Grand Velas: One Resort, Endless Experiences

Our Daily Mom Team has traveled all over the world. We crave adventure and luxury and we found all anyone could ever want in a vacation at Grand Velas Riviera Maya. This luxury all-inclusive resort offers a unique and decadent experience that your entire family will enjoy. What makes Grand Velas so special is the way the resort is divided up into three different sections with very different experiences. If you are looking for an all-inclusive vacation that offers unique options for excitement and relaxation, you need to book a stay at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya.

 

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Humble Beginnings to a Grand Creation

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Velas Resorts operates three world class resorts, one being the Grand Velas Riviera Maya. Velas Resorts was created by the Velas Brothers, Juan and Eduardo. The brothers took their passion for travel and created their first resort out of a failed condominium complex. Today they are visionaries in the field of all-inclusive resorts, with their resorts being matched by none other in the world.

All the Velas Resorts are award winning. The Grand Velas Riviera Maya has received the 5 Diamond Award from AAA since 2007. It is Earth Check gold certified for being eco-friendly. Travel specialists, Virtuoso, awarded the spa here the prestigious title of Best Spa in the World and the spa is recommended by Leading Spa. In 2016, Grand Velas Riviera received an award for being the best all-inclusive resort! The accolades are well deserved.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya stands out for its amazing architecture. This place truly is grand! With sweeping rooms, towering columns, beautiful local design in the furniture and artwork, and a natural landscape that is like a dream, this all-inclusive resort is the best! We love that they used design that is true to the local culture. So many times when you stay at an all-inclusive, you feel like you miss out on the real culture of the place where you are staying. This is not the case with Grand Velas. With so many authentic Mexican details, Grand Velas honors its location in all of its beauty. 

As you soak in all that surrounds you here, you realize you are somewhere special. The oceanfront portion of the resort features spacious, sparkling pools and ocean view rooms with huge terraces and balconies. The balconies are trimmed in lush greenery and bright blooming flowers. It is like the hotel is alive!

The Zen Grand area is surrounded by a wooded, tropical, earth paradise with an amazing water area that includes dipping pools and spring like pools. Everything here is designed to coordinate with the natural environment. Even the hallways and restaurants are designed in this way.

Here it is oh so quiet, nestled in the jungle, you feel like you are in another world yet are still pampered to the max. This resort seamlessly combines the best of the natural environment with the amenities of a resort.

With lots of accommodation options to meet your needs and desires and tons of activities at the resort or nearby, your all-inclusive vacation at Grand Velas Riviera will be unlike any vacation you have ever experienced.

Choose Your Accommodations

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Your time at Grand Velas is designed to be tailored to meet your desires and needs. The accommodations are divided into three distinct sections depending on what you are looking for in your vacation. Whether you are traveling with your kids or on a kid-free getaway, whether you want classic beach front accommodations or something a little more quiet, Grand Velas is perfect for you.

The Grand Class section of the resort is for adults and teens 16 years and older staying with their parents. This option is perfect for a romantic getaway. If you’ve left your kids at home with a sitter, you probably don’t want to hang out with kids you don’t even know. This adult-only option is perfect for just that situation.

The Grand Class includes 90 luxurious suites with breathtaking ocean views. These suites have top of the line everything with details that will stun. In the Grand Class King Suite and Grand Class Queen Suite you can soak in your own private plunge pool on the terrace as you look out over the ocean. The Grand Class Presidential Suite is a very large 2 bedroom suite with a full dining room and stocked bar with selections from the Grand Velas wine cellar. You won’t want to leave the private, furnished terrace with pool overlooking the ocean. You also receive poolside private butler service and private maid service. This suit is the most exclusive experience you can imagine.

The Ambassador suites are family friendly suites. Just because you have your kids here, doesn’t make it any less luxurious. You still can enjoy private terraces, some with pools overlooking the ocean.

Each suite offers different options to suit your family’s needs. Your room options in the Ambassador are: Ambassador King, Ambassador Queen, Ambassador Pool King, Ambassador Pool Queen, Ambassador Governor Suite, and Ambassador Presidential.

One super cool feature of the Ambassador suites is that you can request amenities for traveling with a baby. The “Baby Concierge” includes a crib, a stroller, baby bath supplies, toys, pacifiers, bottles, and more. Luxury and family don’t usually come together at this level, but at Grand Velas, that is exactly what you get. Certified babysitters are also available for hire through the resort if you want to dine in an adult-only restaurant one evening.

The pools at the Ambassador and Grand Class are so gorgeous, you might want to just stay there for your entire stay. Just like the rest of the resort, the pools are thoughtfully designed to the point that even the bottom of the pool is made with colorful, hand laid tiles. With a swirling design around the pool that gently leads you in the clear, cool water, you will wonder where this place has been all your life. There is ample seating and shade for those who like to lay by the pool.

You don’t have to worry about the pool being overcrowded and uncomfortable. As you can see, the pool is expansive. There is plenty of room to swim, just walk in and dip your toes, or sit on the seating built in all around the sides.

Zen Grand feels like a totally different resort yet it is connected and accessible to the rest of the resort by a short shuttle ride. Zen Grand offers suites that are set in the tropical paradise of the Riviera Maya Jungle. The Zen Grand is all about peace and quiet, with private suites with natural surroundings.

