Villas HM Palapas del Mar

This was part of our long awaited holiday to this part of the world. We had a five night stay on Isle Holbox, obviously the beach part of our break. Our villa was simply lovely, it was a thrill opening the door, every time. Walking along the coast, we definitely got our step totals in and thoroughly enjoyed the simple pleasures the Island has. The food, staff and charming use of golf buggies to get about will stay with us forever. We wouldn’t do this every year, but do plan to return for a whole fortnight as soon as possible.

Our HM Palapas Del Mar Villa had a very dated feel which offset the excellent staff service and location, which I suspect are very common in Isla Holbox. Overall Isla Holbox experience itself is somewhat overrated and falls way short of other Cancun Islas that don’t have quite the same bug and street infrastructure issues. Though very reasonably priced for what it is, the amount of time lost to get in and out of Isla Holbox makes a repeat journey extremely unlikely and if I did venture back, there is no way I would stay out at HM Palapas Del Mar or it’s sister property… HM Parasio. 3 critical items for the brave: bug spray, water shoes or knee high boots, a few hours of gymnastics balance beam training for walking curbs out in town.

Holbox is lovely, but a hassle to get to. I took two planes, a shuttle, a ferry and a taxi ( not a car, like a jeep). All along the way the jungle was being taken over by concrete, so I suggest visiting sooner rather than later. But the island is charming. The hotel was fine, don’t bother getting a private“outdoor” pool, at least in late February, because it’s too cold ( and I’m from Wisconsin). Very nice staff. My only suggestion to the hotel would be to make stronger coffee, it’s weak and watery.

Great villa. Loved the location and how clean it was. A bit of noise in the morning based on where the room was located but overall great place!

For the price we paid for this hotel ($450 per night) we were very disappointed. The grounds are (except the beach) undeniably lovely, but the whole place needs new management and a makeover. It’s such a shame that a hotel with one of the best spots in holbox doesn’t take advantage of it. The good - location - the grounds The bad - the rooms are not what you expect for $450. Very basic with desperate need of an update. The bathroom reminded me of a motel. See the image of the soap dispensers… I found this shocking. We had a joining door to the room next door in our room and could hear everything they were saying as if they were in our room. - no staff seemed to care about providing a quality experience for guests. Towels forgotten in room after room service, waitor on beach sitting on phone with headphones in, everyone’s uniform in need of a good clean - the beach. We were unlucky with the seaweed, which made the whole area smell so bad it was unbearable. Even so, the large stretch of beach in front of the hotel is completely lifeless - 10 old beach beds, and a bunch of rubbish. So much opportunity wasted. Why isn’t there a nice bar? And a few more beds? - breakfast. Freshly made eggs were nice but the restaurant had the atmosphere of a cantine. Food from one tray spilt into others and not cleaned up. Missing serving tongs. The worst coffee I’ve ever tasted in a hotel - luke warm and tasteless. Overall not a good experience. I would have been content if the price was half of what it was. We moved from Casa Tortugas (which was $50 cheaper a night) and that was far nicer.

We stayed at the hotel next door but did use the pool because they were less kids in this hotel. Also, for us, the highlight of this hotel was the Japanese restaurant which wasn't cheap but food was just incredible. The chef came to our table to explain what was the catch of the day and we really liked the food. THANK YOU!

I have a new respect for my husband after planning this holiday. Every single thing was incredible, from the hotel staff who were consistently helpful, to the sea views from every way you looked. My bedroom was stylish, big bed, walk in shower and a balcony that got the evening sun, my favourite place to sit and read. Housekeeping was good, fresh linen and towels when needed. The whole break had a different feel entirely to the busy, crowded package breaks we usually go on, worlds apart. Never wanted to miss a plane so badly ! !

Hotel Palapas in Holbox exceeded all my expectations! The beachfront location offers stunning views of turquoise waters and white sandy beaches, creating a serene and relaxing atmosphere. The rooms are spacious, beautifully designed, and come with private balconies or terraces, perfect for enjoying the island's natural beauty. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, always ready to assist with a smile. The food was fantastic, with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and delicious ceviche. I loved starting my day with breakfast at the pool. With a beautiful outdoor pool and easy beach access, Hotel Palapas is the perfect spot for a peaceful escape. Highly recommended!

Overall, our stay was very underwhelming and disappointing (far from great). I would not come back nor will I ever stay at an HM Hotel again. The hotel and resort have a lot of potential but it’s so mismanaged that it detracts from what they have to offer. Please beware - this is clearly a very family friendly island and there are children everywhere. Almost every parent seems to think it’s okay to let their children run around (screaming) with no supervision. Our room was directly across from the restaurant and every morning at 5:30, they start yelling, dragging tables across the floor, dropping plates and silverware. At 7am they start playing music. Little to no chance of sleeping in or relaxing. Service - There were a number of issues with the service but overall, it’s slow and the servers clearly have little guidance from a manager (never saw one while we were here) and they are mismanaged. Here are a couple of the issues we had: 1. The sky deck pool bar - the bartender/server just sits there. You want a drink? You have to get up yourself. You ordered food? You have to clear the dirty dishes yourself and bring them up to him. 2. We returned our pool towels one afternoon and went to pick up fresh ones the next morning, they were out of towels and were told to come back at 1pm. We finally got towels close to 4pm that afternoon. 3. Housekeeping took our dirty towels and did not leave clean ones. When we asked for new ones from the front desk, the woman radioed to housekeeping for body lotion - while the three other men working the desk laughed because they knew it was incorrect (instead of correcting her). We finally had to track housekeeping down ourselves to get towels. Hotel Management - I have never seen a hotel run so poorly. The front desk has no idea what’s going on. When we checked in, we were not given any explanation of what was included with our package, we had to go back days later to ask about our grill dinner and tasting menu from the sushi restaurant. Prior to our arrival, I had reached out via email multiple times with limited to no response, more than half of my questions/concerns were unanswered prior to arrival. An absolute disgrace to a property that has so much potential. Premium All Inclusive - while this does include some premium drinks, there is still a lot of stuff not included. For example, we only got 1 meal (included in our stay) at the sushi restaurant and we still had to pay for two glasses of wine. The same glasses of wine that were free 3 hours earlier at the pool (meanwhile cocktails were included). While I understand the island life and atmosphere here, I expected a little bit more from a chain hotel and management. If traveling to Holbox, find another place to stay.