Playa la Media Luna translates to Beach of the Half Moon. The beach outside the hotel is beautiful, but swimming is strictly limited to the “half moon” section between the rocks. The riptide or undertow is too strong on this side of the island, forcing swimmers to stay close to shore and within the red flag area.

Our room was on the second floor, spacious and clean. A small refrigerator sat next to the desk, and the television rested on the refrigerator. A set of drawers and rod for hanging clothes was on the other side of the bathroom door and I found the room safe tucked back in the corner.

One set of bath towels and washcloths sat in the bathroom. Towels for the beach were extra, but we found towels sitting just outside the lobby area and used them. Bottled water dispensers were on each floor, and we kept the water pitcher and water bottles filled in the refrigerator. Ice was non-existent except by making small cubes in the freezer section of the refrigerator.

With the high humidity, we used the room air conditioner occasionally. We preferred keeping the room cool by opening the balcony door and window, letting the ocean breeze in.

I walked to the lobby for coffee early each morning and carried it up to our room. My wife and I drank coffee on the balcony, watching the ocean for the beginning of each day. People walked along the beach, looking for shells washed to shore. Dogs wandered the beach and drank from the swimming pool to cool down. After waking up slowly, we moseyed down for a light breakfast before heading off for the day.

We joined different groups of people for breakfast. We learned most people selected this hotel for its location and reputation for privacy. Several couples were on their honeymoons having found this hotel listed on the web as one of the best for newlyweds.

On our first night while unpacking our suitcase, I uncovered a small pink and white striped sack which I did not pack. Hmmm. A birthday present, maybe? I peeked inside. HmmmMMM. Definitely a birthday present… Once again I assessed the room for privacy. With the window open for the cool breeze, the adjoining neighbor could peer into our room from their balcony. Knowing my wife would notice this possible intrusion, I draped a beach towel over our balcony railing, protecting the view of the bed in our room. Now the only possible invasion could be from an ocean vehicle with binoculars staring through our window. At most they would see a flash of pink and our own private moon.

The property is a bit off the beaten path from downtown, but it''s right on the Caribbean side beach. It was quiet, and while very close to everything downtown, it was also somewhat secluded. Only 18 rooms on three floors, but we saw that as a plus from a service and noise perspective.

The rooms had small refrigerators, very helpful to keep a snack and some cold beverages in the room. There was a nice size bath, shower only, and the hot water did take a while to warm up – a minor annoyance when you are in paradise. The rooms were good sized, and the AC worked great. The floors were tile and the décor was light with accents of greens and blues. Each room had a balcony or patio with a breathtaking ocean view and was provided with a hammock and chairs to enjoy the waves and the breeze. There is also a safe in each room for valuables and a shelf and an open "closet" for clothes and storage. There was a large water cooler available to refill water bottles with, and we always drank bottled water, even used it for brushing our teeth to be on the safe side.

The property was very clean and well taken care of. It is a fairly new property, built in the last 3 or 4 years. The small dining room off the lobby served a free/included light breakfast of fruit and toast or pastries each morning. Coffee and orange juice was also available gratis. This room also had a television usually tuned to CNN in English; there was also a small selection of paperbacks left by previous visitors if you needed a beach book.

The pool has a beautiful view of the Caribbean, and there are plenty of beach chairs that can be used on the beach just behind the pool. There was a palapa bar at the pool, but during our stay it was not open. It was not a problem to us however in that we didn’t spend a lot of time at the pool. The beach behind the hotel provides a beautiful view of the Caribbean with semi-private beach, beach lounge chairs, and a nice pool. The sound of the waves crashing on the rocks and beach was an added ambience that helped create a very relaxed atmosphere. Very helpful staff (Wizzer?? sp?? pronounced wheezer was very helpful and speaks good English). It''s a short walk to the north beach and downtown with many restaurants/shops.

We stayed on the beach behind the hotel one day and saw maybe ten people walk by all afternoon, so it is very quiet and private. I would recommend it for those not looking for a Cancun style resort but a quiet getaway with restaurants and entertainment nearby.

You can see more of the Media Luna at this website.