A Mexican holiday
Sunshine and great cuisine in Playa del Carmen
It was a different kind of Mexico resort experience.
In the popular Mayan Riviera area of the Yucatan peninsula, just south of Cancun, most tourists, including ourselves, usually stay at an isolated and well-guarded beachside, all-inclusive resort. To go off the property one has to take a taxi or join a tour group.
This time we stayed at two sister beach properties, both owned by Playa Resorts, across the street from each other within a fiveminute walk from the centre of Playa del Carmen and its Fifth Avenue shops. This 22-block, pedestrian-only thoroughfare is lined with restaurants, bars and aggressive merchants (the cries of “see my shop” and “almost free” rang out constantly).
The first resort we visited was Panama Jack, a 287-room, familyfriendly, all-inclusive property spread along a section of Playa del Carmen Harbour with its colourful fishing boats and several ferry shuttles to the island of Cozumel, directly across the water. The architects were Mexican and Italian with very pleasing columns, arches and tiled floors.
We were delighted with our room view (palm trees and azure Caribbean water), and the layout. It was spacious, clean and comfortable with adjustable AC, plenty of drawer space, a king size bed (with great reading lights) and a bathroom with a huge, marble shower. The flat-screen TV had many U.S. and Mexican channels plus a good selection of movies.
Playa del Carmen recently experienced high surf, flooding and, unfortunately, serious erosion of its harbour beach. The result is a narrow beach at Panama Jack, too many rocks and poor swimming. The resort is trying to fix the problem with sandbags along the shore and, eventually, truckloads of fresh sand to restore the beach.
Our disappointment with the beach was more than balanced by the friendless of the staff at Panama Jack and the excellent culinary offerings. Zarape (Mexican) and Bella (Italian) restaurants were both excellent. One great meal featured a shrimp ceviche in a black volcanic bowl. On one of our evenings we’d enjoyed the Taco Festival with pork, slowroasted in an underground oven, as well as beef and chicken tacos plus lots of salads and desserts. During the meal a mariachi band entertained and then a dance troupe took the stage with traditional dances. A great evening!
After three nights at Panama Jack, we moved across the street to the Royal Playa del Carmen, a much larger (513 rooms) adultonly resort that also had Mexican-Italian architecture. Built in 2004, it includes U-shaped buildings around the large pool and another long building separated by a park-like lawn. This quieter section was our home for two nights and, although the view of the sea was almost non-existent, our room was very comfortable and well-equipped. The set-up was very similar with an even larger bathroom, a double Jacuzzi and a massive 55-inch Samsung TV. The small fridge contained beer and pop (replenished daily). But plenty of bars at the resort provided excellent draft Mexican beer and other drinks.
Best of all, the beach in front of the Royal seemed unaffected by erosion and was delightful for swimming.
With a thousand guests, there did seem to be a shortage of recliners and beach umbrellas for shade from the hot sun.
Once again we were very impressed by the quality and attentiveness of the employees. The excellent spa had a wide variety of extra-cost treatments. But the hydrotherapy circuit (three pools of different temperatures, a sauna and steam room) is free for all guests.
For breakfast the first day we tried the main buffet called Spice. Lots of good choices (both Mexican and American) but it was noisy and crowded. The second day we discovered the “quiet pool” and its adjacent El Mediterraneo restaurant where the buffet breakfast was equally satisfying but much more tranquil.
Dinner was a treat. Maria Marie is a large dining room with colourful Mexican murals on the walls. It’s promoted as “Mexican-French fusion” and has an unusual but outstanding menu. Particularly interesting were the zucchini blossom crepes and the beef fillet with foie gras and port wine reduction.
On another night we tried the “Chef’s Table Gourmet,” the premium culinary experience at the Royal. It’s complimentary for guests in the larger suites but US$89 for others. The chef uses top ingredients and an imaginative flair for a memorable fivecourse dinner, changing every day. Her prosciutto with melon salad and edible flowers was almost too pretty to eat (but we did!) and her main dishes were equally interesting.
The wines offered were standard, inexpensive Spanish house wines used in the other restaurants. The restaurant would benefit by improving this aspect of an otherwise wonderful meal.
Later this year Hilton will take over the Royal as one of its few worldwide properties to offer an all-inclusive experience. We’re told the staff will stay intact. That’s good news because at both Panama Jack and The Royal, the helpful, well-trained employees are key assets.