Our Favorite Cheap Hotels in Playa Del Carmen

If you are looking for a cheap hotel to stay at in Playa Del Carmen, you are in luck! Because there are so many hotels in Playa Del Carmen, there is a wide range of prices as well as competition for prices. Maybe you’re coming for a quick trip and just need a place to sleep or maybe you want to travel on a budget so you can travel longer, finding a good affordable hotel can be hard. Here are our favorite inexpensive hotels in Playa Del Carmen and how to avoid some of the really cheap hotels that do not offer a good stay. 

When are hotel prices the cheapest in Playa Del Carmen?

The low season will be the cheapest time to visit Playa Del Carmen. The peak season is November to mid-January and then around Easter week or Semana Santa (Holy week). So late January to Easter and after Easter to October are the lower seasons. In the other times, here is a tip. Before you book your plane tickets, check to see if there are special events in town that will fill up those cheap rooms. The Riviera Maya Jazz Festival is one event that brings in a lot of extra people to Playa Del Carmen. 

Tips for Getting the Cheapest Price on a Hotel

Everyone likes a good deal, so here are some extra tips to get the best price on the hotel you want to stay at.

• As mentioned above, visiting during the low season will mean prices can be 20-50% off. 
• Don’t book last minute. The best rooms are always booked first. Hotels also have an algorithm to upgrade people. So even if there are some top rooms available, they usually will upgrade booked guests before giving away the rooms at bargain prices. 
• Don’t expect to walk in and bargain. One would think that since most booking sites take about 30% of the price of the room, it would be easier to book direct at the front desk. Most hotels in Mexico have room prices listed on the wall at reception. This is often more than double the price online. It is just to make people feel like they are getting a deal and to overcharge people that walk in looking for a room. About 95% of front desk workers do not have the power to adjust the price. 
• Midweek is cheaper than the weekends in Playa Del Carmen. More people want to be in town on the weekend to go out. So, prices rise about 15% of the weekends. 
• If you are traveling solo, make sure you change the default to one adult. Sometimes, and just sometimes, there is a cheaper price for a single occupant. 
• Take into account parking. Parking on the street in the center of Playa is all regulated. Some hotels offer free parking like Hotel One. Others offer guests parking in their lots of about 100 pesos a day. Garages in Playa will cost about 200 pesos a day. So, factor these costs into your hotel price to make sure you get your value. 
• Look for new hotels that have opened. They want good reviews and will offer low introductory prices, then people love the value and hotel and write a good review, the hotel rises to the top of the list. Then when the hotel is established it levels the prices to what it should be. Staying at a new hotel without much information can be a gamble, but also it can be a chance to score a cheap room.  
• Also, don’t think that you can get the better price at the hotel website. Hotels have contracts with booking sites that do not allow them to sell for cheaper. However, hotels can offer a free breakfast or upgrade if you book direct. This might work for you, but if you get points, it might be better to use that booking site you like. 
• When looking to book a hotel, look at the overall price with taxes and “resort fees”. Some hotels nearly double the price with extra fees. So even if one hotel appears to be cheaper, it can be more expensive with fees. 
• Most websites with last minute offers are for the smallest and least desirable rooms. Don’t think for a minute you will get a penthouse room or that great view. It will mostly be the first-floor shady room with not much of a view. 

Where Not to Stay Even if it is Cheap

Hostels

Hostels.  It is an age thing mostly. When we are young, we travel to see places and meet people. Hostels are a good way to start traveling. Playa does have its fair share of hostels. For the most part, due to Airbnb and other platforms, it can be cheaper for a couple to rent a room or apartment in Playa Del Carmen. Most hostels are about 300/400 pesos a night. Some of the cheap hotels we like are less per person for two people staying together. So, in general, we don’t see the reason to stay at a hostel unless you are traveling solo on a tight budget or perhaps you like the atmosphere of meeting fellow travelers. 

Less personal and more professional accommodation

Another type of place we would generally avoid is accommodation on booking sites with the names like ” Casa de Anna”, “Cute Apartment”, “Tios House” and the like. These are usually basic room rentals parading as a hotel. Sure, hotel booking sites need to compete with Airbnb, but these basic places are often out of the center and offer low value. At least with hotels you know there are some standards like check-in all day after 3pm, TV, WIFI, soap, hair dryer and a bilingual front desk staff to ask questions to. 

Bad location hotels

Location, location,  location is very important for your stay in Playa Del Carmen. Since most people will come for a week or so, you don’t want to spend a lot of time in taxis and buses. It is not worth it in our opinion to stay on the west side of the 307 Highway. You need transportation to get everywhere. This will cost you time and money and makes that cheap accommodation cost just as much as a hotel in the center. The center of Playa offers lots of hotels and walking distance to most everything. See map below and our article about where to stay in Playa Del Carmen for general idea of what area are for tourists. Click on the color sections to learn more about each area. 

