Papaya Playa

Our experience started pretty bad but ended up very good. The first 3 days we stayed in the jungle cabana. Horrible experience! The place was a mold box! To the point that I got sick pretty bad for a full day. It’s poorly constructed right on the moldy soil. It also lacks of a chair or a bench where to sit so, since the bed has a mosquito net all around, you are forced to stand up or sit on the toilet. After 3 days of this hell we decided to upgrade and get an ocean view cabana. Best decision ever!!! We got a beautiful cabana overlooking the Caribbean Sea with private deck and a hammock!
The resort is nice along with the beach. Although it’s between 2 rocks formation so do not expect to do long walks on the beach. Food and drinks are ok. Sunday night they have an awesome party in the beach club… Definitely a must go!

Mmm our gold! We liked this place due to the atmosphere more than the food and drink, but it wasn’t bad!
Our menu for two days:
Vegandillas: yum! The first day I got this, it was great. Savory and delightful and only filled with mushrooms, but the second day, it was only alright. It was mixed with zucchini and mushrooms and not seasoned very well.
Veggie burger: my friend liked it but it wasn’t amazing. The cheese was sour and the «wheat patty» was watery in the middle which was odd. The bread was dry. Overall, B rating.
Dirty martini: whoa, not very dirty and it just had vodka, no vermouth. Weird, but it was fine. Strong and good enough.
Wonder melon drink: watermelon seeds and pulp in it made it difficult to drink. It was only ok. Refreshing but not my fave.
Piña colada: I liked these but it’s lighter and not smooth and thick like the friend is used to. It’s good for the beach. This is my style haha. It wasn’t too sweet either.
Coconuts: not cold, not sweet, a little lime-​y, but satisfying. Wish they cracked mine open to eat.
Watermelon cocktail: another watermelon drink that wasn’t the same as mine (friend got it) and it had too much watermelon pulp and seeds in it! Still good, though.
Cucumber martini: whao bitter from something. Not the best martini, but it was strong and a few sips without food in my stomach all day made me a little loopsters.
Juice/​smoothie: I got something that was delicious which had strawberry and pineapple and other stuff. The friend got some concoction of watermelon and mango and it was like the cocktail and not like a juice at all! Such a bust, but it was drinkable.
There was a DJ on Thursday and it felt like a little outdoor club. Saw some fun white people dance their little offbeat dance which was a show. Otherwise, you can lounge on their patio area and just enjoy the ocean breeze and view. We still called it a win!

STELLAR PLACE! I stayed at Papaya Playa recently and was completely blown away. This resort is setting the bar for ecologically conscious developments. They rely on an ingenious water filtration system that doesn’t require the massive potable water trucks that the other resorts use AND they utilize solar generators instead of the gasoline generators that the majority of other spots use.
On top of the sustainability standards that PPP meets, the rooms are also authentic designs and every little detail (down to the bedsheets) is MADE IN MEXICO! bravo. This is a resort that is truly proud of its location and has a heartfelt mission to preserve the beautiful land it resides in and employ the people who are from the area.
You will definitely feel like you are getting your money’s worth while staying here! Don’t waste time with other resorts that pollute the jungle with gasoline and sewage!

It was hard to leave.
First, they have these beach beds under these really cute thatched roofs which provide plenty of shade if you want it.
Second, there is no «charge» for these beds if you are not staying at the hotel — there is a 500 peso minimum for 2 people but with 2 snacks and 3 drinks you will easily hit that — and you should because their food is GOOD. Best guac I had on our trip and the drinks were DELICIOUS (and fairly strong). Try the wondermelon — you cannot go wrong w that — it’s watermelon basil gin and DA BOMB.
Overall, I would not miss a chance to come back here and relax on the beach watching the picturesque tulum waters roll onto the beach. I’ll probably try to stay here next time we go!

