Ever Dream of Running Away to Paradise?

Anthony Lee Head’s Debut Book Sparks the Dreamer in Us All

SAN RAFAEL, CA  On October 20, 2020, Luna Blue Books will release Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road, the debut novel of longtime Bay Area resident Anthony Lee Head. His fictional tales of free-spirited travelers are a perfect and timely antidote for anyone who has grown weary of quarantines and sheltering in place.

This captivating book follows modern-day nomads escaping the rat race in search of a fresh start. Fleeing boredom, bad marriages, and dead-end jobs, these adventurers wander south to Playa Paraiso—a lush, unspoiled village on Mexico’s idyllic Caribbean coast. There they find the unpredictable, hedonistic, and sometimes frightening world of the tropics.

Along the way, these saints and sinners encounter true loves, vicious drug dealers, charming rogues, clueless do-gooders, and a devastating hurricane. Against a backdrop of stunning blue water and endless white sand, they experience the heart’s tug of war between the need for a place to call home and the desire for the freedom to roam.

Author Anthony Lee Head knows firsthand the expat’s wandering lifestyle. In a fit of middle-aged madness, he gave up a long career as a San Francisco trial lawyer and ran away from home. He and his wife drove 3500 miles to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, where they bought a rundown youth hostel near the beach. They spent a decade transforming it into a wildly popular small hotel and margarita bar. Their adventures in paradise, and those of their fellow vagabonds, became the inspiration for this work.

Bestselling author and journalist Joel Selvin says Driftwood steers “somewhere between Jimmy Buffett and John Steinbeck…” Kirkus Reviews (starred review) comments, “Truly wonderful and moving tales, the author is a writer to watch.”

Forget about all those canceled plane tickets and unused hotel reservations. Driftwood, Stories from the Margarita Road offers readers a chance to escape this pandemic lockdown life…if only for a while.

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About the Author
Anthony Lee Head now lives in San Rafael, California with his wife and an embarrassingly large number of Mexican rescue dogs and cats. He is currently working on both a memoir and a new novel.

Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road
by Anthony Lee Head • Luna Blue Books
On Sale: October 20, 2020 • Price: $15.95• Pages: 264
ISBN: 9781735278100 (paperback)
9781735278117 (ebook)

Visit http://www.anthonyleehead.com
Find the author on Facebook @AnthonyLeeHead

Luna Blue Books
Anthony Lee Head
San Rafael, California
415.663.6116
tony@anthonyleehead.com

Photographs and Memories

As we say goodbye to the Luna Blue Hotel and Bar after 10 years we can’t help but recall all the people–hundreds and hundreds of them–who stayed at the hotel, drank at the bar and offered support and friendship over the years.

If you were part of our lives as a friend, a customer, a guest or simply a kindred spirit, you were the reason for our success and made it all worthwhile. We will never forget you and will never be able to thank you.

As a tribute to the wonderful people who shared this adventure with us, we have put together a little slideshow (which we have a hard time watching through the tears). These are just a small number of the people who graced us with their presence over the last decade. Some of those pictured are strangers who passed through with a smile or a laugh. Others became dear friends whom we hold close to us as part of our family. And some sadly are no longer with us but are remembered still with great affection. (We will always miss you Keith, Rory, Tyra and Colleen.) Every single person shown is treasured by us.

Forgive us if your photo is not included. Limited resources and time required us to use only a fraction of the photos we collected over the years. But please remember, whether or not you are in the video, you are anchored in our hearts. The last ten years have been the journey of a lifetime. Sharing it with all of you made it that much more special.

For whatever time you spent with us at the Luna Blue, we truly hope that you had the time of your lives. We sure did.

