Report/Review of Royal PDC

[francesm]

Neither hubby or I had ever stayed at an AI of any type, so we were newbies. Very nice overall - with a few notes. Hopefully this report will help out those who have never done an AI or stayed at the Royal PDC.

The Resort:

The resort is truly lovely with wide, open spaces. It's immaculately clean and very well-designed. The spaces are well laid out in regards and relation to the lobby, restaurants, bars, quiet pool and "active" pool, rooms, elevators, walkways, stairways, beach and so forth.

The Staff:

Extremely polite and helpful. If it rained a bit, they were out in full force with their giant squeegees moving puddles of water from the walkways and outdoor areas. If sunny, they were pruning, cleaning, etc. They would always stop what they were doing to greet you by putting their hand over their heart in a sort of polite salutation to your presence.

The Pools/Beach:

Ah, the Gulf of Mexico. Lovely beach. People talk about the width of the beach being too short and therefore crowded (between the palapas and the water). I did not find the beach too crowded. The palapas (built for two) are close together on the beach, but there is plenty of room to enjoy. There are no moveable umbrellas anywhere at pools/beach. The palapas on the beach are fixed permanently on the beach so it's the chair that moves with the shade, and not the palapa.

There is no weird smell at the beach. The water is clean, tranquil (unless there are winds) and crystal clear. Now, your neighbors on the beach may not be very clean or tranquil, but when you stay at a large A.I. at capacity, that's the luck of the draw.

The "active/large" pool was not at all our cup of tea because we are the book-reading, beach-napping, day-tripping kinds of vacationers. Tons of pool lounge chairs all around the pool, elbow to elbow, with small, square overhead shades attached. Loud people, music blaring from rooms and/or the pool itself, a swing bar, a swim-up bar, etc. The large pool was where the salsa lessons, "pass the orange" contests ("Crazy Game"), pass the soccer ball, volleyball, trivia games with a microphone, etc. took place.

The quiet pool is in an alcove by El Mediterraneo. Half shade and half sun at any time of the day. Great for relaxing and this pool is rarely crowded. There is also a bar, coffee/pastry shop and restaurant right there.

Neither pool is heated, so hardly anyone was in them. I'm sure they're much warmer in the summer months than in Fall/Winter months.

The Room:

We had room 710. This is - I believe - the newer section of the hotel. Though this entire building is designated smoking, and we are entirely non-smoking, no problem. No problem because everything in the room is marble, tile or wood except the linens, which are washed.

If you are the type for more of a quiet vacation, I would highly recommend staying in any of the rooms between 600-618, 700-718, 800-818 and 900-918. Why? Because you are very near the quiet pool, away from the noisy and bustling lobby (not too far, though), as far as possible from the active/large pool.

*Hint I learned on this forum: open the door to the cabinet that holds the fridge a bit, and you will get more circulation and the items in the fridge will stay colder.

*Hint: You can grab bottled waters in the lobby where the bellmen and front desk is located or in the 24 Hour VIP lounge.

Nice balcony for reading during the brief rains that come and go. The hammock is tricky to get into and out of if you don't have good balance or are short. It is a tight-weave hammock higher off the ground than it appears.

Dining:

Spice - a spectacular buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Very casual dress. You can not imagine the offerings....eggs made every possible way, omelets with incredible add-ins, crepes, pancakes, hams, bacon, fish, oatmeal, cereal, fruits, yogurts, smoked salmon with all the fixings, chilaquiles, bagels, breads, etc. Some complain this buffet is too warm. This is because the sunny wall is entirely glass and the sun turns up the heat. If you feel too warm, then you can go to...

El Mediterraneo - buffet for breakfast and lunch. Very casual dress for both. For dinner, steak, fish, veal, chicken, seafood, duck and pasta made to order. Excellent desserts and dinner. Requires pants and closed-toe shoes for men at dinner, and more than shorts/t-shirts for ladies. Gets very busy by 7:30 pm. Larger groups (> 6 people) will be asked to wait at the bar area directly outside until service can be made available. The wait is typically no longer than 20 - 30 minutes.

Coffee Bar - fantastic coffee (American and European), cafe con leche, espressos, pastries, hot teas, and other treats. Fantastic chocolate truffles and mini-cheesecakes, strawberries/chocolate fountain, etc.

Pelicanos - outdoor Mexican/Caribbean fusion by the beach. Great menu; very interesting mix of Great food; slower service. Can get really windy later in the day, and chilly depending upon the time of year you travel.

