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Mayan Palace Riviera Maya confusion

DebBrown

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Since our January Cabo trip was cancelled by a hurricane, we were offered a substitute at the Mayan Palace at Riviera Maya. I am surprised that there are no reviews. In fact, I don't even see the resort listed. Is it under a different name? From the map, it looks like it shares space with the Grand Luxxe and Grand Mayan. Do they share amenities? We've never been to this area so I want to know what to expect. It appears somewhat isolated. Do we need our own transportation?

Thanks for your help.

Deb
 

rpennisi

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Since our January Cabo trip was cancelled by a hurricane, we were offered a substitute at the Mayan Palace at Riviera Maya. I am surprised that there are no reviews. In fact, I don't even see the resort listed. Is it under a different name? From the map, it looks like it shares space with the Grand Luxxe and Grand Mayan. Do they share amenities? We've never been to this area so I want to know what to expect. It appears somewhat isolated. Do we need our own transportation?

Thanks for your help.

Deb
The Mayan Palace has 21 buildings in RM, and shares the property with Ocean Breeze, Bliss, Grand Mayan, Grand Bliss and Grand Luxxe. If your Cabo trip was cancelled, was it at the Grand Mayan in San Jose del Cabo, and if that is the case why not Grand Mayan in RM? Just a thought.

At the complex in RM, Mayan Palace can only go to MP pools, which are huge. The restaurants are shared by all, except the burger restaurant at the Grand Luxxe pool.

The complex is somewhat isolated, but there are taxis and vans available to go to Playa del Carmen (about 30 minutes south). As far as your own transportation, we have rented cars at the airport in Cancun in the past, but lately have used the free Mayan transportation from the airport to the complex, and then used cabs or vans to go elsewhere. If you have never been to the area, then a car is useful to see the sights, Mayan ruins, Xcaret, etc.
 

pittle

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It does share the grounds with the Grand Mayan, Grand Bliss, and Grand Luxxe. They have also just finished some Bliss buildings (MP units with new furniture.) The MP pool is totally awesome! The GM pool is not close to the beach like the MP one is. They are building a new Grand Bliss pool that is oceanfront. If you are staying in MP, you can only use that pool.

We have stayed at this resort 3 or 4 times since it opened and always stay 2-3 weeks. We stayed at the GM portion for one week in 2007, but the MP portion all the other times. We decided to use our MP units instead of GM units at this resort since everyone used the same pool at that time. Once, we had 3 two-bedroom units for the family at Thanksgiving there and everyone enjoyed it immensely. The resort is very spread out, but has shuttles that run continuously.

You can rent a car, but we tend to walk to the road and catch the bus to Playa del Carmen. If you do have a car, you will most likely need to park in the Walmart or Mega parking lot when in Playa del Carmen and walk towards the beach. We have taken the bus to the Puerto Morales turnoff and snagged a taxi there to take us to the beach and restaurants. If you have a car, you can drive there. The resort is closer to Puerto Morales than Playa. We like Playa and you can take the ferry to Cozumel from the big terminal just off 5th Avenue for a day trip. There are lots of restaurants and shops on 5th Ave.

The Tulum tour is nice and Xhel-Ha and Xcaret are both fun. The Xcaret night show is awesome. With a car, you can drive to these locations as they are on the highway going south.

We have not been there since 2007, but it is on our "go back to" list for either 2015 or 2016. We will stay at the Grand Luxxe or Grand Bliss on the next trip.
 

DebBrown

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Thanks for the info. Our trip was to Grand Mayan in Cabo but it was an exchange through DAE. This is the alternative that was available to them.

Deb
 

ride2slide

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The last time we went MP Rivera Maya, we were able to score GM wristbands by telling the sales staff, that was the ONLY way we would go to the sales breakfast. We love the GM pools, they are not as big as the MP pool, but seem much quieter. We spent more time in them, than in the MP pools in the heat of the afternoon. There is quite a bit of shade around the GM pool behind the main building. The GM infinity pool had views of the jungle.

