Rating:
"I did not enjoy my trip because I broke my two ribs the first hour of my vacation ."
Reviewer: reviewer213
Date: Apr. 14, 2010

Rating:
"Grand Serenis is an incredible resort, food, atmosphere and friendliness of staff were great. The only downside was the 2.5 hour bus ride from the airport to the resort. We were told it would only take an hour(and it did on our return) however we were not notified of the several detours we had to take on the way to the resort,, very frustrating,,,"
Reviewer: reviewer7826
Date: Mar. 13, 2010

Rating:
"Resort was very clean, and rooms were nice and clean. Weather was not great and we didn't have a hot tub to warm up in. Went to spa but it was cool as well. Loved the special coffee in the evening. Day that we did spend at the pool was good, lots of pools and bars. Service was excellent and courteous. Food at buffet was good but not great, lots of dishes were cold.
This was a gorgeous resort and check in and out was easy and quick. I would go again, and hopefully get sunshine!!!"
Reviewer: jjmore
Date: Feb. 22, 2010

Rating:
"Grand Sirenis Mayan Riviera Resort
Mayan Riviera, Mexico
from British Columbia interior

Five of us spent two weeks at this 5-star resort. It is very large (900 + rooms) and spread out of several acres. We had a very enjoyable experience, except when it rained when the smooth tiled floors were extremely slippery, so we had to be very careful (which I wasn't!). The resort has eight a la carte restaurants. We went to six of them, leaving out the French ($40 charge/person) and the Brazilian. We found them very good and went to the Italian twice because we enjoyed it so much. Several bars and eating establishments are spread throughout the resort including snack and lunch bars on the beach. Our favourite lunch site was at the cenote pool with 8-ounce Angus hamburgers (which we always split in half). In the evening it became the Steak House. We had the 8-ounce rib steak which was very good and tender and quite thick, comparable with steaks in Canada. Don't get the steaks at any other restaurant. The canal float was extremely popular with us - even watching people get in was quite hilarious and provided much entertainment. It is a 7-8 foot wide canal which flows in a somewhat circular pattern taking about 15 minutes to do the float. Most people got dunked at least once. The resort is generally handicapped friendly with many ramps and some elevators, along with a shuttle system that you can order to take you any place in the resort.
We travelled out of the resort several times - only once on a tour to the Mayan ruins at Coba and a Mayan Village. The rest of the times we took the "Collectivo" - a 10-12 passenger van that runs from Tulum to Playa del Carmen roughly every ten minutes, costing about 20-30 pesos each ($2-3 American) for the trip depending upon the length and the driver. We even went to XCaret on the Collectivo to the entrance and a shuttle picked us up and at the end took us back to the highway where a Collectivo was waiting for us for our trip home. That saved us about $45 per person. The taxis have had their earnings cut by the Collectivo so were willing to negotiate a lower rate often (but not the hotel taxis).
All in all, we had a very enjoyable trip; even the bus trip back to the airport only took about 70 minutes.
One hint, when in Playa del Carmen, you can get fantastic one-hour massages on the beach for $20. Also buy your Mexican liquor in PDC, but it has to be included in your checked luggage, not as a carryon."
Reviewer: reviewer873
Date: Feb. 10, 2010

Rating:
"We booked our trip through Escapes.ca. We got an awesome deal staying at the Gran Bahia Principe Coba Resort. The flight was through Canjet - Nolitours and Transat I believe are "sisters" and we have no real complaints about the flight other than you are a little cramped for space and it was fine for us and unless you are really fussy and a complainer - then don't go. We made it work for us and we got to our destination!

We were advised prior that the buses that take you to the resort isn't the best way to go. WE HAVE NO COMPLAINTS WHATSOEVER with the bus that took us to and from our resort. The majority of the people on our flight were staying at one of the Gran Bahia Principe properties at the resort (Coba, Tulum or Akamul) and we were all placed on one bus. We made it in record time to the hotel which was about an hour and half. For the price you may pay (we heard up to $70 US) for a taxi or other mode of transportation - suck it up - the bus worked out perfect and absolutely no need for the others. We were offered Corona on the bus at a price of $3 US which was very reasonable (cheaper than a tube of potato chips - Pringles - at the airport which some paid anywhere from $5 to $7).

