Need help on hotels.

Chupacabra · 12-16-2002

Hi,

I'm planning a 10 day trip to area in mid February. Our plans are to fly into Cancun and go directly to Playa. We've never been there before and don't have the greatest knowledge of the area. The tentative plan is to spend as much time as we want in Playa and then go to Isla Mujeres for the rest of the trip. We spent 4 days on Isla last year so we pretty much know what we're getting into on the island.

My major concern is whether or not we should reserve a hotel room prior to departure or just hit the streets looking for a place to stay when we get there. I should probably point out that we're looking for something in the $40-$50 a night range for 5-7 nights at least. We'll also need two rooms.
From the posts on this forum and some other research I've done, places like the Posada Freud and Mom's Hotel look like type of places that would interest us.

Thanks in advance to everyone for their informative posts. I had about a dozen other questions but they've all been answered on this forum.

lundah · 12-16-2002

I'm leaving in 3 weeks, staying at the Hotel Eclipse, I was quoted $43US a night there. I haven't been there before, but I've read good reviews and when I email them to ask about something, I always get a prompt reply from the owner, so he obviously cares. You also may want to check out Hotel Kinbe. Bottom line is there are many small hotels in town (most near Av. 5) in that price range, you just need to do some hunting to find what you want. I would also recommend making a reservation now, otherwise you may wind up somewhere you don't want to be.

If I can make one more recommendation, you may also want to make a short side trip to Tulum (1 hour and 30 pesos from PDC via bus/collectivo) for a night and stay in a cabana on the beach. Decent ones run as little as $25-25US.

JimmyMN · 12-16-2002

One place that I never hear anyone mention is a hotel called Maya Bric which is located on 5th Avenue between Calle8 and Calle10. Until recently, they never had a web presence, so it appears they relied primarily on walk-in traffic. The rooms are extremely clean and fall into your budget range.
http://www.mayabric.com/

Last time down, I stayed at the Kinbe on the main floor in units 1 & 2 and was extremely pleased with my stay. We paid somewhere in the $40 range and found it to a good value.

We inspected rooms at Eclipse on the last trip and met the delightful owner. We're clean freaks and didn't feel it was quite to our standards but other than that it's a cool place. We did like it much better than Rosa Mirador whose property is across the street from Eclipse. Next time down, I'll be taking another look at Eclipse... there was some heavy construction going on next door which may partially explain why it didn't seem too clean.

In spitting distance of Eclipse is Hotel Cohiba which is definately worth a look. The rooms are always spotless and my favorite is the large palapa on the roof that sports a king size bed, a regular bed, sofa, TV, microwave and a private tanning deck.

Hopefully some of those will get you in the right direction. Also take a look at the properties on the Cozy site... some of them are in your price range and ALL of them are nice.

Jimmy in Minnesota

Chupacabra · 12-20-2002

I wonder if he knows any old, weather-beaten, lovelies who drink warm beer and drool a lot.

At any rate, I better get a rabies shot in advance if this Tahon is as bloodthirsty as I think it is.

You had me going for a good 5 minutes. It was the Passport Scotch that gave it away. I always remember it fondly each year during the first snowfall.

HeidiR · 12-23-2002

Hey there! When in Feb. are you planning on going? A bunch of us from Alexandria, Minnesota are planning on coming down in mid Feb also. That is if the tickets go cheaper.. if we go maybe we can meet up for a couple of drinks! We'll have to keep each other posted if that sounds like a good idea

Heidi

Chupacabra · 01-05-2003

We just booked our flights today for February 12-22. Paid $452 which I can live with though there were some round trips under $400 for different dates.

Now starts the process of researching hotels and digging luggage out of attic, etc.

This might be my favorite part of the whole vacation process; making all the arrangements and doing the research. Sometimes it's better than the trip itself. I should have become a travel agent like my mother.

