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Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort & Spa

Akumal, Mexico

4.5(12,617 reviews)

FamilySirenis Hotels

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya sits in the jungle on the coast road south of Playa del Carmen, and what sets it apart is the land it occupies rather than the building on it. There is a snorkelling point on the property where the reef comes close enough that sea turtles, rays and reef fish turn up without a boat, a sea turtle sanctuary the resort runs itself, marked trails through the gardens, a Mayan ruin by the sea inside the grounds and roughly two miles of beach around the complex. Staff warmth is the other thing travelers repeat about this place, consistently rating the service above the Riviera Maya average.

Traveler Insights

Pros

+A snorkelling point right on the property, with the rocky reef sections off the beach drawing sea turtles, rays, squid and reef fish without a boat trip
+A genuine Mayan ruin sits by the sea inside the resort grounds, and marked trails run through the gardens and jungle, which is not something the big beach-strip properties can offer
+The resort runs its own sea turtle sanctuary, with conservation and habitat information rather than a photo-op tank
+Four outdoor pools, three for adults and one designed for children, plus a long lazy river winding through tropical gardens past waterfalls
+The Beyond Flavors refurbishment rebuilt the dining from the ground up: Japanese, Italian and Brazilian kitchens among the themed restaurants, the adults-only Carnal for quieter dinners, and the food wrapped in live music, street performances, cooking workshops, artisan markets and sunset DJ sets
+Rooms came out of the refurbishment with a completely renewed look, from 52 square metre Deluxe Junior Suites up through Club Premium with a whirlpool tub to the Club Platinum presidential suites, all with private terraces and a minibar restocked daily with water, soft drinks and beer
+The practical inclusions are generous and confirmed by the resort: Wi-Fi is free resort-wide on a PIN tied to your booking, room service is free between 11:00 and 23:00, the spa gymnasium is free, and every room has a complimentary safe, tea and coffee facilities, an iron and a hairdryer
+There is a public bus stop directly in front of the resort running every 15 minutes until 11 p.m., so Tulum and Playa del Carmen cost a few pesos rather than a resort taxi fare

Cons

−The beach is a trade-off: the rocky reef sections that make the snorkelling good are not comfortable for casual swimming, and the sandy swim areas are narrower than the size of the resort suggests
−Every themed restaurant requires a booking and is subject to availability, so the Japanese and Italian in particular need planning on arrival rather than a walk-up
−The dolphin swim that older reviews rave about should not be counted on: as of October 2026 Dolphin Discovery no longer lists a Tulum-Akumal habitat among its locations, and the resort's own services page promotes the turtle sanctuary instead
−The property is big enough that getting between the beach, the pools and the restaurants is a real walk, though the resort says all public areas are adapted and several rooms are built for guests with reduced mobility
−Air conditioning has been a historical weak point here, with guests reporting units that struggled to cool, so it is still worth testing yours in the first hour and going straight to reception if it does not
−A longer list of extras than the all-inclusive label implies: the spa wet area needs a paid Spa Pass, under-18s cannot use the spa except for Kids SPA treatments, babysitting and laundry carry fees, and the 24-hour on-site medical centre is chargeable
−Quintana Roo's VISITAX runs 224 Mexican pesos per foreign visitor and the local environmental sanitation fee is collected at check-in, both on top of the package price, and the tap water is not drinkable so you drink what is in the minibar
−Akumal is well south of the airport: the chain quotes about an hour from Cancun, but guests commonly report closer to 90 minutes with traffic, and there is no walkable town at the gate

The resort has come through a full refurbishment and now presents a completely renewed look, with Mayan-inspired architecture reworked in a more modern register across the public areas and the rooms. Accommodation runs from 52 square metre Deluxe Junior Suites through Club Premium, which adds a whirlpool tub, to the Club Platinum presidential suites, all with private terraces and a minibar restocked daily. The dining was rebuilt as a concept called Beyond Flavors, with Japanese, Italian and Brazilian kitchens among the themed restaurants and an adults-only venue, Carnal, for a quieter dinner, all of it wrapped in live music, street performances, cooking workshops, artisan markets and sunset DJ sets. The counts the resort publishes do not agree with each other, so judge it by the venues rather than the number. Water sits at the centre of the layout: four outdoor pools, three for adults and one built for children, and a long lazy river. The award-winning spa adds a hydrotherapy circuit, sauna and temazcal, with the gym free and the wet area on a paid Spa Pass.