Though we did not stay in house, we did spend a lengthy amount of time at the Papaya Playa beach club, which was so lovely it quickly became our favorite daytime into early evening spot in Tulum.
During both of our visits, we were able to grab a bed on the sand without any struggle, staff were super friendly and explained their (very reasonable) minimum spends for non-​hotel guests.
Drinks were great — mezcal margarita variations and micheladas (swoon). Food was also delicious — Tuna ceviche, camaron aguachile, fantastic and well presented.
A highlight was that there was SUCH good music consistently — loved that the DJ starts early and keeps a good energy flowing throughout the day. Being able to dive into the Caribbean with groovy deep house playing in the distance is a magical feeling (if you’re into that kind of thing).
Spent several hours enjoying the beach, drinking and eating heavily, and were surprised at how inexpensive our tab ended up being. When I daydream about Tulum it’s PPP that I think of!

This is probably the most awful profoundly irresponsible place I have had the misfortune of being exposed to. I am actually staying at a lovely peaceful resort nearly a mile away, but as a result of papaya playas god awful music which blasts all night (literally all night and into the morning), I have not been able to sleep for the last two nights. This is truly tragic for what is supposed to be a beautiful tranquil stop away from the commercialization of Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Please stay away from this place — let’s shut the bastards down!

The property is beautiful. The infrastructure needs TLC. The food at the restaurant is disgusting. The smoothies and fresh juices by the spa are great. The bar at night is super fun.

I didn’t stay here but visited their beach and restaurant a few times during our stay in Tulum. The best parts:
— Amazing guac!
— I love their stadium style restaurant seating… perfect for maximum ocean view enjoyment during your meal.
— Really easy parking… they have a sizable parking area and let you park there even if you’re not a guest.
— Like many places in Tulum, really friendly and thorough service from the waitstaff.
— The Wondermelon cocktail: a refreshing must-​try with watermelon juice, mint, and gin.
The not as great parts: We didn’t really enjoy the octopus tacos or the burger that we ordered. (I know, I know, that’s what I get for ordering a burger in Mexico like a silly gringo.) Next time I’d definitely just stick to drinks and that tasty guac as there’s better food to be had in the area.
This is one of many beautiful spots right on the beach in this stretch of hotels and it’s a great choice for a casual hang. We didn’t come at nighttime but when the sun sets they light their lovely lanterns and the whole place has a magical glow. Pay them a visit!

Review for bar only– The Saturday night spot apparently. We were there from 10 – 11 and it was pretty tranquil though. The DJ was just starting up. They have lots of seating and bar space and a nice ambiance though. I was kinda bothered by the smell of the kerosene they used to light this big bonfire though.

I came here for my honeymoon and was weary after reading the reviews. Here’s what I can tell you:
the staff is incredible. They truly want you to enjoy all of the resort and all of tulum. They always are smiling and approachable. They have great suggestions and next door is a tourism place that does an amazing day trip to the cenotes. You can also rent bikes or scooters for cheap.
The food is fAntastic and compared to all other restaurants on the strip, the prices are very reasonable. (Basic breakfast is free too and the breakfasts are great!)
The rooms although plain and small have high ceilings. The showers are salt water but if you use soap you feel refreshed and clean. The fans provided in the rooms are weak and at night in the mosquito net over the bed the air can be pretty stagnant. I do recommend an ocean view so the air flows well and the bugs are not a problem. The views are amazing. If you can afford the upgrade to an air conditioned room even better. We couldn’t afford that. The fans suited is fine until the last night when we were really sunburned.
The beach is beautiful but unfortunately the water is rocky to walk in (other areas of tulum have nice soft sand). Seaweed can be abundant but I believe that is seasonal. They have cute cabanas to lay in while servers being you cocktails. It’s perfect.
Papaya is a nice place. And all places in tulum have this Eco vibe so don’t expect cancun style all inclusive resorts. If you take it going in with an open mind, it’s a beautiful experience!

Just got back from an 8 day stay. I don’t know why this paradise gets negative reviews. We had a beach front bungalow with air conditioning. It was nothing short of Heaven. The service was super attentive. Our room was cleaned daily. We had hot showers every day. Our bungalow had outlets which was an added bonus for beach/​jungle living. The view from our bungalow was just unbelievable. The beach was beautiful, the restaurant had awesome food. My daughter loved the little pools that they had through out the resort. It was an amazing stay and I would recommend papaya playa to anyone going to visit tulum. We had friends that stayed at other resorts along the beach and they paid a lot more and got a lot less.

