Zen Grand at Grand Velas Riviera Maya

We’ve stayed at Zen Grand and Grand Velas Riviera Maya multiple times, and let me tell you, it’s always an amazing experience. The rooms are top-notch, the staff is incredible, and the food is absolutely delicious. And the resort itself is just breathtaking. We’ve even seen the same staff members year after year, and they always make us feel welcome and cared for. One of our favorite spots is the Zen pool, where you can enjoy a delicious meal and drinks while soaking up the sun poolside. Gabriel, a staff member we have experienced on multiple visits, is always there to make sure you have everything you need while at the Zen pool. He’s always cheerful and makes sure you have a great time. All of the restaurants are amazing. One is even a Michelin. Free shuttle service is provided, and is very fast between all the various sites at the resort. This is the perfect place for families to get together and enjoy each other‘s company in paradise.

Loved everything here from checkin to room service to food at the chaka restaurant. Did not have time to try the spa in the one night that I stayed which was a shame. The shuttle buses were regularly run between here to the ambassador building, which we didn’t need to wait, and the beach front was amazing. Great hospitality by everyone at the hotel, who would go above and beyond to meet your needs even without needing to ask! Luxurious experience every single second. Will come back again in future for a longer stay.

Wonderful experience. Very courteous staff and everyone went out of their way to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Water activities at the beach were unfortunately curtailed due to high winds, but that of course is something beyond their control.

Had a fantastic dinner experience. Too many great servers to name. Food at Zen was fantastic. The presentation was beautiful. They do a wonderful job!

Well beyond any expectations, the absolute apitamie of luxury. The staff in the entire resort were incredibly gracious and very hospitable. I cannot emphasize enough that it is an experience of a lifetime. This is what all resorts should aspire to be. I was there and still dont believe it. A fairy tale from start to finish

Amazing place, food was great, drinks on point, staff super nice and wouldn’t mind having conversations. Everyone speaks English and Spanish. Amelie at the front desk was great in helping out. 5/5

This place is truly a 5 star resort. The rooms are beautiful, the staff is friendly and there to take care of your every need. There are several restaurants on the property and all of them are 5 star. The food presentation was always amazing. Poolside staff is very attentive to your drink, food, and eyeglass cleanings needs! Yes, they approached us and asked if we would like our glasses cleaned. The beach is beautiful and the pools are all beautiful. Never go to the swim up bar though because the water in that pool is not heated and it was way to cold! Every evening they host some sort of show or event. We were there to ring in the New Year and it was awesome. They dropped a glitter like material first, then balloons and also had pyrotechnics at midnight as well as fireworks. The mini fridge in your room is restocked daily. If you want any particular item put in your fridge just ask and it will be there. I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about this resort. They offer scuba diving, snorkeling, parasailing, yoga classes, dance classes, jet skiing, sailboats, and many other water related activities. The only negative that I have is about the spa prices. To get any kind of spa treatment, the pricing begins at $350 dollars! Sadly it is not part of the "all inclusive" deal. You are assigned a personal concierge upon arrival who will see to your every need. The lobby at Zen was beautiful. The shuttle buses never keep you waiting to go from one part of the resort to another. I would highly recommend this place to anyone! Lots of nearby sights to see and things to do. Loved, Loved, Loved this place and did not want to come home after a week!

Peaceful spot at the Grand Velas Resort but the Zen buildings are not near the beach. It's a good walk to get to the lobby (love walking so it.was.fine.by me) and short hotel bus ride to the beach. Beautiful rooms, lovely pool and top notch service. We were for a week.long work meeting so my one complaint is I had zero free time to enjoy it! Also the Bistro restuarant needs some real orginazational help. They are a bumbling mess.

We had an amazing time at Grand Velas Riviera Maya. This is a luxury all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It's on the Yucatan Peninsula coast, about halfway between Cancun and Tulum. My wife and I absolutely loved this place and made great memories here. We highly recommend it. The pictures and videos I uploaded for Grand Velas here on Yelp pretty much speak for themselves. The resort sells itself. What we saw online was what we got in person. We were very happy. After seeing our trip on social media, the question we got asked most was how much did it cost? It cost $9,781.71. Note: All dollars in this review are in USD. You can look at it as $1,956.34 per night, but it included more than just the resort stay. We booked through Costco Travel. The total package included: 1. Five nights at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, all inclusive, for two adults. 2. "Grand Class" (adults-only section of resort) oceanfront suite with private plunge pool. This upgrade added roughly $2,500. I thought it was worth it. 3. Roundtrip airfare from North Carolina to Cancun on American Airlines. Our outbound flight was non-stop RDU to CUN in business class with lounge access. Inbound was two flights, CUN to CLT and CLT to RDU, in economy. 4. Roundtrip private (not shared) ground transportation between the airport and resort via BD Experience, also known as Best Day Travel. BD has nice vans. Heading back, we were picked up in a black Mercedes van. It took about 45 minutes to get from the airport to the resort and 35 minutes from the resort to the airport. 5. $376 digital Costco Shop Card. 6. Daily $50 spa credit per adult. We ended up not using these. 7. $100 Joy Photography credit. We ended up not using this either, but saw a family who did. They took sunset photos on the beach. 8. One hydrotherapy session per adult. The hydrotherapy session takes place at the on-site spa, SE Spa. The session is also known as the Water Ceremony. It normally costs $80 per person per day (per day because you are free to use the spa facilities for the day). Another question we were asked: Was it a good deal? We don't know because we didn't price-compare. We booked through Costco Travel because we had such a great experience with them last year with our Bora Bora trip. My wife did look at other Costco Travel resorts/packages in the area. One of the big reasons she suggested Grand Velas is because of its stellar food options. It has one 2024 Michelin Star and AAA Five Diamond restaurant and four 2024 AAA Four Diamond restaurants. We tried seven of the restaurants and generally, the food, drink, and service were outstanding. Another big reason we settled on Grand Velas is the resort looked stunning online. Below is how I rank the restaurants. Book reservations as early as you can for Cocina de Autor, Frida, Piaf, Sen Lin, and Lucca. Those are the nicer sit-down restaurants. Tier One 1. Cocina de Autor - fine dining, tasting menu Tier Two 2. Frida - Mexican 3. Bistro - casual, poolside sit-down 4. Piaf - French 5. Sen Lin - Asian Tier Three 6. Lucca - Italian 7. Azul - casual, poolside buffet If we could do one thing over, we would've returned to Cocina de Autor for a second dinner instead of going to Lucca. Be sure to check out my Grand Velas Riviera Maya collection on Yelp. I reviewed, in detail, the restaurants and spa separately: https://www.yelp.com/collection/l6SefmCo95kSuRG1YWAj_Q/Grand-Velas-Riviera-Maya In general, our experience, the atmosphere, and the level of service were luxurious and exceptional. I was overwhelmed the first couple days. At times, I felt there was overservice -- too many staff eager to serve. I understand they want to go above and beyond, but man, sometimes I just wanted to relax and enjoy my vacation in peace. That said, I appreciated the entire staff. Better overservice than underservice. They really did make us feel special, which sets them apart. Our personal concierge was Zulikey. She took excellent care of us. She primarily communicated with us via WhatsApp (group chat). She checked in daily, letting us know what events were going on each day, sending reminders of our dinner reservations, etc. When we checked into our suite, she surprised us with a large vase of fresh flowers, sparkling wine, and chocolate-covered strawberries. One day, after we returned from an excursion, she surprised us with a hot bubble bath in our jacuzzi and multiple hearts made of flower petals (for our anniversary), huge birthday balloons (for my birthday), and gold-dusted chocolate cake. My favorite thing was the room service. It was extraordinary! We ordered lots of breakfast/brunch room service as well as a late lunch room service. We had two of the breakfasts delivered early in the morning at specific times and both times, the breakfasts arrived on time. They carted everything in on a white cloth table and the presentation and taste were phenomenal. Check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4_B3vwudr3/

