Somewhat disappointed
by TripAdvisor Member JN2
I just came back from the Grand Sirenis and I have to say I was pretty disappointed. I read all the reviews and had high expectations about the resort. Immediately I realized after entering the lobby that the contemporary decor seemed very sterile and uninviting. I only went to the hotel to review it not stay there so I knew of the design before I went. Only a matter of opinion of course and I know many people liked it. I did not see any wildlife, and the landscaping looked as though a storm had torn through some of it. Lots of construction going on with the new resort opening up next door. There was no entertainment, maybe because it is off season two weeks prior to the holidays? The food (and I am not picky) was terrible. I never ate at the specialty dinners so I assume the food was better in those restaurants. But the buffet, wow--I thought the food on the plane was better. The bathroom was a huge concern with the privacy issue. I can't imagine how any family can utilize this room. The staff was so unfriendly that we really felt uncomfortable there. After a tip they smiled however. The pools were fantastic ! Great swim up bar and the lazy river looked fun. Staff seems very limited, the main bar which seating for takes up the entire main floor had dirty glasses that were left for hours. Staff does not work hard here for sure. If you decide to stay request the top floor , at least there you can have a view. Otherwise the trees will block out anything. Not a bad place but there are certainly better choices in this area and you do get what you pay for. Consuelo was the new Apple rep, I guess they let Mario go. She seems very helpful. Maybe I went during a bad week, though I would not consider going back.
Lots of Potential
by TripAdvisor Member Drifter235
My wife and I stayed at this hotel Nov. 24 - Dec 8. The location of the Grand Sirenis is perfect for us. Half way between Playa del Carmen and Tulum and close to Akumal. The snorkeling is above average if you go beyond the ropes and nearer the reef. I just wish tourists would learn not to touch or stand on the coral as it won't be long before they kill it if they keep standing on it just to show how shallow it is. I observed over twenty specis of fish and in particular an eight foot eel, all right in front of the hotel. The beach is beautiful but has very coarse sand. I would recommend water shoes, but I have wussy feet.
The hotel itself is very nice, it carries a modern mayan pyramid theme throughout.I would think the layout of the rooms and bathroom area is not good for families or couples sharing rooms unless you have very small children. We did like the jacuzzi tubs and the seven head shower though. The staff were all very friendly and tried to be helpful. Remember, this hotel is just opening and many of them are just learning their craft, so they're trying. Not always there but trying! The food was good, The ala carte's were all good with the Japanese, steak house and mexican above average in our opinion. We always went to the buffet early (7:00 pm) and found the food hot and tasty. I would recommend going to the lobster gala early and you'll find it very good and if you go later the quality decreases as the lobsters sit and go soft being kept warm on the grill. The lazy river is a nice touch and can be very relaxing. The beach bar service is great with Erica being a very good waitress. The nightly shows were fun but are presently on a one week rotation so if you're staying two weeks you'll see the same ones twice. It was a very relaxing two week stay, however once running at full capacity it will probably be too big and busy for out tastes. I do find it very strange that people complain about weak drinks or things they don't like in the restaurants as if you want stronger drinks, just ask fo it and they'll keep pouring till you say whoa. and if you don't like the dish you get just ask for something different and they will bring it to you with a smile. Lighten up and enjoy your vacation.
Would definitely go back!
by TripAdvisor Member xyztravel
My boyfriend and I stayed at the Grand Sirenis for a week in mid-November and had a wonderful time despite cloudy skies and chilly (for Mexico) temps. There are definitely a few kinks the hotel still needs to work out (like heating their food properly) but there's no doubt that a year from now, this place will be worth it's 5 stars. Here's a rundown:
Transportation: Definitely book a private transfer direct to the hotel. Through Apple, it cost us $100 roundtrip, but it was money well spent. We were in a car and on our way to the hotel within 15 minutes of clearing customs and it only took an hour and 15 minutes to get there, as opposed to 2 hours or more if you have to stop and drop people off at other hotels. Returning, we we left at 10 a.m. for a 2 p.m. flight. Definitely didn't have to leave that early, but better than leaving at 6 a.m. like Apple likes to have you do if you take the bus with everyone else.
