We had a great time at the Acanto Hotel. With a group of five, we stayed in two rooms: a 2BR penthouse condo and a 1BR penthouse condo, both in the main building (apparently there's another condo location a few blocks away). It was a good configuration, because we were able to cook and really had some space to spread out.

Our group had some very specific needs, so I communicated with the Acanto staff several times in advance about details. They responded right away, and were super accommodating about things like making sure both bedrooms in the 2br penthouse had queen or king beds (not twins), and answering questions about local resources.

The penthouse roof terraces were especially lovely -- each one included a four-person hot tub, table/chairs and loungers, and an outdoor kitchen area with gas grill, sink, and counter space. (The railing-free spiral stairs to the roof are a little scary, though!) The hotel is one longish block from the ocean, and the setting feels more "town" than "beachfront," but our view was pretty nice from up there! The beach itself has the kind of fine, light, powdery sand that dreams are made of. You can walk all the way up either the beach or the main pedestrian drag (Avenida 5) from near the hotel to the Cozumel ferry building, and there are endless resources for entertainment, dining/drinking, etc. along either route.

We bought groceries at Walmart and later at Mega Mart (which is much better and closer), but you can also preorder groceries from the hotel and they'll deliver them to your room for a 20% surcharge, which seems like a pretty good deal. At our request, Acanto also made reservations for us one night at Yaxche, a great Mayan restaurant a few blocks away. Yum!

The Acanto Hotel is very newly redone, so there were occasional glitches, like the elevator not working for a few days (it also doesn't go to all upper-floor areas), and no phones in the rooms to call downstairs or to other rooms. There were also a few byzantine little quirks to the facility -- for example, they have to turn on the hot tubs and the rooftop grills for you in advance (you can't just do it yourself, and you have to plan ahead). And because the hotel is at the edge of Avenida 5, there was a bit of wee-hours noise from carousing tourists returning drunk to wherever they were staying (this only happened a couple times over the weekend).

But overall it was pretty quiet, and felt very private and relaxed. The vibe was great, the decor nice (especially the wall art), the location excellent, the beds very comfortable, the Wi-Fi ($10/day) reliable, and the onsite staff were some of the nicest, most accommodating people I've encountered at any hotel worldwide. Joel deserves a medal for all his hard work -- it seemed like he was ALWAYS there to help!

I found this hotel as I was frantically looking for a place to stay when some of my friends opted out of our trip to Playa, 30 days before our vacation. We had originally booked an 8,000 square foot villa on the beach.

I was hesitant to book the hotel because there was a 20% discount offered as a grand opening special, however there was a problem with the discount being deducted from the total on the website. Upon speaking with Joel, he assured me that they would deduct the total from my reservation, which was handled promptly.

I had several questions for the staff as this was my first trip in the area. At one point I called the front desk without providing any information about my reservation, and inquired if there were pull out sofa beds or roll away beds offered. The question was answered with a "no" and we hung up the phone. Not 10 minutes later, the woman (who I later found out was Rafaella) called me back using caller ID and informed me that she was mistaken, they do offer roll away beds. The follow up was simply impressive, I have never had an experience like this in an American hotel.

As I later found out, these first 2 encounters with the staff were no accident. They continued during all of my contact with the hotel, from questions about where to go for a special birthday dinner to questions about safety in the area. They were answered promptly either via email or phone call. I am the owner of a business myself and would be delighted if my employees were half as helpful as the staff at this hotel. American businesses need to take a lesson in hospitality from these folks!

We were given an opportunity to purchase groceries in advance and despite the last minute changes to our grocery list, the groceries were waiting upon our arrival.

Rafaella recommended a day trip to Rio Secreto which we were happy to book. She made all of the arrangements including transportation. We were quite happy and in fact this was one of the highlights of our vacation!

There were only 3 things that weren't exactly perfect during our stay. 1) Sewage smell one night only, might have been in the area and not specific to the hotel. 2) $10 wifi charge which we should have specified we only needed for one night to check our snorkel tour time as there were issues checking email on Verizon iPhone. We should have informed the front desk we only needed one night. 3) Because of the type of room it was, I would expect a washer dryer. It is very humid and laundry sometimes takes days to dry if you have gone in the water.

The location of Acanto is perfect if you want to be where all the activity is going on. There is endless shopping and some of the most amazing restaurants and it's just a short walk from the beach where you can partake in water activities. There are also several night clubs within walking distance.

Thank you so much to the staff at Acanto for making this my best birthday ever, you guys are the best!

Had an amazing visit at the beginning of the year . Our group of four were wowed by the amazing service and hospitality we received . Special thanks to Joel for going out of his way, making our stay so comfortable and enjoyable . We have recommended this property to our friends and family and cannot wait to return !!

This was our first vacation in Playa Del Carmen. Our check-in agent made us feel very welcome. We found our condominium to be brand new, clean, fully-furnished, beautifully constructed, and well-designed. Throughout our stay, the housekeeping employees performed all cleaning tasks exceptionally well. They were unobtrusive, flexible with our schedule, thorough, and detail-oriented. For being in such a prime location, I was surprised at how quiet and peaceful the rooms were. We appreciated consistently comfortable slumbers.

What especially impressed me at Acanto Hotel and Condominiums was each staff member. Each one was so helpful in answering all the questions I had at any time of day. We appreciated the 24-hour security, too. Acanto Hotel representatives helped me coordinate car rentals, dining arrangements, and taxis with ease and competitive pricing in a polite, helpful, and pleasant manner. Guest services were superior, and the atmosphere of true hospitality was a class act. We hope to stay here again!