BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Jean Francois Aube from St Eustache, Québec

"Very nice resort. Relaxing and very quiet. Good food, excellent service, good wine, good cappucinno. The beach is a little bit far from the resort but it's easy to get there with the shuttle service. Would go back anytime !"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Rachel from Lees Summit, Mo

"This was our first trip to Mexico. It was absolutely wonderful. Exceeded all of our expectations. Food was great (make sure and make dinner reservations ahead of your trip). Service was excellent. We can't wait to go back. Most relaxing, easy vacation we have ever had."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Tommy Hill from Bridgehampton, NY

"I received my certification in Scuba through here, completed it today 20/3/12. The instructors are professional, caring and take their jobs very seriously. Cannot say enough about the staff throughout the resort. They do go the extra mile to make sure your stay is the best. Being from NewYork, iknowi can be tough to please at times. I know what I want and the hotel delivered. A definite recommend!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Mari Henry from Prosper, TX

"Very beautiful property. Very well maintained. Great food at both a la carte for dinner and good food at buffets for breakfast and lunch. We were not as impressed with the buffet for dinner as the a la carte choices. Very good coffee available in the lobby area all day. The main draw back is it is not on the beach. The private beach for guests is a wonderful beach and we loved it, but you have to be sure to take everything you might want since it is about 15min back to the room and about 15 min back to the beach."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Nicholas Gruin from Pinehurst, NC

"Was looking forward to this new resort as a step up in our Cancun experiences. It was not, in that while there is quite a bit of window dressing, there is little actual quality and the staff need significant additional training. We were surprised that in the 'Penthouse Suite' which we rented that the bathroom only had a small single sink and that it took forever to obtain hot water. Similarly, the furniture which looked OK is actually so uncomfortable as to be a real problem. That does not include the bed, but rather everything else. The food, available in many restaurants including all those at the three older Bahia resorts also was... just OK. Service... well..., I would expect to be able to communicate with the waitstaff. Then there is the noise from the entertainment. Let's just say that you better not want to get any sleep before midnight. In conclusion, I simply suggest that there are significantly better resorts in the Riviera Maya area."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Pasquale from Montreal, Qc

"Beautiful resort with modern architecture and a great staff. Food is pretty good for an all inclusive. If this resort was right on the beach, it would be be the best in Mexico! My biggest complaint would be the dolphins program. Dolphins shouldn't be in captivity to begin with, and it was disturbing to see five dolphins in such a small pool. The tourists who encourage this are to blame. As tempting as it is to want to swim with these beautiful creatures, we have to stop supporting this!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Sheila Gaudreau from Edmonton, AB

"Our family and large group had a great time and stay! The only item I was not that happy about was the fogging for bugs around the pool at 5:00pm each day, as we like to end the day by the pool and it is still very pleasant outside at that time od day."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler France from Chambly, Québec

"We went a week in late January my husband and me. I had been at earlier in Akumal 2 years then I had what I was getting at the whole complex. The fact that the site is on the other side just does not have any effect. It's quieter. The rhythm of small trains were constant. The longest we waited was 10 minutes. The room was very large and comfortable bed. Very clean place. The landscape was different on this side, forest and jungle style, compared to other sections that are more style garden and lawn. We were entitled to restaurants every night unlike other sections. Alux the restaurant is definitely the best. Very fine cuisine and tasty. Small portion, however, so for big eater may not be ideal. The Gourmet is a close second even though it was at least finished the presentation. It was excellent in taste, comparable to Alux. Next is The Dolce Vita, Myoko and Harlequin and dead last in the ones we tried, the Méditaranéen. For golf, there is an 18-hole which is quite difficult. Many sand trap. There is also a 9 hole par three. The tee time is free but must be aware that the cart is mandatory and it is 80.00 per person ... We never have any problem booking. Our departures were generally between 7:00 and 8:30. There is also a section of the beach which is reserved exclusively for the Sian Kaan. It was great and we always room. There is also no history of towel Ea occupy unlike other sections. For the price, the service that was included was a cut above. We had a room overlooking the garden, but backwards. It was very quiet. We never used the terrace and Jacuzzi only once. People on the second floor came out to see us. It is not worth the trouble ... A perfect trip ..."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Isabelle Vachon from Springdale, AR

"We are a family of four (2 adults and 2 children- 7 and 9) and were traveling with my grandparents. We have been to other Bahia Principe before (Tulum, Akumal, Samana), but the foods (buffet and a la carte restaurant), drinks (wine!),and rooms were superior at Sian Kaan. We never waited too long for a shuttle and the ride to the beach was very short (less than 10 minutes). I would go back for sure and highly recommend it to my friends."

