Grand Sunset Princess
Punta Bete, Km. 296 carretera ChetumalPuerto Juárez
Playa del Carmen
Information: +52 984-877-3500
View nearby businesses on map
Opened December 2007.
International: +34 902 406 306
May 25, 2009 - 5:12pm
Debbie from Armstrong, B.C. says:
This was our first holiday like this and we loved it! Yes, there were some minor service problems and a few desk clerks trying to con some extra money out of us, BUT we just felt that was a part of the Mexican experience! Where else can you go to get waited on hand and foot for such a price? Our room was wonderful and they kept our fridge full of bottled water and pop. The maids were sweet and did their best to accomodate our needs. The buffet was very good. Better than MY cooking, so who was I to complain? In fact, we preferred the buffet over any other place. Sun Wing tours took very good care of us and kept us well informed about cultural differences and airport protocol, and the do's and don't of the resort and tipping, etc. Their culture is not like Canada, but who are we to expect it to be? I loved the Mexican people and was very grateful for the humble service most of them provided. We spent an afternoon in Playa Del Carmen and thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican way of doing business. When you go to a place like this, you need to have a sense of humour and be glad YOU don't live in such abject poverty! We are so blessed here in Canada and I have to admit I was disgusted by the pride and rudeness of some of the guests at the resort and how they treated the Mexican workers there. We have no right to be so smug and demanding. I think it would be good to remember that we are representing our own country too. I wonder what the Mexican people would say about us wealthy North Americans and our ways of relating to them. The Grand Sunset Princess is a wonderful resort and I was overcome by the beauty there and how the Mexican people went out of their way to make our week very enjoyable. Usually, if you treat someone with the kind of respect and courtesy you would want you will get it back. I think this is a good rule of thumb when we go to another country expecting to be waited on hand and foot when the citizens there mostly make less than $1.00 a day. We felt like we were staying at a Mexican palace and we ate like kings. The weather was wonderful and the service was great. We have sweet memories of a trip we may never be able to take again. But then we were never wealthy and don't have the expectations that the spoiled rich have. I would definitely go again and I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. We always felt safe and well taken care of. I say it deserves the 5 stars.
January 3, 2009 - 10:07am
Katrina from Canada says:
We went Dec 20-27, 2008 We had read the reviews prior to leaving and were worried about our holiday but were pleasantly pleased with everything. I feel that the comments are unjust and maybe from people that are whiners. We stayed in the Deluxe Junior Suites- we had two suites as our teenage kids were with us. They suites were very nice and clean. We didn't get into our room until 3pm but we were prepared and had our swim gear and went to the pool and relaxed and drank - how horrible!!! lol All the pools were very clean and spacious but we preferred the ocean and spent most of our time there - we can be at a pool anytime but Caribbean ocean is a treat! The beach area is small but very nice - we walked for miles on the beach, not allot of hotels around which is very nice - just beach and more beach. We had our room cleaned everyday by the time we came back from the beach and we received a night clean with pull down of the bed and chocolate or other treats. There was lots to do for our teenage kids - soccer, volleyball, crafts,etc. There was a daily shuttle to Playa Del Carmen but we rented a car and went to Akumel - which was absolutely beautiful. We also spent the evening in Playa Del Carmen and had Christmas Eve dinner there too (excellent) I really suggest renting a car which can be done cheaper in Playa Del Carmen but if you don't want the hassle the hotel car rentals is easier. The food at the hotel was good - large selection. We prefer Mexican food and found the selection limited. The reservation restaurants were good but not spectacular but what can you expect when they are feeding that many people - they do their best. We didn't get sick and the food was always fresh and good. There was no bugs while we were there but they do have wipes in the rooms if needed. There is always things going on in the hotel. The only complaint we had was that we went during Christmas and there wasn't any Christmas atmosphere at our hotel & no special dinner - Transat invited us to a special dinner on Christmas day but it was the same as all the other days. The hotel a bigger than we prefer but it is very nice and well kept. The staff was always accommodating and very friendly.
December 4, 2008 - 12:39pm
Mr from LA, USA says:
Restaurant’s food is terrible…. It seems as same dishes were served at all of the restaurants under different names. Buffet is your best bet. Concierge customer service is disgusting, staff is very rude and management does not address any complaints. They take pre-paid customers for granted and expect extra cash, US dollars, as bribes. Save your dollars and do go to a different resort. This resort is not ready for international tourists. The beach is very rocky which is not pleasant to get in. There are numerous good resorts in the area; therefore, do your homework ptior to booking.
