Rating:
"We stayed at the Grand Sirenis from July 29th to August 5th. The resort while not being a five star resort as advertised does have many good features and services. One interesting piece of information that I found out a day before we were to leave for our vacation is that the resort has two sides - the Riviera side and the Mayan beach side. There are two lobbies and the Riviera side has buildings that are all closer to the main facility (main buffets, theatre) whereas the Mayan beach side is a good walk from the main amenities. The brochure that we received showed us rooms of the Riviera buildings (which I thought that we were booked in - however that was not the case) and while the Mayan beach rooms were big and spacious they definitely did show wear and tear.

Overall we had a wonderful stay. The main buffets (which are open to both the Riviera and Mayan beach residents) were good and there was always plenty of choice. There was also a buffet near one of the main pools (on the Mayan side) and although we did not eat there it seemed to have good although limited choices for lunch (good for those who did not want to trek all the way to the main buffet). There was also a beach restaurant that served drinks and some good barbecue options. We did not partake in the a la carte restaurants as we had an infant with us but for the week that we were there the a la carte restaurants (all of which are in the same location) were full of people. The best features were the coffee bar and ice cream bar. Our two older kids enjoyed the ice creams and frappucinos.

The beach was really good but rocky. Even with the rocks we all enjoyed swimming and snorkelling. Just bring good water shoes! There was always a palappa available and the beach waitresses worked hard at ensuring that everyone was well hydrated.The night entertainment was allright. We took in the Lion King one evening and a rock show on old Queen songs. The entertainers put in a good effort and the older kids were happy with both shows. The shows do start late (9:30 pm). We spent a morning touring the ruins at Tulum and that was a good highlight of the week. For the money spent it was a good holiday. The staff are hardworking and polite and always willing to listen or help.

Last thing - the trip from the airport to the resort was a good two hours."
Reviewer: reviewer9922
Date: Aug. 27, 2010

Rating:
"Our room was nice and big with a good sized bathroom. It was nice and clean with the bar fridge restocked every day. The room was also nice and quiet we did not hear our neighbors at all or the people upstairs as we were on the second floor. The outside of the hotel does not look three years old it does not seem like they do much in the way of maintenance. All the staff members that we encountered were very nice. The food was very repetitive in the buffet and the ala cartes were not gourmet. But we did not starve there was always something we found to eat. The pools were nice and so was a small part of the beach. But the beach was very pretty. The premium alcohol is only at the two lobby bars and you have to ask for them by name or they will give you the local stuff. Bring clothes pins with you as there is a clothes line on the balcony but sometimes it was windy and we worried about our bathing suits blowing away (they take forever to dry if you hang them up in the bathroom). This was good for a quick one week getaway but I don't think I could stay for two weeks the food selection is not varied enough for that."
Reviewer: happywhenonholidays
Date: May. 09, 2010

Rating:
"The hotel was very nice. One of the glitches happened when we checked in and we were told we had a double room (two doubles). That wasn't going to work for a tall husband, so it took an hour to have that changed, but we did end up in a room with a King bed. The rooms were huge, beautiful and spotless.

The hotel was very, very spread out. Lots of walking, which was fine for us; but would cause a problem perhaps if you had mobility issues. It was well kept, the pools were beautiful, the beaches were beautiful. You could snorkel right at the beach at the front of the resort. There were plenty of chairs to enjoy the beach view and the staff often came down to serve us drinks. There were also plenty of chairs at the pool. The staff were very courteous in all areas of the hotel.

Staff do not have the ability to control the weather, so we had to go with that a little. Room service and a movie on the very wet afternoon were a nice way to relax.

No complaints at all.

"
Reviewer: filly5@shaw.ca
Date: Feb. 23, 2010

Rating:
"This hotel is definately a five star when it comes to their service, pool, beach, snorkeling and food choices! It is a little difficult at first to find your way around the grounds as it is a large resort built with a lower profile. Looking for landmarks or buildings to use as a guide is hard to establish since the foilage is high and dense. After two days we had it figured out though.

You will be served drinks anywhere on the beach or poolside as the servers walk by frequently to make sure you are looked after. This has never happened to us at any other resort we have been to so it was a great surprise to be able to experince this type of pampering. Tipping should be a "given" for the great service you get here. They clean the pool often so debris and oil slicks are almost non-existent in their pools. Snorkeling is a must here as there are plenty of fish to see in the bays at this resort. We found more fish in the bay further NE up the shoreline. They are familiar with people and will follow you around hoping for food. I have heard of people feeding bits of banana to the fish but don't know if this is good for them. If you want to see a lot of fish, check out Xel-Ha for a day! This is definately a snorkeler's paradise. We did the whole day "all-inclusive" however the weather did not fully cooperate for the whole day. Early February can have cloudy cooler days and this was one of them. Still this was an awesome day.

