Pros
- Beautiful lush grounds, removed from noisier beaches
- Large rooms with balconies or terraces and garden views
- Fantastic fusion cuisine at restaurant
- Free continental breakfast
- Large garden pool
- Free outdoor parking
- Bike rentals available
- Efficient and affordable laundry service
- Free Wi-Fi throughout property
- Dive shop rents out scuba and snorkeling equipment
- Bee hive and chicken coop on-site
- 24-hour airport shuttles available
Cons
- Not within walking distance to beaches or local attractions
- Higher rates for rooms with air-conditioning
- Extra charges for hot breakfast items
- Restaurant is only open for dinner six days a week
- Communal fridge instead of private, in-room mini-fridges
- Wi-Fi can be slow
Bottom Line
Tucked into jungle-like surroundings in Tulum’s town side, the mid-range, boutique Don Diego de la Selva hotel is a quieter, more affordable change from the busier coastal resorts lining the Riviera Maya. All 11 large rooms have hammocks and balconies opening out to the garden with fruit trees, and instead of a private beach, the property features a local bee farm and chicken coop alongside its pool and small spa. Room amenities are limited, with no TVs and an extra charge for air-conditioning, but parking, Wi-Fi, and breakfast at the popular El Paladante restaurant are free. Beaches and local attractions require a car or taxi to reach, so guests may prefer the Hip Hotel Tulum right by the water, though it’s significantly pricier.
Hotel & Amenities Photos
Amenities
- Cribs
- Internet
- Pets Allowed
- Pool
- Spa
Scene
A laid-back boutique hotel in jungle-like surroundings
Don Diego de la Selva looks like it’s been carved into the Tulum jungle with greenery framing its grounds and weaving through every outdoor nook and cranny, While the multicolored plastic bar stools in the outdoor lobby look slightly rickety, they’re unpretentious and indicative of the hotel’s laid-back decor, which also includes thatched roofs and many bungalow-like structures containing the rooms, which are playfully painted pink. The eco-conscious property also houses the foundation for the stingless Melipona bees, a chicken coop, and a rear garden featuring various fruit trees and butterflies. Combining the perks of a tropical oasis and a quiet retreat, the hotel attracts mostly vacationing couples and families with young children.
Location
In the town side of Tulum, a 15-minute drive from beaches
The hotel sits at the end of a dirt track just outside the town center on the south side of Tulum, so beaches aren’t within walking distance. While the property isn’t secluded, the road immediately outside doesn’t have much of a sidewalk. Most guests use cars or taxis to get around, and buses from the ADO terminal, an 11-minute walk from the hotel, drive to surrounding cities like Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Closer by, it’s a nine-minute drive to the snorkeling-friendly waters of Grand Cenote, and 15-minute drives will reach the Playa Paraiso Beach and the famous Tulum Ruins. The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve can be reached in about an hour and twenty minutes by car. Cancun International Airport is an hour- and a-half away by car. The hotel does provide 24-hour airport shuttles.
Rooms
Large and relaxed, with hammocks and balconies but few amenities
Spacious and cheerful rooms feature colorful bed linens, drapes, and door frames, and large windows let in lots of natural light. Decor and furnishings are limited, to one wall painting, one small desk, and tiny bedside tables and lamps, but the whimsical indoor and outdoor hammocks enhance the relaxed vibe. Mosquito nets by the windows are also thoughtful touches. All rooms have private balconies or terraces with seating and lovely garden views.
Double Rooms come with one king bed, while Family Rooms have two queen beds, though arrangements can be pre-made for cots. Cabana Rooms, featuring queen beds in Mayan-style structures with rounded walls and thatched-roofs, are more suited for couples.
Room amenities are on the sparse side. While all have safes and free (though spotty) Wi-Fi, none have TVs, phones, coffee- and-tea-making facilities, or ironing equipment. Instead of mini-fridges and bottled water in each room, guests share one communal refrigerator along with a water cooler, where personal bottles can be refilled for free. All rooms have ceiling fans; rooms that also have air-conditioning are more expensive.
Bathrooms are small but bright, with beautifully painted sinks and mirrors, and skylights above the showers. Walk-in showers with handheld showerheads are separated from the toilet area by a partial wall. Soaps and shampoos, made with honey from the property’s bees, are provided, along with hairdryers.
Features
Fantastic food at El Paladante restaurant, free breakfast, and quiet pool
The El Paladante restaurant and bar, a Tulum favorite, uses the hotel’s own fruits and honey in its fusion of Mayan and international cuisine. While the menu reads like fine dining, the open space under a palapa roof and simple seating arrangements mellow out the atmosphere. The restaurant is only open six days a week for dinner, but serves a free daily breakfast of fruit, juices, fresh jams, and pastries; hot items can be ordered for extra fees. Kids’ menus are available as well.
