The BEST Party Hotels in Tulum

Some places focus on spiritual enlightenment and wellness, while others focus on creating a party destination. Tulum somehow manages to marry the two and provides the perfect atmosphere for wellness, spiritual awakening and partying.

Tulum has a bit of everything for everyone. So whether you’re a budget traveller or an upscale Instagrammer, you can find the right hotel to match your party mood.

This article goes through the six best party hotels in Tulum.

🏆 The BEST: Papaya Playa Project
🥈 Runner up: Be Tulum Hotel
🥈 Runner up: Zamna Tulum
🥈 Runner up: Nomade Tulum
🥈 Runner up: Ahua Tulum
🥈 Runner up: Kanan Beach Club

If you prefer clubs, cenotes, and authentic taco stands, we suggest you stick to the hotels recommended in Tulum city. On the other hand, if you’re all about the beach vibes and Instagram-worthy backdrops, feel free to check out the beachfront hotels.

Where is the party area in Tulum?

There are two main areas where you can find parties in Tulum: Tulum Town, also known as “Tulum Pueblo,” and the beach zone, which are roughly a 10-minute drive from each other. 

Tulum Pueblo is the centre of the town. The beach zone is more chic and upscale.

Read next: Tulum Town vs Tulum Beach – Which is better?

Papaya Playa Project

Papaya Playa Project is an iconic 100-room boutique hotel on the north side of Tulum Beach, wedged between the beautiful white sandy beach and lush, green tropical jungle. Papaya Playa Project is known for its impressive room-top pools, vibrant nightlife, and focus on sustainability.

Papaya Playa Project is the way to go if you’re looking for a bohemian beach paradise experience in Tulum. The property has a 900-yard private beach with two beach clubs, a mixology bar, wellness spa, yoga, art installations, and adventure sports.

Cabanas are the most affordable rooms but don’t include many of the luxuries that casitas and villas receive. Cabanas have a rustic feel and don’t include pool access.

Casitas is the middle option for rooms. They’re smaller than villas but have more amenities than cabanas. Casitas are available as a regular unit or loft with or without a private dipping pool. Casitas are also available with a variety of views.

Finally, Villas are the most luxurious rooms available at the Papaya Playa Project. To be fair, Villas aren’t rooms at all – they’re entire houses with multiple bedrooms and can sleep eight to ten adults. Villas also include butler service and can have in-room dining as well.

Papaya Playa Project is also known for its exceptional on-site drinking and dining experiences. The hotel’s main traditional Mayan and Mexican restaurant features a double-decker bar that overlooks the beach. 

Roca Restaurant, located in the Playa Solar Beach Club, specialises in raw vegan and raw seafood dishes. The Spirit Bar, also at Playa Solar Beach Club, is a great place to grab mezcals, cocktails, beers, or wine.

Lastly, Papaya Playa Project is a party hotel known for its local entertainment. Saturday night and full moon parties feature jam-packed lineups of prominent local and world-class DJs that spin everything from progressive house music to tribal bass that will keep you dancing well into the night. 

Although there is music all year long if you’re visiting during the first two weeks of March, don’t miss out on Sundream Tulum, a 4-day destination event with live music and wellness events right on the Papaya Playa Project grounds.

Be Tulum Hotel

Be Tulum is another iconic beachfront property in Tulum that offers 64 designer suites, two on-site restaurants, a bar, a spa, and two stylish beachfront swimming pools. This adults-only hotel on Tulum beach sits next to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.

Remaining faithful to the bohemian Tulum aesthetic, vibrant Aztec-patterned rugs and vintage wood furniture with modern finishes adorn the hotel. Copal resin is burnt around the property to keep insects away, and the pleasant scent wafts throughout the building.

Shaded daybeds, lounge chairs, and bean bags pepper the massive beach at Be Tulum. Drink service is available. Steps from the beach are the bar and restaurant area of the hotel. On either side of the bar are two gorgeous, albeit small, beachfront infinity pools.

The property has two on-site restaurants. Located near the entrance of Be Tulum is Ocumare, a fine dining establishment serving authentic Mexican gourmet cuisine. Maresias is a casual dining restaurant located steps away from the beach. 

Be Tulum has 64 designer suites in total, with 23 different suite types. The rooms are spacious and surrounded by lush greenery. Aside from rooms, the property also has private villas which can sleep 6 to 10 guests, depending on the villa type.

