by Tim Thornton

Austin, Texas

February 1, 2007

The hotels. There are wide arrays of hotels on the Island, all of which are very different in how they cater to their guests. There are the economy hotels, which are located just outside of town. There is very little that you can do without getting into a taxi from out there. The price is right, but they are generally not very convenient. There are the all-inclusive hotels that are on the west coast—south of town. These share a similar inconvenience, but offer a lot more to their guests at a much higher price. Private beaches. Docks to pick up divers. Hands on attention and service. Golf (not all resorts have golf). Sailing. You know—the kind of thing that you expect when you go to an all-inclusive resort. Then there are the hotels in and around town. In town you can find rooms for rent from the locals, B&B style. These are very small, but have a very local flavor that is unmistakable. Some people will love this type of accommodation, and others will hate it. Most people will be either very Turned-on, or very Turned-off by these small B&B’s.

Then there are the larger hotels on the edge of town. Several hotels are located just north of the down town area, on the coast, but very close to the airport. A few hotels are located just south of town, about 4 minutes drive time in a taxi to town. Among these hotels you will find one or two 2.5 star hotels (Referred to as real "Dive Hotels" or to the rest of us just simple a "A dive!") These hotels are cheap, convenient, and simple—to put it politely. Don’t expect much more than a bed and a cheap bill here. Then there are nice hotels. My favorite hotel is the Plaza Las Glorious (PLG). PLG is located just minutes from downtown on the coast line. It does not have much of a beach (just a little sand), but the hotel pool sits just above the ocean with an incredible vista. On a clear day you can see Cancun from your room, and all the rooms have an ocean view. The hotel rooms have marble floors, and if you tip your room staff the first day, you will find nice rugs and such on the floor the next morning (be kind to your cleaning staff and they will take care of you). PLG also has a dock for divers to be picked up and a dive shop on the premises. Swimmers can snorkel next to the peer, where schools of waiting tropical fish will greet you and take your finger off if you are not careful when you feed them. Bananas are a favorite in the fish community, so if you have some fruit from your morning breakfast buffet, don’t forget to feed the fish.

by Sniffies

The Woodlands, Texas

January 23, 2005

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Good

by MexicoRuth

Seattle, Washington

July 7, 2003

We were very pleased. The room was spacious and spotless. It was a suite with kitchen and living area in addition to the bedroom/bath. The air conditioner worked perfectly and was totally mold free, and we found all the staff to be friendly, helpful, and concerned for our well-being.

The Plaza las Glorias is very close to downtown, unlike all the other big international hotels and right across the street from a great grocery and more store and little mall with a great movie theater. Lots of restaurants were close by, but we still ate most meals at the hotel restaurant, which had tasty food at standard hotel prices.

The pool is minimal and often full of shouting children, but you can snorkel right in front of the hotel and that makes up for any problems the pool might have.

Our friend's unit was facing the street and was very noisy during the late night parties during Carnaval. They ended up sleeping in our unit. Our door faced into the building and we couldn't hear a thing.

We loved the parrot that visited us several days looking for snack and the friendly bartenders who remembered what we wanted to drink.

We want to go back. The Plaza, like most Mexican hotels, has a few quirks, but nothing that kept us from having a grand time!