Gran Bahia Principe Akumal

What a GREAT hotel complex! The staff was wonderfull, the rooms were clean and the food was out of this world! I have been back home for five days and am booking the GBP Akumal for New Years at this moment. Can't say enough about this fab hotel. Try to make from one end of the property to the other without the friendly bar staff having your drinks poured before you even sit down at one of the several beach bars!! Good Luck!

Loved this resort had a blast there. Staff there were super friendly and helpful. Very nice resort. Will definatley stay here again.

We stayed here for our honeymoon and choose the Bahia as we had stayed in one in Tenerife and thought it was excellent. We had a fantastic time, the food was lovely, the hotel was always clean and the private beach was great. The entertainment in the evenings was also excellent. We would recommend this hotel for anyone who wants a very relaxing holiday.

My husband & I went from Oct.19-26/08. Our purpose was to have a relaxing time and this was the first time travelling without the kids. We have been the the Mayan Riviera about 6 other times and didn't want to sightsee this time; just stay at an upscale resort and 'chill'. WOW! It was awesome and filled our needs perfectly. The beach at the Akumal was amazing, whereas on eitherside of the bay, it is very rocky and not too inviting, so we stayed in the bay. The restaurants are great (we didn't enjoy the El Pescador as it was bland and the presentation not great). The buffet was the hugest we've seen and yes, although it is duplicated often, you can't possibly eat one of everything at every meal, so every meal can be something different. One day we found duck, bbq ribs, turkey, pork pastor (yum!). Yes, the resort is huge, which was the one thing we were worried about, but it didn't feel huge as it is sooo well laid out and we never had to wait more than 5 mins for a tram to take us anywhere we wanted to go. The grounds are immaculately kept and all staff are so professional. There was a LOT of staff everywhere so the service was always great.

In particular we liked that the main 'activity' pool is away from the lobby and other pools so you can relax without having to seek out a quiet spot. Also, you NEVER have to go out early and reserve chairs; there are a tonne! We liked that all restaurants are non-smoking; however, we wished there would have been a non-smoking pool area; you just take your chances that they guy who smokes one after the other doesn't decide to plant himself near you.

Yes, the rooms could use some updating and although the beds are harder than we are used to, it was very comfortable. We cannot comment on the disco or nightly entertainment as we just wanted quiet and stuck to ourselves; however, there was a smoke free lounge with live music and bar service which we went to many evenings and they were very good!

Since I did much research before choosing, we are very happy with our choice and would definitely go back. We could have stayed at some others which would've saved us about $200/couple, but from talking to others on the plane home, I'm glad we didn't. Often they were newer resorts with few staff and a big party scene as its more affordable for young partiers. If your looking for a professional, well managed relaxing resort, the GBPAkumal fits the bill. It is very comparable to the Iberostar, which we visited in 2005. Hope this helps!

Oh my god, what a fantastic place!!

This hotel is the most amazing hotel i have ever stayed in! It is so clean, friendly and super for everyone!

We stayed in the Akumal part of this great resort, there is also Coba and Tulum. We loved ours so much we didnt actually venture to the others!

To get from one lobby to the other, and basically around the resort, you get on the golf buggies - fun and so much quicker than walking! You get these outside of the lobbies of Akumal, Coba and Tulum.

Lobby - Greeted by Reps, then taken to check in - given a glass of champagne. Check in was quick and easy and informative!

Rooms - The rooms are spacious and clean, although when you check in there will be a damp smell, just flick the air con on and it disappears. The beds are a little hard, as are the pillows, but because it is Mexico you will be partying most nights to care what the bed is like when you fall in it! If you have the air con on, you need to keep balcony door closed or it cuts off.

Restaurants - loved the buffett in Akumal, again we didnt venture to try the others. You can eat in any of the 17 restaurants in all 3 lobby's. We were serenaded every night by the Mariachi's which we loved! they are fantastic, and no tip required - however they were that good we did tip them a few times!

The waiters were brilliant and after the 3rd night they got to know what we drank and would bring it automatically to our table. Our waiter was Rofoldo, and he was teaching us a little bit of Spanish every night!

Entertainment - Well, they were bloody fantastic! The guy who runs it, Pepe is the most amazing guy you will meet. he is so fun and lively and really helps get you in the mood to party. :-)

They put on a different show every night in the theatre and so much hard work goes into this it is unreal. I became friends with most of them and they taught me to Salsa, wicked!

Every night at 10pm, get the "bus" to the Hacienda Dona Isabel for a party! The entertainment guys sort it all out, and it is brilliant. Afterwards at the Discoteque. Not like our nightclubs here, it is totally mexican! We didnt find out until the end of the first week about this, so we were disappointed, but seriously, make sure you go. it is awesome! Again, drinks are included up there!

Pools - I cant really comment as i am a "beach girl" but they looked clean and very spacious. lots of sun loungers for everyone! The entertainments pool is always a laugh, lots of activities, usually with Carlitos - he is so funny! They ask you to join in, but if you dont want to that is fine too.

Beaches - Ok, the Akumal beach is quite rocky to get into, but then it is fine. Lots of colourful fish, great place to Snorkel.

If you go out of the Akumal Lobby, across the pools then on to the beach, turn left and walk a little past the Jetty, and you will be on Tulum Lobby beach, which is more of a beach, if that makes sense! No rocks etc. it is more busy than Akumal beach, so if you want privacy, go to akumal.

The lifeguards are fantastic and work really hard to keep everyone safe, however there are a few idiots that ignore the flag system. For example, they say even if it is a red flag you can go into the sea with caution, but DO NOT swim past the rocks. The current is very strong and quite scary when it takes hold of you, but if you stay in front of the rocks you are fine. Whilst we were there one guy actually got into trouble because he got swept out after swimming beyond the rocks. there was a really strong current. The lifeguards kept blowing the whistle telling him to come in, but he wouldnt listen. Anyways, the lifeguard ended up going in after him, it took about 20 mins for him to get him in safe, but all this time the current was taking him out also. 2 otherl ife guards went to help him,and had to keep whistling so the other one knew where to go. He wsa bloody exhausted. it is a wonder they got back safely. It was really scary to watch.

Please listen to them and watch the flags. do not go past the rocks, you may not be as lucky as that guy was.

Trips - Ok, the trips all look fantastic, but beware - they are expensive. You are looking at around $100 US per person per trip

we went to Xel-Ha - bloody brilliant! it is like an ecological park for snorkelling, swimming etc. It is basically where a river meets the sea - so you have freshwater meeting salt water - loads of marine life. You can swim the whole of it if you wish, we did. it was very tiring though. But well worth it! Take an underwater camera!

Also, from Akumal Lobby, go through the lobby, to the pools and then to the Towel guys. Ask them to swim with the "Tortuga's" - the sea turtles. it is $55USD per person. they go every day. it was amazing, you get so close to the turtles and the guides are brilliant. Our guide went down and got a sea urchin for us to hold, it was wicked. They also take you to swim over the reef, which is 2nd largest in the world. It is very tiring to snorkel as you are swimming for about an hour and half, but it is so so worth it. Take an underwater camera!

I cant comment on any other trips as that is all we did because of the cost!

Photos - Do get Marco to take some pictures of you, he is fatastic at what he does. They are $10 each, but so worth it. There is a different animal to have your picture taken with every day, i loved the Iguana and Monkey!! But Marco does Fashion shots also, and they are beautiful! I spent most of my money on them! i couldnt help it!!

************

Overall i loved this holiday so so much! I cant wait to go back. I actually cried when leaving. My mum had to drag me onto the coach back to the airport.

Stayed at the Gran Bahai Principe in Akumal, Mexico Oct 10-18 2008 with hubby, 13 yr old and an infant. Absolutley LOVED it!

PROS:

-bus from Cancun was around an hour with cheerful, informative

guide who was quick with the cervezas (even at 9am!)

-quick and easy check-in at hotel, they give you a map as the place is huge. Don't go without it. Also, take the in-room safe key. Only $5 a day and truly worth the peace of mind for passports, extra cash, etc.

-resort and beach not overly busy (must be time of year)

-3 resorts in one, you can eat and play on all of them

-good variety of buffet food, no one went hungry and we are all pretty picky eaters

(definitely make your reservations for the a la carte restaurants the day you arrive or you could be stuck with a 10pm dinner)

-lots of activities: snorkelling, scuba, jetskis, hotel staff put on pool games. Be sure to check out the nightly entertainment-hilarious!

-found the staff wonderfully friendly, helpful and genuinely cheerful. Plus, a small tip goes a long way (we left $1 a day for the maid, $1 per meal for buffets, $5 per meal for the a la carte restaurants, and tipped the bartenders whenever we felt like it). Spent about $40 for the week in tips. There were lots of other people who didn't tip and still got good service. So, it's up to the individual. Just keep in mind that these people only make $5 a day in wages.

-take a Collectivo(30pesos per person) to Playa Del Carmen for cheap souveniers. The further down 5th Avenue you go the cheaper things get. You will get used to saying "no gracias" repeatedly as the vendors push their stuff, try to get you into their shop, and ask if you want weed. Just walk away if you have to. Barter prices down by 1/2 and work from there.

-lots of close excursions...Tulum ruins are really close. Take a Collectivo there. Will save you alot instead of going with a tour from hotel.

-water and food were fine. Never got sick on or off resort (we ate in Playa)

CONS:

-pools and the bars at the pools close too early for us, around 7pm. We like to have night swims.

-entertainment ends at 10pm-ish

-booze was definitely watered down. But i guess that's good if it's an all-inclusive. Don't want a bunch of drunks all over.

-beaches are gorgeous but some spots are rockier than others. Take water shoes. My hubby and son stepped on sea urchins (ouch!).

Will go again in the future or maybe to another Gran Bahia

somewhere else south.

We stayed at this Hotel from Oct. 10 to 17, 2008. First of all do not listen to the people that write bad reviews. This resort has 3 great hotel (Akumal, Coba and Tulum) and guests are welcome to eat and watch shows at all 3 locations. The buffet food is very good and lots of choices. The waiters are very nice. Getting around this big resort is easy the trolleys are fun and the maximum time to wait is 10 minutes. In the evening they drive you to your Villa. The evening shows are fun, do not expect Las Vegas caliber ..(if you want that, then go to Vegas). A la Carte restaurants were very good. We highly recommend Le Pescador and Portofino.The Akumal bar and Premier Club both have live music from 7:30 to 11:00pm which is very enjoyable.

Brandy and Liquor drinks and Specialty Coffee is available at all 3 hotels at anytime. The Resort is very clean and Villa 65 and 66 have a wonderful view of the ocean. We highly recommend. Good value for your money. We had breakfast with a Mimosa first.

When packing check the room including under the curtains and bed so that nothing is left behind. We truly enjoyed our stay at the Bahia Principe Akumal. The trip to Playa Del Carmen is not worth it, spending the day at the resort is much better and relaxing.

We recommend this resort.

