This review is long overdue. But better late than never! A group of 4 of us (ages 24 - 25) went during the week of Family Day - February 2012 (Canada).

Rooms: Requested a King Bed, when we booked our Swim- Out Suite in the "Platinum" Section. Received 2 double beds, we were told everyday that our rooms would be switched (to the king bed that we originally thought we would be getting), only to later find out that most of the swim-outs in that section are 2 double beds instead of king beds. We were told we could "downgrade" to a regular suite if we wanted a king bed, but we would not get a refund of the difference. We were told we could not upgrade to receive a king bed room even if we paid a difference. They said it was agianst their policy. Also, the sheets and pillows always smelled as if they were never washed... kind of like an old, wet rag.

Pools/ Beach: The pools, pool bars and surrounding area were very beautiful and clean. But considering the resort was so large, with lots of pools, it seemed ridiculous that one of us would have to wake up at 5am everyday just to get a decent spot at the pool. Sometimes even that was too late. I am conviced that people would bring their stuff out in the middle of the night to "reserve" a spot, and nothing was done to prevent that.The beach was okay... but there was often garbage or dried up seaweed (i think that is what it was). The nice area on the beach was where the Thai restaraunt is located and you have to pay to get a chair or spot in the roped off area.

Food/ Bars: The buffet was okay. Some of the A La Carte resteraunts were good. The Japanese was great! Since the resort is so big, the bars were never packed. The sports bar however, always seemed over capacity and everyone seems to get pretty rowdy, as I think they are one of the only places that serves late night food. The disco was pretty dead.... barely anyone in there or dancing.

Entertainment: There is a live band that plays at the outside bar at night (very good), there was a beautiful aerilist that put on a show and pool staff was fun (most days) Also, there were a binch of carts and shops set up with merchandise for sale. A lot of talented people selling art work and trinkets, very interesting and appreciated that.

Service: The cleaning staff, maintenance staff etc. was very nice and helpful. But the phone operator/ front desk staff was pretty much useless most of the time.

Sunwing: Worst service ever... our rep. at the hotel... HORRIBLE!

Would I go there again? If the price was right. We paid $1700 CAD for a swimout. I feel as if $1400 is more reasonable.

If you dont like walking, or big resorts... this is not for you. (yes there are carts that come by and pick people up) but you have to walk around "in" the resort and it is big! I like big resorts and lots of pools and resteraunts so this is one of the reasons why we chose this place.

P.S. The gym is horrible. You are better off joggining around the resort

My hubby and I were part of a group of 12 that just spent the week at the Grand Yucatan Swim Out Suites (Platinum package) from 24 Nov – 1 Dec 12. This was not our first time to Riviera Maya, we stayed at a 4 1/2 star the last time.

The positives of this resort:
The pools!! There are so many and we never had a problem getting a lounger for 6-8 people at any time. There are lots of swim up bar so we never had a problem to get a spot and special shout out to our favourite bartenders Damian, Carlos and Ruby!!
The resort is beautiful, huge, well kept and nicely decorated.
The Platinum package offered free Wi-Fi in our rooms and we liked that a lot, although some rooms in our party could not connect the entire week.
The beach was nice but a little rocky.

What was okay about this resort:
We ate at 6 al a carte restaurants and the food was average. I personally was disappointed because the food was not outstanding!!
The hotel gift shops were just a little above average for the typical Mexican souvenirs, although some of the things for sale were extremely over priced. ie $14 USD for a large bag of chips.

The negative of this resort:
The food and service!
The food at the buffet was average at best and there were always empty dishes on the buffet. When you entered the buffet there was a sign that stated "please wait to be seated" but there wasn't anyone there to seat you (except for dinner). At 5 out of the 7 breakfasts we had a the buffet we were over half way done eating before someone came by with coffee!! When we went to the coffee station and asked for coffee the servers usually took their time to get our table.
The concierge was less than helpful when we requested to reserve the daily shuttle to Playa for our group of 12. This resort only offered three free shuttle runs per day, 10 am and noon into Playa and 5 pm out for free and they would only take reservations the morning prior at 8 am, when we explained to the concierge that we were going on a day trip at 7:30 and want to the take the shuttle the next morning so one person in our group needed to book all 12 spots. She said this wasn't possible and we needed someone there from each of the 6 rooms to reserve the shuttle. Fortunately our day trip guide (not booked through the resort, a big thanks to Edventure Tours, I will leave a 5 star rating for you under tours!!) waited until we booked the shuttle and we left at 8:20!
The platinum section on the beach was over crowded and the "butler service" that was advertised for platinum guest did not exist.
The swims out pools for the Grand Yucatan were so cold that we couldn’t use them at all. The sun only hit these pools for about two hours per day and it was not enough to heat them. This may be different at other times during the year but in November it was they were too cold.

