Playa del Carmen never dissapoints. We booked on line and we got there to a great surprise. We got a wonderfull suite..but we didn't think it will be so big. 2 bathrooms with 2 full vanities, bathtub, giant closets and living area with dining table. Great service all the way. We were not royal service but we got royal treatment anyways from the reception, concierges to the rest of the staff. The beach is not the biggest but when you are in between beach and pool it doesn't really matter. It is also very closed to Playa downtown which we loved.. only 5 mins. we were there March 2012 and we are thinking on going back.

All the restaurants are great Bana, Passion, and the buffet was always awesome. Even the family part was amazing...It is not the least expensive place to go but for sure you get your money back. We even got a one night free for next stay and that was a nice treat at the end of the trip. I am hooked with Paradisus Hotels now.. Great Hotel to stay.

I am not a big fan of the "all-inclusive concept" as most of my previous trips to Mexico (Cancun) were to the Le Meridien in Cancun before Starwood sold off. I typically feel the "all inclusive" concept is tantamount to a 24/7 food and alcohol binge (mediocre of both). however, La Perla was a tremendous experience. I was there for four days which I guess any longer they could have wheeled me out of there, so that to me was a perfect timeframe for this type of resort.

Upgraded to the Royal Service which was a reasonable cost which included butler service and the adult area. Louisa was our butler and she (or one of her co-workers) was extremely helpful and charming. The sit down restaurants were first class, the alcohol was top shelf (Grey Goose or Kettle One was call) and the "adult pool" was part of the Royal Service (although I will say I'm Pit Bulled out). (I need to also mention Tony our waiter at the asian /indian fusion restaurant served at a level of a NYC restaurant). I hit the place at a time when they were about 70% full but it seemed to have a much lower occupancy, so I suspect in a full house the Royal Service upgrade will keep anyone from having to wait for service. I didn't wander over to the Paradisus (family) area so not sure how busy that was.

The only downer was the weather as it was overcast most of the weekend. We went into the City two nights and on a four day trip more than enough as it is the typical touristy downtown.

All and all do it again in a heart beat.

After reading so many glowing reviews, I was very disappointed when we arrived at the property. The room (and entire property) were clean in the most basic sense of the word. Spills (at least that's what I hope they were) in the elevators and on the floors in public areas. A spill in our bathroom that was apparently there b/f we arrived, was never cleaned up. The "soaking tub" was NOT clean. I could go on, but won't. The food at Le Passion (with an upcharge) was good and they accommodated my husband's gluten intolerance at every course and had 2 (good) bread selections. Otherwise, the food was mediocre at best. The bar service was awful and ended up ordering Grey Goose on the rocks with a lime and a bottle water in the hopes of tasting anything other than very sweet mixer. Upon arrival we went to sit on the beach to enjoy the late afternoon and it was pretty sketchy. Did not go back out there.
BTW, the reviewer that said the swim up jr. suite was very private - not so much out on the balcony area - unfortunately for us who were on the 3rd floor.
The bed and linens were excellent. Too bad the rest of the resort didn't measure up!

We spent a few days in Paradisus in December, just me and my wife. We upgraded to Royal service for $80 a night, in my opinion it was worth it, mainly because of the heated pool (my wife is very sensitive to pool temperature :) ) and more privacy and more bali bed around the pool.

It is a large resort, but due to smart lay out it feels like you are alway in a small intimate area, hotel has many bars with different themes and there is often live music. They do not have large varsity shows stuffed by life guards and waiters, rather they invite small troops of professional performers for more intimate shows. I prefer this to the large stadium seating that say Iberostar shows have.

Food wise, we really liked the resort. They definitely stir you toward restaurants, buffet food is ok, decent quality but it does not have the mind boggling expansiveness of a typical all inclusive . buffet. Restaurant food however, is excellent, out favorite was Fuego for bot great service and food, the Mexican restaurant was also ver good. We were not as impressed with the Cabana (I think that it is the name) the exclusive Royal service only restaurant. It was fine but not great. We also like the fact that there is food service at the pool and you can get decent variety right to your bali bed.
The only downside is that the beach is relatively narrow, we were told that the hurricanes blew some of it away, but it is definitely not as wide as at Playa Paraiso for example