"it was a great trip met new friend the place is super good food staff was great and fun to food and pools were very good need more music at pool night life was good too beaches were very nice golf was very good too bring lots of balls thank you all the staff you were great hosts cant wait to come back "

"its was 5 star all the way staff was great food at all place was good only one i did not love was braziliain are place need a late night bar othrt hotels bars were great cant wait to go back and the golf was great tooo its a great place to rest or have a big party"

"My husband and I just got back from Gran Bahia Principe Sian Ka'an. This is our 8th time visiting Mexico and I must say that this was an amazing resort. I have nothing bad to say and this was our favortie place we have stayed in. It was a quiet and peaceful location. We are both older and do not need the late late entertainment....you can always go to one of the sister resorts to enjoy that if you choose to do so. I would recommend this resort to all of our friends and family and we will definetely go back. When you read about the language barrier...remember we are in their country and the workers there are friendly and as helpful as they can be. They work very hard for very little money."

"I arrived the night of the ribbon-cutting ceremony in the lobby and was impressedfor the next five days! I have to say I had the best vacation of my life and found the property to be just what I wanted in every way. I came to relax and enjoyed exploring the other properties very much. If I stumbled upon an event or activity it was just another bonus and getting around on the trolleys was a blast. The golf course was spectacular and though I paid $65. for a cart it was worth every penny considering it included range balls, practice area and beverages and snacks. The restaurants were wonderful but the buffets and 24 hour snack shack provided more than enough excellent food. The activities personnel went out of their way to make me feel welcome and I enjoyed time with them everyday. I travel alone but everyone was relaxed and outgoing and I made many new acquaintances. Unlike the other hotels there were no families so the pools were always quietly inviting and relaxing. I will definitely return again!"

"Everything about this hotel system is excellent. Except for one major problem. They have implemented an ecological program which needed to happen. Unfortunately, they have also added a swim with dolphin program. This is a horrible exploitation of the dolphins. How many dolphins must die for tourism? There are too many dolphins in a very confined space and this is horrible animal abuse. If you are in question of these type of programs, please watch the movie 'The Cove' help stop tourism from hurting and abusing these dolphins. It was awful to watch and horrible that a company that has done such an exceptional job with thier plant nursery, recycling and turtle programs would add this program. Please STOP!"

"3 couples went. We asked to be together, but only two were close...it worked out well, however as this is a small resort area.

We had a great time.

Staff was wonderful, we would go back.

Make sure you talk to the information folks to find out what is going on at the other resorts, because the front desk does not do a good job at that.

Loved the little band in the evening when we came back from dinner."

"We had an awesome time. We were greeted with a bouquet and welcome letter, champagne, t-shirts, fruit and robes & slippers. It truly was the best of both worlds at Sian Kaan..smaller intimate resort that was quiet when we wanted to read and lots to do at the other resorts when we wanted that. Being a smaller resort, we met so many wonderful people. 5 mins. to the beach by train and easy to catch the collectivo to go to Playa, etc.
Staff went above and beyond and a few even remembered us from last year. Our room was large, new and clean and decorated for us every day.
We hope to go back if prices stay reasonable."

"Right from the get go, no hot water, then found the hot tub and the plug was broken off, I had to improvise. Finally, after multiple visits to the manager, and refusing to leave we finally got hot water. I had left a formal message for her supervisor to contact me -he didn't. We were cold and wet from the rain and 3 days with only Luke warm water . the hotel even refused and compensation perks?
The Grand Bahia Prinicale Saii-Kann staff and hotel is not customer oriented or friendly.
A member of the staff walked directly into our room without knocking on the door first?
the wifi did not work into the room and in only limited areas. Spent some time on my iPad standing on the walkway just to get a signal.
They have 11 restaurants but don't try to walk in even if they are empty? Must have a card to eat, by the way we did not get our tickets till the 3rd day.
As far as safety, no hand rails, marble floors are very slippery when wet, I actually fell and severely sprained my ankle. While eating dinner we had to change tables because the roof leaked everywhere when it rained. Unfortunatly I do not have anything positive to say, except I am glad to be away from the manager and her constant lying.

