Our Habitas Bacalar

I had very high expectations for Our Habitas Bacalar, but unfortunately, it turned into the worst vacation of our lives. For the $400-a-night price tag, we expected a true luxury experience, but what we encountered was a poorly managed hotel that lacked basic hospitality and guest care. The only highlight was our initial welcome—Ros at reception was outstanding—but everything after that was a nightmare. Our room was in unacceptable condition: on our first night, a cockroach (in the first picture) crawled out from under the bed and into our luggage, which we never found again. The room had no proper storage, and everything from the toilet seat to the sink and soap dispenser was broken. We reported all of this early on and gave the staff the entire day to address it, only to return to find nothing fixed, despite being told otherwise. Facilities were just as frustrating. The rooms are located about a kilometer from the lobby and parking lot, and you’re completely dependent on golf carts, which often take 10 minutes or more to arrive—even with prior notice. This layout adds unnecessary inconvenience and waiting to every part of your stay. Even worse, we noticed some guests were allowed to park by their villas, while others (like us) were not, with no clear explanation. Though we were told the hotel wasn’t pet-friendly, we saw multiple guests with dogs. When we asked about the inconsistency, the response was vague and dismissive. There’s also no pool, and while the lagoon is beautiful, it’s too deep to relax in and has a strong current. There are many lounge chairs, but very little shade—even during peak heat. The few shaded areas are minimal and don’t offer full-day coverage, making it almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors comfortably. Dining was the same: most tables were uncovered, forcing guests to eat under the blazing sun. The food was another letdown. The menu is extremely limited, with small portions, high prices, and poor quality. After just a couple of meals, we were already bored and disappointed. We ended up eating in Bacalar town, where the food was far better and much more reasonably priced. While most staff members were kind, service was slow and unreliable. For example, we ordered a slice of cake for my husband’s birthday, but after waiting more than 30 minutes, it never arrived, and we had to cancel it. The final straw was losing our room key. Instead of helping us feel secure, the hotel told us they had no duplicate and made no effort to replace it—even when we offered to pay for a locksmith or go to the town to solve it. We spent the next three days unable to lock our room, with no support or follow-up from staff. That level of disregard for guest safety and peace of mind is completely unacceptable. The management excused every issue by saying the hotel is growing with Bacalar, but that doesn’t justify such a lack of care and service. In contrast, we’ve stayed at Rancho Encantado three times—a more affordable hotel that truly delivers on luxury, comfort, and guest experience. I deeply regret booking Our Habitas and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Save yourself the frustration and money. There are far better places to stay in Bacalar. This hotel simply isn’t worth it.

We had an amazing stay at Habitas. On a quiet part of the lake, the view is beautiful and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. Service was excellent, and there were a few nice touches to make things a bit special. The cabins/tents are nice, spacious and they have put a lot of care into preserving space for greenery between them.

We got scammed by them. We booked 3 Nights and wanted to change it. Booking was really nice and wanted to help, but couldnt, because it was a Partner Offer and all Responsibility for that, was within the Hotel, they could do everything. But they didnt want to. In the end, they offered us a credit which we took. We asked explicitely for: "We want to stay 3 nights, what is the credit we get for these 2 canceled nights", they answered: "We can give you a credit for the full amount paid for which is sum xxx". In the end invoice, the credit was 200$ less, out of nothing. Despite them telling us 3 times, that the credit was a bigger amount, we even have it as mail. The women at the desk didnt care and she had an attitude, i cant even tell you. I didnt accept to charge me the amount until clearance, they took my credit card "just in case", 10 minutes after we left, they charged it and didnt hear from them ever since. We will take a lawyer for this. Go somewhere else! There are very nice hotels that dont want to scam you!

I have sat on this review for two weeks. Let me first say that there are several positives. The grounds are gorgeous. The outside showers divine. The views on the pier are divine. I’ll start from the beginning. We arrived early. Not sure where to park. Where to walk, where to go. If you have been, you know! Once there you are not welcomed with open arms. It’s very business like. Awkward. Then you find out you can’t walk to your “hut”. There is a golf cart that takes you to and from your car. Very dependent on the driver and what’s app for any questions or concerns. Sort of like being left at camp without your parents. Let’s talk food. The breakfast that comes with the room is not good. Limited. Dinner was interesting. The location does not have enough tables to host amount of guests. People being turned away because there are no tables. You are very remote here, so you can’t just walk to another restaurant. Bacalar is getting developed and there will be a lot of competition in the future. As of now, I would not return to Habitas until it’s what we experienced for three nights.

The service was very poor (outside of Ivan), even though in general the staff was kind. But the issues included: terrible/ imposible to use wifi - can’t make calls, can’t send messages, and definitely not check emails or do zoom calls. Even one of my friends called in Advance to check about wifi and they promised good wifi service but it was horrible. Thankfully one of our friends brought Starlink and that is how we survived bad wifi. In general, the portions of the meals for breakfast and lunch were an insult. In the breakfast included, they only give you one egg. Zero room service and the times for getting meals were limited. We have stayed at other habitas and this is WAY below the bar. Seems like a forgotten location where no senior manager has ever stepped foot. Ended up paying more than $3k for my stay for 5 days. Definitely never coming back.