La Zebra Tulum, a Small Luxury Hotel

We had a wonderful experience at La zebra in spite of low season , sea weed beach and mosquitos . Amazing people is the reason why we want to return again. Will , the food and beverage manager , is one of the most caring and kind man , every encounter we had with him , we received good advice , suggestion and even a gift for our son . Walter , Andreas , Carlos are just a few amazing people we met . They made our stay at La zebra simply wonderful . I also want to mention that we really enjoyed the food , delicious and consistently fresh . My son particularly loved his French fries and I loved octopus tacos . Camomile tea with cookies at turn down service - such a nice touch Thank you La Zebra , we will def return

Overall, the rooms and the property are lovely and the staff was solid. I traveled solo and it was low/shoulder season so it was pretty sleepy — which for me is exactly what I wanted. Easy to get in and out for breakfast and the beach loungers were nearly empty except a few people randomly scattered about. My problem with the my stay was largely due to the noticeable changes since a couple years ago when I visited several days in a row for the Beach Club (that time I stayed closer to Centro at The Aloft and got a scooter to get around) and a telling, unfortunate thing I experienced there. Last time, it was had better energy, for classes/experiences, even someone who did tattoos. It felt more authentically Mexican. This trip they had none of those offerings and, great for others, less interesting to me, they now boast “the only sports bar on Tulum Beach”. Fine except their only restaurant is directly below it and open air so unless they make a change, you’re stuck hearing whatever sports playing on ESPN upstairs as you try to have a relaxing dinner by the beach. The big stinker for me was when I was up at the sports bar (because that’s where the small, pool is) — I was the only guest up there — and an older man with some authority came behind the bar and asked the bartender why there was “Spanish music” playing. The bartenders shrugged, he asked, “Who turned it on?” And that said it was someone from the morning shift he told them they had to stick with the pre-approved playlists and then hurried away with them to show them how/what to do. The rest of the night I was treated to Metallica, Aerosmith, and early 90s alt-rock. That’s fine in moderation, but the way he asked why “Spanish” music was playing made it sound like there isn’t much or any on any of his pre-approved playlists. I complained about this to the front desk, and long story short found out he’s the newer CEO. Even though there were some standout servers and staff, for fear of retribution I won’t mention them because I want to be clear that multiple people said to me in confidence that he has made the property “much less Mexican” and some insinuated that he doesn’t care much about the staff’s opinion. Whether that’s true or not, that’s how some of them feel and he needs to take note. Other quick negatives — I wasn’t going to swim anyway, but mind the sargassum this time of year because the water’s not that swimmable and it stinks if there’s too much of it. Like many other places they do have people out there each day scooping it up and hauling it away. Poor souls — what a never ending job that it. They say it washed ashore between April/May to October/November. (Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos now have a sargassum barrier so those beach sea are more swimmable during that period — Tulum does not). All the food was totally solid and on par with other non-resort prices in the area. If you want cheaper eats, head across the street to the jungle side of the road and you can find some better deals. Bring your bug spray. All in all, I won’t likely be back. I don’t travel out of the country to feel like I’m still In America or at Margritaville. I want Mexican culture and music. And a sport bar is fine (heck it’s a Bill bar and I’m from Buffalo so I was gobsmacked to find a Bills bar in Tulum) but don’t assume that’s why everyone there and, especially if you only have one restaurant adjacent to the sports bar, don’t blast it full volume during dinner. I ended up leaving to eat off property one night and the next night I went to dinner with my headphones on.

We had such a wonderful experience at La Zebra and truly felt taken care of from beginning to end. What stood out most was the genuine warmth of the team and the incredible attention to detail. Everyone made us feel welcomed, remembered, and appreciated. A special thank you to Damian, Carlos, Alex, Leonardo, Mario, Cristian, William, and Juan Carlos. Each of them added something special to our stay with their kindness, professionalism, and thoughtful service. And we absolutely have to mention Walter at the sports bar. He makes some of the best drinks and always seems to know exactly what you are in the mood for. Beyond the cocktails, his personality and hospitality make sitting at the bar such an enjoyable part of the experience. La Zebra is a beautiful place, but it is truly the people who make it special. The service feels personal rather than routine, and that is something we really value. We left with such a great impression and will definitely look forward to coming back. Highly recommend room number #34!!

I can't say enough about the relaxing, casual environment with amazing service. The front desk folks were so responsive. Highly recommend this for a casual getaway. The food was also very good.

Good Hotel, Nice rooms. Great staff and service.