I spend the winters in the Zona Maya, in a small village. I am the only gringo. I have never ever had any problems. Quintana Roo has been off the drug trafficking maps because the drug trade is run by the police, and as long as you are just a tourist you have no problems. Tulum has been over-run with the jet set and NYC crowd, but if you get out of the Riviera Maya and go inland it is very very nice. I would rather spend a month there than Hawaii. A thousand bucks in Hawaii lasts a couple days. In Mexico it lasts a month.
Good info. We’re staying at Westin lagunamar so we should be pretty safe.