Coral Maya Stay Suites

If you prefer an apartment to a standard hotel room, Coral Maya Stay Suites gives you room to spread out in Puerto Aventuras. Set inside a gated community, it combines the useful parts of a self-catering stay with an outdoor pool, private parking and the sort of space that makes a week of diving easier to organise.

You can choose a compact studio for two or move up to an apartment with a separate living area, kitchen facilities and more than one bathroom. That makes the place particularly suited to couples who want their own base, or to families and diving groups who would rather not live out of a suitcase. It is an aparthotel, not a full-board resort; your day revolves around your own apartment, the pool and the nearby Puerto Aventuras area.

You are in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, within a gated residential-style community rather than on a hotel strip. Bahia Xcacel Beach is around 150 metres away by road, while Playa Puerto Aventuras is about 0.9 miles away on foot. Playa Barceló Maya is around 5 miles by road, with Paamul Beach and Xpu Ha Beach further along the coast.

For food, La Caleta and Latitudee 20 are both roughly 0.7 miles away, with Subway at a similar distance if the day has left you in no mood for a culinary expedition. Parque Lol-Beh is about 2 miles away on foot, and Playa del Carmen is around 30 minutes away by car. You get a quieter base than the centre of Playa del Carmen, while still having the town and coast within reach.

The room choice changes the whole feel of the stay. The King Studio is the straightforward couple's option, with a super-king bed and enough space for a short, uncomplicated escape. If you want to separate sleeping from sitting, the One-Bedroom Apartment adds a living area, dining space and a fully equipped kitchenette. The Two-Bedroom Apartment is the sensible choice for a family or a small group sharing the stay, with two bathrooms to reduce the usual morning traffic jam.

Every apartment has air conditioning and a ceiling fan, useful after a hot day outdoors and equally useful when you want to keep the room comfortable without relying on one setting all night. Tiled floors, soundproofing, a private entrance and a mosquito net are practical details rather than brochure decoration. You also have a refrigerator, coffee machine, toaster, kitchenware, a dining table and seating area, so cold drinks and a proper snack are available without a trip back outside.

Balconies or terraces open towards views that can include the garden, pool or city. Ground-floor units are available, while upper floors are reached by stairs only. A flat-screen television with cable and satellite channels is there for the evening, although after a full day in the water, the balcony and an early night may win the argument.

Your apartment is the useful part of the dining setup. The kitchenette comes with a refrigerator, coffee machine, toaster, kitchenware and a dining table, giving you the option of keeping breakfast simple, storing drinks and putting together something substantial when you return hungry and sun-warmed. There is no need to turn every meal into an organised outing.

When you do want to eat out, La Caleta and Latitudee 20 are both around 0.7 miles away, close enough to make dinner possible without planning an expedition. Subway is at a similar distance for the sort of meal that requires no discussion at all. The accommodation does not come with a stated breakfast or board formula, so you have the flexibility of an apartment rather than a fixed meal timetable.

The outdoor pool is the obvious landing place for a non-diving afternoon. Sun loungers and beach chairs give you somewhere to read, dry off or simply sit with the important task of deciding whether you have earned another swim. Garden views, pool views and outdoor furniture add a little more space beyond the apartment itself.

For a change of pace, snorkelling and fishing are available locally, and a golf course lies within 3 miles. Bicycle rental can help you cover the area without reaching for car keys every time. The tour desk and concierge can also help you organise outings, while the fitness room gives you an option for keeping the legs moving when the sea has already done most of the work.

Puerto Aventuras also puts kayaking on the lagoon, swimming with dolphins and deep-sea fishing within the wider range of things to do. If you are travelling with family, the larger apartments provide the space to come back, cool down and retreat from the day without everyone occupying the same chair.

Cancún International Airport is around 47 miles away by road, while Tulum Naval Air Station is about 26 miles away. An airport shuttle service is available through the property. Free private parking is available on site, with no reservation needed, which is useful if your trip includes a hire car. WiFi is available free of charge in the rooms, and a concierge and tour desk can help with local arrangements.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 22:00, and you need to tell the property your arrival time in advance. Check-out is from 07:00 to 11:00. The minimum age for check-in is 21, and payment is accepted in cash. Children of any age can stay, but children aged 12 and over are charged as adults; cots and extra beds are not available.

The property is non-smoking, and parties or events are not permitted. Quiet hours run from 21:00 to 08:00, so this is better suited to a calm evening routine than to a post-dive celebration that continues into the night. Upper floors are accessible by stairs only, while some units are entirely on the ground floor.