HOTEL REVIEW: MAYALAND HOTEL & BUNGALOWS IN CHICHEN ITZA

It was our second visit to Cancun in January 2022 and we knew we wanted to visit Chichen Itza this time. We had missed the famous ruins our first time in Cancun in 2019 since Mark was still recovering from a leg injury so we wanted to only relax at an all-inclusive resort for our entire visit.

This time around we were itching to go sightseeing in the Yucatan. We planned a trip that took us first to Chichen Itza, followed by Coba and Tulum, and then ending at an all-inclusive resort in Akumal Bay. Our first stop in Chichen Itza was the Mayaland Hotel & Bungalows for two nights. This included one of our nights spent there during New Years Eve.

We flew into the Cancun International Airport and then rented a car from Avis to drive to Chichen Itza. If you choose to drive there too, be aware that there is a road toll part way through the route that only accepts cash. We had read about this and were rushing around trying to find an ATM in Cancun that worked before taking off. If we were to do it again, we would have taken cash from an ATM at the airport, which would have saved us an hour of driving around.

Private Room:

We booked a thatched bungalow featuring mahogany doors and a private terrace. It was so beautiful! We arrived late at night after we drove our rental car from the Cancun International Airport. So it was a little spooky feeling like we were driving deep into a tropical forest in the dark with the Mayaland Hotel as the shiny beacon at the end. We were greeted by very friendly staff even at the late hour. The bungalow was just to the side of the main hotel building in a beautiful courtyard surrounded by large ancient trees. The bungalow included air conditioning, a mini-bar and coffee maker, and also came with a hair dryer and other toiletries. There was also a mosquito net covering the bed for safety. 

Amenities:

The Mayaland Hotel features a restaurant and bar, along with an outdoor pool and spa. The restaurant was great for lunch or dinner, especially since there are no other restaurants around. The pool was also nice to swim in and sunbathe in the day time. The hotel has hosted many celebrities and dignitaries who have stayed there and visited the ruins. You’ll see all their many pictures of visitors displayed in the main hallways. 

The staff were great at coordinating our Chichen Itza tour guide for us. We booked a tour that picked us up at the hotel and the tour guide was able to get us through a short admission line and stayed with us for the first hour in Chichen Itza. The second hour we were on our own to explore and had set up a time for a tour shuttle to pick us up to return us to our hotel. 

As for other add-on services, we paid to participate in their New Year’s Eve party. Unfortunately, it was not that great so I don’t recommend it. It was advertised as a set dinner menu, but it ended up being a dinner buffet. The set up was awkward with tables spread apart and hardly anyone was dancing on the dance floor. It was also pricey and didn’t include drinks so it really wasn’t worth it. So if we were to do it again, we would’ve opted to just have regular dinner at the restaurant rather than the “party” dinner out in the courtyard.

We had also paid extra for a couples massage. The spa is really just a hotel room. We had asked for a back and leg massage only, but they ended up doing a full body massage. Because of our language barrier, we didn’t really explain what we had wanted so we just went with it. Overall, some of the amenities weren’t great, but it could have been because the hotel was just coming back from being closed during COVID-19. All the staff were very friendly and did their best, and overall we enjoyed our stay. If I were to stay again, I probably just wouldn’t have purchased any add-on services or parties. Booking the Chichen Itza tour through the hotel was easy though and I would recommend doing that.

Pricing:

Cost was $394 total for two nights, which was worth it for the cute bungalow stay and being so close to Chichen Itza. View and book the hotel at their website.

Location:

Without a doubt, this location gets five stars. You really can’t beat staying right next to Chichen Itza and feeling like you’re living in a tropical forest. You can even see the observatory ruins from the hotel lobby. There is also an alternative entrance into Chichen Itza right by the hotel but it was closed off due to the pandemic. They were making all visitors enter through the main entrance to scan everyone’s body temperature for COVID-19 protocols.

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