Very disappointing trip"

"We stayed for 10 days and I have to say this place is a 5 Star. Everything was perfect, staff, facility, rooms, food. Even though it isn't on the ocean we enjoyed riding the 10 min. trolley to the beach we met so many new friends.
Golf course was a experience to remember, yes it is 80.00 for cart rental but free beer ect.... and they brought us out sandwiches we ordered at the turn, that were also free, just for Sian Ka'an residents.
This place served Premium drinks, Jack, Crown, Absolute, ect... Our refrigerator in our room wasn't always filled, even by leaving money and a note to tell them what we would like for them to leave, but that wasn't a big deal.
I have to agree with most everyone why go to the restrauants when you have a buffet like they do. We did love Don Pablo though. We also had them deliver dessert to our room.
I recommend bringing 2 dollar bills, they love those and they do love love tippers even though, I saw quite a few not tipping. We always did.
The Sian Ka'an beach is right along the sister resorts so you can eat lunch at any of them and walk for miles. Our chairs were much nicer and drinks were served to us.
We had Best Day pick us up at the airport and we did drop 1 couple off in Playa but that was it. I really recommend Best Day clean and safe.
I hope they don't raise the price to much that we may be able to return someday."

"I just returned from an 8-day stay at Gran Bahia Principe Sian Ka'an. I must admit that I had much more fun than I expected. Although it is a family resort, they made sure that singles can have a great time and meet people!

They have a 'disco' every night at the Hacienda, which turned out to be an excellent way to meet people staying at the other properties. Sian Ka'an is exclusively for Sian Ka'an guests, so guests at the other properties can't visit the property, but Sian Ka'an guests have access to all 4 resort properties.

The service was great and everyone is incredibly friendly. I was able to see a room at Akumal and in comparison to Sian Ka'an, there is none. Sian Ka'an is definitely a nicer property and much more modern than the other properties, which lean towards fiesta colors and styles.

The best beaches and activities are definitely at Akumal and Tulum and the peace and quiet is at Sian Ka'an. If you want a quiet place to lay your head at night, stay at Sian Ka'an and visit the other properties for your fun. The nightly disco is well worth the wait until midnight to have a great time. The trams that run between the properties make it really easy to get around. It takes a bit of time to get back and forth between Sian Ka'an and the other properties, but the drivers are super friendly and will talk to you the entire time.

The entertainment at the other properties is much more youthful than the entertainment at Sian Ka'an, which presents much more a lounge experience than a party atmosphere.

The food was great at all locations and the reservation system for the restaurants throughout the 4 resorts makes it very easy to visit all of them. The buffets were really good too.

The shops on site are quite expensive in regards to everyday items and there isn't any nearby shopping in walking distance, so try to remember everything that you might need during your stay. For example, a bottle of Aloe Vera Gel costs $15 USD and a 10-pack of band-aids costs $4 USD! The $20-30 cost to check a bag will be money well spent to hold your essentials and avoid excessive costs.

The resort is over an hour from the airport, so be prepared for a long drive, but be ready to relax and enjoy yourself once you arrive. The drinks are constantly flowing and the food is readily available. Take a nap and head to the Hacienda for the midnight dance party!

I had a blast! I'm already planning a return trip! :)"

"we booked the penthouse suite with hot tub..room was nice, roof top nice..housekeeper terrible. contstantly had to go looking for towels etc.
started ground cleaning outside our room each day at 5am. so were up early each day
private beach for sian guests was nice..and had a bar right there.
transportation was good
food in the sian restaurants average. had to return two dinner at the top restaurant there.
unfortunately no postings as to what is happening anywhere else in the resort so you did feel a bit isolated. however, if that is what you are looking for you succeeded.
have stayed at coba previously and had a great vacation.
another guest mentioned bugs in the room, we did have that issue, the problem is there is about an inch gap at the bottom of the door where they come in..so we put a towel there each night.
we paid 3800,00 so price is not an issue but disappointing when they tell you golf is included and then you are told it is 80.00 each for a golf cart. so an additional 160.00 per day on top of the fee was insulting. therefore, we ended up passing on why we booked. didn' want to pay an additional 600 for this holiday.
maybe we hit a bad week,,but it was very disappointing
rhonda"

