Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta - Tips for a newbie?

[cej11]

Hello,

My friends and I will be staying at the Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta in just a few days, and I am hoping to get some tips from helpful people who have stayed there previously. I have been trying to read through old threads and TripAdvisor reviews, but honestly, they rely so much on you having some basic knowledge of the resort to begin with, I'm really hoping people here can give me the real details. We're a batch of girls in our 20s, so budget is important for many of the travelers. We're after the laziest week possible (no tours for us). The focus is on ease and budget, basically.

First, we'd like to go to the grocery when we first get in. Basic food items, like PB&J fixins', and "too big for the carryon" toiletries like vats of sunscreen. Would WalMart be the best option? Something else? And what is the easiest and/or cheapest way to get there? I read a bus will drop you directly at WalMart, but where exactly is the bus stop at the hotel? How much would a cab be?

Second, I know the food at the resort is expensive, but they are sure to snag us plenty due to sheer laziness. But when we do go elsewhere, we'd like to keep it on the cheap. What are nearby affordable option? People mentioned the Taco Break - is it cheap and good? Also Guidos got plenty of recs. I can see their dinner menu and prices online, but what is their breakfast and lunch like? And exactly how do I get there? I think a shuttle to the front gate, then a walk. How far?

Can anyone recommend other low-priced and good options in walking distance? Also, I read Dominos delivers - true? Any other delivery options?

Internet - I understand there is a fee for wifi in the room (sigh). And even a fee for the computer lounge! I read that Guido's has free wifi - true? Any other nearby wifi stops? It would probably be cheaper to just bring an ipad with us during our off-site meals and check our email then, I'm thinking. Does anyone have any other great internet suggestions?

Happy hour - is it really only one hour long?? Any other nearby bar suggestions, just for casual drinks?

Any other "insiders' tips" would be greatly appreciated! I really could use the guidance. And, again, talk to me like I have no idea where the beach is in relation to the front gate. Because I don't, lol.

THANKS SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!

 

[pittle]

It has been a couple of years since we went to the GM in NV, but I will answer the questions that I can. The bus stop used to be by the Sea Garden, but think it may have moved closer to the entrance. Just ask one of the bellmen and they will tell you. Taxi fares are generally posted near the bellman station too.

The Walmart grocery is good, but I like the Mega in Bucerias better (but you would need to take a taxi). At either, you can buy fresh Mexican salsa at the deli, avacadoes (get the dark ones that just barely are soft when you squeeze gently), and limes to make guacamole. They will have all kinds of chips and we often buy tostada shells to use for chips. Beer, wine, & margarita mix will be cheaper there than at the resort. You can get a great pound cake with nuts on top to have with coffee for breakfast for about $5. Buy coffee at the grocery and do not use that that is in your room - they charge for those small packets - same with water. The water is safe to drink at the resort and we drink it all the time.

I do not know about the happy hour there now, but when I was in Acapulco this past January, it was pretty much all day long. Beer was 2 for $5, but my friend would walk up to the OXXO that was practically across the street and buy a 6-pack for the same price. They do not let you take a cooler to the pool area, but you can to the beach. In Acapulco, my friend would make margaritas and put in a water bottle and take it down to the pool in her beachbag along with a small collapsible cooler (6-pk size) that she put ice in that fit in the beachbag - be creative, just not obvious.

The club sandwiches and burgers are large enough to share and you can get these when at the pool or beach or from room service.

Yes - the internet fee is high! If you are just going to check email, the declining balance system works pretty good. You use their computers and login to use them. I bought a netbook last year just so I had a lightweight computer to take with me where there may be free WIFI. When we travel with others, we generally pay the fee and have it in our room and we all share the cost. You cannot use multiple computers - just one per fee with the WIFI at the resort.

Taxi fare to Bucerias is cheaper than to Puerto Vallarta and there are some great beachfront restaurants there where the prices are very reasonable. There are beach vendors comng by all the time and a flea market area if you want to buy souveniers. It is a fun way to spend a few hours. There are some fairly cheap massage places there too.

This is a great resort and you should have a great time. The wave pool and lazy river are great. There are generally some free activities at Mundo in the evenings.

Decline the offer to take the tour of the resort. They generally only give you 10% off your room charges, so you have to spend something to get the 10%. My friend and I had only $300 in charges for the 2 weeks we stayed in Acapulco and most of that was internet. Besides, it will waste half a day!!!

 

[DeniseM]

Whatever you do, do NOT go to a sales presentation, and do NOT buy from the resort. The Mexican timeshare presentations are known for being dishonest and very high pressure.

