We travelled to the Grand Sirenis with Katelyn and the manager there was very gracious and answered some questions that other parents travelling with young children would want to know. 

Overall I loved this resort, the selection of food, the rooms, the staff and the service. Everything was five stars!

What happens in an emergency?

In case of an emergency, how far is the hospital?

There is a hospital in playa del Carmen about 20 minutes away. There is 24hr medical service at the resort with a doctor and two paramedics.  The doctor can prescribe antibiotics and the staff will bring it to your hotel room.

What is the procedure at the hospital?

Hotel guests especially children are given top priority. The ambulance will pick you up at the hotel and take you to the hospital. There is always a pediatrician on site in case there is a need for one. If you have insurance, the hospital will arrange it so that the charges are to your insurance provider so you don’t have to pay anything.

Babysitting on site:

How are baby sitters trained?

If the child is under 4 , the  babysitters have paramedic training and have taken a baby sitting or nanny course.   We used the babysitter one evening and she was very good. We were only gone for 2 hours b/c we were a bit nervous about leaving her, but when we came back the babysitter was holding her and she was asleep on her stomach. The baby sitter we requested is a certified babysitter who was a nanny in France and had a certificate for CPR training.  The rate for babysitting is 10/hr

For children 4 and up, there is the kids club. The sitters at the kids club all have basic paramedic training. The kids club is equipped with books, toys and other activities and the day is structured with sleep time, play time and eating time.  Parents can leave their children at the kids club if the child is over four is your child is younger you can stay with them at the kids club for some of their activities.  Another great thing about the kids club is the kids take part in the show during the evening and there is a separate show for kids during the entertainment portion of the night.  The kids club does not take the children to the beach.

Feeding your infant

Do you have a baby food section for infants?

If you need pureed food, you can ask the chef to make your baby food on the spot. Just pick the foods that you would like and the chef will blend or puree for you.  There is also a selection of yogurt and fresh foods such as bananas and avocados that are excellent for infants as they are easy to puree.

In regards to milk for infants, you can ask room service and they will send a container of milk to the room for your baby. You can ask for the milk to be cold or warm depending on your preference. You can also keep ask for a few days supply of milk and keep it in the in room refrigerator.

Day Activities for the whole family

What are some suggested activities for families with small children?

Xcaret is a great place for families with children as it has a small zoo, pool and river activities.

Tullum – has a gorgeous beach with lots of sand area and the ruins

Akumel – Great for snorkeling, a lagoon with different colours and habitat for turtles

Went went to Tullum and Akumel, the beach was amazing at both beaches and much longer and calmer water than at the resort, my husband went snorkeling and saw turtles almost as big as out dining table at Akumel. 

Travelling off the resort

What is the best way to get around?

The safest way for get around is by taxi. When you leave with the taxi, security at the hotel takes your information and the information of the driver, the driver will wait for you wherever you go and if you are not back by the time you specified you would be back, the hotel will then make inquirers as to where the driver is.

We travelled by Collectivo which is by far the cheapest way to travel, about $2 where the taxi would be $20. The collective is also very safe but mostly the local people take the collectivo and I felt safe with Denys, but if I was travelling without Denys I would only take the taxi.  Taxis are good for groups of up to four, for bigger group you can request a van.

Restaurants.

There are seven restaurants included in the price. You are allowed to eat from 4 a la carte restaurants per week. The French restaurant is an extra $40.  Children can go to all the restaurants except for the French.  The French restaurant is a romantic experience and for adults only.  Our favourite restaurants were the Brazillian, the Japanese and the Itallian.

No smoking in public resort areas or rooms.  There is a new government law of no smoking in bars or restaurants. The theatre also have a no smoking section, rooms are all no-smoking.  There is a smoking room for people who want to smoke.

Entertainment:

The evening shows are great and really family friendly. At 9:30 there is a show for kids and 10 the regular show. The kids from the kids club get to take part in the show. One night was the Lion King and all the kids got to dress up in costumes and have their faces painted and play on the stage. This was very fun for the parents whose kids were in the show and made it a more memorable experience for the kids.

You can see more of the resort at www.sirenishotels.com