Hi Janey. The Penthouse rooms are NOT on the first floor, but they also are NOT in the first row of rooms, closest to the beach/water. Look at their website at shangrilacaribe.net to get a better understanding.

I stayed in a beachfront bungalow on the Caribe side and it was perfect. We had a wonderful view of the beach and the water. We also did not hear the construction noise that is closer to the Adventura side. As for privacy, we had no issues with the privacy. We never felt bothered. Sure, guests walk past your room, but that's about it...big deal. This resort is really pretty laid-back, so it wasn't like a bunch of drunken people trying to make their way back to their room at 1AM, loud and obnoxiously. Nothing like that!

You can book directly through their website, or, you can go to playa.info and you can book through that website, as well.