The Sens Tulum Riviera

Expedition660794 wrote a review July 2024

The Sens Tulum

My husband and I stayed at this Resort 2 years ago when it was managed by Sunscape and loved it. This year's vacation however went from good to horrible. I started contacting The Sens Tulum prior to my arrival and on the day I checked in because there was news of Hurricane Beryl. They eventually ended evacuating us to Oasis Smart and finally to Oasis Pyramid Cancun. The staff at the Oasis Pyramid was horrible from the moment we arrived. Very rude even though this was not our fault. I paid for ocean front and was not given ocean front after confirming we would not be sent back to The Sens Tulum. I attempted to contact the Sens Tulum on several occasions and they did not return any of my calls or messages. Do not spend your money on any of the Oasis hotels.

Date of Stay: July 2024

O5678TFlucianag wrote a review September 2024

Great Budget oceanfront resort with lots of restaurant choices

We had a great experience in this hotel. We ate in International Buffet in the mornings with a large variety of food and liked the Italian restaurant so much that we ate there everyday. Very friendly staff...The pools were nice and beach too ( though bad weather prevented on us to spend a long time in them ). They had some entertainment in the evenings with music/dancing and even Karaoke. We had lots of fun...We did not see as many wildlife as we saw in the Playa del Carmen Resort though but we saw an Agouti daily at sunset time near Reception outside.
They had many restaurants to choose from and also activities daily in the pool area. It is a Budget Resort so I am not sure how some had really bad reviews. If you expect luxury you must pay for it. The rooms needed some remodeling ( painting was peeling off the ceiling of bathroom, etc ) but this did not prevent me on enjoying ( only an eye sore ) and the AC worked great so that is all it mattered for us. We were barely in the room. Lots of iguanas rooming in the parking lot which was an an attraction for my kids, Parking lot was little far walking from reception but they would take you by GOlf Cart if they were available. I would go back to this hotel, had a pleasant experience...

Date of Stay: July 2024

kimberly685 wrote a review October 2024
Edmonton, Alberta

We loved this place! Perfect romantic getaway :D

My husband and I had the BEST time at this resort! It was peaceful and the staff were truly amazing. We were looking for something low key, where we could just be beach bums and still have great food and access to comfortable rooms, and we got just that.

We stayed on the Sian Ka'an side and had a room with a private plunge pool balcony, and we cannot recommend this enough! To be able to watch the ocean from your own roof top deck, swim any time you want and also have access to the Sian Ka'an private bar and roof top area was incredible.

The food was perfect, we enjoyed being able to choose where ever we felt like going without having to make a reservation, and the staff were awesome. SO friendly, and could not be more helpful. They made drink suggestions and were always open to letting you try something new. They were also excited to learn we were trying to learn Spanish and would practice with us, which was really fun.

I enjoyed Sarepe the most, and had the shrimp dish 3 times because I liked it that much. All the restaurants were great though. The breakfast buffet had everything you could want as well.

We chose this resort partly for the room, but also because we liked that it was in a cove setting and there would be places to snorkel and see the fish, and we were not disappointed! This place has a beautiful sandy beach and lots of areas to swim as well.

They had a lot of activities which we didn't partake in, simply because we were happy being on our own schedule, but they were nice and varied so a person would never be bored.

I see other reviews make note of updates needed, our room was pristine, and the outdoor areas were in great shape all things considered. We regularly saw staff out working on exterior paint and things, so they are on top of it. This is not a huge resort and is very easy to navigate, lots of pretty little nooks and things like fountains made the walks around extra nice.

There were so many little animals around, iguanas, racoons, coati and lots of birds. We personally love this and find this makes a vacation extra special. The absolute best one was the last morning in the ocean we saw a large stingray swimming around too!

On our last day we rented a Bali bed on the ocean and it was worth every penny. There is a private bar tender who comes down to check on you and will get you drinks, water and even bring you lunch.

There were so many things we didn't have the time to enjoy, like the spa for example. We look forward to visiting again and plan to not miss out on anything.

Date of Stay: October 2024

stevewO194EY wrote a review December 2024
Chilliwack, British Columbia

Nice resort for a quiet vacation.

