Why guide?
Owner James Gardner says it finest: “Gitano is a world, an atmosphere, a feeling.” Set foot on the property, and you may really feel such as you’ve been whisked away to a spot that solely exists in postcards or Instagram tales from stylish movers and shakers within the style world.
Set the scene
Located inside a two-hectare coconut grove on virtually 400 toes of pristine white sand in southern Tulum, it is a place to take a step again from the remainder of the world and catch your breath. It’s proper on the fringe of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is price a go to for the views alone.
When I visited, company have been pleasant, courteous, and engaged with their environment. This is not the place you may discover school spring breakers (until they’re in-the-know FIT grads), however do not suppose which means it is sleepy or unimaginative. The ambiance was what my journey accomplice and I playfully referred to as “New York’s take on Tulum,” and whereas the remainder of the stretch of seashore appeared to be made up of resorts that felt extra Los Angeles-y, as two NYCers, we instantly felt at residence. It appears like a novel non-public oasis—much less busy than another properties within the space, but extra glitzy than your common jungle retreat. Think disco balls, pink neon lights, crystal chandeliers, dense jungle, pristine white sand, and a margarita so scrumptious you may find yourself ordering three or 4 per day.
If you actually wish to let your hair down, the model’s first outpost in Tulum, a restaurant and membership named Gitano Jungle, is just some minutes’ drive away. There, you may dine on picture-perfect meals that tastes as scrumptious because it seems, and dance into the early hours below a disco ball throughout one among their iconic events.
The backstory
“Casa Gitano is the natural evolution of everything we’ve been building since we first switched on that pink neon sign [for Gitano Jungle] back in 2013,” says James Gardner, Gitano founder and CEO. In 2017, Gardner based Grupo Gitano to develop the model globally, and it at the moment has 5 areas throughout Mexico and the US. Casa Gitano was designed totally by Gardner and his husband, Andrew Cramer. Their shared background in style and artwork performed into the character of the posh beachfront resort, which opened in 2025 with 12 rooms and a beach club. By January 2026, there have been 35 rooms and suites, a totally expanded seashore membership with a palapa seashore bar, and a pool. They plan to develop the property with an extra 25 rooms and a company/members-only part by the tip of 2027.
“My husband and I first got here to Tulum within the late ‘90s when it was still Mexico’s best-kept secret,” says Gardner. “Over the years, as we built Gitano, a hotel was always the dream—it was never just a restaurant. The question we kept asking ourselves was, what if you never had to leave? What if you could fall asleep in this world and wake up in it?”
The rooms
Don’t come here if you get attached easily—you’ll find yourself having trouble enjoying anywhere else quite as much once you leave. Guests can choose from rooms or suites with either jungle or beach views. I stayed in a beachfront villa with a pool, but on a tour of the property, I found myself intrigued by the jungle suites and lofts, which were tucked away down an easy-to-navigate path—words I never thought I’d say as someone who previously always wanted a view of the ocean.
My beachfront villa, for its part, felt like it was out of a movie-worthy honeymoon. The standalone structure was perched right on the edge of the pool and just a few dozen feet from the crashing waves. I answered work emails from the sunbed (my new preferred method of working) and took breakfast in the massive, plush king bed. The decor was minimalist yet considered, and I found myself marveling at the art and design, with many pieces from Mexican artisans. While the main areas can be dramatic and flashy with the disco balls, string lights, and bold colors, the rooms are light and serene—the perfect places to unwind and fall blissfully asleep. A few tiny details that went a long way for me were the endless glass bottles full of drinking water available in the rooms, and the ample signage around the property. You’d be hard-pressed to get lost here, even though all of the pathways are surrounded by jungle on either side.
One thing to note is that the property plays soothing music every morning, so if you’re a light sleeper, you may want to bring earplugs to avoid being woken up before you’re ready.
