Papaya Playa Project

Hotel · Tulum

Papaya Playa Project

Hotel · Tulum

3

Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km 4.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Costera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico

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Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null
Papaya Playa Project by null

Highlights

Nestled in a jungle retreat along Tulum's Playa Pescadores, this laid-back eco-chic hotel offers stylish cabins and cottages, a beach club vibe, and vibrant parties by the sea.  

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Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km 4.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Costera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico Get directions

papayaplayaproject.com
@papayaplayaproject

$$$

Information

Static Map

Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km 4.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Costera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico Get directions

+52 984 116 3774
papayaplayaproject.com
@papayaplayaproject

$$$

Features

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outdoor seating

Last updated

Jul 24, 2025

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16 Best Things to Do in Tulum — From Popular Hot Spots to Best-kept Secrets

"Papaya Playa Project is one of the original beach clubs in Tulum, offering a sustainable boutique hotel experience right on the sand with jungle vibes and funky decor." - Travel + Leisure Editors

https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-things-to-do-in-tulum-8602055
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@travelleisure

25 Best Girls' Weekend Getaways Around the World

"When it comes to accommodations, Papaya Playa Project and Nômade are super-photogenic favorites." - Travel + Leisure Editors

https://www.travelandleisure.com/weekend-getaways/best-girls-weekend-getaways-around-the-world
View Postcard for Papaya Playa Project
@afar

"Papaya Playa Project, in keeping with its natural surroundings, is low-key and laid-back. Opened in 2011, the hotel's founders conceived of the property as a place where “like-minded creatives” could slow down and connect with one another. To foster such connection, staff encourages visitors to unplug, and while both charging stations and Wi-Fi are available in the lobby, the temptation to go device-free is strong. Papaya Playa Project's founders are also committed to the larger community; to this end, they created an initiative known as “United for Tulum” to encourage slow and thoughtful development in the area. Guests’ basic needs are met, without extra frills. Rooms are simple in design and decoration, featuring high, thatched-roof ceilings, mosquito-netted beds, and colorful Mexican blankets."

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GrandTour30966570566

Google
The property was well cared for. The hospitality and service top notch including our friend Martin should served us breakfast each day. The Saturday night show was excellent!! We stayed in a casita with turtle nests just outside our room. Front desk service was prompt and friendly. Our first trip to Tulum was five stars!

tammyfH2244KU

Google
Beautiful location on the beach, sea turtles laid their eggs in the sand in front of our room! The hotel has an artistic vibe and a great atmosphere. Service is excellent, with special thanks to Martin who remembered our order after the first day. Would definitely come back

vanessa Parikh

Google
Awesome Experience at PPP! Our room was so cute and came with a pool and was perfect for three adults!! The food was great (recommend the fish ceviche, crab tacos, tuna tacos, rancheros egg with ham, and the salmon eggs Benedicte!)… fresh juice is also a must! The service was perfect- The front desk was knowledgeable with where to go to eat and had great day or night party recommendations!! Welcome drinks were great and recovery days at the beach or pool were so relaxing. Free Yoga and sound bath is a huge plus! The saturday night moon party was fun!

michaeloQ3111QP

Google
Had an amazing time! The room and pool were both beautiful. Yoga in the morning was right overlooking to ocean, the food was great, and had so much fun at the rooftop DJ session and Saturday party!||Eric and Alexandra were both incredible at making sure everything was perfect with our stay.

713kamalj

Google
Amazing hotel with a very local tulum touch of architecture and design. The team is great and attentive. An amazing way to spend 4-5 days relaxing in one of the most beautiful properties in Tulum! Andrea and Eric are awesome and you should ask for them by name!

Sydney Levaton

Google
Hotel was fabulous! It was so nice to be directly on the beach and you are a quick 15-20 minute taxi from downtown. You're far enough away from the party beach area so the hotel is peaceful and quiet. Staff is amazing. So incredibly friendly. Andrea at the front was the best! She gave us wonderful food recommendations every day.

mike churey

Google
Overall, the place is quiet, but the pricing makes you compare it to a four seasons or Ritz, which it is not. The service is fine, sometimes a bit slow to respond to the WhatsApp messaging, but always got around to helping us out. Our room was a nice size. We had a jungle Casita. The private pool was great for our 4 year old, as he could touch the bottom of the pool, even in the deep end, and it was well shaded throughout the day. The ac and ceiling fan worked well to keep the room cool. Beds were comfy. Didn't love the shower setup. The door lock often didn't work, and would require us trying a few times to close the door properly. Room service kept things in the room tidy, but I wish they kept the pool area better swept with leaves, as I'd often ask them to clean it better since we spent so much time at the pool. They should also better time their cleaning, as security always knows when guests have left the property, so they should get service to clean the room while we're gone, which didn't usually happen. Grounds were nice overall, showing some wear, but we liked the rustic jungle feel. Beach was very nice. Hotel food was very good, but expensive for food and drinks on site. If this property was less expensive to stay at, I'd give it more stars, but their current pricing has me comparing to other luxury properties we have stayed at.

Kyle Murray

Google
Overall, very enjoyable stay. Great location on the beach with healthy food. The staff was very friendly, helpful, and courteous. Specifically, Julio’s cheerfulness was heartfelt and made morning visits to the coffee shop a pleasure. Also, Diane at the front desk helped with logistics, ensuring the trip was relaxing.
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Reetu P.

Yelp
So much hype on this resort that we wanted to check in out ourselves. Family of 3 stayed here 6 nights. Upon arrival we were greeted by security who directed us where to park. We were than greeted by another gentleman who assisted us with our luggage. Reception desk is located in a hut setting which is kinda cool. Angel was assisting us without our check in. He was great. New to the property himself. We were there early so our room wasn't ready. So, we walked around and ate at the restaurant which had the best view in the resort, overlooking the beach. Drinks were kinda watered down but oh well. Received a text at 3pm our room was ready so headed over to the reception hut. While we waited a gentleman was there complaining how he had sent messages via whatsapp 3 hours go for some assistance and no one has responded. There were two other employees at the reception desk who didn't even move to assist him, so we were a little confused. Angel assisted him and then got us checked in. All guest communication is done via whatsapp but didn't sound like the staff were responding to the txt messages promptly. We got to our room which was a very rustic feeling room with a tree branch that gave me the Flinstone vibes. Room was gorgeous and different. Shower is located behind your bed, but the divider bar is high enough to give you some sort of privacy if you have kids sharing the room with you. Outdoor pool located is useless, as it was dirty with tree branches and leaves, water was cold, and it is in the shaded area so zero chance for warm swim unless you enjoy a cold plunge. I read reviews of room being dirty but ours was clean. Had two robes, mini fridge, towels, and all amenities. There are food nooks outside/inside so you can place your dirty dishes from room service, but you must be very careful to close it well to avoid racoons getting inside your room. Few reviews complained about this, but this can be avoided with some attention. We waited an hour for our luggage no one came so we walked back to the reception and were told the person who was supposed to deliver your luggage left for the day. Glad we walked back to check if not we would be waiting for a while ! Restaurant service is good. Food is yummy but limited. The entire stay they were out of Fish, so no fish tacos, fish, or chips which was odd. Beach club service was ok, we had Otto and Antonio, and both were awesome and hardworking. Made sure we had everything we needed while lounging at the beach. They do run out of towels or things to cover the cabanas. Which again was odd. Cocktails were so watered down that we opted for wine. Every Saturday the resort has a party and there are over 100+ people that come to attend it and it gets crazy busy and loud. Music goes on thill 3am and who can hear it. There are SO MANY staff on this resort but surprisingly the service is VERY SLOW. Slow enough to test your patience. We went out of the resort to dine most of the time. You are 5min walk to some awesome restaurants on the strip with good drinks and food. The resort itself is beautiful, the jungle vibe, early morning Yoga classes, disconnecting form technology was perfect for the mental health. WIFI and network is very weak here. They have it but it is weak. Walking around this resort gives you a blissful feeling which I loved. The have gratitude trees everywhere, peacocks walking around, iguanas chilling but nothing too scary. Our room was closer to the restaurant etc so we didn't have to walk far to get to places. It is dark when walking around so can get a little scary. The resort amenities are worn out and need some attention so from the other reviewers, I agree for the price you pay to stay here you expect quality which this place lacks. If you don't like wildlife or to be disconnected this place is not for you. Not sure if I would return to this property, I liked it but it needs improvements.
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Robert D.

