Royalton Cancun
From lively to relaxing. Fun for empty nesters
The chef’s fine detail work, using tweezers to add colourful and tasty touches around the edge of a bowl with pumpkin soup and lobster, reminded us of a scene at a very fancy Michelin starred restaurant.
But surprisingly, we were at a large, busy all-inclusive resort on the Mayan Riviera, just south of Cancun, Mexico. The resort was the Canadian owned Royalton Riviera Cancun and we were enjoying the “Culinary Experience”, an extra-cost option available to all guests. Chef Romeo prepared an exquisite eight course dinner, accompanied by wines selected by the resident sommelier. The imaginative small plates included fresh tuna grilled on individual hot lava rocks, an Acapulco cocktail with king crab, shrimp & avocado plus sea bass and Black Angus filet. For dessert the chef brought us a chocolate piñata shaped like a wasp nest. For a volcanic effect, he poured liquid nitrogen into the “nest” and, as it smoked, asked us to drop it on the table. It smashed and released hundreds of golden chocolate balls, little pastries and fluffy flakes. Our most dramatic (and tasty) dessert ever!
The Royalton was ideal for empty nesters like us because it was large enough to provide plenty of activity for those who wanted a lively vacation but had a laid-back lifestyle for those who just wanted to relax. Surprises like Chef Romeo’s dinner just added to its appeal.
We’ve visited the Cancun area of Mexico several times and have always found it to be safe (security is taken very seriously at resorts) with accommodation and food that ranks among the best in the Caribbean.
The stylish and modern Royalton Riviera Cancun, just two years old, is really three resorts in one. The biggest section, with 840 rooms, is designed for families. It has large, comfortable rooms, several heated pools, a small water park plus a kids and teen club.
The Hideaway section of the resort has 343 rooms and is adults-only. It has a couple of exclusive restaurants and a large pool. Its key appeal seems to be the 20 and 30-something crowd since there’s usually loud music in the pool area and the guests can get quite lively. Most of the young adults we saw were enjoying it. But for older guests like us, relaxation was a key goal and the Hideaway Diamond Club, the most upscale part of the five star resort, was ideal. Our two room suite faced the ocean and another pool, a much quieter one, and was filled with creature comforts like a Jacuzzi
tub, an extra-large shower and a very comfortable king bed with thoughtful touches like adjustable reading lights and dual outlets for charging phones and iPads. There were two mini-bars (drinks are complementary and replenished daily), a fridge, a coffee maker and even a microwave with popcorn provided. The hi-def interactive TV was huge with many news channels available. You can check menus and order room service. There was also a wide selection of movies but, surprisingly, there was a charge of $12 to view one.
All gusts are fitted with a small bracelet but, unlike other resorts, these are high tech and very useful. All one does is wave it by your door lock and presto, it opens. No more lost keys. Royalton technology also includes free wi-fi through the resort (even at the beach) and free phone calls to Canada and
the U.S.
In addition to separate lounges (hors d’oeuvres, drinks and pastries always available) Diamond Club status gives guests access to an excellent butler service. Gustavo, our daytime butler (Alejandro looked after us in the evening) was able to book specialty restaurants for us, arrange any transportation and reserve a Bali bed by the pool. He even brought pillow samples so we could choose the most comfortable. Like many of the pools spread across the resort, ours had a swim-up bar with a friendly staff and generous drinks.
Diamond Club also has its own private beach area with comfortable recliners. The sand is gorgeous and the water warm but, when it’s windy, the water near the shore can be murky. Seaweed along the shore is removed each day. Another Diamond Club perk is a complimentary visit to the Spa and its hydrotherapy circuit with a steam room, sauna, hot and cold pools and blasts of water to relax stiff muscles.
Our time at the resort was unfortunately cut short because of airline delays. But in addition to the remarkable “Culinary Experience”, we tried to sample as many of the restaurants we could in three days. We were impressed.
The Gourmet Marche International Buffet was huge and among the best we’ve seen in the Caribbean. It was like seven restaurants in one but the Mexican station was our favourite with the chef making fresh corn and flour tortillas with many choices of fillings. Our breakfast included freshly squeezed orange juice, chilaquiles and Mexican hot chocolate to mix with our coffee.
Among the no-extra-cost specialty restaurants our favourites were the Hunter Steakhouse with its tender, juicy cuts of beef, the Armadillo Tex-Mex grill (great fish tacos, sizzling fajitas and Texas ribs) and the Grazie Italian restaurant featuring excellent wood-fired pizza. We’re sorry we had to miss the Mediterranean restaurant, the Japanese restaurant and The Beach Club for Caribbean cuisine. Other gusts told us they were excellent.
All three sections of the Royalton are connected by a third floor walkway so getting between buildings is easy. There are escalators (a rarity in Mexican resorts) connecting the third floor main lobby with the pool/beach level and many of the restaurants.
With winter approaching, direct flights to Cancun are becoming more frequent. The Royalton is one of the closest resorts to the airport, making it even more appealing for those who want an exotic and satisfying warm weather getaway.