Hotel Playa del Karma

I have been in the hotel business for a very long time, and have seen the gamut of conceivable hotel situations. Everything from five stars to no stars: I have seen it all. So it behooves me to tell you about a hotel that I would, in my professional estimation, call a diamond in the rough. Let me tell you about this little piece of Heaven they call the Hotel Playa del Karma, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

We found this hotel listed here on TripAdvisor (the BEST place to read candid reviews by people, like me, whom have been there and done that, and perhaps even those whom have bought the t-shirt as well). The purpose of this trip was to celebrate our honeymoon, as we were married on December 9th. We checked in on Monday, December 10th, and stayed until Friday, December 14th. The hotel's proprietor, Mr. Giuseppe Crapanzano, and I shared a few preliminary e-mails before our arrival to discuss such things as the nature of our vacation and to discuss parking options as we were to be renting a Volkswagen Beetle (the old-fashioned kind still alive and well on the roads of Mexico). Upon arrival, Mr. Crapanzano was there to greet us and showed us to our cottage.

This place is truly amazing. A row of tidy cottages lines the right side of a lush, tropical courtyard. Each cottage has a thatched roof in the playencia style with a small patio, each of which has a very inviting hammock. We found the hammock a very comfortable place to unwind before going to bed. The staff informed us that there are several types of rooms, designed for more guests per room. Our room was very comfortable, featuring festive paint schemes, a fast-moving ceiling fan, and high thatched ceilings with screened gable windows. The king-sized bed was flanked by small tables, and a bureau and corner desk sat across the room. The windows are screened when open, and the linen curtains gently swept back and forth in the evening breeze. We found the small refrigerator in the room to be stocked with all the essential waters and juices. In case you'd rather not take in the natural breeze, you can shut the windows and turn on the air conditioner. Ours worked VERY well! The room is equipped with a safe that you program with your own code. The bathroom is also tastefully decorated with tiled countertop, hand-painted sink, and large tiled shower. Our only complaint about the room was that the bed was quite firm, and took a night or two to get used to as ours back home is one of those super-soft pillow-top varieties. Most people I know, however, are used to firmer beds, and would likely not have an issue with this bed.

Let me also tell you about the staff at this hotel. They are wonderful. In addition to Mr. Crapanzano, the hotel has two more management partners, Beppo, the food and beverage director, and Maximiliano, the other managing partner. Sounds like these guys have Italian names. There's a good reason: these easy-going gentlemen have YEARS of hotel management experience under their collective belt, not only in Italy, their homeland, but also in other parts of the world. Every minor issue we brought to their attention was solved right away and to our satisfaction. Our in-room safe lost power during our stay, but members of the staff came to fix it right away. A night guard-dog at a business next door barked intermittently for several night-time hours and Mr. Crapanzano informed me that he had gone so far as to contact the city fathers to remedy this situation. They call Beppo the food and beverage director (a name commonly used in this business for the person who, as the name implies, looks after all the stuff you eat and drink), but we came to know Beppo as the man with the magic spatula. Everything this guy cooked for us for breakfast was absolutely wonderful. Take my advice, and that of several others who have reviewed this hotel - when you arrive for breakfast, tell Beppo to surprise you. Trust me. You won't be disappointed. And this big breakfast was included in the cost of our room. As Beppo himself pointed out, "...everyone has to eat breakfast." Besides the excellent food, there were several kinds of cereal, bread, fresh juice, even chocolate cake. Beppo found out that we were in Playa del Carmen on our honeymoon, and send a complimentary bottle of wine to our room. Our housekeeping staff was very conscientious as well, and kept our room in perfect order every day. We arrived to find the towels arranged on the bed as anything from a shield to a swan. Necessary toiletries were replenished as needed. We appreciated the extra touches, like the bow they tied around the toilet seat lid to signify that it, along with everything else, had been thoroughly cleaned.

Not only is this place a haven for those needing to relax on vacation, but it is also a haven for those looking for a spa. On Wednesday, we met Teresa, the hostess of the Sukha Spa. She explained some of the spa services they offer, ranging from massage up to the use of the temazcalito. We made arrangements for massage on Thursday morning, a deep-tissue massage for my bride, and a craneo-sacral treatment for me. We both came away from this hour relaxed and invigorated.

The main draw of this town seems to be the Avenida Cinquenta, where all the shops and restaurants are, and where the night life seems to draw the crowd, a pleasant mix of all ages and people groups. The Hotel Playa del Karma is only two blocks north of this Avenida Cinquenta tourist hub, located midway down Avenida 15. That means it is close enough to park the rental car, as we did, and walk a few blocks to all the shopping you can fathom. But it is far enough away to block the late-night noise from that area, noise you would hear at some of the larger and more popular boutique hotels that are right there on that main stretch. We barely heard the motor traffic on Avenida 15, even while relaxing in the courtyard.

