Hotel Sol Playa

The food was fantastic, with lots of menu choices at reasonable prices, and the staff were friendly and helpful. I especially loved the freshly squeezed orange juice. I’d come back in a heartbeat. My apartment-sized room was huge and incredibly clean. The neighborhood was quiet, with a wide, well-lit walking path, two beautiful beaches within walking distance, and public transit nearby. There’s also a quaint rooftop terrace. It’s a simple, secure place to stay.

The burger was good and huge, and the fries came out nice and crispy. We ordered the hamburger and beer special, which includes fries, for 95 pesos. But it took more than an hour for the food to reach our table, even though the place wasn’t busy. The people at the nearby table were also complaining about the wait. The portions are good, but the service is very, very slow. Probably best to come here for drinks.

The restaurant was so good that we ate every meal there over our two days, not just the delicious breakfast that was included. Our studio had a full kitchen, two balconies, and a king bed. At $70/nite plus tax, it cost half as much as anything else we found online. We’re looking forward to coming back to PdC. We picked the hotel for its liberal cancellation policy, since flights were being canceled left and right and we didn’t want to pay for a room we couldn’t use. We also wanted to be close to the Cozumel ferry for the rest of our trip and near Beach 88, which looked nice. We were a little concerned about being on the second floor without an elevator, but Christian, the owner and manager of the hotel and Restaurant 88 downstairs, helped us carry our bags up. The restaurant also delivered room service, and the rooftop viewing platform was well worth the climb.

The food was delicious, and everyone was super nice. Having a kitchen and fridge was great. It’s a 5-10 minute trip to the center of Playa Del Carmen. Cabs away from busy 5th Avenue cost us 35-40 pesos, but from there they charge around 95. Agree on the fare before you get in, since the cabs don’t have meters.