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About
4.0
#34 of 38 all-inclusives in Playa del Carmen
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Ideally located in an area of 445 acres in a prime position on the beach on the Riviera Maya, BlueBay Grand Esmeralda combines elegant Mayan features with contemporary design and a wide range of service to suit the most discerning traveller. BlueBay Grand Esmeralda provides a relaxed atmosphere for holiday makers. The hotel features 979 elegant and well-appointed rooms and suites with the option of a sea or garden view.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
We stayed for three nights at the resort as part of a TravelZoo deal. The property was large and well maintained. We loved sitting on the beach in the evening after dinner and afternoons by the pool when we got back from exploring each day. The service was amazing. Any time we called for more towels, soda, bottled water, etc it was delivered right to the room. The room was really nice and the bathroom was renovated with really nice, high end fixtures. We loved the animals like iguanas, raccoons, and coatis around the grounds. Our only complaint was the buffet food. It bordered on inedible. However we went off the resort each day and so would eat lunch at local restaurants in town. We discovered the made to order omelets (only at the main dining room) for breakfast but dinners were not very edible. Other than the food, we had a great time and it was a great value for the money.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Frederic C, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Jan 15, 2020
Dear friends, On behalf of all the staff of BlueBay Grand Esmeralda I wish to thank you for your great comments and for your preference. We will make sure to share your lovely comments with all our staff and it will be a privilege to serve you again in a near future. If you need any help for your future reservations please feel free to contact us anytime. Best regards!!
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Before my holiday to Blue bay I was feeling apprehensive due to the difference in reviews I read, but we had the best stay there and 100% would recommend it!
We travelled on the 11th November 2019 and stayed for two weeks, the first 5 days or so we did see some rain mostly in the mornings and late at night but the second week we had perfect weather so I think it’s just down the timing of year we chose to go, if I went to Mexico again or the Caribbean I would choose a little later in nov or dec.
All the staff nothing is to much trouble for you they go out of their way to make sure your stay is enjoyable and fulfilled to your needs. The entertainment staff get you involved and there is activities on throughout the day, beach volleyball ball and competitions between the holiday makers which my partner loved! Our room was cleaned every day by our maids and every day we came back to a new towel animal!
The beach isn’t the most luxurious beach as it is quiet small and the water isn’t very clear but the the pool area is massive so has enough room for anyone obviously depending on the time of year and how busy it is. There is a lagoon about 15 mins walk along the beach but you can’t walk any further along the beach due to private hotel beaches. So if you are looking for white beaches with blue clear water and long walks along the beach playa del Carmen would be great as the beach there is massive and beautiful.
The food in the buffets does get a bit repetitive as they don’t mix it up on a lunch time but the evening restaurants the food was lovely and would recommend the fish and the French restaurant the most, you can have a meal every night in the al la carte restaurants but bookings need to be made 24 hours before hand and make sure you go to the concierge early to get a booking as the popular ones fill up quickly.
We travelled with TUI and our rep Henry was more than happy to help with anything, we brought our trips from him on the first day to make it easier. We booked coco bongos, holbox island and xei Hal- which I would definitely recommend.
Entertainment of an evening was the only let down the only 2 places is the black and white bar and the beach bar which died down after the main show, so as a couple in our 20s we did expect a little more atmosphere but we still had an amazing time.
Taxi into playa del Carmen 5th Avenue was around $25 or there is a shuttle bus for a couple of dollars but we did not use this due to the timings.
Overall we had an great stay and would recommend this hotel to anyone, you will not regret coming to this hotel, ignore the bad reviews!
