The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences Review
The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences is one of the large resort properties in the Playa Del Carmen area, but it is a little different from many traditional all-inclusive resorts. It combines a hotel with residence-style accommodations, giving guests the option of staying in everything from standard rooms to large one, two and three-bedroom residences. What is The Fives Hotel like? We spent several days there to give you a thorough review. We put most of the details in the video below. We also have links and additional information lower in this article that can help with your stay in the Riviera Maya.
Our Video Tour and Review of The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences
Take a look at our video review. In this video we show you all around this resort, the rooms, facilities, the beach and talk about the expereince here.
Where is The Fives Beach Hotel?
The Fives Beach Hotel is just north fo the downtown of Playa Del Carmen in an area called Xcalacoco Beach. From the Cancun Airport it is about a 40-minute ride.
What makes this a good location for a hotel?
Many hotels on booking sites say they are in Playa Del Carmen. The municipality of Playa Del Carmen is large and covers areas outside of the urban center. The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences is not in downtown Playa Del Carmen. It is located about 15 minutes out of the center of Playa. The surrounding area is largely made up of resorts and residential developments. This means that you cannot walk out of the resort and find shops and restaurants.
For people who want a resort vacation, this can actually be a positive. You get a quieter beachfront setting while still being close enough to Playa Del Carmen to go into town when you want to. If you want to spend most of your vacation at a resort and occasionally visit Playa Del Carmen, the location works very well. We also like hotels in the middle of the Riviera Maya (near Playa Del Carmen) because you are closer to many attractions like most of the parks of Xcaret.
What Are the Rooms Like at This Resort?
There are traditional hotel-style rooms, but many of the accommodations are actually designed more like apartments or residences. The larger residences can have separate bedrooms and living areas, along with full kitchens.
A standard hotel room can work perfectly well for a couple who plans to spend most of the day outside. But if you’re traveling with children, grandparents or another couple, having a separate bedroom and living room can make the stay much more comfortable.
Some accommodations also have swim-up access, while the larger penthouse options offer considerably more space and private outdoor areas.
Deluxe Rooms
The deluxe rooms at The Fives is their entry level room. Rooms are in three story villas that are dotted around the property. Since these are smaller buildings with only another room on one side of your room, this makes this resort quieter for your stay.
The deluxe rooms features a large balcony/outside area, cable TV, good air-conditioning, coffee maker, safe, robes, hair dryer and ironing board. There is a minibar with sodas, beers and a few snacks which is included in your stay. The bathroom area is large. There is an enclosed shower and toilet. Separate from these, is a double sink and large mirror with storage.
Important Note When Booking
One thing worth knowing is that not all rooms are equally convenient to the beach and main resort areas. The property is large, and some of the newer buildings are farther from the main pool and beach. This is not really a problem since there are nice trails and paved walkways to the beach. If you don’t want to walk the distance to the beach the hotel has free golf carts taxis to help guests get around.
So when booking, I would pay attention to the location of the room rather than simply choosing the cheapest category.
The Pools at The Fives Beach Hotel
The pool area is one of the major attractions at The Fives. The resort has eight pools, including resort pools, an adults-focused area and pools associated with the children’s facilities. There is also an infinity pool, which is the main pool overlooking the ocean.
Some of the pools are very long and give way to a lot of fun. If you book on the ground floor with pool view, this can be a great way for parents to sit and relax while the kids play in front of you in the pool.
What is the Beach Like at The Fives?
Part of The Fives is directly on the beach; the resort is sort of “L” shaped. The beachfront setting is one of the main reasons people choose the property.
The beach at Xcalacoco is generally more relaxed than the beaches directly in downtown Playa Del Carmen. There are no large hotels near to The Fives, so the hotel guests are mainly the ones that use the beach here.
Directly in front of the resort is a small wooden dock. Some of the beach has some rocks, but there are areas that are clear of rocks, and it makes for nice swimming.
As you might know the Riviera Maya has seaweed washing ashore sometimes. This beach gets a little less than average because of the form of the beach. So this is a good thing. The hotel also works hard to keep the beach in good shape.