My wife and I stayed at the Akumal...Sept 7th-14th, for our 30th Anniversary. We were very impressed with the beauty of the resort! Beaches were great, as well as the water!! Water shoes are a must! We did lots of snorkeling, in front of the Resort, as well as kayaking. The buffet was very good..a pretty good variety. Staff was very friendly. The Le Gourmet was the Tops!! Enrique was an awesome waiter..for our 30th!! High lite was the baby turtles on the beach , at night !! Loved the large rooms..Air conditioning worked very well!! Nice ocean view... loved the pools!! Overall.. everything was very clean!! Would highly recommend the resort !! Loved the very large size...lots of beach to walk!!! Trams were very nice..and convenient !! Price was great in September from Canada..$950 CDN. total... for 8 days..each!!! Weather and temp, was perfect too!! I don't understand some of these whiners?? The place is very Romantic ..and beautiful!!! Akumal Bay is a must for snorkelers.,.take the collectivo..only $2 bucks each way!! Will post a bigger review later!

My husband and I stayed at this resort from Sept 12-19th. We found this resort absolutely AMAZING!!

When we arrived we were all greeted with a glass of champagne (Golden Club) This was nice after a 2 hour bus ride from the airport. Gus (the Manager) took us aside to check us in. This process was very quick...not to mention Gus was very nice and informative :)

I've read the reviews on here about the rock hard beds. Well to my surprise there was already a foam mattress on the bed when we arrived. The room was emmaculate...better than any other hotel I've stayed at back home! We were in Villa 66 and the view was amazing.

The food at the buffets and the a la cartes was very good. Hot

food at the buffets was piping hot. If someone complains of 'cool' food...they must be the ones walking around the buffets (with a plate of food) looking for what else they can pile on their plates. We NEVER had a problem with our food being cold.

We ate at Arlequin, Mikado and Dolce Vita. Service and food were amazing at Arlequin and Mikado. Service was good at Dolce Vita..but food was mediocre.

I cannot say anything but good things about this resort. We were blown away at the staff at every part of the resort. Everywhere you looked there was staff cleaning something...even well into the evening. Everything, from the beach to the washrooms were super clean!!!

We would defiantely return!

We stayed at the Bahia Principe Akumal from 1 - 15 September 2008 and I have to say it was absolutely fantastic.

My husband and I (I am 35, he is 29) travelled with my parents who had been to the resort before (Tulum). My mum had requested Tulum but on arrival we were allocated Akumal. I have to say that we were not disappointed.

On arrival we were immediately impressed by the lobby - it is beautiful, extremely clean and the bucks fizz certainly helped!

We stayed in Villa 81 which was the furthest away from the main lobby - still hardly a 5 minute walk so certainly nothing to complain about. The room was extremely spacious and the bathroom far superior to anything we have ever experienced on holiday before. I have to say that being young (well, I think 35 is still young) and preferring neutral decor, the room was a bit gawdy but it was clean and surely part of the holiday experience is to get away from home?? (some holiday makers obviously don;t agree).

The cleaner did a sterling job of tidying up after us and left a note every day that we neglected to hide valuables (my husband left his wallet out a few times although it had no money in it). We were however sharing a safe with my parents who were in the next room so we didn't feel there was a need for us to have a safe of our own.

Towel art on the bed every day was a lovely touch, especially when you think about how hard these people work for the wages they get. Tipping was definitely not a necessity but we did tip the cleaner and our regular waiter (we sat at the same table most of the time) and bar staff. I'm only talking a few dollars a time (£1) but they really appreciate it and the service we received was far superier to that we would receive in Britain where you seem to be expected to tip!

Mini bar was stocked every 2 days - coke, sprite, lager, crisps (only one packet so you have to share) and 2 chocolate bars/biscuits.

The buffet restaurant was lovely - a great choice and I don't see how anyone could say they couldn't find something they liked. There was a vast array of food. Breakfast consisted of omlettes made to order, fried eggs, bacon, waffles, pancakes, fresh melon, pineapple, lots of breads/rolls/pastries, salad, cheese, and various hot foods.

Lunch and dinner provided another huge array of food - mexican, pasta to order, grilled fish, steak, pork etc, sushi, salad, burgers, various hot chicken/pork/beef dishes. Seriously, you will NOT go hungry!! My better half is what I would call a fussy eater and he has raved about the food since we returned,

WARNING - if you are watching your weight steer clear of the desserts. Don't even look because you will be tempted.

We ate at 2 of the al a carte restaurants and both were gorgeous. Anyone who complains about the food seriously doesn't have enough to do. After all, if you're not happy there's still the buffet and the 24 hour snack bar to fill you up!!

We ate at all three buffets and I have to say that we thought Coba was probably the best but that may be down to our taste in food. Other people may like one of the others. They are all good but slightly different so try them all (after all, it's all included in the price). Oh, and if you're still hungry after all of that there's coffee and pastries available in the afternoons in the bar.

It would be quite easy to suffer incredible hangovers every day if you wanted to. The drink flows and there is a huge array of cocktails and liquers to sample. I did experience a few problems trying to order Kahlua with Diet Coke (I think the Mexicans struggled that I was putting Diet Coke into a liquer....) and ended up with a few drinks that I have no idea what they were. Just made it entertaining and more interesting though! And hey, I just drank it and re-ordered.

The pools and beach are gorgeous - very clean and yes, there are a few pebbles in the sea but is that not normal?

If you're scared of iguanas then this may not be the hotel for you - we made a point of counting them on the way to/from the hotel every day and frequently reached over 20. We loved seeing them, especially the ones that run quickly like the ones that were on the Bud advert! (ok, perhaps we are easily amused but we enjoyed it).

My parents also saw capybaras in the hotel grounds (apparently large rodents) which my mum described as "like coconuts with legs" but unfortunately we didn't see them.

If I had to say anything remotely negative about this resort it would be that the entertainment isn't great. It does however pass an hour of your evening and can be quite amusing (although I suspect that may not be the intention). What you have to remember is that they have to cater for a variety of nationalities so don't expect too much. Personally I don't go on holiday to be entertained so it wasn't an issue. I'm quite happy making conversation and not relying on others to entertain me.

We did a few trips including swimming with Dolphins, manatees and sea lions - definitely an experience I will never forget. I think it was $199 each which I suppose isn't cheap but it was worth every penny.

Also went to Xcaret which was really good but I would thoroughly recommend taking swimming gear (we didn't and it was extremely hot so a nice dip would have been great). The show at night was good to see but I probably wouldn't go back although my parents have now seen it twice and they said that they would.

I went shopping in Cancun with my mum and was quite disappointed. It took 3 hours to get there thanks to a ridiculous amount of pick ups and people not turning up for the coach (but we waited 20 minutes for them). They take you to 2 malls which consist of mainly designer shops - Louis Vuitton, Diesel etc. which is fine if that's what you are looking for. I'd say if you do want to venture into Cancun take a Collectivo (a shared minibus) into Playa del Carmen and then head onto Cancun from there - probably much cheaper and quicker! We took the collectivo into Playa and it was $3 each.

The men wen on the Fat Cat which, I believe, was a type of speed boat and they did some snorkelling. They both thoroughly enjoyed it but as I didn't go I can't really say much more about it.

I'm sure I have missed some information out but you're probably fed up reading this by now so I'll finish up.

All in all I have to say that we all had an absolutely excellent holiday and I wouldn't hesitate to go back to this resort. I really don't understand anyone who is negative about the place. We paid just over £2,000 for both of us for a fortnight and we usually holiday in Europe. Taking our flights/accommodation and spending money into account we've experienced (in our eyes) luxury for very little extra money.

Have a great holiday!

Great place, lots of fun. Three things to prep for:

1) bugs - Went through three cans of bug spray be warned.

2) Heat - only one restaurant has A/C other that your room

3) French Canadians - Need I say More?

Went SJR and was worth it for the view. Any issue was resolved in less than an Hour.

Tulum - Oldest but glad we didn't stay there. Service kinda sucked.

Coba - Away from the beach (behind Akumal) but fantastic service!

Rented a car and seen three ruins and two cenotes for the price of one excursion (including car rental fee gas and entrance fees)

Coba is awesome as you can still climb it

Tulum is beautiful

Cheten itza is well a tourist trap now there are about 1000 mexicans selling crap inside the grounds really turned me off.

Food fantastic

Buffets were huge

A La Cartes very tasty

Service very good

Shows sucked

room beautiful

pools tops

Ocean rocky so did not go in

Had a great time and would go back.

I reviewed about here back in beginning of August but decided to write another one with more details, I left a lot out on my old one. We stayed at Akumal from 7/26-8/1 and it was nothing short of amazing. As a background, I’m a 22-year-old female and I traveled with my parents (I’m an only child). Between us we’ve lived in several countries (Japan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, the U.S., Nigeria) so we’re used to traveling and enjoying different cultures/people. I’m personally not that gregarious and don’t drink alcohol so my review doesn’t include tips on discos, bars, alcoholic drinks, etc. Also, for some unknown reason we didn’t venture out to Coba/Tulum (I think we were quite content with just Akumal) but I hope you still find it helpful.

FLIGHT: US Air, one stop at Philadelphia, no delay, about 4 hours. On return flight 3-4 hour flight delay and one stop at Charlotte, NC. We booked with Expedia.

AIRPORT/TRANSPORTATION: No big problems with customs…they give you the customs card on the airplane before landing, make sure you sign your signature at the back, it’s very easy to miss it. We got caught by the timeshare people (white shirt, khaki pants) thinking they were ”helpful people” employed by the airport. Actually, the guy was quite helpful but when we realized who he really was we quickly said thanks and left. There was a man standing outside with a Bahia Principe sign. We opted for a private van transport, the driver was very nice and he let us stop at 7-11 for some drinks. Very light traffic & fast driving took us about an hour to get to the hotel…I enjoyed looking out the window for the scenery (people, stores, houses, bus stops, everything, even the trees). An hour went by really fast.

CHECK-IN: No huge problems that I know of. We were promptly given welcome drinks. I wasn’t paying much attention while my parents were dealing with the room situation (staring at the gorgeous lobby) so I’m not exactly sure what went on, but they wanted oceanview rooms and none were available. Rooms weren’t ready yet so we were given our wristbands and went to go eat lunch…came back and a bellboy drove us and our luggage to our rooms.

RESORT SIZE/GETTING AROUND: It’s big but I didn’t feel like it was, 3 resorts are spaced out well enough that you don’t feel cramped. The map and the layout can be confusing though, I think, but we were on vacation and didn’t mind laughing it off and walking around the impeccable/lovely grounds (might be a different story for those with disabilities/physical limitations). A good exercise, too. The trolleys/golf carts were SO MUCH FUN. We never waited more than 5 minutes for one and never experienced fighting with people over seats, maybe we were lucky. If you’re confused about where it’s going just ask the person driving it, he’ll probably be annoyed that 800 people have previously asked him that question but ah well.

ROOMS: My parents stayed in 5711, me in 5716 – very good location I think, we were 3-4 minute walking distance to the main lobby AND the activities pool/beach. We had junior suites and I don’t think any pictures do justice, it was clean, huge, beautifully decorated, and comfortable. If I had a room like that at home I would cry tears of joy. I liked to sit out on the balcony and read in the afternoon breeze and hear the crazy antics going on at the activities pool. Maybe we were lucky but we had zero problems with the rooms…AC/ceiling fan worked perfectly, hair dryer was very strong, TV had ample English channels, no insects, etc. The mini fridge was stocked with beer, coke, fruit juice, 2 cookie bars, and chips. The beds were hard but I was so tired every night that I peacefully passed out…the earplugs helped as well.

