Swaying palms, lush tropical gardens and sweeping Caribbean views frame the charming palapa-roofed architecture of Playa Palms Boutique Beach Hotel. We welcome you to enjoy Playa del Carmen as it is meant to be experienced - where gracious service, superb amenities and exhilarating activities deliver just the Mexico you came to see. As the "alternative to all-inclusives," Playa Palms offers a relaxed and intimate departure from the larger resorts on the Riviera Maya. Stay walking distance from the vibrant shops, restaurants, and bars of 5th Avenue, known locally as "La Quinta." When relaxing at the hotel, guests have their choice of amenities and adventures. Whether you want to indulge in the delicious local cuisine, partake in a wide range of water sports, or lounge in a hammock on your private terrace while basking inexquisite ocean views, Playa Palms is an elegant oasis for relaxation in the heart of Playa del Carmen. Come to Playa Palms and Wake Up Inside Your Dream! Enjoy a complimentary Continental breakfast on your private balcony overlooking the Caribbean when you book your reservations directly through the hotel.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Harbour View
Bay View
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
1st Avenue Bis Between 12th And 14th Streets, Playa del Carmen 77710 Mexico
Name/address in local language
Playa Palms Beach Hotel
1,222 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
My husband and I stayed in unit 214 from January 28, 2020 to February 6, 2020, which is on the second floor, right on the beach of the Caribbean Sea. For reference the cost for 10 days was US $243 a night, which includes a simple, minimal breakfast delivered to your patio. This is a 3 story condo complex built in 1999 which is owned by individuals and run like a hotel. Consequently there is no restaurant or real kitchen, laundry or house keeping area. To get to the beach front rooms on the second and third floors, you must navigate a steep, narrow spiral staircase which is quite short in height. There are also stairs at the entrance of the building. The view from this side of the complex was unobstructed by trees but it was quite windy on the patio which rendered the outdoor space unusable for several days. The room is what would be considered a studio apartment equipped with a kitchenette (small fridge, 2 burner stove top, toaster, microwave, blender, sink, dishes/cups/utensils/pots and pans) and a bathroom with a large shower and a make-up mirror. My one major suggestion would be to provide a coffee pot in the room as the breakfast staff were not amenable to giving us extra coffee even after tipping them. There is kcup type coffee maker but it contained the tiniest cups and it did not seem to work. There is a bottled water dispenser in the room. The TV service had 5 English speaking channels. The wi-fi advertised as free was almost unusable and was incredibly weak. The room was very clean, the maintenance staff was busy and responsive, there were two security staff at the front and back of the building at night. It felt like a very safe complex. The beach is small but cozy with comfy beach chairs where you could sit in the shade. Now for some things that will affect your stay but are not necessarily within the control of Playa Palms complex. The sea grass residue on the beach was prolific while we visited but workers raked it up constantly, because it smells fetid. There are boats moored directly in of the beach and they smelled of diesel fuel. The beach itself appears to be eroding and shrinking. It is not a good place for swimming, but a mere 700 feet to the South is an expansive beach. There was a travelling DJ Arena show 2 doors from the complex which played the loudest, sub woofer base, club music from midnight to 7 am for 5 nights of our 10 night stay. It was so deafening that it made your chest thump and the windows rattle. Something the complex can do is angle the security light away from directly inside room 214 at night. It was absolutely blinding. The air conditioner worked really well but is was thunderously loud when it came on. All in all it was a pleasant vacation stay with a magnificent location 3 blocks from the mall but with some minor annoyances.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Room Tip:If you have mobility challenges you will need to stay on the first floor
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed a week here. It's a great location, perfect distance from the beach and 5th Ave. We could hear the ocean waves at night and none of the crazy party music. The room was nice and big and fully stocked with dishes, fridge, stove, and more. They have a 5 gallon water dispenser in each room, which lasted us the whole week. The balcony is beautiful ❤️. We had breakfast there most mornings. Breakfast is $7/day and was pretty good for the price. You can't beat free room service!! The pool is small, but nice. It closes at 6pm, which is kind of silly. The staff was very pleasant and friendly. The room was cleaned very well daily. They even have a concierge person to setup tours for you if needed. The only complaint we had was that the toilets don't work very well. I suppose we can blame the Caribbean/Central American crappy (pun intended) water pressure more than the hotel.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 16 Nov 2021
We are so happy to read your kind comments and we appreciate you taking the time to leave us this amazing review. We are ready to welcome you back soon again!!
