Pros

  • Adults-only boutique in the center of all of the action on the 5th Avenue strip
  • Spacious rooms with hip decor, Nescafe coffeemakers, cable TV, and mini-fridges
  • Master Suites are large with exposed brick, open-plan bathrooms, and balconies overlooking La Quinta Avenida
  • Five-minute walk to a public beach with seaside spa and watersports
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, in-room bottled water, and coffee pods
  • Discount on food and beverage at Zenzi Beach Club
  • 24-hour reception area with business center
  • 100 percent smoke-free hotel (con for some)
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Cons

  • Rooftop restaurant and bar are closed until further notice
  • No pool or sundecks
  • Room lighting is dim, particularly noticeable at night
  • Outside noise can be heard through room walls
  • Showers can run out of hot water and bathrooms are small
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Bottom Line

Hotel El Punto is an unassuming 16-room adults-only boutique hotel right off the busy La Quinta Avenida strip. Without a pool and a closed rooftop bar and restaurant, this lower-middle-range feels a bit like a glorified hostel -- but the price is right for those in search of an easily accessible place to crash after hitting the beach, bars, and clubs in the area. The NYC loft-like Master Suites are a sweet deal, though even the dim and simple Junior Suites feature Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffeemakers (with pods), free water bottles, cable TV, and a mini-fridge. Light sleepers should bring earplugs. For those with a bit more to spend, check rates at Bel Air Collection Resort & Spa, another adults-only property, located on the beach. 

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Oyster Hotel Review

Hotel El Punto

Scene

Vibe-less, clean, and functional spot 

With all the storefronts, restaurants, and bars crowding 5th Avenue, Hotel El Punto’s narrow entrance may be easy to miss. Keep your eyes peeled for a contemporary looking red hotel sign on a white building with glass doors just north of 8th Street. The hotel’s lobby and reception area are hip with a good balance of contemporary style, modern art, and natural wood creating the decor, but the overall vibe is a step above a hip hostel -- without the social spaces. Unfortunately, because of the hotel’s prime location in between shops on 5th Avenue, much of the interior space lacks access to exterior light and/or has poor interior lighting, resulting in dim public spaces and just plain dark hallways that feel claustrophobic at times. Plus, with the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar closed indefinitely, there’s nowhere to go except the lobby and guest rooms. The hotel itself is quiet (depending on the guests), but outside noise can easily filter through the walls.

Even with its low lighting, obvious style over substance approach to materials, and possible noise, El Punto is an ideal budget option for those who want to be directly on the strip within walking distance to the beach and everything that 5th Avenue provides. There’s no real vibe here (so look elsewhere for romance), but there’s no argument that it’s a clean and functional place to stay with a fabulous location. Note that this is considered an adults-only hotel, so you must be at least 18 to check-into the hotel and at least 16 to rest your head. 

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Location

Prime location directly off of La Quinta Avenida

Located on the corner of 8th Street and 5th Avenue, Hotel El Punto’s reception is directly off La Quinta Avenida. The beach is a block-and-a-half away and the hotel’s beach club partner, Zenzi, a five-minute walk in the other direction. The hotel is flanked by popular Italian Restaurant Il Baretto and a few small shops, though a large upscale shopping mall is being built directly across the road as of March 2015. Cancun International Airport is around 45 minutes north on highway 307. Akumal’s famous snorkeling and Tulum’s beachside ruins are 30 and 50 minutes south, respectively.

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Rooms

Dim interior Junior Suites and large, light-filled Master Suites

Hotel El Punto’s 16 rooms come in two categories: Junior Suite and Master Suite. However, neither of the rooms lives up to their designation. Junior Suites are large, but have only a single chair and tiny desk instead of a sitting space, while Master Suites, with a contemporary-style chaise lounge, are more akin to a junior suite. Whichever room you book, you can expect it to be immaculate and have a king-size bed. Decor is cheap (and it shows), but for the most part, looks hip: IKEA-style dark brown veneer wood furniture, low-rise beds, large slabs of tile used as table toppers and suitcase holders, blackout curtains, and wood laminate flooring. The interior rooms have windows, but they are painted white for privacy from the noisy outside courtyard and therefore have no view. Real gems are the two huge corner unit Master Suites. These rooms are massive, have an L-shaped balcony with views of 5th Avenue and 8th Street -- and lots of natural light. In general, the four Master Suites are worth the upgrade for the extra space, exposed brick, and larger bathrooms; Junior Suite bathrooms are snug spots. All bathrooms come with shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bar soap, and rainfall showerheads -- though the hot water can be shy.

