Guest reviews for Cancun Hotels: Gran Caribe Real Cancun

Guest Reviews: 43 comments found for this hotel: 30 :: 13

I have stayed there twice, and both times each was a little better! The food and staff were excellent.
Candy Ray, candace-ray@ksd111.org, 2007-04-24

We stayed at the Gran Caribe in January 05. The Rooms are nice in the main building, great shower. You must stay facing the Caribbean Sea, stunning view. Our safe in our room had some problems, but was fixed quickly. Food was so, so, my husband did not like it but I liked it. Probem was the wait was alittle longer than I thought it would be, but The staff do try hard to satisfy you and the entertainment is good. The beach can be rough, so watch those kids.
Annette, Nettie1975@hotmail.com, 2005-12-18

I was surprised to read poor reviews about the Caribe Real. My husband and I stayed there last spring ('04) and this spring, again. We love it there! Last year we had a room overlooking some construction and asked for another room. We were immediately given a great room in the villas with a great view. This year we stayed in a newly renovated room in one of the towers. Again, a great room with a great view. We stayed a week so the same buffet food would have been boring but we just took a bus to the Costa Real for a change a couple times. Their food is a little different and it's included in your all inclusive package. You can also go kayaking there and the tiki bar on the beach is fun, too. We'll be at the Caribe Real again next spring!
Diane, e-mail withheld, 2005-07-30

Okay the dings first: The beach (current) at Gran Caribe Real is a little rough for small children, and the list for the two exclusive restaurants is sometimes hard to get on, so make your reservations early. ----- Now the pluses: The two exclusive restaurants have a wonderful selection (although small) of excellent food and easily a four star. The open food areas are very clean, and we never had to wait for seating. The “Animators” were courteous and went out their way to provide a wonderful time the entire time we where there. Overall, the staffing was fantastic, nothing like being spoiled with a drink in you hand. ----- We tried out several of the “Aqua World” tours / trips and were not disappointed. Overall we rated this as an excellent trip and would recommend it to others. A lot of the times it is not the trip, but what you make out of your adventure.
Aaron, Teresa, and Lexi, e-mail withheld, 2005-07-15

The hotel Gran Caribe was very nice, but it had a funky smell. The staff was wonderful. Everything was wonderful but the food, the buffet was not completely covered so therefore flies were all over the fruits and salad bar.
Shalanda, e-mail withheld, 2005-07-07

I just returned from the Gran Caribe Real and had an experience less than acceptable. The food was OK at best. The hotel is definitely not a 5 star. At best a 2 Star. I had the all-inclusive package and spent most days eating at the local OutBack restaurant. The people were very nice and accommodating. Room was not cool and water was turned off one day restricting accommodations. Would not recommend.
Robert Lopez, e-mail withheld, 2005-06-30

I have just returned from a stay at the Gran Caribe Real which should be rated a 2 and not a 5. I had read a few of the comments and thought maybe it would be different when we arrived. Check-in time is at three and you will not get a room until three; we waited for 2 hrs thank goodness for bars. The food tastes the same in all the restaurants. I got sick the first night and my boyfriend sick the next day. Our room had a beautiful view but not very cool during the night is seems that the air didn't work as well I think maybe the hotel had control of the air during the night. We were on the 2nd floor of the main building where young children and teen slammed doors all night until around 4:30 am. The main pool was crowded and not very big compared to the other hotels I've stayed at in Cancun. We had a 4 day trip and wished we could have left on the 3rd day. All planes were booked. After going through pure hell we get a letter informing the guess in the main building that the power would be turned off along with the water for 6 hrs in order to work on the air-condition and water system, which they both needed. We decided to leave for the airport 4 hrs early by taxi in order to stay cool and have a restroom. Cancun is beautiful and I will go back just not to this hotel it will be a 5 star hotel with a name I know about. Good luck to who ever stays at this hotel.
Gloria, e-mail withheld, 2005-06-28

