we recently spent more than a week at casa magna. the hotel is beautiful and that particular stretch of beach could not be nicer, but the woman who owns it, melissa, is a liability. she doesn't hold anything back in front of guests (even yelling at her staff).

half-way through our stay she literally harrassed us for money, demanding that we pay for everything up front, in cash, immediately, as if we had threatened to run out on the bill. apparently it was pay-day for the employees and she needed cash, but we were miles from the nearest bank machine. we eventually paid everything in advance, with a credit card, so that she would leave us alone. but the whole experience left a bad taste in our mouths.

the service is not good--inconsistant meals, disorganized staff--but we were willing to overlook all that when people were friendly. the first few days we were there melissa was gone and the manager, an argentinian woman named carolina, was very nice, helpful and easy-going. we felt at home and forgave the various hiccups in service.

but when melissa came back and agressed us, we suddenly felt totally resentful! ie, when they ran out of both bread and yogurt for three days in a row at breakfast, we thought, why should we put up with this chaos just to be treated like thieves?

we have stayed at beautiful boutique hotels all over the world and have never had an experince like this. when we told melissa that, she did not apologize. she said that "here in the zona this is how things work." but her hotel is nothing like any other place in tulum--it is nicer and more expensive, so it attracts a different kind of guest with higher expectations.

i didn't read about the place on this site until i got bback but now i see that others have had similarly unfortunate experiences. it's a pity, because the place is so nice. but if she doesn't learn how to treat people differently, or leave the management to carolina, i think very few guests will go back twice.

My husband and I were recently married at Casa Magna (Nov 3, 2007). We daringly booked this place sight unseen based from rave reviews on ASmallWorld (a members only online site) -- it ended up being my fairy tale wedding!!! I work in public relations in New York City, as did the owner Melissa before taking over Casa Magna so I felt certain she would have a similar sense of standards and style I was looking for which she did! My husband is from Denmark so we had many guests fly in from all over the world who had never even been to Mexico which is why I was very particular in picking a place everyone would be impressed with. We decided on a small intimate wedding and had 25 people in total. Simply put, it was gorgeous! Here are the perks - rooms are HUGE and breathtakingly romantic, the staff is extremely friendly and helpful, the property has the BEST beach of all of Tulum, possibly the whole mayan riviera, plus the food was amazing - overall just magical! Melissa was terrific, super friendly and even offered the use of her mother to marry us, who by the way, did a beautiful job, even suggesting ideas for our vows! We checked in a week before the big day but left that Saturday morning for an all day spa day and didn't return til right before before the ceremony with my immediate family. When i came back, I could not believe how they transformed and decorated the entire villa! From the candles to the dining table to the handmade path down to the beach...i was awestruck! The best part of our wedding was the many areas of the villa we were able to use so it made the night flow nicely and have more picturesque backdrops...without having to travel to another location. We used the pristine beach for the all- white sunset ceremony, the upstairs reception area for pre dinner cocktails, the downstairs outdoor patio area for dinner and a bar terrace for post dinner dancing! It honestly felt like it was a rich relatives beautiful private villa we took over. Those of you thinking of getting married here, it is so worth it!!! We plan to also spend our anniversaries here as well. Thanks Melissa and everyone else at Casa Magna for making a bride and groom have a beautiful memory of their wedding! xoxo

This is the kind of place that from the moment I arrived, I knew I wanted to plan my next trip. The staff was incredible, from Melissa, the owner, to Amy, Eduardo, Josh, and everyone else. They really strive to make your stay special and make you feel at home. I can't express what a magical place this is. The food is fantastic, the rooms are gorgeous, and you really do feel like a welcomed guest in someone's home. I will definitely be back.
susan

My fiance and I had a wonderful time at Casa Magna...we were extremely pleased with the entire staff and the wonderful food that was served daily and nightly there...The accomdations were quite charming and the beach was beautiful...Ideal spot to go and unwind and enjoy great service with a friendly attitude...A definite repeat location to revisit..