STAFF/SERVICE: My favorite part of the resort was the staff – so friendly, hardworking, and nice. NO ONE WAS EVER IDLE. You try working in 231904323 degree weather with 900% humidity in long-sleeve shirts and pants. I LOVED hearing “hola!” from the workers and they really appreciated it if you made an effort to speak Spanish. Yes, service was sometimes iffy (especially at the busy buffet restaurant, they would forget what you wanted) but the waiters meant well and they treated you respectfully. I think they liked it when I attempted Spanish sometimes (“dos cafes sin leche, por favor”). Some of the bellboys who drove the trolleys were downright hilarious. The maid who cleaned my room was nice, too, I met her once. Even the cleaning lady at the snack bar was soooo nice, considering the heat and the fact that she had to clean up after everyone’s mess. For some reason the “least” friendly workers were the people at the front desk…they seemed like they were just doing the job for the sake of doing it. Ah well. We tipped $1 for the maid everyday (towel art everyday) and sometimes at the buffet restaurant as well as the bellboys (i.e. when one helped me open the door when I locked the key in my room). I felt HORRIBLE because I never tipped the mini-fridge stocking guy because I thought the maid did that as well…but the fridge was re-stocked every other day.

It never occurred to me to get a safe ($5/day) but NOTHING WAS EVER STOLEN. Being a trusting fool I left out my wallet (not empty either), passport, $400 camera, and my laptop computer EVERYDAY. In retrospect I have no idea what I was thinking but the point is is that nothing was stolen.

The entertainment staff (called animation team) worked very hard, it was nice too see the same, familiar faces everyday. They worked at the pool during the day, performed in the shows at night, and (from what I read from other reviews) headed to the Hacienda to provide some more entertainment. They kind of reminded me of the “cool kids” in high school…the popular kids club. Anyhow, some of them include Juan, Carlos, Ulysses, Ivan, and Rebecca. Juan was hot. Sorry, just had to put that out there.

I think this note belongs in the staff/service section: I read once that the male staff can be "overfriendly" towards the female guests...all I can say from my experience is that I DID get hit on several times, which made me somewhat uncomfortable. In their defense I think they were doing it for the sake of chatting up with girls, which I don’t think is a complete sin (but can have some problematic consequences, obviously). In fact one of the bellboys actually asked me out on a date to which I politely declined. But I think if you make your intentions clear and don't give out any stupid signals then you'll be fine. Like I said before all the workers were very nice.

POOLS: The pools sure looked good. The big pool is right off the lobby and they have a swim-up bar. We mainly stayed at the activities pool, though, it was basically right at the back of our villa…we managed to pick a palapas with great views of both the pool and the ocean :) I liked watching the hourly activities lead by the animation staff. That being said, it can get pretty noisy what with the loud, dance music and the staff having fun with the microphones. Anyway the pools were clean and comfortable, there weren’t any problems with kids either…i.e. children running everywhere etc.

BEACH: It’s hard to generalize because we didn’t go to the section by the pier, where great snorkeling was to be had. We went to the beach by the activities pool. Yes, it was rocky, so bring water shoes. It’s also very shallow so it’s tricky to do actual “swimming.” However, lots of people seemed to have fun at the sand bags…you sit on them and as the waves came by you’re basically swept off the sandbags. My favorite was partly submerging the beach chairs into the ocean and taking a nap…nice.

FOOD: For the buffet I think they did a good job considering they had to cater to different tastes of 500 million people. It did get repetitive just because I chose what I liked the best in the first few days and tended to stick to those (amazing salsa/guacamole/topopos) but please be adventurous and try new food! I mean, they do have pizza, mac and cheese, hamburgers, pizza, etc but it doesn’t hurt to try. There are hits and misses with everything, sure. Also, on most days they had a mariachi band…I didn’t mind it because they were fun. They went around every table and did a song, we tipped them, some people didn’t. We only did one a la carte restaurant (I think you get to choose 3 if you stay one week?) at Frutos del Mar. They have an appetizer buffet with great varieties. The soups we had were disgusting but the main courses were really good – I had tuna and it was AMAZING. The desserts were very good, too. Service was OK, I felt like the waiters were trying too hard to fit into the “nice restaurant” atmosphere, I wish they would have relaxed more and joked around a little!

Snack bar is located right by the activities pool, I’m not sure if there was one by the main pool, I’m sorry. The snack bar is a snack bar: very convenient if you’re in need of a quick fix. They had hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken tacos, etc as well as drink machines, ice cream machines, coffee station, and self-serve stations (salsa, guacamole, chips, fruits etc). In the morning they had pastries and sweet breads, yum. Please expect some little queue during lunch time as people are hungry and the chefs are busy…I don’t think the made-to-order food was amazingly delicious or anything like that but they were just like regular snacks, good enough to fill my tummy.

Lastly on the “food” section…the Akumal buffet is H-O-T, even if you’re by the window. I was sweating and was really uncomfortable but I looked around at the waiters in long-sleeves/long pants hurrying around so I think I’ll shut up about that now.

OUTSIDE/INSIDE EXCURSIONS: We did the Tulum/cenote/zipline tour, the horseback riding/cenote tour, hotel parasailing, and the hotel turtle snorkeling tour. We booked the first 2 through the hotel and both were great. Tulum beach is OUT OF THIS WORLD! The zipline was terrifying but you just need the initial push to do go off the ledge :o) Horseback riding in the jungle/forest was a lot of fun, too, I was afraid I’ll fall off due to zero experience but the people helped me with everything and once I got the hang of it it was fine. I think everyone should go swimming in a cenote while they’re in Mexico – it’s freezing cold but the water is so clear and fresh it is quite amazing.

We booked the parasailing and the turtle tour through the Bahia Principe Dive Center. Parasailing was actually very relaxing, it’s really calm once you’re up that high. The turtle snorkeling tour for $45/person was just okay – yes, we got to see many sea turtles but the reefs were basically dead and we didn’t see any other remarkable fish (we’ve snorkeled/dived frequently in the Philippines so we had that as a comparison). I heard that it’s better to take a 5 minute trip up to Akumal Beach and snorkel there. Anyway the dive center people were really nice, I got deathly seasick on the boat but one guy David took care of me.

We also went to Playa del Carmen/5th Avenue. We took the collectivo waiting at the hotel entrance as opposed to a cab, it was very cheap and clean. As cute as PdC was, it was so commercialized and tourist-catered that I felt kind of let down. BUT, there are LOTS of shops as well as AWESOME-looking restaurants, some with cheap internet access. My only regret is not going to the beach and Senor Frog’s.

ENTERTAINMENT/STUFF TO DO: During the day there are things at activities pool like water aerobics, water polo, crazy games, etc and I saw a ping pong table, too. You can get your hair braided or paint little ceramic sculptures for a fee. There were people going around with different animals each day at the main pool…you can pose with them and buy a picture (parrots, toucan, spider monkey, iguana, etc). We posed with people dressed as traditional Mayan warriors and my mom bought a copy. There is a gym and a spa as well.

The night shows at Akumal started at 9PM. Just a note, the theater is stifling hot. OK, onward…some shows we watched were Broadway show, Cats, Crazy Show, lip-synching show and the Circus show. All of them were quite cheesy and the dancers weren’t top notch (sometimes actually painful to watch) but it WAS entertaining and a good way to pass an hour of your time. Plus they worked really hard so I respect that. Being the ignoramus that I am I had no idea that there were stuff AFTER the evening show at the Hacienda Dona Isabel, which leads me to…

HACIENDA DONA ISABEL: Kind of like a Mexican courtyard/market place with souvenir shops, bars, internet café (ripoff/slow computer), doctor’s office and a disco (and a restaurant, I think). Although it’s quite artificial-looking I liked it a lot, I’ll admit it was very pretty. On some days they had several vendors just outside Hacienda selling stuff…they were kind of desperate to sell things to you. You’ll probably read about the discos and night time music/dancing entertainment in other reviews so I’ll leave that out. The souvenir shops sell pretty much similar things but the prices were almost the same as shops at Playa del Carmen…at least that was my personal experience. A lot of people said that the vendors don’t barter but I asked if they could come down $2-3 for a necklace and they did it gladly…it’s not much but hey, it’s better than nothing. We didn’t get to attend the Mexican Fiesta on Thursday nights ($16/person) because we left Thursday morning. Tear. Oh, I loooved the shuttles running to and from the Hacienda. I’ll wait for you guys to see it in person when you get there, I don’t think you can miss it :o)

I think that’s about it. I’m pretty sure I missed some things, though…anyway, we’ll definitely be back here next year. It’s important to note that as AMAZING as this resort was, it’s definitely not the “real” Mexico…after all, it’s a resort. If you want that, I think you should venture out on your own to the neighboring towns. I think we’ll try that next time. Also, I won’t criticize the people who gave very negative reviews because they had their reasons for that…yes, some people are truly grumpy and hard to please, but some of the negative reviewers truly had genuine problems with the hotel. To each their own. You can message me with any questions if you have one and I’ll try to answer them as honestly as possible.

Final tips:

1.) Bring a light-colored hat (dark colors absorb more heat), bug-repellent, and plenty of sunscreen.

2.) Small bills for tipping

3.) Water shoes for rocky areas of beaches

4.) Please say hi to the groundworkers when you pass them by

5.) Attempt a little Spanish with the staff

6.) Small water bottle if you don’t want to carry the gigantic water bottles provided in your rooms…you can transfer water

7.) NO NEED to bring hair dryer, iron, ironing board

8.) Men should bring a pair of long pants for the a la carte restaurants

9.) Check the prices for some of the tours, the hotel might (probably will) charge a lot more than if you buy the tickets at the gates for some places

10.) Backpack for day excursions

11.) Some small snacks just in case: Cheetos, small chocolates, whatever…snack bars only have “real food” type things, not munchies…this doesn’t really apply to me as I was full the entire time I was there

12.) Make a la carte reservations ASAP at the Public Relations desk

13.) Pack your bathing suit and related items in your carry-on so when you check-in and your room isn’t ready, you can hit the beach/pool

14.) Take the collectivo (ask the staff how to use it)

15.) Bring your own snorkeling gear if you plan on snorkeling a lot…you can rent if for free for an hour at the dive center though

16.) Have a gooooooooooooood time

This place is a total heaven sent location !, away from the roads and noise.

We arrived to a gorgeous welcoming drink, and very quicly had the bags taken to the room, they where in the room b4 us lol !

The food was excellent, room excellent,staff amazing !

Just got home will write a longer review tomorrow !

Everything has been said about the riviera maya bahia principe hotels. They are fantastic, they have good restaurants, and they offer an overall high-standart level.

The think is: which one to choose between Coba, Akumal and Tulum. As we were travelling with a 4 years old boy and staying for two weeks, Akumal was a good choice as we found the best beach was near Akumal lobby. The beach is a bit spoiled by small stones that are daily being removed by the hotel staff, but apart from that we can definitely say that the best clear water is on Akumal side. Also we prefered the Akumal pool that had a lot of vegetatation, palm trees and a great design. However we found the Coba and Tulum restaurants much better. They had better choices and variety of food. Despite the Akumal restaurants were good the others were much better. Also we noticed that Coba room facilities were better as this hotel is the most recent from them all. Please bear in mind that you can easily have your meals in all the restaurants. All you have to do is to take the small trains that are always going around.