September 28, 2008 - 9:16pm
Ralphy D. from Saskatchewan Canada says:
Hi all. Heading to the resort in Jan 09. Sounds like one should upgrade to "Platinum" for the additional services. Anyone else have any comments on the differences in quality of service? Regards
September 25, 2008 - 6:16pm
Alicia from Fayetteville NC USA says:
Has the problems there resolved? We plan on going over Thanksgiving week and I was wondering if anyone could give any suggestions prior to going (besides not) like making reservations and such. What others wish the had taken, thanks
August 11, 2008 - 10:02am
Marlene from Burlington, ON Canada says:
Has any Canuck's been recently? We are booked to go in October of this year and I am really nervous when I read all of these reviews. Have been to the Mayan many times so wil be very disappointed if it is not up there with the others. Can you book the restaurants before going? Are the mosquitos bad in one particular area (platinum)would appreciate any feedback with suggestions before we go
July 7, 2008 - 9:11am
Shaana from US says:
I am booked for a week at this hotel with my family on July 10th. But I am wondering how the hotel really is since I have read tons of mixed reviews and am totally confused. Someone please write if you've visited in July some more.
July 2, 2008 - 1:04pm
Mark from Miami, FL USA says:
In a word disappointing. Big, very beautiful new resort, though sometimes too large and sprawling to get anywhere quickly. We had heard about many of the issues they had when first opened, and many are resolved but the food quality was still a big issue. My girlfriend and I both got sick from the food, don't think it was the water because it's purified. This ruined our vacation, couldn't eat, drink or go about for 4 days. Buffet and even a few restaraunts were terrible. Buffet food largely inedible. We foraged for a few things that weren't tasteless, dry, overcooked, deep fried and greasy or just plain bad. All the buffet's had the exact same food, all bad. Some restaraunts were actually decent, Mama Mia's - Italian, Hacienda - Mexican, and even the fondue restaurant was good though the service was PAINFULLY slow. But it is very difficult to get reservations to the restaurants even though the are usually half empty because most people don't keep their reservations? Non-platinum guests have to pay an extra $25/pp for some of the restaraunts as well. It seems reservations have to be made well in advance, however we were not informed of this before the trip which left us with no options for 4 days other than the buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. What about room service? Well, although it's all inclusive, room service is not included except for Platinum guests. And although the exchange rate is good (10 pesos to a dollar during our visit) you will find almost everything grossly overpriced, especially room service: $20U.S. for a chicken sandwich with the added service fees. One restaraunt is open late and between operating hours, the sports bar, where you can get 3 items: a hotdog, a hamburger (which had a meat-like consistency but I couldn't say what kind of meat it was. Definitely not recommended), or a ham and cheese sandwich which wasn't too bad. Service: The service at the hotel was hit and miss. At times we had staff respond fairly promptly and courteously but at other times service was bad or nonexistent. When we first arrived at the hotel I called three times to have shampoo brought to the room (something I would expect to be provided at a 5 star resort) and we were ignored all 3 times. Eventually we went to the gift shop and purchased our own for the ridiculous amount of $10 for a small bottle. The same thing happened when we requested an iron. The iron in the room was broken, we called guest services to request one stating that it was urgent (getting ready for a wedding) and were again ignored after 2 requests. I eventually had to go knocking from door to door to borrow one from other guests. The iron showed up nearly 1 1/2 hrs. later. Also, during several calls to hotel services the staff was downright rude. I would say this was a communication barrier issue except that my girlfriend and I both speak spanish. I could see English speaking people having an even tougher time. Also, mosquitos here are bad. Though we made several requests, the housekeeping staff would leave the door open every day while making the room, inviting the mosquitoes in to wreak havoc on us later while we were sleeping. We would wake up during the night with bites all over us. All in all, though there were some good staff experiences, the food and the service were closer to that of a 2 star resort than what I would expect at a 5 star resort. I want to point out that "Platinum" guests don't have as many of the issues we had, because they have additional restaraunts/services available, but you have to be prepared to shell out a considerable amount more. We talked to people during excursions that had great experiences in other resorts. Playa del Carmen is beautiful (though Cancun has the nightlife) but I wouldn't recommend this resort to anyone.
May 19, 2008 - 6:47pm
Cocha from Manhattan says:
I be going fo 10 days in June. I be letten ya all of america no how it were. ok? good? I no.
May 16, 2008 - 11:56am
Cindy from Alabama - USA says:
Hey Dawn. My husband and I are going on May 31 also for 7 days. From reading all different reviews, it appears that conditions have improved.
