Royal Palm Bacalar Cabanas & Lagoon Club is a cabana-style stay with a lagoon club in the Bacalar area. As the name suggests, it offers cabana-style accommodation together with a lagoon club, which points to a relaxed, outdoorsy stay centred on the water rather than a big-city hotel. It is a different style of stay from the polished resorts and adults-only boutiques elsewhere on this page, and it can appeal if you would rather sleep in a cabana than in a standard hotel room. Room types, bed setups and extras vary from rate to rate, so check when you book exactly what your room includes, such as air conditioning, breakfast, parking and Wi-Fi, and whether any fees are added at check-in. Bacalar is a quiet lagoon town, so most stays here revolve around swimming, kayaking, the cenotes and slow evenings rather than nightlife. Check current rates against the other mid-range lagoon options before you decide.
Location and getting around
The name points to a lagoon-side setting with a lagoon club, which is the main reason to choose it; confirm how close the cabanas are to the water and to the club when you book. Bacalar's stays are spread between the town centre, the Costera lagoon road and the highway shoreline, and the cenotes, the Fort of San Felipe and the main square sit at different distances from each. Always confirm the exact address and the walking or driving distance to the places you care about when you book, because a hotel that looks close on a map can still mean a taxi or a longer walk along the road, and not every stay has direct access to the lagoon.
Chetumal airport is the usual gateway and is a drive of roughly forty minutes or so from Bacalar, and taxis and rental cars are the common ways to move between the lagoon, town and cenotes.
Rooms and facilities
Cabana accommodation usually means a more rustic, garden or lakeside feel than a standard hotel block, and layouts can differ from one cabana to the next. Beyond the basics, facilities differ between properties of this kind, so check when you book whether the rate includes breakfast, whether there is on-site parking, what the Wi-Fi is like and whether the room has air conditioning or a fan. If you need a particular bed layout, a ground-floor room or a quiet side of the building, say so in the notes when you reserve and ask the front desk to confirm it before you travel.
Good to know
Cabana-style stays can mean a little more sound from outdoors, insects and humidity than a sealed hotel room, so bring repellent and ask about fans or air conditioning. Recent guest comments are the best guide to current condition, service and noise, so read the latest ones before you commit, and compare the cancellation terms of the rates on offer.
Rates and availability move with the season, weekends and holidays, so reserve early if your dates fall at a busy time. Check-in and check-out times, any deposit, and payment methods are worth confirming ahead of arrival.
Who it suits
Travellers who want a laid-back, lagoon-focused base, such as couples, friends and small groups happy to trade some polish for atmosphere and time on the water. If you need a spa, a large pool complex or a central town location, compare other choices first. Whatever you choose, compare it with the lagoon-front resorts and small boutique hotels elsewhere on this page so you can weigh price, setting and facilities before you book, and check recent guest comments for the details that matter to you.
Why stay here
- ✓Cabana-style rooms
- ✓Lagoon club
- ✓Lagoon-area location
- ✓Outdoor setting
- ✓Check parking when you book
- ✓Check Wi-Fi when you book
- ✓Check air conditioning when you book
- ✓Check breakfast terms when you book
Good questions
What kind of rooms does it have?+
The name points to cabanas, but layouts and bed types vary, so check the room details and photos when you book.
Is there a lagoon club?+
The name includes a lagoon club. Check when you book what access, hours and fees apply.
Is breakfast included?+
Terms differ from rate to rate, so check when you book.
