Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Hotel, Mayan Riviera
Hotel Information
Hotel Description:
A unique resort made up of two hotels, the Riviera Maya and Mayan Beach, that will really give you a feel for Mexico's Mayan past. The Grand Sirenis actually has several Mayan ruins and natural caves within its grounds. Combined with access to two huge virgin beaches, this makes for a stunning location. Enjoy the watersports and leisure activities on offer, relax on the beach or by the pool, and make the most of some amazing dining options.Nearby Hotels Viewed by Other Travellers
Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Hotel Reviews
" Reflections on Mexico "
Submitted By: B & TMajor drawback was the food unfortunately - not very inspiring and must say I have never had brussel sprouts for breakfast before. Cannot say that the meals were the highspot unless you went to the a la carte restaurants which were significantly better.
The hotel was more than half empty with the Maya Beach closed completely. Very clear that the guests were not visiting Mexico this year for a variety of reasons no doubt. The trips out to Coba and Chichen Itza were great but be warned the exchange rate at the reception for currency is less than favourable.
As a traveller from the UK 2 weeks here is more than enough but the 10 hour flight makes a shorter break unrealistic.
Advice: Take an umbrella in June!!
Activities: Chichen Itza and Coba
Good for: Beach
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2009
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" An English Perspective "
Submitted By: hu7xdCheck in all good with TC already had Premium Seats booked so no worries there. We also booked into the No1 Lounge at Gatwick which was nice but I would say not as good as the Servisair Lounge (IMHO). The flight was on time and were glad to have the extra leg room plus free drinks during the flight. Has a choice of movies & TV from Marley & Me to Fawlty Towers. We landed on time and the coach took about 1 hour 30 mins to transfer to the Sirenis we were the 3rd drop off after Dreams & Catalonia.
Check In: Not too great, had emailed asking for a third floor room and got replies back from both the Front Office Manager & Guest Services Manager confirming this but we were allocated a ground floor room with 2 double beds, waited for 10 minutes and this was all sorted. So we ended up in Building 11 (room 1138) Bacabs, 3rd floor king bed + partition. Got to the room, and the keys did not work, went back to reception to get them re-cut but again they did not work. Luckily there was a cleaner down the corridor who let us in - went back to reception again and this time got the keys properly cut. But then there was no electricity in the room, despite putting the keys in the slot provided behind the door. Called reception who called maintenance but had to wait nearly 2 hours for anyone to help us. This was now 9pm at night and we were shattered to say the least as well as hot and bothered because of the lack of air con. Finally the maintenance guy arrived and fixed the problem. Got a phone call from Concierge about 20 mins later apologising. Sadly did not get time to do any exploring just ordered room service, unpacked and went to sleep. The next day we found out another couple had this problem and received a personal apology plus champagne? One rule for one………..
The room when we finally got light to see it, was great, we looked over the Botanical Gardens and woke up to the sound of birds twittering every morning. Our fridge was stocked every other day with water & fizzy drinks. The maids work hard and we got some great animal towel art - comparing who got what was a hot topic of conversation of an evening! J
The hotel is huge and we were well placed in block 11, all restaurants, reception & a la cartes very close. Beach was only a 5 minute walk as well, once the short cuts were all sorted! J One day we walked from our block to the nightclub and it took nearly an hour for a round trip - its that big!!
The pools were lovely, pool 1 by the Riveria Maya side was the busy pool with games etc, pool 2 is the quiet pool with no music or games - nice but had trouble finding sunbeds or 6 of us together, on the last 2 days we actually used pool 3 - which is in the Mayan Beach side (the side that is currently closed) and it was bliss. Yes you had to walk a little further for food & drink (we used the beach bar) it was great as it was just us 6.
The beach is glorious yes rocky in places but so clear you just need to avoid the rocks! It was also empty as the hotel was only on average 38% full. We brought rolls and bananas with us, on beach days to feed the fish. This is great, the fish swim round you in great Shawls eating out of your hands - excellent photos!
A la cartes: We tried the Steakhouse, Italian, Japanese, Mexican & Cajun.
Steakhouse was good, it was also our friends birthday that night so a big fuss was made by the waiters - lots of fun-crashing & banging! Hit and miss with the cuts of meat & cooking.
Italian was ok, not our favourite as it was a little bland.
Japanese was excellent, show was great but it took 2 hours - be prepared.
Mexican food was great again, but this a la carte was so hot it made eating or enjoying the meal rather hard.