My wife, 7 yr old grandson, and I stayed here from the last week of November to first week of December 2024. My wife and I have been coming to Mexico for many years but this was our first time at this resort. We flew with Sunwing to the Cancun airport. If you fly to this airport, be prepared to wait. And wait. And wait. It took us over two hours to get through the immigration kiosks. The officers in the booths are definitely in no rush to get everyone through in a timely manner. It was then another couple of hours to drive down to the resort. It’s a 94 km drive from the airport to the south side of Akumal.

Once we arrived, check in was a relatively easy process. We booked an oceanview room and the view did not disappoint. It was unfortunate that there wasn’t a balcony. The room was spacious and clean. The king bed was comfortable and we had a couch that opened up into a bed for our grandson. The air conditioning worked very well to the point where I wanted to turn it off. The room got quite cool, especially at night. I set the temperature to 24°C but it never got above 20°. Maybe bring something warm-ish to wear to sleep in.

The food was good for the most part. There are six (if I remember correctly) restaurants to choose from. We were only disappointed with the Maki-Taco Japanese/Mexican fusion restaurant. The food wasn’t very good there. Otherwise, the others were good. There isn’t a poolside restaurant for daytime burgers, hot dogs, etc. and it would be nice if there were washrooms in the pool areas so guests don’t have to dry themselves off completely to go into the main building. There is a coffee shop/sports bar with two pool tables, a foosball table, chess and other board games, a ping pong table, and darts.

The pools were nice, the beach was clean, and we never had an issue finding pool loungers to camp out on. Our grandson made good use of the Kiddo Zone. The staff there really looked after the kids well. A huge shout of praise to Nancy and her team. Thank you for your kindness.

The Sens is a quieter resort so if you’re into the party scene then it’s not recommended for you. If you want a quiet place to relax and unwind, then you will have a great time. The resort is looking a little tired and is definitely in need of some upkeep and paint. If you can overlook these minor issues then you will have a great time.

Besides Nancy and the rest of the Kiddo Zone team, I also have to say “thank you’ to Santos in the Miramar restaurant, Guillermo in the Arrecifes restaurant, and to the great mariachi band that played in the grill restaurant.

Date of Stay: November 2024

800erikkam wrote a review December 2024

I’ll be back

I spent a week here and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I got a Jr Suite Ocean Front & it was the best decision. Although the bigger suites had the private pool this suite allowed me to open my door and walk the 20 feet to the ocean. Unbelievable!! I got to lay in my bed drinking coffee & watch the waves hit the shore.
Personally I’m over the Super resorts. I don’t need 30 restaurants or a waterpark. So this ocean front boutique resort was right what I wanted. Quiet and relaxing. The food at all the restaurants was delicious and you didn’t need a reservation for the al a cartes ( huge bonus I don’t like planning my meals I eat when I want what I feel like).
Great staff & excellent service.
I see people said the staff was rude … I think perhaps they just had a language barrier ( people forget they are in another country ;) ) ! I stay at Canadian 5 stars often & for Mexico this is definitely a nice place for a good price. It’s a Mexican 5 star. I’ll definitely be back. The ocean is clean. Coral reefs are beautiful. Pools are well maintained. I highly recommend this place if you get overwhelmed at the big resorts or just want peace & quiet.

Date of Stay: December 2024

JohnB247 wrote a review December 2024
Oromocto, New Brunswick

Amazing December 9-16

I do not know where to start, but here goes in point form
Staff; from top to bottom, were amazing
Property clean throughout and in an excellent location
Room 5011 sian kahan fantastic always had AC and plenty of hot water
Food no booking for alacartes. Food at buffet was always hot and on par with the alacartes
Room service is great and not a long wait
Barservice: Not once did I have to wait for a beverage at any of the bars
Will be back. Big shout out to Eddie who served us one night he was amazing

Date of Stay: December 2024

kurtle1 wrote a review December 2024
Denver, Colorado

I thought it was a joke.....but reality struck.

Don't believe the website photos. You will be totally disappointed. Do not get a Master Suite. The suites do not have the plunge pools pictured! The ocean view is a sliver of the ocean with the main view being a dipalitated building. Our room had what I suspect to be feces on the bathroom wall. Management is indifferent to complaints. You can tell they hired the cheapest managers they could, with little or no customer service experience. I'm sure there will be another lame rebuttal to this review....that says something to the fact that they are striving to improve.

