First I would like to start by saying that I have never felt impaled to write a review after staying at a hotel, but due to the overwhelming experience our family had I just had to. The pictures that are posted by the hotel seriously do not do this place justice you really have to be able to absorb the views because they are incredible!!!!!
We are a family with two boys 10yrs and 8 yrs.
Rooms: The rooms in the Master (Zen) where we stayed were quiet and relaxing. You could hear the tropical birds and animals every morning. NOTE: the Zen area is dimly lit (lighting) for a reason and that is to respect the wildlife that reside in the jungle area (bats etc...) which is impressive in our opinion.
Restaurants: I did want to mention something that I have seen, the restaurants almost always give you an appetizer courtesy of the chef...These are incredible!!!! It's a nice surprise you get at each restaurant. I also wanted to add that the seafood here is by far the freshest we have encountered.
Piaf, this restaurant was by far our favorite the food was to die for the wait staff were not stuffy but ready to explain each item on the menu. Try the chocolate souffle and the apple tart these are delicious!!
Lucca, this one was our second choice. I must mention the Tiramisu was wonderful.
Sen Lin, This was MY favorite just because of the seafood. We recommend the soft-shell crab (we have tried this at other top of the line restaurants and it tasted very fishy), shrimp appetizer and the coconut shrimp. The desserts are certainly not conventional, but surprisingly good.
Frida, This was a bit strange to write that this was our least favorite restaurant. This has absolutely nothing to do with the service meaning wait staff (Saaid and Roberto Awesome) etc..... They were incredible!! The food to be fair was good we recommend the tortilla soup and the Mexican bread one had sausage in it and the other had jalapenos.
Bistro, we had very good wait staff here Cristian and another guy who tried to learn a little sign language(our youngest son is deaf) feel so bad we forgot his name. The Cobb salad we had here was great!
Azul, the omlettes were great every morning a local suggested on our last day to eat Oaxaca cheese Quesadilla in a corn tortilla (the tortillas are not cooked until you order) and ham.... It is delicious the kids loved it too!
Spa, Thanks to Paulina she did a wonderful job on my massage!!! My favorite part of the Water Journey was the different rooms you get to go into for example the Clay, Steam, and Sauna these are the beginning of the treatment.
Zen Pool, Santiago was awesome here and he was always very attentive. When we were here there were never more than 3 other people here it really felt like a spa/tropical get away from the hustle in bustle of the beach portion of the resort.
Beach, AWESOME!!!!! white sand galore...the beach was pretty calm and the real thing is even better than the pictures, seriously.
Ambassador Pool, this pool is great the kids liked it here most.
All in all we are definitely going back and the staff from the bell boy to Martha (tried to teach me a little Spanish) who cleaned the banos by the pool were so friendly and not in an artificial way. The concierge Vanessa was great. Must do the Free Eco Tour they grow all herbs at the hotel and the chefs pick what they need everyday.
A quick note about the tipping issue: THERE IS NO ISSUE!! The service here is impecible and those who serve you either at the beach, pool, bar, room service, baggage...do not EXPECT a tip although they all deserve it. We brought $150 USD for tipping and would simply give a few dollars here and there for the service and it was ALWAYS appreciated. Yes, you need to sign for food service but we would always tip in cash and therefore put $0.00 on the tipping portion of the receipt and not once felt it was an imposition nor MADE to feel as such. Of course you can always give a tip on your receipt if you don't have cash so as not to neglect the gratuity for the workers as they all truly enjoy working here and serving the guest.
In our opinion, this place is by far the best, or at least one of the best All-Inclusive resorts you could find.
- Also Known As:
- Grand Velas All Suites And Spa Resort, Riviera Maya
- Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort, Riviera Maya Hotel
- Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort, Riviera Maya Hotel Playa Del Carmen
- Grand Velas Hotel Riviera Maya
- Grand Velas Riviera Maya Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Phone Number:
Region:
Mexico >
Yucatan Peninsula >
Quintana Roo >
Riviera Maya >
Playa del Carmen
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge
Beach
Business Center
Fitness Center
Free Breakfast
Free Parking
Kids Activities
Pets Allowed
Restaurant
Room Service
Suites
Swimming Pool
Wheelchair access
#11 Romantic Hotels in Playa del Carmen
#19 Top resorts Hotels in Playa del Carmen
#24 Luxury Hotels in Playa del Carmen
#24 Family Hotels in Playa del Carmen
#30 On the Beach Hotels in Playa del Carmen
Price Range:
$$$$
Hotel Class:5 star (5*)
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
-
Opened in 2008, the luxurious All Inclusive Luxury Resort Grand Velas Riviera Maya is one of the newest resorts to distinguish Riviera Maya as a premier vacation destination. The uniquely Mexican world-class hospitality we provide is "Beyond All Inclusive, Beyond All Compare", and we are proud to be the only family-friendly All Inclusive resort in the Mexican Caribbean to have been rated Five Diamonds by the AAA. Set on over 80 acres of protected mangroves, jungle and natural freshwater wells locally known as cenotes, Grand Velas enjoys over 1,000 feet of pristine white sand beach that we carefully preserve. Diverse luxury accommodation options include uniquely exotic garden suites, oceanview suites around the central infinity pool, and oceanfront suites for guests age 12 and up with private plunge pools overlooking the azure Mexican Caribbean. The only resort in the area to offer a culinary tour, our restaurants span the globe in eight venues including our internationally-acclaimed Cocina de Autor signature restaurant. The resort Spa offers guests 75,000 square feet of space dedicated to balancing body and soul, with a revolutionary hydrotherapy circuit and avant-garde menu of treatments inspired by the ancient healing practices of Mexico and distinct world cultures. Personalized butler concierge services, a cutting edge convention center, modern Kids Club and so much more make Grand Velas Riviera Maya the ultimate resort for leisure and business travelers. Hugging the Riviera Maya coastline, this luxury resort is just 5 minutes from downtown Playa Del Carmen and a short 35-minute drive from Cancun International Airport.
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