This is the most incredible beach, I almost didn't write a review, so as not to reveal the secret. The cabanas are right on the lovely beach, without many trourists around at all. Long walks, clear water and the Maya Tulum just down the beach has a fantastic restaurant (great view), especially for vegitarians. Also has daily yoga classes etc. The other direction you will find another great restaurant, Italian, very authentic, but sorry cannot remember the name (Next beach front restaurant south). The breakfast at Hemingway was lovely and the people are very laid back and nice. Don't expect a high level of service other than daily maid service and breakfast. Any time you spend in a cabana in Tulum you are bound to get the bugs and sand in your cabana, some reviews call this place rustic, but I think it was quite lovely and kept clean for sure. Best cabana experience ever! It's like having your own house right on the oceanI Also the beds outside are soooo nice to lay out on all day long. would absolutly return!

We recently spent 10 days in Mexico. After some research we decided on 5 nights in Tulum, 2 nights in Playa del Carmen followed by 3 nights in Cozumel. We had stayed in a very private and secluded resort in Fiji a couple of years ago and were hoping for a similar experience in Tulum. Here's what we found:

The good:
* Beautiful beach with a contstant refreshing breeze
* Not packed with tourists
* We enjoyed the daily breakfast of orange juice, coffee, fresh fruit and bread
* Great beds on the beach

The bad (some of this doesn't deal with the resort directly, but our experience in Tulum overall):
* Even though there was a contant breeze and we had a sea view room, it was still very warm at night. For some reason the wind didn't seem to make it inside our cabana even though we slept with all windows and curtains open.
* Our shower barely drained so we were always standing in 5 inches of water.
* We had a resident rat that came in our cabana each night. (We are used to roughing it and are okay with lizards and insects, but a rat was a bit much...we had NO food in our cabana)
* Two nights we were awakened at 3am to loud, drunk men on the hammocks in front of our cabana (we don't believe they were guests at the resort and wish security had done something about them)
* A restaurant down the road was surrounded by police officers for 3 days - we definitely questioned our safety

While Tulum was beautiful we didn't feel as safe or comfortable as we had hoped. Hemingway Eco Resort was 'okay', but we have had much better experiences at other resorts with similar amenities in the past.

The canbanas are on the most breathtaking beach ,aqua blue sea with dazzling white sand. It was a really intimate place but alas we had only booked for three days and seven at Bella e Vita which did not compare with Hemmingway. Our cabana was stunning really large and had two king size beds with bright Mexican decor. It was a little damp but that was due to it being right on the beach and the choppy sea with the wind. It was very windy but it is all year in Mexico but it kept the room so cool to enhance sleep. It was quite magic here and plenty of places to eat along the beach although Hemmingway did great fish and the bar man knocked me out with his take on a frozen Maragarita!! Awesome!! Hemmingway is on the best stretch of beach it is wide and full of nature such as brown pelicans and hundreds of dancing butterflies. The staff were really nice especially the owner and barman, and the Mexican ladies who made breakfast. The breakfast although simple was lovely, bread and homemade jams and fruit. The coffee was great with a dash of cinnamon. It was really relaxed here with a pleasant vibe. It did cater for mainly Italians when we were there. Oh and it played really low key chilled music in the evening. Bella e Vita played loud music all day and it was really intrusive Euro pop. Why play music in the day when you can hear the natural sounds of the sea and the wind. Hemmingway romantic cabanas you have got it so right. Thank you for a great and memorable stay. One day I will be back!

I just got back from four nights at Hemingway where we enjoyed a relaxing girls weekend.

It's a very charming, laid back place. The decor is beachy and rustic, with bright tropical colors, thatched roofs and Mexican-inspired fabrics and prints. The cabanas have thatched roofs, tile floors, mosquito nets over the beds, and an open shower/bathroom. There are hammocks and lawn furniture on each patio for relaxing in the breeze. Because it was May and we were in a garden room, it was pretty hot and sticky inside, but the bugs weren't an issues so we could leave the nets open and still catch some breeze now and then. I would recommend staying as close to the beach as possible this time of year to maximize the continuous ocean breeze. If you can, avoid the room named Juanita. It's tucked furthest into the garden, is next to the road, and has one king bed and one double hanging from ropes on wooden slats that are bowed in the middle. Basically, it's just a fancy hammock. We used it for luggage. The rest looked great, though.

The beach was lovely, though not always as clean as it could be due to seaweed washing up. The last evening of our stay, a local man was sweeping it up, which made it pretty much perfect the next morning. I'm betting it's a somewhat seasonal problem. We visited several other places while were there, and walked several miles in each direction, and it was still one of the nicest we saw. The BEST beach, however, is at Paraiso. We hung out there a couple of days. Because it was low season, it wasn't too crowded.

As for food and drinks, we didn't eat at Hemingway due to the reviews we saw concerning price. Breakfast, which is included, was fruit, toast, coffee/tea and DELICIOUS tropical fruit jam, which was a perfect way to start the day. We did have a few drinks there, which were a little pricey. Don't be in a hurry - service happens on beach time. But that can be said for the entire area, which was a wonderful change of pace.

We had several meals at Zamas about a mile down the street, which was fantastic. Fair prices, a good selection of seafood and Italian, and live music almost nightly made it our favorite spot.

A couple of other things to note:
Language - know some basic Spanish, or pick up a handbook. Paolo, the owner, is Italian and speaks that and Spanish, but limited English. Same can be said for the rest of the staff. Even if it's not perfect, I'm sure the effort is appreciated.

Transportation - consider renting a car at the airport. We took the bus from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, then another from PDC to Tulum town, then a taxi to our place. It was only $16 total, but it took almost four hours for what is only a two hour trip. And because we moved around a lot, by the time it was all said and done, we spent about $25 a day on taxis/transportation.

Location - great. Everything is pretty much on one strip along the beach and taxis run back and forth all day. Hemingway is in the middle. Tulum Pueblo (town) is charming and small, about 5 miles away, with a dozen restaurants and a handful of shops with the usual tourist trinkets.

Necessities - bug spray, flash light (generators run for electricity from dusk to midnight only), and serious sun protection - it's brutal (and awesome)! I rarely burn and got a heat rash the first day! Also, save yourself some money and run into town to buy water in bulk. You might also pick up some cerveza and throw it in your collapsible cooler (or pick up a cheapy there).

Anything you forget can be bought in town, so just get yourself there and enjoy!