Recently stayed at the South Seas for 3 nights with our 3 children, ages 4, 7 and 8. We were looking for some days of swimming and relaxtion.

The Area. Cancun is extremely built up. There are miles and miles of high-rise hotels along the stunningly lovely beach. This is NOT the spot for a low-key holiday. You can eat, shop, arrange tours and more. We visited after the spring break rush, so the crowds weren’t bad, but I can imagine the place turns into a virtual madhouse during peak times.

Check-in. Uneventful and easy, although it could have been a bit speedier. Again, this could really be an annoyance if the place was busy.

Property Description. This hotel boasts a large number of rooms, but the layout is very manageable and easy to walk. We stayed in a 1-bedroom suite in the main building, which consists of a beautiful vine-draped atrium. If noise is an issue for you, I would HIGHLY recommend avoiding this main building. There is live music nightly which echoes up through the atrium. I am talking air conditioning had to be on FULL BLAST so you couldn’t hear it! The music ended most nights by 9:30, but again, it may go later during Cancun’s peak season.

Accommodations. The suite, a king bedroom and completely separate living room with pull-out sofa bed, was very clean and well-appointed with modern furnishings that were well-maintained. There were wonderful patios off of each of the 2 rooms to enjoy, as well. Bed linens were very fine quality and the mattress nice and firm (our preference!). Bathroom was well-done and quite clean. My only complaint was that when the roll-away bed arrived for our 3rd child, its frame was rather dusty, it seems from lack of use. I gave it a good wipe-down, but this was truly something that should have been taken care of before it arrived to us.

The Staff. Housekeeping was hardworking and did a fine job of pleasing the guests. The rest of the staff was just fine. I didn’t feel they went over the top to make your stay enjoyable, but they were responsive to our needs and pleasant. Nothing special.

Kid Services. There is a great shallow pool at the very end of the property, as well as a separate baby pool in the same area which was great for the younger crowd. There are plenty of palapas for getting in the shade, but again, I would worry about their availability during the peak season. Further, the area boasts of a small outdoor kiddie “room” where there was the occasional puppet show or movie being shown.

Food. We ordered lunch at the pool 2 of the days. Food, albeit expensive, was just fine for a casual, kid-friendly lunch. The only draw-back was that there weren’t many waiters around, probably because the hotel wasn’t that crowded, so you had to “find” someone to order for you. Got breakfast of coffees and pastries each morning at The Market, a nicely-stocked convenience store inside the hotel. We left the resort for all our dinners since there are a gazillion to choose from in Cancun. I you want to avoid the tourist traps or the same old American chain restaurants, I suggest you head up to El Centro to find some authentic local cuisine.

Hard Sell. The Sol Melia group which owns this hotel offers a world-wide vacation club. Salespeople try to sell this program in a ridiculously hard-core manner—from pouncing on you in the lobby right after check-in, to leaving you phone messages, to inquiring if you are interested when you call housekeeping for extra towels! We put our foot down in a bit of a rude way because we were fed up—but it did stop thereafter.

In summary, I would absolutely try this brand of hotels in the future. However, because my family prefers a somewhat quainter vacation, I probably would not choose Cancun again.

