Beachfront Hotel La Palapa - Adults Only

We've been to Isla Holbox before, but this was our first stay at La Palapa. It won't be our last. We loved our stay; the hotel was quiet, clean, quaint, right on the beach, and wonderfully taken care of by staff. We'll be back next year for a longer stay.

Having traveled to Cancun earlier in May 2019 and visited isla mujeres, Cozumel, Tulum and Playa Carmen, a friend of mine from Mexico recommended me isla Holbox. And boy, this place did not disappoint. Did a bit of research here on TripAdvisor and saw the great reviews on this hotel La Palapa and decided to give it a try. First: to get to Holbox island you’ll need to take a bus transfer from Cancun airport to Chiquilá for the ferry boat. DON’T hire a cab , they will charge you an insane price. Get a one way ticket on the ADO Bus. (I’ll explain later the return trip at the end of my review) It’s a 2 hour and a half ride , but believe me, it’s well worth the trip. Once at Chiquilá make your way to the ferry, there are 2 ferry companies which leave every 30 min to the island. The trip itself is just 20 minutes. Welcome to Paradise: This place is awesome. Hotel is practically a 8 minute walk from the ferry dock ( I timed it.!) so a golf cart taxi will get you and your bags at the hotel in 5 min and charge you 40 pesos. By the way, that’s all that’s running on this little island, golf carts and scooters. The hotel is practically ON the beach, enough palm trees for shade and hammocks to relax in. It also has the bar/restaurant closest to the shore out of any hotel on this part of the island. Big plus is that the hotel is just waking distance to the main plaza, all shops, bars and tourist information. Staff is super friendly and attentive. The bar has the best margaritas I’ve ever tasted. Sophia was awesome and very nice, the other guys were great too! We had ceviche and it was incredible. The room I had (25) was small and didn’t not have a great view , but I came here for the beach and explore the island. The room was only for showers and sleep. No TV in the room which I didn’t mind, but it would be nice if they had a small refrigerator in the room. I loved that the room numbers of the hotel were in Mayan symbols. A/C worked great. WiFi is dreadful.... everywhere. I don’t know if I had perfect timing for my travel, but we practically had the beach all to ourselves, for hours. The sand is amazing here , so refined it would feel like butter when stepped on. And the water was super warm,,way better than Tulum. Zero sargazo (seaweed). Breakfast, food and drinks are very good here, but you do have a Restaurant right next door “Las Panchas” which is truly amazing. Get the fish, caught and cooked the same day. Now, we did rent a golf cart (25 dollars for 2 hours) to explore a bit more, we were heading for punta mosquito where we passed by some amazing, but surely way more expensive hoteles, still , La Palapa was the ONLY hotel right ON the beach. And preferred La Palapa way more than these high end hotels, although the beach and water hammocks here are truly beautiful. We spent 6 days here and didn’t want to leave. Island is too beautiful and the locals are friendly. Felt safe. BRING CASH, they will only accept dollars or pesos here. There is an exchange place on the island and a few ATMs which did work properly (I had problems in Playa Carmen and Tulum). But stay with cash in hand. Now the return to Cancun airport, buy the one way return trip on Holbox Shuttle, located where the main plaza is , on a corner , they should charge you $350 pesos, BUT if you’re going to terminal 3 ( I was, JetBlue) they charge you $50 pesos more to take you there, since they only go to terminal 2. Buckle up when riding these shuttle buses , our guy was doing like 120 mph! Lol! Overall the experience was amazing and I would definitely come back here than anywhere else in Cancun, hands down. It’s not too touristy and looks like people don’t know too much about this island so let’s try to keep it a secret, lol. All adults and no kids at La Palapa hotel was a plus for me, didn’t want children running around me when enjoying my strawberry margarita! Oh! And the sunsets are beyond amazing, wait for them here, don’t go anywhere else. Book at La Palapa and enjoy.

