We have been to Royal Hideaway so many times there is hardly much more that I can add by writing a new review about this place that has become so special to us.  So this will probably be the shortest one of all.  

For the first time as an adult my mother was going out of the country with me in a plane and I was so excited.  We made arrangements to upgrade to a two-bedroom Royal Suite and though it was more expensive it was worth the money as I had a vacation that I will always cherish with my Mother.  In the two-bedroom Royal Suites, the double beds are upstairs but mom had absolutely no problem with the stairs.  Her room had a beautiful view of the ocean and she told us she loved the amenities and spaciousness of her room.  A favorite for mom was the hot tub which she would use most afternoons on our return from our activities at the main building section.                      

I have to tell you though we were there from the beginning of the year when it was not to warm, we had maybe two good days at the beach but due to planning we still enjoyed every day.  Though my mom is older, she is as fit as a fiddle and had me on the walk to the main building by 7:30 a.m. in the morning.  We would have breakfast there and then head back, stopping to say hola to Katia and Julito on our way, while Rafal would go out in the cart with one of the funniest group of bellboys.  Oh and as an aside, one guy seemed to be working 24 hours and when I asked if I had not seen him earlier that day when he was taking us back to the suites one night it turns out, he is an identical twin and they are both bellboys there, so of course one night there paths crossed and we made it a Kodak moment.  By the middle of the week though we just walked in and walked back out as we preferred to eat breakfast at the Royal Suites Restaurant as it was quiet and we could sit and have the omelette brought out to us instead of waiting in line.  

Believe it or not, for all the times we have been there we met new staff who maybe we had seen before but never had any interaction with.   We booked courts for my mom to play tennis with the young guys and it was so hilarious when she played with young Yandy as she had him all over the court and in between breathes he kept saying, just let me know when you are tired Dolores.  You could see the relief on his face when a couple of guys came to get the courts as it was their scheduled time.  I think he was also relieved when we booked appointments with the Pro, Reno, for my mom for the balance of the week.  There is a small fee for the hour but my mother loved it.  The first day I escorted her to the courts then waited inside and was taught how to play dominos by Javier, Isma, and the women were up by four until I figured it all out and then thought to much and we lost.  But now I know and will probably invest in a nice set on my next visit.

What my mother found was so interesting, is that thought for the first few days at the Royal Suites there was a large Spanish contingent staying there, we hardly ever crossed paths with them, I don't know if it is the way the units are laid out but rarely you see your neighbours.

Before I forget this aside, we stayed in the same suite as Sting and all I could think of was, I am sleeping in the same bed as he did, using all the amenities he did, I know, I know, but he is famous!

We had heard whispers in the hotel of a new area at the end of the Cayo's next to Barcelo where you can go and enjoy a day, afternoon or evening off the resort called Pueblo. It was all confirmed and I understood that a red train ran from one of the other hotels and picked up guests along the way ringing it's bell as it stopped for passengers. We were told that it did not come to RHE as it was a bit further and the train is electric. I think they were making other arrangements for guest who wanted to go. I was a little disappointed that the train was not coming as I thought it would be so much fun, but we were invited by Agnes to go and visit the Pueblo and were taken over for an afternoon by Lisardo. The design makes your feel that you are really in a little town and there is a Town Square where one day they will have live music or some type of entertainment during the day. There are restaurants and outdoor eating areas, a 50's themed Ice Cream bar for those hot days in the sun, there is a state of the art Bowling area with pool tables and a bar. There is a Spa that I have every intention of visiting when we return in April, we got a tour and it is fabulous a place where you can go and have a relaxing and invigorating day, there are many different private massage rooms, outdoor massage areas, a water massage, and pools with different temperatures as well as saunas. The ladies and mens change areas are large and have all the luxuries, there is also an area for manicures and pedicures and a beauty salon. Now please do not quote me on this but I believe you are allowed to use the pool facilities once you have paid for the massage. There is a huge brand new gym next door. Once I have finished with the Spa I plan to do some fine dining at one of the four specialty restaurants at Pueblo and maybe finish the night off at the disco. This is not part of the all-inclusive experience but I think it will be money well spent and I am going to treat my day there like an excursion. The day we were leaving RHE to head back home, while we were all waiting for the bus I went to the Gift Store for a moment and when I came back out, I could not believe it, there in all it's glory was the candy apple red Pueblo Train and I was as excited as a kid in a candy store. I hope it will still be going to RHE when we get back there. Click here for more information about The Pueblo.

On our way back that day they had also arranged for us to see the Barcelo hotel. The staff there who took us on the tour were amazing and we would like to thank them. We have an upcoming family reunion and it has been so hard to chose the right location that would meet everyones needs, when we were there I could not help thinking how perfect that resort would have been. For my cousins with children there are suites that you can upgrade to that have an adjoining room with double beds so it would be like and apartment set up as the suite had a living area and if I remember correctly, a little kitchenette area and the best thing is you do not have to worry about food because there are many restaurants and everybody could eat whatever they wanted. Also for families with young children there was a well run daycare facility with all the mod cons for children of all ages. I am going to keep this in mind for the next time we have a family reunion as there were activities for kids of all ages and it is only a short walk to the Pueblo for more entertainment.

Also we would like to say Hi to Basil and Cathy from P.E.I., we loved meeting you and we hope you enjoyed the rest of your holiday.  

As usual our Butlers, Gerardo and Yolie were fabulous.  For some reason this year I had a bit of a sweet tooth in the afternoon so tea came at 4:00 p.m. with a delectable array of cookies and anybody who laughed at me was not allowed a cookie.  I also have to mention Augustin as he saved me one day when I made a bad judgment call and avoided me having to pay if I had lost the items I had left behind, oh and he makes the best Pina Coladas at the Suites pool bar.  

There are so many people who went out of their way to make this family vacation such a special one, that to name everyone will make this long so I am just going to say, Thank You to all management, and all your beautiful staff for another fabulous vacation to remember in my home away from home.  It was so special to begin our New Year in our 'Paradise' and we all wish you all a magnificent and peaceful year.  As usual I went away with a heart full of all your smiles and warm wishes.

Hasta Pronto... See you soon.

Danielle & Rafal