The rooms are lovely and roomy in bleached timber style very appropriate to the surroundings . My wife and I had a lovely two week stay there. If I had One reservation? I would say that we expected the hotel to be more exclusive in so much as being on a private beach? It is on a public beach which is fine, except the hotel as all others in Tulum advertise with signs on the beach for clients to use the restaurant and sun loungers as a beach club. This was not a problem for us as it was off season, I do wonder if it would be a problem when very busy. I do believe in those circumstances the hotel would reserve sun loungers for use by their guests! We shall be planning a 2nd visit soon!
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from pedromZ1633LE, Guest Relations Manager at Kai Tulum
Responded Mar 6, 2020
Hello thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. We are very glad that you had a lovely experience and that everything was excellent. Here at KAI we always make sure to give our guest the best quality in food an our amazing. We hope to see you soon. Kind regards Fernando Beltran Guest Experience Manager
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I called to confirm my room before arriving and the person confirmed, then when I arrived at midnight, they were clueless and I DID NOT HAVE A BED.
This hotel has no management, they use the management and reception from the hotel next door and there is NO concept of customer service.
I ended up walking alone down the sandy driveway dragging my bags, looking for a cab- after waiting at security for a cab for 30 minutes, none of them spoke English and I think they were just LYING to appease me.
The next day I did manage to check in and the staff accused ME of lying about the call to confirm my room! They asked for proof that I called!
The beach is so windy you can't sit outside and you are PLASTERED with sand. All over your face and in your eyes.
No room service, no food / drinks once the restaurant closes.
Isolated location, nothing is walkable.
Loud base music from a party nearby kept me awake until 3am every night!
When you eat at the restaurant, they keep asking you to pay, to pay, to pay, you cant even enjoy your meal.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pedro M, Guest Relations Manager at Kai Tulum
Responded Jun 3, 2020
Hello, In behalf of the Kai Tulum family, I would like to apologize for all the inconveniences that you had during your arrival and during your stay. We are doing an investigation of all the topics that you are mentioning and we would like to get in touch if possible. If you could send me your contact information to the email below in order to give you a call. Thank you and stay safe Hector Lizarraga guestexperience@kaitulum.com Guest Experience Manager
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The hotel itself was fantastic and should really be rated completely separately from the restaurant/bar/beach club that goes with it. The beach is one of the most beautiful we have visited in Yucatan, and the loungers and beach beds provided are good and modern. The room (we had a beach bungalow in the first row) is well equipped, well maintained and has a large veranda with a table and a spacious lounger. The shower has a glass roof and you really feel like you are showering outside without coming into too much contact with the wildlife.
Unfortunately, the WiFi was really bad, on some days it didn't work at all for long stretches or if it did, it was so slow that even simple surfing was difficult.
On the one hand, the location of the hotel is very good, the beach is great and you are not crowded like in the hotel zone, the downside is that there is not much nearby. We rented bikes, but that's 15-20 minutes each way into town and the path to the hotel (2.5km) isn't lit at night (lighting was just being built).
The hotel is also in a nature reserve, and you have to pay an entrance fee every day (if you leave the area in between), which isn't particularly expensive (60 pesos) but you're not allowed to take disposable containers with you, which means every time you buy something for your room and want to bring it with you, it's a gamble whether you'll "get it through".
The biggest criticism, however, concerns the restaurant. Not the food or the prices per se, but the behavior of the staff with regard to Tringkeld. Here they are very pushy to get to 18% and sometimes scam-like methods are used:
- The total is stated including the 18% without mentioning it - When asked, they say that this is normal and is just added on - A choice between 15 and 18% is offered on request - When asked further, they say that 16% always has to be given to the kitchen and otherwise the waiter pays for it - The receipt machine suddenly stops working and only the total amount including tip is stated - The first page of the menu with the - cheaper - starters and salads is omitted
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Ein Moped leihen und nicht dort im Restaurant essen.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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