Money stolen out of my backpack in my hotel room. I would NOT recommend staying here.

Laura Avalos, Head Chef at Frida, brings magical realism to the eyes, nose and tastebuds of all who enter. I asked that Head Chef Avalos select each course, and drink accompaniment, as she desired. Laura did not disappoint. In fact, the experience was spellbinding. Every course had me guessing and my senses fully engaged - the most complex and fresh guacamole, the divine tuna tiradito, a perfect short rib in a mole reduction... Every course brings alive depth and complexity paired with bursts of freshness. Nor did the dessert disappoint - lovely crème brûlée to boot! As an aside - the view of the sea from Fridas (the top floor of the Grand Velas hotel) is just perfect. Bravo Head Chef Avalos! Frida Kahko would have been impressed by your pulling all into a world of magical realism through your culinary talents.

I highly recommend going to Grand Velas. It really is as pretty and nice as the photos and the service was just impeccable. We took our two toddlers and they were treated like royalty the whole time. We'd go to a restaurant and high chairs would appear out of thin air by the time we got to our table and they went above and beyond to find off menu items to tempt our little ones to eat. Viridiana babysat twice for us and the little ones liked her immediately and were happy to stay with her, which was pretty amazing. She did a great job taking care of them and kept us updated with how things were going. The poolside servers kept them happy with endless fresh watermelon juice and popsicles and our concierge, Gabriel, brought fun floaties to the pool for them. Also, the large toddler section of the pool was a lifesaver. Perfect for two year olds to play somewhat independently. Our dinners were all delicious as well! Piaf was our overall favorite, but the lamb at Sen Lin was the best. We expected the food and service to be wonderful and it did not disappoint. The spa was also outstanding, as expected. I was impressed with how quiet the resort was. We did go in a downtime, right after school started, but we never heard a peep from another room. The fewer rooms available (rather than a giant tower) was nice so we could really enjoy all of the amenities and not be shuffling around with crowds of others or waiting forever for busy elevators. Also, the in.joy photos turned out absolutely amazing. Family photos with two toddlers is always a challenge with maybe one or two photos turning out of everyone, but our photographer somehow captured several great ones! She was working at about 120% and I'm so grateful to her. And the housekeepers were great, we did not keep the neatest rooms, but they would come and work their magic regardless. Really the only downside to our trip was that one of our twins ended up afraid of the waves so we didn't spend much time on the beach. But I hope to be back and stay in the Zen section next time.

Huge shout out to the amazing staff at Grand Velas. Currently being evacuated to the Zen area due to the hurricane and despite the circumstances, they still maintained an incredibly high bar for quality and service! Food and drinks are being refilled adequately, service is fast and efficient. Hoping the staff get compensated as well!

Wow! This place is amazing - especially the spa. More than that I'd say the spa is actually life changing! The "water ceremony" was something I'd never experienced before and definitely a highlight. The massage was seriously the best I've ever experienced. The food at Azul and Frida was top notch as well! Our concierge treated us so well too! I'd definitely recommend to anyone looking for a high end all inclusive experience in the Playa del Carmen area.

I came here for a company celebration trip. The resort itself is beautiful and elegant. Our room was nice but it was odd that there were people walking by in front of our balcony and there was no barrier so anyone could have walked into our room. Since our bed faced the balcony, we had to close the shades which took away the wow factor of waking up to the sea. There's 3 different areas - Ambassador, Grand Class (adults only) and Zen garden where the spa is located at. The spa is pricey but worth it. We got the signature Bacal massage which uses corn. The water ceremony was interesting. I wish that it was coed because that would have made the experience all the better. As for the food, Frida was impressive. Piaf is overrated. Azul is great for lunch as it has a beautiful view of the ocean. Sen Lin was decent. Service was subpar. For a fancy resort, they need to train their staff better in terms of hospitality, friendliness and promptness. We were left waiting at quite a few places and saw a few staff numbers on their cell phones rather than greeting guests. I wouldn't pay to stay here. I've been to better resorts that are not as pricey.