Our List of Cheap Hotels to Stay at in Playa Del Carmen

We looked at the same day for all these hotels to compare the prices fairly. We looked at the 13th of April 2024 which is a Saturday night. These hotels are on the list because of consistency of good value, not just a one-off cheap sale. These hotels will be even cheaper other days of the week and other times of the year. This list is in order of cheapest to more expensive hotels and should be used as a general guide for prices. 

Hotel Riviera Caribe Maya

This hotel is on 19th Avenue and 30th Street. The hotel is a cheery yellow color with pool. Its location is good because it is on the upper end of Playa where more of the better restaurants and beaches are. This hotel can be good for families and couples. A basic night can cost you 1006 pesos a night with tax included or about $60 USD based on current exchange rates. A continental breakfast is included. To check rates for this hotel, check here. 

Siesta Fiesta Hotel

This hotel is right on 5th Avenue between 8th and 10th streets. If you are interested in being in the center and really close to the action, this hotel might be for you. There is a live music bar in the front of this hotel, and you are a block away from the clubs. Because of this, we recommend this only for younger people who don’t mind the noise and want to participate in the lively atmosphere. A night will cost 1006 pesos or about $64 USD a night. Click here to see prices. 

Posada Mariposa Boutique Hotel

This is a smaller older hotel on 5th Avenue. Because it has been around, the garden has grown nicely and provided a refuge from busy 5th Avenue. The rooms are small but have good ac and the rooms in the back are pretty quiet. A ticket for a continental breakfast is included. A night will cost 1620 pesos or about $95 USD. This is a high price for this hotel Many times you can pay half this price at this hotel. The hotel is also a good location on 5th Avenue and if you have a car, Quinta Alegria Mall has underground parking. See prices here for dates you are looking at. 

Residence Inn by Marriott Playa del Carmen

This hotel is not in the center but does offer a very good value. It is a newer hotel that is on the back side of Playacar in front of Centro Maya almost. A night will cost 1639 pesos a night or about $96 USD. Compared to the last hotel, for one more dollar a night you get what feels like a two-star upgrade. The rooms are larger and new plus you get breakfast. The location might be a drawback since it is not in the center. You cannot really walk into town from the hotel, so a car is necessary. It can work great if you come to visit Xcaret Park or another park and want to be able to drive there quickly from your hotel. We cannot imagine a long stay at this hotel since it is out of the center. For prices, see a booking site here. 

Be Playa

What used to be one of the hottest boutique hotels in Playa has become dwarfed by the newer options. The hotel shows some wear, but this has been reflected in the prices. Located on 10th Avenue and 26th Street, this hotel is easy to get to the desired spots in town by walking. The roof top pool is nice and often is a good place to chill with a DJ. Breakfast is also included here. A night will cost 1748 pesos or about $102 USD a night. Of all the cheap hotels listed here, this would be the one we would feel the most comfortable for a weeklong vacation. See prices for dates you want here. 

Hotel Las Golondrinas

Many people will not know where this hotel is because it is hidden on Constituyentes Avenue and the corner of 20th Avenue. The location is good, and the rooms are pretty quiet. There are a few parking spots for cars which is a perk. This might be a good hotel for a few days but might not be a fun for a longer stay. A night will cost you 1774 pesos or about $104 USD. See more info here about this hotel. 

Some hotels to keep an eye one for good deals in Playa Del Carmen

Here are a few places we like to stay that offer good value, location and rooms. 

• HM Playa del Carmen. This hotel is centrally located on Constituyentes Avenue. The hotel has a nice pool to spend the day relaxing. the breakfast is not bad in their restaurant. There is free parking on an ample lot. The drawbacks? The rooms are more basic than the hotel is, but other than that, it is nice hotel with good location. 

   
• Singular Joy Vacation Rentals. This is a large building on 1st Avenue between 12th and 14th Streets. It is modern and has a great rooftop. The drawbacks and the small size of some rooms and the sound from the clubs a block away. There is no parking included and street parking is a little harder in this area since it is densely populated.
• Any of the Anah buildings. There are several buildings with various forms of Anah. The condos are run like a hotel. So you are basically renting a unit. The buildings are in the center and offer modern accommodation with more space. These can come in very handy if you want to cook some since there can be kitchens for use. 
• Fiesta Inn Playa del Carmen. This hotel has a good location close to many things and big rooftop with pool. Parking is extra. The rooms are a little basic and have cheaper construction since this is a chain hotel. 

   

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