# world's best luxury eco lodges : Azulik 5* @Tulum / Mexico

Spirit /

In my last post on our mexican trip & the Temescal, I mentioned the extremely touristy side of Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum -which is still more authentic and less crowded than the other 2 -… For that reason,we carefully avoided Playa and Cancùn, but we still spent a few days in Tùlum , in the main street which overlooks the ocean, and where there are all hotels, cute shops and restaurants one after another.. In spite of the touristy aspect of the place, I loved the charm and the hippy chic vibes of Tulùm.. And the touristy side was not so bad.. Really !! We really enjoyed this place.. and after a day at the beach or wandering around,, it was very pleasant to have a walk through the main street of Tulùm, take a stroll, go shopping, have a drink watching the sunset on the ocean, then having dinner with my love in one of cute small restaurants… So romantic !!

Of course the famous cabanãs on the beach – formerly reserved for broke backpackers spending the night there – have become trendy, and so are extremely expensive, but it is worth it to spend a few nights in one of these sublime wooden hotels located just at the edge of the ocean and where we really feel castaway.. It is definitely not easy to choose from the multitude of luxury hotels in Tulùm because there are some really great ones, and some not so great ones (some ugly resorts have 200 rooms or more, so you can forget the Robinson cruseo vibes of charm and authenticity)

For our stay, I chose to stay in the most beautiful, romantic and also the greenest one : The Azulik.. and so we settled down in this sublime ecological luxury hotel at the edge of the turquoise blue ocean, a real cocoon with a view, wooden villas, good vibes and a private beach… Paradise…

First impression /

The arrival at The Azulik is rather pleasant because we really have the impression of entering a cocoon of sweetness and sensual delight as soon as we cross the door.. Everything is wooden or made with natural material, and the greenery is omnipresent..

The hotel blends discreetly into the jungle and emits a very soothing atmosphere which contrasts with the heat and the animation from outside.. The « reconnection with oneself » and with nature are cherished values at The Azulik and actually, upon our arrival we are entitled to a small ritual of purification with incense to leave the negative energies outside.. I loved it !! When we are “clean », we make our way across one of the small wooden footbridges to discover our room, a Sky Villa which we looked forward to discovering.

Rooms /

In a few words, Robison cruseo still chic wooden cabins, just as we like them…

Situated high up, opening out over the jungle and the ocean, with a terrace looking out onto the sea, our Sky villa was absolutely magnificent .. The villas of the hotel are in fact round “huts”, both high up and on the ground, made essentially from natural, wooden materials, foliage and local crafts ..

Sky villas are a part of the most beautiful rooms in the hotel (after the honeymoon villas).. and if i had to recommend to you a type of room that would absolutely be a Sky Villa with a view of sea… The terrace had an astonishing view of the horizon and the ocean.. and it was moreover my favorite spot. Suspended bed, swing, outside bathtub, sunbeds.. nothing can compare to relaxing facing the ocean and watching the sunset…

Regarding the decoration side, Azulik opts for a rustic chic style, with comfortable but uncluttered villas, without fuss, neither WiFi, nor TV and no electricity .. back to basics and that’s fine. There are only a few plug sockets that work during the day to connect and charge your telephone or hairdryer, but after 5 pm we are in candlelight with only the sound of the waves to rock us gently to sleep in the evening….

The blinds are just made from bamboo and banana tree leaves in front of the windows giving a cosy atmosphere, very « a hut by the sea » with big glass windows and some beautiful colourful and traditional objects to add some colour and interest to the room .. a big round bed in the center of the red room, a magnificent bathtub in mosaic made in a tree trunk, and a beautiful bathroom sink also made with artinsal mozaic… Less is more… I love it !

>>When we think about eco-friendly, we immediately think about respect for the nature, a limitation of running water, electricity, recycling etc. So in the Azulik there is no shower, but the famous mosaic bathtubs (1 on the terrace and one in the room) complete with half a coconut to replace the tap, and anti-mosquito local, organic shampoos and showercreams for us to use.

>>Do not skimp on the conditioner or moisturizing for your hair and skin because the bath water is partially salted given that most of the hotels use cénotes as the water source..

Food /

The hotel has one very beautiful restaurant: Kin Toh.. The place is sublime and magical but thats about it.. We had dinner one evening, and it was a big disappointment there, specifically the vegetarian menu which is not extraordinary compared with other small restaurants which serve delicious, sophisticated, cheaper dishes (cf. Sangre De Mi Sangre one of the best in the main street of Tulùm)..

I still recommend having a drink there though because the place is really worth seeing.. High up with a view of the jungle, we can savour a cocktail , relaxing in one of the suspended nets, it is very nice, and the atmosphere is magical with the sunset and candlelight. .

Red card also for the hotel breakfast, which was far too sweet and nothing special for a 5* hotel ( it’s like that everywhere in Mexico actually).. Basically we were not really convinced by the cuisine at the Azulik, far too expensive for the quality, and only the little Beach Bar was roughly worth visiting, the guacamole was rather good…

>>Breakfast are usually not included in the price of the rooms in the hotels in Tulum & cie.. so you have been warned, it is better to go out for breakfast in the main street in Tulum, il will be better and cheaper than in any luxury hotel in the area.. (try Raw love for example )..

What we liked at Azulik ..

The private beach!! The hotel offers a beautiful private beach, nicely fitted out with hammocks, pillows, deck chairs and a small beach bar.. everything needed for a nice relaxing time doing nothing !! Ah and good news for those of you who enjoy monokini or nude sunbathing, you are authorised to remove all clothing which is great !!!

The terrace of our villa.. with a fantastic view of the ocean..

The sound of the waves to lull you to sleep, with the windows open, in our immense four-poster bed.. total bliss…

The romantic evenings in candlelight.. after 5pm, when there is no available electricity anymore in the rooms, the hotel staff light numerous candles which is such a cool concept.. Candlelight + sound of waves + Crusoe cabañas = the ideal recipe for a perfect romantic night .. something that we should do more often.

The boutique of the hotel !!!! I could have bought everything in this cute little shop next to the reception.. (ok.. to be honest, i did purchase a few things, i could not help it 😉 !! Dresses, clutches, bikinis, bags, beach wear and objects from all kinds.. They have a super trendy selection of hippy chic and elegant outfits and souvenirs, quite expensive (that’s Tulùm) but so lovely ! If Mr wants to buy something pretty for Mrs, this is the place to buy it;-)

The Maya spa and the reconnection with one self aspect …. In Azulik everything is made so that we relax and reconnect to ourselves.. Every morning, the hotel offers free yoga classes to its residents and the ultimate pleasure is to enjoy a massage in the sublime hotel spa which overlooks the ocean.. Nothing better to calm the body and spirit…

To remember /

>> conclusion : we really loved this place !!! We had a dream stay in our cocoon at the edge of the ocean which we did not really leave, apart from going out for a walk in the evening.. Azulik is really a small paradise, romantic, eco friendly and with a breathtaking view, ideal for a romantic stay in an idyllic setting .. and even if the food was not up to our expectations, it was no big deal because we were able to find nice charming places in the main street of Tulum…

>> prices / information and booking : there are a wide choice of rooms and prices. Here are the price lists which may or may not change according to the time of year… Count between 350 and 400 euros for a bungalow on the ground floor, from 400 to 750 euros for the superior villas ground floor or on the first floor, with a view of sea, and 1300 and 1500 euros for the honeymoon villas. Note also that Azulik is a hotel “for adults only”, so it is recommended more for a romantic stay or with friends.. All info on the Azulik website / Booking & infos : reservas@azulik.com – frontdesk@azulik.com