Tony & Cheri

PS – Don’t forget our Farewell Party on Sunday January 25, 2015 from 1 pm to 9 pm at the Luna Blue Hotel & Bar on Calle 26 between 5th & 10th Avenue in Playa del Carmen Mexico. There will be music, food, fun, friends and surprises. Please come by. And remember–Tony & Cheri are leaving, but the Luna Blue continues. The new owners are nice people who will continue the tradition we have started while making some very special improvements, and we wish them much luck. Best of all, our awesome staff will continue to work at the Luna Blue, and it will continue to be one of the best boutique hotels in Playa.

Our Decade of Adventure Comes to a Close…

Ten years ago we decided to move to the tropics and run a small hotel by the Caribbean Sea. We quit our jobs, left our home and set out in a van loaded with pets and belongings. Our adventure had begun, and we were living the dream.

Truthfully, a lot of our friends thought we were nuts. They might have been right. We didn’t know anything about running a hotel or about Mexico. We were just rolling the dice to see what might happen. As it turned out, luck was on our side. We discovered life south of the border to be sweet and special, and to our surprise we actually weren’t half bad at operating a hotel and bar.

Oh, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were plenty of bumps in the road, from hurricanes to drug war hysteria to just plain nasty people. As Jimmy Buffett sang about his own tropical adventures… “Good times and riches and son-of-a-bitches, I’ve seen more than I can recall.” And Jimmy never had to battle Expedia! Yet, the good far outweighed the bad, and we have never once regretted that decision to head down the Margarita Road.

However, if there is one thing we have learned in our travels it is that nothing lasts forever. Things change and every adventure must come to an end. So it is with this particular dream. We are soon going to be leaving the Luna Blue. The hotel has been sold, and if all goes as planned the new owners will take over early next year.

There are a couple of reasons why this is happening now. First of all, our partners in the company which owns the Luna Blue want to move on to new investments. And for us personally it is simply a matter of needing a break. We have gotten older, as everyone does, and have found the 24/7 demands of running the hotel and bar to be more than we can keep up with at times, especially in light of Tony’s recent heart attack. It is the right decision at the right time for all concerned.

To those of you who love the Luna Blue as we do, we want to reassure you that good people are taking it over. We like them very much and ask all our friends to give them the same support we have always enjoyed. They have many terrific plans for improving the hotel and bar while remaining true to its tropical ambiance. They also told us that while they are bringing in a new management team, they will keep any of the current staff who wish to remain. They also seem especially happy to be gaining two new cats in Frankie and Callie. And of course all existing reservations will be honored. The Luna Blue is just going to keep getting better and better.

As for the two of us, who knows what adventures wait down the road? Yes, this is a bittersweet moment. The Luna Blue has been the focus of our life since we first walked in the front gate in the spring of 2004. It has been our baby, and letting go will be very difficult. There have already been some tears, and there will undoubtedly be more. Still, we are very excited about the many opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead. We do know the first thing on our “to do” list is spending some time on those beautiful beaches we were always sending our guests to but rarely got the chance to visit ourselves. We might finally get a tan!

We are also comforted by the fact that when we leave the Luna Blue we will take with us wonderful friendships and great memories. We know any success we enjoyed came from the love and support offered by family, friends, our fantastic employees, Playa’s locals, other expats and our many guests over the years. We thank you all and will never forget you. Ever.

We hope as many of you as possible stop by the Luna Blue during the next couple of months so we can personally express our thanks for your support over the years. We also are going to have one more pool party, tentatively scheduled for January 25th. It will be our farewell event and we intend to make it something very special. We hope to see you there. Watch our Facebook page and this blog for further details.

Once again, from our hearts, thanks to all of you who have been part of our Luna Blue Family. See you on the beach!

Tony & Cheri

Sun, Sand and Margaritas…Beach Bars in the Riviera Maya

Everybody loves beach bars.  A little grass shack selling rum, tequila, and beer on a white sand beach only steps from some blue water…what’s not to love?

Playa del Carmen, along with the whole of the Riviera Maya, has one of the largest collections of great beach bars in the world.  Playa’s central and northern beaches are jam packed with clubs, restaurants, and bars of all types. And outside of town along the Caribbean coast you can find even more terrific places to eat and drink next to the sea.