 

[KarenLK]

Bring sunscreen from home. Most brands cost 15-18 dollars in Mexico.

 

[cej11]

Thank you all for your help!

What/where is the "Sea Garden"??

If WalMart is closest, that is definitely where we'll go. Again, we don't need the best selection. PB&J. Maybe mac and cheese. And sunscreen.

It sucks that sunscreen is so expensive there! But it's still less expesnive than paying for checked bags, and most of us are hopping around from other trips, and will just be doing some expert packing of a carryon. So sunscreen (specifically the spray-on) is bigger than 3oz and can't go in the carryons.

We have done the Grand Mayan in Cabo and Acapulco, and also experienced a nearly endless happy hour. But I was reading through reviews on tripadvisor (we're all trying to crack down on our crazy restaurant and bar bills this year, thus why I'm posting, lol) and a few specifically mentioned a 1-2 hour happy hour. Which threw me for a loop!

 

[pittle]

What/where is the "Sea Garden"??

If WalMart is closest, that is definitely where we'll go. Again, we don't need the best selection. PB&J. Maybe mac and cheese. And sunscreen.

Sea Garden is another Grupo Mayan Property that is just up the road by the Sea Market (MP grocery) and Guidos. The Sea Gardens are smaller than Mayan Palace and Grand Mayans, and less expensive.

Walmart will be great. We used to have a tough time finding PB, but did see some this past year in the grocery stores. We also buy sliced ham and cheese and a squeeze bottle of mayo for sandwiches. With a small tub of butter or oleo, you can make grilled cheese sandwiches in your room too. A rotisserie chicken goes a long way too. You can also make quesadillas with the leftovers. All kinds of ways to eat cheap when on vacation. (I used to have teenaged boys with us so learned how to stretch those vacation meals.)

 

[aliikai2]

The New Walmart

is only a 60 peso cab ride from the GM. Half the amount of going to the Mega. The cab ride into town the Walmart is 200 pesos, you can take the bus for about 11 pesos from outside the front gate. The water is fine at the resort, no need to but bottled water. We made a couple of trips to the Walmart for supplies

Greg

 

[judy23]

The rooms are very poorly equipt for cooking. They do this to discourage cooking in the room so take inventory before you go to the market.

 

[pittle]

The rooms are very poorly equipt for cooking. They do this to discourage cooking in the room so take inventory before you go to the market.

There are 4 burners - no oven, a decent frig, and a microwave. There is not a dishwasher either. We don't cook a lot, but do make grilled cheese sandwiches and generally a pot of spaghetti when we are there. A couple of jars of Classico spaghetti sauce dumped over cooked ground beef and some spaghetti noodles will feed you a couple of days pretty cheap. Grill some bread on the griddle and maybe a salad and you are set. I love spaghetti, but seldom make it at home, but do when on vacation because it is easy and cheap. The Grand Mayan has a 4 quart pot, a large deep skillet, smaller pot, and a griddle for sure. I have knocked on a neighbor's door before and borrowed their large pot to cook the noodles in. Most timeshare folks are super friendly and helpful. Once we invited a couple to join us and made some new friends!

Read the "Why the Fence?" post. It is about the GM. One of the most recent posts was about another great restaurant nearby - La Portena. If they have specials like their "sister" restaurant Buenos Aires at the PV Marina, you can get a really great dinner (beef tenderlion) for a special night out for less than $20 including tip and a glass of wine or beer. Our grown kids also loved the sports bar above the OXXO store that is across from La Portena.

 

[sally13]

Tips..

first.. I have to respectfully disagee with Denise's comment that you should not attend a sales event...I am one that feels that most folks are smart enough to make their own choices when presented to them..

.that said..if you are a wishy washy type beware that the sales people are some of the best in getting results at their job......to assume that you are not the sharpest tool in the shed and will fall for rank sales tricks is something that I will NOT assume..(NOT SAYING ALL SALES FOLKS WILL TRY THIS)(a few bad apples may be in the bunch... but all Mayan sales people are not like this.)

I WILL assume that you were not born yesterday and can make your own informed decisions...

Taking the sales tour will net you $300 bucks and 10 or 20 % off your charges to your room..substantial ..even more so if you have kids!!

Like a local told me many years ago..."PLAY THE GAME!!!"..

The tour will give you a great understanding of the product...sadly, something many here do not understand..

