With two million fans on Instagram, plenty of people dream of visiting the luxury Azulik – but the reality is very different to what’s on social media.
It’s known as “the most followed hotel in the world” but for guests that shell out the thousands of dollars required to stay at the dreamy Mexican hotel Azulik, many quickly realise Instagram isn’t always reality.
Azulik is situated on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico in the popular coastal town of Tulum, just two hours south of Cancun.
While Cancun has long been a favourite for its white sand beaches, wild party scene and all-inclusive hotels, Tulum’s laid-back vibe has seen tourists flocking to it in droves.
The town’s boho atmosphere, with beach clubs and freshwater sinkholes, called cenotes, hidden throughout the jungle, has made it a hit with luxury tourists.
Enter Azulik – a one-of-a-kind experience nestled on the rocky coast and embedded in the Mexican jungle.
The hotel describes itself as “a creative circle with initiatives around reconnection, hospitality, gastronomy, wellness, fashion, innovation, and art geared towards the new paradigm”.
Rooms start from $A700 a night and stretch up to a whopping $A15,000 for the most luxurious room.
While the hotel has a 4-star rating on Google, from 1352 reviews, it also has more than 200 one-star reviews – and some of them are too good not to share.
“The resort provides an opportunity for great pictures. I don’t recommend longer than a one-night stay. If you’re Boho and looking for a very expensive glamping experience, this is for you,” Review Diva wrote three weeks ago, describing the stay as “unbearable” and admitting they checked out early.
“Although the room came with no AC, or shower, there was mould on the ceiling, the water didn’t get hot and we were bit throughout the night by insects. The description stated that there would be a kitchen within the room and this was not present … The sink faucet was broken, there was sand in the bed and there were drums playing until 2am and this was also not noted on the site and caused us to not be able to sleep most the night.”
Another reviewer named Helena offered up a hilarious one-star review, admitting she “didn’t know where to start”.
“The idea is AMAZING. I’d give 5***** for the beautiful architecture and design. However, service and execution are not great at all. We stayed there for over a week and it was v-e-r-y disappointing,” she wrote.
“First of all: the way to the rooms goes along bridges under which at some point, the whole sewage system lays open. Imagine the smell. Yep. Then, we had booked at one of the ocean view suites. We didn’t even have a shower. Instead, it’s a tiny bath of the size for toddlers. I couldn’t even stretch my legs out. I thought it’s a joke. There is also no cold water. Just salty (!!), luke warm and hot. And no shower in sight anywhere. Very, very inconvenient.
“…All in all…. I cannot recommend staying here due to the fact that all the hype you see on social media and the internet, in real life is poorly delivered and simply wayyyy too expensive for what it is. More than $1500 per night and not even a shower??!! C’mon…”
Another reviewer urged people to “stay away” while a fourth warned “do not believe what you see on Instagram”.
Plenty of others compared the experience to “camping”.
“It’s a good place to take a few photos for your Instagram but do not stay here,” Gian Capuano said.
“I’ve stayed in better 2 star hotels. Upon arriving my girlfriend and I immediately asked to cancel our reservation. $US1200 a night gets you a view into a parking lot, a leaky roof, and no hot water. When Carlos their manager came to our room he said that it was the hotels ‘concept’.
“I guess their concept is 2 star accommodations at 5 star prices. This place masquerades as an eco resort but it’s just a poor excuse not to have electricity, hot water, or showers. Anyways needless to say, we left, ate the $US7,000 ransom and stayed elsewhere. Was worth every penny to have enjoyable lodging.”
In Azulik’s defence, the hotel covered itself against bad reviews long ago, explaining its out-of-the-box approach.
“Each of our 48 villas is built in harmony with the Mayan jungle and the Caribbean Sea. With no electric light, airconditioning, or television, we present nature as our main amenity, setting the perfect mood for a romantic getaway,” the hotel says.
Explaining its lack of electric light in the villas, Azulik says the rooms were “built in harmony with nature and to create an atmosphere of tranquillity. Therefore, rooms DO NOT have ELECTRIC LIGHT. They are illuminated solely by candle light, which reduces light pollution that severely impact the environment of creatures like sea turtles, which rely on moon light for direction during the breeding season”.
The lack of airconditioning is because the villas “were built as spaces to reconnect with our surroundings”.
The hotel also responds to its lack of showers.
“Each villa has beautiful handmade mosaic bathtubs. The idea behind this is to take your time, soak in the tub with bath salts and relax. The only villa with a shower is the Moon Villa, and the Aqua Villa has a handheld shower. Also, there is an outdoor shower at the beach for rinsing only,” it explained.
