Zac495
TUG Member
I'll post this on the TUG review for others in the future.
http://cancun2010ls.shutterfly.com/
My husband and 2 kids traveled from Philadelphia to Cancun. We traded into the Grand Mayan using our Hilton points via SFX.
Email the resort 3 days ahead of time. They will send you a voucher for transportation. However, they didn’t have us on their list despite the fact that we had the voucher. Nevertheless, they did take us to the resort free of charge. Be sure you go OUTSIDE to find the person with the Grand Mayan sign. Do not stop and ask a soul about transportation inside the airport – these are people trying to get you to take a timeshare tour. We also called the resort 3 days ahead of time – not the 800 number, but the hotel directly (yes, we had to pay long distance). We requested buildings 1 – 5 and our request was noted and honored. I can’t promise this is due to the call, but it was worth it. Buildings 1 – 7 are all fine. I also suggest you request the lake view side. There are no ocean views, but we didn’t know this, thus faced the generator. We got used to the slight noise and it wasn’t a big deal.
We had a 2 bedroom unit.
Unit Features:
Bedrooms – Both bedrooms really look like the master bedroom. I guess you could say the real master bedroom was the one with the plunge pool on its balcony. Other than that, both bedrooms had the same features. Bedrooms have a king-size bed, a nice sofa and chair (my daughter slept on the sofa and son slept on the bed), a balcony, and a bathroom that includes a soaking tub. There is one mid-sized closet in the room, along with adequate drawer space. There is a television. Bathrooms are supplied with shampoo, towels, lotion, soap, toilet paper. I didn’t notice a hairdryer, but I didn’t use one on this vacation.
Living/Kitchen Area – 2 large sofas, one chair, and a large, flat screen TV. There is a big kitchen table. The kitchen had no dishwasher. One thing that irritated me was the sign on the sink warning if you don’t clean up on the last day, you will be charged. There is a deck with chairs off the living room.
Laundry: Laundry room is down the hall – we didn’t use it. I believe it is coin operated. It was on the 2nd floor (which we were on). The ice machine is on the 3rd floor.
Deck – There is a big deck with a small table, 2 lounge chairs and 2 chairs – and a nice, cold plunge pool.
Maid Service – Excellent maid service daily. Please tip them.
Wifi – Available in the room for 950 pesos per week. They also have a cybercafé if you just want to check your email once or twice for less (but you will still pay).
Pool Area – There are 3 pools. The main pool (near the beach) is the largest. This is for Grand Mayan and Mayan Palace guests. There were always plenty of chairs – absolutely no need to go down and save chairs. I really liked this pool. There are “lounge chairs” in the pool and other fun areas that allow you to basically suntan in the water. There are also pool bars on both sides of this pool – happy hour is 11 – 1 (2 for one drinks). There is a big snack restaurant at this pool where you can sit down and have lunch or an early dinner. We never ate there.
Grand Mayan guests have 2 other pool choices – both very nice and smaller. One of them is a sandy area with a “lazy river.” I quote this because it’s so lazy you won’t notice it moving. The other Grand Mayan pool is right by the lobby. We loved this pool, too. There were really interesting lounge chairs – very cozy. This pool has a pool bar, too. There is a restaurant there - The Blue Fish – that serves lunch. I will review this restaurant later in this review.
Beach Area – This is the worst beach I have ever seen. I heard it was rocky, but I didn’t realize it IS a rock. There is no way you can swim here- and no one was swimming. There was a red flag up the entire time we were there, and even if the flag were green, I can’t see swimming possible. Maybe you could walk over the rocks and finally get past them – but even then, more rocks. We walked over to the Iberostar (long walk and I don’t really recommend it – we thought we were walking past an abandoned property, but then got yelled at by someone, so we think we may have been trespassing). The beach at Iberostar was fabulous with banana boats – made us so sad we were staying at Grand Mayan.
Beach Activities- They have jet skiis, scuba and snorkeling. We did neither. I would have no desire to snorkel off this beach. My son took a “lesson” in the pool for scuba. Within 5 minutes the guy said he had to pay if he wanted to do more – nothing like other resorts where they really give a mini-lesson. When we didn’t want to pay, they were quite rude.