To get the party started, venture down on Saturday to listen to a set from an in-house or visiting DJ, or head to Santiago Bar just down the beach. There is always music, dancing, an ambience waiting and a massive roster of DJs, so no two nights are the same.

Zamna Tulum

Zamna Tulum is all about curating remarkable experiences. From its music festivals to its performative culinary arts to its poolside entertainment, Zamna Tulum ensures that you will create exciting and memorable experiences throughout your stay.

Underground music fans are already well acquainted with Zamna Tulum because of their all-night music festivals. The festival features artists like Black Coffee, Diplo, and Damian Larazus and is a quintessential Tulum experience for music lovers.

Zamna Tulum’s focus on creating unforgettable experiences extends to dining. Experiences at Zamna include FIRE by Argentinian chef Maximiliano Sola and TORO by Japanese chef Yusuke Kogure. Both experiences have a performative component, along with gourmet Mexican fusion cuisine.

Zamna only features one form of accommodation: the Bungalow vista Cenote. As the name suggests, the room is a bungalow along the beautiful Cenote Lol-Ha. Rooms are spacious and include a bed, a couch, and a private bath, with access to an outdoor pool and garden.

Nomade Tulum

Nomade Tulum is another beachfront hotel property focused on physical and mental wellness. The hotel tries to remain carbon neutral and emphasises the revival of ancient Mayan culture with experiences like sacred fire rituals, cacao ceremonies, and ancient Mayan healing treatments.

Nomade is located in the centre of the hotel zone, and plenty of fantastic shops, restaurants, and bars surround the property within walking distance. The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is a short 18-minute walk or a 5-minute bike ride away. Tulum town is a 15-minute drive away, and the ruins are just under 30 minutes away by car.

Nomade’s aesthetic is eco-bohemian-chic. When it first opened in 2015, the hotel consisted of 10 luxury tents. The Nomade was inspired by the new age nomadic lifestyle and focussed on spiritual wellness, meditative music, and holistic healing. The hotel has expanded to include rooms, suites, villas, and treehouses.

The hotel finishes include raw woods and exposed concrete on a manicured jungle backdrop with a neutral colour scheme. Still, it adds rustic decor elements with traditional Aztec prints to add to the Ancient Mayan-inspired ambience.

Music is an essential part of the Nomade experience using music to connect with ancestry roots during ceremonies and celebrations. 

They curate their own selection of music featuring locals and internationally acclaimed musicians and DJs. Nomade also has fantastic residents like Lum, Bogdan, and Reggie Riverbear. Alongside Be Tulum, Nomade has become the go-to beach club that brings in some of the best DJs playing techno and house weekly to host events and play new setlists.

The beach deck is a place for holistic healing and therapy admits to the sea. Practitioners at the beach deck incorporate ancient therapeutic techniques that have been passed down through generations.

When it comes to cuisine, nomad prefers good dining over formal dining and facilitates an atmosphere for relaxation when dining. Nomade focuses on cuisine that honours food as a natural resource with abundant local produce and simplicity. Diners can enjoy live music and Middle Eastern cuisine at Macondo or seafood on the beach at La Popular.

The hotel has two bars in the main Reception area and on the beach. Both bars open early and remain open until late. The bars serve coffees, juices, beers, wines, and cocktails.

The design of Nomade’s rooms encapsulates a balance between the natural world and the human experience. The hotel offers 38 rooms, 20 executive suites, 53 houses, and 36 luxury tents, including air conditioning, telephones, lockboxes, and Wi-Fi.

Ahua Tulum

Ahau Tulum is a beachfront property that provides eco-friendly lodging in a tropical environment. The hotel was constructed with locally sourced materials employing local artisans. Maintaining a minimal ecological footprint is so vital to the hula Tulum that the property doesn’t allow plastic bottles for their drinks.

Ahua Tulum is located in the middle of the Hotel Zone. It’s a 20-minute drive from Tulum city, a 15-minute drive from the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve, and A 25-minute drive from the Tulum archaeological zone.

Then there are the neighbours. The party vibe burns bright at Ahua Tulum, close to popular beach clubs MIA and Bagatelle. Go next door for a party where DJs feature some of the best house and techno music from the club scene.

Ahua Tulum has also been part of the annual Art With Me Festival since its inception in 2018, holding the Dance with Me pillar. Past DJ sets include Elephant Heart and Kerala Dust, Rony Seikaly, and Yokoo & Matthew Delay.