HeidiR · 01-06-2003

What dates did you find that were for $400.00? We are planning on going the 11 until the 15th. Not a very long trip this time but it wil be my first long time away from our 1 yr. old daughter and I am not sure if I could go longer

I think I would miss her to much! I am a stay at home mom so I am with her all the time!!

We will decided this week if we are going for sure. If we do we are planning on staying at Costa Del Mar, my parents are also going the 11th through the 22nd and staying there also.

I am getting so excited I can hardly stand it!! I want to start packing right now and I dont know if we are for sure going yet!!!

JimmyMN · 01-06-2003

I'm in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area also and always watch for great deals on airfare. Since last March, the prices around here have remained inflated. Flying out of the Twincities, the best you're going to find is something through one of the charters; TransGlobal Vacations, MLT Vacations or Sun Country. MLT usually begins displaying the weekly specials on their website either Monday evenings or on Tuesday. You might also watch the specials via Hobbit Travel on their website... it changes daily (www.hobbittravel.com).

I was able to make a roundtrip just before Xmas for $325 (all taxes included) and the last weekend in January for $365 (all taxes included). In the early spring, I was finding deals for $100 less, but I think those days are over. For the dates you're seeking, I'm seeing prices close to $500 (best case scenario). Your only hope is a last minute deal but as you get closer to March, the pickings will become slimmer. There are some tricks to getting lower airfare by booking a day or two at an AI. Good luck...

Jimmy in Minnesota

HeidiR · 01-06-2003

Yeah!

I have booked our tickets! Unfortunately they are costing us an arm and a leg but I dont want to take the chance that there wont be any either. We will have to get together for a couple of drinks! We will no closer to the date if where exactly we are going to stay. I will post then if you would like together

01-06-2003

There are so many nice smaller hotels in Playa.
Check out Don Emilione http://www.donemilione.com/
We just stayed there last week. Just a few steps from all the action on 5th ave and a few steps to the beach!

Anotehr one we looked at that was nice was the Plaza Hotel, right next door to Kinbe.

01-07-2003

we have stayed at the Posada Freud - very pleasant and in the heart on the action.

we also enjoyed La Ziranda - at little further away but very clean and well run/maintained--nicer rooms than Fosada Freud I think.
there is a site with pictures for the Maya Bric right on Avenida Quinta actually just accross and down the block from Posada Freud. Prices are in your range.

Enjoy !

PMD · 01-08-2003

I just returned on Fri. from Playa & stayed 11 nights at the Don Emilione. It has 12 rooms. I had one one(303) on the third floor that faced the ocean. It was cleaned every day. Had a king size bed. Nice furnishings and a large bathroom. Ceiling fan & air conditioner. Oscar the Manager, was great & very helpful. Nice restaurant & bar open to 5th Ave. Good people watching place to drink a Cervaza. $55/night after Jan.01. Between Calle 2 & Ave Juareze, across from bus station. Very quiet except for a night when some younger girls partied a bit loud. Owner, Ulysis, shut them up, after the first noisy night. Bus station has a direct to Airport bus that runs on the hour, for $6.50. Takes about 45 minutes. I waited on a Van for 11/2 hours on the trip to Playa. Will use bus in future.

ranchhand1024 · 01-09-2003

To PMD and others. It was my understanding that the direct Rivera bus ran only FROM the airport to Playa, not both ways. That would be too good to be true. Please correct me if there has been a change.

**james** · 01-09-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by "ranchhand1024"

To PMD and others. It was my understanding that the direct Rivera bus ran only FROM the airport to Playa, not both ways. That would be too good to be true. Please correct me if there has been a change.

It's all very clearly stated on this site. go to the menu up top, click on "read more", "practical info", "arriving."

Bus picks you up for return trip where it drops you off arriving.

