we had a GREAT time there, email them in advance, we had room 2212 in tulum, right by the pool/gran tourg restaurant and pool bar and beach. the staff are great, cant praise the hotel enough
have a great time

jane

Thanks for that, Jane, it certainly sounds a great place for a break.

It gets so confusing reading about it, with the three hotels all together on-site, knowing what hotel is the best or what restaurants to use.

Did the Tulum rooms have whirlpool baths, or do you have to upgrade to ‘junior suites'?

How far away form the sea were you and does the 24hr all incl work well? I need to know that because the girlfriend drinks like a fish!

we are going here,in oct & can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i asked thomas cook,which hotel,you are usually put in & she said she didn't know.i asked for them to put a note,on my reservation,to be put in akumel.
jane,have i done the right thing? what did you think,of that section?
the reviews,are very positive,so really looking forward to it.
tracy

tracy

akumel was very good as well, they have a great bar at the end of the beach with swings round it !!
i think a lot of tC client get put in Coba, which is the newest section but it is far from the beach.
we spent a lot of time in akumel, the al la cartes there are good as well, we would go back in a second, it is great and the staff cant do enough to help you

enjoy jane

thanks jane!
my grandaughter,so wants a photo,on the bar swings,sipping a cocktail,as she puts it.anyone would think,she was 28,not 8.kids eh!
tracy

We went a couple of years ago with First Choice - stayed in the Coba section - very comfortable suites with the quietest pool - yes, its furthest from the beach but its still only a minute or two on the lttle road trains and about a 5 minute walk. To be fair we didn't think that much of the beach anyway - a lot of it had been washed away by the previous year's hurricane, there was only a relatively small bit of beach which got pretty crowded and the sea was too shallow for a proper swim. Food was generally very good and never had a problem getting the drinks we wanted. Enjoy!!

I've heard that the Coba hotel has been closed due to under-occupancy?

Not sure if this is still the case, has anyone been there recently?

from what i can gather,on trip advisor,it's still not open yet.but not 100% sure!
if you go,can you let me know,what it is like,when you return please?
i'm just abit,worried what the weather,is going to be like,in oct,as i hear it can rain,quite abit.hubby will be gutted!
tracy

If anyone recently returned would like to post a review please do so HERE

Getting a good price for this for Aug with direct holidays . Has anyone stayed recently as it now seems to be a huge complex (maybe a little too big) that includes the Coba, Tulum and Akumal hotels. Direct dont stipulate what part but I would worry about that nearer the time and put a request in direct with hotel.

There doesnt seem to be any recent reviews here although there is one not so great for the Akumal They look good elsewhere and there seems to be enough going on for 4 teens + the all important diving .

Never been to Mexico and I know everyone will have recommendations for good hotels but so far this is the best I can find for what we want to pay. It's going to be costly with 6 .

lyn

I've just booked . Not bad price actually and cheaper than we can do a decent A/I for in Europe .

Our first time to mexico . Can't wait .

Well done Lyn

Don't forget to research Xel Ha and Xcaret; Xel Ha is about 2 bus stops down the road, you can see it on Google Earth.
We went in 2007 as a party of 11 staying in the Coba (one at the back).
The Pool atmosphere was good as the entertainment crew were based there, but it was also peaceful.
One just hops on a land train to go around the hotel, to the Hacienda or to the beach.
At the time we could use facilities in all the hotels freely, but the Coba was slightly better and also quieter as no one from the seaside hotels came back to us!

The only steak house a la carte was in the Tulum so you had to go there to their reception to book it, not sure if you can still do that though.

All in all we had a great holiday and would not hesitate in going back should the circumstances arise.

Thanks for the tips steve.I have a feeling TC guests are being put in the tulum at the moment but I will do some research and put in my request nearer the time by email . From what I've read the rooms are nicer at the coba but we prefer to be right on the beach .

How long does it take to walk the beach from Tulum to Akumal ?

Measured in longs it is "not very".
According to Google Earth the entire beach from each wing tip is around a Kilometre but we did not go past the headland to the North and didn't realise there was a nice beach the other side. Whilst we were there, large chunks at the back of the beach were cordoned off for the turtle eggs but that was late September.
The land train stopped next to the akumal right next to the jetty. The beach bar at that end had swings to sit on instead of barstools. From the jetty it was only a couple of minutes walk before we got to the Tulum end.
We are normally beach people, but the beach was still recovering from a hurricane: hotel staff were in the water removing stones from the sand!
We preferred the beach, but once my grandson was settled in the pool the rest of the family could not be bothered to up sticks again.
We did spend a very enjoyable afternoon trying to get on the far sandbags amongst the breakers.

Not sure how things are now but whilst we were there, if I recall correctly, the Coba only did junior rooms or suites, whereas the other two did lower spec rooms, so if you were placed in the Coba you were guaranteed a better room by default.
The naughty part was that certain TOs were placing guests in the Coba and then also suggesting and charging for room upgrades. Our TA was upfront about everything but the people my children made friends with were caught out by that one.

