It’s probably THE most famous hotel in Tulum: The Azulik is known for it’s boho chic  design and eco friendly concept. But what is it really like to stay in the most insta famous hotel in Tulum.. and probably whole Mexico? This is my honest review about our stay at the Azulik Tulum OR “Why you shouldn’t stay at the Azulik in Tulum”….

The first impression

After visiting the Azulik hotel already two years ago, when we just came for dinner in their famous restaurant Kin Toh and got treated like “second-class guests”, we thought that the experience would probably be a lot better if you’re an actual guest that stays at the hotel. So we gave the Instagram famous hotel another chance and regularly booked a room. But oh.. How little did we know.

The Check In process went smoothly: We left our car with the valet service & we got escorted to the room. We walked over bamboo steps and crossed suspension bridges. I was so excited to finally see the whole hotel with my own eyes and of course to see the rooms!

The rooms – Back to nature… or not?

We stayed in a Jungle villa which reminded me of a tree house with a cool eco chic design – just like I expected it. But when we entered the room I was surprised that it was very hot & humid inside. I was looking for the button to turn on the AC but the guy who escorted us to our room was like “oh no.. we don’t have one.. it doesn’t fit our eco philosophy” – “Okay..” I thought “…If that’s their concept than this makes sense”. But due to the missing AC the mattress and pillows in the bed are always in a very humid surrounding and honestly I felt like our bed was a bit stinky… Later I also realized that we just had ONE power outlet in the whole room and NO electric lights. Instead you find candles in your room. They are nice for a romantic evening  but don’t light up the room after sunset at all, so we used our phone flashlight instead…

Additionally you won’t find a bathroom with a shower. Instead they put a small tub around the corner of the bedroom with a coconut shell to put the water over your body by hand. Very much back to nature! But what didn’t fit the whole eco concept at all was that the bottled water for guests have plastic caps and that all amenities like shower gel and shampoo come in small single use plastic bottles – which you barely find in any four or five star hotels anymore these days. Especially not in the eco friendly ones! I mean – you don’t have electric lights cause it’s “too bad for the environment” but you exchange these small plastic bottles DAILY?

The terrace was my favorite part of the villa

The nonexistent Guest Service

Mexican people in general are extremely kind and welcoming but the staff at the Azulik in Tulum has been mostly arrogant and unfriendly. It’s like Guest Service doesn’t really exist at this hotel.

The first time we noticed that was when we were taking pictures of the hotel area for our blog. Seeing a “professional camera” (Which means at the Azulik: Everything which is no Phone) puts the staff into panic mood. The security guard who spotted us told us to follow him to the reception just as we were criminals. The receptionist told us to show him our camera in a very rude way and said that it’s forbidden to take any “professional photos” in the hotel. “Our website clearly says that cameras are forbidden – just as the sign right at the entry! If you wanna use your camera you have to pay a daily fee of 350,- USD!” The sign he was talking about was a tiny wooden symbol somewhere in the reception which you can barely   see and WHO checks the hotel website for special rules before checking in?

The “different” sunset experience

What makes the Azulik in Tulum so photogenic are the nests on top of the roofs of the restaurant which offer an incredible view over the resort and the ocean – especially during sunset. Therefore all new arriving guests are welcomed to enjoy a sunset cocktail in one of these nests. I was so excited about it.. cause last time – as restaurant guests – we weren’t allowed to enter them.
Arriving at the staircase which leads up to the roof a security guard escorted us to one of the nests which was already quite packed and at the very side of the resort – overlooking the construction side next to the hotel instead of offering a nice view. “Oh.. that’s not where we wanna spend the sunset” we thought and walked to one of the other nests which was connected to ours via a suspension bridge. It was a way bigger one with a bar and the most amazing view over the resort. But as soon as we sat foot on the connecting bridge we heard: “Stop! You’re not allowed to go! Only for VIP’s” from the security guard. Totally baffled we went back and thought “hmm maybe it’s a closed event or only for guests of the highest room categories” But I noticed another staff member selling tickets right under the nests and went to her to ask why we were not allowed to watch the sunset from this particular nest even though we are hotel guests. “Oh… this area is not for hotel guests…” she said “..it’s for people which don’t stay with us but buy a ticket for 50,- USD for one hour to experience our sunset cocktails” – “So I can’t go there as a hotel guest who paid almost a thousand dollar per night?” – “No. You have to get a ticket as well”…..

the last straw that broke the camel’s back

After this unpleasant experience we decided to eat dinner outside of the hotel. The Azulik has a valet service for the cars of all guests since there are no parking lots right in front of the hotel. We experience this kind of service in many other hotels before and it’s never been a problem: You just call the reception around 10 Minutes prior you need your car and they bring it to the entrance for you. So of course we called the reception to get our car. A lady answered the phone and told me that she would connect me with the guest service instead. Okay. Two rings and an automated voice told me “We are currently busy. Try again later.” And hung up. But we really needed our car, so I tried to call again – the same happened. 5 mins later – again. So I tried to call the lady from the reception one more time but she didn’t answer anymore – I just got the same automated voice that told me to try again later! And Remember… you’re in a 5 star hotel – the most expensive one in Tulum – and no one answers the phone several times in a row? Usually we wouldn’t freak out about it but after making all these unpleasant experiences it was just the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

