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The Grand Sunset Princess is located just 45 minutes south of Cancun, and only 10 minutes from the eclectic and vibrant downtown of Playa del Carmen. This 4 Star beachfront all inclusive luxury resort is fun for the entire family. Relax at the spa or enjoy multiple activities. Discover the Riviera Maya a place of unsurpassed natural beauty.
Enjoy the benefits of top quality all-inclusive service. The Grand Sunset Princess ensures a memorable getaway with comfortable, spacious suites, innovative cuisine, exciting activities, superb amenities and much more. Read More About Grand Sunset Princess All Suites Resort - All-Inclusive
EXPERIENCE THIS UNFORGETTABLE UPSCALE RESORT
With 672 rooms, the Grand Sunset Princess Resort offers a professional, efficient, and prestigious range of services and accommodation, including the Junior Suite, Junior Suite Deluxe and Junior Suite Deluxe Pool with direct access to the pool. This resort also offers other delightful possibilities, including the inviting and spacious Villas or the elegant Platinum Suite. New in the hotel Grand Yucatan Princess Suites adults only.
After crossing the spacious lobby, you reach the splendid Avenida Paseo de los Dioses, inviting you to discover the charms and possibilities of this incredible resort.
A range of services in the varied and international selection of top quality food, eight restaurants specializing in food from a wide range of cultures Asian, Mexican, Italian, and more provide the perfect counterpoint when sharing moments of peace and calm with excellent meals in beautiful and inviting specially decorated surroundings, some of which are by the sea.
SO MUCH FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY
Do not leave your children at home and have them miss out on the vacation of a lifetime. Bring your entire family to Grand Sunset Princess and let the children ages 4 to 12 enjoy the Mini Club, while the adults relax or enjoy the endless activities. The Grand Sunset Princess offers daytime activities for kids in their swimming pools and House Club with outdoor patio, a room with video games and nightly entertainment, mini disco and mini theater. Teens activities ages 13 through 17 are also available in the hotel.
RELAX AND REJUVENATE AT THE SPA
Dont cheat yourself out of the chance to be pampered in paradise at a world class spa. Enjoy beauty treatments, massages, spacious pools, hydromassage, a special water circuit, and the famous Temascal treatment. Their talented team of professionals will delight your senses and transport your mind and body to a completely relaxed state of bliss.
CELEBRATE YOUR LOVE IN PARADISE
The Grand Sunset Princess is the perfect place to plan your dream destination wedding. Whether you are interested in a traditional celebration or a renewal of your vows and commitment to one another, their talented event professionals can help you plan the perfect ceremony. Their special wedding programs combine close attention to detail along with the elegance and glamor of the actual ceremony. This is the perfect place for the most special day of your life.
A GREAT PLACE FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT OR MEETING
The Grand Sunset Princess is the perfect venue for your next business meeting or event. You will find meeting rooms for small groups or space for a large convention, complete with the technology infrastructure you need for your presentations. Whatever the size of your event, they are ready to help you make it a great success.
TOP QUALITY INTERNATIONAL CUISINE FOR YOUR DINING PLEASURE
The resort offers a varied and international selection of top quality cuisine. Nine restaurants are available to choose from, serving specialties including Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean, and more. The Grand Sunset Princess provides the perfect atmosphere for excellent meals in beautiful and inviting settings. The meals served in the resort are created from broad experience rich in traditions and continuing evolution in the concepts and qualities which should be offered by modern cooking. Menus feature a carefully selected perfect balance between traditional Mediterranean cooking and the latest trends in international fare, using top quality products, carefully prepared and presented, aimed at always providing the best choice to Guests.
RESTAURANTS
The Resort is pleased to offer Guests a select choice of cuisine which may be enjoyed in all the restaurants.
- Sunset Buffet Restaurant:
International Buffet. Restaurant opens for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. You will find fresh juices and an omelet and egg station where your breakfast is freshly prepared before your eyes. You can also enjoy local fruits, fresh baked bread, pastries, and a wide selection of other delicious foods. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned. Dress Code is casual. The use of a Tshirt and shoes is mandatory. - La Vaqueria Grill Restaurant
Menu a la Carte. Enjoy the best cuts of steak at this Grill restaurant. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned. Dress code is formal long pants, formal shirt and closed shoes. - Mama Mia Italian Restaurant
Menu a la Carte. Enjoy cuisine inspired by both traditional dishes and new Italian culinary trends prepared with top quality authentic ingredients. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Open for Dinner Only. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned. Dress code is formal long pants, formal shirt and closed shoes. - La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant
This restaurant features Mexican cuisine and Menu a la Carte Dining. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Open for Dinner only. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned. Dress Code is Formal long pants, formal shirt and closed shoes. - Negresco Buffet Restaurant
Open for Breakfast and Lunch, this restaurant features large windows that offer a spectacular view of the pools. The International Buffet features a salad bar, fresh vegetables, cheeses, international buffet stations, and desserts. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned. A la carte breakfast and lunch service is provided for Platinum Guests in this restaurant. Dress code is Casual. - La Tortuga Buffet Restaurant
This International Buffet is Open for Breakfast and Lunch. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned. A la carte breakfast and lunch service is provided for Platinum clients in this restaurant. Dress code is casual. - La Fondue Swiss Thematic Restaurant
Menu a la Carte. Enjoy a variety of gourmet Swiss dishes. Open for Dinner Only. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned. Dress code is Formal long pants, formal shirt, and closed shoes. - Miso Asian Restaurant
Menu a la Carte. This Asian restaurant features six Tepanyaki tables and a sushi bar. The menu is based on traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned. Open for Dinner Only. Dress Code is Formal long pants, formal shirt, closed shoes.
The following restaurants are not included in the Junior Suite category, but are available at an extra cost. Access to these restaurants is included with stays in the Deluxe Junior Suite, Deluxe Junior Suite Pool, Villas or Platinum Suites.
- Le Fleur International Gourmet Restaurant: Menu a la Carte. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned.
- Las Olas Seafood Restaurant: Menu a la Carte. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. Non Smoking. Air Conditioned.
- Tapas Spanish Restaurant. Menu a La Carte. Possibility of special diet or vegetarian menus on request. on smoking. This restaurant is included only in the Grand Yucatan Suites and Laguna Villa Suites.
- Chill Out Club Restaurant Lounge and Bar. Enjoy delicious International Cuisine and refreshing cocktails at this beach restaurant. Open for Dinner Only. Dress Code is Formal long pants, formal shirts, and closed shoes. Please note, this restaurant is NOT INCLUDED in any room category
ENJOY A REFRESHING BEVERAGE AT ONE OF THE 10 BARS
At the Hotel Grand Sunset Princess there are 10 bars, serving alcoholic and alcohol free drinks and cocktails to quench your thirst. Enjoy a refreshing beverage any time.
- Sport Bar 5 Avenue- 24-hour service
- Pool Bar Fantasy Bar - Open 10:00am - 6:00pm
- Pool Bar Maya Bar - Open 10:00am - 6:00pm
- Pool Bar Tequila- Open 10:00am - 6:00pm
- Lobby Bar Sunset - Open 8:00am-Midnight. Tea Time 4:00-7:00pm
- Lobby Bar Riviera- Open 8:00am-Midnight. Tea Time 4:00-7:00pm
- Beach Bar Poquito- Open 10:00am-6:00pm
- Bar Punta Bete- Open 6:00pm-11:00pm
- Bar Chactemal- Open 6:00pm-11:00pm
- Bar Plaza- Open 8:00am-11:00pm
- Disco Areito- Open 10:30pm-2:00am
- Miso Restaurant Bar- Open 6:00pm-11:00pm
- Theater Bar- 8:00pm-10:30pm
EXPERIENCE THESE AMAZING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR YOURSELF
All 674 Suites at the Grand Sunset Princess include:
- 1 King size bed or 2 Double beds, with sofa, small table and 2 chairs
- Bathroom with Shower
- Hair Dryer and Vanity Mirror
- Iron and Board
- Complimentary Safety Deposit Box
- Air Conditioning and Ceiling Fan
- Coffeemaker
- Satellite 26`` Plasma TV
- Mini-Bar- water, soft drinks, beer, stocked daily
- Balcony Terrace
- Telephone in Room and Bathroom
Guests looking for a higher level of accommodation may opt for the Junior Suite Deluxe, all 312 of which feature a Jacuzzi in the bathroom or enjoy one of the Deluxe Junior Suite Pool offering direct pool access from your private terrace-only for adults over 13 years old.
PLATINUM SUITES ACCOMMODATIONS
- 96 Platinum Suites
- 32-inch Plasma TV and In-room DVD/CD Player
- DVD Library available in Platinum Lounge
- In-room Premium Bar
- Pillow Menu in Platinum Lounge
- 24-Hour Room Service
- Platinum Bracelet and Concierge Service with use of Exclusive Platinum Lounge
- Private pool with butler service -Drinks only-
- International Newspapers located in Platinum Lounge
- Nightly turn-down service
- Use of bathrobes during entire stay, 2 pairs of slippers per room
- Free Unlimited Internet access at Platinum Club Lounge as well as FREE wireless internet in rooms
- Private Check-in with cold towel on arrival and Welcome Drink
- Domestic, International and Premium Brand Drinks -Aged liquors, Wines and A la carte champagne are not included-
- 1 Special Dinner - Offered only on Thursdays at the Choza Riviera from 7pm to 9pm
- 24-hour Concierge Service in the Platinum Lounge
- Exclusive Continental Breakfast area in Platinum Lounge
- Hors d`oeuvres at Platinum Club Lounge
- A la carte Breakfast and Lunch service in the Buffet restaurants near the Platinum Lounge
- Reservations for a la carte restaurants at Platinum Lounge
- Gift in room upon arrival
- Discount on Green Fees at external Golf Course- Subject to Availability
- Discount on Spa Treatments- single service items only
- Discount on the Water Sport Center- single Service Items Only
- Reserved area on beach with butler service- drinks only
- 1 Water Circuit at the Spa- per adult, per week, Adults Only 18 +
- 1 Beach Bag with Princess Logo
- Special Amenities in Room
LAGUNA VILLA SUITES ACCOMMODATIONS
- 24 Laguna Villa Suites with 1 King Size Bed
- All other inclusions are the same as for the Platinum Suite.
- Jacuzzi
- Aromatherapy for the room upon request- concierge
- FREE Spa package- 30 minute massage, facial express, exfoliation of feet and hands per person, per stay. Minimum stay of 4 nights required.
- Daily international newspaper service in the Concierge located at the pool of the Villas
- Access to the Spanish Restaurant
NEW! GRAND YUCATAN PRINCESS DELUXE JUNIOR SUITES -ADULTS ONLY:
- 104 Junior Suites Deluxe
- 40 Junior Suites Deluxe Pool Access
- 1 King bed or 2 double beds, sofa
- Satellite 32-inch Plasma TV with DVD
- In Room Premium Bar
- 24-hour Room Service
- Distinctive bracelet
- Use of Bathrobes during entire stay, 2 pairs of slippers per room
- 1 Special Dinner
- Gift in room upon arrival
- Discount on Green Fees at external Golf Course- subject to availability
- Discount on Spa Treatments- single service items only
- Discount on the Water Sports Center- single service items only
- Reserved area on the beach with butler service- drinks only
- 1 Water Circuit at the Spa- per person per week, Adults only 18+.
- 1 Beach Bag with Princess Logo
- Special amenities in room
PRIVATE LOUNGE FACILITIES- Grand Yucatan Princess
- Private check-in with cold towel on arrival and welcome drink
- DVD Library
- Pillow Menu
- International Newspapers
- Free Internet unlimited at Lounge as well as wireless in rooms
- Domestic, International and Premium Brand Drinks -aged liquors, wines and A La Carte champagne non included
- 24-hour Concierge Service
- Exclusive Continental Breakfast area
- Hors d`oeuvres
- Reservations for A La Carte restaurants
- Private Pool
- Private Pool Bar
Approximate driving time to the Grand Sunset Princess is 45 minutes and distance is 52 km or 32 miles.
Driving directions from Cancun International Airport:Take the highway to Playa del Carmen south for approximately 52 km or 32 mi. See for Resorts sign.
Where is the Grand Sunset Princess?The Grand Sunset Princess is located next to Playa del Carmen, 52 km from Cancun, and to a similar distance of the Mayan archaeological zone of Tulum.
BookIt.com Verified Traveler
Nicole Graham from Peoria, Az
"My husband and I stayed here from April 17th - 23rd and had an amazing time. I will start with my one negative comment, the food quality was poor. Now with that said I think we are picky eaters as others we spoke too were ok with the food and some agreed with us. The fish we tried was always too fishy tasting, the beef was very tough but the chicken was good. Breakfast buffets had omelet stations which were good. Lunch buffets had pasta stations which were ok, dinner buffets not so good. We made reservations for dinner most of the nights. The Mexican, Italian and Teppanyaki restaurants were ok. The grill and oriental were the best ones we tried.
The resort itself is absolutely gorgeous. The landscaping is lush, bright and beautiful. All common area's were always so clean and I am kind of a clean freak so for me to say that, it was clean. Everything was very well maintained from the pools, the lawn chairs, restaurant furniture, pool tables, etc. I was very surprised at well kept up the resort was. We stayed at Sandals in Antigua for our honeymoon and everything seems warn down and beat up. Even the tiles to the pool bar were nasty and gross. This resort far exceeded our expectations. You do have to walk a lot as the resort is big but there are shuttles that run every 5-10 minutes that take you from the lobby to the beach. It's good that it's big though because your not on top of each other or crowded. They had planned events as well every night from show's to shopping events to dancing and live bands. They also had beach and pool volleyball, pool bingo, archery events, etc.
The pools were great. Again, very well maintained and plenty of them. If you wanted to be at the party pool (main pool with DJ) where everyone was getting crazy there was plenty of room for you. Or if you wanted to relax more there were plenty of other pools that you could do that at.
The beach was stunning! Water was crystal clear. Beaches were soft white sand. There were a few rocks right when you walked in the water but they were large and you could see them. Plenty of lawn chairs however if you wanted underneath a shaded hut you had to get there early or lay out your towels early at least. There are vendors right on the beach but they don't really bother you which is nice. You can get a 1 hour massage right on the beach for $40....amazing! I highly suggest doing this early in your trip before you get sunburnt. Oh ya and take extra sun block because the sun is intense and the resort charges $25 for a tiny bottle of it. I thought the resort stated they offered non-motorized water sports like snorkel gear, water trikes, etc. but we didn't see any of that.
The staff were all amazing. I have never been treated so good. We've traveled quite a bit and it seems as though the eastern Caribbean natives are more rude, less attentive to you or willing to help. The western side of the Caribbean has amazing customer service. This is an all inclusive resort but these people are poor and we tipped when we felt the need to. $5 to them is a lot of money believe it or not. Everyone was soooooo friendly I couldn't get over it. So kind and polite, never seen anything like it.
We did two excursions. Xplor park had zip lines, rafting through caves, driving atv's through the jungle and swimming through caves. One word, AMAZING!! Do it!!! Well worth the $100/pp. Zip line through water falls and into the water, swimming and rafting though fresh water caves with the stalactite scenery, absolutely beautiful! It includes lunch and you pretty much have 8 hours to do what you want. Very easy to get around the park and includes transportation. They drop you off and pick you up at a certain time. We also did Chichen Itzu aka Mayan Ruins. We were a bit hung over and it was so hot but we still enjoyed it. It did take 2 - 2 1/2hrs one way to get there so that kinda sucked but we slept most of the way. You then have 2hrs at the ruins with a tour guide telling you all about the different temples and areas. Then they take to you a really good restaurant for lunch then to breathtaking sink hole. 159 ft deep of fresh clear water and they have 3 different platforms you can jump off of. Or you can take a ladder in and out of it also. It was gorgeous!
Other than the food we loved this place and would recommend it. We would stay here again no questions asked but we also like trying new places. We road down with a retired travel agent who stayed at the Valentine Resort which was also in Playa. We asked another local what he recommended as the best resort and he said Iberostar resort so maybe check out those as well."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Carol Burke from Hopewell Jcg, Ny
"The resort is beautiful..clean and very well maintained but very big. It took us like 2 days to find our way around and we still never figured out where daily activities were or disco at night. Staff were not very helpful or informative at check in. We arrived at 10:30am and were told we could not check in a moment before 3. We were not told there was. A changing room available to change our winter clothes. We specifically asked for ocean view with pool with swim up bar. We were placed in yukatan which is the farthest room from beach with a pool that was more like a trough. Very clean. Nice line staff.buffet was not brest but enjoyed 2out of 4 restaurants we chose. Would try different resort next time but still enjoyed Mexico."
Posted: Tue, Apr 16, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Bobbi from Grand Haven, Michigan
"I will start by saying that the employees at Grand Sunset Princess are GREAT! The people who work here are truly the best thing about the resort. Lorenzo at the Sunset buffet was the nicest employee that we met :)
The grounds are beautiful and meticulously maintained. The beautiful grounds really make your longer walks enjoyable. I didn't mind all the walking, but I could see that if you don't normally walk a lot or have mobility issues, you might not like the size of this resort The beach was beautiful, but the huts for massages and tours definitely take away from its beauty.
Overall we were happy with the food - Not as good as other resorts we have stayed at, but not horrible. I think that it would have been much better if we had been there when the resort wasn't full. It seems that the resort runs very short staffed when it is full to maximize profits. We did not like the a la carte reservation system (Having to wait in line in the middle of the day to reserve a couple of days in advance) -we won't be staying at at resort with this type of system again.
Our room was somewhat disappointing. The bed and pillows were very uncomfortable for us. If you like a VERY firm mattress and pillow, you might like this bed. I woke up with numb arms every morning. I asked at the front desk if there were different pillows available and was told that there were not. Unfortunately, the decorative pillows that were on the bed had a distinct foul odor (They smelled like body odor - very unpleasant). I had to ask housekeeping to remove the pillows.
Probably the worst part of our stay was the other guests - Not really the fault of the resort. We were awakened between 3:00am - 3:30 am 4 of our 7 nights with our neighbors breaking things, yelling, and slamming doors. I know everyone wants to have fun, but this was crazy! From what we heard, several guests had problems with loud people. this is a good resort to check out. If you can spend a little more, I would recommend looking elsewhere. We will not be returning to a Princess resort."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Lauren from Saint Charles, Mo
"We had a wonderful time! The grounds were beautiful. PLENTY of pool with 3 swim-up bars :) Beach was clean and had plenty of chairs available. 4 Buffets for breakfast and lunch were good, but note that the 2 buffets by the lobby had a larger variety and were nicer than the 2 buffets towards the beach. We didn't figure that out until day 3. Variety of restaurant choices, all of which were good. Don't forget to make your reservations the day you arrive for 3 nights out!!! We experienced Spanish, Mexican, tabachi grill, and italian. Italian was our favorite (most variety on menu) and Spanish was out least favorite (small menu) but still good. The 24 hr sports bar came in very handy! Menu was good as well: burgers & fries, sandwiches, nacho bar, hot dogs, chicken nuggest, cheese bites, etc. Overall I would definitely return to this resort."
Posted: Fri, Apr 05, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Deborah L . Casassa from Chesaning, Mi Michigan
"We had a over all great time till my wife got out of the pool and fell. Ended up haveing a concussion hurt her wrist, and had no idea that when i took her to be looked at my doc. on resort would be charged a $110.00. Was ' NEVER EXPLAINED ' to me at all. tHEN THE NEXT DAY WE WALKED BY AND SEEN SIGNED OUT ALL OVER CAUTION SIGN A LITTLE TO LATE DON'T YOU THINK. SHE HAS A LARGE LUMP ON HER HEAD HEADACHS AND NO ONE SEEM TO DO ANYTHING BUT WANT TO SEND HER TO HOSPITAL AND THEN GET CHARGED FOR I WOULD SAY 5 MIN. IF THAT. WILL WE GO BACK HECK NO. Date 3-6-13 to 3-10-13"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Tana from Oconomowoc, Wi
"Just got back last night from our trip to the Grand Sunset Princess-Rivera Maya. We are pretty experienced travelers and this resort was beautiful and one of the best values we've ever taken advantage of. The rooms were large and very luxurious with lots of marble tile and the beds comfortable. The only thing that was not great there were the pillows in the rooms they are hard as a rock so you might want to bring your own, especially if you're used to down pillows! . Pools were clean and plentiful. The beach was great for walking and swimming and there were plenty of chairs to be found in the sun and the shade even though we were there when they were filled to near capacity. Bring comfortable shoes for walking it's a big place.
I want to say this now in case you don't read any further...Men remember to bring long pants for the a la carte restaurants, it is required and you won't want to miss the delicious dinners there. Tip: make your reservations for the a la carte dinners as soon as you arrive. These were our favorites in order...Le Fleur (French-Gourmet), Vaqueria (steakhouse), Mamma Mia (Italian), Las Olas ( fish and seafood). The buffets were great too.
The service is incomparable..It is not required, but we felt that tipping at least $2 when we ate at the buffet and to our maid each day and $5 at the a la carte dinners which were served to us was the right thing to do. These wonderful people make $4 a day and work VERY hard always with a smile on their face!
We did a one day side trip to Tulum and Xel Ha which we enjoyed a lot.
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kim from Rye, Nh
"This was a winter break family trip for my husband and me our daughter and a friend. We had a great time! The resort was clean, safe and allowed our girls (both 16 years old) to have freedom within the resort without us worrying about their safety. The resort is clean, the food abundant and quite good for an all-inclusive buffet resort. We staed in the Platinum suites and I would highly recommend the upgrade. The resort is large so room service items rarely arrived hot and always took at least 30 minutes. The pools were great, the special area for the Platinum folks on the beach and at the pools was also a nice feature. The concierge and excursion services from the hotel were great. Our favorite, by far, a Selvatica zipling tour with rally car rides through the jungle. A la carte restaurants were nice. Entertainment each night a fun activity...the spa services were very good although quite pricey. All in all a great experience and value in our opinion."
Posted: Sun, Mar 10, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kathleen Borrello from Port Ewen, New York.USA
"Had a great time would stay at this hotel again"
Posted: Thu, Mar 07, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Heidi from Honeoye, Ny
"Nicest resort I have ever stayed at. Always something to do. Great service and great atmosphere!"
Posted: Sun, Mar 03, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Henry Knee from Springhill, Fl
"We had a wonderful time and experience at this resort, it was all-inclusive and was better than we anticipated. We plan to go back there next year and would certainly recommend to family and friends.
Thanks to all the staff !!!"
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Fred Dickinson from Spring Hill, Fl., Fl.
"only negitive comment. the pillows were too hard."
Posted: Sun, Mar 03, 2013- Overall Experience:
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Meredith from Nj
"The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful! The grounds are perfectly kept and the rooms were very comfortable and clean as well. I only have very minor complaints. First, while checking in our desk clerk was not very nice at all! We asked him about paying for an upgraded room and he immediately shot us down telling us everything was sold out. After check in we were speaking with our friends who we traveled with and there clerk upgraded there room for FREE!
As in most all inclusive resorts you must book your dinner reservations days in advance. While doing so they do not provide you with any menus and you can only go by the 'type' of restaurant it is (ex. Italian, Mexican, French, etc). We booked the French restaurant but ended up not enjoying the menu selection at all. If we were able to view the menu we would not have eaten there! In order to view menus you would have to walk the whole property to each restaurant to view the menu.
The rooms are very clean and they did come clean the room everyday but would only leave random amounts of towels. Never the same type of towel or amount of towels. There were also no tissues in our room. It is really a hassle to blow your nose with toilet paper!
The pool is very large and very beautiful but there is no hot tub! We did have one in our room but its just not the same! They need a hot tub by the pool!
Other than those minor complaints, the resort was great! Service was great (minus checkin), and food was acceptable for an all inclusive!"
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Rita Foster from London, On
"Our stay at the hotel was very positive. however we paid $100.00 to get private transportation to our hotel. When we complained about this to the Best Day representative, we were told that traffic to the hotel that day was very busy. Since they are booking the rooms, I thought they would be aware of this, and provide more transportation if needed. We then went to book an excursion that we had planned at home on-line, and the Best Day representive convinced us that there was not enough time to do the Dolphin adventure while at Xlha and we needed to book another excursion in order to spend time with the dolphins. This was very misleading, as the first excursion prooved to have plenty of time to do the dolphin/stingray adventure. We paid an additonal $300.00 to see the dolphins on the following day. When we were picked up for the dolphin adventure by the Best Day van, it was in sorry shape and I considered it to be a safety hazard. The outside mirrors were taped to the van with electrical tape, the rubbers on the windshield wipers were falling off and there was an 18' crack in the front windshield. The van smelled of oil. As I said the hotel was great."
Posted: Sun, Feb 24, 2013- Overall Experience:
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Lola Burton from Tonasket, Wa
"My only complaint would be that they needed someone to take you to your room . My daughter feel with in the first 15 minute and hurt her leg very bad. If we would have had a guide this would not have happened."
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Efstathia from Westlake
"Great hotel inside and out wiould recommend to all!!! My family and I will for sure go back....."
Posted: Fri, Feb 22, 2013- Overall Experience:
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George from Denver, Co
"We stood for 5 nights in a platinum room with a 2 year old. Here is a list of the hotel features we encountered and our experience with each:
- Check-in: Easy but we arrived later than everyone else since we wasted an hour at the airport due to a lost bag. Watch your bags! Customs took a carry on for inspection and we didn't grab it and forgot about it. 15 minutes later we tried to go back and get it and nobody had any idea where it went.
- Room: Great room but maintenance is poor. Everyone seems to have something wrong with their room. In our case it was a toilet that didn't flush well. A/C that didn't cool well and a safety box that didn't work. Bed was very firm and pillows too but it didn't keep us up at night. Platinum room had a jetted tub in the balcony with we used, also used the one inside. WiFi was good in the whole room but choppy on the balcony.
- Buffets: Mediocre, even for a buffet. It seems like they don't know how to be efficiently manage it so that there is minimal waste and instead let guests eat what should be thrown away! I got a clue from a lady serving drinks at the beach who told me she was forced to drink anything guests left behind and it was my fault. We left before our drinks got to us because it took very long and our child was fussy. Very tacky. If they fixed that the buffet would more up to average.
- Restaurants (a la carte): The fondue was our first and it was terrible. Service and food quality. We also did the french, grill and asian (hibachi) restaurants and they were all good service and decent food. Being able to do one every night is one more argument for going platinum.
- Beach: Loved it! The platinum was worth it here too. Private area with no vendors. Well groomed sand, close to food and drinks and there were always chairs available. Water was wonderful. Rocks are far and few.
- Platinum Club House and Pool Area: Amazing. Great service. snack bar was convenient although it could have have a bit more selection. Quiet and serene. Comfortable beds and lounge chairs and beautiful decor.
-Grounds/Pools: Stunning. We enjoyed the walks and only used the hotel transportation a few times. Bathrooms were immaculate. Statues along walk were a pleasure to the eyes. It was a perfect amount of walking after a heavy meal! Pool was cleaned early and was good. Nothing for kids except two shallow pools (about 1 ft deep). Would be nice if they put in a fountain or something."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Katherine Betcher from Ann Arbor, Michigan
"My husband and I enjoyed this resort. We have been to Cancun before, and thought this had a nicer room and pool areas than our prior resort. The restaurants were excellent and gave us good variety, since we made reservations for a different restaurant every night. The only downsides for us were: 1- waiting in line to make reservations, though it was much better than our last hotel since you can make them any time of the day after 2p and lines are usually short; 2 - the beach is rocky, and there are vendors with huts set up right along the shoreline (blocking the view =() - but there are other areas of the beach where you can sit next to the shore, and if you walk just one hotel over to the right, the sand under the water isn't rocky and you can swim and walk around easily. We didn't go in the ocean water that often, we used the pools more for swimming.
Almost every outdoor pool has a bar, one pool has music and games (the funniest was the dancing contest, drinking contest, etc.) all day. The rest of the pools are more quiet. There are no hot tubs for non-platinum members, unless you get a massage or any spa service - you gain 24 hrs of access to the spa hot tubs.
Initially our bedding had a funny smell to it, but we requested that it was changed and then it was nice and clean smelling. We didn't do this until the 4th day, I thought the problem would go away when sheets were changed but it was the comforter and pillows themselves - I should have asked sooner!
Overall, the resort is HUGE, and you get a great deal for your money. I agree that buffet food isn't great, but you figure out what you like there &by the end of the trip I enjoyed it. The a la carte restaurants were great. If you don't like something just let them know (politely) - the staff is eager to help and very efficient. I've never seen drinks made faster, or waiters going from table to table so quickly. We had an excellent vacation!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Matthew from Columbia Falls, Mt
"This was the best resort I have ever been to! The staff was exceptional. Extremely clean and they were very responsive to any questions or issues. The Platinum is definitely worth it. Loved the less people and more comfortable chairs at Chill Out on the beach. Excellent service from the waiter / butler. The beach massages were the best! You could stay at this resort and never leave and have a great time and experience. If you do anything else definitely check out the zip-lines at Xplore and the underground rivers - Really Cool! Would highly recommend."
Posted: Tue, Jan 29, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jessica from Saginaw, Michigan
"My husband and I went to Grand Sunset Princess for our honeymoon from January 9th to January 12th 2013. I had read some bad reviews about this place after I had booked our trip and was really nervous about how our trip would go. The Staff was exceptional. Everyone was extremely nice! Although when we got room service and we gave the guy a small tip ( Which we were under the impression that all gratuities were included because that is what it says but we felt bad not tipping ) The guy laughed at us and was angry mumbling another language as he walked out of our room. The entire Resort was exceptionally clean! I swear that is all they did was clean! For how much you pay, I thought the rooms were fantastic! They were huge and beautiful. We stayed in the Yucatan area which is supposed to be an exclusive adults only area. I don't think hardly anyone was staying over there because we had our own private pool area with a bar and there was only 2 other couples laying out! In that area they have butler service so we had our drinks brought out to us. But that was only if people weren't at the bar because the same guy had to do both. The nice thing about where we stayed was that it was close to the lobby and all of the restaurants. The resort is huge and it was kind of a long walk to everything but that didn't bother us. From the lobby it was about a 10 to 15 minute walk to the beach. We would just get our drink and take a stroll to the beach. The beach was full of vendors which I have never seen at a resort before but they were not pushy. They asked you a question and if you said no or kept walking they didn't bother you. There was plenty of chairs to go to that weren't near the vendors. But you have to pass the vendors to get to them. The beach was beautiful and it had a bar right on the beach. The resort was so big that we never made it to all the areas because we were only there for 3 nights. The food was okay. It wasn't awful but it wasn't great. We went to one of the restaurants ( which you had to make a reservation for or else you were stuck with buffet food ) It was called La Fleur and it tasted awful!! HAha! It seemed like they took the buffet food and just made it look all fancy on a plate. We got the beef filet entree and it literally was a piece of steak about the 2 inches wide and a tiny scoop of mashed potatoes and ONE piece of broccoli. I think we ended up going BACK to the buffet after we got done eating there! By the end of our trip we couldn't wait to get home and have American food! The water was also bottled too and it still tasted very much like it came out of a sink. So of course we just had the yummy alcoholic drinks or pop the whole trip. If none of these things would bother you I would definitely recommend coming here. It was beautiful and clean, good service, and the food was okay."
