Hotel Na Balam Beach -Isla Mujeres

The location has to be the best on Isla Mujeres. It is a short walk from the main strip, but at this location there are many palm trees and it is very private. The restaurant Zazil-Ha makes excellent food and is open late so you can relax on the beach enjoying your food/drinks. The wait staff is friendly, but like most of this area the service is slow for food although worth it. We had some issues with connecting calls and getting help at the front desk/reception. Some of the staff was not as approachable and did not freely offer advice about things such as directions or where to rent a scooter etc. Also it was a hassle to arrange with the hotel for pickup in cancun for our pre-paid voucher back to the airport. When our flight was canceled we stayed at a different hotel nearby and the front desk was far more acommodating and helpful. Other than the reception our room was fair (plunge pool was not worth it though). We had our wedding there and although the ceremony went well it was a bit disorganized as to how to run everything (they demanded payment in cash (USD that is)) for our photographer, minister, and music rental etc. which was hard to get that much money last minute. We did get this sorted finally. Though there were some frustrations regarding this I would stay there again hoping that they can sort these issues because they really do have the best beach on the Playa Norte.

The Na Balam could be a five star hotel with a little creativity and better management. Here are the best parts: 1. Best beach on the island 2. The setting is close to perfect. 3. Crystal clear "ice blue" water...stunning. 4. Overall a good value despite it's deficiencies. 5. Resturant food is excellent but the service is slow so relax and have a drink while you wait. 6. Reasonably priced. Here are the bad parts: 1. Ongoing construction made for some minor noise and inconvenience. 2. We had friends/ family staying for the week and found quite a few room issues with little interest and effort to fix them...some minor, some major...such as fixing a door lock that was never fixed. 3. Simple requests were not met with any level of satisfaction. 4. The rooms are adequate but spartan so know this going in. No frig, hair dryer, TV, iron, lights over the mirror...you get the picture.

Perfect Location!! its like your in paradise! your right on the beach, which is just gorgeous. Awesome sandbars in the middle of the ocean so it looks like your walking on water. And the rooms were big and spacious. They also had all different types of rooms, some nicer/bigger then others. But all of them were clean and spacious which is all that mattered to me and my friend since we pretty much spent all our time outside of the room enjoying the island and beach.The only reason i gave it 3 stars instead of 5 is because of the staff, mainly the reception area, there was one nice receptionist (young with redish hair) but one of the receptionists was very unfriendly (an older woman). And in general the service is very slow (which might just be how it is in mexico) but it was annoying at times. If you ordered a drink it wasn't uncommon for it to come a half hr later, the same when you ordered food. And the free breakfast included was very misleading, they only give you coffee and a fruit plate, if you want more filling things like eggs you have to pay for it. Which wasn't expensive but when you hear "free breakfast included" you expect that to mean more then just fruit. So overall i did really enjoy my stay and would stay there again, but mainly based on the location and layout of the hotel, not for the service.

We spent 8 nights in a beachside room at Na Balam (room 12). I wouldn't hesitate to return and to recommend it to others. Our room had two queen beds with pillow top mattresses, sitting area, hammock, and small safe (large enough to hold wallets, passports and cell phones). AC worked great. We had a private patio with two lounge chairs and were a stone's throw away from breakfast and the beach. Snorkeling area was a short walk away. Town with countless of restaurant options was a 5-10 minute walk. Service was friendly. Everything was a relaxed Caribean pace. Enjoy the pace and you'll enjoy the place! And the beach! If you imagine yourself swimming in the crystal clear water, this is your beach. Beach beds, chairs,umbrellas, and towels are available for guests at no extra charge. Restaurant/bar service is available on the beach. Outdoor showers are available for rinsing off before returning to your room. We weren't bothered by mosquitoes at all during the day. We put bug repellant on before heading off to dinner and were fine. I can't say if they have room service per se, but on Sunday we picked up some takeout chicken and ribs and brought them back to our room. We got a bucket of beer from the bar, and they said it was fine to bring it to our room. Yoga classes were offered 2x per day, for $12. I thought I'd give it a try, but was too busy enjoying the beach to try one.

While the room type I booked, an overview, was not available at check in, the hotel was able to upgrade me to a suite, which was VERY nice. The private plunge pool made me forget the partial water view the room has from the pool deck. The restaurant is ideally located on a point. Beach and ocean on two sides. Food was excellent. I highly recommend the BLT + fried egg breakfast sandwich. No cellular or wifi reception in the room was the only major drawback. Thank you to the hotel and staff for a great experience. I will be back!

Me and my friend fell in love with this beach 6 years ago and decided to come back and stay at Na Balam due to its location. We had a fabulous time, very relaxing. The beach is the best in Mexico! The room was very large and had alot of charm and the beds were comfortable. We loved the atmosphere of the hotel and its small size with only 33 guest rooms, and the restaurant is also very good. This resort is also very close to downtown Isla with great shopping and restaurants. We would for sure stay here again. The rooms do not have TV's or wi fi , but we did not miss it as we had plenty else to do. There is wi fi available in the lobby and restaurant area for your laptops or ipads if you cannot disconnect.

Very Basic rooms. No hair dryer, no coffee pot, no T.V., no mini fridge. However, room was very clean and I loved the fresh, crisp white sheets everyday. The grounds are lush and jungle-like, but there are a few mosquitos. The free continental breakfast with our package was good and the restaurant was very nice located right on the beach. My only complaint is the terrible musty smell in the rooms. It seemed to improve somewhat during our six night stay. Beach towels were provided and the beach beds were nice. Wish there were more beach chairs available. We enjoyed our stay and will probably return.

I returned home from a week at Na Balam hotel on Isla Mujeres yesterday. I must say, that it was a wonderful way to spend a week. The hotel staff was incredibly nice and helpful, the food at the hotel restaurant was wonderful and the room was clean and HUGE! We loved spending time on our balcony that overlooked the ocean, and the beds and chairs on the beach were perfect. This hotel is meant as a place to get away from it all, and that was exactly what we found. If you are looking for a place to stay "plugged in" this is not for you. I loved the fact that we didn't have a TV or even a clock in the room as I was able to just relax and unwind and allow the sound of the waves and birds calm my body and soul. The crystal clear beach that this hotel is located on, was the best beach I've ever been to. Absolutely amazing.

We spent one week at the NaBalam, and were satisfied for the money we spent. We had room 2, which was close to the front desk, close to the beach, and close the the bar/restaurant area. Some nights there was some noise from other guests going by, but by closing windows and turning on the air conditioner, we were not bothered by this. We enjoyed the healthy continental breakfast each day, but by the last day, we skipped it, since it was exactly the same each day. There was always the option to order from the menu, which some in our group did, and the food was good. We had lunch one day and dinner once, and were satisfied with both meals. Our shower head was leaky, but plenty of hot water. The ice machine could have made more ice.

Great spot, clean rooms. Staff was considerate ad helpful. Best, it is close to restaurants and the downtown area, but has an incredible, almost remote beach area with tons of amenities and a great bar at sunset. For the money, it is a tremendous value.