Apart from these slighty differences, you can easily have a very nice and sunny holiday besides from your decision.

We found the Japanese the best of the six restaurants we have tried. Also we have heard that Gourmet is very good, but we haven't tried it.

Don't miss Playa del Carmen. Don't be afraid of travelling in the public transportation. There is a stop point in front of the hotel and its very safe. Also you can easily reach Tulum by taxi. All you have to do is to settle the price in advance with the taxi driver.

Have a nice holiday.

I have been to Cuba before where they have not got the all inclusive thing quite right yet but this hotel ticks all the boxes.

You might have read reviews complaining about the steak or and tummy bugs but you're on holiday so you need to be reasonable and sensible you are not going to get a 10 oz steak in a buffet.

The hotel complex is massive- 4 hotels in 1 area. The grounds were immaculate and very green (with wildlife too). The beach was cleaned of sea weed each day by a team of workers. The life guards were strict about not going on the reef to keep you and the reef safe as the coral is so fragile. The best area for swimming was the Akumal beach which had a small amount of pebbles(as does any beach in the uk). i would say it was not umcomfortable to walk into the sea as this is what i was expecting from the reviews. The areas for swimming were sheltered by huge sand bags right up to the reef so the water was calm and shallow. The fish were amazing. If you were at the Tulum the sea was rougher due to the reef. The water was great for snorkelling. We saw rays and a baby barracuda, other people saw a turtle as the beach was also a breeding site. Mosquito free thanks to the quad bike each night. However, down by the dive centre they obviously didn't spray so prepare yourself before you go down there so you don't get eaten.

The Hacienda had great little shops and was where the disco was each night. This was a great idea as it ment that it was well away from the hotel rooms so it was very quiet at night. The Mexican Night was well worth the few pounds it cost to go as well. When you went to different hotels or the A La Cart restaurants it felt like you were going out for the evening which was lovely.

Food- You can eat at all the buffets and have a huge range of A La Cart restaurants- all good in their own way. Great touches like japanese sushi rolls in the buffets (Coba had a great choice) so you could try before booking into the Japanese restaurant which was fantastic. Not all uncooked fish like some people think. Great soups, sushi or spring rolls, Lovely cooked beef and seafood, topped off by a very naughty range of deserts.

A massive range of food in the buffets- fish, steak (thin but great flavour), pork, chicken, pastas, Mexican corner, salads (hotel purification system ment ice and salads safe to eat). Great selection for kids including mister whippy style ice creams. A great range of deserts too. The buffets were air conditioned or had huge fans so the temperature was more than comfortable of an evening. Cocktails were the real deal. No slushy ice stuff with a bit of alcohol thrown in. Properly made cocktails- The Mexican Sombrero- highly recommended. The flavoured tequila's were also great, especially the coffee one.

Rooms - clean, american tv channels for those that need it, marbled bathroom. They try to be environmentally friendly and have the usual sing about changing your towels. Never worked out if you needed to put the loo paper in the bin or not as you had to do this when you were out and about. The maids work really hard for very little pay and a tip will ensure a towel teddy of different types each day.

Staff -the waiters, bell boys and golf cart staff were all very friendly and looked so cute in their safari unifroms. Big hello to Alex the mad waiter in the Akumal buffet and his fire tequila on the last night! They work so hard for such little money even a small tip is a big thing.

General- it was the little touches that amazed me. The Gran Bahia stamp on every ash try in the resort. The daily cleaning of the beach with only what could be described as a sand mower for perfect carribean sand. A good range of known wines to buy at dinner if you didn't want house wine. Buzz fizz and bloody mary's available at breakfast. The waiters remembering what you drink even if you've not seen them for a day or two which really made the resort that bit more special. I read the reviews like many people but didn't hope for too much. We were the last hotel drop off so you see all the other hotels and pray that yours is just as nice. This hotel exceeded my expectations which i didn't think i would say. Like at most resorts people can have a funny tummy for a few days but like i always say, if you go out drinking all night then you don't have a great tum the next day so if you drink all day and night without having enough water and eating lots of rich food and fruit, you are bound to have a change in your bathroom routine (to be polite). We didn't have this problem and nor did anyone we spoke to.

We had 2 heavy rain storms for about 45 minutes then it brighten up again. It was hot so perpare yourself -get a base tan before you go or high factor sun screen so you don't burn. Lots of places to go Chichen Itza very interesting- make sure your guide brings golf umbrellas to keep you shaded if it's hot. We went to cozumel snorkelling with the dive center which was out of this world. I would love to have dived there.

If you were going to get married in the resort it looked lovely and we met several groups that were doing just that and they seemed really pleased.

Mainly spanish speaking guests, Italians and Canadians not that many Americans which surprised me. Although the summer is the quiet season the resort was still quite busy. But if you were up good on time you were ok for a sun shade. If it were busier it might mean an early (7.30) walk on the beach to get a shade but i did this a few times and it was really nice.

Overall a great complex, where they have got the all inclusive idea just right-activites for those that want it, great food and drinks, rest and relaxation for the lazy ones and a lovely, lush environment. I've already recommened this to my friends and parents and for the first time would be more than happy to return to this resort or other Gran Bahia hotels.

Through work commitments and buying a new house I had neglected to give myself a holiday for 3 years and wanted something really special to treat myself.

Having read other reviews on this site I can see that certain nationalities tend to give higher or lower reviews. This is from a British Point of view and so is relevant mainly because I am comparing everything I experienced to what I would expect back home.

My partner and I booked this holiday through Thomas Cook. We managed to get £400 pounds off the total just by hinting that we would try for the same holiday somewhere else so that meant our spending money was arranged.

The flight there was average but the inflight entertainment was good and kept us occupied till landing. You can upgrade your seat for £200 pounds but to be honest when I saw the "Premier Class" I was glad I hadn't wasted my money. There was a couple of inches more leg room and more films to watch and that was about it.

The hassle free bus trip from the airport took just under 2 hours. We hadn't been told which resort out of the three we would be staying at and on arrival discovered we were to be housed in Akumal. The walk into the reception area was spectacular. We couldn't see one spot of dirt in the place. Whilst queing up to check in we were greeted by a friendly member of staff who gave us a glass of Champagne and Orange juice and was constantly offering refills.

Our room was nice and clean. Nothing spectacular, but having heard that a tip goes a long way left a $20 dollar note for the cleaner the next day. This made such a difference. Our towels and curtains were folded into various animals and shapes, our room was spotless for the next two weeks and our mini bar was never empty.

I can't emphasise how important it is to tip in this resort. Even a dollar makes such a difference to the hard working staff who earn less than $10 a day. They do not expect to be tipped and at no point do you ever feel pressured into giving up your money but it's hard not to feel guilty when the smiling barmaid brings you the 5th free Cocktail of the night and then to just walk away without leaving something.

The grounds of the resort are so well kept it is hard to believe. The grass is cut and watered daily. The paths are swept and I even saw a guy polishing the steps with a sander ! The pool area was busy but never felt claustraphobic and the beach was fantastic. There are a lot of people at these locations but the sun loungers are so spaced out from each other that you still have lots of privacy.

The food was well above average and the A La Cart restaraunts are as good as any back home in Britain. The local liquor tasted no different than anything I have tried before and when it's free tastes even better.

The three resorts all have their advantages. Coba is best for sitting in for a few drinks and entertainment. Akumal is the best beach area and Tolum has the best pools and food hall. Try all three and you will eventually find you break up your day into visiting at least one other depending on what you are planning.

You can walk between them which I would recommend to avoid increasing your belt size too quickly or use the shuttle service which rotates every five minutes and is a good way to get somewhere in a hurry or if it's too hot.

The only thing that made the trip less than perfect were the mosquitos. Start taking hayfever tablets a week before you go and bring some good repellent to avoid being eaten.

Last thing, I said at the start that this would be a British point of view and if you are coming from the UK then expect an absolutely fantastic trip. The level of service is like nothing I have ever experienced.

I can't believe some of the comments on this forum and the moaning for moanings sake. Some of our Canadian cousins obviously have too much time on their hands. Just remember to treat the staff with respect, tip and you will have the best holiday ever !!!

July 6-20, 2008. This is the 3rd time my husband and I have stayed at the Bahia Principe Akumal. We were there this time for our 2 year wedding anniversary and previously got married there in 2006!

This time around was even better than the first 2!!

Being that we were "repeat" guests we got alot of extra special treatment that made our stay much more enjoyable! The service is always spectacular, the staff are always very friendly and the resort is immaculate.

We spent most of our time in the ocean and on the beach which is beautiful. The pools are lovely and very warm.

Our room was cool and air conditioned and the maids always did a wonderful job. The beds are a little hard... but it's not the end of the world!

The shows in the theatres are pretty well done and the lounges and live music are very entertaining. We only went to the disco once this trip...but had a good time!

We sat in the same section everyday for breakfast and lunch at the buffet and made friends with our server.... he made us feel very welcome and comfortable. My husband has severe food allergies mainly to Gluten, and the resort managers did an excellent job at accomodating his needs. He got wonderful meals brought to him for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We celebrated our wedding anniversay at the Arlequin restaurant which is outstanding..and they served us a beautiful "happy anniversary" cake at the end of our meal.

We really have nothing bad to say about the Bahia Principe.... I would recommend this resort to everyone!

I've been there on my honey moon for two weeks. We both loved the place. It is not perfect, nothing is. We used all three hotels, the place is huge and there are several pools, bars, jacuzzis, nice beach and great facilities. There are quite a few a la carte restaurants that must be booked. I recomend anyone doing it at the arrival because they get full really fast. Did not like arlekim, liked fruto del mar, dolce vita, mediterranean, and tequilla. Loved mikado. The buffets restaurants are nice. There are a lot of different kinds of food to choose. Quality is fairly reasonable. breakfast is great.

Most employees are really nice. Our housekeeper, Carlos, was great. The room was always impecable and we imeadiatelly noticed all trhee days he was resting just by entering the room. He always did great origamis with the towels.

The only thing i did not particularly liked about the complex was the diving center. I tought they were not very safe and the guides were among the few unnice people on the hotel. The dives were not that great, maybe because i did not have the chance to dive at cozumel or the cenotes.

We went to chichen itza, ek-balam and xcaret. I loved all trhee places. There is a trip that does the two first on the same day. I would definetly recomend it instead of doing it seperatelly. If you like culture and history it is a must go.

Xcaret is amasing. Everybody loved it. It is a ecological park and the show at the end of the day is simply great. It is worthwhille every single cent we spent on it.

The only thing i recomend is not to buy the trips at the hotel. We did it and found a few days latter that there are mini vans at hacienda dona isabel that take you to playa del carmen for only 2 dollars. trips are much cheaper there. there are also lots of diving centers there for anyone looking for a dive.

I also recomend people to get money from the cash machine at hacienda or at playa del carmen. The rating is much better (about 20%) than at the hotel. When you are buying anything always complain about the price. Some of the things we bought were for less than half the price they were initially asking.