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We had an excellent stay - the first few days were a bit stormy as is to be expected this time of year and therefor there were some debris on the beach and slower wifi connection. That all cleared up when the sunny weather came on day three of our stay. Staff and service was great with daily room cleaning and towel service, beach towels and breakfast delivered to your room or patio. Location is ideal, on the beach and one-two blocks away from 5th ave with all the restaurants and bars, but still quiet in the hotel area. Perfect for couples! Bonus - the ocean front room we stayed in (#112) has a window/shutters from the bathroom so you can watch the waves roll in as you pee!
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Date of stay: November 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Ocean front room 112 gives you a private patio ON the beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 26 Nov 2020
Dear guest we appreciate your kind review, highlighting our amenities and of course recommending us to trip advisor community. We will make sure to transmit your comments to our team, they will be delight to hear they were part of your wonderful experience in the riviera maya. We are already looking forward welcome you very soon!
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Here is a summary of our stay. A real pity because hotel is quite nice on the beach but we had this bad experience: cold water, moldy room, stale breakfast, had to pay for room coffee, my price for reservation was not in the system, the management wanted extra $400 for my room. I came in person to book two rooms next to each other, they gave me rooms on different floors. One hour check in process. They demanded I pay in cash in USD or credit card using pesos whith conversion of 1 USD = 20 peso when current rate is 1 USD = 18 peso. Boats on the beach so we could not swim at the hotel, wft? Staff playing music at night next to our room, I had to go out at 4 am to tell them to turn it off. I got sick from taking shower in cold water. We payed for high end experience, instead we got an adventure!
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Date of stay: December 2019
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from travelerpdc, Director de Relaciones con Clientes at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 6 Jan 2020
Dear guest thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us, your comments are very important for us. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience you may had during your stay with us. We are very sorry we didn't fill out your expectations and failed you this time during your visit, we will have your comments in consideration to improve in the issues mention above. Thank you again for your review!
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We recently moved to Playa and have been jonesing for the ocean. Since resorts and hotels are still allowing guests to access the beach, we came here for 2 nights. It was nearly perfect.
First of all, the location. Even rooms farther back have a partial ocean view and you can hear the ocean from anywhere. When you get out of the pool, the beach is 4 steps away. You'll love the ocean view and the boats tied near the shore. It's a gorgeous sight. Ocean access is pretty easy. It's dirty and stinky by the boats, but keep going- there's a sandbar a short bit out with clear blue water, no rocks, and very few plants. It's warm and shallow, which was PERFECT for our 7 year old.
The pool is small, but nice. We loved that it was basically at our doorstep. It was rarely occupied while we were there. Oh, but watch your step getting in. There's a 3rd step that you can't see. Every single person we saw who used the steps, fell in, including ourselves. Good thing it's just into water. :)
We loved our room. The bed was great. Our daughter slept on the couch, which was pretty comfortable. The AC worked, everything was clean, and the furniture is fine. The mini kitchen space was nice to have.
We didn't have a lot of contact with staff, but everyone seemed really friendly. Security and housekeeping always said hello.
One last thing: if you book on their site you will get breakfast. When we checked in, they offered us cereal or yogurt and we were thinking, "Whaaat? THAT is breakfast?" But it turned out to be an impressive spread with fresh fruit, coffee, juice, milk, bread, sweet rolls, and also cereal and yogurt. :D
At only $50 USD/night, I think you'll love it.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:We liked 103 - close to everything and room for 2 adults, 1 child.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 11 Sept 2020
Thank you for your kind review! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay. We hope you stay with us again in the future!
