Rather than spend additional time on crafting an eloquent piece of prose, I'm going to limit myself to giving you the gist.

My wife and I stayed from March 12th - March 18th. We paid the additional money for the "Royal Club".

Overall, I didn't think it was worth it. I'm not sure what the extra cost is for when you book an "all-inclusive" resort (and I'm really not sure why you'd want to pay the additional money for the "Royal Club"). The only thing that I could come up with is that you can eat yourself silly. Other than that, most of what would be considered interesting activities will cost you extra. In fact, the resort doesn't offer anything as part of the package that takes place off of the resort property. If you consider the lame pool games during the day, then I guess they do offer you something "extra".

Let's break it down. Here are the positives:

The food was great. The "Mexican Night" and the "Seafood Night" in the main buffet restaurant were outstanding. The swankier restaurants were also delicious. The service in the restaurants was also commendable.

The room we had was quite large.

The resort is impeccably maintained.

The staff are very helpful.



OK. Sorry, but that's it in terms of positive attributes.

Here are the negatives that we experienced: Keep in mind that as a "Royal Club" guest, you are required to put in all of your requests directly through the concierge.

1). First, I would recommend using any airlines besides a Mexican based operation. This is based on Mexicana Airlines losing our luggage (for two days) and also based on friends I've spoken to who have mentioned similar experiences. Certainly, this is not the best way to start a vacation. Of course, this has nothing to do with my opinion of the resort since they weren't responsible.

2). Out of the 5 days we were there, they had some sort of construction going on right next to our room for two afternoons.

3). The Royal Club jacuzzi wasn't working for the entire time we were there.

4). Room service is ordered through the concierge. The room service menu is pretty small and it doesn't change. The food is very basic (club sandwich, omellete, fruit plate, crap soup and crap salad, etc). We ordered room service around 5 times and they forgot to bring items on two of those occasions. On one other occasion, they forgot to bring our order altogether. I tried to order something that I saw on the special "Royal Club" restaurant menu (bagel with lox) and was told that I couldn't do it. This, despite the fact that the room service food is taken from said restaurant. When I mentioned that it was on the other menu, I didn't get any kind of explanation, just that I couldn't do it. Hmmm...??? Room service is also only offered between something like 7 AM and 10 PM. Pretty good hours, I guess, but I was under the mistaken impression that it was 24 hours.

5). When we first arrived, we got in line to check in at one of the two desks set aside for guest check-in/problems/questions/etc. After waiting for 1/2 hour, the guy behind the desk told me that I was supposed to check in at a different area since I was a "Royal Club" guest. There isn't any sort of indication either by a sign or by anyone greeting you in the front that there are separate check-in areas.

6). You WILL be approached by some Time-Share agent. In fact, they have a nice little area just off to the side of the check-in area. And, the guy that came up to us didn't take "no thanks" as our actual answer. He quickly tried to explain that what he was offering wasn't really time-share. He followed us for a few minutes until I looked at him directly in the eyes and said "NO THANKS".

7). There is one computer (at least in the Royal Club area) that was occupied most of the time.

8). The water temperature of our shower fluctuated wildly. It literally ran the gamut. And this was unrelated to anything else we were doing in the bathroom.

9). The tap water in Mexico stinks. My wife didn't seem to mind, but all of the showers (in the room and by the pool) smelled strongly of sulfur. This might not be news to everyone, but I found it kind of repugnant. Also, as most of you probably know, you cannot drink the tap water in Mexico. I ended up brushing my teeth with bottled water (which, as a Royal Club guest, is in endless supply).

10). The beer they stock in the room refrigerator is average at best (Modelo). I like beer, and I couldn't drink it.

11). The weather was cloudy and overcast and moderately humid the whole time we were there.

12). The bathtub was ridiculously small. Even smaller that my small bathtub at home

13). The "gym" was much smaller than I had expected. It's basically a room measuring about 10' x 40' and has the most basic of equipment.