Finally, on our second day there, two of our six rooms were broken into!! It seemed like they came in through the patio doors (which had flimsy locks) and left through the main door of the suites. Our friend had all their money and valuables locked in the safes so they didn’t steal anything, but they trashed their suitcases. When the hotel’s staff was informed they said that this had never happened before. The third day one of these rooms that was broken into again!

Our trip to The Grand Princess Resort was eventful but we can still say that we enjoyed the trip immensely. It was the people in our party and all the wonderful people we met there that made it a great holiday.

This is one of the cheapest 5 star resorts and now I know why. If you stay at this resort I would not recommend paying to upgrade to the Platinum level.

Just returned from an 8 day stay at this hotel complex and for us, the negative comments in some reviews previously prompts us too say how terribly unfortunate you must have been.

The room (we stayed in the junior suite....bottom of the accommodation rung) was more than adequate and found it to be very spacious with everything just as it said on the can label. The balcony overlooked the jungle, facing West (great sunsets) with a table and two rattan chairs. There was no bath but the walk in wet room was terrific with a great shower, his and hers sinks and a hair drier. The mini bar was restocked every day as were the towels and the sheets every second day.

The resort itself is huge by British standards and takes about 15 mins easy walking from the beach to the main facilities of the buffets, bar, shops and sports bar. There is a transport system which runs approx. every 10-15 minutes which will drop off or pick up at any stage upon its route from the beach to the main reception areas. The transport to Playa del Carmen however must be booked before 11.00am for the following day so don't leave it 'till the last few days of you holiday as you may well be disappointed due to its popularity.

The themed restaurants can be booked up to 3 days in advance but we found the buffets to be excellent in their own different themed evening each night with a great choice of differing foods and of course you can eat as much as you like. Bear in mind though that this is not fine dining but catering on a mass basis. That said, we didn't experience one meal that we wouldn't have been happy to pay for in any restaurant we have been to. There are two further buffets near the beach plus on the beach itself there is a bar and cook shack which serves hot dogs, hamburgers and a further different dish each day cooked on a huge paella pan.

The beach is planted with coconut trees to provide shade plus there are rush covered umbrellas also. We were told at reception that the resort was 90-95% full but there was more than adequate beach beds to flop down on. To gain access to the beach there is a small bridge over a swampy area in which lives a small crocodile whilst on the beach there are coaties (a small 4 legged bushy coated animal) scavaging for left overs.

The staff have been commented upon so much in previous reviews and we must say, they were absolutely wonderful. Nothing was too much trouble for them as they genuinely want you to return again. Tipping is entirely up to yourself and doesn't make one iota of difference to the service but if you wish, have a roll of single dollar bills as I am certain you will want to give them a few bob as they are so good. They are all Mexican as well so you really get the feeling of being in Mexico, not just another resort with an eclectic mix of staff from all over the world.

We can honestly say that this is the very best example of all inclusive holidays one could wish for so go ahead and book with confidence and we hope you get as much out of it as we did.

We stayed for a week last year during the summer. For its value, it is a wonderful five star hotel. The property is huge and very well kept. The service is also excellent. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and would be happy to return. If anything, here is a small list of suggestions/considerations:

- Although almost everything is inclusive, I felt that a few areas were quite restrictive. The first is the buffet. It is open for the 3 meals/day, but only during certain times. If you miss breakfast (or any other meal.. But breakfast was the most frustrating one to miss), the only place that can serve food is this tiny/dark snack bar, serving burgers a fries. Secondly, the pools are all closed at 8pm. Again, for a resort, it makes the experience feel limiting since 95% of the time is spent at the resort.
- if you are able to, make sure that shuttle transportation is included in your package. A cab ride from the airport can cost up to 90$ USD (one way). If you are without included transportation, make sure to bargain with the cab/shuttle services - they present you with unreasonably high "flat rates".
- take a trip to playa del Carmen. If you book right, I believe the hotel has a free shuttle service.