Cheaper Vacations
Bluebay Grand Esmeralda
Bluebay Grand Esmeralda
Bluebay Grand Esmeralda
Bluebay Grand Esmeralda
Bluebay Grand Esmeralda
Bluebay Grand Esmeralda
Bluebay Grand Esmeralda
Bluebay Grand Esmeralda

Bluebay Grand Esmeralda Stars Stars Stars Stars

Riviera Maya, Mexico

Transfer

45 minutes

From Cancún International (CUN) airport

980 rooms in the hotel

980

Rooms*

3 swimming pools at the hotel

3

Pools*

9 restaurants at the hotel

9

Restaurants*

6 bars at the hotel

6

Bars*

LGBTQ+ Friendly

Hotel

inclusive


Description

The BlueBay Grand Esmeralda is a popular resort located approximately 8 km from Playa del Carmen on the Riviera Maya and 50 km from Cancun Airport. This Caribbean paradise, ideal for couples and families, is surrounded by jungle, mangroves, and turquoise ocean waters. This 4-star all-inclusive resort offers spacious and bright rooms that blend contemporary design with Mayan touches. Enjoy stunning ocean or garden views and relax on comfortable beds. Treat yourself by booking a suite with direct pool access. Upscale amenities at the resort include a spa (fees apply), a fitness center, and a scuba diving center.

Guests have access to a private white-sand beach lined with lounge chairs and palapas. Relax on the gentle waves, swim in the crystal-clear sea, or enjoy the many non-motorized water sports offered by the resort. For an additional fee ($), guests can try one of the many motorized water sports such as deep-sea fishing, jet skiing, and water skiing. Soak up the sun and ocean breeze in one of the expansive oceanfront pools. Numerous lounge chairs surround the pools, and some are partially submerged in the refreshing water. Children can enjoy their own pool with slides, while another pool is reserved for families. The main pool is where guests can participate in many group activities, including sports and foam parties.

Younger children can make friends at the Baby Club (ages 2-4) or the Mini Club (ages 5-12), which features a mini-disco and a playground. Nature lovers will enjoy exploring the hiking trails that crisscross the resort's 180 hectares. Yoga, volleyball, tennis, and table tennis are among the land-based activities available. The buffet and à la carte restaurants offer a wide variety of local and international dishes. To cap off a perfect day, show off your singing voice at karaoke, head to the auditorium for live entertainment, or why not venture out to Playa del Carmen for an unforgettable evening!

Map


Evaluations

Overall ratings

Ratings explanation

Excellent
81% to 100%
Very good
61% to 80%
Average
41% to 60%
Poor
21% to 40%
Horrible
0% to 20%

199
265
122
42
11

Breakdown of ratings according to each of the criteria

Entertainment
64%

Entertainment

10 / 10
55
9 / 10
42
8 / 10
148
7 / 10
99
6 / 10
73
5 / 10
87
4 / 10
33
3 / 10
31
2 / 10
19
1 / 10
8
0 / 10
23
Overall look
70%

Overall look

10 / 10
100
9 / 10
77
8 / 10
158
7 / 10
86
6 / 10
52
5 / 10
61
4 / 10
40
3 / 10
26
2 / 10
14
1 / 10
8
0 / 10
13
Bar(s)
71%

Bar(s)

10 / 10
87
9 / 10
81
8 / 10
161
7 / 10
103
6 / 10
65
5 / 10
52
4 / 10
30
3 / 10
21
2 / 10
15
1 / 10
9
0 / 10
11
Buffet(s)
73%

Buffet(s)

10 / 10
127
9 / 10
96
8 / 10
164
7 / 10
67
6 / 10
50
5 / 10
40
4 / 10
35
3 / 10
19
2 / 10
15
1 / 10
10
0 / 10
14
Room
68%

Room

10 / 10
110
9 / 10
83
8 / 10
126
7 / 10
82
6 / 10
51
5 / 10
62
4 / 10
29
3 / 10
26
2 / 10
23
1 / 10
23
0 / 10
19
Staff
82%

