Reviews of Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Hotel, Mayan Riviera

this was a really nice hotel,the food was ok ,the room were without a doubt the best part ,they are quite big with a lovely power shower in it.I would not recommend this hotel due to the fact there is a thief in this resort, we had a $100 travellers cheque stolen ,so beaware if you do book here.

Monday, September 01, 2008



HOLA!!!



We have just returned from the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya and found it a wonderful experience for my wife, four children (three girls, 17 to 22 and one boy, 24 years of age) and me.



It was the trip of a lifetime for us as we were extremely impressed by the high quality and magnificent standards engendered by the staff and management of the resort. The food, its preparation, presentation and sumptuous variety was of the highest quality and it was changed up daily. All manner of sea-food, beef, chicken, pork, eggs, vegetables, salads, breads, cheeses, fruits, wines, coffees, sauces, soups, marinades and desserts were presented elegantly buffet style or formally at the 7 a la carte restaurants.



The coastline consisted of natural inlets forged into the coral shoreline, interspersed with beaches. Just yards off the shore were magnificent views of fan, brain and stag horn coral; multitudinous fish and in nearby Akumal, the opportunity to swim with giant sea turtles and sting rays. At a secluded area, just south of the main resort, alongside a rugged shoreline of bleached coral, beside a jungle of wild coconut and palm trees, amidst chameleon-like lizards could be found the tracks of giant sea turtles and their enormous nesting excavations. Apparently, late at night, these great reptiles can be heard and seen (flashlight required) performing their primordial, nesting instincts.



A trip to Coba, under the noon-day sun provided an opportunity to explore the ruins and pyramids of an ancient Mayan civilization. Nohoch Mul, a 138’ tall, steep, pyramidal structure loomed pale through the forest as we approached and beckoned to climb its step-like slope. It was challenging and exhausting to scale in the heat of the day’s 100º + temperature; a misstep or loss of balance would send a climber tumbling down the jagged slope. It was a long walk, perhaps a mile, from the parking lot to Nohoch Mul; guides, bicycles and rickshaws were available to the less robust tourist at minimal cost. By the time we returned to the rented, air-conditioned Voyageur, we were bathed in sweat and craving litres of water to staunch the threat of dehydration and loss of electrolytes. Apparently, the symptoms of dehydration somewhat mimic the onset of food and water-borne pathogenic diseases. All four of our kids suffered the consequences of dehydration during our vacation, aided and abetted by their propensity to over-indulge in the fancy, fruity, minty and readily available libations for which all-inclusive resorts are most famous.



Hot, hungry and exhausted, we headed back to the resort for our evening meal (the Grand Sirenis was on the way to Playa Del Carmen). Twenty-five minutes from Coba, ten minutes from Akumal was the Grand Cenote consisting of caverns with deep, cool, clear, fresh water in which you could SCUBA, snorkel or swim. What a respite from the scorching, relentless sun it was to dive into the clean, crisp water! What a treat! What a magnificent way to restore a hot, exhausted body. The caverns were beauty as well.



The cost of renting a van, buying fuel and paying the admission to various sites was about USD 300; that’s about USD 50 per each of us. The excursion, starting at about 0900 HR - swimming with the turtles at Akumal, visiting the archeological sites at Coba, swimming at the Grand Cenote and visiting Walmart in Playa Del Carmen for cheap booze (about the same price as duty-free) - ended at about 2200 HR, when we retired to our suites and ordered room service (a complementary perk) for a snack.



The Staff at the Grand Sirenis were extraordinarily attentive, professional and polite. At the main buffet dining hall (when we were not eating a la carte) it became our routine to dine on the terrace, with a view of the Caribbean and a rooftop display of eerily sculpted orange cubes and spheres. The six of us were served by at least three waiters attending to all manner of want. As we approached the terrace carrying laden plates of the finest delicacies, sumptuous salads, delightful casseroles or local favourites, an attendant would open the door, carry our plates to the table, pull out our chairs and spread our napkins on our laps. Offering red or white wine, glasses of lime-garnished Corona, cocktails or cappuccino, our dear, friendly waiters stood at our elbows replenishing every quaff drunk.