Yelp
So much potential but BIG miss! The rooms are beautiful and the grounds are well kept but the staff, service and every other aspect you'd expect are not that of a 2-3 star resort. Security at the front is such a pain and hassle they're extremely rude and difficult to come and go from the hotel. I came here for 3 nights on a last second trip with no room booked, upon arriving with 2 buddies I booked this place without reading reviews (my mistake). My buddies hadn't got rooms yet so we went to mine dropped our things and went out to see the town. At check in they put everyone's name on my room and gave my buddies bands. This place is extremely strict and won't allow any outside quests to enter. They should probably inform you upfront. My buddies ended getting their own places and had the bands on them so when I attempted to bring a new friend back they refused to allow them. I went to the front desk where I was threatened by the night shift and security. I simply didn't feel safe after this. I went and spoke to the morning manager and explained what happened and he assured me he would fix it and apologized but the security and door staff are so rude it's not a place I'd ever visit again. I requested a refund for my last nights stay and wanted to check out. They refused any refund so I left and lost the $6500 for the 3 nights. Highly recommend staying elsewhere. So many better options. Also the food at the hotel isn't good at all, service was extremely slow. Overall it's a big miss.
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Carina S.

Yelp
My group and I went to the restaurant for dinner. Pros: The location is absolutely beautiful. You can hear the ocean waves crashing as you eat. Setting is very romantic with a candle lit dinner. Cons: Horrible Service like 1star worthy! ~30min to even have our order taken Then almost 2 hours to receive our food! The waiters are not attentive, we were only able to order drinks once (group of 6). On top of the terrible service they made a mistake on our order & tried to charge us for the extra order.

Audrey S.

Yelp
DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!!! STAY AWAY!!! If i could give zero stars, I would. We paid $900 a night for a palapa with no TV, no phone, hardly even a hook on the wall to hang a towel. Complete rip off for basically camping. VALUABLES WERE STOLEN OUT OF OUR ROOM BY HOUSEKEEPING. Jewlery, credit cards, and even clothes. This property is NOT IT. The ONLY plus was the staff at the restaurant was very pleasant. That's what saved our trip, but do not recommend whatsoever. The service otherwise for housekeeping and concierge is absolutely non existent for $900 a night, what a joke! I booked this through Marriott thinking it was a Marriott property, but it's not really, it's "affiliated" which means the standards are significantly lower than a standard marriott property. I regret staying here and not listening to the reviews. Spend your money on the new Edition that just opened in Maya Riviera.
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Soroosh P.

Yelp
The yelp reviews are far too harsh on this location. Let me start off by saying this location is iconic, it's truly got the 900m of raw coastline mentioned on the website. That being said it's pricey and expect that. Come here for a special occasion and expect jungle/beach cabanna vibes and you won't be disappointed. Yes the service is slow, but be patient and embrace the atmosphere. The NYE festivities are great - if you're willing to spend. Atmosphere, vibes and experience are all worthwhile.
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Sahar E.

Yelp
STAY AWAY - BEWARE! RODENTS,and INSECTS. Although Tulum is a beautiful destination, the accommodations at Papaya Playa Project makes you forget about that very quickly. Poor plumbing, linens with cigarette holes , cold showers, continuous service breakdowns, insects, and disorganized operations (see photos) makes PPP more of a camping experience rather than the "luxury" resort they advertise themselves as. BEWARE. Raccoons, yes RACCOONS and RODENTS, will enter your accommodations at night. Looking for an experience? Ever had a a RACCOON brush against your head while you sleep? Night Staff ACKNOWLEDGED " YES, this is a problem here, but they are not savage." Another added, "this is why I hate working nights, because I have to deal with this." Had to BEG to have another room made available for me (receipts to come!). Overall, NOT recommended for value. *******************************************Want more details? Photos and videos coming soon on the travel blog / social media channels. Readers - make sure to follow, like and subscribe!
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Samantha W.

Yelp
If you're looking to book here I really hope you find this review before you hit book! I paid for the $22,000 room. Their palapa villa. This place is a complete scam. Firstly the service is non existent. They are surprised at your arrival. Next the room was dirty. $22000 and a dirty room! Then, their butler completely left me on read on what's app. I was asking for service for over 4 hours and she completely ignored all my texts! She left me on read and when I confronted her she still didn't respond and then hours later had some sorry excuse. It took getting their "regional" manager here. And still no service. Also I paid for 4 bottles of champagne for the car ride. The guy showed up with no cups. Couldn't drink the thing then took off with my unopened bottles! It's been 6 hours and they still have not made good on that purchase. I'm not at check in asking for a copy of the terms and conditions I've signed and somehow they can't find it!! Please stay away. There are better value places that respect you and your time and have a beautiful place to stay. The pool was a joke!!! The ocean was unusable because of pollution and of course they didn't say that at the time of booking! They refunds to cancel my stay and refund my money. $22,000 lost and my group of 6 is upset!
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Luke W.

Yelp
Although, in the heart of the Tulum, the eco resort makes you feel like you are in the middle of the Jungle. Everything's out doors, but well maintained and thought out. Weekdays for chill vibes, weekends for party vibes. I will say... with the current exchange rate, food and drink is EXPENSIVE. ...and I live in Los Angeles, so that's saying something. Drinks were close to $20. My steak I think was $80 or $90. This was at a 16 to 1 exchange rate. With that said... staff couldn't have been more helpful in making recommendations asap well as booking transport and adventures.
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William B.