An Unwanted Wake Up Call

Tulum nights known for beach parties and often staying up until the early morning hours. So we were very much looking forward to sleep a bit longer the next morning after celebrating into our birthday the night before. But suddenly – 6 am – I was standing in my bed after hearing a loud horn blowing. Do yo remember the nest from the sunset experience? Oh… they have a sunrise yoga experience there too! People were chatting and they put on some music right above all the rooms in the resort. And let me tell you that wooden rooms aren’t very well acoustically isolated.. I felt like these people have been standing right in front our room. After ONE HOUR and when the sun has been risen completely they blew into the horn several more times and this was probably when EVERYONE in the resort woke up.

I don’t know if they have this sunrise event happening every day or just at certain days but I felt like it is so rude to wake up everyone in the resort to do something quiet and relaxing as yoga? Why don’t you do it at the beach? Why do you need to play loud music? And why the hell do you have to blow into this god damn horn???

RÉSUMÉ – Is the Azulik Tulum worth the hype?

Hell NO! I’ve never experienced anything like this before!!! We were so lucky that we only stayed for one night and didn’t waste our money to be treated unwanted and disrespectful any longer. The Azulik definitely has an eye catching design and is super photogenic. But what’s the point if you don’t allow guests to take pictures and if you don’t give your own guests access to the best spots in the hotel?

I know this isn’t my usual hotel review and normally I’m not that kind of person which complains about everything but PLEASE don’t waste your money at the Azulik Tulum and please spread this message to make more people aware of it! After sharing our experience in my stories on Instagram I got sooo many messages of people which made similar and even worse experiences at the Azulik which totally ruined their stay in Tulum

There are so many other amazing hotels in the area which have a REAL eco friendly concept, nice boho designs and which truly care about the well-being of their guests: Like the NOMADE or the COCO Tulum which we absolutely loved!

Plan your stay in Tulum!

You may also like to read:

• My Hotel Review of the Nômade Tulum
• The best things to do in Cabo San Lucas
• My Yucatan Road Trip Guide

Cabo San Lucas is the best known town in Baja California Sur at Mexico’s West Coast. It’s known for luxury resorts & it’s clubbing scene but also for it’s incredible wild life and landscape. Find out in this post what are the best things to do in Cabo and the surrounding area.

Find a map with the exact location of all mentioned places in this blog post below

1. Visit Lovers & Divorce Beach

How to get to Lovers & Divorce Beach?

These beaches are without any doubt the most beautiful but also the best known beaches in Cabo. You can only reach them by boat from the marina. It’s a shuttle service so you pay for both ways before the ride. At the marina you will find many companies which are offering the transfer and it’s not necessary to book the tickets in advance. All you have to do is walking along the marina – I promise you: You will get several offers for the transfer within a minute! Make sure you don’t pay more than 20 USD for two persons and for both ways. They usually ask you to pay the double but there’s room for bargaining.

In times of Covid and to avoid masses at the beach you’re now only allowed to spend a maximum of one hour at both beaches unfortunately. The last pick up from the beach is at 4 pm so make sure to plan the best time for your visit in advance.

Lovers Beach

Lovers and Divorce Beach are located right opposite of each other but offer very different conditions. Lovers Beach is very calm which makes it perfect for swimming and snorkeling. We actually planned to do that but within one hour we didn’t had enough time for it.

Divorce Beach

Divorce Beach offers the most amazing views at the rock formations and Mt. Solmar behind you but it’s not possible to swim here since the sea is extremely rough with high waves. At the Divorce Beach I would recommend you to walk right to the end of the beach to the rocks. If you climb up a bit you will have a nice view over the whole beach.

But no worries – you don’t have to decide for one option during your stay, you can simply walk between both beaches within a few minutes.

P.S. If you’re wondering about the name of the beaches – they are not related to couples and their relationship status They got these names due to the heavy contrast of the conditions at both sides even though they are so close to each other.

Divorce Beach seen from the water

2. Watch the sunset at Solmar Beach

The beautiful Solmar Beach is located close to Divorce Beach – but on the other side of Mount Solmar which makes it impossible to walk from one beach to the other. Solmar Beach has a rough sea too and amazing sunset views but other than Lovers & Divorce Beach you can reach it by foot. Make sure to park your car at the marina and walk the rest. Unfortunately it’s not possible to park right at the beach since it’s surrounded by hotels. To reach Solmar Beach you have to walk through one of these hotel complexes. We chose the Terrasol Beach Resort since it’s a complex with different apartment buildings that you can pass without having to walk through a lobby.
The sun will set at the right side of the beach which is amazing for pictures cause you’ll not only have the ocean as a background but also a rock with houses on top which looks a lot like Positano in Italy
Make sure to bring a blanket and some drinks to enjoy the most spectacular sunsets at Solmar Beach.

