Design-led boutique hotels abound in Tulum, Mexico’s most on-trend tourist town, where celebs in sandals rub shoulders with aspiring influencers drawn to the undeniable Insta-worthiness of its white-sand beaches, outstanding restaurants, nightlife, and rustic-chic aesthetic. Once a sleepy fishing village, Tulum is certainly having its moment — so much so that there’s a new airport on the way to cater to the growing demand for the quintessential Tulum experience of sea, sand and spirituality. To help you plan your beach getaway, here are the best Tulum boutique hotels with beach-bohemian vibes.
Photo: Expedia
The Most Stylish Beach Boutique Hotels in Tulum, Mexico
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We hope you love the Tulum boutique hotels we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
Ahau
It doesn’t get more Tulum than Ahau, where thatched-roof bungalows blend into the Mayan jungle on the fringe of white-sand shores. Here, sustainability is a benchmark, not a buzzword, but a raft of awards for its pioneering environmental and community initiatives is only part of Ahau’s story.
There’s also an electrifying program of beach club events, which have confirmed Ahau’s reputation as one of Tulum’s trendiest hangouts — their world-famous New Year’s Eve party is the place to be seen. Ahau is also home to Tulum’s best-known monument, the wooden sculpture Ven a La Luz (Come to the Light). Hordes of influencer wannabes wait in line for just a single allocated minute of manic selfie-snapping with the Ven a La Luz, but Ahau’s guests have privileged access outside of opening hours to enjoy it as an artwork and not just a photo prop.
Ahau: Carr. Tulum a Boca Paila Km. 7.5, Tulum, QROO, 77760
Price per night: $560
La Valise
Built for the Instagram era, La Valise’s design adheres to the hippy-chic Tulum template. Expect the usual sustainably sourced woods, thatched-roof villas and furniture woven in textured fabrics, but there are also some novel design features that you’ve probably already seen on social media, like the sliding bed in the beachfront master suite that guests can roll out onto their sea-facing terrace. La Valise has recently opened eleven new guestrooms on their Jungle Side, where their signature suites have been replicated to provide a rolling bed experience high in the jungle canopy.
La Valise: Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila Km 8.7, Tulum, QROO, 77780
Price per night: $520
Alaya
Alaya is the Zen little sister to Ahau’s twenty-three-guesthouse beach-party behemoth. Owned by the same collection, Alaya positions itself as an “enchanting oasis” and even the most cynical anti-yogi would struggle to deny the restorative power of waking up at the hotel to the sound of lapping waves and a gentle breeze in the palms overhead.
The menu at Restaurant Alaya is on-brand, but there’s a place for freshly caught fish and tasty chicken tacos alongside vegan and gluten-free offerings. Guests can enjoy the full complement of wellness activities for free, which range from treehouse yoga to “harmonizing experiences” such as self-love workshops and sonic attunement therapy.
Alaya: Carretera Tulum Boca Paila Km 8.3, Tulum, QROO, 77780
Price per night: $489
La Zebra
Detractors might argue that over-tourism (read: Americanization) has brought about the death of authentic local culture in Tulum, but La Zebra proves there are still places left to enjoy a taste of the Mexican experience.
Part of the Colibri Boutique Hotels family, La Zebra, has thirty spacious suites, half of which boast private plunge pools with beach or garden views, but the major draw here is the restaurant. Head chef Eleazar Bonilla was born to a cook mother and a “tortillero” father, and his love for Mexican food inspired him to travel far and wide throughout his country to discover time-honored cooking traditions and flavors unique to each region. His exciting menu at La Zebra brings this wealth of delicious knowledge to Tulum, where authentic Mexican fare can be surprisingly difficult to come by. My favorite dish? Scorpion guacamole.
La Zebra: Carretera Tulum a Boca Paila Km 8.2, Ejido Pino Suarez, Tulum, QROO, 77780
Price per night: $382
Hotel Bardo
When you arrive at Hotel Bardo, you’re welcomed into their tribe. It’s a fitting introduction to a jungle hideaway where a program of Mayan traditions and rituals are baked into the guest experience alongside more familiar wellness offerings, such as morning yoga or ice bathing.
This is one of Tulum’s most visually arresting and original properties, where natural materials and earthy tones are juxtaposed with striking, grungy elements that could have been lifted from a All Saints catalog. Loft-style villas, with their own private pools and jungle gardens, are hidden away behind walls of bamboo for total privacy. The hotel’s crown jewel is its pool. Shrouded in overgrown vegetation, it looks even more spectacular at night when it glows in firelight from the countless candles and lanterns that stand sentry around its perimeter.
Hotel Bardo: Av La Selva Entre Kohunlich, Tulum, QROO, 77780
Price per night: $342
Zamas
Zamas borrows its name from the Mayan word for dawn, and it’s at this time when the hotel’s magic comes to life. Set an early alarm and from the sanctuary of your private beach, you can watch the sun wash the sky in hues of oranges and pinks as it crawls above the ocean horizon.
The guestrooms at Zamas are divided into two areas: the jungle garden and the coconut grove. Villas in the jungle garden, tucked away on the other side of the road, are slightly roomier, but the coconut grove is where you’ll want to stay. Here, rustic beach bungalows surround a sandy plaza where hammocks drape between shady palm trees. It’s a serene spot, especially for a massage, which you can book through the hotel. It’s also one of my favorite spots for a happy hour cocktail as pelicans overhead put on the perfect show, swooping and diving into the Caribbean for an afternoon snack.
Zamas: Km 5 Carretera Tulum Boca-Paila, Sur Las Ruinas, Tulum, QROO, 77780
Price per night: $268
Mi Amor
Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking turquoise waters, far away from Tulum’s lively Hotel Zone, is an adults-only hideaway that sparkles with romantic charm. Tulum’s top choice for couples, Mi Amor is a concept-driven boutique — an “Acapulco heyday-inspired playground” in its own words — awash with elements that conspire to conjure up cozy love nest vibes, from the private seafront cabanas to bedside books on romance (alongside other instructional texts) in the guestrooms.
Don’t miss brunch: a new menu from award-winning exec chef José Luís Hinostroza is a celebration of Mexican seafood classics: start with oysters, or ceviche served up with the day’s fresh catch, and follow with grilled octopus tostadas.
Mi Amor: Carretera Tulum Boca Paila Km 4 1, Mz 1 Lt 31 Tulum ruinas, Tulum, QROO, 77780
Price per night: $271
Casa Ganesh
For the budget-conscious reveler who isn’t prepared to skimp on the Tulum experience, Casa Ganesh is a beachfront boutique built around a simple concept: to act as the gateway to Tulum’s buzzing nightlife and beach club scene. Some of Tulum’s hottest clubs are on its doorstep and guests here can enjoy free access to them all without a minimum spend.
Casa Ganesh is part of the Ahau Collection, so expect similar standards of barefoot luxury and more top marks for eco-friendliness, just on a smaller plot. Exciting things are on their way: in late summer 2023, Eduardo Palazuelos’s award-winning Thai-Mexican restaurant Zibu opens its doors at Casa Ganesh and promises one of the best views in Tulum’s Hotel Zoom from its rooftop bar. 
Casa Ganesh: Carretera Boca-Paila Km 7.6, Tulum, QROO, 77780
Price per night: $204