Bahia Principe Grand Tulum

BIG DISAPPOITMENT Beach near resort beach and sea shore was under big maintenance project proper briefing for entire resort beach side totally absent very disappointed

Access to all four resort facilities shall be offered free of cost

Very few staff members were able to speak English limiting ability to communicate

The resort is too far away from Cancun From Toronto it took 12 hours to reach resort

Buffet location was very smelly, enclosed and proper ventilation is very urgently required. Surprised why buffet tables are not with option to sit open air area

Only few options for buffet

It was dark more Proper lighting required

Indian restaurant has very few items and improperly made with wrong names
Roti or Naan was made out of Pita bread or Pizza base not normal thing
Food was too spicey

Entertainment programs were not properly informed / advertised to resident

Pool side music was too loud [Details]

Firstly, it's hard to find information on this online so for the beer lovers out there - they serve Dos Equis lager and ambar on tap. That being said if you don't get to the ambar by about 4pm they run out at every bar or restaurant which is not good since the lager tastes watered down. This led to me drinking much less during the trip which I suppose is a health benefit?

On to the review of the resort.

Upon arrival the check in process was quick and friendly. When we arrived to our room we noticed two things right off the top, the bedding was tucked in and appeared made, but the sheets were dirty, and the TV was broken, but usable (black vertical line center left of screen, for which i made a service call). The rest of the room was in good shape. Despite making a service call upon check in and told someone would come and fix it, the tv was not fixed/replaced during our stay. All following days bedding was clean after housekeeper tended to room. We had strong wifi signal in our room and all over the rest of the resort.

The buffet/service

This is a two parter. I'll address service.

Serving staff were very friendly, but slow. This type of thing typically isn't a huge deal as buffets you obviously serve yourself, but with one annoying exception - water/drinks which you must wait for. Sometimes you will wait 10 minutes before serving staff will bring you water. This is ordinarily an annoyance, but it becomes a bit unbearable when it's about 35 degrees Celsius in the buffet and seating area. On many visits I attempted to go and fill up water on my own and I was told to sit down and they would bring it to me, again after a lengthy delay. I think the satisfactory solution to this would be to have a self serve station for drinks (or for the very least, water) as you have for the buffet.

The buffet area itself a situation of good, bad and ugly.

The good:
Also a pro tip - there is a room on the far side of the buffet area you can sit in that is slightly air conditioner and does not have mosquitos. Arrive to the buffet early and make your way to this room immediately. You walk through the entrance into the food area and it will be the large room on your right hand side. Use this room as often as you can. After sitting in the main buffet seating area with the fountain you will understand why this room is so valuable.

The bad:
The food is not good. I am not much of a food guy. In fact if it's edible I usually give it a pass, but even I hated the food here with the exception of the Spanish food. All other food seemed tasteless or poorly done/overly seasoned, borderline inedible in some cases. They could not seem to find a middle ground here.

The ugly:
Food handling or food sanitary issues.
Half way through the trip I came down with a food borne illness, and I ate exclusively at the resort. I've been trying to pinpoint the origin of the illness and I have narrowed it down to either the Tuna at the Japanese restaurant, or from the buffet earlier that day. In any event I was sick for the remainder of the trip.

Mosquitos.
The main buffet eating room swarms with mosquitos making it incredibly uncomfortable to sit for more than a few minutes to eat. I am not talking one or two mosquitos either, at times I would be swarmed by about 20 at a time. This is not a problem in the other eating area though.

I listed the service at the food truck as a negative as well. This is solely because they are overwhelmed due to volume. It is not a criticism of the staff working there. Same goes for the lobby. While service is slow everyone is pleasant.

The grounds:

The grounds and pools were very nice for the most part. You can tell the groundskeepers put in a lot of work to make sure everything looks good and the grounds were in a good state of repair.

The pools were also pretty good with the exception of nearly every light fixture below water level which was loose or protruding, and not by design. This needs to be addressed. Otherwise the pool tiles were all in great shape. The kids area pools and water parks were excellent. My kids spent many hours there and they never grew tired or bored of the pools or water slides.

Swimming with dolphins was a great bonus. This was one of the reasons we chose this specific resort and they delivered. The kids got a great experience interacting directly with dolphins in their area and they loved it.

The evening shows were pretty awesome, especially the urban light show.