12-16-2002	#1 (permalink)
Chupacabra sandflea Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 9	Need help on hotels. Hi, I'm planning a 10 day trip to area in mid February. Our plans are to fly into Cancun and go directly to Playa. We've never been there before and don't have the greatest knowledge of the area. The tentative plan is to spend as much time as we want in Playa and then go to Isla Mujeres for the rest of the trip. We spent 4 days on Isla last year so we pretty much know what we're getting into on the island. My major concern is whether or not we should reserve a hotel room prior to departure or just hit the streets looking for a place to stay when we get there. I should probably point out that we're looking for something in the $40-$50 a night range for 5-7 nights at least. We'll also need two rooms. From the posts on this forum and some other research I've done, places like the Posada Freud and Mom's Hotel look like type of places that would interest us. Thanks in advance to everyone for their informative posts. I had about a dozen other questions but they've all been answered on this forum.

12-16-2002	#2 (permalink)
lundah toe in water Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 40	lots of options I'm leaving in 3 weeks, staying at the Hotel Eclipse, I was quoted $43US a night there. I haven't been there before, but I've read good reviews and when I email them to ask about something, I always get a prompt reply from the owner, so he obviously cares. You also may want to check out Hotel Kinbe. Bottom line is there are many small hotels in town (most near Av. 5) in that price range, you just need to do some hunting to find what you want. I would also recommend making a reservation now, otherwise you may wind up somewhere you don't want to be. If I can make one more recommendation, you may also want to make a short side trip to Tulum (1 hour and 30 pesos from PDC via bus/collectivo) for a night and stay in a cabana on the beach. Decent ones run as little as $25-25US.

01-07-2003	#11 (permalink)
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	responding to need help on hotels we have stayed at the Posada Freud - very pleasant and in the heart on the action. we also enjoyed La Ziranda - at little further away but very clean and well run/maintained--nicer rooms than Fosada Freud I think. there is a site with pictures for the Maya Bric right on Avenida Quinta actually just accross and down the block from Posada Freud. Prices are in your range. Enjoy !

01-08-2003	#12 (permalink)
PMD into ruins Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: YellowSprings,Ohio Posts: 72	hotels I just returned on Fri. from Playa & stayed 11 nights at the Don Emilione. It has 12 rooms. I had one one(303) on the third floor that faced the ocean. It was cleaned every day. Had a king size bed. Nice furnishings and a large bathroom. Ceiling fan & air conditioner. Oscar the Manager, was great & very helpful. Nice restaurant & bar open to 5th Ave. Good people watching place to drink a Cervaza. $55/night after Jan.01. Between Calle 2 & Ave Juareze, across from bus station. Very quiet except for a night when some younger girls partied a bit loud. Owner, Ulysis, shut them up, after the first noisy night. Bus station has a direct to Airport bus that runs on the hour, for $6.50. Takes about 45 minutes. I waited on a Van for 11/2 hours on the trip to Playa. Will use bus in future.

01-09-2003	#13 (permalink)
ranchhand1024 beachaholic Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 345	Playa airport bus To PMD and others. It was my understanding that the direct Rivera bus ran only FROM the airport to Playa, not both ways. That would be too good to be true. Please correct me if there has been a change.

12-16-2002	#3 (permalink)
JimmyMN party machine Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Minneapolis-St. Paul Posts: 2,508	One place that I never hear anyone mention is a hotel called Maya Bric which is located on 5th Avenue between Calle8 and Calle10. Until recently, they never had a web presence, so it appears they relied primarily on walk-in traffic. The rooms are extremely clean and fall into your budget range. http://www.mayabric.com/ Last time down, I stayed at the Kinbe on the main floor in units 1 & 2 and was extremely pleased with my stay. We paid somewhere in the $40 range and found it to a good value. We inspected rooms at Eclipse on the last trip and met the delightful owner. We're clean freaks and didn't feel it was quite to our standards but other than that it's a cool place. We did like it much better than Rosa Mirador whose property is across the street from Eclipse. Next time down, I'll be taking another look at Eclipse... there was some heavy construction going on next door which may partially explain why it didn't seem too clean. In spitting distance of Eclipse is Hotel Cohiba which is definately worth a look. The rooms are always spotless and my favorite is the large palapa on the roof that sports a king size bed, a regular bed, sofa, TV, microwave and a private tanning deck. Hopefully some of those will get you in the right direction. Also take a look at the properties on the Cozy site... some of them are in your price range and ALL of them are nice. Jimmy in Minnesota