Date of Stay: December 2024

149rochellef wrote a review December 2024

AWFUL

not clean… sand and standing water everywhere l! roof leaking in every single building!!! not mobility safe uneven floors everywhere and very slippery! not safe!! food awful.. service sucks.. you can ask all you want and answer is yes yes but it never shows up and never happens… zero entertainment !!! not even music . no chairs available on the beach and very few by pool! would NOT return if you paid me .and would never recommend to any clients! we tried to move hotels after the first day trey would not give any refunds wish we would have moved anyway… will go home 5 pounds lighter only positive 😂💩💩💩💩💩
again do not book rundown hotel

Date of Stay: December 2024

mandrw2020 wrote a review January 2025
Alberta

Wanted to love it but...

We spent the extra and booked the Sian Kaan Master Suite but unknown to us they have several different room layouts under that name BUT only show the nicest suite in which there are only 2 of. To me it was a bait and switch. They gave us a room with a little 'hot tub' on a little balcony with no privacy (next rooms tub is right beside with a small glass divider) vs what they show in the pictures. It was definitely a bad way to start our vacation. Another couple were having the same issue at the same time as us. The Sian Kaan area is supposed to be VIP treatment but was anything but. My wife likes a drink with milk or cream in it but the bartender said they didn't have any so pick something else. My wife had to go to another bar to get a container of milk and bring it to the bartender. They ran out of Kahlua liqueur (which is my wifes favorite drink and made in Mexico) and poured cheap stuff in the bottle and tried to pass it off saying it tastes the same. That is like saying all tequila tastes the same. They did not get another bottle of Kahlua while we were there (we went to Tulum and bought 1L for 200 pesos). ALL of the pools were very cold and we only spent about 15 minutes in them total over a week. Most of the pools are in poor condition with tiles or cement finish falling off. 'Adult' pool in is a main pathway and only has 8 loungers. There is virtually no beach left in front of this hotel (hotel pictures are from many years ago), you have to walk over to the next one for a spot to sit or lay on the sand. The design of the hotel and grounds has you continually going up or down stairs to get anywhere, strange for a resort on level ground. They must tell all the employees to say 'pleasure' after you thank them but you can easily tell they are only doing it because they have to, there were only a few employees who smiled. This is so different from what we normally experience in Mexico. We found a lot of the food bland. We found out the chicken parmesan doesn't come with parmesan!??
We booked the nicest room they offered and were expecting what was pictured but were very disappointed. We should have believed the reviews. We don't normally write bad reviews but thought we should help inform other travelers so maybe they will not get disappointed like us. This was our 21st Mexican vacation so we have seen lots of different resorts.

Date of Stay: December 2024

m_duhb wrote a review January 2025
Chiang Mai

Disappointing Stay That Did Not Meet Expectations

I recently stayed at The Sens Tulum Riviera Maya Resort and unfortunately, my experience fell far short of what was advertised. While there were some highlights, the overall stay was disappointing, and I wouldn’t recommend this resort in its current state.

Room and View:We paid extra for an oceanfront view room, and the view was stunning. However, the air conditioning was inadequate, leaving the room uncomfortably warm (over 30°C at times) unless we kept the blackout curtains closed—defeating the purpose of having a premium view. To make matters worse, there was constant construction and painting directly outside our room, which detracted from the overall experience.

Dining Experience:The food was awful, with the à la carte restaurants being particularly disappointing. We even ended up seeking meals off the property for something more appetizing (we recommend The Beached Bikini Bar). The buffet food was often left out for hours or not restocked. To add to the frustration, not all restaurants were open as advertised on the Oasis app or at the venues themselves.

Resort Condition:The property is in serious disrepair. Workers were patching and painting throughout the resort during our stay. The swimming pools were dirty, with patchy, worn bottoms. The fitness center had broken and rusting equipment, flickering lights, and felt neglected overall. Glass windows throughout the resort were dirty, marring what should have been beautiful views. The elevator was also out of service for a portion of our stay, adding to the list of inconveniences.

Beach Amenities:Resort photos of the beach shown much more actual beach than there is. They also show plenty of chairs to enjoy. There were far fewer beach chairs than advertised in photos—only about 20% of what is shown—making it almost impossible to secure one. The limited space on the beach made it hard to lay out towels as an alternative. 

