Trip Report for Sunscape Tulum

Review for March 5 - 12, 2004

**My family of five had an enjoyable stay at the Sunscape Tulum from March 5th - 12, 2004.  Following is a detailed report with my experience, observations and opinions: 

Overview:

The Sunscape Tulum resort in Quintana Roo, Mexico offers a quiet and relaxing retreat for anyone who prefers quality dining over most of the other all-inclusive features of a resort of this type.  The resort is small (only 238 rooms), isolated and located about an hour and 15 minutes from the Cancun airport.  In my opinion the resort caters to upscale couples ages 40+.  It definitely is NOT a place for singles.  While this property does allow children, I wouldn't say it is particularly family friendly.  The facilities are adequate for children, but kids are not catered to and families are not the central focus at this resort.  (I'll provide further detail later on).  However, this resort is "FAMILY OF FIVE FRIENDLY" if one of your children is under five years old.  Most travel agents will not tell you that, however the hotel WILL allow five people in one room under these conditions. I speak from experience, my whole family stayed in one standard room.  The property is very well laid out.  All the main areas are centrally located from the rooms and nothing is a far walk.  If you are looking for a very laid back and relaxing vacation, this would be a good place.  There isn't a whole lot of entertainment.  Their is no animation staff running around bugging everyone to join in on the daily activities.  There is no disco.  It's very quiet and restful.  It's a true beach resort.

The hotel offers an unrestricted All-Inclusive Plan which is supposed to include all facilities, amenities and activities.  As typical with most all-inclusive resorts, this does not include spa treatments, motorized water sports, and tours.  (The Palace resorts is the only chain that I know of that includes some spa services and unlimited tours/excursions with a 7 night stay).  Reservations are not required at the specialty restaurants and guests do not have to wear wristbands at this resort.

Apple Vacations rates this resort as a 6 apple and most travel agencies concur with a 5 star rating.  Overall I would rate this resort 4 out of 5 stars.  I would definitely rate the a la carte restaurants as 5 star in food quality, presentation and in service.  These quality specialty restaurants are what set the Sunscape Tulum apart from the other all-inclusive resorts in the Riviera Maya.  The Hacienda buffet restaurant offers very good food (especially for a buffet), however the service was quite lacking and would rate 3 stars.  In fact, the service throughout the resort is best described as inconsistent.  It ranged from horrible to excellent.  Room service, maid service, daily newspaper service, nightly turndown service, concierge, and wait staff did not live up to expectation of a five star resort.  Also, the non-oceanview rooms, although ample in amenities, lacked the luxuries of a true 5 star hotel.  But this IS Mexico and I have to say that overall the resort is of high quality, but still not 5 star.  One last note, while tipping is supposed to be included, it is evident at this resort that the staff expects tips.  Service greatly improves with tips and tipping makes more of a difference than any other all-inclusive resort I have ever stayed at (and I've been to many).  If you are not a big tipper, don't expect much in the way of good service. 

One last thing I feel compelled to mention; the day we were leaving the resort was overbooked and arriving guests were being rebooked at one of the Secret's resort located closer to Playa Del Carmen.

Specifics:

Arrival:

Upon arrival at the resort you are greeted by hotel staff with chocolate chip cookies and champagne.  As you enter the lobby any available staff member will extend the greeting "Welcome Home".  After the long hour and fifteen minute ride from the airport, this kind of hospitality is greatly appreciated.

Property:

The resort is very small for an all-inclusive (although I was told they have plans for expansion) with only 238 rooms.  The grounds are clean and well maintained throughout.  Large potted flowering plants are abundant in the courtyards and corridors.   There is at least one cactus garden.  The grounds are very green and the area surrounding the resort is basically untamed jungle.   As mentioned above, the property is very well laid out.  Nothing is a far walk.  The bars are very centrally located to the beach, pool and restaurant areas.  In my opinion, the size and layout of the property is one of the resorts greatest assets.  The quaintness of the resort accentuates it's old world charm.  Throughout the property there is a feel of casual elegance.