In conclusion.... the place is great. I would definetly come back or at least try a bahia principe in some other location.

Let's be honest. We are very picky. I would suggest to book with Air Transat, which offers Golden Club. We had a villa with ocean view (villa 66)

The buffet is good - for a buffet. We booked 4 a la carte restaurant and we were able to choose the time and date. You have to reserve when you check in.

The staff speaks english like they say on the web site. Those ppl who say they only speak espanol is because they just assumed that because they greet you by a HOLA! SOme of them even speak french and german. wow amazing how some tourists just don't ask nothing to the staff.

Pools were SO clean. Lots of children. It makes you smile. Bars are good. Cocktails great.

The beach is rocky - MEXICO is known for that. No surprise people , read about the country before going !!! Regardless of what some people say, i think that resort is very quiet. Maybe a little too much. If you want to party I would not recommend going there.

Pools close at 8h00. About the beach chairs.....cmon, anywhere you will go you have to wake up early to get some. I was able to find a spot even around 11ham.

The junior suite was fabulous. I didn't see any bugs during my stay but 1 spider.

So you know, the resort is FAR from Cancun airport. At least 1h00 maybe 1h30 from there.

The night shows are not good.

I really enjoyed and next year im going to a Gran Bahia Principe, in Cuba !!! loved the resort.

Visited the hotel first two weeks in July flying from Newcastle with Thomson. Absolutely no complaints about the flight. You now before you book how long you are going to be on there for, so there can be no surprise. Unless you are upgrading, again, you know what to expect. Although, I have to say, leg room was generous. My husband is 6ft 4 and he commented on the space he had. Food was better than most airline food, although I did notice some people opted out and just bought sandwiches on board. Its a long flight though, and breaks it up. In the scheme of things, £20 is not that much to pay for a meal!

Cancun airport was a bit of an eye opener, and if I can give you any advice it would be to ensure that you fill out your forms that airline crew provide you with, and make sure they ar filled in correctly before leaving plane. I completed ours, but hadn't realised there was a section at the bottom to complete, so when we eventually got off plane, there is someone checking your forms before you can even get through to passport control. Huge queue at passport control which you have to "grin and bare" and then through for luggage. This came through reasonably quickly, although my daughters case had been completely destroyed! Another pitfall of airline travel! We thought that was us, but then you have to queue again to put your luggage through x-ray, so just a bit frustrating after a long flight.

We got out of the airport no problem, and had booked a private transfer which I would highly recommend. There was a man waiting on us holding up our name card, directed us to our a/c private mini bus, and we were taken directly to our hotel, £79 return journey for five of us.

Arrival at the hotel - we were blown away by the place, and was even more beautiful than any pictures we saw. Service on arrival was excellent and staff friendly, with a a very welcome cocktail for us, and non-alcoholic cocktails for the kids! We also checked in a good bit before the buses with people from our flight got there.

Room (Villa 76 at Akumal) was fantastic. Really room, and as we had two rooms for the kids, had interconnecting door which was fantastic. Room was clean, and was maintained to the same high stanard over the fortnight. Mini bar was restocked every day and had no problems. Our air conditioning was not that great and the roof fan packed in, but a call to reception had someone there within 10 mins. The roof fan packed in again the day before we came home, and to be honest the air conditioning and the one in the kids room was not that cold. For all the time we were in the room to be honest, it was just getting ready to go out at night really. I did object slightly to the $5 per night charge for the safe, however, better to be safe than sorry. You wouldnt expect to pay for a safe in this standard of hotel - and also, beware, they are not electronic, you have to carry the safe key with you, with $50 penalty if you lose it. Sort of defeats the safety element a wee bit!

The grounds of the hotel were fantastic. Men were out first thing in the morning and all day tending the grounds. Villa 76 is practically on the border of Akumal and Coba, so we really felt had best of both worlds, and it was a pleasant walk down to the beach and pool every morning. Some folk moan about the distance, but really, what are you hurrying for? If you dont want to walk, flag down a buggy, there were so helpful and would stop for you anywhere.

Beach and pool excellent. Our kids had a ball. The beach was a bit rocky, but we read on here to buy water shoes, which we did and therefore did not have a problem, so I would strongly recommend you get some. Water in sea was just out of this world. Like a warm bath! It was so clear and the fish are beautiful.

Pools excellent. Someone complained they were dirty. Its not the pools, it is some people! Yes, there was sand in the pool, thats because some people came straight from the beach, walked past the showers, and straight into the pool. I also saw some plastic cups in the water, but what, just because you are on holiday, do you have to be so lazy as to not put your cup at the side of the pool. There were workers who did nothing but collect cups all day, and they were collecting them from the side of the pool regularly. There were guys in the pool, certainly at Akumal all day cleaning out the sand where it collected, and a couple of days we saw guys scrubbing the side of the pool, so it was not dirty.

Food was excellent. The a la cartes are a complete must. The Arlequin was our favourite and we visited in twice. Standard of food is amazing and the service could not have faulted. In fact, in all of the a la cartes we visited, service could not have been faulted.

In the middle of our first week, the hotel did get really busy, and to be really honest, i would have said they could do with some more staff in the restaurants, especially at breakfast. Some people are so rude though, and the way they spoke to staff was really quite appalling. Would like to see you working in that heat! They were really doing their best.

Entertainment was okay to be honest. And just that. It didnt really last that long and have to say, as soon as that was done, the place sort of "shuts down". So come 11 o'clock, you sort of get the impression its bed time. There are the 24 hour snack bars where you have drinks, or the Hacienda disco, but we have kids, so it wasnt really appropriate.

I have to say, the worst thing for me were the mosiquitos. I know some folk say they werent bothered by them, all I can say is, they must have been lucky. I covered myself if all sorts of repellant, but got really badly bitten. Two other folk we met ended up visiting the doctor because of their bites, so take as much stuff as you can, take loads of anti-histamine and good luck. That was the worst part of this holiday for me.

We took the kids swimming with dolphins, and after previously being in Dom Rep, would say the trips were quite expensive. Our dolphin swim was $149 each, but it was a great experience, however, the staff were a bit cheeky when we didnt want to buy all the photos that were $16 each. We bought the DVD which was $52 and a couple of photos for the kids.

Went to Playa del Carmen one day using the Collectiivo. Excellent, no worries at all. It was really hot though, so try and plan your trip for a "coolish" time - pretty hard!

Went to Tulum ruins. Got up at 7 to be there early. Would suggest you do this if you go, because when we were leaving, there were bus loads of folk arriving. Go early, as the heat even then was incredible, and the mosquitoes there were truly unbearable.

This hotel was fantastic, and I would really have to struggle to agree with any of the negative comments on this site. The beach is stoney?? The pool water was hot?? I have a feeling some folk want to moan for moaning sake!

One last thing, go to the swim up bar at Akumal. Edgar is one of the hardest working, friendliest guys. We gave him a couple of dollars every other day, and we didnt even need to ask for a drink! He had our order, and whenever our glass was emtpy, he had a refill for us. I have to say, quite typical of the service we received throughout our stay.

Would I go back - yes!

Just back from a fantastic 2 week stay at the Gran Bahia Principe resort in Mexico. It was everything I expected and more! We stayed in the Akumal part of the resort which was good but we enjoyed the flexability of being able to use the restaurants and facilities within the other hotels Coba and Tulum. The a la carte restaurants are definitely worth a visit. The Mikado was probably my favourite.

The grounds and hotels are immaculately kept and the staff are very friendly and helpful. The entertainment is good but the Michael Jackson show is not to be missed!

The First Choice Rep at our hotel is brilliant. What a character! He makes himself available 24hours a day which is very reassuring if you have any problems. Which I hasten to add we didn't.

We swam with the dolphins at the Delphinus in Riviera Maya. What an experience!

We also visited the Excaret Park. It was enjoyable but the map you are given and the signposts to follow are quite confusing. We spent half our time walking in circles thus we didn't actually get to see all the attractions.

Would definitely go back to this resort and Mexico is a lovely place.

My brother had his wedding here, and we had a great time. The rooms were VERY nice. Solid marble mosaic floor through out the room. I was given two huge bottles of water every day in my room. The food was buffet style in the main dining room, and really good. Huge selection of traditional foods as well as the typical american fare. I personally ate only the traditional food and never got sick. There were NO mosquitoes, they spray for them. The grounds were absolutely perfect! I actually saw a crew of guys scooping out white rocks along the path ways, scrubbing them off and then putting them right back. It was crazy!! Like Disney standards. I dont speak spanish, but there are several people there who spoke english. This is really a place to just relax... which I did.

Sorry folks – my usual long review – but to summarise we loved it had a great time, very relaxing no major issues at all and would defiantly recommend it and would return,

The journey–

We booked with First Choice but was a Thomas Cook holiday – they subcontracted via Monarch - really small rubbishy plane with 3.5hrs sitting on runway in Dominican Republic – horrific journey!

Airport was chaotic luggage comes off at random carousels so be prepared to spend ages running between them to try and track it all down. As soon as you are out the porters are on you – taking your bags whether you want it or not – if you don’t mind this leave them to carry it all – but make sure you have some small bills we got stung for 100peso as we didn’t have smaller – however just outside there is a wee stall selling beer etc but we never noticed this till it was too late.

Bus journey about 1.5 hour to hotel. We left our bags for the staff to take to the room and checked in – we had no issued here – got cocktail at reception desk given map and instructions etc – then got buggy to room and bags were brought up for us.

The room –

We were in block 56 top floor – we had a sea view over the top of the activity pool. It was a Jnr Suite and I felt this was plenty big enough for us – huge super king bed and sofa bed in alcove for our daughter. Still had table and chairs, dressing table, mini bar, tv wardrobe etc.

The safe is about $4 a day – I object to paying for a safe in a 5* resort but we did this as felt it safer. You have to do this at reception.

The bed was firm but I didn’t feel this was too hard at all and was very comfortable. Only get 1 pillow each as a rule but we just left a wee note and got another batch next day.

Bathroom – fine – there is a wee vent in the wall, the Jacuzzi tub was nice but getting the jets right takes a fair bit of practice and we ended up with a very wet bathroom and much hilarity as the water squirted everywhere.

Noise – there is not a huge amount of soundproofing in the rooms so if your neighbour is noisy you can here the muffled tv etc. Also this block is noisy during the very loud activities at the pool – we struggled a bit in the afternoon if we wanted our daughter to have a rest – it was loud at times. Also if there are loud people in the snack bar at night you can also here this.

There are only a few rooms with sea views but I’d reckon block 47 would be the best block there – I think the higher blocks on the beach were golden club.

The hotel complex is huge and is spread over the 3 areas Akumal where we stayed, Tulum and Coba. All seemed similar in style and we were not aware of massive differences between these – I’d have been happy in any area and think they all had plenty to do and full access all over the place. Coba is further from a beach but that’s about it – not sure what traffic noise is like near the road but it’s a big road!

The pool –

We spent most of our time around Akumal pool which was lovely and clean – they have staff employed who just swim around the pool with masks on cleaning it!

Sunbeds – a different story – people seem to go out at the crack of dawn and do the towels thing – I hate this! There were never beds under shade if you arrived after 9.30am. Tons on the beach etc but not around the pool under the umbrellas. There are signs saying not to reserve beds but this is done and nothing is done to stop this. I have stayed other places which state that if you have not used the bed for 45 minutes other people can use it – much better idea as stops the towel brigade. If you want a bed you have no option but to join in the towel claiming.

