Deal Alert: $147 at Mexico’s Hotel Cacao

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Is there anything sweeter than checking into a hotel named for the cacao bean, chocolate’s essential ingredient? Turns out, there is -- Hotel Cacao, opening on October 1 in the Riviera Maya hub of Playa del Carmen, plans to offer rates starting at only $147 per night.

For a food-focused, design-oriented boutique hotel in a classic Mexican beach destination, this is a definite steal. No stranger to affordable luxury -- it shares the same owner as Hotel Matilda, a wildly successful four-year-old boutique hotel in San Miguel de Allende -- Hotel Cacao mirrors Playa del Carmen's artsy vibe, boasting fun touches like the courtyard's hyacinth lily pond and offbeat artworks from Tommy Hilfiger's personal collection. Its 60 rooms are spacious, offering contemporary amenities like Missoni toiletries and sleek wooden furniture.

In Nibs, the onsite restaurant helmed by Alejandro Cuatepotzo (a protégé of beloved chef Enrique Olvera), the design is just as enticing as the dishes themselves. The stunning space features a jungle-themed mural by international street artist Eduardo Kobra, banana and passionfruit plants, and a water wall. Here, dishes like coconut-laced ceviche and lobster with green mango evoke the Caribbean Sea that lies just a few blocks away from the property, and guests can retreat to the rooftop bar to see those ocean views for themselves.

Bonus: The hotel is located on the city’s pedestrian-only Fifth Avenue. This means that you're not only a few minutes walk to the beach, but you'll also be within walking distance from a host of restaurants, nightclubs, and art galleries too.