Royal Hideaway Playacar Hotel: Honest Review of Food, Dress Code, and Amenities
If you’ve ever dreamed of an adults-only all-inclusive where the vibe is more peaceful escape than spring break redo, Royal Hideaway Playacar might already be on your radar.
I recently visited and took notes. Between my job as a travel blogger and a chronic observer of the little things other travelers often overlook, I couldn’t help but notice every detail: the good and the not-so-good.
Whether you’re wondering if the food is actually good, how strict the dress code really is, or if it’s possible to find a quiet pool without staking your claim at sunrise, I’ve got you covered. This review is your realistic, unfiltered look at what to expect written by someone who’s made a career out of figuring out how to make travel smoother, smarter, and a lot more fun.
First Impressions
Royal Hideaway Playacar is located in the gated community called Playacar, which is pretty secluded from the commotion of Playa del Carmen.
When you first arrive at Royal Hideaway, you’re greeted with beautiful fountains, a lovely high-ceiling lobby, and your bags are swept away, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Check-in is easy and soon, you’ll be able to explore the grounds, grab a bite to eat, and book your spa services!
Room Review
Layout and Noise
Rooms are situated in 3-story circular buildings where the center has a courtyard and fountain. The rooms fan out from the center and each have a balcony.
Because of the layout, rooms can be a little susceptible to noise, particularly when other guests close their doors and it echoes throughout the center of the building.
We found that the upper floors were quieter than the ground floor, but there are no elevators for guests as far as we saw.
Sleep Quality
The bed was super comfortable with nice pillows. I’d say it was in the perfect Goldilocks range of not too hard and not too soft.
It was easy to sleep and we definitely woke up each day much more rested than at home…whether that’s because of the bed or the destination, I couldn’t say.
Because of the noise in the building just from closing doors, I’d recommend ear plugs if you’re sensitive to sound when sleeping.
The bathroom has frosted windows and the bathrooms doors have slanted slats, so light does get in, in the morning no matter how well your curtains are closed on the main windows. I’d also recommend an eye mask if you’re sensitive to light.
Bathroom Details
The bathroom is fully equipped with a clothes line (great for drying bathing suits), bathtub, shower, toiletries, hair dryer, and vanity stool.
The water pressure was good. We did have a slight issue with our temperature fluctuating and one day, the hot water wasn’t working for the entire resort. However, they fixed it within a day.
Truly any little things that came up, our concierge, Fernanda, was so wonderful and helpful throughout. We knew we were taken care of no matter what!
In-Room Amenities
I was pleasantly surprised by just how many amenities were in the room. We had coffee, tea, water bottles, beer, chips and nuts, robes and slippers, an umbrella, a full walk-in closet, desk, alarm clock, and TV.
Dining and Drinks
Casual Spots
The Deck / The Grill (Breakfast, Lunch, and Steakhouse Dinner)
The main restaurant that you will go to is The Deck. This is where you’ll find the breakfast and lunch buffet.
For breakfast, there’s a custom omelet bar that I loved! They have so many fixings and can even do egg whites, which was nice.
Breakfasts also had rotating buffet items like chilaquiles, french toast and pancakes, sausage, and bacon. They always had bread, pastries, fruit, yogurt, cereal, and cheeses, as well.
For lunch they swapped the buffet with lunch options like roasted chicken, steamed vegetables, carrot soup, and more. They also always had pizza, pastry desserts, fruit, and a salad bar. Plus, at lunch they had a menu you could order from with items like burgers, fajitas, fish tacos, pasta, pizza, and sandwiches.
The Deck transformed into The Grill, a steakhouse, for dinner. Same space, but no buffet, only a menu to order from.
The Deck / The Grill was really lovely for outside seating. There are a number of tables right along the edge of the deck overlooking the beach. At night, the sunsets were just lovely.
Spices (Mexican Caribbean)
The other option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner was Spices. This was the Mexican Caribbean restaurant upstairs from The Deck.
While I never went for breakfast, I glanced at their menu and they had classics like huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, french toast, etc.
Lunch was quite good, although I only went once. I had salmon as my main course and churros with chocolate for dessert. I wished I could have those churros with dinner, too, but the menu changed for each meal of the day.
The only reason I only went for lunch once was because it took a full hour and a half, which is standard for their dinners, but I didn’t want to sacrifice time in the middle of my day for lunch here.
