I stayed in an all-inclusive resort in Playa De Carmen, the Riu Tequila Resort. The resort is set amongst a number of other all-inclusive resorts all of a luxury standard. I’ve stayed all-inclusive before but nothing on this scale of luxury. The entrance to this hotel is incredibly grand and everything about it screams luxury. The rooms are quite luxurious with marbled bathrooms, fully stocked fridges and optics. We had a room with a balcony but I can’t say if this is standard for all rooms. The fridges are restocked every two days and contain water, mixers and beer. The optics have vodka, gin and whiskey, I think.
The pool is large with a bar on one side, and a spa bit with raised beds on the other. The pool is divided in two and their all loungers around it. Down the steps from the pool is the beach area, crammed full of loungers. The view is amazing and there are palm trees planted throughout this area. The water can be pretty rough. The resort itself is wonderfully designed, full of greenery and walkways. The restaurant has a fantastic selection of food and there is a beach bar serving lunches during the day. They have themed nights in the main restaurants and two additional restaurants serving Mexican and steaks, you need to book in advance for these.
There was a hurricane during our visit and the staff were well prepared and provided excellent service. In the run up to the hurricane they provided extra supplies to all rooms and worked round the clock to restore the hotel after the hurricane. You can walk into town from the hotel, it takes about half an hour but you get to view all the other hotels and there is an area full of pink flamingos. The town itself has some great shops and there are some really good buys here. There are also a range of restaurants and further places to stay. I really enjoyed my trip and at the end of a stint of travelling it provided some much needed luxury. Despite this, if I was to visit the area again I probably wouldn’t go all inclusive as I think you miss out on some of the character of the place and there are so many wonderful places in town that it’s a shame not to use them. If travelling onwards from Playa De Carmen there are buses from town leaving to destinations throughout Mexico. Playa De Carmen is also well situated for trips to Tulum or Chitchen Itza.