We stayed at this resort the last week of February into thr beginning of March.We booked the trip last minute so we did'nt know what to expect.It's a quick trip from the airport to the resort . The hotel is situated atop a hill over looking the small town of Barra. The hotel staff is really pleasant and most spoke english so it wasn't a problem communicating with the staff.The hotel itself is very elegant with plenty of marble and fantastic views of the marina and the towns of Brra and Maleque.The rooms are cleaned daily and the mini bar was stocked daily.The restaurants served terrific food and I was expecially impressed with the pool side lunch buffet they served.The hotel do not let any vendors onto the property so it was very relaxed on the hotel grounds.The water taxis are always availiable and free,which takes about two minutes and you are in the quaint little town of Barra. They have plenty of shops, bars and Restaurants.Try out Ramones,excellent food at reasonable prices or take the cab or a bus to Maleque and enjoy the hospitallity of the beach bars along the water front. We had great times at Senor Froys.The happy hour had great drink specials and the owner was a great host.If you happen to be a golfer make sure you spend the extra bucks on your vacatiopn package and golf at the resort golf coarse. It is one heck of a course close by and the only extra money you pay is for the cart. I think it was $15.00 and caddy was $5.00 each per golfer per foursome.Take plenty of balls as the course is challenging with lots of water.The prices in the club house is very expensive so bring your own golf gear.The resort is not for teenagers as there is not a big night life at the resort .This made for an excellent vacation as it was mostly adults who wanted to golf or relax without alot of kids and young people running around and being abnoxious.If you can get this holiday at a reasonable price I suggest you get the golf, spa package and enjoy a holiday you will want to come back to.If the price is right we will definatly be back.

We stayed at this resort last March so I apoligize for the lateness of the review but I also see that there are not a lot of reviews on this resort .
We have travelled to many parts of the Caribbean including Cancun, Dominican, Cuba etc.
I have to say we found this area of Mexico to be very beautiful.
Arrival: It was very quich thru customs and about a 40 minute bus ride thru some beautiful country and a very great tour guide informing us on the way.
Check-in -We were greeted with a glass of champagne and quickly checked it.
Room:Loved it. The rooms are suites and ours overlooked the marina and allowed us a most gorgeous view of the sun rising over the mountains every morning. Nothing like sitting on you deck with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning watching the sun come up. The room was spotless, and well stocked every day with beer, water, etc.
Food-We enjoyed all the restaurants although you could tell the hotel was going thru the transition from non all inclusive to all inclusive. We enjoyed the buffet for breakfasts and if you can sit on the outside once again you have incredible views.
La Terra-WE ate there twice and it was wonderful. The food was great and of course once again the view is beautiful. In the background they have a musician playing which added to the ambiance of the restaurant. The service was great.
Antonios-A five star dining experience where you are never rushed. The food was excellent and service first class.
The Poolside- This area could get very busy and sometimes it was difficult to find a seat at certain times. They offered an a-la carte menu or they did have a buffet.
You could also order poolside if you chose and we did do that a few times also.
The Pool is one of the most beautiful we have every seen. It careens down about 4 sections and no sections are very big so you need to pi ck your spot. There was never a problem getting a chair which I should mention are very comfy as they provide you with a terry cloth cover each morning. There is a swim up bar at the bottom pool but it was shaded so we didn't sit there too much.
Pool side drinks are served to your seats and there are tables with umbrellas spaced around the different pools. There is also pools for children further up and we found that nice so there were not a lot of children in the area we chose.
The music playing around the pool each day was not blaring and you didn't have someone bugging you to play games etc each day. ( there was ping pong, volleyball etc if you did want to play)
We also discovered a smaller pool right down from our room the final day that we did not know was there.
Golf/Spa-We did not buy the packages but this hotel was full of people who had come just for that reason. The feedback we got was that they thought the golfing was excellent. Next time we would book this. There was no problem finding a partner to golf with either.
Beach-The beach here is manmade so we didn't use it at all. There was yoga every morning on the beach which looked so relaxing.
Gym-My husband used the gym and said it wasn't bad but he has been in much better.
Bars-Each night we would go to the lobby bar which was a a great place to meet people ( again you can sit outside). There was usually a pioano player or duet playing each night. By no means is this place a party place so if that is what you are looking for it would be better to go elsewhere.
Staff-We found the staff to be pleasant,extremely helpful and a smile on their faces.
Grounds-This resor thas the most beautiful grounds that we have ever been on. Each morning I would take a walk and the scenery was wonderful. The resort is immaculate as well as the hotel itself.
The Marina is great to walk around also. The Gran Bay looks much bigger than 199 rooms but that is how it is laid out.
To sum it up we really liked this hotel and one of the best things about it is the location it is to Barra Navidad.
We loved the fact that you could go over there and enjoy so many things that this area has to offer. One day was a craft show and another day a bull fight, and a parade. So many great places to eat.
In five minutes you are there and if you want to come back it is a short trip back.
To us this is one of the bonus of this hotel. No need to take expensive trips.
To sum up the vacation we really hope to return, The weather is wonderful, the location is beautiful, mountains and lots of lush gardens.
The food, entertainment and drinks wer great.
The staff were pleasant.
This resort isn't a party place but we met lots of people who like to have fun.
It is a great spot to relax and unwind.
Don't hesitate to book.

We loved the experience, from arrival to checkout. Evey single person that interacted with us was polite and helpful. The facilities are really nice, although some aspects of the rooms look dated, for example the TVs are pretty old. The pool is awesome for kids. The food was reasonably good, but the magic trick is that the town of barra de navidad is one very quick boat ride away. Barra is a very small, vey funky town, and we discoveed a couple of very good restaurants owned by europeans that decided to stay and enjoy the weather and the surfing. A prime example is Loco Loco, where you can enjoy awesome pasta and pizzas. Now, the only caveat: the hotel itself does not have a good ocean beach.The hotel has a lagoon beach, perfectly suitable for swimming and watesports. Since we like kayaking, this was absolutely fine by us. The beach on the Barra side is rough, and very good for surfing, but perhaps not for kids. Our assesment? We will be back

Was At Grand Bay AGAIN: 4/26/12 - 5/3/12. FIRST TIME IN the HOTEL itself. (we always stay in the Marina) THEY UPGRADED MY ROOM. a marina view. The corridores are SO quiet at night. Only sound is is the lulling romantic guitar and singing from La Guitarista Emerson Magana. HE IS SO TALENTED. His voice! WOW. You can quietly hear it all over the areas of the resort at night. THE POOL AREAS 3 levels, a waterslide, a walkable rivera connecting to another slide in the the alberca principal (main pool) LA GRAD CAFE perfect for desayuno (Breakfast) LA PLAZUELA es perfecto por comida. Perfect for lunch. My room had a couch,tables, vanities, huge bathroom, shower, whirlpool tub, toilet and Bidet! Turndown service nightly. con chocolates. Best thing la concierge: SRA. RENE. Mucho Ayuda mi!. She helped me A LOT! always pleasant with a HUGE SMILE. Es grande sonrisa el tu carra! ES MEJOR RESORTA EN TODO A MEXICO. I have been ALL over mexican states before. This is the best! Y proximo Pueblo La Barra Es Authentico Mexico. and the little town across the bay, IS AUTHENTIC MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!