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Re: quality (by Jeff P.):

susang121 wrote:

Is there an all inclusive option available at this resort? What is the best way to rent a unit? Which buildings are closest to the pool/beach. I have read that the beach at the resort is too rocky to swim. I assume from your posting that this is not the case on the beaches you mentioned that are a short walk. What is the surf like?

To all other readers: Has anyone who has stayed at one of the Royal Resorts stayed here? I am curious if anyone has some comparison they can offer.

Any information anyone out there has that could be helpful would be really appreciated!!

My family stayed in Bldg. 6, 2nd floor, facing the "lagoon" side (a better view than the "jungle view" which actually faces a tacky residential area) at the Grand Mayan during the '06-'07 Christmas & New Year's 2-week school break. Our unit's 3 rooms were spacious, modern and had some luxury touches (although suprisingly there was no dishwasher in the kitchen) - we had a 2 bedroom/2 bath unit with a combined living room/kitchen in the middle for our 2 teenaged daughters and the two of us. Swimming off the beach was tried by only one or two crazy people during our 2 weeks there due to the jagged rocks everywhere, and the surf is generally very strong. Waves will knock you right over even at waist height if you're not careful. On the other hand, the beach area is large and sandy with lots of lounge chairs and nicely maintained. There are some nice shaded huts (but not enough of them) if you want to avoid sunburns, despite high SPF sunblocks. Offsetting the rocky no-swim area is is an unbelieveably large and beautiful pool area which is where most guests hang out all day. All cabanas were taken by 7am when I came down as guests "reserved" them by seemingly sleeping on them or leaving books/bags on them. Then there is constant construction going on in the Grand Mayan lagoon area, which isn't suprisingly horribly noisy but it's certainly not asthetically pleasing to look at from your balcony. You can see the ocean if you stand on your toes and lean over the balcony railing. Weird setup, but this is how it's done in the Mayan Riviera. Beachfront is prime property but they can only build height-restricted low level buildings all the way (1.5 kilometers) to the main federal highway. Oh, the walks are fine but, after a few days, the novelty wears off, especially when the humidity and heat is overbearing (yes, almost every day even in late December and January). I did the walks to the other beaches and resorts - these are not just fun little walks and you do not want to do this every day if you're supposedly on vacation at a major resort (esp. with kids). Rented through RCI connection at a nice discount. Unfortunately, our particular unit became infested with little ants so we had to move after settling in for a few days. They arranged for an identical unit in Bldg. 7 but I expected a courtesy gesture of goodwill for our trouble - like a complimentary meal at a restaurant for a half of a vacation day lost while arranging the move and the trouble of packing/moving. Complained to the front desk manager - she said that our inconvenience was "no big deal" from her perspective. Many of the restaurant staff we encountered were not very attentive unless we flagged them down for service...although English is their 2nd language, our lack of Spanish was a major hinderance. Speaking to Housekeeping staff on the phone was an annoying joke - they never kept commitments to come when requested. The maids actually did a good job and worked hard. The on-site "grocery" store was skimpy as they have a few essentials only - and they were expensive. Each night there is a dinner buffet - food was OK but cost was $U.S.30 minimum per person before drinks. Having no internet in the rooms was unexpected and the Mexican phone system options are either brutally expensive or outdated. A few tv stations are in English. The closest buildings to the pool/beach are #1, #2, #7, and #6. Anything else is closer to the main lobby and a much longer walk. Caveat re: Bldg. #1 - it's also closest to the ongoing construction, so you may wish to avoid it. There are much better choices for a resort on the Mayan Riviera, in my opinion, especially since the Grand Mayan is not an all inclusive - check Trip Advisor for the features that are most important to you. I will not go back to this Grand Mayan. We also stayed at the Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta last March break - (highrise) units are exactly the same, but the ocean view from our 8th floor was breathtaking and the grounds were more attractive. There were large wave pools, a slide, and a lazy river which the kids and I really enjoyed. Of course, there was also construction there too.

There is no all inclusive option. The 3 average restaurants are few (for a resort this size) and expensive (a hamburger and fries and coke was $17.) The taxi to the nearest Walmart is $U.S.18 each way, and the fridge isn't huge. Full dishware and utensils are privided but only a microwave - no stove or oven. A la carte meals are just typically expensive in many Mexican tourist area restaurants...but I wouldn't eat food in Mexico anywhere else - it's just not worth ruining your vacation. Good luck!