I also enjoyed dinner at Spices – I went twice. The birria tacos are especially good!
Formal Restaurants (Italian, Mediterranean, and Japanese)
The three formal restaurants are Palazzo (Italian), Ventanas (Mediterranean), and Azia (Japanese).
I enjoyed all three and in general thought that the food at these restaurants were better than at The Grill and Spices. My favorite was the teppan experience at Azia, but this is one of my favorite foods, so it wasn’t hard to love it.
Club Royal (Dinner Show Theatre)
The final restaurant is Club Royal, where they have their shows. Occasionally, they also have dinner shows, which are formal.
We went to their Fiesta Mexicana. The show itself was so fun and I really loved that they showcased different regions in Mexico and dances associated with that specific region.
Dinner was okay, but lacking some flavor, which was a bit disappointing. Specifically, the main course was chicken with two sauces, but the chicken itself was dry and flavorless and served on top of the sauces, so it was pretty plain.
If you have the choice, I’d opt for one of the later evening shows where you just show up and order drinks. For example, they had a Michael Jackson show at 9:00 pm one night, which did not require reservations and did not come with dinner.
Dress Code Guide
My biggest question in booking this stay and really how to pack for my trip was the dress code. Let me share what guidelines they provide and stick with me because I promise I’ll share exactly what I saw and wore so you can pack smarter.
On their site, dress code for casual restaurants allows “neckless T-shirts, jeans, shorts and casual or sporty footwear, both ladies and gentlemen, are permitted.”
For formal dress code, “gentlemen must wear shirt with long or short sleeve, or polo shirt; Elegant or casual long trousers and closed discreet shoes, except sandals. Ladies must wear formal or casual attire; Dress or skirt, long pants, short or bermudas, and elegant or casual footwear. The use of jeans, sports or running shoes, beach sandals as well as neckless shirts is restricted.”
Phew. Let’s break that down and share what my actual experience was, because I don’t want you to pack more than necessary.
First, the casual restaurants have pretty much no dress code other than no bathing suits or coverups. You need to be wearing actual clothes. You can wear any shoes you desire including flip flops.
Formal restaurants are more strict on the dress code, but a lot more lax than it may seem based on their description online.
For example, my husband wore collared shirts ranging from a nicer button down to an athletic polo with dress pants and closed toe dress shoes. Did he need to though? Not entirely. I saw LOTS of men wear more casual sneakers, that weren’t flashy in color. Keep in mind that the age range of the guests is very large so the elderly are wearing more comfortable shoes to accommodate.
For me, I wore primarily jumpsuits and dresses including more casual ones to more formal ones. The shoes were my biggest area of confusion. I started wearing TOMS as flats and then saw others wearing more dressy sandals (not beach flip flops), so I progressed to wearing my Fit Flops, which are nicer flip flops. I never got stopped or turned away.
All this to say, I’d pack nicer sandals for dinner for women and presentable sneakers for men.
If you’re worried, you can always pack a pair of nicer shoes just in case, but I legitimately never saw anyone get turned away for their outfits.
Food Review
Food was pretty hit or miss for me, but generally not bad. It can feel so challenging to find good food at resorts and if you’re stuck eating there for a week, I know you want to make sure it’s good.
I promise that there were more positives than negatives when it came to the food at Royal Hideaway.
I loved the food at the formal restaurants and still enjoyed my meals at both casual restaurants. I’d say they do red meats better than chicken for the most part.
Appetizers and desserts were also very well done at each restaurant – I enjoyed those the most!
I’d recommend trying them all once and then making more reservations for the remainder of your time.
And finally, a word to my fellow Americans – the portions are smaller than we’re used to. This is very common around the world, so when you see that your menu has appetizers, first course, main course, and dessert, I’d order something from each section so you don’t accidentally under order.
You can always order more, too!
Dietary Restrictions and Allergies
The hardest part about the food at Royal Hideaway Playacar was that it was challenging to navigate for those with dietary restrictions.
If you’re dairy-free, vegetarian, or vegan, you might want to look elsewhere. A lot of the food offered had meat, and I mean the only vegetarian menu item would be the side of roasted vegetables.
I eat mostly vegetarian at home with meat maybe 2-3 times per week. At Royal Hideaway I ate more meat in the week I was here than I had in the last 6 months. It was a bit much.
