Royal Hideaway Resort & Spa Review
August 30, 2002


Just wanted to write to you about my trip to the Royal Hideaway Resort and Spa in Playa del Carmen Mexico. This was my second trip this year and this has to be one of the best resorts I have ever been to. From the time you step off the taxi from Cancun Airport you are treated like real royalty. The guard at the front gate relays your arrival to the bellman that is waiting for you at the top of the circular stone paved driveway at the entrance to this paradise. The entryway is truly magnificent. The bellman greets you and escorts you into a beautiful marble lobby scented with fragrant lilies. You are seated at a desk where you are brought a cool towel and a glass of champagne to refresh you after the trip from the airport. It is really a class act from the very beginning. The check-in process was flawless, after which your bellman escorts you to your villa. All rooms are setup in villas throughout the property. Each villa has 2 or 3 floors with about 8 rooms per floor. They are hexagonal in shape and have an entryway to the first floor with a fountain in an atrium open to the sky. Each villa also has it’s own personal concierge stationed in the atrium on the first floor who is there to fulfill your every whim. Our concierge Anne Marie was very helpful and polite. Her command of the English language was perfect. The villa we were in, Villa #31 was a little noisy at night due to its proximity to the Riu Resort adjacent to the Royal Hideaway.

The room was very nice. Our room 3118 did not have a great view but there are some that do. I requested an upgrade and was told by the head concierge that she would get back to me but no one ever did. I know from speaking to resort employees that they were only 50% occupied. It almost seems like they don’t want to offend you by telling you they can’t upgrade you so they just don’t get back to you at all. You are in all other ways however catered to at all times. The room has a great bathroom all tiled in marble with a Jacuzzi tub, glass enclosed shower, twin sinks, separate toilet room, and a clothes closet with a private safe deposit box. The room also has a private patio with two chairs and a table. There was a king size bed, large screen TV, CD player and VCR. All in all it was a pretty great room. There was a damp musty odor that we also noticed on our last trip there in February and in talking to other guests they noticed it also. I suggest using a scented candle to make better. Also because of the proximity of out villa (#31) to the adjacent Riu Resort we were disturbed by the loud music coming from there until around midnight. I would suggest the villas on the opposite side of the property (#21 22 23 or 24) to avoid this.

The grounds are beautifully manicured and maintained by very diligent groundskeepers. There are little waterfalls and streams running throughout the property and the atmosphere is lush and serene. You even see iguanas hanging out on the rocks around the streams. There are two main swimming pools down by the beach and several smaller ones scattered about the property. There is always one where you can find a little privacy for a relaxing and romantic swim. There is an activities center down by the main pool where all non-motorized water sports are included. There is also a poolside bar where you can get your own drinks (which are included) or have a waiter bring them to you. Which they are very attentive in doing and do not look for tips at all. In fact no one here does. We did tip certain people for exceptional service, but we had to insist.

The restaurants were the highlight of our trip. I do like to eat so that’s probably why. They have four restaurants on the property that are all first class. The dress code is casual elegance they say. I wore khakis and collared shirts and my wife either wore a casual dress or slacks and a top. Just don’t show up in old jeans and shorts and you won’t feel funny. Some of the best food and certainly the best service I have had anywhere. There is Spices, the Mexican restaurant, Palazzo that is Northern Italian; Azia has Thai/Asian cuisine and Ventanas, which is Continental. Palazzo and Azia are only open for dinner. Ventanas is supposed to be open for breakfast and dinner but this time we went it was unavailable for breakfast. We were not told of this when I made the reservations or when we checked in, which was not right. It was noted however on the brochure you are given when you check in. Spices, the Mexican restaurant is supposed to be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was never open for lunch. Again we were not informed of this. It was open for lunch in February. I suppose it has to do with this being the off season for them and also with the low occupancy rate, but I paid for and expected to have the same access to the same restaurants I had in February during their high season. Also the breakfast buffet at Spices was not as good as the last time we were here. The choices were much less. There were none of the higher priced items such as smoked salmon and prosciutto. Maybe that is also related to it not being the high season. However, in the true spirit of royal service when I pointed this out to the manager there I was brought a platter of smoked salmon. You do have to make reservations for dinner. This is required and I suggest doing so before you go. The best way of doing this is to email Leanne Romanchuk the Customer Services Manager for the Royal Hideaway at Services@rhplacar.allegroresorts.com. She will make them for you and send you a confirmation.

