Hostal El Padrino

I’ve stayed here a few times and keep coming back. It’s simple and very clean, and the owner is friendly and helpful. The smart TV is great, and having AC is a real plus. The walk to the beach is about 15 minutes, through a cute town and over a footbridge.

Staying here gave me a taste of life in a local residential neighborhood, and I felt safe there. My room was spacious, with a private bathroom, hot water, AC, a TV, table and chairs, hangers, towels, sheets, an electronic keypad lock, and a parking spot while I was there. There’s also a shared kitchen outside the private rooms. It’s a family-run place with a homey feel, and the hosts checked that I was okay with the neighbors playing loud music before I’d even settled in. They kept it up until around 11 p.m. or midnight, but I’m a night owl, so it didn’t bother me. Finding the place was the tricky part: the address on Google Maps and Hostelworld was slightly off, though nearby residents pointed me the right way. One thing I noticed after ten days in Mexico and visits to different cities is that budget hotels and hostels usually provide sheets, but no blanket. I prefer having a blanket even in warm weather because the weight feels comforting and secure. I’d recommend staying here, and suggest calling directly instead of booking through a third party, since you’ll get a better price and the hosts won’t have to pay a website commission.

The dorm room was clean, the bed was comfortable, and there was a fridge in the room. The price was right, though there hadn’t been any drinking water available so far, and the shower only had cold water. Dogs barking in the neighborhood woke me twice on my first night, at 3 a.m. and 5:30, then again at 6:20. I know from living near badly behaved dogs how miserable it is to lose sleep over noisy animals. It’s a 25-minute walk to turtle beach scam :)

El Padrino has a kitchen with what you need to cook, the Wi-Fi worked well, and I felt safe. The woman working here was always smiling and happy to help. There’s a great market stall with very cheap, fresh fruit and vegetables just a two-minute walk away, plus good local taco stalls if you eat meat. Expect kids playing in the street, dogs wandering and barking, and locals partying late. This has a real local feel, definitely not a hotel, which suited me since I didn’t enjoy the tourist vibe in Playa Del Carmen. I didn’t try the dorm, but I’d recommend a private room. :)