Best Vacation Ever

Guest: Lisa & Curt (Vienna, VA)
Date of Stay: 01/24/09 Review Submitted: 02/07/09

We stayed at Casa Caribena the last week of January 2009. Our family of four --2 adults and a 15 year old and a 12 year old were joined by two other couples. The house and setting are just lovely. It was big enough so we weren't crowding each other. The rooftop patio was used most often. Having Lily cook made it a true vacation. I highly recommend using her..the fresh guacamole and salsa were divine. The bay out front was calm and beautiful and I had no qualms about letting my kids go out in it by themselves. Manatee cenote up the road was beautiful and clear and full of fish and crabs--great snorkeling. The weather was perfect and there was a nice breeze so I never used the A/C in my bedroom once. We enjoyed nearby Blue Sky restaurant twice. We went diving with Akumal Dive shop and enjoyed it. Akumal has alot of restaurants/shops/activities. Tulum was hot and crowded, but interesting and beautiful. The house is very close to Hidden Worlds and Xel-ha and we will try to go there on our next Tankah vacation. Driving is an adventure so stay flexible--the main road near the house is being widened from 2 to 4 lanes and the way to the house changed when they opened and closed different accesses. The best part of this vacation were the wonderful views from the different rooms and levels...we could do "nothing" for hours and loved it. And there is plenty of adventurous stuff to do, too. The house guard dog, "Lelani," was the sweetest thing. We will certainly miss Casa Caribena.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Casa Caribena Review

Guest: girlygirl (Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico)
Date of Stay: 11/02/11 Review Submitted: 11/17/11

Our group of 12 rented this house the first week of November 2011. There were many things that we loved about this house....being on the beach, fully stocked house, felt like home away from home, having a cook/maid, and just Tulum itself is a beautiful area of Mexico. There were also things that disappointed me. Upon signing the contract and delivering the payment, we received an email with a rundown of the rules of the house and a recommended tip for the two maids of $475 US for the 5 days we were there. As I understood, a tip is optional and based upon ones own judgement. The day that we left we handed a tip to the maid and it wasn't the full amount, because I honestly felt the amount was way too large, she became visibly upset and demanding the tip. We explained why we left what we did and living in Mexico I am well aware of what is an appropriate tip/wage for maids. If it was something that was required of us to pay it should have been included in the price. I was really annoyed with how it was presented to us after all the paperwork was signed. Another thing was the use of laundry. I only took carry on luggage because it stated we had access to laundry. When we arrived, there was a list of services and it stated laundry was $5 US for a load for the maid to do it. Whenever I have been told I have access to a machine it's always been free. I have no problem doing my own and would have preferred it that way. It is a very lovely home and I would consider going back if these few things hanged. But it's a real cash grab....everything cost extra $. Stephanie

Owner response: We wish that everyone that visits Casa Caribena is happy with their stay but with renting over 45 weeks per year for the last 13 years, we realize that is not possible. We do our best. For future guests we do not say that guests have access to the laundry facilities due to we truck in water and pay an average of $600 USD per month for water. Since most guests don't realize we truck in water or would ever think the cost was so high, people within the group would just do "little" loads that would easily double the cost of water. We think that $5 USD to wash/dry and iron if you desire a load of clothes is very fair. If you would like Lily to go shoppping with you, we think that the $5 USD fee is also very fair. Our tipping suggestions are based on the wait service for meals (the preparation & cooking of meals is included in your rental as with any restaurant) and for the cleaning service. In Mexico, a 15 – 20 % tip (gratuity) is customary to the wait/serving staff at a restaurant, and in Mexico a $5 - $10 USD tip per hotel room per night is customary to the cleaning staff in any hotel. Ours suggestions PER WEEK are: 3 Bedrooms $250 USD 4 Bedrooms $325 USD 5 Bedrooms $400 USD 6 Bedrooms $475 USD We think the math shows for itself that if you would eat 10 meals for 12 people in a restaurant, tipping 15% and then leave only $5 USD per room for each of the 6 bedrooms, you would pay more than our suggested $475 USD. As it says, it is PER WEEK so if you only stay 5 nights, you would adjust it to around $340. That breaks down to $150 for the $5 USD per night for 6 bedrooms and $180 USD for 10 meals for 12 people. My husband and I each have over 30 years working in the hospitality business and we believe that information is best given before guests arrive. We understand that the vast majority of other villas give this information after the guests arrive. We really want that the guests to have a wonderful, no surprise vacation. We also hope that when guests say they thought the service was wonderful during their stay that they also feel Lily, Malely and Eddy (3 staff) deserve the tipping that is customary to Mexico. Of course, it is up to the guests as to what they leave for a tip.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Amazing house and family vacation!!

