Paradisus Playa del Carmen - Riviera Maya

Paradisus Playa Del Carmen family or 4 FC Master Suite (Kids 6,10) long review Transportation We booked with Kalido, they wear bright coloured blue shirts and were there on time when we arrived, they have car seats available, have friendly drivers with air conditioned and clean vans. We felt safe there and back. Make sure to exit outside and keep walking until you’re fully outside in the transport waiting area. No need to stop inside to talk to anyone they’re always trying to get your attention. Get your bags and head out! We booked and paid in advance and we were given an email confirmation with no other follow up but they showed up both ways and arrived on time so we are happy. It takes about an hour to get there. Rooms We stated in a FC master suite in building AA on the 2nd floor. There’s an elevator and stairs. I know this would be considered a “busier” area but we loved the quick closeness to everything. Noise levels are quiet by 8-9pm. Prime Nap time can be a little louder with music and kids at the swim out below us but it wasn’t enough to bother us. We could hear kids above us running or sliding chairs in the early mornings but never any voices. We heard no one beside us or when out in the halls. We could pop down to the coffee or gelato shop and back into our room within a few minutes and the main pool was a few steps outside so if we forgot things or wanted a more private bathroom break or rinse it was easy to come back to the action. The rooms are luxurious and large! We had a king sized bed in a separate room and I loved all the extra space and 6 person dining table in our room which made it easy for family to visit. The bathroom had the tub and shower in separate rooms so my daughter could shower while my son had a bath. Lots of closet space. The slippers are great and the towels are huge. ALSO WHY IS NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THESE BEDS?! I had an amazing sleep!! The king sized bed felt bigger than ours at home with these glorious long pillows. It was like my 6’4 (193cm) husband wasn’t even there I slept so well. The AC was crisp and the black out curtains fold over perfectly. There’s a microwave and a coffee machine plus some glassware. Parent tip plastic cups could have been helpful for baths or to avoid giving them an entire water bottle they’re not going to finish. Also we brought lots of hand sanitizer. We had Carlos for our concierge. He gave us a quick tour of where our hotel was and pointed out some of the attractions and walked us to our room to explain things that happen around the resort. We asked him for extra pillows and blankets as our kids were sharing the pull out and we needed to create a divider (the sofa bed is a queen size that was already set up!) he can also customize your bar fridge or if we wanted extra bottles of water he could arrange that. He also can book the cenote tour and left us a beach bag with sand toys and things for our kids which was appreciated. He mentioned dropping by with fish food but later forgot and my daughter was disappointed but he did later bring them an axolotl stuffy. He sent us daily updates about activities like when face painting was or piñata crafts were happening. He also booked all of our reservations although had more limitations when we tried booking larger groups with non FC members, we instead went to the general culinary experience staff to arrange this and they were very helpful and it was easy. SERVICE Loved our entire experience with the staff. They were kind and helpful including some stand out moments like our children being allowed into the adult side for dinner with our family for hibachi (we tried booking earlier but it was full and they accommodated us early before the official dinner start), and after noticing our many books on our nightstand the staff added reading lamps when we came back from the pool one day. Service at the restaurants was quicker than I expected although we arrived usually right at 6pm. Servers were very professional and ordered the kids’ food early so they wouldn’t have to wait as long. I went to the spa for a hot stone, and also participated in the water ritual for an hour before my treatment it’s included do FC. It’s a 10 min sauna with ice face towel, 10 min steam with eucalyptus crystals and then some relax time in a pool or hot tub with massagers. The massage was amazing and the hotel staff were very professional. Things for Kids We didn’t use the kidsdom but it looked well run and the kids even went for designated on site field trips and outdoor activities. It’s a great option for families that was to explore adult activities including the spa, gym, adult side restaurants etc. They’ve always got activities like face painting or balloon artists and kid friendly music playing in mornings and before/after dinner times. The shows are also kid friendly (my daughter saw the magic one) but depending on the age they might get restless. Kids love seeing the turtles and fish in the lobby and the wild life all over the resort. Our kids loved the pirate ship pool (unheated) and the Aqua Zone (heated). The pirate ship pool was definitely more chill as the water level was lower so I could watch my kids and relax a bit more. They do have drink service starting after 11am but there’s also a swim up bar you can get to at the main pool nearby. Lots of great seating and umbrellas but they get full quickly, we