Grand Velas, My First Luxury All Inclusive Experience

I’ve always been someone who avoided All-Inclusive resorts, after hearing stories of cheap buffet food, poor service and drunk crowds doing shots, it never seemed like something that would appeal to me.  Thankfully the team at Grand Velas Rivera Maya heard my concerns and decided that I needed to come visit to find out what All-Inclusive could be.  I spent a wonderful long weekend there enjoying all there was to offer, and walked away impressed by three main things;

1.       Food and Drink
One area that most All-Inclusives fall short in, is the quality of food and drinks.  However Grand Velas is different. They take the food and dining options very seriously.  Amazingly, they have 2 AAA 4 Diamond restaurants and 1 AAA 5 Diamond restaurant that are open for dinner, included in the price.  Breakfast was delivered via room service to my room daily, and there was nothing better than enjoying breakfast outside on my deck looking out at the ocean.  Drinks at the bars and restaurants were made with high end liquor, and the wine list was decent.  It was so refreshing to never see a price, yet still know that I was getting a quality product.

2.       Hotel Grounds
Grand Velas Rivera Maya is practically 3 hotels in one.  There are 3 completely different areas, all connected via shuttles and all provide completely different experiences.  Ambassador Class is the family area, near the beach and with large kid friendly rooms and a giant resort pool where the whole family can play.  Grand Class is 100% beachfront rooms with plunge pools, a quiet pool with a swim up bar and is closest to the AAA 4 and 5 star dining options. Finally Zen Class is located in the jungle and includes an amazing calm and relaxing pool away from the crowds. 

3.       Rooms
I stayed in the Grand Class area and my room was huge with over 1,000 SF of useable area.  I had an amazing plunge pool that allowed me to watch the ocean from the privacy of my deck.  During my stay I also got to check out rooms from the Zen and Ambassador Class, and while different, they all offered amazing space (over 1,000 SF) and fit the environment perfectly.  Even though the Zen rooms were not on the water, the plunge pools overlooking the jungle seemed like the perfect location to relax.

After returning from this trip I can recommend Grand Velas to my clients without hesitation.  I feel this resort is best suited for families, couples or groups who care about having great food while enjoying the stress free environment that comes with All Inclusive resorts.  Best of all, Nick Running Travel clients receive upgrade on arrival, if available, complementary one way airport transfer, $100 Spa Credit and a bottle of Mezcal in your room on arrival.