Rooms:

All rooms have balconies or terraces.  Most non-oceanview rooms overlook a courtyard with a fountain in the center.  From your view you also can see your neighbors from the other 3 buildings which also face the same courtyard as well as anyone who happens to be passing through the courtyard.  And they can all see you too.  The balconies/terraces are not very private.  Oceanview rooms do not face one another, so you will not be watching your neighbor eat breakfast on their balcony.  It appears that the oceanview rooms do actually have a view of the beach area and ocean (I am assuming, but I did not stay in an oceanview room or suite). The oceanview rooms are located in the white buildings that are just behind the Mexican Restaurant.  It appears that the oceanview rooms overlook the Mexican restaurant, spa and the cenote as well as ocean.  Hacienda Club rooms are located above the main lobby area and also have oceanviews.

The standard rooms which are closest to the restaurants, bars and beach is the 100's block, followed by the 200's block, then the 300's and finally the 400's block.  The 400's block of rooms is closest to the Theater.  Standard rooms are furnished with 2 double beds or 1 king, a bench, a desk with chair, a 6 drawer dresser, a 27" color cable television, CD alarm clock/player, coffee maker (with coffee provided), ceiling fan, thermostat controlled air conditioning, electronic safe, stocked mini bar (with bottled water, juice boxes, beer and soft drinks), iron and ironing board, hairdryer, scale, and bidet.  The bathroom was tiled in marble (including the shower).  Please note that the standard rooms do NOT have bath tubs.  I read a lot of reviews that complained about the lack of hot water in the showers.  While I agree that the water was not very hot, I found it adequate.  The water was warm and I found it refreshing after a long day in the hot sun.  I wouldn't have taken a hot shower even if it were available.  Each room has it's own terrace with a hammock, small table and two chairs.  Two Robes and two pairs of slippers are provided in each room for guest use.   The rooms are dimly lit, so if you are an avid reader you may want to bring along a book light.  The accommodations are simple, the decor subdued and traditional to the Hacienda style.  The non-oceanview rooms, although ample in amenities, are sparsely decorated and lacked the luxuries and ambiance of a true 5 star hotel. 

Guest rooms are supposed to have twice daily maid service and a nightly turndown service.  Our beds were only turned down one of the 7 nights we stayed there.  I believe the restocking of the mini bar counted as a separate service and coupled with the regular room cleaning it brought the daily service total to twice daily.  Also, newspapers were to be delivered each morning to your room, but we only received this service once during our stay.  Our room did not have a "privacy/make up room" door knob hanger.  We could have used one on the mornings we wanted to sleep in.  It's something the resort definitely should add.

Beach:

The beach at the Sunscape Tulum resort is quite secluded.  You can walk for miles past the resort without meeting up with another vacationer. 

The beachfront area at the hotel can be broken down into two areas, swimming and non-swimming.  The swimming area is gorgeous!.  No seaweed, no shells, no coral, just calm crystal clear water.  Beautiful!  At about 10 am each day the staff drags a huge blow up, floating trampoline with a slide out into an area of the ocean which is about shoulder deep (on me anyway).  It was used by both adults and children.  A great place to suntan and then jump in the warm water to cool off.  The swimming area of the beach houses all the water equipment (paddle boats, kayaks, etc). Oh, and no waves at either beach to speak of.   This beach is not like the ones in Cancun.  There will be no body surfing opportunity here.  We saw some people try snorkeling, but never heard if it was good or bad.  I did notice that they had to swim VERY far out to snorkel as the water is fairly shallow a long ways out.   The thing to know is that if you want to lay on the swimming side of the beach, you need to get up very early in the morning and reserve yourself some chairs.  I swear, they were filled up at 8 am.  If you don't care where you lay, there will always be chairs available on the non-swimming side of the beach.  On the non-swimming side of the beach the sand has some ground shell and seaweed both on the beach and in the water.  But this is the ocean and to be expected.   There are also hammocks in many spots on the beach which I thought was a nice touch.  However, I never got to lay in one because you had to get there before sun up to reserve one (I'm being sarcastic, but they did fill up very early).  The same goes for the shade sombreillas or just a spot under a palm tree.  These are all highly coveted spots on the beach. 

