Olas Tulum - 77780 Tulum

Olas has been my favorite hotel in Tulum for over 10 years. I have stayed there over 5 times & sent countless friends. Like many have said in their reviews, it WAS a gem in an ever changing Tulum. I brought 15 of my fiends to Olas, for a new mom retreat. All were either pregnant or new moms and we were seeking a restorative weekend. Over a month after booking out the property, Abby informed me that there was a new venue next door that occasionally played music. The cadence of the music was not always know and “some guests had no complaints about it while others did”… she directed me to their website. I asked the Abby what she wanted me to do with the information and she suggested maybe changing dates (not an option as all tickets bought) and generally just wanted me to be aware. I asked her to keep me posted on any developments with the venue prior to our weekend. (to which I got no updates until 1 day prior to arrival). Based on the tone of the conversation, I was not alarmed and expected some music … Upon arriving, we were assaulted with techno house music blasting at 1pm. The hotel was adjacent to a full fledged club that RAGED daily from 12pm to 2am with abrasive, Deep house and electric metal like music. To say the music was loud was the understatement of the century. The noise was soul penetrating. The vibrations made the pictures on the walls shake and earplugs along with noise cancelling headphones could not DIM the insane decibels. Our ears hurt and chests pulsated from the vibrations. The inside of the room felt like standing in front of a speaker. In a million years, you would never imagine that a hotel could or would operate adjacent to such noise. Friday night, we managed as we expected some music. However on Saturday, the the volume and bass was sooo much louder, that several of my travel companions had panic attacks. Management was off property for the ENTIRE weekend, and after we alerted them - re the gravity of the gravity of the situation, ignored my call resorting to text messages and email. Another woman who wasn’t part of our group was also horrified and checked out early. As we were 15 moms, there weren’t enough rooms to relocate us anywhere else and we were stuck for this torture for another night. While we really empathized with Olas as the music is not their fault, we felt that a refund for Saturday night was more that appropriate given the drastic situation. The management became defensive & aggressive to this ask, noting that they had done their job to “manage our expectations”. Rather than offering compassion and acknowledging a horrible situation- all the owner kept harping about was that they had “managed our expectations”…and that this wasn’t their fault. ??‍♀️ clearly, our expectations were not managed accurately & we were deceived Re the volume of the music. The owners complete lack of care for the actual experience of his guests and sole focus on his doing a good job in managing expectations was such misplaced energy. A few lowlights *having the owner call me at 11:00pm and 5:33am to make sure I would pay the remainder of my bill. (They got worried we would skip out on paying the balance due to noise) *In the AM, prior to our flights, the staff was instructed to lock the gate & not let my group out out so that we would not leave without paying the balance of the invoice! *the owner personally threatened me if I didn’t pay the balance on-site As I mentioned I have know management for over 10 years, which made all this even more painful and shocking. It seems that they are aware of the dim future of their property and riding it to zero, without any care for their customers experience. I am so sorry that this is happening to Olas however after how the owners treated my group, I can’t help but think that this might be a bit of karma.

We stayed at Olas Tulum for 3 nights, the property does not clearly disclose that there is a beach club which has recently opened right next to the property which means that it is impossible to relax and sleep, the music was so loud that the buildings were shaking day and night, many guests including us complained about this. We were also disappointed that the Abby the owner’s girl friend supporting booking from a a farm in California insisted on only taking cash as a policy which is rather inconvenient, this is obviously to avoid paying tax in my opinion, which is putting the onus on the guests to pay ridiculous ATM fees, exchange rates in Tulum town as well as wasting precious time withdrawing large amounts at local banks whilst being in holiday. All other hotels we stayed in Tulum took credit/debit cards. Abby insisted that “cash is in the culture of Tulum” which is a total lie. The breakfast was one of the worst we have had in Tulum relative to other hotels, it was served in a shared common table in the middle of the property which meant that there is again no privacy. We could see it from our balcony in the morning or at sunset as many guests including the property manager hang around the communal table and we felt forced to socialise with other guests and the manager in order to enjoy breakfast. We decided to have them elsewhere to avoid this as we would rather socialise with locals rather than other tourists. The place is very different from the pictures, essentially the owner bought an old house full of character and built an awful 4 storey concrete building behind it to maximise room revenues. So you essentially cram guests with minimal privacy, which is not what we expected or had been advertised. All in all, we have found that staying here was deceitful, the owners should have been more honest about the recent shortcomings which caught us by surprise. I cannot imagine that they can continue catering guests with the loud electronic music next door.

