Aktun Bacalar

A strange smell from the bathroom made me ask the front desk for a refund so I could stay elsewhere. After some discussion, they agreed and said they'd return my money, but they never did. I ended up paying the full rate even though they said the refund would arrive within 24hours. I feel completely scammed.

A nice little boutique hotel right in the center, close to everything. The room was clean and modern, perhaps around 5 years old. The rate is fair for this level.

Our stay was fantastic and good value for the price. The bedrooms are spacious, and the staff were incredibly accommodating. It's just minutes from the Eco Park and Centro, too. The only thing I missed was a rooftop, though we heard one is in the works.

Of the 7 hotels I stayed in while in bakalar, this one cost the most, but it smelled the best. No sewage or funk like some others, maybe because they keep the air conditioning running even though I'm sure that costs a lot. The hot water was better than most places, though it sometimes dwindled to a trickle. Give it a minute or a few and it comes back. Maybe the temperature and pressure issues are normal for the area. It was the quietest place I stayed, thanks to the high quality windows and insulation, and the doors opening outside instead of onto an echoing shared hallway. (Don't stay at "D'Luxury Bakalar".) Calm feel, not a party hotel. There's a corner store half a block away, a supermarket nearby, and bars and restaurants around. The curtains make the room pretty dark, which seems uncommon, and having a stove, pots and pans, oil and so on was helpful. They offered daily cleaning if you wanted it, and I left a tip for the nice people. I only accepted it every 3 days. The staff were very nice, and they helped me with a situation I had. I would have kept staying if I could afford it, but after 5 days I moved to a more rustic hotel so I could stay longer.