I took a one week scuba diving vacation in Playa del Carmen and stayed at the Paraiso Azul. A simple hotel, but with all of the things I find important on vacation: large rooms, a location from where I can walk to shops and restaurants, WiFi Internet, and not too much noise. The dive shop is just a short walk away through the hotel garden. There is a good choice of eateries within easy walking distance (and not only on the tourist drag at 5 Ave N). The bus and ferry terminals are also nearby, as is the beach. A perfect place to base yourself if you want to explore Playa del Carmen and the area around it.

Location - Pretty good location, only 1 block away from all the action in town, and about 2 blocks from the beach. It was also located right near convenience stores and about a 10 minute walk to Wal-Mart which is by far the cheapest place to shop in town.
Room - Large, clean, functional kitchen. The only problem we had was the air conditioner which was for some reason set to turn off every hour. This problem was never resolved during our stay which was quite disappointing because you really get sick of waking up sweaty in steamy PDC.
Service - Pretty good helpful people. Able to answer all questions asked about local area.
Amenities - free wifi, free clean water and full kitchen which is a must in PDC due to the ridiculous prices charged in town for meals.
Value - Cheaper than most other places in PDC - We saved a lot during our week there by self catering..
Overall - Good solid place to stay. Look out for the brilliant towel art the house keeping does!

My partner and I have been coming to Playa Del Carmen for 20 years and have always stayed at Casa De Gopala, Pariso Azul everytime, always same room, It is our home away from home, WE LOVE IT. We have looked at other hotels but the rooms are not as nice and or as big. very good price.

The rooms in the main building are large and bright and the rooms safe is big enough to put your laptop in. No elevator so you have to hoof your stuff up the stairs if you have an upper room. The hotel has an fairly nice though small pool on the roof. It does close at 10pm though. The front desk staff speak enough english and some one is on the door 24/7. The location is very central, just a few steps from the main bus station and an easy 2 or 3 block walk to the beach. There is some street and other mexican city noises, but not nearly as bad as other places I have stayed in, in Playa del Carmen.