Royal Hideaway Playacar All-Inclusive Adults Only Resort

Great hotel, very clean and comfortable. Would recommend.

A beautiful entrance and reception area. Reception was painless and quick. Our accommodation was a Luxury Royal View room in villa 25 (Habiscus) adjoining the main pathway to the beach. All the villas are set in the immaculate gardens. The room was large with plenty of storage space and a very comfortable bed. Good shower. David Camara, our concierge, was friendly, patient, helpful and professional and greatly added to our holiday enjoyment. Rooms were kept clean throughout our stay. Great selection of food for breakfast and lunch. Don't forget to book evening restaurants in advance. We enjoyed them all but Ventanas was our favourite. Special mention to Oscar (Escobar??). A very professional waiter. Beach was wonderful with plenty of sunbeds and towels but some guests did reserve prime spots by rising early (0630hrs?) and then returning to bed. Waiters serving the beach during the day were extremely hard working with frequent visits to all guests. The staff we encountered were friendly and helpful. The Mexican night in the Club Royal is well worth attending. Easy to get taxis into Playa del Carmen.

As mentioned by other guests our room was a little tired, especially the bathroom. The bath probably needed replacing and the shower area didn't have an extractor fan which can lead to condensation and a dampness. For some reason the cleaners would always replace our bath towels on a daily basis but seemed to replace or even remove hand towels and face cloths at random. Not really a problem but quite bemusing. Almost impossible to get sunbeds around the heated pool unless you sneaked out at 0530hrs. We think the hotel should be clearer abvbout their sunbed reservation policy for these pool sunbeds. Again this was not a problem for my wife and I as we preferred the beach.

Set in lovely gardens with lots of wildlife. Grounds are beautifully maintained. Lovely relaxed atmosphere. Bedrooms are very comfortable. Lots of wardrobe storage. Housekeeping staff very good. Restaurants are all good and staff are lovely. Must book though. Breakfast very good spread. Hotel is set right on the gorgeous beach and plenty of sun beds are available there. Small pools in grounds are lovely and not used much. We appreciated them when we wanted real peace and quiet. Check-in quick and easy. Nice guy who checked us in (Carlos). We stayed in villa 23. Didn’t find our concierge overly friendly or helpful but Alberto from a neighbouring villa was great. So cheerful and helpful. There does seem to be an issue around the main pools. One is unheated and doesn’t get used. The other has all reserved sun beds (mainly for suite guests) around it so unless you qualify for a reservation you can’t have a bed there. Didn’t matter to us as we prefer the gorgeous beach but some people weren’t happy about it. Anyway, the definitive test:- I’d always be happy to return here (this was our second visit).

Bathrooms definitely need updating. We were here 8 years ago and there doesn’t appear to have been any work carried out during that time. Really do need a refurb. Whirlpool on Bath didn’t work. Not an issue for us but could be for some. Some of the toilets in public areas are leaking water from the flush lever. Not dirty water but still a bit off putting. Very small thing but there are no spoons available at breakfast. You have to request one. Why????

- The hotel is nice, although it does not meet the requirements of a 5 stars hotel. - The staff is very nice for the most part, although there were exceptions of personal lack of professionalism. - The meals are well prepared in all the restaurants, although on the Grill the presentation of the dishes is very poor. - The outdoor areas of the hotel are beautiful, very well maintained and the vegetation is exceptional.

- The concierge of the block where my room was located is not a trained person for that position. She was not there the day we arrived (something that can happen in any personal situation), and the next day she was late so we couldn't make reservations for the restaurants we wanted, even though it was my wife's birthday. - Due to my medical condition, I asked her to put me in a bucket with ice, to which she promised and never complied. - When we arrived the first day the room had a huge leak in the ceiling and the floor was full of water, they came to repair it. - The room amenities do not meet the requirements of a hotel of that category. They do not have hair conditioners, something that is common even in the worst hotel in the United States. The first night we only had shampoo, after the second day they put some body wash. - The fridge in the room didn't even cool what was inside. They changed it on the second day. - Our room did not have a hair dryer. - That same night we found cockroaches in the sink (we have pictures). - One of the sinks was clogged (we have pictures). - All the maitres of the restaurants were pleasant and professional, with the exception of the one from the Mediterranean restaurant (Ventanas). - The check-in receptionist was very professional, but not the one who checked us out, who, during the check-out process, only asked us for the room number and gave us the ticket to leave the hotel. Normally, at any check-out, the guest is asked how their stay was, wishing them a happy stay and a happy trip back to their destination. That is an example of people not suitable for a position and lack of preparation. -