Eurostars Hacienda Vista Real - Playa del Carmen

We stayed for a week in a king suite which was a luxurious amount of room for our family. We enjoyed the four (four!) balconies looking out onto the pool and golf course. The daily breakfast spread was great and we really appreciated how they changed it up daily for some variety. The front-desk staff was always accommodating with our minor needs/questions, etc. There were a couple of areas where they fell down a bit though. First, though generally clean, there were a few things that were so dirty that we wondered what the staff was thinking. We had to clean the toilet paper cover because it just looked gross and we didn't want to see it that way for a week. The refrigerator shelves looked like they hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Lastly, though they provided dishes for our use, we had to ask for cleaning supplies to clean them since the staff doesn't clean them. Supplies should just be there if the staff doesn't wash the dishes. Every day they left only 4 towels for our family of 5, so I had to request an extra towel each day. Nothing earth-shattering, but attention to these details would have made the stay nicer. I would definitely still return. The walk into Playa was about 20 minutes, so just beware that it takes a while to get to/from town if you're not poppin' for a taxi all the time. P.S. Some nights we had a couple of small lizards on our ceiling. It added to the authenticity - they were gone by morning; no harm, no foul!

We looked online to see how to get the best value for the price. For the most part, this hotel is a good value. The location was wonderful, close enough to walk to the beach and most of the downtown area. It is very private, safe, and quiet around the hotel. Also, it's not that far from popular tourist destinations such as Tulum, Cozumel, Coba, and Xcaret. We rented a car and drove ourselves around to the popular destinations, which was much cheaper than having to pay for a tour bus/guide. The hotel itself is nice...it has a swimming pool and the free breakfast buffet every morning is excellent with a very wide selection of food. The room was advertised as having a large TV in the living room, and the entertainment center was there, but there was no TV present--this was not a huge deal to us given the cable selection at the hotel is horribly lacking for english viewers (2 channels), but we weren't really there to watch television. However, I could see this being an issue for some visitors. The oven in our unit also did not work, which was disappointing given that we decided to purchase groceries for the trip. Also, small ants were a problem in the unit, particularly in the kitchen. These problems were reported to the front desk where no real effort made to resolve them over the course of our trip. The internet access was free. The staff was nice enough, however the language barrier became an issue at times. We do not recommend going to indigo beach, which is associated with the hotel. It is crowded and has many fishing boats docked on the shore which makes it unpleasant to swim. Also, it is a significant walk from the hotel, approximately 30 minutes. Instead, go to the dock that the Cozumel ferry leaves from, and walk down that beach heading north until you find a nice spot, it is all public beach and is much nicer than the hotel beach, with fewer people and no fishing boats to ruin your swim. Coba was our furthest destination, about an hour and 45 minutes away. Tulum was about 30 minutes away, and Xcaret was 15 minutes. Cancun airport is approximately 45 minutes from the hotel. Overall we had a great experience and we would recommend this hotel to anyone who doesn't mind a little walking.

Three old college friends had 2 rooms and we all felt that this was the best deal in town. About 1 mile from downtown Playa in a gated community. The Hacienda was a 4 star hotel for a 2 star price. The staff was exceptional and the location was fantastic. Not on the water, but on a golf course waterway. The breakfast ran till 11:00am and was on the order of a Sunday Buffett everyday. Perfect for us, we went downtown for diner and that was it. About a 15-20 minute walk. Very pleased and would highly recommend. I was worried that Playa had grown too much since last visit (15 years). Well, it has grown by about 500%, but still a very charming downtown with sidewalk resturants and great people watching all day and night. Not a Cancun/Ft Lauderdale mess. Thinking about a longer stay at the Hacienda next time.

We were there March 1-11, 2012. The hotel is a smaller hotel located a 20-25min walk away from the beach through Playacar (a gated community that borders Playa Del Carmen). The neighborhood that its located in is extremely safe and our group walked everywhere. Taxi's were always available for US$7 if you wanted to get into town faster. Pool is ok and the available seating poolside filled up fast. But for the few days we spent at the hotel during the day this was fine. There is a free breakfast buffet everyday that offers good food. I wish they would've had the 5 gallon water coolers in each room. They did provide smaller bottles of water at no cost. Overall great experience for what we paid. The walk into/back from town being the only drawback.

This is a nice place and a bit out of the way. It is neither on the beach nor in the bustle of downtown Playa del Carmen. The walk into the start of the town is about 10-15 minutes and almost the same to the first public beach. Their pass to the central Indigo Beach and some beach loungers did not work, but it was not too much of a problem. The breakfast is okay, but a bit on the Mexican side of the offerings. It is nice that breakfast is served till 11:30AM so you can almost skip lunch. The pool is a bit small and kidney shaped so lap swimming is not a possiblity, but it was ideal for our 4 and 6-year old grandchildren. And if you golf, it is right on the course. If you stay here, do get an Internet map of its location. Driving down from the Cancun Airport, you need to understand how to get off 307 and into Playacar. It takes going past the place south, and then using a returno to come back to the Playacar entrance. Once in Playacar, the signage to get to the Vista Real is not all that clear and distinct. A map is a very useful thing. All in all, this is a reasonable mid-range place to stay in Playa del Carmen.

Great hotel for the price. Bed was a little stiff but comfortable. Plan on walking at least 15 minutes to town and activites.

Only one proplem the Bar and Restaurant closed at 3 pm after that there was no place to eat or socialize

First thing is to RENT a car as the location is not easy to find and the taxi fares are ridiculous because they know you are a tourist. The property is not breathtaking, but it's nice and comfy. If you are a crowd lover this isn't the place for you. Overall you will have a great stay at this hotel, the staff are friendly and will go beyond to make your stay as memorable as possible. AVOID 5th avenue because it's too expensive:-) but again it's up to your pocket. Room type:Ambassador suite ( i was on my honeymoon)

if you rent a car ,it cannot be better in playa del carmen. if you want to go at the beach it is 15 min walk . the birds are there all the time it is funny for pictures, it is at 200meter from xelha birds sanctuary and many kinds escape from there and live around the hotel for taxi to the beach it is $5. the breakfast was good and complete. they were all the time open to help us. it is the most secure place in playa del carmen because it is in a private park that you pass gates to enter . you can walk there alone even in the middle of the night.

The hotel, the staff and the surroundings is just perfect!! So nice and high value for money.