We just returned from an 8 night stay at the GR Solaris and would highly recommend it and already have to several friends. I don't know if this resort is the right choice for everyonee, but it was for my wife and I who are in are early thirties and don't have any kids. We were looking for a resort that would allow us to refresh and relax and still have some fun and the resort delivered on all of the things that we wanted.

Some days we wanted things a little more quiet without being bothered and so we stayed in the adult pool, other days we participated in the many poolside activities from water volleyball and water polo to more unorthodox games. We saw the same people day in and day out and when we asked if people had booked any excursions everybody had the same answer, "thought about it, but why would I want to leave this place for a day, when it has everything?" As a result we got to know guests from all over the country because we would see them at the pool, at meals and at the shows and at the bar after the show and have made several friendships because the resort makes it easy to be approachable to everyone else.

As far as the beach is concerned, you can't top the waves of Cancun, but the erosion of the beach is a drawback. We have been to Cancun 4 times, the last time was a week before the hurricane two years ago and it is sad to see how much the beaches have eroded up and down the peninsula as a result of that storm. It used to be normal for all resorts to have beach volleyball, now it is so narrow a volleyball net stretches from the walls of resorts into the sea and unfortunately the Grand Solaris also has a diminshed beach. There are several large rocks close to the shore and you have to walk out several feet to get passed the rocks. Most adults are tall enough to walk out passed the rocks and get to a level area and still are high enough that your head is above water, but for children, they may not be tall enough to touch the bottom once they get clear of the rocks. With that said, the GR Solaris has faired much better than most other resorts in the area. The beachfront is large enough to allow for sunbathing (you need to ask the lifeguard for an umbrella) and you can access the water without climbing over huge boulders. We walked down to the Royal Resorts (which we had stayed at in the past and considered to be a high end luxury resort) and their beaches left no water access because of huge rocks and these are a series of three huge resorts connected to one another!

I loved breakfast, they had assorted fresh squeezed juices everyday (including unusual juices like Cantaloupe, Honeydew, kiwi, papaya and watermelon) and a great assortment of fresh fruit. They had a great assortment of food for all of their buffets and give you opportunities to try new things if you are adventurous and enough good ol' American food if you are less inclined. The nightly shows were surprisingly good, my guess is they contract with other venues such as Coco Bongo to bring some of their entertainers over to put on a first rate show that you get to enjoy for free.

My wife and I are not big drinkers so can't say whether or not drinks were watered down too much (if they were, it suited us fine) and don't know much about whether or not they use top shelf stuff, all I know is when we wanted drinks they were there, easy to get with limited wait and always tasted great.

While I can only describe the experience based on the things that were important to us, it appears they try to cater to a wide demographic. There were honeymooners, famillies with young kids, families with teenagers and college kids, family reunions, grandparents and great grandparents, hispanic and english guests, so the resort seems to have enough amenities to appeal to several different groups. They have a kid's area and kid's activities (but I can't really speak to how good they are).

The downsides have been documented elsewhere, but I concur:

Paper-thin walls (but we were in our room so seldom it wasn't much of a concern and it helped us wake up early to reserve a towel on a beach chair)

Not enough umbrellas (there should be one for every two chairs, not every four)

Beach is not what it used to be

Pool liner is like a gravel composite that is hard on feet and hands (get aqua shoes)

We were never even solicited to take the time share tour, so that was not an issue for us.

Travel Tip:

While you don't have to tip the service staff, it does help make the staff more attentive to you. We befriended a timeshare owner who said he brings 100 $1 bills and tips $1 at each meal and to his cleaning staff. It is enough to last him through the week and that $1 is enough to get the staff's attention and give him fast, courteous treatment. You will see several waiters multiple times and in multiple restaurants, so a little tipping goes a long way (pack some other denominations for the sit down dinner or for massage tips as well.)

Finally, the GR Solaris is a little smaller than other luxury resorts, which I prefer because it makes the experiences with other guests more intimate and you get to know the staff and guests in a more personal manner than larger resorts. The trade off is fewer restaurants (however, you do not give up privacy as there were many couples who chose not to participate in group activities and went through fairly anonymously).

If you are going to Cancun to spend most of your time at the beach you do not want to stay at the GR Solaris. The beach (sand area) was small and the rocks were big. The water kind of dropped off as soon as you entered. The water was rough and there were some days that you couldn’t go in at all. On the days that you could you were limited to the area you were in with all the other people that are at your hotel. If you did happen to fall you have a really good chance of getting cut/scraped up. There were no shaded areas and a handful of lounge chairs (probably because not many people hung out there).

Our room was clean but the air conditioning went off when sliding doors opened (lock was broken) so we were constantly closing the doors. Not to mention the noise it made when it went on. Smoking was allowed everywhere at the hotel. There should be a nonsmoking area/rooms. You could hear people in the rooms next door and at night it was loud. The food was good but it's always a buffet, which really gets old, its nice to be waited on when you are on vacation. The 2 restaurants that you could go to for dinner both required reservations not only a reservation but it needed to be made by 3:00. (This is difficult when traveling with children.) Also, there is an adults only section with a pool and which also has the Jacuzzi and this is not identified on the website. The pool did not have a traditional lining and left scratches on your hands/feet etc. Not to mention the tight quarters and not enough shaded areas. Each morning it was a race to the pool to stake out your spot (most people went down early and put there beach bags/towels on chairs and then went to eat breakfast to save their spot! As much as I would have liked to have the perfect spot at the pool for the day I think it is an absolute disgrace that grown adults would do this. The soft sell of the time share or vacation upgrade as they now call it was always present. You had to wear the ID bracelets at all times and the pick up drop off of the towels (if they didn't run out) and if you lost the bracelet there is a $75.00 charge and a $30.00 charge for each towel. I have been to Cancun about 10 times. The beach was the biggest disappointment of all. I will never stay at this hotel again.

My family and I (2 adults & 2 children) visited Cancun for the very first time in Nov 2007. We were celebrating the children's birthday with a special treat - swimming with dolphins at Xcaret. From the moment we arrived at GR Solaris to the moment we left, I must say that we had memorable experiences. The staff were very friendly. We were never pressured to take the time share presentation. The pool entertainment staff were just that - entertaining! The night shows were a treat which our children enjoyed. The food was good all around and we found that you didn't have to stand in line in the morning to make a reservation at Marco Polo as dinner was just as good at the outdoor pool restaurant. We had a pleasant experience with extraordinary staff who treated the children well. Our room had a view of the Guf and it was so relaxing to hear the sounds of the ocean late at night and early in the morning!

I think if you're going to Cancun, there are far better options than this hotel. The food was terrible, the waiters in the Marco Polo were terrible and they use these tiny little glasses for you soda that keeps you constantly running out of soda or water while you eat. If you like bland buffets, then you should stay here, caust that is the impression that I get from this place.

The receptionist was cold when we got there. No wonder this place never seems to sell out. If you want to have a nice time in Cancun, stay somewhere else. No beach, ugly food, far from everything and the help just waiting for tips.