Exotic landscapes: Basico Hotel, Playa del Carmen in Mexico

If you happen to find yourself in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, you could spend a night at the Basico Hotel.
What words best describe this piece of architectural design by Central de Arquitectura considered the best hotel design for 2005 – the answer to that is humor and pleasure.
Drawing on key elements of traditional culture and Mexican identity, this is far from your average exclusive design hotel: located in one of the more fancy parts of the city, reflecting the esthetic of the 50’s Mexican oil industry and just a stone’s throw from the white sand beaches of the ocean, an open-air street level food stall and juice bar also serves as the reception area. After first enjoying a Latino cocktail, the newly-arriving guest is invited to choose his/her room in the semi-darkness of the hallway: Sofia, Lucia or Fernanda, to mention but 3 of the hotel’s 15 different rooms, all of which are spacious and lit by pink neon lights. The elevated beds allow your eyes to roam free over the carefully chosen details: plants and exotic resins, extravagant fabrics, recycled objects and materials also evoke the atmosphere of 1950’s Mexico. The furniture is taken from Hector Galvan’s Coleccion Republica. The Azotea bar on the building’s roof terrace features a number of booths for private discussions as well as two swimming pools made from converted petroleum tanks.