Yelp
Came here for a Saturday night party that was at a "early bird discount" of 77$ USD each with 600 mxn as a "drink credit". Good: The decor is cool to look at for sure and might be worth the price of entry to you if that's your thing, I would spend $20-30 USD to get in. There's good sounding speakers on the beach under the palms which is a unique experience. Bad: In general, it's masquerading as a high end establishment but definitely isn't. Everything is stupid overpriced and the crowd (at least this night) were definitely not the type of people I want to hang out with 1. Water is 200 pesos (12 USD). This should be criminal at a club scene with people drinking or doing drugs in the heat. Disgusting practice and solely deserving of the 1 star. If water was half this price (still wild) my entire experience would have been better. 90% of clubs I have been to have free water. Club scenes in big cities charge 4 USD on average for a bottle if you want that, maybe 8 at a huge festival or somewhere that is price gouging, 12 is gross. 2. Hard seltzer is probably the only drink you can get for 200 pesos. Everything else is 240+ (yes a corona is 240). 12 USD for a seltzer in Seattle (where I'm from) is laughable. A mixed drink is 300+ 3. Low season, but the crowd was almost entirely people at VIP tables and no one went down to the floor to dance until midnight or so. 4. Bathrooms were a little gross (pee on ground and on toilet seats, etc) 5. Even though it's on the beach, you can't go near the water or sand. 6. Bad reception at the club and wifi wasn't working. 7. You can't combine wristband money (it's cashless, you reload your bands). I was 40 pesos shy of getting a water and my gf had credit she wasn't allowed to use in the transaction. 8. You apparently have to tell them explicitly "no tip" when you're at the bar because sometimes they present you with a machine with no options but to tip. It isn't required to tip, but super lame that the screen doesn't have a "zero" or "no tip" button. I'm getting a 12 USD water, I don't want to tip on that thanks. If you have a big budget and don't mind paying NYC/LA prices without NYC/LA comforts, then sure this place looks cool and has some chill vibes, but be prepared to spend $$$$ for what I would describe as an "ok" experience. The extremely high prices for sure make it hard to enjoy yourself.
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Lisa S.

Yelp
My husband and I stayed in Tulum with two other couples for a long weekend (3 nights). We had a wonderful time. I really felt like I was in the jungle, but comfortable at the same time. We arrived at PPP on Friday evening after a full day of tours. When we arrived, it was already dark. We proceeded to check in. The lobby is open air. There was one employee who checked us all in. It did not take too long. We ended up getting a nice upgrade to a room with a plunge pool on the roof. Another employee helped us to our room which was a short walk. He showed us how to use the safe, turned on all the lights, etc. Our room was pretty spacious. There was a large bed with several electric plus by the headboard- very convenient for charging phones. The lights were a little fun but the ceiling fan light helped brighten the room. There was a desk and a little "couch" at the end of the bed which looked out to the sliding glass doors/ patio. The bathroom is open and basically part of the room (other than the toilet which is separate). The shower was different but I liked it- very spacious. The hotel includes shampoo, body wash, lotion in larger containers (so you can't take the little bottles home with you). The room also included a fridge which was empty- plenty of room to put your own stuff in. The rooms don't have TVs but that was ok with me. I honestly don't know when I would have found the time to watch TV. The patio included a hammock. We never used it but would have been nice if we had the time. There are stairs leading up to the plunge pool, which is big enough for 4-6 people. We also had 2 lounge chairs up there. In addition to regular bath towels, we had 2 beach towels in the room to use for the plunge pool. I would recommend some type of mosquito repellant if you will be spending time outside. The hotel property itself is quite large. One of the other couples stayed in a little cottage oceanside (no plunge pool and a smaller room). It was nice to walk around and check everything out. They also have free bikes which some of us did use. We had brunch once morning at the restaurant. Food was very tasty (I got the chilaquiles with red sauce). We also spent time on the beach on Sunday. The beach club is free to hotel guests, but is open to all. If you want a beach cabana, I suggest you reserve as soon as you get there. The beach is beautiful. On Saturday nights, the hotel is very popular- people come to hang out at the beach club/ restaurant. There is a DJ and drinks are flowing. PPP is located about 2 miles from town (several nice restaurants). It was easy to get an Uber and nice that we were away from the action (noise). The property is also on a bike trail. We used the trail to run in the mornings. It felt very safe. Overall we had an amazing time at PPP. I would definitely recommend it and consider in the future if/when I return to Tulum.
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Marcin B.

Yelp
We went to Papaya for special night event called Moongaze. We chose the option to reserve a table. When you pay for the table that amount you spend goes towards your consumption of drinks and food. If you spend more , then you need to pay the difference and it was not a case for us. The check in for event was flawless. The decorations, lightning and illuminated grounds were amazing. We were given a table and we were introduced to two servers that would be taking care of us. The music started very quickly, i believe there were three DJ`s performing for the whole night. The music was very vibe, techno-Tulum style. There were also few great shows in the middle of that music event. For the food and drinks: The food was great, I mean really, really good. ( We went to Bagatelle day before for lunch and the food was bland, completely out of taste, way overpriced!!). We took Tacos, lamb and tuna Tostadas and we were full and happy. Drinks were also great, just wish the beer selection could include some craft beers like Tulum Lager or Pescadores. The service was top notch, when we ordered drinks and went to dance in the crowd our server even found us there to give us drinks, it was so nice :) We partied almost to the end of the event which was 3am. I am thanking Papaya Club for a great nigh and good vibes we had that night!! We would love to come back in the future :)) P.S. Beware of the taxi service late at night. The will charge you at least twice what would you pay normally but thats Tulum taxis :( We paid $250 MXC from Esmerald Boutiqe in the city for the event 8PM and after 3AM they wanted $600 MXC coming back.
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Christina B.

Yelp
I love this place! It's a jungle oasis right on the ocean. It is a place to be healthy and heal and go inward. They have yoga Oceanside in the morning and breath work at night. Moon and star gazing events, tapas and wine night, and a wild party Saturday make this a destination all its own. The service is impeccable and the rooms are breath-taking. I loved the juices and detox shots, as well as the "alco-Health" drinks. I felt cared for and safe every moment, including when I left the property because they would send me in a reputable car and ask the driver where he was taking me for their records. I came here to rediscover myself and it has happened!
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Steve A.

Yelp
Sorry but the music was trash. Get a real dj who knows what to play. You're in tulum, people come for the vibes and for the music. Neither was there tonight. Extremely over priced. Would not recommend, at all.
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West C.

Yelp
Waste of time and money. Extremely overpriced. The full moon party should be free, but it's $125usd to get in. It takes forever to get a weak drink. The food is disgusting, and everything is $$$. The DJ played what sounded like the same song the entire night at the full moon party. There is no vibe, but they are trying to sell you a vibe. If you are interested in paying $125 cover for some cool instagram photos, this might be for you. Biggest tourist trap in Tulum. They have spent a lot of money on advertising. I wish I had read reviews before wasting $350 and a night of vacation. Severely Disappointed
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Aisha A.

