The Fives Oceanfront Puerto Morelos – 2024 Review
Mexico, especially the Riviera Maya, has become our go-to getaway and vacation spot and now we’ve added Puerto Morelos as our new favorite destination! We’ve already booked our next trip to The Fives Oceanfront in Puerto Morelos! We love this luxurious boutique hotel and can’t wait to go back in a few weeks.
You could say Puerto Morelos called us. We were looking for a 6-day getaway to spend a few days in Playa del Carmen and also try out a new resort. I got a random email from the Fives Downtown Playa del Carmen and noticed they had a larger hotel in Puerto Morelos. We started reading about the Fives Oceanfront boutique hotel and it just kept sounding better and better! The Fives sounded like a different type of all-inclusive and Puerto Morelos looked like the perfect sleepy fishing village.
Why The Fives Oceanfront in Puerto Morelos
First, it’s a reggae-themed resort owned by one of Bob Marley’s sons, Rohan Marley. It’s famous for the Romarley Beach house. Reggae in Mexico is definitely a new twist. We also learned it’s a smaller resort without any food buffets. The food reviews were overwhelmingly good and they had 2 bars with craft cocktail mixologists. The smaller resort, great made-to-order food, and craft cocktails at an all-inclusive? We were sold and booked for 4 nights!
How it started
We took a cab from Playa del Carmen directly to Puerto Morelos and The Fives. It was a quick 20-minute drive and we were dropped off at the front entrance of the Fives Oceanfront. It was located at the end of the main road in Puerto Morelos. The location was definitely different from what we’ve seen in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. It almost felt like we were in a residential area with no high rises, large resorts, or crowds, we were surrounded by natural beauty. We wanted some chill-out time and relaxing vibes and this seemed great!
Check-In at the Fives
Exiting the cab, a bellhop grabbed our bags and we walked up a short staircase into the resort. As we walked around the corner, there was an opening with a beautiful water feature and a direct sight line to the blue Caribbean Sea, it was gorgeous! We experienced a wonderful greeting from a staff member who brought a welcome drink and offered us a seat. There is no reception counter, they do the short check-in process in the lobby. It was quick and easy and felt both luxurious and relaxed. Definitely unlike what can sometimes be a chaotic experience at a large all-inclusive. We were digging the Fives already.
The Room at The Fives Oceanfront Puerto Morelos
We booked a non-ocean view junior suite, one of the cheaper rooms. It looked exactly like the website photos. It had a spacious private terrace, the bedding felt high quality, and had a spacious bathroom. Our room had a king-size bed, a sofa, a small dining table, and even a kitchenette. This was looking like we chose the right resort. Next, we were off to grab a drink at the pool bar and some lunch.
Our 1st Suprise
Our arrival day was a Sunday and as we were heading to the pool area to get a drink we noticed a band setting up. Sunday is reggae beach party day with live music. We found a couple of lounge chairs on the beach, ordered tacos and sliders, and started settling in. After our first bites of food, we were impressed. It was definitively a step up from other all-inclusive resorts. The weather didn’t cooperate for the afternoon and the band moved inside the restaurant. We had a couple of beers and enjoyed the band. We didn’t partake, but they also set up a seafood grille with locally caught fish, lobster, shrimp, and shellfish. It’s an extra charge that’s not included in the all-inclusive package.
Dinner at the Al Mare Restaurant
We had an early dinner at the Al Mare restaurant. It was Italian food. The service was really good and the staff put in a lot of effort to ensure a good time. The dining room had a modern, trendy vibe and felt like you were in an upscale restaurant not in an all-inclusive hotel. I had the chicken pesto and Lindsey had the carbonara, both were fantastic! We would eat here several more times during our stay and it was great every time.
Day 2 in Puerto Morelos Town Square
We booked a morning photoshoot with a local photographer. This is something we do often and it’s one of our top 5 vacation tips, you can read about it here. Our photo shoot was super fun, we did some souvenir shopping and had a beer at a rooftop bar. Puerto Morelos Town Square is charming, with multiple restaurants, shops and bars, and the famous leaning lighthouse. There are some great places to try and we can’t wait to experience more of the town. After our short time in town, we headed back to the resort for some pool time. We took a cab both ways for 100 pesos each way. It was just a couple minutes by car and would have probably been a 15-20 walk.
The Rooftop Pool at the fives Oceanfront
The rest of our time at the resort was spent either at the beach or the rooftop pool. We spent several mornings and afternoons at the large outdoor infinity pool lounging on a sunbed and sipping cold drinks. This is an adults-only pool with a chill vibe, a dedicated bartender, and truly a luxury feel.
The bartenders had great personalities and enjoyed making our time special. One of the highlights was our favorite bartender, Alain, bringing out a bar cart and making gin and tonics right next to our loungers. This was both a surprise and a display of showmanship! Large G&T glasses were lined with cucumber ribbons, then filled with ice, a hefty shot of Bombay Saphire was added then topped with tonic. A sprig of rosemary was added as a garnish, then lit on fire. It was a super fun experience.
The pool itself is great with a view overlooking the main pool and into the ocean’s stunning blue water. The hotel is located at the end of the main road and it’s the tallest building nearby, this ensures the view is stunning in every direction.
Beach and Main Pool
The Fives Oceanfront Puerto Morelos has a lovely beach with chairs, loungers, sunbeams, and even canopies that were available for rent. Both food and drinks are served by attentive waiters at the beach. The main pool has a limited number of chairs (I think there were only 8-10) so we stuck to the beach. The sargassum was very mild during our stay, so we got to swim in the ocean.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve read this far you know we had such a lovely time at The Fives Oceanfront Puerto Morelos. Food and drinks are important to us on vacation and I’d have to say they were excellent! Combine that with a comfortable room, relaxed atmosphere, superb service, a great pool, and a beachfront and it’s a win for us.
Lastly, the price to value was amazing! We paid less than $300 total per day for a junior suite all-inclusive. Rates will vary seasonally but if you can snag a room at a rate like this, It’s a no-brainer, we will be going back!