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  • Mexico Holidays
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda

TripAdvisor Review
Mexico, North America
Playa del Carmen

The hotel is located in a natural paradise, right in front of the beach, a privileged position in the Riviera Maya. Playa del Carmen is just 15 minutes away and Cancun International Airport is about 35 minutes by car. The public transport links are within walking distance and easily accessible from the hotel. The spacious, luxurious rooms feature elegant furnishings and décor. In addition, the hotel offers a variety of services, facilities and restaurants. On the beach in the Riviera Maya district of Playa del Carmen, this all-inclusive hotel offers private beach access, an on-site spa, and several specialty restaurants. The rooms at the property overlook the sea, and include satellite TV. They come with a minibar and safe. Guests can enjoy water sports such as snorkeling and windsurfing at this Playa del Carmen resort. A gym and sauna are on the property. A game room and kids club are available. The shops and restaurants of Playa del Carmen's Fifth Avenue are only 15 minutes from BlueBay Grand Esmeralda. Cancun is less than an hour from this resort.

Facilities

  • Wheelchair-accessible
  • 24-hour reception
  • Mobile phone coverage
  • Wi-fi
  • Car hire*
  • Room service*
  • Laundry service*
  • Launderette*
  • Medical service*
  • Day-care centre*
  • *Some facilities may incur an additional fee

The Local Area

Tripadvisor Reviews

Trip Advisor
4.0 Very Good19,531 reviews
Excellent
43%
Very Good
27%
Average
14%
Poor
8%
Terrible
9%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
TripAdvisor Review
Horrible and not welcoming hotel

I booked Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda with tripcentral , Sandra was the agent. My experience was horrible, disappointing, frustrating and only negative emotions instead relaxation and getting piece of mind in my vacation, which wasn't easy to get with our busy lifestyles. The restaurants, dining, staff member, bars were good, no complains. The beach was horrible, horrible and horrible security and I am not exaggerating at all! When we arrived with 4 hours of delay, at evening we got the room, with was very distant from the beach, we had to take trolly , cause it is about 15 min to walk. The next morning, after we woke up, we went to the beach. There weren't any free longe chairs, everything was occupied, because the longe chairs were in limited amount. I was so tired, and hot , due to walk-in 15 minutes and was ready to sit just on the send. But, I could not find any umbrella, the resort doesn't have umbrellas! It is ridiculous: no umbrellas and no chairs! I went to VIP side, which is right beside , on our property, only with the signage VIP, and set down on the longer. Right away security guards approached and let me know if I don't leave this chair I would pay fine $200. On my question " Where could I sit and ?" , he answered " Go to the lobby and ask the management ". It was rude and silly answer. Near the pool, the situation is the same, the umbrellas and chairs are in so limited amount. I even don't mention the fact, that seaweed is infesting all beach , so the swimming is impossible . I get it, it is not the resort's fault. I got conversation with the customer service at front desk and Air Canada rep, but it was pointless and disappointing again. So, the swimming in the ocean is impossible at all, and it was my main purpose of this Trip. After couple days, I got advice from people, if I want to get sit anywhere , I have to go at 6 am and put a towel on the chair, that what everyone is doing. So, what can you say? Is it relaxing vacation? No, not at all. I was crying at first day and felt so hopeless and vulnerable. Another one day, we were walking along the beach with others people and saw some free chairs but with one shoe or just piece of cloth on each of it. Only we landed on those chairs, some people came and started yell at us " Don't you see shoe on it?" So, I recommend, never go to this disgusting hotel with heartless security guys , the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda, in Mexico. Why travel agents even sell tours there? So, I wasted my precious time and money and get distress instead.

TripAdvisor Review
Great stay!

We recently stayed at this hotel in Mexico and overall had a great experience. The grounds are extremely tidy, beautifully maintained, and full of wildlife, which made walking around the resort really lovely. The rooms were clean, modern, and comfortable, and the pool area was just as impressive — spotless, plenty of loungers, and never felt overcrowded.

The entertainment team were fantastic, especially with the kids. Fun, friendly, and always creating a good atmosphere.

There was a lot of sargassum seaweed on the beach, and at times the smell was quite strong, almost like sewage. This isn’t the hotel’s fault at all — it’s a well‑known issue across Mexico that has worsened over the years. The hotel did have nets out and were clearly trying to manage it as best they could.

The resort is huge, so be prepared for a bit of walking. It can be a long walk from the rooms to the breakfast buffet and Restaurants, although the hotel does offer a buggy service every 15 minutes. They can fill up quickly, so investing in a few more would make a big difference.

The Black & White Bar offers evening entertainment, but it’s uncomfortably hot inside with no air‑conditioning. One of the breakfast buffet restaurants was the same. Thankfully, all the other restaurants had proper aircon, so dining was comfortable.

Food overall was great, though we expected a wider variety of fruit. We had no issues booking restaurants, and every member of staff we met was friendly, welcoming, and accommodating. There is a gorgeous coffee shop onsite which I would definitely recommend visiting.

We enjoyed both the pools, one is more chill, however they closed the bar at 3.

Despite a few areas that could be improved, we really enjoyed our stay. I’d rate this hotel 4 out of 5 stars — not quite a 5‑star experience yet, but with a few tweaks it could be amazing.

Review by clairabellax Scunthorpe, United Kingdom
TripAdvisor Review
Never again!

For 2000 people only 400 chaise long, wake up at 6am ... In the room smell of sh.t , line of people every where. Never again! Only Food very good .

TripAdvisor Review
Honeymoon wrecked

Unfortunately, our stay at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda was extremely disappointing, especially as this was the second part of our honeymoon.

From the moment we arrived, there were issues. Our bathroom had not been properly cleaned, the outside areas were covered in bird faeces and there was an unpleasant smell throughout the resort. The hotel itself is very dated and appears poorly maintained, with things such as wardrobe doors not staying closed and our TV only working in black and white.

The food was often cold with a limited selection, and many of the plates and dishes were chipped and scratched. The pool toilets were also dirty, and the towels were grey and extremely hard to the touch.

There was also a large amount of wildlife around the resort, including coatis that repeatedly approached and jumped towards guests. While we appreciate this is Mexico and wildlife is to be expected, the number and behaviour of the animals made us uncomfortable.

We reported the issues and housekeeping was supposed to come and resolve some of them, but unfortunately there was no noticeable improvement.

We eventually contacted our holiday provider and requested to be moved to alternative accommodation. We were extremely disappointed that our honeymoon was affected in this way, particularly after having such an amazing first two weeks at Disney World.

Sadly, based on our experience, we would not recommend BlueBay Grand Esmeralda.

TripAdvisor Review
Definitely would go again

Great time and amazing food. Had an absolute blast the staff was great which added to the experience

Review by grim420 Canada
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