Not as good as I anticipated

First the negatives; 1) The beach is questionable, to get there you have to take a shuttle which you can wait for for up to 20 minutes and the ride is about 20 minutes. So getting to and from the beach is a hassle and after all is said and done it can't compare to other beaches in Mexico or Punta Cana's beaches in the Dominican Republic. 2) The a la carte restaurants are difficult to get into even if you pay the extra for the Golden package. The resort is selling a Privileged Club package. If yo [... read more]u are "Privileged" you can book restaurant reservations two weeks before you arrive. So if you are not "Privileged" you get the leftovers. If you want to eat at 9 or 9:30 and don't want to get into the better restaurants you will be okay. 3) If you are "Privileged" they heavily promote children under 12 for free. In my opinion this resulted in many kids just running around doing their own thing with little regard for others and parents not caring for them. All other resorts I have visited allow children and I have never had an issue with children at the reasorts since in all other cases they were much better behaved. As to other items; the staff was very friendly and went out of the way to keep you happy, the rooms were clean and comfortable, the food (buffet restaurant) was very good with a large selection of items. I would have reservations recommending this resort mainly because of the situation with the beach and getting into the a la carte restaurants. In my opinion the beach is a big item if you are going to Mexico or the Caribbean.

So good we will return for a third time

We have just an amazing week here, traveled Oct. 3 Rd - Sept 27th - 10th October. This was our 2nd visit, previously 2010. What Can I Say : "IT WAS A PARADISE" Hotel This hotel is huge it is made up of at least 5 resorts, where we could move around in 2 of them. but once you get your bearings it easy to navigate around. Within the 2 resorts you can move around in there are 4 large pools with great swim up bars and then there are scattered smaller Jacuzzi pool with no bar. The Foam Pool Party  [... read more]on Friday was fantastic, music, tequila and the foam made for a memorable experience comparable, yet not as wild, to a spring break party. Also Highly recommend the Mexican Fiesta on Thursday where there is a folkloric Mexican Fiesta at the Hacienda. There are plenty of trains to take you around the resorts where the maximum wait time between trains is 15 min and in the and worst case scenario, you could walk to where you to get to taking about 20 minutes for us to get to the beach. The rooms are large and spacious and amenities are great. Tea/coffee facilities and mini bar constantly stocked with water, beer, coke ,fanta and sprite. The grounds are immaculate and maintained constantly by the army of gardeners. BEACH The Beach is beautiful, with nice white sand and clear blue water. There were enough sun loungers available, we had no need to be put towels out at 7am but it could have been because the time of year although to me the resort looked full. I have read on other reviews about a seaweed problem, but, the issue is pretty much non-existent due to the new barriers they have in place. The beach bar is great. You can walk to the Tulum hotel which you have full access to. The beach this way is a little rockier. If you go the other way you can walk down to the Akumal part of the beach which is the best and absolutely stunning with plenty of fish to swim with. The facilities here you cannot use freely as a regular Coba guest. We did have access and we enjoyed a bit time there. FOOD BUFFET- The buffet was GREAT! So much choice, you would never go hungry. There is all kinds of food all over laced with my favourite type of food MEXICAN. They were constantly replacing old trays even up to 15 minutes before they closed so there was never an issue with lack of fresh food. A LA CARTES We did the following....... Meditereano This was a great simple and elegant restaurant to go to. I am not an expert on mediterranean food, but I had one of the best New York Steaks I have tasted and my wife had a Salmon comparable to the salmon served her in Canada. Japanese This we had done on our previous visit and the top show table is a must. The show was good, it was entertaining and involved all at the table helping us make friends with those at the table. Overall, we had the most AMAZING time We will definitely be back...... The customer service is exceptional Thank you. The staff is great the customer service at this hotel is above and beyond and we will be returning in a few years to annoy you all again!

Incredible Resort

I thought the hotel was amazing! The staff was so nice and helpful, the resort was beautiful and the food was delicious. I had such a great time with my friends and I would love to go back there again.

Incredible vacation spot!!

