My husband and I travelled to this resort in Dec 2012 and had a fabulous time. The resort was fantastic! It was quite a ways from the airport but we were expecting the long drive so picked up a couple of beer at the airport and enjoyed the scenery. Even though the hotel is further from the airport than most hotels in the Mayan Riviera area, the drive was well worth it. It was my favourite location of all places we have so far stayed at in the Mayan.

The beach at the Coba was amazing. Lots of chairs with shade as well as sun and each time we went in the water we took our snorkelling gear a there were lots of fish to see.

We were very impressed with the food and decided to eat at the buffet every evening rather than any of the a la cartes. We were happy enough with the selection and quality of the food at the buffet and didn't want to be on any kind of schedule with dinner reservations. We have enough appointments and commitments in our every day life so don't have any on holidays.

We usually ate at the Tulum buffet for breakfast and lunch since it was right off the beach. Then we would eat at the Coba buffet for supper. We tried the Akumal buffet one evening it liked the Coba one better.

We liked having access to the three resorts and really enjoyed the bar at the Akumal resort before dinner. We also enjoyed the shopping centre called the Hacienda. Golf carts were frequent if you didn't feel like walking. We enjoyed walking to the beach but usually took the golf carts to the other resorts. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous and can it can be confusing at first, but we caught on to the layout after a couple of days.

We did two outings on our own as we don't like tours. We walked to the highway and caught the Collectivo to Akumal beach, which is very close. In fact, we realized we probably could have walked there along the beach - it would have taken an hour or so. We took our snorkelling gear and saw lots of fish and sea turtles. It was fantastic. This is where they take you if you sign up for the snorkelling tour, but it will cost $50/person. We spent $5 each in total for the Collectivo. You just stand on the resort side of the highway and the bus or Colletivo (white van) stops every 15 min or so although we never had to wait for more than a minute it two. The cost is 25 pesos each, or $2.50 each. When they drop you off at the road to the beach you have to walk in about 10 minutes. You will pass a library where you can pick up English books for $1 each. We rented a locker from the dive shop for $5 to store our stuff while we snorkelled. Akumal is a very neat town and we will spend more time there on our next trip. When you return to the hotel, you will need to cross the highway, but they have a pedestrian overpass so it isn't an issue.

Our second excursion was to the Tulum ruins and again we did it on our own. We had to cross the highway (use the overpass) and it was a further ride to Tulum. I think we paid $6 for two of us. Again it is a bit of a walk to the ruins from the highway, but it is a lovely walk and only about 15 min. There are options for getting a ride, but we enjoyed the walk. There are lots of booths along the way but we ignored them until we got to the entrance of the ruins. It is a very official looking entrance so don't get fooled by the booths along the way. The cost to get into the ruins was $11 for two. We loved exploring the ruins by ourselves, but tours are available if you prefer. It was so picturesque and awe-inspiring. We went early in the morning - about 8:00 or 8:30 and beat the crowds. When we left at 11:00 or so, the line-ups and crowds were crazy! I think the cost of the tour from the resort to the ruins was $30/ person. We did it for just under $12/person and did it on our own time which is very appealing. And it is very easy and safe to use the Collectivos so I highly recommend it

We took American money in small bills for tipping. However, in the future I would take American $1 bills for tipping and the rest of the cash in pesos. The bank exchange rate is about $1 = 13 pesos, but the usual exchange rate at businesses is $1 = 11.50 pesos. But many businesses did the conversion incorrectly or just used a conversion factor of $1=10 pesos. So using pesos to begin with is the most economical. Plus even if you use American or Canadian dollars, you will receive your change in pesos.

We thoroughly enjoyed our week at GBPC and would not hesitate to return or recommend it to others. I cannot imagine what anyone could possibly complain about. Go and enjoy!

The size of the resort was big surprise! Have to give a big thumb to the management team for keeping the place running in such good order! This is a first resort that I want to go back sometime in the future.
To be picky, the housekeeping team can improve a lot!

We booked Coba on a seat sale for Christmas and didn't really have an idea of what to expect. Well I wasn't prepared for a 2 hour bus ride, but that aside the resort was amazing. It's actually 3 resorts in 1 and you get to use the facilities of all resorts. Overall we had an amazing experience and I would totally return in a heart beat. The staff were wonderful and went out of their way to make our stay fabulous, especially Christmas Eve. A special night was planned with Christmas dinner, Santa Clause on the beach and lovely decorations everywhere.

What I loved about this resort:
Great food. They can cater to celiac's if you need.
Awesome staff. The staff are extremely friendly and go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Sergio the entertainment guy at the pool is awesome. Also Felix the PR guy is amazinginly helpful if you run into problems.
Large Rooms: Lots of space in your room including storage.
Awesome Pools: Many to choose from
Wellness Center: Don't miss out on this, Tao Wellness Center is separate from the resort but you get to use so take advantage.
Golf Resort on Site: your room includes a round of golf so make sure you take golf shoes and clothes.
Lots of beach and chairs to enjoy: you can enjoy a hammock, swimming in the ocean or laying on the sand.

What I didn't love:
Hard Beds: Ask for a mattress topper to avoid this.
Paying for safes: necessary but be prepared to pay $5 dollars a day.
Super sweet drinks: I love pina colada's and margaritas but ask for only a little sugar
Long walks from the room to lobby: request a room close to the lobby to avoid long walks to and from.

Basically the resort was fabulous and the what I didn't love are small and easy to avoid. The return for what you pay is fantastic. It is a large resort so make sure to budget in time to get from one resort to the other because you need to take a golf cart. That said being so large, there are many things to do including shopping a the Hacienda, renting bikes and riding around the property, checking out different restuarants around the property and watching the shows at different resorts on the properties.

I have been to a number of all inclusive resorts in the Mayan Riviera, Puerto Vallarta, Dominican Republic and Jamaica. But my friends and family always return to the Coba. The resort, facilities, staff, amenities and food keep us coming back. Yes, the resort is big, but they easily make up for that with the transportation system.

The animation team this year was fabulous, and we can't wait to go back again. There were 12 in our group this time, and they made our vacation that much more memorable. Thank you Sergio, Gabriel, Angela, Eduardo, Gilberto, Luis Angel, and Obama! And the staff at the buffet were so gracious in accommodating us every day so we could eat together. We always made sure to sit in the same section with Zacarias and Ana. In the lounge in the evening, Florentina was fabulous! Two weeks just wasn't enough this year - can't wait to return for three in 2013! Thank you Coba.