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All You Need to Know About the Baby Sitting
at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda

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Lowest prices for your stay
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Guests1 room, 2 adults, 0 children
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C$280
Fully refundable before Thu, Aug 1
Breakfast included
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C$220
Fully refundable before Fri, Jul 26
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C$166
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Baby Sitting review highlights
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... find. Blue bay is no longer a relaxing resort, its party central with an integrated permanent daycare...really disapointed
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... were there for a family vacation so weren't looking for a "daycare", but would have used it if the kids wanted to go (even...
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... always visible. The gym is well equipped. The nanny and childcare services seem topnotch from what we observed. The...
Most popular question about the baby sitting
... have experiencing bringing a toddler under 2 years old to the resort? If you used babysitting, what was the cost and experience (were you permitted to leave the resort while...
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Answer from TipperNottingham
Oct 2018 |
As a group we were accompanied by our grand children aged two, and they were well catered and cared for for by the staff. I would ...
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Reviews that mention baby sitting

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Manon R wrote a review Mar 2020
Winnipeg, Canada1 contribution4 helpful votes
We just got back from our second trip to Blue bay and I must say never again. The resort has lost its charmed and peacefulness that you're looking for on vacation. There is strollers, babies, toddlers everywhere, we couldnt even for a romantic "A la carte" diner without a screaming kid. the buffet is now a joke, you stand in line for 45 min while the millennial wet from the beach are cutting in. The resort has become overpopulated with under 6yrs children. The night security to stop the rowdiness is nowhere to be find. Blue bay is no longer a relaxing resort, its party central with an integrated permanent daycare...really disapointed
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Date of stay: March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Response from Frederic C, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Mar 17, 2020
Dear friends, On behalf of all the staff of BlueBay Grand Esmeralda I wish to thank you for your feedback and for your preference. We regret that your experience with us was not at the level of their expectations, we will share your comments with our executive team to improve our service and our resort. We are at your service anytime and thank you again for your comments, Best regards!!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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SunSeekerBA wrote a review Nov 2014
Ontario, Canada27 contributions44 helpful votes
We had been to this resort before so even though we had seen recent reviews showing some bad experiences, we were hoping that based on our personal experiences from the past visits we would find them to be wrong.
Unfortunately not the case.
We travelled with family (2 adults and 2 kids age 3.5 and 9) and felt that this trip lacked the customer service we received in the past in almost all areas of the resort towards families and kids. We did not use the kids club as we were there for a family vacation so weren't looking for a "daycare", but would have used it if the kids wanted to go (even just for an hour or two), but even just the short period of time they met the staff at the mini disco at night with us present was enough to turn them off going to be with them for any period of time during the day........the mini disco was very rushed and lasted 15 minutes at most (2 songs for the kids to dance to and a game). One resort staff member to keep the kids in line who faced the audience rather than trying to get the kids on stage in sync/participating (which is kinda important when dealing with the small ones). Games were a joke - seemed like only the kids who attended the kids club during the day - won the prize at the end ( the reason I say that is that those are the only names the staff member knew/bothered to remember).
We did find 3 servers in the front buffet for breakfast/lunch after a couple days that we found a great repore with and that actually treated the kids with respect rather than a bother - Diana, Carlos and Santiago. They went out of their way to make sure to get us a highchair as soon as we were seated, remember our juices,milk and coffee's and were always topping up with a smile.....other than that the staff in the buffett were not very fond of kids/families and made it quite clear strollers and noise were a bother......past visits this was not the case at all. The menu, decor, quality and choice has changed dramatically and not for the better - they are using cheaper quality products in the buffett (no name nuttella, peanut butter, desserts are horrible and not at all what they used to be like - no more intricate watermelon carvings, chocolate decorations, they had wrap station once in the 2 weeks we were there, pasta station was rushed so pasta was undercooked and under drained so what you ended up was a water downed pasta sauce with hard pasta, burgers were either under cooked/or over cooked as were the hot dogs.)
A La Carte Restaurants - not all are open everyday/and getting a reservation is NOT easy.....Why they have Mexican in Mexico is beyond me. Aweful - americanized but the worst "taco bell" type food you will have by far...the only good thing - HUGE size Margaritas that aren't bad. French is amazing- menu changes slightly but I found something on there every time we went that I enjoyed (steak with mushroom sauce was good) - but what made it even better - SERVICE! I can honestly say again one of the very few spots they did not make us feel bad for taking our kids there. Kudos to all the staff there for the awesome service/food :)
Italian - Didn't like the food or the service. Wouldn't go back......
Steakhouse - Not bad, Service was ok. Food was ok/not great but would go again (better than the dinner buffet)
Seafood - Good food, service ok
Oriental - service ok - good food
Black/White Sports Bar - Service Horrible....bar tenders serve in an order that makes no sense and in most cases I got the wrong drink or half my order before they walked away
Beach bar - Very busy - but again no order to how the serve people and seem bothered by kids
Ice cream machine was never up and running before 2pm and shut down by 4pm - kinda disappointing for the kids when its full sun by 10am
the kids pool was closed the 1st week we were there - this being said you would think the kids club would do more to get the kids involved to go there.....we went to tour and and no one even said hello or offered us information when we went in.
The golf carts that drive around are a joke - several times we asked for a ride to be told no they are not going that way only to see them round the corner and pass by us a couple minutes later as we were still walking struggling with one of us carrying the younger child and at least one bag if not 2.
We were invited to a timeshare presentation - we declined as we did not want to leave the kids in the kids club to attend, but we also mentioned one of the reasons we didn't it was a good idea was because of the lack of "family friendly feel" this visit vs. past visits the response we received from the rep. was "well we can't please everyone".
Sad to hear that they no longer feel families are the audience they want to capture - Unfortunately we only travel as a family so that may be our last visit :(
We had to constantly call to ask for 4 towels - room was cleaned and we were left with 2 or 3 never with 4 even though we were 4 in the room. Water was hit and miss for the mini bar refill.
Room cleaning was crazy as well - some days it was done at 9am - others days ay 4pm.......we have a kid who still needs a nap so this did not work and twice had to "skip" room cleaning" and just get them to take our towels and give us new ones so we could showers for dinner. Sheets were only changed once in our 2 week stay, the rest of the stay they just remade the bed.
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Date of stay: November 2014Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Ask for 3rd or 4th floor - building 4 is close too the kids pool and has ocean view for most rooms.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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lazygal wrote a review Jul 2007
Wellington, Florida2200 contributions160 helpful votes
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Week of June 25 - July 2 2007 Based on my experiences. May yours be better.