Great all inclusive resort! Fantastic employees make me his one of the best resorts I have ever come across! Great food, pools, facilities and beach make this a great place to spend a whole week! Try it, you will certainly like it!!!

This place is fantastic. The food, service, infrastructure, amenities are excellent. Before Covid we were here year after year. They do so many things right it is a wonder they don't fix the areas that need perfecting. Could they work a better deal with the shuttle service than $450 to the hotel and back from the airport? Sure but it's not that big a deal at this all inclusive resort. The bigger issue is In October they have only 9% occupancy so why not upgrade the folks here into better rooms at no cost? Free goodwill? To their credit all five restaurants remained open. They should take a page from the Hotel Mandarins books. Know if your patrons have been at the hotel in the past. Between us we have been here about ten times yet even the concierge had no clue. At the Mandarin they greet repeat clients with recognition. If they got these small points right 4 stars would be 5. More importantly I would be rebooking now for next Oct. instead of probably thinking of another 5 star resort.

The only place I will go in Mexico. It is first class in customer service, restaurants, location, spa, and room decor. They address any need promptly. This is my happy place.

I've been coming to Mexico for 15 year on an annual basis and this is by far the best hotel I've ever stayed at. From the check in, to the room, the service was excellent.

Stayed at the Grand Velas for my fiance's work retreats. Overall my experience was just okay. Not terrible (can a trip to Mexico really ever be?) but if back in the area I would avoid this hotel. I've also stayed at Secrets and the Hyatt Zilara in Cancun and I would say that those are MUCH better picks if you find yourself planning a trip to the area. Even though both the Hyatt and Secrets aren't very far away (I think just about a half hour drive from Cancun to Riviera Maya) the Cancun resorts are way more beachy. Clear blue water, white sand, palm trees. What you think of when you picture a Caribbean beach trip. Here you are literally stuck in the jungle. The hotel has two towers and if you are staying in the back tower you need a shuttle to get to the beach. And once you get there you'll realize that you are probably better off at the pool anyway. The beach here is a total disappointment. Barely any shoreline, dirty sand and dirty water. There were also lots of big pole structures in the water which was really odd. Food and drinks were also lackluster. I know that all inclusive food is never amazing, but this was definitely some of the lower tier food that I've eaten. Reminded me of the food and drink that the resort that I went to for college spring break... not a good thing. The best part about the hotel is the Zen pool - a beautiful pool in the jungle with lots of chairs. You'll also find the best food in the hotel at that pool bar. And the service was great there too. I also loved my facial and water ceremony treatment at the spa. So relaxing that I literally passed out mid-facial! Not the best hotel in the area but still a relaxing getaway with a great pool and spa. Three stars!

We are currently at Grand Velas and we have been very disappointed with our stay. We had very high hopes and it has not met our expectations in most areas. We'll start with the positives: Restaurants- the food at the restaurants is very good! We were excited to try all the restaurants and they have been great. Room service- the room service food is also great. It arrives quick and is always hot. Pools- the 3 pools are beautiful. They all have different vibes and are very relaxing Now to the cons. Concierge- this is a joke! We were told when we arrived that we had a personal concierge. At this point they have not been helpful at all! We have asked for multiple things and they never happen (even though the concierge says sure) Housekeeping- terrible. I've had better service at a holiday inn when it comes to housekeeping. The first day nobody came. We have requested housekeeping only to have them not come for 4 hours! They haven't wiped down a single service or restocked basic things (coffee mugs, towels). Very very disappointing when you come back to your room at 2pm and nobody has removed the room service cart from the night before. Pool service- bad. The pool drinks are awful and the service has been slow. Noise- every morning we have been woken up at 630am to the sound of drilling. How relaxing... Overall I would NOT recommend this location. For the price that you are paying per night, the service should be exceptional and I can say it is very very very far from exceptional. Save money and book elsewhere.

I stayed here for two nights for a recent wedding that was taking place at the resort. My overall assessment is that it's not a bad hotel, but for the price (over $1000 a night) it's really not worth it. At that price, I've experienced much better. This resort is really three mini-resorts: Ambassador (which is kid-friendly), Zen Grand, and Grand Class (adults only). We stayed at the Grand Class and got the oceanview room with the plunge pool, which I believe is the most expensive type of room on the property. The room was advertised as a triple, and usually, when a room is advertised as a triple, there are either three single beds or a double and a single bed existing in the room. However, when we got to our room, there was only one king bed and we had to request a rollover bed. At this price, that is really unacceptable and the way the room is marketed is super misleading. Aside from that, the room itself was what I'd expect - roomy, clean, and with L'Occitane toiletries and a well-stocked mini fridge. I tried several of the restaurants on site, and while the service (they were really good about my dietary restrictions) and presentation of the food were impeccable, the taste of the food was always disappointing. There also isn't much to do at the resort aside from eat and lounge by the pool or the beach. I mean, you could get a spa treatment, but it's super expensive and not included. The resort is also overall a bit dated and rundown in my opinion.

Mezcal delivered to your room complimentary. Greeted with Veuve Cliquot. Mini macaroons placed in your room before bedtime. All inclusive food and beverage - featuring restaurants with menus created by one of the Top 40 chefs in the world. All this and my room faces the beach where I can see the sunrise and Cozumel in the distance everyday as well as participate in complimentary water activities (including a catamaran!). This is a perfect way to spend a vacay or a biz trip. There are actually 3 resorts on the Grand Velas Riviera Maya property here in Playa Del Carmen (about an hour from Cancun)...1) Zen inland among the peaceful mangrove jungle - where the convention center is located and has the best all-inclusive space for large format meetings/events and also features THE TOP Spa in Latin America...2) Ambassador which is on the beach which has suites facing the beach and can handle families - and is walking distance to 3) Grand Class that is an adult only property and also features suites facing the ocean. All properties have their own pools, restaurants, and special activities. In all, the property has more than the usual fare - featuring Italian, Mexican, Asian, and even a high end French restaurant. A karaoke bar and piano bar sit across each other at Ambassador. All resorts have use privileges to the amenities at the other properties. You are also close to Cancun airport and all excursions nearby like Cozumel (by ferry), Coba, Tulum, and a host of cenotes - such as my fave Rio Secreto (where you can cave explore and go swimming!) while supporting the jaguar habitat and mangrove preservation efforts. If you want to truly feel like you are getting away and be immersive in your excursion travel, look no further than Grand Velas.