April 27, 2008 - 4:03pm
dawn from philadelphia USA says:
going to resort on may 31, wondering what others thought of their stay recently.... i know that there were some rough patches in december of course since they had just opened but i wanted to know if things are better now since its been a couple months, thanks
Debbie from Armstrong, B.C. says:
This was our first holiday like this and we loved it! Yes, there were some minor service problems and a few desk clerks trying to con some extra money out of us, BUT we just felt that was a part of the Mexican experience! Where else can you go to get waited on hand and foot for such a price? Our room was wonderful and they kept our fridge full of bottled water and pop. The maids were sweet and did their best to accomodate our needs. The buffet was very good. Better than MY cooking, so who was I to complain? In fact, we preferred the buffet over any other place. Sun Wing tours took very good care of us and kept us well informed about cultural differences and airport protocol, and the do's and don't of the resort and tipping, etc. Their culture is not like Canada, but who are we to expect it to be? I loved the Mexican people and was very grateful for the humble service most of them provided. We spent an afternoon in Playa Del Carmen and thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican way of doing business. When you go to a place like this, you need to have a sense of humour and be glad YOU don't live in such abject poverty! We are so blessed here in Canada and I have to admit I was disgusted by the pride and rudeness of some of the guests at the resort and how they treated the Mexican workers there. We have no right to be so smug and demanding. I think it would be good to remember that we are representing our own country too. I wonder what the Mexican people would say about us wealthy North Americans and our ways of relating to them. The Grand Sunset Princess is a wonderful resort and I was overcome by the beauty there and how the Mexican people went out of their way to make our week very enjoyable. Usually, if you treat someone with the kind of respect and courtesy you would want you will get it back. I think this is a good rule of thumb when we go to another country expecting to be waited on hand and foot when the citizens there mostly make less than $1.00 a day. We felt like we were staying at a Mexican palace and we ate like kings. The weather was wonderful and the service was great. We have sweet memories of a trip we may never be able to take again. But then we were never wealthy and don't have the expectations that the spoiled rich have. I would definitely go again and I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. We always felt safe and well taken care of. I say it deserves the 5 stars.
January 3, 2009 - 10:07am
Katrina from Canada says:
We went Dec 20-27, 2008 We had read the reviews prior to leaving and were worried about our holiday but were pleasantly pleased with everything. I feel that the comments are unjust and maybe from people that are whiners. We stayed in the Deluxe Junior Suites- we had two suites as our teenage kids were with us. They suites were very nice and clean. We didn't get into our room until 3pm but we were prepared and had our swim gear and went to the pool and relaxed and drank - how horrible!!! lol All the pools were very clean and spacious but we preferred the ocean and spent most of our time there - we can be at a pool anytime but Caribbean ocean is a treat! The beach area is small but very nice - we walked for miles on the beach, not allot of hotels around which is very nice - just beach and more beach. We had our room cleaned everyday by the time we came back from the beach and we received a night clean with pull down of the bed and chocolate or other treats. There was lots to do for our teenage kids - soccer, volleyball, crafts,etc. There was a daily shuttle to Playa Del Carmen but we rented a car and went to Akumel - which was absolutely beautiful. We also spent the evening in Playa Del Carmen and had Christmas Eve dinner there too (excellent) I really suggest renting a car which can be done cheaper in Playa Del Carmen but if you don't want the hassle the hotel car rentals is easier. The food at the hotel was good - large selection. We prefer Mexican food and found the selection limited. The reservation restaurants were good but not spectacular but what can you expect when they are feeding that many people - they do their best. We didn't get sick and the food was always fresh and good. There was no bugs while we were there but they do have wipes in the rooms if needed. There is always things going on in the hotel. The only complaint we had was that we went during Christmas and there wasn't any Christmas atmosphere at our hotel & no special dinner - Transat invited us to a special dinner on Christmas day but it was the same as all the other days. The hotel a bigger than we prefer but it is very nice and well kept. The staff was always accommodating and very friendly.
December 4, 2008 - 12:39pm
Mr from LA, USA says:
Restaurant’s food is terrible…. It seems as same dishes were served at all of the restaurants under different names. Buffet is your best bet. Concierge customer service is disgusting, staff is very rude and management does not address any complaints. They take pre-paid customers for granted and expect extra cash, US dollars, as bribes. Save your dollars and do go to a different resort. This resort is not ready for international tourists. The beach is very rocky which is not pleasant to get in. There are numerous good resorts in the area; therefore, do your homework ptior to booking.
