Royal Hideaway Playacar

Pros: - the resort is beautiful - The employees are kind and helpful - Oscar, a server at Azia, was phenomenal; attentive, kind and thorough. He gave us a 5 star experience. Also, complements to the chefs. Everything was delicious. - Wilson, a server at Ventanas was phenomenal and had a lovely sense of humor. He was a pleasure to interact with both while dining and when just popping our heads into the restaurant to check it out. Again, complements to the chefs. Amazing meal from start to finish. This restaurant is not particularly beautiful, and is quite cold aesthetically, but the food makes up for it. - The pool manager and the pool staff were such lovely people; good humored and kind. The pool manager is a superstar! - Each villa has a concierge attached. You can go to this person to book excursions, dinner reservations, and ask general questions. Big THANK YOU to Gaby! - There was live music every evening. The genres varied, so it was always something new. Great to end the evening with a cocktail and watch the performers. Cons: - While all restaurants ask about allergies, I was unfortunately served kiwi at Spices. Both the hostess and waiter asked about my allergy, and the waiter ensured me that there were no kiwis in the kitchen. He did not notice the kiwi on my dessert plate, and served it to me. - At my second dinner in Ventanas, they were clearly overbooked and the service took outrageously long. Rather than inform us of the problem, and perhaps offer some bread or to refill our glasses, our waiter chose to ignore my partner and I for 45 mins as we waited for our main courses. I got so fed up that I left. We arrived for dinner at 830, and by 1030, still had not received our main courses. One of the staff members realized what happened and insisted on sending our meals to our room. Unfortunately, I had lost my appetite. This was a terrible end to our last night. - Room service frequently forgot items requested. Additionally, we ordered the spaghetti amatriciana, and received spaghetti covered in oil and sprinkled with cheese. No pork belly nor sauce. Very upsetting. - There are no food options after 6pm if you do not have a reservation. You must order room service, which as I’ve mentioned, is generally disappointing. I arrived to the hotel from an excursion at 530, and was not able to eat anything in between then and my 930 dinner reservation, which I was told was the only time available that night. Most all inclusives I’ve visited have a buffet or small a la carte menu in a restaurant for those who do not have reservations or are hungry before or after dinner. Here, you must eat lousy food in your room. - Brenda, a waitress at Azia, was not very personable or attentive. She seemed bothered by my partner mentioning that the oxtail was not available for the third time. I think that the restaurant should inform the patrons of what is unavailable before their orders are taken. Brenda forgot to bring a few things such as small plates to share the appetizers, and did not check on us frequently. We waited for an extended period of time for her to clear our plates and offer dessert, but she was nowhere to be found. We left without dessert. - The catch of the day is mahi mahi at every restaurant, every night. - The food at Polazzo is subpar. The desert was especially unremarkable. Another couple we spoke with felt the same, and also complained that the portions were small. - The Mexican fiesta was a dud. Most of the performances were unfortunately boring, and the food was awful! Flavorless chips and guac followed by flavorless enchiladas were served to everyone. Skip this and make a reservation at a restaurant. I would have loved to see more authentic Mexican cuisine options.

The place is great. Older but well kept. Rooms are a good size, restaurants are lovely, beach is terrific. Keep in mind that the ocean has a mind of it's own so the water could be warm or cold, big waves or small, crystal clear or full of seaweed. We had all of the above over 2 weeks. The pools are fine, not crazy noisy and there are a few hidden away if you want more peace and quiet. Be aware, if you are a smoker, that Mexico has some of the strictest no smoking policies in the world. There are a couple of places you can smoke but your balcony and the beach are not one of them. We had a fabulous time and would go back.

We had a great time here in Royal Hideaway Playacar. I would definitely come back anytime for the beach, the pools, the food and the drinks (amazing) and the great service. Special thanks to Ricky Rosas who made sure everything was right during our trip.

I visited Royal Hideaway Playacar from December 21-28th. It was an amazing experience. The hotel was comfortable and modern. The food and the staff were the best part of the trip. We had an excellent concierge named Cipriano Malpica. He was our concierge for this trip and one we had earlier in March of 2024. He was so attentive, kind, helpful and knowledgeable about the resort and Playa del Carmen in general. We are coming back in December and he is one of the main reasons that we love the resort so much.

This place is literally one of my favorite resorts on earth. It is an excellent value. Top shelf food and alcohol, plus the people are always amazing! High end service and dinning experiences. What more could you ask for!