Yelp
This place is such a treat! The villas spoke nothing but tranquility, the resort was all about gratitude and inner peace. The music was great. We enjoyed the room service breakfast and restaurant never disappointed with food. We had a massage there as well, and the masseuse knew how to heal your soul! The 2 cons we had - No late night room service. And no restaurant/bar open at the resort after 10pm. So if you're hungry, better catch a cab and go into the town. Another con- They room is very limited with lights, so as a woman I struggled getting ready in candle light ambiance lol.
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Christina K.

Yelp
If I could give this place a zero star I would. My friend is staying here and we decided to go to the party after RosaNegra. The vibe is weird, the people aren't very friendly and it is expensive. I fell down the stairs and no one seemed to care. Terrible place and I would not recommend. Usually I get wonderful service in Tulum and this place is not it for being pricey. They are not welcoming and overrated.
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Mark I.

Yelp
Please add the ZERO star option! This place is a scam! Dirty pool, false advertisement, insects inside the rooms, WORST SERVICE ON EARTH, very dim lights I can barely see myself. Also, no hot water! And guess what, all this for $25k for 4 nights. Please please make sure you read this and you don't book in here if you don't wanna ruin your vacation.
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Eugene H.

Yelp
This is our 3rd stay(we came in 2018 and 2021) and it will be our last one. I have outlined the reasons below. Service: 1- We put up the green "clean room" sign on Thursday. No one cleaned the room. 2- The safe in our room was broken and our valuables were locked inside. We had to ask the front desk two times for help opening it on Saturday and they never resolved it for us. Ultimately after waiting 75 minutes we fixed the issue by finding and flagging the security team ourselves without the help of the front desk. 3- Upon complaining about the safe issue outlined above, the manager indicated that he could upgrade our room for the last night of our stay. We declined given the hassle of moving for one night. He offered us a 50% discount to our bill at checkout instead. We agreed to this 50% discount. 4- At checkout on 26 February, we waited 35 mins for service (note our car was scheduled to leave at 4:45am so we could make our flight). 5- At the actual checkout, the 50% discount the manager offered was NOT reflected in the final bill. Given how long we had to wait for checkout, we did not have time to fully explain the 50% off discount agreed to as we had to get to the airport to make our flight. Cleanliness: 6- The seal below the front door was broken so there is a wide gap on the ground between our front door and the outside. We had to stuff towels in the gap to prevent bugs from coming into our room. 7- Bathroom sink not working properly: when you turn it on, water sprays outside of the sink bowl directly onto you making a mess of the bathroom floor. To keep water within the sink, you can only turn on the faucet at a drizzle. 8- 3 cockroaches found in room. This should go without saying, but you cannot have a cockroach problem and charge more than USD 600/ night for a room. 9- There was dirt and debris falling from the ceiling in the room. It falls directly onto the toilet so when you go to the bathroom, dirt falls on your head. I understand there are some drawbacks of thatched roof construction but this is a cleanliness issue. That experience is unpleasant at best and disgusting at worst. Other: 10- This is not the hotel's fault but there was a lot of sargassum on the beach. Be aware if you are booking a beach trip to Tulum. We traveled 22-26 February 2023. 11- There has been a lot of beach erosion since our last visit in 2021. I'd estimate ~10 feet of beach front has eroded away since that trip. The sargassum on the beach makes it feel even more narrow. 12- They host a big party on Saturday night. You can hear the bass throughout the hotel late into the night. Conclusion: The sheer cost of staying here in terms of dollars or Bonvoy points (I used 252k points on this stay for 4 nights and the cash rate was ~USD 600 per night) was not proportionate to the quality of the experience. The service and quality of room was akin to that of a backpacker hostel, not a high end Marriott property at this price point. Ultimately the problem throughout this stay was the consistently poor service and room quality which is reflective of a broader customer service issue and not an isolated incident.
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Nancy G.

Yelp
We stayed here for about a week. There is security at the gate which made us feel safe. We were greeted by our bell boy, Efrain. He was simply the best. Very accommodating and sweet. Muy amable! Next, in the lobby we were checked in and as we waited we were greeted with agua fresca paletas that were insanely delicious and made from fresh ingredients. Lovely lily floral arrangements and aromatherapy in the lobby was a nice touch. Next, we were given a tour of the main areas to help us get acquainted before we were taken to our casita. I loved how they incorporated the living jungle into the casita as there was a tree growing through the casita. There was also other live plants in pots in the casita. We were instructed to communicate via WhatsApp so it is best if you readily download it prior to your visit. I believe the coffee shop is open 24/7. The juices and coffee were divine, especially the banana cold brew... perfection in a cup! If you don't want a clogged toilet then do as they say and use the trash bin for the toilet paper. You will feel fully immersed into the jungle here. Saw a lot of jungle life but loved the cats on the premises the most! I quite enjoyed the walk through the jungle to and fro our casita. We dined and had breakfast here as well. Mostly, great. Order the French toast! Love the open concept of the hut. We felt private in our casita, for the most part. Full moon part was amazing!! Vendors, food trucks, lights, and great music. Security kept it on lock so the visitors were limited to the party area only. Esmeralda checked us out and also helped throughout the weekend. She was very cute and professional. All the staff was so lovely. Room service was great. We truly loved our stay and we miss it already.
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Brenda V.

Yelp
Over hyped and over priced. I paid around $1000/night for a jungle casita with a pool. Room was clean and aesthetically pleasing however I felt like it was not worth it at all. Check in and check out was great. And that was the only time we received service. We wanted to get massages so when we asked the front reception/check in area, they advised to use their app "PPP LIFE". The app sucks! We were not able to book any type of service. The information on the app is also wrong - it listed that check out was at 12pm, however the hotel staff was already waiting by our room at 11am. It was a good thing we were ready to leave. I messaged our concierge through what's app to schedule massages and never received a response back... Accommodations and service was not worth the $$$$ paid. We were also told that professional cameras and drones were not allowed. However, on their Instagram there were some cool shots with the drone from the pool so I was under the impression that drones were allowed and that was the only reason why I decided to book a room here.
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Farrah A.

Yelp
Papaya Playa Project! Saying it is just as fun as staying there. I was with a group of 30+ people who stayed there for a wedding weekend. And the staff definitely took care of everyone. The highlights of the stay... :: Beachside rooms. And by rooms, I mean these are palapa-style cabanas with AC, fans, patios with hammocks, full restrooms, some rooms with private pools and hot tubs. Our room with two double beds was $330/night. :: Onsite restaurants with excellent food and drinks! :: Onsite spa, water sport rentals :: Wifi at the bar (not in the room we stayed in) :: Free yoga every morning at the spa :: Beachside food/drink service, plenty of lounges and beds for sunbathing (and you can go topless and it's not a big deal) :: Monthly full moon parties. We were there for that which brought in hundreds of people. DJ, dancing, teepees, camp fires, face and body painting. Awesome experience. :: There's a baller suite - where the bride's family stayed. They had their own private pool with views of the ocean. A butler. And get this - KANYE stayed there. What what? The only downside was checking in. At least, the long wait. It was hot, we were eager to get into our swimsuits and dive into the water and the staff took more than an hour to get our bags into the room.

