Hotel Na Balam Beach -Isla Mujeres

The location has to be the best on Isla Mujeres. It is a short walk from the main strip, but at this location there are many palm trees and it is very private. The restaurant Zazil-Ha makes excellent food and is open late so you can relax on the beach enjoying your food/drinks. The wait staff is friendly, but like most of this area the service is slow for food although worth it. We had some issues with connecting calls and getting help at the front desk/reception. Some of the staff was not as approachable and did not freely offer advice about things such as directions or where to rent a scooter etc. Also it was a hassle to arrange with the hotel for pickup in cancun for our pre-paid voucher back to the airport. When our flight was canceled we stayed at a different hotel nearby and the front desk was far more acommodating and helpful. Other than the reception our room was fair (plunge pool was not worth it though). We had our wedding there and although the ceremony went well it was a bit disorganized as to how to run everything (they demanded payment in cash (USD that is)) for our photographer, minister, and music rental etc. which was hard to get that much money last minute. We did get this sorted finally. Though there were some frustrations regarding this I would stay there again hoping that they can sort these issues because they really do have the best beach on the Playa Norte.

We spent 8 nights in a beachside room at Na Balam (room 12). I wouldn't hesitate to return and to recommend it to others. Our room had two queen beds with pillow top mattresses, sitting area, hammock, and small safe (large enough to hold wallets, passports and cell phones). AC worked great. We had a private patio with two lounge chairs and were a stone's throw away from breakfast and the beach. Snorkeling area was a short walk away. Town with countless of restaurant options was a 5-10 minute walk. Service was friendly. Everything was a relaxed Caribean pace. Enjoy the pace and you'll enjoy the place! And the beach! If you imagine yourself swimming in the crystal clear water, this is your beach. Beach beds, chairs,umbrellas, and towels are available for guests at no extra charge. Restaurant/bar service is available on the beach. Outdoor showers are available for rinsing off before returning to your room. We weren't bothered by mosquitoes at all during the day. We put bug repellant on before heading off to dinner and were fine. I can't say if they have room service per se, but on Sunday we picked up some takeout chicken and ribs and brought them back to our room. We got a bucket of beer from the bar, and they said it was fine to bring it to our room. Yoga classes were offered 2x per day, for $12. I thought I'd give it a try, but was too busy enjoying the beach to try one.

While the room type I booked, an overview, was not available at check in, the hotel was able to upgrade me to a suite, which was VERY nice. The private plunge pool made me forget the partial water view the room has from the pool deck. The restaurant is ideally located on a point. Beach and ocean on two sides. Food was excellent. I highly recommend the BLT + fried egg breakfast sandwich. No cellular or wifi reception in the room was the only major drawback. Thank you to the hotel and staff for a great experience. I will be back!

Very Basic rooms. No hair dryer, no coffee pot, no T.V., no mini fridge. However, room was very clean and I loved the fresh, crisp white sheets everyday. The grounds are lush and jungle-like, but there are a few mosquitos. The free continental breakfast with our package was good and the restaurant was very nice located right on the beach. My only complaint is the terrible musty smell in the rooms. It seemed to improve somewhat during our six night stay. Beach towels were provided and the beach beds were nice. Wish there were more beach chairs available. We enjoyed our stay and will probably return.

I returned home from a week at Na Balam hotel on Isla Mujeres yesterday. I must say, that it was a wonderful way to spend a week. The hotel staff was incredibly nice and helpful, the food at the hotel restaurant was wonderful and the room was clean and HUGE! We loved spending time on our balcony that overlooked the ocean, and the beds and chairs on the beach were perfect. This hotel is meant as a place to get away from it all, and that was exactly what we found. If you are looking for a place to stay "plugged in" this is not for you. I loved the fact that we didn't have a TV or even a clock in the room as I was able to just relax and unwind and allow the sound of the waves and birds calm my body and soul. The crystal clear beach that this hotel is located on, was the best beach I've ever been to. Absolutely amazing.

My partner and I are both into yoga and that was one of the main reasons that we chose this hotel. It was also priced very reasonably in the package and just a 5 minute walk from dozens of shops and restaurants. As it turned out, it was good, but not excellent. The restaurant was just okay and a bit pricey for the quality, though the view is amazing - it's right on the north beach! As for the beach there, it would be great for kids but it's so shallow that you have to walk over 100-200 meters to get to any depth for swimming. Some people may like that, and the water was crystal clear! One problem we had was that it rained so hard that the water was dripping right through the straw roof onto our bed. Good thing it didn't happen until the day we left. All in all it was a good experience though and the yoga with "Lal Maharajh" was amazing and offered several times a day - at 9am, 11am, and 7pm, with a couple of sunset yoga classes at other times. The kundalini yoga was not as impressive. You'll have to see who's teaching at the time you are there. It's well worth the $150 pesos ($12US) per 1 1/2 hour class.

I spent my first night ever in Mexico at Na Balam. It's a wonderful place, great if you want some privacy. I did not like the first room I was given and the friendly staff gave me another option without any problem. Attended a yoga class and it was great, very relaxing. Attentive staff. My only negative is that breakfast is not included int he price, but we ate at their restaurant and the food and service were great!

Stayed here in mid-December '11 and it was nice. Now granted, others have said this hotel lacks amenities and I can see why they may say that. But, if you are looking for a place to relax and have an actual getaway then this is the place. At night, it looks like you are walking into a tropical village. Lots of foliage and rock pathways that are dimly lit. This atmosphere is great. If you want a cookie-cutter style posh hotel/resort then stay elswhere. This is a basic place without tvs and phones in the rooms(but that's nice). If you are looking to really unwind, then consider this place. The bar/restaurant staff is really good. The beach is literally right by the restaurant. The walk to the main strip in the city is about ten minutes or rent a golf cart. Overall, it was a great value and I would stay there again if I went back to Isla Mujeres.

We didn't expect a perfect Oceanview for the price paid but did expect to be given a room in working order. Was told no rooms left at checkin except ours (typical line) but when we waited until checkin time the people that were suppose to check out decided to stay and all of a sudden a room was found!!! So we tried getting in, first the door was broke, metal could have cut you bad, then the shower didn't work, took 2 maintenance men different shower heads to fix, beds VERY hard but location great!

Na Balam is a hidden little retreat on the North of the Island that provided us with a well needed peaceful and tropical holiday away from NYC. The location is perfect as well as the Mayan style of the resort, the staff are attentive and I must mention the fantastic restaurant on the beach, we ate here every night, why would you go elsewhere when you can watch an incredible sunset and with fantastic food. The food however was priced on the higher end but you certainly get what you pay for. I will certainly be visiting Na balam again soon.