Posted: Fri, Jan 25, 2013- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Daniela Smith from Vancouver, BC
"We were happy with the size of our room in the platinum area on the sunset side
the room was fairly clean I did not like the fact that you had to tell them to change your sheets instead of them doing it automatically when room service does turn down service! There was a big cockroach that came into the room and I reported it they came and got it but after they did not seem to care and said your in a jungle it's normal!Which it is not! They did however ask to spray the room but we didnt want any chemicals in the room! This happened twice! I also wasnt happy with the frequency of the golf cart service which transported you from the rooms to the lobby!Mind yu the guys driving the golf carts were super nice and friendly asnd respectful that of course has nothing to do with the staff but managment! Very poor managment when it comes to running the hotel. The second buffet when coming from the sunset area to the riviera was excellent the staff and lady manager were great they tended to all our needs were always there to offer us any beverages for breakfast and always gave us anything we asked for even if it was off the lunch menu! The first buffet was ok the staff was not on point that much. The security woman that does graveyard in the sunset area was rude and was totally oblivious to speaking english and she was making a big deal about us having a guest in our area that had a different colored bracelet and walking him back to his room since it was his first night there and he did not know the resort at all and its huge and easy to get lost in! I really loved all the concierge gentlemen and staff working in the Platinum lounge on the grand sunset side! They are great guys they need to be paid more for all they do!! if it wasn't for the crap we dealt with we'd definetly come see you guys again anytime!! The biffet beside Las Olas was good staff was friendly! The food was all the same all the time in the buffets! We ate at aa few of the high end restaurants like Miso and Le Fleur and Teppaniaky. Our group had about 20 people in it and pretty much half got really sick frojm eating from Miso and Teppaniaky my fiance got sic while we were there and I got sick on the last day and I heard the rest of the people came home sooooo sick as well on the last day from the last dinner we had at The Teppaniaky restaurant! Miso also made alot of people sick! The archery was alot of fun, great people very patient and we had a blast even though it was only once we did it! My fiance enjoyed the Catameran that was free very much and snorkeling was great! I did not like how there was lots of shells on the beach compared to a much smaller ploace I stayed at in Cancun where the beach was completely clean and you had nothing but crystal clear water here you had to walk very far into the water before it cleared up! The staff at the front desk lobby at the sunset were very nice and polite the staff in the outside lounge, great the entertainment staff was really nice as well! I did not like the girl bartender in the sports bar she was rude to all women and she didn't serve me for like 20 min I waited for a drink. The Spa was great we had awesome massages and hair services done the did a great job the only downfall of the spa it was freezing cold from the air conditioning and being wet it sucks you freeze your butt off lol! The beach staff was ok it took them a long time to bring you a drink and they would froget sometimes to bring it! and on one occasion I asked for something and the girl didnt even aknowledge that I said anything so I sternly asked again then she repeated the order but that is un professional you have to aknowledge that the person is heard not walk away! we always tipped regardless and its just unfortunate on how expensive everything is! the photo's on the beach cost an arm and a leg! and everything in playa is more expensive then Cancun! I would definetly go back to Cancun but not Playa and not this resort only would love to see the staff agin much love from Van city!! xoxo
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Jannyne Black from Toronto, Ontario
"I went to my brothers wedding. The venue was lovely, and the wedding was equally so. The resort dressed up the gazebo beautifully. The beach was very nice, weather outstanding, resort large and very well groomed. Good value, but don't expect amazing, it's just good."
Posted: Mon, Dec 10, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Gary from Vacaville, Ca
"This was our second time at Grand Sunset Princess we had a wonderful time and would recommend to all. We will probably go back next year but up grade our unit."
Posted: Mon, Dec 10, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Krista from Toledo, Oh
"This place was beautiful!! We did stay in the platinum suites which is the way to go, our room smelled like a basement kind of, so I asked to get a different room, we were switched that day to a better room. Everyone there spoke pretty good english, they deserve tips so bring plenty of ones!!! The pools were cold and there were not hot tubs outside so we stayed mostly on the beach which if you walk a little ways down you can get away from the families and crowds.
The food, was just food, nothing to brag about..I was beyond paranoid about getting sick from the fruit and salsa and pretty much anything i put in my mouth.. but I never got sick..and after the first day I was less cautious..My opinion the best food was at the miso and la fondue..the servers are just awesome.. nothing like America.
I thought the food would be like a cruise.. but it was not.. lol the desserts are not good at all. and I am a big sweets person, so that was a bummer, but i could of skipped a few days of dessert considering how many calories in drinks i was consuming ! lol. It was a great place, it was just me and my boyfriend and we would come back for sure."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Dawn Williams from New Carlisle, Ohio
"Our stay at this resort was very relaxing. We stayed on the Yucatan/Platinum side and had a swim out patio. The water was chilly in our pool because we only had sunshine in that area until about noon. The landscaping is well maintained and worked on daily. The beach was quiet on the adults only side. The staff were nice and informative about the city. Some staff (lawn care, janitors) could not speak English well but they still would say 'Hola'.
Our rooms were clean and cleaned daily. The resort and rooms are all tile floors and they can be slippery so be careful. The food was good, not great, better in the Platinum buffets and the restaurants were good. We tipped our bartenders daily and they took great care of us and we never had to wait on a drink.
We walked all over the resort and to the beach every day so everything was within a decent distance. If you cannot walk they do have a tram but you have to wait on it.
Overall, it was a great vacation and I will return next year."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Laurie Swieton from Rochester, Ny
"This hotel was so much more than what I expected. The staff were outstanding, the food was fresh at every buffet, so many choices too, even the pickiest eater would be happy. We only tried one of the restaurants, it was also very good. There was no lack of poolside or beachfront. Our room was an upgrade to a Jacuzzi, , well worth it.The beach was great , some areas were a little rocky near the shore, but not a problem. The place is huge, do plan on much walking, It was also very, very clean and well manicured. Exceptional value,we would definitely return."
Posted: Sun, Dec 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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James Frigiola from VA
"Our junior suite was on the ground floor at this very large resort and there was a problem with humidity and dampness from poor rain water run off. Our suite was otherwise comfortable with a hard bed and pillows. Food selection and quality at two buffet restaurants was sumptuous and excellent. We tried dinner at two of the other restaurants requiring reservations and were disappointed and always preferred dining at the buffets. Hotels bars were everywhere and served very good mixed drinks. Wine selection was poor and limited to red and white only. Wine served at the bars was just fair but still much better than wine served in the buffet restaurants. The hotel staff was friendly and courteous everywhere. We would stay again but suggest upgrading to a deluxe suite."
Posted: Sat, Dec 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Lili
"Beautiful resort, long palms alley, well maintained green grass - and that's all positive we can say about this resort.
Food - disappointing.
A la carte restaurants - terrible, understaffed. Waiting in line for reservations at least 2 hours, only to find out that no bookings left.
Buffet restaurants - below average. Good hardworking staff. Poor management.
Overall staff - fairly good.
Beach:
Very important: if you are looking for a beach holiday - this is not your place.
Princess has a beautiful sandy beach and swimming is great, BUT... you can't get near the water without getting bumped by annoying resort staff trying to convince you to have a 'beach-front' massage, or buy a hat, a picture, a souvenier, get a tatoo or hairbeads.
Especially if you have small kids and you want to keep an eye on them while they're playing near the water, you can't see them from numerous stands blocking the view.
Conclusion: DISAPPOINTED."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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A Recent Traveler
"The only thing woorth of mentioning is the very well kept grounds, green grass and beautiful gazebos. Food was below average, although waiters tried their best to make us feel good ( we were a group of 37 people, 10 families ). The person who convinced us to book princess for our 'annual' Thanksgiving Holiday week kept apologizing for such a disappointment We stopped booking ala carte restaurants after second night, we lived on guacamole and salad for 5 days. The beach was crowded with massage tents and resort's salespeople trying to convince everyone who walked towards the beach to have a massage ( which we all tried and ended up having back-pain for the rest of the week.
This was e real disappointment"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Henry from Algonquin, Il
"Not enough choices in the buffet, we had the same kind of food every meal, every day, compared to other buffets we had from several all inclusive hotel we have been in the past. We go to Mexico every year since 1994."
Posted: Thu, Nov 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Dawn from Wilbraham, Ma
"This was our 3rd time to the sunset princess. As always we had a wonderful time. My complaint would be that the food is on the downslide and seems to be getting worse each year. If you are looking for fine dining this is not your place. I would say that the meals are more kid friendly. The bartenders at the main pool are fantastic. Tip them well and you will see the difference in service!!! There was a mix up when we first checked in late at night and my daughter, husband and i all had to cram in one bed due to the fact that they only had one person working and he needed a supervisors permission to change our rooms. A suggestion would be to bring your own mug for your drinks and bring your own blow up floats with you otherwise you will be paying a small fortune for them at the resort $40 for a mug and $20 to $45 for floats. They are nice to have because the water in the pool in nov-dec is freezing!!! A good place for families."
Posted: Mon, Nov 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Carrie from St. Louis, MO
"We had an AMAZING 7 night stay! The resort was beautiful, spotless, spacious rooms, had great entertainment, an excellent food and beverage selection, and a gorgeous beach. We take an all-inclusive vacation every year, and it'll definitely be hard to top this resort!"
Posted: Sun, Nov 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Felicia Ford from Boston, MA
"I went here with my fiance and we had the time of our lives! The property is gorgeous and well maintained. The staff was super polite, helpful and friendly. Even the wildlife was on good behavior! There are many activities so we were never bored. The food was good and plentiful but definitely make reservations for the restaurants upon arrival. Also the mini fridge wasn't cold due to the energy saver setup. We found that if you leave the key card in the slot all the time then that keeps the fridge cold. That advice will make sense when you get there. We definitely plan to go again next year and we're bringing our friends and family."
Posted: Sat, Nov 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler from Pitt Meadows, BC
"Overall great hotel. Rooms are huge, clean and comfortable. I wasn't crazy about dinner at the buffets but got over it, there wasn't as much selection as others resorts I have been too. However, the a la carte restaurants make up for that, I suggest going to as many of those as possible. I was there for a wedding which was wonderfully done (this coming from a girl who has worked at a high end banquet facility for 5 years and done many weddings). Only other complaint was that internet access was not free, that's probably the only thing I would change. Great resort and I can not wait to go back.
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Ashley D Scott from Snellville, Georgia
"I read EVERY review of the Grand Sunset Princess before I decided to go with my fiance. I am going to cover several things that i didn't know to ask and wasn't included in the reviews I read. All in all I would go back to GSP. There were many highlights of the trip and the lows are not enough within themselves to keep me from coming back.
Ground Transportation
1) The included package $50 per person. We took the ADO bus from the airport to Playa del Carmen for about $210 pesos ($9USD) per person. We then took a cab to the hotel for $197 pesos ($17USD). We spent about a total of $36USD instead of $100. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL TRANSPORTATION!!
2) The only way from the hotel is by taxi and the hotel shuttle!!
Shuttle Service
1) The hotel advertises free shuttle services to Playa del Carmen. Will that's partly true. Luckily, we were told you have to book the shuttle the day before you want to go. You can only book the shuttle from 8am-11am on the day before you want to go. It fills up fast! It filled up before 10am for us. The shuttle is limited to 42 people per day. It runs at 10am and 12pm. It returns at 5pm. You can come back at 1:30pm and 3:00pm for $4USD per passenger or return at 5pm for free (first 42 passengers). The taxi price is $197 pesos or about $17USD for 1-4 people (one way).
FOOD
1) When you first arrive you have to book your reservations for dinner at the a la carte restaurants. You will want to do this as soon as possible. You can only book three days in advance. The problem with this is that people who have been there for 3-4 days and are staying for 3-4 more days have already booked early time slots. So we could only book for 9:45 on a couple of days and 8:45 on another day. We were able to get early times for other days, but I had to get up early to do that.
2) The buffet was subpar at best. It was edible but not fantastic. It was ok. The food at the buffet isn't kept hot enough and there is an after taste after most of the buffet food. The best food is at the restaurants. It's frustrating to go to EVERY restaurant to see if anyone didn't make their reservation only to see a space 1/4 full and the staff saying no one has missed their reservation.
BEACH
1) People have complained about he beach and the rocks. We experienced the same. The hotel can't control nature. If you walk a little down the beach you can get an area with few rocks. Once you walk about 5-10 feet into the beach you past most of the rocks and its smooth swimming from there!! Better yet, you could go into Playa del Carmen.
OVERALL
The hotel is amazing!! The service if EXCELLENT. Whenever we needed service, i.e more towels, iron, etc. the staff was quick to respond. They also followed up to make sure we received our items and were satisfied. The grounds were immaculately kept! The place is beautiful. The landscaping is 5 Star alone! People have complained about the property being extremely large. It is HUGE! We walked everywhere and didn't feel it was too large. However, there is a shuttle that transports you around the property. The downfall of this property is the distance from Akumal, Tulum, Coba and Chitzen Itza. Next time, I would personally stay in PlayaCar which is closer to Akumal, Tulum and Coba."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"Wonderful resort. Staff was friendly and spoke good English. Accidentally left the safe open 1 day with a lot of valuables in it. Everything was there untouched!! Food was great and staff very nice! I would definitely recommend a jr suite with walk out to the pool, no better way to relax when you only have to go 10 feet"
Posted: Wed, Nov 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Dixie CHerkowski from Drayton VAlley, Alberta
"It was awesome all the way around. ...amazing"
Posted: Tue, Nov 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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TONY HEITMANN from SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Michigan
"I was most impressed by the amazing value of this hotel (extremely nice resort for low cost).
Pros:
Multiple, large pools with plenty of lounge chairs
Long strip of beach with chairs & shaded cabanas
Bars ALL over the resort and on the beach (good drinks)
Staff will take beverages orders & deliver them poolside
Mini-fridge always stocked with water, pop & beer
Several unique %u2018A La Carte' restaurants with nice selection of great food
Many activities to do during the day, but entertainment staff was not %u2018pushy'
Entire resort is VERY well maintained & extremely clean
Rooms are up to date with modern furniture and décor
Cons:
Buffet at lunch time was inconsistent & often had a poor selection of random food (left over from dinner)
Wi-Fi is NOT free in rooms or lobby unless you upgrade to a Platinum Suite or Villa
Some of the older lounge chairs are not comfortable
Can be difficult to get reservations at a decent time to the restaurant of your choice
Since it is a huge resort, be prepared to walk a lot to get from rooms to restaurants, beach, etc.."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Veronica from Shelby Twp., MI
"The resort is beautiful and it is my second time at this all inclusive. We loved the beaches and in fact if you look at many other hotels in this area they are not nearly as nice for swimming. The food and drinks were both very good and the staff is amazing. The only problem I had as well as another member of my party is that we got terrible stomach problems. It was to the point where we could no longer eat or drink much of anything the last couple of days. Never figured out what the problem was but the resort seemed to have problems with electricity so thought it maybe food not kept cold enough. I would still recommend the resort though."
Posted: Sun, Nov 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mark Mathieson from Victoria, BRITISH COLUMBIA
"My wife and I spent 7 incredibly fun days at the Princess. We were very impressed with the staff and how efficiently they performed their jobs while always being polite and friendly. The only negative I would have is the same as every resort. The small percentage of guests who don't respect the fact they are in a foreign land that has different customs and language than their own. You learn some basic Spanish, greet everyone with a smile and give a little tip. I saw guests order 10 drinks from a server and not even give her a dollar. We treated the staff with respect, tried to use a little Spanish and gave small tips frequently. Because of this the whole staff treated us more favorably than a lot of other guests who weren't quite on board with these travel techniques. We can't say enough about how wonderful this resort is, ultra clean, great food, good tequila and fabulous entertainment in the middle bar at night, the theater and the crazy games at the pool. Best vacation ever for us."
Posted: Sun, Nov 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Suzanne K. from Spring Grove, Il
"We just returned from a 1 week stay at the Grand Sunset Princess. We are in our early 40s and traveled without children. I found the resort to be much too large for my liking. I felt like all I was doing was walking, walking, walking all week. We are active people who played beach volleyball, went zipling and also ATV riding but it was just too much. I also didn't like that you had to make reservations for dinner in the ala carte restaurants. When we are on vacation we like to be more spontaneous and having to make reservations just forced us to plan our days in advance which made us feel like we were on a 'schedule'. Also I am a wine drinker. The only wine available at this resort was their 'house' wine unless you purchased a bottle. The house wine was clearly cut down or mixed with juice or water. There was no potency at all, tasted like drinking fruit juice. Usually after 1.5 to 2 glasses of regular wine I am affected but after drinking 5 glasses of the house wine one evening, I was straight as an arrow. There was clearly little to no alcohol in their house wine. They also promote that their vodka is Smirnoff, not so. Multilple bars poured me some other off brand. The only beer available was Corona altough some of the tapper handles were labeled Modelo. Housekeeping was slow to say the least. One day we left our room at 7am to go into Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel for the day. We returned at 230pm to find our room not cleaned or made up yet. I also requested a king bed for our room and although they could not guarantee, alas, twin beds were assigned upon our arrival. I asked to be placed on a list to switch rooms when a king was available. One was avaiable the next day and we switched rooms. The hotel computer didn't catch up to our switch for 3 days. This was an issue when trying to make dinner or excursion reservations because everything is tracked by your room number. When the resort finally realized someone was stying in room 3008, then knocked on our door at 930pm to do a 'room check'. Then they called our room at 11pm asking when we checked in and what name the room was booked under. I explained to them that we has switched rooms with the assistance of the front desk staff who obviously gave us keys to the new room. They then corrected the information in their computer system. I also prefer a resort that is truly ocean front. This resort runs parallel to the ocean. You cannot see the ocean from any rooms nor can you see the ocean from any of the pools. I prefer to be lounging at the pool while looking out at the ocean. This resort also seemed to be filled with a much younger, party crowd. Lots of people in their early 20s drinking excessively and carrying on at all hours of the day and night. Lots of loud cursing around the pool bars during the day. Also, there is only music at 1 pool although there are many, many pools throughout the property. It would have been nice to have some music at the pool we chose to hang out at. Overall, this resort was my least favorite out of the 8 times I have been to Mexico. I won't return here nor would I recommend it to anyone else."
Posted: Sun, Nov 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Anatoly Fabrikant from Fremont
"You get what you paid. This is an inexpensive and rather low-level resort, at least compared to Barcelo. The area is rather small, not much space to walk. We were here in November, before Thanksgiving. There was much maintenance work going on, rather noisy and painting smell. There was much noise late at night from moving cars, rolling carts, and noisy customers. Also areas where repairs are being done do not have any warning signs or any other safety measures. This was high risk to relaxed people with kids - I experienced this myself quite painfully.
Many things triggered our complaints: missing TV remote, toilet flashing was inefficient, fridge did not work, etc. Every complaint was met politely with the staff and NONE WAS DONE to fix them.
The beach is nice and clean, but the rocks on the sea bottom made a lot of troubles. In fact I injured my foot on the last day.
Food was fine, although sometimes not fresh. Especially seafood was far from excellent. Fried fish was sometimes just plain bad.
And remember, it is not ALL included - some drinks are not.
On a positive note: lots of swimming pools clean and well maintained, rooms were clean and rather convenient. Jacuzzi in the room was great. There was an opportunity to take a short snorkeling trip right from the beach (probably not officially provided)."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Valerie from Milwaukee, WI
"The Grand Sunset Princess is a gorgeous resort. It is very huge, but we loved dining at a different restaurant each night. The staff is extremely friendly and the place is impeccably clean. We can't wait to go back."
Posted: Fri, Nov 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kevin from Fredericksburg, VA
"The resort is very beautiful. The all inclusive is really worth it. We elected for the platinum upgrade and it was worth every penny. You get a local concierge who will assist in anything that you may need. The platinum upgrade also includes free in-room wifi, which is not available to the other rooms (except maybe the villas but I cannot confirm)."
Posted: Tue, Nov 13, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Julie McKay Wilkinson from Charlotte, NC - North Carolina
"My Mother is 94 and loved this resort. It was a bit of a challenge at times walking around because the resort is so expansive, but she was able to navigate through it.
We loved the dining experiences, the Villas, the pool and the pampering!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Rachel Lipchik from Sacramento, Ca
"I had a great time at the resort. Very clean, relaxing, and beautiful. We didnt have a expensive suite but the room was still really really nice and updated. If I had one complaint it would only be with the food. Both at the restaurants and the buffet. The food was plain and lack of variety. The best restaurant was the Asian restaurants. The Mexican food was not authentic Mexican and was horrible. I live in California over 50% Hispanic, we know Mexican food, what they served and how this hotel represents Mexican food is appalling. You travel thousands of miles and kind of isolate your self in a resort you should expect better food. Food is how travelers experience culture. There were two restaurants you can pay 100 dollars a plate, but the way the chief represents himself else where I would pass.
But if you just want sun and free drinks (water down drinks) this is a good place to do that. Seems like they catered well to families."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Rita from Sacramento, CA
"We had a great time at this resort! It's beautiful and very clean, Unlike some other reviewers, we actually enjoyed the fact that resort is huge, I would not want it any other way, especially considering how much food we ate, so the little walk was perfect!
I enjoyed the shows, would recommend Mexican show, Fire show, also liked a Rock'n'roll concert, basically all the shows we went to we liked. They also had good singers in the main area, so it was nice to sit there with some wine and enjoy Mexican music)
Staff was very friendly. It amazes me how hard they work while having a great smile and providing wonderful hospitality.
We didn't have any problems with finding chairs on the main beach, but if you want some privacy for a day, there is a spot called Chill Out, you pay extra 11$ and get a private spot on the beach, with nice seats and personal server. We only did it once, since we really liked the main beach.
I enjoyed Seafood and Mexican restaurants. Also go to Japanese Steakhouse for the show.
We also went to Tulum and Coba to see the ruins, and really loved it! My favorite part- swimming in the caves, such an unforgettable experience!
We used Cancun Shuttle for transportation to and from airport, they pick you up on the private car, meet you with the sign at the airport, and make it a nice comfy ride) We ordered their services via their website.
To sum it up, we had a great time, enjoyed a well kept resort, activities, people we met were wonderful and we would be coming back!!!!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Bryan McDuffie from Sanger, Texas
"Me and my wife went with 4 other couples, the cost was good. We got to the resort and it was very beautiful and the staff at that time was very help full and very nice. The first night we were tried and we were looking forward in have dinner and one of the buffets. The first night at the buffet was disappointing the food was not good at all, but I will say each night did get a lot better. The room was very nice and we really in joyed the room. The only problem we had was we had put the do not disturb sign on the door. On the second day we was going to the beach and before we left the house keeping knot on the door and I told them that we did not need anything at this time. About a minute latter the phone ring I thought it my be are friends so I answered it but it was house keeping asking if we needed the room cleaned and I told them that I had the do not desrurbed sign up and the only way we would need anything was if the sign was off the door. The next day we went to Cozumel all day and had the time of are life's, it was great and I would recommend everyone go do the explore. We did the zip line and drove a ATV thought caves and took a raft though the caves and I was wonderful. Then we got back and went to the room. I seen that the do not disturb sign was not on the door. I open the door and the sign was on the counter. We then started to get ready for bed when I seen there was money missing so I called the deck and security came and took a report. That was on 10-9-12 and as of 10-31-12 I have not heard anything from the resort. Other then that we did have a great time, I did put the I would go back or recommend the resort. But I am not sure if I will go back I now think happen and it may never had again there so I may go back. I just wanted to let everyone know what happen and that we did have a great time."
Posted: Wed, Oct 31, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Steve from Chicago, Il
"Nice clean resort. Not recommended if you are looking for a resort with a beach view room. Like everyone else said long walk to beach. Not a huge deal but not a fan of that. Staff was great, good bar tenders who work very hard with a smile. Restaurants were good. Only complaint was long waits once seated to be seen by a server. Make sure you make reservations first day you arrive. Food was great. All in all good place for the price."
Posted: Tue, Oct 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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William Meadows from Greenwood, IN
"My wife and I were celebrating our 35th anniversary this year and wanted to go somewhere we had never been........When researching the All-Inclusive resorts on line,The Grand Sunset Princess seemed to stand out. I could not have been more happier with the room, food, drinks, service, manicured grounds, entertainment and the tremendous amount of fun we had meeting other people from around the world. Thank you for a memorable trip!!!!!"
Posted: Tue, Oct 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Susan from San Antonio, Tx
"We had a great time. Staff was wonderful. Guests were friendly. Place was exceptionally clean and well maintained. Beautiful property. Food was only thing not 5 star but it was fine."
Posted: Tue, Oct 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Pat Tuckness from Apple Valley, Ca
"The resort is huge. Lots of walking. The room was large and beautiful with large bathroom separate shower, and jacuzzi tub big enough for two. The grounds were very well maintained and lush. I had a garden view and would have much preferred an ocean view, that I have had at other resorts, that would have made the balcony much more appreciated. I didn't really see from my vantage point that the most expensive platinum suites had a very good view either. If I were to offer my recommendation it would be for a swim up room, they really seemed to be the best choice if not too far from restaurants. The restaurants and buffets were ok , not great but I only had a few things I did not like and service was very good. I did not like that you could not get room service without extra charges , which were too high. The beach was nice, clean. I only waded up to my knees because I forgot water shoes and I did see some rocks, not a lot. Would have been nice to have some music on beach. I did not find the few vendors walking on the beach to bother at all. I did not think the vendors with stalls should have been located between the water and sitting area. I was paying for my view of the ocean, not a row of vendors. I am sure the resort charges them for the spots or actually puts them there to make more money for the resort. The shuttle service to beach and back was very convenient . The towel shack not so much. Closed early, only one location, need one by beach an maybe two more at different points near pools. Entertainment , shows a little hokey. No big deal I expected that. Live music for dancing or listening quite good. Sports bar, lots of pool tables and tv's but NFL games in Spanish. The transfers we're very good, prompt, courteous and very clean vans. The resort is in a safe beautiful location. I would not return to this resort because of its layout, with so much walking, we read it was large, but went anyway. So that is on me. We were two couples and were given upgrade to the jacuzzi suite no charge. Just for asking for an upgrade."
Posted: Mon, Oct 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Karen from Detroit, MI
"I truly enjoyed my stay! I stayed Oct 19-24. The grounds are well kept, the rooms were thoroughly cleaned, and the food and drinks were wonderful! I will definitely return and recommend the resort. I ate at the grill, oriental, restaurant, and the Mexican restaurant! No complaints here! All of the staff was very amazing "
Posted: Thu, Oct 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Stephanie from Parker, CO
"I must say that the grounds of the Grand Sunset Princess resort were impeccably manicured and the rooms were a good size. We also enjoyed the private swim out room, eventually. The check in process takes way too long. They did not have the room we paid for upon arrival. After moving once each day while we were there, in order to get the room we paid for, on the third day we opted to stay in the room we were currently in. The concierge was of no help at all in getting our room resolved. He offered us champagne and other amenities for our room. None of which ever arrived for us. The food was awful. The worst of any resort I have visited. The good news, lost 5 pounds, first time ever on vacation! The resort is large and it does take some time to get anywhere. It is either a 15 minute walk or you wait for the resort cart, which holds about 6 people, to come around and take you some where. It was pretty and we enjoyed the people we met there, but we will not return to this particular resort."
Posted: Tue, Oct 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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MONA KWAN from ELMHURST, NY
"I love travelling to Carribean at least once a year. This will be my 2nd vacay to Riviera Maya within the last several years. I will have to say that The Grand Sunset Princess resort has one of the nicest amenities in Mexico. The decor gives off a Zen-like welcoming nostalgia. The jacuzzi-equipped deluxe junior suite w/ a balcony, I stayed at was nice, clean, well-kept. Food-wise, it's just okay. I'm a big fan for USDA steaks, but cannot stand the steaks served in Mexico. Drinks are not great either. Cocktails are always served syrup-y sweet, which I don't like. Overall, experience was a bit short -3-nts- but a great one.
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Ben from Portage, MI
"for the money this cant be beat. Staff is very friendly, drinks are good. Food could be better but its all you can eat. the reservation dinners are great, loved the Fondue and Japanese steakhouse the best. Pools are nice, staff is cool, loved the archery and activities. the staff kept the resort very clean too. I would def go back and tell my friends about this place. What a great time, no complaints."
Posted: Mon, Oct 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Terri from Florida
"Its my first review and I like to 'Pay it Forward' for all those reviews that helped me in my selection on the Hotel and booking company. Do remember to print all vouchers including transfer vouchers before you travel.
Hotel is beautiful and kept impeccable in all areas. It is huge, so if you do not enjoy walking this is not for you. I enjoy the walks as it help to do some exercise after all that food. Staff all around was gracious, courteous and efficient. Check-in is at 3 so its best to arrive at 1pm at the hotel so you can have lunch and then check in. Unless they you give the room early which it could happen depending on how full they are.
Please know this hotel has two sections the Sunset Princess (where I stayed) and Riviera Princess with about 672 rooms each. Both look identical. I prefer the Sunset since its closest to Chill Out. They had 1890 people when I went but it never looked full at all. At full capacity is 4000 people which can happen in the winter months. The hotel is so expansive with several different pools areas.
tips:
If you enjoy wine much more than liquor then book the first two categories as you will have to purchase wine no matter the category. If you drink liquors all the time then go for the platinum which offers the premium brands, but you can book the regular and pay for the upgrade at time of order.
if you are a beach person, the beach is best in the Zen Chill Out Ibiza area. You can go right next to it and enjoy as well without the beach drink service and special area. However in the main area you can walk out close to the edge of the marker buoys water about 4ft and its gin clear. You have some nice snorkeling areas all around. I preferred the Chill Out as it has beach bar service to your lounge chair or Bali beach bed and daily one kind of small snack sandwich, along with Zen music for a cost of $11pp per day which is very well worth it if you like to enjoy a quieter area with attentive liquor service in your beachfront Balinese bed :))
If you love the pool, you will have plenty of pool areas to select and they do have occasional bar service to your chair as well as a main swim up bar.
On the beach, Kayaks, Catamarans, snorkel & masks are included. Diving, Wave runners, Snorkeling trips are extra.
Food: Not all were open all the time as October is low season. Vaquerias & Fondue were very enjoyable. Miso (tapenake) left a lot to be desired in food taste. The A La Carte Chill Out beach dinning was fantastic and very romantic (beachfront, open air). Did not try Italian and was told seafood was nothing to write about. Mexican was closed and so was La Fleour. La Fleour and Las Olas have extra charge or free for Platinum. Regular dinning room for breakfast had many options for all tastes and very enjoyable. Did not have lunch as had my snack at Chill Out. If you can make your reservations upon arrival once you have your room number (they wont do before).
There is a 24 hr sports bar with 3 pool tables, internet access computers and bar. You will have people come and go so its nice as no one can stay playing on the tables indefinitely since you sign your name and time on a sheet so everyone has a chance.
Never went to a daily show since I enjoyed the pre-show, but there is a different band playing for an hour every day before shows in the main open air plaza area that has small tables to sit an enjoy a cocktail.
Would I recommend the hotel? Absolutely!! You cannot beat the value on the air inclusive packages on this property when you think of what is included in an elegant well kept setting, unlimited drinks, unlimited food, amenities, entertainment and great attentive service. I live 1.5 hours from the Florida Keys, which I go often. When I go there for two nights, it will set me back half of my whole 5 night trip cost with air at bookit on the Grand Sunset Princess I just did.
I have been at another all inclusive property which charges more in the Mayan Riviera, but find this one much more elegant in its presentation, trained staff, and much better food quality and presentation. Please remember this is an all inclusive and while they seem to strive for 5 Diamond, they are a five star therefore you cannot expect having dinners like in L' Bernadain in NY.
So you don't miss out upon check-in ask at the concierge for all activities information including bars, restaurants and theme nights.
If you get to go, have lots of fun!!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Nancy from Cortez, Colo
"Way to large! Had a long walk to eat to guest services aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan most of all to Beach. Food was good for breakfast, {who can mess up eggs} omellet bar was great. All other meals Lacked flavor no matter where you ate. Getting reservations to eat at the different restrants was a another long walk every day. Clerk at th restrant res. desk was very rude. No we will not book here again."