The resort is pretty far from playa del Carmen or cancun, so day trips out that way can be pretty expensive if you're using a taxi. There is a collectivo that passes by the front of the resort that you can catch to head into playa del Carmen, before jumping on one I'd suggest you tubing it to see how it works to avoid confusion/problems.

All in, there are too many issues to consider this a 5 star resort. I wouldn't even consider this a 4 star. I would consider this to be firmly into the 3-3.5 star territory. Not to say it's a bad resort, but temper your expectations if you choose to stay here.

While we enjoyed our time here for the most part, there is nothing really compelling us to return to this resort in the future. [Details]

Despite its 4.5 star rating, my recent stay at Bahia Principe Grand Tulum left much to be desired. The allure of its high rating was quickly overshadowed by the reality of dated rooms and incessant upselling attempts.
We had booked a Junior suite but was offered a Premium Superior upon check in as if they were doing us a favour. We were met with a location right beside a very busy loading dock next to the buffet. When we entered our room we immediately were hit with a strong mildew/damp smell, ants crawling around entrance The room although having been updated in terms of decor, there were damages and marks on walls, doors etc. The premium room bathroom vanity was literally in front of us as we entered the room. There was no separate room. The shower and water closet had see through doors so no privacy. Despite the promise of a premium room, it fell short of expectations.

Although we eventually were moved, having two suites booked. One was much more updated and spacious with more appropriate amenities while the other still needed much updating as there were cracks in vanity, shower head not functioning, and overall need of repair.

What dampened the experience more so was the relentless push for upsells. From the timeshare booth, to 3/5 shows offered in the week that were ticket holders only, to the Foam party as an extra cost despite not mentioning on the promo flyer, to top shelf alcohol not included(wine included). From the moment we checked in, I felt bombarded with attempts to upgrade my stay or purchase additional amenities.

While the grounds were beautifully maintained and picturesque, the entertainment staff such great energy and hard working, the room attendants working hard, restaurant and bar staff were excellent, the resort failed to deliver an experience worthy of this rating.

I left feeling underwhelmed and unlikely to return. [Details]

This resort was beautiful and very clean, grounds well maintained. Rooms were very nice. The only negative thing I can say about the rooms is the combination of the bathroom/shower being practically in the living space of bedroom area. I travelled with my sister and the shower door you can see through, as well as the toilet closet. No privacy whatsoever. No proper bathroom with walls. [Details]

It's was very good I've been there a couple times prices have increased crazy for everything trips chips sunscreen souvenirs etc I think they water down there drinks a little to much [Details]

First time staying in Mexico, will definitely be back! [Details]

We want to recognize a few of the staff that we came across that went over, and above in the dining room, Jordi was excellent made sure that we had what we needed filled up our coffee water smiled. He's a superstar on the entertainment we recognize Dominika. He was amazing always smiling willing to help. We went to a few things that he had offered. He also is a superstar. You're lucky to have him. He's very good at what he does. Also, we want to recognize the gentleman at the very front who takes the luggage and drives you where you want to go tell us which trolly to take and his name is Gregorio very pleasant helpful not sure if I spelled his name right . He was very tall a full head of hair we would love to recognize these staff members as they are going above and beyond very good employees . Please forgive me if I spelled there names wrong . [Details]

The service staff were all great.
The resort was lovely
The food was decidedly boring
the drinks were more sweet than alcoholic, didn't really find a great drink
the room was cleaned well, when service was needed ( safe wouldn't lock, tv was broken) took close to 2 hours to fix [Details]

We loved Bahia Principe Grand Tulum and would highly recommend it. The resort is goregous with lots of pools and pool chairs and a beautiful beach. They have some of the best Mexican food we have had in our 7 times visiting Mexico. The rooms are nice and clean. There are lots of activities and entertainment. Staff are wonderful and friendly. Once suggestion we would make is to label their food if it is spicy.
Loved the resort, I would say that it is one of my top two resorts to visit in Mexico. [Details]

Hola !
My wife and I strongly recommend this resort.
Friendly staff & atmosphere . Excellent assortment of tasty foods and daily entertainment.
The staff are extremely accommodating.
Rooms and resort were always kept clean by all hard working staff.
Language barrier can be an issue. Knowing their language better could have been beneficial. That said, they did accommodate us tremendously.
Trollies were readily available.
Love this place, especially loved the people. One particular person specifically went over and beyond to heavily assist my wife with her first snorkelling cenote experience- NEVER to be forgotten!
Thankful to have had this first all inclusive resort experience.
We will be back god willing. Gracias / THANK YOU KINDLY!!! [Details]