Rooms: No privacy, like everyone else has said, but otherwise very nice. Our safe worked fine, and we had no problems with cleaning people barging into our rooms at random times. We put the do not disturb sign on the door just in case, but it was never needed. Our room was in the building (I think it's called Atca or something) nearest to the theater, and you could definitely hear music at night. If you're sensitive to that, might want to request a building farther away.
Food: I'm picky, and had a hard time finding anything to eat at the main buffet, except for at breakfast. We found that the buffet by the pool was much better than the main buffet, even though it had a smaller selection. Like others have said, they have a problem keeping food hot and sometimes keeping cold food cold. This seemed to be a bigger problem for the main buffet than the one by the pool. The lobster at the Gala dinner was chewy and tough. You can order chicken and burgers instead, which I would advise. Mexican night was OK, but the food was not as good as what they serve in the Mexican restaurant. Specialty restaurants (which you book through the concierge in your building): Japanese (only so-so); Mediterranean (could skip it); Steakhouse (pretty decent, and they have salmon and chicken if you don't eat red meat); Mexican (our favorite. Really good). Drinks are also good--they're not stingy with the alcohol.
Gym: The beach wasn't really long enough for running, so I hit the gym a few times. Equipment is new and in nice condition. It didn't appear to be air conditioned so it was really, really hot in there, almost to the point of being unbearable. Towel service is spotty so bring your own.
Pool/Beach: Really, really nice. The beach is a little bit rocky, but you can certainly manage without water shoes. The snorkeling is decent, but not great. A lot of the coral is dead, but we still saw lots of fish, some squid, and a small stingray. The people who run the watersports shop hit you up everyday to take their snorkeling excursion. It's $35 per person. We weren't sure how good it would be, so we skipped it. Never had a problem getting chairs/palapas, until the last day, when the place was pretty packed. Pools were gorgeous, especially the lower one, but unfortunately since we had chilly weather, we barely used them. Lazy river was drained while we were there, but hopefully it will be running soon. Waitresses come around all day bringing you drinks, but they often took time getting it to you, so if you want something ASAP, walk to the bar.
Nightlife: None to speak of, except for the shows, which we skipped. We stayed at the Iberostar Tucan last year, and loved hanging out at the lobby bar. The lobby bar at the Sirenis doesn't quite have the same cozy atmosphere, and when we were there, it was generally pretty empty.
Staff: Everyone was really friendly and nice although not all of them speak English. I left my ipod at the gym and was sure I would never get it back. But someone from the resort found it and they locked it away until I came to claim it.
Beautiful upscale property with natural beaches
by TripAdvisor Member ddd1239
recommend travelers take advantage of private or direct transfers. The resort is new and contains a lot of marble and tile. Wear / bring good walking shoes as tiles are slippery when wet. The beach areas are very pretty and natural and there are a lot of areas for waking and discovery. Also bring water walkers to explore the beach areas. The rooms contain all amenities you need and are oversized and clean. The service is a little lacking as it appears they are under a crunch to get all areas open and ready prior to the high season. Make your dinner reservations at the speciality restaurants as soon as you arrive. Familiarize yourself with property as there are many paths and shortcuts to the beach, pools and restaurants. Enjoy!
Relax and enjoy our vacation
by TripAdvisor Member erniedfireguy
We arrived on the 8th of Dec. to an eerily empty resort, given the size of the place. Fast, efficient service regardless of what you need. That all changed on the 15th when 1600 guests arrived. Imagine the logistic problems associated with that. However, they did their best despite a lot of complaining from people who were SO upset that their rooms were a short walk from their freinds, the entertainment wasn't up to their expectations for a 5 star resort, and so on. Almost as if they were looking for something to gripe about rather than deal with it and enjoy the rest of this fabulous resort. Okay, you paid for it, but you most likely paid the comparison of a 3 star resort due to the introductory offer. Email the resort 10 days ahead of arrival and you should have no problem. We got everything we asked for, and if something went wrong, give a little of understanding. It will go a long way towards the reciprical treatment. I would say 99 % of the guests had a great time, with a few people who evidently cannot be pleased too easily.
