 | Playa del Carmen Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 169 |  |
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 | Hotel Costa del Mar: Costa Del Mar
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The Costa del Mar hotel is a small beachfront hotel featuring 39 guestrooms. It isn’t really a place for kids or people looking to have a quiet time. If you’re between the ages of 18 and 25, in Mexico with friends and looking to party, this is the place for you. It’s in a great central location: on the beach, within a minute walking distance to Playa’s 5th Avenue, and right beside both a scuba shop and the very popular “Blue Parrot” night club.
When I stayed in 2002 the place was pretty quiet at night, but they now play reggae music late and loudly into the early morning. This combined with the noise pumping out full blast from the Blue Parrot next door could make it almost impossible to get a decent night’s sleep without getting loaded first.
I didn’t need reservations here, just walked in and was given a room. (The first night’s room had no air conditioner, but they transferred me the next day as soon as a room with one became available.) It's possible that I may have had my credit card number stolen here--Playa is very dangerous for this.
I would definitely stay there again if I found myself backpacking through Playa.
The rooms are very, very clean and the staff is diligent daily on keeping them that way.
Costa Del Mar has it’s own restaurant bar which serves good food at reasonable prices--hamburgers, seafood, and Mexican specialties. It has a swing bar, where you sit on swings and run your feet through the sand. The big bartender, who reminded me of actor Forest Whitaker, was a really good guy.
I liked the simple Mexican wood decor of the rooms--no bathtub in my room though, just a shower. The grounds of the small property are quite beautiful, bright orange buildings with blue trim; tropical planters shoot trees up to the second level.
There’s a small pool, not close to real swimming size, but good for rinsing off after the ocean and sandy beach. The beach itself is phenomenal! Costa del Mar is a fantastic location, right in the middle of all the action, so many bikinis.
See my Playa Del Carmen Travelogues for more photos of Costa Del Mar. Theme: HotelPrice: US$40-80 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageAddress: Calle 1 Nte Entre 10 Y 12
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| Real Playa Del Carmen All-Inclusive: Real Playa Carmen: Great Value, Friendly Staff
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My brother and I went to the all-inclusive Real Playa Carmen in mid-July, 2004. The Real was formerly called "Club Bananas. This trip was well worth the low price! The staff were great, we had a good time with Claudie, Nice, and Pepe. Pepe, many many thanks for the Spanish lessons on the beach buddy. They all did an amazing job of evening entertainment and made us laugh our guts out!
The room was nice and very clean, we had a few tiny termites climbing the walls in the bathroom but not near an infestation. The maid folded the towels into the coolest animal shapes. I was surprised to open the front door in the morning and see a big iguana sitting there staring back at me.
The food was good and you never had to wait too long for a drink. The biggest complaint all the guests had was the bar closes way too early, at 11:00, just when everyone is starting to get social. There's an upstairs area where they keep some alcohol and pop machine and a snack fridge. That's where we spent a more than a few nights drinking. It gets damn hot up there! The hotel is also within easy walking distance of the downtown bars, like the Blue Parrot.
My brother seemed to have 200 pesos ($20) taken from his wallet the first night we were there. Other guests that had stayed there before said this was an extremely rare occurence. Anyway, the thieves weren't that bad, it wasn't that much and they were nice enough to only take less than half of what was in there. Other than that we had no problems.
The front desk was very efficient at their duties, they gave us a new room (we needed two beds) the morning after we checked in and were very helpful at changing towels, giving spare keys, etc.
This isn't exactly a "big resort" resort. Not a huge buffet or big evening show--it's kind of more like an all inclusive hotel with a big centre courtyard, swimming pool and dining room. Unless you take the hotel bus you have to walk about 15 or 20 minutes to the beach area. The beach bar closed at 5:00 p.m., which was also too early, but we'd walk down to the Blue Parrot to have a few more.
The pool area can be very quiet around 6 or 7 p.m. and almost beautifully surreal. You can float around and it's very peaceful and relaxing. This is the place to go if you want to avoid the loud resort experience. Had a great time, made some good friends, and would definitely go back if I saw it again on the "hot deals" list. Cheers Club Bananas.
See my Playa Del Carmen Travelogues for more photos of the Real Playa Carmen. Theme: HotelComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: Calle 34 Entre La 5a Y 10a Av. NorteDirections: If your ride hasn't heard of the Real, ask for "Club Bananas". Many of the cabs still refer to it by its old name.Website: http://www.realresorts.com.mx/Real_Playa_Carmen/
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| Gran Porto Real Resort and Spa: AI/EP in Playa del Carmen
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 Gran Porto Real junior
suite by Dabs
The Gran Porto Real appeared to be the largest resort in Playa del Carmen as most of the hotels either smaller beachfront properties or smaller hotels located a couple of blocks off the beach. If you want to stay in a mega resort there are plenty on the Riveria Maya, just not in Playa del Carmen.
You can choose either the all inclusive plan or the European plan (which includes the room and nothing else). We chose the European plan as we wanted to try some of the local restaurants and spend our time off the resort's property. So I can't really comment about the food or the activities.
