Habitas’ 32 bungalows take advantage of Tulum’s natural splendor

Tulum’s reputation as the more authentic, less developed destination than its neighbor, Cancun, has attracted creatives, tastemakers, and eco-entrepreneurs alike in recent years. Don’t expect a slew of big brand offerings here. Rather, Tulum has become known for its unique boutique properties that blend local craftsmanship and sustainable design. Take the Papaya Playa Project. A collaboration with Design Hotels and the existing Papaya Playa Beach Resort, it’s a luxury camp of cabanas and casitas. Meanwhile, Habitas, known for its experience-led events focused on wellness, food, and music, recently chose Tulum as its flagship permanent home with 32 bungalows, a three-story lobby, restaurant, and rooftop.

Casa Pueblo > When now-hotelier Derek Klein first went to Tulum more than a decade ago to explore the beach-meets-jungle area with a friend, “there was nothing, just a dirt road,” he remembers. “It was so unbelievably surreal—untouched, wild, and free.” He decided to call the coastal town home in 2011. First, he opened Gitano restaurant and bar at the beach, which became a destination unto itself. More recently, in collaboration with New York-based designer Mike Moser, he created the 16-room Casa Pueblo for “global nomads,” which is “really simple, a great place to get inspired and feel creative,” he says. There’s an open-air atrium lined with black and white floor tiles, white plaster walls, and clean-lined furniture crafted of local wood. He’s now doubling down on the area with another hotel as well as residences.

Casa Pueblo’s open-air atrium, defined by black and white floor tiles

Unscripted Tulum > Also in the works is Dream Hotel Group’s 97-key Unscripted Tulum, designed by Carlos Cole and his team at Mexico-based architectural firm Earthchitecture, set to open in 2020. “Tulum has an incredible following and history of attracting the creative and progressive travelers in [search] of authentic experiences that make connections to its people, culture, and landscape,” says Cory Brian Ingram, the company’s senior vice president of creative. “Our goal is to explore every new market and create hotels that capture and deliver on these experiences in travel.”

A rendering of Dream’s Unscripted Tulum that will be one with its surroundings