Palazzo: Dinner 6pm-10:30pm
This restaurant was my favorite. The atmosphere is elegant and romantic. Muted lighting and marble floors with rich furniture and exquisite artwork make this one of the most beautiful places I have dined in. The waiters are dressed in black tuxedos and attend to your every need. They make the best Cosmopolitans in the world. We ate here twice during our five night stay and were not disappointed. The restaurant sits high atop the resort property on the 3rd level of the main building. We were seated at the “best table in the house” as the maitre’de put it. Directly in front of the window facing the lights of the island of Cozumel in the distance. The food is fantastic. Your choice of wine is served through the meal and cocktails and aperitifs are also available. I recommend the beef carpaccio with olive and caper dressing. I was spectacular. We also tried the bresaola with parmesan cheese and walnuts, prosciutto with melon, and Portobello mushrooms with garlic vinaigrette, onions and rosemary. You’ll have to try the cream of clams and shrimp seasoned with horseradish for the soup course. We actually couldn’t wait to get back here from February to have it again. It’s the best. There are a variety of pasta dishes available for the first course, all are very good. The lasagna made with mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and fontina cheeses was outstanding and so was the salmon ravioli with fennel sauce. The main courses were all showpieces. I think the “Escalopas De Cerdos, Marinades Con Hierbas Aromaticas, Pure De Papas Y Espinacas” was the best. (Marinated Pork Scallopine with aromatic herbs , mashed potatoes and spinach) The mixed grill of seafood with herbs in lemon sauce and red snapper in a potato crust with marinara sauce and lentils were very good also. We concluded the meal with a rich dessert and cappuccino.
Spices: Dinner 6pm-10:30pm
This is their Mexican/Caribbean restaurant and is beautifully decorated with native art and has the best view on the property. You are 100 yards from the clear blue Caribbean Sea. The service here is also excellent, although it does lack the polish that Palazzo has. Start off the meal with the crab enchiladas with roasted chile sauce and you won’t be disappointed. The tortilla soup is the specialty of the house and is rich, warm and tasty. The waiters serve with flair as they present the dishes under silver domes at your table. For a salad try the smoked salmon salad with guacamole and sour cream. It is a circular mold of delicious guacamole surrounded by smoked salmon and romaine. For a main course I highly recommend you have the coconut shrimp with salted lentils and tropical papaya chutney. Other choices were baby back ribs with hot tamarind and fried cassava, and skirt steak with oaxaca cheese, vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes with olive oil.

Azia: Dinner 6pm-10:30pm
This was our second favorite after Palazzo. It has an exotic and relaxing atmosphere with a beautiful bubbling fountain in the center of the restaurant. The cuisine is Thai/Asian and absolutely delicious, spicy yet not so much as to incinerate your tongue. They have sushi appetizers that are exquisitely fresh, well prepared and delicious. Also the hot appetizers and soups are good too. I had the hot and sour shrimp soup which I enjoyed very much. For a main course I chose the roasted boneless duck breast and my wide had the teriyaki steak. Both were excellent. In fact in all the times we have been in this restaurant we have never had anything from the menu that we did not like. For dessert get the fried bananas with vanilla sauce and also try the ice cream tempura. Of course have an espresso to top it all off.

We did not try Ventanas this trip, as we were disappointed with the service the last time we were here. The maitre-de that was there last time, Vincente, kept us waited 45 minutes for our reservation and that was unheard of anywhere else at the resort. After that the food could not make up for his rude treatment of us. We also did not go to the dinner theatre they have there as the entertainment was, let’s say not the most professional we’ve seen and besides its in a circular type auditorium indoors. All the other places to eat at night are so beautiful why would you want to eat inside a cheesy dinner theatre. In fact, one of the only complaints we had was the total lack of nightly entertainment. Oh they try to do things, like casino night. But church carnivals back home were more exciting. Last trip in February they actually had a quartet that played live music in the main lobby before dinner. That was really nice. You could sip a cocktail or a glass of wine and listen to the music. I don’t know why they would have eliminated that this year.

The days here are spent lounging around the pool or lying on the beautiful beach. They have an activities booth down at the beach where all non-motorized water sports are included. You can also take a complementary scuba lesson in the pool if you desire. We chose to do nothing. I know that might sound kind of lazy, ok it is lazy. Just sitting around all day eating and drinking and being pampered by a staff that never seems to tire trying to please you is my true idea of a vacation. All in all this is one of the best resorts we have ever been to and I look forward to returning to the Royal Hideaway Resort and Spa in Playa del Carmen as soon as I can get away again.

Wow, that is an excellent review of the Royal Hideaway. My fiancee and I went there last august, and I just wanted to add a couple of things...

First off, I agree, this place is trule amazing, and they treat everyone with great respect and top notch service. I just have three additions to make.

One, if you are a scuba diver, I highly, highly recommend doing the Cave Dive thru the dive shop located on royal hideaway's beach. This dive was truly unique and simply beautiful. It is all fresh water, crystal clear diving, truly wonderful!

Two, if you do desire to leave the resort for a little bit (and much like Tom, we very much enjoy sitting on the beach, and enjoy the drinks, food and excellent service...but anyway...) I recommend going to the Blue Parrot Bar/hotel...it is a fun bar on the beach, where all the bar seats are actually swings that hang down from the ceiling. It is either a 1/2 walk from the hotel on the beach, or a 5 minute cab ride...take the cab!

And finally, the Royal Hideaway offers a candle light beach dinner for around $300. It may be a bit much after all the initial expenses, but it is definitely worth it. They treat you like royalty. Any wines, champagned, liquors are yours for the asking. The man consists of 5 courses. The usual offering is two lobster tails as the main course (two per person), however they will make you anything you want. They rake the beach, and provide a candle lit path to your table, the table is surrounder with more candles, there is music, and you can take as much time as you'd like with the entire dinner...