Matt M.

Yelp
My wife and I were here over Labor Day weekend for 4 nights and had a great stay. I travel pretty extensively and I will say that the experience is different from what you would expect staying in a luxury hotel, but if you know that going in, it's great. It's right on a beautiful beach and carved into the jungle. We had a jungle casita with a rooftop pool which was very cool. Was about a 100 foot walk to the "guests only" beach club (has a pool, beach beds, lounges, full bar/food service, just like the larger main beach club area). Things we were concerned about: 1. Air conditioning (not a problem--our room was cold af). 2. Wildlife/bugs (also not a problem at all--not even mosquitoes). 3. Late night noise from the weekend DJ parties--(there was a Starlaunch party on Saturday--it was actually pretty cool, and I am not an EDM fan--we could hear the bass in our room but we were far enough away it wasn't intrusive). Things that were awesome--1. every person in the hote staff was great. Super helpful and friendly (the bar could use a little more consistency training on drinks however). 2. The service on the beach was flawless (get a bed if you want some shade--they take care of everything.) 3. The room was very cool--liked the rooftop pool-would probably upgrade to the beachfront casita with a pool. 4. The restaurant was great. Didn't have a single thing that wasn't very good. All these negative reviews are suspect. Mostly not guests of the hotel complaining bout DJ music and such. . The only thing my lady didn't like was that there wasn't a gym--they need to partner with a local gym. PPP was excellent if you are looking for a unique experience. Would definitely recommend.
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Somer L.

Yelp
I was so happy with our stay! We stayed 9 nights and they were so amazing. The atmosphere is so beautiful. The staff is extremely friendly and the pool came in handy for my kids. Once they got tired of the ocean they still had plenty of energy to swim in the pools that were available. Our stay was very quiet and tranquil considering there is a DJ on the premises but we heard absolutely nothing. The food was amazing as well! Oh And very very secure ! No one can come in or out without checking in to the main gate that is closed at all times !
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Caroline P.

Yelp
The hotel is really nice, I think one of the best in that area! Pool, beach club, restaurant, everything is super nice. We arrived on Saturday and there was an amazing party! However, We were supposted to stay 4 nights at PPP in the jungle bungalow. The room is really little and really "jungle" style. We slept in the first night, but then we had to ask for a room upgrade! Too many bugs and spiders. I totally understand the "kind of experience", but I personally can't sleep or leave my clothes into a place full of insects! The upgrade costed a lot.. but the second room (called casita), was amazing and no bugs inside! We paid without complaining but the staff hasn't been nice with us. They treat us like "stupids" because I was afraid about insects! Respect for the clients is the only must have, in my opinion!

Robert A.

Yelp
I spent a week at the Papaya Playa Project and I am raving about it. Every day I woke up carefree to the sound of the waves hitting the beach. The staff were friendly, competent and attentive - it felt like there were multiple staff members for each guest. The service was top notch. The food was delicious, each day uniquely amazing. Some of my favorites were the Brioche Eggs for breakfast, and the Tuna Tostada in the Beach Club. I'd like to specifically mention Albert, our waiter, and Lenin, the hotel manager, for contributing to our amazing stay - though there were additional staff members whose service was amazing and whose names I didn't get. My husband and I are an LGBTQ couple and we felt comfortable at the resort, and there were other LGBTQ couples. Overall a 5 star experience. We hope to return soon.
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Shyama A.

Yelp
Beautiful location for a beach day. Parking was free on the side of the street in front of the club. Was able to walk-in without a reservation for a shaded beach front bed, towels, and access to an infinity pool overlooking the beach for a minimum spend. Very friendly wait staff. Food was good, drinks were good but a little weak and mostly juice. Restaurant is set up like an stone amphitheater overlooking the beach if you want to sit at a table. Nice boutique and art park in the entry area.
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Leslee R.

Yelp
Absolutely magical!!! I was so nervous prior to arrival because of the mixed reviews from previous guests!! But let's skip the negativity!!! Some people are obviously spoiled beyond expectations !! Papaya Playa is such a beautiful place to stay! The people are sweet!! Service is very relaxed!! So if you're coming from a fast paced world , leave that at home... Tulum is about relaxation, patience, and happiness. The ocean side cabana was absolutely beautiful... the king size bed is mounted high up from a rocky floor. The floor, hard to walk on but it's designed that way for practical reasons, (i.e water from a storm, visits from little cute crabs, or water that splashes from the magical open shower )
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Shane M.

Yelp
This review is for the meal and after party. I went last night with 7 friends and endured the worst experience I've had in Tulum and maybe the most disappointing of my entire life, considering how stupidly overhyped this place was. We paid $250 per ticket and were instructed to arrive at 6 pm promptly, which we did, only to wait in a line on the side of the road for an hour. Going in people made a big show about being COVID compliant and they said we had to wear masks, but once inside nobody had a mask on. Giving our phones up was also mandatory, probably because they don't want anyone taking pictures of their disgusting excuses for food. Anyways, after making it through a gauntlet of 5 check points (many of which were unnecessary and seemed intended to merely waste time), we had to stand around at the front of the restaurant for another hour before they sat us. After I spent 30 minutes haggling with the unprofessional bartender who didn't know the proper prices for drinks and/or the conversion rate, they finally ended up seating us outside in almost total darkness and gave us complimentary juice as an apology. We sat down to find gross brown seaweed that looked freshly harvested from the ocean on our plates. My entire group was starving after having to stand around for 2.5 hours in anger while the entire restaurant was already on their third course. Several of us attempted to eat the seaweed, thinking they were doing the unthinkable-- actually giving us food. Alas the seaweed was merely a ruse and it was spit out into the sand. The first course arrived for two of us while the other 6 watched with curiosity. It was a weird pistachio sorbet inside a frozen cucumber. The two scoops of sorbet were subpar and the quantity was very upsetting. Rice balls followed, which were very cold. The rice balls sat atop a bed of greens, which I tried to eat but-- surprise-- were also inedible. Under the greens was a bed of confetti material. Would've been easy to see that it was fake if we weren't sitting in the dark!!! The third course was some sort of fish ceviche which I'm still trying to figure out. The darkness again complicated things-- I had no idea what I was eating and the wait staff could not explain it to me. The fish was decent and probably the best course but it was salty and confusing. The lobster came next and was absolutely disgusting. First of all, I watched our plates literally sit on the beach next to us for 10 minutes while surrounded by 5 waiters who twiddled their thumbs. After someone finally realized that the lobster should have gone to our table, they called over more people to examine the food with flashlights and determine if it was edible. Several of the plates were sent back to the kitchen as my stomach growled. I wish my lobster had been one of those sent back to the kitchen. It is hard to describe how utterly disgusting this dish was. The lobster tail was simply not cooked long enough and I'm so confused as to how this excuse for cuisine passed the quality check. Trying to cut through this probably-still-alive arthropod with a butter knife was a fool's errand, again made needlessly trickier by the freaking darkness. Several of us sent ours back in disgust-- only to be greeted again by the same slimey dish. Turns out the poor quality was not a fluke on the first attempt-- at least we got some clarity. The steak arrived in a banana leaf and had some veggies and gravy on it-- but again the visual component of the meal was utterly lost on me by the lack of visibility. The meat was decent but extremely fatty and the sauce made it taste like sloppy joe. After having flashbacks to when I got sick on sloppy joe day in elementary school, I begrudgingly ate the mystery veggies and called it a day on food. Dessert arrived but I decided to skip the last course for good measure. Oh also a waiter poured water into my friend's wine. Soon the DJ took the stage and played incredibly mellow music that catered to the crowd, which appeared to unanimously be on molly or mushrooms. I know I can't complain too much about the music-- but the overall vibe made it crystal clear that this dinner and event were catered to those who were indulged in substances that killed their appetite anyway-- probably why Papaya Playa Project would think they could get away with serving inedible garbage on plates. After trying to enjoy the music and salvage the evening, I went to the bar for a drink, only to be informed that they no longer took cash or credit!!! The bartender pointed me to a long line of 50 people and said I had to put money on my wristband now. What a joke. Overall I hated this entire experience and I really don't think ANYONE should EVER go here. I can only take solace in the fact that we did not pay $650 for the same experience on New Years Day. Feel sorry for those people.