Tapas Y Pintxos - outdoor Spanish-style tapas restaurant (lovely plates of small food and quasi-similar to what you might find at a tapas bar in Spain). Tapas Y Pintxos and Pelicanos share the same space and a restroom and bar. You can not sit in one area and order off of the menu from another, though they are right together. Also, larger groups (> 8) can not sit together, period.

*Hint: If you are on the beach and want to eat or use the restroom at either Pelicanos or Tapas Y Pintxos you can not come in there barefooted and without a wrap or shirt/bottoms. They will ask you to put on a cover up and shoes and come back.

Asiana - This could be a great restaurant, but is not (yet) IMHO. Nothing raw on the "sushi" menu; it's all rolls (like California Rolls, Philly Roll, etc). The sushi should be great, but it is not. The raw fish (tuna, mackerel, yellowtail, etc.) is served only as sashimi (raw fish laid on top of a bowl of rice). The menu is heavier on the Thai and Japanese. The soy sauce is most definitely watered down, but not the drinks. Go figure. They do not get the concept of "spicy" at Asiana (ie: how to turn up the heat for a Thai Beef using more chili paste and rice vinegar). Also, be aware that this place gets more non- Royal PDC AI guests who are strolling along Fifth Avenue than other proximal restaurants. It faces the street, so walk-in's are normal. They have a dress code (pants/closed toe shoes for men; nicer attire than t-shirts and jean shorts for women). Several couples/groups were turned away due to too casual attire.

Maria Marie - For dinner only. Steaks, fish, veal, chicken, seafood, etc. with a variety of fantastic sauces for your meat and then fab side dishes. Excellent desserts. Dinner only. Ditto on the dress code.

Chef's Plate - this is the nouveau cuisine a 'la Michael Mina. Smallest restaurant and an extra price unless you are in an ocean front room, I believe. We have done Michael Mina in San Francisco, so did not pay to do this. New menu every night. Dinner only.

**Big Hint: If you are a "roast beef and mashed potatoes every day" or "homemade spaghetti and garlic Bread" or "giant hamburgers with the fixings and baked beans" sort of person, this may not be the place for you. The food here - aside from the buffets (and even then somewhat) - is very innovative, upscale and served with a flair for presentation. The majority of menu items at the restaurants are heavy on the veal, lamb, steak, seafood of every type (monkfish, salmon, tuna, huge shrimps, mussels, scallops), Mexican/Spanish-type hams, smoked trout, vegetable mousseline, duck, grilled/sautéed chicken, certain cuts of steak, seafood potage with saffron, vichyssoise, etc.

If you don't know the difference between brochette and bruschetta, you will want to brush up or have fun learning instead of getting smarmy with the wait staff or host(ess). We watched people get frustrated with themselves - usually in tables of 4 or 6 - when they did not understand what was on the menu and then get really rude with the wait staff on more than three occasions. "Hey! Can't we just get a burger like they have at Senor Frog's??" No, you can't. They have burgers (but not of the Johnny Rockets/Hard Rock type) at Spice.

*Hint: If you are expecting Tex-Mex as you would find in the US at Mexican restaurants, it is no where on site at the Royal PDC. Neither is Pace Picante Sauce or similar. The hot green salsa and the milder red salsa are great, but not everyone's taste.

That said, the skinny, salty French fries rock.

Personally, I think the Royal PDC should post their menus online and give folks a head's up about what to expect regarding dining. If you don't like more unique dining or dress codes, you're going to be limited regarding choices, which sounds odd given that there are six restaurants. (We did not eat across the street at the sister resort).

Other Nice Things:

The Spa - This is a lovely, very Zen-like area of the resort with an outdoor garden relaxation section, and then as you enter the actual Spa you have the check-in area for appointments and then the gender separate "wet areas" with showers (2), toilets (2), dry sauna, vapor/steam room, relaxing lounges, Jacuzzi and cold plunge. There is also an outdoor "polish waterfall" (large showerhead) with a lounger in a special area for anyone to use. This is all included for that day if you have a spa appointment booked, or if you pay roughly $60 extra for full run of the wet areas/spa during your stay. I had a pedicure and then on another day an 80-minute massage.

