Don Diego de la Selva

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. 

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.

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. 

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.