The first time we went, we rented a car. Now, we just do taxi's or shuttles. They don't advertise a Walmart shuttle, but we just asked the driver it we could get dropped at wallyworld instead. Since the 2 other couples in the van were all for it, he even waited on us in the parking garage and took us back to the resort afterwards.
 

DebBrown

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So, are you telling me that we should try to stay in a different section for the pool? The MP pool looks gigantic on the map. What am I missing? Is it just a better ambience? We're not super picky about this trip. Just glad to have a vacation after the hurricane in Cabo.

ride, I definitely will not be attending any sales presentation so that option is out!

Deb
 

pittle

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Many people state that they prefer the MP pool because of the size and location. If you rent a palapa bed for the day, the rental fee can be off-set by Balche (pool restaurant) items. You get a credit for Balche only for the day you rent.
 
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ride2slide

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The MP pool is huge, but with the MP wristband, you are not allowed to use any of the GM pools, lounges, bars, or common areas.It is almost like have a VIP pass at a concert. We don't travel with kids, so enjoyed the lush tropical pool and lounge feel, a little better. The sales pitch was not that pushy for us. We had breakfast, looked at an adjoining Bliss unit, said no thanks. We left with our gifts with no hassle at all. I would do it again for the GM wrist band! The 2 hours we lost doing the sales thing was more than made up from the time waiting for the MP shuttles. We could take either the PM or the GM shuttles, which ever came first.
 

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Many people state that they prefer the MP pool because of the size and location. If you rent a palapa bed for the day, the rental fee can be off-set by Balche (pool restaurant) items. You get a credit for Balche only for the day you rent.

When we were there in July, our first day (Saturday) we tried to rent a palapa and were told there is no renting, its first come.. Which was wierd after all the discussion here about it. I do know that M-F if you wanted a palapa, the only way we got one each day was to drop stuff on it at 6:30 on the way to the gym.

And yes I felt bad about doing that, but we were normally in it by 8 am and there till dinner.

To the OP, the nomal pools are HUGE, but my youngest and I spent a lot of time in the GM pool overlooking the lagoon. Really great way to spend time. And you can get a cab at the GM lobby to Playa or Cancun. Car rentals in QRoo are very expensive so it pays to do the math on how many times you plan to go places.
 

rpennisi

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When we were there in July, our first day (Saturday) we tried to rent a palapa and were told there is no renting, its first come.. Which was wierd after all the discussion here about it. I do know that M-F if you wanted a palapa, the only way we got one each day was to drop stuff on it at 6:30 on the way to the gym.

And yes I felt bad about doing that, but we were normally in it by 8 am and there till dinner.

To the OP, the nomal pools are HUGE, but my youngest and I spent a lot of time in the GM pool overlooking the lagoon. Really great way to spend time. And you can get a cab at the GM lobby to Playa or Cancun. Car rentals in QRoo are very expensive so it pays to do the math on how many times you plan to go places.
The palapas on the beach are free and first come first serve. The covered beds around the pool are the ones Phyllis was referring to. Food and beverage purchases at the pool can cancel the rental cost for that day of use.
 

huenix

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The palapas on the beach are free and first come first serve. The covered beds around the pool are the ones Phyllis was referring to. Food and beverage purchases at the pool can cancel the rental cost for that day of use.


Oh I get that. That is exactly what I am saying. I was told the above, but at RM in July there was no rental/payment for the poolside palapas. Just show up and take it.
 

pittle

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Oh I get that. That is exactly what I am saying. I was told the above, but at RM in July there was no rental/payment for the poolside palapas. Just show up and take it.

That is how it was in 2007, even in February. We had another couple with us and the guys took turns getting up at 5 or 5:30 and snagging our favorite one. We made a point that one of the 4 of us was there at all times. The next year, they started the rental system.
 
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