Royal for Families

My 8-year-old granddaughter’s ears perked up when she heard the family discussing travel plans.

“Free food, I want to go to the place with free food,” was her input.

Last year on vacation at an all-inclusive resort, she’d had fun ordering anything she wanted to eat or drink without paying the waiters, which made her think the food was free.

All-inclusive hotels are similar to a cruise-ship experience you pay one price up front for accommodations, food, drink and entertainment, making for a very stress-free vacation. This time our multi-generational family of eight with ages ranging from 5 to 65 chose the 400-room Royal Solaris All-Inclusive Resort, in the Baja, Mexico town of San Jose Del Cabo, for a short Memorial Day getaway.

Designed in Spanish
Hacienda-style with red-tile roof and arched balconies, the five-story Royal Solaris wraps U-shaped around tropical gardens landscaped with bright red, pink and yellow hibiscus. A large free-form pool stretches the length of the hotel, while comfortable chaise lounges line the edges. Gazebos and strategically placed umbrellas provide ample shade. The view is out to the Sea of Cortez and the booming surf.

Guestrooms are large, but not luxurious, with beige terra-cotta tiled floors opening onto either a private balcony or terrace complete with table and chairs. Bright blue bedspreads imprinted with colorful tropical flowers complement heavily carved wooden headboards, adding charm to the sparsely furnished rooms. Televisions have full cable service and movie rental availability. Spacious bathrooms have separate toilet facilities and step-in, bathtub-sized showers.

Situated in a side courtyard of the hotel is a supervised Kids Club for children ages 4-11. Four 12-foot-high waterslides beckon older children, while a splashing area with smaller slides in whimsical shapes awaits the younger ones. A room devoted to arts and crafts and games is used by all ages. Nearby, adults will find the hotel’s spa facilities and gym.

Although the hotel is located directly on a white-sand beach that stretches several miles in either direction around a scenic bay, most guests opt to lounge around the main pool. Tides and waves are strong here, as they are at many resorts along the Baja corridor.

Within sight of the beach, adults can enjoy a smaller pool strictly for their use no children allowed. Also a short distance away and directly on the sand are chaise lounges nestled under small grass palapas.

Stage shows with talented live performers singing and dancing occur nearly every evening in the large Tehuacan dinner theater. Nighttime entertainment for adults continues in the lobby with a small band playing until the early morning.

But getting back to the food overall, the menu and service were quite good. There are five restaurants to enjoy along with a snack bar. Two of the restaurants, Pancho’s for Mexican fare and Marco Polo for Italian, require reservations made by calling between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., the day you want to dine. These restaurants welcome children, and the sit-down experience is a welcome change from the buffet-style at the others. Casual, but not too casual, dress is acceptable.

And, yes, my granddaughter ordered “free food” at each of the resort’s restaurants, particularly enjoying afternoon ice cream snacks and unlimited strawberry freezes. v

Marilyn Litvak is a travel agent with Travel Arrangers in Arcadia, Calif.