my husband and I stayed here in the "off" season, late September,just after a busy local holiday weekend. It was unbelievable. I think there were only 5 couples at the resort! From the instant we arrived, the staff was at our beckon call. Litterly 10 to 1! We were presented with iced hand towels soaked in anise spice, welcomed by another staffer with delicious orange smoothies. They immediately upgraded our room to a suitte. Both rooms were extremely well kept and stocked and with beautiful views. The architecture structure of the hotel was like a fortress on a hillside cascading down to the ocean below, and to top it, Westin resorts has remodeled the entire resort to reflect 5 star quality. Plenty of hammocks, cabannas, sun, shade, trampy romance novels poolside, and a spa that simply was waiting for the next walk in appointment. Dining was pricey but the food was pretty incredible and when I didn't want to eat in the restaurant, the staff set up a table and candlelight on the veranda just for the two of us. The water although choppy and low visibility, was still an adventure because of the private boat rides given by excellent dive instructors who are really fun to hang out with. A really experienced diver may not be thrilled with the dives though might enjoy trying to surf. The local beach was full of friendly mexicans eager to practice their english with us. The surf this time of year was loud and high and dramatic to watch, Very romantic. It did rain every day from about 11 pm to 3 am which really cleaned out the streets and cooled things off. We couldn't have been happier with our experience. Lobster asada, and guacamole overlooking a peir, cheap bargain prices, friendly and grateful locals, this locations was definitely a place of true R & R. If you can brush up on your spanish, it will be extemely helpful as most people only speak spanish outside of the resort.

My family and I have stayed at the Grand Bay three times in the past year and each time, we come away from our stay impressed with the level of service we receive from the courteous, knowledgeable staff. The hotel's motto is "Looking for opportunities to create memories"-- and everyone, from Israel at the front desk, to Maren and Marcela at the Concierge, to the waitstaff and housekeepers and gardeners, greet you with a smile and a desire to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Though we enjoy taking the water taxi into Barra de Navidad to dine in the local restaurants (Seamasters, Maya's, and Ambars are our favorites) and shop, this gorgeous hotel and marina has come to feel like a private paradise. Our kids (9 and 7) loved playing on the waterslide in the main pool and ordering strawberry smoothies from the swim-up bar; when they'd had enough sun, the Kids Club provided a cool indoor venue for them to play board games, Nintendo, and make keepsake crafts. Incidentally, the kid's menu is particularly well-priced. We plan to return again and again.

My husband and I returned from a week at the Grand Bay last night. It seemed like a logical choice for our 25th anniversary since we loved our week there eight years ago. What a mistake! The bathtub was so filthy I would not even soak my feet in it. I mentioned it to the front desk twice, they assured me they would have housekeeping clean it, it was never touched. I planned to swim in the bay as I had eight years ago, I went in as far as my ankle before I noticed the water not only looked dirty but actually looked like sewage! A boater from the marina told me later that I was wise to have stepped out of the water since most of the boats have no choice but to empty their toilets right there in the bay! The food was terrible and the prices were absolutely outrageous! You are captive on their little island for any of your daily requirements, (mine being a latte which ended up costing me a fortune and many calls to room service trying to negotiate getting a little more milk without being charged for two lattes). The chocolates they put on your pillow for their turndown service were unedible, I can't even describe the taste, it was completely unfamiliar to me. We brought ours to Barra and gave them to two barefoot children playing in the street, I sure hope they are ok. The pillows, bedspread, and sheets were not representative of a five star resort, terrible polyester stuff. The towels were ragged and rough. Eight years ago they had wonderful shampoo/conditioner/soap/shower gel, I even saved some to savor the smell for years after our trip. This time they had bottles of "stuff" that you would expect to find in a Motel 6. I literally choked and then spit out the mouthwash they offered. Again, a taste I am unable to describe. To add insult to injury, they didn't have any record of our 4th or 8th night being free even though I was assured when I booked the room that special would apply for my trip. I was so nervous I even had the agent who booked my trip go and get her supervisor, (Elaine at Wyndham), to confirm that our trip qualified for the 4th and 8th free night. I am now pursuing a "trace" through Wyndham's main office in South Dakota. The salespeople, who are based in Canada, are completely ouf of the picture. Oh, one more thing...yesterday when my husband went for our final check out our viasa was denied...WHY? Because they had already charged or placed a hold on approximately four thousand dollars to pay for our room! It took at least an hour, (my husband's last hour of sunshine before we had to leave for the airport), for them to contact viasa, have my husband speak to viasa, etc. and for them to realize the cause of the refusal was THEM! I will never return to this hotel or for that matter to any Wyndham hotel.

My husband and I stayed at the Grand Bay for a week in Jan '07. I have always been a fan of Tripadvisor, but have never given a review. I felt the need this time...
We stayed at the Grand Bay during a week that the hotel was nearly booked. Even so, this didn't slow down service, or give the hotel a "crowded" feeling. The hotel is beautiful, as are their grounds. The weather was great. Everyone that we encountered there was so friendly and always helpful.
Check in was very easy, we were in our room within minutes of arriving.
The rooms were very comfortable and well attended to, the maid visited a couple times a day, including turning your bed down in the evening. Remember this tip- the bottled water in the room with the hotel's logo "Grand Bay" is free.. the maid will restock it and we asked for extra bottles to be left each day. The water in the minibar of a different name is pretty costly.
The food was great, with a big variety. (My husband is a very picky eater and he was well fed for the week)
There were many activities to do at the resort, as well as tours from a local tour company that were easy to book. We took an ATV adventure that was a lot of fun.
The spa was great and highly recommended.
Barra de Navidad, a small fishing village across the bay was a short water taxi ride away, that provided shopping, dining and nightlife. We enjoyed our many trips to Barra de Navidad during our stay, and met some very friendly people there as well.
Overall the experience was wonderful.
If I had to point out negatives... I'd have to say...the beds were a little hard and... the week went by too quickly...
Would highly recommend.