Hilton Playa Del Carmen, an All-Inclusive Adults-Only Resort

Great experience from when we walked in the front breezeway. The staff and accommodations are some of the best I’ve experienced with a variety of activities on the property.

Hyatt Vivid Playa Del Carmen: November 30 – December 5 2025 (5 nights, Room 4107) Pre-review Notes: This is our first visit to Hyatt Vivid Playa Del Carmen (Hyatt Vivid PDC). We’ve stayed at two nearby all-inclusive resorts (Wyndam and Reef 28) previous to this trip. We booked via Expedia, but have a Hyatt Rewards account that I’m not sure we’ll receive any benefit from. I regularly read many of the most recent reviews on Tripadvisor prior to booking our trips to Mexico. Expedia rates Hyatt Vivid PDC a 9.0 (~1730 reviews) and Tripadvisor rates the property a 4.6 (from almost 24 thousand reviews). Resort Grounds: 9 According to Google, Hyatt Vivid PDC has 524 suits. The grounds are meticulously groomed with many flowers, palm trees, sculptures, and local wildlife. The resort is located in downtown Playa Del Carmen and doesn’t have a sprawling size or a large beach. Everywhere we ventured on property was well-maintained and clean. The rating assumes small resort in a downtown area to be positive. Pools: 8.5 There are several pools at Hyatt Vivid PDC that vary energy level. The main pool area includes a swim-up bar, activities section for in-pool spin classes, and a large hot tub. We found the main pool area to be attractive, but didn’t end up using it. Our suite location was near the secondary “quiet” pool location and we loved it so much we never left. The pool chair game was a thing at this resort which didn’t have much effect on our impression since we can plop our pool bag down just about anywhere then enjoy the pool. The “quiet” pool is located right next to a bar and the service from the bartenders was excellent. Room: 8 We stayed in the Junior Suite base room type in building four. The rooms are large and comfortable, but I don’t know the actual square footage. We enjoyed room service delivery via the “Magic Box”, so that we could order food at a specific time and not have to accommodate a delivery guest. The convenience the room delivery “Magic Box” creates is quite enjoyable. We found the channel availability to be severely lacking English-speaking channels and wished we’d have remembered to bring our Roku device. There was a separate seating area inside the room to accommodate seated meals. The bathroom was large and included two sinks and a large shower. The room mini-bar was minimally stocked with drinks and some snacks (potato chips and a granola bar). The room cleaning crew did an excellent job. We did NOT receive any special ‘gifts’ in our room such as sweets or a bottle of wine. There was a hot tub in the room that had lounge seating facing the outside window, but when we tried using the plug to hold water in the tub was broken. When we turned on the water to the hot tub, the color of the water was brown. So between the broken plug and the color of the water we didn’t end up using the in-room hot tub. Not using the hot tub wasn’t a big deal for us, so I didn’t report the issues. However I mention the issue in the review of the property and received an apology from the maintenance staff. Food: 44.5/50 or 89% (8.9 used for overall score) Drinks: 8.5 The drinks we received at Hyatt Vivid PDC exceeded my expectation. I knew from research that there wouldn’t be Don Julio 70 in my margaritas, but the Cazadores was acceptable and there was a number of fresh juices to satisfy our need for variety. The drink staff anticipated our need for additional drinks. The restaurants had specialty drinks that were well above average. And the bar variety was very good with options like Tequileria and La Mejorada. One negative is that there only seemed to be one cerveza on tap throughout the property (Dos Equis Lager). Breakfast: 9 We ate breakfast at Pelicanos (ala carte) and at Aromas for coffee and pastries. We really liked the breakfasts at Pelicanos that included chilaquiles and waffle bacon chicken sandwiches. My favorite breakfast (which I tried on our last day) was a Mexican Specialty that I can’t remember the name of and isn’t on the online menu (hvpdc.resortsbyhyatt.com/#/property-hub/dining/en-pelicanos/menu/2). Both the green juice from Pelicanos and the flat white from Aromas were above