Debbie M.

Yelp
Buyer beware- this is not the typical Marriott top notch treatment. This is basically camping not glamping- straight out camping! You live in unsafe huts with straw roofs that raccoons burrow in and will keep you up all night. Their hospitality team is probably the worse I've ever seen. Took me an hour to check into the hotel. They think upgrading you to different larger suites will make it up but when you have 2 friends staying in a room the upgrades to one king with an open shower so you can watch each other shower is inappropriate. The cost is not worth rolling your ankle at night on unlit dirt pathways to your hut in a jungle. The hits are very poor lit and the air condition unit is moldy and terrible smelling. This is not a luxurious Adobe rustic feel like it pretends with its pictures to be...it's straight up camping like back in 8th grade.
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Cassie W.

Yelp
A lot of staff theft goes on here and the resort is aware and will not address it. I wish I had known before staying here and having many items stolen. I would highly recommend just staying next door at Azulik or a nearby resort where you feel safe and secure!! Don't learn the hard way like me.
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Amber S.

Yelp
This place was so lame... super strict (nothing allowed if you know what I mean), no guests allowed back to your rooms (so don't make friends?), all they played was trance music ALL NIGHT and no one was vibing to it. The hotel is beautiful but the vibe is so off, not worth $80 cover when everywhere else has free cover...
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Jess T.

Yelp
DO NOT BOOK THIS PLACE. They took $2,500 from us for a 4 night stay, and are not giving us credit or another room. I spoke with Adrian in reservations refused to change our dates, give a refund or credit. They gave our room to someone else, and took our $2,500. Other places in Tulum are much more flexible.
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Daniel A.

Yelp
My wife and I are at PPP for our honeymoon and are having a magical time! Caesar is the general manager, and does a phenomenal job ensuring a five star experience all around. Caesar thank you for such a beautiful experience. The Papaya Playa Project is by far the most unique property I've ever experienced. Javier and Jorge provide incredible service by the beach cabanas. The food is amazing and fresh, highly recommend the chileques for breakfast! Mauricio and Lucia gave some of the best massages we've ever had. Will definitely be coming back!
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andrew r.

Yelp
Attended the New Years Eve party, bringing in 2018. Trying to get a presale ticket online was impossible and strange. You have to request joining a Facebook group just to be able to purchase tickets. The Facebook group asks you a question "what event are you attending?" I respond and never get a response back or "let in" to the Facebook group. Ended up stopping by the reception of the hotel a day before New Year's Eve and buying a $150 ticket per person to attend the party. EXPENSIVE especially considering what happens next. We were told at reception to arrive at 10pm-11pm NYE. Easy enough. We get there at 10pm and are told to come back at 11pm. We said we were told 10pm the day before but they refused to let us in. Go back to our hotel to kill some time. Come back at 10:55pm and huge line for people with tickets. We proceed to wait in line worried if we will even get into the party by midnight. We finally get into the party by 11:45 just to find the bars don't accept cash. It's a prepaid system. There's a line to get a bracelet with a little chip and you pay for drinks in advance. We finally get this bracelet thing by 11:56pm Getting a drink at the bar with 4mins to spare was impossible. We decide to get a drink after the countdown and find somewhere near the music ( one stage with a dj). We found the only open area in the crowd and Boom its new year. Marked by an uneventful New Year Balloon pop, no fireworks really just a . 2 seconds after midnight 12:00:02 a workers comes up and tells us we can't be in the empty open space we found. We spend our new year getting kicked out of an open area. Eventually we end up at the bar and wait 30mins for our drinks. The bartender gives no effort into helping who's been waiting longest. He helped so many people who just walked up after us. It was very frustrating getting "cut" in line. The quality of the drinks was low. Seems like "well" cocktails After getting drinks we end up on the beach. The event was one stage with DJ and over crowded bars made even worse by this "prepaid" bracelet system. Definitely not worth the $150 to get in with only mins to spare before midnight. The prepaid drinks equates to $13.33 each. Bad hosting and service all around as well. No signs to tell you where to go. It's all word of mouth between other attendees. I will never attend another event here. Don't make the same mistake I did.
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Craig Y.

Yelp
I want to leave a great review for this place because I did have a great time partying here. But this was thanks to the visitors that gathered here and the citation of the music production on the beach. In regards to everything else, I felt compelled to leave my honest opinion on the restaurant and bar after an extreme let down of an experience. I was here for a set menu dinner and paid around $400 US per person. The food was cold. The first item (Amuse Bouche) was missing. The ingredients were not fresh. There was a dish with wagyu and uni which we couldn't even finish because the taste was so bad. I love uni and wasn't expecting top grade but I could not even finish this dish it was such poor quality even for a cheap izakaya restaurant. The lobster was over cooked on one plate and undercooked on the other. The bread with desert was no better than one you can pick up for less than a dollar at a standard Mexican bakery in the US. I would have felt dissatisfied paying $80 US for 2 people for this meal. How they get away with charging these prices for the quality put in is such an unfortunate characteristic for a place in Tulum, a town that holds a place in my heart. The service tableside I couldn't complain about. Servers were attentive and the manager came by to check on us but the most bold yet courteous guest at our table only had the heart to mention that the food was cold. What was I gonna say? The food is horrible can I have my money back? No, they know what quality is being dished out. I had to suck this one up and use it as a learning experience. They did go around giving extra glasses of wine to compensate and balance our experience. I'm guessing this may be common practice. I was curious if the chef was aware of the results of his dishes. The chef was obviously creative but I'm wondering if he was aware of the quality of his ingredients and how timely each dish was served. If he finds the price charged for his set menu appropriate, I am confused as to why a world class dinner in Tulum can cost less than $100 down the street. There's a pizza place down the street that you could spend $60 for a dinner for two that was better than this place. I'd recommend finding another place to get food before coming here for an event. As for the bars at the club, prices are outrageous and bartenders charge different prices at each bar. $10 for a corona, $20 or $25 for a Don Julio blanco shot, depending on if you get a bartender that chooses to overcharge you. A friend bought me a beer and accidentally knocked it over when grabbing the drinks he bought to take elsewhere. He asked for another beer and the bartender without even putting a though into it and with a very rude reaction said you have to pay for another one. I found this to be indicative of poor service standards. For the events they have you load money onto a wrist band which can't be refunded or used once the event is over. These prices for Tulum are honestly outrageous. I could spend over $200 US for the night easily and be holding back. The value probably would've been better getting a VIP table. Obviously a goal of a venue is to fill VIP tables but you definitely pay the price for not reserving one here. I recommend going to events here because they hold great ones. And it's a beautiful setting, like many places in Tulum, catching great music with you're bare feet in the sand. But if you're not on the unlimited budget needed to feel free to roam here, just beware of what you may get into with regards to your wallet. I hope management balances cost with value here a little more appropriately in the future. It can leave a bad taste in your mouth dealing with what they set up here. I know they are ok with this because they do curate quality events here. But there is some serious overdoing it here. If you plan to stay here and have a lot of meals here, I hope you are prepared to spend hundreds of dollars per day and not be astounded. Thank you to the employees here that do their best to provide a great experience for guests. As for the bad apples, you should be appreciative that you have the opportunity to work in such a beautiful place with a lot of courteous travelers coming here to celebrate life.

