Grand Mayan vs Royal Mayan, Riviera Maya/Cancun Review

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

well that just got scratched off the list of possibilities

Beaches: This was one thing that was a big disappointment at both the Mayan Palace and the Royals. The beach in front of the Royals has a barrier of solid rock in the water that you have to get by to get in the ocean. It can be very dangerous, especially if there are any waves. They told us that lot of the sand has been eroded. The beach right in front of the Mayan Palace is not nearly as rocky but you have to watch it. The beach is much nicer about a 1/4 of a mile down from the Mayan Palace. My wife and I did go swimming in the ocean at both the Royal Mayan and the Mayan Palace. If beaches are your highest priority than I would go to Florida where the beaches are much nicer..

Great review John. < Reminds me to do the 3 I owe >

We are very much BEACH people, which is probably why we didn't like PV. I went with a friend to Acapulco 25 years ago and wasn't overly thrilled with that either.

Mexico is running 0 for 2 but I was willing to take a shot at the Cancun area until I read about the beaches. If that is the case we'll skip it and keep going to caribbean and florida.

Thanks for probably "saving" a vacation for us.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Hi: I loved your write-up especially giving so much info on the Mayan Palace....Is that the Mayan Palace in Neuvo Vallarta by chance? If so thanks for all the good info.....Judy

No, I wrote about the Mayan Palace/Grand Mayan in Riviera Maya which is just south of Cancun.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Great review John. < Reminds me to do the 3 I owe >

We are very much BEACH people, which is probably why we didn't like PV. I went with a friend to Acapulco 25 years ago and wasn't overly thrilled with that either.

Mexico is running 0 for 2 but I was willing to take a shot at the Cancun area until I read about the beaches. If that is the case we'll skip it and keep going to caribbean and florida.

Thanks for probably "saving" a vacation for us.

Lawren,

With Hurricane Wilma hitting Cancun tomorrow, I expect that the beaches will be even damaged more. I have said many times, if my primary reason for picking a place to go is the beach, then I would pick Florida. There is a nice beach about a 1/4 mile south of the Mayan Palace - Riviera Maya.

[ronandjoan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ronandjoan]

Thanks for the comparisons

I was disapointed that I didn;t get at least one week at the Royals but have two weeks booked at the Grand Mayan in April and now feel GREAT about it. went to hotel row last year and wanted to try the southern resorts. A major interest there was Xcaret, so your remarks really helped. Thanks
Joan

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

So far the reports I have on the tri-Royals beach is that the sand is back and there are no rock impediments.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

It looks like the tri-Royals did fine and are built well. Great that you got your sand back too. How was your vacation in FL?

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Fine, once we got by the initial problems of the first days.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I was disapointed that I didn;t get at least one week at the Royals but have two weeks booked at the Grand Mayan in April and now feel GREAT about it. went to hotel row last year and wanted to try the southern resorts. A major interest there was Xcaret, so your remarks really helped. Thanks
Joan

Joan,

You should feel great!!! I havent' been to Grand Mayan yet, but it is at the very top of my mexico list. We have done "the Royals' several times, but I am really looking forward to the "unsurpassed luxury" at the Grand Mayan, and am a little (ok just a little) tired of the commercialization of the hotel zone in cancun "proper." I have one bonus week left with SFX, if I can book Grand Mayan, we are going even though I have been threatened by SO (I know this is new shorthand for TUG, but I am trying to be pc) that we cannot possibly take any more trips (i think he just feels the need to protest, but it's a funny thing that he always ending up having a good time...)

So enjoy!!

Avery

ps: Xcaret was a really great day, my only regret was having to drive from the Royals, the GM puts you so close!!!!!

[Gil Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gil]

Very interesting review and responses.

Gil

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Great review John. < Reminds me to do the 3 I owe >

We are very much BEACH people, which is probably why we didn't like PV. I went with a friend to Acapulco 25 years ago and wasn't overly thrilled with that either.

Mexico is running 0 for 2 but I was willing to take a shot at the Cancun area until I read about the beaches. If that is the case we'll skip it and keep going to caribbean and florida.

Thanks for probably "saving" a vacation for us.