average. The staff was energetic, accommodating, prompt and friendly. Lunch: 9 We ate lunch via Room Service, Rincon Mexicano, and again visited Pelicanos. The room service lunch was above average when comparing with other all-inclusive resorts (including Excellence. And much better than both Wyndam and El Dorado). My wife loved the English Muffin sandwich and Spaghetti Bolognessa. I really enjoyed the fried fish & chips and desert options including chocolate/carrot cake. Lunch at Pelicanos was another positive experience. The “Pescado Frita” was my favorite (I can’t deny a fried fish bias). Rincon Mexicano had an excellent selection of tacos which is a large motivator for my interest in Mexico to begin with. Other options for lunch include Barefoot and the 24hr Lounge (which doesn’t serve food 24 hours). The full restaurant schedule can change, so be sure to check here: hvpdc.resortsbyhyatt.com/#/property-hub/info/en-restaurant-bar-schedule Dinner: 9 Hyatt Vivid PDC takes reservations for dinner, but they are not required. Because we were a party of 2, we skipped reservations entirely and never experienced any wait to be seated. We ate at four of the six restaurant options that serve dinner. We didn’t try the buffet Spice because we generally prefer ala carte. We didn’t eat at the Chefs Plate due to the additional cost. We liked Asiana for the sushi and sashimi, so we treated the restaurant as a nightly appetizer then would eventually move to another restaurant for an entree. Dolma was our favorite due to the Lamb Gyro and buffet style appetizer bar which included hummus, baba ghanoush, prosciutto, cheeses, and a number of other lovely items. Pelicanos and La Casona both offered dinner options we enjoyed including empanadas and mussels from Pelicanos and what I thought to be the best specialty drink on resort at La Casona (El Valiente). I actually thought eating breakfast/lunch/dinner at Pelicanos may be a negative, but it’s a lovely venue that looks out to the ocean and the food and service was consistently good. Room Service: 9 Room Service at Hyatt Vivid PDC was split into 3 menus by time of day for a breakfast, lunch/dinner, and late night. As previously stated, the “Magic Box” delivery is very nice. However, there was a light switch next to the “Magic Box” and we weren’t sure if we were supposed to turn it on for dish pickup or if it was to be turned on by the delivery person. Order delivery was received in 30 minutes or less (we were told up to 45 minutes when ordering) and we experienced no errors to any order. Entertainment/Activities: 8 We appreciated watching a Broncos NFL game at the 24Hr Bar. The staff accommodated our game request and there were snacks/drinks available. The nightly entertainment included various music and shows in the lobby area instead of a dedicated entertainment venue. There are many activities throughout the day such as yoga, games, music, etc. We were disappointed with the lack of English-speaking TV channel options as previously stated. The impression we had is that the resort assumes that by staying in a downtown location that you’ll look to the other options available past 11pm. Vibe: 9 Hyatt Vivid PDC has enough options to find a vibe to match most anyone. Anything from quiet and relaxing pools to a drinking foam party in the main pool. Our vibe rating for this visit is a comparison to the Wyndham PDC and Reef 28. Service: 10 The staff did everything they could to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. The staff were friendly, personable, and warm. Demographic: By our estimation the average guest was 40 years old and middle- to upper-middle class. We had conversations with multiple groups from Canada and the USA. Positives: Great service. Above average food that is served a la carte and without reservations. Negatives: Few English-speaking television channels. Non-functional in-room hot tub. Overall Score: 52.4/60 = 87.3%

I would highly recommend this resort. Had the best time ever and 5th Ave just a block away if you want to do some shopping. Food and service was amazing.

Excellent Adults only resort Great variety of food and drinks. Pools are amazing. Not too large. Less walking required. Excellent Service from all Staff. Great Spa services.

This is an amazing hotel with an exceptional staff. The food and entertainment were good and our overall experience was fantastic!