We stayed here for two nights and had an amazing time. Diane is a great host and we felt very welcome. The food was great and during our trip to calakmul she made sure we had everything we needed. We had a guide Luis who she recommended and arranged everything. Would definitely recommend staying here and book a tour with Luis as well.
We stayed at Bec Dreams which is situated in the middle of the jungle. Despite the isolated location the rooms were beautifully designed and looked after. The sound of animals and serene gardens were a joy. There is limited Wi-Fi which isnt a surprise given its location, yet Diane (charasmatic, knowledgeable) who runs it still manages to offer delicious food: we ate pork with apple and chicken fajitas (just let her know in advance). We didn't have the time to visit Calakmul ruins as we were on the way to Bacalar so Diane suggested Becan and Dzibanche (both incredible which we experienced alone). Our only downfall was only staying one night.
This place has been here many years. Authentic experience. Tastefully done. Diane, owner, is very knowledgeable about Maya ruins in the area, and quite opinionated and delighted to share. Don't miss it! Diane takes great pride in her cooking. Let her know your dinner plans in advance, because cooking can take a while...
The owner of the hotel is the most amazing person you will ever meet! She started as one of the first guides in Calakmul and knos all about the temples/pyramids. The food was really good and freshly cooked. The rooms are are away from the road in the middle of the jungle, which was nice and quite. The rooms and linnen where really clean and the probably the best we had throughout Mexico. I definitely recommend you to stay here!
My wife and I really enjoy staying here. Yes, we love the comfort of a Hilton or even a Wyndam hotel, but the jungle is a different place altogether. The facility is owned, and operated by a single, unstoppable power-house of a woman, Diane. She is a well-spring of knowledge when it comes to Mayan ruins, often hosting Archeologists at her place when they are in need of a rest, or maybe they come for the drinks and conversation. We have met people from many different countries staying here, and the conversations are awesome. Yes, we've even encountered an "ugly American" or two passing through. So far we have been to about 25 Mayan ruins over the years, and Diane has given us sage advice prior to visiting about half of them. We plan to be back again this Fall, before going to Tikal and Caracol. Oh, I almost forgot to say food is really great too. BTW, when you travel in Mexico, bring bug repellent.…
Stayed here recently. 1st issue: On arrival the wrong room was given. Upon asking one of the 2 workers here, I was informed I would have to wait on the owner to come back from shopping to make the change. Keep in mind, we were the only guests staying on the property that night. 2nd issue:When the owner came, she was not friendly. I told her I needed to go to town(town is 10 min away) to get some things. She said she was locking the gate at 10p because she is old,and has been on the road all day in car with no air conditioning. I understand the gate closes at a certain time per her policy, but I wasn't interested in hearing her stories about her day or her air conditioning. As a business owner she should keep her personal life to herself. At no time did I feel the need of sharing the short comings of my day to her. 3rd issue: when paying for the stay the owner stated she could only accept cash because in the one hour it took for her to get there to switch our rooms,"you used all my wifi, and now I can't run a credit card". Give me a break lady. She could of just said she preferred cash instead of lying. 4th issue: the jungle hut that I stayed in only had a trickle of water coming out of the shower. I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to bathe with a trickle of water. There was no one to help with this because the only person on the property was the owner. According to the only 2 workers at night, they leave and don't come back until the morning. Can you imagine having to inconvenience the owner with this issue, let alone trying to find her on the property. 5th issue: upon trying to check out in the morning. There was no one at the bar/ desk. I rang a bell and the owner yelled she was going to open the front gate. She drove her car to the front. The drove back to wherever she stays and never came out again. I got tired of waiting and just left the keys on the bar and left. I would stay elsewhere. Bad service,rude unprofessional owner. Steer clear. This place should be called rio bec nightmares instead of rio bed dreams…
Staying at Rio Bec Dreams was like living the dream of being an archaeologist, sleeping in a jungle cabin, hanging out in a palapa-roofed bar sipping cocktails with fellow travellers, chatting Maya history and archaeology with the owner Diane over margaritas and setting off by day to explore the nearby ruins of Calakmul, Balamku, Becan, Xpujil and Chicanna, equipped with chilled drinks and a delicious lunch picnic. The jungle cabanas are equipped with coffee-makers and a good supply of ground coffee so after a night of solid sleep to the music of insects in the surrounding thicket we enjoyed a morning cup on the verandah reading one of the owner Diane Lalonde's information-packed books about Calakmul. The food was some of the best we ate in all of Mexico, including at a couple of smart Mexico City and Yucatan restaurants. The breakfasts are simply amazing, local fruit of many kinds and eggs any style. The dinners are like eating in a fancy gastro-pub in the English Cotswolds - international cuisine of a wonderful quality. Don't miss out on the packed lunch - Mexican bolillo bread makes utterly delicious sandwiches and Diane's kitchen staff made us the yummiest fillings. All packed up in a cool-bag with enough ice to chill our Fanta when we returned hot and sweaty and exhausted to the car after our walking tour of Calakmul. It's been three weeks since we stayed and I still think about the food at Rio Bec Dreams. There's also a very cute and friendly black cat. :) Also the previous reviewer is right, Diane makes as good as margarita as I drank in Mexico, including posh bars in Mexico City.…
Diane, the owner, makes the best ever margaritas and she is an excellent cook. Three friendly dogs and a black cat are the welcome comittee. The jungalows are cosy, the most interesting (and sparsely visited) Maya sites are nearby.. You are getting good value for your money, and last not least, enjoy evening chats at the bar with a remarkable host. We wouldn't have minded to stay longer than two days.
What can I say, other than that our experience at Rio Bec Dreams was everything I’d hoped for and more? During Covid, I read much of my Lonely Planet Mexico book as a daydreaming exercise, and dog-eared the page with Rio Bec Dreams because it sounded so perfect. When we finally felt comfortable enough to travel, it was only a matter of making the booking (I suggest using their info-rich website). We were lucky enough to spend 9 days and Diane made us feel right at home from the moment we arrived. Her encyclopedic knowledge of Maya sites is equaled only by her enthusiasm to share it with you to enrich your visits. She is a charming hostess and a firecracker who you’ll love to chat with. We stayed in a cabana which was beautifully appointed and completely comfortable. We adored having the screen windows and waking up to the sounds of the birds. The cabana is well designed to be airy and has good, quiet fans, so we never missed air conditioning. The food is delicious and fresh, and each order is plentiful—you won’t go to bed hungry! The resident Jack Russells and cat, Dusty, charmed us thoroughly too. Highly recommend this as a calm, comfortable jungle getaway, especially if you have deep interest in Maya history and archaeology.…
We spent two nights at Rio Bec and really had a wonderful stay. Great food and staff. Clean cabins. The location is excellent to explore the Calakmul area. The owner Diane is an expert on Maya history and can really help make the most of your trip to this area. Highly recommended!
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