ROYAL PLAYA DEL CARMEN BRIDES: were kids allowed for the day? ...and other questions

[TammyWright]

 

 

Hey Ladies,

 

We are putting together our webinar schedule for BDW.  These webinars are great because not only can you get YOUR questions answered but also hear answers to questions from other brides that you may not have even though of

 

Webinars are a great way to not only hear directly from the wedding department but see the wedding packages that they offer, ceremony/reception pics, etc.

 

I try to only limit the webinars to once every 2 weeks so we of course can not do all resorts.

 

Please vote on which resorts you would like to have webinars on...you can choose more than 1.

 

Vote for your Resort Webinar HERE

[hilly1gh]

I also asked about Sky Lanterns and was received the following response:

Real Resorts is proud to be committed to the environment, we have great respect for our planet, so it is not allowed to throw artificial petals, rice, balloons, confetti. Thanks for your comprehension.
 

I asked about the completely biodegradable ones, but was finally told the resort does not permit them.  It's a bummer, but my guests didn't know I was planning on doing it, so they won't be missed.  I am going to do either the mariachi band or cigar roller to spice things up a bit.

 

Chin up.  It is frustrating to realize they are not as accommodating as we initially thought, but our weddings will be beautiful and every one of our guests will be jealous they didn't think of a destination wedding  

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Labebita911 

so now im upset!!!.. My WC tells me that the Sky Lanterns are not allowed!! after she told me there were as long as we pay a fee for a permit!! I was soo exciting about this.. and now its all up in the air. She said she was going to forward my message to her supervisor to confirm... but why say it was ok and now its not!!!!!!! what the ~~!!! Any one has asked abot the sky lanterns?>

 

[hilly1gh]

Hi Everyone,

 

I want to have a good bye brunch with all my guests (approx 40).  I thought we'd just show up at a restaurant and sit wherever (I'm assuming there may only be 15-20 guests who actually come to the breakfast).  We're staying at the Royal, but since some aunts and cousins are at the Gran Porto, I was thinking we should have breakfast there.  Can anyone recommend a restaurant and a time of the morning that may be best?  It will most likely be a Sunday morning.

 

Thanks!

[kellygrrrl]

hey ladies,

 

so if you've read back through the forums, you'll know I've been here for 1.5 yrs, and through that time, I've been super loyal to the Royal (I've spent two vacations there in the past). however, with the pervading sentiment lately being frustration with their policies and fees, I just wanted to throw this out there...

 

I recently asked to change my reception from private to semi-private (we have a mere 11 guests), and they told us the only restaurant times available are 6pm or 9pm. now those of you who have booked a photographer will know the best light is sunset, so the goal is to do cocktails while you're off shooting and then have dinner after, around 7pm. the royal's issue is that this is peak dining time, so you must schedule around their needs, not the other way around. now, this would be understandable if it was some sort of sandals-type free wedding, but it clearly isn't. when I realized how blatant they were being about me planning around them, something snapped, and I threatened to start looking for other venues. lo and behold I found one that same evening. it's called wicky's and has a gorgeous, glass-enclosed, air-conditioned private dining area for 20 people or less with an attached patio overlooking the ocean. they're rumored to be one of the best restaurants in playa, and though their food is american, they carry USDA-quality filet mignon and king crab. their private dining room is geared to smaller groups, but they can accomodate weddings of any size up to 375 (you can even rent out the entire restaurant and patios). oh, and the cost to have your wedding there? $350. seriously. no sunset fees, no weekend fees, just $350. do they allow sky lanterns? you betcha. no $300 charge, no BS statements about the environment, just go set them off and wicky's will be happy to help. I asked about getting a small tres leches cake, and linda, the coordinator, offered to visit a local bakery (who doesn't have a website and doesn't speak english) and send me pricing. how long do we have the dining area reserved for? as long as we want. did linda offer to book us a mariachi band to escort us from the royal to wicky's? absolutely. what's more, linda gets about one panicked phone call per month from a fed up royal bride asking to switch the whole thing to wicky's.

 

now I understand this isn't the most ideal location for everyone and I didn't mean to make it into a sales pitch about wicky's specifically, but I wanted to point out that if you're fed up with the Royal, YOU HAVE OTHER OPTIONS. please don't be scared to look around. oh, and the cost of moving my reception and switching my wedding to a la carte pricing (vs one of the royal's packages)? THE SAME. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather give my money to a venue that will appreciate me being there than one that expects me to cater to them and pay whatever fees they deem necessary. honestly, at this rate, I think the Royal better watch themselves. there are simply too many other places in Playa willing to cater to brides with lower rates and zero BS fees.