This was the best place. Everyone one there is nice and go out of there way to make you happy. Also it's all inclusive and is one of the best resorts there are. P.S I'm coming back.

Very nice and amazing hotel, just the vibe is not what I was expecting.. Alonso picked me up at the airport but he was kind in a bad mood, I get it, you've working in the horel for so long and driving back and forth, I get it, just his personality made things worse, not the person you want to pick you up at the airport

This one is a hard one to review. The amenities were nice/clean, the staff was great and the food was also very good. The activities for kids were bountiful and diverse throughout the week. My issues with this resort was that it could've been anywhere in the world. There wasn't much of Mexican culture brought into the resort. Also, the beach is pretty much useless and unswimmable. And for some reason the pool was ice cold for the entire week. In the evenings, there wasn't much going on for families to do (they had these lame shows but that wasn't good). There was one karaoke bar that was barely open. Lastly, where this high-end place completely lost me, was being approached for their version of a timeshare pitch. Seriously?!?

Wow. No, literally, WOW. As in there were about 60 of us for the WOW Global Travel Summit - if you are going to host that many of the world's top travel specialists, you better have your game face on. From the moment we arrived for the first of our 3 nights here, we were all suitably impressed by the level of service. This was actually my first time personally at an all-inclusive resort, much less a five-star version. It was very strange to know that you could literally eat and drink anything at any time. For me, ordering room service for breakfast for that quiet time before facing 14-hour days of meetings and schmoozing was precious. We had two separate cocktail receptions with fine appetizers that just kept on coming nonstop. Even during our meetings, fresh fruit and cookies kept us going. As for the staff, I loved that people would recognize me at different restaurants or would rush to help me with bringing my plate to the table. On our second day to eat lunch at Chaka, I was disappointed to see my favorite flan from the day before wasn't on display. I asked if they had any left over and next thing you know, they brought one out for me. I had an Ambassador Suite on the first level. While I did not get an ocean view from ground level, I thoroughly loved that within 10 steps, I could be at the pool if I wanted. Of course, this trip was mainly for business, so I had very little free time, but a huge shout out to the entire staff for making this business trip as enjoyable as possible.

For the price this place is garbage. I wouldn't call the rooms "suites" since they are pretty much the size of normal hotel rooms with a larger bathroom and no kitchenette, just a mini fridge. The worst part of the trip was on the last day when my wife had an abdominal pain and the resort "doctor" came in for about 2 minutes, didn't even look at my wife before being called to a guy that bumped his leg, and said she had appendicitis and sent us to a " hospital". The hospital was more like a walk in clinical here in America. We got there and they took my credit card saying that they were affiliated with the resort and needed the card I used for incidentals to have the resort medic charge removed and they could bill it to insurance along with whatever else they did at the clinic. I told them that's fine but they could not charge my card. They agreed and assured me it was only to verify and remove the charge. The little guy came back with a $6,000 auth on my credit card!! I told them to remove the charge and after going back and forth trying to understand he said that they wouldn't charge it and it was just a hold until they could bill insurance the next day since it was a Sunday. I wrote "don't agree" on the signature line so that it was clear that it was not authorized in case they tried to push a charge through. We waited for a couple hours for the "doctor" to arrive just to see a woman walk in with Gucci wedges, a Gucci purse, and matching belt buckle. She walked in, barely looked at my wife and began meandering around chatting gossip with some other staff. Realizing that this was not a legitimate, professional establishment. We refused service and told them we were leaving. That's when the woman that was called the "doctor" ran in and said they needed to do emergency appendix surgery and needed to charge my card $18,000. I told them no and we left. The next morning when I called the bank from the airport to report the unauthorized transaction I found that they immediately charged my card for nearly $4k!! For what?!! Once we got back to the USA we found out that there was no appendicitis at all and it was just probably something she ate. The "hospital" sounds like it works with these resorts to give kickbacks and charge ABSURD amounts of money for nothing. You can read the reviews on Yelp for Amerindian hospital Cancun, Avenida Tulum Sur 260 Cancun. I was told by several locals there that they'd never charge a Mexican that much at the hospital so clearly they were extorting me.

Perhaps we had too high an expectation for this place. Having heard of it from many friends and family, we decided that the higher cost would be worth the value gained and the next level experience. We were wrong! This resort and its food and service, much like the beach in Playa del Carmen, has deteriorated! I will say the wait staff, especially the concierge Antonio, do try to make it a great place. But having to call 5 times to have a sofa bed made, and having to make it twice myself, is not the experience of this price point. Having the jacuzzi tub (which we never touched) turn on at 4:00am by itself due to "moisture" and that being met with a "sorry" and meager discount by a very rude executive who came "especially to speak to me" as a heavy was not a pleasant experience. The food and drinks are mediocre through all the restaurants. At every single meal there was one item always forgotten. A coffee here, a main course wrong there, or an order taking over 90 min etc. The shows are unpolished and stale. I think we all know guacamole is more than just smashed avocados. Right? It seems they need a recipe here. Perhaps google one? The whole experience was no different than the mediocre hotels found throughout the area. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER MEDIOCRE HOTEL WITH MEDIOCRE FOOD, RUDE AND NON-EMPATHETIC EXECS, poorly communicating wait staff, and it's followed the decay of its beaches in its own decay. I will never go back and I will spread the word to all in my circle to stay away! Far away. We did walk to the Sands Banyan Tree. That was a serious next level place! Go there instead!