12-20-2002	#4 (permalink)
Chupacabra sandflea Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 9	I wonder if he knows any old, weather-beaten, lovelies who drink warm beer and drool a lot. At any rate, I better get a rabies shot in advance if this Tahon is as bloodthirsty as I think it is. You had me going for a good 5 minutes. It was the Passport Scotch that gave it away. I always remember it fondly each year during the first snowfall.

12-23-2002	#5 (permalink)
HeidiR lost on fifth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Alexandria, Minnesota Posts: 21	Hey there! When in Feb. are you planning on going? A bunch of us from Alexandria, Minnesota are planning on coming down in mid Feb also. That is if the tickets go cheaper.. if we go maybe we can meet up for a couple of drinks! We'll have to keep each other posted if that sounds like a good idea Heidi

01-05-2003	#6 (permalink)
Chupacabra sandflea Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 9	We just booked our flights today for February 12-22. Paid $452 which I can live with though there were some round trips under $400 for different dates. Now starts the process of researching hotels and digging luggage out of attic, etc. This might be my favorite part of the whole vacation process; making all the arrangements and doing the research. Sometimes it's better than the trip itself. I should have become a travel agent like my mother.

01-06-2003	#7 (permalink)
HeidiR lost on fifth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Alexandria, Minnesota Posts: 21	What dates did you find that were for $400.00? We are planning on going the 11 until the 15th. Not a very long trip this time but it wil be my first long time away from our 1 yr. old daughter and I am not sure if I could go longer I think I would miss her to much! I am a stay at home mom so I am with her all the time!! We will decided this week if we are going for sure. If we do we are planning on staying at Costa Del Mar, my parents are also going the 11th through the 22nd and staying there also. I am getting so excited I can hardly stand it!! I want to start packing right now and I dont know if we are for sure going yet!!!

01-06-2003	#8 (permalink)
JimmyMN party machine Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Minneapolis-St. Paul Posts: 2,508	I'm in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area also and always watch for great deals on airfare. Since last March, the prices around here have remained inflated. Flying out of the Twincities, the best you're going to find is something through one of the charters; TransGlobal Vacations, MLT Vacations or Sun Country. MLT usually begins displaying the weekly specials on their website either Monday evenings or on Tuesday. You might also watch the specials via Hobbit Travel on their website... it changes daily (www.hobbittravel.com). I was able to make a roundtrip just before Xmas for $325 (all taxes included) and the last weekend in January for $365 (all taxes included). In the early spring, I was finding deals for $100 less, but I think those days are over. For the dates you're seeking, I'm seeing prices close to $500 (best case scenario). Your only hope is a last minute deal but as you get closer to March, the pickings will become slimmer. There are some tricks to getting lower airfare by booking a day or two at an AI. Good luck... Jimmy in Minnesota

01-06-2003	#9 (permalink)
HeidiR lost on fifth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Alexandria, Minnesota Posts: 21	Yeah! I have booked our tickets! Unfortunately they are costing us an arm and a leg but I dont want to take the chance that there wont be any either. We will have to get together for a couple of drinks! We will no closer to the date if where exactly we are going to stay. I will post then if you would like together

01-06-2003	#10 (permalink)
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	There are so many nice smaller hotels in Playa. Check out Don Emilione http://www.donemilione.com/ We just stayed there last week. Just a few steps from all the action on 5th ave and a few steps to the beach! Anotehr one we looked at that was nice was the Plaza Hotel, right next door to Kinbe.

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