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Mexico's Pacific Coast has seen a slew of high-luxury, high-cost resorts opened by groups such as Four Seasons and Amanresorts. Deseo ('desire' in Spanish) is a 15-room retreat in Playa del Carmen, just south of Cancún. Perched above Playa's main road, the crisp aqua-and-white building is set around a central bar / lounge / pool deck. The rooms all have interesting touches such as handmade soaps, woven beach bags, and amorous 'goodnight' kits containing incense and condoms. After dark, Deseo shifts into high-gear as a parade of Playa's pretty folk descend on the hotel's lounge for tapas-style snacks and drinks. The scene is unquestionably cool, made even more so by Deseo's good-looking, global staff. There is no restaurant, but the self-service kitchen stocks healthy, complimentary snacks by day and prepares Euro-Latin breakfasts in the morning. The hotel may not provide Four Seasons-style luxury, but it's a very welcome, cheap-and-chic alternative.
WHEN TO GO
February, long after the New Year's Eve crowds and before the rush of American twenty-somethings visiting in March and April
WHICH ROOM TO BOOK
Number 8 is one of the largest, but also the noisiest. Opt for either room 7 or 15, which have open-air bathtubs and ocean views
CONTACT
Deseo Hotel + Lounge, 5a Avenue y Calle 12, Playa del Carmen 77710, Quintana Roo, Mexico (00 52 984 879 3620; fax: 879 3621; www.hoteldeseo.com). Doubles £83-£110; suites £118-£140
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