Posted: Mon, Oct 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Robairta from Mount Airy, Md
"Hi - I read a lot of things and did a lot of research on different all inclusive resorts. It was a spectacular deal and the resort was beautiful. The food was amazing all the time, and you have to book your dinners as soon as you arrive. You can only book 3 days in advance and only certain restaurants are open certain days, so you have to kind of think it though when you set up your future bookings because any last minute bookings you will take what you can get. The shows were great, the bars and bartenders are fabulous, and the place is stunning. There is a wide variety of ethinicities who visit the resort including people from the area. Most the employees speak english and all the employees are kind, enjoy you, and are happy to please you.
The spa is great, do not miss out on the deep tissue message. I did not venture to the Coco bongo, but I heard good things, it and all other excursions are a bit pricey, so be prepared. Although there are some good deals, there is plenty to keep you busy on the resort as well. Have a great trip!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Tom Taylor from Holbrook, NY
"Our stay was very nice. Food quality and selection left alot to be desirered. Out of all the hotels we stayed at in the last three years including the Princess in Acapulco this was the worst. With the exception of the attitude problem of a couple of the front desk people and there inefficiencies with the booking of our friends the staff efficiency was fine."
Posted: Sun, Oct 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Jackie B from Omaha, NE
"We stayed at the Sunset twice before with Deluxe rooms, so this time we decided to upgrade for the price of $500. NOT WORTH IT! No special service. Only one kind of beer in room. Coffee only one time in room, then you have to purchase it. Didn't get the 3 bottles of liquor in room, like my friends did.
Regular room price would be worth the price, but not the up-grades, unless they are free."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Alissa Flota from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
"We had a wonderful 4 night family vacation staying in two Platinum suites. My husband and I traveled with our babysitter and 3 kids (ages 3, 7 and 9). We also traveled with another family with 2 children. We enjoyed every moment. The property is well maintained with a lovely beach. The many pools have options for every one - party pool, big pool, small pool, adult versus kids, etc. The rooms are spacious and lovely - offering everything you need/want. We really enjoyed the nightly entertainment - the mini disco and the shows (which surprised me as I thought they would be cheesy). The food and drinks were both plentiful and very good. There are more options then one could hope for. I honestly don't know how one could ask for more. I found it to be a tremendous value and a lot of fun. I would return and recommend it to friends."
Posted: Wed, Oct 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Lauren from Saint Louis
"We enjoyed our stay. The resort was very clean and the staff are extremely nice. Our room was clean and had no issues at all. I am very annoyed with the bad reviews. The food is not excellent, but it wasn't bad, that goes with many all inclusives. The Italian Restaurant was digusting,The Japanese steak house was very good, they cooked the meal in front of us and it tasted great! The pools were clean. The kids enjoyed the kids show. The adult show was ok. The resort is beautiful."
Posted: Wed, Oct 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kristen from Kings Park, New York
"We stayed 10/3-10/10/12 in the Laguna Villa 9108. We arrived about 1:30PM and was checked in right away and taken to our room.
Room: was a short walk from the lobby. Room was just was we expected.
Very clean, no smell, plenty of towels.
Fruit basket, 3 bottles: Whiskey, Tequila, and Rum.
Refrigerator filled everyday. Refrigerator was not working when we arrived. One call. 10 minutes later, a new refrigerator was delivered.
Room service: no complaints always hot and not long of a wait.
View from the balcony was nice, by the villa pool.
The grounds were well kept and the workers always busy. My husband went around to them and gave then money and said thank you.
Villa pool was where we spent most of our time. We were taken cared of well with the drinks. Small sandwiches, cheeses, fruits and nachos always available by the pool.
Thank you to the pool concierge who was very nice and let me charge my tablet by the pool!!!! He was wonderful!!!
Beach: we went to the beach every morning for the sunrise. What a beautiful way to start the day!!!
Went back during the day in the villa area. Very relaxing.
The beach was clean, water was beautiful. There was coral areas, but we did not have any issues.
Restaurants: hit or miss. Miso: first time was excellent, second time, not as good.
Grill: My husband's steak was very good. I had the skirt steak, not so good. We did not make it to our other reservations.
The buffets were good. Not as much of a selection as many other resorts.
The Buffets closer to the beach: with Villa and platinum have a section, so you also have a menu. Great service!!
Went to one night show: was the normal for resorts. The Market night is the same as most resorts.
Platinum has a private bar where there is Internet off the lobby. Did not need the Internet, as Wireless worked great in our room and at the villa pool.
We met so many nice people, wish we exchange email addresses though.
The walk from the lobby to the beach was fine. We love to walk and to burn off all the alcohol and food. The carts start at the lobby on each side and take down to the platinum concierge near the beach. Took that once.
We have no complaints with this resorts. Stayed at much higher end resorts, and this was a nice place.
I would recommend this resort.
You need to relax and enjoy your vacation. Always make the most of everything"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Loren from Atlanta, GA
"Because of all of our friends we traveled with, we had an overall really good time. But, if it was just my husband and I, we would have been extremely dissapointed.
Customer Service - If you are used to and/or looking for 'Top Notch' service, go to another resort. The resort is overall BEAUTIFUL, I will say that. Very well landscaped and maintained daily. If they put half the amount of work that the landscapers do into their customer service, it would be SO MUCH better. The check-in/check-out (reception) people are the worst!!! They could literally care less about your needs or feelings... Had to call 6 times in 2 days for them to pick up laundry too.
Food - Ok at best. Buffet...pretty much yuck. Even the specialty restaurants are not that great, they make it look fancy, but the quality of food still was low. Edible at best. The reservation deal was just stupid! They would tell you that they were completely booked and there were no reservations, but the restaurants were a THIRD full at all times. The wait staff was ok at best as well. No one ever went above and beyond to impress you at any time while we were there.
The size - Its to BIG, the amount of walking is crazy, espeically if you are in the platnium suites. It was at least a 15 minute walk one way to anywhere at the front end of the resort. There is a trolly/golf cart that runs every 15 minutes, but if you miss it, start walking. And when you are dressed in heels for dinner and have to walk 15-20 mins in 100% humidity, its not a good thing.
Overall, just never felt the staff tried to make you feel important or treated like they knew you were on vacation, its just a job to them. (Not like other resorts we've been to) If you dont have a good group of people/friends to help make the experience awesome, go to another resort."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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David from Norwalk, Ca
"My wife and I made book for 6 days to stay at the Grand Sunset Princess. We chose this resort base on the reviews and pictures but instead when we got there, we were told it was closed and we checked in at Riviera Princes. We were told it was the same hotel, but that is not true completely, we were staying in room located on the third floor of Building 6, with a view of a muddy vacant lot and next to the linen closet where apparently some machine was activated often at 2 or 3 am. We found one COCKROACH in the room. There is a superb disguised with kindness from the supervisor of the concierge, we had a very bad experience to get a ticket to go to Playa del Carmen. The Hotel staff did not give much information about the activities of the hotel because there is not such activities and when we were asking the different responses we had,
' that it was low season'. Regarless of the season the quality should have not change. 5 of 6 days the food at the buffet was very cold all the time. Not until our last day the food was warm. Great garden every where. At the beach, too many rocks and seaweed in the ocean. Very clean resort, you can see them cleaning all the time BUT for the opulence of this all-inclusive I would expect better food and much much more"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Adi from Atlanta, GA
"Very clean resort, you can see them cleaning all the time. Food, drinks, entertainment, our room and staff were great as well. I cant even think of anything bad about our stay. Would go back in a heartbeat. :)"
Posted: Wed, Oct 10, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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David from Chicago
"My girlfriend and I went for 6 days and stayed in the Deluxe Junior Suite Pool room. It was an amazing experience. Very clean, awesome staff, met other great people from around the world, great food, amazing views, plenty of options for entertainment and drinks. I already want to go back!! The one and only problem we encountered was the weather, but i guess that's the risk of going during the rainy season. Either way, we made sure to make the most of it. I highly recommend this resort."
Posted: Tue, Oct 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Hillary from Forest Hills, NY
"Don't get me wrong, we had a wonderful time at the Sunset Princess, but if you are looking forward to stuffing yourself, look elsewhere. The food was plentiful, however, it was average at best an horrible at worst. The staff is probably some of the nicest people you'll ever come across and everyone speaks at least a little English (although I tried to speak Spanish as much as I could). Everything about this place is wonderful, the rooms, the grounds, everything- except the food. Luckily we're not food snobs so we got by, but for the opulence of this all-inclusive I would expect better food. Bring lots of singles to tip as it is greatly appreciated by the staff and they deserve every penny they get. Everyone I saw was working hard. They keep the place immaculate. The only other drawback is that it's a little far from downtown Playa and there is only one shuttle per day and once that's filled it's a $20 USD cab ride into town. But overall we had a wonderful vacation. Spring for the Platinum Suites, it's worth it."
Posted: Mon, Oct 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Eric from Austin, Tx
"I upgraded to the platinum Yucatan with pool adult only. I thought the room and pool were nice. Overall a nice place. I was disappointed with a few things though. We were supposed to have champagne at check in but that didn't happen. Most of our amen tutors were not explained to us so we had to trial and error our way through them. Although the pool looked great, the sun failed to stay on it around the pool past 3pm. Would've enjoyed the cold water a little more with some sun, so we ended up at the beach instead. Several times I found people from upstairs outside on our steps out of our room that go into the pool using our pool bed area. They did move when asked but just moved to the adjacent one. But... why did I pay extra for the private stairs into the pool when i could ve just paid what every one else did above us and use the same amnenities. The restaurants reservations were to hard to get in and they only offer a few main course choices. Overall it was nice and the beach was great."
Posted: Mon, Oct 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Esther from Atlanta, GA
"Absolutely beautiful
-Clean
-Great food (except toast, pancakes, common American food) & service at buffet
-Restaurants require reservations; the food is better at the buffet in my opinion, but it is a change in scenery & atmosphere from the buffets
-Friendly & knowledgeable staff
Platinum upgrade is worth it.
-Free room service
-Private concierge on resort
-Easy towel access
-Platinum only beach area
-Free water circuit spa
If you want platinum but want a more quiet experience without the music & the party-scene, Grand Yucatan (Adult-only) is available.
The beach by the Chill Out bar is beautiful. Free photo session by the beach offered at Chill Out (photos must be purchased).
Spa is a bit over-priced, but you get 50% discount if you go the within 24 hours after you check-in.
Great honeymoon package. You can choose to have either an active or a low-key stay. Resort is huge. Plenty to do (shows, classes, activities, live music, etc.) & plenty to explore.
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Robert from Austin, Tx
"Good:
Upgraded to PLAT level whihc included rooms close to beach; private pools; concierge lounge; adults only butler service beach area.
Rooms were spacious with jacuzzi inside and out.
Great beach grill for lunch time snacks
Great food in the reservation type restaurants
Lot's of pool space..except they were working on the main one halfway thru our stay (not a problem becuase we had a private pool for PLAT)
Beach was very nice..compared to many other beaches, it had a very sandy area and you could get through the seaweed rather quickly (all the beaches in Playa have taken a hit with the recent hurricanes within the last several years, we've stayed at Princess four years ago and beach was better..But still is better now compared to several locations we've stayed at the last few times)
Bad: The dinner reservation system..not great when your traveling with a bigger group, you don't get to have dinner together..But we didn't know we needed reservations and didn't have a ticket but were able to squeeze in..
The shuttle system: free shuttle to Playa at noon, but you can only make reservations 24 hrs in advance and you need to get there at 730am to get in line becuase they run out of reservations!! And it's $20 each way in cab! BOO"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Tiffany from Little Rock, Arkansas
"The Grand Princess is absolutely beautiful! It was definitely an amazing place to stay. The resort is very large and does require a moderate amount of walking. There are different levels when staying at this resort, and we were upgraded to the platinum suites and it is definitely worth it! Highly recommended resort!"
Posted: Wed, Sep 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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John from Boston, MA
"I stayed here for a total of 7 days with my girlfriend and think that was 6.5 to many.
To begin, after landing 'Best Day Travel' was our transportation to the hotel from the airport. They took both transfer vouchers and told us to report to the lobby the following morning to book a return (understandable with flights at various times). When I checked in the following morning I was told my pick up would be at 10:30am - My flight out was at 4:30. I asked why so early and the individual at the desk said that he had no control and that he would gladly cancel my reservation and told me to take a cab, obviously with no refund from them. I bit my tongue and said ill keep my reservation and walked away being told if I'm 10 minutes late- they leave without me and hearing him utter '---hole' under his breath ..... My pickup was 40 minutes late.
To the hotel. 'Free upgrade on arrival' - Desk person spoke no English and when I asked about this upgrade she said that she mumbled something like she would do it but if I said anything she'd get fired. I've heard that spiel before but said thanks and took basically the same room, except this room wasn't overlooking a pool that was being serviced and was out of commission. She then told me that she took tips in cash ...
GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT ARRIVAL
Bracelet - $100 fee if lost
Room Key - $100 fee if lost
Towel Card - $20 fee if lost
Room- Standard, but the linens were pretty outdated and uncomfortable. Overall the upkeep of the room was a positive.
Food- Breakfast and Lunch were the exact same every day. Buffet only and not a very good one at that
For dinner- you needed to make a reservation to go to any restaurant. Reservations could be made out 3 days in advance after 2 pm unless you spoke Spanish. An example of this was me going to the desk at 1:50 being told to wait 10 minutes. A couple sat down right after I was told this and I watched the desk person print out 5 reservation slips (you need these to be let into dinner). When I returned at 2:05 I was told the time I wanted to go to a restaurant ... 3 nights from now... was booked and I would have to go an hour later. I asked how that was possible considering this was the earliest one could make a reservation and wasn't given any response, just asked if I wanted a different restaurant. In the 7 days I was there 4 restaurants were open daily and 1 changed each day between 2 others. 2 others were reserved only for platinum and villa guests. Unless you upgrade to either of those rooms consider your options very limited.
Food itself was blah with nothing standing out as even mediocre. Each night after dinner I returned to the buffet for bread. On my last night I paid 6 dollars for pringles and felt like I got a great deal.
Drinks were descent - but pretty limited with what they could actually make
The pools were nice, 3 out of 5 were open when I was there and they weren't very busy. NO FLOATS ARE PROVIDED so bring your own unless you want to spend $40 for something you can buy anywhere else for $4.
The beach was also descent, slightly rocky in the water so I would recommend water shoes.
The night life was blah ... only the fire show really kept my attention.
All in all I would say it's well worth spending a little more money to go to a nicer resort. I've stayed at Excellence and Valentin and both were far superior.
I would never return to this resort.
"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Gabriel Chaves from Weston, FLORIDA
"I was sold a wonderful hotel stay where everything was to be excellent.nI was with a party of 5 more people with a total of 3 rooms.nroom # 4013, 4015, 4016 from sep 13 - sep 17nwe all have the same issues and when we complained to the hotel staff they did noting about it.nThe 3 rooms had BAD !!! odor, FUNGUS on the ceiling due to a water leak, They should repair these rooms before accommodating guests in there!nThe Internet did not work in the rooms!!!!!! and We all were in the PLATINUM SUITE!!!! that came with it!!!!! . THe answer was ... Sorry we are having issues with this!nwe all had to go to the main lobby and pay for it!!!!!! . Not to mention that normally took more than 30 minutes to get from our rooms to the main lobby because the transportation cars were broke ! and they were short of staff!!! nBook it .com should not promote this hotels as the best, this is totally not acceptable. "
Posted: Wed, Sep 19, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Jean from SAN DIEGO, CA
"This year we booked our Cancun vacation at Princess Palace with a group of friends of a total of 10 guest. The resort was clean yet understaffed the beach was dirty there was some sort of sewage coming out of the underground / underwater at the beach. I asked a staff member where that water was coming from and he explained that it was the rain water sewage from the street. One thing I did not like was that you have to wear a colored bracelet to identify you on the level of room you booked. If you lost your bracelet it would cost you $100 for a replacement. There was too many restrictions regarding where you could lounge in the pool based on your bracelet, where you can lounge the beach based on your bracelet, you had to make reservations for dinner every single night. Only certain level of rooms have free wifi internet, there was a reserved concierge lounge that you were not allowed if you want wearing the right color bracelet, that was the same for some pools on the property also based on the bracelet you wouldn't have access to free room service. The only positive thing I have from this resort was the lovely waitress at the lobby bar named Guadalupe. She was the one that created us with a drink the moment we stepped in the lobby. we came back to the bar every night and she would keep the drinks coming. she was fast fun and friendly. She always had a smile on her face, she gave us tips on things to do and what to do in Cancun. Other then that, I would not come back to this resort at all. We stayed at the Valentin Imperial Maya All Inclusive last year and was so worth every penny. "
Posted: Wed, Sep 19, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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JAMES from SAN DIEGO, CA
"This year we booked our Cancun vacation at the Grand Sunset Princess with a group of friends of a total of 10 guest. The resort was clean yet understaffed, the beach was dirty, there was some sort of sewage coming out of the underground / underwater at the beach. I asked a staff member where that water was coming from and he explained that it was the rain water sewage from the street. One thing I did not like was that you have to wear a colored bracelet you entire stay (if lost it would cost u $100 for a replacement) to identify you on the level of room you booked. There was too many restrictions regarding where you could lounge in the pool based on your bracelet, where you can lounge the beach based on your bracelet, you had to make reservations for dinner every single night. there is a dress code for dinner but if you had the right color bracelet you cold be dressed any way you want. Only certain level of rooms have free wifi internet, there was a reserved concierge lounge that you were not allowed if you weren't wearing the right color bracelet, that was the same for some pools on the property also based on the bracelet you wouldn't have access to free room service. The only positive thing I have from this resort was the lovely waitress at the lobby bar named Guadalupe. She was the one that created us with a drink the moment we stepped in the lobby. we came back to the bar every night just to be served by her. she was fast fun and friendly, and she always had a smile on her face. She gave us tips on things to do and what to do in Cancun. Guadalupe was outstanding and great. other then that, i would never come back to this resort. not worth it with all the restrictions. n"
Posted: Wed, Sep 19, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Dan Jalbert from New Braunfels, TX
"Overall experiance was good. I stayed for 10 days and quickly grew tired of the food. Very bland and recycled from dinner to breakfast. Even their specialty resturants were just OK. The staff was friendly at times. Room service was good but the menu very basic. The service at the adult beach was slow if at all some days. Information about activities was not published very well. Had several miss information about the happenings depending on who you talked with. When I spoke with the concierge about some issues all he could say was he was sorry. Never heard from a manager after making my complaint. Thought I should have received some type of call or compensation. My point was I paid extra to get to the Grand Yucatan and didn t really feel I received anything extra as far as service. Could have save 500 dollars and just stayed in a regular room. The room was great and cleaned every day. Heard so much about the area and other hotels and there programs....next time will try one of the others out."
Posted: Tue, Sep 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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MK from St Paul, MN
"This year we booked our vacation in September. This was a mistake because it was clear when we first arrived that this was their 'slow' season. The resort was definitely under staffed and not as friendly from last year. When we went the previous year in May (which was their busy season), there were more friendlier staff and they were quick to help satisfy our requests, which included our upgrade to the Deluxe Suite. For some odd reason, it took the manager 40 minutes just to upgrade our room. When we upgraded the year before, it only took the employee 10 minutes. I don't understand how why there was so much of a time difference this year from the year before. When we arrived to our upgraded room, the refrigerator wasn't even stocked. We called at least five times that first night and called an addition three times the next day to the concierge to get it stocked. It took them a day and a half just to fulfill our request that should have been done before we arrived. Also the hairblow dryer, jacuzzi, and bathroom outlets didn't even work. Oh and I can't forget that we couldn't even shower long before the water leaked outside of the of the enclosed shower area where we had to use multiple towels to soak up. And most importantly since our room was located all the way at the end of the beach shoreline, we called to have our bags picked up at 10:30am and they didn't even show up. We waited until 10:40am, and since the lobby staff was unreliable, and it took us 20 minutes just to haul our own luggage to the lobby area to be picked up at 11:10am. This was the worst customer service I have ever encounted. Don't even get me started on our flight departing Cancun too. It was cancelled and we were rerouted, making three different stops. the worst airline to travel with."
Posted: Mon, Sep 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Leticia R.V. from San Luis, Az
"Es un lugar exelente, ...todas sus instalaciones estan bellas y muy limpias, la comida en todos sus restaurantes es muy buena y con mucha variedad de comidas (En especial la comida Japonesa estilo teppanyaki muy deliciosa), las atenciones de sus empleados es buenisima, las noches estan llenas de sorpresas desde espectaculos al aire libre hasta en el teatro..... Buen lugar para vacacionar//// It is an excellent place ... all the facilities are beautiful and very clean, the food in all the restaurants is very good with plenty of variety of food (especially the food very delicious teppanyaki style Japanese), the care of their employees is great, the nights are full of surprises from outdoor shows up in the theater ..... Good place to vacation"
Posted: Mon, Sep 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Dale McGee from Bedford, Texas
"Just returned from a week at this resort - it was a beautiful place, the buffet was great, beautiful pools and beach but it has many problems, the pool and beach bars close by 6pm so don't plan a romantic night around the water. Because its so big they have a shuttle from one end of the resort to the other but it does not run often enough... I would not recommend this resort if you have stayed in other places. Good for first time visitors but be prepared to walk and wait."
Posted: Sat, Sep 15, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Steve & Cyndi from Centereach, NY
"We Celebrated our anniversary in September at Grand Sunset Princess , Had a Great time ! Good food in the Italian, Miso & Steak house. We did`nt get to the rest . Loved the lunch at the beach , The best piaia , Taco`s etc. The Beach is beautiful & crystal clear. Same for the pools, very clean. The grounds are beautiful. I loved the cort yard at night, always a band or show . The rooms are kept clean and nicely done . The staff are Great , friendly. Alot for your money !"
Posted: Mon, Sep 10, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kathy G from New York
"It was a beautiful resort and there was a lot of access to everything. The shuttle to Playa is definitely worth it. There are cheaper items in town and if you turn the corner there is a beach there too. The parasailing, jetskiing, etc is much cheaper there than on the beach at the resort. The staff was really friendly. We only stayed 5 days and we didn't get to do much. It rained everyday that we were there but the rain only lasted around 20 mins or so and afterwards it was hot and a bit humid but it wasn't anything unbearable. The beach was really shallow once you get over the rocks. There is absolutely no need for water shoes. I would definitely recommend the hotel to others. There is a good amount of walking to do but there is also a shuttle available. Some people might claim that the beach is really far from the lobby walking wise but its not true. Its great for the price and you can order as much as you want at any time. We stayed in the Yucatan Princess Room, it's definitely better because of the convenience of the 24 hr concierge and 24 room service that's included."
Posted: Tue, Sep 04, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"the best, will come back"
Posted: Sun, Sep 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Clenio from Westland, Mi
"Don't forget anything. Things at the convenience store (not included in the AIP) are very expensive. There is marble every where in the hotel. It can be very slippery. Caution. Plan and book the restaurants that require reservation. Relax and enjoy."
Posted: Sat, Sep 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Dina from Woodmere, NY
"Overall great trip. The staff was extremely polite and accommodating. My only criticism was the buffet. The food at the buffet was not the best quality. Food at the restaurants was of much better quality but seating was limited and advanced reservations were required. Also although tips are included, the staff is much more attentive when you tip them"
Posted: Sun, Aug 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Nicholas Lentini from Northvale, NJ
"Very happy with our decision to stay at Grand Sunset Princess. Let me start with saying that we understand you get what you pay for, and we got an exceptional deal. We stayed in one of the deluxe junior suites. The resort itself was gorgeous. Definitely above and beyond what we were paying for. The rooms were large and modern and kept clean and in very good shape. The pools were what you would expect to this type of resort. I would recommend staying in the platinum rooms which give you access to the adults only pool if you can shell out the extra cash. They are a lot more quiet and cleaner.
My only negatives would probably be the food. Like I said before you get what you pay for so I was not expecting much. That being said, the food could have been a little been better to at least match the quallity of the hotel itself. Also the staff at the restaurants didn't speak great english, which made it difficult while trying to explain my shell fish allergy. While inquiring what a specific ingredient at the sushi restaurant was, I was told it was a Mexican fruit. Fortuantely I checked my roll before I ate it because it was definitely crab meat and not a fruit that was the ingredient in question.
All in all a great deal and pleasant experience. I would recommend to any looking for any easy trip.
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Adrienne from Manassas, VA
"The Sunset Princess exceeded all our expectations! The resort was recommended to us by neighbors so we booked it and then I read the reviews and of course, I started to dread what I was hearing on-line: bad food, bad service, dirty rooms, you name it. I can truly say that we experienced nothing negative about Sunset Princess. This was our first trip to Mexico and an all-inclusive resort and I wanted it to be great and it was!
The Sunset Princess is HUGE! It was very overwhelming when we got there and they hand you room keys, towel cards, bracelets and a map and you have to figure it out. But we did. Everything was easy to find and all needs met. We stayed in a Junior Suite. The bathroom was very spacious and everything was clean. Drinks included in the price were stocked in the refrigerator and the AC was very cold.
The grounds are kept immaculate. The gardeners work tirelessly all day with machetes, not weed eaters, so it stays quiet. The wildlife was everywhere. With drinks available all day, guests leave cups and trash all over and it is always picked up.
The pools were large and lovely. The swim-up bars were great and the bartenders in them had one of the hardest jobs there and kept a smile on their face through the bees and heat. Our bartender was amazing.
The buffets were beautiful. The staff clearly had pride in their work. The food was very very good. There was fresh fruit and salads, lots of healthy options. They had made to order stations and many unique options. Make sure you leave room for dessert. The tables had cloths and folded napkins. I was amazed at their ability to clean up and put 3 meals on the table everyday. It was an impressive operation.
The best advice I have is that you do have to book the restaurants and shuttles way in advance. I was glad to have taken that advice from other reviews. If you want to eat at a restaurant you will need to go to the reservation desk 2-3 days before you want to eat and be open to whatever is available. We tried the Miso, La Fondue and Momma Mia. They were very good. I was less impressed by the Miso, but it was far from bad.
I can't finish without saying another word about the staff and service at the Princess. They were so hard working, friendly and helpful. Even if they didn't know much English they would try to answer your questions. If we saw something broken, it was either fixed or being fixed within a day.
When I got to the Sunset Princess I was surprised at the number of repeat guests there, because of all the options for resorts why not try others. But I kept hearing from others, 'we tried other resorts and the Princess is our favorite, so we came back.' After 6 nights there, I understand the sentiment. We were overwhelmed when we arrived, but by the time we had to leave I was sipping a cosmopolitan feeling completely at ease there."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Charity from Nixa, MO
"My husband and I had the most amazing time!! Accommodations/grounds, food, drinks, entertainment, staff, beach, pools were awesome! No complaints here! We will definitely be back!"
Posted: Thu, Aug 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Traci from Columbia, MD
"When we checked into our room it looked like someone just left and checked out. The room was a mess, there were no clean towles, the bed wasn't made and it smelled. When they moved us to a new room 40 minutes later, there were no towels, toiletries, no drinks in the mini fridge or toilet paper. The food was 'ok' at best. Not bad, but nothing that I would say good. The drinks were great and the pools and beach were clean. The gym was pretty decent and clean as well. The staff was always very friendly and it was very quiet. Which can be good at times, but other times it would've been nice to have some music, like at the swim up pool bars. The BBQ's on the beach were a nice touch.Will we return? I don't know. I expected the food to be better, but for all inclusive I guess you get what you pay for."
Posted: Wed, Aug 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Alex from Staten Island, Ny
"Just wanted to say, IT WAS AMAZING, we had a great time at the hotel. Everything was very nice. We were worried that we are going without knowing what this hotel all about, just read reviews. Personal is great, very helpful, smiling, saying hello every time at the pool or the beach, we loved the entertainment (at the pool at day time and beautiful shows at night). Rooms are clean; it's the through, nice surroundings, atmosphere. Everyday different restaurant at night, just don't forget to make reservation at 2:00 pm, two days in advance, The Grill and Spanish' were amazing; Swiss and Italian also great, Mexican not bad, Take the massages, two way: or at the beach by the water, but those are not from the hotel(also very good), at the entrance to the beach a small booth, take there if you like spa, this is from the hotel, they give you free coupons to the spa, witch is a great deal if it's rainy. And the last and very important thing: you can drink water, cocktails and use ice, water is clean, no worries, LOL. We recommend this hotel, you will love it."
Posted: Tue, Aug 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mizraim from Belize, Belize
"It was great.I would recommend it to anyone.Food was super great.Its clean and safe.The staff are very friendly..My wife children and myself had a blast....Would surely go back on our next vacation."
Posted: Mon, Aug 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Brian Buckingham from Boise, Idaho
"This was our first trip to Cancun and it couldn't have been any better. Yes the beach could have been better but everything else had made up for it. Everyone is friendly and the service was fantastic. The resort was being cleaned around the clock and what they do best is quietly cleaning. One minute you see something that could be cleaned and without even seeing anyone go do it...it's clean. I would recommend that everyone upgrade their stay to the villas or to at least to platinum because you gain access to the whole resort......private pool, concierge service, and a spa credit. Lastly I recommend booking with Best Day Travel at the resort. They just make it too easy, they set the appointment to book things, you pay, and then they tell you when and where to show up....and you're off. I would refer anyone to this resort and if you go snorkeling and book it through Best Day try and see if you can get a tour guide by the name of "Barracuda... or Juan because he is number one and you won't be disappointed."
Posted: Mon, Aug 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Hani Choucrallah from Laval, Quebec
"It is a big hotel, great to for family, very clean and spacious.
The food was good, at the buffet and some of the reservations restaurant. There is 7 or 8 of them, but they require long pants, witch I was not crazy about in the hot summer.
I had 2 teens, and we where a total of 12 people together.
6 teens, and 6 adults. We had a great time, we mainly stayed at the beach on the pool, as the beach was clean, and great. some rocks at the start, but you can walk a great distance, and you can still touch ground. Some Kayaks and some catamaran that you can use 1hr/day for free. Nice dive shop, for snorkeling and scuba diving if you wish. I would recommend for every one."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Nid from Chicago, IL
"I loved this resort! It is very beautiful and it had the best buffet food I ever tasted! Obtaining reservations to the resturants was not har at all! Do not listen to the complaints the staff and the resort makes up for everything!!!!!!! Will visit again!"
Posted: Mon, Aug 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Cindy Monfredi from Oakmont, PA
"The resort is nice overall and the pools are great. The beach is crowded with vendors and chairs, so is not really relaxing. The food is plentiful but not very good. THe buffets are typical cruise ship mass-produced junk and most items were greasy or overcooked. Some of the dinners in 'Nice' restaurants were terrible and caused us to go the buffet afterwards just to get something to eat. The most puzzling feature of this resort is its use of marble floors all over the place. The floors become very slippery when wet, which is often the case when people are swimming or when it rains. One night it downpoured and the floors were trecherous. The staff tried to squeegie the water, but it was still very slippery. An odd choice of flooring."
Posted: Mon, Aug 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Shipman from Coraopolis, Pa
"The Grand Sunset Princess cannot or does not want to accommodate large parties that travel together, especially for meal planning. Two years in a row, we ran into the same hassles booking dinner resevations. Our party was also seperated by our rooms being in entirely different buildings. Simply don't understand - we book together to be together, not to be seperated.
Also, over the last two years we noticed that even the simpliest request are always first answered with a 'NO', then after a while they realize they can accomodate. Very frustrating.
The resort is very beautiful, clean and fun - the staff needs some training in customer service. The breakfast and lunch crew at the Platinum buffet were outstanding. A great big thank you to those guys.