Also one more thing.. the surf can be BRUTAL !!I can not warn people enough... at times it can be severe..at other times a walk in the park...Sooo... beware ,as lifegaurds are not that noticeable on the beach..this is one thing that needs to be improved at this resort..(ATT.. KAREN ROSE)

Other then that..get ready for one of the BEST most Luxurious vacations of your life!!! ENJOY!!!

 

[MuranoJo]

Regarding the t/s presentations, I thought in most cases they preferred couples and even insisted on it. Maybe times are tough and they'll make an exception for a bunch of 20-something gals.

You guys seem pretty savvy, so maybe you could give them a run for their money.

I'm sure you're ahead of the game and know to avoid the sales presentations if offered.

 

[curtbrown]

I have to agree with Muranojo, I don't think they'll even offer a presentation to a group of single 20-something ladies. It's pretty much couples only with credit cards in hand...

To get to the restaurants near the marina, take the free shuttle to the front gate (Tacos Break is right there across the street and is part of the GM, so you can charge meals to your room). To get to the marina, turn to the left, go past the driving range and keep walking until you go over the small bridge. You will see a tall newer building on the right with 2 upscale restaurants overlooking the lagoon (Porto Bello & Prime 159). Both are very good, but probably a little expensive if you're on a budget.

Past that building and straight ahead you will see an Oxxo (think 7-11). Just before you get to the Oxxo, you can look to your right and across the plaza area is a restaurant called 8 Tostadas (Ocho Tostadas). It has great fish, shrimp and Mexican dishes, and it is very reasonable price-wise (many of the customers are locals).

If you were to walk on past Oxxo, you will see Guidos's on the right. The last couple of times we've been there it has been hit or miss. Food was just OK, priced a little high for NV restaurants, and the service was kind of lacking. Don't think we'll be going back this year.

If you keep walking past Guido's and follow the street to the right, you will come to Eddie's Place / Nopal Beach. They serve breakfast, lunch & dinner - good food, very reasonable prices, full bar and also free wi-fi. Take a laptop, iPad or smartphone along and ask for the key code. If you go at night, you will surely meet Eddie. He is larger than life, loves sitting down and joining his customers, and makes the whole experience a lot of fun (read the Tripadvisor reviews).

Another option is that you can take a cab from the GM to Paradise Plaza Mall. It's probably about a 40-50 Peso cab ride. There you can get your fix of North American delights - There is a Starbucks (free wi-fi), a McDonalds, Subway, Dominos, Baskin Robbins, a smoothie/yogurt shop, a small deli, three pretty good restaurants upstairs (MoonStar Cafe, Nopolitos, & Brasil), some small shops to browse through, and a small market in case you need a few extras without having to go to Walmart.

One other restaurant I'd recommend is Fajita Republic. It's in Nuevo, but not within walking distance from the GM (probably about the same cab cost as going to the mall). It's a fun place to go with a group, and with the open air atmosphere and all of the hanging "beehive" light fixtures, it is almost magical after dark. Full bar and reasonable prices.

Good luck and have fun, Curt

 

[Kay H]

Regarding peanut butter. I buy (at home) small containers (a 4 or 6 pack) of peanut butter and it easily fits in my carryon. you can put some in your shoes or just fill in spaces in your carry on bag. They are plastic containers and weigh hardly anything. Our grocery stores at home sell them.

 

[DeniseM]

Peanut butter is one of the restricted items in carry on luggage. If you carry it on, it has to go in the ziplock bag with other liquids and can be no larger than 3.4 oz/100 ml.

Not sure about what you can and can't bring through the checkpoint? Here's a list of liquid, aerosol and gel items that you should put in your checked bag, ship ahead, or leave at home.

* Cranberry sauce
* Cologne
* Creamy dips and spreads
(cheeses, peanut butter, etc.)

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/holiday.shtm

 

[PigsDad]

We had no problem finding peanut butter (crunchy and creamy) at Wal-Mart in NV last week.

Kurt

 

[High Technology]

Thanks for all of the great information in this thread -- we just got home from the Grand Mayan today, and utilized many of the tips above. Here are a few more:

EVERYONE working at the resort is both helpful and friendly. Don't be afraid to ask, as nobody besides the people who give you your bracelets will try to get you to attend a sales pitch. The bellman/valet attendants are very helpful and will point you places if you want to walk rather than take a taxi. Taxis are really cheap -- Paradise Shops is a 35 peso ride, Walmart is 60-70 pesos. Cab drivers will take you where you want to go and none tried to rip us off with different fares than the valet attendents said, but they will also offer other recommendations -- if you do take them up on other venues, MAKE SURE you confirm the cab fare before you agree to go elsewhere (we heard of one case where the alternative restaurant was much further away and more costly for the ride).

