Homestay in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Most families live within a 20-minute walk from the school. Very occasionally a family may be up to 15-20 minutes from the school by public transport.

The majority of the host families live in relatively new, one or two-storey houses, although some live in apartments. A typical house will have a living room/dining room, a kitchen and bathroom and 3 or 4 bedrooms. There is often a yard outside which people use as an extension of the house.

Students should know that very few families have air-conditioning although most families will be able to provide their guest students with a fan.

The families will often have children or grandparents living with them so there is normally plenty of opportunity for conversation practice. Students should be prepared for the fact that few families will speak another language, although those that work in tourism may have an elementary level of English, French or German.

All host families are carefully selected by the Accommodation Department and all agree to fulfil the following conditions:

• To provide students with single rooms (unless a couple both attending courses or individuals request to share), which are comfortably furnished, have adequate lighting and a desk or table where students can work.
• To provide basic laundry facilities (detergent not included) and to change bed linen and towels weekly.
• To make a daily bath or shower available.
• To provide an adequate continental breakfast and - for those students who are being accommodated on a half-board basis - a substantial dinner at night.
• To provide students with a door key so that they can let themselves in and out.
• To treat students as family guests and generally behave in a friendly and hospitable manner.

Student residence
Our newly built student residence opened in June 2005. It is located in the centre of Playa del Carmen, in a very quiet street, beside the town's main church and just two blocks (or a 5-minute walk) from the school.

The residence has three floors and a basement. The ground floor consists of the reception, an office, the kitchen and 5 bedrooms; there are a further 10 bedrooms on the first floor and the second floor has 6 bedrooms and four terraces. Laundry facilities and storage are housed in the basement.

All 21 bedrooms have twin beds and each bedroom has its own private bathroom. Bedrooms also have a desk, a TV, ceiling fans and air-conditioning, as well as a small fridge.

Students can book rooms for individual use, or they can share with other students.

You can choose between bed and breakfast and half board (evening meal). Note that meals are served in the school, not in the residence itself.

If you prefer, you can have the "no meals" option, in which case you can use the fully-equipped kitchen in the residence.

Shared apartment
The school has a number of apartments available for students on the school premises. These include:

• Apartment A. Available for exclusive use of 1 or 2 students. A large studio room with two double beds, A/C, Cable TV, kitchenette and private bathroom. This apartment also has access to a large roof terrace.
• Apartment B. Available as a shared apartment, or for exclusive use of 1 or 2 or more students. This large, fully furnished apartment has 2-bedrooms, 2-bathrooms, a full kitchen, dining room/living room, balconies onto the street, A/C and cable TV. If used as a shared apartment, the kitchen and dining room/living room are also accessible to students staying in Apartments C and D.
• Apartment C. A single room with one double bed with A/C, Cable TV and a private bathroom. Access to the kitchen and dining-room/living-room in apartment B.
• Apartment D. A single room with one double bed with A/C, Cable TV and a private bathroom. Access to the kitchen and dining-room/living-room in apartment B.

On-site apartments are cleaned every day except Sundays. A laundry service is not available on-site; however the staff washes and replaces sheets and towels once a week. Students will have to take their personal laundry to a local laundrette one block away, which charges approximately 2 US$ per kilo to wash, dry and fold the clothes.

Students staying in the on-site apartments have full access to the garden and keys to the front door of the school building so that they can come and go as they please. The school relies on them to keep the front door locked when the school is closed.