Grand Riviera Princess

The resort is clean, relaxing, and pretty accessible for all with ramps and frequent shuttle buses across the resort. Bartender Luis Vargas provided us with such a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere during our stay; very easy to talk to, and his off-menu drinks were delicious.

We recently stayed at the Grand Riviera Princess, travelling with our 9-month-old daughter, and overall, I would say we had a good experience. There were certainly some highlights, but also a few areas where the resort fell short. The Positives First, I want to acknowledge the service. Overall, it was great. The staff were pleasant, helpful, and prompt whenever we needed assistance. Even at the busy swim-up bars, the bartenders did a good job keeping up with guests, and with very few exceptions, getting a drink was never much of an issue. The newly renovated rooms were another highlight. They looked great, felt modern, and were comfortable throughout our stay. The air conditioning worked exceptionally well, with easy-to-use controls. I also appreciated the technology throughout the rooms. Using our wristbands as room keys, along with the digital controls for lighting, housekeeping, and Do Not Disturb, made everything convenient and easy to manage. One thing to mention is, the standard room does not have a bathtub, that was a bit tricky when having to wash the baby. The food was generally good. I wouldn't say anything was particularly outstanding, but we enjoyed our meals and never struggled to find something to eat. The Mexican restaurant was probably the most authentic of the options, offering dishes that went a little beyond what you might typically expect at an all-inclusive resort. The main buffet was consistently a crowd-pleaser, with plenty of variety and options for everyone. Towel service was also excellent. Being able to pick up and exchange towels throughout the day without any hassle was a small convenience that made a difference. When travelling to an all-inclusive resort, these are some of the things that matter most, and in those areas, the Grand Riviera Princess generally delivers. Where the Resort Fell Short Signage and Accessibility One of the biggest frustrations was the lack of signage throughout the property. Travelling with a stroller meant we regularly needed access to elevators, and finding them was unnecessarily difficult. We often found ourselves walking in circles trying to figure out where to go. This wasn't limited to elevators either. Directions to restaurants, room numbers, and different areas of the resort were often unclear. For a resort of this size, better signage would make a huge difference, especially for families with young children or anyone with mobility challenges. The Pool Layout Another issue was how the resort was designed. There isn't really one central main pool where everyone gathers. Instead, there are several pools spread throughout the property. While this give you options, it also makes the resort feel somewhat disconnected. We found ourselves moving from pool to pool, and each area felt isolated from the others. The swim-up bars were good, and the service was generally efficient, but the drink selection felt somewhat limited. Asking bartenders for recommendations didn't usually lead to much beyond the standard options. A more creative cocktail menu or a few signature drinks would have been a nice addition. The Beach Unfortunately, the beach was probably one of the biggest disappointments. To be fair, I have yet to find a truly great beach in the Riviera Maya, but this one was particularly underwhelming. Erosion has clearly affected the shoreline, leaving limited space to enjoy the beach comfortably. The swimming area wasn't particularly inviting, and there was also an unpleasant smell that made spending time there less enjoyable. There was only one beach bar and no food service, which felt limited for a resort of this size. We were also approached for massages roughly every seven minutes, which became frustrating when we were simply trying to relax. The beach also felt disconnected from the pool areas, making it less convenient to move between the two. For anyone who prioritizes a beautiful, swimmable beach when booking a vacation, I would certainly keep this in mind. Wildlife Around the Resort There is quite a bit of wildlife throughout the property, which I know many guests will enjoy. Generally speaking, the animals weren't aggressive or particularly bothersome. However, we did witness a monkey attempting to take a stroller and actually detaching the canopy from it. It was certainly something to see! While the wildlife adds a unique element to the resort, it's worth being mindful of your bags and such, especially when travelling with children. The Main Building and Overall Atmosphere Another aspect I wasn't particularly fond of was the main building, which houses almost everything. The building itself has more of a conference centre feel than what I would expect from a Caribbean resort. The central courtyard is attractive enough, but beyond offering seating, it doesn't offer much in terms of atmosphere or entertainment. There is one main bar in this area, which appeared to have only one bartender most of the time. As a result, getting a drink could be a bit challenging. The lower level houses the two buffets, several shops, the gym, spa, and an ice cream shop. Upstairs is where you'll find the specialty restaurants. I actually enjoyed the restaurants upstairs. The food and ambiance were good, and I don't have any major complaints. Some even have lounge bars where you can enjoy a drink before being seated, which was a nice touch. My only criticism would be that these areas could benefit from being enclosed and air-conditioned, making them more comfortable in the heat. The cafe and coffee bar is a great touch! however, it opens at 3:30 PM in the afternoon and the baristas are SLOWWWWWW to get drinks together. The options are great, just know they dont have a lot of sugar so make sure to request it. Entertainment The entertainment team deserves recognition because the performers themselves were great. Unfortunately, the venue didn't do them justice. The shows took place in what felt like a conference room rather than a proper theatre. It lacked the atmosphere, staging, and overall experience that you would typically expect from an evening show at a large all-inclusive resort. The talent was there, but the setting took away from the experience. The 24-Hour Sports Bar The sports bar was another area with both positives and negatives. On the positive side, the service was good, the coffee was excellent, and the bar itself was always enjoyable. Having somewhere open 24 hours was definitely convenient. However, the snack buffet was fairly basic, offering items like hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken nuggets. Once food ran out, it often seemed to take quite some time before it was replenished. We didn't get an opportunity to play pool, so I can't confirm this, but it appeared there may have been a charge to use the tables. If that's the case, it seems a little odd for an all-inclusive resort. Final Thoughts – 7/10 Overall, the Grand Riviera Princess is a good resort, and we enjoyed our vacation. The staff were excellent, the renovated rooms were comfortable and modern, the food was consistently good, and many of the everyday conveniences were well thought out. However, the resort's layout, lack of signage, disappointing beach, and somewhat underwhelming common areas and entertainment venues took away from the overall experience. Travelling with our 9-month-old daughter also made us more aware of certain things, particularly accessibility, navigation, and how easily we could move between different areas of the property. I wouldn't discourage anyone from staying here, especially if good service, comfortable rooms, and decent food are your main priorities. But I do think there are some noticeable shortcomings that prevent this resort from being an exceptional all-inclusive experience. My final rating is 7 out of 10. There were some genuinely great moments and features we appreciated, but when the resort fell short, those shortcomings were noticeable. With some improvements to the layout, beach experience, signage, and entertainment spaces, it could be a much stronger resort.