Of course, everyone has their own ideas of what makes for a great beach bar. Some like it simple with a little bar, an umbrella and a shrimp taco or two. Others prefer something more upscale with a brick pizza oven and maybe a pool. Some beach bars have live music, while others offer only the sound of the waves.

Most travel sites and blogs have at one time or another made a list of what they think are the best or top or favorite beach bars along our coast. Recently USA Today listed what they thought were the Five “Coolest” Beach Bars in the Riviera Maya.

The article listed some of our favorite places but missed some really great ones. So we decided to add our favorite beach bars/clubs along Mexico’s Caribbean coast to the USA Today list. Our additions are, in no particular order…

Bad Boys Beach Bar in Playa del Carmen

Along the length of Playa del Carmen’s central beach are literally dozens of beach clubs. They range from funky to fashionable and almost all of them are worth stopping in to spend a day in the sun. However, Bad Boys Beach Bar has a special place in our hearts. It was one of the first beach bars in Playa, started long ago by the late, much-beloved Playa legend Captain Dave. It hasn’t changed much since those early days. There are decent hamburgers, and sausages grilled by Cowboy John; they serve good, cold drinks; and play fun music. But the real draw is the atmosphere. In this day of big screen, glass and chrome monstrosities crowding the Caribbean, Bad Boys continues the legacy of the laid back, toes in the sand, palm-covered beach life of which we all so often dream. It is a classic part of the old Playa del Carmen. And remember…guests at the Luna Blue Hotel receive a 10% discount on food and beverages at Bad Boys.

La Playa on Xpu-ha bay

At first you might wonder if you took a wrong turn. Once you start down that awful twisting pothole-filled dirt road hemmed in on both sides by the jungle you might think that the trip was a bad idea and you should turn around. Don’t. That crappy road leads right to one of the most beautiful bays on Mexico’s Caribbean coast and one of our favorite beach bars. La Playa is an old school club with palm-thatched umbrellas and faded loungers looking out over blue water. Their shrimp tacos are some of the best around and the beer is cold. Best of all, La Playa offers a chance to escape the madness of Playa del Carmen’s tourist zone for a beautiful, open uncrowded stretch of beach.

El Paraiso Beach Club in Tulum

The name says it all…paradise. Down in Tulum on the still relatively undeveloped north end of the beach, El Paraiso has everything you could ask from a beach club/bar. The menu is good and the drinks are of a decent size. There are plenty of staff members to take your order and keep your glass filled. You can choose from tables and chairs, loungers or big cushy beds laid out on the beach. But El Paraiso’s claim to fame is its location. It sits on a pure white sand beach with a spectacular view of the Caribbean Sea. In the distance to the north are the ruins of the Mayan Temple. To the south are miles of uninterrupted shoreline for your strolling and swimming pleasure. If you want to get back to the beauty of nature, get to El Paraiso.

The Beach Club at Grand Coral

The name is misleading. While owned by a giant mega resort, the Beach Club at Grand Coral is actually out on a pretty deserted stretch of beach by itself (about a 50 minute walk north from Constituyentes downtown or a 10 minute taxi ride). But once you get there you will have all the comforts you need. The restaurant serves up some of the best food on the beach in Playa. The bar is cool and hip and has a waterfall as a backdrop. There are two shallow but good sized swimming pools surrounded by loungers and sun beds. All of this sits on a platform raised above the beach so you have fantastic views of the ocean. Or if want, you can walk down the steps to take a spot on the deserted beach. This is one of the classiest beach clubs and one of the least known. This is a real hidden treasure. Another reason we love this beach club…guests from the Luna Blue Hotel receive a 10% discount.