Hotel La Palapa was so gorgeous! Their beach is sandy, right in front of the hotel (many others have a road in between) and so beautiful with lots of loungers in the sun and shade. We stayed in an oceanfront balcony king which had a gorgeous ocean view but the thatch overhang provided plenty of shade to be comfortable lounging in the hammock on the balcony. The location is so close to town and while I could hear some of the music from Hot Corner, it wasn't ever bothersome. Las Planchas restaurant is literally next door and their food is incredible. Huge portions for not too much $ and fresh, delicious octopus ceviche. Theres also a small market 2 doors down where we picked up ice every day to keep our in room beverages cold (bring a small packable cooler from home). I appreciate the eco-friendly aspirations of the the hotel as they give you 2 water bottles upon check -in and encourage you to refill them from the chilled purified water cooler on the 3rd floor. Much better than using constant disposable plastic. Wish there was an in room fridge tho. The staff at reception was lovely and gave us beach towels and bathroom/shower access when we arrived before check in time. We ate once at the beach bar and it was the only place on the island that charged an IVA fee (value added tax) so be aware of that when eating there. The sunsets are incredible though sitting on the beach with a cold beer and ceviche. We were lucky enough to travel during a new moon and the water was phosphorescent at night right in front of the hotel! Incredibly experience with the water glowing blue-green. Food Recommendations: Taco Queto: cheap (17-22 peso) delicious street tacos. We went every other day. Las Planchas: huge portions of fresh seafood & mexican food Roots: excellent wood fired oven pizzas Viva Zapata: Good seafood platter for 2 with great service Rosa Mexicana: Unique mexican inspired cuisine with a twist. i loved their green ceviche. Raices: service is slow and indifferent but food is good A Mar Cafe: large breakfast plates and delicious (huge) smoothies. best coffee by far. Villa Flamingo hotel restaurant: worst and most expensive food we had all week. Skip it. Don't miss the crepe food carts (Marquesitas). They are cheap and delicious. Activities: -Loved Willy's Tours for golf cart rental. they are so nice and it's only $50 USD for an 8 hour rental. The golf carts are in decent shape and comfortable. Bikes sounded great until we got there and it was 95 degrees. The golf cart was perfect for exploring with a shade top. They fun and easy to drive. -3 island tour: insanely crowded at each stop, wish we hadn't done it. -Kayak Phosphorescence tour thru VIP holbox: 3 minute kayak to a sand bar off the beach at Las Nubes hotel then an hour standing on the sand bar. For $90, total waste of $ after we realized you could see phosphorescence off every beach on the gulf side of the island. Overall, we loved Holbox and the Beachfront La Palapa hotel. Wish we could be back there now.

Wonderful stay at a perfect beachside hotel. It's a 10min walk from the ferry dock and close to the city yet still very quiet. Only meters from the shore, you'll love hearing the waves from your room. The beach in front of the hotel is not big but this makes it feel quite private compared to the other hotels in Holbox. The palm trees in front of the hotel provide just enough shade and add to the idyllic setting. Sunsets are beyond beautiful. The staff was helpful, considerate, friendly and kept the rooms and beach meticulously clean. Beach towels and filtered water were readily available. The onsite bar/restaurant was great: exceptional service, fresh ingredients, and reasonable prices. From walking along the beach and viewing other hotels, I can say I would still choose Beachfront Hotel La Palapa. Hope to visit again soon!

I am a 76 year old woman traveling alone. I chose this hotel because it was small and for adults only. I loved the place. It is a very good location practically in town so it is close to other restaurants and shops. My room was big enough and had a view of the sea. I was on the first floor and next time will request a second floor room because the view is better. the room was clean as a whistle and the bathroom also. The staff is superb. The maid service is professional and sweet as can be with smiles and efficiency. The group at the concierge is delightful. they take a personal interest. the outside bar is really all you need. The food portions are large and even though the bar calls them 'snacks' they are enough for a meal. the staff is also excellent and will try and mostly deliver your particular requests. I did not take many excursions so I cannot comment on those. I did do three massages and they were excellent. As was the pick up and delivery service from and to the Cancun airport. Everyone that I met in Holbox was kind and service was terrific. La Palapa is a wonderful place.

Hotel Lap Palapa is one of the best places I've ever stayed at in my life. It's a perfect location (right on the beach, close enough but also far enough from all the action); the staff is incredibly (super-friendly and helpful, really positive and fun); and the amenities are great (cafe has delicious food, rooftop is great, massages at the spa are on point). It's really easy, also, to book stuff through them and the quality of the guides that they select are top notch. You can't go wrong if you stay here.

We recently stayed at Beachfront Hotel La Palapa and had a wonderful time. Our room was a first floor king. It was clean and nicely appointed. We loved our porch with hammock. The only two constructive criticisms I can provide regarding the rooms is a dresser would be helpful for clothing that didn’t need to be hung. It did have two side tables each with two drawers but it was difficult to fit clothes in for a week stay. Secondly, the shower albeit beautiful and unique allowed splashes out into the corridor between the bathroom and bedroom. ( obviously these two issues weren’t a big enough deal for me to reduce your star level.) The staff was always available and very friendly. The outdoor areas were lovely including the rooftop relaxation area, the book area, and ,of course , the beach. The bar onsite made the best margaritas we had while on island! I work with kids so this was a great kid free zone which was much desired. Thank you for a lovely stay.

This hotel is quaint and beautiful. It’s a great place to relax and unwind. It’s located right on the beach and close to restaurants and shopping. The room was clean and cozy. The staff in the main office were very friendly and helpful. There’s a bar/restaurant at the hotel, and while we were on the beach we would go up and order our drinks. We will definitely visit again!

Carlos and Eric are the best bartenders. They made me feel special, remembered my drink, and played great music. Their energy was infectious. If you're looking for a place to have a drink and a fun time, I would suggest coming here