Gran Festivall

This hotel was "gawd awful" --broken down and need of a serious restoration or perhaps a "tear down". I WAS ALSO BITTEN ALIVE BY MOSQUITOES. The rooms (#118) was especially bad. After a complaint we got moved to #103 which was somewhat better. However the Sun Wing Rep was most helpful in getting us moved to a much nicer 3 star hotel. Unbelievable that this hotel was rated 3 star, should not have even be offered. [Details]

In my opinion the entertainers were the stars of this resort! They made my time very enjoyable. I do not speak Spanish, but with an open mind, smiles, dance and arm gestures I had the time of my life. The workers were friendly and I enjoyed trying to learn a new language. They also tried English so it was a win-win! Can't wait to return! [Details]

The Really Good:
I loved my one bedroom villa. Just me, with two bathrooms, both of which I used.
Confetti, the a la carte, is sensational. Only open 4 days a week. Book it!
Best buffet meals - go to the Marlin on the beach. Only open 1-4 pm. It's so busy that everything is always fresh.
The bartenders, especially Simon and Paul, are terrific. Margaritas to die for.
The deep pool, just off of the big family pool, is basically deserted. I loved hanging out there.
It was crazy busy on the weekend. A ghost town during the week.
The water slides are way too thrilling for someone my age. Alone, worth the price of admission.

The Bad: The bugs, especially at the otherwise sublime adult pool called SOLARIUM. I was swarmed there by little biters. They hide in the greenery surrounding the pool. I'm home - but I'm still nursing the bites of the week.
The beach club - no loungers on the beach. Plastic chairs, that's all they got.
The one or two people on the desk who have zero English. I had no problem with my meagre Spanish - but some elderly Canadians did when checking in.

To conclude, this place is gigantic. It dwarfs any place I have ever stayed. The grounds are stunning. The staff are fantastic. Everyone is cleaning or serving and providing the best service.
It's just that one thing that still "bugs" me... [Details]

This resort was a nightmare come true.I have nothing good to say about it, it's a ghost hotel with filthy rooms, closed and run down facilities.
I have traveled many times in the past 35 yrs., from 2 star in Cuba to 5 star in Jamaica and have never wanted to leave after an hour of arrival.
Our only salvation, was our rep. (JC) who found us another resort, which we moved to, the very next day (at our expense of course) [Details]

The Gran Festival not only had great food, clean rooms and grounds, but the Staff was the BEST of any resort that we have ever visited !!!!! [Details]

My wife and I had a really good vacation in Gran Festivall. This is quite a big resort with lots of activities, such as water slides, tennis, zip line. The buildings need renovation, but they are quite clean inside and we didn't have any major trouble staying in them (one of the toilets was clogging sometimes, but we could use the other one, since we had two of them in our room). Most of the time the hotel was empty, 100 people at most. On weekend there was a triathlon event, so a lot of locals and event participants came in. Even then it was enough space for all the people (about 1500) and there were no long lines in restaurants. I'd not expect anything fancy out of this resort, but don't be afraid to go there just because of its three star rating or the price sometimes being much lower then in other resorts. [Details]

OVER ALL THE HOTEL WAS GOOD [Details]

Resort changed ownership since the last time we there and they are slowly making some improvements. Could be a very nice place with some renos. Very crowded on the weekend-it was a holiday long weekend. Needs more umbrellas and better beach chairs. Needs better wi-fi service. Best beach in Manzanillo. [Details]

The staff were very helpfull in all respects....A great variety of good food with wonderful fish dishes. The facilities at the resort were amazing...world class tennis courts, great football(soccer) feild, zip line was very cool, water slide tons of fun, paintball(guns were being fixed but) facility looked great, nice quiet pool for us adults and a wonderful kids club (rave reviews from friends with kids)...Just a wonderful trip overall and a wonderful resort! [Details]

I can not believe that this hotel is only a 3 star!!! It should be a six star!!!!!! The staff, food, room and facilities are unbelievable. The staff smiles at the guest and with each other, they are truly nice people, not looking for a tip. The staff came on the bus to say goodbye, the other passengers had tears in their eyes. The staff is very real, they are full of energy. If I was a millionaire I would still go there on a vacation. I would give the resort the money they need to make it a so called five star. I have been many, many, places and by far this has been one of the most enjoyable place. I am going to take both of my grandchildren there in October for a vacation. I highly recommend this resort. They are top draw. The rooms are cleaned very well, the cleaning staff do not steal, I had both money and jewelry out deliberately. I just loved the whole experience there. Anyone that says different is either bias or miserable and hard to please.

