Alaya

Hotel Alaya is a wonderful place. The staff was friendly, kind, and attentive (Rogelio is the best!), the room was clean and airy, the beds were comfortable, the bathroom and shower were beautifully designed and equipped with a fresh water jug and shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, the food was delightful, especially the breakfast — so fresh and healthy! I loved the fresh juices, fruit parfait, and FRENCH TOAST, but the ceviche was definitely disappointing.
If you are looking for a quiet and slightly less sceney Tulum experience that is a step up from a beach hut, then this is the hotel for you! Or rather, if you are looking for an experience where you can choose when to relax and when to participate, then Alaya is a great choice. It’s close to Casa Banana, Posada Margarita, El Tabano, La Zebra, BeTulum etc.
The beach directly in front of the hotel is lovely.
Originally I had wanted to stay at Ahau but it was booked. We went there for lunch one day and had meh service and EVERYONE on the beach was smoking and talking on their cell phones. It felt a little like we were in a tropical Meatpacking District. We were immediately happy with our choice. Even though they are sister hotels it seems that the Alaya is a little more adult and the guests were more respectful.
The hotel offers yoga and classes are located on THE MOST beautiful roof-​deck/​hut/​magical wind’chimey space. It’s so beautiful I wish I had done more yoga at the hotel! The teachers tend to shape the classes based on who is taking it in terms of level.
Hotel Alaya is a beautiful and relaxing place. I will definitely be back!

Alaya is the newer sister hotel to Ahau. Having stayed at both this year, I preferred Alaya slightly more. Alaya has less amenities than Ahau — smaller restaurant & bar, no yoga, no raw vegan stand, and no private cabanas. However, Alaya benefits from having newer facilities and what I felt was a nicer layout.
Like Ahau, Alaya’s staff is exceptionally well-​trained. The front desk lady was charming and kept her cool, especially when we were stressed and frazzled at check-​in. The owner of both properties lives on-​site at Alaya, and he was very welcoming to our party.
Alaya felt more charming and intimate than Ahau. The rooms were similar, but the bathroom area was more spacious and the rain shower was nicer. The bedding and towels are of very high quality. There is AC in the room, but it turns off during the day due to the weak power grid in Tulum.
The food at Alaya was average. I had forgettable chilaquiles for breakfast with stale chips. The fruit platter was good. The quality of food didn’t bother me much, as I prefer to explore and eat outside the hotels I stay at. Conveniently, one of the best restaurants in Tulum (Casa Banana) was a two-​minute walk away.
I highly recommend Alaya if you are looking for a more secluded, intimate resort. If you want a relatively busy, but still quiet, hangout spot and more robust dining/​drinking options, Ahau is better.

I can honestly say this is the coolest hotel I’ve ever stayed in, and in its own relaxed, beachy way the most pampered I’ve ever been. We originally booked one of the upstairs garden rooms, but once we felt how warm the room was and learned that the AC only goes on at night, we asked to upgrade to a beachfront room to take advantage of the ocean breezes. Though it was a couple hundred dollars more at the end of the stay, it was SO worth it. I can’t describe how amazing it is to wake up to the sun rising over Tulum’s gorgeous beaches, and just stumble out of bed and right into the ocean for a swim. One night there was a huge, dramatic thunderstorm and I’ve never seen something as cool as the lightning striking the pure white beaches. Incredible!
The rooms are breathtaking, with every detail thought out and lots of unique art and craftwork all over each suite. I loved the double sink in the room we had, and though I still got eaten up every night, I appreciated that they provided little bottles of natural bug repellent.
The hotel offers free yoga every morning, and it’s great to start the day with that or a simple meal at the little restaurant. It’s only open during the day and has a pretty small menu, but it was a perfect go-​to. I loved their granola as well as their yummy scrambles and wonderful fresh squeezed juice!
After all of this raving over the beauty and luxury of the Alaya, I have to say that hands down the best part about this place is the service. Everyone from the waiters at the restaurant to the guest services folks and the maintenance people are so wonderful and nice. They really do everything to make sure that all you have to do is sit back and relax. And it was always nice to come back to our room to a newly created towel swan (who we named Swanita)!
I just got back a couple of weeks ago and I’m already dreaming of going back. It’s a memory I’ll have forever thanks to the Alaya!

I stayed at the Alaya for my birthday with my friends and had an amazing time. It’s such a gorgeous place and the staff is SO amazing and accommodating! Cris works at their restaurant in the hotel and told us about all the amazing places to visit such as noteworthy restaurants and cenotes and spots the locals frequent. The owner of the hotel who we met built the place with his own hands and he was there with his family and was so personable and down to earth! Love this place.

Alaya is a sister hotel to Ahau and opened New Years Eve. We just returned from our second trip in 3 month and will be back soon. Our room was absolutely perfect as was the service. Ocean breezes, comfortable beds — the perfect romantic beach getaway. We love Ahau too — it has more action if that is what you are after (We celebrated New Years Eve there and it was a magical night). But when you want to get away from it — Alaya can’t be beat. 5 stars all around and within easy 5 minute walking distance from Hartwood and Casa Banana — our two favorite restaurants. Also from Gitano which has a beautiful ambiente but the food is less than accepatble…