14). They had people selling jewelry and other tourist stuff every evening in the main courtyard of the resort. I'm sure that some people might think that this could be convenient, but I thought that it just added to the "Hi, I'm a two-legged American ATM machine, how are you" feeling that pervaded my daily experience.

15). The beach is not conducive for jogging. Not a big deal, but I was hoping...

16). The ocean is warm, but is definitely rocky and can be kind of painful if you take a misstep.

17). Tipping is technically not necessary, but....it is certainly expected.

18). The outside activities are (of course, in my opinion) overpriced. One thing that really bugged me is that the resort didn't even offer complementary snorkeling. That ended up costing my wife and I about $100.00 for a 3 hour outing. We also rented scooters so we could go around the island and see the town of Cozumel. We went up to the hotel's activity desk to ask about renting the scooters. The guy said that they rent for $30.00 each per day. We made an appointment to come back in about one hour. Well, not surprisingly, when we got back the guy said that the "regular" rental service didn't have any scooters, but he had another "service". He tells us to meet some guy outside the front of the hotel and he'd rent us some scooters. We get out there and the guy (nice enough) picks us up in his VW bug and takes us to his roadside scooter operation. As we're signing the papers he (really, not surprisingly) tells us that the scooters are $30.00 PLUS some sort of BS Mexican tax ($5.00 each ) AND $5.00 each for the GAS!!!!!! Well, what do you know? It's really $40.00 a day! And, just to add insult to injury, when I met him in front of the hotel to return the scooters he actually tried to gouge me for ANOTHER $10.00 for gas! I told him to wait right there and I'd be back. Yeah. Right. My wife and I also asked about the horseback riding (additional, of course) and we were told that the guide takes you into the jungles and (drum roll, please) will stop off in an "authentic" Mexican village where you can buy local wares. I asked him how he was going to get such a large American ATM machine on the back of the horse and he didn't understand me (probably for the best).

I know that some people might think that I'm being really nit-picky or that I'm a curmudgeon anyway and I wouldn't enjoy any sort of vacation. Actually, I FULLY expected to have a great time (also expecting snags and many imperfections) and imagined myself writing a glowing review (as most seem to be for this resort). I'm just telling you what I experienced. I think that you need to look at these reviews with a bit more skepticism. After my trip, I'm beginning to think that a percentage of people who write these reviews are in some kind of denial. Seriously. For most of them, they've saved up for this, it's their one trip for the year, they don't want to come home and complain about their vacation, etc. It might be too much of a disappointment if they came home and felt like they just wasted 5 grand (or whatever). Just my opinion.

We were at the Grand from March 19-24, 2005, and I found my second trip to the Grand to be even more enjoyable than my first. Our check-in was flawless (even during a very busy time), our room was lovely, and the staff was unerrringly gracious. Many of the staff remembered us from our last day (over 6 months ago), and were always friendly and helpful. The grounds are immaculate - there is someone working constantly to keep things beautiful for your enjoyment.

The management at the Grand seems very concerned with continual improvement and asks for your feedback consistently throughout your stay. The Grand has only been open a couple of years, and is getting better all the time! Some of the reviews talked about overbooking problems. This is true for ALL hotels in Mexico (or anyplace else for that matter) with internet bookings. Hotels place a certain block of rooms out there at a certain price and internet tours start selling them. There is not a vehicle through which to note those trips are being oversold. This is not the fault of the hotel. Get your travel agent to secure a confirmation number directly from the hotel, and things will go beautifully.

One of the things you have to remember is that you are in MEXICO - things move a little slower, food does taste a bit different than what you're accustomed to, the beds are a little harder (every bed in Mexico is!), there can be a bit of miscommunication due to language (we're in THEIR country), and yes, it is a tropical environment. Yes, the staff allows people to reserve chairs by placing towels or bags on them -- so go put your towel on a chair for heavens sake and the crisis will be averted!