The swim up bar is lovely and Edgar works very hard!

The other wet bar at the edge had self serve juice slush beer etc, also bottles of spirits sitting out for self serve should you want this. The staff will also mix up drinks. Take an insulated cup it makes a difference to keep it cold and covered and you don’t have to just settle for the wee plastic cups around the pool.

Didn’t use the activity pool but it was a good size and clean – but noisy!

The beach – again fantastic and clean – with little huts around it doing braids, massage etc and some other stalls where you can paint pottery or make bracelets all very good prices and the kids love it.

Massage – sheer bliss – lying face down listening to the waves its fantastic.

The Food –

Buffet was typical – Akumal had no aircon – Coba was definitely cooler but we felt the evening meals in Tulum were the best for variety and choice. The good thing is that you can go to any of them. I felt there was plenty of choice and with 4 buffets and other options for breakfast and lunch don’t think there need be an issue with choice.

Breakfast – bucks fizz sitting on tables to help yourself, Bloody Mary on another. Evening cocktails and tequilas sit for you.

The staff work hard and most we met were cheery and helpful if you were polite to them – some people are so rude its shocking and I felt quite rightly the staff were not as helpful to these people – there is no excuse for lack of manners or treating staff like dirt just because you have paid to be there !

A la carte – 16 of these you can book 4 a week standard or 6 for gold class guests.

Dolce Vita – dreadful – cant say more!

The Mikado – quite brilliant one of the best meals ever we loved this even my 7 year old – its not all sushi.

The Grill at Tulum – again brilliant food – lovely staff and a beautiful sea setting.

Didn’t make it to the others but others said the other Italian was very good as was the Mexican – not sure about others.

Snack bar at Akumal – pretty standard with burgers, hot dogs, pizza etc open 24hrs and will pack for take away –the buffet will also give you take away plates to make up yourself.

House wine is included – all others have to be paid for.

Entertainment –

Minidisco not up to much but the kids liked it – Chico was by far the best host for this!

Michael Jackson night brilliant – well worth a visit. Circus night fairly good as was Cats – rest were pretty poor but passed the time. There are 3 theatres so you can go to any you want. Marlene in Akumal is lovely and cheery and always knows who is drinking what!

Kids Club – is open from 9.30-4.30 – kids can go all day if you want. I felt it was too long and depending on who was on duty they sometimes spent a long time in the sun – but my daughter loved it and would have gone every day had we let her – Jazzmini was brilliant with them and Chico as mentioned above – rest not so good!

Trips didn’t do much –

Xel Ha – is $10 is a taxi and much cheaper to do on your own than as a package. The lazy river is so not lazy is ridiculous it was so long and such hard work I hated everything about it people abandoning rings trying to swim its not worth the effort. The snorkelling is great and the Cliff of Courage was loved by my husband and 7year old – I didn’t jump it. Mosquito heaven though and you need environmental sun cream.

The Captain Hook Night – long trip to get there but is a brilliant night well worth a trip.

Mexican Night – mmm I thought it was rubbish but some folks enjoyed it!

Daughter got an ear infection as did several others! – doctor $75 a visit plus medicines – hes very nice and says ear infections caused as result of the heat melting ear wax resistance, and much more water than we are used to – not sure if this is true or not and also apparently chewing loads helps fight against it.

Summary – we loved it, met brilliant folk had a great laugh and totally relaxed. Its huge, clean easy to get around. We’d definitely go back – in fact some folk we met were talking of booking for next year before we’d even left this years. Go enjoy it and relax.

We stayed at the GBP Akumal for our second time this spring. We had a fantastic experience in 2007, and decided to stay at the same resort for a second time. See our last year's review for more specific details, especially if taking your children.

Overall the same as the previous year, but there were some improvements such as a new beach area closer to the snack bar and more palapas both on the beach and in the pool areas.

Food was excellent again, and we enjoyed the Dolce Vita and the Japanese restaurant in Coba for our a la cartes.

We took the 1/2 day ATV/Cenote tour and it was fun. Beware it is very dusty, so bring along sunglasses and a bandana to cover your face!

Our flight arrived late at night, so we arranged for a private transfer (with US Transfers) from the airport, rather than take the 2+ hour bus ride. We arrived hours ahead of the bus, and had no wait at the resort to get to our room. We also had an extra few hours at the end of our trip to enjoy on the beach. We will definately do that again!

Me and my boyfriend have a competition to see who can book the best holiday, he was unbeaten with his pick in Jamaica until we stayed in this hotel. We cannot think of anything to say against it as we really enjoyed our holiday. The only downfall to our holiday was the airport as it takes a long time to get through as they x-ray everyones suitcases again and they take a long time delivering luggage but this did not ruin our holiday and it was not the tour operators fault.

There are 3 hotels to stay in in this resort, we booked through Thomas Cook and didn't get to choose the hotel but we were very happy with Akumal. The only fault we have is that we requested not to be on the bottom floor and we ended up in a ground floor room but it was not too much of a problem as we just put a towel down by the door so as to try and prevent bugs getting in at night. We were very lucky though as we saw very few bugs except ants and moths. When staying in one of the hotels at this resort, you can use all of the bars, buffet restaurants, A La Carte's, swimming pools and beaches except the ones strictly for premium guests.

Our room was very clean and you can also choose a time you would prefer your room to be cleaned at and they will try their best to fit your room in at that time. The mini bar was filled up every day with soft drinks, beer and a couple of chocolate bars. Their is satellite TV showing some channels in English and an ironing board and iron were also included, something that has not always been included at hotels we have stayed at.

I have noticed that quite a few people have complained about the food, but me and my boyfriend thought that there was a good variety, they had an oriental corner, italian corner, meat and fish, burgers, fries etc aswell as Mexican food and they also had a childrens area. Breakfast was also very good and there was a good variety for lunch. The A La Carte's we went to were International, Italian, Grill, Mediterranean and Mexican. We would definately recommend The Arlequin (International) and the La Gran Tortuga (Grill) we were dissappointed with the Italian the most, the Mexican is fun but the food was not the best we had eaten.

We stayed in Villa 60 which is quite a walk away from the lobby and main pool but a couple of meters away, we had the jacuzzi bar. It is a small pool with 3 jacuzzi's and it is a very quiet area. We stayed here most of the time as it was impossible to get a sun lounger at the main pool, even when hardly anyone was by the pool. The entertainment is the usual cheese but the circus show is very good as is the Michael Jackson show.

We did 3 trips through Thomas Cook: Chichen Itza, Xel-Ha and Sea Life Plus dolphins at Porta Adventura. We enjoyed each of these trips, however beware at Xel-Ha - we were told by our tour operator to take bio degradable sun lotion and they told us ours still wasn't good enough, seeing as you only get one free sachet pp, this seemed to be a way of conning people into buying their own sunblock. We still used ours as we didn't have the money to buy anymore. You can also go all inclusive at Xel-Ha and so you only need $20 each to hire snorkelling gear. Sea Life Plus is a brilliant trip, not only do you swim with dolphins, but you can also swim with Manatees and Sealions. This cost us $199 each and we paid $140 for the 2 DVDs and 8 photos which we thought was a good offer compared to Florida and Jamaica.

Tips:

1. If shopping for gifts for family, we would recommend spending $2 each way on a mini bus that you can reach at the entrance to the resort; they will take you to Playa Del Carmen where the shops are cheaper than the Hacienda and it is also easier to haggle, it is a half hour journey there and back.

2. Make sure to use plenty of mosquito repellent as we got bitten a lot, also we would recommend taking Antihistamine's to take away the discomfort of bites.

I hope this helps everyone planning to stay at this resort we had a great time and I hope you all do too.

big beach, ok food, ok service, great grounds

First of all I have had a horrible experience with Travelocity so if you are thinking about booking with them....Don't. I have always used Cheapcaribbean and should have stayed with the.

The ride to the hotel from the airport is long. But it was worth it. And time flew by because we were looking at everything.

The Hotel was beautiful!!! I have stayed at a few Iberostars and this would look mostly like that. The only complaint I have is the cleaning service. Any place I've ever been before they usually make shapes out of towels and put them on the bed. We didn't even have the bed made. They just took the comforter, folded it up and set it on the couch. That upset me.

I am not a picky person and I love to eat. I love vacation because you experiance new foods and lots of it. I hate to complain but this food was horrible!!! My family was shocked when I told them that because they know me and food. But do eat at the Japanese restaurant because that was great!!!! If you like your eggs bacon and sausage go to the buffett at Coba. It is one of 3 hotels at the Gran Bahia. We didn't make it over to the Tulum hotel so I don't know how that was.

The beach was absolutley gorgeous!! There were definetly enough places to get drinks too! Take the snorkeling trip with the turtles. That was amazing!

You have to really enjoy walking to stay here. I thought it wouldn't bother me because my husband and I were with friends and thought we had all the time in the world. But it did get annoying! We didn't even hardly get to see the whole hotel because it was to exhausting. But at least it is a breath taking view. There are shuttles that go all around though.

I wish I had pictures to show you but I had my camera stolen while we were there. We had went to the Hacienda shopping one day and I layed my camera down to look at something and someone stole it with out me seeing them. But I know the pictures would have been amazing!

So other then the cleaning service, food and camera this was a nice place to stay. I won't stay there again. We Will definetly go to the Iberostar again. But it was still a good trip!

This was our first time at a Bahia Resort. We stayed at the Akumal section w/2 kids 6 & 8. We were joined by 3 other groups of friends including a 1 year old & 3 year old. Though we stayed at one we ate and used all 3 resorts.

Transfer through Brant USA Transfer – on time & perfect. Will use them again.

Check In - -we were in villa 81 (a little far off) but it was fine. I had asked for 4 other villas via e-mail but didn't receive. No one offers the safe so ask for it at check in if you want it. Lobby is open air and dramatic. The grounds are lush & tropical – meticulously manicured. Many iguanas around which my kids liked.

Room: Our room was not configured as requested but 5 minutes after we arrived in our room they remedied the situation. (1 sofa bed & 1 cot, 2 doubles pushed together). Maid service was good though on the late side until we left a note stating our preference. We tipped daily and had a towel animal zoo by the end of our stay. Pristine though not plush.

Dining: Buffet in Tulum & Coba are much better than Akumal for lunch & dinner, lunch at akumal was too chaotic, other buffets had some more interesting items. Breakfast was fine at all. Lots of selection seriously always something we liked to eat, my youngest mainly ate pizza & hamburgers & ice cream all week but he wasn't complaining. A ton of fresh juices etc. We had a hard time getting milk when it wasn't breakfast – some waiters tried to get it for us others just said they had none.

Cappucinos & espresso always available upon request. Snack bar at Akumal had run out of everything but hamburgers the night we arrived also no beer/soda as the dispenser was broken. The breakfast egg lady made us huevos rancheros to order each am – we tipped her because she went out of her way to do it.

Ala carte we did Don Pablo (FANTASTIC) and Frutos del mar (Solidly good but not exceptional) – the calamari ceviche was very good.