Staff

10 / 10
232
9 / 10
118
8 / 10
138
7 / 10
44
6 / 10
27
5 / 10
32
4 / 10
18
3 / 10
7
2 / 10
10
1 / 10
4
0 / 10
9
Pool(s)
79%

Pool(s)

10 / 10
170
9 / 10
99
8 / 10
171
7 / 10
68
6 / 10
35
5 / 10
47
4 / 10
14
3 / 10
10
2 / 10
7
1 / 10
3
0 / 10
9
Beach
38%

Beach

10 / 10
10
9 / 10
16
8 / 10
44
7 / 10
48
6 / 10
85
5 / 10
72
4 / 10
60
3 / 10
48
2 / 10
56
1 / 10
91
0 / 10
96
Cleanliness
78%

Cleanliness

10 / 10
181
9 / 10
119
8 / 10
140
7 / 10
66
6 / 10
24
5 / 10
43
4 / 10
17
3 / 10
20
2 / 10
12
1 / 10
6
0 / 10
10
Restaurant(s)
74%

Restaurant(s)

10 / 10
142
9 / 10
116
8 / 10
138
7 / 10
69
6 / 10
45
5 / 10
53
4 / 10
14
3 / 10
15
2 / 10
17
1 / 10
11
0 / 10
17

Résumé des avis

The overall cleanliness of the resort and rooms is consistently praised, as is the quality and variety of the food. The staff is often described as friendly and attentive, and the pools are beautiful and well-maintained. The rooms are also spacious and comfortable. However, the beach is sometimes considered disappointing due to its appearance and the presence of seaweed. Furthermore, a lack of sun loungers and shade is occasionally reported around the pools and on the beach.

Résumé des avis des voyageurs généré par IA

Reviews

Natacha M.

Spouse travel, May 26, 2026
45%
Last-minute trip to celebrate our wedding
Voyage de dernière minute pour célébrer notre mariage

I had to take a day off work to write this review because I had so much to say about my stay. Having stayed at several resorts, unfortunately, this one doesn't deserve its 4 stars. The lobby is run-down, with no bar, no cafe, nothing. The staff is very kind, friendly, and always smiling. The buffet lacks variety; I was hungry throughout my entire stay. I didn't have the chance to try any of the restaurants, but many of them are extra and require additional charges. The beach was inaccessible due to seaweed, but the pool was fantastic. Given its size, I would suggest adding one or two more bars, as there were often long lines. The room was adequate, nothing special; it's outdated but clean. In short, we didn't hate our stay, but unfortunately, we won't be returning.

J’ai du prendre une journée de congé pour rédiger ce message tellement j’avais de choses à dire sur ce séjour. Pour avoir fait plusieurs resort, malheureusement, celui-ci ne mérite pas son 4 étoiles. Le lobby défraîchi, sans bar, sans petit café, sans rien. Le personnel est très gentil, très aimable et toujours souriant. Le buffet manque de variété, j’ai eu faim tout le long de mon séjour. Je n’ai pas eu la chance d’essayer des restaurants par contre mais beaucoup d’entre eux sont payants avec des extras à débourser. La plage n’était pas accessible tellement il y avait des algues mais la piscine par contre était géniale. À la grandeur de celle-ci par contre je rajouterais un ou deux bars car beaucoup d’attente à ceux-ci. La chambre était correct mais sans plus, c’est démodé mais propre. En résumé nous n’avons pas détesté notre séjour mais malheureusement nous ne retournerons plus la .

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Translated from french by AI

Review details

Entertainment
2/10
Overall look
4/10
Bar(s)
4/10
Buffet(s)
3/10
Room
4/10
Staff
8/10
Pool(s)
8/10
Beach
0/10
Cleanliness
7/10
Restaurant(s)
N/A

Suzanne B.

Friends travel, May 25, 2026
50%
Disappointed
Déçu

I went in 2017 and it was much better.

J’étais aller en 2017 et c’était beaucoup mieux

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Review details

Entertainment
6/10
Overall look
6/10
Bar(s)
4/10
Buffet(s)
2/10
Room
7/10
Staff
7/10
Pool(s)
8/10
Beach
1/10
Cleanliness
5/10
Restaurant(s)
3/10

Emilie G.

