Resort Help, Riviera Maya/Playa Del Carmen Area

[beachbridezilla]

I am THRILLED to have stumbled across this site!  I'm newly engaged, and we've always been set on doing a destination wedding... that was definitely the easy part.  We've decided on the Riviera Maya/Playa del Carmen area which will take place end of Aprilish 2013.  Now comes the hard part - deciding on a resort!  We won't have an opportunity to visit the area prior to the wedding, which makes this website even more invaluable to me!  I'm looking at a few specific based on feedback from my TA - - Barcelo, RIU and The Royal Playa del Carmen.  They all look great, and feedback is overall good.  Just looking for any/all feedback from real, live people (you!) who have done the same research and possibly considered any of these places.  I'm excited to be here!  

[Moments That Matter]

Hola Beachbridezilla - Congrats on your wedding  coming up and welcome to the forum. We've been shooting weddings here for several years and have posted some great info on our website to help you compare local resorts and make an informed decision about which one is right for you. 

Wishing you all the best with your plans and exciting research!

[Samuel Luna]

Hola beachbridezilla, welcome to the forums! My thoughts:

 

Barcelo: One of my favorites, because of the beautiful different settings they have. It's about 40 minutes away from PDC, maybe that's something to consider (we did a TTD+Street photoshoot in PDC for this wedding):

http://samuellunablog.com/weddings/jessica-craig-barcelo-riviera-maya-ttd-playa-del-carmen-samuel-luna-mexico-photographer/

 

The Royal: Another big favorite, because of two reasons: it's located right at the heart of PDC (just a block away from 5th ave) and AMAZING WC staff (we did a day-after beach+street session for this wedding):
http://samuellunablog.com/weddings/laura-greg-royal-playa-del-carmen-riviera-maya/

 

Hope it helps. Happy planning

[mandjphoto]

Hi Beachbridezilla,

 

Congrats on your engagement. We have a few blog posts about choosing a place on the Riviera Maya.

 

We prefer smaller, but there are some larger resorts that are perfect for others. We have tried to address some of the "hidden" costs and other things to consider.

 

http://www.mandjphoto.com/category/weddings/

 

Good luck,

Michael

[safety75]

Welcome! I'm getting married at the royal playa del Carmen in June 2013. We chose it based on reviews here and on trip advisor. We wanted adults only but like that it has a sister resort right beside it that allows children if guests want to choose that. Also love it because it is walking distance to 5th ave, the Cozumel ferry etc so guests can do stuff without having to worry about transportation.

[vickyherm]

Hi Beachbridezille, i have living in Playa del Carmen since i was 5 ( now i´m 29), let me tell you, Barceló is a horrible idea, is like a MC Donalds combo, choose your combo 1, 2, 3,4 ,5 ,6, 7, 8 or 9, if you want to cry ( not for happiness) chosse Barceló.

 

Pretty much is all about your budget, Riu is a nice hotel but only if you have Riu Palace Riviera Maya, if you have Riu tequila, riu Playacar or other Riu just forget about it, has to be Riu Palace Riviera Maya, don´t get confusse are like 7 Rius hotel in the same area (playacar-playa del carmen).

 

The Royal is a really, really, really nice choise, close to 5th av,

[beachbridezilla]

Great feedback, thank you!  The Royal it is!  Just starting the planning process...

[beachbridezilla]

Great, we've also decided on the Royal!  If you don't mind sharing, which location will you be having the ceremony/reception at?  Thanks for the feedback!

[Jez111213]

Hello,

 

I am getting married at Riu Palace Riviera Maya nov of next year.  We visited cozumel last year and stopped at the riu on our way back from an excursion.  We only went inside to use the restroom real quick while the bus waited for us, but the short time I was inside was enough for me to decide to make this my wedding location.  I have done a lot of research and found TONS of information on this site.  I really helped me feel secure in the choice I made and also answered almost every question I had (seems all us brides are thinking the same thing ).  I suggest you read the following forum if you are considering this resort, it is very long but goes back several years of brides posting their experiences with this resort.  Hope that helps! "RIU RM Palace Brides??"

[TammyWright]

Have you looked at the reviews that brides have posted: Cancun/Riviera Maya Wedding Forum | Cancun/Riviera Maya Wedding Resort Reviews