Two hundred USD one-dollar-bills were dispersed discreetly throughout the resort to all the staff who served us, including chamber-maids, waiters, chefs, hostesses, busboys, bartenders, cart and bus drivers, car rental attendants and on-site concierges. It was a pittance compared to the costs of services of a similar nature encountered in Toronto. Consider that the minimum wage in Mexico is 45 pesos (USD 4.50) per day. A guest in any nation with an economy dependant on tourism should be as generous as financially feasible with regard to the sprawling underclass.





Recommendations:



1. Bring lots of USD small bills; including plenty of ones, fives and tens. Any USD spent returns change in Pesos. The ‘Shopping Mall’ at the Grand Sirenis is half the price of the Cancun airport when buying trinkets and gifts for home (except for duty free).



2. If renting a vehicle, be careful when filling up at a gas station. Attendants will direct you to ‘their’ pump and open your filler cap to start pumping fuel without resetting the display to zero. It’s easy to end up paying double or triple the actual cost for fuel. BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS WHEN NAVIGATING HIGHWAY 307. SPEED BUMPS CROP UP VERY UNEXPECTEDLY!



3. Bring water shoes!!! There are navigable beaches but it’s really comfortable to wander the coast unencumbered by sharp coral, spine-clad sea urchins and blazing hot sand and pathways. Wear an old shirt (and head covering if possible) when snorkeling, the sun is relentless. Protecting the backs of legs from ultraviolet rays is very difficult.



4. Bring personal snorkeling gear (including flippers). An underwater, airtight case may be purchased at home for some digital cameras; otherwise, bring disposable underwater equipment.



5. Electrolytes (Gatorade) can be purchased at the resort. Drinking 3 or 4 litres of bottled water a day will prevent the inevitable dehydration caused by over-indulgence.



6. Try not to eat or drink off the resort. At least one guest enjoyed an ‘all-you-can-eat’ at Xel-ha, an off-site attraction, resulting in pain and diarrhea for the remainder of his vacation including the flight home.



7. Bring a flashlight. As mentioned above, sea turtles burying their eggs late at night may be seen at a desolate beach on the south end of the resort. Also, hermit crabs scurry about the surf and coral all night.



8. Bring a Spanish / English / French / Japanese phrase book. Knowing a little Spanish helps in forging friendly, personal and egalitarian bonds with the Mexicans



9. For USD 2 (each way), a ‘collectivo’ may be hailed on the main highway from Playa Del Carmen to Tulum. These local transports are the means by which the off-site resort staff travels to and from work.



10. Share your (relative) wealth with those on whom we depend to provide us with a remarkable, comfortable, friendly, unforgettable and sumptuous experience. Remember, the circumstances of our measly existences have more to do with luck (or lack thereof) than of merit (or lack thereof). We are, all of us, born randomly to our own time and space.





HASTA LA VISTA, BEBÈ … !

My husband & I have just returned from our holiday in which we stayed at the Grand Sirenis. The hotel was superb, it is very modern and the rooms are very spacious and immaculate and included a free mini bar, which is replenished each day.

The pools were excellent and there were always plenty of sun loungers regardless of what time of day it was. There were waiting staff constantly coming round to take drinks orders and the pool areas and grounds were kept clean and tidy at all times. The entertainment staff were brilliant with constant activities throughout the day and they really made you want to get involved. The lazy pool was my favourite by far.

The food was ok but didn’t blow me away. The booking of the al a Carte restaurants was a pain and I wasn’t impressed with the Mexican restaurant at all. The French restaurant had an additional cost of 35usd per person. We really enjoyed the Japanese restaurant; the food was good with a bit of fun, although the heat in the restaurant was unbelievable with not great air conditioning.The shrimps were fab. It was a nice touch to have free room service too and was available until 11pm.