There are so many great things to see and do and experience when visiting the Riviera Maya, but the number one attraction is and always will be the beaches. Beach clubs allow visitors and locals alike the chance to enjoy the beauty of the Caribbean shoreline with a little comfort, something to eat and a margarita in hand. These four beach bars are our favorites, but there are many, many more. Part of the fun of visiting Playa is making your own list of favorite places. We suggest trying a new beach club every day of your vacation on the Riviera Maya…and you still won’t see them all.

Coming to paradise and need a cool place to stay? Check out the Luna Blue Hotel…three-time winner of TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best Bargain Award, and Playa’s favorite small boutique hotel. And always book directly with the hotel for the best prices and availability.

 

Getting Naked in Playa del Carmen, Again

It has been our observation over the last decade of running a small hotel in paradise that people on vacation like to let loose a little and do things they might not do at home…like parasailing, drinking too much tequila or even getting naked on the beach. That last one seems particularly popular.

According to some travel experts, clothing optional vacations–once considered only for swingers and nudists–are now the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry.

That trend is even reflected here on our own blog. For the last three years “The Naked Truth About Playa del Carmen,” about topless and nude sunbathing on the Riviera Maya, has consistently been the most popular post on our blog. It has been viewed by thousands so far and is still viewed by close to 2000 people a month. It obviously struck a chord.

The Huffington Post recently ran an article entitled The Top 5 Clothing-Optional Resorts in the World, confirming that showing a little skin while on vacation is now part of the mainstream of middle class tourists.

Not surprisingly, of the five resorts listed, two of them are in the Riviera Maya. It seems our little stretch of tropical heaven is the Mecca for folks wanting to bare all on the beach.

Of course not everyone wants to spend their vacation locked away in a giant mega resort, surrounded 24/7 by naked strangers. We have found most people just would like a chance for a afternoon or two enjoying the sun, sand and sea without the restriction of swimsuits.

So here are some alternatives to spending all of your vacation and all of your hard earned money at some All Inclusive fortress simply because it has a nude beach:

Topless sunbathing and swimming is still regularly accepted throughout most of the Riviera Maya beaches, even in the newer upscale clubs in central and northern Playa. Along the coast, La Playa Beach Club in Xpu-Ha and El Paraiso in Tulum still draw topless (and in Tulum, sometimes nude) sun worshippers. In addition, at least one clothing optional resort, Hidden Beach Resort in Tulum, offers day passes to non-hotel guests. This way you can experience the intimacy and charm of a small hotel in the center of town and still have the opportunity for that day in the sun getting an all over tan.

Hidden Beach allows for complete nudity in pools, on the beach and in its restaurants and bars. A day pass for 8 hours costs $100 USD per person, and only couples are permitted. However, guests staying at the Luna Blue Hotel receive a 10% discount on the day pass. The pass provides for all you can eat and drink in a nude atmosphere for the day.

Some smaller adult-only hotels also may have policies concerning clothing optional swimming or sunbathing. Here at the Luna Blue, guests may be topless if they wish in and around the swimming pool.

And finally, despite the growth and development of Mexico’s Caribbean coast, there are still some undeveloped beaches where you can swim in the all together. No, we won’t tell you where they are here (we would like to keep them a secret as long as possible) but if you are a guest at the Luna Blue, we will draw you a map to these beaches. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone else though. If you are going to head for the beach for some au natural fun, the general rules we set forth in our previous blog are unchanged…

1. 1. Topless sunbathing and swimming is still regularly accepted throughout most of the Riviera Maya beaches, even in the newer upscale clubs in central Playa. However, it is still the minority of people who do it.

1. 1. Complete nudity is NOT tolerated on most of the Riviera Maya. The exceptions are deserted beaches where there are no beach clubs, some areas just inside the Sian Ka’an preserve, sections of the beach in Tulum (particularly the north end near El Parasiso beach club and the Hidden Beach Resort.

