We are a family of 5 with children 15, 13 and 11 from suburban New York City. We stayed at the Great Parnassus in Cancun during Christmas Week of 2008. After reading some of the reviews here, we were frankly a little worried about the accommodations, food and service - we were very pleasantly surprised with the entire vacation. The Great Parnassus met or exceeded our expectations in just about every respect.

First, a word about our expectations. We have traveled extensively in the Caribbean and generally like all-inclusives. We generally look for a value vacation - we don't often stay at 5-star resorts (but we don't stay at 1 or 2 stars either) - we want activities for our kids, solid (but not gourmet) food, and good service - but don't expect white glove treatment. On the other hand, we expect large, clean rooms, solid service and good food that we and our kids will enjoy - and plenty of activities. The Great Parnassus is not the Ritz Carlton - but for what it is, it is very good in all respects.

Before going, we read prior reviews in Trip Advisor, and got several important bits of information - the side of the hotel away from the Hilton is quieter because of the Hilton's air conditioning. I called ahead and requested a room on the side away from the Hilton, and the request was granted. Second, we were told that a little bit of tipping early in the week goes a long way. So we spread a small amount of cash around ($5 here and there and $10 up front to the housekeeping staff to insure lots of clean towels and bottled water in the room) and it certainly paid dividends. We were very well taken care of all week. The service, maligned in prior reviews here, was absolutely fine. We have waited "a lifetime" in other Caribbean locations for extra blankets, towels or for a repairman - we had no issues on any front - even when the toilet got clogged and another night at 2:00 a.m. when my 10 yr. old got sick (too many sweet drinks) and we required some additional bedding the staff was friendly and helpful and responded quickly and satisfactorily.

The Hotel itself looks like a cruiseship, and we felt like we were on a cruise all week. The inner lobby atrium has restaurants and shops on the first floor and then rooms for the next 12 or 13 floors. We were in a family room, which accommodated the 5 of us very nicely - with a king sized bed, and then a separate alcove with bunk beds and a pull-out trundle bed for the third child. It was great not having to buy 2 rooms for a family of 5 - and we felt like we had plenty of room. The only things we didn't have that might have been nice, that we would have had in a suite were a fridge, a 2nd TV for the kids and the ability for them to close a door and not her their dad snoring - but all in all, the savings of not having to take a second room or a suite were a fair trade-off. The room was large with a paricularly large bathroom and lots of drawers and closet space. The room was clean and fresh smelling every day. The housekeeping service was efficient and got our room made-up early each day (the pre-tip probably helped).

For dining, there is a huge buffet area called Magnus with separate windows (like at a food court) for about 8 different categories of food - Poultry, Grill, Oriental, Seafood, Sushi, Veggies, Fruits, Deli, etc. with a different menu each day. Breakfast was generally an omelette, breakfast meats, pancakes, french toast, hash browns, cereal and lots of fresh fruit- pretty much anything you wanted. Lunch was different every day - and on a couple of nights we ate dinner there as well. We really are a varied bunch in terms of what we like to eat, and Magnus had something for everybody all the time. Again, this is not gourmet dining - but we all found the menu varied and tasty.

The themed restaurants that were open for dinner were the Big Ben Steakhouse, the Portofino Italian Restaurant and the Japanese Restaurant. There is also a French restuarant, but it is adults only, and since we enjoy eating as a family, we didn't try it.

We were warned that the themed restaurants didn't take reservations, and I was concerned that we would wait in long lines during Christmas week, when the hotel was fairly full. The steakhouse and Italian Restaurant opened at 7:00 p.m. each night and the Japanese opened at 6:00. On our first night there, the kids wanted Japanese and we arrived at the restaurant at 6:30 and were told it was full and that the first opening would probably be around 8:00 p.m. - which was too late as the kids were hungry. We walked over to the Italian restuarant, and saw a couple of families in line at 6:30 for the 7:00 p.m. opening- so we got in line and were among the first seated at 7:00 p.m.

