What is the BEST beachfront hotel in Playa del Carmen?

So we are going to Playa del Carmen and neither my husband or I have ever been there. We are looking for a beachfront hotel with bar-to -beach drink service, big umbrellas and great sands and good swimming. We would love to have a balcony with a beach view, but more importantly, we want to walk right out onto the beach from our hotel and be close to some good places to eat. The hotel does NOT have to be all inclusive, and does not need to be right downtown. We would like to be close to Tulum and Cozumel and close/walking distance to great restaurants. If you have been to a similar place and if there are any other hotels or good restaurants that you would recommend, please let us know!

hello,
THE BEST: "THE ROYAL" by Real-Resorts.not only the best.....by far the best.
i do live in playa del carmen since more than a decade and the royal is the best for many reasons.i do business with almost every mayor hotel in the riviera-maya and therefore i had courtesy-stays in almost all of them.my statement is based on personel experience not on something i read somewhere.

#1: location.located not only at the nicest beach playa del carmen has to offer....it also is located right in the heart of playa del carmen.ALL restaurants and all the shopping are within walking distance.(by the way...even if you stay for six month and you go out for dinner every single night you would NOT know all the restaurants playa has to offer...i have no idea how somebody can make a statement like:there are not so many restaurants...there are soooo many).to the ferry which brings you to cozumel it's a short few minutes walk.
#2:quality:the royal is a suites (and adults..16+) only hotel.even being an "all-inclusive" hotel their restaurants and food are outstanding.i'm not a big fan of all-inclusive but their food is really an exception.independent restaurants have a hard time to match that (well...most are not able to do so).the spa is just beautiful.
#3:service:like to expect in a hotel that class their service is absolutely top (so it is in the riu-palace)....but they are the ONLY ones which provide the service you are looking for: bar-to-beach waiter service.in EVERY other all-inclusive in playa(-car) you have to go to the bar yourself in order to get a drink.
#4:price:playa is everthing but cheap.if you do go into a non-all-inclusive hotel the same category it will definitely cost you a lot more.there are some beachfront hotels which are not all-inclusive but they are not 5*.....and you asked for the BEST.

besides that there are a few other nice all-inclusive 5* hotels but they are not near bars/restaurants.they are all located in playacar (which means you need to take a 5U$ taxi to 5th avenue and all his restaurants)

no matter where in playa you choose to stay...tulum is 45min away.

please pardon my english and my spelling....i'm german

greetings from playa del carmen,
cancundivers

I would recommend the Azul Blue which is brand new of 2006. This is a Beachfront property in Tulum. Tulum/Cozumel aren't actually really near one another. Tulum is quite far down from Playa Del Carmen which is the town there that you can take a ferry to get to Cozumel.

Down here for the most part it is all inclusive with a few exceptions, but these resorts tend to cost more than the all inclusive ones. Such as the Ikal Del Mar (adults only) or the Maroma Resort & Spa (16 +) or the Paraiso de la Bonita Resort and Thalasso (no one under 12). The Paraiso though is up in Puerto Morolas, which isn't the area you are looking for. Even in staying at these properties you pretty much still do eat at the resort. You can stay by Playa Del Carmen and there are a few restaurant choices, but because of the limited choices that is why you find just the All Inclusive, there just aren't enough choices like say if you were staying in Cancun where you could do either or.

I would highly recommend working with an agent and they can look into all the details that you would like to make this a very special holiday! Stuff, that you may find online but yet maybe not accurate.

Most of the good resorts are all inclusive. The Iberostar Tucan is nice. Swim up bar, 5 restaurants, 6 bars, 4 pools,room service. You can see Cozumel from the beach.
Or Riu Palace Mexico is another good resort. % restaurants, 5 bars, swim up bar, 2 pools, children's pool spa, jacuzzi, sauna and hammocks.
Here's a site you can check out.
http://www.tripadvisor.com many reviews and photos. Just click on Mexico and than Playa Del Carmen.
Have a fun vacation.
s

I have sent many friends, family and clients to Las Palapas on the beach in Playa. North end of town. Personally it seems to be a great hotel experience in this fast growing town.
I think it is nicely isolated (calm beach) while at the same time being within an easy walk to the action in town and restaurants. I think it is the perfect combo of things for anyone's vacation to Playa del Carmen.

It really depends on what you want. Go to applevacations.com - they are one of the best travel sites with listings for a lot of hotels in that area. You can find just about anything you want.

I'm not sure of locations directly in Playa. I have stayed south(15min from Playa) at the Barcelo resort and it was fantastic. Food, Drink, Entertainment every bit of it was class. There are 4 resort, and by now the 5th might be open. A variety for every budget. You have to work them a bit if you don't pay for a JR. Suite but you can get a room w/ balcony facing the ocean. . www.barcelo.com