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Playa Palms was honestly a really disappointing stay and not what we expected at all.
We expected there to be a beach for us to use when we booked this hotel, but the beach was a tiny patch of sand that led into rocks with boats docked a few yards out into the water. There was no way I would feel comfortable utilizing this beach for swimming. Playa Del Carmen was dealing with seaweed/sargassum issues, but in the main beach they clean it up and clear it out. Unfortunately they did not seem to do so at Playa Palms, so the whole main hotel area SMELLED so much as it is open on both ends. It was nauseating.
The doors to the rooms are sliding glass doors, like the ones you might use to enter a yard. It made privacy and security feel a little lackluster. Furthermore, on our second night, we returned to our room to find our door UNLOCKED. The person cleaning our room inevitably had not locked the door after cleaning it (I always double check that doors are locked when leaving anywhere so no chance that it slipped our mind), which left me and my boyfriend feeling quite rattled. The hotel is open on both ends and the security is lackluster (there is a guard at night at the front who just asks your room number but several times coming in and out did not see him).
This is a little bit of a nitpick, but I found the sheets to be pretty uncomfortable. After spending the day at the beach, I did not want to feel every toss and turn in the middle of the night with the rough sheets scraping my skin.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Book somewhere else
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Playa palms beach hotel, Owner at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 15 Jun 2023
Dear guest, We sincerely apologize for the disappointing experience you encountered during your stay at Playa Palms. Your feedback is highly valued, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns. We understand that the beach conditions did not meet your expectations, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. While Playa Del Carmen, like many coastal areas, occasionally faces challenges with seaweed/sargassum, we strive to address and mitigate these issues. We regret if our efforts did not meet your expectations, and we will continue working to improve the beach area for the comfort of our guests. Regarding the incident with the unlocked door, please accept our sincerest apologies. This is not reflective of our usual standards of service and security. We take your safety and privacy seriously, and we are thoroughly investigating the matter to prevent any recurrence. We understand the unease this may have caused, and we assure you that appropriate measures will be taken to ensure the utmost security of our guests. Once again, we apologize for any inconveniences you encountered during your stay. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we strive to enhance our services and facilities. We hope that you will consider giving us another opportunity to provide you with the exceptional experience we are known for. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention. Best regards, Hotel Management
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After booking online we checked in and they refused USD and insisted we pay a “special” exchange fed. Place was on the beach. Apartment was full of bugs and smelt funny. Cost was a bit high. Pool looked ok. Skip this one for sure!!!
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Date of stay: April 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 11 Sept 2020
Thank you for taking the time to leave your comments. We would like to mention that since the hotel is in Mexico, we charge the currency of the country. We can certainly accept USD, however only in cash. Our bank terminal only allows us to charge local currency. This is the case in most establishments. Also, we use the daily currency that our bank gives us.
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The location was perfect for my daughters! The hotel is nice and close to the clubs, shopping and dining- very touristy.
The patio was cute with a hammock to relax in. We ate breakfast on the patio every morning. A wonderful man carried our breakfast tray to us every morning. You can request the time your meal arrives. The patio ceiling was high enough for me to jump rope and HIIT.
The building is secure- the doors are locked and a guard lets you in after 10 pm. I felt safe.
The wifi was dodgy. The room was tiny for all the furniture that was crammed in it. We didnt spend too much time in the room, so it worked for us.
The beach was kind of gross. A short walk down the beach and you can find stunning beaches and people having a great time.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from travelerpdc, Director de Relaciones Públicas at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 13 Jan 2020
Estimada Dana, es un gusto recibir sus comentarios y agradecemos su tiempo para compartir su experiencia durante su estadia con nosotros, nos complace escuchar que disfrutara de nuestras amenidades y nuestro equipo formara parte de sus vacaciones en Playa del Carmen. Esperamos recibirle en sus futuros viajes, lamentamos que las condiciones de nuestra playa al momento de su visita, actualmente se encuentra en perfectas condiciones, no dude echar un vistazo a nuestra cámara en vivo desde nuestro sitio web oficial. Ha sido un gusto recibirle. Saludos cordiales!
