Aloft Tulum By Marriott

Keila at reception was super friendly and gave us lots of tips for getting to the hotel and finding our way around. She made the stay more enjoyable. The suite had a magnificent jungle view, a balcony, and a Marshall speaker we could connect to by Bluetooth. It felt modern and clean, with thoughtful design touches, and was quiet and well appointed. The location was handy too, less than 10 minutes from most places, including the ADO terminal, Parque del Jaguar, Chedraui and restaurants. The shower only ever got lukewarm. It was rainy and cold on our first day, though I imagine that might not matter in hot, humid weather. Breakfast didn't meet our expectations. The choices were okay but limited, and there wasn't even an espresso machine. Also, it's been almost a week and I still haven't received the hotel invoice. I called twice and was told it would arrive, but it hasn't.

Clean rooms, helpful staff and a central location are some of the reasons I'd consider coming back if needed, especially with a good bar and restaurant overlooking the jungle. But I wouldn't return for a relaxing stay. The week came with a lot of frustrations: elevators were broken and confusing the whole time, the room thermostat kept fluctuating, there was a nasty sewer smell from the toilet, and the shower was lukewarm and leaked onto the floor. The bedroom lighting was very dim. Housekeeping kept taking all our towels and leaving one large towel for two people, with no hand or floor towels. The event space was chaotic too. They also asked us for a $71 service fee they couldn't explain. I paid $75 a night for four nights, and the fee was supposedly for two daily cocktails and a daily food voucher, which guests hadn't received. They eventually removed the charge. The website photos didn't give a good sense of the hotel, and the group coordinator communicated poorly. Still, it's centrally located and less expensive than the hotel zone.

The service was okay, but the room cleanliness only just passed. We found hair from a previous guest in the bathroom. Wi-Fi was unstable and at times as slow as 500k. We had to ask for extra towels every night, and the bath gel bottle was empty. The fridge didn't work either, so we had to request a replacement. One afternoon the elevator stopped working. The place seems to have maintenance issues. I regretted using 70,000 points for two nights here. It didn't feel like Marriott standard, more like Comfort Inn.

The main reason I'm writing this is the honeymoon dessert offer. At check-in we were offered a free dessert on the rooftop, a sweet gesture that we appreciated. After we left our bags and went out, we came back for a swim. A rooftop staff member asked if we wanted anything, and we said we'd like to have the dessert later in our stay. They said that was fine. On day three, after dinner out, we returned to celebrate our trip and a different staff member knew nothing about it. They called reception, then told us it was only valid right after check-in, bluntly. We hadn't been told that, so it was clearly a communication failure. It really spoiled the gesture. Why offer something if the details aren't clear and it won't be honored? I expected more from Aloft under the Marriot name, especially at these prices. The front desk staff were friendly when we arrived, rooms were clean, and the rooftop pool was clean. Parking is available on site for an extra cost, with free street parking opposite the hotel. But the downsides outweighed those positives. The rooms have no soundproofing, and we were repeatedly woken by people talking outside late at night or early in the morning. Though the building is new, some basic things didn't work: only one elevator worked during our stay. There was no bathroom soap, and room service only brought it from our second day. The rooftop sunbeds were filthy and the lobby pool table was broken. It just wasn't good value for money.