My boyfriend and I stayed here right after Christmas until right after New Year's. We had such a relaxing time! It was everything we were looking for! We did not want an all-inclusive resort since we wanted to explore the city and try different restaurants. The rooms were very cleanly and the staff was accommodating and incredibly personable. They gave us restaurant recommendations, day trip/excursion packages, and general information about the town. The hotel only has breakfast and no room service, but this was not a problem for us at all. The breakfast was good and $5.00 a day if you wanted eggs and sides. Since there was a fridge in our room, we got snacks and bottled water from the storefronts and had it at our leisure. The pool area is small and on top of the roof, where there is also lounge chairs. There is a great view of the ocean and a perfect spot to relax and catch some sun! The pool is not deep or very big - it's more of a spot for you to cool off from the heat or just sit in and relax with a cold beer. Don't think about doing laps or cannonballs in this one! I would definitely recommend this hotel to any friend or family member!

I had a great experience at Illusion hotel. The location is great 1/2 block from the beautiful beach and a few steps from 5th Avenue. More importantly the staff was great! Miguil and Dia at the reception desk were extremely pleasant and a pleasure to see everyday, they made sure the I had everything I needed. Jaquim and chef prepared and served a great breakfast. The rooms and hotel were impecably clean. The roof deck has a gorgeous view of the carribbean. Everything was taking care of. I'm looking forward to coming back soon.

We stayed here for our 13th wedding anniversary last month. We had some friends who recommended it, so this was our first choice, and we were not disappointed. I will say, go ahead and spend the money for one of the suites that open out onto the pool area. I had originally contracted for a "terrace room," and this room is pretty unremarkable. We asked for an upgrade, and they were very accommodating, putting us in a "master suite," which had a full-size refrigerator, stove, and dining room table. Definitely worth the money, since one day was very rainy and we had to stay in the room most of the day. The upgrade didn't cost anymore than it would have to book it online. Addtionally, the location of this hotel couldn't be better. We were just steps from the beach and very close to the Blue Parrot. This hotel is right in the middle of the "5th Avenue" district, so we were within walking distance of all the action! The staff was all very helpful and friendly.

One thing to be aware of is that the pics on the website are not really current anymore. There is a lot of construction going on all around this hotel, and unfortunately much of the view of the ocean from the pool terrace is now obstructed. However, this doesn't detract enough from my experience to keep me from coming here again. I highly recommend this place.

Originally we chose to stay at this hotel due to its great location in Playa del Carmen. It is situated a block away form the beach and is half a block away from quinta avenida, which is the main street in Playa. However we soon found out that there are many more reasons than location to choose this hotel.
As soon as we arrived at the hotel the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. They assisted us in everything from suggesting places to see and restaurants to eat at, to helping us arrange the best deal on tours. Miguel was the employee we had the most contact with, and he seemed to make it his goal to ensure that our vacation went perfectly. In fact, he personally went to a convenience store to get me some milk of magnesia when he saw how badly I was burned one day. One night there was construction going on in the middle of the night at the building next door to us and the staff immediately remedied the situation. They gave us a new room for the night and the next day offered to permanently switch our rooms in case the construction happened again.
The cleanliness of the hotel was also excellent. The rooms were always well cleaned, and were a decent size as well considering that it is a fairly small hotel. One complaint I had about the rooms was that you needed to use your room key to use the electrical outlets in the room. So when you were not in the room there was no electricity, which meant that the air conditioning turns off as well. It was a little annoying always returning to a hot room, but the air conditioner worked wlell and cooled it off quickly. We spent quite a bit of time at the pool on the roof. Though shallow, it is a very nice pool and has an excellent view of the ocean. Great place to relax. Overall I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking to stay in Playa.