Royal Suites Offers an Oasis of Calm

Nov 23, 2013

Guests have unlimited access to the four neighboring resorts. // © 2013 Palladium Hotel Group 2

Sometimes, in the midst of a full-on resort vacation, a guest might want to take a break and get away from it all — in other words, a vacation from his vacation. This is easy to accomplish when a client is booked into The Royal Suites Yucatan by Palladium at the Palladium Hotels & Resorts Grand Palladium complex in the Riviera Maya. The complex consists of five all-inclusive resorts: Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort and Spa, Grand Palladium Colonial Resort and Spa, Grand Palladium White Sand Resort and Spa, Grand Palladium Riviera Resort and Spa and The Royal Suites Yucatan by Palladium.

The resort complex is a destination in itself, with numerous pools, restaurants, bars and options for sports and entertainment. The calm oasis in the middle of all this is the five-star, adults-only The Royal Suites Yucatan by Palladium, where guests have unlimited access to the array of services available at the four neighboring resorts, while enjoying exclusive services and amenities available only to them, including butler service and a private pool. The Royal Suites Yucatan comprises 130 rooms distributed throughout three villas, containing suites, Junior Suites and Mayan Suites with outside showers.

Upon arrival, guests at Royal Suites are given a card to fill out, which indicates the time they would like their room cleaned, preferred nighttime amenities and minibar items and even the pillow they would like from a five-item pillow menu. It’s a nice touch that makes a stay feel customized.

Royal Suites accommodations are an open plan with a bedroom, sitting room and bathroom. Suites include a huge Jacuzzi on the balcony, overhead ceiling fans and luxe touches such as a lighted vanity mirror. The royal purple color scheme is kept in check by a generous amount of white in the interior design. Only a few of the Royal Suites rooms offer glimpses of the sea. I found that when I was inside my Royal Suites accommodations, I had the feeling of being at a smaller resort, quite an achievement considering the size of the resort complex.

The Jardin restaurant is adjacent to the Royal Suites lobby and is only available to Royal Suites guests. The buffet featured the usual breakfast items with a few surprises, such as eggs Benedict and chilaquiles.

“Punta Emilia and Mare Nostrum are the two most romantic restaurants at the resorts,” said José Luis Caneiro Rey, general manager of Palladium Resorts.

Tables at Punta Emilia tend to be booked by 10:30 each morning, but Royal Suites guests are given preference for reservations. Punta Emilia offers a la carte dining with a variety of seafood platters and paella. A perk for Royal Suites guests is free lobster; other guests pay an additional charge of $35. Mare Nostrum has three private tables connected by boardwalks over a lagoon setting. This provides a sense of privacy for couples and can be reserved in advance by honeymooners.

During my visit, an aquatic park with water slides was being added to the main pool. The park is slated to open this month and will be reserved for guests ages 16 and under.

There are more options for active guests than are usually found at an all-inclusive resort, including tennis, volleyball, soccer, basketball, badminton, paddle tennis, mini golf, shuffleboard, archery and even a rifle shooting range. Non-motorized watersports are also included in the all-inclusive package. The resorts share a beach that stretches 875 yards.

The 60,000-square-foot Zentropia Spa has 16 massage cabins, including five for couples and one for brides. The spa’s signature treatment is the 80-minute Exclusive Zentropia Therapy featuring six techniques, including massage, shiatsu, aromatherapy and reflexology. The spa also has an extensive water circuit, with hot and cold plunge pools, whirlpools, a sauna and steam rooms.