Somewhat Misrepresented

Guest: Jenny (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 01/06/12 Review Submitted: 02/06/12

Great price, great view, very clean and right in the middle of everything. Our only concern prior to booking was it's proximity to Senor Froggs. So I spoke with Gwen the owner to inquire about the noise levels. My husband and I are mid fifties, I am a light sleeper and we were just looking for an affordable quiet vacation. Gwen assured me that she installed sound proof sliders and if we keep them closed and close the bedroom door the music is not an issue. She is absolutely right. The music that Senor Froggs starts playing around 10:00am is not an issue. However, when the live band that started at 8:00pm and lasted to 2:00am it became a big issue. The bedroom walls vibrated from the bass. Gwen made no mention of live bands and even quoted some review from October (off season and probably no live music) supporting her argument. Gwen also stated that she stayed there herself not too long ago and the music was not an issue. Well I guarantee that she didn't stay there when that band was there. We spoke with the management folks and they were very understanding and accommodating. They moved us to the only unit they had left which was down the street, much nicer and bigger. Even with a great discount it came to twice as much. Gwen would not refund us for the nights we didn't stay. She refunded only half. So basically I paid her for three nights I didn't use. Between the higher price of the new place and paying for not using a place the vacation cost a lot more than we planned. In my opinion, very unfair. The sad part in all this is when we started citing the difference between the music Senor Froggs played and the live bands that Gwen never mentioned, Gwen stopped corresponding with us. We made several attempts through phone calls and emails but were ignored. So bottom line, if you're going to Playa to hang from the chandeliers til wee hours of the morning then this place is perfect for you. If you're looking for a quiet and relaxing vacation that affords you a good nights sleep then look somewhere else or check Senor Frogg's band schedule, because they are right below you. But if you do stay there and you have a problem and Gwen deems she is right and you are wrong, good luck and let me know how that goes for you.

Owner response:These people are the only guests to complain about music in the condo. I have "noise resistant glass" which is two panes of laminated glass each 1/4 inch thick with a 1/2 inch space in between for a total of 1 inch thick. The walls have never "vibrated in the bedroom". It seems they had more people in their party than they told me and someone was sleeping in the livingroom where you can hear some bass in the evening. Also, a live band plays only 2 nights a week. Please read this quote from another guest review dated 10/8/2011: "In terms of noise level, the apartment (deck and living room area) is situated right above Senior Frog. Senior Frog does play very loud music during the day and into the night. Just to put things into perspective, I'm in my mid 30's and I actually enjoy most of the music Senior Frog was playing and I don't really mind noise. My boyfriend on the other hand is in his early 50's and cannot stand that type of music and he has excellent hearing and requires total silence in order to fall and stay asleep. We did not once complained about the noise level in the apt during our 7 days there. Once the deck door is closed, you can hardly hear the music in the living room. You can hear some of the bass but just faintly."

Recommended for:

Excellent for the right guest

Guest: American Jungle Girl from Belize (Belize)
Date of Stay: 10/17/11 Review Submitted: 11/04/11

I have stayed at several different units at Plaza Marina. It is not unusual for something to be a bit "off", but the management company is excellent and does all possible to take care of maintenance issues as promptly as possible. Given the rates and the beachfront location, it's common sense to expect less than 5* accommodations, but I think all the PM units give outstanding value. If a person wants to pay for a spectacular lobby or all-inclusive service, this is not the place. If a person wants the sound of silence, this is not the place. But if you want an outstanding location to access all Playa del Carmen has to offer, and a clean, comfortable condo unit that enables you to eat some meals and blend your margaritas en suite, this is the place. As a resort owner, I can only pray that Erin and other guests from hell stay away from my place. I'd be delighted to stay in the unit they criticized.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Excellent time!