Restaurants – The Grand Mayan Resort really lacks here. Be aware that not all of the restaurants are open all days – so be sure you know which ones close on which days.
Blue Fish – This is only open for lunch. My daughter loved her club sandwich. I didn’t like the cerviche, but perhaps someone else would have. However, when I tried to say I didn’t want it, I was charged and yelled at. If you read my other reviews, you will know I am not the complaining type. I am always polite and respectful of waiters and all workers as everyone should be. But this waiter was aggressive and actually grabbed the silverware off the table furiously. This restaurant is outside by the pool.
Gong – We loved this restaurant – too bad it closes Friday and Saturday nights. I had the dragon roll and spicy tuna roll – excellent. This restaurant is inside, above the gift shop.
Italian (the name escapes me) - It was good, not great. The service was pleasant. This restaurant is by Gong, also upstairs and inside.
Havana Moon – This restaurant is by the ocean. We sat outside and loved the breeze and view. The food is adequate – good pizza and sandwiches – don’t expect gourmet.
De Largo – This is buffet. We never ate here. I know the seafood buffet is 330 pesos per person. We rarely saw people eating here except with a salesperson before a timeshare presentation in the morning.
Property –This is like a village. It’s a very long walk from one place to the next. If you’re in buildings 1-7, expect to walk 10 minutes to the pool. This was fine with us as we’re young and healthy, but it would be very difficult for someone older or unfit. If you are in buildings 8 or beyond, expect to wait for very unreliable shuttle service or walk a very long distance. I really didn’t like the vastness of the place.
Golf – Big, beautiful golf course. I don’t golf, but I did jog it (at 6 am – don’t gasp, golfers, I wouldn’t interrupt your precious golf time). The friends we stayed with golfed a few times and enjoyed it. However, they were given 16 free rounds of golf, but weren’t allowed to share a golf bag. They were told they would need to rent a 30 dollar golf bag so that each person had their own bag.
Sales/Staff – It rained one day so we decided to do the timeshare tour. It was 4 hours long. I didn’t mind since it was raining, but oh my gosh. First we had a buffet breakfast – we brought the kids, so that was nice. The saleswoman was very pleasant during breakfast. We then went to the torture chamber where the pitch started at 149,000 for 4 weeks down to about 2000. Don’t BUY. We did get 1000 pesos off our bill plus 10% off anything we purchased (food, etc) so it was “worth it,” due to the rain.
Planned Activities – There were very lame night shows. There was water aerobics, stretching classes, etc at the pool. These were free.
Spa/Gym – The gym is 100 pesos per day to use unless you’re a grand lux member (who knows how you become grand lux – maybe buy a timeshare?) But I didn’t realize there was a fee at first. I actually asked and the lady at the front said it was free. So I used the gym two times before someone told me there was a cost. I also used the spa facilities (the free ones). There is a sauna, steam room, and beautiful outside Jacuzzi area.
Kids Club- My kids are too old now, but we did see a little hut by the pool. We never saw any kids there, nor did we see staff. But we didn’t ask either.
Outings – We didn’t rent a car. We used the shuttle to get into Playa. My son went diving in Playa – not through the resort – and had a wonderful time. We ate at Parilla’s (thanks to a Tugger recommendation). It was on 5th and 8th – very nice and right by all of the shopping. Shopping was fun and the beach at Playa is very nice. Be aware that Playa is quite a distance from the Grand Mayan. Grand Mayan is not in Riviera Maya – it is between Cancun and Riviera Maya.
We also went into Puertos Morelos and ate at the Mother in Law (yes, that’s the name of the restaurant). We were told it would be a beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean. It did overlook the ocean – with card tables – but it was pleasant. Don’t go there for great food, but certainly the food was okay.
Suitability: This resort is suitable for those who can easily walk distances. The pool area is big enough that little children probably won’t bother adults who are reading quietly. The kids will love the pools. I, myself, will not return. The lack of a good beach and pleasant service made my stay less than ideal. If you like to walk and don’t care about a good beach or abundant restaurants, this is a good choice. If you like good wine and good food, be prepared to leave the property – and do a little more research about restaurants than I did beforehand.
http://cancun2010ls.shutterfly.com/
My husband and 2 kids traveled from Philadelphia to Cancun. We traded into the Grand Mayan using our Hilton points via SFX.