My husband and I celebrated our 2 year ann. with a trip to Gran Caribe Real Cancun. What a huge mistake. We get to the hotel and find that there is no a/c. (they advertise a/c) It was 97 degrees. The room was dirty. The food was awful, possibly ruined because of no a/c. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone.
Fox, e-mail withheld, 2005-06-03

We were at the Gran Caribe Real April 23rd to 30th, stay at Villa area. AC works, room is clean and big enough, close to beach and pool and 24 hours bar. Two TVs. Bath is small and old but all works. Restock drink every day (refrigerator in room). Safe is free and works. View to Lagoon but is good view and quiet then ocean view. Mattress is harder but we like it. Buffet food is so so because not many change. Two restaurants (Italian and Mexican) are good but need book. Service is good and all friendly. Gym is small and Sauna was closed. Night show is good but we missed most. This hotel is worth to recommend.
DK, e-mail withheld, 2005-05-09

When we arrived at the Gran Caribe Real we were greeted with a very overly crowded lobby; we went to our rooms after a 40-minute wait. The food was horrible, but when they said we need reservations we simply didn’t listen and went to the nice restaurants every night. They don’t inforce the rules at the restaurants. The beach was crowded and there was soooo much noise by the pool because of construction that we complained, they gave us another free week of vacation in a 3 room suite. I couldn’t believe how nice they were, at the end we were happy to leave but we loved the service!
Katherine, e-mail withheld, 2005-04-04

Spent 2-19-05--2-26-05 at Gran Caribe Real resort. If you’re in the newly remodeled tower you are really set. We had a 5 star room, luxury bathroom, view of the ocean and lagoon. The staff was excellent, especially the entertainment group. The shows were well done; I liked the Mexican show the best. We all gained weight from all the selections of food. Be sure to make reservations early upon arrival at Marias and El Pescatori. Don't be afraid of the water either, they use bottled water to fill your glass at the tables. Room service is prompt and the club sandwich w/fries can't be beat. If you don't like the buffet, they do have menus too. The outside dinner buffet has great steaks and kabobs right off the grill. Enjoy the lobby bar band too. They are fun to listen to while relaxing with a drink. The drinks never stop coming either. My new favorite drink is the banana dakari. The beach is crowded after 9 am so get a chair early. The undertow can be strong but there is a lifeguard on duty all day. Get a boogie board and ride the waves. We also took the bus down to the sister resort (Costa Real) to go out in kayaks and snorkel in the shallow grasses. It’s a little more subdued there. We really had a great time. Use your safe; my relative had his wallet stolen from the room (not in the safe) just minutes upon check in and leaving for dinner. Go to water exercise its lots of fun, dance lessons were fun too. If you’re a drinker, play tequila volleyball. The staff will make your vacation even more fun.
Pat, e-mail withheld, 2005-03-02

We had a last minute booking, but it was no problem and the staff got us right into a room at the Gran Caribe. The room itself seemed fairly clean (although the light switch in the bathroom would shock you when you turned it on or off), the staff was pretty friendly and the food was mediocre and expensive $18 for buffet. Go all inclusive, for sure. Nice views, if you can get one, and right off the beach, which is nice.
J, e-mail withheld, 2005-02-25

I have just recently returned from a stay at the Gran Caribe. The hotel itself was great. The food, however, was a different story. If it were not for the Tony Roma’s that was there we probably would have starved to death. The breakfast was pretty good, but lunch and dinner were simply terrible.
Ashley Fitch, Enotaf09@aol.com, 2005-02-15

