10 Best Boutique Hotels in Tulum [2024 Guide]

The Caribbean coast of Mexico is not only the oversized, cookie-cutter all-inclusive resorts you’re picturing in Cancun and Playa del Carmen – far from it. Head just a bit further down the coast to Tulum, and you’ll find a totally different kind of stay experience, particularly suited for travelers looking for a much more memorable stay.

Read on for the very best among the numerous boutique hotels in Tulum; these are the extra-special, intimate beachside spots with the personalized attention and service that have long made Tulum such a unique escape along the Mexican Caribbean.

Best Boutique Hotels in Tulum

Tulum is defined by its boutique hotels. What they’re missing in the myriad amenities of larger resorts they make up for in impossibly cool style, thoughtful activities, and friendly service that give Tulum a genuine beach town feel despite its size and popularity. These are our top boutique hotel recommendations in Tulum:

• Best Boutique Hotel in Tulum for Romance | Mi Amor
• Best Boutique Hotel in Tulum for Families | La Zebra
• Best Boutique Hotel in Tulum for Wellness | Lula

Of course, most travelers visiting Tulum want to stay by the beach. The town’s Zona Hotelera—Hotel Zone—lines the beachfront and is home to the best boutique hotels in Tulum. These properties are more expensive but offer the direct access to the sand and sea you’re dreaming of; they’re well worth it. If affordability is your focus, stay in Tulum Centro, but keep in mind it is a good 12-15-minute taxi ride to the beach!

1. Mi Amor

Best Boutique Hotel in Tulum For Romance

$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum National Park

You’ll feel the love in the air at Mi Amor. Every guest at this 20-room adults-only boutique hotel seems like they’re here to celebrate something special with their partner, so the vibes are high; it’s the obvious pick for the top spot in Tulum for romance.

Every detail at Mi Amor, from the books on the bar carts to colorful, handcrafted furnishings and decor, has been handpicked with romance in mind. There are several different room categories to choose from, offering a range of pool, garden, and ocean views and romantic amenities like plunge pools, jacuzzis, and private outdoor space. Keep in mind that the property’s rocky outcropping location doesn’t allow for ocean access, but you’ll love the private beach beds lining to oceanfront.

Mi Amor also features an excellent restaurant headed by Jose Luis Hinostroza, the same chef whose ARCA restaurant just down the road earned spots on the lists of the 50 Best list of the best bars and restaurants in North America multiple times over. Sunday brunch is a particularly popular meal, but his ultra-fresh, Mexican-inspired menus are to die for any time of the day.

Reviews and Bookings: Mi Amor

2. La Zebra

Best Boutique Hotel in Tulum For Families

$$ – $$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum Beach Town

Tulum’s stylish and hip boutique hotels generally don’t scream family-friendly, but La Zebra is a welcome exception. The large white sand beachfront with oversized, shady day beds and a playground area are perfect for the little ones, though this is definitely the type of cool, casual luxury the parents are bound to love even more. The rooftop pool is conveniently nestled alongside Frida’s Lounge, a colorful, laidback lounge we consider one of the best places in Tulum for a sunset drink.

La Zebra is also a culinary destination in its own right. The Chef’s Table by Eleazar Bonilla is more than just a meal; it’s a deep dive into some of Mexico’s best flavors and culinary traditions by a chef who is so passionate about his craft. This 8-course tasting menu was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

La Zebra also offers mezcal tastings and dedicated classes for guests looking to make their own Mexican cocktails, tortillas, and ultra-fresh salsas. For kids and kids at heart, the weekly Lucha Libra Ballet event is a must, a kitschy dinner show where unlimited tacos are accompanied by dancers in traditional Mexican wrestling garb dancing and “wrestling” to mariachi tunes; it’s a riot.

Reviews and Bookings: La Zebra

3. Lula

Best Boutique Hotel in Tulum For Wellness

$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum Beach Town

Lula is a newcomer to the Tulum boutique hotel scene, but it’s already a favorite for a barefoot luxury experience, inspired Mediterranean-Mexican dining, and ocean views. Home to a spacious oceanfront wellness pavilion and yoga studio, it’s our top recommendation for travelers looking for some rest and rejuvenation in Tulum.

Part of the appeal of Lula for a wellness-styled stay is that it is all about balance. Start the day with a yoga and movement class before kicking back on the beach with fresh juice or a wood-fired pizza and cold beer. Or, enjoy a spa treatment, sound bath, or jungle excursion before sipping on handcrafted cocktails from Lula’s rooftop terrace. All in all, Lula embraces the many types of wellness that Tulum does best for an accessible experience for every traveler.

Reviews and Bookings: Lula

4. Mezzanine

$$ – $$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum National Park

A tiny nine-room adults-only boutique hotel nestled within Tulum’s National Park, Mezzanine is one of the original boutique hotels in Tulum, setting the standard for luxury and friendly, personalized service for so many properties along the coast to follow in their footsteps. Serene colors in each of the hotel’s individually decorated rooms reflect the untouched beachfront and jungle surrounds; Tulum’s ruins are just a stone’s throw away.

