Villas DeRosa Beach Resort

This small boutique property is helmed by an expat family from Utah who came to the area over 25 years ago to find the perfect stretch of beach to accommodate their cave diving hobby. What started as a private property turned to a rental property, and then, by the late ‘90s, a small beachfront hotel with 27 condos and rooms. Upgrades over the years have included new AC units, popular memory foam mattresses with individual suspension and gel tops, fiber optic Wi-Fi, and reconfiguring the water pressure. Full of mostly self-catering condo units, this quiet property is mostly popular with families and dive groups, the latter of which take advantage of the hotel’s meal packages and experienced dive center. 

Villas DeRosa Beach Hotel is located about a 10-minute drive south of Akumal in Adventuras Akumal. The entrance is off the main highway, and requires a U-turn for anyone coming from Cancun International Airport (which is almost everybody). The hotel itself is about a three-minute drive down a gravel road, making it too long of a trek for some in the heat. For guests planning to explore the area or make frequent trips to Akumal town, renting a car or having a sizable taxi budget is recommended. It’s an hour-and-15-minute drive north to Cancun, a 25-minute drive south to Tulum, and a 35-minute drive north to Playa del Carmen. 

Villas DeRosa is mainly a condo-hotel with self-catering units in one-, two-, or three-bedroom configurations and full kitchens equipped with everything needed to make a meal. Kitchens come with full refrigerators, a four-burner gas stove with oven, toasters, microwaves, blenders, kettles, and coffeemakers with free coffee, sugar, and filters. Appliances are in varying degrees of datedness. Pots, pans, and all dishes and utensils are stocked. Since air-conditioning is limited to the bedrooms, other areas of the condos can get hot, especially in summer. Condos feature tile floors, large wooden dining tables, and breakfast counters. Sunken living rooms have built-in couches with foam cushions, large balconies or terraces, and flat-screen TVs (though channel selection is limited). Separate entrances and en-suite bathrooms for each bedroom help curb basic issues from the railroad design, though middle bedrooms lack good natural light. Condo units in the front have in-your-face ocean views, and units at the back overlook the hotel’s garden grounds.

Standard hotel rooms have less natural light, but are cooler thanks to the small size and full air-conditioning. These units feature flat-screens, coffeemakers with coffee, and a small balcony with plastic patio furniture. All 27 rooms are spotless and have hand-painted murals painted by a local artist from Tulum, tiled bathrooms with standup showers and simple bar soap, and small built-in wall safes. Wi-Fi is free, but there are no phones in the rooms. Jugs of purified water are available in each unit. 

Villas DeRosa has its own dive center, though guests do not receive discounts on services. Since the owners are cave diving enthusiasts, most dives focus on exploring the local cenotes. Other water adventures include snorkeling on the reef right off the hotel’s beach or taking a dip in the small courtyard pool. A covered poolside terrace has a smattering of tables and chairs, plus a few comfy, padded pool loungers. The hotel’s beach area is set up with palapa umbrellas and plastic stretch loungers. Past guests have occasionally suggested bringing water shoes to tackle the rocky coastline, though softer sands can be found just a short walk up the beach.

There’s no official restaurant area, but guests can order three meals a day from the hotel’s kitchen by using a poolside buzzer. The food gets overall good reviews, and can be served directly to the rooms, on the pool terrace, or upstairs at the rooftop bar. Breakfast is not included. Wi-Fi and parking are both free.