TORONTO — At Royal Hideaway Playacar, an Occidental Resort on the Mexico’s Mayan Riviera, guests encounter a welcome drink instead of lineups at check-in; bathtubs filled with bubbles and flower petals; and staff who learn your name within 24 hours of arrival.

That’s just a small sample of the personalized service visitors can expect at the luxury resort, according to Susan Webb of VoX International, which represents Occidental Hotels & Resorts in Canada.

Speaking at a function for about 20 members of the travel media last night in a suite at One King West in Toronto, Webb explained the adults-only (18+ as of this January) all-inclusive resort is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and a recipient of a AAA Five Diamond Award.

Though the resort’s beach had suffered erosion, Webb said there’s a “new beach” now and it’s considered the best in the Playacar zone. The property has 200 rooms in several two and three-storey buildings each with its own concierge plus WiFi in every room (“so you can send photos to friends”) and throughout the resort.

Located a five-minute walk from the charming town of Playa del Carmen and 60 km from Cancun airport, the resort has six a la carte restaurants, including the signature restaurant Las Ventanas – which now boasts an authentic chef’s table.

“Ninety-five percent of the food we serve is from organic sources, most of it is local and from sustainable farms,” explained Executive Chef Eugenio Villafana, who prepared a three-course meal at last night’s function. “You can watch us cook,” he said, adding that 95% of what they make is “homemade from scratch” including breads, dressings and even chocolate.

Among the quality ingredients they use is an award-winning avocado oil that ranked in the top five oils in a European competition. The chef’s table includes six and 12 courses with a changing menu and takes various food restrictions guests may have into consideration.

Transat Holidays, which includes the Royal Hideaway Playacar in its luxury collection, offers additional privileges. Company spokesman Brian Joseph said these include an Option Plus upgrade, chocolates and a bottle of sparkling wine upon arrival, a 30% spa discount, a US$100 resort credit and a $100 credit/room for the chef’s table.