This suits snorkellers, families who want a kids club and a teen club on the same site as a quiet adults pool, and anyone who would rather be in jungle than on a hotel strip. Two things to go in with your eyes open about. The beach is split between rocky reef that is superb to swim a mask over and sandy stretches that are narrower than the resort's size suggests, and the dolphin program older reviews treat as a headline is no longer something to book a trip around, since Dolphin Discovery no longer lists a Tulum-Akumal habitat as of October 2026. Budget for the extras too: Spa Pass, babysitting, laundry, the on-site medical centre, the 224-peso VISITAX and the local environmental sanitation fee at check-in. On the plus side, a public bus stops in front of the resort every 15 minutes until 11 p.m., which makes Tulum and Playa del Carmen cheap days out.

Common Questions

How good is the snorkeling at Grand Sirenis?

It is the resort's strongest card. The chain describes a snorkelling point on the property itself, and the rocky reef sections off the beach reliably hold sea turtles, rays, squid and plenty of reef fish, no boat required. Go early for calm water and better visibility. The resort also runs its own sea turtle sanctuary on site, and there is a Mayan ruin by the sea within the grounds, so a morning can easily be snorkel, sanctuary and ruin without leaving the property.

Is the beach good for swimming?

It is mixed. The sections that make the snorkelling good are rocky reef, and the sandy swimming stretches are narrower than you would expect from a resort this size, which is the most common complaint guests raise. The pools carry the slack: there are four outdoor pools, three for adults and one designed for children, plus a long lazy river through the gardens. If a wide uninterrupted sand beach is the whole point of the trip, look at Barcelo Maya Beach or Ocean Coral and Turquesa instead.

How far is it from Cancun airport, and can I get out to Tulum or Playa?

The chain quotes about an hour from Cancun airport, though guests commonly report closer to 90 minutes once traffic is in play, and private transfers are the usual way in. Once you are there you are not stuck: the resort says there is a public bus stop directly in front of the property with service every 15 minutes until 11 p.m. for a few pesos, running between Tulum and Playa del Carmen. Playa del Carmen is about 25 minutes and 35 kilometres away, and is also where the nearest hospital and shopping centre are.

Is there still a dolphin swim at the resort?

Treat it as gone unless the resort confirms otherwise when you book. A Dolphin Discovery facility operated beside the resort for years and still shows up in older reviews and roundups, but as of October 2026 Dolphin Discovery's own list of Mexican Caribbean habitats covers Isla Mujeres, Puerto Aventuras, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, with no Tulum-Akumal entry, and the resort's own featured-services page makes no mention of a dolphin program. What it does promote is the sea turtle sanctuary. If swimming with dolphins matters to your trip, Puerto Aventuras is the nearest operating habitat.

Has the resort been renovated, and what should I check at check-in?

Yes. A phased refurbishment covered the public areas and the room interiors, and the chain now describes the resort as fully refurbished with a completely renewed look, with the Beyond Flavors dining concept as its centrepiece. Guests in 2026 describe rooms as immaculate and report no construction disruption. One holdover worth doing anyway: test the air conditioning in your first hour, because cooling has been this resort's historical weak spot, and take it to reception immediately rather than waiting a day.

What is included, and what costs extra?