This was a five star experience for our family of 7! The staff performance, the exquisite food and the beautiful atmosphere makes this a must-experience, especially if you're looking for an all-inclusive on the Mexican Caribbean. Highlights for us included: (1) Alan our concierge... always there when we needed him, almost as if by magic. We would literally think of something and he would make it happen, and had great suggestions for all of us, from our 11 year old daughter to our teen boys and for us as adults. First class! (2) Sergio, Tona, Angel and the activities team. They were literally up for anything. Daily beach soccer, water polo, water soccer, ping pong battles and Zumba Zumba Zumba. A blast! (3) Azul (restaurant) for breakfast and dinner, where Isaac, David, Antonio and sooo many others made our days over and over... custom ceviche served tableside, molé rojo, taquitos made to order, and lots of top shelf tequila and mezcal ... awesome. So many other things.... zen eco tour, great dinners, karaoke, jet skis, massages (kids and adults) and more. A place for everyone!

The resort is beautiful but service has fallen off a cliff in recent years. For example, they used to have a 5 star spa. Went this time and front desk was unmanned, wandered around for 10 minutes to find someone. $300 massage that they interrupted half way through to try to sell an extra $23 bottle of oil. It's the appearance of high touch service that borders on "hovering" but if you actually want anything, (like ordering food), they'd often take the order than just vanish, and I'd just give up on it 90 minutes later.

Muy Bueno! Not many 5 star all inclusive resorts can be great for families AND great for couples. But this one does it. We stayed in the Grand Class, which was more secluded. The adults only pool with its own swim up bar was serene and inviting. I never had an issue getting a poolside seat with my party. You will even be offered a foot massage as you lounge! Or, you can make it a head and shoulders massage if you prefer. Would you judge me if I said I did both?? The family pool is as you would expect. Seats are at a premium during peak hours. There are lots of activities. Great, if you are with kids. I took a water aerobics class in that pool, and loved it. One morning, I did yoga on the beach. We met in the workout center, then ventured outside. It was the perfect way to start the day. Then we hopped on a Hobie Cat and took a ride to a "secret river." Snorkeling. Paddle Boarding. Amazing. Oh, and they keep anyone trying to sell you touristy souvenirs away from the property. Thanks for that! But the hands down highlight is the spa. I have NEVER been to one so comprehensive. Arrive AT LEAST an hour before your treatment so you can do the whole "water experience." Even two hours would be great. You will reconnect with your good self. I'll just say this: bubble bed. All of the restaurants are first rate. Service is impeccable. Room service is prompt. I mean, you name it... its all fantastic. Cinco Estrellas!

The restaurant Lucca is the worst restaurant I have ever been to. The service took years. Half of our party got up and left before getting their food because the service was so awful. I am extremely disappointed

There is no other resort like this! We stayed here for our honeymoon last year and the service is untouchable compared to other resorts. Luis at the beach, Beatriz at the pool, Enrique at the bar, Daniela our concierge, Willian, Edgar, and Ernesto at the breakfast and lunch place were fantastic. I was SO sad when we had to leave because I actually felt like the staff had become our friends. The service here is unlike anything you will ever experience. They make you feel so welcome and cater to you beyond belief! All of our meals were awesome, but particularly the breakfast and lunches were amazing. The drinks were also unique and made well by Enrique! Every meal we went too we always had adorable things decorated on the plates for our honeymoon. Daniela had helped my husband set up a private beach dinner which was beyond beautiful and Astro was our waiter there who was also amazing. When we went back to our room, they had roses everywhere and it was all decorated. The thought, care, and true sincerity of the staff is what tops off paying more to stay at a place like this. The infinity pool is beautiful and overlooks the ocean while you are in it, and it's a view you cannot beat! We can't wait to return again!

Best vacation of my life. And it was even during a pandemic . We all felt so safe throughout the trip and really enjoyed ourselves. Sometimes you might expect with all inclusive resorts that the service or food might not be as good, however that most definitely was not the case here. The food was probably the highlight and the all inclusive drinks and attentive service throughout the day really made the trip enjoyable. The rooms are also amazing and I'm pretty sure they all have a view of the water which is really nice to wake up to. Special shout-out to our dance teacher dann for keeping us entertained. Top notch service and definitely deserving of all five stars.

Running back to the beach will finish review of this stunning resort over 4 restaurants at THE GRAND VELAS RESORT in Playa Del Carmen within a few days. It was 5 star all the way. Our own private consierge/butler. Restaurants are 5 star, each one of them Michelin chef's. Property is stunning ... Room service is almost like what they serve in their five star restaurants. Room service is by far no comparison to any 5 star hotels I've ever been too in North America. This took longer than I thought to get back too. However it is a stunning place, excellent service, gorgeous rooms... every aspect is truly 5 star! Enjoy pics I have a video however I can't post it... not sure why...

We stayed for four nights as part of my husband's Club trip. We were in the Grand Class and the rooms were impressive. They are large and spacious. The balcony with ocean views is where I liked to enjoy a cappuccino and chocolate croissant. I enjoyed the room service delivery as part of the all-inclusive package. The plunge pool is cold so we didn't use it. The bed and pillows were of the finest linens. L'Occitane toiletries were replenished daily. The bathroom has a large sunken tub and tiled shower with bench. There is a walk-in closet too. I usually don't spend much time in a hotel room when I am traveling but I loved spending the mornings relaxing in the room. I read a book with a glass of white wine on the balcony. The staff is friendly and amazing. The grounds are beautiful. The service is top notch here. The spa is one of the best spas I've ever been to. The massage by Daniela was more a healing ritual with Mayan- influence. 50 minutes was too short. I loved the hydrotherapy pool and the seven-step journey. The color aromatherapy room was my personal favorite. There is a clay room, sauna and ice room. Since this was a Club trip we had a beach party that was so beautiful. The ballroom area is where the awards night was held. It started with drinks and dinner on the outdoor lawn before moving inside. This is a great place to host a corporate event. I never did get a chance to relax by the pool. It is a beautiful property. The has been eroding in the area. This hotel has placed barriers to stop the erosion. You will see this happening to all the resorts in the area near Playa del Carmen. We dined at the French restaurant, Piaf and the Mexican restaurant, Frida. Frida has the best green chili soup! This is the nicest resort I have stayed at in Mexico. We enjoyed our stay.

