Royal Hideaway Playacar

This was our 6th time returning to Royal Hideaway & the one thing that had us returning was the food quality & service. Unfortunately, we were really really disappointed & even spoke to the Operations Mgr on our 3rd day regarding our concerns but nothing changed. We waited on average 15 minutes EVERY day for EVERY breakfast & lunch! We once waited 30 minutes(!!!). We never had to wait more than 5 minutes in the past. Keep in mind this is the only buffet restaurant on the beach (outdoors) with a la carte options. You have the option to go upstairs to the a la carte restaurants for breakfast or lunch, but who wants to spend over an hour indoors waiting for food. The service at some of the other dinner restaurants were also really slow. E.g. waited more than once, over 10 minutes for the host to greet us; constantly asking servers for water or refilling wine, waited half an hour until the hibachi chef arrived for our 9:00 pm(!) dinner reservations (see pic below). We only made 9:00 pm dinner reservations since all other early seatings were already booked for the week! It would have been nice for us to enjoy the Mexican show with the dinner in the theatre but this only happens once a week & again was already booked before we could even make a reservation. I tried emailing ahead of our arrival to make dinner reservations as I've done in the past but the email responses were days slow & didn't get confirmed. For new guests, you're asked to make all dinner reservations with your concierge on the day that you arrive, however, all the ideal times & events are already booked before you even get there!!! We were beyond disappointed with our visit this time & unfortunately will not be returning nor recommending to our friends any more.

I LOOOOVEEEEE THIS PLACE! NO DISCO! NO CRAZY NIGHTLIFE...FABULOUS! This is a quiet , peaceful and beautiful quiet resort Perfect for couples and people who want peace and quiet on their vacation. Food is fab, beach is beautiful. Its small and quaint and the staff are amazing! We are going again in April 2026!

great food and service. Our service and food was especially good in Azia. Ventanas and Pallazo were next. the concierge saw that all of our questions were answered. We easily adjusted our room bar requirements. Worked with the room cleaning staff to provide for some time saving ideas and they accommodated our request for timing. we look forward to rebook for the future.

Very beautiful grounds and beach. Had to get up around 6:15 am most days to get a pool lounge chair. The staff are friendly and for the most part service is very good. The buffet selection is lacking and we had to wait to get a table 15-25 minutes at lunch. The best restaurant food was Italian. Azia food was very salty especially the display table. Rooms were cleaned appropriately however the tub was old and worn out. It’s is a great location. We had stayed at the hotel a year earlier, this was our second time but will not be returning based on lounge chair issues, food and outdated bathroom facilities.

This was a first all inclusive experience in Playa del Carmen. We booked through a Costco trip which made logistics of arrival easier. This location seemed much more private and quiet than others with still daily activities to fill the time if you wanted. Would recommend if you want a more relaxing quiet resort with attentive service.