Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe: Wellness on Mexico’s Shores

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For a recent media trip, I visited the Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe in Cancun, Mexico. Arriving at night, I didn’t really get to see much at first, but the hot tub and late-night drinks with my fellow travel writers was fantastic! In the morning light, however, I was immediately impressed by the expansive, all-inclusive resort. Despite my travel anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), I was determined to have a great time! 

The skies were a little overcast for most of my trip. While it didn’t create the perfect conditions for amazing pictures, it helped me stay comfortable in the heat which was great since my anxiety was often through the roof! With the cool breeze from the ocean, I definitely enjoyed my time by the pool.

Great Hotel Room

The rooms at the Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe are spacious, clean and easy to navigate which is important to someone with OCD.  After all, that’s why I wrote The Ultimate Guide to Hotel Stays for Germaphobes. Not knowing what to expect from my hotel room is terrifying, so I was immediately relieved.

As someone who hates hotel carpets, I was very happy with the tiled flooring. Of course, this is common in hotel rooms in this part of the world, but it’s not always done right. The Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe definitely scored some major points with me here!  

Waking up to this view got my day off to a great start. The salty air and calming waters washed away all traces of my long, stressful flight the day before. This is one natural way to manage travel anxiety! Being right on the beach made me want to just dive into the sand. Mexico is so beautiful!

While I didn’t take any pictures (of course!), can we just talk about the shower at the Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe? It washed away all of the stress from my bumpy, delayed flight and left me feeling fully refreshed. If I’d had more time, I would have stayed in there an hour. With two jets and an overhead rain shower head, it was the perfect way to start the day.

Relax and Recharge

Breakfast was a buffet which isn’t the easiest thing for me since I live with OCD. My disorder manifests as a fear of contamination (among other things). Germaphobia makes it hard to serve yourself with utensils everyone else is using.  Not wanting to miss out, I went with one of my favorite coping strategies. In these situations, I always wait until they bring fresh food to “refill” the containers.

The best part was that everyone was hungry so I didn’t have to wait long to sample from the variety of foods. New trays of fresh pastries, fruit, French toast, and juices came out regularly.  Skipping the community tongs, I grabbed a fresh fork and served myself (and lived to tell the tale!). There was also a table for cold breakfast items (like cereal). In the center of the room, guests could order custom-made omelets!

With a full belly, it was time to head to Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe’s spa. As someone who gets therapeutic massages on a regular basis, I had high expectations. Many times, I end up paying for something that is disappointing or ineffective. After my 50-minute deep tissue massage, I can say that I left completely satisfied.

With lingering injuries and special needs, it’s hard to impress me. Lucky for me, the therapist was very skilled and professional. A nice massage is definitely one way to beat travel anxiety! The spa and gym were clean and well laid out which helped me feel more comfortable. I wish I’d had time to check out a yoga class or two!

Midday Reflections

After a great lunch in the main building (and some nachos by the pool) I took a walk along the shore and learned a little bit about the sandy beach. After Hurricane Wilma, the water brought in by the storm consumed the beaches. Locals and tourists alike have been eager to see if the restoration efforts — transplanting sand from Cozumel Island to Cancun — will improve the conditions.

Unfortunately, the water is slowly reclaiming the new sand. I’m wondering if they will have to do the whole thing again. It must be incredibly difficult and frustrating to see something so beautiful completely ravaged by Mother Nature. Clearly, making the area inviting for tourists is one of the resort’s priorities, and I’d say they succeeded. It was absolutely gorgeous (and peaceful!) and I loved putting my toes in the sand! What a way to kick travel anxiety to the curb!

The afternoon was filled with a guacamole-making class, lounging by the pool and enjoying drinks at the swim-up bar. We also took a quick shopping trip to nearby La Isla. The beautiful outdoor shopping mall located just a short distance from Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe.

Last Night at Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe

For our final meal, we had dinner was at El Mirador, the property’s Italian eatery.  If you’re looking for typical American food, this is a good option since the menu features pasta and pizza. I ordered the Tomato Basil Cream soup and the linguine with bolognese sauce. Both were quite good, but not necessarily outstanding. For dessert, I chose several items from the buffet (using my earlier strategy!) including a delicious tiramisu.

During my trip to the Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe, I also participated in a day trip to Xcaret eco-park! It was a truly unbelievable experience, even though some aspects of it triggered my OCD hard! I’m proud of how I found a way to overcome because it really was a life-changing moment for me. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to visit. You’ve never seen anything like it!

Disclosure notice:  My stay at the Park Royal Grand was part of an organized press trip.

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