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Date of stay: November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from SOPHIEBBGE, Director de Relaciones Públicas at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Jan 12, 2020
Dear hannaht426, Thank you for your positive feedback. We are very glad to know that the BlueBay Grand Esmeralda surprised you for the right reasons. Our management is continuously working on improvements for our guests enjoyment. We thank you again for your kind recommendation and would love to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future. Kind regards,
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Spent one week at the BlueBay Grand Esmeralda in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. 4 of us went. We had 2 rooms. The rooms are grungy (dirty) and 20 years past need of an overhaul. Bathroom fixtures are stained, old and leaky. The AC leaked at night-had to put a towel on the floor. Floor felt dirty on my feet and was covered in hair. Much like the hallways leading to the rooms. The biggest grievance for me was the smoking: everywhere. There are designated areas, but not enforced and people are smoking all around the pool, up and down the many long walking paths and in and around the bars. Thankfully not in the restaurants. Make sure to take a huge amount of American cash with you. A bottle of sunscreen at the resort is $24USD, a small pack of Tums is $8USD. On the positive side, some of the bartenders and servers go above and beyond to impress you. There is a funky bar by the pools where you sit on swings in the shade and get wonderfully over-served. There is plenty of drinking water available self serve at dispenser machines at every bar. Bring your own water bottle. Drinking from their disposable water bottles makes me need Tums and I can't afford them. I can not recommend this resort. There are better ones out there for the money.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Frederic C, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Feb 5, 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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My girlfriend and I visited Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda February 21st to February 28th 2020 through a West Jet Vacations package and we had a great experience start to finish. I visited this resort 13 years ago when it was first built under different ownership and under the name "Grand Galla Esmeralda". It left an impression at that time and was part of the reason we decided to go back. It was my curiosity to see if it was the same place I remembered. We were not disappointed! The resort has definitely expanded since my initial visit. With a store/market area, 2 seperate pool areas, multiple breakfast and lunch buffet locations and with 6 different a la carte restaurants for suppers to choose from this place has everything you could ask for in a Mexican vacation resort. We really enjoyed the variety of shows held every night at 9:30PM at the "Black & White" bar/entertainment location. Very talented dancers and entertainers. The beach and pool areas where also great places to find a chair and relax or take a swim! Always kept very clean and well maintained. Daily pool/beach activities also kept you immersed in the crowd, meeting new people, and having a great time. The entertainment staff are great people and really get you motivated to have a good experience with them. Our garden view room had everything we needed, staff was only a phone call away and always willing to help with any of our questions. Specifically we met several staff members that really went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience and I believe they deserve a mention. Jaun and his shift partner Macerena (Forgive me if I got your name wrong) at the Jaal-Ha restaurant and Joel at the Columpios Bar. Thank you guys! You really made this trip memorable! You are amazing people! To sum up our trip we will definitely be going back. Next time we will be bringing my girlfriends 2 young girls (8 and 6) as well so they can enjoy what we have been able to enjoy at the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda. They would really enjoy children's area and all the activities available there. Thank you again Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda! We had an amazing time!
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Frederic C, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Mar 10, 2020
Dear friends, On behalf of all the staff of BlueBay Grand Esmeralda I wish to thank you for your great comments and for your preference. We will make sure to share your kind comments with all our staff and it will be a privilege to serve you again in a near future. If you need any help for your future reservations please feel free to contact us anytime. Best regards!!
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We have gone to this resort for 5 or 6 years in a row and became members 3 years ago. Overall it is a great place, but not sure being a member is a huge benefit. There have been some improvements over the years, but I'm not sure what they did to the beach area helped anything. They added several docks that extend out into the water, but as of now there is no way to get on them. They have attempted to surround the swimming areas with someting that appears to be to block the ocean from slamming the shore and washing away the beach. It has just made the water appear dirty and not many people went in this year. We do like the food and mostly eat at the buffets. The staff has always been very freindly and they always seem to be trying to keep things clean. My biggest complaint is with the nightly entertainment. It has gotten worse over the years. It is now so loud is is not enjoyable and causes people to leave. They have added a projection system that allows for different scenery which saves on props, but also projects on the performers and makes them had to see (along with the smoke machine). They used to have a lot of recorded music, but now mostly use a house band that is so loud you can't hear the singers. It continues to play at the end of the night so you can't even hear the performers being introduced. The sound system is very old and out of date, but just turning down the volume would help. You can't even understand the announcements at the start of the shows. They incorporate tumbling, trapease, ribbon or rope acts every night that are very similar with just a change of outfits to blend with the theme for the night.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Frederic C, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Mar 10, 2020
Dear friends, On behalf of all the staff of BlueBay Grand Esmeralda I wish to thank you for your great comments and for your preference. We will make sure to share your kind comments with all our staff and it will be a privilege to serve you again in a near future. If you need any help for your future reservations please feel free to contact us anytime. Best regards!!
