A Royal Hideaway

By Dan Millington 

Dan Millington is a freelance writer and photographer. He has been covering Mexico (and loving it) for the past seven years. Publications he has worked for include: AAA Mexico TravelBook, Fodor’s Yucatán Gold Guide, Moon’s Baja Handbook, Departures Magazine, Orange County Magazine – and he is currently on the masthead as Travel Consultant for South Coast Magazine. Dan is currently residing in San Clemente, California. He wrote an article on the Riviera Maya for the December 2001 / January 2002 issue of Mexico File. Ten minutes south of Playa del Carmen along the Mexican Caribbean coastline, there exists a treasure not too many people know about. It is called Playacar. Away from the hustle and bustle of Playa del Carmen, this is an ideal spot for peace, quiet and romance.

There is only a handful of resorts here, one of which is the new Royal Hideaway Resort & Spa. Rated, four diamonds by AAA, the Royal has it all.

The hotel features 192 rooms, six Junior Suites and two Presidential suites in a two-story villa-style layout with views of the Caribbean Sea or the beautifully landscaped gardens. Each room is entered through a courtyard with garden and fountain and each of the eleven villas has its own concierge to ensure that the guest’s every need is met. With a ratio of two employees for every guest, the service here is impeccable. All rooms include a separate shower and tub with hydromassage jets, terry bathrobes, satellite TV with remote, coffee maker, a safe and mini-fridge, to name but a few.

Four gourmet restaurants offer an eclectic array of delicious cuisine. Spices serving Mexican-Caribbean (try the fresh fish fillet in poblano chile sauce with roasted corn relish), Palazzo serving Italian (try the

salmon ravioli with fennel sauce) Ventanas serving Intercontinental (didn’t get a chance to eat there) and Azia serving Pan-Asian (try the deep fried whole fish with sweet chili sauce). All restaurants require dinner reservations as sittings fill up quickly.  

Another plus is 24-hour room service. High tea is served everyday on the hotel’s patio near the lobby beginning at 4:00 PM. The piece de résistance has got to be the hotel’s spa. Boasting of the Western Hemisphere’s first Thalasso/Marine Care center designed by Thalassotherpy expert Thalgo, the spa offers a variety of massages, facials, lymphatic drainage, body wraps and reflexology. Two rooms are designed for couples who would like a massage and hot tub together. The fitness center also provides treadmills, lifecycles, weights, Cybex equipment, steam and sauna rooms and your own personal trainer.

Activities at the resort are endless. With water being the constant theme, the Royal offers six swimming pools. Water sports include snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, Hobie Cat sailing and water polo. For those