Golden Parnassus Resort and Spa

THE GOLDEN PARNASSUS – CANCUN MEXICO

I recently had the pleasure of going on vacation with my family and friends to celebrate The Boy’s birthday.  We traveled from April 19^th – 26^th and stayed at the Golden Parnassus Resort and Spa in Cancun, Mexico which we booked through Expedia.

 FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

The hotel is a bit dated and could use a fresh coat of paint.  The bell boys and check in staff are friendly however upon arrival they “could not find” our reservations.  The check in staff took our information and walked away and didn’t seem to keep us in the loop along the way as to what was going on.  So we sort of just sat there wondering but the lobby is open air and had a nice ocean breeze blowing through it and of course we were immediately served drinks.  Although quite annoyed by our experience upon arrival, they did eventually get it sorted out.

THE ROOMS:

The rooms are a bit dated but they are bright, spacious and well kept.  House cleaning is very thorough and frequent.  

The GROUNDS:

Absolutely exceptional beach!  No complaints in that department at all.  The sand is soft and warm, not too hot or too rocky to walk on barefoot.  The water is a beautiful turquoise and clear enough for you to see the fish and shells if you pay attention.  There is always a lifeguard on duty as well as servers walking around to refresh your drinks.  There are lounge chairs and cabanas however you have to get up early if you want to secure a spot.  There are locals walking around offering their wares but they are not overbearing.

They advertise two pools however there is really only one main pool and a smaller hot tub.  The main pool is not heated but the water is still warm enough to get right in.  The main bonus is that unlike many resorts the pool is open late until 11pm.  

FOOD:

The resort has a buffet restaurant and 4 a la carte’s and a snack bar.  The buffet is open every day for breakfast and lunch and has a great offering of food.  Both the breakfast and lunch buffet include 3 manned stations where the chef’s cook your food fresh to order. (omelettes, eggs, waffles, French toast, pancakes, smoothies,  tacos, fajitas, stirfy, pasta, etc.)

The service at the a la cartes are quick and friendly and the quality of food is fantastic.

If you go to the snack bar, order the chicken wings!

DRINKS:

The quality of alcohol unfortunately was lacking.  Although they display many brands of alcohol they all suspiciously taste the same.  If you rarely drink, this may not be an issue but if you are brand loyal you will be disappointed.  I personally ended up walking across the street to purchase a bottle of Smirnoff because I couldn’t stomach the taste of whatever they were trying to pass off as vodka.

ENTERTAINMENT:

There is a small entertainment staff of 2-4 people throughout the day.  They have daytime activities such as beach volleyball, pool volleyball, beer chugging contests, dance contests, and pool races.  If you feel like venturing out, the resort is located about 5-10 minutes from 3 malls, a fleamarket, and a wal-mart.  The buses run every 10 minutes are only cost a dollar. The night time entertainment is limited to one lounge which offers karaoke most nights as well as a casino night where you can play blackjack for prizes.  They definitely need to improve in this area.  However there are a number of representatives walking around which will offer you various deals for local clubs.  Very safe and normally large groups of people go at a time.  They will provide you transportation to the club as well as open bar which ranges from $30-$90 depending on the location.  If you are not one to leave the resort and you go with a good group of people and you will still enjoy yourself.

OVERALL:

I loved my vacation and would recommend this hotel if you are looking for a reasonably priced adults only in Cancun.  The 3 most important factors I look for when booking a vacation are 1) cleanliness – The place has to be immaculate.  2) Bugs – It cannot have any reports of roaches, or other disgusting critters. 3) Food – The food has to be great.  Although this resort does have a lot of room for improvement, it hit my 3 must have factors with ease.