Royal Hideaway Playacar

The Royal Hideaway is in a good location and the grounds and wildlife are great. Rooms need a facelift but ok. The menus in the restaurants need a shake up as they are very similar to previous years. We come to relax and spend much of our day at the pool. This year there was a lot of reserving of sun lounges. Many of these stay vacant for the day. We have been here 5 times and spent a total of 60 nts (2 months) in this resort but don't seem to qualify for anything special. The other negative this time was the arrival groups. We loved to dine early on the balconies of the upstairs restaurants. This year these were constantly booked for groups. I'm sure groups are great for filling rooms but obviosly the enjoyment of couples is no longer important. The staff are still really brilliant as was Ricky our concierge. However there seems to be absolutely no appreciation of our loyalty from management. In all our 5 visits I have never yet met a manager.

This was our second stay at the beautiful Royal Hideaway Playacar and it didn’t disappoint. The staff consistently go above and beyond — attentive and warm from check-in to check-out. Our suite was spacious, cool, and perfectly set up for relaxing indoors or on the private terrace. The pool deck chairs are wonderfully comfortable and ideal for lounging or socializing with sweeping views of the resort and the beach. Dining was a highlight: all the restaurants are excellent, but Ventanas stole the show. The mussels and octopus appetizers were unforgettable and the short rib entrée is truly outstanding. Add in lovely bars and entertainment, a rejuvenating spa, and a well-equipped gym, and you’ve got a superb package. We travel with a wonderful group of friends who book vacations together and we occupied the entire resort. So we enjoyed the resort entertainers immensely - as well as the entertainment crew brought by our group. The Royal Hideaway Playacar is situated a short, convenient taxi-ride from the main shopping district. I recommend you check it out, as the walkable nearby stores can be outrageously overpriced. DO be aware of a common selling trick played by some local vendors. They pretend to ‘recognize’ you & tell you they know you from the hotel where they also work. They don’t. Don’t fall for it & just avoid. (Obviously I did - last year - LOL!) You’re welcome!!!

The food was excellent the time and dedication the team here takes to clean the room and make sure everything was appointed. It was a true vacation no worries. Excellent everything was clean down to the mini fridge being filled every day. It was amazing.

We have been to the Royal Hideaway 14- 15 times and obviously we really enjoy the experience and keep coming back. The highlights of the trip vary from one time to the next, but this recent visit ranks among the best. This was due in large part to Gabriella (Gabi), the concierge of building 23 where we stayed. She was absolutely wonderful. It was clear from the start that our enjoyment of our time at RHP was her top priority. As with any older property, there were a few minor issues with our room. Gabi took these repair requests cheerfully and oversaw the repairs personally and almost immediately. This has not always been the case in the past. Dinner reservations were sometimes a challenge, but Gaby persevered and got us what we wanted at the times we requested. I could go on, but I mostly wanted to thank he for one service above and beyond. Shortly before our trip, a close member of our family - our Golden Retriever- passed away, and it was very difficult. We mentioned this to Gabi , and when we went to dinner the night of Día de los Muertos, we found an elaborate shrine to him that Gabi had made. It was touching to say the least. This is the sort of attention and caring that we have come to expect at the Royal Hideaway, and this is why we keep coming back. The place is not perfect, but it is very good. The people are what really counts, and they are awesome.

We’ve been to Royal Hideaway Playacar 37 times, and our July trip was our favorite yet. The staff were fantastic, better than ever. We want to give a big shoutout to the Beach and Pool team, along with Ocativio, Jesus Argello, Adriana Perez, and Monserrat. Their kindness and attention really made the week extra special. We stayed in the presidential suite and loved it as always. The food was the best it’s been in years, definitely a step up from our last five visits. Every meal was delicious and beautifully presented, and you could tell how much pride the chefs and servers take in what they do. Our only small wish is that the hot tubs would get fixed and that the main pool was heated, especially in the cooler months. Even with that, we had such a wonderful time that we’re already counting down to our next stay. We’re heading back on Sunday, December 7, and can’t wait to see the newly refurbished private pool. It feels amazing to know we’ll be returning to our favorite place, and we couldn’t be happier to hear that the beach is sargassum free. After 37 visits, Royal Hideaway continues to surprise us in all the best ways. The stunning beach, beautiful grounds, and outstanding staff keep us coming back again and again.