From then on, we got the idea. Each night we planned our schedule so as to be in line 30 minutes before the themed restuarant that we wanted to eat at opened, and we were one of the first families served- the 30 minute wait didn't bother us - we sent one member of the party to the bar for drinks (all liquor is included and the bars were never crowded) and we played "20 questions" while we waited to be seated. Only one of us needed to get in line, so it never felt like much of an imposition. On the one or two nights that our schedule didn't accommodate getting in line early, we ate at the Magnus buffet and were quite pleased with the dinners we had there as well.

The food in the themed restaurants was inconsistent, but generally good. The tenderloin steaks in Big Ben were not the quality one would get in a New York City steakhouse for $40, but they were tender, tasty and generally done to our satisfaction. The duck and fish dishes in the Italian restaurant were quite good. The pasta was inconsistent - a pasta dish with shrimp and lobster ragout was quite good, while a spaghetti with white clam sauce tasted a bit too much like fettucini alfredo - but since it's all inclusive, we felt comfortable ordering something else if we didn't like what we got the first time. The stir-fry in the Japanese restaurant was huge and very good. The beef teriyaki was three little skewers of not much meat - so we ordered another stir fry and split it and were quite satisfied.

Basically, everywhere you went in the hotel there was food. There were several restuarants open for lunch each day besides the Magnus buffet, and a pool grill with burgers, chicken wings, nachos and the like. The kids' favorite of all, however, was dessert at the creperie, which had warm homemade crepes, waffles and ice cream with every kind of topping imaginable. We rarely ate dessert at the restaurants since we knew the creperie would be on our way home after dinner. There is also free room service 23 hours a day - there was so much food everywhere we went in the hotel we never used it - except to have them send up bottled water the first night - and it arrived pretty quickly.

In terms of activities - it was standard Caribbean fare - but very adequate. The usual poolside activities, plus a spa and disco and kids clubs. Our kids didn't go into the kids clubs - as they preferred to stay with us at the pool or for water activities - but the kids clubs appeared to be well-staffed and with lots of activities. In addition, the hotel has a mini-water park with slides for all ages that our kids really enjoyed, as well as a very nice miniature golf layout that kept the kids happy almost nightly. There was also a show each night - best one being the circus show and other usual activities such as bingo. The kids played cards in the open atrium area most nights while eating their waffles and ice cream.

The Hilton next door has a beautiful golf course. It is expensive- but we played at 2:00 p.m. and got the twilight rate and were able to finish 18 holes - beware there are a lot of crocodiles on the course. Do not go near the water hazards. Just buy a few extra balls and let them go if you happen to hook or slice near the hazards. There is a lot to do in Cancun and in the surrounding areas - and they have several tour companies offering tours to the neaby Mayan ruins, to the beautiful snorkeling area in Xelha and to Isla Mujeres, where we went so the kids could swim with the dolphins.

All in all, we had an amazing vacation and enjoyed it throughly. In part this was because we took the hints of others, tipped a little up front, and planned our evenings around the 30 minute waits that allowed us to be among the first served at dinner (this probably won't be an issue at other times of year when the hotel is less full). With that planinng, we were able to take advantage of the considerable assets of the Great Parnassus and had a terrific time. We would most certainly go back again.

My husband and I took our two children, ages: 4yrs and 2yrs to the Great Parnassus 2 weeks before Christmas and enjoyed most things this hotel had to offer.

Great Kids Club. Very nice staff. My four year old son loved the Pirate Ship water park and could have played there all day. I liked it too, because the water was shallow enough for him to be able to touch the bottom of the pool in all areas.

Loved the Family pool and found it to be clean , well cared for, and warm. We swam in it everyday for the week we were there with no problems.

The Beach was an easy walk from the pool. Not great for swimming, but perfect for a family with young children, because all they want to do is play in the sand anyways.

The food was good and I loved all the variety in the Food Court . As to other reviews about it being unclean-- I didn't see this. Besides, have you ever really looked behind the counter of any of our fast food resturaunts in North America--if we can eat there--then the Great Parnassus is more than suitable. I would highly recommend the smoothies, and fresh made omelttes--very delicious and healthy. Being four months pregnant while on this trip, eating healthy was a big concern. But I had no trouble finding good fresh food to satisify any craving. The roomservice was a fun novelty, not the best food, but nothing to complain about.