We were dropped off at the front lobby and getting registered took no time at all even with the bus load that came in. Be prepared - you sometimes can get into your room prior to 3:00 pm but for the most part be patient and be aware that you may not get into your room until after 3:00 pm. Pack in your carry-on beach wear so you can change and start enjoying your stay! I'm not sure what people really expect but there were a number of "bitchers and complainers". We knew there was a possibility of not getting into our room prior to 3:00 pm and we went prepared - get a grip people - plan....

We had an absolutely awesome room - full bathroom, king size bed, pull out couch and table and chairs and the room was spotless. Again, be prepared. You're in a "hot spot" and yes you can chance upon seeing a salamander or two in your room. Think of it this way - they keep the bug populations down and they are very quiet roommates.

We heard from other people that frequent that resort because they absolutely love it to leave a tip ($1 US) for the cleaning lady on the bureau and a tip ($1 US) in the mini-bar each day and your room will have animal characters everyday and your mini-bar will be filled everyday even though the front desk will tell you it gets filled every 2 days. We had awesome "room" service from the cleaning lady to the min-bar boy! Use the trolley system they have on the resort - you can go anywhere and it's just crazy fun!

Don't plan on using your cell phones when you are down there unless you are prepared to expect a huge cell phone bill upon your return. We found out from people at the resort to pick up a Global Link International phone card from the lobby gift shop ($10 US = 60 minutes and $20 US = 120 minutes). Well worth the investment. Don't get confused with the ones that are being sold by the house phones just around the corner from the reception desk. You'll pay $20 for 22 minutes and no guarantee that the card will work. Also don't make the mistake like we did and use your room phone. Use the "house phones" by the lobby to do your long distance calling. By using the "house phones" your room will not be charged extra charges for "phone use". We ended up paying at check out another $13 US because that is what we did.

Book your a la cartes as soon as you've checked in or you'll be disappointed you waited because you may not get in to the restaurants you want. Usually very limited space/times available. The other thing were told was to go to one of the restaurants if they can't book it for you and see if they can take you because we found that quite a few people don't show up for their a la cartes or cancel last minute. Tell them that you are also prepared to wait if need be. If you have the patience, it could very well pay off. Places we recommend - Gran Tortuga (the Brazilian Grill - the meat you can eat - don't fill up at the salad bar because you'll want to take advantage of the meat on huge machetes), Don Paeblo which serves up a nice steak and if you love Japanese, the Mikado. From people that went to try some of the other restaurants we didn't really hear anything bad and I think it is all a matter of opinion and personal taste. It's like reviews you read - what someone enjoys may not be your best choice and those that don't recommend this restaurant or that restaurant may be ones that you enjoy.

If you are planning on doing any of the excursions, plan for "full day". By the time the tour bus picks you up from the resort and other properties this could take up to a 2 hour bus ride from the Bahia Principe properties to get the Xcaret, Xplor, Cancun, etc. We did the Caption Hook tour which included a steak and lobster dinner on a "pirate ship". We left our hotel at 3:30 pm, got to the port by 5:30 (2 hour bus ride). Upon arrival we were told they don't load the ship until 7:00 pm so we had a couple beers at the bar nearby the dock to waste time. Loaded onto the ship at 7:00 pm, had some entertainment, ate our dinner (the steak and lobster we had was awesome plus the extras), had a pirate ship battle with another ship and then more entertainment. Got back to the dock at 10:30 pm and then experienced another 2 hour bus ride back to the hotel. Totally would recommend this excursion but again don't be disappointed because you've wasted 4+ hours to get there and back. If you are going to experience it - experience it with an open mind. If you happen to be staying in Cancun - this is a must excursion because you'd be way closer to get to the dock then what we were. I found that the ones that complained the most were Americans and not the Canadians and I'm not trying to disrespect the Americans by any means but I'm not sure what their expectations were. We partied with everybody and we had a great time. If you meet Charly there who plays one of the pirates and was our bartender - tell him I sent you - excellent bartender and he'll look after you for the entire night. We got first dibs on going down to the galley and eat. We paid $86 US each for 2 of us and then transportation was $12 US each on top of that. The staff booking the excursions will tell you also that there is possibly a "port" fee of $5 US - this is incorrect. We paid $8 US each so be prepared to pay a little more if they tell you there may be an added cost and then you won't be pissed off.

