Hotel Suggestions in the Yucatan

[wyatt.jamin]

I fear that my wife and I are in a very tough spot. We have tickets to fly into Cancun on December 25th and are leaving on January 5th. We had booked hotel rooms on our own through a friend. However, the hurricane damaged the hotels and now we are uncertain how to find other hotels that will be open despite the hurricane. Are there any websites that are making reservations despite the hurricane? Are prices through the roof? Or can reasonable deals still be found?
To give some more information about our plans, we have a car rental reservation and had originally planned to drive directly to Playa del Carmen on the day we arrived. Under our plans we would stay there for 2 nights, then a night in Cozumel, them two nights near Tulum, and then we'd go farther South and into the interior. Because of the hurricane we are rethinking our entire itinerary.
Here's a few questions.
1) Is it possible to explore the entire Riviera Maya by car in day-trips if you stay in one town the whole time? (How long does it take to drive from Tulum to Playa del Carmen, etc.?)
2) Relatedly, if one was going to stay in just one place on the riviera maya, where would you recommend staying? We are adventurous types who like exploring jungles more than laying on beaches. However, we also appreciate snorkelling and want to be in a place where we can eat out, etc.
3) Are there any websites that have profiles/reviews of reasonably priced hotel options? We don't like all-inclusive type packages at chain resorts. However, as a consequence its often hard to discern which places are really nice to stay at. Some of my best experiences ever have been staying at cheap little mom & pop inns, but also some of my worst. Any help would be much appreciated.
4) Lastly, and this is just a shot in the dark. Do you have any recommendations for private/romantic places to stay? I was hoping to treat my wife with at least a night or two in a romantic spot.
Thanks so much for any help and advice you can provide.
Ben
wyatt.jamin@gmail.com

[Ginger]

Please don't cancel your plans!

You can make reservations through this site's sister site, www.playa.info.

Most (if not all) hotels in Playa del Carmen will be up and running by Christmas. Most are already up and running! Prices are NOT through the roof, they are the same as always. Business as usual!

I think you'r plans still sound workable, except you may want to skip Cozumel at this point. They were badly hit by the hurricane eye, however by then they may have recovered quite nicely!

Tulum was not hit hard at all. Few hotels were damaged. The beaches are as pristine as ever.




1) Is it possible to explore the entire Riviera Maya by car in day-trips if you stay in one town the whole time? (How long does it take to drive from Tulum to Playa del Carmen, etc.?)

It is possible. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get to Tulum from Playa Del Carmen. It takes about the same amount of time to get from the Cancun airport you will fly into to Playa.



2) Relatedly, if one was going to stay in just one place on the riviera maya, where would you recommend staying? We are adventurous types who like exploring jungles more than laying on beaches. However, we also appreciate snorkelling and want to be in a place where we can eat out, etc.

I would say Tulum would be great for you. Tulum has great beaches, but is also easy access to some wonderful jungle-esque excursions such as a tour through the Sian-Ka'an biosphere, a trip to the ruins of Tulum, a half day trip to the ruins of Coba, trips to swim in the cenotes, to see the ruins of Muyil...and there are many great places to eat both along the beaches of Tulum and in the pueblo (town).



3) Are there any websites that have profiles/reviews of reasonably priced hotel options? We don't like all-inclusive type packages at chain resorts. However, as a consequence its often hard to discern which places are really nice to stay at. Some of my best experiences ever have been staying at cheap little mom & pop inns, but also some of my worst. Any help would be much appreciated.

I just listed quite a few on another thread, if you click here (http://www.tulum.info/showthread.php?t=140) and scroll down you can view some of the websites of the hotels I've suggested. I can give you some more suggestions if you like as well. I agree, AI's are not the way to go for us either. We prefer the quaintness of small hotels.



4) Lastly, and this is just a shot in the dark. Do you have any recommendations for private/romantic places to stay? I was hoping to treat my wife with at least a night or two in a romantic spot.
Thanks so much for any help and advice you can provide.
Ben

Again, check out some of the links above. If you want to spend a few nights in Playa you can book hotels through the www.playa.info site. The Deseo in Playa is an adults only hotel, and is a very romantic one as well. There are also some very nice beachfront ones as well, they have agreat listing on their site. James and Anna (who also own this site) also offer some terrific excursions for reasonable prices.

Hope this helps!

[Luna Caribe]

I fear that my wife and I are in a very tough spot. We have tickets to fly into Cancun on December 25th and are leaving on January 5th. We had booked hotel rooms on our own through a friend. However, the hurricane damaged the hotels and now we are uncertain how to find other hotels that will be open despite the hurricane. Are there any websites that are making reservations despite the hurricane? Are prices through the roof? Or can reasonable deals still be found?
To give some more information about our plans, we have a car rental reservation and had originally planned to drive directly to Playa del Carmen on the day we arrived. Under our plans we would stay there for 2 nights, then a night in Cozumel, them two nights near Tulum, and then we'd go farther South and into the interior. Because of the hurricane we are rethinking our entire itinerary.
Here's a few questions.
1) Is it possible to explore the entire Riviera Maya by car in day-trips if you stay in one town the whole time? (How long does it take to drive from Tulum to Playa del Carmen, etc.?)
2) Relatedly, if one was going to stay in just one place on the riviera maya, where would you recommend staying? We are adventurous types who like exploring jungles more than laying on beaches. However, we also appreciate snorkelling and want to be in a place where we can eat out, etc.
3) Are there any websites that have profiles/reviews of reasonably priced hotel options? We don't like all-inclusive type packages at chain resorts. However, as a consequence its often hard to discern which places are really nice to stay at. Some of my best experiences ever have been staying at cheap little mom & pop inns, but also some of my worst. Any help would be much appreciated.
4) Lastly, and this is just a shot in the dark. Do you have any recommendations for private/romantic places to stay? I was hoping to treat my wife with at least a night or two in a romantic spot.
Thanks so much for any help and advice you can provide.
Ben
wyatt.jamin@gmail.com



Hi Ben-

If you want a really private/romantic place to stay in Tulum, I would recommend the Casa Buena Suerte. It's on a gorgeous beach away from everything and they have just one beautiful cabana. The staff was great. They arranged massages for us and served us a dinner by candlelight.


My favorite cabana spots in Tulum for privacy is Casa Buena Suerte. It is down near the Sian Ka'an entrance and the reason it is so private is that they have chosen to have just one set of guests at a time. They have solar electricity, a gorgeous beach, and a beautiful cabana.

Check out their site for pictures:
http://www.casabuenasuerte.com/index.htm

You should email about your transportations questions - I had a car when i was last there. I know there are lots of taxis that take peoplefrom the beach zone into Tulum, so that may be the best way to get around. The Casa Buena Suerte folks are very helpful and were more than happy to arrange things forus, like dinner outside by candle light, massages, etc.

www.casabuenasuerte.com

Because they just have one set of guest at a time it is very private - you never see another person. The beach is wonderful and as they are right next to the Sian Ka'an reserve you can walk down the beach for miles without passing another sole.

It was a very special and romantic vacation for us. Casa Buena Suerte is truly a one of a kind resort.