Apart Hotel Casaejido

The Apart Hotel Casaejido draws mostly European travelers looking for a budget stay. It is a step up from backpacker accommodations, and offers low-end, no-frills rooms with little more than mosquito nettings, as well as air-conditioned and furnished apartments. While it has its gardens and rustic charm, the location far from the central hub of downtown Playa del Carmen is a downside. At first glance, you might miss it. The main buildings are an unassuming pair of residential structures on opposite sides of a street, on the western side of the highway. These house the bungalows, a pool, gardens, and lounge areas. There's also a shared kitchen, which serves as both a community spot and the breakfast nook for those who opt for the breakfast-included option.Rustic wood, stone, thatched roofs, adobe tile floors, and hand-painted tiles are found throughout the main palapa building. Hammocks are found under trees outdoors, and a bike rack sits front and center for guests who want to go out and explore. The decor is bohemian in nature, with a heavy influence on natural elements and tropical vegetation interweaved with the buildings. The bungalow area in particular is all about embracing the jungle atmosphere, with thatch-roofed palapas covering the buildings. While it offers cooling breezes in the hot afternoons, the downside is that the open atmosphere means the constant presence of mosquitos. During the winter months they are lesser in numbers, but during the summer months they are a plague in the morning and evening hours.Meanwhile, up the road and around the corner, the full-size apartments that the hotel operates are similar to those you can find at more upscale places downtown. Granite tile, fully-furnished kitchens with modern appliances, balconies, and a private pool are almost the complete opposite of the low-key, jungle-backpacker vibe of the budget rooms and main areas down near reception. 

Apart Hotel Casaejido is literally set in the middle of nowhere in a quiet residential section of Playa del Carmen, west of the federal highway that runs north to Cancun and south to Tulum. Although tranquil, it puts guests at least 20 to 30 minutes out from any sort of the activities that most people come to a beach destination to enjoy. That being said, if you are someone who doesn’t mind hopping on one of the property’s rental bikes, or dealing with taxis, it offers a quiet alternative to the constant hub and bub of downtown. Nothing is in walking distance of the hotel; it is at least 45 minutes on foot to the beach, and 30 minutes to downtown. 

Apart Hotel Casaejido has a range of rooms from budget bungalows to studios to fully furnished two-bedroom apartments. Though decor varies, most rooms have tile floors and white walls, and a simple, somewhat rustic aesthetic. Rooms come with mini-fridges, in-room safes, access to purified drinking water, and -- with the exception of the smallest rooms -- TVs. (Management has plans to add them in the future, and there is a common area with a TV and DVDs guests can use). Air-conditioning is available in all rooms, although the bungalows also have mosquito netting around the beds to help ward against the ever-present plague of insects.The Studio Suites come with a kitchenette that includes a microwave, electric burners, toaster, blender, coffeemaker, and dishes plus basic pots and pans. The one- or two-bedroom apartments kick it up a notch and also include full-size refrigerators and ovens with stovetops. Bed sizes are typically queen-size or king-size, though some rooms have extra single beds or fold-out sofas. Bathrooms in the palapa building have adobe tile floors, and hand-painted tiles mixed in with standard white tiles on the walls; they're basic, with tile and grout that are showing wear and tear. The full-size apartments feature marble and granite tiles and countertops, and showers with rainfall showerheads; they're much cleaner and more modern not just in the bathrooms but the entire unit, and installations in them took place between 2011 and 2015. No units have bathtubs. 

The shared spaces include a kitchen and two pools, one at the hotel and one at the apartment complex. At the main property, where the reception is located, there's a lush garden environment with loungers set up under the trees, and a small covered area with plastic tables and chairs where visitors can hang out and smoke. On the other side of the street is the main palapa, where the shared kitchen is located and where breakfast is served in the mornings. Guests can book rooms with or without breakfast included. This area also houses the bike rentals, a variety of hammocks for lounging, indoor and outdoor furniture, and the small pool. No alcohol is permitted while using the pool. Parking for guests staying in this area is on the street.The apartment complex just up the road around the corner features its own small pool, as well as an underground parking complex with space for six to eight vehicles depending on the size.