A one-person spa inside a hut-like space also uses the bees’ honey for its treatments -- other honey products are sold at the front desk. The bee keeping area itself is one of the property’s attractions, as is the chicken coop. The outdoor pool is spotless and quiet, albeit with limited lounging chairs around it. A small library area provides books on loan, a dive shop on-site rents out snorkeling and scuba equipment, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.
The hotel offers free outdoor parking spots, and bikes can be rented for extra fees to get around outside the hotel. Extra fees also apply for laundry services.
Scene
A laid-back boutique hotel in jungle-like surroundings
Don Diego de la Selva looks like it’s been carved into the Tulum jungle with greenery framing its grounds and weaving through every outdoor nook and cranny, While the multicolored plastic bar stools in the outdoor lobby look slightly rickety, they’re unpretentious and indicative of the hotel’s laid-back decor, which also includes thatched roofs and many bungalow-like structures containing the rooms, which are playfully painted pink. The eco-conscious property also houses the foundation for the stingless Melipona bees, a chicken coop, and a rear garden featuring various fruit trees and butterflies. Combining the perks of a tropical oasis and a quiet retreat, the hotel attracts mostly vacationing couples and families with young children.
Location
In the town side of Tulum, a 15-minute drive from beaches
The hotel sits at the end of a dirt track just outside the town center on the south side of Tulum, so beaches aren’t within walking distance. While the property isn’t secluded, the road immediately outside doesn’t have much of a sidewalk. Most guests use cars or taxis to get around, and buses from the ADO terminal, an 11-minute walk from the hotel, drive to surrounding cities like Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Closer by, it’s a nine-minute drive to the snorkeling-friendly waters of Grand Cenote, and 15-minute drives will reach the Playa Paraiso Beach and the famous Tulum Ruins. The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve can be reached in about an hour and twenty minutes by car. Cancun International Airport is an hour- and a-half away by car. The hotel does provide 24-hour airport shuttles.
Rooms
Large and relaxed, with hammocks and balconies but few amenities
Spacious and cheerful rooms feature colorful bed linens, drapes, and door frames, and large windows let in lots of natural light. Decor and furnishings are limited, to one wall painting, one small desk, and tiny bedside tables and lamps, but the whimsical indoor and outdoor hammocks enhance the relaxed vibe. Mosquito nets by the windows are also thoughtful touches. All rooms have private balconies or terraces with seating and lovely garden views.
Double Rooms come with one king bed, while Family Rooms have two queen beds, though arrangements can be pre-made for cots. Cabana Rooms, featuring queen beds in Mayan-style structures with rounded walls and thatched-roofs, are more suited for couples.
Room amenities are on the sparse side. While all have safes and free (though spotty) Wi-Fi, none have TVs, phones, coffee- and-tea-making facilities, or ironing equipment. Instead of mini-fridges and bottled water in each room, guests share one communal refrigerator along with a water cooler, where personal bottles can be refilled for free. All rooms have ceiling fans; rooms that also have air-conditioning are more expensive.
Bathrooms are small but bright, with beautifully painted sinks and mirrors, and skylights above the showers. Walk-in showers with handheld showerheads are separated from the toilet area by a partial wall. Soaps and shampoos, made with honey from the property’s bees, are provided, along with hairdryers.
Features
Fantastic food at El Paladante restaurant, free breakfast, and quiet pool
The El Paladante restaurant and bar, a Tulum favorite, uses the hotel’s own fruits and honey in its fusion of Mayan and international cuisine. While the menu reads like fine dining, the open space under a palapa roof and simple seating arrangements mellow out the atmosphere. The restaurant is only open six days a week for dinner, but serves a free daily breakfast of fruit, juices, fresh jams, and pastries; hot items can be ordered for extra fees. Kids’ menus are available as well.
A one-person spa inside a hut-like space also uses the bees’ honey for its treatments -- other honey products are sold at the front desk. The bee keeping area itself is one of the property’s attractions, as is the chicken coop. The outdoor pool is spotless and quiet, albeit with limited lounging chairs around it. A small library area provides books on loan, a dive shop on-site rents out snorkeling and scuba equipment, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.
The hotel offers free outdoor parking spots, and bikes can be rented for extra fees to get around outside the hotel. Extra fees also apply for laundry services.
Hotel & Amenities Photos
Best Rates
Amenities
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Balcony / Terrace / Patio
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Cabanas
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Cable
-
Concierge
-
Cribs
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Internet
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Kids Allowed
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Laundry
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Pets Allowed
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Pool
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Poolside Drink Service
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Room Service
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Spa
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Swim-Up Bar
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.