Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun

“Great First Family Trip to Mexico - with Celiac Disease”

We recently returned from a trip to Moon Palace Cancun (The Grand) and overall had a great experience—especially considering we were traveling with a child who has Celiac Disease. We were able to upgrade to a honeymoon suite for an additional $500, which gave us a king bed plus two rollaways. The … more

We recently returned from a trip to Moon Palace Cancun (The Grand) and overall had a great experience—especially considering we were traveling with a child who has Celiac Disease. We were able to upgrade to a honeymoon suite for an additional $500, which gave us a king bed plus two rollaways. The extra space was nice, though the rooms themselves are a bit dated and could definitely use a refresh. The oversized jacuzzi tubs felt like a waste of space, but we ended up using them to store floaties we brought (highly recommend bringing your own + a rechargeable pump). The standout of our trip was the Public Relations team—specifically Daniela. Anyone who travels with food allergies knows how stressful it can be, and she made it seamless. She walked us to restaurants, called ahead to speak with chefs, checked in proactively before meals, and made sure my son always had safe gluten-free options. When I had a medical issue, she even arranged antibiotics within an hour. She also sourced a specific gluten-free food my son loves through a third-party vendor so we didn’t have to leave the resort. Truly above and beyond—she was one of the best parts of our trip. The resort does a great job with gluten-free safety and communication, but the actual food quality for gluten-free options could be improved. We really wish they offered: • Better gluten-free pizza crust • Gluten-free hamburger buns/patties • Gluten-free chicken tenders for kids They attempted gluten-free pancakes, but they weren’t great (even with Nutella). Dessert options were also very limited, so we were glad we packed brownies, chips, bars, and snacks to supplement. That said, we did enjoy several restaurants—Tavola and JC Steakhouse were our favorites, and we ate at The Grill twice. We booked through a member, which gave us a discount plus resort credits. We used those for a dolphin tour and snorkeling excursion, both of which were fantastic. We also attended the sales presentation and received $500 in additional credits, which we used on wine and gift shop purchases. For activities, our kids actually preferred the arcade near the lobby and the water park over the main entertainment area (we didn’t even make it to the bumper cars, etc.). We got to the water park early (around 9am), grabbed a great spot near the yellow slide, and stayed most of the day. One downside: one of the three main slides was broken, and my older son was just 1 inch too short for another, so they mainly used the blue and white slide (note: it’s head-first, and I’ve seen reports of injuries—something to be aware of). On our last day, we went over to Nizuc, and the water slide there was perfect for both kids (6 and 9.5). I wish we had discovered that earlier. We also spent a lot of time at the beach. There was quite a bit of seaweed. While trucks were clearing it, it didn’t feel like a major priority for the staff. We traveled during Easter week (busy season), but honestly, the crowds were very manageable. Room service was typically under an hour, and we didn’t experience long lines. A couple of downsides: • The “activities pool” at The Grand feels outdated and underwhelming—more like a large above-ground pool and in need of a full redo • Guests eating in the pool wasn’t monitored well, which wasn’t great • Gluten-free food options need improvement in quality and variety That said, this was a fantastic first international trip for our kids, and navigating Celiac Disease here was much easier than expected thanks to the staff. We would absolutely return—especially if they improve their gluten-free food offerings. Their food safety and handling are excellent, and for families dealing with allergies, that alone makes it a strong option. We’ve also heard from other families that older kids have even more to do in the afternoons and evenings, which makes it even more appealing for future trips.

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“A good spring break location.”

The Moon Palace Grand is a solid vacation spot. The staff is amazing. Lots of pools and food options.