Included and confirmed by the resort: Wi-Fi throughout on a PIN tied to your booking, room service free between 11:00 and 23:00, a minibar restocked daily with water, soft drinks and beer, an in-room safe, tea and coffee facilities, and free use of the spa gymnasium. Extra: the Spa Pass for the wet area of outdoor pool, hydro-massage beds, saunas, aroma showers and Turkish bath, treatments, babysitting, laundry, late check-out by the hour and the 24-hour on-site medical centre. On arrival you will also be asked for the municipal environmental sanitation fee, and Quintana Roo's VISITAX is 224 pesos per foreign visitor, payable before, during or at the airport on departure.

Restaurants (10)

Type	Restaurants
Buffet	The Park, La Verbena
Mexican	Pueblito Lindo
Italian	Tonino
Asian	Oishii
Steakhouse	Butchers
Mediterranean & Spanish	Bazaar
International & fusion	Lima, Casa Alma, Carnal

From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown.

What's nearby

Xcaret
30 min drive · 18 mi
Xel-Há
20 min drive · 10 mi
Tulum Ruins
30 min drive · 19 mi
Akumal Beach
12 min drive · 5.7 mi
Yal-Kú Lagoon
15 min drive · 5.7 mi
Kantun-Chi Ecopark
12 min drive · 6.5 mi

More things to do (24)

Xenses · adventure park25 min drive · 17 mi
Cenote Azul · cenote10 min drive · 6.5 mi
Xpu-Ha Beach · beach11 min drive · 5.4 mi
Dos Ojos Cenote · cenote20 min drive · 10 mi
Gran Cenote · cenote35 min drive · 22 mi
Río Secreto · adventure park25 min drive · 17 mi
Cenote Cristalino · cenote11 min drive · 6.4 mi
Cenote Calavera · cenote30 min drive · 21 mi
Jaguar Park (Tulum National Park) · nature30 min drive · 19 mi
Riviera Maya Golf Club · golf12 min drive · 6.3 mi
Jardín del Edén Cenote · cenote14 min drive · 6.9 mi
Puerto Aventuras Marina · marina14 min drive · 8.4 mi
Cenote Chikin-Ha · cenote20 min drive · 7.1 mi
Cenote Nicte-Ha · cenote25 min drive · 12 mi
Caleta Tankah · beach30 min drive · 18 mi
Half Moon Bay · beach13 min drive · 5.2 mi
Xel-Há Ruins · ruins20 min drive · 9.9 mi
Xcacel Beach · beach20 min drive · 8.9 mi
Puerto Aventuras Golf Course · golf20 min drive · 8.9 mi
Cenote Xunaan-Ha · cenote20 min drive · 8.6 mi
Cenote Tajma-Ha · cenote20 min drive · 6.0 mi
Xplor · adventure park25 min drive · 17 mi
Cenote Chac Mool · cenote25 min drive · 10 mi
Cenote Dos Palmas · cenote25 min drive · 11 mi

Amenities

Lazy River

Waterpark

Babysitting

Diving

Tennis

Kids Club

Swim-Up Bar

Snorkeling

Show 6 more amenities

Room Service

Free Wi-Fi

Buffet Dining

Spa

Gym

Beach

Style & Rooms

Atmosphere

FamilyFamily Resort

Room upgrades

2 Bedroom SuitesSwim-Up Rooms

Seaweed & sargassum

Riviera Maya gets sargassum, typically worst May through August, peaking in July and August.See the month-by-month guide →

Every all-inclusive in Riviera Maya (Puerto Aventuras to Akumal) →

Google Reviews★ 4.5 · 12,617 reviews

Shane D.

a week ago

“We just can’t say enough about the great service we have received here. We are only four days here so far! Daniel and Danny Boy are unbelievable at their jobs! From water aerobics to archery…air gun shooting, oil making class, there is so much to do!...”

Shels

2 months ago

“We are loving our stay here, we were here 7 years ago and while most things have improved, I will say the drinks are not as good as they were back then. They used to be more real fruit and juices and now are substituted with powdered mixes on some d...”

Canh V.

3 months ago

“This was our second stay at the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya, (July 2023 and October 2025) and honestly, it has become our favorite resort out of all the places we’ve visited. While our first trip was great, our October visit was truly exceptional. The...”