For anyone considering the alternative to the completely over-stimulating, over-populated, truly commercialized tourist destination of Cancun, you’ll want to seek out Playa Del Carmen, about 45 minutes south of Cancun, and you’ll want to know the best Playa Del Carmen Airbnb to rent if you are lucky enough to snag it up!
Get ready to experience an Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen (PDC) in Quintana Roo state with a private rooftop pool, fabulous location, and a host devoted to an experience, not just a stay!
We’ll assume that since you are looking for an Airbnb to stay at in Playa Del Carmen since you already have researched the area and know the fun that happens on 5th Avenue and 10th Avenue, and the fact that you will find a much more laid-back experience than in Cancun, almost a melting pot kind of culture in Playa Del Carmen.
Now, we’ll share our Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen experience with you so that you can also book and experience this fabulous option which will help you delete all other potential rentals in the Playa Del Carmen beach area you might be considering!
Table of Contents
Why We Looked For This Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen
The truth about my whole story is that it all comes down to 2 things: location and your host! If both are fabulous, you will have the time of your life at your Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen because we had both, and WOW, we can’t wait to go back.
No one asked me to write this article. Still, I felt compelled to share what we experienced since our very recent visit to Playa Del Carmen. It is an underrated, fabulous destination to at least put on your travel radar for consideration!
We have spent time in Belize, Puerto Vallarta, and Baja Sur. Yet, of all those places, we have come to one conclusion: Playa Del Carmen is far more relaxed, and the locals are kind and far less pushy (including on the 5th) than the other destinations in Mexico, but again, this is our opinion.
For our vacations, we prefer to walk and discover rather than be held up in a resort where you pay a ton of money and feel obliged to stay on campus and eat and drink.
We found a very attentive host who provides an experience, not just a rental, and THIS, my friends, makes a big difference in a trip to Mexico!
If you are the same way when you travel, you should reserve an Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen, and you’ll want to learn at least what other places our host has, as he has a few!
Choosing an Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen
If you love to party and hear the party after you leave it, then stay on 5th Avenue (Quinta Avenida) or even on 10th Avenue and down by Mamita’s beach club, etc.
However, if you prefer to be at the party and leave the party behind after you eat, drink, shop, and dance, our discovery of this particular best Playa Del Carmen Airbnb to rent allows you to get to 5th avenue ongoing day through night party vibe in seconds and be away from it seconds later, so you can sleep, get rested and prepare for another day of vacation without noise and chaos, which is just what we wanted!
- Do you want to be by the beach?
- Do you want a pool, or do you want to go to a pool?
- Do you want more than one bedroom?
- What do you want to be by in PDC? 5th or 10th or city center? Stores? Etc.
- What is your budget?
- Can you find a communicative host who cares about their rental?
- Do you want a PDC Airbnb with a private rooftop pool?
Our Airbnb PDC Wishlist
- An Airbnb that could host us for at least 8 Days
- secure building
- a rooftop pool with a bar
- Parking (in case we rented a car but didn’t end up needing one)
- a private pool
- close to 5th Avenue and 10th Avenue, but not on those streets
- close to a grocery store
In other words, we wanted to be close to the fun but far enough away that it would not impede the “R&R” that vacations should provide.
At first, when we began looking for an Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen, we knew what we wanted, but we didn’t know if we could find it.
We first found a place in PDC (not near where we stayed) that offered a private pool which led us to find the best Playa Del Carmen to rent.
Then we began looking for a PDC Airbnb with a private rooftop pool off of 5th and close to 5th and 10th, and we found it.
Best Playa Del Carmen Airbnb To Rent + Why
The vacation begins when you get to your rental in Playa Del Carmen and doesn’t stop until you leave! Including the fact that you won’t have to worry about drinking water or basic supplies when you pack!
Don’t Worry About Drinking Water
Our Playa Del Carmen vacation rental with this owner provided us with a 5-gallon jug loaded with water.
- use the water for teeth brushing
- Use the water for making coffee
- use the water to rinse your fresh produce
- use the water for drinking and making ice cubes
- Use the water to fill up your water bottles for outings.
