Encantada Tulum
Mayan minimalist
Hot tropic
It’s back to (admittedly, luxe) basics at Encantada Tulum, where life’s simple pleasures – morning bird song, say, as you tuck into breakfast on a private terrace – are placed front and centre. In rooms, every element has been lovingly crafted by local artisans – thatched palapa roofs, driftwood accents, rattan furniture and hand-woven macrame imbue each space with a soulful sense of place. This intimate, earthy stay draws a peace-seeking crowd looking to tune in and drop out and, as luck would have it, there are several opportunities to do so.
Facilities
Rooms
8 artfully appointed rooms.
Checkout
12 noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More Details
Rates include a Mexican-Mayan breakfast to be taken at the restaurant or from the comfort of your room.
Also
Unfortunately, this hotel is not suitable for guests with accessibility needs.
Free Internet Access
On-Site Restaurant
Room Service
At the Hotel
Private beach, spa room, bar, two restaurants. In rooms: Crochet beach bag with towels, air-conditioning, purified water, furnished terrace with hammock, hotel’s own reef-friendly bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Spread across four independent towers, all eight rooms are alike, each signposted by Mayan names at the entrance and kitted out with a rustic hanging bed, earthy rattan furniture, driftwood details, decorative macrame wall hangings and an open shower lit by frosted glass tiles. We’re particularly fond of the upper rooms – especially the front two, Cielo and Estrella – which have beautiful thatched palapa roofs, wrap-around terraces and elevated ocean views.
Poolside
There’s no pool at the hotel, but don’t let that stop you from making a splash – guests are welcome to use that of its neighbouring sister Radhoo (the biggest in Tulum, that is), and with a private beach just a mango’s throw away from your room, you’ve got nature’s very own natatorium on your doorstep.
Spa
Wellness is serious business at Encantada, where you’ll find a holistic approach to healing with an index of Mayan-inspired shamanic rituals that sit beside more orthodox treatments. And while there is a dedicated spa room, treatments can take place just about anywhere. Choose from the energising deep tissue massage or go all-in with a two-hour mud ceremony. Yogis can align their chakras every which way (Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Pranayama – you name it) or find their zen through meditative breathwork classes.
Packing Tips
Come armed with your best swimsuits, beachy reads and a whole lot of energy to channel through your sundeck Vinyasa.
Also
Those with artistic ambitions should book onto the five-day culture lab which includes ceramic classes, life drawing, painting sessions and photo workshops led by local creatives.
Children
Over-12s welcome at this peaceful stay.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Grab a table on the beach for a soundtrack of lapping waves and a visual feast of Caribbean blue.
Dress Code
Tarzan and Jane go glam.
Hotel Restaurant
There are two. Take breakfast and lunch at Encantada’s main restaurant, where pitched Mexican palapa, low-hanging ceiling fans and a rustic splay of wooden tables extends onto a palm-flanked terrace with organic, driftwood seating. Though if you’d rather dine from your beach chair, or upon your private terrace, that’s fine too. Chef Luis Aguilar has created a menu of Mexican fusion dishes which includes light bites like Yucatan ceviche and shrimp aguachile alongside heartier fare such as chicken breast piccata with lemon, capers and white wine capellini. For dinner, head to Nü, where a modern take on Caribbean cuisine is dished out in a romantic, jungle setting. The menu is a tad more selective to accommodate their focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and sustainable cooking methods (each dish is prepared by slow-burning fire), but every option is artfully considered. Choose from Caribbean fermented cabbage with Cuban mojo macadamia nut cream, stuffed xcatic black bean chilli with grilled boudin blanc or wood grilled Campeche prawns bathed in Tajin bearnaise.
Hotel Bar
The hotel’s bar services both the beach club area and terrace, serving local craft beers, wine of every kind and a host of fresh juices and non-alcoholic options. Cocktails? I hear you say. Alongside your bloody mary’s and piña coladas, you’ll be treated to no less than five varieties of the classic margarita as well as a line-up of signature concoctions. For mezcal militants, don’t miss the tasting sessions at Nü, where you’ll be let into the secrets of the sacred agave.
Last Orders
At Encantada breakfast is served from 8am to 11am and you can grab lunch right through to 10pm. Dinner at Nü runs from 6pm to 11pm, and the bar pours it’s last margarita at 10pm.
Room Service
Order anything from the Encantada menu straight to your room between 8am and 10pm daily.
Planes
You can fly direct from various US and Canadian hubs to Tulum Airport, around an hour's drive from the hotel. Alternatively, Cancun International Airport is around two hours away. The hotel can arrange transfers at an extra cost.
Automobiles
There’s free parking on-site for those looking to indulge in a spot of coastal cruising.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
If by miracle you manage to tear yourself away from the silky sands of Encantada’s private beach, you’ll find yourself well placed for all manner of natural and cultural thrills. Art buffs should make a beeline for Casa Malca – Pablo Escobar’s former mansion – which now houses the private collection of gallerist Lio Malca. Here, you’ll find works from some of the twentieth century’s most revered artists and designers from Jean-Michel Basquit to George Kondo and Keith Haring. A twenty-minute drive along the coast, you’ll discover the ruins of a 13th-century Mayan settlement built to face the rising sun. Now draped in exotic flora, these captivating clifftop temples gaze over the Caribbean sea and offer visitors a fascinating glimpse of this ancient civilization. The Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve is hit with nature lovers, a Unesco site of mangroves and marshes, tropical forests and some rather lovely locals – keep your eyes peeled for giant sea turtles, dolphins, exotic birds and the occasional big cat.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