The evening entertainment was a little cheesy but it seemed to be very professional and a lot of effort was put in. The staff really threw themselves into it and worked extremely long hours but always remained upbeat and happy. The nightclub was good, very modern with great air conditioning and played a lot of recent music and for all tastes. That was open until 2ish.



All in all it was a great resort and I highly recommend it and would definitely stay here again.

Fantastic holiday!

Me and my girlfriend visited Grand Sirenis at the end of June for two weeks. The hotel is by far the nicest I have ever stayed in. It is very modern and stylish. The rooms are very spacious, including free mini bar a jacuzzi and cable t.v which came in handy for euro 2008. The maid was excellent as she kept the room spotless.

The pools were excellent. there was a noiser pool for kids and a more relaxing pool for adults which we mainly went to. There were always plenty of sun loungers and space around the pool to relax. The complex was perfect for me as there was always plenty of daily activities to do, such as beach volley ball, table tennis, tennis courts and a very well equipped gym. the enternainment at night was good which consisted of shows such as the circus, lion king and vegas night. The beach was very beautiful, although would recomend buying water shoes with it being very rocky.

the food at the complex was pretty good. although found the process of booking the al a cartes long, boring and awkward. as mentioned in a previous review we were told a restaruant was booked up to walk past it later and see it less than half full. There were about 7 or so bars around the complex. One small problem i found about the bars, espically the swim up bars was that you had to order soft drinks, not just pour them yourself like most other complexes. This meant that when you were sitting by the pool and just wanted a coke or water you had to swim up to bar and wait while the bar staff made coctails and of course the bar staff serve first the people who tip most. So it meant you could be waiting a bit just to get a coke. One of the great plusses to this hotel is its free room service. Your order usually arrives within half an hour of you placing it. The buffet had a bit of variety as it had themed nights such as mexican, italian and oriental etc which meant you were not seeing the same selection of food every night.

We booked two trips through thomas cook. Big mistake. If you book your trips outside the hotel you will get the exact same trips for up to half the price. The first trip was to dolphin discovery, here for 50 dollors more than the other dolphin trips yo got to swim with sea lions and manities as well as the dolphins. Our second trip is a must if you come here. Xel hal. This is an all inclusive natural laguon Park were you can go snorkling in the laguon amoungst the tropical fish, jump of cliffs, swim into caves and loads more. We found outside the complex to be completly safe. We went shopping in Playa del carmen numerous times. Best way to do so is by collectivo. This is an air contioned shuttle mini bus than runs along the highway. were as a taxi would cost 20 to 30 dollors each way this only costs 2 dollors per person. We also took the collectivo to go see the Tullum ruins which was only about 15 mins away. Even if this does not interest you it is worth visiting as it has one of the most beautiful beaches.



So all in all i really enjoyed my time here and hope to return to this area some time in my life. I would recomend to any one to come here as it is a great place with plenty to offer for everyone

After just returning home today from the Grand Sirenis, What a fab holiday my husband & myself had. Superb accomadation, exeptionally helpful staff, in all areas, good food,and very nice surroundings. If I have to say anything I was alittle disappointed with the beach, areas of the beach .the sand had areas of very shingle type sand making the area difficult to walk on, making you feel unstable when entering the sea. But overall a great holiday had by both of us. Keep up the good standards!!!!!

We just returned from 7 days with 32 family members at the Grand Sirenis. We were taking my terminally ill mother on one last family vacation. Although the pool and beach areas were beautiful, our room had an intensely offensive odour of mold. We tried for 7 days to get moved without success. After pleading with the manager and telling him the smell made my wife sick ( she has lupus) his only solution was to send someone to our room with a pail of bleach and some coffee filters to put into the air conditioning duct. The process of having to pre book dinner reservations was awful and down right corrupt. We were constantly told there was no room and then we would walk by the restaurants and see they were half empty. It helped if you gave the concierge money but even then we were still lied to and given the run around. I travel extensively for business and pleasure all over the world and have never experienced such shameful customer service with regards to the front desk, concierge and shuttle service ( for our elderly parents) people. I am a VP of Sales for an international company and therefore realize the value of good service and also the damage that bad service can create so I feel it is my duty to communicate to others this disgusting experience in the hopes another family does not waste their last vacation in such a disreputable establishment.

