VIA 38 Condo Boutique

The condo and staff were great, but the other guests made the stay unpleasant. Older guests took over the pool loungers every day, spent hours in both hot tubs, including the one meant for families, yelled between balconies, and walked through our personal balcony space. They acted entitled. If you're after the vibrant cosmopolitan atmosphere Playa had five years ago, this condo may disappoint. The area has changed, and Playa isn't the place I remember. It feels like South Cancun without the mega resorts.

We had a fantastic stay in unit A-13 at Via 38. The modern, spacious condo was nicely decorated, with two balconies and two huge bedrooms with three beds. It's in a perfect spot, right at the corner of 5th avenue, the main walking street full of restaurants, and Calle 38th, a gorgeous tree lined street with plenty of bars and restaurants too. The beach is just a two minute walk away, but inside the building it feels like a quiet oasis. There's a huge pool with lots of loungers and sun, plus two hot tubs we used all the time. We'd definitely stay again.

I liked the location, but the rooms could use some work. The place also felt really strange. Staff watched us closely, and if we laughed or spoke loudly, they came over to tell us to quiet down or risk a fine of hundreds of dollars. They even walked around taking photos of guests. When I asked why, they said they needed “evidence” that people were being loud so they could fine them.

Our first apartment was noisy in the evenings, but after a couple of days our hosts Laura and Lois helped move us to another one. They replied quickly and made sure we were comfortable, and we ended up having a very nice stay.