Search for “The Highline Tulum” and you’ll find a bit of everything: real-estate listings, vacation-rental photos, and reviews that don’t all agree with each other. We own one of its penthouses, and we think the honest version of its story is more useful than another round of glossy copy. So here it is.
The building itself
The Highline Tulum is a boutique residential condominium on Calle Sayil, a quiet street in Aldea Zama — fifteen units across four floors, opened in 2018. It was built as a place to live, not a resort: solid construction, marble floors, floor-to-ceiling glass doors, an elevator, a Zen-garden courtyard at its center, and a front desk staffed from 8 pm to 8 am nightly. In 2025 the building added grid-tied solar panels on the common areas, feeding clean power back into a grid that needs it.
That “built to live in” distinction matters more in Tulum than almost anywhere, because of where the building sits — but more on the neighborhood below.
A short history of the Tulum this building was promised
When The Highline opened in 2018, the pitch every buyer heard was the same: Aldea Zama would be the developed heart of Tulum — a master-planned neighborhood with real municipal infrastructure — while the jungle around it stayed jungle.
Then tourism took off during the pandemic years, and the plan changed. Permits opened up across the region, cranes went everywhere, and Tulum overbuilt — fast. Prices climbed with the hype, and for a while the town earned its reputation: over-Instagrammed, overpriced, and crowded with people chasing a version of Tulum that mostly existed on phones.
That wave has passed, and honestly, what’s left is better. The crowds thinned. Prices came back to earth. The beach, the cenotes, the food — the things that were always real — are still here, and easier to enjoy than they’ve been in years. Tulum draws a different traveler now. Fewer people chasing the moment, more people who came for the thing itself. Aldea Zama uncomplicates the rest.
And the original promise of Aldea Zama quietly held up: it remains the only neighborhood in Tulum with full municipal infrastructure — paved streets, underground fiber-optic internet, a municipal sewage treatment system, and grid power. When you’ve heard stories about Tulum rentals with generator noise and failing plumbing, this is the part of town those stories aren’t about.
Who actually runs the rentals here (and why it matters)
Here’s the part most useful to anyone comparing reviews.
The Highline is a condominium, not a hotel — different units have different owners, and over the years, different rental operations. In the building’s early days, rentals were handled by the building’s developer. That operation wasn’t ours, and we ended our part in it early, bringing in our own on-site management instead.
The Highline actually has two three-bedroom lock-off penthouses, each with a different owner and a different management company. Ours — a duplex across the third and fourth floors — is hosted as Imagine Tulum Penthouse. Luli and Gaby have run every stay personally since 2018: Airbnb Superhosts, 4.89 stars across 337 reviews, named by name in the reviews themselves. Airport transfers, cenote tours, restaurant reservations, massage therapists who set up on the rooftop terrace — that’s their standard, and it’s the reason our guest reviews read the way they do.
So if you’re researching the building: reviews of “The Highline Tulum” describe whichever operation a guest happened to book — even the two penthouses here are different businesses. Reviews of Imagine Tulum Penthouse describe ours.
The two rooftops
The building’s best feature is that there are two distinct rooftop experiences, and they don’t compete with each other:
The shared infinity pool belongs to the building’s common areas, available to guests of all suites. It looks straight out over the jungle canopy — one clear, unobstructed sight line — with lounge chairs and an outdoor shower. It sits above a quiet residential street, and it’s often uncrowded.
The private plunge pool sits on the top-floor roof deck and belongs exclusively to the Penthouse Studio with Private Roof and Pool — reached by a private stairway no other guest can access. At that height you’re above the canopy; the birds are at eye level. It’s the single most requested thing we offer.
Living in Aldea Zama
Aldea Zama sits between the beach and town — close enough to reach either in minutes, far enough from the noise of both. The neighborhood is walkable and bike-friendly: morning coffee at Rossina Cafe or Nimeño, pickleball at the Aldea Racquet Club, yoga and spas on the residential streets. The beach is about a mile away down a protected, tree-lined bike path, with free walk-in access.
For longer stays, the practical things are close too: the Chedraui superstore is minutes away, joined in 2025 by La Comer — fresh produce, bakeries, international ingredients, proper wine selections. You can actually cook here. (Our Eat & Play guide has the full list of where we send guests.)
Staying at the penthouse
Our penthouse is a two-level duplex of three self-contained suites — bookable in any combination, from one suite for a couple to all three as a full 3-bedroom penthouse sleeping six.
The honest fine print, because we’d rather you know before you book: the property is adults-only (no children, no pets, no parties), stays are 2 nights minimum, the beach is a bike ride away rather than out the door, and this is a growing town — occasional construction sounds and the region’s occasional brief power cuts are part of real life in Tulum, here as anywhere.
Check availability and book direct — direct bookings skip Airbnb’s 16% guest service fee.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Highline Tulum a hotel or a condominium?
A residential condominium — fifteen privately owned units across four floors, with a front desk staffed 8 pm to 8 am nightly. It is not a hotel with a single operator: different units are rented by different owners and managers.
Who manages vacation rentals at The Highline Tulum?
It varies by unit — even the building’s two three-bedroom lock-off penthouses have different owners and different management companies. One of them is Imagine Tulum Penthouse, run personally by hosts Luli and Gaby since 2018 (Airbnb Superhosts, 4.89 stars across 337 reviews). Other units in the building have their own separate arrangements.
How many units does The Highline Tulum have?
Fifteen, across four floors, with an elevator and a central Zen-garden courtyard. Among them are two three-bedroom lock-off penthouses; ours is the Imagine Tulum Penthouse.
Does The Highline Tulum have a rooftop pool?
Yes. All guests share the rooftop infinity pool and its unobstructed view over the jungle canopy. Our penthouse also has a private plunge pool on its own roof deck, exclusive to the Penthouse Studio with Private Roof and Pool.
Is The Highline Tulum in a good location?
It’s on Calle Sayil in Aldea Zama, the only neighborhood in Tulum with full municipal infrastructure — paved streets, underground fiber-optic internet, and a municipal sewage treatment system. The beach is about a mile away via a protected bike path; cafes, yoga, spas, pickleball, and two major supermarkets are in the neighborhood.
Can you book The Highline Tulum penthouse directly?
Yes — the penthouse suites book individually or combined at imaginetulum.com, which skips Airbnb’s 16% guest service fee. The same units are also listed on Airbnb.