The vibe at Ahua is quite rustic, but the hotel’s finishes strongly emphasise natural dark wood, stone, and thatch. The furnishings are also a natural dark wood, but the hotel uses neon-coloured accents to break up the wood-on-wood details.

There are 24 rooms total at the Ahua Tulum: four twin rooms, seven suites, and thirteen junior suites with dark wood finishes and furnishing. 

However, using white linens and accents instead of neon gives the rooms an airy feel. Every room has a balcony or terrace with outdoor furniture, and bathrooms have dark wood trims, natural stone countertops, and rainfall showers.

The hotel takes its ecological mission very seriously. For example, no plastic bottles are permitted, and water is available in glass containers with daily refills. Additionally, rooms have air conditioning, but air conditioning is only allowed at night.

The restaurant options at the Ahau Tulum, guests can choose between the Raw love Cafe for raw vegan and seafood dishes, The Ahua restaurant, and the Ahua Beach Grill. Additionally, free bread and coffee are sent to the rooms every morning.

Kanan Beach Tulum

Kanan, part of the Ahua collection, is a relatively new adults-only beachfront property on the Southern side of the Hotel Zone. It’s roughly a 20-minute drive to Tulum’s city centre, a 26-minute drive to the Tulum Archeological Zone, and a 10-minute drive to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. 

While many Tulum hotels try to replicate a bohemian-chic, ancient Mayan aesthetic, Kanan goes above and beyond to achieve it. The architects of Kanan incorporated ancient Mayan construction techniques when building the property. The resulting rustic-chic architecture makes you feel transported to a world harmonious with nature.

Kanan has excellent gastronomy options. The Restaurante Caracole offers traditional Mexican food with an upscale, rustic beachfront ambience, or guests can head to the rooftop lounge to enjoy a spectacular a la carte menu at Jungle Nest. In addition, the restaurant offers a 360 view of Tulum at sunset.

The Kamura Spa offers a full menu of organic services, including some free services for hotel guests like yoga on the beach. On the weekends, the beach club features amazing DJs by the poolside. The pool also has a swim-up bar. The hotel offers plenty of watersports activities as well.

After leaving the property, there’s still plenty of entertainment available with Ahua Tulum just down the beach with vibrant DJ sets or the infamous Latin beach club RosaNegra and Akiin beach club are within walking distance.

Kanan has 25 rooms, each with a private furnished terrace, wooden soaking tub, premium organic bath toiletries, and a fully stocked mini-bar. Enjoy coffee, and a bread basket delivered to the room in the morning alongside high-speed internet and air conditioning. 

Things to consider before booking your hotel

Before spending considerable money on a trip to Tulum, consider the following.

Peak season, high season and the low season

Prices will invariably be highest from November through the end of January. This is when Tulum is in its peak tourist season, and property owners charge in line with demand. Consider booking outside of peak and even high season if you’d like a better deal.

Nearest conveniences

Finding out you have booked a hotel at the far end of Tulum Beach once you have arrived isn’t exactly ideal. Sure, you can still get around, but you would rather have a car or be close enough to other conveniences to limit your time on the roads.

How do we decide the best?

Knowing the Riviera Maya well is key to making sound recommendations. Here are all the qualities we look for when choosing the best for this list.

Price

The best, in some cases, is not always the most expensive! We look for value for money, and a beautiful hotel stay doesn’t need to cost a fortune. This list includes a wide variety of booking prices; even the expensive ones are reasonable. Rest assured, all of these options are great choices.

Location

Having relaxed surroundings factors into these recommendations. Many of the properties are fairly secluded for those seeking to dance into the dawn. Additionally, there should be a good selection of extra activities on offer on the property or nearby. Think wellness for rest & relaxation, beach clubs, quality restaurants and top-shelf parties.

Amenities

Do the properties go above and beyond to cater to all guests? We look at whether there are things like barriers around roof terraces and wheelchair access. Are the pathways around the gardens well kept and clear? In addition, there should be air conditioning and of course, a fantastic swimming pool.

Is Tulum lively?

Tulum does have a lively nightlife scene. It’s not quite as robust as Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. However, Tulum’s nightlife still has vibrant parties and bars for tourists to enjoy. The atmosphere is much more bohemian compared to its northern counterparts. Tulum has excellent bars, clubs, rooftop lounges, and beach parties.

Is Tulum safe?

For the most part, Tulum is safe for tourists. However, it has some unsafety instances, most of which are related to organised crime and corruption. So, to be safe, it’s best to stick with large crowds to avoid being singled out for bribery shakedowns.