Cuisine, Spa, Service. Grand Velas Riviera Maya

We didn’t expect a fine French restaurant at an all-inclusive jungle/beach resort along Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. But in almost all aspects, especially its cuisine, the five-star Grand Velas Riviera Maya, located half an hour south of Cancun, lived up to its reputation as one of the most luxurious resorts in Mexico or the Caribbean.

The Ambassador section with its massive pool

The expansive 206 acre property includes 539 large, luxurious suites, all at least 1,100 square feet, divided into three sections, each with a massive swimming pool. The adult only Grand Class and the family friendly Ambassador sections are located in front of an attractive, very walkable white sand beach. There were few swimmers, mainly because the water was shallow with some rocks underfoot. The other section, Zen Grand Suites, is a kilometre inland, carved out of mangrove and Yucatan jungle foliage.

The Nowlan’s large room in the Zen section

We always enjoy an ocean view but after a few days at Zen we appreciated the high end, thoughtful amenities in our suite and the quiet jungle environment, surrounded by exotic flora and fauna. All suites have a personal concierge to look after every need. Zen includes a gourmet Asian restaurant and an excellent buffet, especially for breakfast (including a wonderful selection of fresh fruit and juices). A very efficient shuttle system – never more than a three minute wait – takes visitors to the waterfront Ambassador and Grand Class buildings where three of Mexico’s best restaurants are located.

Breakfast buffet in Zen section

Cocina de Autor was the first all-inclusive resort restaurant in the world to receive a AAA Five Diamond award. It was well deserved if playfulness, creativity and great taste were the criteria. From local products the chefs prepared ten imaginative small and medium sized plates for us, all expertly served by an attentive, well trained staff and accompanied by excellent Mexican and international wines. Ingredients included spider crab, smoky tuna, honeydew shrimp, striped bass, Mexican bald pork and bone marrow accompanied by jackfruit, figs, black garlic, kohlrabi, caviar and yogurt. Two desserts rounded out the almost three hour extravaganza, one with chocolate and sesame seeds, the other with blueberries, mascarpone and honey. It was a memorable experience.

: Blueberries, Mascarpone and Honey dessert at Cocina de Autor

: Honeydew shrimp and yogurt at Cocina de Autor

Equally memorable the next day was the four course dinner at the resort’s elegant French restaurant, Piaf (named for the famous Parisian chanteuse, Edith Piaf). Decorated in tasteful red and black with Swarovski crystal curtains and a fresh red rose at every table, the menu was traditional French but with extra flair and imagination. The chef’s escargot appetizer, for instance, was not just snails in garlic butter but included tartiflette, Morbier cheese and watercress purée. The soup course (French onion or lobster bisque) was followed by a choice of five meat, five fish or four vegetarian entrées. We chose tender beef short rib with dauphine potatoes, blue cheese sauce and coffee foam as well as lamb cooked two ways with stuffed artichokes. Desserts included pear in red wine sauce with almond crust and a dark chocolate soufflé with passion fruit sauce. Grand Velas clearly finds top international chef talent for its restaurants.

The elegant French restaurant, Piaf

We expected the Mexican restaurant, Frida, to be outstanding. And it was. A surprising beginning for all guests were the small bowls of fried grasshoppers, ants and red worms. A yukky reaction quickly turned to smiles as most guests found the unusual appetizers to be crispy and tasty. The main courses continued the resort’s commitment to creative cuisine using mole, mezcal vinaigrette, truffles, black recado (spice paste), huitlacoche (a black corn fungus tasting like truffle) and chipotle molasses to enhance grouper, salmon, shrimp, octopus, beef fillet, duck confit and suckling pig entrees.

A Mexican surprise. Fried grasshoppers, ants and red worms

The daily schedule at Grans Velas Riviera Maya includes complimentary chocolate, tequila and mezcal tastings (even pairing the drinks with mole samples) as well as guided tours of Zen’s jungle habitat, ending with samples of three unique types of Mexican honey. We appreciated the fact that all bars and restaurants also have non-alcohol beer and wines available. We love good coffee, especially at breakfast, but found the quality of the java in all restaurants to be mediocre.

Mexican honey tastings after Zen tour

Many guests come to this Grand Velas resort for its remarkable 90,000 square foot Spa located in the Zen section. Forbes Travel Guide gives it five stars and Virtuoso calls it “the best in the world”. Skin therapies and massages are combined with Mexican holistic rituals to relax and rejuvenate. Guests begin with the Water Ceremony – a steam room with herbal infusion, an exfoliation room, an ice room, various hot and cold showers and several hydrotherapy pools before the traditional Mexican treatments begin. Sandra chose a signature Bacal (Corn Cob) Massage. In Mayan culture, corn is a sacred plant. The unique experience began with therapist Sebastiana performing a short Mayan ceremony honoring the four elements (earth, air, fire and water) followed by dry corn meal and honey exfoliation to detoxify the skin. Then a massage with copal oil using hot corn cobs to apply pressure. After the eighty minute treatment Sandra’s muscles were tingling and she felt very refreshed.

Sebastiana with hot corn cob, ready for Sandra’s Mayan treatments

Our stay at Grand Velas Riviera Maya was just three days but we could easily observe why the resort deserves its stellar international reputation for fine cuisine, unique spa treatments and outstanding, friendly service.

Here are a few more photos from our stay. Click for larger images.