The beach could use some attention - may be removal of some of the rocks from the ocean like the resort up the beach."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Allison from Everett, MA
"This was our first trip to Cancun. we stayed 5 nights at the Grand Sunset Princess Resort. It's a beautiful resort. We enjoyed everything within the resort, except the beach. It was a little disappointed. The water wasn't that clean, very rooky and lots of weeds, but if you walk by past the rocks further out it would be fine. ,
check in experience was a little unorganized. They split our rooms; our kids' was on a different floor.
Another disappointment for us was the Japanese restaurants (MISO), Oriental foods. We booked this restaurant for two nights because we like sushi and the review we read online was excellent, anyway, we were a little disappointed. If you are Asian, especially Chinese, I do not recommend you this restaurant, because our expectation is different because they food is not authentic. for Chinese food, what they served was spring rolls, crab rangoon, wonton soup (with one wonton per servicing) main course was stir fried.
We liked the Olas Seafood Restaurant and Le Fleur International Gourmet Restaurant. It was great. We enjoyed the foods and environment. Just make sure you make the reservation immediately. You need to book it one day ahead.
In general, we enjoyed the stay. I would recommend this resort to anyone, who doesn't mind the issue with the beach.
One more thing service was excellent. The waiters at the buffet restaurants are so nice and friendly. They deserve the tip. Please tip them extra if you think they do a good job!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Rosario from Monclova, Coahuila
"staff unfriendly to mexican people, even we are of the same country"
Posted: Sat, Aug 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Cindy from Union City, CA
"This hotel/resort was amazing. The food, service and rooms were beyond spectacular. I suggest anyone to getting a Junior Deluxe Suite; not only for the swim up pool; but you get to eat at the premiere restaurants for free too!"
Posted: Fri, Aug 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mic from Monterrey
"Excellent hotel!! Service was extremely good, good food, great beach, very clean, nice rooms....I would definately recommend this hotel"
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Darla from Kersey, Colorado
"Extremely nice resort, very friendly staff. Enjoyed our stay."
Posted: Thu, Aug 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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GA. from Chicago, IL
"Food was not so exelent,not a big choise.You have to preorder visit to the restorant two days before at 2 pm,so every day you have to wait in line for it.Bartenders too busy to take care of all visitors,poor language,thay don`t even undesrtstand what you asking for.Beach too far away from Loby,you have to walk more than 1/2 mile to the beach.A lot of rocks in the ocean,so it`s too dangerous to swim.Cleanless and staff is ok,but not allways can pay attention to you,because is too many costumers around and you have to wait in lines."
Posted: Thu, Aug 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Liz from Long Beach, CA
"The resort was great. It's big and clean like everyone said it woudl be. The food was fabulous. IN my opinion, some staff members paid more attention to English speaking guest than Spanish speaking ones. I received better service when I spoke to staff members in English."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mariana from Basking Ridge, NJ
"We were at this hotel last year, our experience was great so we decided to return for this summer vacation.
This is a beautiful, big and clean hotel, excellet for family vacation, there are so many things to do. The food is so delicious, the staff are friendly, the shows are very good. Definetely i highly recommend this hotel."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Monica Jones from Tulsa, Oklahoma
"We thoroughly enjoyed our entire vacation! The resort was fabulous! We plan to go again next year, but will upgrade to the privileged section."
Posted: Tue, Aug 14, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jared M. from Lubbock, TX
"Let me start by saying that my wife and I couldnt have been more pleased with our decision to spend our honeymoon at the Grand Sunset Princess in Playa Del Carmen. Prior to booking our stay we read MANY reviews - some good, some bad. We came to the conclusion after just a day or two at the resort that the negative opinions of some previous guests must have been due to unrealistic expectations or just bad luck. We found the staff to be just as friendly and eager to help as they could have possibly been! The resort itself was immaculate! Everywhere we looked it was like staring at a postcard. The food was for the most part awesome, especially the ala carte restaurants. We highly recommend La Fondue! We stayed in the adults only Yucatan Platinum wing with a swim-up room. We loved it. This is where our only real complaint comes from though. We requested a king bed and didnt get it but in their defense it was never promised. We ended up with two double beds that we just pushed together. Not a huge issue. However, the ROCK HARD mattresses and pillows were!! Some may enjoy a stiff mattress but we are not that sort. Moving on....we took serious advantage of the Platinum included room service and our Platinum dedicated concierge. While in town we did four excursions - one to ride wave runners and parasail at Maroma Beach, zip-line and explore caves at Explor, took in some OFF-THE-HOOK dancing/partying at Coco Bongo and a steamy hot, near miserable day shopping in downtown. If you choose to go please do yourselves a favor and use Best Day for your shuttle services. They were totally professional and put you at ease. We hated to leave but the real world was calling us back home. We plan to spend atleast one more vacation at this resort. We couldnt have asked for a better honeymoon."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Goofeylover from WI
"This is a beautiful hotel! Very big and very clean, but it did not rate high on my experience level. I have traveled many times to all inclusive resorts and have certain expectations that were not met by this resort. This resort is very big and requires a lot of walking to the pool and to the beach, especially if you book the less expensive rooms. It is all inclusive but does not include room service, which is a big deal if you are traveling with kids or if you decide to have a late night with drinks. We heard more 'No's' from the staff then we did 'Yes's' and the food was sub par. The specialty restaurants are very good, however getting reservations was almost impossible. We arrived on Monday, I tried to book dinner for Tues-Thurs and all of the restaurants were completely booked for all three days...after a bit of complaining we were able to go to one of them, it was good and almost empty yet getting reservations was hard. If you are traveling with kids, the simple things like ketchup are very different and do have a bit of a spice to them, so if you have adverous kids you are in luck if not, then you might run into a bit of an issue. The waiters were cordial, but we had to ask for water 5 or 6 times before we got it.., again it could have been a coincidence, but I wasn't impressed."
Posted: Mon, Aug 13, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Betsy from Granville, Ohio
"What an incredible vacation! I rarely write reviews but had to share that we had such a fabulous time at this resort. It was just breathtaking! We are planning on returning in 2 years and taking our kids.
It really was huge and we did walk a lot, but we didn't mind because the grounds were beautiful and we figured we could use the exercise with so much eating and drinking. There were shuttles available which we occasionally used. I think they ran every 15 minutes.
The grounds were absolutely immaculate and the staff was constantly cleaning and trimming foliage. And I'm happy to report that despite the jungle, our room had no issues with bugs (aside from the nearly microscopic ones that showed up when I left food in the room, which I realized later is not allowed for just that reason I'm sure).
The food is served buffet style and was great for us. Yes, it is a buffet so not perfect, but lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood and cheeses so we were very pleased. There was also freshly made tortilla chips, guacamole and pico de gallo which was wonderful! We stayed 6 nights and ate at the restaurants 4 nights. We booked reservations as soon as we checked in and even secured a spot at the Japanese restaurant for the night we arrived. If you are flexible about restaurants and times, and if you plan ahead, you'll be able to get reservations. We enjoyed all of the restaurants we visited. The seafood (Las Olas) was our favorite.
We felt like there were plenty of entertainment options in the evening. We mostly listened to the live music that was outdoors every night. They had a wide variety of bands/singers and we thought it was great. We weren't that interested in the shows and just went to one, and we also went to the night club once. The staff was very friendly, especially the bartenders and we also really liked the person who cleaned our room.
It was very difficult to get shuttle service to Playa del Carmen and we never did get to do it. We were told you had to sign up the day before you wanted to go at 8am and that there would be a line. We did take an excursion that we purchased to Chitzen Itza and the cenotes and it was very nice. I think swimming in the cenote was my favorite part of the entire vacation. Just magical.
I highly recommend this resort!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kim Griffin from Winter Park, Fl
"Service and facilities outstanding. Food better than average except Miso ( avoid - absolutely wretched!!) Platinum suite worth extra - concierge, lounge private pool etc. Need better quality linens in rooms.
All in all - good value for $$. would return."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Ron Abbott from Brampton
"no one there to meet us at the airport. i had to pay a 100 dollars to get to my hotel ??? that i paid for when i booked my trip. Had to fight to get thr king size bed i was promised when i booked. No stocked bar untill the third day only after we got upset and complained. Had to spend 3hrs to get a ride back to the airport again something i paid for but no one there new we existed (no greeting ,hello, nothing
ps"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Pam Eshler from York, Pa
"Just got back and to some extent I agree with all the reviews. The resort is huge so I can understand why some people would complain, to me it was walking off all the food we ate. Is the beach rocky, yes in some places, bring water shoes or go in further down to the right, if you look on google earth its not all rocky like some people will lead you to believe. As for the sewer smell it seemed to be located on the Riveria side to the left, the beach is also more rocky there, not a problem though if you walk twenty feet to your right. My dislikes of the resort were, no free wifi for everyone- you had to pay for it if you weren't platinum, it wasn't a big deal, the conceige helped look up something online and also printed out boarding passes for free, you gotta give them credit we heard a women yelling because they could only get premium liquor in the platinum lounge and it was too far to walk, give me a break! The regular jr suites were very nice, had a nice view of the pool, the drinks were a little too sweet for my taste, insulated cups are a must, bring your own straws they don't always supply them especially at the beach. The al a carts were good we did Hacienda, Miso and Mama Mias, excellent carpacchio. All in all your vacation is what you make it focus on the great things about it and don't sweat the little things!!"
Posted: Sat, Aug 11, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Toni Buffone from Montreal, Quebec
"This is my second stay at this beautiful hotel. Staff and food excellent.
As for the entertainment, I would like to see a change. As mentioned, this is my second visit and the shows have not changed.
Suggestion:
Move the shacks (vendors) from the central of the beach... not very appealing when trying to relax and not enjoying the view of the ocean. Maybe they can move them ton the side of the beach or the back.
Overall, its a very beautiful and clean hotel and I have recommended it to all my friends and family.
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Delaine McLafferty from Boise, Idaho
"We had a great time the entire 6 days that we stayed, the room was great and very clean the staff was friendly and helpful if we had any extra needs. We spent most of our time in the pools or at the beach and didn't leave the resort this time. We would highly recommend this resort for anyone but it is great for families, the pool we used was near the restrooms and also has a shallow end the kids used for diving for pool toys. The swim up bars are great. The only thing we wished we could have done was to go to some of the specialty restaurants but they were booked before we got to the resort unless you wanted to go really late but with little kids that wouldn't work but the buffets were good.
We had a great time and would definately go back."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Sarah Z from Joliet, IL
"Everything was very nice we had an uopgraded room in adults only which was great. Food was good for most of the time lots to choose from. The a la cart restuants were never full . Call down before you even leave to go to make your reservations. Some time I was not impressed at how long certains areas walking back to room the same mess had been there for a day or two and not cleaned up yet. Very nice people there and yes if you tip here and there they will take care of you. If you go to downtown Playa just hit the big stores for your gifts they are much cheaper then the little stores they try to pull you into for the same stuf just 10x more. Snorkeling was great down there. We would go back!"
Posted: Wed, Aug 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Corey Brennan from WILLINGTON, Ct
"This was the best choice i have ever made, everything about this resort was beautiful. from the beautiful flowers to the super clean room to the wonderful pools and drinks, it was wonderful. the restaurants and there food was amazing. the spa experience was great and so relaxing. the theater experience was very entertaining, the waiters/waitresses were so attentive and always ready to please. the drinks were amazing. the turn down services for the rooms was so great and our room was always clean. the pools were always in pristine condition and always refreshing. it was wonderful to see the maintenance on the lawn and flowers, they were always making it look beautiful. me and my wife stayed at the Grand Yucatan and we are already planning on going back. and the price was amazing it was perfect."
Posted: Wed, Aug 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Tu from Plano, TX
"ROOM: humid, moldy smell; the toilet flush was flimsy and broke on our first day stay..
Inclusive Activities: One day advance reservation is not enough, had to get 2-3 days in advance reservation to get free transportation to Playa Del Carmen. We didn't make any advance reservation to use non-motorized sail boats (we didn't know), so we couldn't use it even when the available sailboats were just sitting there for an hour waiting for the next reserved user.
FOOD: plenty but not any good. Either too bland, too sour, or just way to bland. Miso (oriental restaurant) didn't have any oriental flavor to the food ...Chicken Pad Thai was just Nasty!
Amenities: We didn't have an iron in our room. We asked for one, and they brought us a cheap broken one (didn't even get warm). On our last day, the mini bar wasn't refilled (as it should be daily), and we had to wait for more than 2 hours just to get 3 bottles of water."
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Carol Weber from Brooklyn, Ny
"The resort n rooms are beautiful. Super big resort... Super nice staff."
Posted: Wed, Aug 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Geri from Franklin Lakes, NJ
"Very enjoyable family vacation. Definately upgrade to platinum, well worth the money. Better, friendlier service and much closer to the beach. Food was average but make reservations at restaurants when booking your room. 2nd day there my husband left a very expensive pair of sun glasses at the platinum pool lounge and when we went back an hour later the staff had left them on the chair and no one had taken them. A nice, safe, clean place to stay. Make sure to bring the bug spray and if given a room on 1st floor ask for one on a higher floor as the bugs like the 1st floor."
Posted: Tue, Aug 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Veronica from Sylmar, California
"I want to start by saying that all the negative reviews are not true. My husband and I had a wonderful time. First of all the staff is great. Everyone there is friendly and nice. We stayed at the Sunset for seven days and i think that we needed more time to enjoy all the wonderful things this resort has to offer. The food is great although we only eat at the buffets, which were more than enough for us. The bars service are fantastic and we did get all types of drinks with all different flavors. We did use some of the pools including swim-up bar pools which are great and convenient. We met a lot of people from different parts of the world, and I think that was one of the best things that happened to us, because we are very friendly people. We enjoyed the different shows some of the nights and participated in the events at the main bar. We went to Playa del Carmen on the third day and the next day we went back to take the bus to Xcaret which is not amazing like people say, but it was still nice. The taxi fair to Playa is only $20 which was fine with us because the bus was only $7 to Xcaret both ways. I will definitely recommend this resort and we will for sure come back very soon."
Posted: Mon, Aug 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Michael Kemper from Swansea, Illinois
"We reserved 2 rooms. One smelled like raw sewage. The front desk said they were all booked, couldn't transfer us, and would put us on a waiting list, but said they would fix the problem. Their fix was room freshener. It took us 5 hours the next afternoon/night to get everything resolved...very frustrating conversations with numerous staff and it ruined the day. Food was average at best. Reservations to the non-ala carte restaurants had to be made 3 days in advance and seemed to be filled up immediately, although the restaurants weren't half full. Liquor choices were limited. Only choice of beer was Corona. The administrative staff was terrible. The field staff was friendly, helpful, and competent in their job. The facility was beautiful and the beach was nice."
Posted: Sun, Aug 05, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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DAVID from MERIDA, YUCATAN
"REALMENTE UN HOTEL EN DONDE DISFRUTAMOS DE NUESTRA ESTANCIA, MUY BONITO MUY LIMPIO. DEFINITIVAMENTE RECOMENDABLE."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Danielle from Coral Springs
"Great resort. Second time around, this time without the kids.
We went last year with all our 3 kids and had a blast.
We just got back and had a wonderfull 4 days.
We stayed at the deluxe with pool access and it was amazing and worth the extra charge. We used the stair to the pool and that became our room access during the day. We were right at the pool that has all the entertainment and had a blast. The room was cleaned daily and was everything we expected.
The pool was alot of fun and the entertainers were nice. The beach is beautfull and we got a couples massage for an hour full body right at the beach and paid 70 bucks for it. At the spa it was over 100 and not as nice as listening to the waves while you relax. We also paid 65 bucks for 30 min jet-ski and that was so worth it.
We went to Playa del Carmen (the taxi costs 20 dollars each way - fixed price) and when we got there we paid for snorkeling at Cozumel (DO NOT buy anything in Playa del Carmen - We would've paid almost half of what we paid if we had done it directly with the snorkeling people at Cozumel). Also, we rented a motorcycle in Cozumel (DO NOT rent it from the people that are close to the marina... look for prices... one guy gave us 450 pesos and we found one for 300 pesos). We ate there and drove around the Island. Great pictures. Beautiful place and nice people. They recomended we buy at Cozumel instead of Playa because after 4pm the ships with tourists leave and the prices go down. At Playa del Carmen we ended the day at 5th Avenue. That's were the bars and the stores are. Really nice at night.
We got our kids handmade bracelets at the resort's beach: 4 for 200 pesos. If you negotiate every price goes down. Sometimes halfway. Specially if it's close to the end of the day. Don't accept any first offer. This is the land of negotiation and we felt that some of the prices were given by first looks.
Overall: Great getaway, friendly staff, good food and amazing natural beauty. We plan on coming back again with the kids."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mike H from Nasha, Nh
"The food was just OK, The drinks were so watered down, drink wine or beer so you know it is not watered down The beach is almost completely blocked by vendor tents instead of having them build tents to the side and open up the view to the beach..At check out we called the front desk to have the bell boy come down and get our luggage( one piece weighs 42 pounds),
The guy shows up 1/2 hr later and could not lift the suitcase, so he dragged it from the third floor to the first dropping it at every step. Needless to say the plastic wheels were broken. So when I showed it the managaer, and the bell boy admitted to him it is because he could not lift it, the manager looks at me and says Sorry amigo but the suitcase was too heavy( 42 lbs is too heavy!!!!). So I emailed the head quarters 3 times"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Stuart Rohrbaugh from Asheville, NC
"Went first week of August 2011 and enjoyed so much we stayed again back to the same resort three weeks later. Recommend the upgrade to platnium."
Posted: Fri, Aug 03, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Ray from Melbourne, Australia
"Fantastic experience, fantastic time all round!"
Posted: Thu, Aug 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Carol Pfeffer from New Baden, IL
"The mosquitoes were outrageously awful. We would spend an hour killing them before we went to bed and still would get bit up really bad while we slept. The mosquitoes were not that noticeable outside of our room but in the room awful.
The place is beautiful. The activity staff was outstanding. It was really hard to communicate with the cleaning staff i.e., leaving enough towels, wash clothes, coffee was not consistent. Sometimes we would get no wash clothes, one towel etc., Tell your staff if there are four people have four of each for them. The reservable dinners were excellent. But we noticed many people tried to reserve different dinners and were told that it was filled. Not once did we go to a dinner that was full. Why tell these people that they could not reserve a meal when there obviously was plenty of room? The service at the buffet varied but for the most part better than satisfactory. Large complex, but very easy to be alone if you wanted to. Grounds were very well kept. Large number of huts on the beach and around the pool to sit under. The room with the walk out pool access, was great. The bars were really busy and the bartenders did not always wait on the proper next person. "
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Stacy from Phoenix, Az
"Just got back from 8 days at the Grand princess. Here is a list of the good and bad.
BAD:
poor plumbing, food was awful and if items were empty took forever for them to replenish them, marble floors are dangerous, since we were staying 8 days, on the 7 day after a long day could not get into my room since they turned the card off. Had to walk all the way back to the front desk to have reprogram, NOT enough chairs at beach or pool. Most of the staff did not know english. shuttle service into town is a JOKE!! you have to make reservations the day before and HOPE you get there by 8 AM. If not they are filled up. And then n the way back from Playa de Carmen if you are NOT the 1st 42 at the pickup place, you have to take a taxi back. If you don't make dinner reservations when you 1st get there, you will have to eat at the awful buffet everynight! And I don't know why you need reservations because when we at the resurtants there was plenty of seating.
GOOD:
Entertainment at night in the main bar was pretty good. Always saw groundkeepers taking care of the grounds. Grounds are pretty. Beach is nice.parts are rocky & have seaweed. Rooms are very nice side. Check in & check out was easy.
All in all I would not book here again and would not recommend it to anyone I know."
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Luis
"It was our honey moon and we will never forget. We had great service, great food and an amazing time. The entertainment was wonderful and the people doing the events were awesome!. The bartenders and waiters were great and never had a problem waiting. Room service wasalso great they cleaned our room every day and never had issues with them. If you want a place were you can walk out of your room into a pool and beach this is the place to be! On suggestion is just bring bug spray for night time. Even that was not too bad. Miss you princess resorts!!!"
Posted: Mon, Jul 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Lissa from Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
"I just returned from my stay at the Grand Sunset Princess in Playa del Carmen, Mexico on July 17th. I loved it so much me and my partner can't wait to go again. I will review: the rooms, the resort, the pool and beach, the food, drinks, and excursions.
THE RESORT & ROOM: The resort is GORGEOUS!! We had the Junior Suite and it was spacious, comfortable, and clean. Our rooms were cleaned every afternoon. We had a problem with the AC leaking once but I called it in and it was cleaned up and fixed within 10 minutes. The only minor problem with the rooms is that the pillows are not very comfortable. Other than that, we loved our room!!
THE POOLS & BEACH: The pools are great, the swim up bar is fun, there's always music playing and drinks being served. The beach is GORGEOUS, the water is turquoise and clear. We could see fish swimming around our feet. The minor problem here is that there are rocks in the sad that make it a bit hard to walk around, but the water is so clear you can see exactly where they are, and you can walk around, which was no problem for us. The water was the perfect temperature, cold enough to cool us off from the heat, and warm enough so that it wasn't hard to just jump all the way in. We could also walk pretty far out and the water was still about chest high. We got a wonderful couples massage by the beach (the massages at the beach are cheaper than the ones in the resort spa) and it was fantastic, we got an hour long couples massage for $70 total.
THE FOOD: The food at the buffet was delicious and the a la cart restaurants were good too. We enjoyed the Chinese side of the Miso restaurant the most, and the Italian (Mama Mia) and the Swiss (Fondu) were our second favorites. It's important to make reservations as far in advance as you can because the popular restaurants get filled up pretty fast. It was my birthday while we stayed there and on my birthday I received a small piece of cake with a candle at each of the restaurants we went to, and a song!
THE DRINKS: The drinks were great! My favorites were the pina coladas, mojitos, and the electric lemonade (definitely try their version of this, it's fantastic). If you want the great tequila though, you have to buy it outside the resort. But the tequila they had was not bad. The bartenders were super nice, they made sure to be attentive and serve us whatever we wanted. The sports bar is open 24hrs and we made lots of use of that bar.
THE EXCURSIONS: We went to Chichen Itza for one of our excursions and we really enjoyed it. It was about $115 per person, which seems expensive but it's one of the 7 wonders of the world!! Plus it's a whole day event. We got breakfast and an amazing lunch! Unlimited drinks on the bus, and lots of great information about the ruins. We also visited a Cenote, which is a collapsed cave that fills with water. It's absolutely gorgeous!! We got to jump in and swim in there!! ~ We also went on the full day Snorkeling Adventure. It was worth the money (approx $75) We went to three different snorkel spots, we had time to relax at the beach, and some breakfast and a delicious lunch!! Plus one of the tour guides follows you underwater taking pictures, that was one of the coolest souvenirs we bought! Underwater cameras lack flash so they don't take good pictures, but the tour guides have a better camera that captures great pictures!!
In sum, we thought this resort was worth every penny! We recommend it to couples looking for a fun and relaxing get away. We really enjoyed our stay.
ONE LAST THING, buy the Best Day transportation to the resort. We tried using public transportation and it ended up taking about 45min longer on the bus, and more expensive on the taxi. So, just pay for the Best Day transport service."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"beautiful resort, great food,sorry when it was time to go home...we hope to go back again and again"
Posted: Mon, Jul 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Bob from Palm Bay, Fl
"This was my families second trip to the resort. We had a great time and enjoyed the activities they offered daily. The kids enjoyed everyhing and were never bored."
Posted: Mon, Jul 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Anthony
"we get there and the room is not ready. no a/c in the place all wide open when you first check in. food is ugly , no taste buffet was gross .the pools were ok but falling apart, small animals running around , bugs everywhere, in your room too. yuck!! please people when you read reviews look at them very closely ,there very important
. i said maybe these people are to picky or something ,AND THE BEST THEY FORGOT TO PICK ME UP TO GET HOME TO THE AIRPORT. DONT GO TO THIS PLACE EVER!!!!! FOR THE MONEY NOT WORTH IT, NEXT YEAR I WILL STAY AT THE MOON PALACE , IT WAS AWESOME THERE ,FOOD,PEOPLE ROOMS THE WHOLE NINE ."
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Kathy Rowe from Tulsa, OK
"I had a great time at the Sunset Princess Resort. I liked how big the place was and you never felt crowded! Most of the food & service was very good! Loved the beach and pools. We will be back next year! Thank you for a great time!"
Posted: Wed, Jul 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Linda from St. Peters, Mo
"The accomodations were excellent. We were treated like royalty from arrival to departure. The staff was so friendly and accomdating. The beach was beautiful. Pools were gorgeous and well maintained. We only had two dinners on the resort. The Steakhouse was excellent and Tapas was average. Getting help with excursions was very easy. The personal concierge was there to assist at any time we needed him. Great trip, I would definately go back and stay longer!"
Posted: Tue, Jul 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Danielle from West Chester, OH
"We picked this resort from many online choices and were unsure what to expect. The entrance off the main road is not very inviting, but the actual entrance to the hotel is beautiful. The grounds are kept in very nice condition and everything looks very clean. Our room was very nice and we had upgraded to the Platinum rooms in the adult only building which was always nice and quiet. The private pool and bar there is great because you don't have to walk all the way to the other pools if you don't want to.
There is a lot of walking, but it is not bad. There are pools everywhere and beautiful grounds to look at. We spent most of our time at the more 'lively' pool area, which had a DJ, some events during the day, and a nice pool bar. The drinks were easy to get and were pretty good. Just like most all-inclusive resorts in other countries we've experienced, there weren't many beer selections. Also, like most all-inclusives, the buffets are not that great. In this case, we were pretty disappointed in the food (it was exactly the same breakfast and lunch every day). But, we like variety. The dinners were pretty good, we ate at the Tapas restaurant, Miso (Japanese), and the Mexican restaurant. I would highly recommend Miso for entertainment value and food quality.
We were kind of expecting more night life as well. You really only have a choice of one thing in the evening at any given time - whether it be the theater (no thanks) or live music outside, or the discotheque. All of which are not operating concurrently. The discotheque didn't even open until 10:30pm and no one was there until later on in the night. It would have been nice to have several different options every night. But, again, we like variety. The sports bar was usually inundated with children and was very loud so we didn't spend any time there.
The beach was beautiful and because we upgraded we sat in the area with drink service. The vendors blocked your view somewhat (they were in front of all the chairs), so that was kind of lame, but the beach was beautiful. The walk into the water sucked, because of the rocks, but once you got past that it was nice and soft and you could walk out far, it never got very deep.
All in all we had a good stay and would suggest it for people who like to relax by the pool and beach . It can be very quiet there but also has some fun lively areas. Not recommended for people who like something different every day with exceptional night life options."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Susan from Afton, Ok
"This place is amazing!! The grounds are beautiful and always perfectly manicured. The food was fantastic and plentiful. The drinks are wonderful and there is no skimping on the alcohol! Everyone should try the Irish coffee they prepare in the evening, absolutely amazing!! The only negative I have, is that you have to make reservations for all the restaurants that are not buffet style, and they 'fill up' fast and yet everyone we ate at was nearly empty. We couldn't understand why they told us they couldn't take any more reservations at some places and they were never full. Otherwise, AMAZING RESORT!!"
Posted: Mon, Jul 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Michelle Abdool
"My family spent 6 awesome nights at the Grand Sunset Princess. The overall experience certainly deserves a thumbs up.....a truly picturesque sight with exceptional hospitality from the staff. I certainly admired the work ethic. The food was quite appetizing with an array of dishes to choose from. The pools and the beach are hard to resist. For those thinking of staying at this property.....it's a fantastic choice."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Brittney from Rumsey, KY
"Great resort!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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William from Hudson, Ohio
"I read several reviews that gave us pause but overall were pleasantly surprised by virtually everything during our stay. Please note we did upgrade to Platinum which may have made a significant difference giving us a private pool, unlimited n/c room service and access to a Platinum concierge. Our rooms were very nice with two jacuzzis, marble floors and very comfortable beds. The setting was spectacular with an open atrium in the building's center and easy access to the Platinum lounge which had a open bar, morning expresso and better internet. Our experience was positive from the onset when Ullisyes checked us in and went through the trouble of moving us from the ground floor to a second floor room. Earlier reviews indicated the bottom floor could smell 'musty' because of the high humidity and shade. Our room had a slight musty smell but I think it is unavoidable. One tip, be sure to specifiy a 'non-smoking' room is the smell of smoke bothers you. My Son's room did have a faint smell of smoke. We had great meals at the Mexican restaraunt and LeFleur. The meal at Olas, the Seafood restaraunt was mediocre at best. My Daughters Salmon was still frozen in the middle. The room service was great and the drinks were great as well. Wish the beer selection was better. We were supposed to have premium liquor and though the alchohol brands were good, the beer choices were limited to Corona and Modelo and the Modelo Negro tap was broken the entire trip. The staff in the Platinum lounge were incredible. The concierge was friendly, patient and very insightful. Everyone at the facility were great! All in all, other than a few disappointing meals, our stay was perfect!"
Posted: Mon, Jul 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Tammy Meyer from Dittmer, Mo
"this was an awesome trip. Staff was so friendly. Grounds are kept up to almost flawless. I would recommend this resort. I love how they are waiting right out front for you to show and welcome you in. Just breathe taking."
Posted: Sun, Jul 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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JEANETTE CINTRON from GASTONIA, N.C.
"IT WAS THE BEST TIME MY HUSBAND WANT'S TO GO BACK FOR CHRISMAS I WOULD LOVE TO TRY AND STAY AT THE SUNSET PRINESS RESORT IN D.R"
Posted: Sun, Jul 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Karen from Sussex, Wisconsin
"I wanted a great family vacation and since my daughter was 18 i figured i go to mexico. Place is huge two hotel connected together you share the same food and pools but i still didn't think it was overly crowded. Last minute my oldest daughter's wedding was cancelled and i wanted to bring her with us. I was told that the hotel was booked and the one way she could come was if i added her to my brother's room (only three per room) with the no discount at 158 dollars a day didn't included transportation from the airport (she found a site to purchase for 40) and my including airfare (another 700.00). I told my brother to print out the email so when they got to hotel they didn't tell us a different price and they did they wanted 200.00 a night for her when she was SHARING A ROOM WITH MY BROTHER AND HIS WIFE. thanking showing the email she was able to get the 158 a night which is what we paid each for the WHOLE TRIP including airfare and transportation. I feel like that knew they had you and they didn't care. Besides that the three restraustants that we had to reserve were Ok nothing special waiting almost two hours at one for the whole dinner to finially be done. The entertaining staff was wonderful with having to keep people enjoying their trip (alot of drunk people) all the bars had good service and the pools and grounds were fastistic. All in all i give it a 8, just don't try to book anything last minute.."
Posted: Sun, Jul 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Ken from Collinsville, IL
"I was very concerned reading some reviews before we left. However; once I was there for a day, many of those concerns dissappeared. First let me say we traveled with three older individuals, one on oxygen and in a wheelchair and the other who wasn't able to walk alot. As a result, the size of the resort became somewhat of a problem - there are trams which run constently in 15 minute intervals and are filled many times; however, they often dropped off the people and came directly back to pick us up - not too big of an issue. There are a lot of people there so it can be difficult to get a chair on the beach but not impossible. We had three swim-out rooms and it was great to be able to just go from our room into the pool - spent most of the time there. The staff is like any, most are very friendly and attentive and some are not - that is the nature of people. There are some people staying at the resort who don't believe in waiting in lines and are rude (many are european but also US citizens); that will happen at any resort - rude people exist and the resort isn't responsible for this. You will see Iguanas and lizards near your room - not in your room unless you leave your doors open and let them come in. I was concerend about theft but found it to be unfounded - yes, I can believe if you leave cash or valuables out in the open or in unlocked safe it may dissappear - will happen anywhere. We found the food to be much more paletable than what we found in the Dominican Republic. Again, not everything is going to be the greatest thing you have ever eaten - you are in a different country - but it could be a lot worse. I would recommend the Grill - Great T-bones, the teppanyaki grill (could do without the grouper but the rest is good), Las Olas - the shrimp appetizer and grouper filet were very good. Believe it or not, I was least impressed with the Mexican restaurant. Was it perfect - no; nothing is; was it horrible - absolutely, not. It was a very enjoyable experience and would return, especially as it is one of the few resorts we found that has swim-out rooms that weren't adults only. Having stayed at two all-inclusive resorts both with swim out rooms - I would never stay in a resort that did not have these types of rooms. Bottom line - it is what you make of it. If you want to nit pick - you will have a bad experience; if you view it in the context of everyday life you will find it very enjoyable - it is vacation; how bad can that be?"