There are three bars located in close proximity to the beach.  The Barefoots Beach Bar is right on the beach near the swimming area.  This bar has about 8 - 10 swings hanging around the bar so you can sit in the shade and enjoy a drink while swinging to the sound of the waves or the bar stereo.  The Mexican restaurant bar is at the opposite end of the beach and the pool bar is located close to the center of the beach.  Waiters walk the beach and serve you drinks.  They will also order and serve you lunch if you request.  Look for a young boy named Johansen.  He was the best server.  Always a smile on his face and genuinely happy to please you.

Pool:

The oceanside swimming pool is clean, cool and refreshing.  It's nothing fancy, just a rectangular olympic size pool, but it is right on the beach.  There are many wooden lounge chairs with padding surrounding the pool and several shade sombreillas.

Next to the pool is the Cenote.  There are steps leading to the waters edge.  I rarely saw anyone venture into the waters.  I took a dip myself and discovered the water to be quite chilly.  It was a beautiful site.  The water was crystal clear and there is a fountain in the center.  My kids met up with a small gecko basking in the sun on the rocks around the cenote.  It was quite a kick for them to see.  They lost interest in the geckos after our trip to the ruins where we saw many iguanas.

Room Service:

The Sunscape Tulum resort offers 24 hour limited room service as part of it's all-inclusive package.  It allows for the very nice option of having breakfast on your terrace in the morning or an afternoon or late night snack.  The menu, however, is very limited.  We were pleasantly surprised to have our children's non-menu requests honored (like grilled cheese).  Menu items offered included hamburgers, quesadillas, cobb salad, and spaghetti.  While not gourmet meals, the food was good.

Restaurants:

El Charro (Mexican)
Casanova (Italian)
Senggigi (Asian)
Gohan (Sushi Bar)
Hacienda (Buffet with nightly themes)

I ate at both the Casanova and the Senggigi specialty restaurants and would rate them both as five stars.  The attention to presentation, service and quality is immediately apparent.  The food has that flare of gourmet excellence and tastes incredible.  The Casanova restaurant served a five course meal which ended with a rolling cart serving an after dinner drink of Brandy, Sambucca, Amoretto, etc.  It was a very nice finishing touch.

They do not take reservations at any of the specialty restaurants.  All restaurants open at 6:30 pm.  The specialty restaurants fill up quickly.  If you are not there and seated by 6:45 pm, you will have to wait.  They do not rush the guests out either.  It's very nice for those who are relaxed and enjoying eating, but those who are waiting can be there a long time.  If you do not get to the restaurant early, it is best to go later (after 8:30 pm).  We waited from 6:50 pm till 9 pm one night to eat at the Asian restaurant.  All the specialty restaurants are very small.  Senggigi has approximately 8 tables and Casanova has around 20.  Each of the four A La Carte Restaurants closes one night a week.

There is a dress code at the 4 specialty restaurants.  They do not allow beachwear, shorts or open shoes (men only).  The expectation is that men will dress in slacks and ladies in dresses or nice slacks.  We were disappointed to find out that the Casanova (Italian) restaurant does not allow children.  After we made arrangements for our 3 children to be cared for in our room, my husband and I ate dinner at the Casanova.  We were extremely unhappy to find that there were two other families with young (3 - 5 year olds) children eating at the restaurant. 

The Hacienda is the large buffet restaurant.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served here and there is no dress code, but the expectation is that guests do cover up their beachwear while dining.  The food was good for a buffet, but not 5 star quality.  AT each meal there was at least two made to order dishes.  In the morning it was often omelets and pancakes/waffles.  At other meals the made to order dishes included quesadilla, pasta, short ribs, etc.  Each night there was a theme meal.  I noted that when the Casanova restaurant was closed, that evenings buffet was Italian.  Another night was Mexican complete with a small band in the entry area and a strolling Mariachi band that sang right at your table. 