We loved the kid's movies that they offered some nights at 6pm in the huge theater. It was a nice option before putting the kids to bed.

The Spa was expensive, but beautiful, and very, very clean with hospitable staff.

The service was good and we found that tipping was appreciated but didn't notice better service because of it. When we first arrived we were to meet with a hotel rep, but he took one look at us, saw how tired we were and rescheduled immediately for the following morning, no problem.

My only complaint would be the noise level--some nights it was outrageous! Not enough to wake my children--which was what I was most concerned about, but it kept me up at all hours. We were on the 2nd floor, so that may have something to do with it. Some nights were better than others though.

So all in all, a great expereince and we will deffinately be returning to this ideal family destination.

I think my young daughter described this hotel the best...its like a Monet...beautiful from a far but a mess up close.
I'll start with the positives:
1) The common areas were fairly clean and well maintained.
2) Fun entertainment staff. Carlos and his group are wonderful....in my opinion their positive attitude really saves this hotel.
3) Good kids club.
4) Most of the staff was very pleasant. We tipped along the way, and received good service.
5) It was better than spending the holidays in cold NYC!! :)
Negatives:
1) Check in-after receiving your remote (yes, that is a remote for the TV!) you have to sit with Time share people who pretend to be 'guest service'.
They were very nice, but after a looong flight I just wanted to get to my room.
2) General room maintenance was poor. Mold in bathroom, very cheap furniture, cracked tiles, etc.
3) Food- the food was average to poor. Magnus buffet was the best bet for variety, but the cooks do not speak english, so communication was a big
problem. Also, no one uses gloves. They handle food with their bare hands....many times after handling dirty rags, wiping sweat from their
face, sneezing into their hands (yes, I witnessed all of this!) etc. Not very hygienic, nor very appetizing. The Sushi was inedible. The "fresh"
salmon was a smoked salmon, and the tuna was brown and smelled very old. We tried to make the best of it and keep a positive attitude, but we were extremely disappointed with the poor quality.
4) Nightly entertainment was ok. We enjoyed the movies, but the "professional" dance staff was not great. Our favorite show was the one
performed by the Entertainment Staff (Elvis night)...it was hilarious!
5) Pool and beach area- Dirty! The kiddie pool with the swim up bar was filthy. They allowed kids with diapers in the pool and it was disgusting! A guy would come around every few hours and scoop up disgusting scum that gathered in the pool, but NEVER tested the quality of the water. I asked him if the water is safe, and he just laughed.
By mid afternoon, the pool area around the kiddie pool was littered with dirty cups and dirty diapers!
Another problem was the smell of grease in the pool area all day long...it was gross.
The beach area was ok...very small, not enough chairs and no one to help with umbrellas.

Overall, we still had a good time because we did our best not to let the problems get to us. If you are looking for a relaxing pool/ beach vacation, then this is not the place. If you are looking for good kids activities/ programs then consider "Great" Parnassus.

We stayed at this WONDERFUL hotel from 12/17-12/24. After reading reviews on her I was hesitant, but with 3 kids (17,13 & 11) this was the only place we could do 1 room. When we first pulled up I was put immediately at ease. The lobby is gorgeous! The check-in was smooth and efficient and welcoming. Kids were in awe. Our room was exactly as pictured. The pools were wonderful and kept clean as was everything else in the hotel. The Entertainment staff is awesome! They truly try and get to know the family and spend much time visible to the guests and are very helpful. The nightly shows are extremely entertaining!! Our kids loved the place so much it was hard to get them to leave to go do anything else. There was always some form of entertainment and games going on by the pool and at the beach as well as nightly activities. They had run of the house for food and drink and loved it! While the restaurants may not be 'gourmet' we did not have a bad meal. We especially liked the Samuri. And of course the Mangus Food Court had everything from Sushi to pizza during the day and Frosted Flakes to made to order omlets for breakfast. The only complaint I would have would be the size of the drinks they bring you...but just order 2 at a time! :) (and doubles, if you prefer!) We took $100 dollar bills for tips and tipped the waitresses and wait staff at the pool and at the restaurants. I don't know if this helped the service because as I said, everyone we came in contact with at the hotel was extremely helpful and curtious. We can't wait to go back!