My wife and I stayed at this resort for her birthday trip in Tulum!
We booked their jungle cabana with bathroom. It looked really cute in their website and so we were excited!
Checking in: the representatives seemed flighty and I even had to remind the attendant to give us our room key after we checked in. A red flag! Plus we were told that there are no outlets in our room but we can charge our phones at the front desk or at the restaurant. Hmmm.
The room: It still looked cute and it did have a grass roof. And so there were dead bugs on top of the mosquito net covering our bed. But I wasn’t scared. Really, I didn’t want to run. The musty smell of the room was too comforting to leave. Every day we would find mysterious bits that resembled poop all over the entire cabana.
The restaurant: We were fortunate enough to have booked our room before they got rid of the free breakfast. So we went to the restaurant for breakfast everyday. While the view from the restaurant was fantastic the food was awful. Watery eggs! I repeat, watery eggs! And the coffee guy didn’t even drink coffee. Ha!
After out 4 day stay, my wife and I left Papaya Playa covered with bug bites. Sand fleas from Papaya Playa’s beach must’ve had a pretty great feast over our legs. Nothing 2 days of Benadryl to stop the itching couldn’t fix.
The resort was such a scene. And the service was awful. The bartenders at the bar always had some attitude.
Would we go back? HELL NO!

Why does this place exist? My husband and I have stayed here TWICE.
The first was in March 2014 on a last minute whim because we couldn’t get a reservation anywhere else. We stayed in the new casitas and for $ 320/​night you would at least expect good service. It’s rustic, which is cool, but this place is just ghetto… not actually rustic. We never wanted to return, but a friend of ours wanted to get married there, so in November of 2014 we had to return for another long weekend at $ 320/​night. Oh and if you think you can get a cheaper room, beware that they do not have electricity… or running water. Again, not eco-​friendly, just ghetto. A communal shower is not eco-​friendly, guys.
The place is extremely poorly run. Employees who don’t care, take FOREVER, and generally are just there to give the place an appearance of a functional business.
The worst part? The wedding. The bride and groom booked the 5 bedroom house at the resort… when they got there, the hotel had informed them that the house was not ready because. get ready.they were in the middle of putting a POOL on the ROOF and promised that the pool would be finished the following day. Obviously, the pool was nowhere near ready. So the bride and groom were given other rooms in the normal part of the resort… but the resort was booked solid so guess what they did? They called 5 guests who were supposed to be arriving within a couple days and informed them that they cannot accommodate them! These guests were wedding guests, which made this particularly horrendous.
The horror doesn’t end there. The hotel did not prepare nearly enough food for the wedding guests so a large number of people left the wedding reception hungry. And it was the GROSSEST food EVER! Unseasoned frozen bag veggies, UNDERCOOKED WHOLE
POTATOES, meat that no one even saw (I didn’t care I don’t eat meat), literally all of the salad was gone. The entire buffet was seriously EMPTY and about ¹⁄₅ of the wedding guests had empty bellies and plates. The hotel did not replenish ANY of the food … My husband literally scraped bits of pasta off the serving tray to get me something to eat. FINALLY they brought out some octopus ceviche, which I wouldn’t normally eat, but was hungry enough to stomach. Sadly… it was FROZEN SOLID. Seriously, it was an ice cube! They didn’t even defrost the octopus! They just sliced it up and put some BS sauce over it.
My husband and I ended up leaving the wedding early so that I could go to the main restaurant and get something to eat. What’s weird is they don’t serve anything Mexican for dinner… it was all «international». The «chef» highly recommended the ‘vegetarian wok’…which was supposed to be a stir fry. It came out as a GREASY MESS and was served without rice… just three pieces of stale white bread oddly placed on top. Have they never had a stir fry before? Despite being starved I couldn’t stomach even a ¹⁄₃ of it. The oily mess tasted like rancid oil… So gross.
Would never, ever return. Poor service, super overpriced crappy rooms, mediocre beach.
There are AMAZING places in Tulum for half the price!
Check out Playa Azul and Coqui Coqui, Zama’s.
Papaya Playa needs a new owner immediately… horrible, horrible resort.

Meh