Guest: Ann Marie F.
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/19/11

We had an amazing time at Casa Caribena!! We were a group of 14 ranging in age from 18 to 52 . The house was everything it says it is and more!! Lily and her staff are wonderful. The house and grounds were always clean. The meals Lily made for us were amazing..we were never hungry and we often had leftovers. Lisa answered all of my many questions via email before we left home. We were close to ruins(Tulum and Chichen Itza) ,beaches(Akumal),restaurants...loved the Blue Sky!! and bars,but also felt like we were all alone with our private beach steps from our door. We never felt crowed in the house yet we loved sitting down to eat as a "family" of 14!! I could go on and on ...suffice to say you will be very happy with your stay at Casa Caribena!! Best family vacation ever!!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wonderful Home

Guest: Joe Merchant (Charleston, SC, USA)
Date of Stay: 09/11/10 Review Submitted: 09/21/10

We just returned from a most spectacular week in Tankah/Tulum at Casa Caribena. The house was open, spacious, well lit, and had the most commanding views of the gorgeous crystal clear bay. We were there when Karl blew ashore and felt most comfortable and safe, and even sat out back to watch the weather show. The cook, Lilly made the most incredible meals, Chili Poblanos, Chicken Mole, Snapper, and Lobsters. We had a wonderful breakfast each morning, and often ate on the large table outside or would simply spend the morning watching the sun rise over the bay sipping a cup of coffee in the hammocks. The beach is quite and the area is really away from all the tourists of Cancun and other areas, but still very close to Tulum, and Akumal to seek out diving. Xel Ha is just around the corner and there is a wonderful Cenote not 100 yards from the front door. The house was clean, well maintained, and secure. We always felt safe and found the people of Tulum to be very welcoming and friendly. We ate at several restaurants in the area for lunch, but primarily let Lilly cook dinner for us as the meals were spectacular. There is free Salsa lessons at Le Zebra on the Tulum beach road, right on the beach on Sundays, and the massive ruins at Coba 30 minute’s drive and scenic Tulum ruins are just 5 minutes away. All sorts of activities can be booked from deep sea fishing to tours and transportation from the house can be arranged. The women took in a 1 hours massage by the side of the pool, which also made for a relaxing way to cool off, though even in September the weather was great, and not at all bad or unbearably hot. The bugs (sand fleas/mosquitoes) down the road at the Tulum beach cabanas were very bad at night, whereas at the house in Tankah, we had no issues, and spent most nights sitting on the beach watching the stars and the gentle waves of the bay. There is a new grocery store up the road in Tulum where you can stock up on supplies, and great deals can be had shopping in the Tulum town on the main road. Don’t waste your money in Playa del Carmen or Cancun, as most of the things we bought to bring home were half the price or less in the shops in Tulum. They also seemed much more open to bargaining. We would highly recommend staying here for a relaxing and peaceful retreat with friends/family.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

As good as all the reviews say

Guest: EllenM (San Francisco, CA USA)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/04/10

My extended family of 10 just returned from Casa Caribena and we loved it and highly recommend it. The owner, Lisa, was very helpful answering our questions prior to the trip. The street is guarded and the property is gated, so we felt very safe. Near the street-side caretaker's house is a large parakeet enclosure with two hammocks, so you could sway in the shade, listening to the chirping of the birds. The in-ground pool was a nice size. There were plenty of lounge chairs and a table. The house itself is huge. The 10 of us had plenty of space to eat and play together, but also to get quiet time. Lily, the housekeeper, and her helpers cleaned every day and everything was very clean. We did get a lot of ants inside, but that's to be expected in such a tropical setting. Every bathroom has bottled water and the kitchen also has a large water dispenser. Lily's cooking is amazing. I highly recommend taking advantage of her skills. The rooftop party area and pool were pretty breathtaking as well. Jose rakes the beach each day so it's clean of seaweed. There are really no waves on the beach, so it's very safe for kids. There are rocks and coral in front of the house so you enter the water just 100 feet away. The house comes with plenty of life vests and 2-double and 2-single kayaks. If you walk, kayak, or swim south of the house a few hundred feet there's an empty hotel. The best snorkelling is at the live coral growing around there. We visited during July and saw huge sea turtles come onto the beach at night to lay their eggs. My only "negative" comments are that the house does not have a dishwasher as noted (although the women wash the dished for you). It has a washer and dryer, but they were locked up, so we had to pay Lily $5 for each load. Also, while Lily's cooking service is "included," it was recommended that we leave a $525 tip at the end of the week plus more for Jose, so there are more costs than we had planned on. At the same time, the cooking and service were well worth the cost--I just wanted to better set expectations of future visitors. This is a WONDERFUL house for your Tulum area stay. We'd absolutely return.