We arrived at the Cancun airport on Monday at 3:30 and were delighted with the new terminal. Ladies, I suggest using the facilities before going through immigration. Your spouse can hold your place in line. There will be a long wait at the restroom while waiting for your luggage. Also, don't blindly join the que of waiting ladies. Check the stalls as half of them can be vacant. The attendant seems to get pleasure in having you wait. Honor the line, just make sure you are not waiting in vain.

We booked online with Grayline and it was a very good decision. They were the least expensive at $18 pp and had new vans and cars lined up just to the left of the exit. We were on our way in 15 minutes with two other couples in the van. We were the first stop. We left the airport at 4:20 and arrived at the hotel at 4:50. We only booked one way transfers and called a taxi for the return at $33. Price this before getting in the cab. The bellman has a list of fixed taxi rates. Check with him and let him make the driver aware that you know the rates. Yes, you can be taken advantage of. Also, do not change your money to pesos unless you are very good at the exchange rate. One couple paid $80 for $20 transfers because of a mix up.

Overview: I read all of the reviews and booked this hotel based on the value and the pictures. The rooms did strike me as being the best available for my taste. The pictures do the place justice and they did not disappoint. I really went into this determined to have a great trip. We are very easy going, do not demand any special attention and generally go with the flow.

Upon arrival there was a woman obviously having some drama issue at the front desk. We waited awhile and a staff member came to take care of us at another terminal. I was hoping to get an upgrade from our oceanfront room, but none were available. No oceanfront rooms were available either, so I was very pleased that we were given a swim-up room as reconciliation without even having to ask for any. We were quickly given some instructions on how to make dinner reservations, but it was difficult to understand. I tipped him $20 and we were on our way. The bellboy led us to a tram to take us to our room. He stopped at each building on the way and and pointed out the gym, spa and restaurants. Only a few staff members speak English. We managed, but there is a communication barrier.

We were met by our friends in the lobby and they provided us with concierge information on dining they had received earlier. Without them, we would still be looking for the concierge. You make your reservations each morning for that day. At the time of our trip, there was only a concierge at the Coba building. We were at the Labna building. It was a good location.