Posted: Sun, Jul 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Viky Jurado from Zion, Illinois
"It was great, we had a great time!!!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Evelyn from Miramar, FL
"Although you might think you are getting a really good deal for your money, here is a list with the pros and cons of the Hotel:
Pros:
Relatively good food (although it's not 24 hrs, all of them close at 3PM leaving you with just hamburgers and hot dogs)..they open again at 5PM
Good Drinks
Cleanliness was fair if you left a daily good tip.
Cons:
Resort is sooooo big that attention to detail falls to the cracks
Distance from lobby to Pool/Beach is huge, you need the golf cars to drive you around (10/15 min bet. each other)
Towels apparently are a big concern, you get cards that later you exchange for towels....the sad part is that there is only one place for this exchange which is near the pool....soooo far .
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Laurie Thayer from Mendon, Ma
"Did not enjoy hotel. Stuck in back suite with lots of bird droppings on walls etc. of balcony. Also, in what looked like a flower box the length of balcony, there were lots of cigarette butts. Was obviously in smoking section. 'Thatched roof had many holes so when it rained (which was common each day) the balcony was flooded. Requested new room and was accomodate. Drinks were the worst I have ever had. Frozen drinks made with what tasted like diet kool-aid. Food not so great. Every buffet served same food each day and if you want to eat at restaurant need to make reservations by sunrise to get anything. We tried the day we got there and all were full except for the Italian on the last day of stay. No brewed coffee or real cream. Served Nescafe instant and coffee mate. Pools a little cloudy with some green algae at base. Staff was very friendly. Unfortunately, will never stay there again."
Posted: Fri, Jul 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Wanda Gailey from Brunswick, OH
"My family and I really enjoyed the stay. The rooms were clean. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was good.The beach was not what I expected. Too many vendors. I would come back again."
Posted: Fri, Jul 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jazz from Bronx, Ny
"Just came back from my stay at the grand sunset and it was definitely one of the nicest resorts I've been to! I had a great time by the pools and beach, the resort is so big.The food although was not what I expected it to be, but I do recommend making reservations to the Miso and Las Olas the seafood restaurant. The junior deluxe was beautiful and comfortable, I would definitely stay here again"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Harshal from Hartford, CT
"The Good:
1) Very nice resort. Nicely done
2) Rooms are nice and clean
3) The staff are nice. Very friendly
4) Nice beach (except for some rocks)
The Cons:
1) Very long/narrow resort. If you are staying towards the lobby, its a long walk to the beach. We had rooms near the middle, so wasnt too bad.
2) Buffett food wasnt that great. If you stay more than 5 days, you will start getting bored of the food. I expected better.
3) The employees were great, but most of them didnt know English, so communication was a bit difficult. But thats part of the fun going to a different country.
I would highly recommend the resort, especially for the price. Enjoy!"
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Cesar Urizar from Johnston, RI
"Room was full of Mosquitos. We asked to be changed to another room n they didn't allowed it; up intolerance the last minute we were killing Mosquitos in our room. The room was not well maintained and the room cleaning staff were very much helpful when needed. The desk people were not customer focused. The concierge staff lack communication skills in regards to the restaurant reservations n it had nothing to do with any language barrier because my family and I are fluent in Spanish"
Posted: Thu, Jul 19, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Heather Carpenter from Bend, OR
"This resort was amazing from the time we checked in until we left. We were greeted at check in with cold towels and champange. 'And no we were not on our honeymoon' Its what they do to greet every guest. The marble floors and the rooms were beautiful. We stayed at the Jr. Suite with the jacuzzi tub so we did not upgrade but it felt like it. The first night we arrived we had the buffet and it was sooo goood!! The food was better than any all inclusive resort we have ever stayed at. They had everything, but our favorite were the lobster tails. All of the other evenings we ate at the many different restaurants they have, almost every restaurant was a five course dinner. Men must were long pants to all of the formal dinners. The only thing to remember is to book your dinner reservations right after you check in because they fill up fast. All of the bars were great and had good brands of liquor, not the $5 bottles you see at some all inclusives. The mini bar in the rooms only had a few beers, water, and soda in them but if you ask housekeeping for more they will give you more. The staff were all really friendly and most new English. We knew we did not have to tip the staff but we did because the service was so good, better than anything you get in the U.S. The pools and beach were great, they had fun activities for the kids at the pool and also free snorkeling for an hour at the beach. They also had a bar at the beach and a BBQ everyday so you did not have to walk back to the resort to eat or get a drink. The nightlife was fun and for all ages. There were vendors from the city, dancers and a show, multiple bands that were very trendy and modern, and a club and sports bar that were open after 11pm. The only thing we did not like about our experience was the resort provides a free shuttle to and from town everyday that you have to sign up for a day ahead of when you want to go. We left on the shuttle the next day at noon and were told to be back at the same location at 5pm. When we got there at five the driver told us the shuttle was full and there were still 12 people that needed a ride back to the resort. He told us you only got back to the resort free if you were the first 42 people back at five to get on the shuttle first. The 12 of us had to pay $4 each to get back to the resort on another shuttle. So if you go to town make sure you are one of the first 42 people back at 5. This situation was the only thing I would change at the resort. Everything was GREAT and we cant wait to go again next year and many years after. I highly recommend this resort!!!! :)"
Posted: Wed, Jul 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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David Polakoff from Indianapolis, IN
"Had an amazing time here. The hotel was awesome and really a great deal for the amount of money we paid. Highly recommend it."
Posted: Tue, Jul 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Gabriel from Guelph, Ontario, Canada
"25th Anniversary occasion: booked it together with a lot of friends. Wonderful location, excellent resort, well maintained, good value service if you're staying with the package. The only minus would be rocks from the water.
Management was showing some deficiency in public relation and service. Personnel not very friendly, slow reaction, not very flexible."
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Anh from Los Angeles, CA
"The place is huge and not enough shuttle service. Hand towels at the restaurants were scary to use because they were all worn and frayed. The beach area was rocky and had a lot of kelp growing and made the water look brown. We upgraded to include their 'higher end' restaurants, which i highly don't recommend. The food was horrible. If you do decide to go all inclusive, i suggest going with the standard option, and heading out to 5th Ave in Playa Del Carmen for better tasting local fare.
some big pluses were the paella & burgers on the beach. beachside massages for 2 people ($40 each) was awesome. Mango margaritas were our goto drink (w/ jimador tequila). Staff was very helpful and friendly."
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Ben And Kathy from Pottstown, PA
"My family and I just retruned from this hotel on Friday, July 13, 2012.
The hotel was beautiful and the grounds were amazing!!! Very well kept and maintained. This is a HUGE resort and you will have to do alot of walking even though they have 2 carts available to drive you around. For a large resort they need more carts for sure!!!!
We were so excited to go on this vacation...we are all about the beach and the BLUE water. Well we were very disappointed in what we found. The beach is pretty don't get me wrong..but it is crowded with too many vendors. I want to sit in my chair and see the ocean not vendors!!! The water is so filled with HUGE rocks you definetly need water shoes AND last week there was disgusting seaweed everywhere!! We literally were at the beach only 1 DAY out of the 6!!!! We were so disgusted!!! I am so not a picky person and I don't typically write reviews but I had to write one this time since the beach and water was so disappointing!!!! Yes, once you got out so far there was sand but to get there was not fun !!!! the super clear beautiful blue water was WAY OUT there not here at this resort.
FOOD -
Food to us was horrible.. We pretty much lived on bread, ice-cream and odds and ends of whatever we could find. I would recommend the hibachi place and the Fondue place, they were ok!!! We were looking forward to our connection flight in Atlanta to eat some decent food. The spread and presentation was beautiful but taste not good at all. My husband got violently ill on Thursday, throwing up and other issues. We were concerned about getting home the next day, but we did make it. But he was in the hotel all day Thursday, extremely sick well into the night.
It is really ahame, because the hotel itself is beautiful and well maintained but I think it's way too large and the food is not fresh or up to par and the beach and water are very disappointing!!! I would not recommend this hotel nor would I return. Everyone is different so the choice is yours."
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Drache Gonzalez from Logansport, Indiana
"I really like it, its was ok, the only comment its was me and my wife 24th anniversary
it was written but we did not receive something special.
everything else was very good."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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James
"My wife and I had a great time there. If you like to drink a lot and eat a lot then, this is the right place. If not then you are better off with the money at another hotel on the water because it is the same thing.
If you can speak Spanish then this is also the right place for you. We didn't speak Spanish and it was hard because they didn't speak much English and for a place that cators to tourists I think that they should have been able to speak better English.
We really didn't care for the entertainment much, but it was nice to sit outside and listen to music as long as you had bug spray. It was very hot inside. Outside it was hot, but you would think that indoors it would be colder, but it wasn't. We asked the person who cleaned our room to make it colder and he just looked at us and said 'No'.
The place is Soooo big that it is a long walk where every you want to go. You do neet water shoes when you go to the beach. There are rocks in the water and you could get hurt.
We took the Snorkle Adventure and it was more of a 'follow the leader' than see the reef and fish. We both didn't like it and no one on your boat did either. We had to follow the guide in the water and didn't have any freedom to stop and look at much because we were always following him and always moving. We really didn't see much either.
The different places to eat was great so no buffett every night. It was a good change of pace. You do need to make your reservations for those which I didn't like because I don't like to plan things when I am on vacation. I like to come and go as I please.
It was a great time, but I wish I had read my rewiew before I went."
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Randy from Monroe, GA
"My wife and I spent 7 days here and we had a terrific time. The first impressions to the final goodbyes left us feeling like we were part of a family. After check in and meeting our concierge at our 'Private' pool, we took a tour of the very large property. The grounds were constantly being maintained by a very courteous staff. The pools were clean warm and inviting. The party pool looked like they were having a blast. We decided to hit the beach and relax, but if you don't have water shoes, be prepared to walk on alot of rocks and endure some seaweed on the bottom. Overall the beach was a good experience, although we never took advantage of the bar service or food service at the beach.
Now, as for all the pools, we did venture away from our private pool to the larger and more crowded party pool. We did find a couple of of lounges vacant, but be warned that although the rules state that you aren't to reserve the lounges people do it early. The drinks were cold and tasty all day long. There are alot of kids and noise in these pools. I even got kicked a couple of times by some rambunctious little people. You will be able to find quiet areas in the larger pool further away from the bars. We basically decided after the first day, that the Laguna pool was the best fit for us. It is Adults only, the full bar service was terrific, the breakfast and snack bar were a welcome treat. You will never have a problem finding a lounge or cabana. We met some awesome people at this pool and this made the stay that much more enjoyable.
The food at the buffets was descent but not mediocre like other reviewers lead you on to believe. The restaurants do have a dress code for men, so BRING long pants and closed toe shoes. The dress code is enforced! As for the selection and quality of the food, I was not all that impressed. Do not be afraid to send food back if it is not to your liking. The selections are not the best. If you want a big selection to choose from, GO TO TOWN. Overall, I thought that the food was good but would leave you wanting more filling.
So, in a nutshell, We had a great time and would stay here again. The Grand Sunset is a great place to stay and would LOVE to go back again.
Also, you should use CancunShuttle for your tours and travel to hotel. Very nice folks.
"
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Tama Wilson from St Louisville, Ohio
"I loved everything!!! Please give the doctor a big thank you from us!!!!!! She was awesome!,"
Posted: Fri, Jul 13, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Bob Bloomfield from Tarpon Springs, FL
"We stayed in a Laguna Villa Suite. It was awesome. Large room, Comfortable bed and a hot tub in the middle of the room. We weren't sure how we would like the outside shower but it was amazing. This is the ONLY way to go for couples and Honeymooners. The private pool was great. We never had to fight for chairs or huts. It was quiet and peaceful. We met some great people by the pool. If we wanted noise and partying, we could go to the other pools, but when we wanted to relax we had that too!. The Conciege met us upon check in. She was wonderful, taking care of everything. She had made our dinner reservations at various restaurants for us already for the first 3 nights. She took care of EVERYTHING. Having our own bartender and waiter was great. Never a line at the bar. The had fruit in the morning and brought chips, dip and mini sandwiches at lunch. The restaurants were really good. We ate at a different one every nite. The only drawback was the beach... But reading the reviews, we were prepared for it. The beach itself was very nice, we even had our own private area to sit. It was rocky and their was a lot of seaweed. But we didn't let this deter us. My wife is a shopper, we didn't need to leave the resort as on Thursday night they had a Mexican night and brought in about 50 vendors. We were told by other people that the prices were as good as they were in town. so no need to go in town.... The Villas are the ONLY way to go for couples!!!!!"
Posted: Fri, Jul 13, 2012- Overall Experience:
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A Recent Traveler
"Everything was excellent!!!!"
Posted: Thu, Jul 12, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jarrett Ellis from Atlanta, Georgia
"I read a lot of negative reviews about this place on a different website and was a little concerned about going as a result. My family and I stayed for 6 days and 5 nights, and in retrospect, I am completely mystified by the critical remarks. The grounds are stunningly beautiful, the rooms are large, stylish and well-appointed and the food was excellent at both the buffets and the a-la-carte restaurants at every meal. We have stayed at quite a few places in the U.S. and are fairly particular about our accommodations. This resort stands alongside the best we have experienced. I can't give meaningful comments on the activities onsite since we took excursions almost every day, but my wife and kids, who range from ages 19 to 9, all thought very highly of the property. Keep in mind that the place is huge, and the walking got to be a bit much for us all even though we are all healthy and fairly active. Still, we give it a hearty recommendation. For those of you who have concerns based on some negative remarks, I hope this helps."
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Kevin Hare from Amarillo, Texas
"GREAT resort. GREAT staff. We had a group of 18 and had a blast!"
Posted: Mon, Jul 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Marie from Havertown, PA
"We just returned from our stay at the Grand Sunset Princess in Mexico. We had read the reviews before going and were concerned about several things that turned out to be both accurate and helpful. I will do my best to aid the next visitors.
This property is clean and pays great attention to the grounds which are manicured daily. The rooms however are clean, but the sofa and pillows smelled musty.
The floors on this property are marble and granite which makes walking quite slippery as others have reported. Bring new flips as we did so your walking even by the pool areas are more steady. Plan to walk a lot since this is a very large property. Shuttles are available but are generally filled to capacity and do not run as frequently as they should.
Making reservations for ala carte dinners is a process. You can make them for two days in advance but then need to go back to the reservation desk before 2 pm to get a decent restaurant choice. They fill up fast and there are not many spots or times available because they say they are booked. However, when you enter the restaurants they had many empty tables.
The food at the buffets is plentiful but of fair quality.
The ala carte restaurants have good choices and better food.
At an all inclusive property tipping is usually not required. As we sat for dinner at these restaurants we noticed that people did tip the waiters as we did later. When I asked about this, we were told that it is not required but if you get great service you may tip them.
They advertise that the hotel has a free shuttle to Playa del Carmen which they do; to get this free service you need to book in person before 8 AM with the Concierge the day before to get a seat. If you are not there by 8 AM there will not be seats available for the next day.
The daily entertainment at the pools, bars and theaters was good and kept our attention.
We tried to upgrade to be in a Platinum room but they were booked. We were in a Jr Deluxe Suite and did get the king sized bed requested after much begging at check in. The Platinum guests are the only ones who get ocean front lounge chairs which are cushioned. All other guests receive mesh lounge chairs behind the merchants lined up on the beachfront.
WiFI is expensive and only available in the lobby area.
Overall, we had a good relaxing vacation, but the comments we read were true and we wanted to confirm that and give everyone a heads up before going.
This property should be rated with one less star.
"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Tiffany Downey from CA
"The swim out room was awesome!! Good food. Didn't care for the beach, just spent all the time at the pool (bring your own floaty). Beautiful grounds. Clean. No problems. Kids loved 'party' pool, sports bar (open 24/7), and disco. Entertainment every night, indoors at theater or outdoors in courtyard area. Italian place was not great, pizza was ok. Steak house was ok, huge T-bone steaks if you like that. Did not eat any other places. Buffet was good, big variety. BBQ on the beach place is convenient for burgers, dogs and such. Bars everywhere. Room service costs extra which sucks. Nice rooms, spacious and clean with fridge stocked daily with soda, beer and water. Lots of security people walking around. I will return for sure!!!"
Posted: Sun, Jul 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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KH from STL
"Stayed 7 days and it was amazing. Platinum suite upgrade is the way to go. Food at all the restaurants was better then any other resort I've stayed at in Mexico. Staff was really fun and worked extremely hard every day ensuring to make your stay the best. "
Posted: Sat, Jul 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Marie A. from South Elgin, IL
"Overall it is a very good resort. The beach and pools are very good. The food choices are excellent. The food service crew are friendly and very helpful but the concierge need more training as they are not friendly and helpful at all. The rooms are also clean but there is smell of urine coming out of the drainage of the shower. The shows at night are okay and the activities during daytime makes the stay at the resort not so boring."
Posted: Sat, Jul 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mary from Alexandria, Virgina
"Resort was beautiful. Always clean. Birds and reptiles coexisted with the guests.
The cuisine was definitely more European than my American children were used to eating. It was hard to find food they would eat. There was very little change from day to day at the buffets. The restaurants were good but you felt rushed to finish.
The beach was wide with lots of chairs and shade. But once you went into the water you hit rocks. There was plenty of room in the pools although chairs by the pools were reserved early in the morning with little turn over later in the day.
The activities were a good mix of structured and spontaneous events.
The evening shows in the theater were 'PG' rated. Not for the young children who were in the theater because the 'Mini Disco' activity had occurred just prior. Not to mention that young children were running around distracting from the performance."
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Barth Elizabeth from Anderson, SC
"My family and I have travelled extensively all over from the time they were young children. Now that they are teenagers I always look for places with lots of activities, teen club and a large facility. This was a large facility but no teenage activities. The teen club was empty. The activities that were available were geared to adults. The girls (both 15) enjoyed the sun but the boys (16,17) hung out at the sports club as well as the pool. About 25% of the staff was joyous and friendly, these were a few waiters, sports staff, housekeeping.
The hotel stated that the WIFI was available but what they didn't tell you was that it was only available in the lobby for a price.
When we arrived, the shuttle dropped us off and we just looked around. Nobody there to greet us or direct us. My friend and I were traveling with our teenagers and we asked for rooms close to each other in our reservations 4 months ago and we were told that it wasn't possible. We were given a quick run through the place. We were expecting a greeting and warm welcoming! We got a 'wow, more people checking in' feeling.
The frozen drinks were not blended well, habitually. Chunks of ice circled the bottom of the glass. The first day, the drinks tasted really bad. The food was a 5/10.
I sound like a complainer, but I am not. I expected more because I feel like I have gotten amazing deals in the past with other resorts.
Sun was great. Pools were clean, vast and not crowded.
The beach, however, was packed. No chairs available any of the days we were there.
Room was great. Gotta be able to walk a lot.
"
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Chelsea from Rivera Maya, Mexico
"This was a beautiful hotel that we stayed in. We were in the adults only section and although it was furthest from the beach we were so thankful because there was a lot of kids on the beach ect. We loved the staff and location and would recommend it"
Posted: Thu, Jul 05, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Inna Karpyuk from Lincoln, NE
"First time in mexico for our anniversary. We arrived late and the travel to hotel was very organized and quick. Enjoyed the food, although reserving restaurants is not neccessary since the food is all the same, just served differently. We spent most of the time on the beach, loved the night life and the evening breeze. Staff was always friendly and helpful. Went on one tour, paid $119 per person, do not recommend it. very primitive. You might as well get a taxi and do the touring on your own, instead of with the group. My humble opinion. We would return."
Posted: Thu, Jul 05, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Steve from Grand, Colorado
"Impressed with the friendly staff. Very Clean, and great grounds and pool. Food was okay for an all inclusive. They need to do something about the 'Topas Restaurant' not very good. The Sushi and Fish Restaurants were very good. Really a good value for what we paid"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Marie A. from South Elgin, IL
"Overall it is a very nice resort. The food choices are excellent. The pools and the beach are superb. The shows at night are okay. I hope that they can make it more entertaining though. The food service crew are very helpful and friendly but the concierge crew need more training as they are not very helpful at all. Overall, we have fun and enjoyed the vacation."
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Judi Schuster from Woodcliff Lake, NJ
"My sister and I stayed from June 6-June 11. We go away together every year, and try out new places each time. By the end of this trip we both agreed that we would love to go back there. The staff were friendly, the resort is absolutely beautiful, and there were enough choices for dinner. I loved the steakhouse the most. Our room was nice; very clean. The pools were plentiful; always found a decent place to sit. We went to Chill Out one day and paid the extra $11 per person. It was a nice treat to have the comfortable cushions and more personal waitress service.
I can't wait until next year!"
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Shawndra Moore from Keller, Texas
"We absolutely loved the Princess Resort! It was everything we hoped for and more. The resort is gorgeous, the staff was very accomodating and it was more than worth the price! We are already planning our next trip and we will be going back!"
Posted: Mon, Jul 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Vivian Cunningham from Willingboro, NJ
"I loved everything about this beautiful resort..The service was phenomenal, the staff was very friendly and attentive, and the food was delicious..I can't wait to go again with my family to enjoy the pools, elegant restaurants, close walking distance to the beach, sports bar, etc..The next time, I would like to stay 2 weeks.."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Yolanda Ponce from San Francisco, CA
"First of all the hotel in not in Cancun. It is located in the Riviera Maya.
The hotel is nice and clean. The staff very friendly.
The only negative comments I have are:
The matresses and pillows are very hard (think stone)
The linens smell (I don't know if it's the humidity or what)
Other than that the place is worth its price"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Teresa from Gilbert, Iowa
"The resort was beautiful, and we were very pleased with the Platinum Suite accomodations, close to the ocean and pools. The staff was not as responsive as we'd have liked, and in some cases (check-in desk), not very friendly. The food was ok, but we were not terribly impressed with it. The restaurants (non-buffet dining) had very limited menu choices. We found the staff for Best Day Travel (at the resort) to be very helpful and a pleasure to work with. I would absolutely recommend booking private transport, if you can afford it - much more enjoyable than cramming into a full vehicle with strangers and shuttling from one resort to another."
Posted: Mon, Jul 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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LEE ANN from FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA - California
"We just returned from 5 days at this resort. We have some good and bad experiences with this resort. There are some pro and cons
Pros: The resort was beautiful, have a lot of pools, nice long walk to the beach which was a good exercise of us. The landscaping was amazing and very pretty. The front staffs were courteous and accommodating. The room was spacious and very comfortable. The front beach was clean and beautiful.
Cons: 1.We did not have good weather the first 3 days there due to thunderstorms, so we ended up staying inside the resorts every day. The water was everywhere and I keep asking the staff to clean, but somehow it did not get done. A lot of maintenance and securities did not speak English, so it was hard to communicate. I talked to front desk, they seem to be helpful but they do not seem to have enough people to go around the resort to clean the puddle of water. I slipped 2-3 times during those 3 days.
2. Foods: Were not good to my taste. All restaurants was already booked on the day we got there, so we could not get any restaurant for the next 3-4 days until late at night at 9:40 pm. It was too late to eat, so we ate at the buffets 3 times a day instead for 3 days in a row. I think the resort need to train new chefs. The food overall are not good even with a la carte. The restaurant was OK. The only thing that I like was seafood. Suggest: book all the restaurant ASAP so people will have enough time to enjoy varieties of food.
3. We thought they have free Wi-Fi but it is not true. This is only for platinum member not for staying at a Jr. Suite. The charge was $20 per day. This was too expense.
4. It is better to announce the entertainment for the night because we do not know what to expect every night. Suggest: should have all activities listed in each room each day or on the billboard by front desk.
Overall, the resort was to my satisfaction but could need a lot improvement on the restaurant and the buffet foods. All the staffs should know a little of English will be helpful not just the front desk.
"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Melissa from Indio, Ca
"june 30 2012
I want to say before we went to this resort I looked at the reviews and booked accordingly. We got the best room with the most amenities however, even doing this there are things you should know are not inculded.... the best spot on the beach which they say is yours but not yours is next to it if you want the best its 11.00 day ok well all good then we had a server that choose to ignore us outright so we go our own bevs big huh well its suppose to be special ok...the next thing is the water therapy in the spa are is a charge now if you talk real nice to your concerige who by the way is awesome she will get you what you need. One trick to keeping the air on in your room is take on of you grocery store cards and put it in the slot not your room key and it keeps the air on during the day
otherwise its a beautiful resort so beautiful very very clean and generally the people are great if you want to go into town (playa del carmen) rent a car for the day its easy and not far the shuttle is not good to many people even though they try just to many folks
all the food is great buffets are nice clean fresh food and the miso restaurant is well done
guys bring on pair long pants got to to go into night restaurants
have fun ask if you dont know and watch the evening shows really well done
oh by the way the villas are amazing upgrade to them if you can afford"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jorge P from Hillsdale, NJ
"This was my first vacation in 6 years, my first one in Mexico. I spent 8 days at the resort with my wife and 3 kids and it truly surpassed all my expectations. Not even the fact that the first 2 days were all-rain made it less of an excellent experience. The quality of the resort and the attempt made by the attendees to satisfy every desire we could have, made our experience one to remember. Cant wait to be back!
Kids can't bore as there are activities and clubs all day and most of the night. The shows were Broadway quality and the food was fantastic. So many restaurants and a wonderful buffet made each night an all dine-out occasion. The bars were everywhere and the drinks were nicely made. The pools are beautifully designed and all built with bars to sit at.
So when you put all that together with the history and natural beauty of the Mayan Rivera, you cant go wrong...
"
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Larry from Fullerton, CA
"The resort just had no attention to detail
My wife and I paid for the Villa suite because we had been to Cancun before and wanted to separate ourselves from the larger resort guests. it was also our honeymoon. Had a much better time at the Now Jade Riviera.
below is the pros and cons of our stay.
Pros
1) Nice resort and amenities.
2) lots of beach frontage
3) beautiful landscaping and architecture
Cons
1) fridge didn't work. waters and sodas were never restocked. this seemed to be the consensus among all the villa guests we spoke to. called for service and got no resolve.
2) WiFi access was nonexistent. the resort should not even be allowed to advertise WiFi with such horrible coverage.
3) The AC was leaking into the room
4) there was supposed to be a selection of fine alcohols in the room that we did not even know about until the last day of our stay.
5) We let the hotel know it was our honeymoon and they informed me that there would be something nice in the room like champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.....never arrives
6) We waited in the platinum check in line for 30 minutes before going into the regular check in line.
7) Got food poisoning from tainted food at the villa pool. improper food temperature.
8) Lost my spa credit because I was sick (with salmonila). spa would not let me reschedule.
9) front desk never seemed to have enough change to convert dollars to pesos.
10) room service would bring coffee with no creamer or toast with no jelly.
11) Villa pool gate was broken so any guest could enter.
12) no priority shuttle service for Villa Members"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Veronica Wall from Raleigh, NC
"My husband and I had a wonderful stay at the Grand Sunset Princess Resort. The junior suite was beautifully decorated, much like a spa. We thoroughy enjoyed the food, beach, pools and the entertaining shows. We only left the resort once for a night out."
Posted: Sat, Jun 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Kim from AR
"We just returned home from a week long trip to the Grand Sunset Princess in Playa del Carmen. It was truly an amazing resort. Everything was to our satisfaction. Definitely would take another vacation to this resort."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Julia Palmieri from East Windsor, New Jersey
"This was absolutely the greatest, most amazing, most fantastic all-inclusive resort vacation my husband and I have ever been on!!! The resort was clean, the people was courteous and accommodating, the food was delicious, the rooms were clean, comfortable and spacious. The pool spanned around the entire resort, the swim up bars were very convenient and the bartenders were always willing to offer specialty drink recommendations. The beach was beautiful - clean, plenty of lounge chairs under canopied umbrellas, the water was crystal clear, they have a bbq tent where you can grab a quick burger/hot dog/fajitas etc. The nighttime shows were great, there was plenty to do during the day (they so many scheduled activities and games). Everything was just so fantastic we could not have asked for a nicer resort! Thank you!!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Trujillo from San Diego, CA
"The Resort was AWESOME, my family had a Great time lots to do so little time. Hopefully the resort will offer Free WIFI next time we go....oh yes we will be back!!"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kimberly from Hunt Valley
"We had a wonderful time at the GSPR. The staff was extremely friendly and hardworkind and willing to do anything for you! The only thing we would ask them to do is to have more freqhent shuttle service especially at the dinner hour. Also, the buffett food could be better and change it up a bit.
Out favorite restaurant was Miso it was excellent!!! Quite entertaining and the food was delicious. Mama Mia was ok and La Hacienda was ok. I did not care for Vaqeria, the steakhouse restaurant. i got the chicken and it was not good!
We stayed in the Platinum suite definately worth paying the extra money. YOu are closer to the beach and you have Chill Out beach right there. The chill Out Beach was amazing even though you had to pay 11.00 per person, it was clearly worth every penny. It was unlimitted drinks, the drinks were better and the lounges were mattresses with a terrycloth cover on them. It was fabulous!!!
I do suggest you wear swim shoes there are a lot of rocks when you first enter the water and large rocks out in the water at times. It hurts to step on them or to stub your toes. We would definately stay here again. it was a wonderful experience.
ALso , Best Day Travel did a fantastic job transporting us back and forth to the airport. It was vert organized. We booked an excursion with Best Day and it was amazing. We did the Tulum/ Akumal Mayan Ruins and snorkeling with the sea turtles adventure. It was excellent and the guides were very friendly, fun and very knowledgable! We had an wonderful time i highly suggest this resort."
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J.H. from Westminster, CA
"Now I know why this resort always charges so low compares to other places. Their prices are on sale all the time.
FOOD: our group of 40 people were there from 6/19 > 6/26/12. The resort is pretty, but we will not come back there again. We stayed 7 days there and only couple meals were good (French and Seafood). The rest were very lousy. The buffet is very boring %u2013 same things repeating all the time. You have to wait until 2 PM every day to reserve next day special dinner (French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Sea food, Spain) in person, not on the phone, even when you are the 1st one of the day to reserve for dinner. Most of them already filled up. You either get the hours like 6 PM, 6:30 PM, 7:15 PM or 9:40 PM. They would tell you the restaurants are all booked, but when you do go there the restaurants are more than half empty. Chinese food were either too salty or two sweet. Japanese Sushi is like California rolls and the rice are uncooked.
SAFETY: there are marble floors everywhere at the resort %u2013 it rains a lot there so you have to be EXTRA CAREFUL to not fall. Some staff is very unfriendly.
BEACHES: beautiful white sands %u2013 some areas are rocky in the water. Many beautiful swimming pools and they are very clean.
CHARGES: If you lose your key card ($10/ea.), towel card ($20/ea.) and bracelet tag ($100/ea.)
NEEDLESS to say > we'll never use this resort again.