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The staff at the resort was friendly, courteous and responsive to requests. One in our group has a dairy allergy and they tried to accommodate that wherever possible. The buffets offered a good selection for the most part. We ate at the "Oriental" restaurant one night. The food was excellent, but many in our party ended up standing at our tall table because the chairs were very uncomfortable. The steak house meal was also very good. The Mexican a la carte was ok. The beds were uncomfortable and our room had a strong sewer smell that seemed to be coming from the shower drain. Maintenance or the cleaning staff did something to help minimize the smell once we reported it. We found the rooms to be quite noisy - you could hear conversations in the hallway and on the decks of the people around you. We could not regulate our air conditioner so it was cold or hot. On the last night, a blade of our ceiling fan flew off and hit me while I was laying in bed. Luckily it didn't hurt me. The cleaning crews' carts were exceptionally noisy going up and down the halls starting at about 7:30 am. It was not a very restful trip for us unfortunately. The entertainment was mediocre but I think the venue was part of the problem. The sound system made it hard to understand dialogue and lyrics. Not much for night life at the BlueBay, and nowhere to really get food past 10 pm. It would be nice if they had more soft seat lounges and quieter places to relax on this resort. Pools were decent but the beach is still under repair from past hurricanes (that is what we were told).
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Frederic C, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Feb 24, 2020
Dear Friends, Thank you very much for sharing you positives and feedback, we will share your comments with our executive team. See you soon, Sincerely,
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Me and my girlfriend spent 5 nights here and had a great time. Very big resort so be prepared to walk around or you can just wait for the shuttle that comes around but it can take a while. We had a issue with the power in our room the first night (very inconvenient) and after 30 mins of them trying to fix it we called front desk and were upgraded to a pool view room. It was worth the inconvenience in the end as the view was great and it was nice being that close to the pool.
The food overall was exactly was you expect from a big all inclusive mexican resort in this price range. Breakfast was good and we were always encouraged to have mimosas by the staff, which I can’t say no to. I will say the staff were amazing and always there if you needed something. Ivan at the swing bar was the best bartender and the staff treat you great, of course if you tip a little it helps!!
The pool is huge and we enjoyed relaxing and getting drinks served to us. The beach at the time wasn’t very swim-able. It was very windy and the seaweed was pretty bad. The staff clean it up pretty well but it a losing battle. If you want a nice place to swim walk down the beach to a small lagoon area. It’s part of another resort but there’s an area where everyone goes to swim and it’s allowed. Just don’t try and cross the walking bridge if they have security, they check you wristbands.
Overall we had a great stay but don’t expect a 5 star resort you get exactly what you pay for with this place. The grounds are nice and clean and the staff treat you amazing. The rooms are dated and the food could be better. But like I said you can’t expect a world class experience for a average price. I would recommend this resort but don’t think we would stay here again. Only because we like to experience different places. Overall 3.75 outta 5 stars
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from SOPHIEBBGE, Director de Relaciones Públicas at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Mar 28, 2020
Dear Islandjumper250, Thank you for sharing your honest review. It was a pleasure being your host and we are very glad to know that we were able to meet your expectations. We appreciate your kind recommendation to the travel community. Kind regards,
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4 stars... ha so at night drunk people misbehaving in the hallways, very loud. The beach wasn't the best however it wasn't terrible either, you can always get a beach chair and it has bar service down there. The swing bar, holy smoke this was an amazing experience for me. The bartender, Ivan, just kept making shots all night. lol The black and white bar during the day has good service but at night it is non-existant but it is full of people so you can always go to the bar for a drink. so food here was excellent in my opinion the buffet was great. i did find it annoying that you would have to book you dinner only one day in advance and if you were late getting up the only booking were for 9pm. The steak house and the Mexican restaurants in my opinion were fantastic. The bacon for some reason sucked everywhere equally. i mean i found myself picking it off my fillet Mignon. It appears that this resort sprawls across a vast area however it really only takes 5-10 minutes of walking to get anywhere. really it was the only exercise i was getting so I welcomed the short walks lol . Another irritation is the hard sale to come and buy a time share, although, we found if you just tell them that you talked to Jerry they will leave you alone. But for listening to an hour they will give you a coupon for two hundred bucks of spa treatments. the rooms are spacious and large, although we did have two different rooms there and after talking with others there above the 3rd floor the water pressure sucks. I found that we hardly needed our ac unit for cooling but it would get very humid there without it on so we turned it on when we left the room and that seemed to work very well. The staff was amazing, everyone. the waitresses, the waiter, bartenders, everyone very friendly and nice.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Frederic C, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Feb 1, 2020
Dear friends, On behalf of all the staff of BlueBay Grand Esmeralda I wish to thank you for your great comments and for your preference. We will make sure to share your lovely comments with all our staff and it will be a privilege to serve you again in a near future. If you need any help for your future reservations please feel free to contact us anytime. Best regards!!