I totally agree about the nearby Walmart for groceries, as they have a great selection. That said, if you have space in your checked luggage, I would suggest packing a few items from home in the nooks and crannies of a suitcase that you can probably find in PVR, but would be expensive there. For example, regular rice is cheap -- boil in bag brown rice is not at 66 pesos for a box! We like certain packaged goods -- trail mix bars, granola bars, microwave popcorn, etc. that all fit in those small empty places in a suitcase. As another example of imported item prices, a small jar of JIF was 41 pesos which is probably more than it costs in here the US. We actually packed a small box that we checked through as baggage -- just remember, keep it to canned/packaged foods to avoid agriculture import issues.

Speaking of agriculture, the locally grown produce is very good, and very inexpensive (way less than the US, sometimes less than half of the US prices). These items include, avocados, pineapple, oranges, bananas, cantloupe, lettuce, tomatoes, mangoes, onions, and limes.

Dairy/deli -- the LaLa brand of dairy products was excellent, especially the yogurt. A kg tub of peach or strawberry yogurt was 20 pesos - which is the equivalent of like six standard cups of yogurt for about $1.50. Milk and eggs are very close to the US prices; cold cuts are a little more expensive depending on what you buy.

Bottled water - very cheap -- we bought a 10L jug (2.5 gallons) for less than 20 pesos at WalMart; even the resort only charges 20 pesos per 1.5L bottle in the room (and the kitchen and each bathroom will have them there if you run out / don't want to lug them) and housekeeping will replace them daily. Tap water in the resort is fine, but has a very slight chlorine taste when it gets warm (on par with many US locations), and the convenience markets probably charge like 10 pesos per 1.5L bottle if you don't want to lug it.

A good size roasted chicken was 75 pesos, and it was very comparable to the Costco chicken, and that along with some rice made for a simple dinner for our family of 5 with some little left over...

Restaurants:
To get to the Oxxo / Nuevo marina area, there is a much shorter way than taking the shuttle to the main gate. Just walk left out of the front of the Grand Mayan valet area to the left (towards the Sun Market on the grounds, which is about 300 ft). You will then be at the side gate to the resort -- take a left out of the side gate and walk about 1000 feet at which point that road will "T" into the road with the Oxxo straight ahead.

- Make a left at the Oxxo, and Guido's will be just ahead on the right.
- Follow the road past Guido's about another 500 feet or so and Eddie's will be on the right (Eddies was good, but not great -- mine was fine; my wife said her fish tacos were not very good)
- Make a right onto the marina walkway just past Eddies, and if you walk another couple of hundred feet you'll come upon two new restaurants:

1. There is a new very casual and inexpensive steak place -- Flame is what it is called. Chef Linda makes a great steak, and provides great conversation as well. Note that many restaurants in Mexico offer both individual portions, or alternatively charge for fish/meat by weight and serve it family style. We ordered 1kg of NY strip for 230 pesos (yes, 2 pounds of NY strip, prepared for under $20). That gave more than enough for 3 healthy adult servings (we are carnivores), plus we ordered 2 burgers for the younger kids, 3 garlic mashed potatoes, 2 glasses of wine and 3 bottles of water for 800 pesos including a 15% tip. Since the steak was served family style, they gave us a side-table with a cutting board so we could trim/serve the steak as we liked, and the steak was kept warm in a large covered pottery dish.

2. Eddie also opened a new place just past Flame. It's called Eddies Por Que No? We didn't eat there, but it looked a little nicer/more upscale than Eddies. There is already a Trip Advisor review posted.

In the Paradise shops we ate at Nepolito's and thought it was pretty good. 4 entrees plus bottled water and 2 beers was about 580 pesos including a 15% tip.

Our "splurge" meal at the resort was at the seafood market. We utilized the kids club that night (150 pesos / child for a 3-1/2 hours of themed entertainment including their dinner -- that night was a "pajama party"). We ordered 2 appetizers, a two-person seafood platter and a moderately priced bottle of wine for about 1500 pesos (the wine was nearly 600 pesos and it was roughly the same quality of a $50 bottle of wine in a suburban NYC restaurant).

 

[Asl18940]

Great update. Thanks. I'll use it when I'm down there over Thanksgiving.

 

[pittle]

Yes - Thanks for the Update! It is always great to hear about new places and what is happening at the older ones.