If you look on Google Earth and scroll down the coast slowly you will see a large inlet with a barrier across the end. That is Xel Ha. The barrier/bridge is where they do the underwater walks. We actually had very good meals in Xel Ha and Xcarat as part of the entrance fees.
One problem with Xcarat was the unpublished deposit charge for lockers. You get the money back, but if you turned up without enough you couldn't have a locker and I think it was something stupid like $20 plus per locker (For 11 of us I had to find $200 dollars so we could go down the underground river). Somehow we managed it.

I complained to the rep afterwards who was going to look into it and make sure that future visitors were aware.
We also had another problem at Xcarat where the advertised package was not the one we got, so again I complained to the rep, but to his credit, he dug out all the paperwork and the package he sold us tied up to the documentation he had from Xcarat; they had changed the rules without notification so he was going to chase that up as well.

To be honest Steve until last year when we went to cuba we never sat on the beach during the day . We only ever liked to look at the view or to take walks along them . We always preferred the atmosphere around the pool. That all changed last year and I'm hoping the beach here will come somewhere close to that of Guadalavaca in cuba .

From what I've read they are still higher spec rooms at the coba although you don't seem to have to pay extra for them . when I booked a couple of weeks ago TC were advertising free upgrade to Hacienda club if travelling between certain dates but it hasnt appeared on my booking . I did ring them and they said it was something offered by the hotel and was subject to availability on arrival.

Sounds like they are right at the far end of tulum which may not suit us but from what I can make out we have the choice of an additional breakfast room and part of the beach.

Now I know the distance between akumal & Tulum along the beach isnt far I think I would be quite happy with Tulum. I'll do some more reseach on room blocks etc.

I've also read akumal beach end was the better & dive centre is in the middle .Have I got that right .

Must say it does sound lovely . Off to have a look at google earth.

lyn

I have a feeling from what I read elsewhere that you may have been on Esmerelda Beach in Cuba, which is going to be very hard to match as according to reports it is one of the best in the Caribbean.
I think you will need input from a recent traveler as at the time of our visit the beach was still recovering from the previous year's hurricane and there were also published plans in the Coba foyer showing a proposed redevelopment of the central beach area.

Standing on the beach facing away from the water toward the hotels, I thought the hotel on the left (South) was the Akumel and on the right (North - long thin one) was the Tulum.

So, at the time, by the Akumel and centred on the jetty, there was a roped off area which was best for snorkelling, the beach was Sandy and there were plenty of sun loungers, also within easy reach of the beach bar and the pool bar and toilets in the hotel. From the Beach Bar southwards, there was a lot of beach reconstruction work going on, but the coast itself was rocks, so not easy to get into and out of the water. Further to the south around the corner is a nice secluded sandy inlet, if you feel adventurous.

From the jetty north, the sweep of the sandy beach was inviting right up to the visible headland.
The central part had a beachbar consisting of a table on the sand, then there was a hut where one could partake of the watersports, which is also the Dive centre I think. We tried body boarding but were warned about the possibility of an offshore current. Sure enough 2 of ours went out, but the other 2 wearing flippers had extra power and managed to retrieve them. That was the end of the body boarding events.

At the north end there is a nice pool bar and plenty of sunbeds, with lots of sports activities as the crew are based right there.
In the water, which you can see on Google Earth, there are large sandbag type things which are there as some sort of protection I think. Quite a few were sunbathing on the close ones, but it was difficult to get on and stay on the outside ones due to the breakers, but quite good fun trying.
According to Google Earth there is even more hotel beach past the headland to the North but we didn't realise at the time and never got that far.

If you visit Xel Ha keep your eye open for the giant turtle whilst snorkelling down the river. My kids were surprised when they were drifting down and suddenly a large turtle head popped up a couple of feet away.

Apparently, the hotel regulars try and drink in all 21 bars. That was how many there were when we were there, but we didn't manage it.

Yes we were at Esmeralda beach steve . I know it will be hard to beat though .

From the map I've seen your description is correct . I'm definately leaning towards Tulum and I guess will decide when we get there what part of the beach works best for us .
As long as it's not too far from one point to the other , no problem , we will trudge through the sand a bit .

Really looking forward to it . We have 4 teens ranging from 14-20 with us and I'm hopefull there will plenty going on for them .

Thanks for all your helpful tips . I've read quite a bit over on TA but I much prefer the opinions & advice here .

lyn

We went to the GBP Coba in 08...its a huge resort...you wont be bored...there is so much to do...and you can always venture off resort...we are heading back to Mexico this July but we are going to The Grand Sirenis Resort & Spa....I just love Mexico it will be our 3 visit in the past 3 years I have a webpage on Facebook called I Love The Caribbean where you can check out some photos etc of our visit. My Friend is going to GBP Hacienda in May and our other friends are going in July. :0