Grand Coco Bay January 15-30

dowdys · 02-08-2010

Grand Coco Bay
January 15-30

This was our second trip to the resort and we couldn’t have expected more from it or the area. We had a great time and wish we could afford to go more than every 2 years!

We flew out of Calgary on Sunwing for the first time. No complaints on that front. I mean I could complain about squishiness but seriously…it’s a charter airline and we know that it’s not going to be luxurious! The food was good, the champagne was a nice touch and we were going to Mexico...Nuff said!

We arrived at the resort by a bus which was nice for a change instead of a little van that gets so hot. Beer was available to all that wanted to purchase it for cheap. We bought expensive mixed drinks at the airport so next time I will stick to a good, cold, cheap beer. Got to the hotel in no time and we were in our room right away! I did let it slip that it was a repeat for us in the hopes that it would ensure a good room. No worries on that account. We had a king-sized bed in a quiet area and that is all that we really asked for. The rooms are nice enough, not totally luxurious but good enough for all the time that is spent in the room.

For repeat visitors the resort gives out t-shirts and we think a bottle of champagne…we were napping and didn’t really comprehend the champagne because we thought it was a time share thing so we just took the shirts. Next time we will know better.
There are time share people that try to entice you to go to the Royal for a visit but they honestly didn’t bother us at all to go.

We were very happy with the food choices in the buffet but really enjoy going to the ala carte restaurants too. They don’t limit your visits so go and make reservations (made from 7 am and 11 am I think )and try them out! We were able to go 8 times in a 2 week period! Last time I fell in love with the coconut shrimp but this time I tried the Northern Skirt Steak. OH MY GOODNESS! I would rather have that than any Alberta Beef T-bone steak any day!! It was so tender, tasty and delicious! It comes with a stuffed potato with chorizo and cheese…YUMMY!!! I will warn you that it does have a really hot pepper on the side and it is not good for consumption! It will be the hottest thing you have ever eaten. I am glad I didn’t try it although my husband did and he wasn’t happy about it. It really shouldn’t be on the plate or there should be a warning…
The Italian restaurant is good as well with a delicious lasagne and a different type of salad bar. All in all the food was great everywhere we ate.
It is shocking to read the negative comments on the food because there are so many choices and some many food combinations to make. If you have to resort to eating Fruit Loops then you really shouldn’t be wasting your money on a holiday…

The beach was as good as it was 2 years ago with maybe a little less width to it. There were always plenty of room and beach chairs. We had a few very windy days so it was nice to have the option to go up to the pool area as well. The sandblasting on the beach was quite awful 2 of the days we were there.
The spa and massage therapists were out in full force while we were there and I did have a massage on the beach while we were there. There are many opportunities downtown to have massages as well. We saw a deal for an hour long massage for $18 US. I paid $30 US for a half hour at the resort. It was good but the next day I was pretty bruised from her working my shoulder with her elbow…is that normal?

The resort is a short walk on the beach or on the street to 5th Avenue and all the shops and sights. We enjoyed going both ways, depending on the temperature and what we were doing that day. We would walk to Playa to catch the collectivos when we went to Akumal for our snorkelling days and when we went to Grand Cenote. The collectivos are the best and economical way to travel down there.

We recommend taking a trip on your own to Akumal. We take our snorkel gear and just spend the day in the area. It really has amazing snorkelling if you want to see the giant sea turtles and beautiful fish. The one day we went we saw 6 turtles and a very large (harmless) barracuda as well as other tropical fish. We do highly recommend investing in snorkel vests if you like to snorkel. The peace of mind it brings is amazing.

Being that this was our 2nd time to the resort and to the area we did learn some valuable things.
#1: Check your receipts! One large (Mega) store I went to overcharged me over 800 pesos. I checked and the 1 dollar book marks came in as over 16 dollars and I had bought 4 of them…Very glad I checked that out!
#2: Do not pay a tip if there is already a “tax”. I specifically asked and was told it was a tax. We paid a tip on top of that and plus the band and then found out later what it was. I should have recalled reading about it on the forums but I forgot. Apparently Karen’s is notorious for it though. I actually went back a few days later and complained and got my tip money back.
#3: Go check out the entertainment in the evening. They are pretty good. Sometimes they even bring professional dancers and entertainment for the guests. I highly recommend that you see the Michael Jackson Show. He is pretty talented.
#4: Go to Bad Boys bar in Playa! What a great place to listen to classic rock, dance and enjoy the beach and ambiance! We had a great time there!
#5: Relax and go with the flow…I think that can be said for most things. You are on holidays and life is too short to get angry or worried about the small stuff.

Have fun and then go plan another trip!

btodd · 02-08-2010

Great report! Always great when you enjoy your "return engagement" as much as your first trip..............any photos??

tweety · 03-07-2010

We were at Grand Coco Bay Resort from Feb 7 - Feb 21.
We had a great stay there. If we were to write a trip report
it would read the same as your report, in fact we will consider
booking there again next year.

