Review of Grand Park Royal Cozumel

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On a recent trip to Cozumel, I was able to experience a stay at Grand Park Royal Cozumel. This is an all-inclusive property less than 20 minutes from the airport and within steps from one of the cruise ports in Cozumel. The Mayan-themed atmosphere is enticing and the property is lush and well laid out. For location, I would give this property a 5-star rating, but the rating for services, amenities, food, and overall value would be closer to a 3-star rating. For a budget property, it is a decent option.

One point of concern for those considering a stay at Grand Park Royal Cozumel is the terrain. It is not easily handicap accessible with the uneven and rough terrain throughout the property. As someone who can walk perfectly fine, I was even having difficulty at times. Keep this in mind if you have little ones with strollers also, as it looked difficult to be able to push strollers around the resort. My recommendation would be to wear good, comfortable shoes if you visit this resort.

If you have young kids, there is a Kid’s Club, but it's not very large.

Grand Park Royal Cozumel Beach

The beach at this resort is very small with minimal seating and a very rocky entrance into the ocean. I strongly recommend water shoes, both for going in the ocean and for navigating around the resort. They have games at the beach - bean bag toss and ladder toss, and they hold scheduled activities out by the beach throughout the week. Every guest is allowed to borrow snorkel gear (mask, snorkel, life jacket) for 1 hour each day between 10am and 2pm. You can grab the gear from the hut near the beachside pool. There are many colorful fish and some reefs right off the beach so it's a neat experience. Be aware that if it's too windy, they won’t hand out snorkel gear. From the beach, you can easily see any cruise ships that are docked at the nearby cruise port. To get to the beach and beach-side pools at the resort, you walk under the main road so it's a bit separated from the rest of the resort.

Grand Park Royal Cozumel Pools

The resort boast three pools with entirely different environments and surroundings. The pool near the lobby is a chill atmosphere with a permanent volley ball net in the middle of the pool. There is a small 'lazy river' which goes around the pool bar. Guests can visit the swim-up bar for easy access to beverages. This pool experiences a lot of shade due to the surrounding trees. We didn't see any organized activities by this pool throughout our stay. There is a snack bar by the swim-up bar where guests can get day-time snacks such as burgers, hot dogs, and nachos. We did not care for the hot dogs at the resort - they had a sawdust-like texture and weren't edible in our opinion. The burgers and nachos were okay, but nothing spectacular.

The second pool is family-friendly and located by the beach with views of the cruise ships and ocean. If there are no ships in port during sunset, this is the best place to view an amazing sunset. This pool is in the sun all day long and has a more lively atmosphere with music being played throughout the day (sometimes a bit too loud). This pool also has a snack bar with nachos, burgers, and hot dogs. Throughout the week, they set up a taco stand near this pool with various foods. There is what looks like a hot tub by this pool, but it is not heated and basically just a cold bubble tub - kids used it more than adults. Be aware that the deck surrounding the 'bubble tub' and bar at this pool does not have a railing and drops right down into the rocky ocean below. The activity team sets up ping pong near this pool most days and there's also a sand volleyball court nearby.

The final pool is an Adult's Only pool which is on the other side of the beach from the family-friendly beachside pool. This pool has a nice lounging ledge in the water and has its own swim-up bar. There is another 'bubble tub' by this pool which is adult's only, but again, it's not a hot tub.

Grand Park Royal Cozumel Rooms

There are only two room types to choose from at the resort - Deluxe Nature View or Deluxe Oceanview. The oceanview is just slightly larger in size, but has a view of the ocean. Bedding is two double beds, regardless of room type and they are quite small. Oceanview rooms are nice with a great view of sunset and the ships in port, but the closer you are to the ocean, the more road noise you hear because the main part of the resort is on the other side of the main road on the island. 

The bathroom setup in the rooms is not good - the toilet and shower room is small with hardly any room to move around and let the door close. The shower boasts a rain shower head which is refreshing. The shower amenities supplied weren't our favorite - didn't care for the smell. 

The mini fridge in the room is restocked daily with 2 beers, 2 bottled waters, and various sodas. There was a coffee maker in the room, but no coffee packets which we found odd.

Grand Park Royal Cozumel Restaurants

The food quality at this property is below average compared to other all-inclusives. I'll share the different food areas and recommendations based on my experience, but remember it is subjective so someone else may have an entirely different opinion. For breakfast, the only option is Veranda, the buffet restaurant. For lunch between 1pm and 4pm, guests can visit the Veranda buffet again or the Pescador restaurant near the beach. The main restaurants open at 6pm each evening with no reservations needed. Depending on capacity and time you go, there might be a small wait. 

• Café Sol
  • 7am-10pm
  • Coffee, ice cream, small sandwiches, snacks, treats
  • The coconut ice cream was delicious!
• Andiamo (Italian)
  • Lasagna was mush
  • Plain pasta is good, but way too much butter so ask for less butter
  • Meatball appetizer was good
  • Ask for bread if they don’t automatically bring it out
  • Chicken Parmesan is good
• Frida (Mexican)
  • Guacamole is good
  • Enchilada came with black mole sauce which I didn’t care for
  • Tortilla soup was excellent
• Pescador (Seafood)
  • The seafood menu is only available during lunch (1-4pm).
  • At dinner time, the menu is half what the Italian restaurant offers and half what the Mexican restaurant offers – you can order from both menus
  • Ask for bread if they don’t automatically bring it out
• Veranda (Buffet)
  • Breakfast:
    • Omelet station (can make other kinds of eggs as well)
      • Can have them make bacon
    • French toast, pancakes
    • Sausage (not very good)
  • Lunch:
    • Pasta Salads
    • They rotate what is on their hot cook station
    • Chicken Fajitas were good
    • Shredded Port was good
  • Dinner:
    • Hot food station changes each night - Pasta station, paella, chicken, etc.
    • Soups, bread
    • Fruit
    • Desserts
    • Salads
    • Various entrees

Grand Park Royal Cozumel Bars/Drinks

The drink offerings are very basic. Various bars would have name-brand liquors and others wouldn't, then it would change the next day. Some liquor bottles we noticed - Jameson, Absolute, Skyy, Smirnoff, Bacardi, off-brand baileys, off-brand Kahlua. The Sports Bar had the widest selection of liquors – even saw Grey Goose vodka one day. Each pool has a swim-up bar which opens at 10am and closes at 6pm. Basic wine - red, white, and rose is available. Tips are expected at meals and restaurants.

Summary

If you are looking for a budget-friendly property in Cozumel where you can easily get off property and explore the island, Grand Park Royal Cozumel may be the place for you. There are more options to consider as well depending on your exact desires and budget. Please contact janelle.andrews@cruiseplanners.com when planning a trip to Cozumel so I can share more tips and recommendations and be sure to match you up with the right property.