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Alan from Merced, Ca
"Total experience was good. The trip was definitely worth the price we paid for. Shows was the great, the events very entertaining. But it is a very dangerous place when raining, it is extremly slipery."
Posted: Thu, Jun 28, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Rob Kramer from California, Ky
"Just returned home from my trip. All the meals were outstanding. Rooms were very nice and spotless. The whole resort was spotless.
Room for improvement would be having more bartenders at the main swim up bar.
One bartender had a bit of an attitude. Didnt really care how long you had to wait for a drink. My brother inlaw tipped him 3 bucks but that didnt change him at all.
At lot of marble and tile which is very slick when it gets wet. it rained a couple of evenings on us so we had to be very careful when walking.
When we do decide to go back to Mexico it will be here"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mary Anne from Montgomery, Alabama
"My husband and I went down for a very delayed honeymoon (2 years delayed) and had a wonderful time! The room was very nice and spacious and had a great view. We were in the junior deluxe suite. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. The grounds were very well kept and beautiful. Unfortunately we didn't get to take full advantage of what the resort had to offer as we got incredibly burnt the first day. The buffets weren't anything spectacular, but not terrible. We ate at the grill and the Mexican restaurants and both were delicious. The grill was our favorite - everything was delicious and presented very nicely. Overall we had a great time and would definitely like to go back in the future!"
Posted: Thu, Jun 28, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Pete W from Olympia, WA
"Good trip, but with a little more work by the resort, it would be a great trip....
Been to all-inclusives in Jamaica, so can only compare to that.
Book yourself a private shuttle to/from the Cancun Airport. Faster, less hassle, and much cheaper...
Upgrade to Platinum is worth it in my opinion. Not just for the premium liquor (although that is a GREAT plus, as the house hard liquor is of noticably less quality), but for the room service. Although they make out that the Platinum's get lots better amenities, the supplied robes are a bit scratchy, and the platnum pool is 'just a pool' (no swim-up bar, just a plain rectangular pool), and I'm not sure how much 'better' it was to have the concierge there in the platinum building, as they don't do much other than tell you why you can't change your dinner reservations, and give out towels...not much 'concierge-level' work there...
I do agree that the 'platinum' pool towles do feel better than the blue 'normal' ones, and they do have a 'platinum' beach area (note: it's at the north end of the beach...if you're in the Sunset platinum, instead of the Riviera Platnum, you have a walk....).
The walk out of the platinum buildings to get to the breakfast and lunch buffets, or form the platinum pool to the rest of the resort, makes you go through and around the platnum lobby to get anywhere (not fun in the heavy June rains, especially for the 'dress-up-required' dinners)...
And then there's the dinners......if you want buffet, great, if you want the restaurants, you have little flexibility once you make your 'reservations' the first time.....you can't just walk into one and get a seat, even if you are willing to wait for cancellations...they are NEVER full, but it looks like they traffic shape their restaurants based on the staff (and food supplies) they will need based on the reservations competed the day prior. If you want to change restaurants, you go to your counsierge, and see what they have in previous reservations physically turned into them (note, this does not take into account cancellations the other platinum concierge, or the main concierge for non-platinum have gotten), and you have to do them a day in advance, so your first evening, you get buffet....they also have a 'reserved' night for their 'platinum dinner event', which is just another buffett (didn't notice any better food that night). It would be SOOOOO much better with a touch-screen system in the lobbies, using some pre-assigned PIN (for security) to allow you to change when you wanted, not waiting for the concierge to have free time....
Restaurants:
Great: La Vaquiera, Miso Teppanyaki, La Fondue
Good: International quisine
EH: seafood at Las Olas
Throught if you went to Miso, you could also sample the Sushi there, but no, that's a serarate reservation.......not clear until you get there....
bars or waiting drinks at all restaurants, so good wait experience (short waits, too).
One thing they REALLY need to do....when it's raining (often in afternoon/evening in June), they need to use the larger platinum shuttles, since that's when people are more likely to ride to get to their dinners at the main building (don't want to get that fancy dress and dress pants wet, ya know...). Was late for 2 of 5 dinners cuz they didn't have enough seats to get folks the 1/2 mile back up to the main building (wife is partially handicapped)...
Positives:
Beautiful resort, beautiful rooms.
Whirlpools in platinum rooms
Negatives:
Concierges in Platinum almost useless
shuttle to platinum needs work.
Dinner reservation system needs lots of work.
NO HOT-TUBS"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jason & Paula from Kansas City, MO
"This was a great trip. I had never flown or traveled outside of the US. But this was a great first experience. The hotel was even more beautiful than the pictures, and the staff was extremely efficient and courteous. Definitely want to return."
Posted: Wed, Jun 27, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kevin from St. Louis, MO
"We went to Riviera Maya on a family vacation (adults). Overall, our group was happy with the cleanliness and grounds of the resort. The landscaping at the resort and the buildings were immaculately kept and maintained. The rooms were clean and as advertised. I was not, however, in any way impressed with the staff or customer service. The dinner reservations were a nightmare to make. I would have understood if the dining establishments were full each night, but each of the three nights we had reservations there weren't more than 20 people in the restaurant. Not to mention, it took a serveral hours and several different representatives to get things situated. Other simple requests were issues, also. We would not return to this resort."
Posted: Tue, Jun 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Jeanne from Pleasantville, NY
"Overall the resort is nice and relaxing. But don't go in June, since there's a good chance you'll have rain to deal with, which becomes treacherous, since it's not too easy to walk on wet marble without falling down. Inside and out it was difficult to keep from slipping. The staff is very pleasant, but we were not advised that you must make dinner reservations...no ticket, no dinner...unless you're ok with the buffet every night...and honestly the buffets were not so bad...much better than the restaurant called Miso (awful). On the bright side, the restaurant La Fleur was very good. The floor wax (chemical) they use stinks to high heaven, so you'll have to air out your room, but don't do it for too long because the heat and humidity outside will quickly cause condensation and then you're right back to trying to keep yourself from falling! :-) So, with all this I can still say I enjoyed myself...since I guess I really needed a vacation! :-D"
Posted: Tue, Jun 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"Great place to stay. I have been to other resorts in Cancun, but nothing tops Grand Sunset Princess. More pools, more restaurants, fun, clean, etc.."
Posted: Tue, Jun 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mauricio Mendez from Piedras Negras, Coahuila
"perfect hotel in all ways the only thing is that its so big and maybe if you don't want to wall a little you won't like it"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Brooke from Collinsville, IL
"We had a great time again this year at the Grand Sunset. We went last year for the first time and all voted on a return trip. The resort is beautiful and VERY safe. The photographers on the beach take AWESOME pictures. The food is YUMMY (Mama Mia and the Japanese). Don't forget bug spray if you are out at night. A GREAT family vacation :)"
Posted: Mon, Jun 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Iga from Austin, TX
"This was my third visit to Cancun area all-inclusive resorts. June 10-20.
Sunset Princess was the worst experience ever!
Good points: It is elegant, the beach has lots of palm trees that give lots of shade, the disco and the DJ was great, location close to Playa del Carmen.....and that's it.
The rest was horrible! I have paid extra to get the upgrade to Platinum level, there was NO difference in the room quality or service received.Very disappointed!!!! Even to get an ocean view i was asked to pay AGAIN EXTRA 50$ more per night!! Staff was mostly not friendly at all, the impression i got was that no one really care about the customer. They never follow the instruction. The check in process was really bad, we were asked to PAY for all the kids, despite the printed receipt that said 2 kids 0-12 stay free.
Be aware that in this resort you won't get an ocean view room, or see much of the ocean, unless you are directly on the beach!!!! the view is blocked by huge bushes. Resort is huge, you have to walk 10-15 minutes for dinner and entertainment if you stay close to the beach or if you stay in standard rooms you will have to make that trip to get to the beach. There are small cars running every 10-15 min but are often full.
Food was mostly greasy and burned, low quality. I've LOST 5 pounds in 10 days!!! Drinks nothing special, with little alcohol.
Overall impression: Grand Princess Resort is all about quantity NOT quality.
If you are looking for great, high quality vacation with relaxing ocean views... look somewhere else!!!!!!!!
"
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Debra L Traugott from Loveland, CO
"Beautiful hotel and grounds. Restaurants requiring reservations had excellent food selection and service. Buffets had a large variety to choose from. Having the Junior Suite with your own pool was fantastic. Disappointing to walk to the beach and the view was blocked by vendors. They need to go to a different location, perhaps on the edge of the property. Plus the Massage people wouldn't take NO for an answer. Check-in and out very efficient and fast. Make sure to ask for extra towels."
Posted: Mon, Jun 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Peter from Woodbridge, NJ
"I travel with my 16 year old daughter for her birthday...the resort was amazing..very clean and the staff was very attentive...restaurants and buffet were fantastic...it was everything they said it would be and more...ready to go back for another vacation..."
Posted: Mon, Jun 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Klar from Brooklyn, New York
"Just excellent. Beautiful beach, excellent Restaurants, spacious room. Upgrade worked without problems, Adults only area at the beach just perfect. Reason for complaints? Not at all."
Posted: Sun, Jun 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Johanna Quiroz from San Diego, Ca
"Well, our trip was amazing!!!! Kids had a blast. Hotel staff was really helpful. "
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Bikas Das from Falls Church, VA
"It was excellent"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Yainel from Miami Lakes, Florida
"Just came back a few days ago, and by the way this is my second trip to this hotel. I just have to say that it is excellent!, things different from last year: the beach was not that clean and it was rocky on the shore, there was no ice cream on the main pool and pillows were hard like bricks (deluxe junior suite). If you like latin music you'll have a good time with a group called Azul Pimienta. finally if you travel in a big group which was my case is kind of hard to get reservations for everyone to the same restaurant and every day they close one or two of them.
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Berylyn from Colorado Springs, CO
"We have been to several 4 star all inclusives in this area in the past, so we were able to compare this facility to them. The Grand Sunset Princess is equal to the best of the other 4 star properties we have stayed at. The grounds here are beautiful and well maintained, ditto the swimming pools. There were plenty of lounge chairs and palapas both at the pools and at the beach, with ample shade from palm trees at the beach. The beach is gorgeous, although there are a lot of rocks in the water which can sometimes make getting in and out of the water difficult. Service in all the restaurants, including the buffets, was excellent. Food in the buffets was good and varied. The ala carte restaurants (we tried the French, Japanese, seafood, and steak) were excellent - be sure to try the Argentine sausage appetizer in the steak restaurant and the back of rabbit in the French. House wines in all the restaurants were just okay. Bar service throughout the facility sometimes was a little bit slow, and some of the drinks tended to be a little bit watered, but the bar servers were friendlier and seemed less interested in getting tipped than at several of the other places we've been to. Our room (a junior suite) was very clean, and the housekeeping each day was excellent. We did notice that the bedsheets tended to get damp from the humidity however, and our pillows also were very hard. One last thing - check in and check out here were fast, easy, efficient and a pleasure. We would recommend this facility to any of our friends."
Posted: Wed, Jun 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Deborah Olmos from Fayetteville, Georgia
"We upgrade to the Platinum and did not receive any of the extra upgrades such as a cold towel upon arrival or a pillow menu. Check-in staff and Good Day Travel staff were not very friendly and had poor customer service. We travel a lot and have never experienced such poor customer service before. The A/C unit in our room would make a loud banging noise. We were not given another room to transfer to and the uncaring response and attitude we received we have never experienced in our travels before. We will not be returning to the Grand Sunset Princess All Suites Resort and would not recommend this resort to any of our friends and family."
Posted: Wed, Jun 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Bruce from Cincinnati, Ohio
"Just got back from a four night stay (6/15-6/19) Stayed in the adult only section of the hotel and found it to be wonderful. The rooms were clean, the service great, the buffet was a buffet but filling, the restaurants we ate at were great and the food wonderful (La Vaqueria steak, Mama Mia Italian, La Hacienda Mexican, Miso Asian). There's pools everwhere, bars everhwere, smiling personal just waiting to serve you. Cannot think of any reason to complain. I'm planning on going back again."
Posted: Wed, Jun 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Alberto from San Francisco, CA
"Cruise ship experience on land. We remembered our first all-inclusive experience at RIU in Puerto Vallarta and the Royal Solaris in Cabo, San Lucas few years ago. Both were very nice places and facilities to visit, but we got the impression they did their best to provide a grand vacation experience but both did not stand out unfortunately. Not sure if we stayed too long or too short in each facility, but something was definitely missing from both experiences. So, we kept looking...
We would rank our recent visit to GSP as very good, and would not hesitate recommending this facility to friends and families looking for an all-inclusive experience similar to a cruise ship, but does not feel comfortable with the ocean voyage or simply didn't want to deal with the hectic pace that comes with cruise ship lifestyle sometimes. Safe to say that GSP has captured that concept of providing a vacation lifestyle similar to a cruise ship experience that is the gold standard that defines 'all-inclusive' experience. Sure, GSP has rooms for improvements based on other reviews here, and for few years old facility such as this one these can be expected. But if GSP can keep their eye on the ball with whatever they have going on right now this can take them to higher places. In short, by keeping on improving their brand (and services that comes with it!), they probably will have the ability to compete with the 'big boys' not just locally but globally in a tough and competitive service industry.
Aside from the natural reserve, we were also impressed how this facility managed to blend in modern experiences (amenities, technologies, etc) while keeping an important emphasis to its rich cultural Mexican heritage. These are clearly visible and carefully balanced in its placements and application all over the facility. Very important and quite impressive. Similar to what hawaiian tourism does with its Polynesian themes. Our family also enjoyed the buffett experience all throughout our stay because of its cleanliness and variety of food offerings. Partnering with BEST DAY to handle extra-curricular activities for resort guests was a smart move by GSP given the size of its clientele. Best Day representative was very knowledgeable about his product, and also does NOT give you the vibe of 'timeshare experience' when selling his product. His recommendation of TULUM Undiscovered trip for half day was perfect for us, and we all had a positive experience. Keep up the good work, Amigos!
Rooms for improvements could also include investing in better equipment in the GYM. The black rubber floor mat has to go since these not only look unpleasant but also unsanitary. We also have to agree that perhaps some designated smoking areas within the resort should be identified for health reasons, and also to protect children especially that can be potential clients in the future. Maybe the background music within the main building (which are nice!) can be expanded to areas like the 10-minute walk from the shuttle stop all the way to the last stop at the Platinum suite. This could probably make the walk enjoyable for group in daytime, and perhaps romantic for couple at night.
Overall, we had a relaxing time and enjoyable experience with this vacation at GSP. Thank you!
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Brenda Townsend from Johnson City, TN
"We were all very pleased with the Grand Princess and the staff were wonderful! I would only recommend they do a better job communicating about the shuttle to Playa Del Carmen. We called and asked about it and they told us we would have to make reservations for the shuttle at 10:00 am and would have to stay there until 5:00 p.m. After talking to other guests, they told us you could take a shuttle back and it would costs $4.00. We would have love to done that, but didn't find out this information until it was too late. Overall, we were very happy with our experience and hope to return one day."
Posted: Tue, Jun 19, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Humcke from Coral Springs, Fl
"the hotel was everything you said.the place is beautiful.the ocean floor is all rock and not enjoyable at all.they also have vendors all over the beach with there booths set up blocking the water view.it is nicer staying by the pools.one other problem was the timing.graduation parties it was like spring break.young people falling down drunk all over the place.maybe other times of year it is better.please understand everything you advertised is true and all my traveling aringments were perfect. i will use bookit again. "
Posted: Sun, Jun 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Tara from TX
"This was our first trip to Playa del Carmen. We really enjoyed our time at the Sunset Princess Resort. Everynight their were shows for the family to watch. They had activities during the day. They had shows at night for the kids and the adults. There was no reason to leave the resort. The rooms were clean and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The really cool thing about the resort is that it is also a wildlife reserve so you also see animal life on the resort while you are out. The resort is very large so you do have to do a lot of walking. However, my family and I enjoyed walking around the resort because it was very nice. We had perfect weather the whole time we were there. There are little bus systems every 15-20 minutes that run that can take you around the resort if you don't want to walk. We will definitely stay at the Sunset Princess Resort again!!"
Posted: Sat, Jun 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Tim Johnson from Provo, UT
"This is a classic example of 'you get what you pay for.' You will probably pay less for this than you will for other resorts, but you also might end up with a little bit less. The food is not amazing, but the variety was enough to make it ok. We didn't make it to a lot of the evening restaraunts because they require an advance registration, and they tend to fill up very quickly. The setting is incredible, and the grounds and rooms are all beautiful. The beach area is also very nice, although a little rocky. All in all, a good experience, but maybe next time I would look for somewhere with better food."
Posted: Sat, Jun 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Nan Lee from Baltimore, MD
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9 friends spent a week at GSP for my best friend's 50th birthday. I wanted it to be a special experience for my friend and I have to say that the resort is absolutely beautiful. This was my 4th time in the Cancun/Riviera Maya area and was not disappointed with the resort or the wonderful service the workers provided.
I was a bit hesitant when I first arrived from the negative reviews about the front desk experience. To my delight, the gentleman at the front desk was very professional and friendly. He provided us with a map of the resort and showed us all the amenities along with our room location. We arrived before 3pm so he gave us our bracelets and informed us that the buffets were open til 3pm so we could have lunch. The Sunset buffet was very nice and clean. The food was good and there was a great variety. The resort has to cater to people of many different tastes so it may not be to everyone's expectation. However, we found the food delicious and the temperature of the food to be what it should be. Definately go to the buffet on the Western night when they have ribs, chicken wings, cooked to order steaks and all else. The wings were so good we made a stop before going to Le Fleur. We could have eaten that all night. They also have 2 types of ice cream every night which was great.
After lunch we returned to front desk and found that we received the rooms we requested earlier in an email I had sent to the concierge. I was travelling with my daughter and her friend and had requested adjoining rooms and that is exactly what we got. I received a room with a king sized bed and they received theirs with 2 full sized beds. The rooms were clean and beautiful and we had a view of the swim-outs and the quiet pool. It was perfect. We were in 2104 and 2105 which were located in the middle of the resort which made it accessible to both the lobby and the beach. My fridge would not open but it was remedied quickly.
We tried many A La Cartes except the Mexican and the Chill Out. We enjoyed most of them except the Italian restaurant Mama Mia. I had the veal which was good but the rest of the party was not happy with their meals. We ended up at the buffet. We really had a great time at the Hibachi restaurant Miso. This restaurant gets filled up quickly so make sure you reserve this one early and you need to specify the Hibachi section. The servers at this restaurant made the experience really fun. We never had to ask for anything. They were really great. We really enjoyed the food at Tapas, the Spanish restaurant. We were expecting tapas but it was actually full entrees. I had the sauteed squid which was delicious and couple of us had the stewed ox tail which was fantastic. The guy in Las Olas is one of the best servers. We had a large party which he handled with great ease and made our experience at the restaurant very enjoyable. All in all, we had great service from any and all employees at the resort. Always greeted with a smile and always stating...it's our pleasure.
We enjoyed the live nightly entertainment. Most of the bands were really great. But make sure you bring mosquito spray because the live music was outside in the plaza. My daugther is a huge Miami Heat fan and so she spent several nights in the Sports Bar watching the playoffs. Great place to just relax and have a drink. We also enjoyed the nightly shows in the theater. We saw Grease, Broadway, Tribute to singers (Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cher) and the Salsa show. The animation team works very hard to put on great shows. We also did go to the disco and had a really great time. Only thing I would change is the smoke in the disco and the shows. It was very heavy at times and it was almost difficult to see or breathe.
There are so many pools, I don't think we saw them all. Even though the resort was pretty full, there were always loungers available. We spent our mornings at the beach and we did have to go early (before 8am) to reserve our palapas. There were palapas available later in the day but if you are looking for an area away from the vendors and close to the bar, you have to go early. The beach is beautiful and there is some seaweed and rocks in the water. But that did not deter any of us from going into the water. You can walk a quite a bit out because it is pretty shallow.
Now for the only really negative thing about the resort, the vendors on the beach. I agree with others who said that the vendors should not be located right on the beach. It obstructs the view and they are very aggressive. Especially the massage vendors. Soon as you get to the beach, multiple vendors are on you to book a massage and it continues all day. That was the only time I had wished I have upgraded to Platinum because that area of the beach is blocked off and the vendors did not enter. There were resort workers who did make sure that only Platinum guests were allowed in that area. Also, Platinum guests received different towels, white and grey ones which were a little bigger and thicker. The rest of us received navy blue towels. However, if they ran out of the blue towels, they did give out the grey ones to everyone.
If you like unusual silver jewelry, make sure you stop at the resort jewelry store Fini located under the lobby. We went into the store just to browse and most of us walked out with something. I have been to this area before but I saw jewelry I had not seen anywhere else. I thought that most of the items would be out my price range but they worked with us to make it very affordable. It is a good thing we found this store late on our trip because I probably would have spent a lot more money.
We did take the free shuttle into Playa Del Carmen and really enjoyed it. When we went, there were actually 3 shuttles going into town. It took us about 10 minutes to get there. We were told that there is a really great taco stand off 5th Ave and boy were the tacos fantastic. The beef tacos were the best. A taco only cost 10 pesos which is less than a dollar. We met Mark who owned a meat packing plant in Chicago at Miso and he told us that it was safe to eat there. None of us got sick. We also went to Senor Frogs and had a great time. It is definately worth the trip. We thought 5 hours in town would be long but it really wasn't. There is a great deal to see along with many restaurants and bars.
All in all, we all had a fantastic time at the Grand Sunset. All of thought the resort was beautiful and the workers friendly and helpful. Just a reminder, the floors are mostly marble and it can get very slippery. The areas around the pool are also very slippery so make sure you bring comfortable shoes. Some of us are planning a trip back to this resort with our families.
Room Tip: It is a large resort and the floors are slippery. Make sure you bring comfortable shoes."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kathy Ledford from Chico, CA
"The marble floors tend to be a bit slippery when wet, which is quite often due to all the swimming pools. The hotel is well located and the beach is great. We had a wonderful time. The rooms are large and well kept. Be aware that you have to have a room card or something like it in the gizmo by the door to get the lights on. It's actually a good feature to save the hotel energy costs. We went diving with arrangements from the staff and also rented a jet ski twice. Everything went well. The room staff forgot coffee and towels a few time, but no big deal. They bring it when you call or see them n the hallway. The food in at the buffet was great and the restuarants are all great. The 'no food to be taken out of the buffet or restuarants' policy proved to be a problem when our companion got ill, but they finally got him some food. They need to be more flexible in this area. We didn't want to pay for room service, just take the food we had ordered and didn't get to eat.....I would go there again, definetly."
Posted: Wed, Jun 13, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Megan from Knoxville, TN
"Wonderful resort. Very clean, nice rooms, nice restaurants (you definitely get a little tired of the same buffet food for breakfast and lunch, but it is nicely done). Book your dinner reservations a few days in advance. We stayed in the Junior Deluxe room with the Swimout Pool--so fabulous. I couldn't imagine being at that resort and not being in those rooms. Very peaceful and convenient. I will say I have been to a different All Inclusive Resort in Riviera Maya that was a little bit nicer (better food and alcohol), but was also quite a bit more expensive. For the money, this resort is fabulous. We had a wonderful week long stay with no setbacks. Great staff."
Posted: Wed, Jun 13, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Andre from Va
"trip overall was great for the price:
room - smelled like mildew...but turned AC off and left door open and it was fine...
food - 7/10 ...japanese place was awesome...sushi and hibachi were nice
drinks/service - 9/10...easy to get a drink at anytime of the day...if you want some PREMIUM drinks you gotta pay extra though"
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Lydia from Chicago, IL
"Hotel was amazing, food was good but staff could of been friendlier. The rooms were clean and the resort was beautiful. Beach was rocky but the pools were great.
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A Recent Traveler
"There was plenty to do and no need to leave the resort if you want to relax, watch a show, listen to some music and do some dancing. Beach and pools are beautiful. May need shoes for the beach if you have sensitive feet. A lot of little rocks. Bring floats, and noodles for the pools or buy them in there beach shop.
Tappas, Olsa and Le Fleur are my picks for the great dishes/restaurant. But that's all based on taste. Portions are huge. The buffets (4 of them) are all the same and you can find something for everyone. Guacamole and salsa was great on everything. But if you want to eat in one of the specialty restaurants, make your reservations early. They are not open every night and book up quick.
We tipped the waiter's and maids daily, and found we got superior service for that. They work long hours and you would never know it, bc they are friendly and cheerful. What I liked is that they remember you and took care of you. It's what vacationing is all about.
Bring a watch or alarm clock. There isn't one in the room.
Disappointed that there was no wifi for the junior deluxe price. You can pay an additional $20/day for wifi if you want. We were told that there was free wifi in the lobby but that wasn't so, when we arrived. That was disappointing.
If you want to visit into Playa de Carmen, then make your reservations early b/v the shuttles fills up quick and then you would have to find an alternative.
Doctor visit costs $110 to be examined, if you need it."
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Jonathan Lias from Aurora, Co
"The room was great, service was incredible. The Jr Suite was perfect for us with jacuzzi tub and plenty of room! The pools were amazing with swim up bars and always clean. The beach access was great with everything you could imagine. Only complaint about the beach, it didn't feel isolated enough; but it was wonderful. Only complaint was we weren't informed about booking the shuttle into Playa Del Carmen and we didn't get to go into to town. We weren't told about making reservations for restaurants until it was too late (so we had buffet every meal; it was great, but would have been nice to have a quiet sit down meal with my wife). We should have asked more questions when we arrived, but it would be nice to be informed of the reservations part when you are handed the list of things included. Bring cash with you to the bars or dinners, the servers work extremely hard and deserve a few extra bucks!!! There was always something to do and they always had entertainment. We will be going back!"
Posted: Mon, Jun 11, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Aneta from Staten Island, NY - New York
"Where should I start? When we got to our room there was 2 double beds instead of 1 king size that we asked for when booking and since we are a couple we tried to change the room and they wouldn't accommodate that at all. Then the fridge in the room didn't work after they brought another one , that one also didn't work. Finally we got a fridge that was ok but they only filled it with water and beer twice instead of all 7 days that we were there. The third night that we were staying there our room got flooded at night I mean everything suite cases, shoes everything was in water because of some valve behind the toilet popped off. (when we were asleep if we only weren't in the room god knows what would have happen)Besides the shoes etc my laptop and my brand new camera that I just bought for the trip were charging on the floor and unfortunately that stuff also got wet and ruined! The hotel took my camera and my laptop thinking they can fix it They kept it for 4 days and returned to me still broken. I tried talking to them and see if they can come up with a solution that was good for me and them because I just lost my stuff that were worth over $1400 [ not including the money I had spent on pictures because I didn't have an camera for the last 5 days of staying there and we went on 3 different trips :( ] and it wasn't my fault but they didn't do anything about it. I barley got an apology.This was beyond horrible the way they have their concierge taking care of guests problems is really bad. I was speechless and hurt I will never go back there and I will never recommend this hotel to anyone."
Posted: Mon, Jun 11, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Tiana from Boise, IDAHO
"The Grand Sunset Princess Resort was for the most part amazing! I can only think of a couple things that were disappointing. The number one thing was - the beach! If you are one to go and run out into the ocean and just be free - this isn't the place for you. Once stepping into the water, there is a tiny drop off onto a pile of rocks. Then you must walk about 20 feet out (stepping on rocks that kill your feet) to get to the nice sand! The 20 feet of pain was worth it, don't get me wrong the beach is gorgous - however, it wasn't what I was expecting. I am definitely one to run out into the ocean and not have to spend 10 mins of pain walking out there! The staff were EXCELLANT at the resort! They took care of their visitors great! We were SOOO SPOILED! There was only one incidence that I can think of that that is at the Restaurante called Mama Mia! First of all, they wouldn't let me boyfriend into the restaurante unless he was wearing long pants and a tee shirt (these are fancy fancy restaurants). But, he didn't pack any long pants or tee shirts... so we had to go buy some at the gift shop!! and then when we finally get in, it takes our server around 20 minutes to even stop by and aknowledge us! People who came in after us, already had their main portion by the time we got our bread and drinks! And it wasn't like we were sitting out of the way, we were right in the middle of the walkway! Those were the only two things that were disappointing to us! The many pools, bars, night shows, concerts, places to eat, and entertainment was sooooo amazing! You can go from watching a basketball game on the big screen in the sports bar and eating a cheese burger, to swimming in the pool sipping on a margarita, to dancing in the Disco (a dance club), to singing along at a concert, to watching broadway shows! We didn't even leave the resort and had a fantastic time! I am ready to go back! :) All around, I would reccomment this place to anyone considering visiting Cancun! One last tip - DONT USE THE ATM, IT'S A 30 DOLLAR CHARGE AND THEN SOME DEPENDING ON YOUR BANK!!!!!!"
Posted: Mon, Jun 11, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Eddie A from Bonita, Ca
"My wife and I stayed at this resort from May 19th to May 25 and we absolutely loved it. The grounds were immaculate and the service was very good as well. The a la carte restaurants and the buffets were very good, even down to the snack bar. This resort is very big and the pools were very well up kept. To make a long story short I would definately return to this resort in the near future and I would recommend this to any future travelers."
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Sue Lee from New York, NY
"MOSQUITOES. EVERYWHERE. IN OUR ROOMS. That is not what I would expect from a resort with such high reviews. My friends and I spent 4 nights at the Grand Sunset Princess and returned home with at least 30 bites each. Other than that, the resort itself is not bad - the buffet food was excellent, staff were friendly (but sort of creepy), and drinks (though watered down) were always available. nnI think the whole reserving 3 dinners at once is unfair. By the time we tried to reserve a table for three, most restaurants were completely booked! Yet when we went in for dinner, nearly half the tables were empty.. and we STILL had to wait till our reservation time!nnWe paid $129 for an all inclusive day at Xplor. TOTALLY WORTH IT. Ziplines, swimming and rafting through caves and ATV-ing through the caves - HIGHLY recommend!nnOh and bring your own sunscreen. It's $22 USD for one bottle at the resort ;("
Posted: Sat, Jun 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Febes Franco from Franklin Square, New York
"From the minute that we walked into the lobby of the Riviera Princess we knew we had made the perfect choice in choosing the princess hotel at Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.The cleanliness of the hotel and the room was overall spectacular! The staff was very friendly and professional and most of all they go above and beyond. They pay careful attention to detail which is what makd the overall exsperience outstanding!The food overall was also very good and we like the idea that they date the food when we ordered room service which made us feel very comfortable.The mini bar refrigerator was stocked daily without hesitation and the room was cleaned daily.We will absolutely recommend this hotel and we will love to return in the near future.Thank you book it for making our vacation a dream come true!"