Mirna R.

Yelp
We had a great time at papaya playa beach club. The food was amazing and Eric was very friendly and knowledgeable about the hotel and the area.
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Kelsey D.

Yelp
I was really nervous to stay here after reading the negative reviews. While I can see where some are coming from, it seems like many of them didn't know where they were going. This hotel is a party on the weekends. It is not appropriate for kids to stay here on the weekends. To put it in perspective, you are asked to sign a waiver upon check in and are not allowed to record or take photos at the parties. If you're into partying, you'll love it. If you're into raves or music festivals, you'll love it even more. The resort is absolutely stunning, the food is seriously incredible and the service is impeccable. The employees really serve the guests. It about a 5 minute walk from restaurants and shops. The downsides are that it's about 20 minutes from the Tulum "strip" during rush hour traffic and the mini split AC unit in the hotel rooms really isn't enough to be comfortable at all hours of the day. We did find two bugs in our room, but it's a hut in the middle of the jungle so that's probably unavoidable so I can't fault the hotel for that. Ladies, bring a compact mirror if you plan on wearing makeup because the bathroom is incredibly dark. This hotel is quite an experience. If you want a 5-star ultra luxurious resort, this hotel is not for you. If you want to party in a beautiful location with incredible service, this is the hotel for you.
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Francisco G.

Yelp
Service was amazing, the location is wonderful, ideal for taking a week off and relax. Make sure you visit and discover all the pretty places nearby

Tamar T.

Yelp
Very dirty, disgusting, pricey for nothing and the worst service ever. Never coming back here again. Save your money it's not worth a penny. Ruined my entire honeymoon. Zero star
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Hillary H.

Yelp
This review is for the hotel beach cabanas and night club. I was staying at a nearby hotel with 3 of my girlfriends, and we were looking for a nice place for some R&R. Papaya Playa has plenty of outdoor and bar seating, but we were looking for somewhere more comfortable to lounge by the beach. Non-guests get access to a private cabana if they spend $750 pesos per person, which we thought was reasonable since they don't set a time limit. About 4.5 hours, 12 fresh fruit smoothies, and too many seafood dishes later, we met our quota. The servers are really friendly and made sure to check on us regularly. Also, although unusual for this time of year, the beaches were covered in seaweed. Papaya Playa had one of the cleaner beach areas. The bar area is converted to a nightclub after 10pm. Highly recommend coming on a Saturday! You can purchase wristbands ($400 pesos) in advance around 8:30pm to avoid the lines.
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Jessica B.

Yelp
My husband and I recently visited Tulum, staying at an Airbnb in town the first 4 nights and then planned to stay at PPP the last 3 nights to enjoy the beach area. What a mistake! We paid almost $300 per night and while I expected it to be a bit "rustic," I cannot believe what they charge people for a tiny "hut" room with a twin bed and no room for anything else. We had no place to sit in our room, and I started to feel a bit anxiety-ridden after checking in. We were trying to give ourselves a pep talk to ignore the wind banging the front door around (you have to lock yourself in and lock yourself out for the door to close) but just then a LARGE bug came crawling in through the window (hence the mosquito net tightly wound around the bed) which solidified our decision to give it one night and then book another place for the last 2 nights. While we hated to eat the money for 2 nights, it was absolutely worth it. We could not have spent 3 nights of our vacation in that tiny closet of a room. The only pros were the view (right on the water - mind you, there is LOTS of sea weed) and the pool that was just outside of our room, right on the water (although I will mention the pool is 5 feet deep without steps to get in and out; luckily I'm tall and could get out, but if you're short, you'd better have some great upper body strength or some one to pull you out!). Do yourself a favor, and stay in town. It's way cheaper (our Airbnb was $80 a night with one bedroom, balconies, our own kitchen, full fridge, 24 hour security and a roof top pool WITH steps), more fun and overall a better experience.
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Lila W.

Yelp
This is one of the most unique and authentic Mexican resorts I've stayed at! It felt like a commune (but super high end) so the staff made us feel like family. The rooms were awesome, clean, and unique. No tv's, which was nice because we were able to disconnect from the world, although the WiFi connection was great so we could still sneak in some Netflix or web searching. The food was outstanding, and the service was great! It's usually pretty mellow, but they do throw some big parties that go pretty late. (So plan around that). Our room had its own little pool on the roof top with a view of the ocean. I fell in love with the place.

Victoria R.

Yelp
I usually never leave reviews like this, but the staff and overall hospitality at papaya playa left me with no choice. I would never recommend someone stay here. With the prices we paid, we expected a 5 star hotel and restaurant. The rooms were unusable and the food was inedible. We have been to tulum many times and this was definitely the most overpriced and overhyped hotel. Also, it is clear papaya has a bad reputation in Tulum, but most of the online review don't reflect that, which lead us to believe that most of the positive reviews for this place are from bots. My friends paid extra for a room that was supposed to sleep 3 people, and they were given a room that 3 people could barely stand inside. The room had no light, no mirror, no mini fridge, and nowhere to put suitcases. We spoke to the front desk about it and they would barely even make eye contact with us let alone provide us with any assistance. Moreover, the food at the restaurant was inedible. We ate at the restaurant the last time we came to Tulum. It was bad then, but we thought it was a one time thing. After eating our first meal at our most recent stay, we realized the food was consistently bad. They really need a new chef. Once you try the food, nothing on the menu will seem appetizing. In addition to the bad rooms and even worse food, everything took triple the amount of time it should have taken. The check in and check out process took at least an hour each time. I can't explain to you enough how awful, incompetent, and rude the staff was at the hotel (except the security guards around the property were nice). At check out, we tried to explain all of our concerns and how they were ignored throughout our stay, but once again no one cared and would not even look at us. I am not leaving this message because I am bitter. I am writing this because the resort has potential to be amazing, but the hospitality is so bad that it ruins any of the benefits. Playa, on behalf of your guests and your own dignity, please do better....
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Kyle R.

