I was just there and I must agree with the other bad reviews, the place is a hell hole. Right when you finish the lengthy check-in, you’re boarded by one of the numerous sharks that roam the complex trying to get victims for the Royal Holiday scam. Please don’t make the mistake to attend to their "presentation", which is nothing but a 5 hour spiel in which they gang up against you in a highly pressurized attempt to extract thousands of dollars out of your credit card. Just search Royal Holiday scam in the internet and see it for yourself. (interesting enough, a search from the hotel will only show the Royal Holiday website) During the time I was there, the place was full of russians, a very rude, arrogant and pushy bunch that will make your stay unforgettable. They drink all day long and treat the hotel employees as if they were slaves, have a perennial dirty look, cut in front of you when making lines for food, towels, ect, ect. Except for a few employees, the service is slow, at times comes with an attitude. I sat at the Asian restaurant for 45 minutes waiting for sushi, even though there is a 10 dollars per person charge to dine there. Most of the employees are friendly, credit when due. The accounts of roaches and bed bugs are true, I had to buy pyretrins spray for our bed and my wife was attacked by a scary looking yellow/red spider in the balcony of the room, she was able to bust it off her with a towel before it was able to reach skin. I went in with a sandal and after smashing it, I was able to see fangs in it. The generic drinks give you a headache, the wine is awful, and the food made us sick, we wound up eating the same, known safe foods until we left. The rooms show wear, with cracks on the floors(my room floor was sagging at the center), unsafe electrical connections, faulty locks and substandard bathrooms. The internet at the room was the least expensive deal at 30 dollars a week, but the keyboard/mouse rig is slow and cumbersome, plus no uploading or downloading anything. You can connect to the internet with your own laptop at the lobby for 3 dollars per 15 minutes of molasses type connection, 5 dollars per hour if you wish. Be ready to pay 20 dollars for your safe box key and don’t expect fresh towels every day, unless you can catch your maid. Using the watersports equipment is almost like fighting for it, you’re asked for experience, and even for a maritime license!!! We did enjoy the pool, the beach and the weather and most importantly, each other’s company, but we would never go back or send anyone to Grand Paradise.
Arrival:
Slow check in, meanwhile, you are watched and cataloged by the sales staff of Royal Holiday. As soon as check in is finished, you’re boarded and offered "a 5 star upgrade" (for a 15000 dollar membership), or any other interesting offer to get you to sit for a 5 hour spiel. If you do sit with them, do not commit. Read the internet reviews. There is even a BBC article posted on Youtube about the Royal Holiday scam.
Rooms:
clean overall, but showing wear. Spiders, roaches and bed bugs may be found
Restaurants and Bars:
Food is tasty, but left at unsafe temperatures, it made us sick. Make sure to eat what’s still fuming hot, avoid room temperature sauces, fruits and veggies. Stay away from any drink that contains coconut milk, sugar or any other spoilable ingredient, stick to bus + soda type drinks, such as vodka tonic, cuba libre, ect
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
4 stars there, clean, good looking grounds, pool and beach
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Nightly shows can be awesome, karaoke and intl dance are not as good. The activities team works very hard, thumbs up to them.
Other Comments:
Stay clear of Royal Holiday, thumbs down to the hotel management for allowing them to operate within their premises.