Regards, Mike Ricci VP Sales , Snack Alliance

We just returned from a 7 day stay with 32 other family members. The pool and beach areas were beautiful but our room had a terrible odor of mold, that gave us headaches. We tried for 7 days to get moved with no success. The front desk and coneriege staff service was horrible. You had to pre book the restaurants and that experience was awful. We were told repeatedly there was no space at these restaurants and then would go look and see them half empty, we then tried to offer money and even then we were given the run around. We felt we were lied to and the treament was shameful. We travel extensively for pleasure and business and have never been so disgusted. We would not return to the Grand Sirenis even if it were for free.

Myself and my fiance, decided that as our first holiday we would make it special, and we were certainly not disappointed. This resort was absolutely fabulous, beyond our wildest dreams.



The resort itself was kept so clean it was unreal, and all the staff were very friendly and helpful. (from the bell boys, cleaners up to chefs and supervisors) It was great to be made to feel so relaxed, from the moment you arrived to the moment you left. Even when we asked to change room because it didn't have a double, they were so helpful and it was no trouble, and was sorted out so quickly.



The food at the resort was always well presented, and there was plenty of choice morning through to night. The restaurants on the resort were excellent as well, serving all types of food that you wouldn't normally try. It was a great mix of fun and experimenting when it came to trying the different dishes. The way some of the dishes and food were prepared and served were great and colourful. The facilities were also second to none, ie pools, bars, tennis courts, gym and entertaiment.



I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone, it was like being treated like a celebrity. I cannot express how good this place was, so much so that myself and my fiance have vowed to go back for our honeymoon, and this time it will be for two weeks of total relaxation and being spoilt.

This was a beautiful resort with many amenities including a fairly well equipped gym, brand new tennis courts, gorgeous pools and amazing grounds.



The buffet was a good assortment of fresh food and lots of variety. There were 7 a la carte restaurants and we were allowed 4 per week.



The steakhouse was horrible; don't even try the meat in Mexico. Chicken and fish was usually good. The shrimp in the Japanese restaurant looked delicious (I had chicken which was dry). The Italian risotto was horrible but the shrimp was good and the antipasti bar was great.



The entertainment was OK however the first 2 nights we were there they had nothing going on after the show which ended around 11pm. Having 2 teenagers they were kind of bored until the following nights they hired a DJ and turned one of the lobbies into a nightclub. They made 2 beach parties which were fun.



The beach is pretty but bring water shoes they are tons of rocks and stones in the water. Also it gets windy at night and cools down so brings some sweaters and long sleeved shirts.



The rooms are gorgeous and they have a Jacuzzi in the washrooms however there is a big cut out in the wall from the bathroom to the bedroom so you can’t disrobe in the washroom without being seen into the bedroom.



I had a son and daughter sharing a room which was a problem. If you have a spare shower curtain bring it along and pin it up for privacy.



The staff were great especially in the buffet and around the pool and beach serving drinks all day. The large Jacuzzi next to the outdoor pool is cold water with bubbles.



If you want to go into Playa del Carmen you can hop on a local bus which picks you up at the street entrance to the hotel and for 2 US dollars you can arrive at town. Taxis want 25 US for the same ride per way.



We also did a Coba Adventure excursion which was costly but worth the money. We also snorkelled with sea turtles which was fun.



All in all it was a great resort and I highly recommend it. I waited till a week and a half before we left and booked it last minute I think I saved money doing that.



I would definitely return to this resort.