Hostal Vive la Vida

Nice budget place a short walk to the beach areas or there's plenty of transport if you don't want to walk, but at least this way you don't have to pay beach front prices. Well stocked kitchen and good place to meet people if travelling solo.

It's conveniently located near whatever passes for "downtown" Playa del Carmen. So much so that the "collectivos" all seem to have their starting point right in front of the hostel! That makes for an impassible wall of people constantly during "rush hour" which, this being Mexico, is unpredictable. The only time it was easy to get in or out of the hostel due to this problem was at night. Air conditioning works, but they only turn it on between 11pm and about 7am. After that point the room tended to heat up like an oven right away because my roommates insisted on opening up the room so that the outside heat could get in. I have Heat Stroke. That could have KILLED me. Mexico is insistent on killing me, even though this country invited me here to teach English!

Best part was the LED light for each bed. However room not well arranged for personal space so a full room meant gear over much of the floor. Courtyard was nice, though there were a lot more smokers here than anywhere else I have been. The tables were too high for computer work, so be prepared for work on knee. No internal relaxation area.