Tulum area accomidation inpuut
 

Hello-
Thank you for the great advice on visiting Mexico already.
Due to the questionable beach situation in the Tulum area I am seeking acccomidations that also have a pool So, I am looking for advice on Accomidations in the Tulum area with AC, Pool and beach- since i will have kids with me, I heard good things about Dreams Tulum- any thoughts? Or should we just go to PDC and stay at a large resort on the beach there and do a day trip or two to Tulum. We will be there for 1 week- 2 adults 2 kids (age 7). I am looking at the following activities:
Beach/ Pool (since it will be the middle of the winter in Boston)
Mayan Ruins at Tulum
Swimming holes
Monkey Sanctuary
Maybe a dolphin encounter
Biosphere expedition

Any thougths/comments will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you-
Courtney

Not a lot of hotels in Tulum with AC and pool, since they are not on the electric grid (beach hotels, not ones in the pueblo) and generate their own electric via wind,solar, and generators.
Suenos Tulum has a pool, not sure about AC, Also Ana y Jose, Cabanas Tulum has a pool and AC from 7pm to 7am, also breakfast off the menu, this one has a beautiful beach. Friends stayed here and I visited them. Gets a good breeze during the day.
Dreams Tulum despite the name is not in Tulum, but on Tankah Bay a good 10 minute drive north of the entrance to Tulum pueblo. There are no AIs in Tulum proper despite the names in some of the hotels. Bahia Principe Tulum for example is in Aventuras Akumal.

Some of the more modest posadas in Tulum pueblo have small pools and ac.
If I had kids, I'd rent a car to get around, drive to beach and ruins.
You can also do Coba ruins, bike around the paths, see the alligators across the street.
Captive dolphins are not generally considered to be living a good life. Think carefully and do some reading. Do a sunset half day tour to the Sian Ka'an biosphere to float the canals and you might also sight some manatees.
Lots of cenotes in Tulum area, some open ones.

Have fun.
From another Som45er who loves Tulum

Are you looking for a small hotel in tulum, or a large AI? Pools are hard to find at the small hotels and cabanas on the beach road. Of course the mega AIs found all along the Riviera Maya will have pools. PDC may be a viable option, since there are all kinds of hotels and condos with pools. if you are renting a car, driving from PDC to Tulum, Coba,etc is quite easy.
it looks like the seaweed problem is subsiding. As for cenotes ( swimming holes), they are sprinkled all over, particularly on the road to Coba- there is also a monkey preserve near Coba. Swimming with dolphins can be done at Puerto Aventuras. The poor captive dolphins look very sad.

Which monkey sanctuary? If talking about the Jungle Place in Chemuyil near Akumal the minimum age is 8 and reservations have to be booked at least two months out. If Punta Laguna monkey reserve, you need a car or taxi.
I also do not advise swimming with dolphins, you are swimming in their toilet and besides the obvious cruelty to them being held in captivity, they have bitten people from time to time, not frequently though. There is a place near Punta Allen where you can swim with them in the wild.

I would recommend the Dreams hotel in Puerto Aventuras, 15 minutes south of Playa. We own a condo in PA and although have never stayed at the hotel we have heard good things about it and have also been on site for a private party. PA is a closed gate community with 4 AI hotels, Omni, Dreams and Catalonia 1 and 2. There are several dolphin pools along side the many restaurants that lie beside the Marina. Cenotes can be found across the highway a few mile down. You have your own beautiful private beach right on the ocean. There is a golf course, tennis, public beach and golf cart rentals to get around. You are about 30 minutes north of Tulum where you can take the turn off to visit COBA which I consider one of the best sites in the area, as you can still climd the main pyramid, considered to be the tallest in the Yucatan Peninsula. You can rent bicycles to tour the site and see a few monkeys in the wild if you are lucky. There is a seagrass problem along the coast but that should not bother you as the beach is cleaned daily by the hotel staff. Should you wish more detailed information... just ask !