Sunday, November 19, 2023

Ocean Maya Royale for the 23rd Time! ~ October 2023

23 times!

We’ve traveled to so many places in 2023, but our most recent stay at Ocean Maya Royale required the least planning. This was our 23rd visit in 10 years and it’s always the easiest. 

I’ve been asked on multiple occasions whether I’m a travel agent, travel planner, professional blogger, etc. the answer is 100% No. 

I love writing this blog for me (and Steve). It gives us the opportunity to reflect on so many great experiences. I am a creature of habit and if I’m having a bad day…I’ll read some of these posts over and over (and over) again. Life is good. 

When it comes to OMR, it’s so easy. I just double click and then stop at the bank for a lot of tip money!
 
Let’s move on to visit #23!!!

If you’ve read this blog, then you’ve probably read a few of my previous 22 posts about Ocean Maya Royale. You know about the restaurants and you know about the food. You may have an idea of what we drink, our daily routine and that we love to relax and literally do nothing but spend time with one another. 



We've been visiting OMR since July 2013, so if you're a fellow traveler looking for additional information, you can find the links on the right side of the main page of the blog.

The best way to see all the menus and activities is to visit https://omr.oceanbyh10.com/en/


 Some people get it, but others ask, “Why do you go back to the same resort in Mexico?” 

I could go on and on, but from the moment we step foot onto the resort we relax, have fun and are treated like royalty. 

Who doesn’t want that!?!

 
Nevertheless, here are the TOP FIVE reasons we keep going back…
 
Reason #1 - The Staff
First and foremost, the people. 

With very little turnover, we continue to see the same staff members over and over again. We are recognized by everyone from senior management to housekeeping and groundskeepers. They are as excited to see us as we are to see them and we are welcomed with open arms everywhere we go. 

We’ve established legitimate friendships with some of these people and our mutual kindness is far from artificial. We care about them and we care about their families. They will continue to give us a hard time because we still speak muy poquito EspaƱol, even though we’ve been there so many times. 

We start every morning at the lobby bar where Tiger makes us Don Julio bloody Maria’s. He knows how to make them extra spicy for us!


We had a few rainy days during this trip, so a couple of mini beers from Eber makes the time go by. 

Cheers!!


Reason #2 - Comfort
There is no learning curve. From the moment we set foot on the resort, we are on vacation.

Once we arrive, we know exactly where to check-in (and by whom), our ideal room location, what we’ll eat for breakfast and lunch and our favorite meals for dinner at every restaurant. We know what to drink and we know who makes them the best. We know what to ask, when, where, etc. etc.







Because there is no learning curve, we can take a nap every day and not feel like we missed out on anything, other than another cocktail we didn’t need. After all, our daily siesta is an integral part of our vacation! 

My complete adoration for efficiency is when I am able to maximize every second of my vacation by being on vacation. While Steve says I liberate myself from my obsessive structure, I still don’t deviate far from a routine. My vacation routine is just a little different than my home routine!
 
 sleep.drink. eat.sun.drink.eat.sun.drink.sleep.drink.eat.drink.sleep

We have our favorite pool chairs, which are clearly marked with our Cavalier t-shirts. 




We love having Ketel One martinis in the lobby before dinner.



Reason #3 - Our Happy Place = Smiles
OMR is one of our happy places. Date night every night is so much fun.

The views are permanently ingrained into us so we have a clear and crisp vision of our paradise.

It’s a feeling where you just can’t help but smile...and I love to smile.



Reason #4 - We've Met so Many Friends
Having been to OMR so times, we have met many friends over the years.

While we met Ron and Jean in 2012, we got them on the OMR train starting in 2014...then we met Darcy and Tanya, Rob and Sue, Rocky and Barbie, Ed and his entire crew, including Christy and Allen and Jane and Don...I could go on and on. 

We're all regulars and they are all part of our OMR family. 



During this stay, me, Steve, Rob and Sue met Ed, Jane and Don at El Fogon in downtown Playa del Carmen for tacos tacos tacos!! It was a great time and the tacos were awesome!






Reason #5 - They Put Our Picture on the Wall!!
During our visit in July 2018, Carolina took a picture of our group (me, Steve, Ron, Jean, Darcy & Tanya). She printed the picture, framed it, and hung it up on the "Wall of Fame" at Blue Moon. 

The catch is, there aren't any other guests on the wall! We're right there next to Humphrey Bogart.


Every time we visit OMR, we take a picture of our picture to show we're still relevant! hahaha

As of this visit...we're still relevant!



Moving onto other highlights...

I'll be honest, we don't go to OMR for the food, but we know what we like and stick with it. 

Wings at the sports bar are an essential part of our diet at OMR! We make it a point to go every night before dinner (note: wings are only available from 6-10 pm)





 La Dolce has the best atmosphere (by far!) We enjoy the Chicken Valdostana (OMR's version of chicken Parmesan). They even bring me red pepper flakes, pesto sauce and extra tomato sauce (every time...without asking).







One of my favorite parts of the day is the a la carte breakfast at Privilege. 



Poncho is the resident cat who is always looking for you to "accidentally" drop him a snack.


The new Privilege lunch menu had a lot of new items. The fish croquettes, fish tacos and coconut shrimp were quite good. 





Blue Moon is nice for a quiet and romantic dinner. We enjoyed the onion soup, fish and chicken.







For lunch, we really enjoyed the beef and shrimp tacos on the a la carte menu at El Charro.




This was a short trip so we didn't visit Yookoso, but it's your typical hibachi restaurant with a separate a la carte sushi menu.


While we don't frequent the buffet at La Hacienda often, the fruit is delicious and they have great ingredients for salads and sandwiches at lunch.












Mike's Coffee opens at 7 am for all of your coffee needs. They also have small sandwiches and dessert if you're desperate for a snack.



The buildings are set-up as 8 rooms villas (4 first floor/4 second floor). The rooms are comfortable and they recently renovated most of the bathrooms.






The sargassum on the beach can be hit or miss and I honestly don't know if depends on the season. I have visited nearly every month of the year. I can say we've had the most rain in October and July is the HOTTEST. We usually see sargassum in some capacity. There are times when it's been atrocious and times like this, when the beach is gorgeous! 






Well, there you have it. Another fabulous trip is in the books! We napped, stayed up past our bedtime and slept in every day. The reprieve from work and my obsessive structure was priceless. 

The laughter, silence and pure bliss shared with my best friend is what dreams are made of. More than anything, we were treated like family. This was our 23rd visit and we'll continue to return again and again. Sending love to our OMR family and know that well be back for Christmas (30 more days...)


Cheers to the comfort of home and catching up with friends from around the globe!