We stayed at Kai Kaana as a last minute (more like second) option. Yes, the hotel is very basic and lacks any form of luxury what-so-ever, but I guess you get what you pay for. Our first room didnt have a sea view but was changed the minutes we requested another. The room was clean when we arrived but were not cleaned very well from then on, however, as we just wanted a relaxing holiday, we overlooked the small things that would usually bother us. There were no telephones or minibars in the room which made it difficult to chill our wine! However, you could use the phone in the reception area which was no real problem. Bathrooms were rather rusty and old looking and could have done with a good scrub. Unfortunately, we also had to share our room with a few gekkos as the fly screen had a few too many holes.

The grounds of the hotel had seen better days but it looked like they were about to plant a few shrubs here and there. Pool is lovely but have now turned "swim up bar" into decking. The hotel has an open restaurant/bar area which makes a nice setting for breakfast. As we were on a b&b basis, we only ate breakfast and a couple of lunches in their restaurant. Breakfast consisting of toast and fruit was fine, and there was a good selection for the lunch menu which was tasty.

Although rather windy, the beach area was great. If you wanted a swim though, you had to walk a few metres down the beach to avoid the rocks. Plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas for all the guests which made a nice change. And every so often, the barman would come by offering drinks etc.

The only big problem (if I was to ignore the basic concept of hotel) is the location. It is located 8km from Playa Del Carmen which means that you have to hire a taxi every time you wanted to venture into town. Although the receptionist was always happy to order one, it wasnt exactly convenient. I know some of the guests walked to the main road (about 3km) and then flagged down a bus, but this simply isnt possible if you want to enjoy an evening meal without a hike! Also, the road to the hotel is very rough!!!
We ended up hiring a beach buggy which was fantastic and a must if you are to stay in such a secluded hotel.

The plus side to this hotel was definately the staff. They simply couldnt do enough to ensure we had a great holiday. The receptionist had been learning English and tried despertely hard to understand our requests, of which we really appreciated. The waiters didnt speak English but we had great fun trying to converse/laughing/making jokes that no one understood. They were simply wonderful and we shall miss their cheeky smiles.

I would recommend this hotel to anyone who wants a secluded relaxing holiday, providing they dont mind very basic/no frills accommodation.

This hotel is located right on the beach at Punta Bete and appears to be a relatively new place.
The rooms are pleasant and clean, with aircon, fan and anti-bug slide door.
The pool area is very attractive and absolutely crystal clear water with plenty of loungers and a shaded area (this is a half finished swim up bar). The beach is attractive but was rather windy when we were there and was not particularly good for snorkelling.
The road leading to the hotel is unsurfaced and bumpy but perfectly driveable.
Food? Don't expect what appears on the table to be anything but vaguely related to what you ordered!! We stayed 5 nights and can't recall any order that was 100% correct! Oh well it became a bit of an in-joke in the end. All in all a very relaxing place to stay as a base to explore nearby areas or relax by the pool for a day or two. I wouldn't eat in the hotel as the food is a bit ropey and there are some outstanding restaurants, reasonably priced, in Playa del Carmen, including 100% natural which is a must expecially if you are a vegetarian ( Try the juice with spinach- amazing!!)

Off of Highway 307 heading north you will see a small sign that points to Kai-Kaana Hotel, or Xcalacoco (which is the name of the area, rather than a specific place) We kept looking for a sign that read Punta Bete, but didn't see one so missed the turn off. The entire area is rather interesting as the drive down to the beaches and resorts is very remote and bumpy on a dirt road. It isn't very far down, but we weren't sure what we were getting into until we found our hotel. The rooms at the Kai-Kaana are very similar to what you'd see at a Super 8 in the U.S., with 2 double beds and bath. The water pressure is fabulous! The grounds are very pretty, with a large pool in the center and an open air restaurant/bar toward the front of the grounds. The beaches are a little rocky, but you can find a sandy spot if you walk up the beach a short distance. What we found most interesting about Kai-Kaana is what was down the beach, rather than at our hotel. There are numerous resorts along the beach, some very exclusive (Ikal del Mar is around $700/night) and others just next door to Ikal del Mar that are small, rustic, family-run resorts that offer very little other than peace and quiet. If you stay anywhere in the area, be sure to stop by the restaurant called Los Pinos, which is on the beach and can by reached on foot. It may not look like much from the outside, but it is a clean little restaurant where the food is cooked by the mother in the family while the teenage kids wait on your table, and the food is excellent. Try the guacamole. It's the best we had during our 10 day travels. The red snapper is awesome and the prices are even better. The family loves to watch their soap operas in between getting you what you need, but they are so nice and really appreciate your business. Also, just behind Los Pinos is a very quaint resort called Coco Cabanas. It has about 5 cabanas, a small pool, and a small restaurant/bar. The owner of the resort is the cook and we were told he is a fabulous chef. Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the food there, but the atmosphere is so comfortable and inviting that we will surely give it a try next time. Kai-Kaana is rather a mystery to us because there seemed to be very few people staying there but it is obvious that it could be a very nice resort if it were run a little differently. For example, the web site shows a swim up bar in the pool, which is indeed there, but apparently hasn't been opened up in a very long time, maybe years? And we were there during high season. The food on the menu is a bit expensive, even breakfast. I'd just stick to the other restaurants in the area. Nonetheless, Punta Bete/Xcalacoco is a very interesting area and worth looking into. Check it out!

We stayed at the hotel on the recommendation of our travel agent, she assured us it was small and secluded and clean. Yes it was small and secluded. Clean, well no. We were there from Feb 5-12, 2004. The hotel has a nice look to it, but there were only three people working there and only one spoke any English. The food was good but extremely slow.
The rooms were fine, but when we arrived they were not very clean, there was lots of soap scum in the soap dish and a used razor in the shower. The sheets were not changed, the pillowcases were turned inside out and back everyday, but not changed. Clean towels would have been a nice change too. We had ants in our room, on the wall and in the bathroom. We spoke with the receptionist and she assured us it would be taken care of and was not. We called our tour coordinator to change hotels and had to have the receptionist dial the phone for us and then she stood there and listened to our whole conversation since we could not call from our room. Unfortunately there were no other rooms available in Playa and we were stuck there. The road to the hotel is a dirt road that is not very passable and about 1 1/2 miles long. There is a swim up bar in the pool but the bar is not used. The other bar in the restaurant is the same, empty. Not that there was anyone to work in it. The beach is nice but don't expect to rinse the sand or salt water off before going in the pool since the shower does not work. There was definitely a limited amount of hot water in the hotel, you never knew if it was your lucky day to have hot water until you were in the shower. Day or night didn't matter, it was a shot in the dark. We would not return to this hotel and would not recommend it to anyone.