Paradise. It is paradise! 5 star service 5 star ambiance 5 star food 5 star experience 10 star spa!!! This is my third time back, and each time I love it more at Grand Velas. The spa experience with water and clay treatments is very special. I felt so calm and refreshed every moment. Last night, was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen. I feel so lucky to have witnessed such a gorgeous event on the beach at sunset. The bride and her entire family were in bliss. We love every minute here. Considering it is an all inclusive venue, it is so surprising that every team member is so attentive and truly wanting to enhance our day. They bring us fresh green juice. They bring Evian spray to cool us off in the heat of the day. They bring cold water and cocktails anytime we want. I love it!! Check out the photos I posted, I think that you will see what I am trying to say. Beautiful in every way!

I was so impressed with this resort. The staff were all amazing - our concierge Xoly (I am probably spelling this wrong)) - was unbelievable. She did everything to make our stay perfect; she was so accommodating to our every wish. The food is so good for an all-inclusive. I am glad we did not find the buffet until the last day! I would have gained 20 lbs! They have everything you could think of and more!! Room service came quickly and they were so friendly. The pools were great, service there was awesome too.

Our company had our Christmas Party here last year in Jan 2018 (miVIP) we had over 550 people and special guest star Don Omar and of course AMIA from Ukraine. I have to say overall the staff particularly from the staff to the transportation services for all of our guests. All three hotels were beautiful and the food was impeccable! I will come again but as a personal vacation and not work!

Amazing resort! The rooms are spacious. The restaurants are fabulous. The pools and beach are amazing. This is my favorite resort. Check out the Zen pools. They are so architecturally incredible. My favorite pool resort! But the service is incredible all throughout. Thank you Oscar, our Zen pool attendant. You are five stars!!!!!

You're on Yelp reading this review, so obviously, you're into food. Well, if you're looking for a gourmet vacation, look no further. One AAA Five Diamond restaurant (Cocina de Autor) and two Four Diamond restaurants (Frida, Piaf) are included with your stay with NO upcharges or additional fees. Yep, you read that right: No added cost to dine at world-class restaurants right on site. That's not to say the other restaurants aren't of similar caliber. They simply just have too many tables to allow for that kind of ranking. But when the "buffet" restaurant also has a made-to-order a la carte menu, the staff pulls desserts and dishes from other restaurants so you can craft the perfect lunch experience, room service comes delivered on a wheeled table draped in white tablecloths, and amuse bouches come with every seated meal, you'll find yourself ruined for ever eating at another all-inclusive resort. In fact, I kind of like that they brought the "check" at the end of every meal (tips are already included, but they let you charge additional gratuity to your room for outstanding service) since it adds even more to the classy vibe. Ritual, you know? Two gyms, two kids clubs (staffed by Red Cross-certified staff and open until 11 PM), and a stunning teen's club with video game cubbies and a mocktail bar are only the start of the amenities. Beach/poolside butler service is also an incredible touch, starting with draping your towel on the chair FOR you (yes, I am serious) to bringing a bucket of bottled water immediately after taking your cocktail order. You can even eat right at the pool from a comprehensive snack menu. Drinks are made with high quality liquor; top-shelf premium is not only available, and offered, though, once you make your preference known. The spa is ridiculous. 59k square feet of sensory pleasure, and although the prices are steep, bear in mind that it includes taxes and tip. Rooms are huge, toiletries are L'Occitane, and service is so spectacular that the concierge actually lent me her PERSONAL iPhone charger when mine broke. Talk about going the extra mile! In all, if you're into food, luxury, and service, this will be a perfect stay.

This resort was no where near worth what my fiancée and I paid to stay there for a week compared to other luxury resorts such as Le Blanc in Cancun and Los Cabos. We stayed there in June while Tropical Storm Bill was present and had to stay in our room most of the time, which would have been fine, if room service did not take two hours to receive after calling multiple times about the same order, only to receive the wrong order. On top of that they limited what liquor was available for room service which was deceiving based on their website and advertisement. I would have had to weather tropical storm bill and go half way across the resort to receive drinks such as Tito's vodka or Patron tequila which I find completely unacceptable since none of the outdoor staff were staffed outside during the storm. Our private "butler" and "24/7 concierge service" was anything but, after not even meeting him until the third day of our trip. He had no part in acclimating us to the amenities in our room, making reservations for us throughout our stay, or explaining any of the service and amenities the resort had to offer. THE SADDEST PART OF OUR EXPERIENCE happened to having a room with no air conditioning for two nights during our stay. After talking to our butler about the issue, and multiple staff on multiple occasions, they finally moved us to a new room at the end of the resort at 11pm the night before we were leaving. We had no time to enjoy the room at that point and did not feel like unpacking and repacking in the 12 hours we were able to be in the new room. After voicing our unpleasant stay when we were checking out the concierge at the front desk argued saying they gave us a new room as if that was good enough after spending decent money for a "luxury" resort. They would not give any monetary compensation towards our bill for the poor quality of service and stay. When leaving they gave me an email I could contact about my stay if I felt the need to have any further correspondence. After one month of having to email them multiple times they agreed to refund us for two of the nights because of the lack of air conditioning. After giving them all the necessary information to be refunded and sending multiple emails we have not received any refund or any further correspondence another month later. This was anything but a luxury experience and the lack of correspondence is extremely unprofessional and the worst service I've ever been provided from a major company. I would not recommend this place to anyone. I would like to consult with a lawyer if anyone reading this is one, and has any interest or knowledge, regarding an issue such as this.