Okay - THE GOOD

The discounted prices are the best thing going right now. Really, there is value for the price here with everything being new.
The bellman is efficient and good as are the bellboys.

The rooms are beautiful. Plush, plentiful, huge towels and bathrobes. (the robes are really too hot for the climate) The Bathrooms are nice with huge tubs and plenty of hot water and fantastic water pressure. Everything is new - a real plus. The person stocking the room minibar does a good job. It is filled with four beers, 2 of which are light; 2 mineral waters; 2 cokes; 2 diet cokes; 2 frescas, and 4 juices. We had one beer and some cokes.

Maintenance of the grounds is very good. Beautifully paved walkways; beautiful and huge pool and clean. We saw them testing the water for cleanliness. Security guards patrol every complex and are always visible. The gym is well equipped. The nanny and childcare services seem topnotch from what we observed. The aerobics and activity staff double as nannys. Bar service is readily available. The pool bar serves stronger drinks than the beach bar, and the bar staff will gladly take care of you. If you desire stronger drinks, go make friends with the bartender.

Building activity is going on all the time. They were really working on planting palm trees and adding new landscaping and palapas on the beach. The beach itself is inviting and new. The water sports staff at the beach is excellent. We really received outstanding service from Juan Carlos and his partner manning the jet skis and hobiecat on the beach. They do not work for the hotel though.

The buffet was excellent the first night, much better than expected. That was International night. The Italian restaurant was also very good. You are always greeted at the buffet with champagne, including the breakfast buffet. You can make your own mimosas. The breakfast buffet was plentiful and had a good assortment. All of the staff cooking and servers from behind the cook stations were very gracious and eager to please. In hindsight I would tip them over the staff I did tip. They have hot and hard jobs with long hours.

Now, THE BAD

There is no service directory in the room nor any instructions on how to "use" the resort. The spa might as well not be there as there is no mention of services anywhere. At least there is no hard sell approach. Our building had no concierge, so that may be the problem, but a room directory would be nice.

Overall service left a lot to be desired. The dinner staff is probably the best. Some people really seem to try but most are going through the motions. Management really needs to address service, yet the front desk is probably the worst. Get used to not being offered a second cup of coffee. It was rare that a waiter would come around with the coffee pot or refill the water. On our last day, I asked for hot coffee since my husband's coffee had gotten cold. The server pointed to the open air and then waved her hand to the coffee. I said yes, I know there is a breeze but could we please get some hot coffee. This was one of the servers we had been tipping all week, but I have to ask myself why?

We tipped well and often but we really should not have. Rarely was it appreciated and service got worse as the stay went on. To be fair, some waiters really gave their best effort. We always tipped at dinner and breakfast, but it made no difference in the service. To be fair, they also did not have their hands out expecting a tip. It was just strange. In hindsight, I would only tip at the end of the stay to those who provided a special service, or even good service.

The restaurants have a problem with the air conditioning and it can be unbearable at times, especially at the buffet steam tables while waiting for an order a la carte. The only real air conditioning is in the room. The French restaurant was not good and we did not try the Mexican restaurant based on the reviews and the reservation system.

Food quality at the main buffet went downhill after the first night. There is plenty of food and drink, but it is standard buffet food. Lunch leaves a lot to be desired.

The pools close at 8:00 and we were asked to leave the pool. The lights are also turned off around the pool in the evening. The hotel is catering to families and children are allowed in all of the pools, including children in diapers. Great for those familes, but not for people concerned with norovirus.

If you book through BookIt .com and are given a $100 room credit, the hotel will only honor it for phone calls and laundry or special wines. We had hoped to use it for jet ski rental or spa services. No gift shop purchase. All of these places seem to be separately run from the hotel, Since the robes were available to purchase, we thought surely they would let us apply our room credit for a robe - NOPE, NICE TRY. We were half tempted to get $100 worth of wine to take to the construction workers who stopped and stared at us everytime we walked to dinner. We usually walked because there are only four golf carts and since the hotel is booking to capacity rides are harder to come by.. The workers did not really bother me, but it did bother my husband so I'm adding it.