"We stayed at the Sian Ka'an and enjoyed ourselves. The hotel is located over the highway opposite the three sister hotels. The Sian Ka'an could do a better job communicating to its patrons what is available across the street (and not at the Sian Ka'an). For instance, there is a daily beach BBQ near the Akumal that we stumbled upon. We asked repeatedly if there was a 'Mexican (themed) Night' and was told no--only to find out there was indeed a 'Mexican Night' located at the Hacienda--however, with no meal being served. We realize the hotel is newer, but no one seems to know what goes on in the other hotels. Overall, our vacation was great. We are used to being informed of nightly shows, BBQs, special events and the daily activities such as water aerobics, dance lessons, water games, cooking lessons, etc. The Gran Bahia Principe is a first class resort--they just need to better inform their guests as to what is going on in the ENTIRE resort--possibly via a daily newsletter. The rooms at the Sian Ka'an don't afford a lot storage space. The food was excellent and there are plenty of chairs around the pools--as many patrons head to the beach. The beach is quite extensive and very nice. We also recommend Edventure Tours, if you're in the area. They offer a tour of snorkeling in a cenote, zip lining, canoeing, swimming with the sea turtles and finally snorkeling in a local lagoon--it is like swimming in a large aquarium. Overall, a very rewarding vacation."

"well i wish it was more positive. in the past i had stayed at coba gran bahia and thoroughly enjoyed it. this time was not as successful.
housekeeping staff was terrible. bartenders were great!!

there is no information as to what is happening at other resorts and language barriers with front desk or phone operators was challenging at times.

there is a difference between relaxing and boring...unfortunately this resort bordered on boring!!!!

restaurants were not a good this visit either. but it was till nice to get away.

golf is supposed to be included, but you get hit with a 80.00 golf cart fee per person and 45.00 club rental fee...so we paid almost 4000.00 to stay and then they want another 200 per day to golf....i dont think so, that was very misleading.

also the resort likes to start ground work at 5 am, and it always seemed to be right outside our building....had to phone front desk twice to ask them to at least wait until 7am

would not return and would not recomend

rhonda.."

"Hello,



Here are our comments from our trip to the Riviera Maya, Mexico.

We left for the holidays of Christmas, December 23 2011 to January 7, 2012.



We chose the site of Sian Kaan, because we need rest and peace.

This section of the Gran Bahia Principe is located on the other side of the highway, near the golf course. According to the information given on this site is the perfect place to rest, relax and have peace, while enjoying delicious food and quality. This is exactly what we needed.

In addition, there is a very efficient shuttle service to walk on different sections of the Grand Bahia Principe (Dona Isabel, Tulum, Coba, Akumal) and is very nice places to visit.



We found our place (The sections Sian Kaan) very beautiful, the restaurants (Alux and Maiko) and the buffet, really perfect, good, refined, with a service worthy of 5 stars.



Where the bottom is hurting the serenity of the site that was not there. We have nothing against children, alone, we have chosen not to bring us to rest. But got there, we quickly noted that other parents did not have the same intentions as us. There was an incredible amount of children, the pool of children who cry in restaurants, as children bawl. Above all, we felt no respect for people like us(couple, age 50), who wants to have a little quiet and peaceful.

Sincerely, very disappointed with that. I understand that it is the holidays, but there must be a place where one has the right to have peace of children in time?



Suggestions: Why do families would not be in Akumal, Tulum and Coba?



Why is there not a children's pool and one for adults, everyone can choose according to what suits him.



Why is there no time for reservation for restaurants, with children, before 6 pm. and without children,after 6 pm.



I think it's not too much to ask to have peace, as a couple, on Holiday!! Especially when you took the trouble to choose Sian Kaan, just to have peace and silence.



Next time we will be more vigilant on this issue and I do not think I am right in saying that Bahia Principe is now a place especially for families. I wonder if it is not free for children??

Return!!!!

Adult only, YES!"

"What a fantastic vacation destination! The staff and management of the Gran Bahia Principe Sian Kaan-Don Pablo Collection are the most professional, friendly and caring people we have ever met!! The villa was always very clean and ever staff member that we encountered spoke to us and made us feel welcome! Our every need was met and the food at all restaurants and bars was of superior quality!! We would definitely make this a vacation desination in the future and will be telling all of our friends about our experience!"

"This was not the type of vacation I was looking for. The rooms were very buggy (alive and dead) and the first two rooms were very musty and had a horrible smell. Additionally, the rooms have no decoration. I know it's not critical but a vase, painting or throw pillow would be nice. Since this was a scheduled eight-day vacation, I did not want to stay at this resort and decided to leave.

The reason I didn't give a poor review overall is because the staff was excellent, allowing me to view 3 different rooms. I realized they all would be bad after the third but they were very accommodating. Additionally, the on-site Japanese restaurant was very good and the hotel bar seemed to be a lot of fun. I probably would have made it work if I was there for 3-4 days but due to the extended length of time, this was not where I wanted to be on my vacation."

"I just got back from my vacations, stayed in Sian Ka'an for 8 nights in mid - late December 2011.



