Review of Hotel Grand Sunset Princess in Mexico

Why We Chose Hotel Grand Sunset Princess for Our Trip

All-inclusive resort choice

For the past few years, we have booked a trip to Mexico for one week in early November. This is the tail end of hurricane season, but also a less-busy tourist season there. We generally stay near Cancun because of the flight times from the eastern seaboard.

This time, I decided to use the points I had accrued from my first travel credit card, the Citi Strata Premier. I had been earning points by using this card regularly for anything that I could pay off right away. I chose this card after reading through the Points Guy website and its review here. After earning bonus points and then accumulating regular points on this card, I had a total of 135,000 points available.

I booked this resort through the Citi Travel Portal, which coordinated directly with the hotel. Also, because of this card, we were eligible for the platinum suite room category. On the Citi Travel Portal website, this is referred to as the “Hotel collection”, which is their curated collection of highly rated properties and offers extra perks like early check-in, late check-out, etc.

Location in Playa del Carmen

The drawback of this resort is that there is no shuttle from the Cancun Airport. They recommend using Nexus Tours shuttle which is about $65 USD one way. We ended up renting a car instead because the rates were so affordable, and then we had the option to use it for day tours. The hotel is about 40 minutes from the Cancun Airport, depending on traffic.

First impressions of the resort

The resort is directly on the beach in a large resort area. The entrance is gated and guarded by security 24/7. When we first arrived, they checked our name against their reservation spreadsheet and allowed us to continue. After that, we also had wristbands that also proved that we were hotel guests but they continued to look up our names. This resort is spread out with multiple buildings. We first arrived at the main lobby and were driven by one of those golf cart shuttles to the Platinum building, which was towards the end of the resort.

One thing to note as well is that there are quite a lot of little creatures nicknamed “Mexican raccoons” roaming the property. I later learned they are quite common in this area. Their actual name is coatimundi, or in Spanish “pizote”. They can be extremely aggressive and regularly roam around the pool areas and jump onto lounge chairs and sniff out bags and food. They will not be a bother if you clean up after yourself and don’t leave food around. However, I personally witnessed many guests feeding them or leaving the pool area and not cleaning up their food plates. I felt bad for the staff who had to remind people who do this not to feed the animals, even though there are signs everywhere stating this. They have obviously been conditioned by guests who do this over time and are not afraid of people at all. They are very common in the Riviera Maya area including Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The best thing to do is be responsible about your food and drink while you are there.

Checking Into Hotel Grand Sunset Princess

Arrival experience and welcome

Since we were in the Platinum building, we arrived there and checked in with the front desk reception. Our luggage was stored for us and we were given our wristbands so we could have lunch and check out the resort while we waited for our room to be ready. The part of the resort where we were located in is the Platinum Sunset building.

The platinum building has a nice open lobby with seating, bathrooms, and a few staff concierges. Walking directly through the lobby towards the back of the building is the Platinum lounge, which has a bar and food, and snacks throughout the day and evening. Exiting from the lobby is the pool area, which is where we spent the majority of the week. It is a private, smaller pool reserved for platinum members with cabanas and lounge chairs that were never difficult to get. There is also a dedicated bartender walking around if you don’t want to get up and walk 20 feet inside to order your own drink.

Our Grand Sunset Princess Platinum Suite

We were located in the same building with the lobby and directly next to the platinum pool. The building was fairly small, with 3 or 4 floors. There was an elevator but it was occasionally in maintenance throughout the week. Our room had a king-sized bed, bathroom, and a hot tub on the terrace. Our terrace looked out over the pool area. The building is set back from the beach so the view tends to be more of greenery.

The rooms have mini bars with drinks like water, soda and beer. There are complimentary liquors in the room, but those are not replenished throughout the week. We also received a blue beach bag with the Princess logo on it and some wooden coasters.

