Playa Del Carmen Hotels On The Beach

…easy access to one of the joys this city offers…

A few of my buddies came to Playa Del Carmen and they couldn’t hide their disappointment when they saw my apartment.

They thought I was going to be living on the beach, probably with a harem of women taking turns wearing thong bikinis and dancing for anyone watching from the roof terrace.

No, I live in a little apartment about five minutes walk from the ocean.

And the females in thong bikinis are probably the Dutch pensioners who seem to arrive in Playa Del Carmen every July having never heard of bikini trimming and having NOT shaved down below.

The problem with a beach destination like Playa Del Carmen is that everyone is obsessed with the beach.

Hence my buddies’ disappointment when they discovered that you couldn’t see the Caribbean water from my window. Boo hoo hoo.

Playa Del Carmen Hotels On The Beach Are Expensive

Playa Del Carmen does have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

There are several distinct beaches, ranging from the super popular to the charming and deserted.

White sand + palm trees + turquoise water = thousands of tourists taking photos with their iPhones and making people feel bad about being stuck at home (and then getting drunk and swimming with the iPhone in their pocket).

Yes, it’s beautiful on the beach.

But the land on the beach has been predominantly gobbled up by international companies who think it’s reasonable to charge $3 USD for a coke in a hotel bar.

The Playa Del Carmen hotels that are on the beach are the most expensive in the whole of the city.

Move one block away from the sand and the price is cut by half.

However, they are some of the most beautiful hotels in Playa Del Carmen, and hey, you’re on vacation…so why not splurge on an ocean view and literally stay on the sand.

The Best Playa Del Carmen Hotels On The Beach

The challenge with choosing a hotel on the beach is that they all have amazing photos.

Every single one has some dreamy sales images of the Playa Del Carmen beach.

Some of the Playa Del Carmen hotels on the beach just use the location to charge extortionate amounts.

Take the Iberostar.

Great view, great location…but that’s all it’s got.

Trash in my opinion; don’t stay there!!!

However, there are some hotels that offer both the location and an amazing experience.

I’m talking about Playa Del Carmen hotels on the beach with personality and style.

Hotels and resorts that you’ll remember.

Not hotels that look just like every other beach-front hotel in the whole world.

I also talking about Playa Del Carmen hotels that are close to 5th Avenue.

Some of the hotels are too far out of town, meaning that you get the beach, but don’t see any of what makes Playa Del Carmen so special.

I’ve included a couple of places that are actually on 5th Avenue.

Yes, I know that’s like a 60 second walk away from the beach, but they’re top hotels.

Great amenities and service are also a pretty essential part of the Playa Del Carmen hotel on the beach experience.

So that came into my consideration.

Anyway, enough rambling, here are my top Playa Del Carmen hotels on the beach…

The Best Playa Del Carmen Hotel On The Beach – Playa Maya

If I was giving out awards, then the Playa Maya would win hands down.

There aren’t that many bonafide hotels on the beach, as most of the coastal options are resorts and all-inclusives.

Playa Maya is a cute hotel, bang on the ocean and right next to 5th Avenue.

The location is superb.

Great staff, excellent views, nice rooms; the Playa Maya has everything you would want from a hotel.

It’s not flashy like some of the resorts, and it’s certainly not a place that’s reserved for rich overweight American couples who like to play golf on vacation.

But the best thing about the Playa Maya is the price.

They have rooms for just $100 USD/night.

That’s unheard of anywhere else on the beach.

Even the most luxurious suites are only $235 USD/night in high season.

The Best Playa Del Carmen Condo Hotel On The Beach – El Taj Oceanfront & Beachside Condos Hotel

If you’re with a group, then it’s very hard to look past this place.

They have a variety of units with prices ranging from $300 USD/night for a one bedroom up to $1300 USD/night for a three bedroom.

Walk out of the gate and you’re on the sand; walk the other way and you’re bang in the center of Playa Del Carmen.

It’s a relaxed and charming hotel.

Again, there’s nothing over the top or luxurious, but I prefer simpler décor and lower prices any day of the year.

More money for activities, tours, and things to do that way.

When you make a reservation, it’s always good to go for the ocean views.

Obviously they look good.

But they also mean it’s perfectly silent at night.

The Best Playa Del Carmen Small Hotel On The Beach – Petit Latiffe

If you want privacy and a personal touch, then check out Petit Latiffe.

It’s out of the way on a quiet stretch that’s tailor made for some serious R & R.

Best of all, it’s not surrounded by boisterous resorts, so there aren’t any groups of tourists to interrupt your relaxation.

I prefer the bungalows, as there is a rustic feel to them.

It would be easy to lose about seven days just swinging in your private hammock and listening to the waves.

As it is, 5th Ave is only about 10 minutes away.

I really love this place.

Not cheap, and not for singles, but as a charming romantic break, it’s one of the best in Playa Del Carmen.

Oh…and it’s practically built on the sand.

Seriously, you don’t even need to wear footwear when you’re staying here.

The Best Playa Del Carmen Resort On The Beach – Rosewood Mayakoba

I would love to stop writing so many recommendations for this resort.

It’s really expensive.

The cheapest room is $475 USD/night in low season!

Some of the presidential suites will cost you upwards of $5000 USD/night!

But, and it’s a quite a few buts…the Rosewood Mayakoba is probably the most beautiful resort in Playa Del Carmen.

And it has rooms that are so big you could get lost in them.

There is space everywhere.

So there’s no sharing the sand with a hundred other tourists.

If you’ve got an ocean view, then you want to spend as much time as possible enjoying it.

How about a private balcony?

Hmmm, that’s not quite good enough…

How about a private plunge pool on a roof terrace overlooking the ocean with a private butler delivering cocktails straight to your hand?

If you’ve got money and you want to indulge, then this is the place to be.

The Best All Inclusive Resorts On The Beach

Most of Playa Del Carmen’s all inclusive resorts are situated on the beach.

It sometimes seems like most of the coastline is slowly getting overrun by the all inclusive beach resorts.

There are three that I would recommend here.

Paradius Playa Del Carmen La Esmeralda is a great family resort.

It’s also pretty cheap, with rooms starting at $206 USD/night in low season.

Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun is a 5 star all inclusive that’s just about as close to the ocean as you can get.

Also, in low-season you can get some phenomenal deals, and two people can stay here for just $200 USD/night.

Finally, El Dorado Maroma is going to cost you a lot of money – by a lot I mean somewhere between $700 USD/night and $2500 USD/night.

But it’s beautiful and probably has the best strip of sand for any of the all inclusive resorts.

Now You’re On The Beach…What Next?

I couldn’t help finishing this article with a quick run down of why it’s good to be on the beach.

  • You can build sandcastles.  Don’t laugh, even if you’re 30 and have no kids, building sandcastles is brilliant.
  • You can lounge around and do absolutely nothing – except for drinking cocktails and reading a copy of Game of Thrones that you got two years ago.
  • You can play beach volleyball, rent a jet ski, go parasailing, or even snorkeling or scuba diving.
  • But most of all…you can look at all the beautiful people who come to Playa Del Carmen.

And for that, it’s often worth the extra money for getting a Playa Del Carmen hotel on the beach.

I hope to see you here soon!

Lots of love,

Rufus

Rufus signature

It’s your turn. Do you have any advice, tips, or suggestions about hotels on the beach here? Please leave them in the comments section below!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *