Pleasant stay, but prefer Nuevo Vallarta

We had already stayed at Vidanta in Nuevo Vallarta (and really enjoyed our experience ). So we decided to try the one in Riviera Maya. We stayed for 2 weeks. Overall we had a pleasant stay but there were a few things that were disappointing. - beach is nothing to rave about. Hardly anyone used it. you really need water shoes and try to walk through the corals and rocks for about 50 feet before enjoying the water. But then you have attend to a lot of sargassum which is a big problem. Full disclosure- I did use the beach several times and enjoyed the warm water! - it’s a smaller resort than the one in Nuevo. As a result there are limited dedicated pools for Grand Luxxe members. The beach club was nice but you have to line up early to reserve a spot. Although there are too many spots which require additional fees. This is the case for the main pool surprisingly. - our room in Nuevo was much nicer and spacious than the comparable one we had. We took advantage of many excursions which is a must! The Cirque du soleil Joya dinner and show at Vidanta is also a must do. Truly unique experience. The SALUM area I must say is better in Riviera Maya. ”

Beautiful Property.

We had a wonderful time at the grand Luxxe. The room was nicely appointed and roomy. The size of the property can be intimidating, but sorted it out by day 2. You can walk most anywhere in 10-15 minutes over wonderland skywalks set over the mangroves or take the frequent shuttles. The staff is above and beyond! ”

Very nice, large resort

We stayed here in March of 2023. We were placed in a unit in what they call the Grand Luxe Jungle buildings. Keep in mind this resort is tremendous and not set up for walking. It is set up to take trams everywhere. The jungle buildings are the most remote. Other reviewers mentioned staying in the Grand Luxe Residences buildings. Which seems more upscale. However, trading through Thirdhome only allowed us the jungle building. We didn’t like our first unit. It had been overused and in need of renovation. We were switched the second day to building III, third floor, facing the water park. We like being at the canopy level of the third floor. Morning birds were amazing up there. Also quieter except for the water park noise which is during the day. Less used unit. Our first was 2857. Second unit was 3840. I think odd numbers face one way and even towards the water park side. The units are very large. Very nice. But will need a renovation soon. The employees here are amazing. Always smiling and friendly. We liked the restaurants too. As well as the Cirque Du Soleil show was fantastic. The bands were all tops notch. If you want a resort atmosphere, this is a great place. We also did the Mexican Fiesta which we probably would skip next time. We visited all four pools. In the end, our favorite day was getting a lounge bed on the beach next to the Grand Luxxe pool. Tip the attendant at the reception at the Grand Luxe pool as they can be very helpful in finding a nice location for you. Carrying towels, etc. All the pools have a different atmosphere so others might mind find one that better suits them. We had a car. But picking it up involved about 20+ minutes of travel. Which includes waiting for tram, travel time, walking to the car, etc. Plus this region doesn’t have anything but mega resorts around it so really no reason to leave anyway. We did visit the grocery store in Puerto Morales and that town once. It was about a 15 minute drive. Playa Del Carmen is 30+ minutes. We took the timeshare tour. We got done in three hours which is about as fast as it can possibly be done. They didn’t try to hard close, but we were passed on to four different people who soft closed us until we got our benefit for attending. Learned that Vidanta, the parent company is doing some amazing projects that hopefully ThirdHome will allow access to. Overall, I would suggest this to people looking for a mega resort. We kept saying it felt like Disney World without the rides. But lots of restaurants and nightly music. That’s a compliment because it’s run so well. But it also reflects the size. We had fun and wanted a resort this time. So it worked for us. This is a tipping resort. Everything can be charged back the room. Most dining and bars include a gratuity charge. But having some cash comes in handy for tips when needed too. ”

Beautiful place

We enjoyed our time very much at Grand Luxxe Vidanta. The resort is huge and had everything. There are many large pools to choose from. We found the beach club was perfect for us and spent most our days in a rented cabana. We spent time every day at the Spa and Work out facility at the Spatium. We also enjoyed the Dinner and Show and felt the VIP is worth the price. The room is spacious and very nice. The food is very good, but yes you pay for it. We did not spend too much time at the beach as it had a lot of Sargassum washing on shore. They try to clean it, but can't keep up! We were never approached about attending a sales pitch and were grateful! Overall a great experience!”

Grand Luxxe

Interesting place. Rooms fairly far from the water. Pools are nice. Property is quite large --- when arrived there was no personal orientation. Therefor we were quite confused the the first 2 days.”

Relaxing week in Mexico

We recently stayed at the Grand Luxxe at Vidanta Riviera Maya and it was an incredible experience! The resort itself is stunning, with beautiful grounds and plenty of activities to keep you entertained. The section that we were in had a private pool that was more serene than the main pool. We lived the “ Cabana Life” all week. In fact, we never left the resort. The rooms were spacious and the housekeeping staff was very attentive. We even had turn down service . Everyone at the resort was incredibly friendly and accommodating. The food was delicious and we enjoyed 2 themed nights complete with shows! The beach was beautiful too. Overall, we had a wonderful stay and would highly recommend the Grand Luxxe at Vidanta Riviera Maya to anyone looking for a luxurious and relaxing getaway.”

Never Again

Sent this to Ashley Brown - our 3rd Home Partner Marketing Associate -Hi Ashley - just home from our trip to Vidanta Riviera Maya. Thought in your role you'd be interested in a couple of things - When we checked in and identified as 3rd Home the gentleman told us we were the first 3rd Home couple to be in the Grand Luxxe Jungle as opposed to the Grand Luxx Residences - which are much nicer. Did we do something wrong on our reservation? We also sat through what was promised as a 60 minute sales presentation (it was 3 hours of me saying no, no, and no again). They wanted to make sure I was aware that Vidanta was backing away from their relationship with 3rd home and any of their new properties would not be available to 3rd home members. That was a surprise to me so I thought I'd pass it along to you. I won't belabor the mold in the showers and the bed bugs in our bed! We fortunately had a nice weather week but won't be going back to that property again. Thanks - Ron Manion ”

Always nice

Everything is nice at this resort. Sometimes it takes too long for them to check you in but overall nice stay nice staff ”

Amazing

This vacation surpassed our expectations. so much to do on property our multifamily group was able to find activities for everyone. The Staff were extremely accommodating the food and Beverage options are quality and each restaurant was better than the next. We will be back!!! ”

GREAT if you don't get trapped in the Timeshare time warp LIE

When we arrived, the reception person told us we needed to go to the next station to learn about our privileges as a ThirdHome member at the resort. The gentleman there, Ocatvio, told us that it was NOT a sales presentation or timeshare presentation but was specifically a way to orient Thirdhome members to the facilities. (LIE) Since the resort is huge, we thought it was a good idea. ... WRONG! The folks there literally sucked out 6 hours of our life (9:45am to 3:45pm) and put us through a gauntlet of 4 different closers trying to sell us on what is essentially a $150,000 condo they are trying to sell for $6,000,000 if you add up all the weeks ($500k for 4 weeks!)... PLUS resort fees that are more expensive than the ThirdHome week itself. All I can say is I should have known better. So my bad! But do not go. Trust me. (You're probably wondering why my wife and I stayed through 6 hours.) ... We are too! Frankly, I got caught up in politely arguing about the value and did not realize how much time had transpired. Plus I did not want to be rude and stand up and leave. Don't make that mistake. If you find yourselves in the midst of a timeshare presentation, feel free to get up and walk out. They would do same to you. Other frustrations are that they really do not want you to leave the resort because they make so much on food and beverages (I was told Vedanta netted $750MM last year). They don't allow private taxis or shuttles to enter the resort unless you are arriving from the airport or leaving. So, just expect to pay $30 for 3 tacos and $5 for soda water. But having said that, the food is really quite good and if you go with the expectation that these are US 4* to 5* food and beverage prices you will not be disappointed. I cannot express how nice the service is by the average worker there. As a TH member, you have access to the Beach Club and free use of all the outdoor beds/and covered areas. These are very comfortable and the pools are beautiful. The rooms are really very high-quality as well and certainly worth much more than we as TH guests pay. I spoke to one gentleman who sadly bought into a timeshare and he has been paying around $3600/week as a resort fee to use his 3 bedroom room that he purchased as a timeshare. Uggh. So, with the warnings about the Timeshare and expensive food, I highly recommend going. We will return.”

Awesome resort for families with children

Great service, well maintained, tons of restaurants and pools, with new activities (Jungula water park and Le Petit Chef restaurant were hits) as well as old favorites (Cirque du Soleil). These units are spacious, have 2 separate sleeping sofas, and come with extra access to resort areas. Please stop the timeshare presentation push though. ”

Awesome resort

Great service, well maintained, tons of restaurants and pools, with new activities (Jungula water park and Le Petit Chef restaurant were hits) as well as old favorites (Cirque du Soleil). These units are spacious, have 2 separate sleeping sofas, and come with extra access to resort areas. Please stop the timeshare presentation push though. ”

Always a good time!

I love the Vidanta! What keeps me coming back is the staff and the Beach Club pool. The units are very large, clean, & comfortable! The property is lush!”

Nice trip

My wife and I stayed in the residences for a week in November. Weather was great, resort is gorgeous, and the restaurants and food were the main highlight. The restaurants were fantastic. Hotel staff was very nice and service was great. There's also lots of wildlife all over the resort that ew enjoyed. This resort is definitely family and kid focused, which may be why it wasn't our favorite. The entire place shuts down at 10:30pm. The room itself was just ok. There's no view, and the thermostats didn't seem to work (it was always freezing). The resort is also VERY spread out. You have to wait for shuttles to drive you anywhere you wanna go (gym, food, beach). Didn't bother us at first, but after a while it becomes less desirable. It took us 5 days to finally learn our way around and how to get to places on our own. ”

Luxury in paradise

Vidanta never disappoints. This resort offers the ultimate in relaxation and a retreat from the craziness of life. There are plenty of options for pools and restaurants and the beach is lovely. You can take a shuttle or walk for exercise—the furthest walk is only about 20 minutes. The staff is lovely in every way. Vidanta pays them a base fee and small tips along the way really help these folks that are working hard to provide for their families (I would suggest bringing lots of $2 and $5 bills). Gratuity is included in restaurant charges but it’s still nice to add a little extra for the server. You can absolutely decline the sales pitch breakfast. I found out that as Third Home Members, a positive review means the world to the organization because it helps spread the word. This is one of Third Home’s best partnerships—you will love your time at the resort in one of their Grand Luxxe rooms!”

Beutiful property and unit

Can't wait to stay again. Good staff and restuarants. Loved Cirque show and the beach club. ”

Great stay

Wonderful property. Unit was immaculate and gorgeous. Property is very large. ”

Great stay in Grand Luxxe

Great facilities but the resort fee is getting a little expensive. Also the food at the restaurants at Vidanta resorts has also gotten very expensive. Be warned!”

Loved every minute

We had an amazing time the room was perfect, the food was incredible everywhere, there is so much to do and experience on property and to top it off the Cirque de Soleil shap and dinner was spectacular!! Would return in a heartbeat. ”

Great Stay for families and large groups

Great property , areas, pools and beach. Food was also good, the service was at first with some troubles but they were fixed. ”

Nice suite, good resort

I enjoyed the resort, and the one bedroom suite was spacious. There was a king bedroom, then two couches that converted into two twin beds each, so six people stayed comfortably. Also, the living room could be closed off from the dining room, so that was great for watching tv, or when it was time for bed. Resort is nice, but we like Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta better.”

Nice Room, Quite Far Away

Our suite was in the Jungle units which are at the very innermost part of the property and well away from all of the activities and restaurants. With three children it meant waiting for the shuttle to get anywhere as it was too far to walk with all our clan. Other than that, they stay was wonderful. Jungala was nice, not as large as we expected but also not crowded so we felt like we had the place to ourselves. The Cirque show was one of the best we've seen but the dinner before the show was exceptional! It was a great experience.”

