3 star Independent hotels in Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo

We stayed in one of the Cabana's (# 123) that had a small kitchen, living room, TV, bathroom with shower, closet, king sized bed, AC, fans and pack-n-play for our 3 year old. The patio had two comfy chairs and two hammocks. It was nice to hang out on the patio. The AC kept the room nice and cool if the fans and breeze couldn't keep up. 5th Ave is 1/2 block away with all the shops, bars and restaurants. But we found the best Mexican food off the beaten path and the prices were about half as much. The beach was about two blocks away walking through Las Palapas resort, which you have full access to food, bar, swimming pool, beach chairs and umbrella at Las Palapas. This is a huge plus. Keep your eyes open for the iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks, very cool to see. When we were done at the beach we took advantage of the pool and hot tub right next to our cabana in Riveria Maya Suites. The staff are extremely friendly.

We had a wonderful time. We definitely recommend this hotel

We have been to Playa several times before and had seen the Hotel Lunata. We decided to stay there instead of our usual beach hotel (Fusion, which is also great). Lunata was wonderful - super friendly staff and a nice room that was very quiet even though it was overlooking 5th Avenue. The room was tastefully decorated, bed was comfortable, and the shower was great. We would definitely recommend it for couples as an alternative to staying on the beach.

My boyfriend and I spent a week at Petit Lafitte and had a pleasant and memorable vacation. We are not fussy travelers and the hotel gave us exactly what we needed in Mexico - great beach access, warm and attentive staff, quality food, and easy access to outdoor and cultural activities. We did not care for BIG resort lifestyle with a ton of happenings, amenities, and swarms of people, and that's not what Petit is about. As other reviewers have pointed out, lunch is not included in the board, but is reasonably priced at the beach-side bar/restaurant. Daily menu included complimentary chips/salsa/garlic dip and hamburgers, hot dogs, ceviche, salads, tacos, etc. Mango daiquiri and pina coladas are not to be missed. You can check out the bar-side board for nightly entertainment listings - our favorites were a Mayan performance and violinist/guitar act. The staff members are genuinely warm and made us feel welcome at every turn. David rocks the concierge, and helped us with excursion research, directions, etc. Some may see the distance to Playa a disadvantage, but for us, a single day trip to its shopping strip/beach was plenty. On another day, we rented a car and drove to see the Coba ruins. Highly recommend navigating by car, as the main highway pretty much gets you anywhere you want to go.

Stayed one night here recently. The room was excellent - clean and comfortable bed. Every room has two hammocks on it's outside porch which was a great touch. Breakfast and dinner are included at the restaurant which was a buffet. The food was ok - just fine for one night. The only bad thing and I've noticed this everywhere I've stayed along the beach in Playa del Carmen is the noise at night. It is definitely a hip party scene with deep base music bumping in the afternoon and at night. Las Palapas appears to be cultivating a relaxing scene but I don't think you can compete with the noise next door. Fine for one night but I wouldn't last more! Good thing we were off to Tulum instead - much quieter.

Situated literally right on the beach, the My Tulum Cabanas were the perfect little getaway down in Tulum for a few days. Being eco friendly, there were no tv's or air con, just your bed, a hammock and the sea breeze. Yeli - the hotel manager - went beyond what I had expected. She would chat with me at breakfast and by the end of my stay she felt like a friend. Just a short bike ride to the Tulum Ruins and in a very peaceful section of the hotel zone. I will definitely stay here again when I'm back in the Tulum area! :)

Steps away from the beach. Great staff. Breakfast was decent. The beds are very hard but we asked for a mattress topper the first night. Price is Right. Book this hotel.

Everthing is perfect y recommend it and i would stay there again.

The location of the hotel is absolutely wonderful. You are right near the ferry to Cozumel and near all the shops and restaurants on 5th Avenue. The Hotel staff is excellent and very accommodating.

Surprised at the cool breeze off the ocean at night. The rooms were perfectly fine with the ocean breeze alone, but a large quiet fan was also provided though we never needed it. Showers were a little salty, but your skin and hair feel normal so aside from tasting the water it was like a regular shower to me. There IS hot water its just labeled with a C for Caliente which is hot is Spanish. Very clean, white powder soft beaches great for walking or getting a work out. I was surprised to find so many hippie, vegan, yoga types at this beach but it was very relaxing and the food was fabulous esp the ceviche. The complimentary breakfast included an array of fresh fruits and your choice of hot cakes, croissant or French toast which tasted more like banana bread. Yum! Also included was cappuccino, frappuccino and coffee. I'd recommend this hotel for couples looking to reconnect..if you have children be aware there is no television and its rather quiet. Playa Azul is about a 1.5 miles from "town" but Zamas is in the heart of it. FYI..this is a topless beach but I only saw 2 in 4 days.