Cajun was yummy - the prawns were to die for as the starter! Again steak was a little hit and miss and didn’t quite understand medium well.
The buffet we found good, we only had one disappointing night where there was not much, but vegetables. With 3 hungry men to feed, it was a little hard going. The themed nights in the main buffet are Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Try them they are great and the themed Italian buffet was 100% better than the a la carte. When it is Japanese night they make sushi in the lobby for you to try - sublime!
Lobby drink service was great, the girls keep you hydrated. Got all the way through the Cocktail menu and even had a few dozen Tequila Boom Booms! These are a must we found before hitting the nightclub lol!!
We booked 2 trips, while there on was a fishing trip, at Purto Aventuras for the 6 of us with Captain Ricks - would have been great if we had caught anything. The men were slightly disappointed as when they were able to use rods for themselves (as apposed to trawling) the weren’t given any weights so fishing of the bottom was not an option - only the crew go to do that, and caught a couple of snapper. For this ½ day trip is was $65.00 per person and drinks were included. We booked through our rep Alfie. This price was actually about $30.00 per person cheaper than when I emailed Capatin Ricks direct.
The other trip was to Xel-Ha (Shel Ha) it was great, worth the money $109.00 per person inc transport. Got to snorkel all day and seem some amazing fish. The only disappointment for me was the Manatees - they were in a tiny little enclosure tucked out the way - after being fascinated by these creatures for years it was a major come down - it know its not Seaworld but 3 Manatees in about 20 Sq Ft of dirty water - not good. Ate in the Mexican buffet - the food was amazing, we found the main buffet too busy. Would highly recommend this trip. Oh we found our Biodegradable sun lotion - in Purto Aventuras for 145.00 pesos for an SPF 50 - did us a treat not once did we burn and it was 95 degrees!
Went to Playa Del Carmen one Sunday for some girly retail therapy - reminded us of Spain with the beach on one side and the shops down the middle. Had a great day, plenty of food and drink choices. 6 of us in a mini bus cost $50.00 each way - a little expensive, but we didn’t mind as we had a great day - especially when we made a detour on the way back to the hotel! We called into the Lapis Jewellery Factory - Oh lord, it was little Willie Wonkas for women! Diamonds, Rubies…you name it-it was sparkling there! We spent a small fortune (our contribution to help the world recession - so we told ourselves. The men called it torture!!!!!) Little did I know that 2 days later on the terrace roof of the A La Cartes would I be proposed to with a 1 carat diamond ring - sneakily brought for me from that little piece of heaven!!!!!!!! Our friends notified the Restaurant of this and had a lovely table or dinner and 1 bottle of Champagne plus a bottle in our room - I was still in shock!!
As you can imagine none of us wanted to leave despite a few hiccups to begin with it was a holiday of a lifetime.
When we returned back to Cancun airport for our return journey the queue for economy was huge it took 2 friends nearly 2 hours to check in - not good in any way for anyone. Where as us Premiums practically walked straight up and checked in!
The airport has some nice shops - so more retail therapy was called for!
Would we retune to the Sirenis again? If the occupancy was below 50% yes, otherwise I think it would be a little too busy for us.
Hope this helps! J
Advice: Fab Holiday
Activities: Lapis Factory! heehee!
Good for: Beach
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2009
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" Wonderful Holiday "
Submitted By: RMDAVIES
Good for: Beach
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- Date of Holiday:Jan 2009
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" grand sirenis "
Submitted By: aldo08-
- Date of Holiday:Sep 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" 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 … !
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:AIR TRANSAT - SKY SERVICE
" My husband & I have just returned... "
Submitted By: Mrs K LilleyThe 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!
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" Me and my girlfriend visited... "
Submitted By: Mr M GillespieThe 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
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" After just returning home today from... "
Submitted By: Mrs J Robinson-
- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" We just returned from 7 days with 32... "
Submitted By: Mrs Ma RicciRegards, Mike Ricci VP Sales , Snack Alliance
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- Date of Holiday:Feb 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" We just returned from a 7 day stay... "
Submitted By: Mr M Ricci-
- Date of Holiday:Feb 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:air transat
" Myself and my fiance, decided that as... "
Submitted By: Mr J A WardThe 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.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" This was a beautiful resort with many... "
Submitted By: Mrs DS SilverThe 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.
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- Date of Holiday:Dec 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Sunquest Vacations
Good for: Beach