The workmanship put into pool decks, walkways and tile construction in the rooms looks as if it were done by "Joe Handyman" so I would give that a 3 star. The rooms are very open and are kept clean. They smell a little musty but what doesn't in Mexico? You can upgrade for approximately $60 US per night for an Oceanview room however if you want this upgrade you should ask to view the room first! All rooms are identical with the options of two double beds or one king bed. When booking your trip ask for desired beds under "requests". We didn't and ended up in a room with two double beds for our first night. We had no problem changing to a king bed room the next day for the rest of our stay. If you have any issues at all of any kind, there are concierge desks in every second building of rooms who are there all day to help you with "everything". Be sure to book your a-la-carte restaurants as soon as you arrive at your room. This can be done at the concierge desk assigned to your building on the main floor walkway that goes through the buildings.

We are definately going to stay at this resort again and use as our home base while doing other excursions. They are very service oriented and we have not experienced anything quite like it in all our travels.

Larry & Donna
Westbank, British Columbia"
Reviewer: Dynomantis
Date: Feb. 21, 2010

Rating:
"We were pleased to find out that the good reviews that we read about this hotel were all true. We stayed at this resort in the last week of January 2010. The resort is very nice, the rooms are very clean and modern, and the food was excellent. We travelled with a 10 yr old and she also enjoyed the food (as she is very picky). We were worried about getting Montezuma's revenge but no one got sick and we drank the bottled water at the resort, had drinks with ice, and ate fresh salads at the resort. The beach is nice but is a little rocky when you first walk into the water. It was very windy when we were there so didn't get many chances to go snorkelling but it appears that this resort would have some good places to go snorkelling. The only downfall is that the resort is a 2 hour bus ride from the Cancun airport. It would be nice if the resort provided transportation to Playa del Carmen (for shopping) but we did use the local van service (Collectivo) that you catch on the highway (for 25 pesos per person). Overall, we had a great time and plan to return again.
PS - avoid the local concierge located directly in the buildings where you stay as they will eventually try to get you to tour the time share available at these resorts....unless you are interested in this type of thing."
Reviewer: reviewer2837
Date: Feb. 18, 2010

Rating:
"The hotel is located roughly 2 hours south of Cancun. Th bus ride is a lot more tiring than I had originally anticipated especially after a red eye. The hotel itself is modern and posh if in need of some minor repairs. All rooms are equipped with a jacuzzi which is a nice touch. The staff are all gracious and eager to please. Tipping is not necessary but gets you extra friendly service. The beach is somewhat rocky and the designated snorkeling area is very small. Although I heard sightings of barraccuda and sting rays, the water was too choppy for snorkeling for many days. The biggest disappointment is food. Buffet sees the same dishes recycled from meal to meal. By the third meal, the veggies no longer look appetizing. A la carte was also disappointing. The Cajun and Japanese are not authentic. The food is merely passable. The Mediterranean is very good though."
Reviewer: reviewer7378
Date: Feb. 10, 2010

Rating:
"was very surprised how good the resort was. nice secluded coves, lots of pools and loungers, excellent rooms, very large (ocean side in this particular building). food was very good (skip the French restaurant, tho, not good at all). staff very friendly, concierge at each building.
even the nightly entertainment was very good. just booking to go back again this month so that says something I guess. one note: the bathrooms are very large and very wide open to the bedroom - if you want privacy at all, bring some tacks and a sheet!"
Reviewer: reviewer2187
Date: Jan. 08, 2010

Rating:
"The service in the hotel was excellent as were the facilities.

It was great having the choice of 3 of 7 ala carte restaurants. You will always here varying reports about the quality of food at these restaurants. My experiences in the Mexican (excellent), Mediterranean (very good, lacking only in some authenticity) and Italian (very good again, lacking only in some authenticity) restaurants was very good. I think the staff did an excellent job of trying to recreate dishes from recipes, while probably never having experienced the actual food themselves and without having all of the authentic ingredients. The food by iteself was very good; the service always excellent.

The buffet every other night was very good. I especially liked the selection of Mexican food available daily along with everything else. And, the omelet bar was very good.

The other facilities at the hotel were excellent -- pools, lazy river, beach, activities, snack bars and bars, internet readily available. My room had a must smell noticeable each time I first went into it which was unfortunate. Other than that, the bathroom, jacuzzi, bed, lounge area (in-room internet if I'd wanted it) and service were excellent.

The proximity of this resort to attractions and both Akhumal and Playa del Carmen was also a plus.

I would, and already have, definitely recommend this resort to others.
"
Reviewer: sandercl52
Date: Mar. 29, 2009