Also, each day at the Hacienda restaurant, there was usually a table set up either in the front or back near the buffet with a serve yourself cocktail or alcoholic beverage.  Some days there were buckets with Champagne (cheap brands like Andre) and I remember seeing a whole setup several times to make your own bloody marys (complete with Stoli Vodka).  These things weren't pointed out to guests, but they were available.

There is a daily Tea Time from 4 - 6 pm in the bar area of the Hacienda Restaurant.  They basically put out a pot of hot water with an assortment of tea bags for you to self serve.  Also available on a table in this area are a plate of cookies and a tray of sandwiches to snack on.  Unfortunately a ton of flies tend to show up for this afternoon snack as well.  I couldn't bring myself to eat anything after seeing the food swarmed with flies. 

Bar Service:

The bar near the pool offered the best selection of middle to top shelf brand name liquors.  They had their bottles displayed with a selection that included Stoli & Absolute Vodkas, Jose Cuervo Especiale Tequila, Bacardi Rum, Jack Daniels Whiskey, etc.  However, even if you ordered a mixed drink with a name brand liquor, the bartender still used the well liquor and added a bit of the brand that you ordered.  So you actually got half and half (good stuff & the local variety).  One time I ordered a Stoli Martini and I had to specifically ask that it be made with only Stoli.  Also, if you are a martini drinker beware that they POUR vermouth INTO the drink.  I recommend that you try a Mohito (made with fresh mint and lime).  This bar had a pleasant sitting area with wooden tables and chairs.   It was especially nice in the evening for having drinks before or after dinner.   At night there was usually one server dedicated to this area.  I noticed some people snacking on some kind of snack/nut dish with their drinks, but we were never offered anything and usually had to get up to order our own drinks.

The bar at the Hacienda restaurant had a table set up with many different bottles of tequila available to try in a small lounge area.  However, none of these were used in ordinary mixed drinks.  Again, you must specifically request a brand or you will be served the local well tequila.  This bar mostly served the restaurant guests during mealtime.  This is also the area where the 4pm tea time is hosted.

The Barefoot Beach bar was open all day and well into the night.  I believe closing time was 1 am.  While there aren't tables, there are a number of swings that hang from the palapa and surround the bar.  It offered a nice break from the hot sun while sipping a refreshing beverage.  The horses are kept in an area back behind the Barefoot Beach Bar.  Kids enjoyed seeing them even though we didn't ride.

The bar at the El Charro (Mexican) Restaurant was also open most of the day and into the night.  By day it served both lunch guests and the beach/pool wait staff who served guests in those areas.  At night it mostly catered to it's dinner guests.  We had lunch at El Charro twice, but never dinner.  The outdoor food & fly thing bothers me.  If you are OK with it, try El Charro for dinner.  Or you can order lunch on the beach which comes from El Charro. 

In the evening there is one additional bar which is located in a waiting area between the Italian and Asian restaurants.  There are stools at this bar as well as tables with chairs in the surrounding area.  This bar served guests at all the area restaurants (via your waiter) as well as guests who were waiting to be seated (self serve).  Along the top edge overhead the bar you will find their better liquors displayed. 

Entertainment:

The Entertainment at the Sunscape Tulum consists of a limited animation staff.  They are out during the day engaging interested guests in water aerobics and dance lessons.  In the evening there is nightly movie show in the cinema.  And at 9:30 pm each night there is some kind of entertainment show either in the theater, on the beach or in the main courtyard.  This resort is not the place to go if you are counting on an exciting nightlife and fabulous entertainment.  It's very mellow, no wild parties, no nightly dancing and it's not the place to go if you are interested in meeting people. 