Wow, can't say enough nice things about this establishment. Everyone here will bend over backwards to please you. They were very kind and courteous. Everyone greets you with a smile and a greeting each day. The entire staff was very courteous. The food is outstanding as well. The pool staff is full of energy and enthusiasm. In the room attendants are right on cue with getting your room ready for you each night and cleaned up each morning. You will feel very spoiled here, and not want to go home. Thanks for a wonderful time.... Smiles to Ricardo & Penelope :)

This resort was so beautiful, peaceful, and romantic. The grounds were impeccably maintained and not once did I see anything out of sort. The landscaping was so breathtaking with colors and green foliage capturing your every glance. We had a ocean front room with a plunge pool balcony. The room was absolutely beautiful and clean with a very modern feel to it. The pool area was nice, it did say adult only pool, but because the resort is shared with the ambassador family side, expect to see a few kids, which took away from the relaxing atmosphere ( pretty much only complaint). The beach was clean and attractive. Highly recommend taking a morning walk to enjoy the beautiful sunrise. The resort offers daily activities and beach and water activities. My date and I choose the jet ski, which was so much fun. (30 min ride). We tried four different restaurants out of eight offered by the resort. All had different cuisines, but the Asian restaurant was our favorite for taste and the French restaurant for atmosphere (I will attempt to update with the actual names at a later time or just message me ). My date amazingly bought me my very first massage so we did a couples massage and tried out their spa. Well.. now... let me just start by saying for the love of all that is holy in this world- get a spa service here. Just look at the pictures and let that sink in. It was so relaxing and they were very accommodating. The massage itself was just life changing. Lol. Lastly the staff was very polite and courteous. With our suite we had a butler assigned to us, his name was Alan, and I hope for anyone going here they get him. He was very personable and professional. He always made sure our needs were taken care of and met. He always went above and beyond and we certainly noticed that. Amazing resort. They won't disappoint, and if they did for you.. then you have problems. Haha.

Grand Velas is a conference or wedding NIGHTMARE! If you are considering doing an event, conference, or wedding in the cancun or playa area, consider this your warning to avoid it. We got invited to a conference there which gave us a perfect excuse to scout it for our wedding, and going in, we had high hopes. But now, after spending 3 nights there, I can say I am glad we got to experience it BEFORE we booked our wedding, as I feel we narrowly avoided a NIGHTMARE scenario! Grand Velas is one of those places you want to like. The staff are friendly when you check in, you get a welcome cocktail, and it's on a beach in MX... what can go wrong? Hmm... where should I start? We booked a room in the Zen area and were sad to see that the lagoon side room that looked beautiful in pictures was not a lagoon, like you would find at neighboring resorts, but a grungy, smelly pond that attracted bugs and mosquitos. If you do choose to stay here, do NOT stay at building Zen! We couldn't even use our patio without getting eaten alive by bugs. And here's something they don't tell you - everything in this hotel is spread sooo far apart! Walking from your room to the lobby can be a 10 minute affair... and THEN you have to get on a shuttle depending on where in the hotel you want to visit. The room itself was a good size, though upon getting in to bed the first night in our room, we were disappointed to discover the sheets were damp - probably not run through the dryer enough. It was too late at night to try to call and have new bedding put on so we just dealt with it. Not what one would hope for at the prices they charge. Wifi - on a 1-10 scale, I give it a 5. Ok for web browsing but don't try to make a video call. While the hotel was all-inclusive, and that can sometimes mean bad food, the food was actually the highlight of our stay. Frida restaurant in particular, had an excellent menu. I would encourage visiting Frida even if you are not staying at the Grand Velas, however... you will not be able to. By far the biggest nightmare of doing an event or wedding at the Grand Velas is the way the security guards will treat your guests. Long waits every time you want to come or go, and they would not let me back in for a meeting the day after I checked out, even though I had called previously and gotten the "ok" from the woman on the phone to return... and even though the person I was supposed to meet with was a current hotel guest and fellow conference attendee who was sitting at the Azul restaurant with an empty table for us. If this is how they are treating someone who was part of a conference that is still happening there, who had just spent thousands of dollars there... I can't even imagine how much flack they would give someone who had decided to stay offsite. And apparently, it's a hotel policy, for after being made to wait at the gate for 15 minutes, I was told the highest level manager of all at the hotel had said I could not re-enter for my meeting. We are now staying at the Andaz next door and I'm happy to say it's been the opposite. Friendly security guards yet you still feel very safe... and the sheets are not damp! If you are looking to do a wedding or conference in this area I'd recommend Andaz, Fairmont, or Banyan Tree. Grand Velas is simply not worth the money or headaches with so many other spectacular properties in the area

If you are scared like we were of all inclusive don't be here. This place is a luxury value play. It has outstanding food and drinks, and all of it is included. There is no bottom shelf at the bar and drinks are made right NOT like on a cruise of 1oz to 8 ratio. The food like room service is unlimited right down to the mini bar. My friends use this place for taking there employees because you can control and quantify the cost of the entire luxury trip. We would definitely come back here, You can stay at higher end resorts but not for this price and there is no 7k food and drink bill that you typically get hit up with. JD

As good as it gets on the Riviera Maya, the Grand Velas always does the trick for me. It's a beautiful hotel with a refined modern Mexican decor, and highly attentive, great service. The service is so consistent and warm, one has no other choice than to chill and relax. Food is quite spectacularly good for an all inclusive, too. If you're there for more than a few days, the concierge will book you into several on-site restaurants--Piaf and Frida are excellent. The actual facility is so large that, even on a crowded day, the experience feels private. The Ambassador pool is really the only place where you'll sense a bigger crowd. An all around great place for the family, with a beautiful beach, too. Try the hotel's cool "Zen" area, a two minute ride from the beach, as the pool and poolside service are fantastic.

We invited 35 of our closest family and friends to share this amazing moment in our lives. The entire staff made sure our guest wanted for nothing. Every single person in the hotel greeted us every single time we passed by. The Concierge staff is of the highest level (ours was Roberto in Grand Class) and the Wedding Coordinator (Claudia) held our hands every step of the way. From the moment we checked in Roberto and Claudia were there to greet us and ensure our guest were all being attended to. The day of the wedding Claudia made sure every special touch was taken care of and made sure we had little to no stress. Our guest said to us many times they have never seen a hotel staff so attentive before in all of their travels! If you are just thinking of doing a quick get away or planning the biggest day of your life, Grand Velas Riviera Maya is one of the best places on Earth to do so!

