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Chicanna Ecovillage Resort – reviews, photos

3.0 of 5
Carreterra Escarcega-Chetumal km. 144 | Calakmul, Xpujil Town 24640, Mexico
Hotel amenities
Chicanna Ecovillage Resort
Ranked #1 of 3 hotels in Xpujil Town
3.5 of 5 stars 73 Reviews
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73 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
West Midlands, England
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
“Disappointed, but a nice concept”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 August 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We arrived down a very bumpy dirt road to the resort, which was very quiet (we saw no other people) and seemed like it was only half-heartedly operating. The pool, which was small, was univiting with leaves floating everywhere and a run-down appearance. The staff were friendly which was a nice welcome and clearly an 'eco' concept had been applied to the buildings, the water usage and the electricity. Unfortunately the basics had been overlooked - the room did not have A/C which is a must in the dense tropical area, and when we asked for a fan so that we could sleep comfortably the staff seemed surprised that we needed one and struggled to find us one. The rooms are quite dark and the lighting isn't bright enough.

The little balcony area outside each room was relaxing and comfortable, but the wooden steps and the tiles used on the paths around the site were very very slippery when it rained (which was everyday in the season we were travelling). We ate in the resteraunt once, as the place is a little out of the way of the town and we didn't feel like venturing out. The food was a little expensive and didn't seem very fresh, which was disappointing, but again the staff were attentive and friendly. I struggle to see how this is a resort and it was a disappointing visit, but it has so much potential to be an excellent place with some more attention to the basics.

  • Stayed September 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Maddy_Parkes about Chicanna Ecovillage Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Avoid it”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 July 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We stayed there for two nights, and this is by far the worst hotel experience we had in Mexico. The rooms are nice, spacious and clean, and this is pretty much it.
The hotel employees attitude ranges form uninterested to unfriendly. These guys do not seem to be managed in any sort of way!
Once there, you've got very little lunch/dinner options but the terrible restaurant, which serves extremely pricy deep frozen food ... not to mention the so-called "American" breakfast. How can one screw bacon&eggs that way?!!
If you intend to stay around there to visit Calakmul, I'd recommend that you go for one of the other - limited - options in Xpujil. Or skip the hotel breakfast before driving the long road to the site...

  • Stayed July 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Opdurand about Chicanna Ecovillage Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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Florida
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“An interesting concept”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 March 2011
2
people found this review helpful

We reserved our room through Hotels.com, so we got an excellent rate ($50 USD) per night. The listed price at the desk would be about $140 per night. This location is owned by Best Western.

The hotel/village is located in the midst of the biosphere and is an interesting layout. There are numerous two story buildings of which each contain 4 rooms. There is no AC, but in March that was no problem. The rooms and grounds were extremely clean. Water pressure was very good. The rooms were well laid out.

We stayed on the second floor of one of the buildings. My only concern was that the outside deck was really wobbly. We discovered the reason for this the next day was that the supporting wood was rotted through and a piece of plywood was used to fill the gap between the rotted joist and the deck. I would think that it would have been fairly easy to have simply replaced the joist.

The staff was very friendly and helpful. The site is well off the main highway, so there is essentially no road noise. The hotel is located about 15km west of the town of Xpujil and is marked very well with a very large highway sign. It is directly across from the Chicanna ruins. You must have a car for this location. Calakmul, one of the unknown treasures of the southern Yucatan, is about a 2 hour drive to the west. This is due primarily to the 60 km access road, through the jungle, from the main highway. Calakmul is simply stunning. To the east, about a 1 hour drive, are the ruins of the Dzbanche group, more sites that are seldom visited.

Back to the hotel. The food was reasonable, but we prefer to eat in the local mom & pop cafes that are on the highway. If visiting Calakmul, about 2 km from the entry gate, is a campground/cafe that is about 700m up a rough road, but well worth the drive.

The hotel does have wireless internet, but you'll probably find it works better close to the main reception. There is presently a small swimming pool, with a much larger one being built.

