Princess Hotels & Resorts celebrates Grand Sunset Princess reopening

Princess Hotels & Resorts has just reopened one Mexican Caribbean resort and temporarily closed an adjoining one without skipping a beat.

The Spanish company, which has 4 properties on the Mexican Caribbean, closed its Playa del Carmen-area Grand Sunset Princess in May for a renovation, then reopened it Nov. 1 ahead of schedule, reports Manuel Serrano, Princess’ commercial director for the Caribbean.

And Nov. 1 also saw Princess close the Grand Sunset Princess-bordering Grand Riviera Princess for a renovation project slated to wrap up this coming May, he added during a Wednesday presentation at Sunwing Vacations’ Toronto headquarters..

Serrano said the changes to the Grand Sunset Princess — a Sunwing Vacations exclusive — have been dramatic.

“People who had been there before the renovation are telling us it’s a completely different hotel…,” he said of a property that opened in 2007. “A full renovation has been done.”

The all-inclusive retreat has seen the addition of, among other things, a waterpark and a Korean restaurant, with Serrano stating the Korean eatery — an unusual feature in a Mexican resort — was added because of the growing international interest in all things Korean.

The two hotels have separate check-ins but share facilities and guests can travel between them without stepping outside.

Grand Sunset Princess guests can choose to stay in the Platinum Club or a Laguna Villa, which have what is labelled “elevated service.”

The Platinum Club and Laguna Villas are also found at the Grand Riviera Princess.

Another complex lodging option is the Family Club at Grand Riviera Princess, which also adjoins the Grand Riviera Princess and Grand Sunset Princess,  and whose guests also have full access to the other resorts.

The same complex is home to the adults-only Platinum Yucatan Princess, which isn’t adjoining but whose guests have access to Grand Sunset Princess and Grand Riviera Princess.

Serrano praised the resorts’ location, 5 minutes from Playa del Carmen, and also lauded Mexico for being a “very cultural destination.” Resort guests can easily go into Playa del Carmen or book excursions to the Likes of Maya archeological site Chichen Itza, he noted.

He said the hotels are happy to host weddings.

Sunwing Vacations’ Jennifer Lucas that Princess properties “reflect the authenticity of the country” they’re located in. “You’re not going to have the same decor in Mexico as you do in the Dominican Republic.”

Princess has 5 resorts in the Bavaro Beach area of Punta Cana, including the adults-only Punta Cana Princess. “In the Dominican, we have the possibility to offer whatever you need,” Serrano said.

Meanwhile, Serrano said that a adults-only Princess property in Jamaica will reopen on Feb. 1 after being damaged by Hurricane Melissa. A family resort on that same island is slated to reopen March 1. Princess clients booked into either of the hotels who find their vacations have been disrupted because of the hurricane are being invited to postpone their vacations or opt for a Princess resort in Mexico or the Dominican Republic instead.

“If we analyze the power of Melissa, we are lucky,” Serrano said of the damage that he added could have been far worse.