Though we came in the evening and were surprised at the location during night time, it was close to fifth ave and great shopping. A cab was $50 pesos to Fifth Ave.

The good:
The snack bar had a lot to choose from and was usually pretty fast
The hotel refunded us for wireless fees when the wireless was down
Smaller resort, easy to get around
Lots of Chairs etc for the pool and the beach
Staff members were very helpful, friendly and overall created a great experience at the resort.
Kids LOVED The turtles in the lobby fountain
The Italian A La Carte Restaurant was fantastic

The Bad:
Our room and another couple we were with seemed to be full of small ants, more than a hundred in a path from the bathroom to the door
Beds were hard, very, very hard.
Dated and in need of repairs throughout the rooms
The outdoor ceramic flooring is slippery as heck when wet, watch your step!
Non-heated pool - freezing!
Buffet food was not very good - Breakfast was decent, dinner left much to be desired.
Not a lot to do on the resort after ten in the evening

We were there for a week and the staff members were great. Went out of their way to help toddler down stairs etc, friendly, great service everywhere you went.

We came for a destination wedding, so maybe it was just the travel agent that booked it - but there are WAY better values for the money (this one was $1,400/person for the week from Alberta, Canada). Can't complain about this, since we didn't pay for it - but still, it seems very high for the age of the resort.

We stayed at the Grand Coco Bay Jan 13 - 20. The resort is in an excellent location if you like Playa Del Carmen and 5th Ave. We walked along the beach a number of times and also walked back to the hotel on the streets one evening. Playa Del Carmen is a great place to shop and prices are reasonable...you need to check out multiple stores as prices very and some will barter with you. Go in the day time and also take a night trip (Thurs - Sat) to see the action. A cab ride from the hotel to the far end of 5th Ave should not cost you more then $5 US. Ask how much before you get in, All of them told us 55 peso's but one and we refused to ride in his cab. He pulled out of the hotel lobby did a U turn and came back to take us for our $5 offer.

The Resort was perfect for us. It is not as opulant as many 4 or 5 star resorts but if you understand how star ratings work opulance is not one of them. We LOVED the size of the resort. There were always lounge chairs available, The pool was never crowded. No major line ups for food or drinks and the staff was always cheerful, helpful and courteous. Alphonzo you have great people working with you!

The rooms were clean, no moldy smell, and no bugs! We left our patio door open the whole time we were there with the sheer curtain pulled (as sort of a screen to keep any birds out). I had read reviews the rooms were full of bugs but we were on the third floor and had none. We saw a couple gecko's on the outside wall but nothing in the room.

We would definately go back to this resort.

The staff made the vacation fantastic, they all went above and beyond to make sure you were pleased. We have visited many all inclusive resorts in Mexico, will return to this one. My daughter and I were treated like royalty, which is customary in Mexico. The grounds and beach were beautiful, and well maintained. The food was good with a lot of variety, we really enjoyed the fresh fruit and omlett bar. The strang looking green juice is fantastic!

Grand Coco Bay is like CHEERS where they all learn your name…
We stayed at the Grand Coco Bay in December for our wedding anniversary. Coco Bay is a small resort, the swimming pool, restaurants and beach is right outside your bedroom door. The mood of the resort is slow and relaxing. Every one of the resort staff are so very friendly, they are all so willing to stop and talk, always asking if there is anything they can do for you today. We have stayed at larger 5 stars resorts where the staff is so busy tending to the large number of guests that they do not have time to stop and say hola. We were able to become good friends with almost every one of the resort staff we talked to, which is why staying at this resort is so special. It is like visiting with a family member.
The bell hops, Alermo or Victor are the first persons to greet us as we get out of the airport transfer.
They always greet with a warm welcome, smile and handshake. They unload the baggage and direct us to the lobby to check in. As we get to the check in desk we are greeted by Alfonso and Zoila who attend to us the minute we approach the desk. Check in process is fast and straightforward. We are given room keys, towel keys, AI bracelet and the opportunity to rent the in room safe. Alfonso was able to switch our room from the third floor down to the ground floor without any hesitation. During check in we are handed a moist towel and a glass of champagne.