Staff and Service:Some staff were friendly and helpful, but many appeared disengaged, creating an overall sense that the resort was understaffed. Interactions at the front reception desk, such as attempting to purchase currency, were often met with apathy or what felt like intentional disregard. It’s worth noting that these interactions were unrelated to any complaints or displeasure, as we did not express concerns to staff during our stay. We also provided gratuities throughout our visit, but this didn’t seem to improve the level of service.

Positives:The resort is small and easy to navigate, and the proximity to the ocean is unbeatable. The snorkeling opportunities right off the beach were excellent, with an abundance of fish and rays to see around the reef. The natural reef break also kept the water calm, making it a great spot for snorkeling without needing to book a tour.

Overall Impression:The Sens Tulum has potential, but the lack of maintenance, poor dining experience, and disengaged service make it impossible to recommend in its current state. Many of the issues mentioned align with other traveler reviews, suggesting these problems are ongoing and systemic. Conversations with other travellers who have experience at other Oasis properties in Cancun said those properties and the service were even worse than The Sens Tulum, suggesting to us that avoiding Oasis properties in general would be advisable, especially given the price. 

I hope this review helps future travelers make a more informed decision. If the resort addresses these shortcomings, it could become the paradise it promises in its advertising. For now, I recommend looking elsewhere.

Date of Stay: January 2025

B2553VBheatherw wrote a review February 2025

Get the Sian Kaan Master Suite hands down.

Just came back from an 8 night stay at the sens tulum. We booked the sian kaan master suite and it did not disappoint. We had everything we needed in one spot for a quiet getaway. The resort is small and quiet, food was good for the most part, depending what your taste pallet is and the staff were all wonderful. HUGE shout out to Fernando though at the roof top bar, we had the suit right beside the roof top bar and he served us over our balcony and we never had to leave our room for drinks, he was by far our favorite. Do not believe the negative reviews, if you spend the extra to upgrade and TIP, you won't be disappointed.

Date of Stay: February 2025

32yaniqueg wrote a review February 2025

Definitely not luxurious

We are to the hotel at 3:00 am due to flight delays nevertheless less up on arrival we stayed in the adult only section. We were not given the room that we paid for online. When asked the agent at the front desk made it out to be our issue that we did not arrive on time thus our assigned room was not reserved and at that hour this was the only thing available. We eventually worked it out to move into the assigned room on the 3rd day of our stay. The ceiling in the hotel had noticeable cracks and some crack would leak. Even in the main dinning room there were random towels around to help with the leaking. IF you are looking for fun, a good night life and activities to do throughout the day; this is not the hotel for you. We were very bored and spent our time with trying to pay for trips. The toilet in our room had a smell probably from the pipeline. It would smell more during certain times of the day. Our mini refrigerator did not work. It was plugged out upon arrival to the room, even when plugged in never worked. Every other room except the dinning room and lobby had a smell. Especially the theatre room. Every crack in the ceiling had mold in it probably due the leaking

Food was okay but it never changed much throughout the five days we were there.

The pools were overly gross and chipping.could you a fresh paint. It was not the nicest to see. The structure was not maintained

The cost of the hotel did not match the
Aesthetics of the place. There were other hotels that looked nicer that probably might be cheaper.

Beach was beautiful but very rocky as soon as you entered. It was hard to just stand

Pros
The staff were amazing friendly and warm. They did not force you to tip. Especially the housekeepers

The travel tour booth in the lobby the representative was friendly and worked with us

The adult only section our rooms was big. We had our own bar but it closed at between 7 or 6

We were in on the main building so we had little travelling in between our bedroom and dinning-room

The shallow area of the sea was full of different species of fish’s and it was cool to see

Overall it’s starting to looking like an old hotel.

The picture show the lobby area of the adult only section that was covered with water due to rain blowing in through the door to the outside as well as the ceiling

Date of Stay: February 2025

229tedy wrote a review February 2025

10 days turned into 11 :)

The hotel was ok but definitely parts could use renovation & updating... We had power problems in our room 4 times and 3 of 4 were addressed quickly although I needed to go to the desk as they dont always answer the phone . The restaurants were all good with the exception of the Pool snack bar...

Date of Stay: February 2025