Family travel, May 20, 2026
60%
Good, but nothing special
Bien mais sans plus

Not very new, the buildings and facilities are a bit neglected. The food is very good, with a nice variety. The beach was a big disappointment: lots of sargassum seaweed, brown water, and a rotten egg smell. The pool is fine, but there aren't enough chairs in the shade. The staff are generally courteous.

Pas très récent, les bâtiments et les installations manques un peu d’amour. Nourriture très bien, belle variété. Grosse déception pour la plage, beaucoup de sargasses, eau brune, odeur d’œufs pourris. Piscine bien, manque de chaises à l’ombre. Le personnel en général courtois.

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Review details

Entertainment
7/10
Overall look
6/10
Bar(s)
7/10
Buffet(s)
7/10
Room
5/10
Staff
6/10
Pool(s)
6/10
Beach
0/10
Cleanliness
7/10
Restaurant(s)
7/10

Patricia D.

Solo travel, May 3, 2026
30%
Long live tourism!
Viva la tourista !

On the second day, I caught traveler's diarrhea. It hadn't happened in ages. Luckily, the staff and room service were very efficient… the only positive points. Avoid this place.

Dès la 2e journée, j’ai attrapé la tourista. Cela ne n’était pas arrivé depuis des lunes. Heureusement, le personnel et le service aux chambres sont très efficaces… seuls points positifs. A éviter.

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Review details

Entertainment
0/10
Overall look
5/10
Bar(s)
0/10
Buffet(s)
0/10
Room
5/10
Staff
5/10
Pool(s)
5/10
Beach
0/10
Cleanliness
9/10
Restaurant(s)
0/10

Arianna Q.

Spouse travel, May 1, 2026
55%
Dissatisfaction
Insatisfaction

Don't trust the pictures online; it's not really like that in reality. The lobby is visibly run-down, and the overall condition of the resort leaves much to be desired. Changing rooms was a hassle. The first room (on the first floor) smelled strongly of sewage, the sheets were damp, and there was mold. The second room (on the second floor) was slightly better in terms of humidity, but the air conditioning was only half-working, and we saw a total of three cockroaches in our rooms during our entire stay. The food is very inconsistent: sometimes acceptable, sometimes truly disappointing. I even had raw breaded fish at the Jaal restaurant. I also got sick (stomach pains and diarrhea for three days). The beach is practically unusable: it smells of dead fish and is covered in seaweed. We had to walk about 10 minutes to find a swimmable spot (a kind of lagoon). The drinks often tasted artificial, which didn't help the experience. In short, I was very disappointed with my stay. This is clearly not up to the hype.

Ne vous fiez pas aux images sur Internet ça ne ressemble pas vraiment à ça en réalité.

Le lobby est visiblement détérioré et l’état général du resort laisse à désirer.

Le changement de chambre a été compliqué. La première (au 1er étage) sentait fortement les égouts, les draps étaient humides et il y avait de la moisissure. La deuxième (au 2e étage) était un peu mieux côté humidité, mais l’air climatisé fonctionnait à moitié et on a vu au total 3 coquerelles dans nos chambres pendant notre séjour…

La nourriture est très inégale : parfois correcte, parfois vraiment décevante. J’ai même eu du poisson pané cru au restaurant Jaal. J’ai aussi été malade (maux de ventre et diarrhée pendant 3 jours).

La plage est pratiquement inutilisable : odeur de poissons morts et énormément d’algues. On devait marcher environ 10 minutes pour trouver un endroit baignable (un genre de lagoon).

Les drinks goûtaient souvent le chimique, ce qui n’aide pas l’expérience.

Bref, très déçue de mon séjour. Ce n’est clairement pas à la hauteur de ce qui est annoncé.

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Translated from french by AI

Review details

Entertainment
5/10
Overall look
5/10
Bar(s)
7/10
Buffet(s)
6/10
Room
4/10
Staff
8/10
Pool(s)
8/10
Beach
0/10
Cleanliness
5/10
Restaurant(s)
5/10

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