Hotel Review: Thompson Beach House, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

I have visited a few Thompson Hotels (part of the World of Hyatt), such as the Thompson Madrid and The Cape in Cabo San Lucas, and have been really impressed with each one.

There are two Thompson hotels in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico: the Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House and the Thompson Playa Del Carmen Beach House.

The Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House

The Main House (Hyatt category 3) and the Beach House (Hyatt category 5) are generally less expensive, both in terms of cash rate and point rate, than other nearby Hyatt hotels such as the Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen and the Andaz Mayakoba and therefore offer a nice alternative to such properties without scrimping on quality.

Briefly, the Main House is directly on the main street of Playa Del Carmen, Fifth Avenue or La Quinta, directly above a shopping center. It has a chic, sophisticated appearance, including rooftop restaurants and pools. The Beach House, only a few blocks away, is directly on the beach, and has a more laid-back beachy atmosphere. It is my kind of atmosphere.

Thompson Playa Del Carmen Beach House

The two sister hotels are in some ways as different as night and day, but they are managed and run interchangeably as one. It is not uncommon to see the chief chef at one hotel and then at the other, or be waited on by the same waiter at both hotels (not at the same time though!). You may wonder how this works, but it does.

We recently had a three-night reservation at the all-inclusive resort, Secrets Impression Moxche, and decided a few days in Playa Del Carmen would be perfect to balance out the trip. It was a wonderful choice.

We had a reservation at the Main House, but management asked if we would like to stay at the Beach House instead. We happily agreed. We stayed at the Beach House four nights (three nights at the start of our trip and one night at the end) and enjoyed it immensely. The hotel was fabulous, but what made it even more wonderful was the staff.

The lobby is not particularly glamorous, but we were met at the front desk (literally, a desk) by warm and helpful staff. There are paintings by this artist throughout the hotel.

Our room was on the third floor.

You can see a video walkthrough of the Ocean View Suite here.

The suite is actually a large room with a living room area and lovely balcony overlooking the pool and the ocean. It was nicely furnished and had everything we could ask for.

The bathroom had nice French doors, two sinks, a bath and shower and Thompson’s signature toiletries by Bowmakers. There were robes and slippers in the closet.

We received gifts of mezcal and fruits and hand-painted loving messages painted on the mirror at the entrance to the room.

On our return visit, we found a new painted design on the mirror and a gift of shot glasses and more tequila. Gulp.

The views of the pool and beach from the balcony were amazing.

Here is the pool from the ground level.

We enjoyed our pool time – and there was no extra fee or reservation required for the cabanas. Everything was easy and hassle-free as it should be on vacation but seldom is. There was definitely a mi casa, su casa warm vibe everywhere at the hotel.

The hotel restaurant and bar are outside near the pool. Each evening the hotel offers a tequila tasting, which was fun. The first night we arrived was Mexican Independence Day and there was a party.

Local foods and drinks were served. My favorite was the soup called Pozole, which I learned is customarily served on holidays such as Mexican Independence Day.

Here is one of the tequila tastings I mentioned above.

Breakfast was complimentary based on my status as a Hyatt Globalist. You could have breakfast at either location, the Beach House or the Main House. The menus were similar but the ambiance was different.

Since we were staying at the Beach House, we decided to have breakfast the first morning at the Main House. The restaurant is on the same level as the pool. We were greeted by everyone!

Breakfast was a nice serving of fruit, eggs, toast and coffee.

Here are some photos of the Main House.

 Another morning we had breakfast at the hotel restaurant at the Beach House. We sat outside looking out at the ocean.

We loved the Beach House. It was so relaxing and comforting. It is upscale and nicely decorated, but it retains the chill atmosphere that so many upscale properties are lacking. In addition, the hotel staff is incredible. When it comes to hotel hospitality, the little things are big things, if you know what I mean. I would return in a heartbeat.

Special thanks to the general manager, Matias Tugores, the Chef, Omar Barquera, and managers Vianey Castro and César Solórzano.