The Informed Traveler
The Informed Traveler
Handling Travel Disasters & the Royal Hideaway Playacar, MX
With all the crazy things going on in the world right now, would you know how to effectively handle a travel disaster or emergency? Travel expert Onanta Forbes offers up some tips on what you should do before you leave and what to do if disaster strikes while you're at your destination. And then one of our regular guests David Yeskel will join us. Normally we refer to him as the Cruise Guru but this time around he'll share his recent visit to the Royal Hideaway Playacar, a luxury all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen.
Well, hello and welcome to the Informed Traveller Podcast, a weekly travel podcast where our goal is to help you become a more informed traveller. I'm your host, Randy Sharman. With all the crazy things going on in the world right now, would you know how to effectively handle a travel disaster? Well, in a few moments, travel expert Onanda Forbes will be here to offer some tips on what you should do before you leave and what to do if disaster strikes while you're at your destination. And then one of our regular guests, David Yesco, will join us. Normally, we refer to him as the cruise guru, but this time around, he'll share his recent visit to the Royal Hideaway Playa Car, a luxury all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. But first, let's kick things off chatting with travel expert, Onanta Forbes, who joins us each week to discuss some of the travel news and travel trends. You can follow her adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and X at Onanta Forbes. Onantaforbes.com is her website. Hi, Onanta.
SPEAKER_03:How are you, Randy? I'm
SPEAKER_01:well, thank you. We're going to talk about what to do when disaster strikes, which is kind of fitting because we are getting into hurricane season now, and there's all kinds of crazy things going on around the world. So it's good to know what to do before you take off and if, you know, in the unlikely event, because chances are nothing happens, but if it does, you've got to be prepared, right?
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely, right. And there is a lot of instability at times in the world. with wars, with civil unrest. We talked last week about destinations that don't like tourism. They throw something at you. So there's lots of things that can happen. But the best thing is in managing any crisis is just to be informed. When you're planning your trip, keep abreast of the latest weather forecasts and news updates of your destinations. There's many countries that have dedicated agencies that provide real-time information on potential natural disasters and that includes the government of canada website so you know you can anticipate possible changes to your itinerary and act swiftly and also the opportunity here um you know working with a travel agent because they're also in the know on a broader perspective um so it's it's um It's good to work with that person. And also, you know, we always talk about this on our show, but insurance matters. It's a great tool when it comes to natural disasters. So before you book, ensure that your policy covers that component and what it includes. Some policies offer trip cancellation and interruption coverage. And, you know, that can help you get reimbursed for non-refundable expenses and additional costs. incurred by a disaster or even a strike like an airport strike or airline strike you know because then you can maybe rebook yourself and another airline and then take advantage of that coverage so that you're not out of pocket twice in a sense
SPEAKER_01:right well let's talk about some of the different scenarios you know like there I mentioned that there's hurricane season so there's natural disasters there's medical emergencies There's theft or loss, flight delays or cancellations. Even when you're talking about labor disputes, even railway. If you're in Europe, for example, and it doesn't have to be, it could be at airports, baggage handlers, things like that, that you should be aware of, right?
SPEAKER_03:Right. I actually just had some travelers that were in Italy. And Italy is famous for their sudden strikes. And their rail journey was affected. So they have to, you know, working together, we have to figure out another way to get them to Rome because in the next couple of days, they have to take an international flight home. So things like that will occur as well. So, and even, you know, we get these alerts from KLM at times where just even getting to an airport such as Amsterdam could be a challenge because of traffic, because of roadworks or strikes. So, you do have to be really aware of what's going on and lots of things can affect it and things that you probably may not have affected because I remember one time I was in Ireland and And we were locked in place because Michelle Obama and her daughters were there. And so they closed the streets. So I couldn't get to my next
SPEAKER_01:destination.
SPEAKER_03:So I wasn't
SPEAKER_01:as important as Michelle. Pretty hard to
SPEAKER_03:plan for that one. Yeah. I know, right? But these things happen. It's true. I
SPEAKER_01:guess what we're talking about is before your trip, that's part of your research, like just have it in the back of your mind. Oh, there could be a labor dispute somewhere or there could be civil unrest because, I don't know, maybe there's an election going on. Those types of things. Or, you know, if you're talking about hurricane season, if your destination is in the hurricane belt, just be aware of all those things before you take off, right?
