We stayed at the Royal from June 23-July 2. This was my 5th trip to the Yucatan. My husband and I enjoyed Cancun, but knew we wanted a different ambiance for our honeymoon. I am so glad that we opted for Playa del Carmen and decided to stay at the Royal. I have done several all inclusive packages at adults only hotels, and the Royal tops them all.
The hotel staff originally placed us in a room with 2 beds. We explained that we were on our honeymoon and after checking the availability, we were told that we would have to stay in the same room for one night, but that they would put the beds together and that we could move the next day. I am so glad that we were able to move because our view in the first room was looking out towards the street at the sister hotel, the Gran Porto Real (the Royal guests can eat, swim, etc. there, but they cannot visit our hotel). I’m assuming that every room had a jacuzzi and hammock. We tipped housekeeping and received cute towel creations of hearts, swans, butterflies, etc. along with rose petals. We had plenty of towels and really enjoyed the turn down service (fluff your pillows, etc.)
I am a picky eater, so I’m not one to ask about food, but I loved the wide selection that was available to guests. We even ate at the Gran Porto Real, but it was just o.k. My favorite restaurant was Spice. Remember your room number as the staff ask what room you are in when you eat, drink, etc. We learned to say ours in Spanish.
The pool area is well kept. Be sure to get out there before 7:30 a.m. to reserve your spot as the chairs fill up fast. Some people just placed their towels on the chairs, and I watched other people claim the chair as their own. I recommend placing something of yours like a book, sun block, flip flops, etc. I hope you get to meet Lopez while you’re taking advantage of the all inclusive alcohol because he is a riot. Also, if you plan on doing an special excursions such as visiting Xel-ha or Xcaret, you will have to buy environmentally friendly sun block that is biodegradable. If you don’t have sun block or feel you may not need it (I tan easily and lived in sun block), there is a caddy called the Beachler that is filled with sun block, tanning lotion, and reading materials available to the guests.
The beach behind the hotel is rocky. If you plan on hanging out at the beach, remember that chairs go fast so claim your area early. I would also take water shoes to avoid injury on the rocks. If you walk a little to the left of the beach, you won’t find any rocks there, but you won’t have someone asking you if you need a drink, etc.
The Sports and Entertainment staff are awesome. They work long hours for probably little pay. They are a dedicated and energetic bunch. You will fall in love with Angelo, Carlos, Fernando, and Rosario. They have the best personalities. If you’re feeling up to it, they offer a lot of activities to include bike riding, bracelet making, kayaking, Spanish lessons, volleyball, water aerobics, and yoga.
We went on 6 different excursions and had to pick up other people from other hotels. Based on just the first impression, none of the other hotels could hold a candle to the Royal’s grand lobby. Be careful when you book your trips because they tried to over charge us for ours.
5th Avenue and the ferry to Cozumel is a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Royal. We really lucked out by picking the Royal because we weren’t looking at location, but it’s right next to 5th Avenue and most of the other resorts sit back off the road and are very secluded. We walked 5th Avenue several times and never felt unsafe.
I would pass on the massages outside and the romantic dinner outside because you can’t control what happens around you. If there are drunks or people being loud, you are going to hear them and won’t be able to enjoy yourselves. Also, we spoke with several other couples that were honeymooning and everyone got something different or nothing at all. Some couples received chocolate covered strawberries and champagne while others received cake and champagne. We received slippers and bath robes, but a few other couples didn’t. One couple actually had their bath ran for them filled with rose petals, but when another couple asked to do that, the hotel said they don’t offer that service. So I’m not sure if this has to do with housekeeping or not. My husband celebrated his birthday there and we received more champagne and cake. Be sure you look in your secret doorway as the light doesn’t always work and you may be leaving your champagne and food there over night.
We truly enjoyed our stay there. The staff at the Royal are very professional and go above and beyond for their guests. We are already looking to book our next trip at the Royal.

we just returned from our 7 night stay celebrating our wedding anniversary. the experience was wonderful. we are so glad we read tripadvisor reviews prior to the trip because we would have been a little lost if we hadn't. we arrived in the evening and veronique did her best to go over the resort features, but the reviews gave us more info. right after you check in, avoid the staff in the white shirts unless you want a time share, but do go see tony (red shirt) with worry free and get excursion info and get an updated activity list from the concierge.
first, what we liked:
the filtered water was cold and safe to drink
the restaurants: we dinned mostly at maria maries. it was better french food than i've had in new orleans. fois gras and escargots every night. the lobster bisque is roux based-not creamy, but is delicious. you must have "the cake"--to die for. the chocolate pyramid reminded me of a fancy moon pie. the creme brulee' was perfectly crusty. be sure and ask for monzon to be your waiter. he is very attentive and will give you an entree recommendation if you need one. he also waits until everyone at the table has finished a course before he serves the next one. you eat at a nice leisurely pace. we had the duck at pelacanos twice and both times is was perfectly seasoned and melted in your mouth, as did the lamb chops at both restaurants.
spice is a must for breakfast--the buffet is vast and everything was yummy. we did not eat at asiana's, but our friends did and said it was very good too. the shrimp aquilla and the ham at pinxos was very good too. pinxos is a good place to go if you just want to nosh. the house wines are nice, not great, but you can upgrade for a price. the alcohol included is top shelf (not so at their sister property across the street). the guacamole in the vip lounge is good, but i suggest avoiding the cold cuts as they are out all day. we ate at the italian restaurant across the street and it was good too. we avoided eating any raw vegetables, but it probably would have been fine.
the room: we had an ocean view jr. suite-rm # 245. we could hear the nice music from pelacanos on our balcony. the walls were not as thin as i had expected. the air conditioning was great as well as the bon bons left on our bed every night.
activities: get an updated activity list from the concierge--the one in the book in the room is old. fernando is awesome!! i highly reccommend the morning bicycle tour--we did this on a sunday and had most of the streets to ourselves. if you've never snorkeled before, take the free lesson--it will save you time if you do any excursions that include snorkeling. speaking of excursions: book them with tony with worry free (red shirt). he is a straight shooter and won't steer you wrong. he booked us the tulum xtreme tour and a half day snorkeling trip with morning glory. both were excellent and worth the money. i swam with a sting ray and my husband saw 2 barracudas.
entertainment: most of the lobby shows were okay. if you don't like the show at the royal, you can go across the street and see the one at their sister property.
the beach: the covered cabanas are great--we had no problem getting one, no matter what time of day. there are large rocks, boulders in the water, but you can walk a few yards to the left and there are none. they have lost some beach due to the hurricanes. the staff keeps the grounds very clean and debris free. beach staff was very attentive. be sure and have a mojito, a frozen purple rain, and a frozen mango tango.
also, be sure and have your photo made with the parrots and iguana.
what we didn't like:
it took 2 days to get the pillows we ordered. cyville was our housekeeper. she would take things and not replace them, such as wash cloths. i had to ask 6 times for wash cloths. finally we got several and hid them in the drawer. i used the "vanity kit" and my husband used the "shave kit". she never replaced these--and i asked the concierge to have them do this. don't be in a hurry for room service--takes about an hour. the massages at the spa were good, but some guests said they got better ones from the spas in town on 5th st and they were half the price.
we wished the poolside music was louder, and it would be nice if there was a "night club" on property for dancing. tipping goes a long way--a couple of dollars here and there. if we had to do it all over again, we wouldn't change a thing. our vacation was nearly perfect and we will definately stay at the royal agian.

