By Lisa Salter
Montreal travel advisor · Updated June 25, 2026
Home › Blog › Grand Riviera Princess Review › Renovations
Grand Riviera Princess Renovations: What Changed & Our Reopening Experience
Grand Riviera Princess reopened on May 27, 2026 after a major renovation, and we arrived the very next day. The refresh was substantial — rooms, common areas and landscaping all looked close to brand-new. We did see normal post-reopening rough edges (a little dust, occasional power tools, one water slide still being finished, loose swim-out pool tiles, and balky room keys), but the fundamentals were already excellent. If you’re visiting months later, most of those small issues are almost certainly resolved.
- Reopened May 27, 2026; we stayed from day two.
- Rooms, common areas and grounds looked freshly renovated.
- Post-reopening rough edges: dust, occasional tools, one slide unfinished, loose pool tiles, room-key glitches.
- These were timing issues, not resort issues — and likely already fixed.
- How staff handled problems was a genuine bright spot.
- Would we return? Yes — and we’d love to see it fully finished.
- 7-night stay
- Family of 10
- Arrived May 28, 2026 (day after reopening)
- 200+ original photos
- Family Club Swim-Out rooms
- Saw the property at its rawest
This is part of our full Grand Riviera Princess review. Because we arrived literally one day after the resort reopened from its renovation, we saw something most guests never will: a beautifully refreshed property and the inevitable last-minute finishing touches happening in real time. If you’re trying to decide whether to book a recently-renovated resort, here’s exactly what that looked like for us.
What was renovated at Grand Riviera Princess?
The refresh was immediately noticeable in the best way. The rooms felt new — modern finishes, comfortable beds, powerful air conditioning, large bathrooms with both a walk-in shower and an oversized tub, and strong Wi-Fi throughout. The common areas and landscaping looked almost brand-new too, with the lush tropical pathways, ponds and pools that give the resort its character looking freshly finished. The larger public pools, in particular, looked excellent.
[Lisa — if you want exact scope, we can verify the official renovation details (which buildings/sections, new restaurants or features added) before publishing; the above is what we observed firsthand.]
What was our reopening experience like?
Honestly? Far smoother than “one day after reopening” sounds. The main signs that the resort had just reopened were small and occasional: a distant power tool here and there, a little dust in a few spots, and staff adding finishing touches to small areas. None of it interfered with the vacation, and if anything it was reassuring to see how much care was still going into getting everything right.
There were a few concrete, visible works-in-progress, though, and it’s only fair to name them:
- One water slide was still being finished and wasn’t open during our stay.
- The swim-out pools had loose mosaic tiles — our kids actually started collecting the little blue tiles as “souvenirs.”
- Room keys were the real frustration: ours wouldn’t work on arrival, and we spent close to an hour going back and forth to reception, then got locked out a few more times during the week. It read as a systems issue still being ironed out rather than poor service.
- The child-safety gate on our swim-out patio wasn’t functioning yet; staff acknowledged it and said repairs were underway.
The pool-tile incident — and how staff responded
The loose tiles led to the one moment that genuinely rattled us: our son cut his foot on one in the swim-out pool. What stayed with me afterward wasn’t the injury — it was the response. Lifeguards were there immediately, management arrived quickly, an incident report was completed, and staff checked in on him over the following days. We also noticed visibly more attention being paid to cleaning and inspecting the swim-out pools for the rest of the week. Mistakes happen, especially days into a reopening; how a team responds tells you more than the mistake itself, and this team responded well.
Should you worry about visiting after the renovation?
Short answer: no — but go in with the right expectations. Every issue we ran into traced directly back to the timing of our visit, not to the resort itself. The bones of the place were already outstanding: beautiful renovated rooms, a fantastic buffet, strong Wi-Fi, lovely pools, friendly staff, and wildlife everywhere. If you’re booking a stay weeks or months after a reopening, the loose tiles, unfinished slide and key glitches we saw are exactly the kind of thing that gets resolved quickly as a property settles.
Renovation reopening: at a glance
| Area | Our experience (day 2 after reopening) |
|---|---|
| Rooms | Excellent — fully renovated, modern, comfortable |
| Common areas & grounds | Looked close to brand-new |
| Main pools | Excellent |
| Swim-out pools | Great, but loose tiles still being finished |
| Water park | Open and a hit; one slide still unfinished |
| Room key system | Glitchy — repeated lockouts |
| Staff & service | Patient, attentive, quick to fix issues |
Things we’d do differently
- Confirm in advance which facilities (slides, restaurants, gate) are open for our dates.
- Pack waterproof sandals for the kids while tile work finishes.
- Test the room keys and swim-out safety gate at check-in.
- Build in a little patience for first-week systems glitches.
Pros of visiting just after the reno
- Brand-new rooms and finishes
- Fresh, well-kept grounds
- Often better value during relaunch
- Staff visibly motivated to impress
Cons of visiting just after the reno
- Some unfinished details (a slide, tiles)
- Occasional dust/tools
- Early systems glitches (room keys)
- A few amenities not fully ready
Who should book soon after the renovation?
- Flexible, easy-going travellers who want new rooms at good value
- Families who can roll with a few finishing-touch quirks
- Anyone who confirms which facilities are open before booking
Who should wait a few months? Travellers who want every single amenity guaranteed open and zero rough edges — give the property a little time to settle, and it’ll likely be even stronger.
Would we go back?
Absolutely — and we’d genuinely love to experience it again once the final post-renovation details are complete. If what we saw was Grand Riviera Princess at its roughest, its future is very bright. The renovation clearly delivered where it matters most, and the rough edges were the temporary, fixable kind.
For the complete picture, read our full Grand Riviera Princess review, our restaurants & buffet guide, and our swim-out room review.
Grand Riviera Princess renovation FAQ
When did Grand Riviera Princess reopen after renovations?
It reopened on May 27, 2026. We arrived the next day, so we experienced the property at its very first stage of being open again.
Is Grand Riviera Princess fully renovated now?
The rooms, common areas and grounds were freshly renovated and looked close to brand-new during our May 2026 stay. A few finishing touches (one water slide, some pool tiles) were still in progress at that time and have likely been completed since.
Should I avoid booking right after a renovation?
Not necessarily. We had an excellent stay despite arriving a day after reopening. Just confirm which facilities are open for your dates and expect a few minor finishing-touch quirks early on.
What wasn’t finished during your stay?
One water slide, some loose swim-out pool tiles, the swim-out child-safety gate, and the room-key system, which caused repeated lockouts. All were timing-related and the kind of thing resolved quickly.
Did the construction affect your vacation?
Very little. There was occasional dust and the distant sound of tools, but nothing that interfered with the trip. The fundamentals — rooms, food, pools, staff, wildlife — were already excellent.
How did staff handle the reopening issues?
Impressively. They were patient with the key-card problems and responded quickly and seriously when our son cut his foot on a loose tile, including completing an incident report and increasing pool inspections.
Is it worth visiting Grand Riviera Princess now?
Yes. With the renovation delivering new rooms and refreshed grounds, and the early rough edges being the temporary kind, we’d confidently book it again.
As a Montreal travel advisor who stayed here right after the reopening, I can confirm which facilities are open for your dates and book it for you — at no extra cost over booking online. Request a free quote, browse all-inclusive vacations, or grab a Mexico travel eSIM before you fly.
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