Hotel Grand Park Royal Cozumel

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We'll be counting on the resort for breakfast and a few dinners - maybe a couple of drinks. We'll get lunch on the boat. I also read the beds are terrible. We've stayed a Casa del Mar, where the beds are horrendous - so we just pack our camp air mattresses and do fine. I had hoped that at a "5-star resort" the beds would be good. I miss the beds at the Palace ... but don't miss paying for them. @brsnow, were you in an upgraded room - wondering if you got better beds in an upgraded room?
I don’t think we were upgraded, was a family suite in the older building. It is not on par with the palace but I think the food is pretty close. It is older. We were nice at check in and they were really busy, so they might have given us a nicer room set up. Casa de Mexicana has the best beds. I don’t think I would consider it 5 stars, but we have enjoyed staying there a couple of times
 
We loved Park Royale. Probably stayed there 5 times. Be sure to get a room 5th floor and above, so you have an ocean view. We stay in town now (Villa Las Anclas) because we love walking to all the great restaurants and it's 1 block from 3P.
 
We have stayed there multiple times. Food is always decent. Certainly nothing to rave over, but not the worst AI food options. The resort itself is pretty fun for families. They have a good coffee shop that has ice cream, pastries, and sandwiches you can grab and go. We have never dove with Julio Kin, but have heard good things. His boat is really ugly, for what that's worth. We got picked up on the pier by our usual operator, but they did charge $3 per person to be picked up by an outside operation. The beach area is nice, and the adults only pool is also nice. They have beach volleyball every day, which we enjoyed. The seafood restaurant has great tacos for lunch, which we ate almost every day after diving. Not as nice as Coz Palace, but half the price, and more laid back.
 
So we've been staying there for almost 25 years. 1st visit was 1997 when it was still the Sol Caribe and just the tower was open. After Wilma it got a 100% facelift top to bottom and was GREAT!

We noticed over the last several years (pre-covid) that as the parent company sells/sold more and more time shares in central and south america that 1) food quality and drink quality went WAY down and 2) the guests form central and south america on average are complete and total a55holes, ESPECIALLY to the local mayan workers. Like literally the rudest people I have ever seen, that dont tip, look down and talk down to them and treat them like trash.

I credit this to the new middle class that mexico, central and south america are creating and they generally tend to be the more wealthy spanish decent vs local decent people.

Now this isnt 100% across the board, we have met MANY lovely people from those parts, but on avg they tend to be as I described above.

We went last in 2019 and havent been back since due to the above and the decline in food and drink (I think it was due to the larger number of visitors NOT from America who may not know or be able to tell the difference in food and drinks.

Baring those 2 things, it is one of the best AIs on the island due to how close to town it is, it is a small compact property (you arent walking a mile to get to the amenities etc), cheap taxi rides to town, AMAZING STAFF, lots of shopping and places to eat within walking distance, a pier to be picked up on by some ops (due to high fuel prices, not many ops - even high end ones wont drive north from the marina anymore), decent shore diving, one of the best kids clubs on the island and many other bonuses.

The time share guys have literally never bothered me. It must be my personality lol - which at 6' 285lbs of go F yourself look when they ask lol!

Some people complain about the cruise ships blocking views but i persoanlly love watching them leave at sunset and watching all the people run for their lives trying to make the ship before it leaves from the left ocean side pool!

So simply put - its a great hotel if you can get past the food/drink quality and some guests who treat the workers like trash. Hopefully thats changed but I doubt it as the Grand Park chain lovesssssssssss selling time shares lol. I will never forget sitting in the pool in 1997 talking to some lady from Texas who just spent $75g on time shares for the whole family and trying to tell me its a great investment.........then in 1998 Tuti Mundi went belly up lol and alllllll those people lost everything lol.

Good luck and report back if you stay. If its changed I will be back in a heartbeat. We stayed at the Palace in 2021 - and the PR doesnt even come close to the quality of everything at the Palace.
 
Checking in is the hardest part...
Why is that? You made me recall that every time we traded our now-sold timeshare for a particular destination wherever, the check-in process was off-the-charts long and ridiculous.
 

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