Casa Ambar Tulum

Each morning I woke up to jungle views through the windows, with wildlife right there. The space was peaceful and private, yet right in the heart of Tulum. I could walk to the beach, great restaurants, shops, and nightlife, then come back for a quiet night’s sleep. The staff were always around, and the women kept the rooms clean every day. Casa Ambar made my trip better in a way I hadn’t experienced at any other hotel. I’d absolutely return and can’t wait to come back.

The staff were so kind and welcoming, and the rooms were cleaned every day. No trouble with hot water. It’s just steps from Tulum beach, and breakfast costs 200 pesos per person with generous portions. I enjoyed my stay and will definitely be back!

Room 4 was a horror story, and by the time we left we were battered, covered in red itchy bumps, and barely able to breathe, but still exhilarated to be alive. The other guests seemed to be having a great tropical time in rooms decorated like Elton John might have done them. When they heard we were in Room 4, they went oddly quiet, then called us bizarre when we described it and politely turned away. Our room had gaps around the windows, door, and concrete, which felt like pathways for demon insects. The showerhead was about 10 feet high and gave us either scalding or cold water, depending on some unholy mystery. The toilet was 20 feet from the shower in the far corner, with a seat wider and longer than the bowl, and a yellow-brown floor underneath. Sometimes it flushed, sometimes it didn’t, apparently at the whim of a childish devil. The room was white concrete with exposed electrical and plumbing lines. A weathered man guarded the entrance in a gateway tunnel and escorted us to Room 4. He searched for the padlock key, then vanished once he found it. I thought he’d been limping slowly, but suddenly he was gone. We complained to the person on guard day and night, who said, “They’ll look into it,” then slowly walked away. We called the local Catholic priest, who advised citronella candles, insect-repellent incense, and sleeping under the hotel’s thinnest white sheets with holy water and sweat. We squirmed, slapped at the bugs, and chanted to end the torture, which was real, or maybe all in our heads. On that last morning, which had once seemed impossibly far away, we felt we’d triumphed over evil, lungs coated in citronella wax. The day was serene and sunny as we locked the padlock on the portal and went to return the key. The guard wasn’t at his post. We left through the boutique, where the shopkeeper scolded us for not using the hotel entrance. We laughed, because her hell hath no fury. This post is proof we survived.

The rooms are spacious and beautiful, and the boutique hotel has a great look and atmosphere. The hostess was very sweet and knew a lot about the area.