For those of you who now look for my Friday suite review, mea culpa; sorry I’m late but work took precedence–who would have thought so many individuals needed documents at the same time?? Anyway, here’s a review for families out there who are searching for an upscale resort in the Riviera Maya not too far from Playa del Carmen. The Paradisus Playa del Carmen is a large property with two separate sections including adults-only (La Perla), and a family-friendly section (La Esmeralda). This review will focus on a Family Concierge One Bedroom Master Swim-Up Suite in the La Esmeralda section.
One of the great family-friendly features of this resort is the age of children who have access to the children’s facilities–kids as young as 12 months are welcome while Meliá (the parent company) often has promotions where kids stay free at their resorts. Definitely two big bonuses for families. The Kids Zone hours are 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. (another bonus since parents may want to have dinner without their children), and the water park on premise has a large pirate ship with numerous water features.
It pays to upgrade to the Family Concierge category at this resort; you get the following additional amenities:
- private check-in/out
- butler service–guests have complimentary use of a cell phone with which to contact their butler. Butlers can make restaurant and spa reservations for you, unpack/pack your bags if you’d like, prepare your terrace Jacuzzi tub ($), and iron several select items for you during your stay.
- access to a private heated pool with a swim-up bar
- access to a private beach section with a dedicated concierge
- access to a private lounge with complimentary snacks and top-shelf liquor
- Family Concierge guests have sole access to the Olio restaurant for breakfast and lunch
- adults have complimentary access to the spa’s hydrotherapy circuit
- private fitness facilities
- special turndown evening service complete with cookies and milk for the kids
- welcome beach kits and bathroom amenity kits for children
- in-room robes and slippers for kids (adults have their own in all suites)
- access to Wii, PS2, and XBox 360 on request
And now some information on the actual suite. The Family Concierge One Bedroom Master Swim-Up Suite is 900 sq. feet and offers the following:
- a separate bedroom which can be closed off from the living room area
- a separate bathroom which can be fully closed off–no worrying about bathroom privacy
- a dining table for six (these suites can only book a total of four, I believe)
- the wow factor of this suite is the terrace–lots of room with several seating areas along with a terrace Jacuzzi. There are steps right off the terrace for entrance into the swim-up pool. Younger children are allowed to stay in a swim-up room as long as the parents sign a waiver which releases the resort from responsibility should an accident occur.
Convinced yet? Take a look at the video below to get an idea of this suite’s layout. What do you think? Would you stay here?