Tulum · Venue guide
Ana y José Hotel & Spa
One of the original beachfront boutique hotels in Tulum, with a dedicated events beach and a classic Mexican-Caribbean feel.
Ana y José is one of the originals — a beachfront boutique hotel that has been on Tulum beach since long before the hotel zone became what it is today. It has a dedicated events beach, a classic Mexican-Caribbean palette and a level of service that comes from decades of doing this, which shows on a wedding day when timings actually hold.
We have photographed a maternity session here. The beach in front is one of the better ceremony stretches in Tulum: wide enough that guests are not crowded and clean enough that the frame stays uncluttered.
Where to say “I do” — and how each spot photographs
Private Beach
The defining ceremony setting at Ana y José: white sand, Caribbean water and a much more intimate footprint than a large all-inclusive resort. Current third-party wedding listings place total wedding capacity around 100 guests, but confirm the final floor plan with the hotel.
Beach Bar
Current wedding listings identify the beach bar as a cocktail/reception area. It allows the celebration to remain close to the water while giving more built structure than a fully open-sand setup.
Casa de Agua
Ana y José's own wedding-planning blog presents Casa de Agua as a private villa setting for intimate destination weddings, with ocean views and accommodation for a small group. Treat it as an intimate add-on/alternative setting and confirm event permissions and capacity for the wedding date.
A photo timeline that works here
Based on a winter ceremony (sunset ≈ 6 pm). I adjust it to your date and your venue coordinator's schedule.
- 2:30 pm
- Getting ready — everything here is steps away, so the day breathes
- 3:30 pm
- First look on the sand, before guests arrive
- 4:30 pm
- Ceremony
- 5:00 pm
- Family photos, then straight into the couple session
- 5:15 pm
- Golden hour on the shoreline — the light everyone remembers
- 6:15 pm
- Sunset cocktails
- 7:00 pm
- Dinner and dancing under string lights
First look — yes or no?
Optional. The property is small and the events beach is steps away, so a ceremony-first timeline works comfortably. For ceremonies after 4:30 pm in winter, a first look protects your portrait window.
Logistics worth knowing
Ana y José is directly in the Tulum Hotel Zone at Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km 7, so unlike Secrets Tulum there is no main-resort-to-beach-club transfer built into the property concept. The official site identifies Tulum International Airport as a nearby access point but does not publish a precise current drive time. Tulum beach-road traffic can materially affect vendor arrival, so photographers should confirm access, parking/drop-off and loading directly with the Weddings & Groups team.
Vendor rules at Ana y José Hotel & Spa
- Outside photographers: Accepted
- Ana y José's official guest guide explicitly says the wedding team coordinates suppliers, musicians, rental equipment and the photographer, which supports outside photographers being part of the venue's normal wedding workflow. The venue does not publish a current amount, so confirm access fees and registration directly with the Weddings & Groups team.
- These rules belong to the hotel, not to me. The hotel sets the fee, charges it and changes it, often from one season to the next and sometimes from one wedding to the next, so I do not publish an amount here: any number you find online is already out of date for your date. Ask your wedding coordinator at the hotel to confirm it in writing, and ask early: it is a real line in the budget. It is also worth asking whether there is any flexibility. Some venues waive or reduce the fee, often when the vendor team books rooms for a few nights or when the wedding is booked through certain agencies, and plenty of couples never find out because they never ask.
- Tell me about your wedding →
The light here
The hotel is directly on Tulum's Caribbean coast, so the ocean is the sunrise side and the setting sun falls inland. The hotel's own wedding content recommends golden-hour/sunset timing, but that should not be interpreted as the sun setting into the Caribbean. For portraits, protect the final 45 to 60 minutes before local sunset and use the warm sky, palms, architecture and open beach rather than promising an over-water sunset.
Photo sessions at Ana y José Hotel & Spa
Questions couples ask about Ana y José Hotel & Spa
Can we bring our own photographer to Ana y José?
The hotel's official guest guide specifically refers to coordinating suppliers, musicians, rental equipment and the photographer, so outside photography is part of its normal wedding workflow. Confirm the current registration and fee rules with the Weddings & Groups team.
How much is the outside photographer fee?
The venue does not publish a current amount, so do not rely on older forum posts or historical package information; ask the venue to confirm the wedding-date fee in writing.
Have you photographed at Ana y José?
Kristina has photographed a session here, not a wedding yet, so what follows is researched planning information rather than experience from a wedding day. The hotel is small and the beach is one of the better ceremony stretches in Tulum.
How many guests can Ana y José host?
Current WeddingWire information lists weddings up to approximately 100 guests. Because the official hotel site does not publish one universal current capacity, confirm your final layout directly with the venue.
Does the sun set over the ocean?
No. Tulum's Caribbean beach faces the sunrise side. The final hour before sunset still gives softer portrait light and a warm sky, but the sun itself falls inland.
How much does a wedding photographer cost at Ana y José?
Experienced destination wedding photographers in this area generally run from about $3,000 to $8,000 USD for the wedding day, and more for multi-day celebrations with film. Most couples marrying at Ana y José Hotel & Spa book 6-8 hours, so the coverage reaches from getting ready to the party. Travel to this venue is included or minimal, we are local. To see where I would begin for your date, the collections live at /pricing/.
Getting married at Ana y José Hotel & Spa?
I know this venue's light and its rules. Tell me your date and I'll tell you how I'd shoot it.