8/10 Good
Kevin W.
19 February 2021
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Good condo close to Akumal
Good clean condo that is in excellent shape and relatively new. It has nice appliances and plenty of dishes, cookware, and bottled water. Owner includes basics, such as soap, shampoo, plenty of towels, and a hair dryer; and it is nice to have your own washer and dryer. Air conditioning units are included in each room, so you can keep things nice and cool at night. There is a lockbox outside the door to put the key in so you don't have to worry about losing it. So why 4 stars?
To be honest, I would probably give the place 4.5 stars. The 0.5 star off is due to the location. In some ways the location is nice - it is in the same large area as the Sirenis resort, which includes some mild security, along with a number of other condo units, and even some single dwelling units (they are selling real estate lots around the area) - so it feels quite safe. The condo unit deck faces out toward a forested area, which is fun to see birds and some other animals (we even had a few monkeys come by). However, there are a few downsides to the location that you should be aware of. First, the condo is on the bottom floor, making it the closest to the pool. The pool wasn't used a lot while we were there, but if people are using it, it can get a bit noisy. Also the people who live are above are not overly noisy, but you can hear chairs and things being dragged around the floor (you can't hear voices).
Probably the biggest drawback, however, is that you are not close to a beach. If you have never been to Mexico, you need to understand that there are few public beaches (at least in that area). Most are either owned by resorts. The ones that are public often have a fee to use them (Akumal beach, for example). You can access a rocky beach about 1.5 miles from the condo (you can walk or drive there - and it is fairly pretty, but it isn't sand). To access the Sirenis resort beach, you need to buy a day pass of $75 a person (includes all their restaurants and facilities). To get to other beaches, you need to drive. The condo is about 5 miles away from Akumal - along a highway. There is an Oxxo right next to the condo, but this is more of a conveince store. You need to travel to Tulum or Playa to get a real grocery store.
Overall, it is a nice place for the price if you don't just want to hang out at the beach all day. I would recommend having a car. The condo is located fairly close to a lot of things to see, but you will need to drive to them.
