Royal Hideaway Playacar Raises the Bar for All-Inclusive Luxury With Authentic Chef’s Table and Interactive Webcam Experience

Face Time with the Executive Chef and a Live Video Feed from

the Kitchen Come Together to Create a Unique Culinary Experience

Mexico, March. 16, 2009 – Royal Hideaway Playacar, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort in Mexico’s Riviera Maya region, unveils a Chef’s Table at its signature restaurant, Las Ventanas.  The customized dining experience offers guests the opportunity to interact with the resort’s executive chef and his team while enjoying unique dishes created exclusively for the Chef’s Table.   The award-winning Royal Hideaway Playacar continues to raise the bar for all-inclusive luxury, as the first of its kind to win the AAA Five-Diamond Award and the first to offer an interactive dining experience complete with a live video feed from the kitchen.

The bi-weekly culinary event invites epicureans to witness the making of a decadent tasting menu, tucked away in an exclusive section of the newly remodeled kitchen of Las Ventanas.  Guests interact with Raul Vaqeurizo, Royal Hideaway Playacar’s executive chef, and the culinary team as they showcase their expertise in preparing dishes such as watermelon soup, shrimp tempura mushrooms and lobster gratin with parmesan aioli.  The menu changes each week, it is designed solely for the Chef’s Table and it will not be available in any of Royal Hideaway Playacar’s six á la carte restaurants.  The chef will take into consideration each guest’s personal tastes and dietary requirements.

Chef Raul greets guests upon arrival to the table, then dons a headset and with the assistance of a Webcam his team can be seen and heard while preparing each dish.  Guests observe the creation of their dinner via plasma TV over the table as Chef Raul explains each technique and ingredient.  Chef’s Table guests will also receive a commemorative copy of the menu after dinner, and will have the opportunity to sign the guest book.

Chef Raul, awarded one of the top eight chefs in Mexico for 2008 and “Cocinero del Año” or top chef of the year in the state of Quintana Roo, has more than 15 years of culinary experience throughout Europe and the Caribbean.  He has trained extensively and specializes in creative dishes with a focus on uniting flavors and aromas, textures and temperatures in a final product that delights even the most discerning palette.

“The Chef’s Table is a culinary adventure for the guests and for my team,” said Raul Vaquerizo, Royal Hideaway Playacar’s executive chef.  “We look forward to creating a delectable new menu each week, exploring new recipes and demonstrating our culinary skills for each guest.”

A wine pairing is also available at the Chef’s Table and the resort’s on-site wine-expert, Olivier Cramail, is available to ensure that each dish is perfectly paired.  Cramail, having trained at C.V.B.G (Centre Viticole de Bordeaux Gironde), personally selects all of the wine for Royal Hideaway Playacar (158 vintages are currently available on-site) from Europe, carefully choosing a variety that will complement the diverse food offerings at the Chef’s Table and at the resort’s six á la carte restaurants.

The table, which seats up to eight guests, will be available twice a week at Las Ventanas.  Repeat guests and VIPs will be invited to enjoy a complimentary dinner by Chef Raul Vaquerizo and Jean Agarrista, the resort’s managing director, via a personalized letter in their rooms.  Resort guests and visitors from other resorts can also request a seat at the table for an additional charge, based on availability ($150 and $200 respectively).  The Chef’s Table can also be reserved for special events.

Royal Hideaway Playacar opened in Playa del Carmen, on one of Mexico’s most stunning stretches of beachfront, in 1998.  10 years later the award-winning property boasts a 36 percent repeat guest rate and an attentive staff of more than 400 (meaning 2.2 staff to every guest room!), under the leadership of Managing Director Jean Agarrista.  The Chef’s Table concept originated with the resort’s desire to do something extra for repeat clientele.

“We are always looking for new ways to entice our guests,” said Jean Agarrista. “The Chef’s Table experience makes them feel special and pampered, and gives us an opportunity to thank them for choosing Royal Hideaway Playacar.

Royal Hideaway Playacar vacations start from $400^* per person, per night, based on double occupancy.  All Royal Hideaway Playacar vacations include unlimited meals and snacks, with six á la carte specialty restaurants and 24-hour room service, unlimited drinks featuring premium alcoholic beverages, a selection of house wines, juices and soft drinks, daily resort activities, evening entertainment, DVD library, non-motorized water sports, and all taxes and gratuities.

For reservations at Royal Hideaway Playacar, call 1-800-999-9182 or visit www.occidentalhotels.com/royalhideaway.

Royal Hideaway Playacar

Royal Hideaway Playacar, situated on 13 lush acres on one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s most stunning stretches of beachfront and just 45 minutes from the Cancun International Airport, effortlessly blends world-class service with impeccable style.  It is the first adults-only**, all-inclusive resort to receive the American Automobile Association (AAA) Five-Diamond Award and recent recognition on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2009 Gold List, in the magazine’s January issue, joins extensive accolades from industry leaders.  Accommodations at the Royal Hideaway Playacar are in two-story colonial Mexican-style villas, each with a private concierge, housing 200 guestrooms including six duplex suites, 170 luxury rooms, 22 Royal View rooms and two Presidential Suites with private Jacuzzis.

Occidental Hotels & Resorts

One of the world’s leading hotel companies and one of the largest all-inclusive resort chains in the Americas, Occidental Hotels & Resorts has more than 20 properties in key destinations under the Allegro, Occidental Grand and Royal Hideaway brands, each perfectly suited to address the leisure travel needs of its market segment, from Allegro’s fun-filled packages, to the luxurious Occidental Grands and Royal Hideaway.  An even more exclusive component of all Occidental Grands, the “Royal Club” offers boutique-style services within the resort such as a private concierge, separate check-in and check-out services.

^{*Based on dates and availability}

^{**Guests must be 13 year of age or older}