The bar-hopping. The beaches. The Mayan food. We’ve always loved Playa del Carmen — it’s a fun, buzzy urban beach town that never takes itself too seriously. And lately, it’s been getting some welcome new hotels.
That includes another one: IHG has officially opened the new Hotel Indigo Playa del Carmen, adding a boutique-style hotel to the heart of one of Mexico’s busiest Caribbean destinations.
The 83-room property is in the Gonzalo Guerrero neighborhood, one block from the legendary Fifth Avenue (Quinta Avenida) and within walking distance of the beach. The central address positions the hotel in Playa del Carmen’s most active district, surrounded by restaurants, bars, boutiques and nightlife.
The opening expands IHG’s presence in the Riviera Maya and adds another lifestyle-focused option in a market long dominated by large beachfront resorts — and where travelers are increasingly looking toward the interior of town.
It’s the second Hotel Indigo in the Caribbean, joining a hotel we were very impressed by when it first opened — the Hotel Indigo in Grand Cayman.
IHG clearly has ambitions for this brand in the region – and so far, the results have been promising.
A Central, Walkable Location
Location is the defining feature of the new Hotel Indigo.
Quinta Avenida, Playa del Carmen’s main pedestrian corridor, runs just a block away. It’s the strip most visitors end up on at least once a day, whether they’re looking for breakfast, a beach club, shopping, or a late dinner that turns into a second stop somewhere nearby.
From this part of town, it’s also easy to reach the ferry pier for Cozumel, along with dive shops, tour operators, and the beach access points travelers use most often.
The hotel’s walkable setting is likely to appeal to travelers who want to stay immersed in Playa del Carmen rather than in one of the gated resort zones outside the downtown core. While there are dozens of hotels across the Riviera Maya, the experience is fundamentally different when you can step outside and immediately be in the town’s rhythm.
Playa del Carmen is at its best when you can move through it without planning transportation. It’s a destination where the simplest version of the trip is often the best one: a long beach day, a short break back at the hotel, then dinner, shopping and nightlife all within a few blocks.
A Rooftop-Focused Hotel Experience
Hotel Indigo Playa del Carmen’s main amenity is a rooftop pool deck, with a pool, hot tub, and lounge space designed for all-day use.
Rooftop pools have become one of the defining features of newer hotels in central Playa del Carmen, where ground-level space is limited and many properties are surrounded by neighboring buildings. For travelers staying in the downtown area, rooftop decks often serve as the primary place to swim, relax, and spend time at the hotel between beach visits and evenings out.
The property also highlights the rooftop as a setting for private events.
Rooms With Terraces and Ocean-View Options
The hotel’s rooms are positioned as contemporary and comfort-forward, with sleek bathrooms, plush bedding and free high-speed Wi-Fi.
All rooms include mini fridges, and most categories offer terraces or balconies. Some room types include ocean views, a notable detail in central Playa del Carmen where many hotels are set several blocks back from the shoreline.
The emphasis on private outdoor space aligns with the broader trend in the market, as travelers increasingly prioritize balconies and terraces even in urban-style beach destinations.
Dining and Amenities
Hotel Indigo Playa del Carmen has one on-site restaurant, highlighted by the hotel as Mayan Bistro.
You also get daily housekeeping, a fitness center, on-site parking, and pet-friendly accommodations, something that’s popular at a number of IHG-portfolio hotels like Kimpton.
Pet-friendly policies remain relatively limited among central Playa del Carmen hotels, particularly among newer lifestyle brands, making this a potentially meaningful differentiator for travelers bringing animals.
Why Playa del Carmen Remains One of the Riviera Maya’s Most Popular Bases
Playa del Carmen continues to draw travelers because it offers something few Caribbean-facing destinations in Mexico can match: a true beach town experience paired with the infrastructure of a major resort corridor.
It’s a place where you can spend the morning swimming in turquoise water, eat lunch in town, and still have the kind of restaurant density and nightlife options that feel closer to a city than a resort strip. Travelers come for the beaches, but they return for the convenience. Everything is close. You can walk almost everywhere. You can find a casual taco counter, a rooftop cocktail bar, a café for a slow breakfast, and a last-minute tour operator for a cenote trip all within a few blocks.
Playa also remains one of the easiest jumping-off points in the Riviera Maya. The ferry to Cozumel is straightforward for day trips. The region’s cenotes and eco parks are within reach. Archaeological sites like Tulum and Cobá are common excursions. Even travelers who prefer to stay quiet in smaller beach towns often choose Playa for a first or last stop because it makes the logistics easy.
In that context, new hotels in the downtown core matter because they provide modern options for travelers who want to stay central without giving up comfort, design or a sense of newness.
Another New Hotel for PDC
Playa del Carmen remains one of the Riviera Maya’s most competitive hotel markets, with new inventory continuing to arrive even as the destination’s identity shifts.
The Hotel Indigo opening adds a newer, brand-backed boutique option in the downtown core, a segment where many properties skew either small and independent or geared toward budget travelers. By contrast, Indigo’s positioning leans lifestyle-forward, with a design-driven approach and amenities centered on a rooftop pool experience.
For travelers who want Playa del Carmen’s walkability and nightlife, but still want a modern, full-service hotel, Hotel Indigo Playa del Carmen is one of the newest additions to the destination.
It’s part of a changing hotel landscape in the city, one that includes the recently-rebranded Hyatt Centric (the former Thompson, if you know the area).
How to Get There
The property is located in downtown Playa del Carmen in the Mexican Caribbean state of Quintana Roo.
Most travelers arrive via Cancún International Airport, the region’s primary gateway. The airport is about 34–36 miles north of Playa del Carmen, and the drive typically takes 45–60 minutes depending on traffic. Private transfers and shared shuttles run continuously throughout the day, and rental cars are widely available for travelers planning to explore beyond town (here are flight options).
Tulum International Airport, which has expanded service in recent months, is another option. Playa del Carmen is roughly 65–70 miles north of Tulum’s airport, with drive times generally ranging from one hour and 15 minutes to one hour and 45 minutes.
Once in Playa del Carmen, a centrally located hotel like Hotel Indigo reduces the need for additional transportation. Quinta Avenida, public beach access points, restaurants, bars and shops are all within walking distance of the property
Prices at the Hotel Indigo
You can find rooms for less than $180 per night right now, according to what I saw on Google Hotels. That’s even in March in the peak season.
Caitlin Sullivan
2026-02-18 03:02:00