The Royal Playa del Carmen. It's not too large. A 5 minute walk to 5th Avenue. Tons of restaurants, bars, entertainment and shopping.

Secrets Maroma, the El Dorado Maroma and the Iberostar Grand Pasario gets good reviews also. A little farther from 5th Avenue. You need to take a cab or hotel shuttle.

I typically do tours on vacation. I have used this company on many occasions:

http://www.playadelcarmentours.com/

Even if you are not a tour person it's good info of things to see and do in that area.

We have used this company also:

http://www.playa.info/tours-anna-james-general.html

I have never had a problem with drinks at the resorts or on 5th Avenue. I always bring Pepto just in case. We've been going to Mexico almost every year since 2000 and scheduled for Cabo in December.

Look at the resorts within 3-4 miles north or south of Playa del Carmen which have adult only areas. At those resorts, you can take a quick taxi into Playa. Grand Velas is one, and it is excellent, but it is pricey, so look for others.

You have your choice of tours. We have used Edventures (and so have many of the tenants in our condo in the north end of Playa del Carmen) with great success, for Akumal and turtle/fish snorkeling, Dos Ojos cave snorkeling, Tulum, etc.

Personally, I would not go to the Royal in Playa del Carmen in mid-March. It is not that far down the beach from Mamitas, which is nuts any time in spring around spring break time. Playa gets really busy and packed around that ime.

I don't understand that comment about the Royal Playa del Carmen resort. It's an adult only AI with it's own beach. Mamitas is really not that close and is on the other side of the Grand Porto Real hotel. I don't see how people using that area of beach would effect the Royal. But, then again I don't go on vacation during Spring Break season. Too expensive and too crowded anywhere for my taste.

Regarding location, The Royal is on the side closest to Mamitas, and Grand Porto Real is on the opposit side of the Royal, going away (south) from Mamitas.

No resorts or hotels or beach clubs have their own beach in Mexico. Mexican beaches are open to the public. The resorts and hotels and clubs can put down their chairs and umbrellas, but you can put yourself right down next to them w/your own towel. And you can walk right through the area. No beach is private. But the resorts that are outside of town on the Riviera Maya own the land between the highway and the beach. So you must be staying there to go through their gates to get to their beachfront. so essentially those are as close to "private beach" as you can get. But the Royal and Gran Porto Real are right in Playa, so everyone has access to that beach.

If you have not been there during spring break period, you do not understand what happens. Spring break is a zoo in Playa. We own a condo near Coco beach and have been there several times at spring break in the last few yrs. (not by choice, but we have college age kids who want to go at spring break). It is a zoo, esp. Mamitas, where there are big music stands set up for live music, DJs, beach volleyball, etc. The crowds are literally shoulder to shoulder on the sand, and the crowds there spill over to nearby beaches both north and south. 5th Ave is so crowded at night you can barely walk through much of it.

If you are going in early March, the crowds may not have started yet. That might be your saving grace. Semana Santa, the absolute height of the crowds in Playa, is March 24-31 in 2013.

As for your question about drinks at the resorts, they all use purified water for everything including ice, as do all the restaurants. The Mexican owners and managers understand that Playa is built on tourism, and they have no desire for anyone to get sick, esp. w/social network sites and online reviews, where their reputation is as good as their reviews. We have never gotten sick on any drinks or foods in Playa.

"Regarding location, The Royal is on the side closest to Mamitas, and Grand Porto Real is on the opposit side of the Royal, going away (south) from Mamitas."

I got my directions reversed when I posted this. For some reason I thought Mamitas was closer to Playa Palms.

The only real problem I see during Spring Break is probably the loud music factor coming from those beach clubs. People can trapse through the beach and/or plop down in the sand, but they are not allowed to use the resort chairs or amenities. It's still my first pick if your wanting an AI that close to 5th Avenue. If not, the AI resorts on Maroma Beach are a good choice. Maroma has to be one of the better beaches in that area.

My husband and I just went to Playa this summer. We stayed at Mehekal and loved it. It's a great place to travel to go to as a couple. The rooms are very close to the beach and it's more of a boutique hotel which is great. Their rooms are a bit rustic but it's part of their charm that you get to stay in a palapa roofed room. It isn't one of these over the top all inclusive type places where you are vacationing with thousands of your closest friends. I posted a trip report on the Caribbean board that you might want to check out.

I've been to the Riveria Maya 6 times now, and I would recommend NOT staying at a resort. We go to the fishing village of Puerto Morelos and absolutely love it there. Quiet, great snorkeling - including some right off the beach - several small hotels. Hotels are not fancy, but clean and reasonably priced. Quite a few restaurants to choose from. This winter we are going for a full month. We have always felt perfectly safe. If you're going to a resort, you might as well stay in the states.

Sandra, where do you snorkel from the beach in Puerto Morelos? We've assumed that you had to take a boat out to snorkel.

When we stayed in Puerto Morelos, you had to take the boat out for the good snorkeling.

"If you're going to a resort, you might as well stay in the states."

That is not a fair or accurate statement. We've been going to that area since 2000 and prefer resorts over "roughing it". To each their own. There is no right or wrong to vacation. Just personal preferences. The OP specifically requested recommdentations for AI resorts.