Located just 20 min. north of the airport and less than a mile away from Plaza Forum clubs and restaurants, the Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe offers its guests a stellar stretch of beach and lots of “bang for your buck” with its amenities and choice of room categories.

The beach is probably this resort’s best amenity–it’s wide with lots of white sand and easy access into the beautiful turquoise Caribbean Sea.  There are lots of loungers and palapas for shade, but the few cabanas are reserved for Villa guests.  There is no beach bar, nor is there beach wait service (again, except for Villa guests who have their own beach butler service), so guests will have to trek up to the poolside bar to get drinks.

The resort makes the most of this beautiful beach by offering several room categories which have either direct beach access or beachfront balconies, some with private plunge pool or Jacuzzi.  Rooms in the Premier Tower, Royal Tower, or most Villa accommodations are the best for beach lovers, or those who want to spend some time gazing at the sea from the privacy of their room balcony.  Deluxe rooms in the Main Tower also offer sea views (above the fourth floor), but these rooms are not as updated as the rooms in the other towers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two pool areas each offer something different for guests; the activities pool is at the base of the Main Tower, while the adults-only infinity pool is located between the Royal and Premier Towers.  Since the adults-only pool is the only one with a swim-up bar, you may see parents bringing their children here while they enjoy drinking at the swim-up bar–staff does little to enforce the adults-only policy.  There are cabana beds at this pool as well, but they are limited in number and are first-come first-served, so they get snatched up early in the a.m. (“reserve” one prior to 7 a.m.)

Looking for an unusual resort bar?  The Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe offers several such options.  Try the Ekinox rooftop lounge which offers fantastic sunset views in a contemporary, urban-like setting (look for the circular staircase which leads to the top of El Mirador restaurant), or try the lobby bar (some call this the “Buddha Bar” because of the Buddha statue in the center of the bar area) with its comfortable seating and exotic ambiance–ask for top-shelf liquor here.

It’s important to note that although this is branded as a family-friendly resort, it seems to be more appropriate for children over the age of 12 primarily due to the resort’s dining regulations.  A la carte restaurants here do not allow children under the age of 12 which would require eating at the buffet restaurant for the entire stay, or hiring a babysitter for the evening.  If families can accept this rule and still want to vacation here, younger children (ages 4-7) may enjoy the scheduled children’s activities.  There isn’t much to do here for younger teens; those 18 and over can always do the club scene at Plaza Forum in the evenings.

Type of Resort:  Family-friendly

Pro:  Wide beach, close to Plaza Forum, guest room choices

Con:  WiFi and fitness center $, dining reservations needed

Best Suited For:  Couples, families with young children

No. of Rooms:  311

Room Amenities:  There are three towers and the Villa section which accommodates guests (Main, Premier, and Royal–Royal Tower is adults-only).  All 311 rooms and suites offer king, two queens, or two dbl beds (some rooms also have a Murphy bed), A/C, balcony/terrace, in-room safe, mini-bar, TV, telephone, coffee maker, alarm clock radio, hair dryer, shower, toiletries, and 24-hr. room service.  WiFi is an additional charge (except for Royal Tower guests who can access it in the Royal Lounge–see below).  Here is a brief rundown of room categories:

• Deluxe Garden View:  King or two dbl beds.  Located on the lower floors of the Main Tower.
• Deluxe Ocean View:  King or two dbl beds.  Located in the Main Tower–ask for rooms above the fourth floor for the better ocean views.
• Premier Ocean View:  Two dbl beds, ceiling fan, flat screen TV.  Located in the Premier Tower.
• Premier Suite:  King or two dbl beds in separate bedroom, Murphy bed available, ceiling fan, flat screen TV, living room area with sofa, armchair, table and two chairs, balcony Jacuzzi.  Located in the Premier Tower.  Ocean view.
• Royal Tower Ocean View:  King or two dbl beds, bathroom Jacuzzi tub, automated privacy panel, living room with sofa, two armchairs, coffee table, writing desk, DVD player, flat screen TV, iPod dock, iron/ironing board, ceiling fan, access to the Royal Lounge.  Located in the Royal Tower.
• Royal Tower Suite:  King or two dbl beds, bathroom Jacuzzi tub, automated privacy panel, living room with sofa, two armchairs, coffee table, writing desk, DVD player, flat screen TV, iPod dock, iron/ironing board, ceiling fan, balcony plunge pool, access to the Royal Lounge.  Located in the Royal Tower.  Ocean view.
• Villa Suite:  Two dbl beds, flat screen TV, iPod dock, iron/ironing board, personal butler, reserved beach cabana.  Located in the Villa section.  Some may have garden views.
• Villa Jr. Suite:  Two dbl beds in a separate bedroom, terrace plunge pool, beach access, flat screen TV, iPod dock, iron/ironing board, personal butler, reserved beach cabana.  Located in the Villa section.
• Villa Master Suite:  King or two queen beds in a separate bedroom, living room with sofa, coffee table, table and chairs, terrace plunge pool, two full loungers, flat screen TV, iPod dock, iron/ironing board, personal butler, reserved beach cabana.  Located in the Villa section.  Some Master Suites have direct beach access.
• NOTE:  The Royal Lounge is an additional amenity available to Royal Tower guests.  It is located on the first floor of the Royal Tower and has both inside and outdoor seating areas.  The Royal Lounge serves continental breakfast, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and top-shelf drinks in the evening.

Physically Challenged Rooms:  Available

Resort Amenities:  Two pools (activity pool by the Main Tower, and the infinity adults-only pool with swim-up bar between the Royal and Premier Towers), Jacuzzi by the main pool, Aquaworld Marina representative on-site offering motorized water sports for an extra charge, spa, fitness center, jogging path, some scheduled activities for younger children, small beach playground area, hammocks, concierge, tour desk, gift shop, business center, and ATM.

Restaurants/Bars:  There is one buffet restaurant (Cocay), three a la cartes including Italian (El Mirador–no one under the age of 12), Asian (El Oriental–no teppanyaki tables or those under the age of 12), and an a la carte which specializes in seafood (La Concha–no one under the age of 12 for the new dinner service).  Reservations are required for all a la cartes for dinner service; reservations are taken from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. and can be made up to three days in advance.  Snacks include oven-baked pizza, hamburger/hot dog/nachos poolside counter, and a deli shop which serves ice cream, Panini sandwiches, pastries, coffee and tea.  There are four bars–a swim-up bar in the adults-only pool, lobby bar, Ekinox rooftop bar, and the bar located by the activities pool.

Entertainment:  Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe does not have a theater; however, it does provide some structured nightly activities by the entertainment staff (games, contests, karaoke), as well as live music in the dinner restaurants.  Staff also escort groups of guests to the local bars and clubs for a designated fee (VIP table and bottle service).

Website:  http://parkroyal.mx/en/park-royal-grand/cancun