Share-based compensation - Summary of Key Inputs (Details) $ in Thousands	Jan. 02, 2020 USD ($)
Total Shareholder Return
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Percentage of Total Award	50.00%
Grant Date Fair Value by Component	$ 1,334
Volatility	24.87%
Interest Rate	1.58%
Dividend Yield	0.00%
Adjusted EBITDA Comparison
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Percentage of Total Award	50.00%
Grant Date Fair Value by Component	$ 2,187
Volatility	0.00%
Interest Rate	0.00%
Dividend Yield	0.00%

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Grant Date Fair Value

No definition available.

Name:	plya_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsGrantDateFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	plya_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Percentage of Total Award

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plya_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsPercentageofTotalAward
Namespace Prefix:	plya_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The estimated dividend rate (a percentage of the share price) to be paid (expected dividends) to holders of the underlying shares over the option's term.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(iii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (f)(2)(iv)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=plya_PerformanceSharesMarketConditionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=plya_PerformanceSharesPerformanceConditionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: