Our family stayed here for 7 nights in mid-March - 2 adults and 3 kids (10-, 7- & 2-yr olds). Perfect location - right on a flat, white sand beach; directly behind the complex is the heart of 5th Ave; and a easy 5 minute stroll to Wal-Mart if you need any groceries. Of all the hotels/condos on the beach strip, El Faro has the largest and most kid friendly pool (plus, it is super clean!). Definitely do the $45 per hr poolside massage and there is free underground parking if you rented a car from the airport.
The condo is very clean, well-maintained and spacious. Matter of fact, we didn’t even need the downstairs 3rd bedroom because the upstairs 2 king en-suites are very roomy. The condo had everything we needed and this particular unit has wi-fi and a private hot tub. The only thing that caused us concern is that the upstairs railings, that overlook the family room, are spaced wide and a baby/toddler can conceivably fall through. So, we always had to closely supervise the 2-yr old when he was on the 2nd floor.
We thought the beach restaurants right near El Faro offered much better food/atmosphere than any of the places on 5th Ave. We particularly liked Zenzi and Fusion, as well as the restaurant attached to El Faro, Wicky's (which will also deliver right to your pool chaise).
We did 3 day outings while we were there. We all enjoyed the ¾ day trip to the Coba ruins and a visit to one of the nearby centotes. We also went to Xplor (which was great for the older 2 kids but the baby couldn’t participate in most of the activities) and Xcaret (which we all thought was boring, including the dinner show where the food was inedible).
Working with Marissa on the booking was very easy and smooth. The front desk staff at El Faro was also super friendly and helpful. We will definitely return!