Flamingo Hotel

It's easy to miss the Flamingo Hotel, as it's nestled on a one-way side street and doesn't have a prominent sign out front, other than a silver image of a bird on the street-facing facade. Instead of a sign, look for a canary yellow building with four balconies and lush planters on the front sidewalk. The tiny front desk is set in front of stairs leading up to the rooms, and there's an adjacent first floor lobby area next to Aqua Bar. Just beyond the bar lies an interior courtyard set with tables and umbrellas where guests eat breakfast. The four-story hotel doesn't have an elevator. Each landing includes a chic reading nook with books in English and Spanish, and views of the courtyard below or city and ocean in the distance. The rooftop holds the Penthouse Suite and a now-defunct hot tub, along with a few chairs for watching the sun set into the Caribbean Sea. Kids are welcome here, but most of the guests are international couples. 

Flamingo Hotel is set in the center of Calle Six, one block north of Avenue General Rafael E. Melgar and the waterfront. The one-way street houses several small restaurants, residential homes, and souvenir shops; there's an Argentinian-style steakhouse on the corner and a general store advertising "Prices Lower than Wal-Mart" and "Broken English Spoken Perfectly" across the street. It's four blocks from the ferry terminal to Playa Del Carmen. The neighborhood is safe and generally quiet at night. Parking is available on the street, though guests may have to drive a few blocks to find an open spot.

There are 18 Courtyard or Superior Rooms at the hotel, and one Penthouse Suite on the roof. The Courtyard rooms are the cheapest, and located on the second and third floors of the hotel, between the Superior Rooms which are larger and either face the street with an unfurnished balcony or the back of the hotel. The rooms in the back of the hotel don't get much natural light, but they are quiet. All rooms come with free Wi-Fi, powerful air-conditioning, a stocked minibar with affordable treats, and flat-screen TVs with cable. Rooms are no-frills but cheery, and most have beige tile floors, yellow accent walls, wrought-iron chairs, and a few locally influenced touches such as hanging fabric with indigenous patterns. The Superior Room facing the street on the third floor includes a romantic four-poster bed with white cloth and dramatic purple walls. Bathrooms feature large showers, single sinks, and free toiletries. Signs on the wall remind guests not to flush toilet paper, but to throw it in the wastebasket. 

As Flamingo Hotel is a smaller boutique property it doesn't have the space for a swimming pool or full restaurant. There are some convenient features though. A free, cold continental breakfast of fruit, toast, and coffee is served to all guests. Some packages include a free upgrade to a hot made-to-order breakfast, or guests can pay a small fee and order eggs or French toast. Aqua Bar provides excellent cocktails and has happy hour specials, their margaritas are made from freshly squeezed lime juice. Though it didn't see any action on our visit, there's a pool table near the bar counter. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property and there are books to borrow. The roof has sun loungers where guests can sunbathe or watch the sunset. There's a hot tub on the roof as well, but it doesn't seem to be in working order. Staff can arrange laundry services, dive tours, and excursions.