Review: Aloft Tulum | Marriott Bonvoy

Tulum has quickly become a very coveted destination in Mexico. I decided to stop by during a weekend in Mexico, out of curiosity to try this Marriott Bonvoy hotel.

I booked a standard room for $178 including fees and taxes. I was curious to see what the “Flexible Member Rate” included, and I saw that there was a mandatory destination fee of 400 Mexican pesos (shown here as 20 USD) that entitled the following benefits.

• Two welcome cocktails at the hotel bar
• Daily access to the beach clubs in partnership with the hotel
• Daily shuttle to and from the beach clubs
• Use of bicycles on site
• Two beers or soft drinks per day at any of the hotel bars
• Daily credit of 400 pesos on food and drinks
• A tour to the Yalku lagoon (with 24 hours advance booking)

So, in total with the destination fee, my stay cost me $227 CAD for a room with two double beds.

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In addition to the exceptional welcome bonus of each of these two cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all your purchases and 5 points per dollar at any of the Marriott establishments. On top of that, every year, you’ll receive a free hotel night certificate (worth 35,000 points) and 15 Elite Night Credits toward your Marriott Bonvoy status.

The Aloft Tulum Hotel is located in downtown Tulum, a 15-minute drive from the beach. To get to or from the bus station, you will have to take a cab that will cost you about 200 pesos.

With the bicycle rental offered with the destination fee, it is easy to ride around the area.

My check-in went smoothly. We arrived in the morning and were able to have a room ready in advance, which was appreciated. I didn’t get an upgrade despite my Platinum status, but I was able to get a room with a view of the garden rather than the surrounding building.

As the name of the hotel suggests, the rooms are laid out in an open-plan loft format.

A bench seat, a flat screen TV, a large mirror and a small station with mini-fridge and coffee machine furnish the room which offers a modern and almost bohemian style, with a touch of color.

Note that there is no desk to work at, but you can still find a place in the common areas if needed. The bed is particularly cozy, I would even dare to say that it was the most comfortable of my entire five-week trip to Mexico.

A half wall separates the bedroom section from the bathroom. The latter includes a long vanity, a walk-in rain shower (with no cover or curtain, a fact worth noting when traveling with friends) and an enclosed toilet.

There is no breakfast buffet at Aloft Tulum. My Platinum status entitled us to a selection from the a la carte menu available at the restaurant; we simply had to leave a tip at the end.

I chose the omelet that came with a fruit plate, a filter coffee and a juice of my choice. It was very good.

Aloft Tulum has two outdoor pools; one located on the first floor while the other is on the roof. Here is the one on the first floor and its surroundings:

Both pools offer lounge chairs and a rest area, but the rooftop pool is right next to the restaurant-bar and is furnished with cabanas. I particularly liked that one, as much for the atmosphere as for the superb view on the forest.

We were there on a Saturday and a DJ was playing, and we were also offered a free beer. It was a great atmosphere.

The Aloft Tulum Hotel has two restaurants and two bars. On the first floor is the WXYZ restaurant-bar, where breakfast is served, and on the rooftop near the pool is the Ático Rooftop Bar & Lounge. We loved being able to enjoy the pool while ordering cocktails and food.

The welcome cocktail was a fixed choice, and I didn’t quite understand what it was made of but it was delicious.

We then used our daily 400 peso credit at the restaurant for a cheese platter and mini tuna burgers. The food was very good.

The free shuttle goes to two beach clubs: Roc Luxe and Mia beach club. It leaves the hotel at 10:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. each day and returns from the beach club at 3:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m., depending on the club chosen. It is important to know that once you arrive at the club, you must spend a minimum of 1,000 pesos (56 USD) per person.

Between you and me, you also have the choice to use the shuttle to get to the beach and then go wherever you want.

On site, we had some communication problems as we were told that the shuttle had to be booked 24 hours in advance, a piece of information that is never mentioned in the fare details and at the time of booking. In the end, everything was settled and we were able to enjoy the round trip shuttle as planned.

We booked the day before our excursion to the lagoon, included in the destination fee. On site, you had to pay $12 for snorkeling equipment. It was a great experience where we were free to explore the lagoon and see many different kinds of fish. We left the hotel early in the morning, around 8:15 am and returned around noon.

One of the benefits of having Platinum status is the late checkout at 4:00 pm. I made the request that morning and we were able to take advantage of it, which gave us time to pack when we returned from the tour.

Those who want to stay in shape while on vacation can use the fitness room, which has all the necessary equipment for cardio and strength training, in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering lots of natural light.

Due to our short stay in Tulum, we just enjoyed the beach and the rooftop pool. In March 2023, there was unfortunately a very large amount of seaweed on the beach and in the water, but this is a known and frequent phenomenon in the area. Make sure to do your research about the condition of the beaches in the area you wish to visit if this is something that bothers you.

Another place I recommend is the Poke bowl restaurant right next to the hotel (on the left as you leave). It was delicious!

J’ai beaucoup aimé mon séjour au Aloft Tulum. I really liked the urban design and decoration, which was very trendy while fitting the style and atmosphere of Tulum. Otherwise, I noticed that the hotel offered experiences like yoga, depending on the day of the week.

The destination fee is not always welcome, but since our stay was very short, we took advantage of almost everything on the list so it was definitely worth the money.

I would recommend this hotel to couples, friends who are traveling together and I have also seen a few families staying there.

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