Also, the adult pool area is clean, the bar staff bring you your drinks and snacks all day long. They remember how you like your drink from day to day. Nice touch. [Details]

To begin with,
When we arrived in Manzanillo we were greeted by our rep and loaded onto our tour bus, I was able to enjoy my first Mexican Corona while we waited for a few minutes and then it was off to the resort. We arrived after a short (1 beer) trip and were quickly checked in and off to our rooms.
This is where our biggest worry came in, before leaving we had ready another review on another site and had seen some terrible pictures of that couples bedroom. We crossed our fingers and open our door to our bungalow. All I can say is that other couple should have asked for a different room because ours was excellent, right beside the pool,buffet restaurant, the entertainment and the bar. What more can you ask for, it was spotless, well maintained and quite comfortable. There was a downside unfortunately but not the fault of the resort, I am a big man and our bedroom was very small compared to me. When I walked in the bedroom I felt like Hagrid from Harry Potter,however the room was spotlessly clean with updated furniture and a flat screen LCD Tv.
I won't spend alot of time on the other things at the resort because it was very similar to many of the other places my wife and I have travelled. The pool was well maintained and very large , the adult pool was a nice size but I could have done without the 80 year old man in a thong, somethings are meant to stay private. The waterslides looked like alot of fun and were well looked after the beach as expected was "a beach" water sand entertainment people selling things and loads of fun.
Breakfast,lunch and dinner were well staffed and there was plenty to eat, we did not go to the a'la carte dinner but heard from others that it was very good.
I will tell you that the best part of our whole experience at the Gran FestivAll was the entertainment team. Outstanding!! I can't even begin to describe how great these young people were, we were able to spend alittle time with a few of them at breakfast,lunch and dinner,like Kaytee,Lindsee,Meghan and so many more I can't mention them all. From the time the sun came up until well after midnight they were working to make everyone's trip fantastic. As well as running all the activities throughout the day they were responsible for the night shows, and what unbelievable talent we were fortunate to see. The whole team won our hearts and we hope to hear from them to hear how they are or where they are working. While you are there don't miss a single moment with these young people, if you go with kids they will have the most amazing time all day long.
My only disappointment here was they did not have a swim up bar, not that big of a deal but if someone from the company reads this maybe they should find a spot for one. Finally, as great a time as we had it is obvious that the resort overall is in need of updating but while we were there it became evident that things were moving in that direction and the Gran FestivAll was on it's way to becoming an excellent family and couples destination. We will visit Manzanillo again soon and the Gran FestivAll.
We miss everyone there already!!! [Details]

We had stayed here before when it was called Club Maeva and picked it again because of all the facilities for children like the waterslides, etc. It was obvious that they have a lot to learn about catering to North Americans as most announcements were only made in Spanish but I found the staff very pleasant and they were trying very hard. The rooms we had were clean and comfortable but definately did not compare to the Barcelo Karmina Palace so I would make sure that I told any client who is making a choice between the two hotels what to expect. Although they advertise 4 restaurants they were not busy enough to have them open and therefore the choice was either the main restaurant or the one a la carte. I am saddened that this resort which has the most amazing pool area has been allowed to let the lounges which most were covered in bird droppings and are badly worn out and in need of replacement. I did speak to their customer service person and she did have all the guests fill out a survey before they left so I believe again they are trying to correct their problems. [Details]

We had a great time here. The staff was amazing and provided exceptional service. The food is good if you like Mexican. There aren't many alternatives if you don't. Just hamburgers and hotdogs. Also, netting has been put over the windows to keep birds and cats out of the restaurants. We only saw one kitty and that was at the water slide.