Food and drink
The food is a treat for your phone as much as it is for your mouth. Gitano Beach, the property’s beach club and daytime restaurant, is open for breakfast and lunch. Salón Gitano takes over at night, open from 5 p.m. onward in the property’s lavish dining room. It dishes up many of the same offerings as fan-favorite sister restaurant and club Gitano Jungle: influencer-friendly Mediterranean-Mexican dishes like tostadas, ceviche, and tacos whipped up by executive chef Sebastián Cacho using fresh, locally sourced produce. The perfect start to any meal is the flavorful guacamole. Follow it up with the Ceviche Gitano, which is so good you’ll want to inject it directly into your veins, and the perfectly cooked carne asada from the grill, drizzled with chimichurri sauce. The pistachio ice cream is perhaps the best I’ve ever had in my life, so even if you don’t have the room, you’ll want to make some.
If you’re lucky enough to be there on a Sunday, enjoy the barbecue brunch—you’ll be able to walk past the meat and veg in the morning as it slow cooks. You can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu, but I recommend the grilled platter to share for a little taste of everything.
The spa
There’s no formal spa on the property, but wellness is a core part of the brand. Gitano Shala is the property’s dedicated wellness space, offering weekly programming like yoga and mindfulness sessions. Guests can book massages and bodywork through the concierge and WhatsApp. You can also book sound healing, cacao ceremonies, and ice bath experiences. I had a massage that was truly exceptional, with a practitioner who took the time after the treatment to discuss what she noticed with my body (for example, that I needed to drink more water due to the tenseness of certain body parts).
The neighborhood/area
Casa Gitano is in southern Tulum, on the edge of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. It occupies a slice of seashore that’s surrounded by a wide range of different luxurious properties. You can simply stroll up and down it in both path to check out what else is occurring within the resort space. A fast drive up the seashore and you will find your self at Gitano Jungle, the property’s sister restaurant and membership, which is surrounded by different eating places, bars, and retailers.
The service
The service right here is impeccable. With a selection of welcome drinks and seamless check-in upon arrival, each visitor will really feel like a VIP. Gardner is exceptionally detail-oriented, and it reveals within the employees he employed and within the smoothness with which the resort runs. Everyone is pleasant and blissful to offer details about the property and the encompassing space of Tulum. With brilliant smiles, the employees makes you’re feeling proper at residence—that’s, if your own home was a dreamy seashore escape the place you by no means needed to carry a single finger. On our first evening, my journey accomplice realized she had left her toothbrush at residence, and the employees went out to the shop to get her one. They additionally provided us with sunscreen instantly upon inquiring. We had one concern with the lock on our door, however as soon as we messaged the entrance desk through WhatsApp, somebody arrived at our villa inside 5 minutes to deal with the issue.
For households
While this is not essentially the place to carry screaming, splashing children, you will see the kind of elevated-cool households you’d count on in Los Angeles or New York City. There’s loads of beachfront for all ages to take pleasure in, and the pool is ideal for teenagers to swim and play.
Eco effort
Casa Gitano works to protect the encompassing coconut palms and tropical vegetation, and options structure designed to “minimize disruption to the ecosystem through low-rise structures, natural materials, and integration with the existing terrain,” in response to Gardner. It additionally sources all the pieces from decor to restaurant elements regionally and sustainably, and employs employees members and wellness practitioners from the encompassing neighborhood.
Accessibility
Casa Gitano is a beachfront property with various terrain. Since the structure values integration with the encompassing pure panorama, it may be a bit bumpy. While the model is dedicated to accommodating company’ mobility wants as a lot as doable, at the moment, it is not an exceptionally good match for these with bodily disabilities. The model encourages anybody with particular necessities to contact the property instantly earlier than reserving to debate choices.
Anything left to say?
If I do get the possibility to go again to Tulum, that is the place I’d guide, whether or not I’m going with a buddy, a romantic accomplice, or solo. If you’ve gotten the time, sit on the seashore (or your terrace) for a couple of minutes after it will get darkish to soak up the celebrities.