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It's not all-inclusive and you won't get lost finding your room. There are no onsite activities – it’s basically just a place to sleep and maybe enjoy a dip in the pool.

There is a small pool and a courtyard with a small restaurant - Rancho Viejo. When we were there the menu was limited, but the food tasty.

All rooms have air conditioning, a phone, television, ceiling fans, private baths, and hot water (depending on the time of day!). You can choose from rooms with one king-size bed or two doubles. Rooms with king-size beds have refrigerators. Depending on the season, standard rooms cost from $50 US to $95 US. The hotel also offers a master suite $75 US to $125 US.

Free safe deposit boxes are provided in the main reception area. There is a parking lot and 24-hour security.

What we loved about the hotel was its closeness to Fifth Avenue, where there were dozens of amazing restaurants for breakfast, lunch or dinner, plus stores selling every kind of souvenir possible.

You could spend hours just strolling down the street, shopping or stopping for a cool cerveza or margarita. At night the avenue is alive with people enjoying the ambiance at the restaurants and bars.

We spent the day there swimming in underground rivers and snorkeling, watching the dolphins, checking out the exotic animals and touring the very authentic looking replica of an ancient Mayan village. There is also a botanical garden, an archaeological site, a beautiful beach on the Caribbean, horse stables and restaurants.

At night they put on an amazing cultural show in their outdoor amphitheatre complete with Mexican dancers and singers dressed in elaborate and colourful costumes. One act sang some hauntingly beautiful Mayan songs.

Xel-Ha water park is a unique natural phenomenon and a protected habitat for marine life. We especially enjoyed swimming down the inlet along the mangroves, which were literally teeming with fish. We saw a huge parrotfish that had to be at least three feet long, along with a sting ray. You can choose to snorkel down the inlet or float on a tube. There are huge iguanas running around everywhere. To truly enjoy this park, you might want to make it a day trip.

The Mayans were an amazing people who developed astronomy, mathematics (including the concept of zero), a calender with 365 days, hieroglyphic writing, and other aspects of art and culture.

The ruins at Tulum are in good shape, but you''re not allowed to climb on many of them, including El Castillo (the castle), the temple and fortress overlooking the sea. Look close enough, and you can still see the hand prints of an ancient Mayan on the Temple of Frescoes, which is carved with amazing masks of Mayan gods. When we were there, the sky was an ominous dark blue on one side, with the sun lighting the temples brightly on the other. It was kind of eerie, but made for great pictures.

There is a nice beach under the castle to cool down in. Take a book with you and spend the day reading in the shade of an ancient stone wall!

On the tour we took, we went to Ponderossa and Grand cenotes. At Ponderossa, we jumped off a 20-foot cliff into the water below. At Grand Centote, our guide found a red-eared slider tortuga (turtle). We also dove under water and came up in an underground cave. Cenotes provided fresh drinking water for the Mayans.

Our guide was very friendly and told us lots about the Mayan culture, including the fact that Mayans would toss young virgins into the cenotes to appease the fertility gods! A great tour, very educational and fun.

Playa is a bustling town that has retained a small-village charm. The main street is Fifth Avenue (Fifth Avenida), a long tiled street one block off the Caribbean beach with tons of super restaurants, bars, and shops selling all your typical Mexican souveniers, from blankets to hammocks to sombreros and tequila. Mexican vendors sit outside their shops and will say just about anything to get you into their stores. Our favorites were: "Hey lady, come see my junk", "Everything''s 100 percent off today", and "For you, I give good deal." Most stores are willing to bargain. If you think the price is too high, just walk away and if there is a better price available, you''ll soon know.

Most destinations in town are available on foot -- we never rented a car over the two weeks we were there. We stayed right in town, about five blocks off the beach. Located right next to town is the resort area of Playacar, with lots of gorgeous hotels, most all-inclusive. This area didn''t feel very authentic -- I much preferred being right in town, even if it wasn''t right on the beach.

Walk down Fifth Avenue and you''ll find a mostly young, very hip and attractive international crowd with lots of Europeans.

Just off shore is the 250 kilometre long Honduras Reff, which stretches to Belize. The Island of Cozumel is a half-hour ferry ride from Playa. The island and the reef seemed to block any waves from the long, white sand beach, which had the most amazing turquoise and green water. There is lots of snorkeling and diving for water enthusiasts. Or try kayaking into the breaking waves father out in the water. Lots of fun, if you don''t fall off!

We loved Playa del Carmen and would highly recommend it to anyone.