Posted: Fri, Jun 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Toni Turrisi from East Meadow, NY
"Just returned from a week long stay with my boyfriend and another couple. We had an amazing time, all the negative reviews about this place were clearly from people who just can't simply sit back and relax. I'm the type of person to leave all the ins and outs of the hotels so i'll try to break it down quick. Cons: I started with this cause there is very few. The beach is not owned by the hotels so it is swarmed with vendors, although I personally didn't feel harassed by anyone this just brought down the free space for sun. The water is very, very rocky as well but avoidable once you get used to it Hotel: Very, very large. This is considered two separate resorts in one (Grand Riveria) although there is no difference between the two specifically. ot a problem though because there are carts that run every ten mins or so that take you from the lobby to the beach. Hotel was very clean, people were cleaning all day at every hours of the day. Rooms: Beautiful. Exceeded expectations. We stayed in your average junior suite and it was gorgeous. Same space as the upgraded rooms with the hotubs, had all the same except for the tub. We had a great view of the pool as well (Room 1269). Wouldn't have changed it at all, we were right in the middle of everything. Rom always had a stocked mini bar with beer, soda & water. I enjoyed that the room safe was free, all you need to do is make up a password and lock it and its yours for the week!nnRestaurants: All amazing. The fondue and Italian were our favorites. We dined at all except olas, miso hibachi&sushi, and the french restaurant. The buffets were the nicest Ive seen so far with different variations every night for dinner. Staff is very friendly. Food was very good for the price, I had no issues and didn't dislike any of it. The sports bar was great at night for a late snack, and I really liked that the hotel lets you book restaurants three days in advance so you don't have to wake up at 7am to make reservations. During the day the beach had a buffet as well which was very nice and varied Excursions: Booked through Best Day. We only did one during our stay in cancun, we did a lot on our last vacation. If you're looking to swim with dolphins DOLPHINARIS is the place to go, very professional and you can tell they genuinely love their job, we did the full day and it was very worth it for 7 more dollars you get open bar which you ended up getting triple for what you paid in drinks. Very hands on with the dolphins and loved the experience would definitely do it again!n--- On the beach we did massages, $50usd for an hour and they threw in a bunch of other stuff along with jet skis-very fun!nnDefinitely book the free shuttle a day in advance if you want to go into town to playa de carmen. Two shuttles run at 10 and one at 12, there is a free shuttle back to the hotel at 5 along with two other transfers in between for $4 per person. We went to Senor frogs and it was AMAZING wouldn't trade it for the world, and the town was very fun and great place to get souvenirs Had an amazing time and would deff come back! Recommend for anyone looking for some fun, with some relaxation as well!"
Posted: Fri, Jun 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Nathan from Rochester, NY
"I loved the Grand Sunset Princess. The service was great. The food was great. We spent 5 nights there and can't wait to book our next trip there. The Resort has great shows and activities planned for everyone to participate if they like. I give this Resort a 10!!! "
Posted: Thu, Jun 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Van from Annandale, Va
"Great trip. Very relaxing. Beautiful resort. Great staff. Bring insect repellent because there are lots of mosquitoes. "
Posted: Wed, Jun 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Anisa Hoxha from Boston, MA
"I had such an amazing time!! Sunset Princess is the place to go.. If you looove pools then it's impossible for someone not to have a great time. The food was delicious and every dinner we had different kinds of specialties. Entertainment couldnt have gonne better. We all loved it and went to each and every one of them. It was simply SUPER! Thanks."
Posted: Wed, Jun 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Kristoffer from Wichita, KS
"We stayed at this hotel in May of 2012 for 7 days in the Platinum Suites. Overall it was a pretty good place to stay. The buffets didnt have as much variety as I would have liked. Overall, the food was good. The rooms were nice, clean and quiet. The staff was always friendly and helpful. The grounds were kept very neat. One negative is that the swim up bars closed too early (6 or 6:30pm)...not really sure why they closed this early, but it was a bit annoying.
The beach wasn't overly crowded during this time of year and there were plenty of places to sit and relax. As far as 'all-inclusive beach activities' go, there wasn't enough snorkel equipment....espcially since it wasn't even the peak time of year.
The variety shows were 'ok'...but it was somewhat repetitive. Something to watch, but nothing special.
I do think this was a nice hotel overall.....I could see us staying here again."
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Evelyn from Hillsborough, Nj
"The beach was the number one reason for booking my vacation. This resort has the worst location for it. The vendors block your view and bother you every 5 minutes to buy something. Theirs bird droppings all over the beach chairs and they don't clean them. The rooms are a nice size but the furniture has been used and abused. The shower in the bathroom kept flooding, we had to use 4 towels on the floor to keep the water from spreading every night. The only thing that I liked about this resort are the gardens. The front desk staff were not the friendliest. The bar tenders really did not know how to make a good drink or the alchol was really cheap. The food was ok in the buffet but most of the restaurants were terrible. I would probably return to Mexico but not to the princess resort. It's a shame because it has potential to be much better."
Posted: Tue, Jun 05, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Bchapman from Cincinnati, OH
"We had a great time on our first ever all-inclusive vacation and trip to Mexico. The hotel was immaculate, but extremely large. We were traveling without children and highly recommend the adult only Yucatan suites and beach area. We had very little, if any issues, during our entire stay. We also enjoyed excursions to shop in Playa del Carmena and Xel-ha/Tulum."
Posted: Sun, Jun 03, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Joey from CA
"This trip was my first trip to the Rivera Maya region of Mexico, and it was exciting. This resort is overall very amazing. Before staying at this resort, I read many past customers' reviews to prepare for the trip at this resort. And, I thank all the people that have written reviews for this place, because I have found most helpful. Now, this is my summary of what to bring. First, bring a tissue box, because the resort does not provide tissue in the rooms. Second, bring good insect repellent because there are mosquitos during the evening. I put a layer on at dusk, so I was never bitten. However, my boyfriend was bitten during our nights out in the plaza of the resort. Also, check the beds for fleas, because there was a previous customer's comment describing the fleas they found in their beds. I think my boyfriend was bitten by fleas the last night during our stay because we found several on the floor the morning after. Now, I will describe what to expect. If the package comes with a free upgrade, don't expect to get the room you signed up for. We received the regular room, even though we were told we would get a free upgrade to a junior deluxe suite . However, we did not mind the room accomodations because our garden view was too beautiful to give up. Bananas were growing outside our patio. The landscape and gardening of the resort is beautiful. The food is average, but we liked the food because we aren't picky people. The staff is very friendly and try to help, but you may have some difficulty communicating with them because most of their English is limited. The beach is not as beautiful as you would expect. The sand has cigarette buds and plastic cups everywhere. Plus, the view is blocked by a long line of vendors. However, we did not mind because we were often out during the day doing activities in the nearby area, so we were barely on the resort's beach. Overall, though, this resort is great in terms of its all-inclusive offer. Great gardens, unlimited alcohol, and nightly shows highlights this resort. I would stay here again."
Posted: Sun, Jun 03, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Lee from Salt Lake City, Utah
"My wife and I went on a long overdue vacation and chose to stay at the Grand Sunset Princess. This was our first time at an all inclusive resort. We loved our stay at the Princess. The resort was extremely nice. We were blown away with how luxurious it seemed. The grounds are very well kept and very clean. The swimming pools are very nice. The beach is nice. The ocean is rocky but Princess can't do anything about that.
We stayed in the Villa suites. Although I haven't experienced the other rooms, I think the Villas is the way to go. The rooms are large, have a really cool outdoor shower, and are generally quieter than the other rooms since their aren't as many people around them. The Villas have thier own private pool which has several very nice cabanas. This pool is a much more relaxed laid back pool than the rest of the resort, which is exactly what we wanted. The rest of the resort pools are more boisterous like a public pool might be. The Villas are closer to the restaurants and the entertainment as well, which is nice. They are fruther away from the beach, but it's a short 10 minutes leisure walk.
The rooms were cleaned and kept every day by the very friendly staff. The private concierge for the Villas was very helpful and friendly. We did have to call once to restock the mini fridge but they were prompt to do so and actually overstocked it to compensate.
Some of the restaurants were better than others. We liked the Hibachi grill. The fondu restaurant wasn't bad. Didn't care for the international, and La Vaqueria was so so. If we didn't love the dinner, we would oft find ourselves making a trip to one of the buffet's a little later on. We could always find something of interest there even if it was just to get some icecream or fruit.. Breakfast buffets were ok and lunch was ok. Overall the food was fairly average, but I guess that didn't really bother me that much. I'm rarely overly impressed by food anyway. All of the restaurants were very nice inside. I think the reservations may be easier to get if you've got the right color wristband (i.e. the villas or platinum). We got into every restaurant we wanted. Sometimes we did have to be flexible on the times.
Really my only complaint would be about the gym. My wife and I like to work out in the mornings. The equipment was not in very good shape. It was usable, but not great. The programs on the treadmill didn't work. The spin bikes were missing pedal straps and didn't have clips. Some seemed to work better than others. There's not much of selection for weights. There are no fans in the room. With no fans the humidity and the body heat from people working out, I looked like I just stepped out of the shower with my clothes on by the time I was through. That is atypical for me. I'm not one of these guys who drenches his shirt with sweat at the gym at home.
The entertainment was so-so. It was something to do, but I certainly wouldn't have paid money to see any of those shows. Comparing that to the cruise we went on several years back, I would have paid to see several of the cruise shows.
The only other small thing is that the resort doesn't just come out and tell you what the perks of your colored wristband are. I really do think you get a little better service if you stay in the Villas though because of the colored wristband you get. The private pool alone was worth it, but also the additional service on the beach, the ability to get in to the restaurants you wanted, the private concierge, and of course the rooms were terrific.
Overall, I was very impressed with the resort. We had a great time. The resort exceeded our expectations in nearly every way. I would recommend it to all my friends. I had read many of the other reviews, as such I was expecting at least some minor issues. After staying there, the only reason I can think that someone had anything really bad to say must be due to the difference between the Villas Suites and the other rooms types, but I can't say for sure as we only stayed in the Villas and they were exceptional."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Elizabeth O. from Fall River, MA
"Here are the only good things I can say. The resort was beautiful and quite clean. the restaurants that needed reservations for were for the most part pretty good. Most of the staff were a bit rude and uninformative. We tipped quite generously, though it wasn't necessary. It was not appreciated. We had to call each night to get our mini fridge stocked,sometimes more than once. The maids half finished the making of the beds and didn't even wash down the tables. They even left a dirty cleaning rag on our night stand. The food at the buffet was often uneatable. Breakfast was o.k., but always cold. The excursion we booked was not what we were told it would be. We were not told that we would be taken to town at the Isle Mujeres, just to boil in the hot sun and to spend money with the local merchants.The ferry ride was filled with locals who were rude and pushy. The Best Day agents were also uninformative and also a bit rude. I would never book an excursion with them again. "
Posted: Sat, Jun 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Joyce Zapata from Miami, Florida
"Everithinh was great, except that we had a filtration problem in our room."
Posted: Fri, Jun 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Jacqueline Lee from Van Nuys, Ca
"When I first booked this hotel, I had requested the hotel for transportation from the airport to the hotel, which the hotel granted. However, when I got to the airport in Cancun, there was no transportation waiting for me. My daughter and I had to pay for the taxi to get to the hotel.
During three of the four days of our stay at the hotel, our bathroom was flooded. You would think that the room service would notice that the bathroom was flooding, right? But no. All three days, we couldn't even use the toilet because of the flooding. In the end, we actually had to call the front desk to tell them about this problem and even then, we had to call four times to have somebody come to our room and fix the problem, which didn't get fixed.
When I went to get ice for the luke-warm water that was in our warm fridge, I couldn't find the ice machine. I wandered all over our floor and the floor above and below our floor and in the end gave up. Again, I called the front desk and asked repeatedly where the ice machine was, but again and again, they gave a cryptic answer about the ice machine being 'near the stairs.' We gave up on getting ice on the second, third, and fourth days.
Usually, in America, tipping is usually two or three dollars. However, when I gave the bellboy forty pesos, he laughed at me and didn't even say thank you. Very disrespectful in my opinion.
I definitely do NOT recommend staying at this hotel. The room service is bad, the attitude of the staff was horrible, and the efficiency of the staff is even more horrid."
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Rosalinda from Chicago, Il
"this is are 4th time to the princess we love it especillly if u can stay in the villa or platinum it is just wonderful the food at the french restaurant was amazing the waiters and housekeeping amazing and beach and bartenders amazings.. front desk not to good but.. the beach wow great swimming every day a little bit of rocks but just a couple steps then it is clear forever.. if u go out there ..i have been all over the world and i would never go to a resort 4 times but. this is a peaceful place with great espresso if u ask without sugar they will make fresh for u.. now thats what i like. the butler service amazing its worth it to do platinum.. this is number 4 coming up and i cant wait to go and we go 2 weeks ever time....and last time we extended a extra week ..food amazing beach amazing if u want to relax eat well and get in some great swims and great runs long beach runs..this is it.."
Posted: Wed, May 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Lynne from Lady Lake, Fl
"We've been to this Mexico a number of times, but this wa the first time that I wouln't recommend a resort as there are too many others with better offers. first impression is this is a very large resort so if you din'like walking it's probably not a good choice. we don't mind walking, but sometimes a ride would be nice. The carts didn't run often enough and were usually full so we usually walked. Although the room was nice the smell of mold and mildew was horrible. We asked housekeeping to spray, but they didn't. I couldn't even sleep on the pillow it smelled so bad and there was more than one available! We spoke with another couple from Canada and they had the same complaint about the room smell and pillow. Even spoke with the representative, he said that he would take care of it for us, they would probably move us to another room. Well that didn't happen, my husband questioned him the next day, he shrugged his shoulders and admitted he never followed up. Food in the buffet was ok, Miso and the Grill were very good. very disappointed with other options, you couldn't take food out of the buffet. The beach grill had hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and salsa. They made paella a couple of times, but we don't eat that. Should have more choices for a %u0107quick snack . There is the sports bar, again hamburg, hot dog, chips and salsa or a bowl of popcorn. No pizza or ice cream for the kids unless you went to the buffet and you can't take it out. Shows were ok, I've seen better and worse. The other turnoff is the 'Platinum' upgrade, this is a rip off! Over all it was ok, but we would recommend other choices before recommending this resort."
Posted: Tue, May 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Deborah Lees from Du Bois, Pa
"The food was horrable. this is not only our oppinion but everyone we talked to. food is a big part of your vacation and price. one night we had fruit,salad and dessert. that was all that was decent to eat. it was the first time i lost weight on vacation. we have been to mexico 11 times and this is the worst for food. drinks and shows we have ever been at. the rooms were nice but we killed a scorpion in our bath. the beach was nice but the ocean was so rocky we would have cut up our feet if not for ocean shoes. the golf carts ran evory 15 min. but the problem was it only held 9 people and there were always about 15 waiting. this ment a half hour wait usually you gave up and walked. by the 4th day this was a pain .way too big. drinks on the beach were good. at the swim up bars a long wait and tasted like frozen juice. .i have never wrote a review before but i felt i had to write about this one. the staff was very nice. if you are nice to them they will return the same "
Posted: Tue, May 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Carmen B from Pinole, CA
"My husband and I stayed at the Sunset Princess only for 4 nights and 5 days and it was so much fun but not long enogh. The resort itself is beautifu and staff was wonderful and such hard working people. rnrnThe resort is big but not that big, everything is within walking distance. We had a Laguna Villa and it was fun except for the Mosquitos. Its not like you can avoid it though. It has been raining in Cancun so it comes with the territory. Entertainment is okay, some nights were better than others. The Beach is a bit rocky but only the beggining, as you make your way in it gets better. rnrnFood was good but no wow factors. We tried two of the restaurants and they were okay. My husband's only complaint was that the beer was not cold enough. Even in the mini fridge in the room the beers were not cold enough but oh well, we still drank them. We honestly didnt get to enjoy the resoty as much because we booked a few excursions to Chinchen Itza, Tulum and Xel-Ha.. a must do... we were busy for the most part so our time to relax was limited. We still had a blast. rnrnOverall we loved the people and the hotel. We would go back to Princess Resort but we would go back for 8 days instead of 5.rnrn"
Posted: Tue, May 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Sarah Zometa from Lexington, KY
"My husband and I just got back from our honeymoon here. It was the most amazing vacation of our lives. We stayed in the suites for adults only, which is the newest section of the resort. I'm really glad we booked this part of the resort, although it was a little farther from the beach than I expected. The resort is really large, and while they do offer a shuttle, we did not find it necessary to use them. We also had no problem getting into the restaurants we chose, and since we didn't plan anything else during, the reservation didn't bother us. The drinks were really good, a little inconsistent depending on which bar you went to. The bartenders were all very friendly and got you drinks promptly. Plus they were heavy handed so you definitely got your money's worth. There are so many bars and places to hang out and drink that we never had any problem with privacy or waiting around to order something for very long.We also loved the food and thought it was top quality at all of the a la carte restaurants. Although we liked them all, Fondue, Hacienda, and Tapas are the best, particularly the last one. You must eat the tres leches cake at Hacienda and the chicken with peppers from Tapas--the best food! Even the buffet places were good, though I can understand getting sick of it quickly since they served mostly the same thing each day. This didn't really bother us much though because the sports bar was open and no-extra-charge room service was available 24 hours, so if you were every hungry and in the mood for something specific it wasn't out of reach.The beach was well groomed and beautiful with lots of umbrellas and palm trees right on the beach. However, I do admit this part of the beach is very rocky and is a little difficult to maneuver. But this isn't exactly the resort's fault, so I'm not complaining. They have a barbecue hut right on the beach too so if you've hungry over there hotdogs and hamburgers along with other assorted items are available right on the beach whenever.The adults-only section of the beach is nicer because it is less crowded, the huts umbrellas are spread further apart, and it is much quieter. Highly recommend visiting the adults only sections not because we dislike children or anything but simply because these areas seem to be less crowded at all times.There is nightly live entertainment as well so you can watch bands of different genres and see dance and music shows right in a central courtyard. This was our nightly hangout spot because it was open-air and varied enough to keep us from getting bored.The pools are plentiful and excellent as well--kept mostly pretty clean and well groomed, but I recommend using the private pools alongside most of the buildings because once again they are much less crowded.Overall, we were wowed and amazed by our room and our stay at this resort and would go back again in a heartbeat. The staff is friendly, the food is great, the drinks are plentiful, and we were at ease the entire trip. Couldn't have asked for a better vacation.One more thing: if you get the chance, go snorkeling in a cenote cave, because that was the best experience on vacation you could ever have."
Posted: Mon, May 28, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Margareta from Merrimack, Nh
"one of the most beautiful resorts we have seen, the beach was nice, the only complaint about the beach is the vendor stands that block the view of the beach no matter where you sit. They should have a section for all the vendors to set up their stands. The food was very good in all the restaurants and buffets except for Misu restaurant which is Japanese (there is nothing japanese about it), the food was bad no flavor and not cooked or spiced right. We will go back next year for more than one week."
Posted: Mon, May 28, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Darwin
"The resort is beautiful, most of the staff are friendly, the food is excellent! and there is lots to do!rnrnMy only complaint is that I had requested one King size bed and not to be on the ground floor and we got there at about 11:00pm and I was on a ground floor with 2 double beds pushed together. this wasn't ideal for me and my partner, but we made it work and the rest of the resort was wonderful."
Posted: Mon, May 28, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Angela Monte from New York, NY
"It was a very nice resort, clean and really nice people."
Posted: Sun, May 27, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Becki from London, Ontario
"My daughter and I stayed at the Grand Sunset Princess for only 2 nights. We were on a mission...to visit resorts to find a great location for her upcoming destination wedding in 2013. We visited 13 different resort and chose this resort as our homebase. It far exceeded our expectations for the price we paid! It was a beautiful resort! Unfortunately we didn't have the time to relax and enjoy it. The room was very clean and well appointed. The food in the main buffet restaurant was okay...nothing great. However, we did have dinner the second night at the Swiss restaurant La Fondue. The food and service here was very good and I would highly recommend it. The staff throughout the resort were wonderful and always willing to go above and beyond. I definitely would stay here again!"
Posted: Sun, May 27, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Angela from MI
"We arrived to the hotel and was given directions to our room. That took us a while to do. We stopped in a few of the stores to ask which way to go, no one knew. We stayed in the Grand Yucatan Princess Suites with a swim up pool, which was very nice and we used it everyday. We finally found the room, which was on the other end of the property, in the other hotel. Our room was very musty. It was clear to me that they are aware of this issue since they leave a pack of insences. Everything was damp in the room. We were tired and just wanted to relax so we just made the best of the smell. The next morning, we used the tub. When we turned the jets on, dirt and scum came blowing out, and using the shower would cause water to cover the floor when the toilet was. The food isn't tasty. We had a very hard time getting a reservation to the restaurants to eat anything else. Room service will only bring a small menu of items, which we were served a rare hamburger. When housekeeping would come clean, they would leave only 2 towels and it was hard to find a face towel. The butler at the beach was a joke. I only saw a small booth serving beer but no one was there to serve you where you are sitting, as I had imagined would be the case. A few of the staff members were rude, Others couldn't communicate. Our safe malfunctioned a few times where we either couldn't get it closed or open it. Overall, the hotel is very beautiful but I would suggest staying somewhere else. "
Posted: Fri, May 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Gregory from Stanhope, New Jersey
"To get right to the point, it was lousy. The food was awful and we could not get into the restaurants we wanted to because they were all booked up. When we complained, we were given reservations to one of the restaurants to only realize that there were plenty of seats left for reservations...they lied to us, the restaurants were not booked up, they just did not want to give away too much of their 'good, expensive' foods. We had to complain to get an additional pool towel for my 2 year old son. In short, one of the worst vacation experiences of my life and we will NEVER stay at this resort again!"
Posted: Fri, May 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Perea from Denver, CO
"The front desk check-in attendant was not friendly at all and she never provided us information about what was included in our package or direct us to the Concierge. However we would like to give an excellent accommodation for the following individuals who made our stay exceptional!
Maria-Massage on the beach
Francisco-Pedicare in Spa
Kathy 'Katy'-Drink Server on the reserved beach provided EXCELLENT SERVICE!!
LilyAnn-Drink Server at Riviera Lobby Bar
This hotel is fortunate to have such friendly and engaging employees."
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Michelle Wagner from Frankfort, Illinois
"We were very disappointed. Food was terrible, no oceanview suites, awful service at the bar/lounge, very dirty by the pools, did not get the swim up suite we requested, towels smelled of mildew, too far from downtown playa and shops way over priced., too much walking and not enough entertainment at pool. We will never stay here again."
Posted: Fri, May 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Jesse Hoffman from LaGrange, Ky
"The Hotel and food was Wonderful! But it rained alot while we were there."
Posted: Thu, May 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Amanda Harris from Falkland, North Carolina
"Everything was absolutely wonderful at this resort. The people were very accommodating and friendly. My husband and I were a little worried because we do not speak Spanish but everyone there spoke English and made us feel very welcome. The resort was beautiful, clean, and relaxing. I am so happy we chose Princess Sunset for our honeymoon location. I can not wait to go back! :) I highly recommend bookit.com for the great prices and Princess Sunset for their amazing resort. 5 STARS! "
Posted: Thu, May 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jessica from Fort Lauderdale, Fl
"We stayed in the villa and lived the accommodations! There was a lot of walking to get to the different places on the resort. There was always something to do, from the pool acctivities to the theater acts in the evening. I also thoroughly enjoyed the food. Would recommend to anyone!"
Posted: Wed, May 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Sara
"Our only problem was having 3 people in the room and they gave us a king room. Luckily they gave us a rollaway bed which was just ok and said we didn't ask for 2 double beds. Wrong!!! Food was good and it worked out fine for us."
Posted: Tue, May 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Mirsada Tiric from Chittenango, New York
"It was excellent the best vacation we ever had"
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Bonnie Martens from St. Louis, MO
"My daughter and I had the best time. Wonderful place, great food, ton of fun."
Posted: Tue, May 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"Excellent"
Posted: Tue, May 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Happy Traveler from Harrisburg, PA
"This was our first trip to the Caribbean and an all-inclusive. We had a fantastic time at this resort. I tried not to have high expectations after reading some of the reviews here, but was not disappointed, and actually impressed! There are always those odd moments that things aren't exactly 'your way' or as you expected, but none were enough to ruin a vacation. Again, we have nothing to compare it to, but were very pleased. I think it would be hard to beat for the value. Room - We did the Grand Yucatan upgrade. Great! roomy, high ceiling, clean. The only downside was that they were on the north of the Riviera side of the resort, so the pools did not get very warm. And, were farther from the ocean, but not more than an 8 min. walk. The upgrade included pre-made reservations at two restaurants (we wanted both they selected, so it worked out), and an exclusive dinner one night (which we skipped, for better or worse), a higher end towel that you could exchange anywhere, and pastries/fruit in the concierge areas, nice. We really took advantage of the room service, don't miss it! If we did again, we'd probably go Platinum, just for the beach access and possibly better pool. But past that the main difference seemed to be a la carte lunch/breakfast which wasn't a draw for us. Floors - It got VERY slick, everywhere (even in the room) especially when it rained daily. We saw or heard of at least 3 people falling in the 5 days we were there. Food - I was impressed with the buffet food. Good variety, and fresh tasting. We didn't end up eating there a lot, so it might get overdone, but were pleasantly surprised by the quality in a buffet. We did 3 ala cartes. Thought the best all around was La Fondue. My husband liked Miso (though we didn't get to the hibachi tables, I guess you had to request them?). Neither of us was impressed with Tapas. I guess I was expecting actual tapas, which it wasn't. Room service was great, we had it for at least one of each meal plus late night. Weather/Beach - We got there on the second day of the 'first tropical storm of the season (according to our driver)' and had rain or clouds each day. But, it moved quickly and the beach always had a nice breeze. It wasn't the most beautiful beach, as it was quite littered with seaweed/grass, which the staff worked on clearing each morning, and had quite a drop-off a few feet in. The water was always cloudy, which we attributed to the weather. We really enjoyed the thatched umbrellas, plentiful in the adults only area. The beach bbq served good paella and taquitos. Service - we were taken by the friendly greetings by most all staff. All but one person we interacted with was friendly and very helpful. Grounds - what you see is what you get. Amazed at the meticulous and constant care. I spent a lot of time reading reviews and amenities on this site. This resort had everything we really wanted (large, beach access, upgraded levels, room service, A-I) at a good price. We would go back in a heart-beat."
Posted: Mon, May 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Rebecca from Goondiwindi, Queensland
"We really enjoyed our week at the resort althought one thing i will say is that the staff at the front desk don't really inform you on much about the resort and you don't receive any paper work about ie. when the daily activities are held and what time or even what things the resort can offer like the non motorised watersports which are included we had to ask conceige about them. A simple peice of paper at check in would have been appreciated. In saying this we loved our time at the resort and would definatly reccomend it to a friend."
Posted: Mon, May 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Julie Mowery from Fenton, MI
"I wish the dance lessons would have been 'real' instead of a 'show' format. I was really hoping to learn Salsa dancing while I was there."
Posted: Mon, May 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"It was great!!!"
Posted: Mon, May 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler
"Great value. Excellent activities available"
Posted: Sun, May 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Luis from Miami, Fl
"Fabulous"
Posted: Sun, May 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler from Akron, Ohio
"My wife and I had a very relaxing time. Our biggest disappointment was the food. The quality and taste was just not there for us. The beach was ok. It felt a bit crowded, and within the water, there were many rocks that led to it being very uncomfortable trying to maneuver around them. The pools were terrific, the staff was very friendly, and we felt very rested at the end of our stay."
Posted: Sun, May 20, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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A Recent Traveler
"Great trip...I highly recommend it!"
Posted: Thu, May 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Salman Budhwani from Glendale Heights, Illinois
"Overall the trip was great but there were a few things that people should be aware of before booking at this hotel. I am sure this does not happen all the time but our AC was not functioning properly and they had to come and try to fix the issue. It took over 1 hr and the AC was still not fixed. I had to talk to the front desk for over an hour to get another room and even then they were giving me a hard time about the entire hotel being booked. I didn't appreciate this but at the end of the day we got a new room. The staff was excellent and helpful otherwise. The food was average at best. You need to make reservations at specific restaurants which they tell you is booked but it never is. All the restaurants are less then half full at any time. The bar pools were a lot of fun and plenty of activities. Plenty of kids but they were not bothersome. A grill by the beach was wonderful and be aware that all the best spots at the pool and beach are taken by 10:00 AM so get out there early if you want a good spot. One thing I hated was that there were too many rocks in the ocean. Me and my friends cut ourselves countless times. For the price it was awesome and I would go again."
Posted: Thu, May 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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K. Phillips from Modesto, CA
"The resort is absolutely beautiful. The rooms are nice, but it's worth it to upgrade to a pool access suite. Be prepared to do a lot of walking, but that just helps you burn off all those extra calories you gain from the delicious food and drink. They could improve their system for making dinner reservations at the speciality restraurants by upgrading their system allowing you to make/cancel reservations from your room over the phone. The pools were great. The only pool that was crowded and loud was the party pool, but they have to have one of those for the party crowd. All in all a great resort, especially for the money. Loved it!!!!!!!!!!!"
Posted: Wed, May 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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CHARLES from BROOKLYN, NY
"WAS EXCELLENT. LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK NEXT YEAR FOR TWO WEEKS INSTEAD OF ONE. SO FAR ONE OF MY BEST VACATIONS ROOM, FOOD, STAFF EVERYTHING WAS JUST GREAT. ONLY BAD THING SHOULD HAVE BOOKIT TWO WEEKS. LOL"
Posted: Wed, May 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Kendra Blosser from Tigard, Or
"My husband and I have nothing but amazing things to say about the Princess hotel. Every single person was extremely accommodating at every turn of our stay, the rooms are immaculate, the pools are gorgeous, the beach is extremely clean, the food is phenomenal, and the variety available to your everyday activites and meal options is refreshing. We want to take our whole family here on vacation very soon!"
Posted: Wed, May 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Larry from Clinton Twp, Mi
"first the good news; great pool, nice rooms, (though our first room smelled of mold and mildew and they could not get us another room until the next day!), very clean hotel, grounds were beautifully kept and constanly attended. Food was disapointing. Buffet's were fine, what you'd expect. The 4 signature restaurants we dined at were fair to average. Very tough, chewy meat. Entrey's frankly were not that good. Desserts and sides were good. Sushi was poor, too much rice. Bar service was excellent, entertainment fairly good. Find another Corporate Chef and this would be a gem!"
Posted: Wed, May 16, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Joseph Roberts from Rochdale, MA
"We could not say one bad thing about this place - would definately go again!"
Posted: Mon, May 14, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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TONI SPEER from Houston, Texas
"Have been to several all-inclusive resorts in Cancun/Playa del Carmen and this one far exceeded my expectations. The pictures online do not do this resort justice. Our group consisted of 10 with everything from travel newbies, to veteran all-inclusive travelers, and very picky eaters. Everyone said they would definitely return. FOOD: LOTS of restaurants to choose from and something to suit everyone's tastes. Be sure to go straight form check-in desk to restaurant concierge upon arrival to book dinners for next few days - they book up VERY quickly, especially with a larger group. It is possible to walk up and see if they can fit you in though. Did not have a single bad meal and ate in 6 different restaurants. NOTE: Long pants are required for men in restaurants other than buffet - just bring them so you aren't stuck paying $90 for a pair in hotel gift shop. BARS: lines can get long at beach and pool bars so bring your large insulated mug to reduce number of trips to bar. ROOMS: Not as rock hard as typical beds in Mexico but still on the firm side. Rooms were spacious and well decorated. BEACH: Walk a little to the left for the 'Adult Only' section and it is much quieter and less crowded, even with hotel filled to capacity. No line at beach bar there either. Good lunch at beach grill. MISC: The resort is large and it can be a long walk from front to beach so pack up and plan accordingly when you start out for the day. Sunset and Riviera have different lobbies and booking names but they share all of the same amenities and even rooms so it really doesn't matter which you choose. Stop by concierge to get an activities list - there were fun things we didn't even know about until the day we were leaving. There were only a few children when we were there but it seemed to have activities and pools for the kids. Lastly, pack plenty of sunscreen in your checked luggage - a regular size bottle averaged $25-30 in hotel and in town. If you only use a carry-on suitcase you must pack the travel size (3.5 oz or less) which can get pricey as well. Enjoy your stay!"
Posted: Wed, May 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Jeymme from Pembroke Pines, Fl
"Everything was excellent except that some of the alcoholic drinks like the margaritas were not good at all and that they don't have coca cola products."