Email the resort 3 days ahead of time. They will send you a voucher for transportation. However, they didn’t have us on their list despite the fact that we had the voucher. Nevertheless, they did take us to the resort free of charge. Be sure you go OUTSIDE to find the person with the Grand Mayan sign. Do not stop and ask a soul about transportation inside the airport – these are people trying to get you to take a timeshare tour. We also called the resort 3 days ahead of time – not the 800 number, but the hotel directly (yes, we had to pay long distance). We requested buildings 1 – 5 and our request was noted and honored. I can’t promise this is due to the call, but it was worth it. Buildings 1 – 7 are all fine. I also suggest you request the lake view side. There are no ocean views, but we didn’t know this, thus faced the generator. We got used to the slight noise and it wasn’t a big deal.
We had a 2 bedroom unit.
Unit Features:
Bedrooms – Both bedrooms really look like the master bedroom. I guess you could say the real master bedroom was the one with the plunge pool on its balcony. Other than that, both bedrooms had the same features. Bedrooms have a king-size bed, a nice sofa and chair (my daughter slept on the sofa and son slept on the bed), a balcony, and a bathroom that includes a soaking tub. There is one mid-sized closet in the room, along with adequate drawer space. There is a television. Bathrooms are supplied with shampoo, towels, lotion, soap, toilet paper. I didn’t notice a hairdryer, but I didn’t use one on this vacation.
Living/Kitchen Area – 2 large sofas, one chair, and a large, flat screen TV. There is a big kitchen table. The kitchen had no dishwasher. One thing that irritated me was the sign on the sink warning if you don’t clean up on the last day, you will be charged. There is a deck with chairs off the living room.
Laundry: Laundry room is down the hall – we didn’t use it. I believe it is coin operated. It was on the 2nd floor (which we were on). The ice machine is on the 3rd floor.
Deck – There is a big deck with a small table, 2 lounge chairs and 2 chairs – and a nice, cold plunge pool.
Maid Service – Excellent maid service daily. Please tip them.
Wifi – Available in the room for 950 pesos per week. They also have a cybercafé if you just want to check your email once or twice for less (but you will still pay).
Pool Area – There are 3 pools. The main pool (near the beach) is the largest. This is for Grand Mayan and Mayan Palace guests. There were always plenty of chairs – absolutely no need to go down and save chairs. I really liked this pool. There are “lounge chairs” in the pool and other fun areas that allow you to basically suntan in the water. There are also pool bars on both sides of this pool – happy hour is 11 – 1 (2 for one drinks). There is a big snack restaurant at this pool where you can sit down and have lunch or an early dinner. We never ate there.
Grand Mayan guests have 2 other pool choices – both very nice and smaller. One of them is a sandy area with a “lazy river.” I quote this because it’s so lazy you won’t notice it moving. The other Grand Mayan pool is right by the lobby. We loved this pool, too. There were really interesting lounge chairs – very cozy. This pool has a pool bar, too. There is a restaurant there - The Blue Fish – that serves lunch. I will review this restaurant later in this review.
Beach Area – This is the worst beach I have ever seen. I heard it was rocky, but I didn’t realize it IS a rock. There is no way you can swim here- and no one was swimming. There was a red flag up the entire time we were there, and even if the flag were green, I can’t see swimming possible. Maybe you could walk over the rocks and finally get past them – but even then, more rocks. We walked over to the Iberostar (long walk and I don’t really recommend it – we thought we were walking past an abandoned property, but then got yelled at by someone, so we think we may have been trespassing). The beach at Iberostar was fabulous with banana boats – made us so sad we were staying at Grand Mayan.
Beach Activities- They have jet skiis, scuba and snorkeling. We did neither. I would have no desire to snorkel off this beach. My son took a “lesson” in the pool for scuba. Within 5 minutes the guy said he had to pay if he wanted to do more – nothing like other resorts where they really give a mini-lesson. When we didn’t want to pay, they were quite rude.
