We loved the Palma Real. It was a little out of the way (about 13 miles from Tulum), but the price was very worth it. We had a rental car so it wasn't a big deal. It was hard to find in the dark initially because there are no street lights around, but once you get close, the hotel has a giant green sign that's easy to spot. The room was pretty good sized with tile floors and a comfy California King bed. It was cleaned and the sheets and towels were changed daily. The shower was ok - the water pressure wasn't great, but it was a clean hot shower after each day of doing tourist stuff.
This is not a deluxe 5 star hotel - so don't stay here if that's what you want. Tulum has some of the best beaches in the world and the area tends to be more eco-friendly. Hostels are popular here. It is a place to go for the best beach experiences, food, drinks, swimming, snorkeling and awesome people. There are spas around if you want to be pampered. Just don't expect that at the Palma Real. It was exactly what we wanted, however, and we would stay there again. The pool looked nice, but we didn't use it. We stayed here in April and it was quiet and clean. There were some geckos around and it appeared that they were doing some remodeling to the building. All in all, I couldn't be happier with this hotel.
This is Mexico - there are police checkpoints, bugs and mold. It's just a part of life. The negative reviews I have read all complain about these things so educate yourself before you go.