Apple Vacations states this is a 5 golden apple resort. It is not. 5 golden apples have a swim-up bar and every room has a mini-fridge. With that said the staff is great and friendly service. Bars do not open until 11 am.
My girlfriend and I spent a week in December 2021 here. It’s a great getaway for couples. The resort is small enough that you don’t have to fight for pool/beach chairs, but large enough to still offer great amenities. The food was great, staff was on top of everything, and the rooms were clean!
A travel agent booked our friend group trip to Cancun, but had I known what we were going to get out of this resort I would’ve turned away!! Pros: Overall, most of the staff were friendly & probably the saving grace of this resort (the only reason I would give 2 stars instead of 1). The alcoholic drinks were not premium like they stated, but nonetheless were good & got the job done. The hotel sits right on the beach, and all the room either have an ocean view or a lagoon view, which both were great views! Cons (a much lengthier list): - Aside from the fruit, the food was mediocre at best. Very few Mexican options, which is what we came to Cancun for in the first place. I read reviews saying The Barn had good food & even that restaurant was well below average. Lastly, the once cream machine was down for our entire 6 night stay. Our group ended up eating several meals off of the resort, which defeats the purpose of an all-inclusive resort. - I booked a full body massage with concierge one day. When I went down for my appointment, the staff told me that they could not do my massage & or was my second to last day so I was unable to rebook. They offered no compensation for something that was their error. - The rooms & hotel in general were fairly clean for the most part, but could use some major updates!! There were cobwebs on the ceiling of where the buffet was, one of the two elevators was down for half the trip (a guest even got stuck in it!), and the rooms need major updating. - The A/C… if you want room with air conditioning you can adjust, or just air conditioning in general this isn’t the place for you. The only time our room wasn’t hot was when the sun wasn’t out. Our friends in a different room said reception brought a fan to their room, but when we asked each night for a fan or to be moved to a different, cooler room there was no effort made to accommodate us. We just happened to see a fan in the hallway on our last night there which was a blessing! - If you want a pool chair with an umbrella be prepared to get down to the pool before 8, or she’ll out $100 for an umbrella - when I asked a staff if they had any other umbrellas at the pool he said he could find one for $100 USD (mind you, I was at the pool at 8:30 that day and all were claimed). Guests will just dump their stuff at a pool chair and not return for hours, which is annoying but what can you do. Overall, if you stay here just know the rooms will be hot & the food will not be good. The staff did the best with what they had, but if I do return to Cancun I will steer clear of this resort!…
Being there many times , but this was the last . Other than the snack bar and the buffet , the food is sub standard and prepared well in advance of your actual dinner experience . The rooms are fine , the pool is clean , but the beaches are not what they used to be . Service around the pool is basically non existent and there is no entertainment . The staff was excellent , but the overall experience was far from a 4 star rating.
I would never stay at this place again. They lied to us from the very beginning when our reservations were made. The rooms were dirty and very outdated and stunk like sewer. Even though we complained they were not willing to do anything to help us. Run from this place.
We just returned from 5 nights at the Golden Parnassus Adults-Only resort. For a little background, this was my 8th vacation to an all-inclusive resort in the Cancun/Playa del Carmen area; I have stayed at a different resort each time. This hotel was honestly just as lovely as any of the others I have stayed at! It is much smaller and definitely more personalized than several others, which offers both positives and negatives. Here is my breakdown of what to expect here! Check-In: Check-in was very quick and efficient. We were welcomed with cold, delicious cocktails and very knowledgeable hosts. Our room was not quite ready yet as we arrived around noon, but we were given our all-inclusive bracelets right away so that we could start enjoying the amenities immediately! Grabbed our suits out of our suitcases, and hit the pool and pool bar. We came back to the desk at 3:00 and were given our room keys. The bell boys had already delivered our bags to the room! Rooms: The room was simple, but good sized and very clean. We were on the lagoon side, so no view of the ocean and no mini-bar in the room but there was bottled water. Balcony was large, shower was spacious. We had no problems at all with the water, the air conditioning, or the bedding our entire stay. Room service menus were supplied and service was very fast. Yes, the furniture is a little dated - but these resorts see thousands of guests every year so that is to be expected! Pool: The pool was large and very fun! Plenty of chairs, towel service was very handy, awesome little bar with great bartenders very close. We did have trouble finding umbrellas for shade as these were usually taken by other guests by the time we got to the pool each day. BUT, on the 2nd day we asked a worker if he could bring us an umbrella and it was done immediately. The next few days, the same man would run to get us an umbrella as soon as we found some chairs! Respect and kindness go A LONG ways, people! We tipped him a $5 bill for his awesome service and it was much appreciated. Bars: Bars and bartenders are top notch as far as service! Eliseo in the 50s club and Fonzee (Alfonso) in the lobby bar were simply fantastic! Drinks were delicious and we tried nearly everything on the menu as well as our usual go-to's - all were great. No, the booze is not top shelf but who cares?! You are in Mexico and the drinks are free! We purchased mugs in one of the lobby stores and the bartenders happily filled them every day. There is also a super cute little bar down on the beach with equally awesome service. Again, kindness and respect (and a little tip) go a long ways! Restaurants: We were able to try the Old Barn steak house, the Japanese place Sumo, and Pier 12. All were delicious and service was fantastic. Yes, portions are usually small - but not everybody eats like Americans! If you are still hungry after your mean, simply order another entree and leave a little tip. We loved the shrimp tempura and ordered two entrees of that each time - no problems! The breakfast and lunch buffet is plentiful with fresh fruit, vegetables, pastries, hot cakes, tacos/enchiladas, seafood, soup, etc. etc. If you can't find plenty to eat each day, then maybe traveling internationally just isn't for you? Beach: The beach is nice, but it does have