On seven hectares near the Allegro, this property is the most luxurious all-inclusive resort on Playacar's booming resort row. This adult-oriented place (no children under age 13 allowed) turns up some class and turns down the music. Though there are two weekly evening shows, and music plays poolside, it is still a far cry from the raucous affairs that some other resorts muster up with discos and overly animated social directors.
Two- and three-story architecture is a fusion of Antillean and Spanish design, tastefully painted in blue, yellow and pink, with streams and waterfalls threading through the grounds. The lobby, the site of afternoon tea service, is appropriately formal with elegant columns rising up from the marble floor.
Just off the lobby is Ventana's, a signature restaurant with a Michelin-rated chef. It serves breakfast, lunch and a formal dinner in a sophisticated setting of wood floors, square paneled columns and mullioned windows without views. Spices, specializing in seafood, serves bountiful breakfast buffets and Caribbean and Mexican
a la carte meals at lunch and dinner in a setting ringed with windows. Two specialty restaurants—one Italian, one Japanese—offer dinner only and are generally held in high regard among guests.
The beach club serves drinks from 11 am on and tea in the afternoon. A cigar bar and a piano bar open early and stay open with music until 1 am. A dress code (no sneakers, no shorts) goes into effect in the evening for the restaurants.
The gigantic whirlpool impresses guests, and three other whirlpools line the beach, which has suffered severe erosion and undergone refurbishment efforts, with mixed results. The resort's six swimming pools are open 24 hours a day. A small one is crossed by a bridge at the spa, a larger lagoon-style pool is set hard against the beach and has a graduated entry, and the long, cascading infinity pool boasts a shallow terrace for extreme sunbathing. There is also an activity pool, a spa pool and quiet pool. The beach, shared with all the other all-inclusive resorts here, seems to change weekly, depending on the weather and tides, and is 
not as wide and inviting as it once was. It is a lively place, with a watersports center full of sailboards, kayaks, sailboats and snorkeling gear (included in the all-inclusive rate), as well as WaveRunners, ther motorized equipment and scuba diving (offered for an additional fee).
The gym is fitted with weight-training machines, exercise bikes and free weights. Two lighted tennis courts near the street, expensive spa treatments (not part of the all-inclusive rates), meeting space for 220 delegates, wireless Internet access and a small business center with free Internet access round out the amenities.
The primary accommodations cluster in two-story villas and provide more amenities than the competition does, from fresh-cut flowers to robes and fruit baskets upon arrival. The resort's large villa units are housed in two- and three-story buildings named for tropical flowers and offer private concierge services. The style is tropically elegant, with mahogany furnishings, king or two double beds, marble combination baths with jetted tubs and hand-held showerheads, 
and furnished balconies or terraces. All rooms provide frigid thermostat-controlled air conditioning, ceiling fans, two phones, TVs, DVD and CD players (a complimentary library of books and DVDs stays open till 8 pm), minibars, coffeemakers, safes, irons and hair dryers. Villas 24, 27 and 31 lie closest to the beach and pool. Presidential suites come with two whirlpools, one on the balcony.
Four guest rooms are designed for travelers with disabilities, and all areas of the hotel are wheelchair-accessible. The light-menu room service never stops at this luxurious hideaway, and each building has a private concierge for restaurant reservations and tours.
The well-dressed staff matches the resort's profile: low-key, well-mannered and service-oriented. The resort offers upscale accommodations and service comparable to the Fairmount Mayakoba or Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya properties located 15 minutes to the north.