The best part was we were never without water and never worried about it because it was a huge receptacle, and we just used the pump to fill up our bottles and go!
We didn’t have to tote cases of water from the grocery store, and MEGA was right behind us, but this saved us time as well as money!
Don’t Pack Towels
We traveled from the East coast to PDC, so packing had to be meticulous; so we didn’t exceed the luggage allowances on the plane and didn’t pack towels, but we didn’t have to.
- beach towels are provided
- bathing towels are provided
- a hand towel is provided
- a bath mat is provided
Those items are more than many Airbnb’s provide, so our hauling was curtailed to clothing and swimsuits!
Also, you can have your towels replaced by requesting them via Jorge or have your room cleaned (with maid service for $25 and a towel exchange), or take your clothes to the lavanderia we used and have them washed, dried, and delivered!
Of course, if you still want to bring your towels, we suggest these, as we bring these lightweight and absorbent towels in their carrying case on most of our trips (we own 6 of these if that helps you to know how much we love them!)
Don’t Pack Personal Toiletries
Our host got full-size shampoo, conditioner, and bath gel and left bottles of each in both the upstairs shower by the pool and the downstairs shower by the master bedroom, meaning we didn’t have to lug that stuff, and it saved room in our suitcases.
Additionally, there was hand soap in a pump at each sink and dish soap in the kitchen.
You Can Bring Or Go Shopping For All The Other Stuff
If you stay in this Airbnb in Playa del Carmen, you’ll be steps away from the MEGA grocery store, Walmart, and Oxxo, so you don’t need to haul stuff.
On our next trip there, we will be shopping locally to pick up a toothbrush, sunscreen, and toothpaste, as it is senseless to pack it up and haul it back and forth, with a store within steps (that is our opinion. Yours may differ, but we are looking for the most effortless experience)
We traveled over to Oxxo for a few bottles of iced tea and a 6-pack of beer, to MEGA for alcohol, snacks, and coffee, as well as Walmart for Vodka and lime, sunscreen, and a few other oddities.
We can keep telling you that if you are at this Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen, you are close to everything, which is really important!
Your Personal Pool
This PDC Airbnb with a private rooftop pool makes this condo rental stellar.
- Watch skydivers in the distance every single day
- you will be able to see parasailers each day
- You have your palm tree that is constantly swaying in the wind
- the view of PDC from above is unchallenged, as you are pretty high up
- there are chairs to just lounge in
- there is a small bar area with two chairs for dining
- lights make it romantic for nighttime drinks above the city center
- The pool is secluded and perfect for sunbathing in any bathing suit you want to wear
- there is a bathroom and shower by the pool
- There’s an umbrella (, but the wind is challenging )
Suggested Items To Bring To The Bring Up To Your Private Pool
Here is what we brought to the pool on our rooftop each day, so we didn’t have to return to the kitchen!
We packed our beach shopping bag and headed up as though we were off to a pool off-premises.
The sun begins early morning up there and never really decreases until about 5P (remember we visited late January to early February)
- A Bluetooth Speaker (This is the Bluetooth speaker I bring on every vacation)
- beer
- Wine (or whatever you drink)
- sunscreen
- A sun hat with a ponytail opening (here is the sunhat I love and use)
- sunglasses
- a towel
- flip flops
- Phone and charger (there are electrical outlets up there, about 3 or 4, so you can charge anything!)
- A laptop on days we were working.
- We bought this floating donut for the pool to lounge at MEGA and left it there (and the store blew it up for us too!)
The Basic Amenities of This Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen
The bed is king-sized, and it is very comfortable and clean.
One thing I should have asked for but just didn’t was an extra pillow, and I know Jorge would have provided them in a heartbeat, but we were always so busy that just remembering to do anything else was difficult.
The television was easy to use, and we were so happy to have Netflix to wind down at the end of the day! Unlike other places that offer cable, and streaming, the controllers were just point-and-use.
The Air Conditioning + Our Comfort In Our Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen
Jorge explained how the controllers work and shared that if we were not in the room, run it higher and lower it when in the room.
