Living The Palace Life: The Grand at Moon Palace

Imagine a place with countless crystal clear pools, endless walkways to the beach, impeccable service, spacious, contemporary rooms and extraordinary dining options.  Imagine a week of endless opportunities.  This is what you will find at one of Palace Resorts newest offerings, The Grand at Moon Palace.

The Grand at Moon Palace is located on Cancun’s south shore, a short 10 minutes from Cancun International Airport and 30 minutes from downtown Cancun.  At a sprawling 1316 rooms, The Grand is a unique resort, situated within a resort.  Recently completed The Grand has taken family-friendly luxury to an inspired level.

The Lobby:

As you enter the sleek and contemporary lobby of this masterpiece of a hotel, you are immediately met by clean cool lines and warm friendly staff.  Check-in is brisk and efficient allowing just enough time to gather your thoughts and quickly take in some of the incredible artwork and the truly stunning chandelier housed in the Lobby Bar.

The Guest Rooms:

Transportation to your suite for the week is provided via golf cart.  Golf carts are used quite regularly throughout this massive resort offering guests rides to and from the lobby and restaurants, to the beach and the pools.  Throughout your stay, you can choose to walk or sit a few minutes (we never waited longer than 5) for a people mover to come along and deliver you to your desired destination.

As you enter your accommodations you are welcomed with gorgeous marble floors and exceptionally large rooms.  Suites are well laid out offering space for up to families of 5.  Our room for the week was in villa 93 not far from the waterpark and close to the pool and beach.  It was a quiet location which was perfect for the two of us for this trip.  A standard garden view resort room currently includes:

• 1 King or 2 Double Beds
•  Mini bar – restocked daily with bottled water, pop, beer and snacks
• Lavazza coffee maker
• CHI professional hair dryer / flat iron
• Bathrobes and slippers
• Iron & Ironing board
• Digital safe (laptop size)
• Double Whirlpool Tub
• Private Balcony
• 24-hour room service
• Unlimited phone calls to Canada & Continental US
• Pillow menu
• Aromatherapy menu
• Chi bath amenities
• Liquor dispenser containing whiskey, tequila, rum and vodka
• Welcome bottle of wine

The Pools and Grounds:

There are a number of large freeform pools on the property.  Each one we dipped our toes into was heated, most with swim-up bars, all with attentive service.  We were at The Grand in December and there was never any issue finding a chair or the “saving of seats” that you see at so many resorts.  From Pina Coladas to Coca-Cola, to ice cold bottles of water, to Grey Goose on the rocks no order was too small or too tall for the friendly bartenders.   There were pools with live DJ’s, pools offering Spin Classes, an Adults Only pool with a distinct party atmosphere and a quieter family pool near the beach.  No matter what kind of vibe you are searching for it can be found at The Grand.

The Beach:

A short walk to the beach pays off in a big way.  Here you will find beach chairs, a dedicated beach club, and miles of powdery white sand beach just waiting to be explored.  The beaches are kept clean of seaweed, are flat, and the sea in this area is quite swimmable.

The Restaurants:

This resort includes a plethora of restaurants certain to please every foodie in your party.  A five-day stay was in no way enough time to get through all the offerings available at The Grand.  Beyond the typical buffet, aptly called The Grand Buffet,  you find at most all-inclusives (which provided stellar breakfast selections and service) we attempted to dine our way through:

Tavlola:  The Italian Restaurant – don’t miss the wood-fired pizza.

Habbi: Featuring Lebanese cuisine and belly dancers for entertainment!

JADE: Delightful contemporary Asian cuisine.

Le Chateau: The adults-only French restaurant.  Reservations are recommended.

JC Steakhouse:  Reservations Recommended.

Los Tacos: For tacos of course!

Boulangerie – The Coffee Shop just off the main lobby.

Here you can stop off for your daily intake of caffeine and make all your coffee dreams come true.  From iced-coffees to mochas, cappuccinos, to lattes, if you can dream it they can make it.  Of course, no trip to the Coffee Shop would be complete without making a selection from the delectable goodies behind the glass.  Might I recommend the margarita macaroon or cookies and cream handmade chocolate?  Oh forget it, you’re on vacation.  Get both!

One constant at every restaurant we had the pleasure of dining at was the desserts.  They were sublime. Not afterthoughts, but rather works of art that fed your soul and had you doing yummy dances in your seat.  A stunning surprise for an all-inclusive, the desserts were mind-blowing.

Extras for The Kids/Families:

• Waterpark
• Kids Splash Park
• Playroom Kids-zone (ages 4-17)
• WIRED Teen lounge with arcade games
• Nightly Entertainment

Set to open any day now, the waterpark is what kids dreams are made of.  A combination of big slides, tube slides, lazy rivers, splash pads, and a wave pool there will be something for everyone.  More of a sunbather?  The waterpark area is ready for you too!  The area is serviced by a full bar and wait staff as well as ice cream and food trucks.

When your little people need a little shade it’s time to explore the Kids Zone.  We were blown away by the amenities offered to children ages 4-17.  Inside this brand new two-floor building, children are encouraged to explore glow in the dark mini-golf, an arcade, bumper cars, laser tag, and ropes course.  This area is the biggest play place I’ve ever seen at an all-inclusive resort.  Worthy of note:  There is an option to “sign your child in” for childcare so parents can have some free time to themselves.

There’s also a dedicated space for the Teens.

The WIRED lounge offers arcade games, pop a shot, pool, an interactive games/dance floor and a snack bar bursting with fresh sandwiches, specialty cupcakes, ice cream, and popcorn.  We found this space was well used not just by Teens but by entire families.

Extras for Adults:

Not to be missed is the super swanky Bowling Lounge.  All included!  If you still have energy left after your game, head back upstairs to work on your dance moves at Unique Nightclub.

• Unique Nightclub
• “Ninth Pin” bowling and bar.
• 24-hour fitness facilities

What We Loved:

• The Complimentary Wi-Fi was strong and fast all over the property
• Unlimited à la carte dining
• The Coffee Shop
• Unrivaled desserts
• The attention to detail.  Even the lobby bathroom was a stunner.
• Guest staying at The Grand at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort have exchange privileges for full use of all the facilities at other Palace Resorts including Nizuc and Sunrise.

Worthy Of Note:

• If you keep an eye on the Moon Palace website not only can you find great deals on your all-inclusive stays, but information on special events.  Hint:  The BackStreet Boys will be playing two shows at The Grand at the end of the month.
• If you have your heart set on a restaurant and can’t get a reservation, try a “walk up”.  Sometimes there are no shows and the staff is more than happy to accommodate if they can.
• Both my Husband and I are quite smell-sensitive.  We found the scents in the Lobby to sometimes be overpowering.
• This is a big, action-packed place.  A great choice for those who like to be busy, are traveling with others, like to have endless options for dinner and/or activities and don’t mind occasionally checking a map to figure out where to go next.

If you are looking for a luxury, family vacation that includes a stunning array of dining options and some of the warmest services you will ever be treated to, you simply must check out The Grand at Moon Palace.

 

Disclosure:  Accommodations were made in order to help provide this review.  As always all opinions on this blog remain my own.

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