This is a fabulous property - you will not only enjoy the property, but most of the people you meet there. In striking up conversations, I found it interesting that people who were well travelled and had been in many vacation spots around the world found the Grand to be exceptional and would stay there again. Those who found fault with so many little things seemed to be those who had not travelled out of the U.S. much. No, it's not a U.S. mega hotel chain (thank goodness), but it is a wonderful resort property.

While you are tempted not to leave the property, take a trip into San Miguel and experience the local flavor one evening. Most of the shops downtown stay open until 9 or 10 in the evening - it's SO much cooler in the evening. Eat at one of the local restaurants right off the square (we've never gotten sick from eating at one of these places), enjoy the street performers (hope you see the charming little man who plays the xylophone - he's my favorite), and strike bargains with the local shopkeepers. Your experience at the Grand will be wonderful - I'm ready to go back right now!

Stayed at the Royal Club from March 10 - 17th. This is by far the best all-inclusive we have stayed at in Mexico and we have been to both the Mayan Riviera 3 times and Cozumel 3 times. If you can afford the extra for the Royal Club it is worth EVERY penny. No line ups for the a la carte restaurants, beach towels delivered to your room daily (no towel cards required!), champagne in your room on demand, free internet access, stereo, dvd .. private hot tub, private restaurant. Hotel staff at your beck and call.
Here is my food review (yeah okay .. I like to eat!):
We ate at the buffet the first night there and found it disappointing but made up for it by eating at the a la cartes every night thereafter (another benefit of Royal Club is you can eat a la carte as often as you like).
The second night we ate at Los Olivos. I had their specialty pasta .. green spinach fettucine followed by grilled tuna, my husband veal. The tuna was a bit on the dry side around the edges but the rest was good. The presentation of the food is exceptional at all restaurants. The wine is bottled .. good quality Mexican wine from the Baha Peninsula and the liquers are the real thing ... no home made Baileys here! Grand Marnier, Kahlua .. you name it, they had it. Also you could have a cappucino, Spanish coffee, Mexican coffee ... again choose your weapon!
The third night we went to the Sonora Grill and we both had the Sonora filet. It was done the way we ordered it (Medium rare) and was very tender and delicious. I also heard that the ribs are excellent here but we ran out of time! Again, the wine and salad/soup was very good.
The fourth night we went to the Mexican restaurant which is the beach restaurant during the day. I had sesame seed crusted red snapper, my husband the seafood platter. Both were excellent.
The fifth night we headed back to Los Olivos to try something different. My husband had the shrimp medallion (more like scampi medallions) which were perfectly cooked and I had lamb. Los Olivos also has an anti-pasta bar with everything from smoked salmon to artichokes ... great food.
The sixth night we ate at the Royal Club restaurant and both ordered a chicken/pasta dish that had an amazing sauce on it. The Royal Club restaurant is also a great place to have breakfast. Their french toast with strawberries is so decadent.. the bread is at least one inch thick. They also make a very good Mexican breakfast or if you want you can just have continental breakfast there as well. The tables are covered with nice white table cloths and the chairs are nice and cushy ... not too many people use this restaurant (royal club members only) so it is a very relaxing atmosphere and a great way to start your day. You can also eat outside but I found the slated chairs uncomfortable.
The last night we went back to Los Olivos so my husband could have his shrimp medallion again and I tried the grilled scallops again an excellent meal.
Needless to say we both put on a few pounds on this trip!
We ate at the beach restaurant almost every day except one when we again were disappointed at the buffet. The beach restaurant has grilled fish to die for ...they have it wrapped up at the grill and you order your piece when you want it. I had grouper and mahi mahi and both were so good.. We also had their famous grilled burgers ... there is a line up every day for them for a good reason.
Okay so I did do more than eat and drink ... The beach is not as wide as some others that I have been to but was nice all the same. We are early risers so we never had a problem nabbing a place in the shade. The water was crystal clear until the end of the week when it got very windy. We both enjoy sailing so we were out on the hobi cats twice a day. I wanted to wind surf but they only had one board and the sail was too big for the windy conditions (their storm sails were ripped). Disappointing ..
The snorkelling is just okay. You can see maybe 20 varieties of fish, starfish and occasionally a mighty barracuda.
The room was musty smelling ... I brought along the Febreeze as suggested but like others have said you get used to it and remember you are in a humid tropical "paradise". The rooms were VERY clean. If you take a shower before going out for dinner, when you come back you have fresh towels. Lots of beautiful hibiscus flowers daily in our room and Ferrero Roché chocolates every night.
The pools were not cold at all. We are not pool people but we did make the rounds to check them all out. The jacuzzi pool for Royal Club members is really nice and warm. They were having some trouble with the jets but it was still usable and not busy at all.
My only complaint was with the people selling vacation club packages. DON'T waste your time talking to them unless you have done some homework BEFORE you go. We wasted far too much time with them.
We also rented a jeep to drive around the island. DON'T rent it from the hotel ... their automobiles are old and run down. You can walk down the road to the Executive car rental which is across from the Allegro Resort and rent a brand new jeep. We had driven around the island twice before but it is so beautiful on the east coast that it is worth the trip. We also went to Punta Sur Ecological Park and did their little tour for $6. It is worth every penny .. you get to go to the top of a lighthouse (133 steps!) and have an amazing view from the top. As well you get to see some Maya ruins and the best part ... these BIG alligators. It only takes an hour and the view alone is worth the trip.
On a previous trip we went to Chankanaab Park and friends of ours were there this time and really enjoyed it too.
Thats all for this time. Hopefully we'll go backagain next year and try those ribs!
Cheers!

