Hotel: BEAUTIFUL! The hotel and grounds were super clean and very upscale. Honestly, very beautiful resort! Service: AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were truly treated like royalty, anything we needed, whatever we needed, and very fast. The people who work there are TRULY GENUINE and honestly the NICEST PEOPLE EVER!! A++++++ Food: During the day (breakfast, snacks, and lunch), you can eat at the buffet (mind you this is not your regular buffet, very classy and offered healthy food) or order at the pool or beach, and the food there is AMAZING! We truly enjoyed it. Amazing selection of fruits and fruit juices and smoothies! For dinner however, the buffet is closed and you have to go to one of the restaurants inside the hotel. Every night you could pick from 2-3 different restaurants to eat at which you had to make a reservation for. My husband loved it however my daughter and I did not at all and when the evening came it was a drag for us. We prefer to go eat when we want and not be forced to eat at a certain time, sometimes you couldn't pick the time you wanted to eat at because the other times were taken. My husband loved the food but my daughter and I prefer to choose our own food rather than pick from a menu of selected items. The choices were very upscale mixed with all kinds of different foods together and we are a bit more simple so it was difficult for us to find something we liked. We wish we could of had dinner at the buffet. Pool: The pool area is wonderful, we always found lounge chairs without any issues at all however we were told that during the time we went (mid-end August) it's an off season (hotel was at 30% capacity) and maybe that's why we didn't have any issues, not sure how it is during a busy season. We didn't have to get up to get any drinks or food, there was always a server around you if you needed anything which we really liked. One thing we didn't like is that in some parts of the pool on the bottom, it felt a bit gooey algae like and a lot of the bottom tiles were rusted or a bit broken. Beach: The beach is one thing we weren't too impressed with. Since there wasn't many people at the resort, we didn't have issues finding a lounge chair. There weren't too much loungers so I assume when the hotel is full that it might be hard to find a spot. For the price we paid, we expected the lounge chairs to represent this. The ones at the back were white and comfy and nice and were of quality, but the ones at the front of the beach looked like ones you buy at walmart. The beach was super clean and they cleaned it every morning. The sand is white and beautiful. The water however, we had to walk slow and watch were we stepped because there are small and medium sized rocks. My husband hurt his foot a couple of times. I wish I had brought shoes. They also installed a bunch of large cement blocks inside the water which ruined the view but we were told that they are there because of the seaweed and waves, which is understandable, just wish there was a better way as it looks REALLY ugly. Transportation: I would HIGHLY recommend upgrading to a private transfer in order to avoid time wasted waiting for other people and going from hotel to hotel, as well as due to the brutal traffic during the afternoon weekdays (easier to maneuver with a private smaller car than large bus)

Grand Velas has an amazing staff, great service, beautiful grounds, very good restaurants but unfortunately the beach is so rocky that makes your entrance into the water impossible... Water shoes is a must if you care about swimming in the ocean. For me the beach was a big disappointment since I am not a pool person and I really care about swimming in the ocean.

This resort is truly amazing. The staff takes excellent care of you and very personable. Excellently maintained grounds and facilities. Be sure to get room service for breakfast! Room service delivered on time to the minute every morning. No need to walk or swim to the bar, the staff makes sure your drinks don't run empty and aim to keep you satisfied. Only Con... If you want nightlife, there is not much at this resort although they have a beautiful bar with the capacity to support a good party.

Grand Velas was above and beyond 5 star in every way! The food was world class, the facilities were impeccable, the service was outstanding. The beach was clean and wide and we always had a spot to sit that was not crowded. As an alternative, the pools were gorgeous and well maintained. Overall, it would be difficult to find fault with Grand Velas!