1. 1. Going bare is NOT a practice of most local Mexicans (although young tourists from Mexico City seem to have a different view). Limit your exposure to designated clothing optional hotels, tourist area beaches or completely deserted ones away from where local families may gather.

1. USE SUNSCREEN!

As always, enjoy your time in paradise no matter what you wear or don’t wear.

Even legendary troubador Barefoot Skinny likes to go topless when playing at the Luna Blue Bar

Christmas in Playa del Carmen 2014

“Christmas in the Caribbean…we’ve got everything but snow.” ~ Jimmy Buffett

More and more people these days are discovering a new holiday tradition…running away to the tropics. Instead of fighting crowds in the malls or on the highway, some folks are spreading a blanket on a white sand beach. They have replaced sleigh bells with steel drums and eggnog with margaritas. And they have traded snow boots and heavy winter coats for flip flops and bikinis. As a result, the holiday season has become one of the most popular times of year to visit the paradise of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

It’s easy to see why. It is hard to beat a Christmas Day that begins on a Caribbean beach and ends with a gourmet dinner at a world class restaurant. And New Years Eve in Playa is celebrated with an all-night, non-stop party that fills the streets with revelers and continues on to the beach at dawn.

Now some of you reading this are saying, “That’s just fine, but it’s too early to think about Christmas.” Actually it’s not if you are thinking about joining us down here for the holidays. Things are already filling up. However with a little advance planning you can still get some of the best deals on transportation and hotels.

And while most hotels double or even triple their prices during this time of year, the Luna Blue Hotel stands by its reputation as being the best bargain in town. Our holiday prices are often as much as half of other small hotels in town!.

Just take a look. For this upcoming holiday season, rates at the Luna Blue Hotel range from $130 – 165 per night. Compare that to the rates of other properties which are increasing their holiday rates to as much as $200-400 per night! No wonder the Luna Blue Hotel has won Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award for Best Bargain for two years in a row.

However, we are booking up fast. If you are thinking about spending the holidays in Playa, now is the time to plan. You can make a reservation directly with us by going to our reservations page. We guarantee you won’t find our prices listed for less anywhere else on the web. Or, if you have questions please feel free to Email Us.

This year give yourself the gift of some time in paradise. It will be the best present you ever receive.

Trying to Reason with the Hurricane Season

It happens every year on June 1st: the annual hurricane season arrives. Officially, the hurricane season (or the tropical rainy season or storm season…whichever you want to call it) runs from June 1st until December 1st. And every year, many people ask us here at the Luna Blue about how this affects travel to our beautiful part of the world.

People unfamiliar with weather patterns south of the border often wonder if it is safe to travel at all during this time. They also worry that if they do visit, their vacation might be ruined by constant rain. The reality is that with some planning and precautions, travelers can enjoy summer in paradise. Here are some facts and helpful hints about visiting Playa del Carmen during this time of year.

Great Weather and Low Prices

Summer can be a great time to vacation in Playa del Carmen. The air temperature during June, July and August is generally in the high 80’s during the day and the mid-70’s at night. The water temperature is slightly less, with average temperatures in the low 80’s. In other words, the days are warm and long, the nights comfortable and the Caribbean Sea is perfect for swimming.

The summer months also see fewer tourists, so the beaches, restaurants, bars, and tours are less crowded. There are some days you may have a part of the beach all to yourself.

In addition fewer tourists means lower prices. Hotels and tours in particular will offer lower prices during this time period.

Of course, the downside of traveling in summer is the threat of rain and storms.  However it is important to remember that rain storms do not occur every day or even every week.

We Have it All…Rain and Sunshine

We do get summer storms which can last for several days. That can certainly put a damper on any vacation. However, the average number of days of rain in the summer months of June-Aug. is 16 days per month, only slightly higher than in the rest of the year.

In other words, these months have about the same number of sunny days as rainy ones. And of course a forecast of rain doesn’t mean there will be rain from morning until night. In the tropics we often have rain showers or a thunderstorm sweep in off the Caribbean Sea only to quickly pass though, leaving the rest of the day bright and sunny.

