we would like to tell you about our stay in "papaya playa" tulum mexico.



in short: dirty cabanas, bed bugs, the owner not refunding the 55$ because we complained about his site.



we went there and asked to stay for 2 nights in a cabana. the price was 55$ a night. we payed in advance.



1. three hours after checking in we told them we're leaving after obly 1 night because we arrived after a hurricne and couldn't enjoy the beach. we never got our money back. we complained about the conditions of the site, the manager sergio got upset and decided not to give us our money back. there was a sheet of paper in reception saying no refunds, but no one told us that the whole time we were waiting for our money back.



2. the cabana - dirty. the private bathroom - hardly any water coming out of the shower, and also not draining. after a while the water stopped, and we had to use the shared bathroom. they ran our of toilet paper, and no one had any. (since our private bathroom wasn't working we gave people ours.) only before leaving, when we complained about the situation, they rememebered showing us the IMPORTANT NOTES to the guest saying you have to tell them to pump water to your cabana. it seems that note is IMPORTANT enough to have been posted in every room.



3. bed buggs - the day after sleeping in papaya playa we woke up covered with bites from head to toe.

There are many things to complain about. I will start in alphabetical order:


E) Expensive: Very expensive for uncomfortable bungalows, we were much more comfortable sleeping in the shared hamocks outside. Expensive food.

M) Mosquitos: we were eaten by mosquitos even with net which had holes everywhere.

S) Sergio (owner/manager): Rude, temper problems, obnoxious, profit seeker. Yelled at a nice waitress who was attending us and being really social and helpful at the restaurant.

S) Sheets: Dirty, we complained and they were never changed

T) Tolerance: We could only take two nights of this hell and then we left to a much more comfortable place for the same price.

O) Other

The region itself is beautiful, Tulum is a really nice spot, and there is a lot to do. Actually we are going in a month for the second time, but we are staying at a different place which has been highly recommended. Just avoid Papaya Playa, and the rest will be fine.

My wife and I brought our two-year-old down to Tulum to just find some tranquility on the beach and pretty much found it here. It has a very nice spread of beach and the cabanas are simple but fairly priced. We weren't looking for any special services or amenities, just a cool, unpretentious place to stay and relax and we found great value in Papaya Playa. It is also close to several restaurants along the beach which offer some good variety and just a few km from Tulum pueblo. The restaurant could be a bit better, but it is easy enough to get around to some fantastic places to eat. This was the perfect place for us and if we come back to Tulum, we would happily come back here.

I'm usually very laid back & tolerant but I've gotta weigh in on this place. My wife & I checked in Mar 10/2007 with no prior reservations as we were "wingin' it" - not a good idea along Tulum's beaches. After some tedious negotiations with the front desk, we moved into a cabana with a bathroom. No hot water in any of the cabanas we looked at first. They outright lied to us saying it would be fixed. Never was & no attempt to do so. Treacherous pathways everywhere. Holes in the thatch roof. Nothing inside the cabana to block the gale-force winds Tulum was experiencing at the time. Service is pretty much non-existant. Hot water only in the filthy shared showers. Poor quality yet expensive food & drinks. Lovely location however - its only saving grace. Overall, totally neglected & totally disorganized. We paid in advance for 5 nites to get a decent rate but left after 3 nites. If we'd have stayed longer it would have ruined the whole thing. Bottom line - don't even go there 'cause they don't care.