On the other hand, they were VERY aware and communicative about allergies. Every hostess asks for allergies and often so do your wait staff.
Menus are in Spanish and English and list the ingredients pretty well, so you have a good idea of what to expect. When in doubt, your waiters and Google Translate can help.
You can see the menus online here.
Dinner Reservations
All restaurants require reservations for dinner. When you first arrive and check-in, you’ll meet with your concierge and they will help you make reservations.
I’d recommend trying each restaurant once then making more reservations to return to your favorites.
And just a note that on check-in day, they’ll make a courtesy reservation for you at one of the restaurants so you have somewhere to go for dinner.
You can also email the resort ahead of time to make your reservations. I’d do that if visiting during high season and they can get booked up.
Bars On Site
There are two main bars on site — one at the pool (just called the Pool Bar) and one attached to the lobby building called Bar Alegria.
They each have a full menu of specialty drinks and can make pretty much everything you want.
The Pool Bar is a standalone bar in that you’ll have to get out of the pool to go up to order, rather than swim up. Or, there are lots of waiters taking orders and bringing drinks poolside and beachside.
Bar Alegria doubles as a sports bar complete with pool tables, games, and TVs that broadcast sporting events. They also host events throughout the week like karaoke and music performances.
In addition to those two bars, there are also a couple bars in the restaurants that you can visit, primarily the one at Ventanas. There’s a piano player that is there a few times a week, so you can pop into the bar to sit and listen.
Safe Drinking Water
You might know that tap water in Mexico is non-potable, meaning you can’t drink it. Even further, you shouldn’t open your mouth in your shower, rinse your toothbrush with tap water, or have unfiltered ice.
Royal Hideaway does a great job at ensuring you have access to drinkable water. Your room comes with 4 water bottles that are replenished daily.
All restaurants and bars use filtered water to make ice, in their coffee and tea machines, and in serving you a glass of water.
If you ever need more water for your room, you can notify your concierge or always get bottles from the bars. The pool bar opens and closes early, while Bar Alegria attached to the main lobby building opens and closes late.
Amenities and Activities
Internet Access
We had no problems with the internet and connectivity during our stay, both in the room and around the whole resort.
We could stream TV/movies, load our Kindle with books, and listen to music all very easily.
Daily Activities
Royal Hideaway Playacar offers lots of fun daily activities. The schedule changes daily, but repeats weekly.
You can do lots of fun things that are included like kayak tours, yoga, tequila tasting, sushi making class, guacamole class, and more!
Some activities do require a reservation because they have limited slots. You can do so at the pool towel cabana.
Other daily activities happen at the pool like trivia, bottle painting, and aqua gym. You don’t need to sign up for those – you can just show up.
You can tell which activities require a reservation based on if they have an asterisk (*) next to them on the schedule, which you can view here.
Spa
I quite enjoyed my spa experience. My husband and I did a couples 50 minute massage. Upon check-in, you’ll receive a $50 USD off coupon for spa services if you book on your first day. With that the cost of our massage was $268 total for the both of us.
The spa has two bathrooms complete with a sauna, steam room, showers, and lockers, stocked with amenities like shampoo, conditioner, sanitary products, vanity kits, and more.
The actual massage was so lovely. We did a Swedish massage and it was so relaxing! Highly recommend.
Fitness Center
There is a two-room fitness center that has a good variety of machines, weights, pulley systems, and mats. Plus, upstairs there’s a full cardio equipment room.
The equipment is well maintained and everything is very clean.
It can get a little crowded even an hour after opening, so I’d recommend going in the morning right when it opens at 7:30 am.
Pools
One of my favorite parts of Royal Hideaway are the pools. There’s an infinity pool that overlooks the ocean, a nearby shallow pool, some personal pools by beach chairs, a larger pool near the fitness center that’s your best bet for lap swimming, and three quiet pools.
The infinity pool is where lots of action happens. There’s daily activities like trivia, aqua gym, bottle painting, and more. They’re led by a team member for those in the pool.
The quiet pools are my absolute favorite because they’re scattered throughout the resort, blocked by trees, and spa music plays. It’s the perfect spot for my fellow introverts who just want to sit and read in the pool.
