I was only looking for a cheap Hotel, safe, with hot water and cold A/C. That's exactly what I found here and (given the reviews I read for dearer places), I thought this was rather good.
The room was a bit dark (looking out on the stairs you tend to keep the curtains shut), but it was cleaned everyday, towels and linen changed daily. Saw no bugsand the staff were ok/nice.
I'd go back!

I was from December 29, 2006 until January 4, 2007 and It´s the worst hotel of Playa del Carmen. The service is terrible and there are cockroaches in the rooms!!! In Playa del Carmen there are cheap and comfortable hotels but this one is a theft!

My husband and I stayed for a week here and really enjoyed it. We're from NYC - he's into upscale pricey places, and I'm more laid-back and adventurous; the place pleased us both. You won't confuse it with one of those enormous hotels by the beach where you get lost inside, but it's not a hostel either. We pretty much only slept in the room - we wanted to experience the city, go on trips, and go to the beach - and it was great for that. Yes, it wasn't pretty, but very clean. Very firm mattresses (no bed bugs - there's an epidemic in NYC brought over from Europe, so we were very wary). It was also quiet. Very pretty entryway and very helpful staff. When we were waiting for our airport transfer on our last day, they helped us to get in touch with and deal with the company. We came in & out at all hours, so we met a variety of staffers, all of whom were friendly (and not overly friendly, which we like).

The only problem - which would throw many tourists into a tizzy, but we didn't care - was that the TV didn't work and the fridge door wouldn't close. But my husband can fix everything, so we didn't bother the staff and everything was working that same night. But, seriously, who needs a TV when you're in Playa del Carmen? There wasn't a phone either, but the receptionist let us use theirs, and there's a cheap internet cafe across the street with cheap phone rates, so who cares there wasn't a phone in the room?

We would definitely return, and highly recommend it.

To the reviewer who said, "bad plumbing, you have to throw your toilet paper in a waste paper basket" - this is true pretty much *everywhere* in Playa del Carmen and other cities in the area (not to mention any under-developed country, hello!). We never had any problems with plumbing. Great running hot water, hot and cold. And as for bed bugs - the best hotels in every city can get them.

We knew that Posada Mariposa would be a no frills place. We booked an apartment--which was called Casa Nopal. It was nothing special, but we were fine with it. It was roomy and had a little kitchen.

The first morning, my husband woke up with the telltale row of itchy bites around his ankles. We didn't want to jump to conclusions, but we had suspected they were bed bugs. The next morning, he woke up with more telltale, itchy rows of bites and we *knew* they were bed bugs. So for the remainder of the vacation, the two of us slept on the single bed in the living room. (When we got home, we checked against photos of bed bug bites on the internet---they were definitely bed bugs) So, for that reason alone, I would say to find another place to stay--at least until they say they have cleared up the problem.

Also, they say they have an "arrangement" with one of the beach clubs, but it's only saves you $1, so be sure to look around when you go to the beach and just choose the beach club that appeals most to you.

Good points:
Mariposa is in a great location.
Most of the staff are very helpful and sweet (except for one surly receptionist ).
Beautiful courtyard.
Two blocks to the beach.

Bad points:
Bed bugs! Do not stay in the room called Casa Nopal.
Rooms need a good sprucing up.
No telephones.
Bring your travel alarm! If you want a wake up call, the night guard will very quietly tap on you door. We did not hear our wake up call.
Bad plumbing--you have to throw toilet paper in a waste can and not in the toilet.