Diamond Resort Playa nostalgia

playa jim · 03-22-2008

A bit of nostalgia- My first trip to Playa was in 1996 or 1997 and we stayed at a AI called Diamond Resorts. It was a group of two unit casitas (one up and one down). As I recall we were just about the only Americans there-lots of Germans.
The rooms were small and I remember the beds were a mattress on a cement slab and the plumbing did not function all that well. All in all it was nice and we enjoyed our stay. It could not have been too far from Playa because we walked into town-what little there was then.
I have a postcard with an aerial view-no other hotels in sight and all jungle right up to the beach.
Do any of you "old heads" remember this place?

LIZLEWIS42 · 03-22-2008

Actually, we stayed there in '96 & '97... We went back to Playacar in 2000 and were amazed at the changes... Now you'd hardly know it's the same place...

BTW, the Diamond is now the Allegro Playacar

and not much about has changed, so I've read... Except, now it has no beach...

playa jim · 03-23-2008

Thank you for the reply. We will be in Playa in May and will stop in at the Allegro-just for "old times sake". The years have dimmed my memory and I could not, with all of the changes, remember where it was. Now I know.....
No one knew of Playa del Carmen then.

badgerfan · 03-24-2008

I stayed at the Diamond Playacar and the Diamond Cozumel. My first stay they required picture ID's that hung around your neck. They took you to a room and did them just like driver license photos. Great memories! We also stayed at the Royal Maeva. At the time those were the only 2 resorts on that beach and you could walk all the way to town on the beach.

playa jim · 03-24-2008

There were very few other AI hotels in the area. You are right we walked into Playa via the beach. Must have been younger then because it did not seem far.

How 'bout them Badgers!

badgerfan · 03-24-2008

Much younger (about 30) and a lot more adventurous! The only obstacle between Royal Maeva (Sandos Playacar) and the ferry pier was a house that had a seawall that you had to walk around. It was a pretty long walk, about an hour.
Hopefully the Badgers won't let cinderella continue to dance. Go Red!

**Mindbender** · 03-24-2008

I stayed at the Allegro in 1999. I don't think it's changed much other than losing 20m of beach!

It's now owned by Occidental

Riviera Maya All Inclusive, Mayan Riviera Vacation Packages & Resorts

dianep · 03-28-2008

We stayed there too in 1993-1994-only 2 resorts the Diamond and ?-It was a $12 cab ride into town. Fifth went to about 6th! There was a "disco" at juarez or 1st and the beach that was scary-no "fire codes" there. The road to Banned was dirt-with homes with chickens and dogs! I have a few pictures from that time. Actually found a pic with the homes on the way to town! Beach was HUGE! Met the couple from Chicago who owned the bar around 6th or 8th street-he played professional football-Very interesting! loved it! but didn't come back for about 0 years-AMAZED at the differenceand amazed at the changes from year to year-I try to visit 2x's a year if not 3!

Alan P · 03-30-2008

If I remember correctly it was the only AI but you could tell they were going to build more.I rode a bike to town to look for action.Not much back then.

Munichchick · 03-30-2008

We also remember these times. We stayed at the Shangri-la north of Playa back than it was outside of town surrounded by jungle and reached by a bumpy sand road through jungle. We actually went to the Diamond now Allegro and did the timeshare tour back than and we got a free blanket, tequila and ferry tickets to Cozumel wich led to our first visit to Cozumel. So much has changed. Also at the Shangri-La and around town most guest where German, Dutch, French and Italian. This felt so great for me being a German living in the US made me feel at home. Lots of Backpackers, artists and nature lovers and at the ****** we met the most interesting people wich has also changed. It's so different now. We thought we found our very special place for live and wanted to move to Playa but unfortunately everyone else found it as well including Wall-Mart, Burger King, many resort and condo developers. Arghh!

KSSIL · 03-31-2008

We spent our honeymoon at the Diamond in August of 1997. How things have changed since then, cannot believe how fast Playa has grown, pretty unbelievable. Now were almost 11 years in to the marriage and will be down for our 6th trip to Playa around our anniversary this fall.

maya · 03-31-2008

[quote=dianep;1089385]We stayed there too in 1993-1994-only 2 resorts the Diamond and ?-It was a $12 cab ride into town. Fifth went to about 6th! There was a "disco" at juarez or 1st and the beach that was scary-no "fire codes" there. The road to Banned was dirt-with homes with chickens and dogs! I have a few pictures from that time. Actually found a pic with the homes on the way to town! Beach was HUGE! Met the couple from Chicago who owned the bar around 6th or 8th street-he played professional football-Very interesting! loved it! but didn't come back for about 0 years-AMAZED at the differenceand amazed at the changes from year to year-I try to visit 2x's a year if not 3![/QUOTE

The name of that bar at first was called the Chicago Connection and then changed to the Chicago bar and restaurant. It was owned by Bill and Jeanette Harris-he played for the Cowboys in the 50s and she was real estate agent from Chicago. The bar had street signs from Chicago and they were the first to have a satellite dish. It was the only sports bar in town and the only place to watch sports especially the chicago teams.

03-22-2008	#1 (permalink)
playa jim lost on fifth Join Date: May 2007 Location: tulsa, oklahoma Posts: 18	Diamond Resort Playa nostalgia A bit of nostalgia- My first trip to Playa was in 1996 or 1997 and we stayed at a AI called Diamond Resorts. It was a group of two unit casitas (one up and one down). As I recall we were just about the only Americans there-lots of Germans. The rooms were small and I remember the beds were a mattress on a cement slab and the plumbing did not function all that well. All in all it was nice and we enjoyed our stay. It could not have been too far from Playa because we walked into town-what little there was then. I have a postcard with an aerial view-no other hotels in sight and all jungle right up to the beach. Do any of you "old heads" remember this place?