My husband and I just stayed at the Grand from March 12th-19th and we had an absolutely wonderful time. We were a little skeptical after reading some of the reviews but now I am convinced that some people just cannot be pleased. I don't know how anyone could have a bad time at a place like the Grand. It was paradise. The grounds were absolutely beautiful and impeccable. We also had fun looking at all of the geckos and iguanas that are throughout the property.

The food and drinks were also excellent...especially at the specialty restaurants. The reservation system may put some people off but we never waited in line for more than 5 minutes and were able to get reservations for 4 out of the 7 nights, which was perfect for us. The Mexican themed restaurant is right on the water so it was nice seeing the sun fade into the horizon and listen to the waves while eating your meal. This restaurant had a lot of seafood choices. Los Olivos was an Italian themed restaurant...the food here was so original and unique, not to mention delicious. Sonora Grill was our favorite, the food here was unbelievable. I had the Mahi-Mahi dinner and it just melted in my mouth. We didn't have a bad meal during our entire stay and never had a problem finding a drink.

The rooms are just huge and always clean. Our maid did an excellent job and we always had some sort of new arrangement and fresh flowers scattered throughout the room. The shower was the best feature, it is huge and now I want one just like it for our home!

We did a few excursions such as shopping, snorkeling, and deep sea fishing. Snorkeling was definitely our favorite. The water was incredible. When going into town we just took a taxi. It was $17 there and $17 back but went with another couple so we just split the cost. You can rent a car while you are there for fairly cheap but we decided not to seeing as we only went into town for one day and driving in town is just so crazy we decided to leave it to someone who knows what they are doing. The pools at the Grand were also wonderful...they are cool to the touch but like any pool are warm once you get in them. And believe me after sitting in the sun all day it feels really good to cool off. We swam in the pool quite a bit and my husband even took a scuba class in the pool and then was able to go scuba diving in the ocean. There are also tons of activities all day long so there is always something to do if you want....beach volleyball, water volleyball, aqua aerobics, trivia, and one day we even learned how to make Mayan style guacamole. Best guacamole ever!

I could go on and on but the bottom line is we had a great time, absolutely wonderful and cannot wait to go back!