TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Service, food and atmosphere was great. The beach is beautiful and the pool was nice. The specialty restaurants were amazing!

We stayed at the Royal Hideaway Playacar for 3 nights on our arrival to Mexico, in a beautiful Oceanview Suite, and found the resort a perfect and quiet place to land, relax and find our feet after a long flight. This was the first time we stayed in an all-inclusive resort - we normally stay in boutique hotels - so weren't sure what to expect. We didn't want a party resort, and this did not disappoint - it's incredibly quiet and peaceful. If you want crazy parties, this is not for you. This place is for chilling out. It was great for what we needed - chill time, before heading off into real Mexico. We loved: - the room/suite - it was enormous! Loved the decor, how spatial it was, multiple balconies, roof top seating area with jacuzzi. The air-con worked fine; you just have to leave it on all the time + close the door to the bathroom. - staff had put a cake and a bottle of chilled sparkling wine in the room for us on arrival, as this was a surprise trip to celebrate a special birthday. Such a sweet, lovely touch that was much appreciated! - the beach - absolutely stunning. White sand, long & wide beach, turquoise water, palm trees. Perfect place to be. - waking up early to go down to the beach to watch the sunrise - having breakfast looking out over the sea and the beach - breakfast in paradise! - the low-rise buildings. No big Cancun-style high-rise monstrosities. This is a smaller hotel, where the buildings are nestled in amongst the palm trees. Stunning. - the tranquility. It is very peaceful and quiet - exactly what we were after - staff were lovely and helpful. Staff in the restaurant Spices were particularly good! - the grounds - beautifully kept grounds, gorgeous planting and pools/streams. Loved all the wildlife as well! And didn't see a single mosquito! - the evening entertainment venue is beautiful - felt like something out of an old film with little booths and tables with individual table lamps. There weren't that many people there. Normally, we're not into 'entertainment' when on holiday - no need to 'entertained' by anyone - but walked passed and thought the venue was so beautiful that we stayed. - very little seaweed. The hotel clears any seaweed very quickly, but there was very little anyway. We didn't love: - having to put a US $500 hold on my credit card, should we spend money on the resort, which took 30 days to clear! The resort said it was my bank that was slow, but we had holds at other hotels, and they cleared immediately upon departure. - that the Oceanview Suite is set back from the beach, and "Oceanview" is a bit of an exaggeration. You can just about see the sea between the palm trees! The view is still stunning, but it was a bit disappointing given what we paid for the room. - getting electrocuted by the lit-up bathroom make-up mirror. Seriously, don't touch these. Notified the concierge, but did not receive an apology from the resort, and all they did was turn off the mirror light. - that there was something wrong with the toilet, and it made noise on and off pretty much throughout the stay. Again, notified the concierge, who apparently sent someone to fix it but it remained noisy. - that the food is very bland, and a real hit-and-miss. Spices was probably our favourite restaurant - guess because it was the only place to get Mexican food on this resort... and surely, one would want Mexican food in Mexico? - vegetarian options were very limited and often there was only one 'option' on the menu. Spices made something for me, which was great - but also went to Palazzo, which strangely for an "Italian" restaurant, had very limited veggie options, and ended up giving me plain gnocchi with tinned tomatoes on top. No spices in the sauce; it was literally tinned tomatoes. Awful. Also had an unbaked baked Alaska... with liquid meringue. It did make us laugh though! - the resort needs a bit of TLC. Saw this mentioned in reviews beforehand, and it's true. Paint is peeling, there are rust stains, and everything just needs a lick of paint. It looks great from a distance, but you can see it's worn up close. - the exercise / aqua aerobics by the pool - it felt like a retirement home activity. The music was terrible. But at least it didn't last long. Some advice: - Do tip staff. While it's an all-inclusive, there is a tipping culture here. We tipped in restaurants (breakfast, lunch, dinner + drinks), but also left tips for cleaners, fridge re-stockers and bellboys. - Bring pesos in smaller denominations for tips. Lots of 20 peso notes. We were able to get some smaller change at check-in but they then ran out and it was hard to find change. Some seemed to tip in US$ but it's a pain for staff to have to go and exchange dollars into pesos, which seemed unnecessary. - There are some very small Mayan ruins nearby - it's not like Chichen Itza or anything, but they are there and well worth visiting. You'll walk passed them when walking into Playa del Carmen from the resort - just sitting there amongst the trees. Overall, a great place to stay for a few days after a long flight. 3 nights was plenty for us, who aren't really into the all-inclusive resort in a gated community experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed it from the chill on a sun-bed perspective before heading inland.

The beach here is amazing the pools here are amazing the food here is amazing what else do you need great place to be in Love! Felt very safe here everyone here is so nice it’s not Sandals by a long shot this place is hands down best place ever

Poor service!! Run down resort, the only thing this resort has going for it is the view but lots of resorts have that with much better experiences!!! Management doesn't care about guests. Fridges are warm, rooms are warm. Food is not 5 star, bland. Don't waste your money or time here. This resort is constantly asking for reviews, we were asked 4-7 times a day. If you need to buy anything go outside the resort, the stores inside will rob you blind!

We just got back from a wonderful week at Royal Hideaway. First, kudos to concierge Edgardo Garcia! What a wonderful, kind man and excellent concierge. When we arrived, we were assigned a second floor room, which is impossible for me because I am disabled. We were told at reception that none were available. However, we ran into Edgardo, who was not even our concierge, and he soon solved the problem. He became our guardian angel for the entire week, checking in with us every day, and arranging to have coffee and pastries delivered to our room first thing in the morning. Every staff member we encountered was pleasant and helpful! Facilities: The large pools were wonderful and we had. O problem finding chairs every day. The beach was gorgeous with many chairs and cabanas availble. We loved the Grill. Hearty breakfasts and delicious dinners, but especially e joying the cool breeze and gazing at the azure ocean Rooms: the AC in our room was fine, even chilly at times. The water in the bathtub was rusty so we didn't use it. The shower was very nice but could have used a grab bar. The rooms could definitely use some updates. Accessibility: this is not an eady resort for disabled people. We managed to find step-free paths, and the big pools had steps and railings. We did not go to Spice Restaurant because of the many steps and long, steep ramp. The relaxing pool near our room was a little scary because I had to walk over some sloping wet tile to get to the railing. Dress code: the formal dress code is really exaggerated. We dressed nicely, but not in skirts, and always felt welcomed and comfortable. Lastly, I loved the wildlife! Gentle agoutis,strange coatis, sun serking iguanas and exotic birds!