We booked a junior suite without an ocean view. The view from the room was not very nice, it overlooked an alleyway and a few trees. The room was nice, a typical resort hotel room.
The toiletries included shampoo, conditioner and lotion (no bath gel). The room had air conditioning, a small refrigerator and a tv. You could get a key from the front desk for the in room safe.
The shower was typical for the Caribbean or Mexico. It was cold if you were the first one showering, sometimes it changed temperatures mid shower.
We had little staff interaction but check in and check out went very smoothly.
The beach area and pool area was fine, not the nicest I've seen but OK.
A note for visitors in 2003 and early 2004: there is another resort being built right next door, the construction started early in the morning. The guests on that side were livid and the hotel was desperately trying to relocate them or other guests to their other properties in Cancun. I've also heard of overbooking problems at peak times. Theme: HotelPrice: US$120-180 » Currency ConverterComparison: more expensive than averageAddress: Constituyentes No. 1, , Playa del Carmen, Estado d
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 Casa Tequila next door by Maria_75
The hotel is situated in the middle of the touriststreet next to the beach, and you are just a short walk from everything. We paid 200 pesos (ca 20 USD) pr night, and it was one of the cheapest places we found that was so central.
The entrance is just a small open door in the wall, but it's hidden behind all the glitz and stash of the neighbouring shops, so it can be hard to spot it some times. A good mark to look for when you want to get home is the "Casa Tequila" next door. It took me a few walks up and down the street before I figured that one out... ;)
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 Villas at BPT by Frisbeeace
Tip> the best location to stay within the resort is close to La Tortuga restaurant where the "quiet" pool is. The best beach is exactly there with both sandy area, nice surf and the man made reef for great snorkel. Ask for villas 12,22, 14 or 21 which, in my opinion, are the best. Remember that the beach down the large pool and main lobby is very rocky.
The Bahia Príncipe Resort is formed by two 5 stars hotels (Tulum and Akumal) with a total of 1.440 rooms and the commercial and entertainment center "Hacienda Doña Isabel". BPT has mainly standard rooms and BPA mostly junior suites. Guests can enjoy all services and facilities of both resorts. You receive three restaurant vouchers per person for a 7-night stay to dine at the a la carte restaurants. We tried Dolce Vita, Don Pablo and Tequila. Dolce Vita was the best by far, followed by Don Pablo. I wouldn't recommend Tequila and instead would try the Oriental or Arlequin which have great reviews. Theme: HotelPrice: US$80-120 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: Playa Aventuras Akumal. Crtra. Xetumal - Cancún, Km. 251. 77760 Quintana Roo. MéxicoPhone: +52984 8755000Directions: From the airport head towards Chetumal, staying on the same federal highway. The hotel is at km 250. You can see Hacienda Doña Isabel from the road and there are large letters with the name Bahía Príncipe.Website: www.bahia-principe.com Other Contact: reservas.tulum@bahia-principe.co
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 Beach at Barcelo Maya Resort by travelgirl3
The 2 pools are huge, both with swim-up bars and hammocks strung up around them - great for relaxing! There are always plenty of activities going on, if you're so inclined. The beach is wonderful and goes on forever, without being crowded. Off the dock, there's a tiny little island close enough to snorkel to and with lots of fish to see. Take buns from the buffet and you'll see lots! Theme: HotelPrice: US$120-180 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageDirections: The resort is about 15 minutes south of Playa del Carmen, 30 minutes north of Tulum.
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 by Maria_75Theme: HostelPrice: less than US$20 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: Between 5ta Avenida and the beach
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| Riu Tequila-All Inclusive: All Inclusive it is!
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 Clubhotel Riu Tequila by Sandra30
Riu Tequila has a great pool, which includes a poolbar. The rooms are very large with (i by the way found very good and unusual) a toilet separate from the bathroom). All rooms have a fantanstic tropical garden view. Riu Tequila has 3 restaurants, one main restaurant, one ala carte, which also serves as a lunch restaurant and one beach restaurant. Naturally the food in the restaurants were excellent, that goes for breakfast, lunch and diner!! Theme: HotelComparison: about averageAddress: Avenida Xaman-ha Manzana 25 Lote 19Phone: 52(984)8734300Directions: 77710 Playa del Carmen Quintana Roo. MexicoWebsite: www.riu.com Other Contact: clubhotel.tequila@riu.com
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| Viva Wyndham Maya All-Inclusive: Mid range all inclusive in Playacar
Tip Rating: Satisfaction: | |
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Just to the south of Playa del Carmen is the all inclusive resort area of Playacar. Our resort, the Wyndham Viva Maya, was one of the resorts farthest away from PDC, it took us about 30 minutes to walk to the southern edge of town. The Viva Maya is one of the resorts on the ocean side, there are several resorts in Playacar that do not have direct access to the beach.
I would have preferred to stay in Playa del Carmen in a small hotel rather than an all inclusive but Expedia found us a great deal on a package at the Viva Maya, which had been recently reopened after repairing damage from both Emily and Wilma, cheaper than just the airfare alone.
