TULUM, Q. Roo — A new lifestyle hotel has joined the fray in the luxe-hip beach town of Tulum. Habitas, located in an acre of jungle set back from the hotel’s own private beach, has 32 guest rooms, an ocean-facing pool, wellness treatments plus a restaurant which is sure to become a hotspot amongst the area’s foodie-inclined visitors.
The hotel has been built in collaboration with local carpenters with an aim of leaving as minimal a footprint as possible – the rooms, for example, have been built on elevated platforms and feature natural palapa (thatched) roofs.
Inside the rooms, expect a mash-up of locally sourced furniture, such as mid-century-style side tables and raffia lamps, plus textured finishes such as kilim rugs and animal hide stools. Luxuries include air-con and homemade bath products which use ingredients such as coconut, avocado and honey.
All rooms have private terraces with outdoor rain showers. Upgrade to one of five ocean-front suites for uninterrupted access to the rolling waves.
The only permanent structure is the central pavilion, an open-air glass and steel space framed by palm trees, which houses an Instagram-friendly interior design of black tassled hammocks, long communal tables and colourful seating areas with coffee table books.
Tulum has become popular with the international jet-set in recent years, not only for its natural assets, which include the Unesco-protected ruins of a 13th-century pre-Columbian walled city and Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, the second largest barrier reef in the world, but also its internationally cool cachet – earlier this year Noma decided Tulum would be the location of its seven-week pop-up, which saw tickets sell out in a matter of hours.