I chose Riviera del Sol because of the location and the good reviews I read on various websites. First, the good. It's SPOTLESS. Whatever sand I tracked in was mopped up by Dulce each morning. The bathroom was very clean as well as the rest of the room. The water got very hot even though I didn't use it to shower because the cold water felt much better. Yes the bed was rock hard, but that's common in Mexico. The location, in my opinion, was excellent. It is a quick walk to the action but not smack dab in the middle of it. It's also very close to the beach - the best part of the beach in PDC. The towels you get to take to the beach are HUGE which was nice. There is a small grocery mart right across the street as well as a nice air-conditioned internet cafe - just a block down. Both are a little more pricey than something a little less convenient, but the trade off is worth it because I was being a lazy bum.

The bad. When I reserved the room I told Carlos I wanted an ocean view room and kitchenette. He told me to request either 301 or 308 in my reservataion which I did. I got room 301. Due to all the construction around the hotel, including a huge hotel going up right in front of cute little Riveria del Sol, it appears only my room plus one other has ocean view.... 301 and the one right across from 301. My issue was that my room did not have a kitchenette. It had a mini frig, but that was it. I admit, I should have said something right off the bat. But considering that the only room available with ocean view (and a kitchenette) upon check-in was 301 I just didn't bother because I knew there was nothing else to move me to. I did bring it up upon check-out though. At first, Melina wanted to argue the point that the room did in fact have a kitchentte in it. After explaining several times that it did not and she confirmed with the two maids, she appologized and said she was not aware that it did not have a kitchenette. She went on to tell me had I told them when I checked in they would have done something about it. I asked what could she have done if it was the only room available with an ocean view. She said she did not know . However, she would not budge on the price of the room, even though I was paying for a "suite that included a kitchenette." I would like to make a comment regarding someone saying that you pay less for cash payment. Yes it's true. You get a discount for paying cash, but the credit card price is the price posted (or quoted). So no harm done there.

I will be the first to admit that I should have mentioned this the day I checked in. But I was a little taken back that Melina's first response was to argue with me that the room DID have a kitchenette, then after realizing it did not, she said I should have brought it up earlier - even though there was no solution. Then stood strong with the original price of the room.

I read someone's comment that the room was not worth the rate they charge. I want to second that - even if it had a kitchenette. I went during low season and paid $117 for the room. Considering all the very nice condos and boutique hotels that have recently been built in this area or are in the process of being built, this rate will not be competative for much longer. I've included a picture of the huge hotel being build in front of Riveria del Sol. You can also see to the left the newish condo complex that also is in front of the hotel that blocks the ocean view. This picture was taken standing outside the door to my room so the balconies inside the room are actually even much further to the left. I feel really bad for the hotel because I think by the end of summer 2007 - they will only have one ocean view room left. This was the 12th time I've traveled to this area in the last 9 years so I feel like I have somewhat of a good feel for how things are in this region. Overall, I was satisfied with the hotel, but it did end on a sour note and unless the rates go down, I will not stay there again - only because I feel I could get a better hotel for the same rate or an equal hotel for less.

We stayed here in mid-April 2007. Trying to find a nice hotel in Playa del Carmen was a daunting task. Everything on or near the beach was booked. We didn't want to stay in Playacar and we didn't want to be on 5th Ave. We were driving, so parking was a concern. The hotel where we had stayed just seven years ago did not seem to be there anymore. Thanks to TripAdvisor, we found the Hotel Riviera del Sol.

Unless you want to be in the center of all the action, the location of this hotel is excellent. It's in a residential area just one long block from the beach and a very short block from the Pedestrian way, 5th Ave. There is plenty of street parking right next to the hotel.

The rooms are centered around an inviting pool area and there are very nice public areas for relaxing and breakfast. I would like to say that this hotel is a quiet haven in the hubub of Playa del Carmen but unfortunately there is quite a bit of construction going on in the area and in Mexico that means noise for about 12 hours a day, six days a week. But, this is common to all the city and it does quiet down late at night.

We had one of the so-called "suites" for $135 per night. Room 308 which overlooked the pool and had a slight view of the Caribbean in the distance. The difference between a standard room and our "suite" was that we had a fridge, sink, and some dishes in a small kitchen area which we never used. The room seemed overpriced to me. The low-season rate of $105 would have been more appropriate. But, this is Playa del Carmen.

The king size bed was very comfortable and attractive with its decorated headboard. The bath was nice with beautiful tile work but the plumbing fixtures were of low quality. In the shower, it was hard to direct the spray on the bather since it wanted to go all over the place. We usually had hot water but this was an issue once or twice.

Overall, we had a nice stay at the Riviera del Sol. The breakfasts were nice if simple and the staff was very helpful, especially Melina at the front desk. Also, the beach towels and the use of lounge chairs at the beach club were very appreciated.

My only real complaint is in regards to the payment for the room. I was under the impression that I had prepaid for the room when I booked on the internet but was told when checking in that I had not paid despite the fact that they had sent me a voucher for my credit card payment. I had to go online and check to make sure that I had not been charged. Then, we were told that the posted room rate was for cash transactions. If we used a credit card, the rate would be almost $150 per night. This was not shown on their website and was a surprise to us. If I had known, we would have brought more dollars with us. Instead, we went to a nearby bank and withdrew the necessary pesos to pay the bill but this would have been unecessary had they notified us in the email they sent.

Despite these distractions, I'm giving the hotel a very good review. It seems to us one of the better choices in Playa del Carmen, especially if one doesn't want to stay in one of the bigger resorts and being on the beach is not a priority.

Since most reviews were positive, I booked 2 rooms for me and my kids. The rooms were spacious and looked out onto the pool area. My problem was that it was noisy because of the traffic; I don't think it would be much different in any other small hotel. One got use to it quickly. Showers were hot, so I don't understand why it was not so for others. Ceiling fan circulated the air nicely for sleeping. What made it great was the helpfulness of the front desk. Through Juan, the desk person, we found out about Yalku and took public transport there for amazing snorkling. It was really convenient that we could go to the beach and have the sun chairs and towels from the hotel. The restaurant was perfect for our needs during the day. In the evenings there are many places to eat and drink. It was a nice distance from the festive noise of 12th and 5th Ave. I have never been anywhere else but will stay here again.

This was our 5th time to Playa del Carmen, and our first time at the Riviera del Sol. We only stayed one night, as we'd rented a condo for the rest of our time.

The location is fantastic -- in the Italian section, away from the big crowds, and close to the beach. Like most places in Playa, however, it was a little loud. Cars can go down 30th St as well as 1st Ave and Mexicans aren't big on mufflers. There is also a section of 5th that is getting to be more "bustling" than a few years ago -- the Fe Club is close by, and always has very loud music. We were in Room 308 and that was largely muffled, though.

The room was wonderful -- very prettily decorated, immaculate, and a good size. We had a king suite and it came with a fridge, sink, cupboards, and a large balcony.

The staff was very friendly and the pool area, very relaxing. The semi-outdoor 2nd floor lounging area is gorgeous, with subtle lighting, and white couches, chairs, and beds.

I took two showers while there: one was lukewarm, at best. The other was hot for about 2 minutes, then lukewarm. Not impressive. Then, I noticed while brushing my teeth that the ceiling above me was leaking! There was a small hole with water dripping down. Since it wasn't a major leak and we knew the hotel was totally full, we ignored it, but who wants to pay $150/night for a leaking ceiling and cold shower?

I would consider staying there again, but would probably try another hotel on 10th instead -- which I imagine would be a little quieter.