During our trip to Cancun from January 21 to 29, 2005, we stayed at the Gran Caribe Real Resort and Spa. As the resort is rated as a 4.5 star in Canada and as a five-star locally, we were expecting superior service. Unfortunately, we were disappointed.
General Appearance and Rooms: From the exterior, the hotel is very attractive. It is divided into a main building and a section with villas. We knew that the hotel was undergoing renovations but had been told that these would be completed by December 2004. This was not the case. Our room was located in the main building in the only wing that had yet to be renovated. The room was acceptable but was in need of some upkeep. The door needed repainting, the blanket on the bed was stained (and was not changed all week), and a big piece of wood fell on my head when I tried to open the closet. In addition, our room was located on the ground floor and our terrace was facing a basketball court, so it was neither quiet nor private. We tried to change rooms twice, but were told the hotel was full. However, to be fair to the hotel, we visited the renovated areas in the main building and the villas, and both seemed much nicer than where we were staying.
My final comment is that the Gran Caribe Real seems to have a problem with extermination. On our first night, we were greeted in our room by a huge cockroach who did not seem to be bothered by our presence. Also, every morning, we would find dead cockroaches in the hallway, which stayed there until the cleaning lady did her rounds. Of course, I am fully aware that cockroaches are very common in Mexico, but that does not mean I need to see them regularly in the hotel (especially since they claim it to be a five-star!).
Food and drinks: For dinner, the hotel offers a selection of four restaurants, two buffets and two à la carte. Reservations are not required for the buffets but are necessary for the Italian or Mexican à la carte restaurants. Reservations can be made with the concierge between 7:00 am and 1:00 pm for the following evening. However, a long line-up forms by 6:45 am every morning at the concierge`s desk. If you don`t want to eat from a buffet all week, I hope for your sake that you are an early bird! Also, if you want to eat before 9:00 pm, I strongly recommend that you get in line even earlier than 6:45am! If you don`t feel like lining up in the morning, be prepared to wait in line at night to eat in one of the buffet restaurants. The line-ups, however, move relatively quickly, because the restaurants are often three quarters full. We noticed that the hotel seemed to prefer to have people wait outside rather than completely fill the restaurants (this was also the case for the à la carte restaurants, where a lot more reservations could have been taken).
You know how Canadians love to complain about the food in Cuba? Well, I have been to a four star resort in Cuba and found the food to be comparable to what was offered at the Gran Caribe Real. The food served in the buffets was often lukewarm, the selection was limited and the wine was bad (after the first day, we actually went out and bought our own wine). The drinks, however, made up for this. The hotel offers a large selection of mixed drinks and makes excellent Margaritas and Pina Coladas (I also recommend the Mudslide!). However, once again, be prepared to wait as after six o`clock there is only one bar open.
Staff and service:
The staff was generally friendly. The only area where the service was lacking was at the restaurants which were often understaffed (which might be why they did not fill them up). The waiters often were seen running around, trying to do ten things at the same time. For example, we had a reservation one evening at 8:30 pm. By the time we were shown to our table and our order was taken, it was 9:30 pm. Obviously, this is not the waiters` fault, as they are doing their best. So, if you are one of those people who get impatient when they are hungry, book extra early!
Beach, Activities and Various Details: When the hotel zone was built, a lot of the hotels removed all the plants from the beachside which resulted in the sand being swept out to sea over the years. This is the case with the Gran Caribe Real. We were told that the Mexican government plans on investing the equivalent of fifteen million dollars to bring in more sand this summer to expand the beaches, but in the meantime, the hotel is left with a rather small beach. When we were there, there were not enough loungers for everyone and many people reserve their chairs by laying a towel across them early in the morning. That means you might end up laying in the sand or on the cement next to one of the three pools. There are some daytime activities at the resort. However, if you are a night owl, you will probably have to go to the centre of Cancun (called El Centro) where all the bars are found. The hotel is located a short fifteen minute walk from there, which is very convenient for those who want to have a good time. The gym was closed during our stay, so please do not count on it. In my opinion, the Gran Caribe Real is a decent hotel. However, they will need to improve on a number of points before they deserve to call themselves a five-star resort.