Mezzanine is also home to one of Tulum’s most popular beachfront restaurants, offering authentic Thai cuisine in a spacious, shaded terrace cantilevered above the white sand beachfront. Trade ocean views after a meal to relax in the shade of the hotel’s elevated lounge platform complete with beachbeds perfect for lazy afternoons.

Reviews and Bookings: Mezzanine

5. La Valise

$$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum Beach Town

The ultra-boutique Mexican hotel group La Valise is a perfect fit for Tulum. Hip, style-minded travelers flock here to discover what feels like the place to be in Tulum, a mix of luxury and exclusivity that most other properties in town can’t quite manage.

La Valise went somewhat viral for its admittedly amazing rollout beds for stargazing. Don’t get me wrong, these are incredible, but there is so much more here that is even more swoon-worthy. The intimate spa and wellness center features treatments incorporating Mesoamerican tradition as well as yoga, meditation, and breathwork classes. Beachside and jungleside rooms, each thoughtfully curated with a unique style, let each guest choose their adventure. A natural cenote awaits. La Valise really is the place to be.

Reviews and Bookings: La Valise

6. Azulik

$$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum Beach Town

You’ve never stayed anywhere that looks quite like Azulik; I can guarantee it. The entire hotel was handcrafted and thoughtfully designed, weaving local wood together to create what can only be designed as a whimsical birdhouse-like destination that feels like you’ve entered a world all its own.

Azulik is home to 48 individual villas that provide plenty of seclusion and privacy to guests, as well as that one-of-a-kind experience and feel that you’re looking for in a boutique property stay. Azulik’s Kin Toh is a fine dining treetop experience that we recommend even if you’re not a guest; the hotel also offers an additional restaurant, a mezcalería, a spa, two boutique shops, and a dedicated art space.

Reviews and Bookings: Azulik

7. Encantada

$$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum Beach Town

Encantada means enchanted, and that’s certainly how you’ll feel the second you arrive at this eight-room boutique property nestled along a quiet stretch of Tulum beachfront. Encantada keeps it simple with decor and design featuring lots of pure white, natural wood, and floor-to-ceiling glass to let bright Caribbean blues shine.

There’s plenty to love about Encantada, but we particularly enjoy the add-on experiences like their wellness schedule, delicious and inventive dining (try the roadside Los Bowls de Guadalupe at the neighboring sister property NEST Tulum!), and unique five-day guided experiences for those looking for a more intense schedule of wellness or cultural engagement and discover experiences.

Reviews and Bookings: Encantada

8. Be Tulum

$$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum Beach Town

A wide beachfront, high-end yet simple, contemporary design, and retreat-like vibes make Be Tulum one of the best boutique hotels in Tulum. Located in the quiet southern part of Tulum’s Zona Hotelera, it escapes from the seen-or-be-seen feel of some of Tulum’s most high-design spots for a more genuine rest-and-relaxation-focused getaway without sacrificing the style.

The villas and suites at Be Tulum are spacious, thoughtful, and private. I actually prefer the jungle suites to the ocean suites because their incredibly lush surroundings lend even more privacy and tranquility to the space. Be Tulum also offers Casa Sastran, a luxury five-bedroom villa in the untouched Sian Ka’an Biosphere just south of Tulum.

Reviews and Bookings: Be Tulum

9. Our Habitas Tulum

A sustainable, adults-only hideaway within Tulum’s National Park, Our Habitas Tulum offers a unique oceanside stay experience you won’t forget. Each room has palapa roofs and canvas walls to let in the ocean breeze, but don’t call this glamping. Our Habitas Tulum is a full luxury; many rooms offer private plunge pools, still terraces, and access to shaded pathways leading to the wellness center, cenote deck, beach club, and restaurant with rooftop.

If you love your stay at Our Habitas Tulum, why stop the party? Our Habitas is a luxury boutique hotel group with properties in locations ranging from the Middle East and Morocco to more hidden spots in too often overlooked destinations in Mexico. The group’s Bacalar property is one of the most affordable luxury hotels in the world, perfect for exploring one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s few remaining hidden gems.

Reviews and Bookings: Our Habitas Tulum

10. Xela Tulum

$$$ | Zona Hotelera – Tulum Beach Town

Just twelve well-appointed beachside rooms make Xela Tulum a peaceful paradise that effortlessly combines both style and serenity for your dream Tulum vacation.

Xela Tulum feels cozy, whereas other boutique hotels in Tulum can feel cold or sterile in their effort to be cool and stylish. Warm tones and locally inspired design root this beachfront property firmly in its place, while Mexican-inspired dining at next-door sister properties La Valise and NEST round out an experience that offers a rich connection to the local that it can sometimes be hard to experience in the heart of Tulum.

Reviews and Bookings: Xela Tulum