Wyndham Grand Cancun Review: What It’s Really Like to Stay at This Beachfront Resort

5/9/2025

Cancun is packed with resorts, but the Wyndham Grand promises a little something extra—luxury with personality, beachfront access, and all the sun-soaked vibes you could ask for. On a recent trip to Mexico’s Caribbean coast, we checked in to see what all the buzz was about. From the poolside cocktails to the beachfront views, here’s what stood out (and what didn’t) during our stay at the Wyndham Grand Cancun.

The Good

Turquoise Waters of Cancun Beach

What We Loved About the Wyndham Grand

1. The Beach - The Wyndham Grand is located right on the beach, with white sand and big waves. Emmett loved digging in the sand and building sand castles. I loved searching for sea shells. And we all enjoyed listening to the sound of the waves rolling in. Each morning, employees were out raking up seaweed and other debris to keep the beach clean and inviting.

Seafood Pasta at Piña Colada Restaurant

2. Piña Colada Restaurant - This sit-down a la carte restaurant is situated on the beach and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (reservations are required for dinner). We thoroughly enjoyed our one breakfast and three lunches there. The servers were attentive, the food was delicious, and the view was glorious! Some tables sit on the open patio; others are directly in the sand. Heaven!
3. Viva Mexico Restaurant - This casual sit-down restaurant is located near the main pool area and features casual Mexican fare. The steak tacos were a particular favorite, but everything we tried there was tasty. We loved the salsa bar, which allowed to customize our nachos and tacos to suit our individual preferences.
4. The Children's Water Park - The best part of the resort for Emmett was the water park. He played in the various water features, went down the slides more times than we could count, and even made some new friends. The adults liked the fact that the music was kid-friendly, there were ample seating options, and even several comfy cabanas for a nice afternoon lounge while Emmett played.
5. The Main Pool - We loved the fact that the pool had steps on one side and a graduated incline on the other side, perfect for Emmett to be able to stay where he could touch the floor of the pool and for us to sit in the water without having to swim the whole time. We also partook of the swim-up bar, where we were able to order both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The activity director regularly initiates games of pool volleyball, which was fun to watch.
6. The Mexican Show - On Mexico night (Tuesday) the banquet room was set up for a buffet-style dinner with a musical show. The musicians were excellent, and we would have stayed longer had Emmett not literally fallen asleep at the table.

Highlights of Our Stay

This little beggar watched us eat our sushi, hoping for a handout.

1. Spotting iguanas around the resort grounds. On our first day, one friendly fellow laid in the grass near our table and watched us, I'm sure hoping for a tasty morsel. We did not oblige him, but we did enjoy watching him.

The "Meh"

Although I enjoyed hearing the waves from the balcony, the obstructed view was slightly disappointing.

What Could Be Better

1. The View from the Villa - Because we were bringing my mother-in-law with us to celebrate both my birthday and hers, we booked a villa - something the Wyndham Grand is known for. When we booked, we were told it would be an oceanview room. And although the view does face the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean, it was an obstructed view, with the pool, restaurants, palm trees, the gift shop, and more between us and the water, so we had just a small sliver of a view of the actual waves and beach. When we enquired, we were told that they could move us - to a villa that had not yet been remodeled. When Marvin viewed the other villa, it was less than appealing, so we decided to stay where we were.
2. Shade - The sun in Cancun is brutal, especially on my fair skin. By Wednesday, I was ready to hide from the sun for the rest of the trip. But shaded areas around the pool were more difficult to find than I expected, and most were "claimed" long before people were actually up and utilizing the pool. In spite of regularly applying sunscreen, I came home burned and peeling.

The Not-so-Good

A Not-So-Grand Moment

Da Vinci Restaurant - Upon check-in, we were given a brief description of the food options. For dinner, unless you eat at the buffet, all sit-down restaurants require reservations. Piña Colada only allows reservations to be made the day of from 9:00-11:00am. The other two require reservations in advance. I was unable to find any available reservations for the steak house, La Vista, during our stay, so that one was out completely. For the Italian restaurant, Da Vinci, which I was most excited about, I was able to secure reservations for our final night in Cancun. I put in the notes that there would be 3 adults and 1 child. But when we arrived, we were turned away, as they don't allow children at Da Vinci. We were never informed in person about the rule against children at Da Vinci, and neither the description of the restaurant in the app nor the reservation scheduling part of the app mentioned that children were not allowed at Da Vinci. What a bummer!

Where the Wyndham Grand Misses the Mark

1. The Buffets - Wyndham Grand offers two buffet options for breakfast and one for dinner. La Vista's breakfast buffet is smaller and quieter and offers a nicer view overlooking the lagoon. La Paloma is the standard buffet for breakfast and dinner that is larger and busier. The food at both were... just okay. Some items were flavorful, but most missed the mark both in flavor and temperature. Most of the desserts were downright inedible. The servers were excellent at keeping up with drink orders and clearing away used dishes. But overall, the buffet options (especially La Paloma) were a miss for us.
2. The Villa Itself - The villas are 2400 square feet of total living space, featuring common areas on the ground floor, along with a convenient half bathroom, plus second and third floors with three bedrooms, each with its own en suite bathroom. Although this sounds like it would be a lovely, spacious place to stay, the design was less than ideal. The common areas on the ground floor were indeed spacious, but with a great deal of unusable space (and one sitting area with a TV that wouldn't turn on). The second floor features two bedrooms and two bathrooms, each with a balcony. But the design is less than ideal - from obstructed views of the TV from one bed to narrow bathrooms in both. The third-floor bedroom offers the best views, but is also even more narrow. One of the wardrobe doors doesn't open the whole way, as it bumps into the bed. The bathroom is so narrow that the shower door scrapes the toilet as you open and close it. Lastly, we found it odd that the kitchen was equipped with plates, but no silverware. Overall, for the money they charge for a villa, we found it a bit lacking.
3. The Sushi Bar - This was one of the biggest disappointments, as Marvin, Emmett, and I are all big fans of sushi. They had a few rolls to choose from, but the ones we tried were barely edible. They had no sushi (nigiri), which is Emmett's favorite, and the only sashimi option was tuna. The tuna sashimi was very good, and the gentlemen working there were kind enough to give us a ball of sushi rice to go with Emmett's sashimi so that he basically had tuna nigiri. It worked out to get him his sushi fix, but overall it was disappointing.
4. Room Service - On our last night, after the disappointment of not being able to eat at Da Vinci, we decided to order room service. We ordered several items. When the ordered arrived, Emmett's mac and cheese was missing. The server went back to get it. When they arrived with the mac and cheese, we realized that they had not brought utensils (and remember that the villa did not come equipped with silverware). So they went back to get utensils. Of the items we ordered from their menu, only two items - my chamomile tea and Marvin's buffalo wings - came as described. My chicken pesto sandwich on a foccacia roll, although tasty, was a chicken pesto sandwich on plain white bread. Emmett's mac and cheese was penne pasta in a vaguely cheesy, very runny sauce with shredded cheese melted on top. Marvin's Sol beer was Corona. My tres leches dessert was two random (inedible) desserts pulled from the buffet. The list goes on. The whole experience was so terrible we had to just laugh about it.

Click on the photo to sign up for our newsletter!

Every resort has its highs and lows, and the Wyndham Grand Cancun is no exception. Whether you're drawn in by the location, the amenities, or the overall aesthetic, it definitely makes an impression. If you're weighing your options for a Cancun getaway, hopefully this gives you a clearer picture of what to expect and helps you decide if it checks the right boxes for your travel style.