The hotel was beautiful, great for a group and perfect for young people (we are a group of girls in early 20s). Fun and entertaining atmosphere, we never had trouble finding things to do. Even with bad weather we had a great time! The Hacienda is a must (great nights at the disco, sports bar, shopping)! The trolleys were a great for the rainy days when we didn't want to walk. Food was good and our room was nice and fairly big. Pool was beautiful!

Good

Stayed Sept 3-Sept 10 food and drink was very good . It was very humid and no air conditioning in buffet. Rooms were nice . The staff were friendly . We had trouble getting mini bar stocked the first couple days but it was taken care of after many calls. The beach was not that great very shallow and lots of sea weed .

“Great all inclusive resort”

5 of 5 We checked into the Grand Bahia Principe Coba on August 10th to the 17th and I must say, this hotel is worth every single penny! The resort is HUGE, but after the first day or so you'll be completely familiar with everything plus you can use all the facilities of Grand Bahia Principe Tulum as well, so it's like a "buy one get one free" sort of deal! They also have these shuttles/trains/golf cars that take you anywhere that you need to go and you never have to wait more than 5 minutes! Tho [... read more]se were one of my family's favourite part of the resort, those little trains are so comfortable, helpful and such a relaxing ride! There are no complaints about the service, you can see how hard everyone is working and how fast they work as well for long hours so take the time to appreciate your service! The rooms are very spacious and beautiful! We felt right at home and if you ever need anything, it's just a quick phone call away. The buildings are beautiful, but more than anything, Coba's landscaping is top notch! My kids really enjoyed all the little animals as well, they were really cute! The food is abundantly delicious and fresh! The A La Carte's were also amazing, but unfortunately we didn't make it in time to see the Japanese show, so make sure to be there 5 minutes or so ahead of your time! Shoutout to Hector at the Snack Bar, he was very nice! The most amazing thing about this resort is that there is constant entertainment 24/7. The Coba entertainment team works so hard every single day from early in the morning at the pool to late in the evening, there's never a dull moment at the Coba! Shoutout to Gabriel, Irma, Jose (i think that's his name), Charlie, Nallely, Eduardo and the many other entertainers at the Coba! I have never met people with bigger or kinder hearts than these people! We love you Coba entertainment team! It's also really nice how they give out t-shirts as prizes, a lasting souvenir to take home with you! Once the evening shows are over, you can head out to the terrace for more fun and then over to Tulum's hacienda where you can listen to live music, the singer is truly special! After the living music, from 11:30 to 2am the disco club is open, so there is always something to do, there is no way one can complain that they were bored! We did go to the Jewellery Factory and Playa del Carmen, it was a day well spent! We also went to Xel ha and it definitely was a family favourite! I highly recommend Xelha because it's such a perfect and beautiful day, it is aquatic based but the park is mainly natural! Overall, we had a very memorable vacation at the Grand Bahia Principe Coba in Mexico! :)

Excellent Vacation

The hotel is massive and lots to do without having to leave the resort. The A la Carte Restaurants are excellent and I recommend going with the Golden Club upgrade. The resort staff are all very friendly and go the extra mile for special occasions like Birthdays.

Becoming ordinary

When we arrived the air conditioner wasn't working and there was water on the floor. A good thing they put a towel down to absorb the water. We called for service and it was fixed within a few hours. We have been here 3 times previous this was the first bad experience we have had. They have made some changes now Coba and Tulum are their lower class resort and they are making Akumal and Sian Ka'an their Luxury Resort. So staying at Coba you can no longer go to Akumal or Sian Ka'an beach bar or be [... read more]ach area. The internet that was provided was 1 hour per day, but once you accessed it the hour started and expired 60 minutes later even if you stopped access. The food was great, no issues, the room was well cleaned, and staff is friendly. The beach was cared for daily, as well as the pool.

Very nice but too Big!

