Seremonia Origen by Vida de Playa

The road in is a mess, unfinished and full of potholes. You’ll want a 4WD, and there are no elevators, so you have to haul your bags up if your room is on a higher floor. My first night, the electricity went out in the middle of the night and stayed off for hours. I was told this happens “all the time” and I’d just have to “deal with it.” The fridge stopped running and my food spoiled, there was no water so the toilet wouldn’t work, and naturally there were no lights or WiFi either. Reception said only the owner could help. It took the owner hours to answer my messages, and the response wasn’t helpful. There were huge cockroaches in the shower, unwashed towels, and mosquitoes everywhere that ate me alive. When I asked to leave early because of all this, the owner refused to refund my remaining 3 nights and was rude. They also lied to Booking.com about what happened to avoid paying the refund. This place was awful. If I could give it zero stars, I would.

My main concern with Seremonia is what happened after I posted this same 3 star review, word for word, on Airbnb. The host made up a message claiming I’d threatened them and sent it to Airbnb to get my review removed. That felt dishonest and shady, and left me uneasy about trusting the place. The room itself was decent enough, though it felt pretty underwhelming next to some of the beautiful, unusual places we stayed in the Yucatan, especially given how luxurious they claimed to be. Maybe it’s better in the busy season or for a long stay. The pool and jacuzzis were great, and the kitchenette had a fridge and freezer. Nayjelly at the front desk was proactive and helpful. But small bugs went after any food left out, and the fire alarm in the hallway chirped throughout our stay. We reported it on the first day, but it was never fixed. On day two, a terrible bathroom smell started. Something seemed wrong with the plumbing, and I think gases were escaping. It never went away. The construction felt rushed, with more of the same “luxury” places going up around it on terrible dirt roads. There was no personal touch, no late checkout even though the place was nearly empty, and no yoga or fitness center despite the listing.

The hotel still needs finishing, but I liked it a lot and would recommend visiting. The rooms have a cool modern industrial concrete look, and come with the essentials. Some have private pools. There’s a huge main pool and a great rooftop terrace with a jacuzzi. The staff were really kind and helpful. There aren’t any shops nearby, so bring food along. Taxis cost a lot here, at least 300 pesos /15 euros for a ride, and 500 pesos/ 25 euros to the beach. You’ll need to rent a bike to get around. You can buy breakfast and lunch at the next hotel 👍🏻

The room was roomy and clean, and I really liked its industrial style. The coffee machine was great, and the fridge was huge. It’s between the beach and downtown. The only drawbacks were construction next door and shower water that didn’t stay hot for long.