Royal Hideaway Playacar

MARIA JEWEL PATTERSON

I will still give this resort a 5 perfect stars due to meeting all my finicky demands. I originally booked the ocean view suite but upon arrival I was told there’s issues with it (so they tried “selling” the presidential suite- which I don’t want due to its lack of privacy. Presidential suite (2726) is overlooking the swimming pool with a balcony that looks like you’re about to give a concert - lol) AND beaten by the sun). Any how, after 2-3 hours of waiting, the manager upgraded us to presidential suite since there’s really no other option and offered to give us the Balinese bed for the duration of our stay. Sounded great to me and we were really tired and just wanted to eat. Any how, the presidential suite they gave us also have water leak issue… I meant pouring like a waterfall issue- lol. We also didn’t have internet, water, and electricity of 2 days. On top of that, they called us at 8PM saying that we have to pay for the last night (since we have two bookings). They called at the time that they were fixing the water falls in our bedroom so I was really pissed at that time- I really should have the room for free. But despite all those mishaps, the Balinese bed, the view, and the beachfront restaurant made our stay a 5 star! This is the only resort I know that has a restaurant right on the beach. I also especially love the clam shell sunshade for every lounger on the beach. So, if you can’t get the Balinese bed, those beach loungers are plentiful and each pair gets a clamshell sunshade! As for the pool loungers, I am not sure though why some guests wakes up as early as 4:30 AM to save their spot. There’s plenty available BUT I guess they like the pool and the proximity to the restaurant and toilet - lol. Any how, another reason for my 5 star rating is the room service - especially the salmon dish! I really rather eat in my room than dress up and go to the restaurants. I didn’t really like any of those food in their a la carte restaurants. We mainly ate at the beachfront restaurant and room service. Finally, the water pressure and temperature in our shower is perfection! I look forward to showering - lol. Overall, despite the issues we’ve encountered , we ended up still having a great time. They tried everything they can to make our vacation a relaxing one. They tried to pamper us the best they can. Any resorts will have issues. And this sure has plenty. BUT, there’s something about this place that simply made my stress melted away. Everywhere I go smells so good. I already made a reservation for next year. Hopefully, the room I want- Ocean view Suite- will be ready to receive guests. I forgot to mention, I had the best massage by Guadalupe!!!! She unknotted years of stress building on my shoulder.

Vergil W.

This was our second trip to Royal Hideaway Playacar, and somehow it managed to be even better than our first. Returning felt like coming home — the staff remembered us, greeted us warmly, and made us feel just as welcome and cared for as the very first time. Once again, the service across the resort was outstanding. Every staff member we encountered was professional, friendly, and genuinely dedicated to making our stay perfect. The food continued to impress us — Spices, Las Ventanas, Grill were fantastic again — and the overall atmosphere of the resort remains one of the biggest reasons we came back. A very special shoutout to Alexa and Carlos, who truly elevated our trip. Their energy, kindness, and enthusiasm made each day memorable. Whether it was morning activities, poolside fun, or evening entertainment, they consistently went above and beyond. You can tell they care deeply about the guest experience, and their positive attitude made such a huge difference. We also want to recognize the rest of the entertainment and activities team — including several amazing staff whose names we didn’t catch — for creating an environment where we never felt the need to leave the resort. There was always something enjoyable to do. Pool chair management continued to be excellent, the beach was beautifully maintained with minimal seaweed, and the resort grounds were as stunning and peaceful as ever. Our room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, providing the perfect retreat at the end of each day. Overall, this second visit reaffirmed why Royal Hideaway Playacar has become one of our favorite places. Outstanding staff, amazing food, top-tier diving, and a welcoming environment that makes relaxation feel effortless. We’re already looking forward to our third trip — because once you experience this level of care, it’s hard to imagine going anywhere else.

Carol Ferraz (Carol)

It was a great experience overall; my husband and I were greeted with a bottle of sparkling wine and some coconut bites. The room wasn’t thoroughly clean when we got there (some purple shampoo in the shower and minor permanent stains in the sheets), but we are not picky, so we let it go. What I really like was that each “villa” had its own concierge: ours was Sucel, a lovely lady who helped us, heard our feedback, and made us feel “taken care of”. Be mindful that the resort is very dated. It’s like “luxury European”. The music choice for the common areas and some restaurants was definitely made for a more senior audience. The beach chairs and beach front view were simply AMAZING: you get a god given view a few steps away from your room; clean sand every morning (well, at least that’s what I’ve noticed every morning), clean chairs, and all chairs have a shade umbrella for extra protection —which my husband appreciated. I would say that the beach service wasn’t that great though: they had one server for all the guests. That wasn’t enough to attend to everyone promptly, I’d say. The pool was ok, but no one told us you have to book the lounge chairs ahead of time. So if you want to chill by the pool, make sure to ask your concierge about it. The restaurants are not 5 stars FOR SURE. Our tops were the Italian restaurant and the one above the breakfast buffet (don’t recall the name. Oddly enough, the Mexican was the worst, followed by the Ventanas (food was not good, and the restaurant has a very weird vibe).

Brooke Oca

We just left from our 6th stay at Royal Hideaway. I wanted to provide an objective review from the standpoint of someone that’s been frequently. We had a lovely trip, but definitely a few hiccups that leave us wanting to take a break and try somewhere else for a while. The pros: The grounds are beautiful and well kept. The beach is gorgeous and wonderful weather this time of year. The staff truly goes above and beyond to make your trip memorable (shout out to Ricardo and Carlos at the grill, Eduardo at Palazzo, Oscar at Ventanas, Oscar at Spices, Oscar and Axel at Azia, and all the pool guys-Eduardo, Luis, Javier, and Genaro). The service is always wonderful here and is what brings us back each time. The quiet atmosphere is something that we appreciate in comparison to some other larger resorts. The cons: One of the managers, Lorena, is one of the most disrespectful and rude people I have ever had the misfortune of crossing paths with. We had an issue with our rooms air conditioning that was not resolved, and asked to move rooms. The entire interaction with her felt like a game she was trying to win. She was unprofessional and accusatory, combative, and escalated the situation. Quite frankly, working in customer service myself, I have never experienced anything like it, and we almost canceled and moved resorts because of her. We did not feel valued or taken care of, and that’s not a place you want to return to. The other issue this trip was the never ending issue of finding a pool chair. Apparently there are many guests now that are “owners” (timeshare) and they get chairs reserved that now cover over half of the pool area. Our personal belongings were taken and moved after we went in for a few minutes because of the rain, and came back to find that an “owner” had taken our spot. Many “owners” were rude and entitled, and seemed to think it was okay to touch other people’s belongings. It seems management has become disorganized and unhelpful. The rest of the staff is absolutely wonderful, and it’s a shame that management can ruin the reputation of this beautiful hidden gem.

Andrew Vander Weide

My wife and I booked Royal Hideaway Playacar via Costco as it was on the cheaper end for adults-only all-inclusive resorts, and we agree it was worth every dollar. In summary, everything met if not exceeded our expectations, especially being a more affordable resort. Food is generally good, often even fantastic. The rooms are large, comfortable (AC worked well), noise-insulated, well kept by daily housekeeping, and in good, accessible locations. The resort itself is very tidy with friendly workers all around constantly cleaning, fixing, and offering assistance and services, with a great overall layout and architecture. Pool varieties offer different types of experiences whether for the rowdier or more relaxed vacationers. The beach is unmistakably beautiful and conveniently at the base of the resort with more than enough chairs and shade if needed. It’s a fun but more so relaxing crowd. We will more than likely return to this resort soon, possibly regularly.