Pool: It was chilly and just a touch too deep for my tall 6 year old. Always a palapa at the akumal pool – Coba was pretty crowded around the pool.

Beach: Akumal's beach was perfect for the very small children in our group. My kids rode the sandbags all day everyday. It was pretty crowded and we were down there before 9am to get a prime spot. We walked through tulum's beach and honestly my kids (6 & 8) would have been just fine there and it was infinitely less crowded. 2 days we had very big waves because of Hurricane Paloma but otherwise it was pretty calm. Snorkelling off the beach was pretty good and they were not enforcing the boundry line around the reef.

Bars: We used them all and thought they were all good. Mayan Monkeys & Caesars were our favorite drink. My 8yo drank her weight in strawberry daquiris (sin alcohol) daily. We loved the lobby bars in Coba & Tulum better than in Akumal a more airy elegant feel.

Mini club – don't count on it – a little sad looking and rarely anyone there. This was a disappointment. But the mini disco at night was fun - the pinata was hysterical.

Shows: We saw the crazy show (not good) & the circus (excellent) The theater in the Tulum section was INFINITELY better.

Hacienda Dona Isabel - -had everything you could think of souveneir wise. It was similar in price to Tulum pueblo shops.

Overall: We really liked the vibe of the resort – though we thought akumal was good we really thought Tulum was better overall. The staff was exceptionally friendly a little spanish goes a LONG way. Tipping also is appreciated. Our kids were doted on and welcomed even in the gourmet ala cartes. We will probably return next year.

22 of us left Toronto on October 12th for a week of sun and fun, as well as the wedding of my brother. Some of us had never been to Mexico so didn't quite know what to expect....well, it was fabulous.

The drive from the airport (Cancun) can be quite long as we're one of the last resorts (about 90 minutes), but the bus is air conditioned. Check-in was easy with Mimosas served while you're waiting and delivery of both us and our luggage (even at midnight - when we checked in).

The rooms are large and quite nice with great marble bathrooms (junior suites also have a jacuzzi tub) and lots of storage. Mini fridge was nice with juice, pop, beer and treats.

The food was great, even the buffet with great eggs, hotcakes, french toast, bacon, and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables daily. The snack bars (24 hour) are great for a burger or pizza, as well as late night drinks. Dinner at the buffet was always great with a different "theme" each night.

We attended Fruitos del Mar for the wedding dinner (stuffed chicken breast or grilled salmon), as well as Arlequin for Filet Mignon, and La Gran Tortuga for the amazing meats (they keep bringing them hot to the table).

My brother and sister-in-law were married mid-week right on the beach beside the ocean. The wedding coordinator and resort were fantastic with a private dinner for us and then a one-hour private reception beside the main pool with balloons and lights and our own waitress. All week, the resort would leave niceties in their room including champagne, fruit basket, chocolate cake, and more champagne.

We were sad to leave Mexico and the GBP Akumal and will return again FOR SURE.

we were at GBP - AKUMAL , oct 11-18 ,2008 ...excellent resort , excellent location , everything was just amazing including the food . The service was also good but somehow people are just greedy and very rude if you dnt tip them well . be prepared to tip everyone in the resort otherwise they will make you feel like [---] ..... as per our experience . Even the tour operators who sit in the resort lobby are just there to rip you off , make sure that you dnt book any excursions through them . take the collectivo from outside the resort and go to playa del carman , all the tours there will be for half price . we had a canadian rep from westjet in the resort who gave us a orientation the next day , she will tell you all kind of stories about these people making 5 dollars a day , dnt listen to her its not true , as i said everyone is there to just get more money from you . just enjoy yourself , beeches and there are other things to enjoy too ....... excellent place and will go again .....

We stayed at this hotel Oct 11-17. I have been to Mexico before and this all inclusive was amazing. The staff are what made our stay so enjoyable, always willing to go the extra mile. It was not just based on tips as we did tip but not all the time. Staff were friendly, interactive and very hard workers.

Went on the snorkelling trip through the hotel, boat ride to Akumal Bay was fun, as the waves were really high. Snorkelling was good, but water visibilty was poor. Boat crew were awesome. Seeing the turtles...will remember it forever.

We also went to Xel Ha, beautiful place where you should plan to stay all day. Only go if you are into water sports unless it would not be worth the price of $74 U.S.

Went to Playa for a shopping trip, took the collectivo which dropped us off in a bad location. Got ripped off by some vendors and could not find a bano. I personally don't think it was worth the trip as the Hacienda had enough shopping and was cheaper than Playa anyway.

Tips: Ask for your room to be on anything but the lower level, lots of critters come in under the door. Put a towel across the bottom of the door at night so the "locals" can't come visit you in the middle of the night.

Bring a flashlight for when you are walking back to your room. We had several ladies who stepped on the frogs and killed them.

Try all of the hotels buffets, Tulum's was the most fun and the staff were excellent.

Bring watershoes, coral and rocks can cut up your feet, also the sea urchins can be brutal.

Bring lots of ziplock bags with the locks, very humid and everything feels damp. Remember this too with your luggage as you could go over in weight with such high humidity. I left all my sunblock and aloe gel for the maid as they have to pay huge for these items.

When playing in the ocean on the rough side, don't go past the second wave breaker as you could be sucked out to sea by the rip tides. This happened to a guy when I was there and it took the lifeguard (who was amazing) 15 minutes to drag him back in. If no one notices that you are gone, you will drown.

Take advantage of the locals selling silver jewellery on the beach. Our group bought over 20 items from them. Not high quality, but nice jewellery to give to friends or keep for yourself. Don't pay more than $10 for each item. It looked like they could only sell on certain parts of the beach, the one just down from the activity pool.

Overall was very happy with this trip, the weather could have been better, but I came back with a nice tan, refreshed and happy. Would recommend this hotel to everyone. Can't wait to go back in April.

i have just returned from a my stay at the gran bahia principe akumal, i stayed there from the 6th oct to 20th oct, travelling with first choice from nottingham east midlands, ( 9th time travelling with first choice). this was my first trip to mexico, and although mexico was'nt my first choice of destination, when booking a holiday i can take up to six months looking into destinations and hotels before booking an holiday and i always book a min of a year ahead, so you could say i'm picky. however i love mexico and enjoyed my stay at the this hotel, i've read all the reviews and all though it was'nt quite perfect for me, i feel that some of the bad reviews are very unfair. below is my opinion of the hotel hopefully it will be helpful to some people considering a holiday at this resort. just me and my husband travelling to celebrate or 20th anniversary. got no kids.

airport/transfer

breezed thru cancun airport. thanks to a eariler review regarding the tourist entry card, you need to to fill out the bottom section of the form that is below the business traveller section, otherwise you'll end up being delayed going immigration, luckily i read this on another review and also read thru everything before filling it in. apart fom about ten people nearly everyone else on the flight did'nt, find it strange that people blindly fill out forms without reading them properly, has we were travelling premium class our bags were off pretty quickly. then thru to customs were you have to hand over another form and press a button green pass straight thru, red means you have to open cases to be searched, luckily we got green light and headed for transfer coach. total time from leaving aircraft to getting on coach 30mins so pretty good. however the transfer took about 1 hour 40 mins they had on drop off at another hotel, however the return transfer was over 2 hours again with one pick up after ours (apart from picking up tulum section guests. i was aware that it was a long transfer, i did'nt think it would be a prob but its is one of the other reasons that my next hol, i will be looking for a transfer no more than a hour in duration.

hotel

the gran bahia is a very large resort, in three sections, coba, akumal and tulum, with a total of 3500 rooms, akumal i believe the akumal is the smaller of the three. its the largest hotel resort i have ever stayed at. usually stay in smaller hotels the size of the akumal section, i thought i try a bigger hotel, however it was too big for my liking and everything to spread out.

check-in

very quick, and no problems with the front desk staff at all, very friendly and quick

room

stayed in villa 48, quite close to the lobby, i pre booked an ocean view jr suite, and had requested an high floor, although i would'nt call the room a jr suite compared to other juinor suites, it was a good size and a great ocean view, and great storage space, the best ever. the bed is quite hard has other reviewers have stated, my bed at home is firm so this was'nt a problem for me, but you can get a mattresses topper if you find the hard bed a problem. the room may lack the wow factor, so if a wow factor room is important to you this hotel may not be for you. i was told that the mini bar was to be refilled every other day, ours was filled everyday to the point we could'nt drink it fast enough. . this is the first all inclusive hotel where you have to pay extra for in room safe, 5 dollars a day. i really think this should be included in your inclusive package and be electronic has many other hotels i've visited. also maybe be provided a umbrella in each room, you can borrow one from reception but alot of places i have stayed they have been standard part of room. the maid did a great job every day. tipped her between$1-2 dollars day, and tipped the minibar man every other day. prob the reason we got so much i dunno.

pools

i believe there are seven pools located around the entire resort, i just used the pool at the akumal, so can't comment on the others. theres an activity pool and a 'quiet pool' although not that quiet at times. generally good but not did'nt seem to be cleaned everyday. nearly every previous hotels have had the pools cleaned everyday. pools available.

landscaping

excellent

food

very good, there are 3 buffet restuarants which you can use, we just used the akumal, other reviewers have said it gets repetitve, and i supose it does, but i still enjoyed the food and the service from the waiters was good to very good even whwn busy, but has people from the other sections can use the buffet at times gets very busy and i think the staff get overwelmed. maybe the service suffers because of it. maybe it should be the buffets just be exclusive to each section. you get six visist to a la cartes if you are staying for two weeks, book these straight away to make sure you get the times and dates you want. in previous reviews about the mikado being the best even on the shuttle bus on way to our reservation they were raving about this restaurant. don't get me wrong the food and service very good, but the equivaliant japonese tepannyakki resturant at a hotel in cuba is leagues a head of this one, so we were a dissappointed, got a feeling we would be somehow. also the arleqiun although, again very good, i been to better equivilant in other hotels where i've been blown away by the food and service. the best has far has i'm concerned is the gran tortuga. and for me who isn't a big meat eater is saying something. frutus del mar also very good dolce vita and teqiula are good but not outstanding.

entertainment

very good, some of the shows a bit cheesy but generally very good. esp circus show and michael jackson. the mexican fiesta at the hacienda don isobel is very good enjoyed the mayan indians. its $16 per person for this show. non of the shows are west end or broadway. if i want that standardof entertainment i would go to new york and london.

bars

all ok except they close at 11pm then if you want to later drink you go to hacienda, personally at least one of the bars shouild stay open later, most other hotels i have stayed have been open till 1am.

this hotel for me is more a 4 star than a 5 star, i have stayed at many 5 star hotels and this lacks a few things in for me to want to return. but don't get me wrong overall its a good hotel just not 5 star ( although first impression walking into lbby gives you that impression. would i return to mexico definately, the gran bahia prob not for it does'nt qiute tick all boxes for me( just been luck enough to stay at outstanding hotels). if you decide to take a hol at gran bahia please tip if you get good service. i noticed alot of people don't. but only do it if get good service and my husband and i did

Loved the hotel, grouds, and yes even the entertainment! have been to the riviera at least 8 times, and found this resort one of the best! The beach great, and people accomodating! We went with apple vacations, and got 7 trips to the ala carte resturants, and they were great...loved the mexican and japanese!If you are whiny about this, all I can say is get a life! the lucn is not the best, and even the snack bars on beach get a nit old, but bfast and dinner good! We snorkeled up at akumal and the turtle amazing. In Akumal, went to the turtle bay cafe several types, and it is a must go...best food in the world and worth every penny you spend! No mosquitos for us, but others were ravaged by them, so take precautions as th bites looked awful, BUT oct. is the rainy season, and that is the reason. As a missouri girl, I much prefer to go south in the early spring, but i would definately return to this hotel, but next time will rent a car at the airport as the shuttle was long. Again, it was fun, but I go with the philosophu if it gives lemons make lemonade...shows good, staff great and beach great...what else is better!!!!