We stayed for six night in July at the hotel. Overall we had a lovely stay! The hotel itself is beautiful and very open and airy. Has amazing pools, that caters to everyone's need and taste. Service was great. Rooms were fantastic, very large, clean and luxurious. The reason I'm giving 3 stars only is because for the price we paid I had a higher expectation. I've stayed in other all inclusive resorts that probably would cost less than half of what we paid for this hotel and pretty much experienced very similar. It was definitely missing that ou la la factor. When you pay so much more than any other similar hotels in the area, you automatically expect more. Also, we thought food was very average. The only restaurant that food was outstanding was the Asian restaurant (did not try the French since it was adults only). Also, kids club was super old, dirty old toys and needed a complete renovation. I will not return to this property because it's too expensive for what you get.

Excellent resort. Very friendly and and five-star all the way. I could not have been happier for the week I vacationed there last November. It was the best 5 star all inclusive resort. The food was all gourmet and there was lots of attention to detail. This is a true foodie's paradise resort.

Had a very nice time. Celebrated anniversary with my wife. Food was very good and staff was nice. Was very happy and ready to go home when the ATM machine ate my credit card. Needed cash to tip staff and take taxi. The manager wouldn't do anything to help me with my problem and they didn't offer to give us a complimentary shuttle back to the airport and I told them this was not right. For that reason alone we would not return.

Hands down the best service I have ever experienced at a hotel. The staff was beyond exceptional. The hotel property itself was beautiful. I wish all hotels held this level of standard in terms of customer satisfaction overall experience. I have already recommended this amazing hotel to many of my friends, and I hope we can bring more business to those that deserve it (Grand Velas Riviera Maya being at the TOP of the list!!). Thank you again for an amazing stay!!

Pardon the lengthy review. I have such mixed thoughts on this place. I can best explain it as a yo yo effect. Most staff are extremely friendly and well trained, some are a joke. Benjamin, bartender at the main pool is an oddity, he seemed drunk to us. Angel with activities was amazing as was Oscar at the dive facility. Andrea the concierge was amazing as well! The resort is huge, Zen part is located in mosquito land but is quite and relaxing. The Ambassador lobby is the main area and the pool is huge! Some negatives, hit or miss staff, hot or miss service at restaurants, etc. the Koi bar was an awesome spot but for some reason there are no people anywhere after 10 pm .... place clears out. the resort, for one of the pricier ones in the region really lacks character. The architect who designed it is a mystery to me .... Oh well. Frankly for the money it's not worth it due to factors above and since the beach is not swimmable ... likely one of the worst beaches but most of riviera maya is struggling with horrible beach erosion. If you are a pool person, you will love it. Mixed emotions as we leave this place .... food and most service is good. Beach is horrible, pool Is pretty amazing. Shuttles between hotels super efficient but a pain. We still had a blast but questionable if would return or recommend to friends.

The resort was beautiful and the spa was amazing. Breakfast/lunches were ok, dinners were great! Some of the communication prior to arrival was difficult, they didn't make planning activities and dinners easy. Also, cleaning staff took personal items from my room (from inside of a bag, not left in the open) and never found them again...although the tracking on my device shows it in the Cancun area now. Make sure to lock up your valuables or they will disappear from your room. Shuttle was also very nice - always available and never waited long to get from one place to another. Overall, it was a great experience...but some things could use improvements.

We had a wonderful stay last week. We were amazed by the friendly staff, the beautiful rooms and gorgeous property. It rained the first few days when we were there, but I went to the spa. It was an incredible experience. It was very pricey, but the service and amenities were great. This was a business trip and we took several customers. I was surprised after spending thousands of dollars on this trip,that the hotel was going to charge us over $150 to send some flips flops and a shirt we left behind in the room. That was a little tacky after the over the top service we had while we were there. Overall, I highly recommend this resort!

Loved our stay and we had a very relaxing time. This post is long overdue and I finally got the chance to express my thoughts. After three days at a boutique hotel near 5th Ave and sightseeing for most of that time we wanted to do nothing but relax, eat and swim at the next place. This resort was beautiful and definitely had a very chill vibe. Check-in was smooth though a tiny bit slow. During our wait, we got a complimentary drink and cool towel to wipe down. Our room was spacious and comfortable. The fridge was fully stocked with various drinks including beer, soda and juice. There was also a snack area with peanuts, chocolates, chips, etc. There was even a large bottle of tequila and the floor butler said if we didn't see what we wanted to let him know and he'll get it for us. We took him up on that offer and asked for Coke as the fridge only had Pepsi. He came through as promised and we knew this was starting off right. We didn't have to wear wrist bands which was great and just gave them our room number for everything...food, activities, etc. We spent most of the day lounging by the water and were glad they had an adults only pool. It was nice to not have kiddos being noisy around us. Everything was clean and staff were very attentive. One afternoon we decided to hang at the beach and enjoy lunch there. They brought us out chips, ceviche, beers and waters...such a relaxing lunch to watch the ocean and eat this simple meal. In general food was very good at all of the places on the resort. In addition to the stunning property we had specifically chosen this place based on the acclaimed chefs and the wonderful reviews they had gotten. The restaurants rotated so we had to be mindful of the schedule but they give you that information in the room. We tried every place possible and some were better than others. We liked Piaf the best and unfortunately missed the rotation for Frida. Cocina de Autor was interesting and pretty tasty. We lucked out at dinner as we had a table overlooking a surprise firework show that night. Bistro, Azul and Sen Lin were all ok with each having some items that were really good. Lucca was our least favorite and although the food was good there was nothing really special about them. They also offered a few free water activities and husband did the kayak for like 5 mins before he was over it and came back. Truthfully, we were totally lazy bums as they offered a variety of other activities too but we did nothing other than relax, eat and swim...mission accomplished! Overall we definitely would stay here again although next time we'll use our own bug repellent as the one they gave was au natural which didn't seem to be working too well as we got bitten quite often by mosquitoes. Despite this downside we'd still return and enjoy another relaxing vacation at this luxury resort.