We were dropped off at the hotel next door by a cab driver that probably got a comission if he brought people We walked along the beach until we saw this INCREDIBLE building, which kind of looked like a treehouse built on the ocean. Just simply beautiful.

Everything about this place was simply marvelous. But in fairness to the other reviewers I have to say that the hotel is certainly not for every taste. Think of tree-house/cabanas right on the ocean! No A/C, limited lights, basically a bed and mosquito netting! So picturesqe however.

I will say that we spoke to people that had come to a 'bikini boot came' there that had felt like they did not get what they had signed up for. Also, the owner is (as other reviewers pointed out) quite the ring-leader, and probably should not be in the hospitality business. When we arrived I asked if they accepted credit cards: I made it clear, if I can pay by credit card we would stay for dinner, if not we would have a snack and be on our way. The owner agreed and said 'we prefer cash, but we take credit'. I repeated that I needed to use credit card. After our meal, the owner dissapeared and her server insisted that I pay cash. I repeated my discussion from earlier. He left, came back and said I have to pay cash. I repeated my discussion from earlier and this time made it clear I did not have that much cash. They kind of kept me waiting for about 20 minutes while the owner was consulted (She was off tending to her children I was told). Had it been a regular restaurant I would have been PISSED at the wait, but we just chilled out and took photos of the place and the beach, and looked around the hotel! Eventually they took my credit card.

The meal was FANTASTIC by the way. Worth the aggrivation.
I have no idea what eco-chic means, but this hotel is just beautiful in an earthy-crunchy type of way. I do not think I could stay there a week, but a few nigths stay would be great.

Great cabana style hotel, good fresh food in the restaurant. Nicely designed, feels like home with various lounge areas. Beach is sandy with volleyball court.

This place is incredible for the fact that nothing advertised on its website is correct. Casa de Miel (also called Amansala) is described as "rustic luxury" and "chic" with "light, airy, spacious & beautifully styled" rooms.

There's nothing luxurious, chic, light or beautifully styled about the rooms. My husband and I stayed in their deluxe beachfront room, which cost over $200 per night. Our room was horrendous! It was dark (there was a small light in the main area and another light in the bathroom area - basically you couldn't read a book unless you stood right under the light in the bathroom), dingy (the mosquito net was stained, the sheets had a small hole, the shower curtain was ratty, the towels were frayed and very thin, one of the window screens was torn along the sides, and the toilet always had yellowish brown water) and very hot (there was no fan and even though we were in a beachfront room and kept all the windows open there was no breeze in the room). Our friends stayed in smaller and less expensive rooms (~$150 per night), which weren't as dark since there was an exposed light bulb hanging from the ceiling. But overall the quality of the rooms are very similar.

The resort also claims to be eco-friendly but I'm not sure how valid this is. They do have a policy of not washing guest towels or sheets on a regular basis and did not do so for the duration of our stay, which was for 3 nights. I didn’t see any solar panels, recycling bins or other typical eco related things. I do have to admit that we never asked the owner or the receptionist about Casa del Miel's eco compliant policies. We had enough discussions with them about the misleading quality of the rooms and just didn't want to engage in another conversation - at some point we just wanted to make the most of our vacation. Another reviewer mentioned that they had a bad experience with the owner and her sidekicks and we have to agree that they were difficult to deal with and totally unaccommodating.

Also beware of booking a diving trip through Casa de Miel. The dive shop that they arranged to take us on a cenotes dive was terrible. They had old equipment, tried to put us in BCDs that were too big and gave us regulators that malfunctioned during the dive.

The only redeeming quality about this hotel is some of the staff (but definitely not the owner or receptionist). They were nice and really tried to be helpful with recommendations for restaurants and ruins.

Unfortunately, since we paid for our stay at Casa de Miel before our arrival we were at their mercy. Our friends didn't pay beforehand but were pressured as soon as they arrived to pay the full amount in cash (they don't take credit cards). They policy serves them very well since once you pay up you basically only have the option to stay or cut your losses and find another place.

The decor and feel of Casa de Miel/Amanzala is worthy of description. Yes, the mosquito netting, rustic and stucco arquitecture are very striking when you first arrive. The dark wood cabana doors are charming and the little latches one uses when closing the cabana room door are just there as a basic necessity and formality and not because it serves as for any real functions of an ordinary door. At this place, you are at once inside your dwelling space but always with the elements of sand, beach, wind and ocean wave sounds with you. The Indian soorong cloth hangings they tie for a shower curtain are quite sexy and bold in its own simplicity. The rooms are cool and the stone floors are a pleasure to walk on when you walk from the sandy beach, the feel of the place is like an infusion of South East Asian, Artistic/romantic Shabby chic with a touch of Indegenous Mexican Mayan culture.

The place has its own line of honey shower gel, shampoo and conditioner and honey is just an intrinsic staple in this environment. The female dog's name is Miel- true to the honey -laden theme of sweet and slow rhythms of the days and nights at this beach town. The honey-based hot showers were a great way to start preparing for ones evening activities. I mean you have to be a person who appreciates these sort of independent, authentic and idiosyncratic type of off the beaten path kind of vacation stays.

There is something delightfully feminine about this place that appealed to my personal tastes, and other individuals with these likes might also find themselves very pleased with the scents and sounds of Casa de Miel.

The place does not provide the usual room service, room amenities and uniform customer service you find at most hotels and bed and breakfasts- what you experience with the staff is who they are as people, and what they can bring to you as themselves working in such a unique setting. At dusk, the local staff go to each cabana to light the candles for the evening or replace the candles from the night before that have blown out.

The cusine is based on a low-calorie, low-fat diet that appeals to many people who go there. Fresh fruit salads, tuna salads and fresh cucumber -mint fresh juices are a real joy. The activities available can be both health conscious and spiritually guided as they offer meditation, yoga and other more structured weight-loss programs. All of these things at Casa de Miel/Amansala are trully remarkable. Ideally more herbal tea options every evening would just enhance the pleasure and relaxation that this Cabana hotel provides, as one sits with an open view of the beautiful calm blue sea that the restaurant faces. I liked that there were a few pets on the premises owned by both the proprietor and guests. And that all my meals were prepared with a pre-fix menu and a set schedule that allowed me to keep my pending massages, and shopping bike trips to town.

And that is the other thing worth mentioning, the Mayan masseuse who chanted and preyed over my body to help alleviate some of my medical problems that can be understood by natural medecine people to be spiritualy and energetically based. The Mayan masseuse worked on realigning the chakras/ energy centers while at the same time using traditional massage techniques with a concotion of eucaplutic and camphor scented body oil for my achy joints.

Casa de Miel/Amansala takes into account the need for nourshing ones body inside out, and that is why they even have journaling as an activity for you to also write your thoughts, feelings and impressions as an activity with beautiful journals for sale by the reception desk.