Guest: lexi2008 (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 10/08/11 Review Submitted: 10/30/11

My boyfriend and I stayed @ Playa Marina from 10/8 to 10/14. We opted to book transportation through Bruce (introduced through the owner) instead of dealing with the "hawkers" at the airport or taking the local bus into town. Bruce was right on time and gave us a lot of good tips on our drive over to prevent us from getting ripped off during our stay(ie. how much a taxi ride normally cost from Walmart to hotel, local restaurants to try and places to avoid). As for the location of the unit...you just can't beat it. It is literally steps from the beach and less than 1 minute walking distance from 5th Avenue. The interior of the apt is very clean and well kept. When we encountered a few minor issues in the apt, we brought it to the attention of the owner right away and she took care of it right away by contacting the management company and following up with us after the issue was resolved. Maid service was Tuesday/Thursday and the person that cleaned our apartment was very thorough and very courteous. In terms of noise level, the apartment (deck and living room area) is situated right above Senior Frog. Senior Frog does play very loud music during the day and into the night. Just to put things into perspective, I'm in my mid 30's and I actually enjoy most of the music Senior Frog was playing and I don't really mind noise. My boyfriend on the other hand is in his early 50's and cannot stand that type of music and he has excellent hearing and requires total silence in order to fall and stay asleep. We did not once complained about the noise level in the apt during our 7 days there. Once the deck door is closed, you can hardly hear the music in the living room. You can hear some of the bass but just faintly. I brought my i-Touch on this trip with me since I didn't want to carry a heavy laptop and was able to go on the internet using the wireless router in the unit. Vonage & premium channels in the rm was definitely a plus. We booked an amazing snorkeling excursion w/ The Snorkel Shop & ate at the local restaurants that Gwen & Bruce suggested. For those of you that are cigar smokers, we purchased real Cubans @ the cigar shop in Walmart, Pauls' Tobacco Shop and La Casa del Habano. We left the printed list of restaurants inside the guidebook on the coffee table so future renters can make use of them. Overall, we had an amazing time @ Playa and would definitely rent unit S5 again in the future. It was a true pleasure doing business with Gwen and Bruce!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway.

I am the guest that the owner quotes below.

Guest: CharlieBoy (GA)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 10/03/11

I stayed in this unit over Labor Day weekend and was perfectly happy there. Yes, the water pressure is a bit low in the shower as it is in many places in Mexico. The pictures here represent the furnishings accurately. The housekeepers did a great job and while not 5 star, the unit is appointed appropriately. It's the only unit that I've found in Playa with in-unit wifi AND a Vonage phone- SWEET!..I kept the sliding door open in the daytime and used the AC at night so the music from Frogs was not an issue for me.The location is perfect and it's a bargain for the price. I'll stay again.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

I am the guest that the owner quotes below.

Guest: CharlieBoy (GA)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 10/03/11

I stayed in this unit over Labor Day weekend and was perfectly happy there. Yes, the water pressure is a bit low in the shower as it is in many places in Mexico. The pictures here represent the furnishings accuately. The housekeepers did a great job and while not 5 star, the unit is appointed appropriately. It's the only unit that I've found in Playa with in-unit wifi AND a Vonage phone- SWEET!..I kept the sliding door open in the daytime and used the AC at night so the music from Frogs was not an issue for me.The location is perfect and it's a bargain for the price. I'll stay again.

Owner response:Thank you so much, Charlie, for speaking up and telling the truth. The only problem in the condo which occured when "Erin of Medford, Or." stayed there was the bedroom a/c problem which has since been fixed. My property manager insists that the sofa covers and bedspread had been washed prior to her arrival and another person saw the condo very recently and said it looked "great". As I mentioned, the towels are changed every 2-3 days and come back fresh and clean. Erin rented the condo through me and had my email ID and phone number and yet she never contacted me to tell me anything was wrong or to request help. My friend, Bruce, who lives there and provided airport transfers for her as well as a day tour said she never mentioned any problems with the condo. I vacation there myself and would never stay (much less own) a place that was not clean. The only thing I can guess is that she was angry about the a/c and wrote a review with falsehoods about cleanliness for "payback". The truth is many people have sent me emails telling me what a great place it is and that they had a great time there. Thanks again for telling the truth about the condo. Gwen (Owner)

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Great Price....Needs some attention/updating.