The rooms were clean, but nothing has been updated. Still, they are perfect for families because they are set up like apartments.

We never had a problem with not finding someone to speak English. Some staff only know a little and others will often talk to you in Spanish first and then repeat it in English.

There are so many things to do. Water slides, roller skating, tennis, zip line. There is a new kids pool that is huge and very nice. The kids club there is best we've ever found in Mexico. It has it's own enclosed playground and wading pool. Even my 10 year old loved it there with all the crafts. The ladies at the club really do watch the kids carefully. They go in the water with the kids when it's swimming time.

My only complaint is that it is not as well maintained as it was 6 years ago on our last visit there. The loungers don't get washed down very often and there are things from the trees in the bigger kids pool. Some places the grass hasn't been trimmed. But if you aren't expecting luxury and modern facilities, you can have a really great time here with all the activities it offers.

Oh, and the beach. The main reason why we came back. We have stayed at other hotels in Manzanillo,but we always end up taking a taxi back to Miramar beach. It is a short walk from the hotel, but there is a pedestrian bridge. Gran Festival has a restaurant and bar right on the beach too, so you don't have to walk back for lunch. The beach is perfect for kids because it is a shallow beach. Also perfect for boogie boarding, the waves are great a little further out. There is a huge market on this beach for shopping. There are many restaurants and all will provide service to you on the beach. It's completely safe to leave your things under the umbrella while you go swimming. No time share sales people. There are peddlers, but everyone is very friendly. [Details]

the resort was more than what we expected. food, service, weather, and especially the beach were all great. our 2 young kids(5&2)were able to swim in the ocean 20 to 30 feet out.be prepared to walk 10 minutes to get to the beach but it's good exercise. the hotel is no 5 star(similar food choices, lacking simple luxuries like espresso or a lounge bar)but it was a fantastic 3 star. overall it gave more than what you paid for. [Details]

We have stayed at Maeva 4 times; the last time being from Nov 16 to Nov 30 2010. Our last experience was not as good as previous ones. For almost all of the time we were the only non-mexican couple at the resort. Halfway through our stay new management took over, and all of the staff went out on strike. Hence:
- sandwiches were brought in for supper on the day of the strike
- there was no bar service anywhere that day
- and front desk service was unavailable
- the pool bar was closed for 2 days
- the 2 stores on the resort were closed all week
- the staff who returned to work were reduced in numbers
- cable tv and internet service were cut off for a few days
- there was no wifi for about 5 days
- the specialty restaurant was unavailable for a few days
- there was no wine in the main restaurant for 2 nights
- there was no entertainment for 3 nights
- the lineup for one outdoor dinner was so long that we gave up waiting
- some facilities such as water slides were closed for a time.
The staff who did return were pleasant and helpful. Our room was always kept clean. [Details]

this was my 3rd time to maeva and just as great as my 1st time there. highly recommend to everybody even people with kids. [Details]

We greatly enjoyed our stay at Club Maeva and will definitely return. The resort is on beautiful grounds, with access to a fantastic beach and lots of amenities. The staff were friendly and helpful and the rooms were very well kept. The food was pretty good - It would be nice to see more vegetarian options available but I understand that the cuisine caters to the clientele. Overall, the food was beautifully presented and very fresh. [Details]

We were a group of 8. 3 adults, late forties, two 20 year olds, 2 19 year olds and a 17 year old.
The rooms in the hotel could definately use updating, but they were clean. There was a smell from the air conditioning, but nothing we couldn't live with.
There were alot of mexicans at the resort, approximately 90% and I found that the staff at, especially at the beginning of the week catered to them as they spoke alot of spanish and rarely converted what they were saying to English. I am assuming it was because it was a national holiday, but am not sure whey they wouldn't repeat what they were saying for the english only speaking guests.
This is a great resort for families. They have waterslides, skating, volleyball, soccer, paintballs, archery and a zip line. Always something to do for the kids.
Personally, I loved the trip. Although my 19 year old wanted to have more or a nightlife, we made the best of it at the family disco. The adults pool area was also wonderful, where they offered massages and a quiet place to relax. [Details]