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Our first visit to Mexico, we were very happy with our stay at this resort. Our room in building 6 was clean and comfortable, the resort is fairly large but it never felt too crowded. There are 6 a la carte restaurants, we had no trouble booking these with our wonderful concierge Yesica, who was absolutely delightful. On days when we did trips we used the buffet restaurant which was also great. All the staff were friendly and helpful, we would not hesitate coming here again. Our only comment would be to have more sunbeds available around the pools, especially the smaller pool away from the beach.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Frederic C, Director General at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Feb 3, 2020
Dear friends, On behalf of all the staff of BlueBay Grand Esmeralda I wish to thank you for your great comments and for your preference. We will make sure to share your lovely comments with all our staff and it will be a privilege to serve you again in a near future. If you need any help for your future reservations please feel free to contact us anytime. Best regards!!
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We have made multiple trips to Cabo and the Riviera Maya in the last few years. This was our worst resort stay by far (We have loved the others at other resorts). You are immediately upon arrival ushered over to the desk to sell you the VIP return experience buy-in only. Then after you turn that down you are taken to your room and you are on your own. If there is something wrong the minimum amount necessary is done to correct it. The only solution they give you is to sign up for their VIP experience, so that next time this doesn't happen. Our air conditioner leaked water onto our tile floor by the gallons each day. The first four days or so we contacted the front desk and they sent someone into the room that fixed it for maybe 20 or 30 minutes. We gave up and just started putting buckets underneath it and draining them. We paid a lot extra for two ocean view rooms. We requested them together. We were left with two ground level rooms next to the bathroom by the pool with views of the bushes and the pool. The rooms were not connected. Keep in mind this resort was running at low occupancy due to the covid 19 virus. We asked about this and we're told there was nothing they could do. Just a complete disappointment from arrival to departure. Posted below are the pictures of the leak from our room for each day.
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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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from SOPHIEBBGE, Director de Relaciones Públicas at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda
Responded Mar 28, 2020
Dear carpenterscottc, We appreciate the time you have taken to share your comments concerning your recent experience. Even though it saddens us to read you were disappointed with our services and facilities, we really appreciate your feedback and for bringing your concerns to our attention as it means that there is an opportunity for us to improve ourselves and achieve our main goal, which is the customer satisfaction. We reiterate once again our sincere apologies and hope that you will give us the opportunity to remedy these inconvenients and welcome you back for a more tranquil stay. Best regards,
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45 minutes. All are American funds. $70.00 each way if you use the resort taxis. They will be waiting for you with a sign. Saves having to find a taxis .
Also shuttle bus, but not as comfortable.
New Orleans, Louisiana262 contributions137 helpful votes
Yes, all restaurants are included. There is a daytime buffet, a very nice evening buffet. The six a la carte restaurants require a reservation, made one day in advance. Each building has a concierge, so this is easy.
Food is quite good, especially the Mexican & the French.
There are more places to choose from in the Playa del Carmen area.
PRICE RANGE
C$203 - C$297 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
blue bay esmeralda, bluebay grand esmeralda hotel, blue bay grand esmeralda riviera maya, blue bay grand esmeralda mayan riviera, grand esmeralda, blue bay grand esmerelda, blue bay grand esmeralda resort, blue bay grand esmeralda beach resort spa, blue bay esmerelda
LOCATION
MexicoYucatan PeninsulaQuintana RooRiviera MayaPlaya del Carmen
NUMBER OF ROOMS
979
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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