Guest: Erin (Medford, OR, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/21/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

First, the good points. Great price, toaster oven, microwave, phone and wifi worked well and were a nice aspect to the condo. The other areas of the condo definitely need attention. The overall look of the condo, inside and out needs serious attention and updating. The deck outside was nice, but all you could hear is the pounding of the music below from senior frogs. The chaise lounges, chairs and cushions were all rusty and dilapidated. The boogie boards were already broken and unusable. Wear shoes as there was glass and raised "nubs" of concrete to stub your toe on. Inside, the living room furnishings were very uncomfortable. The cushions were very worn (you could feel the frame through them)and the coverings were faded and not clean. Air conditioning in the living room worked well. TV worked well although hard to hear over the thumping music down below. The kitchenette was below average. I understood via reviews that this condo was "very well appointed". Not sure what happened between then and now, but we were disappointed. All of the stuff in the kitchenette seemed like a mish mash of odds and ends. The refrigerator was difficult to regulate, too warm or too cold and froze our fruits and veggies. It also would have been nice to have a broom to clean up sand that inevitably was brought into the condo. So, I used the painbrush under the counter with the dustpan. The bathroom was fine and clean. The shower was impossible to regulate. Very low water pressure - ok fine - but the the water was either scalding hot or cold. There were more than enough towels, but when they replaced them with clean ones they were sour smelling. The bedroom - AC never worked well and had a horrible sour smell. The management company came up to clean it but it never would cool. The pillows were very nice. The bed - very hard. Sheets were clean, but the comforter was dirty and faded with crusty stuff dried on it. The sour smell I am speaking of is not the musty smell of humidity while in the caribbean. This is a sour smell like forgetting to get your clothes out of the washer for a few days. All in all, I feel the condo needs some updating and attention. Certainly it was very well priced, but the pictures on the website do not accurately depict the current condition of the condo. If I had to do this trip over again, I would have saved up more money for an a nicer condo or all inclusive resort.

Owner response:I am the owner and I don't know why this person "had it in for me" but this review is completely false. The photos are less than 1 year old and are completely accurate as to the condition of the condo. I was there a few months ago and everything was clean and fresh. This person says the outdoor lounges and chairs were "rusty and dilapidated" but they are made of plastic. Rusty plastic?? I have very expensive noise proof glass which keeps the interior of the condo quiet. You can hear a pin drop in the bedroom. The maids clean the condo every 2-3 days and they do an excellent job. The towels are sent out to an outside laundry service and they always come back clean...NOT sour smelling. This is the 1st bad review I have ever received. Here is a verbatim quote from someone who stayed in the condo the week AFTER the person who wrote this false review: "Hi Gwen, I love your place. Everything is perfect. I am having some dental work done and need to stay 1 extra day. Is your condo available for checkout tomorrow?" As the owner, I ask: how can a condo go from "sour smelling" to "perfect" in one week?

Recommended for:

Guest: Nancy (-)
Date of Stay: 03/09/10 Review Submitted: 03/26/10

Condo was great... Bruce (property manager) was exceptional.

Recommended for:

Home away from home

Guest: RedRaidergirl (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 05/07/08 Review Submitted: 06/18/08

If you want to be waited on morning, noon and night, this is not meant for you. If you want a vacation that is on your own terms....this is the answer. My best friend and I went on a girl's vacation to Mexico. Both of us had vacationed in all-inclusive resorts, but decided to rent a condo for this holiday. After the stay at this condo, we agreed that we will never pay for all-inclusive again! We spent most of our time on the huge balcony overlooking the beach. 5th Avenue was not even a half city block away. Everything is so convenient. Restaurants ranging from great food to fast food, bars, live music, internet bars, shopping...less that a block away. The beach is very secluded and the water is so clear. Perfect! Only steps from the condo. Now, on to the balcony.... This is where we spent most of our time. The breeze was great, the sun was great, the music was great. The ferry comes and goes and it's great people-watching, if you're so inclined, but don't get the wrong idea....you never feel exposed. The patio is actually very private. We were warned that we were above a bar, but that only added to our atmosphere, as we loved the music during the day and evening before going out to dinner or for the evening. We felt very well taken care of, as the house keeping staff checked in more that twice. (they recycle, as well!) I have recommended it to friends, family and co-workers and plan to visit again soon.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.