usually found a spot or spots would open up during the nap circuit. You can rent the ropes off beds in prime locations for $38USD a day where you also get dedicated food and drink service if you want, the concierge can book this. The aqua zone is an exhilarating action packed place with a ton of different slides great for older kids and a splash park the water depth is much higher closer to 4ft (121cm). There’s a snack bar with soft drinks, fruit, chips but no alcoholic drinks. They have more of the beds in this space but there’s not a ton of shade so remember to sunscreen up. A life jacket or floaties is recommended (they don’t provide) if your younger child isn’t a strong swimmer. The FC pool has more shade and it’s much quieter with a bar on site, a nice touch for families that perhaps don’t have a swim out suite and want lesser crowds. The beach is located after a beautiful lush green walk with tons of wildlife. You’ll often see Coati, lizards and cats roaming the property. We never brought food with us in our bags so had no trouble. The FC beach section has more beds available but we never had trouble finding seating at the beach. Kids loved playing with sand and getting ocean water for their castles. We didn’t swim in the ocean as most days the waves were high. They have showers all over the resort for quick rinses. The games room is located in the main lobby they has a foosball table, pool table and a speak easy with video games for kids 6-11. They need ID the first time your child plays. My daughter played some Roblox before dinner. They have a bar in there with mocktails for kids and full service for parents. They have plenty of seating everywhere around the resort so it’s perfect for taking a break of gathering before I after dinner with family. They do a market some days with cool gifts, hand craved and pants items, art, purses, jewellery etc. however some items are quite expensive. FOOD & DRINK We aren’t big drinkers so this want a big deal for us, most of the drinks feel light on the alcohol side EXCEPT for those amazing martinis (served at the NUBE bar & M bar on the adults side). Had two to three of those and I was set lol. Your bar fridge will have beers, soda pops and sparkling water. In the FC lobby they serve alcoholic drinks and mimosas in the morning. Lunch box was great for breakfast they have stroller parking everywhere. They made us fresh omelettes and brought fresh fruit plus mimosas. Their lunch hours don’t start until 1pm which had us going to the pool restaurant more often. If you download the media app you can find menus and hours of all the restaurants. The buffet was fine and had items like fried eggs, poached eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, waffles and Mexican items too. They have a kids area that serves things like ham and cheese sandwiches or coloured pancakes. Celsius the pool restaurant was a hit, especially the chicken wings - my kids devoured them! The burger and fish tacos were great as were the nachos. The chicken fingers were meh but the sweet potato fries are a great side as well. We also ordered room service a few times and we liked the pizza, sandwiches and my daughter had the chicken soup and rigatoni. It takes 45 minutes so plan ahead but it’s a great option as well. They follow up after you order and you have to call to get them to pick up the dishes. We enjoyed the food at all the restaurants. Ceilo (Mexican) we did as a family and shared all the apps, the empanadas were my fave as was the grilled shrimp my husband enjoyed the birria and short rib. Portions are small so make sure to enjoy! Kids loved options like grilled fish (salmon) or grilled chicken with veggies and fries. Capella’s was the Italian restaurant and enjoyed out both our pizza and pasta. While the kids went to hibachi with our family they ate plenty of their shrimp, chicken and fried rice dishes while my husband and I did our date night at Sals (steakhouse) on the adult side. It’s included for FC guests and it’s a MUST TRY, the food and service are definitely elevated and wonderful. I had the short rib and it was buttery and flavourful and because we couldn’t decide on dessert they brought them all lol another testament to the service. We also went to Blue Agave (tacos) and the pastor gringa is so amazing!! There’s a smoothie bar at the FC beach and we didn’t even notice until the last two days of our trip. The ice cream shop is the best, I’d go twice a day getting gelato or sorbet in the morning they do milkshakes. The coffee shop is also a great place to get an espresso, a latte or shelving with booze. They serve delicious sandwiches like ham and cheese on a croissant or a pesto prosciutto. There’s also a cart at the entrance with fruity individually wrapped mini popsicles. Sometimes they’ll do food carts in the lobby in the morning or afternoons. Final words - this is a wonderful resort for families looking for a relaxing and welcoming vacation. I do think it favours children under 12. Teens might find it boring. The adult side has such a peaceful and upscale vibe when we did get to venture over there so it’s ideal for larger families that can split things up. The gym is well equipped. The entire resort is very walkable, not too big and has all the amenities you need for a stellar time. Excursions are all very close, we went to Xcaret for a day. If you’re booked you’ll definitely enjoy and if you haven’t booked yet you should!

