We stayed at jade this month for almost a week and after reading reviews I was very excited to stay there. We were in the jungle nest and found it to be very dismal inside the cabin. Yes, you do have privacy since you are separated from the other cabins, but the room was tired, stained curtains, had a moldy bathroom and sheets and towels that are only changed every 4 days. A long time when you have sand and suntan lotion everywhere....A paint job would do wonders as would some decent curtains instead of the dirty ones that are hanging by a rope. I know this is by the sea and everything gets nasty, but it just felt as if noone had really cared to do anything since this place had been built. The hosts were lovely, the breakfast fine. But for 140.00 I felt we overpaid for the depressing room we had. This is our 3rd trip to Tulum and we have stayed in many other places, but for my money I would go elsewhere unless you just want to be up an above the beach. To add to the experience, the group of drunk college kids whooping it up everynight and leaving their dirty towels and shoes strewn about all over the place, left a poor taste in my mouth.

We stayed at Jade for 3 nights Jan 4-7 2008. It was a holiday season so we paid $200 a night. We think that it was way over priced, and that left us with a bitter taste.

We came with our 1.5 year old daughter. Jade didn't supply a crib for the baby, so we had to bring our own (we bought a "Kidco PeaPod Plus" and it worked great!). All together it was a good experience, we liked the roughness of the place - it was exactly what we're used to when we're traveling, but never for this price.

We stayed in room no. 4, it is the one in the middle that share a wall with room no. 5. We didn't hear our neighbors (we didn't even know that they were there), and even though our daughter cried at night they claimed that they didn't hear it. We didn't have any cockroaches problem (we did see a small one, one day - my husband killed it) and we had a LOT of food in the room because of the baby (formula and snacks).

The good things:
* Jade is so beautiful. We didn't mind at all about the cracks on the floor, this is the roughness I was talking about.
* Every room had a hammock outside the room.
* The cleaning lady (which we never actually saw) worked like magic. The moment we walked outside of the room in the morning, even if it was just for few minutes, she came in and tidied up the room and made the beds. That was great.
The room was more tidy than clean, but with all that sand that you bring in all the time, who cares.
* The beach is very clean, beautiful and comfortable (you have sun beds) - though thing to consider with kids, the waves are high (we almost drowned our daughter trying to put her in a flotation ring).
* Juan, Martha, and I must add their daughter Sofia, are nice people that will help you with whatever you need.
* If you're willing to pay the price, Martha's cooking is very good ($25 per person for salad and a main course, not including drinks)


The bad things:
* There wasn't enough warm water in the shower, so we had to divide our shower timing throughout the day so we all get a share of warm water.
* The windows didn't shut completely, and when we came it was unfortunately cold and very windy.
* There weren't any outlets in the room, which made it a little complicated, especially with the baby.
* We couldn't trust the electricity to work (there were few blackouts), plus the light in the room was low.
* The pathway to the room (elevated path) was very dark at night - it was very scary to walk carrying a sleeping (or even awake ) baby.

The bottom line is that at a lower price this would have been a 5 star review and I'd strongly recommend it to anyone, but at this price I wouldn't return there and wouldn't recommend it to a friend.


About Tulum, we had a car so we could drive to places, but we liked staying next to Jade. Our best meals were in a restaurant I think called "Banana" (try the mole there and the fish in coconut souse) and "La Zebra" restaurant (right at the beach) a little bit more fancy but very good cooking (children have a lot of space to play there with the swings, pillows on the floor and music)

We had good time but and also happy to come back to our cheap city New York.

My husband suprised me with three extra days of vacation at Jade. I had read some of the reviews and was a little nervous. I was really impressed with this hotel. It is absolutely beautiful. Juan and Martha are such a nice couple. They really go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. They would make coffee in the mornings and cut up fresh fruit. They have the greatest dogs who are so cute and friendly. I really felt so relaxed and safe at this resort. You can have a bad experience at any hotel. Fortunately my husband picked a relaxing place with wonderful owners and I would go back tomorrow if I could.

My family and I stayed with Juan and Martha for four days in the middle of a two-week trip to Mexico and Belize. Our stay at Jade was the most enjoyable part of our two-week adventure. This is a perfect setting for those that are interested in a quiet, peaceful, and magical vacation.

This is going to sound redundant after reading the other reviews, but the hosts at Jade do make this place special. We really enjoyed our time talking with Juan and Martha and learned a great deal about the rapidly changing environment on the Yucatan Peninsula. Our kids left with a better understanding of the natural surroundings and the people of Mexico, which for me as a teacher is more than I could have hoped for. Juan and Martha are committed to keeping Tulum a special place and have developed some great tools to inform others of the environmental problems threatening this part of Mexico.

Jade is not for people that want a sterile, air-conditioned, and everything catered experience. If you are the all inclusive type than this is not for you! It is for the traveler that goes on vacations to experience people and the natural beauty of the land.

We stayed in Jade Fire No.3, which was perfect for the four of us. It is very private with a wonderful hammock on the porch outside and a large room with three beds, king size, queen, and single. Every morning we had fresh fruit and some of the best coffee I have ever tasted.

Our favorite experience was snorkeling to Dos Ojos cenote. Juan and Martha took the four of us and three other guests for an early morning trip to this wonderful place. I have snorkeled in some amazing places, but I have never experienced anything like this. Imagine cool, fresh water which is crystal clear and blue in color with ancient limestone formations and delicate fresh water tropical fish swimming all around you. This was my favorite part of the trip.

Thank you Juan and Martha for a wonderful vacation.