Mexican Crafts Fair - About every other night a small crafts sale is set up in the courtyard outside the main lobby in front of the gift shops.  They offer a selection of Mexican crafts and gift items such as bobble head armadillos, beaded handbags, jewelry, carved statues and paper mache photo frames.  They also bring in a guy who hand rolls cigars for you to purchase.  I can't attest to the quality of the cigars, but I did see many people purchasing them.  I refrained because on a previous trip I bought some hand rolled cigars in Punta Cana, DR and the humidity ruined them.  They would never stay lit.  So I now stay away from such items and opt for more quality control.  In fact, I didn't buy anything at the crafts fair.  Most items could be purchased in Tulum or Playa Del Carmen at a better price. 

The Sunscape Tulum website states that weekly managers cocktail party is offered to guests, but we never heard about it or were invited to one.

Please note:  I've seen several websites that state there is a disco at this resort.  To my knowledge it does not exist.  I also checked my resort map and hotel descriptions and there was no mention of any disco.  The disco may have been available at the former Allure Mayan Riviera Resort.

The Cinema:

The Cinema is actually a banquet room with a large screen, rows of uncomfortable chairs set up (typical banquet type) and a few arm chairs tossed into the mix for the lucky few who arrive early.  The Refreshment area just outside the theater door had a popcorn maker and a tall refrigerator - both of which were never used and they were kept locked and inaccessible to guests.  On some lucky nights there were a few Hershey kisses, mini chocolate bars and blow pops on a paper plate.

Adult Movies playing during our seven night stay were:

Spiderman (two nights), Daredevil (two nights), Radio, a Spanish movie starring Denzel Washington and one other

The kids movies started somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00 pm each night and consisted of  Scooby Doo cartoon movies, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, etc.

Children's Club:

The Explorer's Club is the name they have chosen for the kid's clubhouse and program that the resort provides for children ages 4 - 12.  This area is set up with a clubhouse which is dimly lit and well air-conditioned.  It is a welcome reprieve for kids that have spent the morning out in the sun.  The main area has three televisions set up to play Xbox, Gamecube and Playstation 2 games.  The club has a limited selection of games for these video machines which are rated for children, teens and mature players.  If you have young children you may want to select which games they will be allowed to play prior to dropping them off at the Explorer's club.  There is also a nursery with cribs in a back room.  There is another large room through a door on the right which leads to a teen play area with a pool table and non-working video arcade games.  This is what the hotel and travel agencies are now boasting as the newly opened teen center/club.

Outside the Explorer's club house was a play yard with a large sandbox, a small swing set with a slide and a huge cage that was home to several bunny rabbits.  I think this area is used by children dropped off in the morning.  After lunch the kids never go outside.  They do bring the bunnies into the clubhouse in the afternoon.  The kids have great fun holding them and chasing after them.  While the bunnies offered a good time for the kids, I feel it's important to mention that if your child has any kind of pet allergies, you should be very cautious.

Following is the schedule that the Explorer's Club was supposed to be following the week I was at Sunscape Tulum:

I had three children participating in the Explorer's Club and they all concur that they were never offered any of these activities.  The only thing that happened as scheduled was lunch time.  For the most part the children played video games every day and played with the bunnies.  That was about it.  There were some puzzles available and I saw that they had a set up to do arts and crafts, but it never happened.  Fanny is the lady who was in charge of the Explorer's Club.  She spoke English well and seemed to get to know the kids.  Each day she had different helpers and many times these girls did not speak English.  In my opinion, the Explorer's Club was simply glorified baby sitting.  It was an opportunity for the kids to get out of the hot sun, meet other kids and play some video games.  It really wasn't anything more than that.  In fact, I don't think there were any kids over the age of ten at the kid's club.  Older kids tended to take off on their own at the resort.  I met two boys (11 years old) that stayed together all day and even went to dinner together at night alone while their parents ate elsewhere. 

My kids mostly went to the Explorer's Club in the afternoon and evening.  Once or twice we brought them after lunch time, but they hadn't eaten so Fanny ordered lunch for then from a kid's menu that was available at the club.  They offered pizza, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, etc. 