As for tropical storms and hurricanes, the truth is they don’t threaten Playa del Carmen very often.

These types of storms occur every year in the Caribbean Sea. Some years there are more than others. This year the prediction by the experts is that we will have fewer storms than normal.

Playa del Carmen Has Not Been Struck by a Hurricane Since 2005

There will absolutely be some large storms between now and December somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean sea. However not all tropical storms become hurricanes, and not all hurricanes grow to be major storms that threatens life and property (a Category 3 storm or greater).

Not all hurricanes will make landfall, and of those that do threaten areas of land, few if any will be in the area of Mexico’s Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen. The last hurricane to make landfall on Playa was almost a decade ago with Wilma in 2005.

The established historical tracks of summer storms in the Caribbean do NOT pass over Playa del Carmen in the months of June, July, August, October, and November. Storm tracks do cross the Riviera Maya in September, which is our wettest month of the year and the month when the vast majority of hurricanes and tropical storms happen in the Caribbean.

This is not to say that major storm will never hit Playa. We are simply saying that statistically it is a rare event.

Avoiding a Vacation Disaster

But what happens if a major storm does threaten to come ashore near Playa del Carmen? If you are already here on vacation you may have several options. The first is to leave town. As hurricanes build out over the ocean before moving towards land they are usually seen days in advance, allowing for evacuation of those who wish to leave.

Or if you are in a secure location, or the storm is not of great strength, you may be able to simply wait it out in your hotel or in a designated shelter area. Hurricanes are usually fast moving storms that sweep through in a day or two.

If you are planning a trip and a major storm is threatening before your arrival, you may want to change your travel plans. However be aware that most airlines, hotels, and resorts do NOT usually offer refunds for cancellations or changes due to weather problems.

Because of this we strongly suggest that anyone traveling to the Caribbean during hurricane season ALWAYS purchase insurance which will cover your costs if weather keeps you from traveling. That way, if you do have to cancel or change your vacation plans it won’t be a total loss.

Getting the Right Weather Information

No one can tell you with any certainty what the weather will be like in Playa del Carmen (or anywhere else) next week or next month. Trying to determine in June what the weather will be for the second week of August is simply guesswork. However you can keep an eye on the weather in the immediate future by checking several reputable weather websites:

• The National Hurricane Center
• Weather Underground
• Accuweather

These sites will provide you up to the minute detailed information about weather in the area.

We hope you now see that with a little planning and some basic precautions there is no reason you cannot plan your summer vacation in the paradise of Playa Del Carmen. And remember… a margarita sipped sitting under an umbrella tastes just as good whether it is rainy or sunny outside.

Happy travels!

 

The Awards Keep Coming In

Lately our little hotel in Mexico, the Luna Blue, has been receiving a lot recognition from the people who matter the most to us…the traveling public.

We have just been awarded a 2014 Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel website. This comes shortly after we won the prestigious TripAdvisor 2014 Travelers’ Choice Award for Best Bargain Hotel earlier this year.

We’re very proud to say that the Luna Blue was the only hotel in the popular Mexican resort town of Playa del Carmen to receive a Travelers’ Choice Award for Best Bargain Hotel in 2014!

For a small 18-room hotel owned by an American couple living in the paradise of Mexico’s Caribbean coast to receive such honors is very gratifying. These days, the travel industry seems to focus more and more on large all-inclusive properties and giant chain hotels. So when a small place like ours wins these awards, it shows that people’s opinions matter at least as much as corporate marketing campaigns.

What makes these awards especially meaningful to us is that just over a year ago, we were engaged in a David and Goliath dispute with the giant online booking site Expedia. Expedia’s unfair attempts to stop people from booking with our hotel caused us a lot of damage and worry. Yet, after the story of our battle for survival caught the attention of social media site The Verge and news sites such as SFGate and others, the story of a small independent property going against a mega corporate giant went viral. Expedia was forced to back down and leave us alone. Winning these awards is made all the sweeter for having survived this difficult time.