Room amenities include Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffeemakers with pods, free bottled water, mini-fridge, flat-screen TVs with cable, bathrobes, safes, good air-conditioning, and free Wi-Fi.

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Features

Free Wi-Fi and access to Zenzi Beach Club

Unfortunately, Hotel El Punto seems to be removing features instead of adding them. The free breakfast, rooftop restaurant and bar, and even the stocking of in-room minibars seems to have been jettisoned. However, guests can still expect (at least for now) to get free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and down on the lobby’s two-computer business center, a 24-hour reception, smoke-free environment, and discounted food and drink at beachside bar and restaurant. Zenzi is a fun and chilled-out spot on the beach with live music every evening, tasty food, and free use of its beach loungers with (your discounted) purchase of food or drink.

See More Features

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Oyster Hotel Review

Hotel El Punto

Scene

Vibe-less, clean, and functional spot 

With all the storefronts, restaurants, and bars crowding 5th Avenue, Hotel El Punto’s narrow entrance may be easy to miss. Keep your eyes peeled for a contemporary looking red hotel sign on a white building with glass doors just north of 8th Street. The hotel’s lobby and reception area are hip with a good balance of contemporary style, modern art, and natural wood creating the decor, but the overall vibe is a step above a hip hostel -- without the social spaces. Unfortunately, because of the hotel’s prime location in between shops on 5th Avenue, much of the interior space lacks access to exterior light and/or has poor interior lighting, resulting in dim public spaces and just plain dark hallways that feel claustrophobic at times. Plus, with the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar closed indefinitely, there’s nowhere to go except the lobby and guest rooms. The hotel itself is quiet (depending on the guests), but outside noise can easily filter through the walls.

Even with its low lighting, obvious style over substance approach to materials, and possible noise, El Punto is an ideal budget option for those who want to be directly on the strip within walking distance to the beach and everything that 5th Avenue provides. There’s no real vibe here (so look elsewhere for romance), but there’s no argument that it’s a clean and functional place to stay with a fabulous location. Note that this is considered an adults-only hotel, so you must be at least 18 to check-into the hotel and at least 16 to rest your head. 

See More Scene

Location

Prime location directly off of La Quinta Avenida

Located on the corner of 8th Street and 5th Avenue, Hotel El Punto’s reception is directly off La Quinta Avenida. The beach is a block-and-a-half away and the hotel’s beach club partner, Zenzi, a five-minute walk in the other direction. The hotel is flanked by popular Italian Restaurant Il Baretto and a few small shops, though a large upscale shopping mall is being built directly across the road as of March 2015. Cancun International Airport is around 45 minutes north on highway 307. Akumal’s famous snorkeling and Tulum’s beachside ruins are 30 and 50 minutes south, respectively.

See More Location

Rooms

Dim interior Junior Suites and large, light-filled Master Suites

Hotel El Punto’s 16 rooms come in two categories: Junior Suite and Master Suite. However, neither of the rooms lives up to their designation. Junior Suites are large, but have only a single chair and tiny desk instead of a sitting space, while Master Suites, with a contemporary-style chaise lounge, are more akin to a junior suite. Whichever room you book, you can expect it to be immaculate and have a king-size bed. Decor is cheap (and it shows), but for the most part, looks hip: IKEA-style dark brown veneer wood furniture, low-rise beds, large slabs of tile used as table toppers and suitcase holders, blackout curtains, and wood laminate flooring. The interior rooms have windows, but they are painted white for privacy from the noisy outside courtyard and therefore have no view. Real gems are the two huge corner unit Master Suites. These rooms are massive, have an L-shaped balcony with views of 5th Avenue and 8th Street -- and lots of natural light. In general, the four Master Suites are worth the upgrade for the extra space, exposed brick, and larger bathrooms; Junior Suite bathrooms are snug spots. All bathrooms come with shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bar soap, and rainfall showerheads -- though the hot water can be shy.

Room amenities include Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffeemakers with pods, free bottled water, mini-fridge, flat-screen TVs with cable, bathrobes, safes, good air-conditioning, and free Wi-Fi.

See More Rooms

Features

Free Wi-Fi and access to Zenzi Beach Club

Unfortunately, Hotel El Punto seems to be removing features instead of adding them. The free breakfast, rooftop restaurant and bar, and even the stocking of in-room minibars seems to have been jettisoned. However, guests can still expect (at least for now) to get free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and down on the lobby’s two-computer business center, a 24-hour reception, smoke-free environment, and discounted food and drink at beachside bar and restaurant. Zenzi is a fun and chilled-out spot on the beach with live music every evening, tasty food, and free use of its beach loungers with (your discounted) purchase of food or drink.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Airport Transportation

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.