Yelp
Underwhelming. Disappointed. Dull. Our group of four traveling to Tulum knew what to expect going into our trip. We understand Tulum and most of the places there pride themselves on an "escape" from the normal experience. So that didn't bother us. In fact, we really enjoyed our Beachfront Cabaña. Cool, very small, hut style room with A/C and little lighting. Nice hammock outside and a cool view of the water. We knew going in there was no room service, etc. Our room, the best part by far, was our own little escape from PPP. However, pretty much everything else about PPP was a dud. It was down season when we went, so it was quiet around the hotel grounds. Still, the staff made no exceptions or accommodations on anything -- we wanted to take bikes for a few hours, they still wanted to charge $15usd per person. Yoga - $15usd per person! What were we paying for??? Our room cost so much, how are there no amenities for the actual guests of the hotel?? We asked why bikes were $15usd and they replied yes it's expensive we will have to do some research. Huh?? Every other hotel down the Tulum stretch offered "free yoga to our guests". We also found bike rental places for $150mxn pesos and decided to do that instead. We took yoga at other resorts because if we were going to spend our money it wasn't going to be at PPP. The staff seemed like they didn't like to work and was not cheerful. The group that greeted us seemed to be so set on forcing their agenda on us that it started us off with a bad taste. We offered up our itinerary to confirm we were hitting some of the best things Tulum had to offer and most of it was criticized. The pool in the beach club area - blah. The service - blahhhh. We had one person in our group fluent in Spanish but the wait staff still struggled with our orders - they took the orders and placed them. No small talk, no conversing, no smiles. We had breakfast one morning and after that decided no more money to PPP. We were told we could text a number (front desk) for any questions. We sent texts asking to set up massages and they said that the massage staff doesn't like to work past 5pm in the off-season -- also the person that responded sent a link and basically said here you figure it out. Response time was terrible at times. Nicest staff we met all week were the ppl that fixed some things on our cabaña and took our luggage when we arrived. We knew the location of PPP wasn't walking distance to all the hot spots and beaches, but after venturing onto other beaches and hotels only a few miles down the road we knew we had made a mistake. PPP had dull colors, dull staff, dull food, and dull everything. Nothing blew us away. We spoke with a few locals about our grievances and they confirmed that after PPP was bought by a larger hotel chain everything changed. Multiple persons mentioned the staff doesn't like each other, turnover on staff is very high, so they lost their family feel. Very unfortunate.
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Melissa Z.

Yelp
We didn't stay here but frequented the bar a few times while we were in Tulum. I am surprised to see such a low rating, we absolutely loved this place. Amazing music (tropical house), really good drinks, and the best vibes and ambiance. We sat at the table for hours because it was so enjoyable, just relaxing and looking at the water. It's definitely busy and there are a lot of hipsters, you feel like you are at Coachella, but where in Tulum isn't? Papaya playa was one of the highlights of our trip, don't be turned away by some of these other reviews.
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Julio C.

Yelp
Spent a few days down in Tulum over the 4th of July holiday. This place is phenomenal. We were upgraded to one of the Casitas, the room was spacious and comfortable, came with a roof top plunge pool and amazing views. The staff is courteous, and extremely helpful. All around a great experience...
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Jessica V.

Yelp
Upscale glamping on a beach with a burning man cool kid crowd complete with resident cats and artistic junk garden. The guest service people were beyond wonderful, the bar staff, and restaurant personnel were all great. Moonrise was absolutely stunning every night and beach cabanas are wonderful as long as you get there early enough to claim one. That being said, the front desk people could not care less about your experience. Our room had a private and adorable porch area that was unusable due to the constant construction literally on the other side of the wall. Which started as early as 7a each day. The front desk did not offer any solace besides "yeah sorry" Additional issues: - Service staff came in the room when we had the do not disturb sign on. - A little annoying to be asked what our room number was every 3 seconds despite having a "staying at the hotel bracelet on" - The Full Moon party (that ended at 4a) was not warned before being put in a room closest to the speakers.

Courtney W.

Yelp
We felt robbed by this place ON OUR HONEYMOON. First of all we did not have a working lock on our door and promptly let the front desk staff know and they did nothing to fix it. We also asked how to use the safe as we couldn't get it to open and they told us the only combination was 1234.. We cut our 3 night stay short because after one night of sleeping in an unlocked room we got eaten alive by mosquitoes and the bed was rock hard. For over $600 a night we felt robbed. We asked for a refund for the third night since we would not be there and said we would of course pay for the night we stayed and the current night since we did not give 24 hours notice but of course they would not even refund that.

Porscha P.

Yelp
Arriving to Papaya Playa resort- My boyfriend and I booked a birthday gettaway, I've been at this resort personally before and had such a great experience. It's been about 5 years since my return to Tulum, and I was extremely impressed by the renovations to the hotel and accommodating services here- we arrived with warmth and care by all of our buttlers: Alexis, Armando, Alfie, Xavi. Thank you to such an amazing team, they made our experience memorable. Five stars :) Location: Close to everything, shops, restaurants, ocean views Room: We originally booked the cabana with pool- upon arrival they upgraded us for free to the loft with private pool. Beautiful decour with a spanish feel, for couples who want privacy and paradise, THIS IS THE PLACE!! Loft 99 - Food: The chefs are just fantastic!! I don't want to go back to LA after experiencing such fresh breads, fresh juices and cultured dishes. They NEVER said the words "no we don't have, or we can't do that." Our buttlers, made sure to do everything they could to accommodate your EVERY NEED and REQUEST! Overall, the best stay in Tulum- This hotel aims to please, please if you stay here always tip your buttlers at the end of your check out as they work for little and really do the most to accommodate and please. Thank you Papaya Playa for making my 30th birthday memorable!! Let me also add, My boyfriend wanted special requests for my birthday- they decorated downstairs with banners and hearts, and a lovely beautiful bouquet of flowers. The sweetest wake up to a new decade, Thank you Alfie for making this happen. Leaving this place with happy memories and a warm heart. ***** ALSO, if you're booking a jungle resort please remind yourself that yes, there are bugs and mosquitoes present (just flick the bugs) and a chubby raccoon that loves to steal food. There is a natural occurance of sargassum which is a real issue along the coast line of the caribbean sea, though due to winds and currents, sometimes other shores in the area can end up with piles of this seaweed that releases pungent hydrogen sulfide as it decomposes. It's usually present from the months of April till August. I didn't mind at all, we had a beautiful private pool all to ourselves and for one day we swam in the sea since the sargassum dissipated for 1 day, we definitely took advantage to float in the ocean.