Hotel Grand Sunset Princess
Grand Sunset Princess is one of the better-value family resorts on the Riviera Maya, and as of October 2026 it is a materially different hotel than the one most older reviews describe. It closed for six months and reopened early on November 1, 2025 after its first full renovation since opening in 2007, with all 674 rooms redone across five categories and the lobby, main plaza, buffet restaurants, bars and theatre rebuilt alongside them. Trade coverage of the reopening was blunt about the scope, noting that this was not a curtains-and-carpet refresh. The resort sits directly on the beach about 15 minutes from the center of Playa del Carmen and 65 km from Cancun airport, a transfer the operator puts at 40 to 45 minutes depending on which of its own pages you read.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Fresh out of its first full renovation since the 2007 opening: it closed for six months and reopened early on November 1, 2025 with all 674 rooms across five categories redone, plus a new lobby, main plaza, buffet restaurants, bars, theatre and an artisanal ice cream parlor
- +Runs as one complex with Grand Riviera Princess next door, two receptions sharing restaurants, bars, pools and activities, and exchange privileges also cover Princess Family Club Riviera, so a single booking opens up a very large amount of resort
- +The beach is the real draw and travelers consistently say so: wide white sand and clear water that outperforms the mid-tier resorts on this stretch of coast
- +Swimout and plunge pool categories are the value story here, with Deluxe Junior Suite Swimout rooms stepping straight into the pool and Platinum Suite Plunge Pool rooms adding a private pool, at rates well under comparable rooms at Secrets or Excellence properties
- +Renovated dining is genuinely varied and specific: the rebuilt Sunset Buffet with panoramic windows, a wood-burning-oven Restaurant Italiano, Brazilian Rodizio, Steak House Premium, Teppanyaki, Restaurant Wok and Restaurant Nikkei
- +The water park was expanded in the renovation and was designed for teenagers as well as little kids, which is unusual at this price and solves the problem of bored 13-year-olds
- +Platinum suites come with a Platinum Lounge, a private beach area, concierge service and priority restaurant reservations, and guests describe the arrival touches (champagne, strawberries, outdoor shower, jacuzzi tub) as well above what the rate suggests
Cons
- −You cannot walk into Platinum Yucatan Princess on a Grand Sunset booking. The exchange privileges cover Grand Sunset Princess, Grand Riviera Princess and Princess Family Club Riviera, and the operator briefing in November 2025 named Platinum Yucatan as excluded. The access runs the other way, so if you want the adults-only product you book it directly
- −Every part of the resort is family-friendly, so expect children around the pools, the buffet and the theatre at all hours
- −The property is multi-level and built on uneven ground, and the stairs come up again and again in traveler forums. Anyone with bad knees, a stroller or a wheelchair should confirm room placement before booking rather than after
- −It is a 900 meter walk from the lobby to the beach, which is a real consideration in August heat even with shuttle carts running
- −2026 is the worst sargassum year on record for the Mexican Caribbean, and Playa del Carmen is squarely in it: the season started in January instead of April and the state monitoring center expects collection volumes 25 to 30 percent above 2025. Crews clear the beach daily, but May through October you should plan on pool days being part of the trip
- −Sea entry is rocky and patchy with sea grass in places, so water shoes are worth packing
- −Not everything with a name on it is included: the Chill Out Restaurant and Beach Club sits outside the all-inclusive plan, the spa hydrothermal circuit is a paid service, motorized water sports cost extra and the gym is 18 and over
- −This is a big, busy, high-occupancy resort that is reliably good for its price band rather than a luxury product, so calibrate expectations to the rate you paid
It operates as one complex with Grand Riviera Princess, which closed for its own top-to-bottom renovation on November 1, 2025 and reopened in May 2026, and with Princess Family Club Riviera, whose 144 rooms came back the same month reconfigured for families of five (one king bed plus three bunks). Those three share restaurants, bars, pools, activities and exchange privileges. The adults-only Platinum Yucatan Princess next door is the exception and is not part of that swap, so treat it as a separate booking rather than a free upgrade. Dining is where the renovation shows most: the rebuilt Sunset Buffet with panoramic windows, Restaurant Italiano with a wood-burning oven, Brazilian Rodizio, Steak House Premium, Teppanyaki, Restaurant Wok, Restaurant Nikkei, a 24-hour sports bar and an ice cream parlor. The hotel's own pages count its pools inconsistently (seven on the brand site, eight on the property site), so count on a lot of water and a water park rather than a precise number.