We just got back on August 31, the resort is beautiful and HUGE! The food is amazing, all a la carts were a pleasure! The resort is lacking enough pool chairs and the whole week we did not get any, big disappointment. The beach you have to travel too from the Coba, so I would recommend staying at Tulum. Staff were very friendly but at times poor English speaking creating some difficulty. We had one day where rooms service was not answering for about 3 hours and the front desk was no help. We wen [... read more]t to the Mexican festival and unfortunately we had to pay 16 us dollars each even though it was on the resort. I wish I had brought bug spray as you would be eaten alive at dusk, they tried fogging the area to reduce this but with little affect! The drinks were good but our group noticed the bar areas smelt almost like vomit, no matter which one you went to, they need to bleach them down. Overall it was good, I had great company so any issues was easily forgotten. We had to see the doctor once and Victor was so funny that paying the bill didn't seem so bad. The A/C worked so awesome in the room it was nice to retreat to get away from the heat.

Excellent value!!

Huge resort with confortable rooms. This is the first resort where the room Air conditioning Was too cold. I had to turn it down. The food Was excellent at The buffet.the only négative Point is the Beach . The Riviera maya beaches Are invaded by seaweed in all the ressorts .the mexicain goverment is trying to find a solution to this problem. The only beach without Amy seaweed Was in cozumel on the Ones Facing Riviera maya.

Great time

This hotel did not disappoint. Grounds were impeccable, rooms large and clean. Our AC worked well and no issues with water in bathroom. The room was cleaned and stocked daily. The pools were great! It is true that you have to get your chairs early as by 8ish all the ones with shade are taken but that is likely because more people stay by the pool then the beach. The beach was gorgeous - they work hard to remove all the seaweed. The waterpark was a hit with our girls and we ended every day there. [... read more] The kids club was also very good with lots of activities. The food was delicious, especially the a la carted gran Tortuga and the show table at mikado. All in all a great family trip !

Great for kids

Very large resort. Many dining options. Everything was satisfactory. Check in was delayed by 2 hours . We were asked to go on a presentation for the privilege club told us it would only be 90 minutes but after 2.5 hrs I finally had to get upset to get out of the presentation not the way I wanted to spend one of my mornings!!!

Great Resort

This is a great hotel.. . with some negatives. Reception in Gold is very rude, and will not coperate at all if you have a problem! They messed us around the first 24 hours! Terrible! We asked for connecting rooms and it was not explained to us that it was extra money. I was told no problem by Trip Central ( we needed this for our two 15 year old girls staying in room next to us) There is no beach at the Coba. . .kind of a big down fall! This was not told to us. You have to take a tram to next ad [... read more]joining hotel. This is an Eco friendly hotel. BRING BUG SPRAY!! This was not told to us either. . . We had to buy 2 bottles $16 US /bottle. Bugs are very bad and leave welts! On the positive, the staff is extremely friendly, the food is the best I've ever had in Mexcio,and the grounds are beautiful and well kept. The rooms are a good size and cleaned in the morning for us. We asked for towels once. Lots of pools to swim at, but if you are a beach person, I would not suggest this hotel. Big spash park that any child would Love! Entertainment is amazing! Overal, an amazing holiday that all 4 of us enjoyed!

Awesome resort!

Stayed at this resort June 25 to July 2. We are a group of 8 and we truly enjoyed our stay. Grand Bahia Coba did not disappoint us at all. The food is excellent. The rooms are big enough and not dated. The whole resort ground are well kept. We have access to the other Grand Bahia resorts and we are just impressed! The only downside is the beach which there was a lot of sea weed. I am still giving them 10/10 because this is not the resort's fault.

Great resort for vacation

It's a very nice place for a vacation for the whole family. People are very friendly and polite. Clean environment to stay . Foods were very good. You will be treated like a king and queen. We had a great holiday.

Great family resort

This resorts was amazing, the hotel is beautiful, the kids club and the water park for the kids was incredible, the pools were spectacular and always clean, the customer service and the attention to the details were excellent.

Great family resort!

Lots of options: beautiful pools, beach not so much. Service & food very good. Loved the nature with friendly birds, iguanas and so on. Tulum is alive at Xel-Ha tour was one of the best tour we had so far.

