I just returned from a 7 night stay at the Grand and it was just that, Grand. In May,I travelled to another all inclusive and had a less than great stay so when booking this trip, I researched the Grand very well.

The hotel grounds are immaculate, the landscaping beautiful and the ambience is peaceful, friendly and relaxing.

For those who are not familiar with tropical issues, take note, there ARE bugs. Bring bug spray, anti-itch cream and deal with it. You are in the jungle! That being said the flora and fauna are spectacular and the property has lots of not so shy iguanas that appreciate bananas and apples on occasion.

There is a bridge that leads to the beach pool. The beach carries you over a mangrove. It is not a swamp as some have complained. Take a look over the railing and you will see hundreds of turtles looking for a bite of bread from you as well as several varieties of birds. The mangrove is a natural and neccessary element for a healthy eco-system.

The food- very good for an all inclusive. I am from San Francisco and am well versed in the art of fine cuisine. If you want 5 star food, all inclusive is not the way to go. Given that, the buffet was good and the A La Carte restaurants were above average. Excellent for an all inclusive resort.

The rooms are very clean, comfortable and pleasant. You may notice a musty smell in some. Comes with being in the Caribbean. Rooms higher up tend to smell less musty. Bring some Febreze or dryer sheets to help.

Dive Palancar is the dive shop l,ocated at the resort. I am a scuba diver. Great staff, top notch dive boats and wonderful dive sites minutes away. For the non divers, there are snorkeling trips, glass bottom boat rides, jet skis, Hobie cats and para sailing.

Whether your goal is to relax poolside or excercise non stop, I give the grand two big thumbs up!!!

Enjoy!

My girlfriend and I had the time of our lives here for six days. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The staff is very helpful and energetic.
The highlights of the resort to me were the beautiful pools and the beach. The activities pool was always bustling, there is a bar there, and it is right next to the grill which is the lunch spot. The relaxing pool was just that. It was a quiet pool, that also has a bar, we got visits from the friendly iguanas often here. The beach is beautiful. The water was warm and crystal clear. The snorkeling was tremendous, many fish to see, including the barracuda. My only complaint with the beach was that all the good chairs in the shade are taken early, and many times a member of a group will reserve several seats early for the group, by placing items on the empty chairs. I have read a few complaints about the bridge over the swamp leading to the activities pool. I found it fun to look at all the turtles everytime I passed, and the bridge is far above the swamp.
I found the food to be very good and plentiful. Breakfast was a buffet of waffles, pancakes, made to order eggs, and meats. Lunch was at the grill on the beach. There were many choices, such as burgers, hot dogs, pasta, salads and many mexican entrees. For dinner there was the buffet or three sit down restaurants. The sit down places are worth making a reservation for. They were elegant and the food was superb.
The entertainment was ok, we saw a few of the shows and were not blown away, but for us this wasn't an importantant factor.
Our room was big and kept very clean. I have read about the musty smell and bugs in the rooms, we had no bug problems, and the musty smell, while there, we got used to it.
I would definately reccomend this resort to anyone. I had a terrific stay and felt the price was fair. We will be back.

We went to the Occidental Grand from 24th July to 14th Aug, yes three weeks and it was the best three weeks we have had. The hotel is lovely and clean, yes the rooms do smell a little musty, but what do you expect in a humid country, yes there were spiders and snakes, but you hardly ever see them, the iguanas are massive and lovely to see. The staff are very friendly, especially, Januario, David, Henrique, Susanna (kids club), Abbi all from the animation team, but also the bar staff and the restaurant staff. The food is good, not excellent but it's edible, some people who had been before said that it was not as good as in previous years, but we had not problems with it. The hotel grounds are kept spotless, the pools are lovely, the beach is beautiful, the diving great too. Most of all was meeting all the nice people we met. We are from England and there were not many English people, mostly Americans and Canadians. We made so many friends. My husband would play water volleyball and be call "England", "The Wall" or "the Kracken".
We have four daughters, three of which are teenagers, even they had a great time, they also met so wonderful people, so much so they all want to go again. Karla, 9, also had a good time and was involved with the kids club. Susannah looked after her most of the day.
One more thing that I would like to say. The staff do not expect tips but they greatly appreciate them, especially when their wages are so low so please give generously.
What more can I say, the holiday was brill and we hope to be going back around the same time again next year. Thank you to the Hotel Occidental Grand and hi to anyone who was at the hotel the same time as us, from the Brown family.

My husband and I recently vacationed at the Occidental Grand in Cozumel. We had an absolutely incredible time. Recommend the romance package. Our favorite feature was the scuba diving. It is awesome! The staff are very friendly and accommodating. There is a variety of food for your particular likes. Iguanas on the resort are a great attraction. Take sunscreen. Rent a jeep and tour the island! The water is gorgeous! View from the balcony is not the greatest, due to vegetation. The good thing is that you are rarely in the room. It was hard to leave. We will return! We had a dreamy time!! Highly recommend! - Brandon, MS