How the hotel Gran Caribe Real rates a 5 star is beyond us. It deserves much less and there in lays the problem. Who rates them anyway? We were originally booked in the Gran Costa Real (paid in full last September) for February but management decided at the last minute to book a convention and bounce our party of six (three rooms) along with dozens of others to the Caribe. (I’m told it’s a regular thing at the Costa/Caribe). Big mistake. Both front desk personnel at Costa and Caribe need a tremendous amount of training. Insensitive, certainly misleading, deceptive, and downright incompetent are descriptions that come to mind. There are horror stories. Food is mediocre at best. You have to queue at 6:45 AM at the “courtesy” desk every morning if you want reservations for the following night at the specialty restaurants. They’re not worth it. The junior suite they “eventually” provided us with was, although clean, in need of light bulbs in the bathroom and one in the parlor, stopper in the sink, appropriate hot water pressure and being the first window across from Pat O’Brian’s did not make for a quiet setting. The everyday laborers, the ground staff, the room maids, and wait staff, the omnipresent painters, the young entertainment staff as well as the nightly entertainment dance troop were however, a breath of fresh air. In checking out I only had a 3 peso charge for the telephone call I needed to make in notifying our round trip transportation company of the change from one hotel to the other. Now this is only 30 cents but when I suggested to the front desk clerk that this should perhaps be born by the hotel since they bounced us I was told in no uncertain terms that I wouldn’t get my pass out unless I paid it. Classy. The Real Company culture is not suited for the hotel industry.
Skeet, Skeet632@yahoo.com, 2005-02-13

My husband and I just returned from a stay at this resort. It was the worst experience of my life! We were booked into their sister hotel the Gran Costa Real but they sent us to the Caribe Real because they were overbooked. We were given a room down in the middle of nowhere with a wall for a view in the front and the junkyard for a view off the "balcony". I cried and cried but the front desk would not move us! The reception people were very unfriendly. My husband finally gave money to one of the bellboys and he got us a real nice room right off the ocean. Think it was one of their timeshares. The food was bad, very tasteless. I will never go to this hotel again.
Barb, e-mail withheld, 2005-02-08

The stay at Caribe Real Cancun was overall good for a 3.5 star - all-inclusive hotel; the staff was very friendly. Here is the bad: The spa was not open, the two restaurants that were available were not very good; the third restaurant was reservation only and we were not able to make a reservation because they were always booked. They did not provide a tour of the facilities and therefore we missed out on some of the activities, especially the kids club for out children. At the end of our stay we had a huge argument with the front desk supervisor because he insisted on keeping our open credit card voucher because the travel agency had not yet paid the hotel. I paid for the reservation more than 1 month before visiting - and we weren't informed of this issue until check out. The situation was very poorly managed. The hotel informed me that they would keep my credit voucher and possibly charge it for my full stay; which means I would have to pay for our stay twice!! FYI - If you run into an issue as such you can report your complaint to extranjeros@profeco.gob.mx
Maria, e-mail withheld, 2004-12-06

Just got back yesterday from a 4 day 3 night stay at the Caribe Real Cancun. It appears that the Real folks got this property about 6 months ago and have done a great job in updating the hotel to their standards. We had a junior suite, which was one of the nicest rooms I have ever stayed in (#4528). Breakfast and lunch were good - look for the areas where they are doing fresh cooking to order - omelets, eggs, pancakes etc. For lunch they also do to-order cooking. Make reservations for the Italian restaurant for EVERY night you can as the dinner buffet is hit or miss. The bar people are great, both in the lobby and at the pool. They have a guy at the main pool with a D-J and a microphone, which he loves using, so if he gets on your nerves go to the other pools. One is thru the lobby bar, and the other is in the villas. The only beach left is in front of the villas, but at least they have a bar there with beach service. We are going back there next spring!
Parnelli, e-mail withheld, 2004-11-22

Well, I just got back from my stay at Caribe Real Cancun last week. ALL the staff there is VERY friendly and eager to do whatever they can for you. My only complaint would be the beds. They are sooo hard, every morning I woke up with my back hurting. But overall it was very nice and I would go back.
Alexandra, e-mail withheld, 2004-11-07

To start off the staff was awesome at Caribe Real Cancun. Very attentive and courteous. The room was nice and the air conditioning was freezing. The pool and the beach were great. Although you had to walk a ways to get to the beach because of the erosion from hurricane Ivan. The only real draw back was the food. The breakfast buffet was very good. Try the French toast and omelets. The lunch and dinner buffets left a lot to be desired. My suggestion would be to make reservations for the steak house every night. The food there was very good and is part of the all-inclusive plan. Will definitely stay there next time we go down.
Tony Schumaker, e-mail withheld, 2004-10-20

