A group of us just got back from a 7 day stay at Na Balam. For all of us it was our first overnight trip to the island. Overall we had a great time and would return to the island and this property.

For starters, if you are looking for a 5-star hotel that is decked out with all the amenities this is not the place for you. Stay away as you will be disappointed. However, if you want a nice little clean hotel with a GREAT beach this is your place.

The main thing you have to keep in mind when you are in Isla Mujeres and at Na Balam is that this is a sleepy little island and they want to keep it this way. All the shops, stores, hotels and restaurants are locally owned and very laid back. There are no Starbucks or Marriott's and there probably never will be. Don't expect people to be rushing around and attending to your every little whim and need. If you want all this you need to go to Cancun and live it up :-)

About the hotel:

The Good - We all thought the food at the restaurant was excellent compared to all the other restaurants on the island and other places we've eaten throughout our Mexico travels. We ate and drank there often. Most of the staff at the bar and restaurant were very nice and helpful. Two of us spoke fluent Spanish and the others broken Spanish and that helped a lot. One of the staff (Mario) took us fishing and snorkeling with a friend (for a fee) on his day off and we had a great time. Also, I have to mention Jesus was a very nice man and makes the best Mojitos in the world.

The beach was awesome and the sunsets were even better. We sat on the deck at the bar every night and watched the sunset.
We never had a problem getting a set-up on the beach and they always moved our umbrella as the sun moved. Sometimes they would forget about us and we'd have to walk up to the bar to get drinks but I needed the exercise and didn't mind.

The rooms were clean and very basic. No radio, alarm, television or phone. I really liked that as it kept me out of the room and on the beach. The air conditioners were awesome and cooled the rooms very quickly.

The Bad - Every male staff member at the front desk seemed arrogant and not very friendly. Not sure why this was the case. However, there was one lady at the front desk that was very nice and helpful. She had my broken shower head replaced immediately and was always very responsive to any needs that came up. So I always waited for her to arrive before I asked for anything.

Also, the room was a little more $$ than they quoted but I let it slide when we checked out and just paid the bill. That's about it for the "bad"

A final quick note - We stayed for 7 days and charged a lot to our rooms. The final bill was very confusing and I have no idea if it was correct. It seemed close enough so I just paid it. If you are going to have more than a couple charges to your room just pay cash or with a credit card. It's easier to track.

There are a lot of mixed reviews about this place but I think most of the bad are from people with different expectations. Just know what you are getting before you go and you won't be disappointed.

We stayed here for our wedding and 1st let me stay what an absolutely fabulous job Patricia did!!!! She arranged everything from setting on the beach, flowers, photographer, DJ and although I was a little worried, EVERYTHING came up beautifully!!! All the staff at the hotel were very helpful, friendly and accommodating!!!! However, let me stay if you are expecting a server to stand over you filling up your drinks - don't go to this island at ALL!!!! The entire island is very laid back and that is part of it's charm!!!! The island is not for anyone wanting hussle, bussle of say... Cancun!!!! Having said that, the food was good, actually above average and our reception food couldn't have been better!!!! The beach has had some errosion since my last visit, however, it is still there and nice!!! This hotel is ideally located for a beach wedding. Our room was large, extremely clean and decorated in island flair. Again, if you are wanting a "W" type hotel, DON'T stay here. The hotel is small, charming and laid back in a quite area of town!!!! Our visit could have not been any better and again thanks to the entire staff for a wonderful job and especially to Patricia. We hope to see you again next year for our 1st anniversary!!!!!

This hotel was perfect! I had already arranged a private beachfront dinner with luminaries and tiki torches around our table. It was wonderful. The food wasn't the best I've ever had, but I wasn't there for the food, it was the setting I cared about and it was beautiful. Palm trees, white sandy beach and a gorgeous sunset made it perfect.

The room was very clean. They didnt have central AC, but the room cooled off very fast with the large wall unit.. Being that we were on a small island I wasn't looking for all the ammenities that we had at Omni Cancun for the rest of our trip, this hotel fit the location perfectly.

My husband and I are frequent travelers to Mexico and have been to Cabo St. Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Cozumel, Puerto Penasco, Oaxaca, and Cancun. On a trip a few years ago to Cancun, we discovered the lovely Isla Mujeres (island of the women) on a day trip and decided to go back there for a vacation some day. We were there for four days in February. The weather was perfect, low '80's and sunny, lots of puffy clouds; no rain. Isla Mujeres is a wonderful place to relax. No cruise ships, no parasailing, few jet skis, and other annoyances. Just laid back beach and beautiful turquoise waters. Pretty much everything is walking distance and it's easy to get around the island on golf carts and mopeds. The main street in town, Hidalgo Street, is full of charming restaurants and shops and everyone seems very relaxed and happy. Lots of tourists from Canada, Europe and Mexico also makes it cosmopolitan. Overall, it is a destination well worth the effort (short and enjoyable ferrry from downtown Cancun).

This resort bills itself as a small luxury hotel, and although it is nice and we enjoyed the stay overall, it is not luxurious in any way. It does not compare, for example, to the beautiful Hotel Twin Dolphin, a small luxury hotel in Cabo. Na Balam is also over priced, given the overall experience. We asked for a beach front room, with king size bed. The room was large and airy, but had few amenities and was quite monastic. The bed was like sleeping on a rock, there was no rug on the floor, very few wall decorations, and no pretty touches, such as fresh flowers, were ever put in the room.
The beach experience is strange. You get towel tokens, which you have to exchange for beach towels, but when we arrived in the late afternoon on Valentine's Day anxious to relax in the sun, not a chair was to be found on the beach! We later learned the hotel rents the "sun beds" and chairs to visitors who are not staying at the hotel, which led to that fun sport of "sharking" early in the morning for a spot and then having to fend off "invaders" looking for a spot. The hotel was having a special dinner on the beach on the day of our arrival (majorly expensive), so the staff kept asking us to move so they could set up, while we were simply trying to enjoy the lovely beach. Kind of annoying.

The beach was eroded significantly by Hurricane Wilma, and there are sand bags everywhere in the water as well as spiked wooden sticks, which are an attempt to save erosion; but this is not a pretty sight.

We met many other tourists who were not staying at our hotel (but who frequented and used most of the available chairs/umbrellas). Everyone seemed to agree that the Na Balam beach was one of the best, but it was not a great value.

One other strange thing - my favorite sandals went missing the first day (later found by one of the staff in the outdoor shower). My husband's bathing suit also went missing, but was recovered in the hotel laundry. Not sure what happened. Front desk staff was charming and helpful. Bar and beach employees were not particularly friendly but that may be because we do not speak much Spanish. Unlike many Mexican resorts, many locals do not speak English.

Overall, I would not return to Na Balam, but will return to Isla Mujeres.