We arrived Nov. 16th and the first week was good but then I got food poisoning. Came on suddenly with both diarrhea and vomiting. No fun! It took a few days to feel good again. Not sure what kind of alcohol they were using but the drinks in the buffet had an odd taste. I was with a group so it was still fun.Bingo was fun. Staff was friendly. Very hot and muggy. We left on Nov. 30th. Long bus ride both ways. I think this was my first and last trip to an all inclusive. [Details]

It was the first time for my family of 5 (2 adults, 3 kids) to go on a trip of this magnitude. We had an awesome 7 days at the resort. To be able to use Coba to eat and swim was also a bonus. Our room being close to the pools and the ocean was also welcomed. The staff from the lobby, the restaurants and the kids club was so professional and always accommodating. My kids loved every minute of their time at the kids club. The food selection was also great. Will definitely recommend to family and friends to stay at Bahia principe. [Details]

It was great, online checkin, online restaurants booking, good rooms, good food, many activities, good beach, amazng AC at the room, amazing team, very clean, concierge always available, no wait time any place, great shows and pool activities and amazing kids and teens activities. Just the best for the whole family [Details]

Hotel itself is located im nice jungle area with well maintained garden. Beach is long and has 3 section so you can find a lot of space to enjoy however the beach in main section is not usable as of rocks and coral reefs. You rely your beach experience on seaweed situation and during my stay ocean and beach were amazing. [Details]

This was a wonderful family vacation destination! The grounds are huge - 3 separate outdoor pools to chose from; one main that has lots of entertainment / music; one mainly for kids; another one a little more quiet. Everywhere you looked the place was spotless, the staff were well trained and always willing to help, the food and drinks were plentiful, and the overall beauty of the resort was awesome! We will definitely stay here again. Miriam (front desk), Alejandro and Edgar (entertainment), Edwin (server), and many more made for a wonderful experience. Thank you so much. [Details]

I enjoyed this resort but will most likely not return [Details]

Food at buffet was not hot. Intolerably loud music at pool-especially after foam party on Sunday afternoon. Pool bar ran out of ingredients fairly regularly. [Details]

Overall we had a wonderful experience, it had everything we needed for a week, and we would go back. The atmosphere is family friendly and laid-back, not a party scene. What follows is in-depth about our experience for those who like details. I have a few suggestions/complaints but they are very minor.
*Warm water, sandy, shallow areas, and lots of room on the beach
*It's a huge resort and I'm guessing not close to full, so there was room, food, service, towels, shows, transport, etc for everyone.
*The pools are very cold, much colder than the ocean. Hardly anyone was in them. This would be #2 on my improvement list.
*Drinks are generally good. Bartender skills/knowledge vary, but they are willing to take directions. They are not full strength at the all-inclusive price, but when you start drinking at 10 in the morning this is not a bad thing.
*There is a lot of variety at the buffet, and quality is always okay, occasionally a dish was very good. Labels for food were often missing, wrong, or in the wrong place. If I was to pick my #1 thing for the resort to improve this would be it. Very frustrating not to know what the food is or to have to ask all the time!
*Give yourself time to get around. The resort is big, and restaurants may be on the Coba side. There are various shuttles with different routes. A few maps exist with route names/numbers, but don't expect the shuttles to have those names/numbers on them. Ask the drivers.
*A la carte restaurants -keep your expectations low: Teppanyaki Japanese, Hindu Thali, and Le Gourmet were good. Tequila Mexican wasn't much different from the buffet Mexican. Maybe it's regional differences, but I enjoy the Mexican restaurants at home, and what I had at the Cancun airport, much more than the resort.
*Housekeeping cleanliness was good enough, but we had to ask specifically for some basic things like refilling as the tissue box, doors were not wiped, floors not wiped, and sheets were strangely not covering the foot of the bed.
*Some quirks like bathroom light sensors positioned so that they turn off either very quickly (room) or while you're still standing at a pew (lobby); many unlabelled light switches.
*Our bathroom was not a room, just slightly separated from the sleeping area. Toilet has its own stall, but the door is glass, and not quite mirrored enough. Ask questions about your room if you're not intimate with your roommates.
*The environment feels safe, but use the in-room safe, keep valuables secure, and don't flash wads of cash like a woman in front of me at the pool bar line up with a thick stack of USD.
*Shows: We enjoyed the Black Bird Beatles musical, and each of us liked at least parts of the Origen show. The Fiesta Mexicana was a pleasant surprise if you get into the spirit of it. Be prepared for limited food options and long lines. If you are a vegetarian or have other dietary requirements, it might be a plan to eat at the buffet before you go.
*Activities: we joined the bike tour a couple of times, with different leaders and it was a different experience. A nice way to get out and around. There seems to be a good variety of things to do but we didn't try anything else.
*Staff were almost all lovely and keen. Of course there are always a couple of people who are more bored or dialing it in. Knowing a few words of Spanish helps a lot. Most staff spoke and understood enough English, but sometimes it required talking to someone else. Some strange behaviours like asking us twice whether we wanted coffee but not actually bringing it.
*The BP app for information and registration is clunky and incomplete. For example, we registered for our shows, and it showed the location for some but not all. This would be my #3 area for improvement: an orientation, guidebook, information, communication, labels, signage, etc.
*The alignment between the resort and the tour agency and the transportation company was not very good. The resort could do more to provide information about available resources on site.
*People were generally well behaved, but there are those who smoke in crowds and lines, don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom, hold up their phones for long periods during shows, go ahead of others who have been waiting to take spots on the shuttles, think that we all want to listen to their music on the beach, etc. The resort could help by establishing, communicating, and gently enforcing norms.
*I had been to the BP Grand Akumal several years ago so I knew what to expect. If you just reduce your expectations a tiny bit you will have lots of room to be pleasantly surprised. I would call this 4 star by most standards, not 5.
*We had both been to the area before and were looking for a recharge so we didn't feel a need to leave the resort. There are some shops if you want souvenirs, and they seemed to be of good quality, but expect tourist prices. [Details]

