Guests live like rock gods at this luxury retreat in the Mayan Riviera

By Doug Wallace

The spirit of rock and roll lives on at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, an all-inclusive destination just 15 minutes from Playa del Carmen on the Mayan Riviera coastline, a one-hour drive from the Cancun airport.

With 1,200-plus rooms and suites, the Hard Rock lets you and your entourage choose from two different parts of the resort: a family-friendly side and the hip, adults-only Heaven side, almost like two resorts within a resort, with both equipped to cater to the rock star in everyone.

The perks are good: fine dining, 24-hour room service, unlimited banquets, top-shelf cocktails and more. There are no cost overruns on food or drinks, so if you want to add a meeting or extend a cocktail party, there is no extra charge.

“For meetings and incentives, we include everything to make your program a success,” says director of sales Gina Tsirmpas. “We don’t charge for meeting space, coffee breaks, private events, wireless Internet or telephone calls from guest rooms to Canada and the US.” This latter point is especially handy for maintaining a link to those unfortunate workmates who have to stay behind.

The convention centre holds up to 2,400 guests with more than 87,000 sq. ft. of meeting space broken up over four ballrooms, each one sub-dividable in a variety of ways. Spectacular outdoor space offers beaches, terraces and gardens galore, including a giant deck they call Woodstock.

For downtime, the Music Lab lets you act like a rock god, take some guitar lessons, learn how to perform on stage or take a turn working the turntables, creating your own dance track. You can even star in your own music video.

Got some golfers in your crew? The hotel can make arrangements with a few different courses nearby, including the world-class, 18-hole Golf Club at Playacar, designed by Robert von Hagge. Combine all this with VIP service and you get an out-of-the-ordinary, all-inclusive experience—and doing your master account will be a breeze.

Price: $385 US per night.

hrhrivieramaya.com