This place delivers!

My son said this was one of the best trips ever. This resort has it all and as a 3rd Home member, get to enjoy the perks of the beach club which gives you amazing seating on a private beach. The restaurants are wonderful, the staff is so caring and kind. We got to enjoy every bit of the resort and also went on a couple of outings which were a lot of fun. My son really enjoyed playing beach volleyball throughout the week and made a ton of friends. Wonderful stay!”

Juraj -Vidanta

It is huge, very good quality and service.Only disadvantage is that the beach because of the corals is not to good.”

Grand Luxxe

Beautiful albeit very large resort. They nickel and dime you to death and exchange rate through them is worse than in town. Would not charge my credit card in pesos as my card exchange rate was better than theirs.”

Beautiful property!

Beautiful property and amenities! ”

Large Resort, not residence club - Just know what to expect

So we had previously secured through third home a 4 bedroom suite at the Nuevo Vaharta Vidanta Resort. It was a fairly impressive 5000 square foot suite with full kitchen, laundry facilities, private elevator, huge balcony with plunge pool, and a private roof top pool to enjoy. While we were only able to secure a 1 bedroom deluxe suite at the Riviera Maya resort we assumed while smaller it would be similar. We were wrong. First, you should know that you will be in Jungula which is their water park and not in the residence club. So in effect you are simply in a suite just like any other hotel or resort. While the accommodation was fine, it was small, with various usual hotel issues, and overall not what ww expected. Much louder, music from water park, a very long walk from almost anything, no laundry facilities, definitely not a full kitchen, very limited balcony overlooking nothing. The positives, are that the people working at the resort really do their best to try and make it a wonderful stay. We had some nice meals, and enjoyed both the grand luxxe and beach club pools. All in all we had a fine stay at the resort, but if you have stayed in a larger suite at the residence club just know this is not that. Enjoy!”

Too much like Disney World

The resort and pools were very nice but it just felt like Disney World. You had to take a tram to go everywhere. Walking really wasn't an option. There aren't pathways to get from your condo to all the pools and restaurants. You have to take a tram. The food at the restuarants was just mediocre and pricey. You expect Mexico to be reasonable and the prices were higher than in the US. The whole place was built there, like going to Epoch Center with it only pretending to be authentic. Leaving the resort to go eat elsewhere wasn't really an option. The store onsite was very limited and also expensive. You can't go in the water at the beach because it is all coral rock. We walked down the beach to another resort to go in the ocean. The condo was very nice and had daily maid service and turn down service. They really want you to go thru their time share sales pitch. Definitely avoid doing that! I booked it "keyless" so it was fine for paying the exchange fee, however if I had paid more than the exchange fee to go there, I would not have been pleased.”

Fun relaxing time in tropical paradise

Our stay in the beautiful unit was wonderful. Housekeeping and their delightful surprises were enchanting. The chocolates every night -a sweet touch. Waking up in the jungle -going to the beach so close- walking distance- floating down the lazy River spinning slowly in an inner tube- delicious restaurants so many Available I can’t even recall them all….. there was even a cirque du Soleil show! Great relaxing time- will definitely be back again!”

Fun relaxing time in tropical paradise

Our stay in the beautiful unit was wonderful. Housekeeping and their delightful surprises were enchanting. The chocolates every night -a sweet touch. Waking up in the jungle -going to the beach so close- walking distance- floating down the lazy River spinning slowly in an inner tube- delicious restaurants so many Available I can’t even recall them all….. there was even a cirque du Soleil show! Great relaxing time- will definitely be back again!”

Jungle Escape

Wonderful property, lots of walking & beach time. Food was great & the staff really make you feel welcome. We will be back.”