In case you are not aware, electricity is very expensive in Mexico, so we respected the rules and never once were we hot. We ran our AC at night comfortably to the point that we even turned it up a little after a while.
This is not a request made by only the best Playa Del Carmen Airbnb to rent but by most of the Airbnbs!
Tips To Keep Your Room Cooler While You Are Not In It
The owner of the best Playa Del Carmen Airbnb has furnished the windows with room-darkening blinds, and this will work to your advantage when you keep them closed during the morning till late afternoon hours if you are not there.
Keep the heat to a minimum because that sun is intense! We kept them drawn shut unless we were packing up bags to go or sitting on the deck.
Water Pressure + Playa Del Carmen
Our shower was a square rain showerhead, but the water was slow, and that is how the water flows in Mexico, and Puerto Vallarta and the Islands of Loreto were each the same.
PRO Tip For The Toilets In the Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen
When you flush the toilet, hold the flush mechanism until the water is flushed; unlike in the USA, you need to wait. It will flush, I promise!
Your Door And Safety Measures
The lock on your main door is keyless, so you never have to fumble with a key!
The upstairs door to the pool has a bolted lock, which makes you secure!
Your sliding doors open in the bedroom and the family living area, so you need to lock them when not in use.
The front desk will issue you bands, request your driver’s license upon check-in, and reserve the right to see the bands at any point to ensure you live there. One caveat > we were never asked for ours, and we did not wear them. Instead, we carried them so we didn’t look like tourists.
Also, when we left at 4 AM for our flight home, a security guard accompanied us to our ride in front of the building and verified it was OUR ride and nothing random.
Last, you will see police up and down the streets at all hours; they protect the tourists, so don’t worry. Seeing them closing roads and stopping cars is normal, so please don’t get all upset and panicked.
We walked right by them when they stopped cars to access a street and had no issues.
The Infinity Rooftop Pool At This Airbnb in Playa Del Carmen
Not only do you have your own personal pool, but you also have FREE access to the rooftop pool at the Gallery Condos.
- Most rooftop bars in PDC charge or have a minimum drink order, not Satoshi.
- Satoshi is the rooftop bar and eatery that is open daily until ten except on Sundays (Domingo)
- You’ll have an incredible view of Playa Del Carmen
- There’s a television
- Music plays
- Plenty of seating and daybeds (you don’t have to pay for them) to lounge on
- Two bathrooms in the same area
- Happy hour runs nightly from 4-6 (2 drinks for 300 pesos currently but, of course, subject to change)
I’ll share more about the rooftop bar in another post.
What You Won’t Have At Your Airbnb in PDC
Since we have gone through the list of what you will have if you book the best Playa Del Carmen Airbnb to rent, let me tip you off to what you won’t have!
There are things you may or may not know about Airbnb, so here is a little helpful list if you don’t know this already.
- A place to do laundry (but we have a great Lavanderia we used and will share in another post)
- A dishwasher – that’s what your hands are for!
- Drinkable water from the faucet (instead, you are provided water)
- Ice – you need to make your own
- Stocked pantry – you provide this on your own
- A cleaning person daily (instead, you can hire a maid for USD 25.)
Playa Del Carmen Rentals Your Way
You might have learned throughout this entire post that you have a dedicated host who cares about your experience because he wants you to come back.
- We were greeted when we checked in.
- He reached out to us during our stay to see what else we needed
- We talked at the end of our stay
- Book your stay for a week, a few weeks, or a few months!
Jorge will help you with anything you need, from extra towels to pool service, where to get your laundry done, or find the best mariachi bands!
Service, like we experienced, is challenging to find, but Jorge and Marazul Realty deliver big smiles and fun vacations! This PDC Airbnb with a private rooftop pool (the penthouse of the Gallery Condos) is the rental you’ll want to book! ~ Dana XO
Dana Vento is an accomplished travel writer who has written award-winning articles for Niagara Falls, USA, and Cabarrus, NC, and won IG photography for Southern Delaware beaches. Dana often offers tips for travel to help you have the best adventures!
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