With check in complete, we meet Alermo at our room as he delivered our baggage, and gives us a tour of our room explains how to use the room safe, verifies the TV remote is operational and explains how frequently the soda and beer is restocked in our room refrigerator. Our room was very clean and we had no problem sleeping.

The buffet has a wonderful breakfast; I especially enjoy the omelet and waffle station.
Our waitress, “Gabriella surprised us during lunch on the day of our anniversary by bringing us a cake with the words happy anniversary on it. Adelmira was very efficient with the coffee pot so early in the morning.
At lunch we always started with a salad. Then onto what the cook was fixing. Was so delicious.

Every night they have a different theme which gives variety. Bernardo was our waiter on most evenings; he was always running and with a smile on his face.
One night I was not feeling well, stomach ache, chills, (dang flu in Mexico) and the captain asked if they could make me some chicken soup. I thought that was so thoughtful. But then again, that is what this resort is like. (I had yogurt & it did the job).
Now let’s be real… Yes, at times it is the same kind of food. They have what 20 different dishes. Not sure about you but at my house I DO NOT serve that kind of variety. So change it up….
The only bad food I had there was one time the beans were a bit salty for me. The next morning they were back normal.

All the buffet staff is extremely nice and efficient. I wish I could name them all.

There are two specialty restaurants, Mexican and Italian that require men to wear pants and close toed shoes. The food at both restaurants is very good. Reservations for the specialty restaurant can be made at the buffet in the morning.
Please, try either one or both. The food is DELISH!!! The service is beyond 5 stars.
We enjoyed the service provided by Samuel & Francisco in the Italian restaurant. After dinner Francisco would bring me a cup of coffee and Wassel cream liquor which was very good.

The snack bar is out by the swimming pool. It is open during the afternoon and late at night and serves pizza, hamburgers nachos and other yummy snacks.

Pool Bar…  well delish drinks, not short on alcohol, service with a smile, and they are busy but what pool bar is not, right….
These guys work very hard 6 days a week so it never hurts to leave some pesos to show your thanks.

Luis at the buffet can make a great variety of drinks, just ask, he can do it. There is also a bar in the lobby and a sports bar. Well shoot, you will get great service at all the bars and restaurants.

The beach has been losing ground for a while. We were in Playa last year and the beach was huge. So in a year’s time it has lost so much ground. This makes me so sad but not sure how that would be any resorts fault.

The beach with white sand and turquoise water is beautiful. The cool breeze coming off the ocean kept the temperature comfortable. The U shape of the resort facing the ocean allows the cool breeze to blow over the swimming pool and lounge chairs having a similar cooling effect. If it got too hot we would jump into the pool or into the ocean to cool off. We spent a lot of time lounging at both the beach and pool with a cold beverage. On one afternoon of lounging on the beach I had discovered I did not have my camera. Earlier on I had taken a stroll on the beach and was taking pictures. I placed the camera in my pocket and it apparently fell out. I walked up to the main lobby and found Alermo and asked if they had a lost and found and if a camera had been found. He immediately phoned the resort security, at that time there was no report of a camera. I did not think I would ever see that camera again. Later on in the afternoon we were lounging near the pool and Alermo comes up to me and tells me that the beach security guard had found my camera, which was amazing! I was so surprised.

Since I had my camera back I was able to take more pictures while taking walks on the beach. The location of GCB is close enough to allow you to walk down the beach to 5th Avenue to shop. We would stop on our walk at a beach club and have a cold beverage and some ceviche.

The entertainment staff at the resort provides various activities throughout the day; I enjoyed playing beach volley ball. The nice thing about this entertainment staff is that they don’t nag you to join in the activities. Some resorts they nag to no end. In the evenings after dinner the entertainment staff would provide a nightly show. My favorite was the Mexican show with all its color, dance and music.


If you are looking for a warm charming place to spend your vacation, I highly recommend staying at GCB.
We will be staying there on our next vacation to Playa Del Carmen.

Grand Coco Bay staff goes above and beyond their duties; they take the extra step to make your stay better.
I will be returning many more times. I look forward to bringing my grandchildren here one day.