Papaya Playa Project, Tulum, a Member of Design Hotels
Km 4.5 Carretera Tulum Boca Paila
About This Property
Beachfront Eco-Friendly Retreat
Nestled on the Mayan Riviera in Tulum, Papaya Playa Project offers sustainable beachfront cabins with stunning Caribbean Sea views. The rustic yet charming accommodations feature high ceilings, private bathrooms, and an abundance of natural light.
Vibrant Events and Relaxing Spa
Experience the vibrant atmosphere with weekly events and monthly full-moon parties featuring renowned international DJs at the beach bar. Unwind at the spa offering traditional Mayan Shaman therapies. For adventure seekers, water sports and fishing are just steps away on the nearby beaches.
Explore and Relax in Style
Conveniently located near the Tulum ruins, immerse yourself in history just 1 km away. After a day of exploration, return to the tranquility of Papaya Playa Project. Book now for an unforgettable eco-conscious retreat by the sea.
Why guests recommend it
Facilities & Services (85)
Available Rooms
No rooms available for the selected dates
Guest reviews
Most recent
Exceptional and exceeded all expectations
Everything was absolutely perfect. The staff made it even better.
👍 Liked
- • Everything was absolutely perfect. The staff made it even better.
👎 Disliked
- • Nothing, it was exceptional and exceeded all expectations.
A lot of spiritual activities - huge plus point
👍 Liked
- • A lot of spiritual activities - huge plus point
Beautiful place, but a very bad and frustrating experience due to lack of security and poor management response.
The design and atmosphere of the hotel are beautiful, and the concept is unique.
👍 Liked
- • The design and atmosphere of the hotel are beautiful, and the concept is unique.
👎 Disliked
- • Unfortunately, my experience was very disappointing. During my stay, money went missing from my room. I strongly suspect it may have been taken during housekeeping, but the hotel did not take responsibility. They conducted an internal “investigation” and simply told me they found nothing, without offering any real resolution or refund. This made me feel very uncomfortable and unsafe, and the way management handled the situation lacked accountability and professionalism.
Beautiful sound healing bath
Beautiful sound healing bath!
👍 Liked
- • Beautiful sound healing bath!
Just like that
Stayed at Papaya Playa Project for a friend’s birthday—beautiful rooms, great energy, and the weekend parties are always a vibe. Staff was super attentive. Primo was the best host and made everything easy for us.
👍 Liked
- • Stayed at Papaya Playa Project for a friend’s birthday—beautiful rooms, great energy, and the weekend parties are always a vibe. Staff was super attentive. Primo was the best host and made everything easy for us.
Good experience
Primo is an amazing host, and helped a lot to make our trip great!
👍 Liked
- • Primo is an amazing host, and helped a lot to make our trip great!
Perfect stay!
Fantastic experience with Pascual and the entire staff. Beautiful location, delicious food, highly recommend!
👍 Liked
- • Fantastic experience with Pascual and the entire staff. Beautiful location, delicious food, highly recommend!
£280 “Mayan Dinner Experience” that was completely misrepresented and deeply disappointing
We booked the “Mayan Dinner Experience” at Papaya Playa Project for 6,600 MXN (~£280 for two people), expecting a premium, immersive evening as described. Unfortunately, what we received was one of the most underwhelming and poorly executed experiences of our entire trip. On arrival, the setup looked as though it was prepared for a large group (around 40 people), yet only four guests attended in total. This immediately removed any sense of atmosphere, ceremony or “immersive experience” that had been advertised. Instead, it felt empty, awkward and completely lacking in energy. The food was extremely disappointing for the price point. The courses were repetitive, heavily corn-based, and lacked both variety and quality. Across our table, much of the food was left uneaten. This did not resemble anything close to a premium dining experience. The drinks offering was equally poor. We received very small pours that tasted diluted, and had to actively request items that were supposed to be included. The service lacked structure and attentiveness throughout. The setting itself — beanbags around a smoky fire in near darkness — made it uncomfortable and difficult to properly see or enjoy the meal. Combined with constant insect bites, it felt more like an improvised setup than a curated experience. To make matters worse, the advertised “2x1 drinks during the party” turned out to be available to all guests anyway, while cocktail prices were significantly inflated (around 600 MXN / £26), which made this inclusion feel misleading rather than valuable. After the experience, we made multiple attempts to contact Papaya Playa Project directly to resolve this — via both email and WhatsApp — but received no meaningful response. The ticket platform also attempted to contact them on our behalf and was ignored. For a venue that positions itself as premium, this level of execution and complete lack of accountability is extremely disappointing. There are many places in Tulum offering far better food, service and value. Based on our experience, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere.
👍 Liked
- • We booked the “Mayan Dinner Experience” at Papaya Playa Project for 6,600 MXN (~£280 for two people), expecting a premium, immersive evening as described. Unfortunately, what we received was one of the most underwhelming and poorly executed experiences of our entire trip. On arrival, the setup looked as though it was prepared for a large group (around 40 people), yet only four guests attended in total. This immediately removed any sense of atmosphere, ceremony or “immersive experience” that had been advertised. Instead, it felt empty, awkward and completely lacking in energy. The food was extremely disappointing for the price point. The courses were repetitive, heavily corn-based, and lacked both variety and quality. Across our table, much of the food was left uneaten. This did not resemble anything close to a premium dining experience. The drinks offering was equally poor. We received very small pours that tasted diluted, and had to actively request items that were supposed to be included. The service lacked structure and attentiveness throughout. The setting itself — beanbags around a smoky fire in near darkness — made it uncomfortable and difficult to properly see or enjoy the meal. Combined with constant insect bites, it felt more like an improvised setup than a curated experience. To make matters worse, the advertised “2x1 drinks during the party” turned out to be available to all guests anyway, while cocktail prices were significantly inflated (around 600 MXN / £26), which made this inclusion feel misleading rather than valuable. After the experience, we made multiple attempts to contact Papaya Playa Project directly to resolve this — via both email and WhatsApp — but received no meaningful response. The ticket platform also attempted to contact them on our behalf and was ignored. For a venue that positions itself as premium, this level of execution and complete lack of accountability is extremely disappointing. There are many places in Tulum offering far better food, service and value. Based on our experience, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere.
Vacation in the Projects. Filthy and Overpriced and Rife with Mosquitoes.
Our stay at Papaya Playa Project was an absolute nightmare. The hotel was disgustingly dirty with mosquitoes and ants everywhere, broken furniture, and dim lighting that made it feel like a rundown jungle camp rather than a luxury resort. The restaurant is a health hazard — overpriced, limited menus, unhygienic conditions, and watered-down drinks at the Mayan Dinner in dirty glasses sent us elsewhere. Taxi drivers, in cahoots with staff, gouged us with $50 for a five-minute ride down to the hotel zone. No chance this hotel should be part of Marriott.
👍 Liked
- • Our stay at Papaya Playa Project was an absolute nightmare. The hotel was disgustingly dirty with mosquitoes and ants everywhere, broken furniture, and dim lighting that made it feel like a rundown jungle camp rather than a luxury resort. The restaurant is a health hazard — overpriced, limited menus, unhygienic conditions, and watered-down drinks at the Mayan Dinner in dirty glasses sent us elsewhere. Taxi drivers, in cahoots with staff, gouged us with $50 for a five-minute ride down to the hotel zone. No chance this hotel should be part of Marriott.
Your Booking
Select a room below to continue with your booking