03-23-2008	#3 (permalink)
playa jim lost on fifth Join Date: May 2007 Location: tulsa, oklahoma Posts: 18	Diamond Resort Thank you for the reply. We will be in Playa in May and will stop in at the Allegro-just for "old times sake". The years have dimmed my memory and I could not, with all of the changes, remember where it was. Now I know..... No one knew of Playa del Carmen then.

03-30-2008	#9 (permalink)
Alan P very sparkly Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 28	Remember it well If I remember correctly it was the only AI but you could tell they were going to build more.I rode a bike to town to look for action.Not much back then.

03-22-2008	#2 (permalink)
LIZLEWIS42 beachaholic Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 276	Actually, we stayed there in '96 & '97... We went back to Playacar in 2000 and were amazed at the changes... Now you'd hardly know it's the same place... BTW, the Diamond is now the Allegro Playacar and not much about has changed, so I've read... Except, now it has no beach...

03-24-2008	#4 (permalink)
badgerfan way into it Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Marshall, WI Posts: 144	I stayed at the Diamond Playacar and the Diamond Cozumel. My first stay they required picture ID's that hung around your neck. They took you to a room and did them just like driver license photos. Great memories! We also stayed at the Royal Maeva. At the time those were the only 2 resorts on that beach and you could walk all the way to town on the beach.

03-24-2008	#5 (permalink)
playa jim lost on fifth Join Date: May 2007 Location: tulsa, oklahoma Posts: 18	There were very few other AI hotels in the area. You are right we walked into Playa via the beach. Must have been younger then because it did not seem far. How 'bout them Badgers!

03-24-2008	#6 (permalink)
badgerfan way into it Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Marshall, WI Posts: 144	Much younger (about 30) and a lot more adventurous! The only obstacle between Royal Maeva (Sandos Playacar) and the ferry pier was a house that had a seawall that you had to walk around. It was a pretty long walk, about an hour. Hopefully the Badgers won't let cinderella continue to dance. Go Red!

03-24-2008	#7 (permalink)
Mindbender Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Playa del Carmen Posts: 3,133	I stayed at the Allegro in 1999. I don't think it's changed much other than losing 20m of beach! It's now owned by Occidental Riviera Maya All Inclusive, Mayan Riviera Vacation Packages & Resorts

03-28-2008	#8 (permalink)
dianep very sparkly Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Grosse Pointe, Michigan Posts: 38	We stayed there too in 1993-1994-only 2 resorts the Diamond and ?-It was a $12 cab ride into town. Fifth went to about 6th! There was a "disco" at juarez or 1st and the beach that was scary-no "fire codes" there. The road to Banned was dirt-with homes with chickens and dogs! I have a few pictures from that time. Actually found a pic with the homes on the way to town! Beach was HUGE! Met the couple from Chicago who owned the bar around 6th or 8th street-he played professional football-Very interesting! loved it! but didn't come back for about 0 years-AMAZED at the differenceand amazed at the changes from year to year-I try to visit 2x's a year if not 3!

03-30-2008	#10 (permalink)
Munichchick life=playa Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Corona, California Posts: 857	We also remember these times. We stayed at the Shangri-la north of Playa back than it was outside of town surrounded by jungle and reached by a bumpy sand road through jungle. We actually went to the Diamond now Allegro and did the timeshare tour back than and we got a free blanket, tequila and ferry tickets to Cozumel wich led to our first visit to Cozumel. So much has changed. Also at the Shangri-La and around town most guest where German, Dutch, French and Italian. This felt so great for me being a German living in the US made me feel at home. Lots of Backpackers, artists and nature lovers and at the ****** we met the most interesting people wich has also changed. It's so different now. We thought we found our very special place for live and wanted to move to Playa but unfortunately everyone else found it as well including Wall-Mart, Burger King, many resort and condo developers. Arghh!

03-31-2008	#11 (permalink)
KSSIL way into it Join Date: May 2004 Location: Rock Island, IL Posts: 203	We spent our honeymoon at the Diamond in August of 1997. How things have changed since then, cannot believe how fast Playa has grown, pretty unbelievable. Now were almost 11 years in to the marriage and will be down for our 6th trip to Playa around our anniversary this fall.

03-31-2008	#12 (permalink)
maya beachaholic Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 479	[quote=dianep;1089385]We stayed there too in 1993-1994-only 2 resorts the Diamond and ?-It was a $12 cab ride into town. Fifth went to about 6th! There was a "disco" at juarez or 1st and the beach that was scary-no "fire codes" there. The road to Banned was dirt-with homes with chickens and dogs! I have a few pictures from that time. Actually found a pic with the homes on the way to town! Beach was HUGE! Met the couple from Chicago who owned the bar around 6th or 8th street-he played professional football-Very interesting! loved it! but didn't come back for about 0 years-AMAZED at the differenceand amazed at the changes from year to year-I try to visit 2x's a year if not 3![/QUOTE The name of that bar at first was called the Chicago Connection and then changed to the Chicago bar and restaurant. It was owned by Bill and Jeanette Harris-he played for the Cowboys in the 50s and she was real estate agent from Chicago. The bar had street signs from Chicago and they were the first to have a satellite dish. It was the only sports bar in town and the only place to watch sports especially the chicago teams.

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