Royal Hideaway Playacar, with 36-Percent Repeat Guest Rate, Earns AAA Five-Diamond Award for Fourth Consecutive Year

First Adults-Only, All-Inclusive Resort to

Win Coveted Award is Honored for 2010^*

Miami, November 5, 2009 –Royal Hideaway Playacar, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, has earned the American Automobile Association’s (AAA) prestigious Five-Diamond Award for the fourth year in a row.  Royal Hideaway Playacar was the first adults-only^** all-inclusive resort in the world to earn this distinction in October 2006, and continues to set precedents for quality, comfort and service year after year.

Royal Hideaway Playacar opened in Playa del Carmen, on one of Mexico’s most stunning stretches of beachfront, in 1998.  Eleven years later, the award-winning property boasts a 36-percent repeat guest rate and an attentive staff of more than 400 (an incredible 2.2 staff to every guest room!), under the leadership of Managing Director Jean Agarrista.

“The resort team takes pride in providing the highest level of service and attention to detail at Royal Hideaway Playacar,” says General Manager Jean Agarrista.  “Winning this exclusive award for the fourth consecutive year reconfirms that our property, and dedicated staff, deliver the ultimate luxury resort experience on a daily basis.”

Each year more than 31,000 properties are evaluated by AAA, and only one-third of one percent of those evaluated earn the Five Diamond distinction.  In addition to AAA, Royal Hideaway Playacar continues to receive recognition from travel industry leaders for excellence in all areas of service from design to cuisine, spa services to activities.  The resort was included in the 2009 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List, Top 25 Best Resorts in Mexico, and the 79 Top Spas in the U.S. Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, also by Condé Nast Traveler, and recognized as one of the Top 10 Mexico Resorts based on a survey by Travel + Leisure.

“With its wealth of accolades, Royal Hideaway Playacar is emblematic of the Occidental brand and everything we hope to achieve through the continued expansion of our all-inclusive luxury category,” said Gabriel Felip, CEO of Occidental Hotels & Resorts.

Royal Hideaway Playacar vacations start at $300 per person, per night, based on double occupancy and include unlimited meals and snacks, with six á la carte specialty restaurants, a new and interactive Chef’s Table experience, 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 reservation information, call 1-800-999-9182 or visit www.royalhideaway.com.