KAN TULUM

I’ve been to Tulum once and it was for my birthday last year. I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to return and add it into my two week Mexico trip. The best part about Tulum is the jungle vibes and I was obsessed with the decor, the greens and the overall laid back and bohemian ambiance. Not only does this town on the Caribbean coastline of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula have delicious food and beautiful beaches, but it offers a great combination of adventure and relaxation.

KAN TULUM: a cozy and private wellness sustainable hotel. Beautifully designed in a natural tree-house style.

When I was looking for a place to stay in Tulum, I stumbled across KAN Tulum and was intrigued by this authentic treehouse hotel and the stunning design and architecture. I also discovered that sustainability is the forefront of this hotel’s concept and values. The photos on the website were beautiful and I knew this would be the perfect place to stay because I love supporting hotels who values sustainability and wellness as those are two value that I am prioritize whenever I travel.

LOCATION:

The sustainable property, KAN is located in the heart of Tulum’s Mayan Jungle and is is about an hour and 45 minutes drive from Cancun International Airport. I actually loved that it was away from beach side and the town part because I wanted to experience a more quiet side of Tulum this time around.

Getting around Tulum isn’t difficult so I just called for a cab when I did decide to visit the other parts of the city, which took about 15-30 minutes (more depending on the actual destination and traffic). I should mention that the hotel offers scooter rentals, which I heard is an easier and faster way to get around, so it’s great to also have that option.

CONCEPT AND ETHICAL DESIGN:

The drive from the initial KAN TULUM sign to the actual entrance of the hotel transported me to a different world and I knew I was in for a treat.  Upon arriving at the hotel, I was mesmerized by the ethical design and all the evident sustainability elements. I noticed that the hotel was larger than I expected and it was held up by geometric shapes made from bamboos. The rooms resembled nests that offered sunset and sunrise views, all surrounding the main pool area.

After learning that the hotel uses the latest generation of solar and sustainable building materials, I knew that KAN was more than a hotel claiming to be sustainable (trust me when I say, they are the real thing when it comes to promoting ethical living!). The concept of KAN is all about loving and healing ourselves around the world. The hotel has done this successfully by making walls that breathe through bamboo materials, using high-tech backends such as having solar powered air conditioning, and being built according to ethical principles of environmental sustainability where no tree was cut down and ground and sea water is left undisturbed.

ROOMS:

KAN offers 24 treehouse studios, all of which offer a great blend of nature and luxury lifestyle without compromising sustainability. Every stay includes vegan breakfast and the rooms have equipped kitchens, private bathroom, bathtub, safe, balcony and solar run AC.

My room was located on the third floor and I didn’t mind going up the stairs every day because not only did that provide a great form of exercise, but I knew the view from my room was always spectacular. I loved everything about my room including the balcony, the comfortable bed, the decor and little element touches, the sliding closet doors, the spacious bathtub and the bathroom mirror. I was definitely drawing inspiration for my future more! I also loved that the hotel offers JUST water which is a 100% Recyclable, 100% Good, flavorful spring water. I would refill my water using the cartons from at the lobby and that one small act is a great way to adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.

AMENITIES:

KAN offers the following amenities:

• Natural Cenote
• Private Pool
• Rooftop Nests
• Wellness Area
• Vegan Restaurant and Bar
• Reception, Concierge and Security

Aside from the rooftop nest, my second favorite part of KAN was the natural cenote because I thought it was a genius idea to incorporate a cenote into a hotel! If you aren’t aware of what a cenote is, it’s basically an underground chamber or cave which contains permanent water. They are popular in Mexico especially in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. When I visited Tulum the first time, I visited the Gran Cenote, which is a tourist attraction. I was extremely satisfied that this time around, I had the privilege of basically having my own private cenote and that in itself is a reason to stay at KAN!

The pool area is also designed beautifully and wasn’t just a regular pool. I loved that there were lounge chairs as well as these stone like structures that were designed perfectly, with just enough of it being in the pool, so guests can lay out in the sun while having support for the heads. It was something as simple as that that made me appreciate the attentive details that went in when the owners were designing this.

I had breakfast everyday at the vegan restaurant and bar and I loved the healthy selections including fruits, oatmeal, eggs, pastries and juice/ coffee. I tried their oatmeal along with a plate of fruit and juice and coffee. It was simple but also delicious and it was a great way to enjoy my morning while overlooking the cenote.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Everybody who worked at KAN was extremely friendly and I couldn’t rave enough about the hospitality. It is also impossible to not enjoy yourself because there is an opportunity to relax in every corner. As a guest, I was greeted by the beautiful greens and all the signs were great reminders for me to keep advocating for sustainability, ethical living and wellness. As I travel more and more, I want to be cautious of my own actions and choices and that affects accommodations. I was extremely satisfied with my choice of choosing KAN for my Tulum part of my trip and I highly recommend booking them if you would like to join the movement of becoming part of nature!