IF YOU READ BAD REVIEWS - SOMEBODY IS CRAZY!
I own 3 timeshares in varous locations and traded within to try out the Gran Melia in Cancun with mixed feelings at first, reading a toss up of good and bad reviews on this location. So, I went expecting the unexpected.
The old saying you can't please everyone still runs rampid out there but still makes me wonder where and what some people expect in a foreign country. They put down the local folks and blame them for not speaking english or the pace they keep at work or whatever is not the norm where they come from is not the way it should be......well grow up, enrich your life, experience a different world than what you live in, respect the folks and they will respect you. DId you ever think they way you are being treated or the horrible time you had was partially your own self induced behavior ?
Well, I'm glad I got that off my chest after reading bad reviews. The Gran Melia is certainly a Grand Place from the moment you approach the long expansive road entry to the breathtaking Atrium off the Lobby. Five tower buildings shaped with pyramid glass tops over lush tropical atriums with fountains and just as impressive at night all lit up. The free form pools that run along the ocean side are beautiful and refreshing. The beautiful color of the ocean and pounding surf. Restaurants to please every taste and breathtaking views from the lobby lounge while you sit in mini-living room couch arrangements along the window line. And yes, the people are very friendly, most speak or understand english and don't be afraid to tip for good service it goes a long way for a buck.
The building is laid out with 5 tower buildings all atrium interiors inter connected with more atriums, extremely well maintained and beautiful. Tower 3 is where the main lobby is and most likely where all will arrive. This is the focal point of the hotel and has an 8 floor high atrium in the center with hanging plants, fountains and lounges and shows are put on nightly.
Tower 1 is for the Sol Melia Vacation Club members exclusively and more than likely most will be talked into going on a tour after a complimentary lunch. Tower 2 is for the Melia Vacation Club members which I happen to belong to and where I stayed in a Ocean View Junior Suite which had marble floors and bathroom, sitting area, king size bed, toilet and bidet, dual sinks and overhead rainshower and 6 ft towels.
Tower 4 is where the spa is located and very peaceful area, Tower 5 is the Royal Service Tower and you need a special key card to enter. You all have heard about it and if you like to be pampered, have your own butler, private pool area then go for it. I checked out the pool and it was pretty but dead with little or no activity but plentiful of balinese beds to go around and a premium in the regular areas if you don't get up at sunup to reserve one. A typical scenerio at all hotels in Mexico that is rarely enforced so get used to it !
I decided to take the All Inclusive Plan which was sounded expensive but ended up saving money in the long run if you plan on eating all meals and drinks, snacks during the day. Food is very expensive in Cancun along the strip. Note: Bottled Water is like Gold and treated like champagne and not included in your All Inclusive Plan ! Go to Wal-mart in town or go across the street to Oxxo a little market and buy a case of water that should last the whole week for the price of a couple of bottles at the hotel. I ate and drank all week and never got runs but those who are afraid bring some imodium with you. Don't forget chances are the change of diet and drinks you consume are the usual cause of problems people complain about.
The food was very good in all the restaurants and a large choice of items and tastes can be satisfied. The 2 top restaurants, the Tempo and Ku-Nah require reservations which can be made right in the lobby. Buffet style or off the menu is offered in the main restaurant. The breakfast buffet is huge and everything is possible. Even though my All inclusive plan covered tips, I always left a dollar on the table or tipped for a drink around the pool which was greatly appreciated. These people are gracious and are underpaid. Don't be an ugly American and at least say thank you if you don't tip.
The Pool is about 5 to 6 feet deep and follows the hotel winding around and make a great swim. The kids pool is down on one end and shallower and keeps the noise down at the other end. An Adult pool is also available and usually has activities going on but not necessary since the depth of the regular pool keeps kids out. Also, in the regular pool little alcoves are found with seating and water jets to message the weary. Very picturesque pool design and clean. A pool bar exists although was never crowded all week until the last day when a group of loud company party goers arrived all trying to outdrink and show who was who in the ranks of their company.
The Palapas and Balinese huts line the pool areas but go fast in the early morning. The huts go at sunrise, and the Palapas go if not claimed by 8:30 with a towel although it is stated no towels can reserve them. Just get used to it because they don't enforce it ! The beach palapas are usually plentiful and available before late morning. Beach chairs are always available. This is probably the widest and cleanest beach around. Be careful of the coral and rocks in marked areas. The undertow had the red flags out most of the week but they do have lifeguards that are very attentive at the hotel.
Tips on Travel to and from the Airport:
Good idea to arrange for airport transfers ahead of time to avoid the mass confusion at the airport. I booked online for private pickup to and from which avoided all the hassle. When you get through Customs it's all the TImeshare Hawks awaiting making you believe they are the ones who take you to your hotel. Eventually you will but not after signing up for a tour etc. They really are bad if you never went to Mexico. Usually get the scoop on where you meet your pickup ahead of time or you lose!
My ride was supposed to meet me with a sign with my name on it outside the doors. I wish I took a photo for you to see-----about 75 to 100 people with signs and names confront you as you step out the door, I had to laugh. Found out mine wasn't in the group but looked for the name on the van of the company and was all set and quickly set off for the hotel. Pickup was on time and as promised. Hotel checkout if possible can be arranged the night before and is a good thing since most flights leave around the same time and all try to checkout at once.
Get to the airport ahead of time. They all overbook and the lines even start earlier than you can imagine and take over a half hour to get through. Now for the big tip---do an online checkin from your hotel with their computer or computer room and you won't stand in line more than a few minutes. I didn't know this was possible from the Mexican end of check-in and stood in line the half hour. In the airport waiting area by the gates they have alot of food restaurants or fast food which you may want to take for the ride home on the plane. Most flights run out of provisions on the plane after reaching Mexico and don't get restocked.
Hope these tips and insights help your trip and stay at the Gran Melia, it was an excellent stay above my expectations and can't imagine how anyone can not have a good stay here. Don't lose perspective on where you are, who you are and what you can be as a visitor in a foreign land !

