5th Avenue & 8th Street, Colonia Centro, Playa del Carmen, Mexico | (888) 252-1244
Adults-only boutique in the center of all of the
action on the 5th Avenue strip
Spacious rooms with hip decor, Nescafe coffeemakers, cable
TV, and mini-fridges
Master Suites are large with exposed brick, open-plan bathrooms, and
balconies overlooking La Quinta Avenida
Five-minute walk to a public beach with seaside spa and
watersports
Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, in-room bottled water, and coffee pods
Discount on food and beverage at Zenzi Beach Club
24-hour reception area with business center
100 percent smoke-free hotel (con for some)
Rooftop restaurant and bar are closed until further notice
No pool or sundecks
Room lighting is dim, particularly noticeable at night
Outside noise can be heard through room walls
Showers can run out of hot water and bathrooms are small
Hotel El Punto is an unassuming 16-room adults-only boutique
hotel right off the busy La Quinta Avenida strip. Without a pool and a closed
rooftop bar and restaurant, this lower-middle-range feels a bit like a glorified hostel -- but the price is right for those in search of an easily accessible
place to crash after hitting the beach, bars, and clubs in the area. The NYC loft-like Master Suites are a sweet deal, though even the dim and simple Junior Suites feature Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffeemakers (with pods), free water bottles, cable
TV, and a mini-fridge. Light sleepers should bring earplugs. For those with a bit more to spend, check rates at Bel Air Collection Resort & Spa, another adults-only property, located on the beach.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Vibe-less, clean, and functional spot
With all the storefronts, restaurants, and bars crowding 5th
Avenue, Hotel El Punto’s narrow entrance may be easy to miss. Keep your eyes
peeled for a contemporary looking red hotel sign on a white building with glass
doors just north of 8th Street. The hotel’s lobby and reception area are hip with a good balance of contemporary style, modern art, and natural wood
creating the decor, but the overall vibe is a step above a hip hostel --
without the social spaces. Unfortunately, because of the hotel’s prime location in between shops on 5th Avenue, much of the interior space lacks access to
exterior light and/or has poor interior lighting, resulting in dim public
spaces and just plain dark hallways that feel claustrophobic at times. Plus,
with the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar closed indefinitely, there’s
nowhere to go except the lobby and guest rooms. The hotel itself is quiet (depending on the guests), but outside noise
can easily filter through the walls. Even with its low lighting, obvious style over substance
approach to materials, and possible noise, El Punto is an ideal budget option
for those who want to be directly on the strip within walking distance to the beach
and everything that 5th Avenue provides. There’s no real vibe here
(so look elsewhere for romance), but there’s no argument that it’s a clean and
functional place to stay with a fabulous location. Note that this is considered an adults-only hotel, so you must be at least 18 to check-into the hotel and at least 16 to rest your head.
Location
Prime location directly off of La Quinta Avenida
Located on the corner of 8th Street and 5th
Avenue, Hotel El Punto’s reception is directly off La Quinta Avenida. The beach
is a block-and-a-half away and the hotel’s beach club partner, Zenzi, a five-minute walk in the other direction. The hotel is flanked by popular Italian
Restaurant Il Baretto and a few small shops, though a large upscale shopping
mall is being built directly across the road as of March 2015. Cancun International Airport
is around 45 minutes north on highway 307. Akumal’s famous
snorkeling and Tulum’s beachside ruins are 30 and 50 minutes south,
respectively.
Rooms
Dim interior Junior Suites and large, light-filled Master Suites
Hotel El Punto’s 16 rooms come in two categories: Junior Suite and
Master Suite. However, neither of the rooms lives up to their designation.
Junior Suites are large, but have only a single chair and tiny desk instead
of a sitting space, while Master Suites, with a contemporary-style chaise
lounge, are more akin to a junior suite. Whichever room you book, you can expect
it to be immaculate and have a king-size bed. Decor is cheap (and it shows),
but for the most part, looks hip: IKEA-style dark brown veneer wood furniture,
low-rise beds, large slabs of tile used as table toppers and suitcase holders,
blackout curtains, and wood laminate flooring. The interior rooms have windows,
but they are painted white for privacy from the noisy outside courtyard and therefore have no view. Real gems are the two
huge corner unit Master Suites. These rooms are massive, have an L-shaped balcony with views of 5th Avenue and 8th Street -- and
lots of natural light. In general, the four Master Suites are worth the upgrade
for the extra space, exposed brick, and larger bathrooms**; **Junior Suite bathrooms are snug spots. All bathrooms come with
shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bar soap, and rainfall showerheads -- though the
hot water can be shy. Room amenities include Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffeemakers with pods, free
bottled water, mini-fridge, flat-screen TVs with cable, bathrobes, safes, good air-conditioning, and free Wi-Fi.
Features
Free Wi-Fi and access to Zenzi Beach Club
Unfortunately, Hotel El Punto seems to be removing features instead of
adding them. The free breakfast, rooftop restaurant and bar, and even the
stocking of in-room minibars seems to have been jettisoned. However, guests can
still expect (at least for now) to get free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and down
on the lobby’s two-computer business center, a 24-hour reception, smoke-free
environment, and discounted food and drink at beachside bar and restaurant. Zenzi is a fun and chilled-out spot on the beach with live music every
evening, tasty food, and free use of its beach loungers with (your discounted)
purchase of food or drink.