The prices are comparable or slightly less than you would find in a nice hotel in Miami Beach, or Los Angeles, or Sedona, or in Europe. ($170 USD - tip not included - for an 80 minute massage, for example). The spa is very clean and well-maintained with three types of waters and fruits to keep hydrated around the wet areas. Towels are plentiful. The treatment rooms are marvelous. The wet area of the spa will accommodate 10 women comfortably. Above that capacity, it's a zoo. Men and women have separate areas. Some women in the wet area are topless or nude, and others are not. C'est la vie.

The 24-Hour VIP Lounge: Hubby and I had some real laughs in here. There are two large TV's, a great deal of sofas/chairs/tables, two pool tables (one of which was missing the 8 ball) and a ping pong table. There is an open bar with premium drinks and a variety of snacks. Far more than the nachos and mozzarella sticks you will read about online in forums and on TripAdvisor. They had fish ceviche, calamari, squid and octopus ceviche, three kinds of cheese typical to Mexico, three types of ham typical to Mexico/Latin America, chips/nacho sauce, pico de gallo, guacamole, onion rings, spring rolls, wines, fountain sodas, tiny delicious pastries, calamari, fruits, smoked salmon, etc.

Business Center: As opposed to other high-end hotels, you do not have to pay to use the internet. There are four PC's and generally never a wait. There is a printer for boarding passes, other documents, etc.

Yoga: There is yoga every morning in the wedding gazebo at 9 am for an hour. Great instructors. It's more Hatha Yoga (flow/breathing yoga), so it's not killer yoga boot camp.

Stage Shows: The only two shows we liked were the Prehispanic and Mexican dance nights in the lobby bar. There was Mariachi one night we were there, unless we missed it other nights. Piano nights were nice too. But the lobby is really, really loud. We were usually at the bar by El Mediterraneo. They make a mean Old Fashioned and a mean Mint Julep. Shout out here to bartenders Angel and Reyes. Also, Greta - cocktail waitress - was so incredibly nice and professional.

Other:

**People complain that the drinks are "watered down". I assure you they are not intentionally watered down. Watch the bartenders pour the liquor! The reason the drinks served on the rocks get watery is because the ice is moved from a central location in the lobby or from a restaurant in a large plastic bags all day. The ice melts a bit and then is put in chilled metal bins. The ice then becomes "wet ice" due to the warmer temperature and whether you are drinking in air conditioning or at an outside bar.

*Weddings: We were there for seven full days. You can experience marriage, Pachelbel's Canon in D, and wedding fashions as often as you like. Receptions are set up in the larger areas in the middle, grassy sections of the property.

*There is a difference between the Front Desk, the Concierge and Guest Services. The Front Desk is check in and check out, easy questions about Playa, etc. The Concierge helps get taxis and direct you to other places not found on the resort, and to fill more complicated requests (dinner on the beach for 10, for example). "Guest Services" is your first step into the timeshare process. We gave no info to the smiling faces at Guest Services except our room number, did not take the 10% off coupon for use during our stay to join the "Royal Club," and asked the truly nice lady not to call our room or contact us about buying into the Royal properties timeshare ownership. And then we had no problems with time share. I'm not saying it's not great for some, but that's not how we travel.

Hint: If you want to watch the time share folks in action, go have breakfast at El Mediterraneo around 9 or 10 am any day of the week. You will see plenty of couples having breakfast with the smiling time share salesperson, and then you will see the time share person whisk the couple off for the 1 hour time share presentation/sales pitch.

Hint: If you buy tequila on Fifth Avenue, you are paying too much. Walk on past Fifth Avenue to the Mega Supermarket and buy it for 20 - 40% less than any Tequila tourist shop on Fifth Avenue.

Finally, when you go to the Royal PDC, you will be with a variety of people. Here's the breakdown as I see it:

40% over the age of 55 from all over the world - good people.

40% under the age of 55 who have class and know how to treat wait staff, housekeeping, concierge, bellmen, taxi drivers, etc.

The other 20% are total goofballs of varying ages who are there to be rude, verbally abusive to others, super loud, ostentatious, drunk 24/7 and then use the beach right in front of the palapas as their personal urinal. No kidding. And you are stuck with them, or you move away (far, far away) from them. That said, management calmly keeps and eye on these folks, and the sun/booze usually gets the best of them by the second day.

All in all, it was a great time and a great experience.

[TMel]

Interesting to hear the changes that have taken place since we last visited the Royal in 2008.

Btw, it's the Caribbean, not the Gulf of Mexico Common mistake, though

[francesm]

Whoops! Right you are. It's all big salty water to me.