The hotel was great. Clean ,friendly, courteous, helpful service.

Didn't have a bad meal at any of the restaurants in the hotel.
We had all inclusive but still tipped. The service was excellent.
The room, standard double beds, ocean view with balcony, toilet d trip pp and 15 mins to cross to the island. Explore and read up separate from shower area, room safe, flat screen tv and mini bar which is separate from all inclusive. So if you want water at night be sure to get it from the lobby bar,restaurant or pool/beach bar. Tipping the bartenders we found we got better service.

Tip: Airport, go directly outside and don't stop till you get to your taxi/van etc. The people inside want to sell you excursions.

The beach was huge, plenty of area to swim. Never a crowd at the beach or pool, could always find a palapa or chair.

Use Brant Enterprises for private tours of Chichen Itza, Il Kil and Xel Ha, they have good prices and knocks about 3-4 hours of a public tour, worth the money. Check out the web site. Great cancellation policy too if needed.

Go to Isla Mujueres on your own. Taxi to Puerto Juarez to get to the Ultra Mar (high speed ferry) and its onl y $7 rounon the island before you go, just spectacular.

Would go back to Gran Melia in a heartbeat. THe place is spotless!!! People are friendly, service fantastic and the food awesome!

Tip: Bring plents of $1's and $5's for tips etc. Divide by 10 for pesos, so $100 pesos is $10.USD.

My wife and I stayed at the Gran Melia from April 18-23. We've visited Cancun three times, and our experience was average overall.

We were initially very impressed with the lobby. The lobby area is very cool with all the plants and seating/lounging in the center...a really neat atmosphere that reflects a Mayan heritage. The pool area is very nice, one of the nicest we've ever experienced. It's very large, and seating was never that difficult to find, save for shaded seating on our last day. The pool bar was large and was one of the coolest things about the whole hotel in our opinion. The beach area had lots of shaded huts that you could use, as well as plenty of sunned seating. As far as the beach, you had to watch out for bedrock and large boulders that have been exposed as a result of the previous season's storms that have eroded a good 3-5 feet of sand from the shore. However, this was the case along a good part of the hotel zone, and as it turns out, Gran Melia's beach was in better shape than many other hotel beaches. As far as the room service, it was very prompt, so we were pleased with that.