My husband and my best friend and her husband just got back from Cancun. We went to the Caribe Real Cancun with open minds and a little worry after reading some of the reviews. We were pleasantly surprised. We stayed in a villa and we loved it! We opened our door and could be on the beach in a matter of seconds. The beds were our only complaint, they were a little hard but we lived. The timeshare people did get annoying but we just ignored them. We would stay at Caribe Real again for sure!
Ami, e-mail withheld, 2004-08-16

I just got back from Caribe Real Cancun, oh about 15 hours ago from my trip to Cancun. My husband and I, as well as another couple stayed at the Caribe Real. The other couple was given their room first...a villa. I was very pleased when we received our room in the main tower. It was much bigger and nicer even though it wasn't one of the new rooms. We had a great view of the lagoon as well. The first evening we got there we received a phone call from "Pierre" telling us that we had a welcome package to pick up the next morning. In all actuality you end up sitting through a 90 minute speech on their vacation membership...which, by the way would be a great deal if you have the money. We felt the time was worth it because we were then given $100 in vouchers to use at the various shops at the hotel and a nearby mall. The atmosphere at the hotel was great and the beach was probably one of the best around. Now for the food. Yes, it is repetitive and not what I expected...but I never went hungry. I was a little disappointed in the lack of variety in their desserts, but I didn't really need them anyway! One thing you should know before you go is that if you want to eat at the Steakhouse or the Trattoria (best restaurant there!), you need to make reservations the day before you wish to eat there. Overall, I can see how their might be inconsistencies in your stay versus another, but I think if you ask to have something changed or to be moved, the staff is more than happy to oblige you. Having said that...probably not the BEST place ever to stay, but hey, you're in Cancun!
Julie Meyer, aspenjule25@aol.com, 2004-08-13

I just got back from my trip to Cancun, and Caribe Real Cancun was not what I expected. We waited 2 hrs to get a room that had no A/C, and no view like we were promised. I cried. We woke up at 7:30AM the next morning and did ask and got a much nicer room. If they try to put you in a villa, do not accept; those are the rooms I cried about; ask for a room in the main building, they are much nicer, some of the beds are hard. The food in the buffet is gross, I was so hungry the whole time and couldn't eat, so I drank and that was good. The staff is very very nice and the beach is awesome. Overall I would go back to Cancun and only stay at this hotel if I was guaranteed a room in the main building facing the ocean, and could eat out every night. Oh yeah my belly still aches form the buffet food I could eat.
Emily, e-mail withheld, 2004-08-01

The rooms at the Caribe Real Cancun were very nice but when it rained the walls did leak. The people there are very nice but watch out for the room bill. We were charged money for using a safe that we never used and we got stuck with a phone bill with rates that they lied to us about. The food wasn't good but the drinks were. The view is awesome and they serve you drinks on the beach, which is a plus. When I come back to Cancun more than likely I would stay here again.
Jennifer, e-mail withheld, 2004-07-27

I just got back from Caribe Real Cancun today and I think I should enlighten interested travelers as to the goings on there. The Continental Plaza resort is now Caribe Real and was taken over by a US conglomerate. The stay was BUMPY! First we were put in the villas that you actually need a golf cart to get back and forth from. It was in need of renovations and I saw a cockroach outside my room. Needless to say we switch the next day into the newly built hotel tower, which was very nice. We had a fridge in the room that barely worked but overlooked the ocean and the pool. The reception staff was all in training which made for a lot of wait and frustration. The safety deposit box was 3.00 American a day and did not work. As soon as you wake up the next day you are bombarded by timeshare people who work for the resort who want you to pay minimum 10k American down for nights to stay in the resort. You say no to 4 people before they stop bombarding you. I only went for the free tequila, beach bag and blanket.... note to self: it was not worth it. The food was not good at all. The Italian restaurant was not good either. Yes the staff is hard working but that does not make up for the lack of quality. I am still feeling the effects of the food. Dominos delivers to the hotel as well as other places. Overall.... I had a better time at the Tucancun Beach resort the last time up the road!
Shelley, e-mail withheld, 2004-07-19