Restaurants – The Grand Mayan Resort really lacks here. Be aware that not all of the restaurants are open all days – so be sure you know which ones close on which days.
Blue Fish – This is only open for lunch. My daughter loved her club sandwich. I didn’t like the cerviche, but perhaps someone else would have. However, when I tried to say I didn’t want it, I was charged and yelled at. If you read my other reviews, you will know I am not the complaining type. I am always polite and respectful of waiters and all workers as everyone should be. But this waiter was aggressive and actually grabbed the silverware off the table furiously. This restaurant is outside by the pool.
Gong – We loved this restaurant – too bad it closes Friday and Saturday nights. I had the dragon roll and spicy tuna roll – excellent. This restaurant is inside, above the gift shop.
Italian (the name escapes me) - It was good, not great. The service was pleasant. This restaurant is by Gong, also upstairs and inside.
Havana Moon – This restaurant is by the ocean. We sat outside and loved the breeze and view. The food is adequate – good pizza and sandwiches – don’t expect gourmet.
De Largo – This is buffet. We never ate here. I know the seafood buffet is 330 pesos per person. We rarely saw people eating here except with a salesperson before a timeshare presentation in the morning.
Property –This is like a village. It’s a very long walk from one place to the next. If you’re in buildings 1-7, expect to walk 10 minutes to the pool. This was fine with us as we’re young and healthy, but it would be very difficult for someone older or unfit. If you are in buildings 8 or beyond, expect to wait for very unreliable shuttle service or walk a very long distance. I really didn’t like the vastness of the place.
Golf – Big, beautiful golf course. I don’t golf, but I did jog it (at 6 am – don’t gasp, golfers, I wouldn’t interrupt your precious golf time). The friends we stayed with golfed a few times and enjoyed it. However, they were given 16 free rounds of golf, but weren’t allowed to share a golf bag. They were told they would need to rent a 30 dollar golf bag so that each person had their own bag.
Sales/Staff – It rained one day so we decided to do the timeshare tour. It was 4 hours long. I didn’t mind since it was raining, but oh my gosh. First we had a buffet breakfast – we brought the kids, so that was nice. The saleswoman was very pleasant during breakfast. We then went to the torture chamber where the pitch started at 149,000 for 4 weeks down to about 2000. Don’t BUY. We did get 1000 pesos off our bill plus 10% off anything we purchased (food, etc) so it was “worth it,” due to the rain.
Planned Activities – There were very lame night shows. There was water aerobics, stretching classes, etc at the pool. These were free.
Spa/Gym – The gym is 100 pesos per day to use unless you’re a grand lux member (who knows how you become grand lux – maybe buy a timeshare?) But I didn’t realize there was a fee at first. I actually asked and the lady at the front said it was free. So I used the gym two times before someone told me there was a cost. I also used the spa facilities (the free ones). There is a sauna, steam room, and beautiful outside Jacuzzi area.
Kids Club- My kids are too old now, but we did see a little hut by the pool. We never saw any kids there, nor did we see staff. But we didn’t ask either.
Outings – We didn’t rent a car. We used the shuttle to get into Playa. My son went diving in Playa – not through the resort – and had a wonderful time. We ate at Parilla’s (thanks to a Tugger recommendation). It was on 5th and 8th – very nice and right by all of the shopping. Shopping was fun and the beach at Playa is very nice. Be aware that Playa is quite a distance from the Grand Mayan. Grand Mayan is not in Riviera Maya – it is between Cancun and Riviera Maya.
We also went into Puertos Morelos and ate at the Mother in Law (yes, that’s the name of the restaurant). We were told it would be a beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean. It did overlook the ocean – with card tables – but it was pleasant. Don’t go there for great food, but certainly the food was okay.
Suitability: This resort is suitable for those who can easily walk distances. The pool area is big enough that little children probably won’t bother adults who are reading quietly. The kids will love the pools. I, myself, will not return. The lack of a good beach and pleasant service made my stay less than ideal. If you like to walk and don’t care about a good beach or abundant restaurants, this is a good choice. If you like good wine and good food, be prepared to leave the property – and do a little more research about restaurants than I did beforehand.