Now for the parts that really bugged us. Service in the restaurants and at the pool was very substandard. We waited 20 minutes for drinks at the pool, so we decided to use the bar to get them right away. At the La Veranda restaurant, it would take 15 minutes to get a drink refill. Sure, we were on vacation, but who wants to wait 15 minutes for more tea? Our waiter would disappear for 20-30 minutes at a time...while we watched other restaurant workers just stand around and talk, fold napkins, etc. For example, I ordered a steak cooked medium...it came rare, raw in the center. After 10 minutes, our waiter returned and I asked him if he could put it back on the grill. It came back 25 minutes later, cooked medium-well. I just ate it...we were just tired of waiting. This wasn't just one waiter...we had similar experiences with two others. The only time the waiters were prompt was when it was time to grab the signed check. Once, on our way out of the restaurant, a waiter literally ran after us yelling, "Sir, did you sign?!?" This was after we waited 20 minutes to even get the check!

Another experience in La Veranda. My wife and I wanted to grab a bite to eat for lunch, so we came up from the pool. We stood at the entrance, waiting to be seated, and the first thing the host said to us was, "Are you dry?" He was just rude, and overly concerned with the lawn furniture inside the restaurant.

To top off the service, the food was not very good. The pizzas were extremely bland. Their "Margarita Pizza" was just some cheese over a layer of bland tomato sauce...all on a cracker-like crust. The carving station in La Veranda had lamb, prime rib, and tenderloin, but it was all overcooked and tough. Sodas were $3.50 for a 10oz. glass with ice, no free refills. Prices for the food weren't outlandish...they were actually pretty good, we thought. It's just that the food wasn't very good at all.

The quality levels of everything in the hotel just weren't consistent. The flooring is high-quality, but then you have cheap white plaster lining the fountains throughout the interior. The rooms have good-quality Samsung LCDs, but then the bathrooms are stocked full of some of the cheapest toiletries and towels I've seen outside a Holiday Inn. Bring your own shampoo and conditioner, because they have a shampoo-conditioner mix that will hardly even lather up. You can buy a bottle of conditioner in the cigar shop for a mere $17.50!

My wife convinced me to listen to the sales pitch for the time shares that have available. This really is the purpose of the dreaded "welcome pack" they hound you about upon arrival. My wife wanted the 100usd hotel credit they give you for taking part in the presentation. Luckily, we had an adorable representative, Denisse, who talked with us at breakfast and lead us on a tour of the premier rooms (just larger versions of the normal hotel rooms, basically). Once I asked about the numbers, they brought in manager #1 who showed us how it worked. Basically, what it comes down to is $23,000 up-front, with an additional $700/year maintenance fee for a 50-year timeshare. This was for a small studio room with black-out dates. So I basically told them we weren't interested 3 times, and they brought in the big guns, manager #2. I told him after his speech that we just weren't interested. We got our coupons and left, one $50 coupon and 5 $10 coupons. We tried to use them on drinks, but they said they could not provide change...hmm, really? So we used them on dinner and other things...each time we presented them, whoever was doing the transaction was confused as to how to handle them. Some employees didn't even know what they were. Can we get some employee training in here, please? They gave us basically a free day of food and drinks, though, so we didn't mind that much. What we were most amazed at, is how they expect someone to drop that amount of money on a timeshare before they've even experienced Day 1 of their stay there!

We didn't have an awful time, but there were just a lot of things that happened that communicated to us, "Customers are not our first priority." While we were checking out, we waited 10 minutes for someone in front of us to check out...the second he was finished, a hotel employee stepped right in front of us and had the clerk do something for him. It was just plain rude. It's things like this that leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Some other quick complaints. The candy in the refrigerator was expired, a 2-scoop ice cream cone in the gift shop is $8.50, drinks come in small, cheap plastic cups and are overpriced($8.50/each), movie selection on the TV is sparse, the light-switch configuration for the rooms is confusing (there is a master switch that controls the other 12 switches).

Some other compliments. The deck outside the oceanview rooms is nice, with two full-length deck chairs. The bed was fairly comfortable. The A/C was nice and cool. The rain-shower head in the shower was really nice. They have a luggage shelf for your suitcase, which is convenient.

Unfortunately, we cannot recommend this hotel, even though some of the accomodations are very impressive. The bad service and bad food will definitely rob a lot of your enjoyment.