Dining at Hotel Grand Sunset Princess

Restaurants and cuisine highlights

Most of the restaurants are in the main lobby building and are accessible by the golf cart shuttles. At times, there seemed to be a long wait for a shuttle, and we walked instead. Other times, it rained at night, so we felt it necessary to wait for the shuttle to arrive. It was not a big issue but since everything is spread out, the shuttles seemed necessary. There were 12 restaurants at the resort. Our concierge in the lobby booked us reservations for the week. I also booked one night at the Chill Out Restaurant. The Chill Out Restaurant is not included in the all-inclusive package, but it was a special occasion for my husband’s birthday. I highly recommend going there for special occasions!

There are 12 restaurants the the Grand Sunset Princess. Most of them are located in the same areas. We tried Mamma Mia (Italian), La Hacienda (Mexican), La Fleur (International), and Chill Out (additional charge al fresco dining experience). The Snack Riviera and Riviera Buffet are also available for breakfast, and lunch, with the Riviera Buffet also open for dinner.

Most of the restaurants have a set menu and service is fairly quick. The food was good, especially for an all-inclusive. We really enjoyed La Hacienda for delicious Mexican food. There were vegetarian options at all the restaurants we tried and some had vegan options.

The dinner highlight was definitely our night at Chill Out. This restaurant required a reservation and in it I indicated that we were celebrating my husband’s birthday. We had a very large table in a private section of the outdoor restaurant. It was decorated with a napkin swan and candles. The service and food were both excellent. At one point during the night, there was a fireworks show. Since we were right off the beach, we walked out to watch it. At the end of the night, the servers came over to bring my husband dessert that was lit up and put a sombrero on his head (and for some reason bunny ears on my head!). It was wonderful! He really enjoyed his birthday dinner. The only drawback was that it was extremely hot at night, and we were both sweating sitting outside for a couple of hours.

All-inclusive bars and drinks

There are 9 bars located throughout the resort. There is the lobby bar Riviera, which is located near the a la carte restaurants. It’s a good place to have a drink before or after dinner. The Maya Pool Bar is a swim-up bar in the main pool area. The Plaza Bar is located in the Platinum Riviera and is where a lot of evening entertainment takes place. There is also a disco bar, beach bar, Platinum Riviera Bar, tequila bar, and more! Basically, wherever you are on the resort, you can find a bar nearby.

Pools, Beaches, and Relaxation

The resort’s pools and swim-up bars

There are 12 pools in total of varying sizes and depths. There are some rooms that have long pools just outside their terraces. The large main pool had quite a few chair hogs who put towels on their chairs early in the morning when we were walking to breakfast. This is also where the swim up bar is located. Since we had a small pool area at the Platinum Riviera area, we never had a problem getting chairs and cabanas there. There was also attentive service here from the bartenders working the lobby lounge.

Our time on the beach

The beach area also had a reserved spot for platinum members. There is also the Playa bar and waitstaff located here. We never had a problem getting a seat in the morning or afternoon. There were nice shaded huts located along the beach as well, so there was plenty of shade. The ocean water was comfortable – not too warm. In my experience in Mexico, around November, the water is calmer in Playa del Carmen than it is in the Cancun area. When we stayed in Cancun, there were many red flag days, and we were not allowed in the water.

To get to the beach you walk down a sanded boardwalk. There is also a small store located next to the pool and before the boardwalk where you can buy floats and they will inflate them for you.

Exploring Playa del Carmen Beyond the Resort

Exploring Playa del Carmen

The hotel has regular shuttles to Playa del Carmen each day. The shuttles leave from the main lobby of the Grand Sunset Princess at 9am, 12pm, and 4pm. There are return shuttles from the town back every few hours as well. All we had to do was show up a short time before the shuttle departure time. We got in a line and waited. There was a slight hiccup in that there were more people there than there was room for, but they were able to call other vans, and some additional shuttles arrived quickly. The ride from the Grand Sunset Princess to Playa del Carmen takes about 20 minutes.

The shuttle takes you right to 5th Avenue (Quinta Avenida), which runs parallel to the waterfront. It is mainly pedestrian and has colorful art, shops, and restaurants. It is fairly touristy, but not as much as the resort shops. It is a nice place to take a stroll or sit on a terrace to drink a Mexican beer.