Tweety

02-08-2010	#1 (permalink)
dowdys sandflea Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kimberley/BC/Canada Posts: 2	Grand Coco Bay January 15-30 Grand Coco Bay January 15-30 This was our second trip to the resort and we couldn’t have expected more from it or the area. We had a great time and wish we could afford to go more than every 2 years! We flew out of Calgary on Sunwing for the first time. No complaints on that front. I mean I could complain about squishiness but seriously…it’s a charter airline and we know that it’s not going to be luxurious! The food was good, the champagne was a nice touch and we were going to Mexico...Nuff said! We arrived at the resort by a bus which was nice for a change instead of a little van that gets so hot. Beer was available to all that wanted to purchase it for cheap. We bought expensive mixed drinks at the airport so next time I will stick to a good, cold, cheap beer. Got to the hotel in no time and we were in our room right away! I did let it slip that it was a repeat for us in the hopes that it would ensure a good room. No worries on that account. We had a king-sized bed in a quiet area and that is all that we really asked for. The rooms are nice enough, not totally luxurious but good enough for all the time that is spent in the room. For repeat visitors the resort gives out t-shirts and we think a bottle of champagne…we were napping and didn’t really comprehend the champagne because we thought it was a time share thing so we just took the shirts. Next time we will know better. There are time share people that try to entice you to go to the Royal for a visit but they honestly didn’t bother us at all to go. We were very happy with the food choices in the buffet but really enjoy going to the ala carte restaurants too. They don’t limit your visits so go and make reservations (made from 7 am and 11 am I think )and try them out! We were able to go 8 times in a 2 week period! Last time I fell in love with the coconut shrimp but this time I tried the Northern Skirt Steak. OH MY GOODNESS! I would rather have that than any Alberta Beef T-bone steak any day!! It was so tender, tasty and delicious! It comes with a stuffed potato with chorizo and cheese…YUMMY!!! I will warn you that it does have a really hot pepper on the side and it is not good for consumption! It will be the hottest thing you have ever eaten. I am glad I didn’t try it although my husband did and he wasn’t happy about it. It really shouldn’t be on the plate or there should be a warning… The Italian restaurant is good as well with a delicious lasagne and a different type of salad bar. All in all the food was great everywhere we ate. It is shocking to read the negative comments on the food because there are so many choices and some many food combinations to make. If you have to resort to eating Fruit Loops then you really shouldn’t be wasting your money on a holiday… The beach was as good as it was 2 years ago with maybe a little less width to it. There were always plenty of room and beach chairs. We had a few very windy days so it was nice to have the option to go up to the pool area as well. The sandblasting on the beach was quite awful 2 of the days we were there. The spa and massage therapists were out in full force while we were there and I did have a massage on the beach while we were there. There are many opportunities downtown to have massages as well. We saw a deal for an hour long massage for $18 US. I paid $30 US for a half hour at the resort. It was good but the next day I was pretty bruised from her working my shoulder with her elbow…is that normal? The resort is a short walk on the beach or on the street to 5th Avenue and all the shops and sights. We enjoyed going both ways, depending on the temperature and what we were doing that day. We would walk to Playa to catch the collectivos when we went to Akumal for our snorkelling days and when we went to Grand Cenote. The collectivos are the best and economical way to travel down there. We recommend taking a trip on your own to Akumal. We take our snorkel gear and just spend the day in the area. It really has amazing snorkelling if you want to see the giant sea turtles and beautiful fish. The one day we went we saw 6 turtles and a very large (harmless) barracuda as well as other tropical fish. We do highly recommend investing in snorkel vests if you like to snorkel. The peace of mind it brings is amazing. Being that this was our 2nd time to the resort and to the area we did learn some valuable things. #1: Check your receipts! One large (Mega) store I went to overcharged me over 800 pesos. I checked and the 1 dollar book marks came in as over 16 dollars and I had bought 4 of them…Very glad I checked that out! #2: Do not pay a tip if there is already a “tax”. I specifically asked and was told it was a tax. We paid a tip on top of that and plus the band and then found out later what it was. I should have recalled reading about it on the forums but I forgot. Apparently Karen’s is notorious for it though. I actually went back a few days later and complained and got my tip money back. #3: Go check out the entertainment in the evening. They are pretty good. Sometimes they even bring professional dancers and entertainment for the guests. I highly recommend that you see the Michael Jackson Show. He is pretty talented. #4: Go to Bad Boys bar in Playa! What a great place to listen to classic rock, dance and enjoy the beach and ambiance! We had a great time there! #5: Relax and go with the flow…I think that can be said for most things. You are on holidays and life is too short to get angry or worried about the small stuff. Have fun and then go plan another trip!

02-08-2010	#2 (permalink)
btodd añejo Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Posts: 2,358	Great report! Always great when you enjoy your "return engagement" as much as your first trip..............any photos??

03-07-2010	#3 (permalink)
tweety toe in water Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Manitoba Posts: 48	We were at Grand Coco Bay Resort from Feb 7 - Feb 21. We had a great stay there. If we were to write a trip report it would read the same as your report, in fact we will consider booking there again next year. Tweety

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