We had great experience in every possible way. The room was nice and clean. The pools were always in excellent condition. Both kids went to KidsDom and had a great time. Yessie was amazing, she waited in the Lobby for us to come on our first day, made a wonderful welcome sign with our kids names. Kids couldn’t wait to see her again. Everyone at the KidsDom was welcoming and doing an amazing job. We had the best waiter at the pool. His name was Jose and he was at Ceicius pool. He would come everyday and greet us with a smile. He would ask me how I am today and what he can do for me. Even when he was very busy, he didn’t stop smiling. He was amazing. The Resort is the best one in my opinion. This was our 3rd visit and we can’t wait to go back.

We had a great time! Service was fabulous, food was great and lots of fun activities for kids. Edgar and Enrique were excellent too.

For once, a resort that lives up to it's photos! It's a lovely place, not too big or too small. Wonderful for families- the aquazone is good fun for many ages.

Writing this review late because we just returned from a separate trip and reminded me that I never posted this one. Overall we had a great trip. My wife and I took our two kids (3 and 1) and my senior parents for some help with the kids. We opted for the Family Concierge Swim Up and I'm glad we did. Had we not done so I don't think we would have enjoyed the trip nearly as much. All of the al a carte dinners were phenomenal. Enough variety, great services, and no one got sick. My wife and I loved SAL which is truly a premium dinner experience. Part of the reason we wanted FC was for the SAL dinner as well as the lunchbox which was also great. Super convenient with young kids to have the Lunch Box for breakfast and lunch - great service here as well and everything we ordered off the menu was great. My wife loved the burgers. Room service was also really great - good quality and fast. The biggest thing holding this resort back in my opinion is the main buffet. We ate here on our first night and it was underwhelming. If we did not have priority bookings for a la carte dinner timings at earlier times it would have gotten old really quickly. The snack options they set up around the resort are really good, the downside is the availability of food outside means there are a lot of coatis that are eager to steal something. The rooms were clean and well maintained. The swim up pool and outdoor patio were really great. We spent most of our time here. The beach and water quality is average. Not clear like you see in Cuba but fine for swimming. The FC portion of the beach had adequate loungers and day beds, though they're squished into a small area so not many have a clear view of the water. All of the good spots are reserved by towels early on. The 'towel game' is the other main draw back because the resort does a poor job of enforcing it. Priority beach spots, any shaded spot or day bed around the pools or the water park always had towels and personal items on them by ~630 AM. There were daybeds across from our room that had stuff on them all day, and people would not even use them and collect their stuff in the evening, no doubt so they could have the 'option' of having a good spot regardless of where they wanted to be. I can't totally blame the resort because selfish and entitles people go to all resorts, but it is a downside of the unlimited towel availability system at this resort. It's a big ask, but I feel that the staff having a means to monitor and remove personal items that have been left unattended for more than 30 minutes would make for a better trip for the majority of guests. Swim up pools were great and clean. We didn't go to the main pool. The pirate ship pool water was a bit scuzzy and the kids didn't care for the slides so we avoided it. The water park was fine but again the water was a bit gross and it was very hard to get a decent spot. Both my kids got HFMD. The 3 year old got it so bad we needed to take her to the hospital to get permission to put her on an airplane. Note that I do not think this was contracted at the resort. I'm pretty sure it happened either at our home airport, or on the Westjet flight. Ironic that the Westjet rep in Mexico wanted to see papers to let my child on the flight, yet when we departed our home airport there were no concerns for a family of 4 small children vomiting on the floor and covered in rashes. The Butler was exceptionally helpful with coordinating a visit from the resort Doctor. She even arranged for someone to go out and pickup medication from the pharmacy for us. Ultimately we would go back but not without the FC package. I sometimes watch for sales to go again and I think it could be a great experience during a slower season.