It’s a short but intense hike which reminds more of climbing the higher you get! So make sure to wear proper shoes. At the top you can enjoy the incredible views over Cabo San Lucas, the sea of Cortez, Divorce Beach and Solmar Beach right under you! If you walk around a bit you can find some amazing perspectives for photos

There is no entry fee for this hike but all hikers gives the guide a little tip at the end as a thank you for letting them in, explaining the area and showing the safest way up und down.

Click here to plan your stay in Cabo San Lucas

4. Hop on a Boat

If you’re visiting Cabo San Lucas you just can’t leave without doing a boat tour to see the beautiful rock formations from the water, to go snorkeling and if you’re here in the winter months even watch some whales! Located at the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) the area is a paradise for divers and snorkelers. There’s actually nothing you can’t see here: From sea lions and marlins to dolphins and the whales!

We did our tour with Dive Ninja Expeditions in Cabo and can absolutely recommend this company if you’re looking for a professional team which truly cares about its customers and the wildlife. We had a private boat tour in the morning and it’s been one of my favorite experiences in Cabo San Lucas!

First stop was the most impressive rock formation of Cabo: The Arch! It was naturally formed by the wind and sea and can only be seen from a boat! The closer you come to the arch the louder you will hear the sounds of the sea lions which relax on the surrounding rocks or jump into the water to catch some fish! There are so many of them and it’s absolutely cute to watch them

On the way to a calm snorkeling spot we cruised along the coast line and watched at least three to four groups of humpback whales! They migrate to the Sea of Cortez from mid November until mid April. If you’re visiting Cabo San Lucas during the peak season from December to March it’s almost guaranteed that you will see some of them jumping out of the water which is a truly impressive spectacle.

Due to Mexican Law it’s not allowed to swim or dive with these gentle giants but no worries – the sea of Cortez is so rich in Maritime Life that you have much more to see! We did a short snorkeling tour close to the coast to watch some corals and colorful fish but if you go a little deeper you can even see marlines, dolphins, mantas and everything else the ocean has to offer. The team of Dive Ninja Expeditions also offers amazing diving tours you shouldn’t miss if you have a diving license or planning to get one

5. Visit Todos Santos

The weather in the area of Cabo is mostly sunny throughout the whole year but during our visit at the end of January we got a bit unlucky with some rainy days. So we thought why not visiting the nearby town Todos Santos which one of my followers recommended us. It’s around one hour from Cabo San Lucas by car and known for its artesian shops and art galleries but also has some lovely little restaurants that are worth a visit.

The city is still not very touristy and much smaller, quieter and less modern than Cabo San Lucas. You can still feel the real Mexican culture in the historical center Todos Santos with many colorful houses and while strolling through the little boutiques and art galleries of locals.

For lunch we made a stop at a small restaurant run by a local family. They make the BEST fish and shrimp tacos I ever had! So make sure to visit “Tacos y Mariscos El Sinaloense” for a lunch break!

The colorful houses of Todos Santos

The best Shrimp & Fish Tacos

6. Visit La Paz & Balandra Beach

If you’re planning on a full day trip from Cabo San Lucas head north to the city of La Paz to spend a day at the incredible Balandra Beach around 2,5 hrs from Cabo San Lucas. I would even recommend to spend a night or two in La Paz since it’s a charming town with great restaurants, a beautiful promenade at the beach plus it’s a famous place to go on a whale shark snorkeling tour.

To be honest I’ve never heard of Balandra Beach before but once we arrived in Cabo I got countless messages from my Mexican followers telling me that I can’t leave the area without seeing Balandra Beach which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico.

Due to Covid the entry is strictly limited so they only allow a 150 people per day at the main Balandra Beach. When we arrived around 11 am (the beach opens at 10 am) it’s been already full cause most people get in line with their car already at 8 or 9 am to make sure to get in.
But anyway we found a way to reach it: Following the street further there’s a little off-road parking lot where a path leads up to one of the hills surrounding Balandra Beach. I marked it in the map below! If you walk the way up and follow the path around the hill you can walk down to a hidden empty beach. We made a stop here  and had it all to ourselves! Since the water of this area is super shallow you can simply walk through it (or close to the rocks if you don’t wanna get wet) to reach the next beach which is already located in the beautiful Balandra Bay. The Balandra Beach itself is not really spectacular – BUT what makes it so special is the turquoise bay located between the mountains, surrounded mangrove forests and with calm turquoise blue and shallow water which looks impressive from above! If you wanna relax and enjoy the sun we even found the first beach more idyllic cause it was absolutely empty and didn’t had umbrellas and sun beds like the actual Balandra Beach has.

Find the best things to do in Cabo San Lucas & the surrounding

You may also be interested in

• My Hotel Review of the Sofitel Mexico City

• My Guide for a Roadtrip in Yucatan

Plan your stay in Cabo San Lucas