One of the things we like most about Tulum’s beach clubs is that they are independently owned, in the main, and that means they’re free to create their own spaces rather than relying on a corporate style guide.
Casa Malca sets itself apart from the others with its interesting architecture and art installations (if you stay in the resort at Casa Malca, you will enjoy additional art collections in the hotel and in your room).
So, our team was looking forward to the selfie opportunities, among other things, when they visited this beach club to review the place, and this is what they learned on the day.
Introduction – Getting To Casa Malca
Where Is Casa Malca? KM 9.5, Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Casa Malca
Opening Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
What’s Available At Casa Malca?
There are two swimming pools, daybeds, cabanas, food and bar service. In addition, there’s the Blind Bulbs installation at the beach club and a variety of other art installations. Guests can also, for an additional fee, access the Calma Spa & Gym.
This is a resort facility, which means that hotel guests are prioritised for facilities, and groups of 8 or more people are strongly advised to make arrangements in advance if they want to be certain of seating and being seated together.
Our Detailed Review Of Casa Malca
A single standard procedure is used to review every beach club. This method provides fair evaluations of owners, management, and staff and keeps reviews consistent so people can compare venues without difficulty.
Process overview:
- We appoint a team to review the venue.
- Team members visit the beach club separately and on different days.
- During the visit, they fill out scorecards with ratings from 1 to 5 and add comments.
- Everyone then meets to talk through their experiences and finalise scores.
- A designated writer produces the review, which is published online.
Reservation and Booking Process
Once again, we find ourselves banging our heads on the desk in frustration at the absence of a proper booking and reservation system on the website.
Yes, it’s another bizarre commitment to email communication rather than offering us a choice of seats, a button click and then an exchange of credit card details in order to secure that seat.
Given that this is annoying, most people are just going to rock up to discover that the day pass is $150 per person, $100 of which is essentially a minimum spend and the other $50 is an entrance fee and provides access to the facilities.
Ambience and Atmosphere
This is not a party-oriented beach club, and that means you get a serene, calm, and some would say classy environment to spend your day in.
We always find clubs like this a little frustrating because they don’t lead to natural social interactions with other people; you have to put in the work, and this is much easier if you’re in a couple or even better a family with young children.
Location And Accessibility
As you might expect, this hotel and beach club set-up is on the main beach near Tulum and not in the town itself (which is relatively easy to get to from the Americas, but rather less so from Europe, Asia and Africa).
That means that unless you are staying here, you’re going to need transport to and from the beach club. They do have on-site parking if you’ve got a rental car.
Aesthetic And Design
This place is designed to blend in nicely with the beach environment, and the art installations certainly add a little extra, but we confess, we found the overall design a little bland.
We feel that while there’s definitely thought going into differentiating offerings in this town, much of it is in the overall offering rather than in the aesthetic.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
The staff at this beach club are very friendly and professional when it comes to ordinary beach club interactions.
However, management has an enormous bee in their bonnets about where you’re allowed to take photos if you’re not staying in the resort, and this can get a bit obnoxious.
Overall, we enjoyed being at this beach club, but we’d suggest a little less thorniness on this subject. It’s fine to have restrictions, of course, but the way you convey them matters.
Service Speed and Efficiency
Overall, we found that the service speed and efficiency at this beach club were OK, but there’s no doubt that during peak hours, attention seems to wander.
We found that things slowed down considerably at this time and that it was often hard to even attract a staff member in the first place. This could be easily fixed by management spending more time managing the club environment rather than where people take photos.
Food Quality and Variety
Overall, we found the ingredient quality to be very good, and the menu is more than varied enough to keep you entertained for a day.
However, the portion sizes are risibly small in many cases, and this place is expensive even by the standards of Tulum beach clubs.
This could so easily be remedied; we understand that everyone needs to turn a profit, but stingy portion control is really unnecessary.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
We really liked the collection of Mezcal signature cocktails, and they have a great selection of Mexican wines that really impressed us.
However, as with the food, this place is on the pricey side even when compared to other beach clubs, and when you consider that there is an entry fee, not just a minimum spend, we think it’s more expensive than it should be, too.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
We were impressed with the efforts that go into keeping things clean at this resort. The team is always working during seaweed season to ensure that there’s no buildup of stinking weeds.
The pool, toilets, changing rooms, etc. are also very clean and gave us a lot of confidence in the hygiene of the beach club overall.
One thing to note though is that for some reason the resort (not the beach club) area seems to attract rather more than its fair share of mosquitoes, so if you intend to stay here or wander around the compound, make sure you take some bug spray.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
When a third of the entry fee is confiscated by the beach club, we expect excellent seating, and it was very good. It’s not the best that we’ve ever encountered, but it’s comfortable, clean and pleasant.
There is also a good variety of places to sit, though you’ll want to arrive early to get your pick of the best spots in this place; it’s very popular later in the day.
Music and Entertainment
They tend to lay down some fairly laid-back beach club grooves at this beach club, and mostly, it’s a backdrop to conversation, not the main star of the show.
We’d also note that they don’t offer much in the way of alternative entertainment, unlike beach clubs in other parts of the world.