In reading others’ reviews, the only complaint I saw about the pool was that there was no swim up bar. However, there were lots of pool side staff taking orders and bringing drinks to those at the pool and the beach.
Beach Access
The resort’s beach is a lovely spot because the palm trees are perfectly aligned, so there’s always spots with shade if you want them.
I really appreciated our setup as well after walking the beach and seeing other resorts’ beach setups because Royal Hideaway had genuinely nice adjustable lounge chairs where all of them had canvas shades that you could use.
You didn’t need to fight over certain spots in order to have a shade and you could put them up or down at your leisure.
The beach itself was really nice – not only because it’s the Atlantic Ocean and warm, but because the area is quite shallow. It’s very accessible even if you aren’t a confident swimmer.
There’s a lifeguard on duty, as well.
Beach Vendors
A note here about beach vendors. Every day, there are lots of people walking along the beach (literally between the rows of chairs at each resort) trying to sell tourists all sorts of things like cigars, silver, beaded jewelry, wood dishes, hats, and more.
It’s genuinely annoying and unfortunately does disrupt the vibe a bit. We also found that if my husband was alone at the beach (while I was at the pool, for example), they bothered him significantly less than if I was there, too.
Women shop, I guess.
It’s very easy to say no, and the vendors will listen and leave, but it is disruptive to have to keep looking up from your book to say no.
Belongings at the Beach
Since I grew up in a big city where you could never leave your belongings anywhere, I was weary about leaving my things on my beach chairs.
However, we never had a problem with theft.
We would leave a tote bag full of our Kindles, phones, and headphones, covered by our clothes, while we went in the ocean or walked the beach, and always came back to our belongings, no problem.
I’d still obscure things and leave truly valuable things in your room (like passports), and use your best judgement. My experience is only one, so take it with a grain of salt!
Excursions and Extras
Downstairs in the lobby building there is a tours and excursion table where you can book excursions around Playa del Carmen.
While we decided not to partake in lieu of relaxing the whole time, we heard good things from those who we met at dinner who did do some excursions.
Resort Noise
The resort itself is very peaceful. The daily activities that happen at the main infinity pool can be pretty loud, which can be annoying for beach dwellers because the pool is right behind all the beach chairs.
I found that the mornings and late afternoons were the most peaceful at the beach because the pool activities take place from around 11 am to 3:30 pm.
I’ll warn you now, they do play music at the pool between activities and it’s almost always classic rock. I say this as a massive classic rock fan (I’ve been to concerts by Rush, Genesis, Van Halen, Paul McCartney, Cheap Trick…so I swear, I’m not just hating), I was so sick of classic rock by the end of my trip I wanted to stick my head in the sand. All this to say…bring headphones.
Still, the noise didn’t carry to anywhere else in the resort. The quiet pools really are quiet and you can’t hear anything from the actual shore of the ocean or in the water.
In fact, the most noisy part that did carry were the neighboring resorts. Can’t do much about that unfortunately.
A Day in the Life
Just to give you an idea of what a typical day might look like for you when staying at Royal Hideaway, I’d love to share what we typically did.
After waking up, we’d sometimes go to the gym right at 7:30 am, but always grab breakfast from The Deck where Olga would make us custom omelets.
We’d try to get a seat outside to enjoy watching the morning waves.
Once we were fueled up, we’d grab water bottles or a drink from the bar and towels from the pool hut (signing up for any activities, if needed) and either lounge at a quiet pool or the beach.
We’d dry off enough to get lunch from The Deck or Spices.
Then return to the beach or pool to enjoy the afternoon.
We took our dinners early at 6-6:30 pm each day, and enjoyed the evenings back in our hotel room.
FAQs
Where is Royal Hideaway Playacar?
Royal Hideaway Playacar is located in Playa del Carmen, specifically the gated community called Playacar.
Which airports are closest?
The Cancun airport is an hour’s drive away and the Tulum airport is an hour and a half away.
Most people fly into Cancun as there are more transportation options to get to the resort from there.
How to get to Royal Hideaway Playacar?
The easiest way to get there is by booking a private transfer. If you book direct on Barcelo, you can add a private transfer to your booking, although there are lots of reliable private options if you want to book through a third party like Booking.com.
Alternatively, you can book with a transfer service like KiwiTaxis, which is highly rated.
The hardest part is finding them once you arrive in Cancun because the moment you step outside, you’re bombarded by time share representatives, transportation scammers, and other private transfers.