We had dinner at Rodizzio on our first à la carte night, and Rodolfo and Miguel were fantastic — attentive, very friendly, and they took great care of us all evening. The Brazilian rodizio itself was excellent, but these two are the reason the night stood out. Thank you both!

Here is my honest opinion about this resort. First off the location was convenient 40 minutes from Cancun airport and 30 minutes from Playa Del Carmen downtown which made it easy to explore the town. But about the hotel Let me start by saying don’t go expecting 5-star service. The hotel itself was very clean and newly renovated, the rooms were very nice. Even though we booked a garden room view; we didn’t get that, we couldn’t even see anything at all. I would say the service was poor; we felt like they may have been understaffed. Hand full of employees were great which I’ll name them below and where they worked the rest were unhelpful. When we checked in we were not provided information about shuttle nor elevator, given is a huge resort they had shuttle around the resort that is supposed to come every 7 minutes at times we waiting 10min or even more and there is 2 elevators in the whole resort. The food in the buffet was always a hit and miss. Never the same taste; one thing I did not appreciate is if you don’t eat bacon or pork they did not have a vegetarian section for example if you wanted eggs they will cook the eggs where they cooked the bacon which made it hard for myself and husband to eat certain foods. The room service ended up being extra charge if you wanted to order food to the room which was not the case when we booked our trip. With that when our room was cleaned it wasn’t always restocked with towels, coffee, or water. One of the many times we requested those items we never got them; I had to call them at least 3 times before getting them, we then ended up getting it by 11:30pm which we were in bed my then. The daytime entertainment was poor; no info of where they are held we ended up figuring it out but they were kinda boring the most fun was the foam party. The live entertainment in the theatre was great though. The third-party salespeople were always after you to buy excursions even though you’ve mentioned many times you are not interested but yet they’ll keep walking after you and asking again. At the snack bar the staff were rude; I asked for nacho and they gave me it with pork on it I had mentioned no pork I said well it doesn’t state that on the board so I assume it didn’t have any the server huffed and throw it out; it’s like they’re always ready to fight or argue back with you. The food options after hours at night were there’s little to none except one restaurant, which is the Fifth Avenue, even then it was always busy with lineups because they always had one server serving everyone plus one person at the bar. Generally, we found that there’s only one or two staff members at the bars and at 5th avenue restaurant (after hours restaurant) or 9th avenue coffee shop there was only 1 staff member which made many people frustrated including us. The la Electra restaurant was better than a buffet; my favourite was the Japanese & Mexican. My husband had mentioned to one staff member we are here to celebrate my wife’s milestone birthday, and the staff responded “that’s great” instead of offering something special. He did end up speaking with concierge and they had surprised me with cake in the room which was very nice. Now that being said; like I said the resort was very clean; and relaxing, the pools were very nice and ocean was very nice. if you do not care about service or food then you’ll enjoy this place; be ready to walk at least 10k steps a day!! Special thanks goes to the great staff Jose and Pablo from concierge, who were always ready to help, moises from hikari, Pedro from La Vaqueria, Filipe from Mexican, Electra restaurant was very kind and helping us choose the meal and explaining what’s in it. Samuel from Sunset buffet, Monse from Maya Buffet, Fransico from Maya buffet, Yessica from sports bar were always cheerful and love to chat. Miseal & Benjamin from shuttle service were so kind always happy to pick you up from anywhere even tho you were not sanding at the “bus stop” and explained all The exotic animals along the drive & of course Enrique & Candidione from pool bar (last one before the beach) were always cheerful creating the best non-alcoholic drinks for us! Overall, I would go back to this resort only if they fixed their service stuff and better food options.

I was here on a solo trip and I absolutely loved it. It’s a truly beautiful resort and all the staff are just so polite and welcoming. Special mention to Erik on reception who checked me in. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff that I interacted with. Just wonderful manners. The beach had no seaweed whenever I visited which was a plus however the water was murky all the time but that cannot be helped. The food was amazing and I took advantage of the online app and booked my restaurant choices from there. I really had a wonderful and relaxing break and I will definitely be back here