Finally - THE UGLY

Lack of housekeeping and replenished supplies. No problem with the towels. They would knock on our door at night and ask if we needed more towels.
I'd be more happy if someone cleaned the room, brought us fresh glasses, cleaned the coffee pot and left us some coffee. We were in a corner end unit, and I really think they quit before making it down the hall, or they didn't know the room was occupied. Well, it was made up the first day. The second day, barely - no supplies, but the tips were taken I had left. The beds were barely made. By the fifth day, after coming back to the room from an all day snorkle trip, wanting to bathe and take a nap I was furious at finding a dirty room. After three calls to the front desk and another two hours I got housekeeping while I was taking a shower. This was after some very rude attitude from the operator and front desk. This was the norm for our stay .

We did not order room service, but food trays were left in the halls all day and overnight. Open hot air and food makes for some nasty aromas.

Check out was also bad, because we never received the check out instructions. Again, someone couldn't make it down the hall to our room. We got one from the front desk, after they insisted we already had one. The idea is that you write the time on it you want your luggage picked up. I filled it out; it was picked up because they woke us up jiggling the door handle to get it, but no one ever came for the luggage. 3 phone calls to the operator later and each time she asked "you want it NOW?" I saw a security guard and asked him to walkie us a golf cart. Checking out, not one word was exchanged between me and the man I had given $20 to at check in. So yes, we left on a very sour note.

IN CLOSING: We got a good deal for the price. The aggravation of a few instances could have been completely avoided with better customer service. Because of our experience I would not return. We spent most of our days away from the resort and visited some fantastic places. Akumel, Paal Maal and Selvatica. I have always loved Mexico for the water sports and will continue to visit - but never again at this hotel.

We travel with great friends and always try to make the best of any situation. We make our own good times. We do not need special treatment or fussing over, but the management of this hotel has some serious customer service issues. This could be a four star resort, but because of service it can be no higher than a 3.

For those booked, I hope you have a wonderful stay. If you encounter no problems you will. The real problem is no one cares if you have a problem.

Five new buildings are going up now, buildings much further away from the pool and day buffet. They expect to have 1000 rooms by December. So, the value is now, while it is discounted and you can get a room close to the pool and ocean.

The Ocean will never be usable. No matter what. They are fighting a battle that is contrary to the natural elements by trying to dredge and build a waterfront. Take a walk down the beach to MayaKoba to see a truly natural Mexican beachfront.

Sorry this is so long, but I had to get it off my chest. We were not treated well. I hope you have a better experience because it really is a beautiful hotel.

This is not the place for honeymooners or special occasions. Nor is it for those seeking nightlife.
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Date of stay: July 2007Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Business service (e.g., internet access)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Bob M wrote a review Jun 2013
Gatineau, Canada26 contributions32 helpful votes
Wife and I spent 2 great weeks at BBGE between April 11th and April 25th. Normally would of posted review weeks ago but chalk it up to laziness? This was our 4th trip to BBGE in as many years so I guess you can say we enjoy the place. We don't bother to book vacations through agencies or with Charter companies like Sunwing, etc. I contacted resort directly to confirm room and date availability then booked our flights online with Westjet. I had also arranged for transportation to/from Cancun airport, directly through BBGE. Upon arrival at Cancun on Apr.11th, while most other passengers on our flight were being herded on to an old, hot bus we were whisked away in a shiny, white Suburban with full leather interior which included beverages and cool, wet facecloths.
We had booked ocean-view, king bed room and were not disapointed. Room was clean, bed comfortable and washroom included a HUGE shower and double sinks. We always leave a couple dollars tip on the bed each morning before heading out. upon return at supper time the room was always squeaky clean with a little towel animal left on bed for us. Keep in mind that you are vacationing in Mexico and not at the Ritz Carleton in New York. Yes, you may find an ant or two behind your toilet at the odd time but this is a tropical region.
We did not have one bad meal during the 2 weeks we were there. The quality and quantity of food is excellent! Any one who says otherwise I would never bother to invite to dinner at our own home because they are obviously people who are never satisfied with anything and we did see several of these foul creatures during our stay, There are 7 different restaurants including a buffet which has different themes each night so there is something to please everyone. Lots of cold beer, wine and fancy tropical drinks every where and again, offering a dollar or two once in a while goes a long way towards getting an extra shot of liquor in your drink. The resort is huge; likely a 15 minute walk from the lobby to beach area but they have numerous trolley cars scooting about to carry you to and fro. Two pools at either end of resort, one large and the 2nd one, closer to beach, described as huge. Beach itself is nothing to write home about; but neither are the ones for the other resorts on either side of BBGE. The staff of BBGE are fantastic, friendly and always ready to help. This is a large resort with lots of guests so obviously the staff are always busy but if you are patient and wear a smile, you will usually obtain what you ask for. BBGE is a family orientated resort and there are kids on site. BBGE has a Kids Club (daycare) on site and many parents take advantage of this to have a few hours R&R to themselves at the beach or spa. BBGE despite all its advantages is not truly a 5-star resort but easily a good 4-star. The premises have been functioning for several years now and is starting to show a bit of wear&tear but so is our 25 year old home.
All in all a great place to stay which is why we are already planning our next (5th) trip back to BBGE.
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Date of stay: April 2013Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Becky wrote a review Aug 2022
Cotswolds, United Kingdom8 contributions4 helpful votes
We stayed for 7 nights from July 26th. The pool is lovely, no issues getting a lounger and it’s warm and cleaned daily. The beach is soft white sand, plenty of places to lay out and relax. The seaweed is obviously a thing this time of year, but the staff work tirelessly to remove it and keep the smells at bay. It really only got stinky one day we were there and that was because a storm churned it up. We expected it and it didn’t spoil our trip at all. Being British and used to swimming in dark waters we got in the sea regardless, but we were the minority.
The kids used the kids club multiple times and loved it. The team are really fun and make them feel at home. They offer childcare 10-5pm which is amazing. No need to book either so it’s really relaxed and they’re happy for you to pick up when you want to.
We had a garden view room with two doubles, it stayed nice be cool in the room and it was cleaned every afternoon and the fridge restocked. If you leave a tip the cleaning staff make fantastic towel animals which our kids thought was hilarious. The room was showing it’s age a little, our sliding door needed a bit of tlc and the outside light didn’t work but these things weren’t a problem for us. We still used our balcony to sit and have a margarita every night and it being darker kept the mosquitoes on our neighbours side.
We took advantage of the excursion to Xcaret. We’ll worth it. Especially for the traditional craft workshops and shopping in the ‘Mayan village’.
Do walk up the beach to the blue lagoon, it’s cold but clear and really fun swimming with the current. Kids really need floaties for that.
The breakfast is by far the best meal in our opinion. I will miss the Mexican brekky foods…so yummy! We booked an A La carte once, traditional Mexican food…and the beef fajitas were delicious. You need to book early (the day before) to get tables at busy times. If you don’t mind eating at 6pm you can pretty much guarantee a booking. The staff are all friendly and say Hola! as they pass. Our favourite was Daniel in the buffet restaurant. He memorised our favourite drinks and looked after us very well.
The only thing I wouldn’t do again was 5th Avenue in downtown Playa Del Carmen. If I was young and child free I would’ve loved it, but it’s too busy, loud and intense with kids and the prices for souvenirs are high even if you haggle. We enjoyed meeting the artisans and shopping in Xcaret much more.
Id definitely come back to this resort again.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Leave lots of time on your check out day as roadworks are causing chaos on the road to the airport.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Response from DIRECTOR GENERAL, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Aug 5, 2022
Dear Friends, Thank you very much for your kind comments, We are glade to read that you enjoyed your time, We hope to have the opportunity to host you again soon, Sincerely, BlueBay Family
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Questions & answers about the baby sitting

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Answer from TipperNottingham
Oct 2018 |
As a group we were accompanied by our grand children aged two, and they were well catered and cared for for by the staff. I would suggest preparing a little medicine pack with your own brand of Calpol and baby medicine as the shop doesn't always have lots of ladies and children's medicine. My daughter had a water infection on the last day of our holiday and it was impossible to obtain any medicine on site or at the airport for her, we had to wait until we arrived in the U.K before she purchased some.
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Answer from GEERT D
Sep 2015 |
Hello, Our miniclub starts with its corresponding program from 9 am till 5 pm and age allowance from 2 till 12 years old. Our baby sitting service come with an extra charge of 30 usd per hour for 1 to 2 children. For the 2nd hour 20 usd will be charged. To make further arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact our concierge department us upon arrival. We will be more than honoured to receive you and your family for a great stay at the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda. Kind regards
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