SPEAKER_03:Right. And social media is a good tool in a sense, like with checking different sites. I've had clients that go on to like they're going on a trip and they will join a group that's going on the same trip and kind of get their perspective as well. So, right. There's lots of scenarios that could happen that we couldn't even touch on really.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, exactly. What are some of the other things that you can do before you leave? for your trip?
SPEAKER_03:Well, you know, being flexible can help you as well. So when you're booking your travel and accommodations, offer options that allow for last-minute changes without hefty penalties. And that goes in respect to airlines and hotels offering flexible booking policies. And then perhaps, you know, like right now, as you said, we're going into hurricane season. They're saying that this is going to be a very busy hurricane season and the weather in the Caribbean. So maybe have an alternate plan when facing the threat of a natural disaster. And also when you're away, you know, looking at what you're packing, like include some emergency items, like a basic emergency kit that maybe includes a first aid kit, flashlight, extra batteries, essential medications, because being delayed, sometimes you need, like your medication shouldn't just be for the actual days away, but going further on just in case. And always, you know, we share your itinerary with somebody so they know where you are so that if you do need help, whether it's your travel agent who will always have your itinerary, but your family members as well, they know that where you are and, you know, maybe it'll trigger if there's a news report about that destination, they'll look for you really because you don't want to be alone. But what I do too is when I go away to destinations internationally, I register myself with the government of Canada. They have a site so that if there is a situation, they know you are there and they will try and help you. And coping with stress is not always easy in any situation. So it's good to try and remain calm and focused on taking appropriate actions and seek support. Like talk to your friends and family or travel companion as well as your travel agent with regards to what to do. Take breaks. Maybe if you can, step away from the situation to gather your thoughts. And be patient. This is not always easy. Disaster situations take time to resolve. So be patient and adaptable.
SPEAKER_01:And of course, yeah, we touched on travel insurance. We could go on forever about travel insurance. But yeah, just make sure you have some sort of insurance that covers medical emergencies or trip cancellations and those scenarios, right?
SPEAKER_03:Oh yeah, it's definitely, you know, whenever I talk about travel insurance with my guests and even for myself, to me it's peace of mind. It's like knowing that you know who to call, you know they'll take care of the arrangements, you know, right away if there's costs involved. And that's really important too as a traveler. Sometimes people will say, oh no, I'm covered through work or I'm covered through my credit card. Well, make sure you know like you don't have to pay out up front because that can be quite costly and not everybody has the access to those resources so that's important is if you know if there is financial distress that that your provider will take care of it for you
SPEAKER_01:well exactly so now if something happens we're at your destination what are some of the things that you should be doing
SPEAKER_03:Well, again, if you have insurance, contact your insurance provider and get them in the know. Contact your travel agent as far as them helping you look at alternate resources. And also, if there's... If there's instructions given by local authorities and emergency personnel, follow the instructions. Keep a record of all your expenses incurred during a disaster because, again, they may be eligible for reimbursement. And if you need medical attention, contact your insurance provider or seek medical attention and report any lost or stolen items to the police if that happens as well. And then, you know, not always easy, but utilize... your airline's website if you have to rebook or inquire about accommodation or mail vouchers if there's a flight delay or cancellation.
SPEAKER_01:One thing I will add, and I recall this interviewing, he was kind of a disaster expert and traveled in all kinds of different places, war zones and things like that. And the one thing that stuck to me of the advice he gave was when you're in a situation like this. Cash is king. If you can gather together as much cash as possible, that goes a long way in assisting you getting around because you may not have access to debit machines and things like that. If the power is down and you need to get around, cash will be king. So I recall being in Mexico, in Playa del Carmen when Hurricane Rita was threatening it. It was downgraded to a tropical storm and nothing really happened. But I noticed that the people from Cozumel were evacuated over and so they had to be all moved over inland. But what I did was go to the cash machine before and took out as much as I could. So in the event that you needed to get somewhere quickly and pay somebody quickly, you can do it.
