I booked this amazing home for 4 couples. The owner, John, encourages telephone contact for questions, and I took him up on it - unbelievably responsive. I texted John with questions ranging from transportation logistics to tips on restaurants to groceries, etc. He called me back immediately after each text. Two of his many tips:

1-buy your liquor, duty free, at the airport - much cheaper and better than in town.

2-Send John a grocery list of essentials/mixers/snacks, etc, and he will have the house stocked for you.

Transportation - We got a round trip Shuttle ride ($185 R/T+tips) through USA Transfers (Not "TRANSFER USA" - different company) I've used USA Transfer 6X now. We immediately had the driver stop at a local gas mart for beer for the ride; much cheaper to do it that way than pay for a prestocked cooler. I did a lot of research on a shuttle v. renting a car, and John was helpful in this as well. There are lots of cabs local to Villa Escapar, it's only a $12 taxi to Tulum, and we saved a lot of $ and aggravation by not renting a car.

The House - I'm not sure the pictures here actually capture how beautiful the house is, and how breathtaking the views are. The house is big enough so that we could all have our own space, yet still intimate. I had the primary master bedroom, and the sunrise from our panoramic window was exquisite.

Luisa and Manuel - impossible to adequately state how perfect they made this trip for us. John had noted that they would be as present or absent as we wanted, meaning they could simply do the housecleaning, or they could do all the cooking and keep bringing us cold drinks. We chose the middle. Luisa cooked us 6 dinners and 7 breakfasts - all authentic Mexican/Mayan dishes per our request. Her cooking is amazing, the food fresh and plentiful. We also requested her guacamole every day at 3:00. There is an extensive list of what she can cook, although we told her to cook whatever she wanted for a few nights. Manuel made daily runs for whatever we needed, and the two of them kept the house/grounds/beach immaculate. They are also two of the most hardworking and friendly people around. Luisa doesn't speak English - at all - but it was never a problem.

The beach is pristine. Going in the water requires water shoes - believe it!

Try out the awesome new beach bar at O Tulum, just 100 yards north. They also let us use their bikes for free!

As one of my friends said, "Best. Trip. Ever!"