I had a very disappointing experience at Playacar Palace and would never stay here again. The biggest issue was the terrible customer service. The hotel had extremely low water pressure throughout our stay, making it difficult to shower or even use the sink properly. On top of that, there was a horrible odor coming from the seaweed along the beach. The smell was overwhelming, and the beach was completely closed, which defeated one of the main reasons we chose this resort.
Because the hotel had very low occupancy, the food selection was also very limited. There was very little variety compared to what you would expect from a resort at this price point. When I decided to check out early because of these issues, the hotel refused to provide any refund. Instead, they offered to transfer us to another one of their properties—but only if we paid an additional charge. They wouldn’t even cover the taxi between their own hotels. To make matters worse, they told us the taxi would cost only $95, but the actual fare was $130.
The impression I was left with is that once they have your money, they have very little interest in taking care of their guests or making things right. Instead of acknowledging the problems and trying to resolve them fairly, they simply shifted the cost and inconvenience onto us. I cannot recommend this hotel based on our experience. There are many better options in Playa del Carmen that value their guests and provide the level of service you would expect.