NGail

Would like to find a hotel in PDC that has the amenities of an AI, but without included meals and drinks, (except included breakfast which would be nice.)
Are there any AIs that have this as an option?
We'd want to be on a good beach but also be able to walk into town for restaurants, etc.
Thanks.

jamie99

Playa Maya is beachfront and has breakfast included but is not an AI.

Rohelio

Aventura Mexicana is exactly what you seek. They are situated in the Italian section of centre town which is about 2 blocks to the beach, between la Quinta Avenida(main drag)and avenida10. You will find it on the internet

suze

Rohelio, But NGail wants to be ON the beach, not 2 blocks away.

Rohelio

What do you know about Playa Suze, you have never been, as a matter of fact, you have never been anywhere near the Yucatan peninsula or that side of the country for that matter. You should stick to PV.
I know Playa very well and I also know that he will not find what he is looking for on the beach unless he goes AI.

SambaChula

We stayed a couple of blocks back from the beach in the Playa Maya area and were not impressed at all with the conditions. Lots of rocks/coral make it uncomfortable to enter and be in the water. But we were coming from much nicer beaches in Akumal and Tulum, and it was hard not to make the comparison. Don't know if conditions change up further in the section Rohelio is suggesting.

suze

I don't need to have been to Playa del Carmen to know this person requested a place ON the beach.

Rohelio

You are right Samba Chula, that portion of the beach used to be very popular and sought after, that is 10 to 15 or more years ago. The neighbouring businesses were small , quiet and quaint. La Quinta agenda (now world famous) was not even paved and the small city was considered to be a back packers heaven, which I remember quite fondly. As with everything today, Playa has evolved and is now recognized as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. That said,the Playa Maya hotel has done it's best to keep up with the times. The hotel had it's share of problems and renovated some 6 or 8 years ago as reported by the Playa Times newspaper. It took a considerable amount of time as problems were had with permits and licenses. That is all in the past now but it must be mentioned that playa maya is still considered PARTY CENTRAL and still attracts the young crowd and the sleepless nights: but now they are accompanied by night clubs, beach clubs and bars and to add to the problem the once white powdery sand has been replaced with a more rochish coral grit (similar to PV) due to natural erosion. I must confess that I have never stayed there and am also convinced that this establishment has it's positive points... but I would not recommend it. I find it a shame to have to waste the OP,s time on this post simply because some person decided to throw a wrench in the works. I find these forums to be very interesting and certainly informative and would therefore suggest to future posters to comment only if you have actually set foot in the area, rather than draw conclusions from having read some article in a book or magazine !

suze

<rather than draw conclusions from having read some article in a book or magazine>

I actually only read the question in the original post here.

Rohelio

Need I say more... !!!

suze

"We'd want to be on a good beach"

is this person's request.

SambaChula

Well, as I mentioned, the section of beach where we parked ourselves at an on-the-sand restaurant/bar would not fulfill that criteria of "good beach" IMO.
Playa del Carmen is not really a place I look forward to spending lots of time, particularly after visiting many nicer beaches and historic places on the Yucatan. IMO 5th is good for shopping for cheap trinkets to pass around at home and supposedly discounted booze, bypassing all the offers for drugs as you walk along the street. DH likes shopping for local clothes, far from 5th, and cowboy boots, and we both like the little Cuban music clubs, rather than the raucous pop music ones along the beach. It's an OK place for a convenient overnight before heading to the airport.

NGail

Oh dear!
Hadn't been into PDC for years and "playa maya is still considered PARTY CENTRAL" is a deal-breaker for us.
The Hotel Playa Maya does get very nice reviews on TripAdvisor for cleanliness, food and service though. (thanks, Jamie99 for suggesting it.)
Last winter in Akumal (and Merida) was so great that we may end up going back.
And, you're right, suze, a good beach is a must.
Thanks all for your responses.

SambaChula

@ngail--TA is currently so notorious for the number of faked and "incentivized" reviews that IMO it becomes very hard to trust what is written in many cases.

Do check the current conditions at any beach regarding seaweed; there has been a very severe problem in the water and washing up on the beaches all along the coast.
We generally prefer Akumal to PdC, but check the LocoGringo live cam for current beach conditions. You could also try quieter Puerto Morelos. Or even Tulum, which we enjoy a lot.

Have you visited charming Valladolid as well as Merida?

suze

<<And, you're right, suze, a good beach is a must.>>

Thanks for the clarification NGail, I thought it was pretty darn clear in your request -lol!

(Rohelio always disagrees with anything I say because he knows I have not been to the Caribbean side since I always go to Puerto Vallarta.)

jamie99

Here is the link to the locogringo.com webcam:
https://www.locogringo.com/akumal-beach-webcam
You could look at Hotel Akumal Caribe, it is non-AI and right on Akumal beach, continental breakfast included of coffee, toast or sweet roll, juice and fruit plate, which you can upgrade for a few $ to add eggs, bacon, etc.
Or look into condos on Half Moon Bay, Playa Caribe is very nice as is Vista del Mar and it is nice to have a fridge for leftovers, water and beer, and a microwave. Does NOT mean you have to cook.

Rohelio

You are right suze, I often disagree with you because you tend to mislead people on many posts regarding the Riviera Maya. Hey, I have been to New York City and if I follow your mindset, I should be able to comment and advise people on San Francisco even though I have never been.
When people take their time to request information on a certain area, city or location, I believe that they expect an answer from a person who has actually been there, actually set foot in the designated area and has had an actual "FEEL" for the area in question. They seek to gain from your experience and not from your personal opinion.

suze

The only thing I pointed out here Rohelio, is that NGail *specifically* requested a hotel ON THE BEACH.

And your recommended is one 2 blocks away NOT ON THE BEACH at all.

I did not give one single piece of advice or "answer" anything on this thread. So I'm not sure how that could "mislead" anyone.

SambaChula

"A good beach is a must", but that might not be possible to find on the Caribbean shore of the Yucatan until Mother Nature resolves the sargassum seaweed problem.
ON or back from beach, AI or DIY, walking distance to town or more isolated---if the OP wants to enjoy the beach, seaweed conditions, and if present what is being done to clear it on the section chosen, should be their first consideration currently.
So why not suggest some options from your personal experience that the OP could call or email about seaweed in the water and on the beach. (Sorry, I can't help, because we stay at small posadas, not resorts or hotels.)

suze

Does Isla Mujeres have the same seaweed issues as on the mainland?