Wonderful stay for a group of eight

We reserved four rooms through Third Home: a two bedroom, and three one bedroom suites. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Vidanta Grand Luxxe. The accommodation was beautifully appointed, spacious, clean and modern. The resort staff were friendly, helpful and courteous. The resort grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Our favorite parts of the resort were the Beach Club, a beautiful pool area for Grand Luxxe members with fabulous cabanas, drinks and food, and the Salum Beachside Eateries and Market. Further to the above, on the plus side: rooms are even bigger than they appear in the photos, really high end; food at the resort was above expectations and a very pleasant surprise; the Beach Club pool, the only real option, unless you love swim up bars (which is in the main pool with everyone else at the resort); and Dalila, our concierge and contact at the Vidanta for Third Home. She mentioned the time share sales pitch but never pressed us to do it. She was also very helpful with checkin and getting beer and wine put in the rooms before our guests arrived. Only a couple small things on the down side: checkin is a long process (one hour from arrival to room); the resort is huge, so you will need to take trams (like Disney) to get around to some places (checkin and out, golf, Cirque du Soleil); beach is average at best and near impossible to go into the water because of rocks/reef, it is a pool resort not a beach resort. The "negatives" are minor and should not deter you. Just wanted to share for full transparency. We loved our trip (eight of us) and had a wonderful time. Happy to provide more details and info if you would like to reach out to me. ”

Beautiful resort and enjoyed our stay!

The resort is very well kept and clean. The rooms are very nice and modern and housekeeping was very good about coming once a day (would come twice if you requested it). The resort has everything you need (multiple pools, gym, spa, 6+ restaurants, bars, beach, golf, etc.). and the shuttle service that takes you around is convenient (never had to wait more than 10 mins for a shuttle to get somewhere). They could make the check in process a little more efficient as we were anxious to get to our room after a long travel day and it took a few hours. ”

Beauty & the beach

Service, facilities, and the room were top-notch. This is a huge property so to get around you must take shuttles. Although the beach is on the property, the water is very rough & lots of seaweed. So most activities revolve around one of the many beautiful pools. ”

Amazing

So relaxing. Great foot and customer service. Can't wait to go back.”

Meh. No thanks.

These one bedroom units are in the middle of nowhere at this mega resort. We’ve stayed here a few times in a few different room sizes and I will never come back here unless it’s in a 2bd+. The larger rooms are closer to the grand luxxe lobby, gym, spa, beach, pool, and transportation. ”

Wonderful Getaway

Wonderful and easy getaway for our family to get some sun and relaxation. The Vidanta resort is first class with excellent dining, pools, beach, golf and other resort facilities. The staff could not have been nicer. I would add that during this time of Covid, the resort took procedures for hand sanitizer, distancing, and masks very seriously and we always felt very safe. ”

RT

Very nice suite. Great cleaning staff. Very good food choices and quality. Good value on food and drink. Very marginal WIFI, kept getting booted off and having to re-access it. Very friendly and courteous staff. Lots of walking and fairly confusing trail layout - but also very pleasant walkways. On property shuttles were pretty mediocre - confusing system, and lots of waiting for them. Joya was awesome - great food and fantastic entertainment. Will go again.”

Awesome

Beautiful property and beautiful resort!!! Would definitely go back again and again... The food is exceptionally good. The only 2 problems we had: 1) the property is huge....you either walk for miles and miles or you got to wait for the little golf cart to come pick you up...but they are not that frequent. 2) the resort is 40 minutes south of Cancun so every time you have to go to Cancun, it is a very expensive taxi ride.”

No Ocean View; Not a Good Value

It is a pretty and very large timeshare property but not close in proximity to anything. We were supposed to be in an upscale area of the property but you either waited 5-15 min. for a shuttle or you walk many miles a day. No rooms had an ocean view, only a jungle view and not ideal when you are at an ocean resort. We were excluded from using the Grand Luxxe pool even though we were staying at the Grand Luxxe. They claimed this pool is for Grand Luxxe Members only and not applicable to Third Home members or others. We also learned that a hot tub is an inside jacuzzi tub, not a hot tube on a patio as we know it. Further, they made it very difficult to convert USD to pesos. Overall, I do not believe this is a worthy Third Home property or a good value. ”