Room-since the hotel had been recently renovated, the rooms were very clean and no signs at all of age, very spacious, our room had two double beds. Amenities included an iron, an in room safe, a small refrigerator and complimentary water which you could refill in the hall with filtered water. We had a TV but it had a faulty cable connection (which we called them on but they didn't fix) so I'm not sure what kind of stations it was supposed to get. The rooms are all angled so that every room has some sort of ocean view.
Bathroom-big fluffy towels, a hair dryer, terrific water pressure and plenty of hot water. My only complaint here was that after the first day, they didn't replenish the toiletries, you shouldn't have to ask to have that done.
Restaurants-there are two reservation only restaurants-one Mediterrenean, the other Mexican. We only ate at Portofino, the Mediterrenean one, the service was great, the food good but not terrific. You could also eat at the restaurants at the Viva Azteca, two resorts down but we didn't. The other option is the buffet restaurant, I liked the breakfasts with the made to order omelets, pancakes, fruit, cereal and most everything else I would think to eat for breakfast. Lunch was only so-so, a couple of times I grabbed only a bite and then we went off to town to eat. Dinner was hit or miss but we never had anything truly great.
Beach-big enough for a volleyball net and 5 or 6 rows of beach chairs. No umbrellas or palapas and the shade from the palm trees were wiped out by the hurricanes so there was no shade on the beach, not good for a pasty faced Chicagoan like me!
Pool and activities-there is one pool and regularly scheduled activities during the day, there is a gym with good equipment and an onsite spa that we did not visit. They had bicycles that you could use to ride into town but they were of poor quality and not many of them. I am still nursing my wounds from when I fell off after the chain fell off my undersized one. I may be in need of an amputation soon! Theme: HotelComparison: about averageAddress: Paseo Xaman Ha No 5 Fracc Pc Playa Del Carmen QoPhone: 52-984-873-4600
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Even though I vowed not to stay at another all inclusive in/near Playa del Carmen, the package deals were much better for the all inclusives and it seemed rather silly to pay more for a non all inclusive.
The Reef Playacar is the closest to Playa del Carmen of the all inclusive resorts in Playacar, it took us about 15 minutes to walk to the edge of town at a moderate pace. You can also get taxis or the resort had bicycles but there was no way I was getting on one after last year's accident when I went flying after my chain fell off.
Our room was a garden view with two double beds which were a little on the hard side. There's an in room safe (extra charge of $2 per day), a small refrigerator but no mini bar, TV with several cable channels (HBO, Cinemax).
The shower had decent pressure and always had hot water which smelled a bit like sulfur. Toiletries were minimal, shampoo, lotion and soap. The towels were big.
There are two reservation restaurants but we didn't eat at either one. The buffet restaurant was especially good for breakfast when they had made to order omelets and Mexican food if you can handle quesadillas and empanadas for breakfast. There was also French toast, pancakes, breakfast meat, fruit, cereal, pastries, juice, coffee. Lunch and dinner were hit and miss, sometimes there was really good stuff out, sometimes not. We ate in town for at least a couple of meals which I prefer anyways. In the afternoon, they had a nice gelateria (ice cream) stand open and burgers, hot dogs, pizzas, etc. near the pools.
The hotel has two pools, one with a swim up bar. The beach was literally washed away the day before we got there and they were trying to shore it up for the time we were there. If a great beach is a priority for you, this might not be your place. There were an adequate number of beach chairs and palapas (umbrellas) for the guests.
Non motorized water sports are included and motorized sports and snorkel trips were extra. Theme: HotelComparison: about averageAddress: 1 Retorno Sayil S/n Frac. Playacar, Playa Del Carm
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- Chac Hal Al Condominiums
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5th Avenida Norte Esq. Constituyentes, Playa del Carmen - Magic Express Hotel
Cancun - Chetumal, Km 291 Esquina 54 Norte, Playa del Carmen - The Blue Pearl Suites
Av 1ra Norte 331 sur, entre Calles 10 y 12, Playa del Carmen - Kinbe Hotel
Calle 10 norte entre 1 y 5 Avenida, Playa del Carmen - The Fairmont Mayakoba
Solidaridad, Playa del Carmen - Playa Inn Xaman Ha
Playacar Fase 1, Playa del Carmen - RIVIERA MAYA SUITES
Av 34 Norte S/N entre 5ta Avenida y 1era Avenida, Playa del Carmen - Grand Sirenis Resort Tulum
Playa Xaac-Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen - Real Playa Del Carmen All-Inclusive
5th Ave twn 34th & 38th Sts, Playa del Carmen - Playacar Palace
Fraccionamiento Playacar, Bahia del Espiritu Santo Esquina Abraira de Arriva, Playa del Carmen - Hotel Costa del Mar
Calle 1 Norte Entre 10 Y 12, Playa del Carmen - Hotel Quinto Sol
5th Avenue & 28, Playa del Carmen - Tides Riviera Maya
Riviera Maya Playa Xcalacoco Frac 7, Quintana Roo (formerly Ikal del Mar), Playa del Carmen
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