South of Cancún, two diminutive hotels that have caught my eye recently are the Básico in Playa del Carmen, and the Mezzanine, close to the Tulum ruins.
Both first opened less than two years ago. Both are minimalist in name and style… but you do need fairly deep pockets (doubles at the Básico start at US$150; US$170 at Mezzanine).
Básico has just scooped the best "small hotel" accolade in Travel + Leisure magazine’s second annual Design Awards. The T + L jury singled out the Básico (pictured, right) as "small-scale and casual, slightly unkempt and very chic".
The kind of hotel where "you can throw your flip-flops anywhere."
Further down the coast, the ecologically-sound Mezzanine labels itself the "hippest little boutique hotel" in Tulum, and who am I…
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March 1st, 2006 by
Steve Bridger filed under
Cancún,
Cozumel,
News
LP’s Ali Collier conducted a 20-minute telephone interview recently with Oregon-based Suzanne Plank, a contributing author to the popular Mexico guide
.
You can download the podcast from their website.
Suzanne was in the region in Sept/Oct last year, researching for the guide’s 10th edition. The author is asked about her experiences "living through Wilma" (actually she fled to Campeche) and covers the region’s "miraculous recovery" since then.
No big scoop, but a good general intro / listen… with one caveat: Suzanne, the Sheraton hotel did not "collapse". The Resort building has been demolished to make way for the Westin Lagunamar, which will rise in its place.
Meanwhile, after a week of celebrations in Cozumel (and elsewhere), Michael Gerber has posted this set of carnival…
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