The Reef 28 Hotel & Spa - Luxury Adults Only - All Suites - With Optional All Inclusive

Adults-only and built entirely around suites, The Reef 28 suits divers who want a lively base rather than a sealed-off beach compound. You are in central Playa del Carmen, with restaurants, bars and the town's evening energy close at hand, while the hotel keeps the practical comforts in place: air conditioning, balconies, WiFi and a swimming pool.

The adults-only policy sets the tone clearly. There are no children, and check-in is reserved for guests aged 18 or over, so the atmosphere is aimed at couples and adult travellers rather than family holidays. Add a spa, fitness facilities, live music and a nightclub with DJ, and you have somewhere that carries on after the day's diving instead of shutting down at sunset.

The Reef 28 also leaves you a choice about how much organising you want to do. You can take breakfast and eat out around town, or choose the optional all-inclusive arrangement and keep more of the day's decisions inside the hotel. That is useful when you return hungry, sun-worn and not in the mood for a committee meeting about dinner.

You are in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, right in the centre of town rather than directly on the sand. Playa del Carmen Beach is about 0.2 miles away, while the disabled-friendly beach listed for the property is about 0.9 miles away. The distinction matters: this is a town hotel with beach access nearby, not a beachfront resort where you step straight from the lobby into the sea.

The location does, however, put a good deal within reach. The ADO bus station is about 0.7 miles away on foot, and Parque Fundadores is about 0.9 miles away. Playa Real and Playa Mart Paseo are also within roughly a mile, giving you somewhere to wander when the legs have recovered from the dive ladder.

You can also eat and drink almost immediately outside. The Roof 28 is about 20 feet away, while Billy Gin is around 0.2 miles from the hotel. La Jarochita, Burro Playero and Restaurante Bar Vizio y Virtud are all within about 150 feet. In practical terms, you do not need a taxi every time you fancy a change of scene.

Every accommodation is a suite, which gives you more room to spread out than a standard hotel bedroom. Each has a seating area, flat-screen television, private bathroom and balcony, so you can sit down properly, rather than balancing a wet logbook and a drink on the edge of the bed. Views vary by category, including city and partial ocean views.

For two, the Deluxe Junior Suite with a king-size bed keeps things straightforward, with a large bed and a sofa bed. If you are travelling as a group of four, the junior suites with two double beds and a sofa bed are the practical choice. They give everyone somewhere to sleep without turning the room into a luggage puzzle. The Master Suite adds two bathrooms, a useful detail when several adults are trying to leave for an early boat without queuing for the shower.

The rooms are set up for recovery rather than just looking tidy in photographs. Air conditioning and a fan help after a hot, salty day, while the balcony gives you a place to sit outside. A coffee machine, microwave and minibar cover the small hours and the moments when the hotel's restaurant timetable does not match your appetite. Daily housekeeping, free WiFi and streaming services on the television round out the useful, unglamorous bits that make a room work.

Four restaurants give you a choice without requiring you to leave the property every evening. The cuisine covers Mexican, American and Asian dishes, so the menu is broad rather than tied to one particular culinary tradition. That works well for a diving week: familiar food when you want it, something different when you do not fancy repeating yesterday's plate.

Breakfast is served in continental and buffet form. The hotel also has a restaurant, a bar, a snack bar and minibars in the suites, with wine and champagne available. The snack bar is the useful middle ground when lunch needs to be quick and uncomplicated, while a minibar means you can keep something cold upstairs rather than making a second expedition in search of water.

The optional all-inclusive arrangement lets you decide whether to build meals into the stay. If you prefer to sample Playa del Carmen, the nearby bars and restaurants make that easy; if you would rather keep the evening simple, the hotel has enough food and drink structure to avoid sending you back into town on an empty stomach.

The outdoor swimming pool is the obvious place to spend a non-diving afternoon, with pool and beach towels available. Sun loungers, beach chairs, umbrellas, a sun terrace and outdoor furniture give you the basic equipment for the traditional post-dive plan: sit down, drink something cold and make no ambitious decisions for a while.

For a little more movement, the fitness centre offers fitness facilities, yoga classes and access to a personal trainer. Table tennis and billiards provide lower-impact competition, which is probably wise when your shoulders have already done their share of the work. Live music and a DJ-led nightclub provide the evening options if you are not ready for bed.

The spa is more than a single treatment room. Facilities include a relaxation lounge, steam room, sauna, hot tub and open-air bath, alongside massages and treatments such as body scrubs, body wraps, facials, manicures, pedicures and other beauty services. Some wellness services carry an additional charge, but the choice is there when your preferred recovery method involves heat, quiet or someone else doing the work.

Arrival is available from 15:00 until midnight, and departure is by 12:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the minimum check-in age is 18. The property is non-smoking throughout and does not accept pets.

Getting around is fairly simple from this central address. Playa del Carmen National Airport is about 1 mile away, Cozumel International Airport about 10 miles away and Cancún International Airport about 30 miles away. Shuttle service is available, and car hire, a tour desk, concierge service and luggage storage give you several ways to organise the land-based parts of the trip.

Free private parking is available on site, with valet parking as an option. WiFi is free throughout the hotel, the front desk operates around the clock, and a lift serves the upper floors. Laundry is available as a service, which is handy when the dive kit has taken over the suitcase and the dry clothes are becoming a minority interest.