Tour was sold to me as 'Junior Suite'. Also it was mentioned many times that Sian Ka'an is a quiet place, wich was exactly what I was looking for.



To my dismay 'Suite' happened to be a studio, about a size of average room in Motel 6, may be smaller. It was also about half of size of 'standard accomodations' in which I stayed during my September 2011 trip to Yukatan, in a different resort in Riviera Maya. No hot tub either. I am not sure what marketing manager thinks when he/she puts 'Suit' in description, even if it is 'Junior'.



Just for their education here is a standard definition of what suit is:



suite - apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)



Very little space, curtains and faucets are very clumsy. Bed is hard.



'Quiet' promise lasted for one day. On thirsday three football teams arrived to the premises and stayed ther for all weekend. 100 teenagers roaming hotel grounds made it very noisy. Also, I had to walk to reception one night and talk to them, since there was a very loud party going on under my window till 4:00 AM. I could not tolerate any longer. Ended up with head ache and sleepless night.



Tram transportation works OK, but when there are extra 100 youngsters on the ground, it happened more than once, that I had not space on the tram and had to wait, sometimes 20 minutes. When it is raining, trams also tend to be late.



Last time I sayed in Playa del Carmen and beach there is significantly better. Beach on this property suffered from catastrophic hurricane few years ago and lost quite a bit of sand. If you are not swimmer, staying on the shore is fine. Water though very shallow, barely to your waist.. lots of corals so watch your steps.



If size of accomodation is not an issue, if you are fine with hard mattress and noisy environment, if you do not mind waiting for the tram to get to the beach and rather stay on the sand than swim - this may be great option for you. Price of package is very attractive, you will pay extra 25% for similar accomodations elsewhere.



Staff is very friendly. Very friendly, and eager to help.



Enslish speakers might find it difficult to convey exactly what they want to say if it goes beyond daily rutine. Seems like Rivera Maya can not produce good English speaking personnel fast enough... but it should change, people learn fast there.



Food in Sian Ka'an is better than in other hotels on the property. In fact it may be even better than in A La Carte restaruants. Bar serves premium drinks for free, other hotels will charge you 4-7 dollars per such a drink. Chivas Regal, Jim Bim, Cuantreau, 1800 anjos, to mention a few, premium brands available at no charge.



Property maintained flawlessly. Hotel manager, entertainment manager etc will make sure that they will do everything they can to make and keep you happy. The barman is very engaging and makes his drinks strong and tasty.



If marketing subdivision will stop promoting inflated expectations and owners will keep noisy youngsters away, they should have no problem with negative or neutral feedbacks.



Wish best to this property



Victor"

"I stayed at the Sian Kaan this spring and loved it. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, and the restaurant is the best. Located on the opposite side of the highway from its sister resorts, it was a little quieter and mellower. Shuttles were frequent and I never had to wait long to catch a ride to the other resorts and enjoy all the activities there. Definitely the best of both worlds and I plan on returning in 2012."

"We were at the Bahia Principe Sian Ka'an hotel in December 2011. We had a great experience. The rooms were spacious, well designed and comfortable. The restaurant on site was great - both food and service were super. We also had access to all the restaurants etc. on the other side of the highway where the rest of the Bahia Principe resorts and beach are located. The shuttles came promptly and the staff went out of their way to accomodate us. My parents are older and unable to stand for long periods of time -- the staff made sure they were taken care of and they never had to wait long for the shuttle. I would definately go back.



Juan, Liz, Ricardo and Cladia -- Thank You, you made our stay perfect.



. "

"We stayed at the new Sian Kaan side of the Gran Bahia Principe during Spring Break this year. We were a little skeptical as it is on the other side of the highway (the golf side) from the other part of the resort. But, to our surprise, it was a great choice. We got an amazing price through Book It and the rooms were absolutely beautiful. We were upgraded to the garden suite with jacuzzi at no additional cost and the Assistant Manager was so helpful. The shuttles came every ten minutes and the staff go out of their way to help you with anything and everything. I would highly recommend the Sian Kaan side!"

"This is the Place to stay! We were in the Penthouse Suite, the only way to go. We had use of everything in 4 Resorts. We had a Fantastic time. "

"This was one of the best places I have stayed in years. The trip from the airport was worth it! The staff was great and the other resort that we had access to were just as nice. Highly recommended!"

"Just returned from a week at this resort, had a wonderful time. The penthouse suite is beautiful and having a la carte meals every night was a treat."

"Wow, it exceeded expectations. You will not be disapointed. If you like the Bahia Principe chain of hotels you will find this one to stand alone."