The room options at the Zen Grand are: Zen Grand King Suite, Zen Grand Queen Suite, Zen Grand King Pool Suite, Zen Grand Queen Pool Suite, and Zen Grand Presidential Suite. The Pool Suites and the Presidential Suite feature a private plunge pool on the terrace. The Presidential Suite has the grandest garden views and the most luxurious of amenities.

The pools at Zen Grand are picturesque. They were designed to fit in with the natural landscape, not the other way around. It is like swimming in the jungle, without fear of jungle creatures creeping up on you! With dipping pools that look like a collection of springs you would find in nature, this is like no pool area in any hotel that you have ever experienced.

Pick a covered cabana or one of the plush lounge chairs under a palm tree for a little pool side nap. Leave your phone in your room. Unplug and just breathe in the perfection that surrounds you in this wonderful place. 

Zen Grand at Grand Velas is arresting in its atmosphere. It truly is nestled into the Mayan jungle and the mangroves, shaded and green. Go exploring through the paths along wooden platforms covered in palm thatched roofs.

Choose Your Experiences

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Dining

Not all-inclusive resorts or vacation packages are created equal. Dining might be included but that doesn’t mean the food will be enjoyable. However, dining at Grand Velas is first class! Every meal or snack here is exceptional.

With restaurants by world renowned chefs, there is not a bad dining option here. The variety of choices will pleasantly surprise you. If you want local cuisine, they’ve got you covered of course. There is also food offered from all over the world like French, Italian and Asian Fusion. There are child-free dining options and restaurants that offer causal experiences as well as formal dining.

In-suite dining gives you the option of dining in the privacy of your suite and is offered 24 hours a day. If a cocktail or evening entertainment is what you are looking for, there are 6 bars to choose from, including a karaoke bar offering entertainment the whole family will enjoy.

At Grand Class, choose from the following adult-only dining options:

• Piaf – French cuisine in a high class, modern setting
• Bistro – French style cuisine in an oceanfront setting
• Cocina de Autor – a gastronomic experience of Mexican and Caribbean foods

At Ambassador, choose from:

• Frida – Fine Mexican cuisine with live music
• Azul – Family friendly casual dining, serving everything from sushi to cheeseburgers
• Lucca – Italian and Mediterranean cuisine with delicious seafood, meats and fresh pasta

At the Zen Grand, choose from:

• Chaka – International cuisine in an open air environment of the Mayan jungle and mangroves
• Sen Lin – Asian cuisine in a dressy yet family friendly environment

Family Activities

Have more fun with your family than you knew was possible with these family activities. Grand Velas has a Kids Club and a Teens Club if your kids want to explore the resort on their own while you head to the spa. The Kids Club for ages 5-12 features fun activities in a safe environment. There are movies, video games, storytelling, drawing, painting, origami and more. The Kids Club even has a soccer field. For teens ages 13 and up, the club is more of a lounge atmosphere with billiards and arcade games that transform into a dance and karaoke club at night, with a “bar” serving teen friendly drinks and snacks.

For a memory that your family will never forget, swim with the dolphins in Playa del Carmen. The Dolphin experience gives you one on one time with the dolphin trainers before your swimming experience with the dolphins. The resort also provides transportation to and from the park where you swim with the dolphins. To explore the local environment, book a family scuba diving trip.

Activities to Get You Moving

If you love to golf, there are 2 courses to choose from: El Manglar Golf Course and El Camaleón Mayakobá. El Manglar features lakes and gorgeous views throughout the course. El Camaleón Mayakobá was the venue for the first PGA tournament outside the U.S. The landscape of this course is unlike any golf course on earth, with mangroves, jungle, sand dunes and more.

Kayak tours in the Caribbean are a great way to explore the coastline. Kitesurfing classes are the most exciting experience if you want to be a little daring on vacation. If you need to unwind and center yourself, take a yoga class at the resort. There are places to play beach volleyball, and you can always take a long walk down the beach to get some exercise with the white sand beneath your toes and the crystal blue Caribbean to your side.

The Spa

The Grand Velas Riviera Maya Spa is unreal. Located in the Zen Grand, the spa is surrounded by the beautiful Riviera Maya jungle. This peaceful, natural setting lends itself to the ultimate spa experience.

The spa experience includes a revolutionary Riviera Maya Water journey that is hydrotherapy at its best. The experience includes a sauna, color therapy steam, clay room, ice room, experience showers, whirlpool, polar pool, and experience pool. You will leave invigorated as the therapy soothes your muscles and detoxifies impurities. You can also book classic spa services like massages and facials.

With so many options, there really is no limit to what you can experience during your stay at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya. 

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From the cool stone pathways of Zen Grand to the bright sun, beach and pools at the Ambassador and Grand Class, there is more to take in here than you can take in during just one visit. Because Grand Velas is all-inclusive, you just book your vacation, check in and then make it an experience all your own. Travel as a couple or bring along the kids. Dress up for dinner or keep it casual. Lay on the beach with a book or go kitesurfing. Your time at Grand Velas Riviera Maya can be what you want it to be. Whatever you choose, you can be certain that you will have the perfect vacation and Grand Velas will be calling you back to make more memories for years to come.

Photo Credits: @everyavenuegirl