 

here's a pic of wicky's (from their website) so you know it's the real deal:

 

[Labebita911]

Thanks Hilly1gh.... 
 

Originally Posted by hilly1gh 

I also asked about Sky Lanterns and was received the following response:

Real Resorts is proud to be committed to the environment, we have great respect for our planet, so it is not allowed to throw artificial petals, rice, balloons, confetti. Thanks for your comprehension.
 

I asked about the completely biodegradable ones, but was finally told the resort does not permit them.  It's a bummer, but my guests didn't know I was planning on doing it, so they won't be missed.  I am going to do either the mariachi band or cigar roller to spice things up a bit.

 

Chin up.  It is frustrating to realize they are not as accommodating as we initially thought, but our weddings will be beautiful and every one of our guests will be jealous they didn't think of a destination wedding  

 

 

[qgirl2]

I am also fed up with the Royal on so many levels..too many rules etc..do they allow DJ's to play at this place for dancing? Did they charge you any vendors fees at all? Just curious..may be something I would look into..

Thanks!

[Kate112]

Thanks Jessicaanne

[kellygrrrl]

yes, they allow DJs and zero vendor fees (i.e. you'll get exactly the same thing you would at the Royal, except people will dance on decks - or on lighted dance floors on decks - instead of the beach). in my opinion, that's a better option. they can also bring in lounge furniture (like the royal offers).

 

Originally Posted by qgirl2 

I am also fed up with the Royal on so many levels..too many rules etc..do they allow DJ's to play at this place for dancing? Did they charge you any vendors fees at all? Just curious..may be something I would look into..

Thanks!

 

[hilly1gh]

So Kelly,

 

Are you having your wedding at the Royal and then the reception at Wicky's?  I'm thinking that looks pretty good... especially since my wedding is at 6:00 and they want to start the reception at 6:30.  I asked if it could be at 7, so we'd have time to take pictures, etc, but of course, no time allowed in between.

 

Have you heard any reviews of their food?

 

My other issue, is that we have several guests staying at other hotels, for price reasons.  I don't want them to get stuck paying fees.

 

Thanks for the heads up!
 

Originally Posted by kellygrrrl 

yes, they allow DJs and zero vendor fees (i.e. you'll get exactly the same thing you would at the Royal, except people will dance on decks - or on lighted dance floors on decks - instead of the beach). in my opinion, that's a better option. they can also bring in lounge furniture (like the royal offers).

 

 

 

[kellygrrrl]

yep, we're keeping the wedding at the royal, only because we're staying there. wicky's doesn't have sunset/weekend fees, so it'll save you $400 if you move that, too.

 

wicky's food reviewers say it is AMAZING. USDA filets that melt in your mouth and Alaskan King Crab legs. I know, I know, we're not going the whole way to Mexico to eat american food, but I wanted something upscale that I was certain my guests would like. they also feature local fish with a different chef's preparation based on what was caught fresh that day - I think that's a good compromise. ; )

 

one option at the Royal is to have a cocktail hour between the ceremony and dinner in order to delay the dinner an hour. I'm not sure how many guests you have, but it costs around $10 per Royal guest, depending on your package ($20 per non-Royal guest). I originally wasn't going to have one, but I thought about people standing around during photos and realized that providing the food + drinks would give them something to do. hot apps are an extra $5 per person ($15 total per Royal guest for hot and cold apps and drinks).

 

regarding your guests at other hotels, you will be the one stuck with the fees. like if you've added a private reception, you'd pay $15 per person for a Royal guest and $30 per person for another hotel guest. same goes for the cocktail hour as illustrated above. and, of course, they have to leave if you have more than a 30 minute break between activities.

 

wicky's doesn't care where people are staying, and they accomodate adults and kids alike. I asked the planner how long we had the room reserved for, and she said, 'as long as you want.' what a difference!!
 

Originally Posted by hilly1gh 

So Kelly,

 

Are you having your wedding at the Royal and then the reception at Wicky's?  I'm thinking that looks pretty good... especially since my wedding is at 6:00 and they want to start the reception at 6:30.  I asked if it could be at 7, so we'd have time to take pictures, etc, but of course, no time allowed in between.

 

Have you heard any reviews of their food?

 

My other issue, is that we have several guests staying at other hotels, for price reasons.  I don't want them to get stuck paying fees.

 

Thanks for the heads up!