SPEAKER_03:That's a very good point because you don't really think about it in today's world. You know, people rely on their credit cards or their, um, so yes, very good point is, is, uh, to have that, that, uh, those funds available so that you can, cause even you might have to pay somebody local that's not to help you out. Right.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Chances are you're going to have to, depending on the scenario. Yeah. Anything else?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. It's, you know, it's, uh, It's just something I think everybody as a traveler should be aware of, just in case. Because as you say, it may not happen, but if you prepare, you feel more capable of managing the situation.
SPEAKER_01:Well, and by the way, nothing really was downgraded to a tropical storm when we were in Mexico in that scenario. So nothing really happened. The resort boarded all the windows up and it blew through at nighttime. And actually, I never really noticed it. I slept right through it. But the next day we had all this money to go spend to go shopping. So it was
SPEAKER_03:good. And I bet you your family was happy to go shopping.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, they were. Absolutely. for you. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and xonantaforbes.com is her website. Always good advice, Onanta. Thank you.
SPEAKER_03:Take care.
SPEAKER_01:This is the Informed Traveller podcast. I'm Randy Sharman. Just want to remind you of our website, theinformedtraveller.org. That's where you'll find our contact page if you have any questions or comments about the podcast. You can also email me too with any questions you might have or any show segment ideas. My email address is randy at theinformedtraveller.org. And if you want to get up-to-date travel info through the week or just see a few amusing travel stories and links, you can like us on Facebook at facebook.com slash informed on Instagram at informedtraveller or on X at informedtraveller. Plus, you can now sign up for our monthly newsletter. It's released at the beginning of every month. Our June issue is available now, and soon we will have our July issue available for you. Just go to our website, theinformedtraveller.org, click on the newsletter button, and it'll take you right there. Or better yet, just subscribe to it and have it arrive in your inbox. Well, One of our regular guests on our show is David Yesgold. Normally we refer to him as the cruise guru, but this time around he's going to share his recent visit to the Royal Hideaway Playa Car, a luxury all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. So I guess this time around we can call him the Mexico guru. Can we call you the Mexico guru
SPEAKER_00:today? I'm going to. Yeah, today you can call me the Mexico guru, sure.
SPEAKER_01:Because we're going to talk about the Royal Hideaway Playa Car in Playa del Carmen, a place you visited many years ago Can we call this a reunion of sorts?
SPEAKER_00:This was a reunion. So I originally reviewed this property, Royal Highway Playa Car, when it opened in 1999. And at that time, it was the first and only adults-only luxury all-inclusive. You know, you remember at that time, all-inclusives were largely maybe budget to mid-scale properties, all-buffet meals, kind of party-hardy. Drink as much as you can. Drink as much as you can, and most people did. So this was, at the time, the first truly upscale luxury and adults-only all-inclusive. It was a great product. I remember it was beautiful and ran well, and the food was great, gourmet, full-service restaurants. I was eager to try it again. When I was going back to Mexico, I had a chance to go back, and so 26 years later, I went back just a couple of weeks ago to review it again.
SPEAKER_01:Well, hopefully there's some changes and they've upgraded after 26 years. It's not exactly the same.
SPEAKER_00:They have upgraded. They have upgraded. And I have to say the property looks beautiful. It's still classy. It's relatively small. The rooms and the suites are situated in these two and three story Caribbean colonial style villas. that are well spread around the property. It's a very lush property. There's a lot of greenery, meandering rivers, six pools. It feels so quiet. There's this really aura of exclusivity there. And it's just beautiful. So yes, they've upgraded the physical property, of course, over the years. There's new owners. They've made some changes, but I could say it still largely holds up to its original ideals. And now there are quite a few other luxury all-inclusives in that niche. And it still kind of holds its own there and is still a very good value proposition.
SPEAKER_01:You mentioned two- and three-story villas. I get the idea there's a lot of space.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a lot of space. And in each villa, there may be 12 or 15 rooms in each villa. And each villa has a dedicated concierge who sits at a desk in the middle in the courtyard. And they handle things like requests, dining reservations, transfers, things like that. So it really is nice. It really feels luxurious. You're staying in this small building, well spread out from other buildings on the property. And it's quiet. It's quiet and serene.
