Grand Mayan RM - whats with the pools?

[DG001]

I am just back from Cancun over the Christmas/NY break. We spent the first part of the vacation in Westin Lagunamar, and the second part at the Vidanta GM at Riviera Maya.

So most of what I read about the Grand Mayan was absolutely correct, the room was fantastic and the grounds were great. Food was good but pricey, sales was pushy, and they did everything they could to keep us in the resort, including making parking a huge hassle.

But my beef was with the pools. Even though the pools looked great, the water was freezing! And not the "get in and you will get used to it" cold - it literally was 72 degrees! Also, there are no hot tubs! Again, that baffled me! Huge pools, spent a lot of $ and effort to make it look good, but not even a token try to make the water inviting... it was a big disappointment for me and my family, especially after the fantastic pools at the Lagunamar.

I figure the pools are so large that they don't heat it. But - and this is the reason for the post - I was surprised that this had not been mentioned in any TUG post... usually most pros/cons for each resort are so hashed out that the pool situation took me aback.

Was my experience just a one time random fluke? Do most people not find the water cold? I would honestly have not come to this resort if I had known about the pool/hottub situation.

Ok, I will stop the rant. It was a nice vacation.

 

[whitewater]

I am just back from Cancun over the Christmas/NY break. We spent the first part of the vacation in Westin Lagunamar, and the second part at the Vidanta GM at Riviera Maya.

So most of what I read about the Grand Mayan was absolutely correct, the room was fantastic and the grounds were great. Food was good but pricey, sales was pushy, and they did everything they could to keep us in the resort, including making parking a huge hassle.

But my beef was with the pools. Even though the pools looked great, the water was freezing! And not the "get in and you will get used to it" cold - it literally was 72 degrees! Also, there are no hot tubs! Again, that baffled me! Huge pools, spent a lot of $ and effort to make it look good, but not even a token try to make the water inviting... it was a big disappointment for me and my family, especially after the fantastic pools at the Lagunamar.

I figure the pools are so large that they don't heat it. But - and this is the reason for the post - I was surprised that this had not been mentioned in any TUG post... usually most pros/cons for each resort are so hashed out that the pool situation took me aback.

Was my experience just a one time random fluke? Do most people not find the water cold? I would honestly have not come to this resort if I had known about the pool/hottub situation.

Ok, I will stop the rant. It was a nice vacation.

we went in May last year. found them cool but not cold. they likely do not heat pools and let the sun do the work.

 

[Zinjanthropus]

Before they built the Beach Club there were a couple of round hot pools. I thought there was a hot pool in the Sanctuary area.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

I am just back from Cancun over the Christmas/NY break.
But my beef was with the pools. Even though the pools looked great, the water was freezing! And not the "get in and you will get used to it" cold - it literally was 72 degrees!
Was my experience just a one time random fluke? Do most people not find the water cold? I would honestly have not come to this resort if I had known about the pool/hottub situation.

It was a nice vacation.

Surface water temp. in Lake Huron ( & other Great Lakes ) peaks at approx 72 F in mid August and wavy/ windy days tend to bring up cooler water from the bottom .
So - not too cool for us .

We have experienced Vidanta pools in NV / PV . ( Feb / March / April - depending on the visit ) and thought the water temperature was fine .

I guess it depends on your comparison .

 

[WatsonC2]

I remember the pools in Vidanta RM being cool too. Just returning from a trip to GM NV in December we discovered the MP pool to appear the coolest (its also the largest) while the GM pools appear to have been heated. Wonder if they also employ their caste system with the pools?

 

[pittle]

The pools are generally cool or cold - I prefer warmer than any of the Mayan World pools that I have been in during winter months. It always seemed to me that the higher level of the large Mayan Palace pool at RM was warmer than the lower levels probably because it had less surface area.

 

[bizaro86]

I remember the pools in Vidanta RM being cool too. Just returning from a trip to GM NV in December we discovered the MP pool to appear the coolest (its also the largest) while the GM pools appear to have been heated. Wonder if they also employ their caste system with the pools?

The GM pool is quite shallow in parts because it's zero entry. I think it probably heats up faster from the sun because of that.

 

[DG001]

OP here - you'r right different strokes and all that. The lake comment made me laugh - my husband made the same comment - that this temperature at the cape would be considered warm - and then he added - in June. A couple of years ago we stayed at the Malaga Marriott timeshare in Spain in April, and they also had really COLD pools, and the management told us that Spanish pools had to be at 72 degrees by law. Not sure I believed him!