The buffets at each of the properties were excellent. The booze was excellent. Just everything was excellent. Can't rave enough about our trip, but again, this is our opinion and we're already planning on going back next January and staying at the exact same resort - everything.

The trip home - what can I say - we didn't want to leave we enjoyed it that much. Check out is a 12:00 noon on the day you leave. If you're leaving earlier then this won't apply to you. For us what we did is checked out of our room prior to 12:00 noon. We were in the lobby when everyone was checking out and the line up was incredible. Again, if you plan ahead, pack a carry on or beach bag with a change of clothes, passport, plane ticket, etc you'll do just fine. Once you check out of your room they will put your luggage in a locked communal storage area. Even though it is locked they do have people coming in and out all day to pick up luggage or drop off luggage so you want to keep this stuff safe and on you so that no one can really walk off with it. We were leaving on a bus at 5:30 pm to the airport so we sat by one of the jacuzzi pools with a bar and waited until we were ready to leave. We went to the lobby again by 5:00 pm so that it gave us time to go through the storage area to find our luggage and not be panicked if the bus ended up showing up a little early, etc.

They do not serve beer on the trip from the hotel back to the airport. If there happens to be a delay with flights be prepared and pick up some "snacks" before you leave the resort (cans of pop/water from your mini-bar, chips and chocolate bars from the mini-bar) because you'll get dinged at the airport. As I mentioned above chips at the airport can range depending on the vendor from $5 - $7 US. A bottled water can cost you up to $6 or more.

Oh and if you happen to go to the duty free shops - here is some advice if you are coming back to Canada (I don't know what the allowances are for Americans, etc) but I just know from our experience coming back - you can only bring back 1CARTON OF CIGARETTES each (the Mexicans at the duty free will tell you that you can bring back 2 - WRONG!!!!!). You can bring back 1.5 litres of wine back per person but you can only bring back 1.14 litres of hard liquor. They sell them in 1 litre bottles so if you are travelling alone - you CAN ONLY BRING BACK 1 BOTTLE. IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING AS A COUPLE - ONLY 2 BOTTLES - NOT 3 like everyone assumes!!!!!

Make sure you declare the stuff you bought honestly. If you get caught because they do random checks and they find you have more - expect a $400 fine plus your stuff will be confiscated AND THEY RED TAG YOU FOR EVERY TIME YOU TRAVEL OUT OF COUNTRY - NOT WORTH IT. We declared honestly and because the Mexicans told us we were allowed 2 cartons each of cigarettes, you can pay the extra but for us on 2 cartons of cigarettes that we paid $26 US for the duty on each extra carton was going to cost us an additional $60 per carton. Not worth it for us so we "abandoned them" at customs. MAKE SURE YOU READ THE ALLOWANCES INTO YOUR COUNTRY BEFORE YOU LEAVE."
Reviewer: Michele
Date: Jan. 25, 2010

Rating:
"Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda. Food was awesome, rooms clean and smelled good. Great pools, little cold. Rocky beach, but still pretty. Big resort, but lots of cart to shuttle. Will return for sure."
Reviewer: kendelo
Date: Nov. 24, 2009