SPEAKER_01:Just what you would want in a quiet vacation. And so let's narrow down the location. I know it's near Playa del Carmen. So how far from Playa del Carmen?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. So sure. So Playa del Carmen is, as you know, about 45 minutes south of the airport at Cancun. So their transfer operators, the resorts have their own transfers. They pick you up and get you there. And Playa del Carmen is... kind of grew up after Cancun boomed and filled out. Playa del Carmen kind of filled out slowly at the same time, but is really booming now in terms of all-inclusives and luxury resorts. And so this resort is in a private gated complex called the Playa Car Complex. And it's a gated complex with condominiums and some other all-inclusives. So you go through a security gate to enter. And it's about five or 10 minutes from downtown Playa del Carmen, from all the action there. But it feels like it's a world away because you're in this closed, gated community that's really exclusive.
SPEAKER_01:And it's part of the Barceló group. I'm just looking on their website just to get some images in my head here. So anybody that's stayed at a Barceló, would they know that? Or is it a little bit different than your regular Barceló?
SPEAKER_00:It's different than the other Barceló properties. So Barceló has several, you know, different types of properties in different price ranges. This is still, you know, on the more upscale, the higher side for Barcelona. Um, so they took it over. Um, they bought Allegro resorts, which was also an all inclusive operator a few years ago and which, and they had Royal hideaway in their, in their portfolio. So, so Barcelona now runs this. Um, there's a very good team on site that I met and talked to and, um, they do a very good job. And, and, and like I say, the, the property is still, it still feels luxurious. And even though there are competitors in the area at higher price points, by the way, um, this property, you know, still kind of fits into the luxury niche. And, and, and one of the things that distinguishes it is besides the, you know, the, the spread out luxury accommodations and only 201 rooms, by the way, um, There are five full service restaurants for dinner at night.
SPEAKER_01:Well, let's talk about that thing because you had to have dinner, didn't you?
SPEAKER_00:Right. I was there for four nights. So I ate in four of the five. Then the four nights, though, there's an Asian restaurant. There's an Italian restaurant. There's Mediterranean. But the best restaurant on property. And I can say the food was a little bit food quality was a little uneven in some of them. Not great in the Italian, much better in the others, but the best by far was called Spices. And this is the Mexican Caribbean restaurant. And since this property is located in the Mexican Caribbean, you would expect that to be great. And it was. A lot, very gourmet, lots of local specialties. I mean, just on the dinner menu, there's a choice of seven different tacos as appetizers, including duck carnitas tacos. Interesting things. I had a great... shrimp camarones shrimp in tequila sauce which was just mouth-watering and interesting desserts ice creams with flavors from the local area they had this up this mexican tropical fruit called mamey and i've only had mamey ice cream in mexico mamey ice cream in canada which is a goat's milk ice cream great ice cream homemade flavor is delicious this restaurant spices was really gourmet and and great so and you know you can eat there multiple times you don't have to eat in every restaurant of course and they're reservation only and you know depending on the time some people find it challenging to get in at 7 or 7 30 when everybody's eating but if you go a little later you can get in certainly easily but it's all included services included there's no tipping um you know premium alcohol brands are also included and Because it's adults only. Nobody's falling down drunk. You don't see what you might see at hearty, hearty, lower-end, all-inclusive.
SPEAKER_01:One of the things that came to mind when you mentioned that it's only 15 minutes from Playa del Carmen is if you want the quiet, but you want to have the atmosphere and get away from the atmosphere when it's time to get quiet, this would be the ideal kind of thing. Do you get my drift on that?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. So I can tell you the activities at the resort at Roja de Oiparacar, very low-key. During the day, there's a few things around the pool, kind of quiet, maybe a trivia contest. Gorgeous beach, which we'll talk about in a minute, but really kind of quiet. And in the evening, it's also low key. There's some lounge entertainment. There's karaoke in one bar. There's a game room. But if people want action, it's close by in Playa del Carmen. And that is like a five to 10 minute taxi ride away. Plenty of restaurants, bars, thumping music. I mean, if you want that, there's plenty of action there. So while you're in very serene surroundings at the resort, if you want action, it's really close by.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I kind of like that now as I get older. It's nice to be near some action, but when I want to get away from it, I like that. It's not near me all the time, so it's
SPEAKER_00:nice. I can tell you, it really does feel like a getaway. And I was there with my family and they were saying, you know, we do a lot of cruises, as you know. And they were saying, well, this is so relaxing, much more relaxing than a cruise because there's no schedule. You can get to dinner late. I mean, the restaurant's last reservation is at 930. It is super, super relaxing. Nice.
