My family just returned from a 12 night stay at Casa de Gopala. I was going in with high expectations based on the excellent reviews on this website. Unfortunately our experience did not live up to these expectations. I wanted a reasonably priced hotel, clean, basic amenities and comfortable for a 12 night stay. We had the Master Suite.

When we checked in around noon (the early check in was appreciated) we were told the electricity was turned off in our room due to some maintenance issue. After a long travel and hassle at the Cancun Airport we walked into a hot humid room with no electrictity. Not the best impression. We used the restroom only to find our toilet was not working, or the shower. I had to pay the whole balance in cash up front and I was definitely having remorse. We went to lunch and the electricity was working, but it took them a few hours to realize the plumbing lines were clogged blocking the toilet and water pressure. They fixed the toilet so it would flush, but the tank ran the whole time we were there. And, the water pressure was terrible in the shower, Our first day was was not too relaxing.

Pros: The room was large. Airconditioning worked great. We had a large container of fresh water which you needed because the tap was not drinkable. There are 3 ceiling fans in the room. The bathroom is large. Plenty of storage. Nice rooftop garden which we didn't discover until we were there a week. The staff tried to help whenever there was a question or problem. The beach club was nice, good food for lunch. The television worked fine.

Cons: The room was uncomfortable, the beds, chairs, couch all too hard. The toaster was broken in the kitchen and replace with one that the toast plunger fell off everytime you used it. No water pressure. The toilet ran. The sink counter was so deep that the only mirror in the room was so far away that you need to bring a makeup mirror to apply any mascara. The drawers smelled like mildew. The doors were warped to the bathroom and dragged on tile everytime you opened it. The lighting was insuffient to read, so bring a book light. The kitchen had no microwave oven. The windows let in alot of noise, dogs barking, hammering, babies crying etc... There was no pool as advertised on the website. The sheets did not fit the bed and would pop off at night. I tipped the maid a couple bucks from day one and still she would forget to leave toilet paper, cups, towel, and there is not phone so I would have to go down to the reception area myself to retreive these items. My biggest complaint is for 3 people you get 3 towels. No wash cloth, no face towel. Just 3 bath towels. Some days the towel were fine, but some days we were left towels that were rough with holes.

As you can see the place did not meet my basic standards for a budget hotel. They try, but miss. Toilet paper, cups, towels are basic and luxury so I think my expectations were not too high, but this hotel was not good and I would give it a 2 1/2 stars.

Absolutely fantastic! Very affordable, safe, clean, and well maintained hotel. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect staying at such a small mom-n-pop hotel in Mexico. For the cost, it was worth every penny!

The rooms were very clean and comfortable. My room included AC, fan, mini fridge, TV, and 3 beds (room #10 – two doubles and one twin). Room was huge with windows on three sides, no odors, very well maintained. Though, my usual complaint about hotels in tropical regions holds true, no carpet. But, there was something different about this tiled floor, it didn’t pool water or track sand/dirt like other places I have been.

Hot water - it sometime takes a little while to come, but it does come and it is HOT!

Birds - I guess it’s all the vegetation in the area that attracts the birds. About one hour before sunrise they raise quite a racket so no need for an alarm clock!

Property - The hotel property has a slender tropical garden courtyard that all the rooms face. Since this is a down town hotel, keep in mind that there are residences and businesses operating on all 4 sides so you might have the occasional hammering or shouting match. Despite being one block from down town Playa, this place is safe! The front door gets locked at 10pm (you get a key to the door), your room door has a big sliding bolt, and your important stuff can be stored in the large built in safe.

Phones – there are none, but apparently if you receive a phone call, they will walk the phone to your room.

Cash or Travelers Checks Only – The hotel is a cash only business. I was a little leery at first, but felt better when we were given a receipt specifying the dates we were staying and the amount paid.

Pool – there is apparently some clash going on between the Azul the other hotel (they used to share the pool). So as of 2006-November, the hotel has no pool. The hotel has however partnered with a beach front hotel so you can use their pool, beach chairs, towels and pool.

Again, this is a fantastic hotel. There are some hotels on the beach that I would like to checkout, but given a choice, I think for the price, location, and all around likeability, I would rather stay here! Given the location, I think you’d have a better service and a more enjoyable time here then at one of the not so close to town resorts.

After taking one look at the Playa Del Carmen debacle of hotels, hucksters, and cheesy souvenir shops, I took one look at my wife and said, "How did we ever end up in this funky mess"? As we stumbled around trying to find a place that was comfortable yet economical, we realized that we had stopped in front of what looked like a beautiful walled garden. The magnetism of the place practically inhaled us through the gate.
An attentive and amiable staff made the stay here like a friendly encounter among "amigos". The rooms were spacious, the beds firm, the bath more than adequate and clean, and the built-in security box was firmly attached to the counter. The gardens were a work of art in themselves and made you feel that you were in a tropical jungle. Their were rumors of a swimming pool, but we never did find it...And for all of this, we paid only $44/night. One of the nicest small hotels I think I have ever stayed at for the money.

We have stayed at this hotel numerous times over the years and can truly say that it is just a great now as the first time we stayed there.

This hotel is less than 2 blocks from 5th Avenue on a fairly quiet street. You are in walking distance to many restaurants as well as of course 5th ave with everything available.

When you walk into the hotel down the steps into the garden area, you are truly impressed. It is very quiet and beautiful, strange to be right off the street. The rooms are basic, but roomy and I believe there are different types and styles of rooms with what they offer.

We always stay in room #14. It has a balcony that looks over the pool next door. This is a shared pool with the property next door and has one of those really deep ends where they do scuba instruction in it. (I have tried to get to the bottom but never able!) You can go up to the roof to look out over the city as well.

We have paid anywhere from $40-$65 per night depending on the time of year for room with air. Many rooms have a tv now as well too. There is a large bottle of water outside your room for you to stock up on and tables & chairs outsided the terraces for you to sit on.

The beds are pretty hard, but not too bad in my opinion. They have those mexican blankets on them. The bathrooms are a decent size, with a big shower. There is a safety box built into most rooms so if you want to bring a lock, you can use those - not sure if they have them at the front desk or not, but I am guessing they would.

This hotel is in walking distance of everything and is truly a gem hidden away.