The Grand Mayan at Vidanta Nuevo Nayarit
The Grand Mayan at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta is best understood as one tower in a full-scale resort city rather than a traditional hotel. Set on a long beach on Banderas Bay within the larger Vidanta complex, it gives guests access to a staggering spread of pools, restaurants and activities. The centerpiece Aqua Park, with its wave pool and Mayan Pyramid slide, plus The Grand Mayan's own Lazy River, is the highlight families come back for. And the complex keeps growing: Cirque du Soleil's resident show LUDO premiered in December 2025 in a custom-built theater, and BON, billed as the world's first luxury theme park, begins a phased soft opening on October 24, 2026. During the soft opening BON is open only to VidantaWorld guests, who buy tickets subject to availability; it opens to the public in April 2027, with five of its seven themed worlds open at first and the rest rolling out through December 2027.
Things to Know
- Timeshare Pressure
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +The Aqua Park has a wave pool and the iconic Mayan Pyramid slide, plus The Grand Mayan's own Lazy River, and families and adults alike rave about it
- +Dining across the whole Vidanta complex is open to you, from street food at Mercado Mexicano to theatrical teppanyaki at Gong, with fine-dining picks like Bistro Bleu, Tramonto and Quinto Charcoal Grill
- +Suites are genuinely spacious, with One and Two Bedroom Suites offering kitchens and living rooms, nothing like a standard hotel room
- +A long stretch of beachfront on Banderas Bay with abundant chairs and palapas that rarely feels overcrowded
- +The pool complex is enormous; guests regularly report sitting at a different pool area each day of a week-long stay
- +Golf and wellness without leaving the property: three courses (The Nayar, the Norman Signature and The Lakes) plus the Vidanta Golf Academy, and spas including Spatium and Brio Spa with an on-site temazcal
- +The pool entertainment team is genuinely enthusiastic and keeps kids and adults engaged throughout the day
- +Big-ticket entertainment on site: Cirque du Soleil LUDO, a resident show that premiered in December 2025 in a custom-built theater, and BON, VidantaWorld's luxury theme park, which begins a phased soft opening on October 24, 2026 for resort guests only
Cons
- −Aggressive timeshare sales presentations are the most consistent complaint; staff offer 'deals' for attending a 3-5 hour sales pitch starting at check-in
- −Guests who decline timeshare presentations report receiving worse room assignments, sometimes rooms facing trees instead of the ocean
- −Check-in lines can stretch to 90 minutes, and the property is so large that first-time guests feel lost, with a resort app that guests describe as unreliable
- −There is no all-inclusive plan; food and drinks are charged to the room, with only optional coupon-based meal plans sold at check-in, and a family dinner at the on-site restaurants can run $400-500 USD
- −BON is not included in your stay: admission is separately ticketed, subject to availability, and the park only runs evenings Tuesday to Saturday with deliberately limited nightly capacity
- −Wi-Fi and parking carry additional fees that catch non-member guests off guard
- −Dining off the complex is quietly discouraged, staff offer little information about local options, and the scale of the place makes personalized service hard to come by
The experience differs significantly depending on whether you're a timeshare member or a paying guest. Members tend to love it; paying guests often feel the sales apparatus is built around converting them into members, and the pressure starts at check-in. One important expectation-setter: despite showing up in all-inclusive searches, the resort does not offer an all-inclusive plan. Food and drinks are charged to the room, with only optional coupon-based meal plans (breakfast-only or bundled breakfast-plus-dinner packages) sold at check-in. Food quality is praised when guests stick to the property's dining, with teppanyaki at Gong and the stalls at Mercado Mexicano getting specific call-outs, but costs add up fast.
This resort is ideal for families or groups who want a self-contained, activity-dense vacation and aren't bothered by a timeshare pitch at the start. Couples looking for intimate service and a boutique feel will likely find the scale impersonal. It is comparable in scope to a Barcelo or Hard Rock mega-resort, but the suite accommodations, three golf courses and the Cirque du Soleil and theme-park entertainment push it toward a higher tier, and the theme park is an extra ticket, not part of the room rate. Puerto Vallarta's old town, the Malecon and the Marietas Islands are all within reach for day trips if the resort starts to feel like a bubble.
Common Questions
Do I have to attend a timeshare presentation to stay here?
Is the Aqua Park included, and what about the new BON theme park?
Is the Grand Mayan all-inclusive?
What's the difference between the Grand Mayan, Grand Luxxe and Grand Bliss on the same property?
Is this resort good for couples without kids?
Is it easy to get to Puerto Vallarta from the resort?
What's nearby
Zona Romántica25 min drive · 12 mi
Los Muertos Beach30 min drive · 13 mi
25 min drive · 13 mi
Marina Vallarta20 min drive · 7.3 mi
Conchas Chinas Beach30 min drive · 14 mi
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church25 min drive · 12 mi
More things to do (24)
- Whale watching (December to March) · excursion20 min drive · 7.3 mi
- Sunset sail from Marina Vallarta · excursion20 min drive · 7.3 mi
- Splash Water Park · water park8 min drive · 2.4 mi
- Las Caletas beach day trip · excursion20 min drive · 7.3 mi
- Camarones Beach · beach25 min drive · 11 mi
- Playa Palmares · beach35 min drive · 16 mi
- Puerto Vallarta Malecón · town25 min drive · 12 mi
- Paradise Village Marina · marina8 min drive · 2.3 mi
- Aquaventuras Park · water park9 min drive · 2.8 mi
- Vidanta Greg Norman Golf Course · golf14 min drive · 2.1 mi
- Evening show and dinner at Las Caletas · excursion20 min drive · 7.3 mi
- Sport fishing charter · excursion20 min drive · 7.3 mi
- Flamingos Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 6.8 mi
- Bucerías · town20 min drive · 8.1 mi
- Playa de Oro · beach20 min drive · 9.1 mi
- Estero El Salado · nature20 min drive · 8.7 mi
- Boca de Tomates Beach · beach20 min drive · 6.2 mi
- Marina Vallarta Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 8.0 mi
- Playa Los Tules · beach25 min drive · 9.9 mi
- Playa Las Glorias · beach25 min drive · 10 mi
- Jardín Mágico Butterfly Garden · wildlife25 min drive · 7.9 mi
- Museo Histórico Naval · museum25 min drive · 12 mi
- Mirador La Cruz · viewpoint25 min drive · 12 mi
- Faro de Matamoros · viewpoint25 min drive · 12 mi
Amenities
Google Reviews★ 4.5 · 1,504 reviews
“Cristian and his team at Joy squad made us feel very welcome and our vacation amazing. They kept us busy with lots of fun events. We were smiling the whole time because of their team. He is a huge asset to Vidanta resorts. I’d also like to throw out...”
“The best resort I have ever been to! Wonderful and kind employees made it feel like home and we never want to leave thank you to whole joy squad teams for showing my family a fun time!! Cristian was so helpful getting us started when we were wanderi...”
“What a wonderful week! This is specifically for the Jungle Bay (kids club) Halloween adventure. Massive thanks to Yara, Caro, Kim, Dulce, Moni, and Naty. The experience was top notch for our little one. Anyone who can keep 30+ kids entertained for 2+...”