At 5 pm Fanny and the other helpers will close up the clubhouse and take the children to the cinema.  Sometimes the movie started at 5 pm, but most of the time it was at least 5:30 pm before it started.  The Explorer's Club staff offers the children candy and potato chips while they watch a G rated movie.  Parents then come around 7 pm and pick up their kids.  I believe some of the other children even went to dinner with the club staff, but I'm not certain of it.

Please note:  http://travelwithkids.about.com/b/a/027584.htm  and other sites (including Judy & Marie's Travel) report that the Explorer's Club offers arts & crafts, horseback riding, local excursions, weekly camp-out adventure, big screen movies on the beach, water trampoline.  None of these things were happening while we were at the resort except the fact that there was a water trampoline out in the ocean (but the kid's club never used it once).  My children were not given the option to do arts and crafts, camp-out, take any kind of excursion or go horseback riding.  Horseback riding was only available as a paid excursion/tour which cost $54 per person and required parents to participate.  The only movies that were shown were at the cinema (never on the beach).

The Spa:

I did not use the spa or purchase any spa services during my stay.  I did take a quick look at the spa and all I can say about it was that it looked very small. 

Overall Service:

I really felt that the one place that this resort fell short of expectations was when it came to service.  The service at the Sunscape Tulum was at best described as "inconsistent".  There were several disappointments over the course of our stay, mostly due to the five star expected level of service and the resort staff not following through and offering the service the resort boasts.   Following are some examples of the service not meeting our expectations of being 5 star:

Nightly turndown - During our 7 night stay we experienced the nightly turndown service only once. 

Newspapers delivered to rooms - We stayed 8 days at the resort and only received the newspaper at our door one time.

The maid staff never once replaced the complimentary toiletries (soap, shampoo, lotion, etc) in our room.

Hacienda (buffet restaurant) - upon seating we were asked if we wanted coffee.  Several times the coffee showed up after we had finished breakfast (if at all).  We usually ate breakfast late in the morning when it wasn't even busy.  There was no excuse for the lack of service.  My husband was constantly having to flag down a waiter for items (like catsup, coffee, etc.).  Eventually we learned where everything was and started helping ourselves.   As for me, by the end of the week I was bringing my own beverage from our room refrigerator or stopping at a bar for a drink prior to going to the restaurant.  Even my 7 year old daughter was going to the restaurant bar by herself to order juice drinks because the waiters never came around and offered beverages.

Room service took twenty minutes one night and an hour and a half another night.

At the Cinema each night there was no one around to work the snack and beverage area.  Many times there would be a plate of mini Hershey's chocolates or kisses left on the counter.  The whole time we were there, they never had popcorn (which was a great disappointment to my husband & kids who LOVE the stuff). 

While the bartenders were great and happy to please customers, there weren't many drink servers. 

This resort (like most all-inclusives) advertises that tips are included.  The truth of the matter is that service greatly improved with tipping and that if you didn't tip constantly most (with a few exceptions) the staff ignored you.  They weren't eager to please unless there was something in it for them.  While I was happy to tip those who made a great effort, those people were few and far between.  Most did not have what I would call a 5 star attitude. 

The Timeshare Pitch:

It is pitched as "not a timeshare" presentation, but of course it is.   If you go to the Concierge for any reason, you WILL be asked to attend the presentation.  They will offer you gifts ranging from t-shirts & booze to a free days car rental.  It's up to you if you wish to listen to the pitch. 

Other Resort Amenities:

Internet Service - is available and located in a building just outside the main lobby.  The cost is $5 for 1/2 hour or $9 for 1 hour.  The connection is not as fast as a modem (US Standards), but it seemed faster than a typical dial up connection.  I also saw someone who had his own wireless laptop and seemed able to connect to their internet with his own equipment (at no charge).  There was usually no one around to monitor this. 