What's superb about Las Olas is the way all its elements come together as a harmonious whole to give us classic Tulum. The classic Tulum, flowering in jungle and tropical caribbean ocean simplicity. Las Olas owners had this in mind when they chose the property with its 70's beach villa architecture, when they chose their talented, warm professionals, when they designed their simple and high quality offerings. All of it classic Tulum. Las Olas sits on the southern end of Tulum's beach road, Boca Paila, just in front of Tulum's protected biosphere Xian Kaan. The skies are dark at night, the stars fill the sky, the big ocean sound fills your room. Our property concierge, an elegant Mexicana from the DF, was on top of every subtle touch and otherwise completely unnoticeable. Our Las Olas chefs, graciously, prepared a handmade Mexican breakfast every morning and a made to order lunch every day. Yumminess like Campeche prawns, local tuna sashimi and a variety of Mexican style aguas frescas. You wanna sample the local cuisine? 500 meters away you can sample the exquisite Mayan inspired Wild Tulum or splendid Moroccan menu of Nómade. Las Olas, classic Tulum at its finest , a gem you must see for yourself.

My wife and I had an amazing time staying here on our honey moon. Dino the manager was extremely accommodating and gave us a ton of good recommendations. The breakfast every morning was perfect and were some of my favorite meals during our time in Tulum. We really enjoyed meeting the other like minded guests at the communal breakfast table, sharing our experiences, and giving each other recommendations. The grounds were super peaceful and we spent many mornings hanging in the hammock on our balcony sipping coffee watching the waves. Will definitely stay here again next time we're in the area. Also, the hotel is a stones throw away from the gate to Sian Ka'an, the biosphere nature reserve. We loved having quick access to it and explored it multiple days. Ask Dino to hook you up with Pepe's contact info. He's an extremely passionate ornithologist who offers boat tours in Sian Ka'an - probably one of the most memorable experiences of my life was wearing a life jacket like a diaper, floating down a canal surrounded by ancient mangrove forests, and sipping on a cold beer (not to mention the ceviche dinner at the end!) Elephant in the room is that there is now a night club next door to Olas wedged between the hotel and the nature reserve. I will gladly defend OIas as this is out of their control. Out of the 5 nights we stayed there, there was only one annoying night on a Saturday when the music lasted until about 1 in the morning. The rest of the nights, the club was either closed or the music ended by the time it got dark. Ignore the unfair reviews about the club blasting music all day and all night, because that is far from our experience.

Las Olas is a truly unforgettable oasis. Every part of our stay was a unique and incredible experience. I still dream of the sounds of the ocean that fill your room at night. Everything at Los Olas is done with such attention to quality and beauty. The staff is exceptional and made a point of going the extra mile to ensure that our stay was the best it possibly could be. From the delicious food to sipping homemade pina Coladas on the beautiful beach, to the mezcal tasting while watching an incredible sunset, to the beautiful grounds – I highly recommend staying at Las Olas! I will be back!

Olas was the perfect setting for our intimate yoga retreat this fall. The accommodations -rooms and grounds- both exceeded our expectations. The hosts were warm and welcoming. The food, so satisfying, I hardly felt a desire to dine elsewhere. It was as if we had our own private slice of paradise for the week. Can't recommend enough, can't wait to return!

Our retreat at Olas was beyond expectations. Just footsteps to the ocean with the option to sunbath or read in the shade. Turquoise warm waters welcomed us and I had the gift of swimming briefly along side a sea turtle. Just magical! The owners and staff made the environment so comfortable and inviting by offering delicious meals, beautiful clean and simple suites, smiles and conversation. We opted for massages and yoga classes that were fantastic. We will remember our first night sitting up on the rooftop view with margaritas in hand watching the sunset. We are forever grateful to our son for making it possible and to Jimmie for the exceptional hospitality. with love, the Renos

Olas Tulum is one of the few hotels left in Tulum that still retains a soul. Yes Tulum has changed and yes unfortunately there can be loud music nearby on occasion from the encroaching property. However there is still much to love about Olas Tulum. The staff truly care about your well being and will go above and beyond to make your vacation exceptional. From kayak tours, ocean front massage treatments, dinner reservations, there was always someone to available to assist. The chef even offered to customize breakfast and lunch to my dietary requirements. Each morning guests were offered to experience yoga classes which were located on the stunning rooftop. It was a great way to start the day and connect with like minded travelers. Olas Tulum will still be my go to in Tulum. Rustic chic, elegant simplicity and downright magical.