TRS Yucatan Hotel, an all-inclusive resort in the Riviera Maya, offers many brochure-worthy selling points: waterfront vistas, 454 spacious suites, a vibrant nightlife calendar and even animal encounters (you will spot the Yucatan’s ever-present iguanas and many colorful birds and curious nasuas, white-nosed, raccoon-like creatures).
When you go for a stroll at TRS Yucatan, you’ll hear plenty of cooing and cawing. But the one thing you won’t hear along the way is the clamoring of children. TRS Yucatan is the adults-only option on a sprawling, four-resort campus. No one under 18 can stay at the property, thus making poolside afternoons more idyllic and dinnertime conversations more intimate. These reasons, as well as those that follow, make this spot a romantic getaway.
The Rooms
We all like choices. Considering how “TRS” stands for “The Royal Suites,” the resort spoils you with 13 enticing suite options. The entry-level Junior Suite Garden View checks all the requisite vacation-stay boxes (furnished terrace, wine cooler and at-the-ready butler). A few categories above that you’ll find the Romance Bungalow by the Lake, a 721-square-foot palapa-thatched-roof sanctuary that comes with canoes for quick, romantic rides.
If you consider water your love language, the Junior Suite Private Pool Garden View’s photogenic plunge pool makes the most sense (and the best Instagram posts). Whether it’s for a late-night dip or an early-morning floating breakfast, the suite’s pool affords abundant opportunities for amorous moments.
The Recreation
As a TRS Yucatan guest, you have the numerous amenities of the other three properties at your disposal. Whether it be the Italian cuisine at Grand Palladium White Sand’s Portofino or the massive family pool connecting Grand Palladium Colonial and Grand Palladium Kantenah, you can try it all.
While the four properties share Zentropia Palladium Spa & Wellness, the well-equipped facility easily takes on the responsibility. When you approach the check-in tables, take a reflective gaze up to the stunning mural of indigenous Mayans. Back at ground level, a sparkling blue pool and a restorative hydrotherapy circuit around the corner calm your senses. And when it comes to your treatment, all that’s asked of you and your partner is to simply exhale and allow the team of therapists to do the rest.
Another activity that might bring you closer to your significant other is a private cooking class. Here, you’ll learn — okay, you’ll mostly watch — as the resort’s culinary specialists prepare sope (a thicker tortilla topped with meats and vegetables) and other local delicacies. See what your partner is really made of when he’s asked to sprinkle some crispy grasshoppers on his dish.
You’ll also get bonding time with your partner in the pool bike class. Set up at the stunning Helios infinity pool next to a blaring stereo and an audience of tanning resort guests, the arrangement, at first glance, appears harmless. Then, come the rapid-fire instructions — “Stand! Sit! Chin up!” — and things take a muscle-burning turn. After a half hour of intense spinning and splashing, you all will have earned a drink.
The Romance
The four resorts boast more than 30 dining and drinking options, however, some of the most intimate meals don’t take place anywhere near a restaurant. Find an intimate setting at Royal Domo, a nest-like gazebo where couples share dinner, wine and the sounds of nearby crashing waves.
Also on the list of romantic rendezvous spots is the onsite cenote. Just imagine you, your special someone, flickering lights and a lavish spread. Now, picture all of it while overlooking an enchanting water-filled sinkhole surrounded by jungle.
Food also plays a role at Chic Cabaret. Though billed as a sexy, Moulin Rouge-esque show you watch between a five-course meal, the performance feels more like a journey through pop music history with teachers who like disrobing. Between the PG-13-rated bits, you’ll recognize some slower Motown tracks that may spark lip-syncing and longing looks.
Still, the most tender moments of your stay might involve no planning at all. For a memorable night, simply ask in-house bartender extraordinaire Gallegos to come up with a creative drink to sip at a quiet table for two. During our stay, he perfected something called the Marie Antoinette, a splendidly herbaceous mix of vodka, cranberry juice, hibiscus and other sweet additions. Tell him what you like, and he’ll make it happen.
But that philosophy doesn’t merely apply to nightcaps. The entire Riviera Maya resort lives by this passionate principle, ensuring every day of your TRS Yucatan stay is special.