This was a lovely hotel and we had a very relaxing time but I do agree that it was not a five star resort. I will try to give a balanced review, although I know it is easier to comment on the negative things!

The best thing is the staff. They are very friendly and courteous and very hardworking so bring dollar bills to tip them. They deserve it and due to their poor wages it makes a big difference to them.

The rooms are nice and kept very clean but we did get a cockroach and mosquitoes in as we were on the ground floor. Only to be expected if you are near the jungle but if you don't like this, it may not be for you. Bring a can of fly spray to kill any mosquitoes that may get in -it helps get a good night's sleep! Also, bring mosquito repellant for outside. It is not swarming with them but they are around.

The food was average. We certainly did not go hungry but we were there a week and I thought I would be really sick of it if we were there two weeks. The A La Carte restaurants were disappointing for me and the house wine was like vinegar.

The entertainment was poor but we just wanted to relax so it suited us and the bars are very pleasant for having a few drinks in.

The snorkelling trip with the turtles was amazing and highly recommended. Make sure to bring a snorkel because there are a load of fish just next to the beach as well. The sea is amazing there and the pools are really nice, so we just enjoyed the relaxation and nice scenery.

For an all-star resort, I could not believe they charged for the hire of a lock for your room safe. Also, they were so slow to restock your fridge in the room.

The Colectivos (taxi mini-buses) run from outside the complex and will take you to the town of Playa del Carmen and the Mayan ruins in Tulum for $2/3. The ruins especially are worth a visit. Or you can just get a taxi for $20

All in all, we had a great week here. Very relaxing and enjoyable.

But the hotel is definitely no more than a four star.

Would like to say this is perfect for first time long haulers, 4 star travellers, mostly couples.

When we arrived it did not have the wow factor i had expected and built up, but after 1 day it did live up to its good reviews we had previously read. The Restaurants were fantastic, way better than we have previously experienced staying in the Dominican Republic 5*! Best is the Japanese, seafood and Gourmet. The drinks are fab, esp as there was champagne is at your request! Pool bar is the best, especially the service with Edgar serving us everyday, he knew what we drank by the end of day one, and we didnt even have to ask!

Main hag up's are the lack of air con in all restaurants, girls do not take hair straighteners they do not work, just take plenty clips and bobbles! The rooms are not up to 5* standard, especially as we had upgraded to a suite, if you have to pay to do this, DONT!

Apart from this the resort is excellent.

If you are in a couple as we were and staying for 2 weeks the entertainment can become repetative, but make friends and drink tequila! get involved with the events and its brill :)

Overall for a 2 weeks holiday its great value for money, expect 4* with excellent food (esp the buffets, not sure why people complained about these? as we have stayed in a RIU 5*and this is better) excellent drink and pure relaxation. Book excursions; captain hook and coco bongo at Cancun for a chance to get out and see Mexico and just to give yourself a break from the resort, also would reccommend Xel-Ha for the day as its beautiful. If you want something a bit more lively stay in Cancun, but this was perfect for us.

We stayed at the Gran Bahia Principe Akumal last Christmas for a couple weeks and enjoyed very much the beach and the beautiful ocean. The room was nice and clean and the shuttle service provided by the hotel to take you from your "apartment" to the main spots of the Gran Bahia (hall, restaurants etc.) is helpfull even if we didn't expect to be located with our room so far from the sea (at least 10 minutes walk). Level of services and food in the hotel is quite good and staff is very friendly but nevertheless this is not really a 5 star so if you like to be more cuddled better if you go somewhere else on the Med. The Resort is located half an hour far by car from the amazing Playa del Carmen that one can easily reach by taxi, there you will find very good places for shopping (much less expensive than the boutiques in the Gran Bahia) and many good restaurants too.

We stayed in the Akumal section of GBP 5th to 20th August. It really is a lovely hotel. The grounds are emaculately kept and the lobbies, bars etc are beautiful. The pools are also excellent. We stayed a fair distance away from the lobby and I did get a little fed up with having to fight to get on club cars to get back to the room. Some people of other nationalities don't understand the concept of queuing, or even just being polite. But it wasnt a big issue. Also, getting back from the Hacienda often involved a loooooong wait for the bus thingy. There seemed to be plenty for Coba but we often waited over half an hour - which kind of put me off going there.

The staff are very willing and and helpful and we had no complaints at all about service. We loved the waiter served bar, unusual for all inclusive, and made very free with the Tequila! The room was not fantastic, but was perfectly nice and entirely adequate. The bathroom was very nice actually. We shared a room with our 10 year old and he had his own bed, and my husband and I had a double bed each! The mini bar was stockedwell enough and there was a coffee maker too.

TIPS

Book your restaurants (3 a week) as soon as poss as they get booked up. They have menus at the PR desk so easy to see were you fancy.

Go to Peurto Aventura and swim with dolphins and manatees - it's fab. Also, go to a 'sink hole'. Amazing.

Xel-Ha is lovely but we thought very expensive. The snorkeling isn't much better than the sea by hotel and the lazy river thing was not lazy at all! quite hard work actually and I got burnt knees in the rubber rings because the eco friendy sun block you have to use doesn't work! ANything at Xel ha that looks like it'll be cool to do costs extra!

If you want to use the safe ask at reception when you check in because you have to get a lock which yo apy a few pesos a day for.

Use the laundry service - the clothes seemed to come back softer than I could ever get them!

Food: On the whole very good in the buffet, lots of choice and always kept topped up. Unlike another reviewer, I didn't once see a fly in the buffet or restaurants. There was plenty of choice in the buffet and the restaurants were very nice. We especially liked the Mikado.

We had cause to see the doctor and found him to be very competant which was a relief. Doctor to be found (along with pharmacy which is tiny - so don't expect to be browsing round a Boots style chemist!) at the Hacienda.

I would certainly recommend this hotel.

I was just reading some of the other reviews. Things happen. Your bed is probably not going to be as comfortable as the one you have at home, the food may not be up to your standards since you didn't make it, and, yeah, some of the staff seem a bit grumpy at times. I would be too if I was working in such hot weather. If you're going to let things like that ruin your vacation, whose fault is that? In any case, I'll highlight a couple points that may be helpful. This may be a bit long.

My husband and I booked our honeymoon for August 2nd-9th. We hadn't been to Mexico before so this was a new experience. When you got through customs, make sure you fill out the bottom part of the sheet. Lots of people forgot to do that and that caused a bit of chaos in customs.

We flew through Air Canada (which I hope to never do again but that's a different story). If you have a bus picking you up, you go OUTSIDE of the airport. There are people right in the airport trying to get you to take private transportation or to hear their spiel about tours. Make sure you look for the people holding up the specific airline sign and wearing the shirts/uniforms. It's a fairly long drive 1.5 hours and more waiting for other passengers to board the bus.

We were originally booked for Coba but they moved us to Akumal. That worked out well as we were 5 minutes from the beach. The resort is large and it's a bit confusing at times. We carried our resort map for the first couple days. DO NOT assume that getting on any trolley will get you where you want to be eventually. We did that the first night and ended up going around Tulum and Coba 3 times (on different trolleys). 50% of the time the drivers will say where they're going. If in doubt, ask! Also, there are clocks on the pillars where the bell boys are that say when the next trolley is scheduled for a specific location.

No complaints with the buffet. We tended to go when it first opened since the food was fresher. We could always find something to eat. We ate at Coba and Tulum buffets as well. I do think we prefered Coba generally. It's a quick trolley ride or 10-15 minute walk. The 24-hour snack bars weren't great but a couple nights I picked up some nachos to go which weren't bad. The cheese sauce was a bit watery so it made the nachos sort of gross if you left them too long.

I booked the a la cartes based on the reviews on here. You book through the Hospitality Desk in the lobby. We booked the night we arrived as I gather it's hard to get reservations. We usually made them for around 7:30 or 8:00 p.m as we didn't know what tours we were planning. They have a binder of the menus for the restaurants.

We tried Le Gourmet, Arlequin, and Mikado. We liked Le Gourmet. The staff was really friendly and the food was great. Arlequin was decent. Not terribly memorable as I can't think of what I had there. Everyone raves about Mikado. The food was nothing special but I think the attraction is the entertainment factor. We were seated with a large group of people we didn't know. That turned out fine as they were very friendly, but we were confused as it was not communicated to us that would happen. Our server/chef made our food in front of us doing all the fancy flipping of the eggs and knives, etc. Entertaining ,but I personally didn't think the food was all that great.

We didn't go in the pools much but stayed to the beach. The first few days we didn't get to the beach until 11:00 so it was difficult to find two chairs together. We started getting up earlier for breakfast and easily got shaded chairs at 9:30 a.m. We brought snorkeling sets and water shoes. Definitely bring water shoes as it is a bit rocky on the Akumal side. Sometimes we walked to the Tulum section which seemed less rocky.

We were supposed to take the shopping tour into Playa del Carmen but we were told to go to the Coba lobby and the tour left from the Tulum lobby. We waited 1/2 an hour before inquiring with our Air Canada rep. Make sure you know which lobby you're leaving from.

Not a big deal as we were refunded our money and we ended up just taking the Collectivo to Playa for $2 USD/person. We were hesitant as we had never been before but it was very easy. You trolley to the Hacienda (where the flea market is) and walk to the highway. The white vans are looking for you. You pay when you get to Playa. 5th Avenue is a block or two away from the very last stop so it's easy. Also, if you're buying souvenirs, check out what you want at the flea market at the Hacienda FIRST and know the prices. I'm terrible at bartering and most often ended up getting things for the prices that are marked at the Hacienda flea market. We also did the Tulum Ruin tour for 50/person.

At checkout there seemed to be mass confusion as we had to check out of Akumal but get our luggage taken to Coba since that's where our vacation itinerary thought we were. The bell boys told us to go to Coba and our luggage would arrive there but we decided to wait for it to go ahead of us. They put it in the middle of the road and told one of the trolley drivers to take it. The bell boy then walked away and the trolley drove off leaving our luggage just sitting there. We waited for 20 minutes to see what was going on with our luggage and finally asked if someone was taking our luggage to Coba. Apparently they had thought it had been taken. They immediately put us on a trolley and took us to Coba with our luggage. It's a good thing we waited for it as it may not have made it at all.

Overall we had a good time. The rooms and grounds were always kept clean, the food was good, and the staff was pretty friendly. Negatives, the beds are on the harder side, some of the sellers in Playa are pretty pushy, there are lots of mosquitoes at night so bring BUG SPRAY, and sometimes the staff just grunt at you (though I wonder if it's a language difficulty