Casa Ticul Hotel by Koox Luxury Collection

Named in honor of the small Yucatan town of Ticul the owner’s grandparents
were from, Hotel Casa Ticul is full of old family photographs and antique items
paying homage to times past. By decorating the space with furniture, accents,
and artifacts from their grandparents’ era, the family-run boutique hopes to
transfer a warm feeling of nostalgia and unconditional hospitality to guests,
providing a place to relax, and feel comfortable and taken care of. This idea is
most successful in the lobby where a large canvas print from a 1948 sienna
stained photograph hangs above a soft velvet couch, an elaborately decorative
metal vase sits on the glass table in front of the couch, and a mid-century
glass and wood display case houses old dolls; small, framed portraits; teaspoons; and doilies. Other antique family photos are matted and framed on the
walls throughout the property -- alongside contemporary painted murals and
sculptures. The contrasting decades of decor is a tad incongruous, but it
works. The odd mix of contemporary art and antique accents give off both an
upscale feeling and that of being in a familiar, safe space. Another
contemporary touch comes by way of a creative greenthumb: green plants,
succulents, palms, and flowers spring and hang from every corner -- even along
the walls. 

Hotel Casa Ticul is located on the northern edge of La
Quinta Avenida, known as Playa Norte. This section of the strip is newer and
less congested, and thus, a bit quieter -- at least for now. Guests are still
close to the hubbub; the 24-hour pedestrian-only area of La Quinta Avenida central
is only a block south and full of even more restaurants, bars, clubs, and
shops. A public beach is a few blocks away and the hotel’s partner beach clubs
are all about a 10-minute walk. The hotel is about 45 minutes south of Cancun
Airport down Highway 307. Keep in mind that traffic is rough, a good parking
spot is hard-to-find anywhere off La Quinta Avenida, and the bus station is a
good 15- to 20-minute walk south of the hotel.

Hotel Casa Ticul’s 28 rooms are split between an older building with
20 rooms built in 2006 and a newer section of eight rooms built at the end of

2014. Regardless of which building is booked, guests can expect tiled floors and bathrooms,
      strong air-conditioning, rainfall showerheads, flat-screen TVs with mostly Spanish channels, electronic safe, and reasonably priced minibar
      stocked with soda, water, and Gatorade. Bathrooms have an impressive selection of
      biodegradable toiletries like conditioner, after-sun gel, mouthwash, and
      mosquito repellant cream. Decor features typical black veneered particleboard,
      stylish light fixtures, and individual song quotes from
      mid-century Mexican love songs hand-painted on the walls. Beds are comfortable, though on
      the firm side, while pillows are small, even on king-size beds. Newer Standard Rooms are usually bright and have coffeemakers (with coffee kits) in lieu of the bathrobes and slippers found in the traditional Standard Rooms (though guests can request the latter from the front desk). Junior Suites have whirlpool tubs (some
      also with a balcony), and the hotel’s two Master Suites have a separate living
      room area and not one, but two, outdoor showers. With non-flush door frames in the older building, hallway noise is
      unavoidable. 

Since this hotel is directly off of 5th Avenue, there’s no
direct beach access, but public beaches can be reached about three blocks away.
Though, these spaces aren’t an ideal place to spend the day thanks to zero facilities,
no loungers, and an abundance of seaweed. However, there are a few beach clubs
in the area. Mamita’s Beach Club is a 10-minute walk north and gives Ticul
guests free entry, towels, and loungers with no minimum consumption required. Free
entry is also provided at nearby hotel Las Palapas and at Canibal Royal, a
newer spot with a multi-level restaurant and bar with hip music -- but a
minimum consumption amount is required to use the loungers at either place.

Although it’s a small property, Hotel Casa Ticul has a solid selection of features compared to many other boutiques in the area. First
off, the reception area operates 24 hours a day, as does the business center
(two computers with Internet), lounge area, and coffee and tea service located
in the lobby. Just outside the lobby, guests will find a relaxing and tranquil
main pool with a few sets of tables and chairs, outdoor shower, and bathrooms.
There’s also another pool around the corner in the new section. This pool is
shady, more private, and surrounded by green plants hanging from white walls
and a large 100-year-old tree. Both pools are basically small dipping pools and neither has sun loungers. Unlike some boutiques there’s no restaurant, but the free homestyle
Mexican breakfast is more than most free breakfasts found in this category. In addition to the standard continental
breakfast buffet, Hotel Casa Ticul has homemade jam, a traditional Mexican
breakfast dish-of-the-day like tamales or Mexican scrambled eggs, and even a
few options for those on restricted diets; it’s all served on the hotel’s
rooftop dining area.The hotel also has free Wi-Fi throughout and only a few parking spaces.