Tulum Hotels VS Tulum Airbnb: Which is better? Updated 2023.
The place you end up staying when traveling to a certain destination can make or break your entire experience. Consequently, choosing the right accommodation is one of the most important decisions to make when planning a trip—this even more so for Tulum, and below we will discuss why.
First, let's address in what regard Tulum's Hotels and Airbnb different from these in other cities?
In most cities, Hotels and Airbnbs share the same areas and the choice between the two narrows down to the experience of accommodation you are planning to receive. Hotels offer a more standardized and consistent experience, while Airbnb integrates local culture to a bigger extent and can vary in lifestyle from one city area to another.
In Tulum, Hotels and Airbnb live through a different relationship:
1) Both Hotels and Airbnb provide deep integration into cultural experiences. Although strikingly different, It is crucial to try both to grasp Tulum truly in all its complexity. If you stayed just in Airbnb or just in hotels, you experienced only half of Tulum.
2) Hotels and Airbnb in Tulum, for the most part, occupy entirely different areas. Zona Hotelera is for hotels, and Tulum Pueblo is the main gateway for Airbnb. This separation comes to such an extent that in pueblo, even hotels are made as Airbnb.
Hence, when choosing between hotels or Airbnb in Tulum, it comes down to choosing between two zones and two entirely different experiences:
Main Difference between the two areas we covered to a great extent in our previous article,
Below is a short recap with important notes on accommodations:
Zona Hotelera (Hotels)
A thin beach zone with cute private hotels, rustic boho boutiques, restaurants, and art expositions offering spiritual relaxation.
Free of massive hotel chains, this zone never leaves the shore. The atmosphere is predominantly accompanied by indigenous sounds mixed with electronic music, and the air carries scents of copal, sea, and Mexican food.
Almost every hotel is like an art exhibition with lounges, bars, own restaurants, and welcoming staff to make you feel accepted and relaxed. - Rooms are little bungalows with basic but uniquely designed equipment facing the sea or jungle.
Hotels in Zona Hotelera are expansive even in the off-season. This might not be the best option if you travel on a budget.
You can rent a bicycle and bike along the single road or walk from hotel to hotel by the beach, taking in a mellow breeze from the sea.
Tulum Pueblo (Airbnb)
A vibrant little town with cute exceptional bars and restaurants where tourists, hippies, and backpackers blend in a lively mix with local people.
You can experience the day-to-day lives of local people, which has a cute feel of a tight community to it.
Vibrant nightlife with a wide variety of options easily can make every evening special and unique.
Accommodations vary in design and price. You can find anything: apartments and rooms that follow boho style similar to hotels in Zona Hotelera, homes full of vibrant colors and decorated in traditional Mexican style, and small hostels with basic furniture to cover essential needs only.
On average, Tulum Pueblo offers much cheaper accommodation than what can be found in Zona Hotelera.
Best mojitos in the entire world! In Botey.
Important to note! Tulum Pueblo has hotels, but these are little, and they adapted themselves to be no different from apartments rented by the locals.
In conclusion:
If you are on a budget and feel attracted to experience a place through the local population's day-to-day life, then Airbnb in Tulum Pueblo might be your best option. Even if, like me, you cannot miss a day without swimming in the Carribina sea, you can always rent a bicycle in the Pueblo and have a 30-40 minutes ride to the Playa Paraiso.
If you have no budget limits and what you are looking for is to lose yourself in the rustle of palms mixed with electronic music, native rhythms, and whispers of the sea, while surrounded by natural boho bungalows, clean skies, and tasty Mexican food, then Zona Hotelera should be your choice.
A safe rule of thumb for these with a not-so-strict budget is Hotels in low season and Airbnb in high season.
If you are decided on your trip to Tulum but do not know when to go or what places to visit, or how to get to Tulum, consider checking out the following arteries:
Where to stay? Zona Hotelera vs Pueblo.
Is it safe to go to Tulum in 2020/2021?
What is the best time of year to go to Tulum Mexico?
The best way to spend one day in Tulum. Perfect Tulum guide.
Thank you for your time,
For any questions related to Tulum, you can contact me using the form below.
Best regards,
Alex, your personal Tulum insider.