My wife and I just got back this afternoon from a 6 day stay at the Royal. We studied the forums and the reviews a lot before we went and they helped a lot...especially with the time share issue. We avoided it with little effort right after check-in and they never bothered us the rest of our stay. We did have a minor hassle of staying our first night in a double bed room, but were moved graciously to a king room the next night.
The facilities were very nice, most of the hotel was immaculate with the exception of the men's room under Pelicanos...bad sewer smell.. The pool was amazing, the room was perfection, the bed was a dream, the shower was incredible, and the view was nothing less than breathtaking. The beach was raked daily and they always had a crew of workers moving sand by hand or by pump to replenish what the ocean takes away. The waves and rip current are strong, so don't plan on swimming in the ocean much. The infinity pool edges right up to the beach so you can sit and drink there and look out over the gulf as if you were almost in it...decadent!
The drinks were top notch if you knew what to ask for. Specify top shelf liquor and you'll get it with no problem. Don Julio margaritas with an extra shot of Don Julio will get you there in style! We tried probably a dozen or more different drinks though...the Don Julio Mojito and the Mudslide with Malibu Rum was delish as well. The Superior beer was wonderful as well.
All that drinking will make you hungry! The only complaint we had about the food is that it wasn't available at the pool bar. We went to Grand Lido Braco in Jamiaca a few years ago and enjoyed dining in the pool, but this wasn't an option here. Spice had an amazing variety...plenty of options for the adventurous palate and plenty of basics for the more traditional diner. We loved the sushi for breakfast and the amazing fish dishes for lunch. Asiana had incredible sushi and sashimi and many other incredible dishes. We did not partake of the hibachi service, but it sounded like the folks that did had a great time. Pelicanos was good with some beautiful presentations and unique dishes. Last night we went to Maria Marie and had an absolutely decadent 2 hour dinner. We savored every bite of the coquilles, snails, vichyssoise, rack of lamb, grouper, and the grand marnier souffle. Room service as well as the coffee house were nice as well..I highly recommend the fruit tarts and the frappacinos in the coffee shop.
All of those meals and nice amenities would mean nothing if it weren't' for the amazing staff. The room maids were like ninjas it seemed, as soon as we'd leave the room, they would go in and tidy up and replace towels, empty trash cans and what not. The servers in the restaurants were of the highest caliber and more than willing to do anything they could to make your meals the best they could be.
Two things I would recommend to travelers to Cancun is to brush up on some basic Spanish and to take a supply of pesos for tips.. The staff was very enthusiastic when we greeted them with and "Hola!" or a "Beunos Tardes", and even more so when we tried to pronounce our room numbers in Spanish. I think our degree of service went up a lot just because we showed respect for their language. We were never pressured for tips, but tipped graciously when a staff member went beyond the basics of service. These people work so hard and a tip of 50 pesos or more for dinner service was greatly appreciated.
In short...you will not be disappointed with The Royal and you'll likely be spoiled and judge all other all-inclusives by the high standard this place sets!
