Tulum’s beach club scene is famously laid-back when compared to many other parts of the world. There’s a focus on wellness and healthy eating that’s not found elsewhere, and many of the beach clubs only keep daytime hours.
But what about Amansala? With longer opening hours, does that mean it’s a party spot? Or is there something else going on?
Our team was keen to find out, and this is what they learned when they visited this attractive beach club in Tulum.
Introduction – Getting To Amansala
Where Is Amansala? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila KM 5.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Hotelera, 77760 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Amansala
Opening Hours: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. with reduced food service hours
What’s Available At Amansala?
This beach club has a central oceanfront pool, cabanas, day beds, dining and bar facilities as well as direct access to the beach.
The resort also offers yoga shalas, a sweat shack, an on-site spa, a cold plunge (ice bath), and co-working.
Our Detailed Review Of Amansala
We apply one standard process when reviewing every beach club. This ensures fair evaluation of the owners, management, and staff while presenting reviews in a consistent format that helps people compare venues.
The process is structured as follows:
- A team is assigned to the venue.
- Members visit independently on different days.
- Each person fills in a scorecard with 1–5 ratings and observations.
- The team discusses their experiences and agrees on final scores.
- One member writes the review, which is then published on our website.
Reservation and Booking Process
There is no reservation process at this beach club. Amansala is also a resort, and that means their guests get priority on the seats, but otherwise, it’s first come, first served.
Whether you want a daybed, a cabana, a lounger or just a cushioned bench, the earlier that you get there, the more likely you are to secure it.
We quite like the egalitarian nature of this, but it also means we can’t give the club any points for a process that they don’t have.
Ambience and Atmosphere
This is a small-ish facility with an emphasis on wellness and harmony, with a very chilled nature. If you are looking for a party, this is not the place for you.
However, if you want that laidback vibe, you won’t be disappointed at all. We found that while there wasn’t quite enough to do at the beach club itself, all the extra on-site facilities compensate for that, and it’s a great place to spend a day pampering yourself.
Location And Accessibility
Tulum is one of the more accessible places for those in North, Central and South America, but it’s a long flight from the rest of the world.
Once you arrive in Tulum, this place isn’t far from the town, and it’s easy enough to arrange transportation to and from the beach club, or to drive yourself if you rent a car.
Aesthetic And Design
This beach club doesn’t quite have the polish of some of the big names in the scene, but we’d be lying if we didn’t find the simple design and near-uniform aesthetic pleasing to the eye.
You won’t get a huge number of snaps for your Instagram because it’s not very big, but there’s no doubt that you will get enough to make your friends jealous all the same.
And the whole thing fits in beautifully with the beach, which is a bit of a rarity for beach clubs around the world.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
We felt that the staff were very good; they have a real customer service focus, and they know and understand the menu, the locality and the beach club offering very well.
If you’re looking for an easy-going but attentive service culture, then you’re going to find it here, and we appreciated the efforts to make us feel like part of the family.
Service Speed and Efficiency
If you were hoping that coming to Mexico would turn the servers into Speedy Gonzalez, think again, but there’s no doubt that while they never seem to hurry, mostly things come in good time and we didn’t find ourselves waiting very long for anything.
The only time we did find ourselves waiting was at the point of checkout when it felt like an age to come back with change and to process the bill. But that’s not the end of the world.
Food Quality and Variety
The food at Amansala is tasty enough, but there isn’t a huge amount of choice on the menu, and the stink of seaweed can make everything feel a little unappetising at times.
We also thought it was very expensive for what it was. The small pizza was small enough that we could have inhaled and lost it.
It’s not a reason to write the place off; this area is quite expensive in beach clubs, but it irked us a little.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
There’s a similar tale to tell regarding drinks in this beach club; while there’s no doubt that the cocktails are decently strong, the menu is pretty minimal.
And the drinks are expensive; $5 for a small can of beer in this part of Mexico is a lot to take, particularly when you add a 15% service charge on top.
We know that it’s part and parcel of the beach club experience, but when you charge a fairly steep entrance fee, we think you can keep the cost of drinks down.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
This category’s score is not the staff’s fault, but depending on the time of year that you visit, this beach attracts a lot of seaweed and nobody to clear it away. This leads to a fairly unpleasant odour permeating the air all day long.
Otherwise, they do a good job of keeping the beach club clean and tidy, and we didn’t feel that there was anything that we could have done better; even the toilets were pleasant.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
We liked the seating arrangements and found the seats to be comfortable and enjoyable throughout the beach club.
However, we’d like to have access to more than one towel; it’s little details like this that make us resent paying to sit down. You ought to offer a better level of guest care if you’re going to charge for a seat.
Music and Entertainment
There is music at Amansala, but it really serves as a backdrop for conversation, and none of our review team could remember anything about it when we met to discuss the experience.
That’s OK; this isn’t a party-focused beach club where you want music, you know, but at the same time, it’s not something that you’re going to head to Amansala for either.
