Mahekal Beach Resort
Mahekal Beach Resort is Playa del Carmen's answer to travelers who are tired of identical tower blocks and want something with genuine character. The Mayan-inspired palapa bungalows, hammock terraces and jungle paths between the beach and the pools create an atmosphere unlike anything at a Riu or an Iberostar. The site has hosted guests since the early 1980s as Las Palapas and then Shangri-La, took the Mahekal name in 2014, and grew to 196 rooms with a palapa-bungalow expansion completed in December 2015. Repeat visitors are common, and the location is exceptional: you're on the beach and two blocks from Fifth Avenue's bars, restaurants and shops. There are no TVs in the rooms, on purpose.
Things to Know
- No TV
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Thatched-roof palapa bungalows inspired by Mayan architecture, a genuinely different look from the tower resorts that dominate the Riviera Maya
- +Hammock terraces on the palapa and oceanfront rooms, and a handful of oceanfront and beach house rooms have their own private plunge pool about ten steps from the sand
- +Fuego Restaurante y Cantina cooks over zapote wood fire from Chef Carlos Chimal's menu, and it is the restaurant guests rave about most; it is included on the all-inclusive plan
- +Four pools, including an infinity pool by Las Olas and a shallow beach-entry pool by Itzi Bar that small kids love, plus outdoor jacuzzis, so chairs are rarely a fight
- +On Calle 38 right on the beach, two blocks from Fifth Avenue, so you can walk to the best restaurant and shopping street in town in about ten minutes
- +Revive Spa runs open-air treatment cabanas, a temazcal sweat lodge and cacao ceremonies, and poolside yoga, Zumba and aqua dance fill the activity board
- +Genuinely pet-friendly: cats and small dogs up to 11 kg are accepted in every room category for USD 25 per night
- +Flexible meal plans: you can book room only, bed and breakfast, breakfast-or-dinner, or full all-inclusive, which is rare in Playa and lets you eat on Fifth Avenue without paying twice
Cons
- −The beach clubs and nightclubs next door are a real factor, and the resort's own FAQ admits music and urban noise carry; expect it on the beach in the afternoon and louder around the December and January holiday period
- −A mandatory USD 35 per room per day resort fee (VAT included) applies to every booking, whatever meal plan you choose, so the advertised rate is never the full rate
- −The all-inclusive leaves out room service, the Starbucks-serving Cafe Mahekal, craft beer, premium liquor and special dinners such as Lobster Night and Surf and Turf, so extras add up
- −There are no TVs in the rooms by design, which is lovely for some travelers and a dealbreaker for others
- −Some older bungalows show their age with dated grout, thin towels and damp, and guests report room quality varies noticeably across the 196 rooms
- −The resort does not advertise heated pools, and guests say the water can feel cool in December through February
- −Specific rooms and bed types cannot be guaranteed, and whether an Ocean View Palapa is a standalone bungalow or a second-floor room is decided at check-in
The food is a genuine differentiator. Fuego, the flagship, cooks over zapote wood fire, and guests who have suffered bland all-inclusive buffets call it a revelation; Las Olas sits by the infinity pool and Lu'um does traditional Mexican, though Las Olas draws more mixed reviews. The Agave Bar has ping-pong, pool tables and board games, and Itzi Bar handles sunset drinks by the pool. Four pools mean you rarely fight for chairs. Read the plan carefully, though. The all-inclusive is optional here, and it leaves out room service, the Starbucks-serving cafe, premium drinks and special dinners. Every booking also carries a USD 35 per room per day resort fee covering bicycles and towel service. Playa del Carmen adds a small per-guest nightly municipal lodging tax set by hotel category, usually collected at check-in.
Mahekal works best for couples, honeymooners and families who want boutique-style character without giving up all-inclusive convenience, and for anyone traveling with a small dog, since pets are welcome in every room category. Families should note that the resort now advertises MaheKids Kamp, with workshops, mandala painting, kids' yoga and supervised indoor space, while its older FAQ still says there is no kids club, so confirm the schedule with the concierge. Anyone who wants late-night shows, waterslides or total quiet should look elsewhere, because the beach clubs next door make themselves heard. Divers and snorkelers are well placed: the dive shops of Playa del Carmen, the Cozumel ferry and the cenotes are all close by.
Common Questions
How bad is the noise from the beach clubs next door?
Are the pools heated?
Is Fuego included, and what does the all-inclusive cover?
Can I bring my dog?
What are the rooms like and is there a big quality difference between room types?
Restaurants (3)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Las Olas |
| Mexican | Fuego Restaurant & Cantina, Lu’um |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.
What's nearby
15 min drive · 7.5 mi
8 min drive · 2.4 mi
25 min drive · 17 mi
Playa Mamitas6 min drive · 1.4 mi
11 min drive · 6.6 mi
Xcalacoco Beach11 min drive · 4.8 mi
More things to do (21)
- Xenses · adventure park13 min drive · 6.6 mi
- Cenote Azul · cenote25 min drive · 17 mi
- Playa 88 · beach7 min drive · 1.7 mi
- Cenote Cristalino · cenote25 min drive · 17 mi
- Punta Esmeralda Beach · beach14 min drive · 2.4 mi
- Puerto Aventuras Marina · marina25 min drive · 16 mi
- Jardín del Edén Cenote · cenote30 min drive · 17 mi
- Cenote Chikin-Ha · cenote30 min drive · 18 mi
- Museo del Chocolate · museum5 min drive · 1.2 mi
- Frida Kahlo Museum Playa del Carmen · museum6 min drive · 1.7 mi
- Playa del Carmen Fifth Avenue · town6 min drive · 1.8 mi
- Voladores de Papantla (Parque Fundadores) · historic site7 min drive · 2.1 mi
- Parque La Ceiba · nature7 min drive · 2.6 mi
- Xplor · adventure park13 min drive · 7.0 mi
- El Camaleón Golf Course · golf13 min drive · 5.8 mi
- Cenote Chaak Tun · cenote15 min drive · 5.3 mi
- Delphinus Riviera Maya · adventure park20 min drive · 7.8 mi
- Playa Maroma · beach25 min drive · 11 mi
- Iberostar Playa Paraíso Golf Club · golf25 min drive · 13 mi
- Puerto Aventuras Golf Course · golf30 min drive · 16 mi
- Cenote Chac Mool · cenote35 min drive · 17 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Seaweed & sargassum
Playa del Carmen gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.4 · 4,509 reviews
“Spent one week at Mahekal on early December 2025, an amazing place to stay, four of us stayed at two palapa rooms literally less than a minute walk from the beach, enjoyed the comfortable beach beds every single day during our stay (private for hotel...”
“I stayed at this resort for a one-week family vacation, and it was truly one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had in Cancún. I’ve traveled to other destinations before, but the level of professionalism, organization, and safety I felt here w...”
“This is an esthetically pleasing venue with many choices of restaurants, bars, pools and activities. It's a little expensive but it's wonderful if you're looking for a good location, just off 5th Street and a place that is not all-inclusive. The styl...”