Gift Shops - There are 2 shops on the property.  One is your typical gift shop offering toiletries, suntan lotion, candy, magazines, books, bathing suits/wraps, small toys and gifts.  The other shop is a jewelry store selling lots of silver items and gem stones.  Both are expensive.  My husband purchased a paperback book for $12 that costs around $5 back in the US. 

Non-motorized water sports included paddle boats, kayaks, banana boats and I saw some kind of small boat with a sail.  Two things to know about these activities.  1) The boats are best used in the morning before the wind kicks up.  2) Only one hour a day per room is included free of charge.  Extra hours cost $15.

The Gym is located near the Theatre.  It looked like a nice facility, but I didn't use it. 

Alexandra at the Concierge desk is delightful and aims to please.  Whatever she can do for you, she will.  She ends every meeting with "do not hesitate to ask". 

Travel Tips:

-Do NOT throw away your tourist card.  You may or may not need it to get home, but if you lose it and they ask you for it you may find yourself waiting a couple of hours in line to research your entry to Mexico.

-Bring LOTS of sunblock.  The sun is very strong and we saw a lot of severely sunburned folks.  Children especially need a 30 spf sunblock. 

-If you are traveling with young children, bring your own sand toys (pails, shovels, etc).  They are not available from the resort for day use and they are very costly at the gift shop to purchase.

-Use the internet to contact folks back in the states.  It will be significantly cheaper than calling.  If you booked your trip through a travel agent be sure to get their email address before you leave in case you want to express a concern or make a change in your plans.  You can email them and have THEM call YOU at the resort.  If you have to make a call, the least expensive option is usually to purchase a TelMex calling card.  However, I do not recall seeing any TelMex phones at the resort itself.

-Whether you are traveling yourself or with a tour, it is best not to go to area attractions like the local Cenotes on a Sunday.  The local swimming spots and cenotes tend to be much less crowded on weekdays when the locals are working.

Beyond the resort:

Tulum (Mayan archeological site) - About 2 - 4 miles

The Tulum Ruins are easily accessible by a short $6 taxi ride or an early morning bicycle tour.  Admission to the archeological site is 38 pesos per adult.  Children are admitted free (the Hotel Concierge didn't know that).  It is best to have exact change.  When there is a long line to purchase tickets you can often bypass standing in line by purchasing with exact change from a man who will walk the line selling tickets.  Be advised:  There is an extra charge if you wish to video tape the ruins.  I believe it was an extra 38 pesos, but I am not sure. 

    My absolute favorite beach is at the Tulum Ruins.

However, there are things that are good to know before you go.  1) You must pay to enter the ruins to access the beach.  At the beach entrance it will be crowded (especially in the middle of the day when it's very hot).  There is a lifeguard there.  Entrance to the water requires you to cross a small area of rocks.  It's best to be wearing some kind of water shoe that won't fall off your feet.  2) The beach access area at the Tulum Ruins is NOT a good place to go if you want to relax and sunbathe.  It is a very small area filled with lots of people who aren't prepared for the beach, but want to cool off.  There really won't be a nice place to lay down or relax.  To access the better beach area, this is what you must do: bring only the bare minimum of what you need for the day (couple of towels, suntan lotion and snacks - we brought some fruit from the breakfast buffet).!   Bring your items in a waterproof bag or bring along a large plastic bag to hold them.  Enter the beach area, wade into the water just past the rocky part and turn right to walk around the large rock.  The water will be between thigh and chest height so you can definitely walk.  You'll have to hold your beach bag over your head to keep your items from getting wet.  Head to the right and you will quickly see where you want to go.  It's not far at all.  You'll find a much friendlier, sandy, clean beach amongst the rocks.  I've seen people go further to other little alcoves, but we didn't go too far because of the kids.  It is definitely worth getting past that first entry area to the water/beach.  I was so disappointed that the main access area had become so dirty.  Just around the rock is a beautiful pristine beach.  You won't be disappointed.  You can even see it from the rocks above, but the only way I know to access the area is how I described.