Seasonality
Tulum is tropical, which means that you have a dry season and a wet season, but it remains pretty much hot and sunny all year round.
However, this area is subject to hurricanes from June through November, which may make it less appealing to visitors than somewhere like Bali, which has no heavy storms.
The water temperatures are good for swimming all year round, and there’s plenty of sun all year long too.
Pricing and Value for Money
They charge a fairly substantial fee to every guest for the privilege of sitting down (based on the kind of seating that you use), and as we’ve already said, you don’t get a lot in exchange for that.
You will also find that the food and drinks aren’t amazing value for money, either. It’s not a rip-off, but Amansala isn’t going to make you spend your days raving about how much you get for your dollar either.
Beach Access and Quality
The beach itself is lovely, and if you’re in Tulum between November and March, you’re going to find that you can enjoy some very attractive sand conditions. There’s not a lot of general pollution.
However, from April to October you’re in the Sargassum Season, and the seaweed both makes the beach look untidy and smells very unpleasant. While this isn’t the Amansala’s fault, they don’t make very much effort to address the issue either.
Sustainability Practices
The beach club tries to offer high levels of sustainability as Tulum attracts the kind of visitor that expects this, and they have eco-conscious architecture, local sourcing and the hotel offers carbon-neutral stays and offsets.
However, their reporting isn’t particularly detailed, and the audit standards aren’t great. We don’t think they’re guilty of greenwashing, but we can’t prove that. So, we’d like to see better reporting and audit trails in the future.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
There are no VIP facilities or amenities, and all you get for the cost of admission is a seat and the use of a towel.
This is pretty disappointing, and we’d like to see more inclusions or lower door fees, though we do appreciate that the charges are reflective of local business practices.
Safety and Security
There is an on-site security presence which ensures guest safety on the grounds, and those entering and leaving the grounds are monitored and checked on entering.
However, this is Tulum, and it’s one of the only places on Earth where beach club guests have been shot while dining. We don’t think the risks of that are very high at Amansala, but it’s very hard to prevent these things no matter how much security you put in place.
Event Hosting Capabilities
The hotel offering has an events team, and this includes access to the beach club among other facilities.
They can handle weddings, corporate events, and even social celebrations. The team also arrange wellness rituals, excursions and entertainment if required (for a fee, of course).
Consistency of Experience
The team visited the Amansala over a number of occasions, and we felt that overall, this place was very consistent when it comes to the experience.
And you can trust that you will enjoy a reliable and straightforward time at this beach club. We confess, however, that we’d like to see them trying to push the limits of that experience and improve it constantly rather than resting on their laurels.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
The hotel setting means there are plenty of additional amenities on hand during your time at this beach club, and we think that’s a good thing, as the beach club itself is small and a bit limited.
If you want to enjoy a full day out here, use the gym, yoga studios, spa, etc., and you can really get value out of your trip.
Summary
Amansala is not as well-known as some of the other big-name beach clubs in Tulum, but we feel it has plenty to offer an occasional visitor.
We’d like to see them improve their overall value for money, but at the same time, the prices are reflective of the local beach club environment, and we don’t feel that they are so excessive that they will stop you from having a good time.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At Amansala?
Yes, there’s a swimming pool at Amansala, and you will be supplied with a towel (but only one) when you visit this beach club.
However, the pool is not huge, and as with many beach clubs, it can get a little crowded at times, so you may want to arrive early if swimming here is important to you.
We always feel like beach club pools are more for cooling off in the heat of the day than they are for doing laps. Even with Amansala’s overall health and wellness vibe, this remains true here.
What Is There To Do At Amansala?
In the beach club, you can swim, wander on the beach, enjoy some comfortable seating and the view over the ocean. They also serve food and drinks.
However, the resort has other facilities that you might appreciate, such as yoga shalas, a gym, a spa, etc., and we found that these amenities really add to a day at Amansala.
Is Amansala A Child-Friendly Venue?
Yes, the resort and beach club are family-friendly in keeping with their “Wabi-Sabi” principles. However, there’s not much in the venue that is specifically for children, and if you need waterslides or organised activities, this may not be the beach club for you.
Really, it’s a quiet spot for older kids who want to splash around in the pool, play on the beach or read or scroll on their daybeds. Younger children might find themselves getting bored pretty rapidly.
Who Is The Owner Of Amansala?
The CEO and founder of Amansala is Melissa Perlman. She moved to Tulum following 9/11 and opted to build the hotel when she arrived.
She is also the founder of Bikini Bootcamp, a partner in the Gitano Restaurant Group, a published author, designer, and a pioneer in the wellness and fitness industry in Tulum.
Final Thoughts On Amansala
The Amansala is a very pleasant little beach club with a striking and attractive design. It’s not somewhere we would return to in the seaweed season, as it builds up on the beach here and releases an unpleasant smell that really does spoil the experience.
However, during the rest of the year, it’s a very nice place, and even though it’s quite expensive, we think that you’ll be happy that you opted to spend some time here.
