Like so many others, I monitored this and other websites leading to this vacation so as to get a good idea of The Grand. I am going to attempt to not repeat what almost every other review has mentioned and only give you our opinion over our stay. We have only stayed in Mexico one other time and Jamaica three times so that is our history when it comes to traveling. I will break it down to a few topics to better organize our opinions.

Room:
We booked an Oceanfront Room (we got building 70) due to our desire to have the ocean right outside our room. We feel it was a good investment and the view was great both during the day and evening. It is true some people got upgraded for free and perhaps next time we will try that route. If you are just going to use the room for a place to sleep and the bathroom, you would probably do well with just the standard. Regardless, the room was extremely clean with no bugs or problems. The bathroom was large and we had no problems with water pressure or tempature. The room was made up everyday and turned down everynight without us ever asking. The fridge was always stocked and the guy who filled it asked us on the first day about our preferences. We ordered room service twice and it came quickly and was hot. We also got champaigne the last night and it was brought up without any problems.

Butler:
This seems to be an issue on many of the boards so here is our take. Our butler, Renee, checked us into our room and basically gave a half hour presenation on the Grand and how things work. He then told us to call him with any questions or needs and set up our pillow menu request and then made sure the guy who filled the fridge showed up. After that, he set up our internet connection and left. We would occassionly run into him during our stay but he never came back to our room. The thing is we didnt need him. You can always call your butler but room service or housekeeping already caters to your needs. The point is the butler service gets you set up but thats about it. Renee was great and every need was taken care of. Being in the Oceanfront room, you could request a golfcart to take you to the lobby. We chose not to as we thought we could use the exercise due to the amount of calories we were consuming. Only took 5 minutes anyway.

Lobby/Hotel Grounds:
Where do you begin with this without repeating everything from other reviews. The place was immaculate and absolutely beutiful. I cannot say enough about the design, cleaniness, and beuty of the halls and buildings. Every single detail is addressed and someone was always cleaning something even if it didnt need it. I really dont have words for how beutiful the surroundings are so I am going to stop. Its just that great.
The occupancy ranged from 60-75 percent while we were there but it always seemed very uncrowded. Things are so well spaced and designed that sometimes it seems you have the place to yourself. I can say that because I walked through the Lindo one day and it was like being at a crowded amusement park. I quickly returned to The Grand and came to the conclusion that there is no really valid reason to leave in the first place. (In all fairness, the Maya was very nice. We didnt get to the other two resorts.)

Food:
Food is such a subjective matter and everyone will have an differing opinion for any type of food experience. We ate at the buffets for breaffast and lunch and it was very good. There is something for everyone and they freshly make most of the items in front of you. I am a very picky eater unlike my wife and I always found something and that is saying a lot. The staff always had your water filled and brought you something to drink and our plates were always cleaned up. We also never had a wait and never saw a lack or shortage of food.
We ate at the Italian, Japanese, and the steak and seafood place. I did not particulary like the Italian as it was way over my head on the sophistication scale but admitedly that doesnt take much. In lack of better words, I didnt understand the menu or the food. However, my wife thought it was great and enjoyed it. The Japanese place on the other hand was fantastic and the food very good. It seemed to be the most popular among the guests anyway. (Make sure you get the fried banana dessert) The Surf and Turf was also very good and I highly recommend the filet as so many mentioned. I could keep going but just wanted to relay that the food was good and we had no problem getting reservations whatsoever.

Pool/Beach:
The main pool was very nice but I didnt exactly care for the saltwater content. But with the swim up bar right there, the drinks were always flowing and there were always people to talk to. We participated in a few of the games and other times just watched. It really is a place to relax and have fun. Be careful of the sun howerver, it can be quite powerful. We did not use the Tranquility pool. I can only say that it is very beutiful and almost looks too good to get in. We did use the spa pool a few times and it was great to get into after being in the sun all day. I could swear it had some healing properties. The beach was also very nice and clean. Do bring watershoes because of the rocks both seen and unseen. If not, just move down towards the Maya and Lindo and their beach seems to be rockfree but more crowded.

Entertainment:
Every night there was a show and each one was good. We really liked the Broadway Show Night. The Auditorium was very nice and had lots of room. There was also a server to bring your drinks to you. After the show, the performers would come out to the guests and speak to people at their tables. We really wanted to goto the disco but never made it. A few people we talked to said it was Star Wars themed and a little over-rated. There was also a music bar, cigar room, and lobby bar that stayed open late so there was never a reason to leave anyway.

Staff:
The Star Friends were very nice and we got to know a few of them. They were never pushy and knew English very well. Not only did they do the pool games, but they also helped and sometimes did the nightly entertainment. Before the shows, many would be by the restaurants or the lobby bar talking with the guests. I will say though, that sometimes they appeared tired. I found out they work 6 day weeks and 14 hour days. They were always great around us and other guests but I couldnt help feeling sorry for them. One day when their pool shift was over, I saw a group of them leaving the Grand and they looked so tired. I wish them all nothing but the best and hope their hard work gets rewarded someday. The bartenders, maintenance guys, and housekeepers were also excellent and top of their jobs so to speak. Although it is already included with the vacation, we tipped everyone we could and I would like to mention not one of them expected it. In fact when we got roomservice, the guy brought in our food and was already leaving before I had to stop him to give him a few bucks for his efforts. We just felt some of the staff work very hard and we strongly believe they should be rewarded for their hard work.

Summary:
I obviously could write a book on The Grand but it would just go on and on. We enjoyed staying there very much and know anyone who does go will not be disappointed. Yes it is a little more expensive but you get what you pay for. If there was a disapointment it was the commerical center as there isnt a whole lot of shops open and it seemed dirty. But since it wasnt at The Grand, it shouldnt be a concern here. There is no doubt we will return to The Grand again. I hope that they continue with their excellent service and facility not just for when we return but for everyone else that decides to go there.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.