A group of 26 of us went to Cancun from May 24th to the 31st for our senior trip. I was a little skeptical of the Caribe Real Cancun because of the bad reviews. However, when we arrived at the hotel, I was no longer worried. The hotel staff quickly checked us in and showed us to our rooms. We had a room on the 4th floor in the main building. It was always very clean, and most of the time we had to turn down the AC because it was so cold. The food was okay. We were there for a week and ate it everyday. The Italian restaurant and steakhouse were good, but you have to make reservations. All of the staff was absolutely wonderful. The electricity in our room wasn't working one night and they fixed it right away. I had an awesome time in Cancun and I can't wait to go back. We're all planning a trip for next year and we're staying at the Caribe Real again. Just remember a 5-star in Mexico is not the same as a 5-star in the US! Hope this helps.
Sara, SaraN11203@hotmail.com, 2004-07-05

I looked at the ratings for Caribe Real Cancun before we went down. I was worried about the food from what others had wrote. The food staff were great, very hard working, and the food was alright. Any time you eat buffet over and over, it is going to loss some of its favor. However, you don't have to have buffet all the time. You could order other food in the buffet, there were two other places to eat in the hotel, like a steak house. At lunchtime there were hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and corn chips at the pool. Find out where the company owns other hotels because you can also eat there, as part of the deal. That’s handy to know if it is lunchtime and you’re away. The rooms were clean, Tere May, was cleaning ours. One of the days, we got in a hurry, and forgot to close the wall safe. Thanks Tere for being so honest. We had a great time, wait till you see the color of the water, well I guess it's something you have to see for yourself. I’d go back.
Larry Averett, larryaverett@yahoo.com, 2004-07-03

The hotel Caribe Real Cancun is not what is described. Rooms have no minibar, no room service, and to use the safety box you had to pay extra, which is not told to you until you get there. The beds are a mattress set on a concrete slab and very uncomfortable. All the food was horrible except for the steak place, but then you had to deal with huge cockroaches. It was a clean place and the pools were nice. That is about it. For a 5 star luxury resort I expected a whole lot more. This was my first trip to Cancun, and if I were to judge by this place I would never go back!
Indiana, e-mail withheld, 2004-07-01

This was my first to Cancun. The hotel Caribe Real Cancun was not as described. The first room was not even close to the main lobby, and to finally get there the room was hotter than outside. After a lot of h**l raising, finally got a room with decent A/C. The food was terrible. No activities for children, which was describe as having, no tennis court, or other activities. This place is old and need of lots of upgrade. They rated this hotel as 5 star, the best I could give is a two star and that's being generous. The staff has no idea what's going on in the activities department. Some were nice some not so nice. I wouldn't recommend this hotel if you want to have a problem free time. You cannot get the staff to fix problems promptly, takes a lot of teeth pulling. Staying here is not worth what you pay for.
Georgia, USA, e-mail withheld, 2004-06-25

The hotel Caribe Real Cancun was spotless, but the buffet food was not good. The steak and italian restaurant were nice. All the staff were great and we had fun on the nightly entertainment that the staff took us on. The place was very clean, but, the room would not get cool. Overall, the place is actually over rated. It should be rated at a 3.
Cheryl Zimkouski, e-mail withheld, 2004-05-25

My wife and I had a great time at the Caribe Real Cancun. Very friendly staff. Hotel was just bought by the Real chain and major projects are happening right now. Beach was awesome. Food OK. Go to the steak house and Italian Restaurant. Book through the concierge in the lobby. Bring dollars for tips as these folks work really hard. Take in the nightly shows, fabulous. Can't wait to return.
Joe, e-mail withheld, 2004-04-30