This works best for families who want a strong beach, food well above the price tier, and enough square footage that teenagers and toddlers can both find something to do. It also works for honeymooners on a budget, since a swimout or plunge pool suite here delivers the private-water experience at a fraction of what Excellence or Secrets charge for it. The two things that should change your mind are mobility and seaweed: the stair-heavy layout and the 900 meter walk to the sand are not for everyone, and if an unblemished beach is the entire point of the trip, book winter rather than the May-to-October sargassum window. If you want no children anywhere near you, book Platinum Yucatan Princess directly instead.
Common Questions
Can Grand Sunset Princess guests use Platinum Yucatan Princess?
Is the beach worth it given the seaweed?
Are the swimout and plunge pool rooms worth the upgrade?
How bad are the stairs and the walk to the beach?
What is the food like after the renovation, and what costs extra?
What exactly did the 2025 renovation change?
Restaurants (13)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Food Market Sunset, Food Market Riviera (at Grand Riviera Princess), Food Market Maya (at Grand Riviera Princess), Platinum Market (at Grand Riviera Princess) |
| Mexican | Hacienda (at Grand Riviera Princess) |
| Italian | La Volta |
| Japanese & sushi | Hikari Nikkei (at Grand Riviera Princess) |
| Teppanyaki / hibachi | Teppanyaki |
| Asian | Wok |
| Steakhouse | La Vaquería |
| Brazilian churrascaria | Sumauma |
| International & fusion | Galerie (at Grand Riviera Princess), Platinum (at Grand Riviera Princess) |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.
What's nearby
25 min drive · 10 mi
15 min drive · 6.0 mi
Playa Mamitas13 min drive · 5.3 mi
20 min drive · 9.4 mi
Xcalacoco Beach4 min drive · 0.9 mi
El Camaleón Golf Course10 min drive · 3.0 mi
More things to do (16)
- Xenses · adventure park20 min drive · 9.5 mi
- Playa 88 · beach12 min drive · 4.2 mi
- Punta Esmeralda Beach · beach20 min drive · 3.9 mi
- Museo del Chocolate · museum12 min drive · 5.2 mi
- Parque La Ceiba · nature12 min drive · 5.5 mi
- Frida Kahlo Museum Playa del Carmen · museum13 min drive · 5.4 mi
- Playa del Carmen Fifth Avenue · town13 min drive · 5.5 mi
- Voladores de Papantla (Parque Fundadores) · historic site13 min drive · 5.8 mi
- Xplor · adventure park20 min drive · 9.9 mi
- Playa Maroma · beach20 min drive · 8.7 mi
- Cenote Chaak Tun · cenote20 min drive · 7.7 mi
- Iberostar Playa Paraíso Golf Club · golf25 min drive · 10 mi
- Delphinus Riviera Maya · adventure park25 min drive · 11 mi
- Puerto Morelos Botanical Garden · nature30 min drive · 17 mi
- Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín Botanical Garden · nature30 min drive · 17 mi
- Puerto Morelos Town Square and Malecón · town30 min drive · 18 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Room upgrades
Seaweed & sargassum
Playa del Carmen gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.5 · 10,302 reviews
“We will definitely be back! This is such an amazing place to stay. The food and service were excellent, and the staff were absolutely lovely. If there’s anything that could be improved, it would be the high-speed internet and the kids’ club. While t...”
“We absolutely loved this hotel and highly recommend it! The territory is beautiful and very well maintained, like a park perfect for relaxing walks, with many animals around. The beach is stunning, the rooms are modern and luxurious, and the kids’ po...”
“We had an absolutely wonderful experience at the Rodizio restaurant at the Grand Sunset Princess. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our waiter Pablo for his exceptional service. He was incredibly attentive, friendly, and professional...”