[Mauiwowie]

Wonderful review! I am looking forward to hanging out by the "quiet pool" by El Mediterraneo as it was not there last time we stayed at the Royal. One thing thing I am surprised at is they open the Asiana restaurant to the public.

[TMel]

Originally Posted by Mauiwowie

Wonderful review! I am looking forward to hanging out by the "quiet pool" by El Mediterraneo as it was not there last time we stayed at the Royal. One thing thing I am surprised at is they open the Asiana restaurant to the public.

Not sure if it's still the case or not, but Pelicanos was also open to the public as well when we last visited.

[Mauiwowie]

Originally Posted by TMel

Not sure if it's still the case or not, but Pelicanos was also open to the public as well when we last visited.

Really? Pelicanos? It was never open to the public any time we have been there in past years.

[TMel]

Originally Posted by Mauiwowie

Really? Pelicanos? It was never open to the public any time we have been there in past years.

Yeah, I remember the couple at a table next to us were not staying at the hotel. That was back in 2008 though, the last time we stayed there. I was surprised, too.

[canukonthego]

Thanks for the review - we're heading to RBDC on Dec 26th and we can't wait - this just whets our appetitie even more!

[francesm]

We noticed that Asiana, Pelicanos and Tapas y Pintxos all took tourist traffic if folks were dressed appropriately. These three restaurants face the main street, Ave. Constituyentes.

We saw more tourists flocking to Asiana. This restaurant appears to have been built particularly for tourist traffic (in addition to the Royal AI guests) because of it's location off the property. Don't get me wrong....it's right there with easy access for Royal PDC clients....but it's outside of the Royal's "compound", if you will, about 30 yards from the lobby. To passersby, this would not appear to be a restaurant affiliated with the Royal.

[francesm]

One more thing. I write:

"If you are the type for more of a quiet vacation, I would highly recommend staying in any of the rooms between 600-618, 700-718, 800-818 and 900-918."

In addition to the quiet pool, you are also right there with El Mediterraneo; a roomy, nice outdoor bar and the coffee shop. The towels for the quiet pool are held in a bin for you to take on your own and some portion of the loungers (about half) are in full shade at any given part of the day due to the location of the pool in relation to the buildings around the pool.

There are four lounging beds as well. For convenience, there are restrooms right there as well.

[SharonD]

When the Royal first opened, Asiana was a steak house. I can't remember the name but the building and the resturant were not originally associated with the Royal. David and I noticed that it was not doing much business at all...it was off the beaten path of 5th Ave and not included in the AI of the Royal. I think it was a steak house for 2 years and then sold to the Royal property and changed to Asiana.

We love Asiana's and I personally think the sushi is amazing, the Ranibow Roll is my fav - tuna, salmon, and a Cal roll all in one. And the soy sauce with habaneros is really great on the sushi...and everything they serve!

Enjoyed your report. We love the Royal and staff!

[Mauiwowie]

Originally Posted by SharonD

When the Royal first opened, Asiana was a steak house. I can't remember the name but the building and the resturant were not originally associated with the Royal. David and I noticed that it was not doing much business at all...it was off the beaten path of 5th Ave and not included in the AI of the Royal. I think it was a steak house for 2 years and then sold to the Royal property and changed to Asiana.

Are you sure about that? Our recollection is the one year we were there it was being built and then the next it was open and was Asiana.

[SharonD]

I'm sure about it being a steak house (we go in late August every year). Maybe it wasn't open the first year we stayed there and then it was a steak house. We both remember two years we were there it was not Asiana's. I'll see if we have any pics but I doubt it since taking pictures of resturants isn't something we'd normally do!

[Neil G]

Thanks for the detailed review. We are heading out there on Jan 4 and now I'm looking forward to it more than ever!

Originally Posted by francesm

The raw fish (tuna, mackerel, yellowtail, etc.) is served only as sashimi (raw fish laid on top of a bowl of rice).

Just FYI this style is called "nigiri sushi". Sashimi is the raw fish only, no rice. Sushi always has rice, but not necessarily fish.

[francesm]

Yes. Nigiri, sashimi, and maki.

At any rate, there is no nigiri at Asiana. We only noted the aforementioned "nothing raw" (maki) rolls and then sashimi (a few pieces of fish laid upon a thin bowl of rice, technically chirashi) on the Asiana menu. They may make nigiri upon request with raw fish, or maki for that matter, but they were so busy when we were there we did not ask.