Like all the reviews I read before booking our stay, this place lives up to it's reputation. The resort has very few drawbacks, one being the situation of the oceanview rooms (which should be listed as partial ocean view since you have to be on your patio/balcony to see the ocean) but once we got over that, it was hard to find too much wrong with this resort. The location is so perfect! 5th street is the coolest street ever - you can walk all the way from Carlos and Charlie's or Senor Frogs where the cruise docs to the hotel and enjoy shop after shop and restaurant after restaurant and no cars are on this street! It's like a little mexican Bourbon Street or Duval Street, but with more shops and more restaurants than bars/clubs. We had 3 other couples with us and spent our days lounging by the pool and ocean (beautiful) and our evenings at the restaurants on premise and out afterward on 5th street. The food here is better than any all-inclusive in Mexico we have stayed at, and we've stayed at many 4 and 5 star resorts, but we wish we had tried some of the restaurants in town as well. The massages at Veronica's down the street from the hotel really are $32 for one hour and really are wonderful. It's about a 3 minute walk and our friends had massages 5 days in a row. On the way there you will pass a little excursion shop - beware of these people - they scammed us out of $450 for a fishing excursion and we had no way to get our money back because we paid cash (dumb!). Lesson learned.
Don't bother with the restaurants across the street at the sister resort - the Royal's service and food is much better. Not many people eat at the Tapas bar next to Pelicano's, but you can actually order off the Pelicano's menu at the Tapas restaurant. The calimari is delicious, fried shrimp to die for, and guacamole so fresh. They have food not on the menu - like burgers and whatnot, so just order whatever you want.
I wish the swim-up bar had been bigger and in the sun, wish there had been a casual poolside grill to grab a quick bite, but all in all I would go back to this resort and this city in a heartbeat and I don't say that often because I love to try new vacation spots! You won't be disappointed. You will sleep like a baby in these rooms and you will be pampered by their service. Go on the bike tour of the city with Fernando or Alfonso - it's leisurely and free and only about 45 minutes and you'll work off the coctail you're going to order by the pool when you get back.

My Husband and I spent 9 nights at the RPDC 5/23/08. I selected this property after ALOT of research. Anyone who is resonably well traveled will not consider this a 5 star resort. A 5 star rating encompasses alot more than just the beauty of the property. And this was a beautiful property. we had an oceanfront room, which we loved. Also loved the beds on the beach and the friendly staff. That's pretty much where the "good" ends.Ahter a long day of traveling from the East coast, we arrived at the resort. The staff seemed confused when I said I had checked in online and still directed me to the front desk...where I stood in line. No one offered a drink, towel or anything. 15 minutes later I was told I didn't need to be at the front desk...(no kidding) and we were then taken to the concierge. That was not before we were approached twice by the timeshare hawks. After checking in we decided to have a rest so the evening wouldn't be a wash out. I got 2 phone calls telling me that I had missed my "orientation meeting". I finally went back to the concierge and was very adament that I wanted NO further calls to my room from the timeshare people. Food at this resort is really mediocre. I took alot of the reviews with a grain of salt because some people are very picky, but I found them to be true. I liked Pelicanos for lunch and was happy to be "in-the-know" enough to order things that weren't on the menu.Maria Maries was good 1 out of 2 times. The Chefs Plate was a joke. Funny that we couldn't get any Mexican food anywhere! we eevn ordered room service 2 nights because the thought of going back to any of the restaurants was depressing. There is no nightlife to speak of. A piano player in the lobby bar, and a couple of nights a folkloric show. No dancing anywhere.For those of us who have become so accustomed to non-smoking, this will be a reality check. Smoke, especially cigar smoke was everywhere UGH. The most enjoyable days for us wereTues-Thurs. otherwise we found that many of the people came for long weekends and it was like a spring break attmosphere. Not what I paid for. I have been a travel agent for over 30 years and do not travel on discounts. I want to see exactly what my clients will get. This was not a cheap trip, but it was a big disappointment.