Owner response:Just a little more added information for Ellen's comments. I hope the things below clarifies everything because it is extremely important to us that our guests have all of the facts before they arrive and no surprises. The majority of homes here don't have dishwashers due to the extremely high lime and calcium concentration in the water which when a dish washer is used ruins the dishes, glasses, and everything. We had one and took it out as have most of our neighbors. The washer and dryer are not accessible to the guests just because of the guests not understanding that even though we look similar to their home, we aren't. We truck in water and at a rate of around 800 us dollars per month for water and that is with our staff being careful. They used to be accessible to the guests and since most North Americans are used to washing whenever, the monthly water rate was even higher. For 5 us dollars per load, Lily washes, dries and puts the clothes in your room. I think that Ellen made a typo since our suggestion for the tip is 425 for 6 bedrooms and not 525 as was written. The cook is included in your rental and just as you would tip the waiter at the restaurant, we include those tips for all of the meals that are prepared which usually averages 10 meals per week. This along with the normal Mexican hotel tipping rate of 5 us dollars per day for each hotel room for the cleaning staff is how we came to this figure. If you take 5 per day per bedroom and add it to the tip you would leave for the waiter for the meals, I honestly think that you tip more than the suggested rate for 6 bedrooms. We are thrilled that everyone enjoyed their stay at Casa Caribena and agree with Ellen that future guests may want this information also.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Deanna Walters (Stockton, Ca, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/09/10 Review Submitted: 01/09/10

Just wanted to add a quick entry on how beautiful this house really is! It was home to my husband and I for over a week and we couldn't have asked for anything more. It was beyond our expectations! The staff, the location, the weather, the locals who live in the immediate area made it one of the best if not the best vacations we have ever taken. We plan to return and take our whole family with us this summer. An extended thank you to Lisa and Andre for sharing their beautiful home with us.

Recommended for:

Guest: Lynn Harper (Warrior, Alabama)
Date of Stay: 11/29/09 Review Submitted: 11/29/09

We went to Casa Caribena last year as husband and wife (along with two other couples in our family)and were truly amazed at the beauty of Tankah Tres. The house was gorgeous, clean, spacious and we had our own private beach and pool. The food was amazing and we looked forward to what Lily was going to fix us everyday. We loved it so much that we decided to come back with our four children this year. Our kids absolutely loved it as well. The private beach and house was just what we needed in order for our family to bond and enjoy each other without any distractions. It was close to many attractions that we wanted to go to. We absolutely recommend Casa Caribena when planning your next vacation. You will love the kind hospitality by Andre and Lisa Lessard and their staff.

Recommended for:

Guest: Carina G. (Celebration, Florida)
Date of Stay: 07/26/09 Review Submitted: 07/26/09

We are avid travelers (six to seven times per year) and have rented homes all over the world. Casa Caribena was voted by our group as the best home we've stayed in so far. The home's configuration and the six bedrooms allowed us to enjoy time together, yet gave us space and privacy when it was needed. The most impressive things were Lily's cooking and cleaning up. We truly ate well and were rested. The house was meticulously clean and well maintained. The beachfront porch (with the much coveted hammock was the favorite hang-out; so much so that we never even used the roof-top area, at all!! We all enjoyed the dogs. They were great company for beach walks and knew us as part of the home right from the very start. The location couldn't be better.......I had two other homes I was considering in Akumal, and once we went there, we were so happy we choose Tankah Bay. It is safe, secluded, no tourists or rocky ledges blocking our beach access. We snorkeled right off the beach and the water was calm, shallow and contained amazing sights for young and old. Love the Kayaks and the pool too. Great Stay in a Perfect Paradise. Thanks so much!!!

Recommended for:

Best vacation ever !!

Guest: mel868 (Canada)
Date of Stay: 06/14/08 Review Submitted: 06/26/09

I've been in Casa Caribena and have the best vacation ever !! Everything was fantastic. Nice pool, nice patio with the beautiful view of the Caribbean turquoise water, the cook Lily is amazing. The villa is really clean nothing to complain about this. The location of the villa is perfect. In a quiet area, close to city of Tulum and not far from Playa Del Carmen. They have a nice cenote few step from the Villa. Really nice to make snorkling. My family and I plans to come back next year because it was WONDERFUL !! So if you are looking for the perfect vacation Villa Caribena is the place !!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wow !!

Guest: boudda27 (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Date of Stay: 06/14/08 Review Submitted: 06/22/09

I've stayed at the villa for a week and I must say that this is the best place I've been in Mexico. Everything is perfect to relax and enjoying a vacation. The property is very clean, the beach is very nice and the people who works there are amazing !! I was really sad to leave.... Im planing to going back soon. The villa is absolutly beautiful. No doubt...personnally I found better renting a villa with my people instead of going to an all-inclusive resort with a lot of people that I don't know. Seriously you will enjoy your time spending there !! PROMISE !!

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.