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Arrived last Wednesday during a very windy, rainy storm that lasted for a couple of days, which brought a lot of debris up on the beach and really messed with the wifi, but today the beach and the ocean are both clean and beautiful, and the sun is out and shining. Wifi still is up and down but getting much better. Hot water was back to normal as of this morning. It's been a rough six weeks for all of Playa with three named tropical storms or hurricanes - you can see the results all over town - but for now I think the rainy season is over and things are looking up.
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Date of stay: November 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Beachfront rooms have incredible views of the ocean
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 10 Nov 2020
We appreciate you leaving us a review and sharing your experience with other travelers , thank you for highlighting our effort to keep our beautiful property shining after three natural disasters, our team will be glad to hear they've been doing a great job. We feel delightful to hear your experience has been satisfying through it all. Best regards, Playa palms team
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Only nice thing about this hotel is the location. If you’re needing or wanting consistent hot water or internet I’d highly suggest to go elsewhere. The management doesn’t not listen or care (blonde female w/ American accent) nor will they give your money back when they can not provide the service they claim they have. Also, constant construction always going on, which makes it not so peaceful for the guests. Keep this in mind if you decide to stay! I tried to have My remaining days cancelled, but they’re refusing to give me my money back since I’ve pre paid 4 weeks in advance I’m forced to stay with no hot water again and 💩 Internet. Not worth the money. Also, picture are deceiving and I took a photo of their beach. Lol not nearly as pristine as they show 😂
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Responded 9 Nov 2020
Dear guest, thank you for leaving us your review, we are very sorry for inconveniences you had staying with us. Due to very unusual circumstances this year having 3 huge storms one after another we did have some problems as we’ve never had in over 20 years of our history. We did have our water heater flooded which took a while to fix the right way, so we didn’t have hot water for 2 days, due to the power outage and no internet in the area after storms our internet didn’t work for a day or 2. Obviously all fixed now. Regarding the beach it changes every day, sometimes is the most beautiful beach in Caribbean, but due to the storms and a lot of rain we still have it may not look that inviting. We invite you to take a look when you have a chance to our live webcam directly from the beach at our website. From other hand about cancelation in your reservation you choose to make it with our very low not refundable rate. Kind regards!
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Dear traveler,
You have many options near by the hotel, we also have covid test available at the hotel . Our front desk team can assist you booking and providing you the prices for the test at your arrival.
Regards!
Hi Kristin,
We definitely don't have a Spring break atmosphere but are all the opposite of it. At Playa Palms Beach Hotel you find a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere. Kids are of course welcome! Also, I'd like to add, that we are not a resort but a rather small boutique hotel. Your reservation includes breakfast (American breakfast if you reserve direct and Continental if you reserve by any other means), and we serve drinks and snacks at our beach.
Since we are in the very center of Playa del Carmen, there are plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, etc. within a short walking distance.
Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any further questions!
Kind regards,
Helge Sturesson
General Manager
Playa Palms Beach Hotel
Dear Marlène,
Our guests seem to be satisfied with the sleeping quality of the sofa beds, so far we haven't received complaints about it :) If your daughter prefers to have a bit more space, we recommend staying in our 1-bedroom suite. It features a separate bedroom, and the living room has a queen-sized pull-out couch. Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions!
Kind regards,
Désirée // Digital Media Manager // Playa Palms Beach Hotel
There are more places to choose from in the Playa del Carmen area.
PRICE RANGE
RM 645 - RM 909 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
playa palms beach hotel playa del carmen
LOCATION
MexicoYucatan PeninsulaQuintana RooRiviera MayaPlaya del Carmen
NUMBER OF ROOMS
39
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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