Now that I got that off my chest, here's what to expect. A tropical paradise carved, literally out of the jungle. Jaw dropping beauty from some of the amazing viewpoints available throughout. Landscape lighting used extensively and very effectively. As of this writing, the Maya Beach is only partially operational. This is a little unfair for the guests since you are in the midst of various levels of construction and completion.
With the crush of new guests came the inevitable save-the-lounger-with-a-towel-for-a-few-hours-while-we-have-breakfast-and-maybe-shop attitude. With this comes belligerence and an obnoxious attitude which only serves to makes things less comfortable.
The food in the buffet is certainly edible if you like chateau briand, lobster, tenderloin steaks and grilled chops. Thai green curry chicken, paella, rotisseried chicken etc, as well as the standard burgers and fries for the fast food addicts. Marvellous salads, good selection of desserts and something for everyone. The a la cartes, it seemed, offered similar things but delivered to your table. This, to me, appeared to be the only difference, since their offering is usually available at the buffet.
Water sports are not totally in place with kayaks and one sailboard as well as jet skis and diving. The water sports are a COMPLETELY different company working out of the GS and not at all affiliated. Certified divers, do not miss the cenote dive!
Internet is free, but unsupervised. Kids play games while adults wait patiently to send messages home. The games room has 2 gorgeous 5 X 10 Brunswick pool tables, the last time I saw them kids were literally climbing them. Get 'em while they're still intact and true.
Kids club is running full steam ahead and they seem to be having a good deal of fun.
I would not recommend the snorkel boat trip to Akumal beach for the turtle thing. You can save a good deal by taking a $10 cab ride and stay all day rather than leave after an hour or so with the boat. The same can be said for any tour you want to book. See the forum attached to this resort on trip advisor. You will get more info from that than anything here.
That being said, I will end it with this........folks, this is a top drawer resort doing their best. Remember, this is Mexico and the rules (if there are any) are different. You are a guest in THEIR country. Take a look down any of the side streets of any town. If this doesn't inspire a little humility, you may need to re-evaluate your personal priorities. Relax.....have a few tequilas....things will get better. They always do.
Any other concerns or questions......erniedfireguy@hotmail.com
Photos
sunrise
Tulum Beach
Beach view from the table
Spaguetti Bolognese
Forum Posts
Critters in Playa del Carmen/Akumal region??
by Fitzbugs
Hi all. Just new to this website. Only found it yesterday, in fact, but there is so much valuable information on here! Our family will be headed to the Akumal region of Mexico next month, and we're staying at the Grand Sirenis. My children, my husband and I are all just crazy about animals and am wondering if anyone out there has any good places for spotting animals. Xel Ha and Xcaret are pretty much out of the question due to expense, but I'm mainly wondering if there's any critters out and about in Playa del Carmen or the Akumal region?
My daughter and I have seen some pictures with iguanas perched on folks heads, or toucans happily sitting on someone's arm. Do you know where these places might be?
Any information at all about where to spot critters would be so much appreciated. Also, do you know where there might be really good shelling?
Thanks, Kimber
Re: Critters in Playa del Carmen/Akumal region??
by gfinesilver
just go to tulum and you'll see hundreds of iguanas. chichen itza too.
you might see pelicans along the coast. usually big birds on people's arms are pets they use for photos. same w/ iguanas.
Re: Critters in Playa del Carmen/Akumal region??
by Matt420
South of Tulum is the Sian Ka'an Biosphere.
http://www.siankaantours.org/
I have not been on any of the offered tours, but have been through the biosphere numerous times heading to Punta Allen. Reading some of the reviews on "tripadvisor" it seems it's about 50/50. Some liked it, others did not. But, just as Gabriel said, you can see as many iguanas you want at the ruins.
matt
Re: Critters in Playa del Carmen/Akumal region??
by Jawnuta
iguanas are all over the place!!! Tulum is their favorite home. See my tips on mexico for pictures.
Also there is plenty of corcodiles near Puerto MOrelos. There is cheap croc park with plenty of creatures to see and .....hold.
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