Activities and Things to Do at This Hotel
What is there to do at this resort besides the pools and beach? Here are more of the activities.
- For kids ages 4-12 there is the Aluxitos Kids Club.
- For older kids there is the Teen Club which has games and game tables.
- Gym. This is open 24 hours a day and features new equipment. There is a clip of the gym in the video above.
- Mini Golf course.
- Basketball.
- Tennis
- Spa with wellness treatments and a hydrotherapy circuit.
- Boardwalks through the mangrove for animal watching and enjoying the natural setting.
- The Plaza is where livemusic and shows take place each evening.
Restaurants and Eating at The Fives Beach Hotel
Food is another major part of a stay at an all-inclusive hotel. The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences offers a range of restaurants, cafe, and quick bite areas around the resort as well as bars. Sometimes some of the restaurants will combine in one location but offer the menu of the two restaurants. It will depend on the season and occupancy to determine what restaurants are open. One thing is for sure though, there are plenty of spaces to eat at. This will make it more interesting to stay here and give you the ability to try a variety of locations.
When you check in there is a code to scan for the list of restaurants and their hours for each day of the week. This way you can plan each day to try what is open.
Like many resorts, there is a main buffet called Flavors. The buffet is open for all three meals and is an easy way to accommodate a family with different taste.
Getting Into Restaurants for Dinner
One of the things that many guests talk about is their system of seating for the restaurants at dinner. For most guests, you are not allowed to make reservations in advance. You just go to the restaurant and get in line. Most likely you will put your name down and then they will send you a message when your table is ready. We did this and the wait time averaged about one hour.
So how do you plan for this? Many families will send one person to the restaurant to put the reservation in. Most of the restaurants open at 5:30 or 6:00pm. This is when lines start to form. When you are at the restaurant, they will tell you the approximant wait time. Then you can go for a drink at the bar, listen to the live music in the plaza or even wait in your room. You have 15 minutes to get to the restaurant after you get a message.
The alternatives are going to the buffet which has almost automatic seating or getting room service and ordering off the menu (there is an extra fee for room service).
Note: If you’re booking an all-inclusive package, make sure you understand exactly what is included in your particular rate. The Fives has different accommodation and package options, and some services or premium experiences may carry additional charges.
Who is This Hotel Good For?
When we were at this resort, we mainly saw families with kids ages 10-18 years old. This might be the perfect demographic for this hotel. The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences has something for everyone. It has kids’ pools and the Aluxitos Kids Club for ages 4-12 years old. For teens there are the game room, pools and sports like basketball. For adults and older adults there are the bars, adult areas and just a lot of area on this resort where it is peaceful. Multi-generational families can also enjoy this resort especially if you rent a residence with multiple bedrooms.
Who This Hotel Might Not Be Perfect For
If you only have young children (under 12) this resort does have facilities and things for young people. Is it the best hotel for young kids? No, there are other resorts with bigger play areas and more options for young kids. This however might not be much of a consideration if you have children of different ages or are planning a larger family trip. You still can have a good trip here with young children.
If you are a couple that likes to go out and dance or go to a club, this hotel does not have a nightclub. You can however go into Playa Del Carmen and go to a club called Coco Bongo. It is a show with acrobats, music impersonators, live music and so much more! The show starts around 11 pm and goes to 3 am. See our article about Coco Bongo here for more details.
If You Want to Book at The Fives Beach Hotel
If you are interested in booking at The Fives, here is their website and phone number. Website: www.thefiveshotels.com USA & Canada: +1 (800) 592-1246
The Overall Experience at The Fives Beach Hotel
The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences is best thought of as a large resort community rather than simply a hotel. You have accommodation ranging from standard rooms to large residences, multiple pools, a beach, restaurants, bars, fitness facilities, a spa, children’s programs, sports and daily entertainment.
Overall, this hotel offers a better than average value than similarly priced hotels. We found the maintenance of the hotel, food, natural setting, and pools all are positive aspects of this hotel and are better than most hotels in this price range.
