Hotel Review: I Couldn’t Wrap My Head Around Tiki Tiki Tulum

photo: hotel Tiki Tiki Tulum website

Introduction. After five nights at the Secrets Tulum Resort and Beach Club, we went to Hotel Tiki Tiki Tulum for two nights. The hotel is in the La Veleta area of Tulum, Mexico. What made me choose it? The reviews were good, it looked cute and the price was reasonable. Also, Tiki Tiki belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Smith hotels, a collection of unique boutique and luxury hotels. I had wanted to experience a Mr. and Mrs. Smith hotel ever since their strategic relationship with World of Hyatt recently began. I also thought that staying here might be a nice reprieve after five busy nights at an all-inclusive resort.

Cool design. I was also drawn to Tiki Tiki Tulum’s Mid-Century modern Style. It looked like a slice of Miami Beach. I loved all the splashes of aqua and turquoise and the designs of the tiles and flooring. Overall, the staff was friendly and helpful and the hotel was very clean (except for the pool, which had leaves and dirt in it).

I wanted to love it. I really wanted to love Tiki Tiki Tulum. There was nothing wrong with the hotel, but it somehow didn’t live up to my expectations of what I thought the hotel would be like. I think that, notwithstanding the low price, I had somewhat of a grandiose, or at least unrealistic, expectation of the hotel owing in part to the fact that it belonged to the Mr. and Mrs. Smith hotel collection. Instead it was quite basic. Also, in retrospect, I think it would have been smarter to go here before rather than after, my stay at the Secrets resort.

Having said that, there’s a lot to see and like as I shall now explain.

La Veleta. Tiki Tiki Tulum is on a small unassuming street. It is in the La Veleta neighborhood of Tulum, which is quieter than the booming bohemian beach area of Tulum, but it has it’s own understated vibrancy especially on nearby Calle 7 (7th Avenue), where you can find many restaurants and coffee shops.

Holistika. Tiki Tiki Tulum is next door to it’s sister hotel, Holistika, described as a holistic center and community space for those who seek happiness, peace, and connection. Holistika is a transformative, wellness retreat filled with serenity, curiosity and spirituality as well as an incredible Art Walk. Tiki Tiki Tulum guests were entitled to take one class at Holistika, but the schedule didn’t match our schedule. (Pardon all the adjectives, but I find it hard to adequately describe Holistika, but I can say that it made a lasting impression on me). I’ll be finishing a report of Holistika shortly – but take my word for it – it’s trippy!

Hotel Photo and Experience.

This is the front desk at Tiki Tiki Tulum. I had prepaid for the hotel, and no additional charges were imposed.

There is an open air bar and pool on the ground floor. This is also where we had breakfast, which was included in the paid rate.

Here’s a view of the pool and surrounding area.

Our room was on the second floor.

The room was nice enough for two nights. It was clean and there was a table and two chairs and even a hammock reaching across the room. And, again, I loved the tiled floors.

There were sufficient closets with a refrigerator and a room safe. I had previously read that the hotel charges for small (petty?) items, such as espresso pods, and even second cups of coffee at breakfast, so I wasn’t surprised to see notices to that effect.

The bathroom was fine.

There was also a small balcony.

Breakfast was simple, but delicious and carefully prepared. The yogurt with granola and fresh fruit was perfect. You could also order items such as avocado toast off of a menu for additional charges.

Nearby Calle 7 (7th Avenue), Tulum.

We took some walks and had some meals on nearby Calle 7. We felt safe walking in the area and all of our meals were good.

The first night we had dinner at an Italian restaurant, Cantina Canova.

We began our second evening with delicious happy hour margaritas at La Taquería – Pinches Tacos Shop. I believe there are a few locations around Tulum.

We then had dinner at an upscale food hall type of venue called Veneta Market. We ordered from the Curry Thai Restaurant there which was great.

On our walk back to the hotel, we saw this food truck with long lines of people waiting. You could somehow tell that the food here was fantastic. If we hadn’t already eaten we would have definitely given Pepe’s food truck a try.

Conclusion. While Hotel Tiki Tiki Tulum offered a charming slice of Mid-Century modern style with a tranquil setting in the La Veleta neighborhood, it was rather basic and fell short of my expectations. Nevertheless, this hotel might be a very good choice for travelers on a budget or even digital nomads.