You’ll need to read the instructions from your company closely and ensure they’re expecting you. I like to try to not offer my name and have them read my name to me, so I can be sure they’re expecting me and not just accepting whoever comes up to them.
Is Royal Hideaway accessible?
I would say partially and for the most accurate information, please contact them directly about your needs.
From my observation, every restaurant is accessible via ramps or elevators. The rooms on the ground floor are accessible (there’s no step), but the upper floors are accessed via stairs only.
I did not see any pool lifts. Many of the pools, particularly the quiet pools had shallow areas (like 2-3 inches deep), but it wasn’t a beach-style entry where those shallow areas gradually led into the entire pool – each shallow area led to a step down.
What to Pack
- Bug Protection: Yepp, there’s mosquitos and other bitey bugs here. Pack bug spray, citronella bracelets (I love these), and light coverings, like cardigans, for the evenings.
- Tote Bag: It’s helpful to have a beach/pool bag of some kind to throw your belongings in.
- Reusable Insulated Cup: I saw lots of folks with reusable, insulated cups that the bartenders would pour drinks into to keep them cold.
- Sunscreen: You can buy some at the resort when you arrive, but it’s much more cost effective to bring your own. For 1 week, for 2 of us, we went through 10 spray sunscreens and 3 lotion sunscreens. Reef-safe is best to protect the delicate coral reefs!
- Pool Float: One thing I was so glad to have brought was this pool floatie, that I could lay on in the pool while reading. It was pretty hot, so being partially in the water was very welcome.
What NOT to Pack
There are a few things that took up space in our luggage that we really didn’t need, so allow me to share so you can save space in your suitcase.
- Umbrella: They provide umbrellas in your room.
- Water filters: We brought a Life-Straw water bottle and it was unnecessary — there are free water bottles everywhere (I’d bring an insulated cup or bottle to transfer the cold water into though, so it stays cold).
- Too many shoes: We definitely overpacked shoes because we didn’t know what the dress code would permit, so read the details above to determine which shoes from your wardrobe you actually need.
- Towels: They have endless towels, so don’t waste space bringing your own.
- Too many physical books: If you don’t have a Kindle, they actually have a library in the lobby building and had books to choose from every day at the pool towel hut including lots of genres (I recognized Dan Brown and Riley Sager, for example).
Is sargassum (seaweed) season a problem? and when is it?
Yes, it can be. During April through September, sargassum (a type of brown algae seaweed) washes up ashore covering the tide and beach.
It can be kind of smelly and makes it tricky to walk along the beach and enter the water — although once you get past it the water is pretty clear!
Each resort attempts to clean it up in the morning and sometimes throughout the day, so it may be more tolerable than pictures show.
If you want to avoid it, aim to visit in October through March.
Is it hard to claim pool chairs?
For the main two pools, there are limited chairs and it can be tricky to secure one. This is pretty standard for every resort, though, not really a specific issue at Royal Hideaway.
I noticed that by the time I went to breakfast around 8:30 am, many of the chairs were already claimed with people’s belongings…but of course, no people were actually there yet.
They did have signs up to discourage this behavior, but honestly, no one really listened.
One thing I really loved at Royal Hideaway Playacar was that beach chairs were never full, so even if you can get a pool chair, you could get a beach chair just below the pool on the sand.
The quiet pools were also never full, so you could opt for one of those!
Who is Royal Hideaway Playacar best for?
Obviously, since it’s an adults-only hotel, this property is best for those 18 and older.
But, beyond that, this resort is perfect if you’re looking for a calm, relaxing getaway. There’s certainly no shortage of alcohol, activities, and music, but it’s really on the chill side. There’s no club on site and the activities are meant for entertainment, not partying.
TL,DR: Adults looking for ultimate relaxation, not a party vibe.
Is Royal Hideaway Playacar worth it?
Overall, yes, absolutely!
I left Royal Hideaway Playacar feeling rested and rejuvenated. My worries melted away while I was here and I was able to reconnect with my husband and myself.
Plus, I gloriously burned through 4 books in a week, so it was a welcome respite from my day to day busyness.
Not to mention, the price of this all-inclusive was much more manageable than others I found. The food, rooms, and amenities weren’t compromised for the price, so I would definitely return.
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