Viceroy Riviera Maya – Playa del Carmen

Straddling tropical beach and lush jungle, Viceroy Riviera Maya has all qualities of an idyllic holiday retreat—but this beautiful property is among the very few resorts strung alongside the Caribbean seafront of Yucatan that offers a genuine luxury as a core experience.

As we were researching a “beach escape” itinerary to cap our larger Mexico trip, one hotel, in particular, caught our attention. Compared to its neighbors on the coast, the Viceroy Riviera Maya stood out as a glamorous but intimate, luxurious yet rustic hideaway.

It didn’t take long for us to make up our minds about the final hotel line-up. Viceroy was one of the picks, and from the first moments of our stay, we knew that it was the right call.

The welcome experience

When we arrived in the large, open-air lobby we were struck by the exquisite style of the hotel and the quality of the welcome that we received. The staff had genuine smiles and presented the kind of approach that made us feel greeted like old friends. It put us right in the mindset of having no care in the world—which is exactly what we expected from a great beach resort.

While savoring the positive first impressions, we were also introduced to our personal butler, who soon proved to be always on hand to assist with any wishes, even the smallest ones. But first, he led us from the lobby, via a meandering jungle path, to our villa.

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In the villa

The villas at Viceroy are thatched bungalows, tucked away among the thick jungle. They are designed with a tasteful mix of contemporary design and Mayan references. Ours featured a private patio with chaise lounges, a heated plunge pool, an outdoor rain shower, and a handmade crochet hammock, swaying in the light breeze.

Inside, there are plenty of luxuries, and some are personalized. As we were settling in, the butler spread out a selection of handmade soaps to choose from and then cut a huge chunk for us of the one we picked, to have in our bathroom.

It was tempting to just stay put in the seclusion of our villa, but the hotel has much more to offer.

By the beach

Some of the other places we loved to hang out in included the main swimming pool and the bar next to it, as well as the beach by which the hotel is located.

The Viceroy Riviera Maya also has a full-service spa, set back from the beach in the jungle and offering a range of treatments in a soothing atmosphere.

Our favorite meals of the day were breakfasts, served in the open-air restaurant. Located between the pool and the beach and swept by the ocean breeze, this place always put us in a good mood from the early morning.

This adult-oriented hotel has an atmosphere of a private hideaway and is ideal for a romantic stay. We picked Viceroy Riviera Maya as the last place we visited on our trip to Mexico and this made the tail end of the journey luxurious and carefree. We had a perfect, tranquil, and relaxing few days here before we flew back to Europe.

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in our opinion

The Viceroy Riviera Maya's design, spa treatments, cuisine, and service is perfectly fine-tuned to ensure a romantic, rejuvenating stay.

What we love

• Understated design, at once contemporary yet infused with the Mayan culture
• The thatched-roof villas are nicely laid-out and are decorated. Our favorite place: outdoor hand-woven hammock next to the plunge pool!
• Adults only: the hotel has an intimate atmosphere and is privacy-focused. It's a romantic hideaway, especially well-suited for couples and newlyweds
• Nice spa, tucked in the lush jungle
• Superb cuisine and restaurant experiences, including the surf-and-turf beach barbeque every Friday night
• Great service. The staff at Viceroy Riviera Maya make their utmost to make their guests feel relaxed and carefree

What you should know

• Located around 40 miles south of Cancun, Viceroy Riviera Maya is well situated for access to the international airport (it was one of the reasons we stayed here at the end of our trip). Also, Playa Del Carmen is just a few miles north from the hotel
• The biggest problem we had with the beaches in Yucatan were the tons of seaweed the ocean deposits on the beach. While this is a problem for all hotels, at least Viceroy Riviera Maya makes an effort to clean the beach every day. It's a non-stop job though, and it also means workers are almost always present
• Take care when wading or swimming in the sea as there are rocks on the seafloor (the hotel provides water shoes)
• Some villas are less private (e.g. the Ocean Front Villa), as the patio is next to the resort path
• Although the hotel is adult-oriented, families with youngsters aged fourteen and older are welcomed
• The neighboring hotels can be somewhat noisy
• Getting there: The flight-comparison sites such as Skyscanner (www.skyscanner.com) or Kayak (www.kayak.com) will help you find the best flights and deals.