Hotel or House in Tulum?
 

My family is considering going to Tulum over the Christmas holiday season. There will be ten of us, four of which are under the age of ten. None of us speak Spanish or have ever been to the area before. We want to go somewhere with a warm beach and Tulum seemed to be an interesting area with unique attractions and not as commercialized as Cancun.

I've been researching renting a house for the week we will be there to save on lodging costs and to give us a communal area to be together. I'm wondering though if we'll encounter too many problems given our lack of language and regional knowledge. Also, my mother is concerned about the safety factor of not being in a resort. Is this something to consider?

thank you!

Tulum is a fun little town. It is quite safe, and most of the local merchants speak English. You will see visitors and ex-pats from Europe, Canada, South America as welll as the USA. There are several large super markets, gas stations, banks, etc. In other words, Tulum is civilized and well travelled. Of course it would be helpful if you knew a little Spanish. As for renting, be aware that the actual town (pueblo) of Tulum is not near the water, but about 2 miles inland along highway 307. The beach road is a short drive from the downtown and is lined with all kinds of lodging options - most are small inns and cabanas. I believe the beach road road is still off the power grid, so electricity is somewhat limited. Tulums beaches are wide and fairly empty, and the surf can sometimes get a little rough.

You don't have to worry about personal safety.

I've never been to Tulum but in thinking generally about going to Mexico, I do think a hotel is somewhat easier for 1st time visitors. Because then you have the front desk staff to help you with things. In a house, you're on your own.

You might consider Akumal. . .there is a hotel, but also lots of rentals. It has lots of things to do, easy to get transportation, excellent snorkeling, good restaurants. Check out locogringo.com. Agree with everything zoootsi said. Also consider Puerto Morelos.

The Tulum beach area is peppered with small boutique hotels and cananas and are quite up there in price. I have to agree with TrvlMaven and suggest going to Akumal which is family oriented wether you rent a house, villa, condo or choose to stay in a hotel. You are about 15 minutes north of downtown Tulum for shopping and daily necessities. It is not the Tulum beach but is very nice and somewhat cozy with water sports galore. By the way, you can check out the web cam on the beach, to get an idea of what the water front looks like. As far as safety is concerned, you should apply the same rules that you do at home... you wont have any problems. If medical assistance was required, you could go to Hospiten, which is on the main highway (307) in Playa del Carmen about 20 minutes north.

Hi, I have been in Tulum many times, i have been in a hotel an also in a house, you will not have a problem with the spanish.. 90% of the people speak english and spanish so dont worry about that! and the safety also is a good thing.. A lot of people live in Tulum because is very safety and relax!
:)