And if you’re considering The Fives because you want to experience Playa Del Carmen but don’t necessarily want to stay downtown, the Xcalacoco location gives you a nice middle ground. You can spend most of your time at the resort and make trips into town when you want the restaurants, shopping and nightlife of Playa Del Carmen.
What is The Best Way to Get from the Airport to The Fives Hotel?
Since most everyone is going to arrive at the Cancun Airport here is how to best get to the hotel. The time from the airport is about 40 minutes. There are three best ways to get to the hotel.
- Private transfer. These are vans you prebook and you will have a bilingual driver waiting for you at the airport. These are like taxis but are a much better option. For one, you can have it all planned out before you arrive and you have a faster transfer time. You also have a set price and do not have to negotiate with the taxi drivers. Taxis have no meters and often overcharge visitors. Lastly, you get a discount when you book round trip. The best company to use is reliable and has over a decade working in the Riviera Maya.
- If you are a couple and want a slightly less expensive option, there are shared shuttles that go between the airport and hotels. These vans usually have people staying at the same or nearby hotels. This might take a little more time (about 20 minutes) in the total time.
- If you want a luxury option for a transfer, you can book a Suburban or even a limousine direct to The Fives Beach Hotel. Click below to see rates for the best luxury transportation to the Playa Del Carmen area.
What Are Some Great Day Trips and Tours to Take For your Vacation?
Most people staying at an all-inclusive hotel in the Riviera Maya do one- or two-day trips during their stay. The most popular things are a visit to one of Xcaret’s Parks or to a Maya ruin. Let’s talk about these two groups of tours and we will offer you some options.
Xcaret Parks. Which One is Best for You?
Xcaret has about 5 or 6 parks, depending on how you count them. Each one is very well done in our opinion and well worth the entrance prices. Here is a brief description of each one.
- Xcaret Park. The biggest park highlighting shows, culture, history, animals, and much more. This is a very full day ending in a two-hour show at the end of the day.
- Xel Ha. A large inlet where you snorkel and swim all day. Enjoy a sun filled day or exploration.
- Xplor. Zip lines galore! This is a high energy park with activities for people that like adventure.
- Xoxi (formerly Xoximilco). This is an evening park where you take a small boat through canals, eat Mexican food and listen to live music.
- Xenotes. We include this as a park. Here you visit severa cenotes with a small group. The area is exclusivly owned by Xcaret and a fun way to explore the natural world of cenotes.
- Xenses. This is very good for younger children. It is all about fooling your senses. This is a half day park.
How To Get the Best Deal on Tickets?
The first place you should check is the sales page of Xcaret. On this page you can get discounts for using certain credit cards, find sales for holiday periods or just see promotions like buying two parks at a time. Click the link below for the sales page of Xcaret that covers all of its parks and tours.
The second option for saving money one Xcaret Parks and tours is buying them in advance. You save 10% off when you buy your tickets 7-20 days in advance. You can save 15% off if you buy your tickets 21 days or more in advance. This is the BEST way to get the best price for tickets. You can also combine parks and tours and save 20%. But how do you buy tickets if you are not sure the day you want to go? Buy your tickets in advance and you can change the date up to 24 hours before the day of your tickets. This way if the weather is not so great, you can easily change them. The important thing is to purchase them in advance with the links here.
Tours to Maya Ruins
The four main ruins that people visit from the Riviera Maya are:
- Chichen Itza. The biggest and most famous ruins. Usually on everyone’s list if they are visiting for the first time.
- Tulum Ruins. Known for the views overlooking the turquoise Caribbean. This is the closest ruins to the Rivera Maya area.
- Coba Ruins. A city in the forest where you can bike between the pyramids.
- Ek Balam. A smaller ruins that you can still climb to the top of the main temple.
Note: If you are going to visit some of Xcaret’s Parks, you can buy tickets to a park and combine it with a tour to one of two ruins. Xcaret has tours to Chichen Itza and Tulum. See the tours that Xcaret offers here.
If you just want tickets to visit Maya ruins, here are some good tours to check out.
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