Aldea Kuká, Luxury Eco Boutique Hotel

We loved the breakfast. It was super fresh and generous. Loved the location on the outskirts of town. The beach itself was never crowded and lovely. It wasn't hard to walk the beach into town either and was a fun activity.

The only thing we didn't like was the techno, euro beat music that was sometimes playing from the restaurant. It wasn't necessary and could be annoying at times.

A friendly welcome when we arrived and we were given cool flannels and a refreshing drink after our travel. That was really nice. Checked in and wow, the room was stunning! Spacious, clean and well thought out. We loved the natural stone and wood aesthetic. The bed was huge and very comfortable, super soft sheets. Huge shower, basically bigger than our bathroom at home 😅 and the bath was big enough for two. We were given a welcome drink on our first day - a mezcalita and then we had some tacos for lunch, cochinita pibil 🤤 Breakfasts were very pleasant, lovely fresh fruit and juice included. We also had a nice meal in the Japanese restaurant where the fish was super fresh. Staff are friendly and attentive. The hotel is right on the beach so you get stunning views and it's really convenient to be so close. We took the morning yoga class and it was such a zen way to start the day, incense burning and calming music as you moved through various stretches. All in all this hotel was really great.

The comments from other guests about the lack of noise insulation are fair and accurate. You can hear your neighbours very easily, which can be a bit distracting. Our room seemed to struggle with the WiFi connection, but the rest of the hotel it was fine. So not really a huge issue.

Arrival and room: We arrived in the dark from the ferry and were met by these amazing palapas across the sandy beach. Check-in went smoothly, we were helped with our luggage to our room/suite on the 2nd floor, and were struck by its beauty and charm. The natural wood, the big windows, palm-leaf roofs, everything was incredible. There are coconut palm trees everywhere, the whole place is magical. Our room had uninterrupted views of the sea from the second floor (just above the trees). At night, you can hear the sea, the wind, and the palm leafs gently brushing against the roof inside the room, which we really enjoyed. The room was always impeccably clean, there was a beach bag and poncho to borrow (and buy if you like them), and the hotel has its own water cleaning facility, which means that the tap water is potable - we drank it for the five days we stayed there with no issues at all. Service: reception is reachable by WhatsApp, the staff makes sure everything works upon arrival. We usually got an answer within a few minutes, whenever we had a question. Renting bikes, logistical questions, asking to extend the checkout time, etc, all handled smoothly. Location: it is truly incredible. The hotel is picturesque, we felt like we were in paradise. Fine sand that was crated every morning, no rubbish anywhere, and the beach with is wonderful sunbeds and drinks/snacks service being a few meters away. We enjoyed every moment.

Bathroom: so the suite has a very high and pitched ceiling. The toilet walls only go up to a "standard" height, with no cover upwards, effectively being a toilet stall. Really uncomfortable as it gives zero privacy. The shower being open and in the room, as well as the gorgeous pedestal bath, were of no problems at all. Shower: this is an eco-hotel on a small island, so I get the potential water limitations. We were told that there are times where we'd for sure have hot water (05:00-12:00, 17:00-00 or something like that). We basically never had hot water, only sometimes warm-ish water. Wasn't too big of a deal as a cold (or cool, if we're lucky), shower after a beach day or to wake up is fine. We flagged for this on the last day and a repairman showed up, and of course, when he was there, the water was really warm. When he left, it was back to cold. Also, if you NEED good water pressure, this hotel isn't necessarily for you. Breakfast & restaurant: the staff is very kind and truly do try their best. However, there were days where we'd wait over 40 minutes for food. We got an apology in the end, saying they were understaffed at times, but better communication could have helped the frustration this sometimes caused. With that said, the food was good. Another thing to keep in mind: although the breakfast was included in our stay, we were asked to sign the check and leave a tip - which was strange to us. Noise: Being on the top floor, we didn't hear much from our neighbours. HOWEVER, there was always construction noise, some days starting at 8AM and ending at 9PM, which really takes you out of the whole paradise island experience. At the time of our stay, they were building a beach bar, and the sound of an angle grinder (although not deafening) to go with your beach cocktail isn't for everyone. All in all, I think this hotel can be great if they address these issues.

Located on one of the best stretches of beach on the island and within easy walking distance to the town centre. The beach set up is lovely, comfy beds and cabanas, always plenty of room, you feel like you have all the beach to yourself

Paid a premium for a “sea view” suite, however from our room you could only see the sea if you climbed up a steep ladder to the balcony located on the second level. On arrival they kept us standing at reception 20 mins going through a list of things we could not do and associated fees. The property is ok but do not expect a 5 star resort and definitely do not expect a 5 star service. The staff was the biggest let down of our holiday to the point we were uncomfortable being in the resort, it looks like nobody is in charge, they don’t really know what they are doing, one hour wait for food at the restaurant, no apologies offered, given some free guac and charged for the full bill, staff would smirk at you and look annoyed if you make any request or little criticism (our room had not been cleaned at 3.00pm and we were met with a “room cleaning stops at 4.00pm” remark and a annoyed face). The staff in the restaurant (with the exception of Luis who was lovely) behaves like they are doing you a favour a cannot be bothered at all. Also be ready for the “tip squad”: at the end of each meal they send out a person with the bill and they literally lurk over your shoulder (at night they point a torch down to your bill, which was so funny as it was light enough to read the bill) and watch you tip them, we had to ask them to leave on a couple of occasions. When we checked out, we had to wait until someone checked our room and told reception it was ok. Not sure what they were expecting to find, I like to think perhaps we looked like rockstars who trash hotel rooms. Do yourself a favour and walk to short distance to the town for great food and amazing service, everyone on the island was amazing and welcoming except in our resort. 100% would go back to Holbox, but would choose another resort