a lot of seaweed that comes in all day long. Workers are out there every morning trying to clean it all up - but they really can't control what comes in from the ocean. This surprised me for Cancun, as I have found the beaches up there are usually cleaner than the ones down in Playa del Carmen. Oh well, we still had tons of fun and found some great seashells. There is a little place right there on the beach that rents jet skis and offers parasailing; the workers there were fun and kind as well. Yes, you will get occasional salespeople who are peddling their goods on the beach - but a simple "No thank you" and all is well. Remember, this is their livelihood and how they make a living! No need to be rude. As I mentioned, this resort is quite small and there isn't a ton of activities, HOWEVER, the entertainment staff is fantastic, shows in the lobby are entertaining, the games in the 50s club are fun, and the pool water is awesome! We were never bored as we always found other guests to chat with, places to explore, drinks to drink, a place to swim as the pool doesn't seem to have a closing time, etc. The only negatives about this resort were that the outside bars don't start serving until 11:00 AM and there are no schedules showing which restaurants are open during certain hours. Not that morning drinking is something I need to do of course, but a little Bailey's in my coffee or a morning Ceasar is nice sometimes! I did order mimosas each morning in the breakfast buffet, and they were fine too. As far as restaurants, as this is a smaller resort everything is pretty close by so it was easy to find a place that was open every single evening. No reservations were required and we were always seated immediately. Again, if you have a bad meal or do not feel satisfied, simply order something else. Yes, there are much larger and fancier resorts in Mexico - but remember that you pay for what you get. If you are looking for a 5-star, dream vacation in the Caribbean, than this probably isn't your place. But, if you are looking for an awesome little, adults-only, exciting getaway during the long winter months - than you will love this resort! As always when traveling here, remember that you are in a foreign country. The service here is impeccable every single time and their staff works harder than any American I have ever encountered! If you want all the exact same amenities that you get back home - the same food and top shelf liquor - then maybe just take a trip somewhere near home? Just my opinion!…
We just returned from our 11th or 12th trip to Cancun, staying at our home-away-from-home - Golden Parnassus! It was wonderful reconnecting with our extended family there: Augustin, Gama, Daniel, Oscar, Samy, Gaspar, Yamel, Carmen, Carlos, Elias, and so many others. We already have reservations for a Sept return. I can't say enough good things about this location. Yes, it is older, but it is clean and the view and hospitality covers many sins!
Stayed there for 5 nights in April for our anniversary. We had upgraded to a Golden room. Upon check which was super easy, we got room 204. We did not like the view so I went back downstairs and wanted a top floor room, which they immediately agreed to and showed me room 634. Wasn't a Golden room, but was a club room with ocean view. Absolutely stunning view, loved it. After reading the reviews I did agree that the hotel is dated and could use a face lift. A little paint and decorating could go a long way, especially in the buffet area. Having said that, it was truly one of our favorite trips. Cons: tip jars in the buffet stations, pretty tacky. Breakfast and lunch buffets were limited and the same everyday. The room need a make over. Hate the fact we had 2 towel cards. Have not run into this in many years and was surprised. Hated that we could only have 2 towels and worried they would be taken and we would be charged $30 per towel. They need to retire the whole towel card thing. There was a $200 hold on my credit card during the stay, but refunded at check out with no issues. Pool grill could have more selections. Pool lounge chairs were dated and if you got stuck with a worn one it was pretty uncomfortable. Pros: Easy check in and check out. Small adult only resort. Loved all the ala carte restaurants and had decent choices. The staff were friendly and very helpful. Hotel activity staff was very fun, and geared to adult only activities. Fun to watch even if you were not participating. Pool and room, and lobby were very clean. Loved the crepery. Yummy. Buffet at pool side on Saturday was very good. LIve rock band pool side was also very enjoyable. We usually are ready to head home after 5 days but did not want to leave. Would recommend this resort to anyone wanting a fun adult themed get away with a beautiful beach and pool. It is small, and yes dated, but wow did we have a great time. We are looking to book a return trip in September. Thank you Golden Parnassus staff for the incredible vacation!…
Had the best trip! We love the Golden! Everyone is so happy and friendly! WE LOVE IT HERE!!! Some special mentions are Fonzie, Carmen, Oscar, Carlos, Sebastian and Gamiliel. They always make our stay amazing and sure didn't disappoint!
If you are looking for an affordable all inclusive stay, this ticks all the boxes. The pool is 3 steps from the beach, and it never feels too busy. The alcohol isn't premium, but it flows well. The food isn't anything special, but you'll never go hungry. The service is friendly, but its good to follow the American tipping system. The WIFI is NOT free! Some booking sites say it is, they are incorrect. We had a few teething problems on our arrival, our booked room wasn't available and it felt they were more focussed on upselling than rectifying their error. (we stayed where we were). However, the layout of the hotel is this. If you want to watch the sunrise from your room, book the ocean view. If you want to watch the sunset from you balcony, book the Lagoon view. We were on the 5th floor, Lagoon view side and we loved the extra couple of hours in the early evening with a drink on the balcony. The food in the restaurants isn't anything special and the menus are old, but the buffet made to order dishes are great, and there is always plenty of fruit. Tipping small bills is positively encouraged for a smooth service. Make sure you take enough cash with you, the ATM at the hotel is not free, it only gives out $US and will charge you $8.95 to withdraw funds plus an additional $10.50 to convert the currency (daylight robbery), I mention this for if you have booked a covid test at the onsite medical centre for your return flight, their card machine suspiciously doesn't work and only accept cash, (I tried Visa, Mastercard and Amex and none worked, I was not the only person). It's an old hotel, but the staff are proud to be there. If you want to just relax and sunbathe with a cocktail or two it's perfect for that. If you'd prefer a bit more adventure and excitement, you may want too look somewhere else.…
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