Fantastic service, food, and staff! Over the entire stay, we only had problems with one staff member at the Chefs Plate when we were arriving to be seated. Her attitude towards us was terrible but fortunatly the rest of the staff more than made up for the maitre de's poor attitude.

The pool activity staff were absolutely great as well as the waiter service on the beach. We felt like we were leaving friends when we had to go. Alberto, Rebecca, Denys, Angelo, Veronica, Alex, and Fernando, thank you all for making it wonderful week for us.

Lastly, my wife and I travel 2-3 times per year to new places. Karen, for the first time, said she would love to come back to the Royal for another stay. That is the highest compliment I can give.

Just returned from both the Royal in Playa del Carmen, as well as the Royal in Cancun (will post a separate review for Cancun). My fiancee had never been to an all-inclusive and was highly impressed with all aspects of the Royal. The architecture was beautiful (although the carved decor through the resort was a little over-done) and layout is perfectly designed. Loved the online check-in feature, done in advance of our stay to pick our exact room. The service was exceptional, the grounds are meticulously maintained and the resort is so spotless you could eat off the floor. The staff can't seem to do enough for you and are always willing to go out of their way if they sense the slightest interest of you wanting something a little extra. The accommodations are airy, spacious and comfortable. We have stayed in a few Ritz properties, and I have never seen a "pillow menu" with 5 options from which you can select at any Ritz Carlton. The website does an admirable job of detailing all the extra perks and things that make the Royal stand out. The "magic box" for discreet room service is a great idea, as is the 24-hour lounge with a full bar and round-the-clock snacks. After a satisfying dinner at one of the restaurants (we tried them all, of course), my finacee was thrilled to purchase a cigar and linger in the vast lobby lounge with a Baily's and his stogie. Housekeeping is at every turn, from brushing the pool table felt to polishing the ice machines. While not every menu item is going to knock your socks off, you at least have 6 restaurants to choose from - and there are plenty of tasty things to satisfy most people. If you are a true food snob, you might skip all-inclusives entirely. Artfully presented and service with a smile go along way. Five out of 6 eateries require no reservations - just walk in and be seated. Even at the buffet, they are quick to take your plate to the table for you. The gift shop is more than adequate, and the spa was heavenly. They have pretty much thought of everything. Highly recommended.

This was our second year staying at the Royal and were not disappointed! You can't beat the location of this hotel. 5 minutes (maybe less) away from 5th avenue for great shopping, bars and restaurants.

The rooms are quite large, beautiful and very clean. The housekeeping staff are friendly and efficient. The nightly turndown service is also a very nice touch. I had to contact maintenance to change to battery in the smoke detector and they came in minutes, as well I messed up the safe combination and security came to reset the safe very quickly.

The gym is amazing. First class equipment including spinning bikes, treadmills, elipticals, freeweights and pilates equipment and weight machines. I didn't have a problem with wait times for the equipment, but I did go early at around 6:30 am.

What can I say about the beach? GORGEOUS. I walked on that beach for 2 hours every day. Loved it!!!Beautiful white sand and a beautiful blue ocean. The beach on the otherside of the breakwater (by the Gran Porto Real) is not as nice - lots of coral and sandbags. Although its great to walk that part of the beach to see the sights, the walk isn't as peaceful than on the Royal side (don't know what direction I was going- i.e. north, etc, but it was towards Cancun.).

I didn't spend any time at the pool, so I really can't comment on anything there, except the pool is large and beautiful and everyone around the pool seemed to be having a great time.

Enjoyed all the restaurants with Pelicano's, Maria Marie's and Il Pescatore being my favourite. You can't beat the guacamole and shrimp cocktail at Pelicano's. Went to Spice one night for the buffet, but wasn't as happy with the meal as I was at the a la Carte restaurants.

The staff work extremely hard at this resort and all are very friendly and accommodating. The sports team at the pool and beach are fantastic! They make all of the guests feel comfortable and welcome. I would recommend the bike tour with Fernando. This gave me an opportunity to see the city that I otherwise would have missed. I had no idea that Playa del Carmen was so big and had such a history. Fernando is friendly and entertaining, very knowledgeable of the area, and his English is excellent.

This was my 6th time in Mexico and this is my favorite resort to date. I would not hesitate to come back for another holiday.

We were at the Royal the middle of April. I was a little nervouse because we were going with friends that have never traveled Mexico, however, they have traveled Europe. I was responsible for booking a place to stay. I utilize this website to help. I cannot believe that anyone said anything negative about this resort! We always stay at 5 star resorts and this was a 5 star.

Our first experience with the resort was with our Conciere - Fernando! What a doll. He took such good care of us throughout our stay. He checked with us periodically right to the end. We could not keep our upgrade room the last two days because the resort was full. Fernando made sure we had two really nice rooms together. The last night he had roomservice come in and put rose pedals on the bed and in the jacuzzi tub. We also had a huge swam built out of towels on the bed. It was so romantic and what a way to end the trip. He was fabulous.

We did the upgrade the first four nights. I would highly recommend it. The room is the same, however, they do all these nice upgrade amenities, i.e. Bose system, higher qualities soaps, candles by the jacuzzi tub, etc.

We found the food very good. We did not care for the Tapas Restaraunt, but that was us. Our favorite was the French/ Mexican. I did have the Mexican one night and I prefer the French. You have to have the warm cake - WOW. It is worth every calorie.

The beach was beautiful. You do have to go a litle North for better swimming - no big deal and it is still in front of the resort. We actually stayed by the pool all week. Yes, they do the towel thing in the morning, but I really didn't mind. I don't know why people say it is really loud there, because it wasn't at all. My only complaint was the pool bar. It wasn't as much fun as most pool bars and you don't get the afternoon sun. The bartenders were not real cordial even when you tipped them.

The staff overall was wonderful. Housekeeping was really friendly, the wait staff at the restaraunts were great. We had one bad one at the buffet, but they have so many managers walkng around, that it is corrected instantly.

We would definitely go back and our friends agree. I have to admit that I can be high maintenance at times, and they met my expectations. A very special thank you to Fernando for starting our trip out right and making the last night so memorable!