We stayed at Grand Tulum from October 19-26th. During this time we met so many amazing people but the staff by far were absolutely outstanding!

The entertainment team, mainly Jesus, Gretal, Axel, Benny, Brandon, Omar, and Eduardo really put in the effort to get to know us and we loved participating in activities with them!

Our kids absolutely loved the kids club staff! Specifically Daniel and Emma! They loved acting out performances with them and we found it so special too!

The level of care that these people put into their jobs is absolutely amazing. Highly recommend you talk to these people on your vacation because getting to know them will make your stay much more personal and amazing!

The bartenders also try very hard to get to know people and remember heir drinks not to mention they make amazing drinks at this resort!

The food is also excellent! A ton of choices at the buffet,

We had a beautiful time can't wait to do it again! [Details]

We got our monies worth for mid June, I think. Bus ride to resort from airport and back is long. It's a family place with great entertainment staff and numerous pools. Most staff are pleasant and helpful. Renovated rooms are nice. Buffet is American with little mexican food choice. It was near impossible to reserve restaurants but only the Mexican restaurant was better than the buffet. Drinks are too sweet and no trace of alcohol. Seaweed and rock took over the beach so there's no going into the water there. No beach. Done it, moving on. [Details]

The hotel was not the best. We stayed at the tulum resort and the wind noise was terrible coming in from the doors out to the balcony. The biggest issue that I have is that we are members of the privilege club and i was not able to use it cause we booked online with a agent, and I can only use the benefits from May to Dec, which was never disclosed to us. . The club is a absolute joke and want all the money back I paid. Being a member didn't feel like we were treated like members. I would like to be contacted in regards to the members club. We had booked a trip in 2020 for my wife's 40th and was cancelled due to covid. We paid in full. Due to the fact that we couldn't come down getting the money back took over a year to get. The members club is a buyer beware. [Details]

The rooms were pristine all newly renovated in tile in shades of creams and white. The grounds were breath taking - beautiful. The pool decks were so stunning! The food was good. There were still covid restrictions in place - so the self serve ice cream and drink machines were closed- which was a bit of an inconvenience. But expect that will change as restrictions lift. The people were very helpful. Especially our BD experience rep. Antonio, he set us up on some unreal excursions and went out of his way to be helpful. Highly recommend! This was our 2nd visit here- and it won't be our last! [Details]

Isolated hotel in the middle of nowhere, so if you are planning to explore the city or other places then you need to pay for extremely expensive tours, a rental car, or taxis. Be prepared to negotiate for everything as prices can based on your skills.