Do yourself a favor. Take the two-hour flight down to Cancun sometime. Rent a car - they are so cheap nowadays, and allow you to see the entire Riviera Maya region at your own pace. Drive the thirty minutes or so to the charming village of Playa del Carmen. And look up our new friends Giuseppe, Beppo, and Max at our new favorite hotel, the Hotel Playa del Karma. You might be tempted to move in permanently. We certainly were.

The team of 3 Italian guys (fluent English) that runs this place are obviously very experienced in hospitality and determined to make a success of this hotel. They went beyond the extra mile to welcome, to listen, to ask and sometimes just to psychically predict what would make us happy in their little oasis. When I reported minor issues with our room they were addressed with lightning speed. The WiFi worked throughout the grounds (except in Room 21, which should be avoided for lacking the charm offered by "Palapa" rooms) and the pool was clean and swimmable, though small. The environment is amazingly relaxing compared to the bustle just outside its doors. The courtesy of the guys running this place goes beyond hospitality to another level. Negatives: the continental breakfast should have delicious, not poor, coffee and nobody anywhere should serve powdered mix in place of orange juice. Knowing these guys, they'll change these 2 things the day after they read this review. They're that kind of people.

I've stayed in 6 diffrerent hotels in this town over 5 years and this one is priced just right compared to the others I know.

Nice small hotel (17 rooms). Located just one block from the 5th avenue. I booked for a week, planning to move around Mexico for a week after that. upon arrival I wanted to change my plans a little bit because of the Play del Carmen jazzfestival and they were very helpful and flexible changing dates were possible. Giuseppe and Beppe thanx for a great time! 'I'll be back asap'

We spend wonderful honeymooner week in this lovely hotel .Each single place in this hotel done with a special touch and love.The beauty of our tropical garden ,couzy ,well cleaned ,comfortable room .Special thanks to the people at their spa (though they do not really like to be called as such) they're extremely professional and they offer healing therapies very uncommon to any other welness centre we have been. Try the Craneo Sacral therapy! You'll feel as if you borne again! If you're really looking for a place where you need someone to take care of you from day 1 ...this is the place. Keep it up guys. We are defenetly going to be back next year!!!!!!

The management is helpful and pleasant, but this is not a romantic place in the least. It is located too far from 5th Ave and next to a street with a lot of through traffic. We heard trucks all evening and a dog barking most of the night. The front office is the nicest area and the lighting in the public area is ambient at night, but It ends there. This is a plain & average hotel -the US comparison I would give is EconoLodge with some palm trees with a dirtier shower. They had recently varnished the thatched roof and the cleaning products they used in the room were very strong and unpleasant. The blankets and sheets were worn and musty. If you need a place to crash to hit the beach this could do, but if you are looking for a memorable experience I would suggest another hotel.

I stayed in Playa del Carmen before but this time wanted to try Playa Del Karma since I noticed some good comments about them. I also saw some negative ones and decided to take the risk. I stayed in one of their “Palapa rooms”. You would never expect how cozy and comfortable are these rooms. This is the real Mexican style. An oasis of tranquility where the tropical garden and the little pool dominate the scene. It is also very convenient at just two blocks away from the Quinta Avenida, you could not ask for more. I would say one of the best value for money hotels in the area. They also prepare a very nice theme dinner on Fridays. Atmosphere was definitely at its best, candlelight and a good bottle of wine to complement unique dishes. We really made an effort to leave but we really wanted to encourage these guys to continue to do what they’re already doing with the same passion we witnessed. We’ll see you guys next summer !

Vincenzo (Rome)

My girlfriend and I were in Playa del Carmen just two weeks ago and we actually did not know what to expect. Since we were not fond of the

"All Inclusive" concept, we were just trying to find a small environment where to relax. Playa is full of small hotels and, to be frank, we visited several of them, till we found Playa del Karma. We found ourselves in a surprisingly enchanting environment as we went through their main door. The details of the receptions, the door taking to the tropical garden... We immediately fell in love with it and stayed in a palapa room for a week. We loved it.

I must admit that the staff there really know how to deal with service. It seemed to me that they had learned their job in some top-class hotel. The hosts live there and they always try to assist you in any possible way.

For example, breakfast was the best time of the day. Bepe knows how to tempt your taste buds. If you go there, I suggest you'd better let him do as he wishes. He'll definitely surprise you with every bit of creativity.

We'll definitely be back some day.

Cal & Cecy

My husband and I planned to stay here for only 1 night before heading on a week-long honeymoon around the Yucatan Peninsula. But,,, we fell in love with this tranquil, peaceful, romantic patch of paradise, and stayed for 4 nights in total. The staff are the friendliest and most helpful people we met on our travels through Mexico. And the breakfasts are amazing! Let Pepe cook you up a suprise specialty. You won't be dissapointed! The gardens are lush and beautiful, the rooms spacious and clean, the beds huge, and the hammock out the front of our room was a nice touch. A simple, beautiful boutique hotel that we'd love to come back to visit.