The Travelers’ Choice Award is awarded to less than 2% of all hotels worldwide. The Certificate of Excellence is given only to the top 10% of hotels worldwide. Both are based on consistently high reviews and ratings from hotel guests. This is the third consecutive year the Luna Blue Hotel has won a Certificate of Excellence and the second consecutive year it has won a Travelers’ Choice Award.

The Luna Blue Hotel is located in the heart of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. We are a place for travelers–not simply tourists–and we cater to those who want to explore the beauty, food and culture of Mexico and not be limited to the cookie-cutter experience of giant Vegas-style mega resorts. We will work hard to always be Playa del Carmen’s best bargain hotel and will continue to be grateful to our guests and friends for all of their support.

After we won the Traveler’s Choice award, we celebrated at the Luna Blue Bar and asked guests to pose with the award. The photos here are from that night.

The “Old” Playa del Carmen Just Keeps Getting Better

The Luna Blue Hotel and Bar…”a last little piece of the old Playa del Carmen”…is thrilled to announce the legendary Bad Boys Beach Club as the newest addition to the family of quality beach clubs that welcome the guests of the Luna Blue Hotel with special discounts and values.

It’s a perfect coming together of two of Playa del Carmen’s most iconic establishments.

This little resort town of ours here on the edge of the Caribbean Sea has seen quite a few changes over the years. It has gotten bigger, fancier and more modern in some ways. And that’s fine…because we know the Playa that we all fell in love with–the old Playa Del Carmen–is still here. Both the Luna Blue Hotel & Bar and Bad Boys Beach Club are part of the tradition of the palapa-covered, laid back, sometimes funky, always fun Caribe-Mexican vibe that made Playa famous to begin with.

We invite all our guests and friends to join us under Bad Boys’ Jolly Roger Flag for great drinks, food, and music on the sand. Guests of the Luna Blue Hotel enjoy free use of a lounge chair and umbrella at Bad Boys when they spend a minimum of $150 pesos for food and beverages (about $12.00 US) AND Luna Blue Hotel guests get a 10% discount on their food and drink orders!

This is just the beginning. Watch for some fun announcements of promotions and parties in the days ahead as the Luna Blue and Bad Boys take you back to the real Playa del Carmen. As Mike Grabow, Playa’s favorite singer-songwriter, says…“This is where you want to be.”

St. Patrick’s Day 2014…when the Luna Blue turns Green!

It happens each year, and St. Patrick’s Day 2014 is no different…the Luna Blue turns into the Luna Green for Playa del Carmen’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day Party.

This year, as always, we will be combining some great Irish traditions with the some south of the border style. St Paddy’s Day in paradise means there will be tequila shots and corned beef sandwiches on homemade rye bread (made by Playa’s very own Grumpy Bakers), Margaritas, Guinness, our very own special St. Paddy’s Day cocktails, and green bikinis in the pool.

It’s a unique Irish-Caribe-Mexican combination you can only find at the Luna Blue.

We are proud of our Irish heritage, grateful to our adopted country and happy to be the biggest and greenest St Patrick’s Day celebration in town.  The bar and pool open at 12 noon to the tunes of our own special Irish playlist. Live music starts at 3, and the party ends at 11 pm (so our hotel guests can still get some sleep!). There will be giveaways, lots of fun, and some interesting surprises. As always, women in green bikinis will get a free drink, and the first green bikini we see in the pool on St Paddy’s Day will receive a $200 peso bar tab!

Please be our guests on March 17th, 2014 at the Luna Blue….home of Playa del Carmen’s original St. Paddy’s Day party. And if you’ve never been to a St. Pat’s Day party at the Luna Blue, here is a slideshow of past years to show you what you have been missing. Don’t miss the fun!