Irie Tulum

The three receptionists were lovely and helpful. They suggested lots of nice restaurants and activities, and I'd give them five stars for being so friendly. The hotel is fairly conveniently located, though not close enough to walk to the beach. The cleaning service itself was good, but after my friend's engagement ring was stolen by a maid, we lost trust in the maids and the hotel. We spent nine nights at Irie Hotel in a penthouse booked for six, expecting what the listing photos showed. The upstairs balcony and private pool were much smaller than advertised. The pool was more like a plunge pool, barely big enough for two or three people. The main hotel pool was empty and under construction for all nine days, even though the owner said on arrival that it would be ready the following day. We had no proper pool to use, and management gave no apology, explanation, or compensation. The worst part was the missing engagement ring. It meant a lot to my friend and was valuable. When we told reception, the staff showed almost no sympathy or urgency. There was no proper investigation or follow-up, and no reassurance that the maid responsible would be held accountable. We felt dismissed and unsupported. On top of that, the bar was ridiculously expensive and we were overcharged. We felt the hotel should at least have waived some charges or offered something for the unusable main pool and stolen ring, but nothing was done.

The gym was a real highlight, with great quality equipment. My room had everything I needed, and the front desk team was fantastic. I ended up very happy with my last-minute stay at @irietulum, where I spent a great week. The location was my only concern. I was there to work out, so walking into town or to the beach was fine for me. If you don't enjoy walking or biking, I'd suggest renting a car.

The receptionists were excellent and friendly, and helped me a lot when I ran into a few issues. I'd give them five stars. The gym was clean and had excellent equipment, some of the best I've seen in a small hotel. I also enjoyed the calamari and tacos from the restaurant and would order them again. The hotel is a fair distance from the main areas. You'll need to take expensive taxis or bike there, though the hotel can help arrange either. The area felt very safe, and it may improve once the nearby construction is finished. There was construction next door that got loud in the mornings. It's not the hotel's fault, but I wish I'd known before booking. The electricity also went out for about five minutes now and then. My mobile data didn't work there, so WiFi was out during those interruptions too. My sheets were stained and I had to ask for replacements. The towels were gray and looked overused. The private pool was a nice feature, but had quite a few flies and a strong chemical smell. I know it's hard for a hotel to control that, though I haven't had the same issue at other places I've stayed. It's a decent hotel that could be great if the cleaning improved.

The hotel is small, just what we wanted, and sits in a private area between town and the beach. The team helped us arrange a scooter delivered to the hotel, and booked us a good-value tour to Chichen Itza. I'd recommend getting a scooter or bike to get around. All three main receptionists were polite and really helpful, ready to assist with anything. We had an apartment with a kitchen and liked the size, but it was an adjoining room. We could hear everything the neighbors said and did, which wasn't great, especially for a light sleeper.