Hotel Plaza Caribe

Plaza Caribe is a downtown hotel with 133 rooms distributed between a two-story and a three-story building, none equipped with elevators. The biggest draw here is the location directly facing the city's main bus terminal, which has connections to all of the Yucatan Peninsula and even to Belize and Mexico City. The hotel is well-known among regional businesspeople, families, and leisure travelers, but newcomers may find it a little too well-worn and dated in places, and the yellow machine stucco facade doesn't make a great first impression. The spacious lobby has a bar, an enormous front desk with two public computers, and a glass door that opens to the thatched-roof restaurant and garden, where peacocks roam. 

Facing the city's main and only bus terminal, the hotel is especially convenient for anyone traveling by bus to surrounding areas, wanting to recover from jet lag, or heading to the airport for next-day flights. The hotel provides easy access to all that downtown has to offer, including convenience stores, restaurants, and the like. Avenida Tulum, one of the city's main avenues, is under a block away, and a bus to the Hotel Zone stops there. 

Across the avenue there's a Mexican supermarket, flea markets, and a commercial area with boutiques, restaurants and clubs that's popular among locals. Less than four blocks away heading south there is a traditional plaza called Parque de las Palapas, which is a large square with food stands where weekend events take place, from concerts to local festivals. The city hall is also nearby, which is surrounded by restaurants, banks, stores, and several shopping and dining options. It's a five-minute drive to shopping malls Las Americas and Malecon Americas, while it takes about 20 minutes to go to the beaches and nightclubs in the Hotel Zone. Cancun International Airport is also about 20 minutes away and can be easily reached by bus right from the terminal across from the hotel.

There are two room buildings and two room categories available at the Hotel Plaza Caribe (and a so-called “suite” which consists of two connecting rooms). The standard section has darker hallways and is located closer to the street; rooms here feature old-fashioned decor and old air-conditioning units, and some even have old tube TVs. The other section faces a pretty garden area where peacocks stroll around. This section features air-conditioned hallways with access controlled by magnetic keycards. For that reason these hallways are also quieter in general, and all feature a comfortable couch and a public computer with Internet access.

Rooms in this section may feel a bit smaller, as bathrooms are separated from the bedroom only by a tiny frosted-glass shower. These rooms work better for solo travelers, as the open-plan bathroom won't provide enough privacy for some. Rooms don't have direct-line telephones, and the peacocks may provide guests with an unexpected early morning wake-up call.

Both categories come with air-conditioning but the business-oriented rooms also feature a work desk, more streamlined modern design, and a large flat-screen TV. Safe deposit boxes are outdated, not electronic, even in the "business" section. A one-liter glass bottle of water in room is free of charge, and the free Wi-Fi is reliable.

There are some accessible rooms, but bathrooms don't comply with international standards and the buildings lack elevators. 

The hotel features an air-conditioned lobby bar and a two-story thatched roof restaurant with an open kitchen, a la carte service, and a reasonably priced menu. The restaurant's second floor has pool views and a bookshelf with a few magazines, old books, CDs, and table games. In addition to the on-site restaurant and bar, there's a Chicken Factory franchise next door, which also provides room service for additional food options and snacks. The pool area has a roped-off kids' section (too deep for young children who can't swim) and is surrounded by plastic loungers in good condition. There are also public bathrooms in this area. Behind the hotel and on the same block, but with an independent entrance, the outdoor parking lot offers plenty of space at no extra cost and with no valet parking service.

Porters are scarce and may also double as the security staff. Nine meeting and conference rooms are available, and the garden area features a thatched open-air hut for outdoor banquets. Wi-Fi is available throughout and two PCs at the front desk can be used for printing service upon request. The Kin Mayab Hotel on the other corner of the bus terminal provides similar services and can have cheaper rates, but the room decor there is traditional and some equipment may be a bit older.