TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We have been to Grand Velas several times with our family, and each time has been a fabulous experience. The staff make all the difference in the world. Jessica, our personal concierge, was incredibly attentive - always responsive and going above and beyond. On the beach, Alberto, Miguel and Michael took amazing care of us all week. Constantly checking in and bringing anything we needed. We are already looking forward to our next visit to Grand Velas!!

We had a fantastic time at Grand Velas. The food was fantastic and all of the activities were perfect for our children. We can’t wait to come back next year!

Our family of 11 just returned from a week-long stay at Grand Velas. This was our second year visiting during the holidays and the second time was even better than the first. The resort is beautiful- stunning views, exceptionally clean, and the suites are quite large. The food is wonderful, which you don’t always expect for an all-inclusive and there is a big variety of restaurants to try so it’s hard to get bored, even after being there a week. There are two gyms on the property, one at Ambassador and a larger one at Zen. Ambassador also has a kids club and a teens club with games and activities. My older teens did get a little frustrated because the supposed 12+ teens club was often occupied by younger kids so they would end up just going back to the room when they were done with the pool. Because we have older kids, we were able to hang out at the adult-only pool which served us very well. We were there for quiet and relaxation and being away from the fray was ideal for us. We also opted to skip the big New Years Eve party for that reason and we were grateful the resort had two of its regular restaurants — Lucca and Frida— available for reservations. While all the amenities and offerings at the resort are wonderful, hands down the highlight is the staff. Each one goes out of their way to help and genuinely tries to make your stay spectacular. We had a trio of concierges— Airy, Miguel, and Jeronimo. Upon arriving at the resort, you are connected on WhatsApp and from there you can ask them for help with virtually anything. Our three were so attentive that I found myself sorry when I didn’t have any requests for them. They did everything from making sure our rooms were serviced only while we were out to making sure our minibars were always stocked (teenagers love snacks) to helping us shuffle around dinner reservations. They made our stay truly magical. We also connected with our concierge from last year, Ricardo, who recognized us immediately and came over to give us a warm hello. It’s that extra level of care that makes Grand Velas special. As wonderful as the concierges are, the true heros of our stay were the pool staff. Jorge is the pool manager at the adult pool and every day made sure my elderly mother was comfortable and had everything she needed. He is friendly and makes his very hard job look easy. Daniel and Domingo spent each day running back and forth for us - with 6 older teens in our group, there was a lot of food consumed and they made sure we never lacked for anything. I would return just to see those three again. Grand Velas is definitely on the pricey end but even in the busiest season they make you feel like you are the only guest there. For that reason alone, we would definitely go back.

This is our 5th visit and first time in December and had another great time. It is the first time we stayed at the Zen vs the Ambassador. I would recommend staying at the Ambassador if you can. The Zen is nice, but no coffee shop was a big deal to me. It is always great to see the great service and same people working every year. I have been to other Grand Velas properties and this one definitely has the best service! Fatima and Emmanuel at the main pool were amazing every day and Gabriel at the Zen pool was also great every day. It is so nice to see the same people working every day. Highly recommend for families that are looking for top food and top service.

We just returned home from an incredible stay at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, and my husband made a comment that really says it all: this was the first vacation we’ve ever taken where no one had a single complaint. That’s a huge accomplishment considering we were a group of 12 with ages ranging from 3 to 63. We stayed in the Zen section in a Family Suite, as we were traveling with two young children, and the accommodations were absolutely perfect. Spacious, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed for families — truly no complaints. Although Zen is separate, the shuttle to Ambassador was a quick two-minute ride, and we never waited more than a minute for a shuttle. The efficiency and organization were honestly outstanding. Breakfast at both Chaká and Azul was excellent, with a wide variety of options for everyone in our group. Even better, if I wanted something that wasn’t out, it was happily made upon request. What truly sets this resort apart and earns its five-star status is the service. Our concierge, Jessica, was phenomenal. She was incredibly sweet, responsive, knowledgeable, and made sure every detail of our stay was taken care of. She answered all of our questions, handled requests seamlessly, and genuinely ensured our vacation was well-suited for our family. She made a huge difference in our experience. The Kids Club was also fantastic. There were nonstop activities throughout the day for all ages — shows, arts and crafts, hair braiding, and more. Both of my children absolutely loved it and were excited to go each day. We also used the babysitting service for two evenings and were paired with Jocelyn, who was wonderful. She was experienced, warm, and immediately made both our children (and us as parents) feel comfortable and at ease. That said, a few areas could be improved — particularly during peak season. Our biggest frustration was the pool chair situation. We traveled during the festive season (between Christmas and New Year’s) when the resort was at full capacity. While I understand the demand, the early-morning rush to reserve chairs was stressful. We have good sleepers and weren’t willing to wake our children at 7am just to claim pool chairs — this is vacation, after all. On our first day (December 28th), the pool manager was incredibly kind and helpful. He enforced the clearly posted “no reserving chairs for more than one hour” policy and found us chairs after removing unattended belongings that had been there for over two hours. The signage is everywhere and very clear, but enforcement seemed inconsistent throughout the week. Best advice, tip staff well on the first day and they’ll take great care of you the rest of the week! Shoutout to Mario on the beach, Reyes and Humberto at the pool. Another frustration was the New Year’s Eve dinner sign-ups at 7am. Again, asking guests to set alarms and line up early on vacation feels unnecessary. A later time, such as 9am, would be far more reasonable. The New Year’s Eve celebration itself was beautiful, and the service was excellent, but the dinner menu was disappointing. The wine selection was very limited, and the menu was poorly received by many guests we spoke with. The first two courses were fish, followed by a main dish of chicken, short rib, and foie gras that was small and frankly inedible. Several people at our table ended up ordering pasta instead. The music was also extremely loud, to the point that we left early because it was uncomfortable to sit through. That said, the kids’ New Year’s Eve event was very well done, and our children had a great time. Overall, we highly recommend Grand Velas Riviera Maya. Despite traveling during one of the busiest weeks of the year, the resort delivered an exceptional experience, and I can only imagine how incredible it would be during a non-peak week. We would absolutely return.