Azulik Trip report

Anyone with experience at Azulik? We bid on them on SkyAuction and won the auction for a positively ridiculous low price. We then asked for a week in March, the highest of the high season. Surprisingly we just got a confirmation so we're there March 2-9. I'm not sure how they are doing this, since the SkyAuction price is less than 20% of the normal room rate for that time including all of the fees. If anyone is interested in Azulik right now, it's a super cheap way to go...

Edited by Administrator to add the results of the trip into this one note. .

Just back from Azulik. It's a pretty incredible property. We ended up in a "Jungle Villa", which was over by the spa. It was a very good trip and I'll try to write more later. It's a much younger and very attractive clientele there. We are neither, but never felt in the least bit left out or treated any differently. They clearly understand marketing better than any resort and were nearly full with people from all over the world. It's the only place we have been to where the people really looked like the models in the brochures.

It is clothing optional, but expect to be one of few if you do. I was the only one the first night were were thing and a few people actually acted shocked. After that night there were usually a couple groups nude on the beach ever day and it was much more normal and nobody cared. Lots of topless women, though. It's not a place you can be prudish, just about everyone can see you on decks and in your rooms so nudity is not that big a deal.

Caveats: It's very "new age". New age music all of the time. Incense. The managers are "angels". The whole area in Tulum is a bit like that, but Azulik is the most extreme I think.

We would very much like to return. It was a very relaxing and comfortable week. The place certain oozes romance, too. There's no electric lighting in the rooms, they light candles every night for you for light. I'm not sure I consider it worth the $350+ per night they are currently charging, but at a lower price it's a very nice place. The location is really excellent on the beach there, since you can get into Tulum pueblo for about 100 pesos, there's a small town area just next to the resort you can walk to and have your choice of restaurants, and there's more stuff down the beach.

The beach is great, by the way. They had trouble with seaweed some days, but the beach was white sand and you could walk out into the surf and it sand was quite luxurious. The surf tended to be up a bit, so it was more playing in the surf than swimming. At night they light beach area entirely with candles and they run a Thai restaurant (yes, Thai) on the beach.

We were there during Carnival in Tulum, which was really fun. They had a parade every night for three nights. Lots of great food and in town we found really cheap prices. The fabled "Tulum Nightlife" turned out to be a bit of a bust, though. Most of the places in Tripadvisor we tried to find were actually gone and replaced. Lots of turnover. If you ever go (or to Intima for that matter), be sure to go to Antojitos La Chiapaneca. The tacos are fabulous and super cheap. We had two cokes and ordered tacos twice and it was less than 100 pesos ($5).

I would not go in summer! There is no air conditioning in the room. Lots of sea breeze kept is very comfortable, but we have been in Tulum in summer and it would be too hot in my opinion.

We've been occasional guests at Azulik over the last ten years. We more frequently access the spa services at the Maya Spa, which is co-located with Azulik, and so we have been following the renovations and expansion of the original 13 units. It is truly staggering to see how much they are investing in the place. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is going to depend on what experience you are looking for. It has gone from a beautiful but rustic "tree house" on a cliff experience, to a much more artistic, trendy, and exotic one...but one that is more way more expensive and higher density. They have added amenities and services as well.

I love the old Azulik, and respect the craftsmanship and vision of the new Azulik, but it is now well out of our affordable price range. If you can find a deal (as it appears you have) I'd say it's a great value, but it is a very unique experience.

Azulik offers itself as clothing optional, and that is satisfactory for me, but the majority of guests will be textile. Nudity is mostly practiced on the unit decks and small beach area, and even then, it is not very common. The units have very little visual privacy, one from the other, but again, that doesn't usually bother a nudist!

I think they may have occasional struggles with occupancy, given the expansion and price tag, so it doesn't surprise me that you can snag occasional deep discounts.

They are continuously on SkyAuction including right now, though that auction has one bid already. Most of the auctions don't get a bidder. We're paying $88 a night (okay to do prices here?) with taxes and fees plus the single $20 SkyAuction fee.

That's a site I will keep my eye on as we look at future trips! We've got our February trip booked for Playa Sonrisa in Xcalak and a couple of nights in Tulum already. It looks like they are auctioning their "Flow" and "Sky" villas, which are jungle view rather than ocean view. It's still a great deal and you might get an upgrade if they aren't full when you go.

The "Flow" and "Spa" villas thing has been confusing. They don't list them on the web site, so I asked the resort if they have pictures and got this response: "For SkyAuction we offer the Mayan Villas, You could find as this in our web site." Archived sites online do find the flow villa, but it doesn't match the SkyAuction description. I think it's a bit confusing. I'm not too concerned, we'll have the beach and it will be warm and I can be naked, so we'll be happy even if we don't end up with an ocean view.

Been certainly considering Playa Sonrisa. The only obstacle is not wanting to rent a car, which you really need for that resort. Be sure you let us know how it goes.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with wherever you land at Azulik for the price you are paying. This will be something like our 8th or 9th stay at Playa Sonrisa...it always goes pretty nicely ;-)

Just back from Azulik. It's a pretty incredible property. We ended up in a "Jungle Villa", which was over by the spa. It was a very good trip and I'll try to write more later. It's a much younger and very attractive clientele there. We are neither, but never felt in the least bit left out or treated any differently. They clearly understand marketing better than any resort and were nearly full with people from all over the world. It's the only place we have been to where the people really looked like the models in the brochures.

It is clothing optional, but expect to be one of few if you do. I was the only one the first night were were thing and a few people actually acted shocked. After that night there were usually a couple groups nude on the beach ever day and it was much more normal and nobody cared. Lots of topless women, though. It's not a place you can be prudish, just about everyone can see you on decks and in your rooms so nudity is not that big a deal.

Caveats: It's very "new age". New age music all of the time. Incense. The managers are "angels". The whole area in Tulum is a bit like that, but Azulik is the most extreme I think.

Thanks for the report. I'm not sure I would care for it, based on your description. Not very 'in' to new age stuff..

chazo, are you likely to return or will you prefer to go elsewhere?

We would very much like to return. It was a very relaxing and comfortable week. The place certain oozes romance, too. There's no electric lighting in the rooms, they light candles every night for you for light. I'm not sure I consider it worth the $350+ per night they are currently charging, but at a lower price it's a very nice place. The location is really excellent on the beach there, since you can get into Tulum pueblo for about 100 pesos, there's a small town area just next to the resort you can walk to and have your choice of restaurants, and there's more stuff down the beach.

The beach is great, by the way. They had trouble with seaweed some days, but the beach was white sand and you could walk out into the surf and it sand was quite luxurious. The surf tended to be up a bit, so it was more playing in the surf than swimming. At night they light beach area entirely with candles and they run a Thai restaurant (yes, Thai) on the beach.

We were there during Carnival in Tulum, which was really fun. They had a parade every night for three nights. Lots of great food and in town we found really cheap prices. The fabled "Tulum Nightlife" turned out to be a bit of a bust, though. Most of the places in Tripadvisor we tried to find were actually gone and replaced. Lots of turnover. If you ever go (or to Intima for that matter), be sure to go to Antojitos La Chiapaneca. The tacos are fabulous and super cheap. We had two cokes and ordered tacos twice and it was less than 100 pesos ($5).

I would not go in summer! There is no air conditioning in the room. Lots of sea breeze kept is very comfortable, but we have been in Tulum in summer and it would be too hot in my opinion.

Thanks for the heads-up about the lack of A/C. Sounds like a nice place that isn't too expensive.