Discovering The Art Of A Hotel Nap In Tulum

With moon milk served at turn down, pillow menus to fill your plush hotel bed, and suites with mattresses that cost more than luxury cars, sleep tourism is on the rise and there’s all kinds of marketing around catching quality ZZZs. But what about the merits of the humble hotel nap; the leisurely slumber that’s synonymous with a restful vacation and indicative that you’re wholly relaxed, no gimmicks needed?

In Tulum, at a pair of neighboring sister hotels—The Beach Tulum and The Cabañas Tulum Beach Hotel & Spa—drifting off for an afternoon siesta is an experience that comes natural. Beach beds face the Caribbean, with the waves providing the soundtrack that noise machines mimic, balcony hammocks sway in the breeze and are an invitation to nap, and pools encircled by loungers beckon relaxation, too.

It makes sense that vacationers are in search of this brand of R&R: According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 40 percent of more than 2,500 adults who took part in a study reported a decline in sleep quality since the onset of the pandemic.

In Tulum, guests can discover the art of the hotel nap, bookended by quintessential experiences like snorkeling in crystal-clear cenotes, exploring Mayan ruins, guided tequila flights at the hotel, and checking out the local restaurant scene by foot or bike.

The pair of hotels is in the center of Tulum’s bustling beach district, but tucked back far enough from all the action so a good night’s sleep is easy to come by.

The Beach Tulum is an adult’s-only boutique hotel, with all 28 rooms facing the beach. Guests at this hotel have access to a petite lazy river canopied by thatch palms. Room options include the rooftop rooms that come with ocean-facing balconies, a private rooftop with a hot tub and a sofa and beach chairs; junior suites with a private plunge pool; and deluxe ground floor rooms with a beachfront terrace and private plunge pool.

Next door, The Cabañas Tulum Beach Hotel & Spa has 25 rooms with swim-up room and beachfront options, and, depending on room category, rooms come with amenities like private plunge pools and rooftop hot tubs. While not an adults-only hotel, guests must be 14 and up to stay here. The hotel has a spacious pool and deck with day beds.

Design surprises are in store throughout the hotels’ rooms, like some that are outfitted with a creamy-colored stone soaking tub, local pottery serving as vessels for shampoo and conditioner, and local carpenters turning Tzalam wood into piped showers. Handwoven hammocks and punchy colored throw pillows accent the balconies and rooms.

The hotels also have garden hot tubs, a yoga palapa with morning classes, a beach bar, and complimentary bikes to borrow. Tulum mainstays are close by, like Kitchen Table, a lush restaurant with a jungle setting that serves chef tasting menus (including one curated for vegans) and bites like fresh fish tostadas and fresh catches.

Stays at both The Beach and The Cabañas come with a daily breakfast at either of the two on-site restaurants—Ziggy’s for hearty breakfasts like chilaquiles and pork belly enchiladas and Fresco’s for smoothie bowls and avocado toast.

At Ziggy’s, which has a popular beach club, too, guests can sink their toes in the sands or sidle up to the beach bar which has swing chairs. Fish-focused dishes change with the seasons, with lobster prominent May through August.

Over at the shared Naj Naay Spa, guests can book therapies like the 80-minute Mayan Reawakening that includes rituals and a massage with an infusion of rose petals, medicinal herbs and mezcal. Hotels guests from both properties can also book complimentary hydrotherapy circuits with a sequence of hot experiences — a sauna, steam room, hot tub—punctuated with cold plunges and a dump bucket of chilly water.

Hotel concierges can also book guests into experiences like touring the ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itzá, scuba diving in the depths of a cenote, or visiting Sian Kaʼan Biosphere Reserve, a 1.5-million-acre UNESCO World Heritage site with lagoons winding through thick forests. The hotels also have add-on cultural experiences like tequila or mezcal tastings, salsa dancing lessons and cooking classes.