Thompson Beach House

Housed in an angular sand-colored building with stone and wood accents and a simple glass entrance, Thompson Beach House looks modern and sleek already from the outside. The property is compact but appealing and inviting, with just about the right amount of designer touches to feel upscale yet laid-back. Although there’s a couch and a table with a couple of chairs, the lobby is the place where guests wait to be checked in rather than hang out with a drink. The focus here is on the outdoors, where padded loungers and double daybeds decorated with teal pillows are lined up along a long, skinny pool all the way to the sandy beach.

Thompson Beach House is the mellower, more intimate sister property of the Thompson Playa del Carmen, or the Main House, as it is known here. Both properties have a similar design and sleek outdoor spaces with ocean views. However, there are key differences worth considering before booking. For starters, location. While the Beach House is right on the beach, the Main House is located on Quinta Avenida, a lively street lined with restaurants, bars, and shops that’s a couple of blocks away from the ocean. In addition, the atmosphere is completely different at each property. The Main House is more party-oriented, with an awesome rooftop area featuring two restaurants, DJ sessions, and a striking infinity pool with city and sea views. The Beach House, however, has some music around the pool, but caters better to those who want to relax in the sun -- perhaps before heading to the Main House for a late-night party. While both are undoubtedly geared toward adults, only the Thompson Main Beach is expressly adults only.

Playa del Carmen is known for its beach and its lively Quinta Avenida, a street lined with restaurants, bars, shops, and entertainment venues. Thompson Beach House offers the best of both, with a location right on the beach and a two-minute walk from Quinta Avenida. The hotel is also just a four-minute walk from sister property Thompson Playa del Carmen (or Main House), where adult guests get access to two restaurants, an infinity pool, a 24-hour gym, and fun, swank parties. Ferries to Cozumel dock at Muelle Playa del Carmen, which is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Xcaret, a famous theme and natural park, can be found about a 15-minute drive away. The beautiful Tulum ruins are about an hour away by car, as is the nearest international airport, in Cancun.

Thompson Beach House Playa del Carmen has 27 large rooms and suites, all featuring spacious balconies furnished with daybeds. Decor is stylish and elegant, consisting of swish mid-century furniture and a soft color palette offset by pops of chocolate brown. Polished stone floors and floor-to-ceiling windows combine with white walls to create bright, airy rooms, while soft lines in headboards and entertainment centers add to the smooth aesthetics. Starting at 550 square feet, rooms offer lots of space to move around, and big windows add visual space. Views range from partial to full ocean views.

Standard room amenities include high-quality sateen-woven linens, large flat-screen TVs, gourmet minibars stocked with drinks and snacks, plus ceiling fans and air-conditioning. Wi-Fi is included in the mandatory Lifestyle Fee that’s added to all room rates. Bathrooms are large and sleek, with glass walk-in rainfall showers, ample sink areas, and cotton robes. Hairdryers and a small selection of toiletries are provided, including shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body moisturizer. All but entry-level King or Two Queens Rooms have separate soaking tubs, and top-tier Panoramic Balcony Suites have plunge pools on the balcony.

C Grill and Lounge is an excellent alfresco restaurant serving up wood-fire grilled seafood plus Mexican bites and ceviche, all made with local ingredients. Sunday brunch is also available here and is buffet-style, with a wide spread of international options as well as fresh fruit, a raw bar, and Mexican street food. C Grill is located between the pool and the beach and offers food and drink service to both.

Additionally, Beach House guests get full access to two other restaurants located at the Main House, the hotel’s sister property located a four-minute walk away. Both are on the rooftop deck and offer excellent cuisine with sweeping views. Catch, like its famed New York City namesake, serves seafood and sushi for dinner and transforms into a popular nightlife destination with live DJ sets and cocktails. Cinco serves casual, tasty Mexican fare for breakfast and lunch next to the infinity pool.

Thompson Beach House is set on a small but sandy stretch of Playa del Carmen’s public beach. The hotel offers a number of loungers for guests, as well as a few plush daybeds decorated with colorful pillows on a platform a bit set back from the sand for added privacy. Adjacent to the beach is C Grill, the hotel’s casual restaurant and lounge, which provides food and drinks beach and poolside. Seaweed has become a common issue in the region and can sometimes affect the Beach House’s beach.

The pool is long and skinny but big enough for a dip. There are several loungers around it as well as a few cabanas with ceiling fans, sofas, and food and drink service. There is some music during the day but it’s generally not too loud.

In addition to the on-site amenities, Beach House guests get full access to all facilities at the Main House, located a couple of blocks away, on lively Quinta Avenida, and access is not reciprocal. These include a stunning rooftop deck with two restaurants, an infinity pool, and a hopping nightlife scene, plus a 24-hour gym and a business center. The hotel also offers 28,000 square feet of event space, including the rooftop area and the Beach House’s beach lounge.

Thompson Beach House charges a mandatory Lifestyle Fee on top of all room rates. It covers Wi-Fi, loaner bikes, and beach yoga, as well as daily bottled water in the room, one mini-facial per person per stay, and daily sunset tequila tastings.

Pets of up to 25 pounds are welcome for a fee. Valet parking is available and an extra charge.