We really liked this place and found little to take away from it. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and at the price we paid, it was one heck of a bargain.

  • Stayed March 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Daveesl about Chicanna Ecovillage Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Overpriced, uninteressed staff but good location and clean”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 February 2011
1
person found this review helpful

This hotel is ok; the rooms are roomy & very clean. The shower is good and we had warm water the whole time. We had a room near the restaurant and that was a bit nozy (generator and cleaning sounds). Because of the lay-out of the ressort, all the rooms will have this problem but if you can, get a room as far away from the restaurant.

The restaurant has nice food and a friendly staff but is a bit overpriced. For breakfast and lunch you can beter go to restaurant Genesis in Xpujil (driving from the hotel it is the first restaurant entering the city limits).

The staff at the reception is VERY VERY uninteressed in their guests and the well-being of the guests. If we did not have a 50% discount from another site for this hotel, it would have been overpriced.

The area around Chicanna has beautifull historical sites like Chicanna, Becan, Calakmul and Hormiguero. The last 2 are the most interesting ones if you can't visit them all because there you have the best chance to see wildlife as well.

The town of Xpujil gets some bad reviews (e.g. in The Lonely Planet) but deserves beter: nice fooks and save; two gasstations with enough fuel while we there; some shops to buy your own food; a few basic restaurants (of which we can recommand restaurant Genesis) and at least one ATM (at the Mercardo (?) Municipal).

  • Stayed January 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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Ask SenJ1972 about Chicanna Ecovillage Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
familygogo
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“No Eco in this Overly Priced "Eco-Village": What a waste of an opportunity”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 August 2010
3
people found this review helpful

Where do I start? Letter to the owner: You have a wonderful opportunity here for a world-class ecologically-sensitive center to the amazing Rio Bec ruins, why not take advantage of this, instead of your gaspingly expensive Holiday Inn'ish generic tour-bus hotel spread, that is "eco" in name only?

With the northern Yucatan quickly becoming overwrought with tourists and the Cancun-Tulum coast already ruined, southern Yucatan and Campeche have such potential as educational and ecological centers, similar to places in Costa Rica. This hotel feels such a waste; a tour bus warehouse with prices comparable to elegant world class hotels.

The good: Peaceful, quiet location with great proximity to amazing ruins.
Swimming pool for cooling off.
OK food in the restaurant though way too expensive. Decent portions.
Wireless internet in the (strangely barren) office.
Birds and butterflies.
Rooms pleasantly cooled with fans.

Suggestions:
Large spigoted water bottles for refilling glasses or smaller bottles: far more ecofriendly.
A library or bookshelf area in the office with info on Mayan ruins or culture; maybe a few maps or other educational information. (Maybe even bringing in local guest speakers when the hotel is full.)
Alternatives to white rolls and white bread, such as whole wheat.
Can anything be done about the sewage smells?
Nontoxic approaches to mosquito control instead of fumigating.
Upgrade the rooms with a more traditional Mexican feel: a culture of such artistic beauty.
Lower your prices; they are ridiculous. Or create a sliding scale of amenities so guests feel they're getting something for their money.

For some reason, I wish this place luck. It's run by a Mexican family, and I hope they can recognize the potential for a longer term investment. Truly go green (there is a market); take advantage of the tranquil, natural location; highlight local Mayan treasures/history -- for your country, for local communities, and for the millions of tourists hungering for this in the Southern Yucatan. . . .

Meanwhile, don't expect anything special, and expect to spend a lot.

  • Stayed August 2010, travelled with family
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask familygogo about Chicanna Ecovillage Resort
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Additional Information about Chicanna Ecovillage Resort

  • Chicanna Ecovillage Hotel
  • Chicanna Ecovillage Campeche
Address: Carreterra Escarcega-Chetumal km. 144 | Calakmul, Xpujil Town 24640, Mexico
Price range (per night):* INR8,115 - 8,115

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