September 28, 2008 - 9:16pm
Ralphy D. from Saskatchewan Canada says:
Hi all. Heading to the resort in Jan 09. Sounds like one should upgrade to "Platinum" for the additional services. Anyone else have any comments on the differences in quality of service? Regards
September 25, 2008 - 6:16pm
Alicia from Fayetteville NC USA says:
Has the problems there resolved? We plan on going over Thanksgiving week and I was wondering if anyone could give any suggestions prior to going (besides not) like making reservations and such. What others wish the had taken, thanks
August 11, 2008 - 10:02am
Marlene from Burlington, ON Canada says:
Has any Canuck's been recently? We are booked to go in October of this year and I am really nervous when I read all of these reviews. Have been to the Mayan many times so wil be very disappointed if it is not up there with the others. Can you book the restaurants before going? Are the mosquitos bad in one particular area (platinum)would appreciate any feedback with suggestions before we go
July 7, 2008 - 9:11am
Shaana from US says:
I am booked for a week at this hotel with my family on July 10th. But I am wondering how the hotel really is since I have read tons of mixed reviews and am totally confused. Someone please write if you've visited in July some more.
July 2, 2008 - 1:04pm
Mark from Miami, FL USA says:
In a word disappointing. Big, very beautiful new resort, though sometimes too large and sprawling to get anywhere quickly. We had heard about many of the issues they had when first opened, and many are resolved but the food quality was still a big issue. My girlfriend and I both got sick from the food, don't think it was the water because it's purified. This ruined our vacation, couldn't eat, drink or go about for 4 days. Buffet and even a few restaraunts were terrible. Buffet food largely inedible. We foraged for a few things that weren't tasteless, dry, overcooked, deep fried and greasy or just plain bad. All the buffet's had the exact same food, all bad. Some restaraunts were actually decent, Mama Mia's - Italian, Hacienda - Mexican, and even the fondue restaurant was good though the service was PAINFULLY slow. But it is very difficult to get reservations to the restaurants even though the are usually half empty because most people don't keep their reservations? Non-platinum guests have to pay an extra $25/pp for some of the restaraunts as well. It seems reservations have to be made well in advance, however we were not informed of this before the trip which left us with no options for 4 days other than the buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. What about room service? Well, although it's all inclusive, room service is not included except for Platinum guests. And although the exchange rate is good (10 pesos to a dollar during our visit) you will find almost everything grossly overpriced, especially room service: $20U.S. for a chicken sandwich with the added service fees. One restaraunt is open late and between operating hours, the sports bar, where you can get 3 items: a hotdog, a hamburger (which had a meat-like consistency but I couldn't say what kind of meat it was. Definitely not recommended), or a ham and cheese sandwich which wasn't too bad. Service: The service at the hotel was hit and miss. At times we had staff respond fairly promptly and courteously but at other times service was bad or nonexistent. When we first arrived at the hotel I called three times to have shampoo brought to the room (something I would expect to be provided at a 5 star resort) and we were ignored all 3 times. Eventually we went to the gift shop and purchased our own for the ridiculous amount of $10 for a small bottle. The same thing happened when we requested an iron. The iron in the room was broken, we called guest services to request one stating that it was urgent (getting ready for a wedding) and were again ignored after 2 requests. I eventually had to go knocking from door to door to borrow one from other guests. The iron showed up nearly 1 1/2 hrs. later. Also, during several calls to hotel services the staff was downright rude. I would say this was a communication barrier issue except that my girlfriend and I both speak spanish. I could see English speaking people having an even tougher time. Also, mosquitos here are bad. Though we made several requests, the housekeeping staff would leave the door open every day while making the room, inviting the mosquitoes in to wreak havoc on us later while we were sleeping. We would wake up during the night with bites all over us. All in all, though there were some good staff experiences, the food and the service were closer to that of a 2 star resort than what I would expect at a 5 star resort. I want to point out that "Platinum" guests don't have as many of the issues we had, because they have additional restaraunts/services available, but you have to be prepared to shell out a considerable amount more. We talked to people during excursions that had great experiences in other resorts. Playa del Carmen is beautiful (though Cancun has the nightlife) but I wouldn't recommend this resort to anyone.
May 19, 2008 - 6:47pm
Cocha from Manhattan says:
I be going fo 10 days in June. I be letten ya all of america no how it were. ok? good? I no.
May 16, 2008 - 11:56am
Cindy from Alabama - USA says:
Hey Dawn. My husband and I are going on May 31 also for 7 days. From reading all different reviews, it appears that conditions have improved.
April 27, 2008 - 4:03pm
dawn from philadelphia USA says:
going to resort on may 31, wondering what others thought of their stay recently.... i know that there were some rough patches in december of course since they had just opened but i wanted to know if things are better now since its been a couple months, thanks