Seasonality
Tulum is tropical, and that means that Casa Malca can, theoretically, entertain visitors all year round. However, there is a brief hurricane season, where things might get a bit windy at times, as well as the aforementioned seaweed season.
This season lasts for more than half the year, and while the beach club is great for keeping ti at bay, not everywhere is, and the stench gets pretty bad in certain areas.
Pricing and Value for Money
We feel that the owners are happy with what they’re charging given how busy this place can get, but we feel it’s expensive for Tulum beach clubs.
It’s not bad value for money; it’s a nice place with a lot going for it, but it’s nothing more than OK, and bargain hunters will want to look elsewhere, as you’re going to spend a lot here even if you don’t consume all that much.
Beach Access and Quality
It’s a lovely beach which is kept clean and tidy, and the sand feels great underfoot. It’s also nice not to have to pay the $22 access fee that foreigners have to pay to use the beach as you do elsewhere in Tulum.
However, seaweed season is real, and no matter how much effort they put into clearing it, some of the neighbouring properties do not, and the smell can be pretty rank on the sand at times.
Sustainability Practices
They take this kind of thing seriously in Tulum, and while Casa Malca is not a leader of the pack in green initiatives, it’s not far behind.
They design blends into the beach, they used sustainable materials in construction and fittings wherever possible, they conserve energy and water, they use local sourcing for ingredients, engage in coastal conservation and even built on a natural dune buffer to ensure they don’t contribute to beach erosion.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
You get the use of a daybed, towel and locker, as well as a changing room, etc., for your entrance fee, but that’s standard stuff at most beach clubs in Tulum, including those that don’t charge a big money fee to get in.
So, overall, we can’t rate this as more than average and honestly, we’d like to see them start offering some VIP alternatives too. Let us spend more to get more.
Safety and Security
They have to take security seriously in Tulum; it remains the only beach club destination in the world where people have been shot dead inside its beach clubs. Though this isn’t a common event.
They have a 24/7 security presence here; beach club guests are heavily restricted as to where they can go on the hotel grounds too.
However, the lifeguard presence here is really weak and way too easily distracted. Swim at your own risk.
Event Hosting Capabilities
This isn’t the biggest beach club, but they can host private events for up to 150 people (and another 90 if you want to use the Head of a Madman restaurant facility too).
There is an events team on-site, and they can help with planning and execution of most events. Most commonly, they host wedding receptions and similar events.
Consistency of Experience
We feel that both for good and bad, based on our experience and that of other guests and drawing on reviews, that the experience at Casa Malca is a very consistent experience.
They don’t seem to be working on rounding off any of the rough edges, though, and there have been similar complaints found over a period of time. None of it will ruin your good time at this beach club, but it really could be easily addressed too.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
The beach club here is fairly basic, and there’s no doubt that it doesn’t measure up very well to some of the big-name clubs around the world on this front.
However, the on-site restaurant is first-rate (even though the portions are meagre) and there’s a nice spa (make sure to book ahead to be sure of a slot).
If you want something they don’t have, though, you’re going to have to go quite some distance to find it.
Summary
This is a good hotel beach club that could be great if they sorted out some of the minor issues and either increased portion sizes or reduced the menu price.
We enjoyed our day here, and while we wouldn’t rush back, we wouldn’t be averse to popping in again next time we pass through Tulum.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At Casa Malca?
Yes, there is a pair of pools at Casa Malca where you are welcome to swim. However, in keeping with most beach clubs in Tulum, these pools are not huge, and they can get crowded at busy times.
That’s fair enough; mainly, beach club pools are used to cool off in the heat of the day rather than for a workout. So, if you really want to be able to swim without competition, you should get to the beach club early in the day.
What Is There To Do At Casa Malca?
Casa Malca is very much a traditional hotel beach club, which means comfy daybeds and cabanas, good food and drink, plus a pool to swim in and direct beach access.
They also have some on-site art installations to enjoy, and you can, assuming they have room, access the spa and gym facilities for a fee.
However, this isn’t a place where most people would spend an entire day, unless they intended to spend their time with a book.
Is Casa Malca A Child-Friendly Venue?
Yes, in fact, Casa Malca is completely family-friendly and not only are your kids welcome, but your fur babies are too.
It’s worth noting that this is very much a relaxed vibe, and while there is a kids’ pool and a kids’ menu, there’s not much in the way of other facilities for children except an outdoor playground.
So, there’s enough to keep the little ones entertained while you enjoy a good meal, but they might get bored after a few hours.
Who Is The Owner Of Casa Malca?
Casa Malca is owned by Lio Malca. He is a New York-based art collector and gallery owner. He purchased this property in 2012.
Since then, he’s turned it into a luxurious boutique hotel that he also uses as a showcase for much of his private art collection.
Thus, a stay at Casa Malca is a great choice for art lovers, and beach club users can enjoy some interesting art installations, too.
Final Thoughts On Casa Malca
Casa Malca is a solid hotel beach club, and if you want a relaxing day out and money is no object, you will find it here.
Party goers and bargain hunters should look elsewhere, though, as it definitely isn’t the place for either group to get what they want from a day out.
We would recommend visiting if you feel like going, even if just to get a cool selfie with their art installations.