There was a promise for credit up to $1,650 to be used in activities but that credit was not honored. Very expensive to do any activities beyond swimming and eating. Crazy prices with artificial discounts.

I went for a few minutes to swim and when I came out all my stuff including my slippers were stolen. Do not leave your things unattended or be ready to lose them. Keep your eyes on your belongings all the time.

They sprayed some chemicals for the plants or the mosquitoes without any warnings. I did not appreciate inhaling the fumes while walking.

They have an APP that they want you to use. Be aware the APP has access to your private info including pictures and videos. [Details]

The hotel was comfortable. The shower had good water pressure, and the ac worked well. Sadly we had two twin beds put together side by side. As a couple we ended up sharing one twin bed for the week which was a bit cramped. I asked at the front desk if they would get us a room with one queen and was told no promises but to come back to the front desk at 13:00 to see if anyone had checked out. We didn't want to have to leave the beach at the other end of the resort to check this out so we left it. A better system for accommodating such requests would be beneficial. Staff should be able to assess who is checking out and accommodate requests accordingly I felt. We had a water leak over our toilet one afternoon but it was fixed quickly with no concerns. The food was great! 10/10 meal at the brazilian restaurant, 8/10 at the tepanyakki yakki (our grill room was stifling hot!) The italian restaurant tried hard but missed the mark and none of us enjoyed our meal.Hand sanitizers all over the resort and at the entry to the buffet was much appreciated! Shows were fun and we went to most. The beach was lovely. A bit rocky in spots. Lots of fish so bring your own snorkel if you have. We liked the resort and would recommend it to friends and family. [Details]

I don't know if my review will even be able to capture the amazing experience you will receive here.

The hotel grounds are massive. There was so much to explore that I'm sure I didn't see half of it. But it was absolutely stunning, beautiful view, steps from the beach. There was something for everyone there.

The staff where the hardest working people I have ever seen. They worked hard to make sure everything was perfect. They always greeted with a smile. The ground keepers worked hard to make sure there was nothing out of place and the hotel looked pristine everyday.

Will definitely be back! [Details]

Housekeeping was awful even though I did tip every day. Food was okay. Al a cartes were disappointing. I wouldn't recommend this to any of my friends or family members. [Details]

Our stay was very nice clean resort great beds
Good maid service
At buffet Food was average cooking meat needs improvement
We did not eat at the alacarte restaurants only Japanese mikado good but would have liked more veg but fun meal staff and show great
Nightly shows not bad
Beach great friendly service
Gym very nice but needs more treadmills
We have been to this resorts 4 times in the early 2000's
Seen a lot of improvement will probably go back again
The bus ride from airport is about 1 1/2. Hrs
Very quiet didn't here any noise around rooms
As you walk out of hotel you have to carry cases down 2 shot sets stairs no ramp from top which would have been easier
With cases being heavy [Details]

This hotel is a beautiful spot in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico. The pool and beach area are great places to soak up the sun. The pool temperature is a bit cool for me but the ocean was a short walk away and a refreshing temperature. [Details]

The hotel was clean, spacious, active, and beautiful. The staff were friendly, kind, spoke and understood many different languages. Some of the guests had issues with reading signs about disposing toilet paper into the garbage and not the toilets. Inevitably the toilets would over flow. The staff were quick at cleaning up the issue. There is lots of space for everyone and not feel crowded. They have a bus system to get around from the adjoining resorts and within the resorts. It was easy. The food was plentiful and really good. The A la Carte restaurants booked up quickly, so we didn't get to experience anything other than the buffets. The beach was nice, a bit rocky, and lots of fish to see when snorkeling. Lots of shade everywhere. You could pick a new spot or activity every day and not get bored. Lots of small critters to watch on the grounds. Internet was limited in your room to 15 mins per day per email account. The distance from the airport was long but worth it. As a Travel Agent, I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. [Details]

We spent 7 nights at the GBP resort for our 20th anniversary. Lovely location in which they put a huge amount of energy keeping the grounds up. Room was immaculate and we felt very safe. We forgot to lock our safe one day and security locked up our room until our return so that no one would be able to enter. What really makes this place great are the warm friendly employees who work tirelessly trying to serve the guests. From the buffet servers, cooks and al a carte staff - we were treated like royalty. Buffet had a large selection with many options to suit any palate. Activities at the pool were great with an enthusiastic team that kept everyone laughing and having fun. [Details]