Rating:
"sunwing vacations, 14 days
June 26 - july 10, 2009

This was our first stay at a five star resort and we had a great time. The service was excellent, the food and drinks were great and the resort offered more than enough to satisfy most travelers. Although, we enjoyed off-resort activities such as Xel-Ha and Xcaret, we could of spent all of our holiday time at the resort. This is a sprawling complex and everything is a ten minute walk away; if you hate walking, you may want to try a smaller resort. However, if you enjoy walking, the pathways lining the resort are awesome and make for great walking. Actually, the entire resort is awesome and is well laid out: lobbies, bars, buffets and a la cartes at one end, the beach at the other end and lots of pools, swim-up bars and more a la cartes in the middle. Near the main buffet area, there is a plaza which becomes the evening gathering place complete with Mariachi band. We spent most evenings here listening to the live Mexican music, while sipping on the wonderful Mayan/Flaming coffees that were prepared in the plaza. A complete bar service was also available for those wishing something other than coffee drinks. Overall, bar and food service at this resort, were excellent - maybe not as good as a so-called strong five star - but for what we paid, $1500 CND each for 14 days, we were more than satisfied. As for the room: large, comfortable, clean - the resort opened in 2006 - so it's in great shape. The princess is two resorts in one - the sunset and the riviera - they each have their own lobby, lobby bar, buffet but sunset guest can use riviera facilities and vice versa. We stayed on the sunset side and saw no difference between it and the riviera side next door. At the time of our stay the riviera side was closed. Also, there was no evidence that the H1N1 outbreak was any more of a problem there than anywhere else in the world, so it was not a major concern - although, we did bring hand sanitizer with us and used it extensively. The staff at the princess were great and a one dollar tip went a long way to ensuring continued good service most of the time. We brought USD currency which was fine, but using local currency available at the ATM's would of been much better, because everything is priced in pesos. There is an ATM in each of the lobby areas as well as calling card dispensers and pay phones for making local and long distance calls. A cab ride into Playa Del Carmen from the hotel went for around ten dollars USD one way - we often opted for this choice - although there was a free daily shuttle from the hotel lobby - reservations were required and could be made in the lobby. We went into Playa Del Carmen often and even visited Cozumel on one occasion - tickets to Cozumel could be bought in Playa Del Carmen at the ferry boat pier - ten dollars USD each, one way. The Mayan Riviera is a shoppers paradise and there are many shops along the main strip in Playa Del Carmen. And the vendors are in your face to persuade you to shop in their stores - we did not like that kind of heavy selling, so we did very little shopping. Cozumel was similar. Away from the touristy areas there was less of that. I would suggest reading a guide book or two before travelling to the Mayan Riviera, as there is so much to do and see. And many people tripping over each other to sell you these activities. We enjoyed visiting Xcaret and Xel-ha parks - Xcaret is huge, be prepared for lots of walking and getting lost as well - ask for directions - maps and street signs were confusing. Xel-ha on a hot day was great, as the lagoon offered relief from the heat and humidity, as well as the open bars and restaurants that were included with the admission price. Xcaret on a hot day was not so great - think steamy jungle. Speaking of which, I have never travelled south in July - the heat and humidity were off the scale, 48 Celsius, kind of heat. Be prepared...drinks lots of aqua...and bring industrial strength sunscreen. If you travel during summer, remember that it is the rainy season, a.k.a. the hurricane season. Out of 14 days we were rained on twice - both times in the morning. Within minutes of the sun's appearance, the heat is back and any evidence of rain evaporates. As for the beach, it was okay - bring surf socks as the bottom is mostly rocky, and we saw sea urchins. The beach tends to be more quiet during the day in contrast to the main swim-up bar which tends to get noisy and crowded. If you are seeking quiet or noisy, this place has both. Although, I heard some younger people complaining that the beach was too quiet - for non-stop activities and partying you may want to consider Cancun. This is mostly a middle-class, middle-age kind of place - there were many young children as well. Would we go back to the princess? In a heart beat, if the price was right. Would we go back during the summer? Yes!

Hola from Marc and Leesa!
Ottawa, Canada"
Reviewer: marc.ruest8277
Date: Aug. 07, 2009

Rating:
"Riu Tequila is not a five star resort at all!
Service was so slow (and it was not even that busy). It took for ever to get a drink at the bar. They would rather "restock" supplies at the bar then serve you, they just totally ignored you.
The food was not that great, it was okay but the Al Carte's had no good reviews from anyone. And the 24hr food service was a big fridge with already made hot dogs, hamburgers, slices of pizza, fruit trays, chesse and ham sandwiches in a plastic containers that you warm your food up in a microwave! Come on FIVE STARS I think not.
"
Reviewer: jaykrug9764
Date: Feb. 09, 2009