SPEAKER_01:Let's talk about the beaches now.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so another advantage this resort has is it's really on one of the best large white sand beaches in the whole area in Playa del Carmen. Just wide beach, soft sand. All the beach loungers have a sun canopy that you can pull up or down over them. So individual, each pair of lounges has a sun canopy over it. And you can pull that down or up. So it's really nice. And the pool is where there's an infinity pool overlooking the beach. So the one disadvantage, and this applies to pretty much almost all resorts in the Caribbean now, is this sargassum problem, this stinky seaweed that's accumulating in the water and on beaches in the Caribbean. And I can say that this resort does a better job than most in cleaning it every morning. They're out with a tractor on the beach. They're raking it. They're taking it away before it starts to degrade and stink. But ultimately, it's a losing battle with nature because by the afternoon, it's all back. And so... This is an issue, like I said, plaguing Caribbean beaches. It's a combination of multiple factors, including climate change, warmer ocean temperatures, sediment coming up. There's no solution for it. They can only try to mitigate it. And they do a good job here, but it's still kind of there. There's a strip of sargassum running along the water's edge that you kind of have to step over into the water. And there's some in the water, of course, too. But it's just a fact of life for the Caribbean now, unfortunately.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I've been reading a lot of stories about the sargassum issue in Mexico particularly. So I wrote this down as a question, but I think I know the answer. Who would enjoy this resort the most? Somebody like me, I think. Yes, somebody like you, definitely. That sounds like a great place. You're close enough to find a apartment for the shopping and the nightlife if you want it, and it's quiet when you want to get away from
SPEAKER_00:it. Yeah, so I'd say really for couples. All age ranges, I saw all age ranges there from 20 to 60 It's good for anyone who wants a getaway, a luxurious getaway. Mostly couples, really not for singles. I can tell you they have only about 20 units of the 201, have two queen beds. So it's really set up for couples. It's a king bed in almost every room and suite. But luxurious bathroom, twin sink vanity, separate jacuzzi-style tub and separate shower. Nice high-end bathroom amenities. Most of the rooms have patios. Some overlook, of course, the Caribbean. So I'd say really for couples looking for a quiet, luxurious getaway. And I can tell you it's a great value proposition because I was looking at rates. at this property versus other competing properties in the area, typically a little lower because it's an older property, but still very well kept. And I saw on, on the, um, on the, the low end, um, room starting at 250 us per night per couple. Nice. And when you consider that all inclusive with five full service restaurants, plus a breakfast and lunch buffet, that's very nice, actually, uh, also very nice quality. Um, All that, including alcohol, drinks, tips, starting at$250 a night for a lead-in room in their large 520-square-feet rooms is a great value. I can tell you now there are some really upscale all-inclusives in the area, going for$1,000 a night per couple. So this is a great value proposition, and it's something that should be on people's radar because it's an older property, and it may not get as much notice now, but I think it's a great value in the luxury sector.
SPEAKER_01:Nice. Well, I'm going to mark it down as recommended. It is recommended. The Royal Hideaway Playa Car near Playa del Carmen. David Yeskel is... Wearing a number of hats, the cruise guru, the Vegas guru. His website is oceancruise.guru, and today he's the Mexico guru. So appreciate your insight, David. It's always great to chat with you.
SPEAKER_00:Thanks, Randy. Thanks for having me, as always.
SPEAKER_01:And that is our show for this week. If you have comments or questions, we'd love to hear from you. If you have a show idea, send that along as well. My email is randy at theinformedtraveller.org. And if you like what you heard, tell a friend. You can check out our website too at theinformedtraveller.org. In the meantime, thanks for listening. Travel safe and be an informed traveller.