A destination must be special for me to visit it again and again because there are so many exciting new locations to explore. One destination that has called me back is Royal Hideaway Resort Playacar in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Multiple items make this resort special.
Playa del Carmen, south of Cancun, is easy to reach with flights from Dallas taking only 2 ½ hours. From there, pre-arranged transportation requires another hour and, poof, I am in a different world. A world of sand, sun, tropical breezes, and fun. Like many options in the area, Royal Hideaway is an all-inclusive property in the exclusive area of Playacar which I enjoy for its ease. I do not have to think about where we want to eat—other than the restaurants inside the resort. I can go up to any bar and get fruity alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks at any time of the day or evening. I can participate in exercise classes to work off all I have consumed or not, depending on my state of mind.
Royal Hideaway Playacar (RHP) is an adults-only property. (http://www.royalhideawayrivieramaya.com/) Don’t get me wrong. I love my grandchildren and other children, but occasionally it is nice to just be with adults. RHP has two large pools which are next to each other. One is the location for water sports and exercises classes while the other is used for more relaxation. Both are conveniently located near the bar and The Deck, the spot for snacks and light meals. Of course, the beach is always a draw in that portion of Mexico and RHP does not disappoint. The beautiful white sands host enough lounging chairs for every guest who wants one. I love walking along the beach, although this last visit we had to dodge seaweed that has washed up on shore.
RHP has six restaurants that offer a variety of menus. The Grill offers outdoor dining with views of the magnificent beach. Spices provides Caribbean and local foods. Azia has a much quieter, more upscale atmosphere where Japanese and Thai fusion match the ambience. Palazzo is another upscale restaurant offering Italian cuisine while Las Ventanas even provides a Chef’s Table experience for an additional charge. Reservations, which can be made through your villa’s concierge, are required for all evening restaurants. (I wished that I could make reservations at the restaurants online or via email before arriving so that I could get all the reservations that I want without losing valuable sun time with the concierge.) Twenty-four-hour room service is available, but Covid had negatively affected the service speed when we were there last.
In addition to dinner reservations, our concierge, who was extremely helpful, arranged several excursions including a trip to Coba and Tulum. The companies picked us up at the hotel and delivered us to our door at the end. In addition, we walked into Playa del Carmen and enjoyed shopping along the way. The Playacar Mayan ruins were also fun to discover in a short jaunt from the resort. The ruins, known originally as Xaman Ha, are now a small area in the middle of a residential area. The ruins, which are free to visit, are relatively tourist free. In fact, we have been the only people in the area both times we visited.
The resort featured fun laid-back entertainment even with Covid. We enjoyed sitting in the outside bar listening to the singers perform. RHP has a spa, but I never made time to visit since I enjoyed sitting on our room’s terrace too much to miss a minute of it when not at the pool! Although most of the rooms are not facing the water, the peaceful views from the terraces bring tranquility
RHP is one of many all-inclusive resorts in the Playa del Carmen area, but it is one that is worth checking out—over and over again!
– Candace Ahlfinger has loved traveling since she was little and has always been on the go whenever possible. Now she is retired and gets to do what she loves best… TRAVEL! Whether it’s traveling with her wonderful husband, or our children and grandchildren, traveling is a great experience that enriches her life. Because she always enjoys reading and hearing about others’ travel experiences, she wants to share her travels with the Ellis DownHome readers.
