Deseo Hotel

A chic, boutique hotel

Hotel Deseo is right in the heart of Playa del Carmen, located on 5th Avenue & 12th Street, about a minute's walk from the beach. With just over a dozen rooms, the hotel is certainly a boutique and has a completely different atmosphere to the big hotels at the North end of Playa.

The rooms surround a central courtyard that features a bar, small swimming pool / jaccuzzi and a lounge. By day, you can relax at the lounge, although it's deserted and the bar is closed - you're better off walking th 10 minutes to use the complementary access at the Tides club, on the beach, where you can soak up a tan on lounges while waiters bring you Coronas and guacamole all day. Life is tough.

At night, the bar comes to life. Deseo is know as one of the coolest bars in Playa and plays chilled out lounge music all evening. We were there in low season, but it still attracted a good crowd and we struck up many an interesting conversation at the bar while grabbing a cocktail. I've read reviews that complain about the music keeping you up, but there is a switch in the room that stops the music being piped in, so I can't see what the problem is.

The rooms themselves are very comfortable and designed very tastefully in all white, but very minimalist. If you want a TV, couch, desk or cable, forget it. They do have wireless internet access though, or wired access in the reception. Thongs, a sunhat and a list of restaurant suggestions hanging from strings along one wall are a nice touch, as is the comfortable hammock on the balcony overlooking 5th Avenue.

Unique Quality: Overall, at $170 a night we felt that Deseo was on the pricey side given its somewhat bare bones service - small rooms with limited amenities, bar only open at night and fairly frugal breakfast. On the other hand, none of these things stopped us having a great and very relaxing time here. True to its boutique nature, the staff are very friendly and willing to help with all of your needs and the place is a calm, chic oasis perched above the hustle and bustle of 5th avenue.

Hotel Basico, 2 blocks away, is run by the same management and is a similar style of accommodation if you can't get into Deseo.

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average

Deseo Hotel Photo: Balcony outside the room

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