The Thompson Beach House had me at the word “beach”. Going to the city of Playa del Carmen, you expect to spend a lot of “toes-in-the-sand” time. Why not make it easy on yourself by booking a hotel that sits directly on the shore?
Why I Chose the Thompson Beach House
When looking for a hotel as a solo traveler, I tend to search for places that offer both a social vibe and ample space to chill out on my own. (Can you tell I’m an ambivert?). And being that I was in Playa del Carmen, I wanted a hotel that was directly on the beach.
Surprisingly for a beach destination like Playa del Carmen, there was not a huge selection of beachfront hotels. Most of the all-inclusive resorts have beach access, but I knew I wanted the ability to easily walk into town as well. Most of the all-inclusives were more remote, requiring a taxi or shuttle to get to the main part of Playa del Carmen.
So with a promise of sand in my toes without having to leave the property and fun social options like a central pool and nightly tequila tastings, the Thompson Beach Hotel quickly climbed up my short list of hotels.
The size of the hotel was also a draw for me. I find a smaller property (this one only has 27 rooms) has a more intimate feel because I start to see familiar faces more quickly amongst the staff and guests. Also, as a solo traveler, there’s a safety factor to consider. The staff at a smaller hotel knows your comings and goings a bit more and will be more aware if you do not show up, compared to a much bigger hotel with over 1000 guests and visitors going through their doors.
Finally seeing the room options with clean lines, neutral colors and midcentury decor, I was hooked. Plus, with the dates I was traveling, I was able to get an upgrade to a larger room with a beautiful view of the pool and the ocean beyond. I highly recommend checking out the Ocean View Suite if you book here. Want a room tour? Check out this IGTV video.
Tell me about the Location
The Thompson Beach House is a smaller, intimate property right on the beach that is located close to the restaurants, shopping and nightlife of Quinta Avenida.
The Beach House sits on Calle 8, which is a smaller side street that dead ends into the ocean. At night this street is a bit dark and quiet. Not ideal for late night walks home alone, but luckily it is only a short stroll from the main drag. Honestly, I never perceived any real danger during my stay there, but it is worth a mention.
Sandwiched between another hotel and a condo rental property, the strip of beach it sits on did not feel overwhelmingly busy. While the hotel is not on a private beach, only hotel guests can use the beach lounge chairs. The narrow beach does not leave much room to lay out a towel, so most people who are not hotel guests are just quietly strolling by.
From the Thompson Beach House, you are about a 5-minute walk from their sister property, the Thompson Main House. The adult-only Main House has more of a party vibe with a huge rooftop pool/restaurant/bar area reminiscent of the iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
What Can a Solo Traveler Splurge On?
Remembering that splurges do not always mean a huge outlay of money, there are quite a few ways to low-key splurge at the Thompson Beach House.
Without a luxury spa on property, you will not rack up a huge bill on massages, facials and wellness treatments (you can ask for recommendations from the concierge for luxury spas in town if you’re looking for that). But you can grab your favorite book and pool side cabana to fully lose track of time and destress.
I also recommend splurging on a room upgrade to get the best views of the ocean and more than enough room to spread out. You’re here for the beach so you might as well keep it in view, even from your room.
While breakfast in bed and room service always feels like a bit of a splurge, I actually recommend throwing on your bathing suit and a coverup and heading down to eat in the hotel’s restaurant, C-Grill. There’s something so relaxing about hearing the waves in the background as you sip a mimosa or eat freshly made scrambled eggs.
After you finish your first round of breakfast mimosas, head over to the pool side cabanas for a perfectly shaded way to relax with a book or set up to people watch. During my stay, there were always a few people in the pool, but it was never terribly rowdy. It kept quite a laid-back vibe.
A great way to start the evening off is with the nightly tequila and mezcal tasting at the poolside bar. The explanation of what you are drinking is not to the level of an official tequila tour, but the bartenders are friendly and make you feel welcome. It’s also a great opportunity for solo travelers to meet some of the other guests and hear their travel stories. A little bit of that hostel social feel without the bunk beds and shared bathrooms.
If I Could Steal one Thing from the Room…
Can you steal an entire shower from the room? Probably not elegantly, so I’ll leave that in place. But it did have a lovely rain shower that I lingered in a little longer than strictly necessary.
So leaving the shower intact, if I were criminally minded, I would have chosen to steal the colorful pillows on the balcony daybed. I loved the pop of color and would happily give up some suitcase space to sneak them back home.
What Could Have Been Better
Honestly there was very little I didn’t like about my stay. But if I had to pick something, I’d say it was the coffee. A minor point for sure, but if you treasure your morning cup, it leaves an impression. As a person who loves to start each morning with a strong, dark cup of coffee, I was fairly disappointed with the coffee quality. Instead of dark and rich, it bordered on weak and watery. Thankfully the delicious green juice on the menu made up for it.
Also, as I mentioned earlier, there is no on-site spa at the Thompson Beach House. I, of course, knew this going in so it wasn’t a huge disappointment. However, it would have been a treat to splurge with a massage or facial without leaving the hotel. Still there are other options nearby, so if you fancy a spa experience, just check with the helpful concierges.
I’d also recommend traveling with a pair of ear plugs (actually I recommend that for any trip). The walls are not terribly thick and the doors are quite heavy. That meant the sound of doors slamming might break the inner peace you’ve cultivated after luxuriating at the beach.
Would I go Back?
Yes!…eventually.
I definitely enjoyed my time at the Thompson Beach House and would recommend to anyone who is looking for a relaxing, laid-back experience right on the beaches of Playa del Carmen.
And I’d be happy to go back again, though I think depending on the type of vacation I was planning, I might check out a few other hotel options just to compare other experiences.
Aside from enjoying the location and amenities at the Thompson Beach House, I would also like to go back when the global pandemic has less of an impact on travel. During my stay there were still restrictions on guest behavior and available activities due to health concerns from COVID-19. I would be interested to see what the vibe is like when fewer government restrictions are in place.
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*Please note that all opinions shared in this review are my own.
I agree with you that, beach front view hotels give the best vibes of the sea. And the feeling of “toes-in-the-sand” is great. I always pick a beach facing hotels in my tour though it cost higher than others. Thanks for sharing this nice hotel experience with us.
It was a fantastic location and very friendly and accommodating staff; the room was much bigger than I expected the photos did not serve it justice. I would stay here again.