This is an update. We stayed 2 weeks at the Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta last April. The beach there is excellent. I know that the beaches at Puerto Vallarta are pretty bad but we were quite impressed with the beach at the GM - NV. The resort itself is awesome. The units are identical to the Grand Mayan - Riviera Maya but the resort is much different. We had a wonderfull ocean view unit on the top floor.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Hello all,

Ok we have a wedding to go to in June 2017 at Playa Mujeres just north of Cancun. They are set up at Finest Playa Mujeres and it is all inclusive and pricey. We just assume get a place with no all inclusive due to diet restrictions. Only thing we found was 1 BR which is our minimum. They had Mayan Palace at Riviera Maya, Imperial Fiesta Club at Hotel Casa Maya; The Bliss Riviera Maya; The Grand Mayan Riviera Maya;

We put a hold on The Grand Mayan Riviera Maya as per this review from 2005. So is the place still great? Any other advice?

Wish we could snag the Westin Lagunamar but we don't have II.

Thanks. I am signing back up for TUG to get more information.

John

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Hello all,

Ok we have a wedding to go to in June 2017 at Playa Mujeres just north of Cancun. They are set up at Finest Playa Mujeres and it is all inclusive and pricey. We just assume get a place with no all inclusive due to diet restrictions. Only thing we found was 1 BR which is our minimum. They had Mayan Palace at Riviera Maya, Imperial Fiesta Club at Hotel Casa Maya; The Bliss Riviera Maya; The Grand Mayan Riviera Maya;

We put a hold on The Grand Mayan Riviera Maya as per this review from 2005. So is the place still great? Any other advice?

Wish we could snag the Westin Lagunamar but we don't have II.

Thanks. I am signing back up for TUG to get more information.

John

John The bliss is there top of the line, Do you need a few nights or a whole week. I have gotten some great deals with Priceline one of which was the Westin

[SallyHoover Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SallyHoover]

Hello all,

Ok we have a wedding to go to in June 2017 at Playa Mujeres just north of Cancun. They are set up at Finest Playa Mujeres and it is all inclusive and pricey. We just assume get a place with no all inclusive due to diet restrictions. Only thing we found was 1 BR which is our minimum. They had Mayan Palace at Riviera Maya, Imperial Fiesta Club at Hotel Casa Maya; The Bliss Riviera Maya; The Grand Mayan Riviera Maya;

We put a hold on The Grand Mayan Riviera Maya as per this review from 2005. So is the place still great? Any other advice?

Wish we could snag the Westin Lagunamar but we don't have II.

Thanks. I am signing back up for TUG to get more information.

John

For the Vida properties the highest level of the ones you listed is Grand Mayan, The Bliss Riviera Maya is just upgraded furnishings basically in a Mayan Palace unit. The Grand Bliss (highest level RCI Vida resort and) is the step above the Grand Mayan and a step below Grand Luxxe which is only available with II. Keep in mind Vida has now instituted a $11 per person (over the age of 12) per day for the stay. This is now applicable to both RCI reservations (made after Dec 1 2016) and II (made after October 1, 2016

The Vida properties are also over an hour from Playa Mujeres so you might do better with Imperial Fiesta Club at Hotel Casa Maya.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

John, Playa Mujeres is south of Cancun.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Thanks. Yes I mapped it. Not sure how we would handle transportation. Do not plan to rent a car. The problem we have is the wedding is on Sunday June 18 and that is check in day for the Imperial Fiesta Club and will be just too difficult to pull off logistically. Family is probably hanging around for that long weekend so that leaves us really only Friday arrival for my daughter and me and Saturday arrival late afternoon for my wife and son (son has school till Friday). And wedding on Sunday as well as family around possibly Monday. After that we are on our own. I could hold out but don't really want to lose the Grand Mayan.

Frank we figured we would put in a week. Never made it to Cancun. Only a dive trip to Cozumel decades ago. Maybe we could stage something closer around the wedding time via priceline. Or use our SPG points for a night or two stay. Hmmm decisions decisions. Thanks you all.

For the Vida properties the highest level of the ones you listed is Grand Mayan, The Bliss Riviera Maya is just upgraded furnishings basically in a Mayan Palace unit. The Grand Bliss (highest level RCI Vida resort and) is the step above the Grand Mayan and a step below Grand Luxxe which is only available with II. Keep in mind Vida has now instituted a $11 per person (over the age of 12) per day for the stay. This is now applicable to both RCI reservations (made after Dec 1 2016) and II (made after October 1, 2016

The Vida properties are also over an hour from Playa Mujeres so you might do better with Imperial Fiesta Club at Hotel Casa Maya.