Sydney Brown and I were so lucky to get to work with the Dune Hotel Tulum. Sydney was planning on going to Mexico for a while. I said I wanted to join but didn't know if it would be possible due to Covid-19. I made up my mind and told her I got the flight tickets already. We were planning on going to Airbnb the whole stay, but I mentioned that we should contact hotels to create and work. She agreed. Dune Hotel Tulum had available dates, and we were going to stay with them for 4 days. Our job was to take pictures and create content for their website and social media.

DUNE BOUTIQUE HOTEL

Dune Boutique Hotel offers exclusive spacious suites right in front of the beach, surrounded by the jungle. Some of their suites offer plunge pools with ocean view. Dune Boutique is located in Tulum, a beach town 40 miles from Playa del Carmen.

After meeting up with Sydney at the bus station in Tulum, we clicked immediately. We took a taxi to the hotel. The first thing I noticed was that everything seemed to be normal in Mexico. I was so used to wearing a mask all the time, and fewer people in the streets and no tourism at all. In Mexico, everything was different. Tulum town was full of tourism, and no one was wearing a mask.

Arriving at the hotel, I noticed the street was full of people—all with bohemian style. We were greeted by the hotel staff, and they showed us our room. The room was decorated with pure nature. I could feel I was staying in a beach town.

The bathroom had a huge shower, a lather for the towels, a bucket full of essentials, such as mosquito repellent, body lotions, hand soap, et cetera. We also had a big balcony with stairs up to the rooftop where the pool was located.

The owner of the place sure has details for everything. Every detail has been well thought, and that is easy to see when arriving at this hotel. They want you to feel that you are home away from home. A place where you want to come back to every time you return. Every room has a dreamcatcher hanging on the wall. So undoubtedly you won't have any bad dreams sleeping there.

The hotel area is an open area. It is literally part of the beach. When you exit the room, you step right on the sand. I really enjoy the sand, so this was not a problem for me. Outside every hotel room, you can wash the sand off your feet before entering. A well thought little detail.

The pool is beautiful. It's kind of an infinity pool, located right next to the restaurant and looking out towards the ocean. It is possible to dive, swim, and have fun. The staff cleans the pool every day.

The restaurant is a beach style restaurant with white painted chairs and tables, with standup paddleboard right outside, bohemian decoration with a beautiful ocean view. You can choose if you want to sit inside or outside. The waiters will make you feel welcomed. The menu consists of Italian and local food. I tried so much, and it was all so good. I highly recommend this restaurant if you ever go to Tulum.

They have an international chef. He has a lot of knowledge and experience with food. He has been working in Spain, Italy, and many different states in Mexico. He specialties in Italian food, oriental, Maya, TexMex, Mexican, and Spanish food. Everything he makes is homemade artisanal and cook fresh in the moment. If you want to eat fresh fish, he catches the fish that same day. They are thinking about getting an aquarium for the catch. The chef also told us that the menu changes every 6 months.

A swing is located right outside the restaurant, in front of the beach. Some other photogenic places, such as the outside shower using shells as the showerhead. They also offer inspirational signs you can use for photos—so much fun in one place.

Dune Boutique Hotel also offers bike rentals for free if you are staying. The hotel has hats you can borrow. We did that for pictures. And loved it. Dreamcatchers in different sizes are sold in the reception. On the rooftop above the reception, you can find a mini gym. They have a couple "jungle" weights made out of wood. The view is intense. It's the opposite of the beach, so you literally see the entire Tulum jungle.

TULUM

I really like that bohemian style Tulum has. So many stores were full of bohemian clothes, homemade bikinis, dresses, and hats. The prices are high, but shouldn't stop you from buying at least something nice for yourself.

They don't build anything taller than the highest palm tree, so you won't find any skyscrapers. The style of the buildings are inspired by nature, and the architecture is something really unique.

Tulum is a beach town. You will see people rent retro beach bikes instead of cars. It's so colorful and beautiful, and it makes the atmosphere. The vibes in Tulum is chill, but you will probably find parties in most of the hotels located right on the beach. So you can choose if you want a peaceful vacation or spring break vibes.

There are plenty of good restaurants, but most of them are actually Italian for some reason. It was tough to find delicious local food by the beach. We had to go to Tulum town to find decent local food. If you have a bike, it's easy to get back and forth.

You can find everything from health bars to the best Italian pizza and homemade ice cream—more about that in another post, where I will talk more about Tulum in general.

MY HONEST REVIEW

The hotel is charming. We tried two different rooms. The one with the private pool (Deluxe Sea View Rooftop Plunge pool) and the Deluxe Ocean View. Both of the rooms were amazing and outstanding. But I really liked the one with the plunge pool, because of the rooftop terrace.

The location of the hotel was also perfect. Close to everything and right on the beach. We could choose to stroll down the beach or just walk on the road to check out all the stores and food stands.

The service at the place is excellent. They are trying to make you feel at home. We were going to rent a car, and they did everything for us. I also liked that they rented out bicycles for free, and of course with my favorite color: mint green. But we never had time to test them out since we were so busy working and making content for the property.

The food was outstanding. I tried a lot on the menu. The tacos and the ravioli in the mushroom sauce were my favorite. I loved the fact that the restaurant is located so close to the beach.

I would highly recommend this place, because of its location, fantastic staff and the beautiful bohemian style.