Posted: Wed, May 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Juliana
"The hotel overall was good, I say good because food was very tasty, hotel was very clean and the servers were very friendly. I don't think that the staff at the check in are helpful at all!!!! I bought my stay 6 months ahead of time and placed a request for king bed (it was our anniversary)...Well I got two twin beds and they did not want to give me a king. Mind you that other two couples that booked after us and did not request a king bed got it!!!! I was not the only one complaining, apparently they do not have enough twin beds.... Good overall but you are not getting top quality service.!"
Posted: Wed, May 09, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Christina from Detroit, MI
"My boyfriend and I just returned from Mexico. We had a great time! We booked travel for our transportation to and from the airport and they were great. When we first arrived the staff was easy to spot and directed us where we needed to go. We did wait a little bit for our bus to come and take us to our hotel, but it wasn't an inconvenience because we were surrounded by friendly people and gorgeous weather. When we arrived at our hotel, we had no problems checking in and getting the room we had requested. They were very prompt. Once we got settled we went on a walk to look around the resort. As a lot of people have said on here, it is a big resort. However, every part of the resort is taken care of, maintained and very lovely. I found that the walking from our roon(which was close to the Riviera lobby) all the way to the beach, was enjoyable. The surroundings were beautiful, the staff was very friendly and accomodating as well. They stock your mini fridge with water, juices and 2 beers everyday. When we asked if we could get more beer in our fridge(we gave them $3 U.S), we found 5 beers in our fridge every day after that. Also, if you want to plan a day trip to see the ruins, zip lin,n or go to Cozumel or Isla Mujeres, you can do all of that inside the resort. They made it very convenient and the people are very helpful. I also went on here before we booked for Mexico and heard bad reviews about the beach area. Its nonsense. Yes, there is seaweed and it is a lil rocky in the shallow areas, but its a very nice beach. They have a ton of activities for you to do. Such as kayaking, going on a catamaran, jet skiing, etc. We kayaked and went on the catamaran and it was great. Very enjoyable. Some downsides were: If you want to make reservations for dinner at an a la carte restaurant, I would suggest looking at the different restaurants before you leave and calling and booking before Mexico. Most of the good restaurants(Like Miso) were booked a couple days in advance. Also, the pillow cases in our room were very clean(I saw mascara all over the pillows). However, we asked for new pillow cases and sheets and they were provided to us. All in all this is a great resort! My boyfriend and I are planning on returning next year. I'd recommend this place to family and friends."
Posted: Tue, May 08, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Juju from Lockport, New York
"I went with my daughter for a quick get away for 5 nights, we both really liked the resort and the staff that cleans the room they were nice, friendly and the room was always cleaned before noon. The front desk guy upon check in was nice enough but I felt because it was just my daughter and myself he may have not treated us as well as others. We were suppose to be upraded to jr deluxe suite and we were not, I asked for a 2 bed non smoking room we got a smoking 2 bed room. But we did not smell any smoke so that was fine. The bathrooms were very nice and updated. We went to get the 'free' shuttle into town you have to make reservations the morning before line up at 8am, nobody told us so we could not make a reservation but the lady told us to show up and perhaps someone would not make the bus. We did this I told the head guy outside that my daughter and I were wanting to make the bus, asked him where should I stand, he told me to stand around the outside desk. We did we were there 45 minutes early infact nobody was there. Next thing you know there were a lot of people 2 buses and I told my daughter we should get in this line. the bus driver says I have 2 openings we were next in the line, and there were people behind me but the wore a different color wrist band then us and you could just tell they wanted them on the bus and not us, I yelled over,'you know we have been here longer than anyone else right?' he then says 'I don't know nothing you need to be in the line!' I said we then good thing we are the next one in line and we got on the bus, but they wanted the couple behind us to get the last two seats. Funny thing we gave the driver a $10 tip, he didn't get anything from the rest of the people on the bus! The staff at this resort looks at the color of you wrist band before you get looked in the eye, or be treated nicely. I am kind and friendly with everyone and I was a little stunned by the way we were treated. Yes I would go again we did have fun but I would upgrade with the money I used to tip with, and tip less!"
Posted: Mon, May 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Chris from Randolph, NJ
"Outstanding resort! Clean and confortable. A little big for some but we didn't mind. The food was only okay. The platinum upgrade was worth it."
Posted: Mon, May 07, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Andrea from Grove City, Ohio
"My husband and I just returned from our stay on May 5th. Anyone that has complained about this resort is someone that can't be pleased with anything. There is a lot of walking,but how can you complain when you are in such beautiful surroundings. The resort is very clean,there is staff cleaning everywhere. We had a swim out room which I would highly recommend, the pool is at your disposal anytime. Our room was very clean,our housekeeper was very efficient. I did not like making reservations for the restaurants,but we were able to eat at all the ones we wanted to. Miso was by far the best,we ate there twice. There was a schedule of activities that you can join, or you can just relax and do nothing. There was a market in the main square on Thursday night with local artists,and prices were very reasonable. Overall we had an excellent stay and would highly recommend staying here:)"
Posted: Sun, May 06, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Chelly from Toronto, Ontario
"I've read a lot of reviews from this hotel before booking. The reviews are either really negative or really positive; barely any in between ratings, but I LOVED IT. We got a free upgrade from the Junior Suite to the Deluxe Junior Suite. There are a lot of complaints about the resort being too big. Yes, the walk from the lobby to the beach might be a 20 mins, but what people don't understand is that this is TWO resorts combined together. There are also shuttle rides that comes every 10 minutes for those who are unwilling to walk, but I found the walk quite enjoyable and relaxing especially after a filling dinner. The staff and workers are all incredibly hard working and super friendly. They kept all the grounds and pools clean at all times. There were a lot of complaints about the staff being rude, and all I have to say to that is I've seen A LOT MORE rude guests. We were at the Miso Teppanyaki dinner where the chef did a great job at entertaining and cooking for our table. After he was done, my friends and I and two other younger guests tipped him. Four of the older guests didn't even bother. Later on, the same four older guests left with 3/4 of the food still left on the plate without giving a single penny for tips for the bus boys that were also serving us. Tipping is not mandatory, but I've seen guests at a la carte restaurants ordering excessively with wine and leaving with plates still full and not even a cent for tips. If I was an employee and I saw how much waste these people leave behind and not a single penny for gratuity, I wouldn't be very happy myself. It's funny because I only notice this with the older guests. Younger people seem to be more willing to tip. I also noticed another older women drinking coffee at one of the buffets, one of the employees came to her smiling and wanted to drop off a plate of cream and milk for her coffee. She rudely snapped back at him pointing out that she already had milk and cream on her table. He walked away still smiling and she was looking at him shaking her head as if he did something senseless. Are you kidding me?!? You have to understand that a lot of people nitpick about EVERYTHING, if you're not one of those people, then you'd definitely enjoy this resort. P.S. Everyone should go to Coco Bongo at least once in their lives. It is an experience of a lifetime and I would go again in a heartbeat."
Posted: Wed, May 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler from St John's Nl
"Resort too large and too isolated. Bus available on a daily basis for trips to Playa del Carmen which only took 40 people out of a population of about 1000 people."
Posted: Wed, May 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Wendy Crossman from Wichita, Kansas
"First day we arrived they tried to 'up' sell us into a better room by putting special braclettes on our arm for just 25 more dollars a day. After I said no they cut the braclettes off and put the less impressive ones on. When I asked what the difference was it included free internet and different towles not sure if that is worth 25 more dollars a day. 3rd day my cell phone was stolen and they did not act to quickly to help us. We bought a romantic dinner on the beach at the resort to be charged 30 dollars more then what the menu stated the meal cost. It was so windy were they had us sit that we could not eat. When I complained and even showed them the price difference they did nothing. We went to town on the 'free' shuttle. But we were told there was limited return seat at 5 pm and it would cost 4 dollars each to return earlier. The first night the mop bucket was left in our room and we had to return it so we could get some clean towels."
Posted: Wed, May 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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A Recent Traveler
"My wife and I really thought that this would be a GREAT hotel but... I am not sure if we were expecting too much or what but I was expecting a way cleaner beach first of all. 'Our own private butler', maybe I misunderstood that part but that was not what we had. 1 for all the 'Platinum' people. My biggest problem with the resort and maybe with Mexico but the food was horrible!! I mean horrible!! The blandest tasting food even down to the snacks or anything for that matter. A week later getting back to the states, I am still recovering if you know what I mean!"
Posted: Wed, May 02, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Brandy from Noblesville, IN
"Demographics- 'Relation Vacation', two adults, 39 & 40 from Indiana. Room- Platinum suite on third floor balcony. Here we go, an honest review. I hope you appreciate the level of detail. The resort was beautiful! I've stayed in approximately 10 resorts on vacations and this was the most beautiful! Transportation: Very organized. Go straight through airport in Cancun directly outside you will find the agents. Don't stop in the hotel, you will be accosted by other travel agencies! Keep going. 45 minute drive from Cancun airport to resort. Don't be alarmed when you arrive. The entrance is long and fenced. Resort arrival. Beautiful. It's actually two resorts in one. We felt the pictures didn't do the view justice. Check in was easy;however, you cannot check in until 3:00! You can still access facilities. I recommend booking return transportation and excursions during this time. Room: Gorgeous. Platinum third floor. Balcony view of both the lush property/pools and the beach. Jacuzzi tub on the balcony. Room had a stand up 'rain' shower, seperate toilet, double sink, and another jacuzzi tub! There was a sliding screen which opened the bathroom up to the rest of the suite. Two ceiling fans helped circulate the air. Housekeeping did a great job! We tipped $5 per day. Asked for more canned beer for the room and they delivered. Never an issue. Concierge in Platinum will book all your dinners at once. If you're not platinum you can only book 3 nights at a time and have limited options. Shuttle is available between Platinum and the main lobby. Restaurants- More of the same typical of all inclusive restaurants. We ate seafood, which was okay, steak, which was okay, and the Mexican restaurant, not so good. Alcohol- Draft Corona, and top shelf Platinum bar. Drinks were always flowing. Entertainment- Plenty to do in the evenings with bands, entertainers, etc. Tips: Bring floats for the pool. Bring your own insulated cups, the bars will make your drinks in them. Reserve beach chairs with towels first thing in the morning. Pool had plenty of chairs but beach would run out. Massages on the beach from the vendors got great reviews from people we talked to. Bring a spray bottle for poolside or beachside....hot! Towels are provided but we brought our own. Upgrade to Platinum. Specify your room/bed preference in the reservation. Limited King size beds available. Book enough time between flight into US to get through customs and meet connection. Suggest at least 3 hours. Several people missed connections. Cons: Bed was hard, but we still slept fine. Air was not super great, but we used ceiling fans and the balcony screen door and were plenty comfortable with the ocean sounds. Beer was draft Corona."
Posted: Tue, May 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Babette from Kenosha, Wi
"We had a wonderful time. Wow!!!!!! What a fantastic resort........ We loved the laguna room.. Especially the outdoor shower. Our room smelled so nice. Like powder. Did not have a musty smell at all. Room service is included. Our pool for laguna guests only was fantastic. They are very tentative to your needs... Always. Bringing drinks and water. Even had snacks by our pool..... They could not do enough for us....... Always asking what else they could do. Just love being treated like a princess....... The food was excellent........ Loved the miso cooking show.... The Lobster at olas. Was heavenly........ The grounds we just beautiful. Can not say enoght wonderful things.... We will definately go back......"
Posted: Tue, May 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Molly from Plano, TX
"This resort was crazy clean and we loved the food. It is a very long walk to everything, so make sure you have comfy shoes. We booked our excursion and had a great experience. The only change we would make is taking the sailing trip out of Playa versus Cancun. The drive to Cancun was much longer than we thought it would be since you stop to pick up other passengers and drive well into Cancun. We had to check out at noon on Sunday but had a two hour wait for our bus to the airport, the hotel let us keep our wrist bracelets and continue to enjoy the resort until we left. That might be standard at all places, but we were happy they were so accommodating."
Posted: Tue, May 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler from Loudon, NH
"The hotel was beautiful! The staff was amazing! Very helpful and extremely friendly! Went with some friends and we all agree we would definitely stay here again. It is in a great location to go on any tour you want to go on or simply to go into town. The food was good, but just make sure you get your dinner reservations made early morning because they book fast. Thanks everyone and we will be looking forward to another trip to Mexico!"
Posted: Tue, May 01, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Steve from Chesterfield, MI
"Great trip. The Ala Carte food was fantastic. We spent a little extra for the Yucatan suite (adults only). It was nice, quiet alternative to the party pool and had more restaurant options. It really was the way to go for a minimal price increase. The main pools are not adults only if that is a necessity. I read many reviews speaking of the slippery walkways. When wet, or with wet feet they could be slippery but simple solution was to wear sandals and no problems. Really think people are overexaggerating the issue. I imagine most resorts are similar construction. Highly recommend resort and would go back in a heartbeat. Felt extremely safe at resort as well as in Playa Del Carmen."
Posted: Mon, Apr 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Fred from New York
"The resort was beautiful! The beach as nice too. Food was ok.. Rooms were well maintained and staff was nice except for one person at the front desk when my friend had to change her room. Here's the deal..you tip you get better service?...not always at this resort. We had a great waitress at the beach but that is one out of 1500.. The only DISSAPOINTMENT was the alcohol. The resort lists Smirnoff as the vodka served however, it seemed as if it was only available until 7-8pm then there wasn't a bottle to be found and the well vodka tasted like rubbing alcohol. THIS IS A PARTY HOTEL..MORE THAT HALF THE GUESTS ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 30. For the money it was fine..."
Posted: Mon, Apr 30, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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A Recent Traveler from Stmbt. Sprgs, CO
"It took the front desk THREE days to get us the 2 beds we requested. They sent a cot for the 2nd night with no blanket/pillow. Our safe wasn't able to work in each of the rooms we had. Consequently, It cost us a nonrefundable $8 to come back to the hotel, because we couldn't get the transfer paper, which was locked in our safe, which took multiple phone calls to security to finally open. The drinks were very over sweetened and watered down. The restaurant booking was a real hassle compared to other AI hotels (6) I've stayed at. The hotel is unbelievably clean and the working staff were supremely friendly, but the front desk supervisor was no help to us nor was the concierge(who said they didn't have any extra transfers to let us go on the shuttle, nor could they locate the one we'd filled out previously the day before, although this is where one is to get them)!! It was a constant battle with them, over these little things that disrupted our vacation almost every day. Otherwise, there is a wide variety of food, and the place is beautiful. Be forewarned that the lobby has 3 steep flights of stairs to ascend and the place is very spread out, a 10 minute walk at least to their beach access."
Posted: Sun, Apr 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Becky from Campbellsport, Wi
"This was the first vacation we have taken in 15 years and we worried we would be disappointed with the lower level rooms. We booked the smallest suite (junior suite) and were far from disappointed. The rooms were wonderful and clean. We could pretty much go to all but a few places the top price suites could. We aren't overly fancy people & would rather dress casual for dinner anyway. We would definitely come to this resort again. Maybe even try to upgrade & see how that is. My only complaint is that the rooms had a musty smell to them. But so did a lot of the other areas we visited on our vacation so I don't think it was resort related."
Posted: Sun, Apr 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Ryan from Dayton, OH
"The reviews I read on this before choosing this resort were congruent with the experience I had at the resort. It all depends on what is important to you when you travel. For me its staff friendliness, cleanliness, and if the place is accommodating. The food wasn't great, but that isn't important to me. There were a couple times we were left without bath towels or rags after they made up the room and had to call to the front to have them brings us some. The entire time of our stay the staff was very nice and friendly. Either way this place was paradise and well worth the price. I would definitely stay there again. For me and my guest, we rate this experience overall as excellent."
Posted: Sun, Apr 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Michael from Godfrey, IL
"The accommodations and everything were excellent again (our 2nd time), but when we arrived they tried to put us in a different area...upgrade to platinum. This upgrade had no advantages for us. FInally, a Manager gave us what we 'ordered', a swim up room. However, then they could not give us the King size bed. Evidently, they were 'switiching' rooms for many. "
Posted: Sun, Apr 29, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Judy from Newtown Square, Pa.
"I was terribly dissapointed with this trip. I fell on the second day due to the slippery path to get everywhere. After a bag of ice put to the back of my head I was sent off. No staff member walked me back to the far away pool I was sitting at. I could not go to dinner that night due to pain and fright I had.Room service would not send anything unless I paid for it. I fell because lunch was closed and the only food was on the beach right pas the showers that made the walk so dangerous. The hotel was so huge nothing not even getting your towel was less then almost a mile away. Drinks throughout all tasted like water even the wine. What could I say it was my least favorite vacation I have ever been on."
Posted: Fri, Apr 27, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Juan Carlos Barragan from Adelanto, California
"The resort only has one adult pool ! There's no waiter service ( too lazy workers) Don't upgrade to platinum save your money. Our first night they gave us a room with two beds. Next day we got our our king size room. later that night i noticed a Fire Ant in the the room. Later we found more. house keeping had to bug spray the room . The next day an outside company was called in to spay the room with heavy duty spray. Well that didn't help, they had to spray the room four more times the whole week we where there. We asked the hotel managennt for our money back on the upgrade ,they told us they would see what they can do. We asked to change rooms , ' they didn't hane any' Our last night in the Nigthmare room my wife screemed a Cockroach in closet!!!!"
Posted: Thu, Apr 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Teresa from Ellensburg, WA
"Loved this resort, so clean and beautiful. Good food and the staff was super friendly and helpful. My ONLY complaint is not with the resort, but the ATM machines they allow in there, the fees are such a rip off!!! TAKE YOUR OWN CASH!!! Do not use these, we paid almost 40.00 to withdraw 200.00 and it does not tell you at all. The resort has safes in every room and is very safe. My next visit to this resort will be soon I hope, LOVED it!!"
Posted: Thu, Apr 26, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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William from Los Angeles, Ca
"I had a very frustrating trip to Playa Del Carmen due to a series of mistakes made by the hotel staff. 1) I paid for internet for the week as I was only able to book a junior deluxe sweet (platinum not available). This worked sometimes but unfortunately it only works for one device...not at a time but one device period! meaning if your phone was on and it auto-joined the Wifi, you cannot later connect your computer. 2) I booked a day excursion to Xel-ha through the tourist agent at the hotel. they charged me just fine but then somehow forgot to call and put my name on the list to the agency who actually takes us to the park. thus i was not allowed on the bus despite being there on time at 7:25 am and had to take a taxi myself to the park (which is very expensive) and the only way i was let in the park is by luck that someone else from my hotel did not show up. 3) I asked 2 days in advance about arranging a shuttle back to playa del carmen to take the bus to the airport for my return flight. however, i was told this is not possible more than one day in advance. when i called the following day, i was told nothing is available, and when i tried to inquire why, instead the concierge asked me a series of questions to try to find a reason why i shouldn't be left on...'do you have baggage?'...'no, only a small hand carryon i can put on my lap'...'sorry sir, you can't get on the shuttle with any luggage'...'But i can hold the small bag on my lap!' Overall, it is a beautiful place, but with these mistakes, the worst part is that the staff was very defensive and instead of trying to help me, they were very argumentative about why this was not their problem. Eventually I asked to see a copy of their terms about their shuttle which they refused me...'No I don't need to show you...this is Mexico.' So I would recommend this place if you don't mind possibly missing your excursion, you don't intend to pay for internet and you don't need a shuttle at any time."
Posted: Wed, Apr 25, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Richard Beck from Strasburg, Virginia
"We read a lot of reviews and were a little skeptical.We decided to book the best they had to offer'Laguana Villas',and we were not disappointed. We were 5star treated our entire visit, it was fantastic. Our private pool area was great, w/our own bar and waitress who was exceptional, never had to get off our butts for a drink ever. First class service always. The restuarants were excellent. As for the buffets we were platinum so we went to the platinum buffet for breakfast and lunch daily, where we were given the choice of the buffet or ordering from a menu. This service is only available to Platinum and Laguan Villa guests, so my advice is if you want 5 star service get Platinum suite or Laguana Villa, You won't regret it. Resort was very clean and well kept and staff always was very helpful. The beach was ok not as bad as other people said, we agree not having vendors on beach would be nice . As we understood the resorts have to pay the gov. To not allow them on the resort beach if resort does not pay then vendors are allowed. All in all we had a fantastic vacation and we would definitely return. "
Posted: Tue, Apr 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Chad from Vancouver, BC
"the resort is huge, which really works against it. The wait staff was often rude and gladly took the tips with not so much as a thank you or eye contact. The floors and bridges were VERY slippery in the rain and I have the bruised knees to prove it. The grounds are beautiful and in our opinion, it is the only thing the resort has going for it. They had us in a deluxe room near the meat market pool with loud music all day and drunk people everywhere around 11am... On day 3 we upgraded to platinum and things got a little better from the service perspective. But the food did not. The buffets were awful, the mexicans wouldn't even eat the 'mexican food'. The a la cart restaurants were a let down with rubbery calamari and poor cuts of meat. Avoid the resort at all cost if you were looking for a delicious and romantic getaway. We don't recommend it, and won't be looking to princess for any future holidays."
Posted: Tue, Apr 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Christina from Spencerport, New York
"First and foremost the resort is beautiful ! The grounds are so well kept and the beach is very nice, a little rocky when you first walk in but quickly changes to soft sand. We booked 2 rooms, 1 for my husband, daughter and myself & the other for my brother & my son. As most people have stated we requested rooms next to each other or at least close by but this did not happen. My brother along with my son were placed 15 rooms down from us and we were told this was the best they could do! I was a bit perturbed considering we do travel around the Caribbean alot and have never been placed that far away from our traveling companions which are always family members, honestly we have always been right next door to one another. The food in my opinion was the biggest downfall, everything was so so at best, & because of the walking distance to the restaurants, that were in the the lobby, and the rooms closer to the beach you better have good legs because it is quite the haul!!! We kinda looked at it as a way of burning off what we over indulged in for the day. I would still recommend this resort but have people know exactly what to expect, an absolutely beautiful resort with blah food."
Posted: Tue, Apr 24, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Brandy from Denmark, Wisconsin
"Absolutely wonderful experience. Beautiful resort. Very nice accomodations. Rooms were nice and very clean. Patio area in the adults only accomodation that we stayed at was very private. Could have spent the entire 5 days there. However, left to go on some day trips. Good experience with the days trips too. Not to badly priced either. Friendly and accomodating drivers. Resort's staff was wonderful. Made me feel like a princess in paradise. However, I was a bit frustrated at times in terms of scheduling dinners at the various resort resturants. Felt that the food was better than expected at all of them. Liked the variety and service was exceptional. However, scheduling was not very easy to do. Often times all slots were full for the first couple of days. Lucky to even be able to schedule something. Ate a lot later than I wanted too on most occasions 9 or 9:30 in order to get a spot at some of them. Not easy to be spontaneous. Room was clean, but smelly. It smelly musty. Requested a change of rooms. Originally was on the ground floor. Could not accomodate the request on the first day that it was made. The following day was offered a different room in a different location. The room was one floor up. Was not quite as smelly, but there was still an odor. Since it was not completely free of the musty smell, CM decided to stay in the original room. Read a review about things being slippery. Did not personally fall, but definately see how it can happen with all the tile. One day it rained. While my husband and I took shelter under the awning of a building, we observed several individuals fall on the wet sidewalks. The nightly entertainment was very good. We took advantage of watching the bands and even took in one of their resort broadway shows. Drinks very readily available. Beach was beautiful and services were nearby (ie. food and drink). Scheduling a complimentary shuttle to Playa del Carmen was very hard to do. Have to arrange only 24 hours ahead of time and often times the concierge was not present when we left for our day trips. Went to Explorer and Xel Ha for our two days trips. Enjoyed both of them. Would higly recommend this resort. Had a great time."
Posted: Mon, Apr 23, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Bonnie from Greenville, WI
"Have just returned home from a 7 night stay. Reservation showed we were in Sunset..not we were to be in the Riviera portion of the resort. The grounds and buildings are excellent and very well tended. Clean and bright, there is staff working everywhere. We always stay in Platinum which does cost more, but to us it is worth it. Except maybe this time, Platinum is no longer adults only..so the private pool was no longer quiet and relaxing. The private lounge club, small buffet and private concierge who made all of our bookings for the ala carte restaurants that we requested was great. Then we find we have no water view. We love the Resort. This was our 5th trip there. Staff is very friendly, food is good, both in buffet and ala carte restaurants, great drinks available everywhere, and good shuttle service throughout resort. As for the previous reviewers comments..yes, there is beautiful marble everywhere, yes..it is very slippery when wet, yes, you need to be careful when walking. I would highly recommend this resort to everyone."
Posted: Sun, Apr 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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Victoria DiStephano from Little Egg Harbor, NJ
"Our experience was ok, not great, as anticipated. Our trip started with a delay in our take off for about 45 minutes, then when we arrived in Mexico about an hour or longer wait to go through customs not once but twice. When we finally were out of the airport the transfer to the hotel was another wait and was chaotic and unorganized with the transfer company, another 45 minutes or so. We finally arrive at the resort after another 40 minute ride for another long line of wait and when at the resort. We get to our room which was nice but it had a king size bed instead of the 2 doubles which were requested. When I called the front desk, I was told that they were unable to to do anything that this massive resort was full and there were no rooms available??? We were put on waiting lists for room change to 2 doubles and also for upgraded rooms which never occured or was ever addressed by the resort. The staff was ok as far as being friendly but I have been in Mexico many times and found this staff as fair in comparison to other resorts I have been to. The resort is very large and alot of walking is involved back and forth to the main part of the hotel where the restaurants and bars are located also. Rooms were well kept as far as cleanliness, the food was good but overall the vacation was just ok."
Posted: Sun, Apr 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Melodie from Weeki Wachee, Florida
"It is a beautiful resort, and all in all we had a good time. There were some issues though. When I booked, I requested two beds. When we got there the room had only one king size bed. I called to see if I could change rooms, but they could not accommodate me. Also, I booked a massage and facial at the spa. I paid for 80 minutes, and was done in 60. When I tried to get my money back for the extra 20 minutes, I was given a hard time. Eventually I was given a refund, but not without a fight."
Posted: Sun, Apr 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Izabella from CT
"I was 16 when I came to this resort & I loved it!! It was really big which I like because it means larger pools, more resturaunts & more to explore. The entertainment was really fun, there were so many activities & they were all so friendly. I've been on quite a few vacations and this one was my favorite so i definetly reccomend it! Also my whole family loved (ages 5- 50) If your debating whether to get it, go for it!!!!"
Posted: Sun, Apr 22, 2012- Overall Experience:
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A Recent Traveler from Livonia, Michigan
"The food was ok. We were often pressed for tips and I was glad I brought my papers with me regarding the gratuities. We had some good meals, but mostly not so good.l In order to get reservations befor 9pm for dinner, it was necessary to be in line at 2 pm. 4 days prior to when you wanted to eat! No one wants to be in line in the middle of the afternoon! We never were able to eat before 9pm my bed time! This was extreamely irritating. The snorkling excursion was absolutely excelllent except for the weather! The guides, the lunch, transportation was all excellent. Pools Ocean, bars all great. We had a good time."
Posted: Sat, Apr 21, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?No
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Anne Champaigne from Belleville, Il
"My boyfriend and I had the best experience ever. The place is purely paradise! Always clean and the À la Carte restaurants all inclusive restaurants were truly amazing!! Miso habachi restaurant was our favorite!!! I'm truly in love with this resort!!"
Posted: Wed, Apr 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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- Would Return or Recommend?Yes
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Doug from Milwaukee, WI
"We went with a group of 14 (4 families) and had a great time. Two of the families in our group had kids and two did not. Even though we booked the Sunset side of the resort, they actually put all of us in the Riviera side. Not a big deal because they are mirror images of each other and you can visit any of the facilities on either side. We all book the Platinum suites, but I think because they were fully booked, they put the two families without kids in the adults only Yucatan Platinum suites (which I recommend if you don't have kids with you). Like pretty much any resort in Mexico, the grounds are beautiful.... and there are good and bad things. It all boils down to what is important to you. Resort: It is a huge resort. It is about a 15 minutes walk from beach to lobby, so if you have problems walking make sure to book the platinum upgrade so you have access to the platinum shuttle service. Restaurants/Food: Most restaurants are in the lobby building. There are also two restaurants for breakfast/lunch buffets near the beach and a grill on the beach that serves burgers/hot dogs/chips and changing item such as wings, tacos. The buffet food for breakfast and lunch were like any others. Some things were good, others not so good. We only ate twice at the buffet for dinner, once on the first night we arrived which was pretty good (Tex-Mex night) and once at a special Platinum Club 'Gala' night. That buffet was pretty bad. We were sorry we gave up an ala-cart restaurant for the Gala. The ala-cart restaurants we went to were Tapa: Not really a Tapa's restaurant... it's just named Tapas (Spanish food). The food was good, but the service was very very slow. It was 1.5 hours for dinner (just two courses). La Fleur (International). This was our best meal. Every course was excellent, especially the Fillet. Miso (Japanese display cooking). Probably the best fried rice ever. Excellent chicken. Steaks and Fish also included with more mixed reviews. Excellent chef who put on a fun show. Mama Mia (Italian): Everything was pretty good, but not outstanding except the chicken parmigiana. Pizza and Lasagna were all good. If Platinum, you can order off of menus for breakfast and lunch at the buffets. The food is really good off the menu, but service is very slow. Bars/Drinks: The alcohol selection is pretty average. Standard drinks include Bacardi, Johnny Walker Red, Jose Cuervo, Smirnoff, Corona. Platinum upgrade gets you Havana Club, Jack Daniels, Absolut , captian morgans among others at the platinum clubs, lobby bars and most restaurants. There are swim up bars at pretty much every pool. The Sports Bar is open 24/7 and always has snacks available as well as pool and air hockey. The drinks were very good and plenty strong. Pools: There are pools everywhere in this resort... and they are all beautiful. There are swim up bars in all of them, except maybe the adults only pools in the Yucatan section. (They do have a pool bar poolside). The main pools are all right down the middle of the Sunset and Rivera resorts. There is an identical pool on each side, and there are three sets of these pairs of pools. The ones closest to the lobby seems to be the quiet pools. The set in the middle are the party/activity pool. The set closest to the beach are somewhere in between. I've never been to a resort that had so many pool choices. Beach: Nice big beach. There is an adults only section on one side. A small roped off area for platinum members that includes wait service. The only problem I had is that they put a bunch of vendor huts and massage huts right up on the beach so if you were sitting behind them, all you could see were the huts. Not a good layout. Once you go in, the ocean is very rocky. You'll want to wear some sort of footware if you go in. I would say the beach is one of the worst I've been to in Mexico. Overall I liked the resort and would return if I got a really good deal. If you don't mind walking and can deal with an average at best buffet, I would not hesitate to recommend coming here. But, don't pay full price. Wait for a deal."
Posted: Wed, Apr 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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A Recent Traveler
"We stayed there April 11-15. 2012. We had wonderful time. Very clean, beautiful resort and helpful staff. We stayed in the Laguna villas and it was great. Private pool with concierge and bartender. Hardly spent time at beach because our private pool was so great. Beach was nice too. Food was good. The buffet and resturants were nice. Service great. No problems at all. Would totally go back and stay in villa. Very worth it!"
Posted: Wed, Apr 18, 2012- Overall Experience:
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A Recent Traveler
"Resort was fantastic! You can't beat the beach/pool bars as well as both the a la carte restaurants and buffets. The resort offers everything you need without ever having to leave if you don't want to. The beach and pool atmosphere was everything we could ask for and extremely relaxing. Entertainment on-site was also a very nice feature. The rooms were very clean and well maintained as was the entire resort. An extremely beautiful destination for your vacation and a great value. Would definitely stay here again and recommend to a friend."
Posted: Tue, Apr 17, 2012- Overall Experience:
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A Recent Traveler
"Excellent experience!"
Posted: Mon, Apr 16, 2012