Hello Cancun.... I am working on my 4th visit to Cancun this May. I must say Caribe Real Cancun was the best place to say.... great location.... rooms are great... the food is okay... but all in all I had a blast.... I would definitely recommend staying here. Party hardy.... :)
Karinda, dizzyone827@hotmail.com, 2004-04-21

The Caribe Real Cancun was beautiful, the location was awesome, but the food was awful! The menu was the same everyday, and the food had no flavor but a bad one. I was very disappointed. Also there was no in room mini bar which was a disappointment for a hotel that is supposed to be a 5 star. This would not be my first choice hotel when I come back because of these reasons.
Mallory, e-mail withheld, 2004-03-08

Our stay at the Caribe Real Cancun was excellent. The staff was quite friendly, the food was good and we didn't have to wait too long for drinks and never for towels. The rooms were cleaned spotless daily and the view from the ocean rooms was amazing. Even the non-ocean view rooms were beautiful. Overall the entire hotel and resort was stunning. I would recommend it to anyone going to Cancun for sure. Great staff and a great stay. Not really a party hotel, but definitely enjoyable. I'd go back for sure.
Sean, futuref50driver@hotmail.com, 2004-03-01

I have stayed at the Caribe Real Cancun for the past 2 spring breaks and am booking another vacation there this year. Every time we have a blast! The entertainment staff is great and it is much nicer than all the other hotels spring breakers stay at!
Jessica, JessicaLRonan@hotmail.com, 2004-01-07

I have stayed at the Caribe Real Cancun numerous times in the past, prior to the hotel becoming all inclusive. I absolutely loved it there and never had a problem with any room I had there. Last My wife and I decided to stay at the Flamingo this past March 2003 at the urging of our travel agent and others that have stayed there and are we ever sorry we did that. We are returning to this hotel in April of 2004 for a ten night stay and are looking forward to it.
Mike & Patty, Mickmax023@aol.com, 2003-10-24

I would like to thank all the staff at the Caribe Real Cancun, for the great time we had at your resort. It was the best time ever at a place like this. Thank you guys, we hope to see you again very soon!
Domingo and Aurora Martinez from Crosby, Texas., domingo@transmardistribution.com, 2003-09-10

My husband and two teenage kids had a great time. We found the staff very friendly and were very pleased how clean the Caribe Real Cancun was.
Kathy K., e-mail withheld, 2003-08-30

We had an all inclusive package for Caribe Real Cancun, and received the room on an availability basis only. We received a room VERY far from the restaurants. The room was barely cool, had a terrible smell and the shower was clogged. They promised us another room and never honored their promise. We would not stay there again.
Trisha Densmore, e-mail withheld, 2003-08-01

I would like to thank all the staff at the Caribe Real Cancun. I had the greatest time of my life. The rooms were nice, the beach was beautiful, and the staff was very friendly and courteous. I definitely go back to the continental plaza.
Alexis Gonzalez, Los Angeles, CA, nurep13@hotmail.com, 2003-06-12

WHAT A PLACE!! I will definitely go back next year! I absolutely loved the Caribe Real Cancun and the people were friendly!
Mark Pertson, e-mail withheld, 2003-03-31

I am from cold MI and Caribe Real Cancun was just the escape. It was so unforgettable that I returned at the same hotel the following year to gain more unforgettable moments and memories. The staff was great and especially one staff member, Miguel. He was a nice person to be around. I enjoyed every moment in my hotel.
Angie (Michigan), anscott@nmu.edu, 2003-03-19

My best friend and I stayed at the Caribe Real Cancun in the villas and thought it was absolutely phenomenal. We had a great view of the ocean and it was kept very neat. The staff were great to everyone. It was a very memorable trip.
Shannon, boomerk26@hotmail.com, 2003-01-12

I just want to say thanks to all the staff from Caribe Real Cancun for treating me and my family like they do during Spring Break thanks for everything your hotel is really nice.
Denise Lopez, Denise8Lopez@hotmail.com, 2002-06-25

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