DMC Riviera Maya

Hilder PALMA was born in Tabasco, Mexico. He moved to Cancun in 1986 and he took his first steps in the tourism industry working for Intermar Caribe as a Sales Representative and Tour Conductor. He also worked for Lomas Travel in charge of FITs (Frequent Individual Travelers).

He joined IVI DMC 15 years ago as Junior Operations Coordinator. He was later promoted to Senior Coordinator, Senior Supervisor, and Senior Manager in the same area. Hilder was trained by one of the company’s old-timers, Mr. Joaquin ROSADO, who helped him qualify to become our Operations Director, the position that Hilder presently holds and that he performs with great skill and impeccable leadership. Hilder has been married for 23 years.

He likes being on top of the latest international news and economic trends. He loves cars, Formula 1 events, and traveling to see new places.

Personal Favorites

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Local Attraction: I definitely enjoy the Emotions tour by Alltournative! It’s fun to ride ATVs, swim in a cenote, and go thrilling zip lines. At the end of the day, they serve delicious Yucatecan food, a delight to my palate!

Recreational Activity: A weekend trip to the island of Isla Mujeres is so relaxing. I recommend Playa Norte (The Northern tip) for its calm waters that resemble an infinity pool and its white sandy beaches.

Restaurant: I love Puerto Madero steakhouse, where Argentinean cuisine is the specialty. They serve lots of fresh seafood and prime steaks grilled to your specifications. I enjoy accompanying my fine cut with a nice glass of red wine while admiring a bedazzling sunset on the Nichupte lagoon.

Local Event: The International Beer Fest in Puerto Morelos. Beer tasting is fun since you can sample beers from the world over. This event is becoming more and more popular each year, attracting lots of visitors.

Salomon Ruiz was born in Chiapas, Mexico. He has a major in tourism and gastronomy and moved to Cancun in 1995 beginning his secular career working as a bellboy at Calinda hotel. He joined IVI DMC about 20 years ago as Airport Supervisor, due to his outstanding sense of responsibility, he was soon promoted to Operations Director.

Recently, he was appointed as Corporate Operations Manager again due to his exemplary leadership and excellent performance as a trainer. From this position, he will continue training future hires in all the different destinations in accordance with our high standards of quality and service.

Salo, as his close associates affectionally call him, is the proud father of two beautiful girls whom he loves dearly. He enjoys spending time with them practicing sports or going to the beach. He is a fan of the NBA and documentaries.

Personal Favorites

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Local Attraction: He loves the splendor of Xcaret at night, a show with over 300 artists on stage, performing a musical journey through the history of Mexico.

Recreational Activity: Spending as much time as possible with his family, for Salomon, family comes first.

Restaurant: Puerto Madero is his favorite, he enjoys the food, the superb service, and the location which has a breathtaking view of the lagoon, especially at sunset.

Local Event: The International Beer Fest in Puerto Morelos and every main Mexican festivity.

Rafael CASTILLO is a true, proud native of Merida, capital city of the state of Yucatan. Since the early years of his childhood, he was the travel companion of his father and his grandfather when visiting this wonderful region; thus, he was exposed to a vast knowledge of the Mayan world.

For the enthusiastic Rafael, becoming a tour guide was a natural step after all what he had seen; he wanted to share with the visitors all the peninsula has to offer to visitors: diverse ecology, rich history and culture, natural wonders, and the great number of archaeological sites. His many years of secular experience are an asset to all in IVI DMC. He plays a very important role as Purchasing Manager as he is always looking for products and services of great quality to satisfy our valuable clients.

Personal Favorites

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Local Attraction: The archaeological site of “El Rey" in Cancun Hotel Zone.

Recreational Activity: Not just one, but three: reading, biking, and hiking.

Restaurant: "Cenacolo", since 1986 cucina romagnola dining combined with excellent service. Handmade pastas!

Local Event: All archaeoastronomical events such as equinoxes and solstices that have been identified in the archaeological sites.

Eugenia ESPARZA was born in San Luis Potosi and has a Major in Business Administration in Tourism. Her first contact with Tourism in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo came in 1990 when she worked at Camino Real Ixtapa, one of the most luxurious hotels of that time.

Having great experience in various positions within guest services, she then moved to Cancun 6 years after in search of better opportunities. She worked for various travel agencies in guest services until she found IVI DMC, where she found her passion for MICE. Her first position was as an Event Coordinator and after 2 years she was promoted to Program Executive where she has been working for the past 8 years. What she enjoys the most are the comments from clients after a successful program. It is very satisfying to read that after the work has concluded, the clients are satisfied.

Personal Favorites

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Local Attraction: Her favorite local attraction is Xel-ha where guests can relax all day, swim, and snorkel. Also, Chichen Itza is a place that she has visited at least 10 times since she arrived in Cancun.

Restaurant: Rosa Negra is the restaurant that she likes the most, and what she fancies the most are the desserts. Also, she loves seafood and she enjoys small seafood venues located in the urban area of Cancun.

Local Event: Any beer festival in the area.