I want to remark on a superlative experience in Tulum that was above expectations. We were looking for 4 bedrooms in a house, for 6 people for a week. We did not desire a hotel or the sterile environment of a condo or all-inclusive resort, but the gift of an association with “people on the ground”. Casa Guayaba is a family home, in Tulum. Tatiana and Sebastien live on the property in a separate house. The property is walled, in other words, a secure compound, a private oasis, house and garden, in this quaint small city. The area for rent (very reasonable price for value) is a two story house with swimming pool. The house can be divided into smaller units, based on desire or requirements. We had the entire upper floor of the house (which is comprised of two separate units), with balcony, hammock, four bedrooms, kitchen, dining area and sitting area, three bathrooms (two in the larger unit of the house and one in the separate suite). The bedrooms have air-conditioning as did the living area, and ceiling fans. We used a combination of English, Spanish and French to communicate. Tatiana and Sebastien were a wealth of information, assisted us in recommendations for local restaurants, local travel (we did not rent a car), walked with us into town to show us how to use the “collectivo” (the local public mini bus), arranged for a day with a van and driver at our request (to go to cenotes, Coba, Valladolid), and unasked, made a light dinner for us on the last night to talk and say good-by. They were not intrusive but simply helpful.
We have used Flipkey, VRBO, etc, and have become accustomed to seek out the experience of local contacts, and this experience rates highly. It is easy to find a place to stay, it is hard to find a place to want to be - thank you Tatiana and Sebastien! This was very family friendly (several small happy dogs and cats). It is a very short walk into Tulum town, which was then an easy jumping off point to get to the local sites and beach(s). We used Paypal for the reservation and travelers checks for the possible security (damage) fee, refunded, easy communication by email and phone.
Robert
Portland, OR