Al Cielo

If you don’t care about luxury hotel amenities and the idea of a tiny, very simple hotel overlooking one of the world’s most exquisite beaches sounds appealing, you will fall in love with Al Cielo. It is a miracle that along the famed Riviera Maya, where ocean-front land is so precious with large, luxury hotels dominating the scene, that such a jewel as Al Cielo could possibly exist. The hotel, right on the beach only steps from the turquoise sea, consists of four guestrooms within two cream-colored buildings that are joined by a porch with a rough-hewn log railing. Each house has one moderately sized guestroom on each of two levels. The interiors reflect rustic appeal with dark, polished wood walls and floors in the bedrooms and bathrooms. The wood is complimented by white mosquito netting gracefully draping the comfortable beds and by filmy, white curtains accenting the louvered windows. There is no air conditioning, but gentle sea breezes cool the room naturally. A romantic “Robinson Crusoe” mood prevails. Shoes seem totally inappropriate with bare feet the more desirable mode. The white, sugary soft sand beach in front of the hotel is one of the world’s finest. Dotting the beach are the hotel’s own adorable little palapas, accented by colorful gauze curtains. You never need to roam from this paradise—Al Cielo has its own open-air restaurant right on the beach.