Grand Velas Riviera Maya

From check in to check out, the entire stay at Grand Velas was perfect, The staff are so kind and helpful. The rooms are spacious and perfectly appointed. We stayed on the Ambassador side in an ocean view suite on the ground floor with a cute terrace with plunge pool. The room even came with a beach bag, bug spray and little extras that shows that they’ve considered the details to make their guest’s comfortable. We loved the location of our room as it was an easy walk to the buffet at Azul. The resort is large but very walkable and there is a shuttle that can take you to the Zen side quickly and easily. The restaurants on site were amazing. This resort has the best food of any all inclusive I’ve stayed at. Everything was fresh and so delicious. We tried Frida, the pool side bistro, Chaka and Cocina de Autor. All amazing. The skybar next to Cocina de Autor also makes some of the best cocktails! I loved how there were three distinct pools to hang around during the day — each has its own vibe and the pool side service was excellent. By the main pool they had food carts that came around serving fresh ceviche, popsicles and snacks! Make sure you register for the free eco tour and honey tasting at the resort — it was a fun and memorable experience! The spa and gym were great as well! The hydrotherapy circuit was lovely and the gym was well equipped! This resort really takes every little detail into consideration and we had the best time. Don’t hesitate to book here — I can’t wait to return!

Me and my husband traveled here for his work conference and we had the best experience! The hotel was so beautiful, clean and had amazing food! The concierge service, specifically Jeronimo, Daniel and Francisco were so great! They helped us book a few dinner reservations, added additional snacks in our room per our request and would share with us daily any activities that were taking place at the resort. I would highly recommend this resort to anyone and would love to go back!

Our family travels almost exclusively in Mexico and the Caribbean (all inclusives) and this resort was unmatched when it came to service, food and the quality of the room. I want to send a special thank you to our three personal concierges; Jerónimo, Francisco, and Daniel who truly made our stay unforgettable. We can’t wait to return.

This resort needs nighttime entertainment year round, nightly turn down service, and a step up in service all around. Also, we REALLY disliked having to sign for every single drink and food item. This got old really fast and we would get chased down to sign, almost feeling pressure to tip each time (we typically did so in cash). We also felt there needed to be a more central place to grab a quick drink (like lobby bar at Excellence). Overall it was a wonderful resort but we were really disappointed with the lack of entertainment and the initial service hiccups. Kids Club 10/10 - our kids are 5 & 7. They don’t enjoy being away from us. They wouldn’t stay at kids club on a Disney cruise. But here, they LOVED it! They woke up begging to go every day, all day! The staff are tremendous and get to know the kids. They are 100% the best part of the resort! Food 8/10 - overall food was excellent but was hit & miss. It was on par with SLS food quality which was half the price. We did not enjoy the Michelin restaurant (although we love a good tasting menu and have been to many Michelin restaurants before - this was not Michelin in our eyes) Drinks 7/10 - they need good bourbon and to step up their cocktail menus. We would’ve enjoyed being presented cocktail menus by the pool, beach and in restaurants. Many did not have them or did not present them. Some of the included wine I tried was good and some was meh. Coffee shop: 5/10 - out of almost every flavor of ice cream each time we went. The coffees are good but made from nespresso and oftentimes too sweet. Pastries aren’t great except banana bread…macarons were inedible. We preferred the coffee shop better at SLS. Housekeeping 4/10 - We had to request our room to be cleaned earlier in the day as they had not cleaned our room by 1pm on our 1st day, even tho we were gone all morning. They did not automatically stock waters, coffees, or snacks. We had to request. And one day we did not get waters until 12 hours later. Spa: 3/10 - I only did the water ceremony and it was my least favorite. I really did not enjoy being separate from my husband. I’ve done this at Excellence and other spas and it was way more enjoyable other places. Entertainment: 1/10 there is literally no evening entertainment aside from the occasional single musician at dinner. For the price one pays, they could easily do something. Suites 10/10 - big suites in Ambassador, kids loved the large tub, large deck (on 3) with great beach view, some noise above but not a big deal.l Service was mostly wonderful. The buckets of bottled water on ice was a nice touch. The staff do a great job with helping you set up chairs. There were always plenty of chairs at pool and beach! Service at restaurants was hit or miss. Some dinners took extraordinary long. The management discovered our issues and did go above and beyond afterwards. But with the $$$ one pays for GV, you expect that from the beginning.

My wife and I took our son (11mo) on our first vacation as a family of three this last week to Cancun, and the folks at Grand Velas made this an amazing trip! Our personal concierge, Izamar, took care of everything for us, from making reservations to arranging a sitter for our little guy when we wanted a date night, and even swung by the shops for us to pick up a few of the necessities we missed when packing. Day or night she was able to make sure that we had the best time and wanted for nothing. And the babysitter, Rosi, took amazing care of our son! It was our first time leaving him with someone that wasn't family, and she took such good care of him that we ended up booking her for an extra night so we could get in one more date night before heading back home. We stayed in the Zen area, which was beautiful and relaxing. It was a little too cool (it's Mexico, but it's still February) to use the little pool on our back deck, but it was still a great spot to relax, and the whole area was great for strolling around and letting our son explore a bit. Then we'd head over to the Ambassador area so we could go to the larger pool, hang out by the beach, meet a few other families and let our son play with other kids. We really felt like we got the best of both worlds by staying in Zen and then using the shuttle to get to the other areas. And for dining, we were able to get to just about everywhere but Piaf. The buffets at Azul and Chaka were great for breakfast and lunch, and the service was amazing everywhere we went. That being said, the best spot was definitely Cocina De Autor! While every place had delicious food and great service, at Cocina De Autor each dish had a one surprising twist or another, they went above and beyond describing everything, and the cocktails they made to go with each course were delicious! They have a wine pairing option that I'm sure is great, but since I'm not a wine drinker the cocktail option was perfect. Overall it was an amazing experience, from the delicious food and phenomenal service to the spacious room and beautiful views. We can't wait to go back again!