Fabulous resort

5 star resort been there many times tried all the other chains but my favorite is this one. Has hard working staff, super clean food is excellent stay here you will be in great hands. Also has triips to town has a disco and entertainment micael jackson show was my fave.

Great resort for your budget

Our suite was nice and clean, quite big for a junior suite. Food was great, menu was changed everyday, plenty of selection. Beach was great if you'll go to the Akumal section. Staff was always nice and friendly. Will go back to this resort again.

Overall a good experience

We had first arrived to a downpour of rain, a hectic time at the Cancun airport and finally an arrival at the Bahia Principe Coba. Upon arrival we were informed that we were a part of a "Special promotion" that upgraded us to the luxury adults only resort "Sian Ka'an". We later found out that they really just over booked rooms and were picking and choosing who they would send to the more mature resort of the 4 available for booking. Upon arrival at Sian Ka'an, check in was quick and easy, we wer [... read more]e even driven to the front door of our villa with our bags which was really nice. The rooms were more spacious than your regular hotel rooms considering they were Villa setups. I am still trying to understand what the difference between the "Junior suites" at all the other 3 resorts and our "Master suite" at Sian Ka'an". I'll assume ours were just a tad bit larger in size. The area that we were located in was the top right hand side of the villas. Although this area was generally quiet, the walk all the way around and through the main lobby felt inconvenient after a few days. It would be very strategic to add a path from that section of the villas to directly connect with the main pool area in the center section of the resort. The walls were thin when there was noise, but very little since it was a more mature crowd. With this resort you have an unlimited amount of a la carte restaurants which is nice in comparisons to the other resorts that only allow 3 per week from what I understood. The food was much better than other resorts that I have stayed at in the Caribbean. The Japanese restaurant in the Sian Ka'an is a must try, the a la carte food at that restaurant was amazing! There is quite a few pools and we never had an issue finding a spot to enjoy some sun. Although this resort is not directly located on the beach, they offer a "VIP" section to the guests at the Sian Ka'an which seemed to look much cleaner than the other beaches. Note that there is a bit of sea weed build up that has happened this year from what I have heard from regular guests isn't a norm and it is due the hurricanes during the last few weeks. You will randomly find some people trying to steal the better spots in the VIP section of the beach. Although it is not regularly patrolled, you will find that sometimes people will be asked to move. Even though the Sian Ka'an isn't directly on the beach, it is nice that they accommodate their guests with their own section on the beach with a private bar. I have to send out a special shout out to the pool and beach animador/cheerleaders Ruben and Fredie who were non-stop entertaining during my entire trip. They go all day with a boost of energy that I have never seen. 8am-11pm of constant cheer leading and boosting moral and the energy of the quests, great job guys! Jaime, although you were quite the snob, you were great to look at and I didn't mind how easy you were on the eyes! The fire and cirque shows were much better than your average all inclusive entertainment but I would suggest getting rid of the MJ routine. Make sure you make it to the gala night at the buffet, they have lobster and crab! Yum! The interesting thing is that these 4 resorts entertainment shut down around 10:30 nightly and they have a central area called the hacienda. You will need to catch a shuttle to this area. You will find a plaza that has tables set up for live band, shops for souvenirs and the disco/nightclub. I really liked this concept because you got to meet different people from the other resorts in once central area and I am sure that this was probably easier for security to manage if the crowd got rowdy. Although I am sure that you will read reviews that suggest the resort is too big, I will have to disagree, I actually enjoyed that once you were a bit bored with your own resort for the day, you could explore the other resorts. Staying at Sian Ka'an allows you to experience every other hotel. I could understand how the trolleys that take you from resort to resort could be annoying to some, it was always an adventure for us. Also bring bug spray if you are heading there over the next few weeks. It is a more tropical setting and since there has been quite a bit of rain over the last few weeks, the mosquitoes are quite aggressive. Note that this resort offers free wifi 24 hours a day which also works in the rooms. The other resorts offer an hour a day and you must stay in the lobby. Check out was quick and easy and the staff was overall very pleasant. This resort really catered to couples but I enjoyed it being with there with my best friend. It's a quieter more mature resort of the 4 if you are trying to choose where to stay.