 
Xel-Há (theme park with snorkeling, dolphins) - 2 miles
Dos Ojos (cenotes/sinkholes for swimming) - 21 miles
Aktun Chen Dry Cave and Jungle Tour - 21 miles
Cenotes Kantun-Chi - 25 miles
Tres Rios Eco-Park - 30 miles
Xcaret (theme park) - 35 miles
Playa del Carmen - 38 miles
Cozumel - 38 miles to Playa del Carmen, plus 45-minute ferry ride
Coba (Mayan archeological site) - 23 miles
Sian Ka’hn Biosphere Preserve - 30 miles
Cancún - 70 miles
Chichen Itza (Mayan archeological site) - 74 miles

Tours Offered at the Sunscape Resort through Amstar:

1) Chichen Itza De Luxe (mon-Wed-Sat from 8:25am - 6 pm) Adults $72/Child $54

2) Coba Pyramids & Mayan Village (Each day EXCEPT Sunday from 9:30am - 5:30pm) Adults $72/Child $36

3) Xcaret Ecopark (Tues, Wed, Thurs, & Sat from 8:40am till 5pm or 9 pm) Adults $72/Child $38

4) ATV's Adventure (Daily from 8:30am till noon or 1:50 pm till 4:30 pm) Starting from $50

5) Mayan Aquatic Adventure - snorkeling in Cenotes and lagoons (Daily 9:30am till 3:30pm) Adults $69/Child $49

6) Horse Back Riding (Daily 9am/11am/1:30pm & 3:30pm) Adults $54

7) Jungle Crossing - a 4X4 Adventure into the Jungle (Daily 9:50am - 4:30 pm) Adults $78/Child $61

8) Bar Leaping - Playa Del Carmen's night life.  The tour includes Transportation, VIP Entrances and 4 hrs of open bar at 3 of PDC's hot spots. (8pm till....) Adults $50

Other tours available through Amstar:

Resort Contact Information:
Sunscape Tulum
Riviera Maya Km. 234
Tulum Quintana Roo, Mexico C.P. 77780
52.984.871.3333 Phone
52.984.871.3357 Fax

Sunscape Hotel Chain Contact Information:

Sunscape Resorts Website

email: [email protected]
or call: 1-866-SUNSCAPE

Getting There:

Package deals:

Apple Vacations

Hotel only deals:

Dream Days Travel (located in Cancun, Mexico) - http://dreamdays.com/tulum-hotels/Sunscape-Tulum-Riviera-Maya.asp

Transportation to the resort from Cancun airport:

Dream Days Transportation Services offers the most affordable airport resort transfers that I could find.  I used this service myself and found them to be very efficient and reliable.  For 2 adults and 3 children, we paid $130 for RT private van transfers from the Cancun airport to the Sunscape Tulum resort.  That price included a $20 discount for booking our hotel through their travel agency as well.   http://www.dreamdays.com/transportation/index.asp

Other Reviews on the web:

Judy & Maria's Travel Inc. review of Sunscape Tulum - http://www.jmtravel.com/oct__review_sunscape_tulum_resort.htm

Vivian's review - travel agent and past guest at Sunscape Tulum

Pictures of the Sunscape Tulum Resort:

Photos taken April 2003 by Judith Berger Carlson Wagonlit Travel

Vivian's photos - travel agent and past guest at Sunscape Tulum

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ursulae1/album?.dir=/Sunscape+Tulum&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ursulae1/my_photos

Still Have Questions?  Feel free to Email Me. (Please use "Sunscape Tulum" as the subject of your email.)

**Disclaimer:  This report is written by an average hotel/resort guest.  I am not a travel agent.  I am an independent traveler whose goal is to share knowledge and opinions about places I have frequented so as to prepare the expectations of future travelers.  I receive no compensation for my reports.  To the best of my knowledge this report is 100% accurate for the dates of March 5th thru March 12th, 2004.  The opinions expressed in this report are not representative of other guests, the resort staff or any other outside agency. 

Hit Counters