Tulum Ruins

We drove to Tulum Ruins on another day. The drive to Tulum takes about an hour. The ruins here are fairly small so this can be a nice half-day tour. The ruins are along the ocean with scenic vantage points. There is a lot of sun here and almost no shade so go early and be prepared. Also, if you are driving yourself be aware of where to go. There are a number of smaller parking lots outside the park. They will usher you into the parking lot and try to get you to park there instead. There is a large sign visible where the main parking lot entrance is. That is where you want to go.

Towards the entrance of the parking lot there is a visitor information book. The staff there helped us out with a map and showed us the lay of the land. We did not book our tickets in advance and stood in a long line to buy them. After that you can walk along the paths and ruins at your own pace. Tickets cost around $7-8 USD and they take cash only through the ticket window. Make sure you check up-to-date prices and have correct change on hand. There are also private tours that may cost more but will also provide a tour guide.

Tulum Ruins was not too crowded in early November. However, it is an extremely popular tourist attraction so it may be crowded during busier tourist seasons. No matter what time of year, the Mexican sun is hot. Go early, bring a hat or umbrella, and wear plenty of sunscreen. Then you will have plenty of time to go back to your hotel and take a dip in the pool (which is exactly what we did)!

Tips for Staying at Hotel Grand Sunset Princess

Best time to visit Playa del Carmen

Dry season generally runs from November to April. This is supposed to be the time of year with warm sunny days and less humidity. That said, I think Mexico is extremely humid even in November when I tend to visit. The shoulder season months of May, June, and October can offer similar conditions with lower prices. May and June are the worst months for encountering sargassum seaweed. Although the resorts do their best to get rid of the seaweed on the beaches, there is only so much they can do.

Hurricane season runs from June to November. The greatest risk is towards the end of hurricane season when the water temperatures have been warm. Peak hurricane season in Playa del Carmen tends to be between August and October. Summer months can be very hot and humid as well.

What to pack for the resort

Restaurants at the resort all have an elegant/casual dress code. Men can wear either shorts or long pants. Shirts, tshirts, or polo shirts are acceptable attire. Women can wear similar attire or skirts or dresses. Flip flops are not allowed at restaurants but nice sandals are acceptable.

Aside from dinner attire, beach and pool attire is a must. Swimsuits, cover-ups (which are allowed at the buffet restaurants), and casual clothing are all good ideas. Consider packing linen or lightweight fabrics because of the heat.

How to get the most out of the all-inclusive experience

The hotel has an app that you can download to book reservations at your preferred restaurants. We booked through the concierge so I cannot comment on how easy it is to use. However, restaurants seem to book up far in advance so it would be a good idea to reserve your preferred spots for the week and not have to worry about it again.

Final Thoughts on Hotel Grand Sunset Princess

Would we recommend it?

Yes, we would absolutely recommend a relaxing week here. Ful disclosure: I cannot comment on the regular sunset booking but the platinum rate was absolutely worth it for the pool area, cabana lounges that do not have to be reserved in advance, waitstaff and service, and the designated beach area.

I generally prefer adults-only resorts and the Grande Sunset Princess is NOT adults only. However, due to the week we went, there were not many children around. I am sure this changes depending on the week you visit but it was mostly couples and adults there when we went.

Favorite memories from our stay

We loved relaxing in the pool every day. I think we ended up there more often than at the beach because it was so quiet and peaceful.

There were also some really nice resort shops in the lobby area. We bought some nice cover ups and linen shirts and some Mexican art. Hotel shops can be hit or miss but I found the shops at the Grand Sunset Princess to be very reasonable. Sometimes, the tourist areas in Cancun have shops full of cheap trinkets that you don’t want to waste your money on anyways.

The platinum lounge had great snacks so we often did not find it necessary to go to the lunch buffet. They also had some small cakes and desserts for a just-right after-dinner dessert that you could bring up to your room.

Playa del Carmen is such a nice town. We enjoyed our stroll along 5th Avenue and seeing all the colorful sculptures along the way. I would definitely take advantage of the free shuttle to town to spend a few hours outside the resort one day.

The staff at Chill Out were so wonderful! This was a special occasion splurge, but we truly appreciated how they went above and beyond to make my husband’s birthday special. The food and drinks here were also great.

For another all inclusive option, check out this review of the Sandals Grande St Lucian.