My family and I have been member of the Mayan Palace Resorts and Grand Mayan Resorts for the past five years. Each year we have a wonderful experience, excluding our most recent visit December 11th through December 19th 2009 at the Grand Mayan, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.

Our most recent trip was for an extra special occasion, my brother 10 year anniversary which was going to be a renewing of vows wedding ceremony. I as an owner of a catering and event planning company in California was appalled by the lack of service and interest we were provided by the event staff managers and coordinators. Upon our arrival we were not greeted or even contacted by our event coordinate we had been consulting with. The bride called various times to meet with her coordinator and each time she was told by the receptions desk that the coordinator was too busy to meet with her, not even a returned phone call. Finally on her third try the coordinator told her that she would try to make time the morning of the wedding.

Meeting with the coordinator the day of the wedding we walked to view the location on the beach on which the ceremony was going to be held. We had been informed that a storm had passed through the week prior to our arrival and were also informed that there would not be a problem. The debris and fallen trees would be cleared before the ceremony, which was to begin at 5:30pm for a sunset wedding. This was not the case at all. As the wedding party arrived late due to lack of transportation that was supposed to be provided, we noticed the cleaning crew scrambling to pick up the remaining fallen trees.

I as a planner approached the minister also contracted by the resort and ask how much longer and where I could find the wedding coordinator. She was nowhere to be found. Still missing seating and the hurricane for the unity sand pouring, the minister, photographer and wedding party decided to get started without their coordinator. Thankfully the bride and groom did catch the sunset wedding they had hoped for but not without panic and stress.

The reception was set to be at a Mexican Fiesta the Resort was going to hold. Again there was no transportation waiting for the bride and groom. Arriving at the party the coordinator showed up driving a golf cart and asked how many people we were. The number twenty nine and dinner entrances fees had already been provided and paid that morning. Without having a copy of our receipt or any paper work she insisted we only paid for twenty six. I had a very hard time holding my tong as not make a scene when she told the bride and groom let see if they don't give you problems. That was her problem. A coordinator is hired to organize, solve speed bumps, and make sure the bride and groom have a stress free day. It is a customer service field. She then drove back to the Resort to check her paper work. Ridicules!

One more appearance was made by or coordinator with the twenty nine paid dinner receipt then she disappeared. Yes, disappeared. She did not stay to make sure the reception ran smoothly which did not. The cake was brought out way to soon. It was a white fondant cakes no flowers and not the picture we had been provided with. Fondant at an open air beach reception is bad news. The fondant began to sweat and slip off the cake due to the moisture in the air. I am also a pastry chef that studied at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco so I knew how to fix it and make thing a little better. Other brides might not be so lucky.

The wedding was only one of my issues with the customer service.

My mother was in the resort laundry room ironing the dress shirts for the wedding. Trying to put the ironing board back to its wall mount she had placed the iron in its place also on a wall mount. The iron was bumped fell off the wall and hit my mother on the shoulder the then back of her hand. She was burned badly. We informed the resort and she was seen by the on sight doctor. She then wrote a formal complaint and request to change the set-up or to at least have instruction or a caution sign hung next to the equipment on how to replace it properly and safely.

Submitting the complaint receptionist informed us that the manager would give us a call. He did and left us a very nice message to meet him the next day at 1:30pm. When we arrived he was not there we were told to return at a different time. Again he was not available. On our final day my mother did meet with him. All we wanted was a formal apology and to be assured that something was going to be done to ensure it would not happen again. The manager told her that all he could do was take the blame for the accident but that he would not do so because it was not the resorts fault. He did not even try to make my mother feel better. What happened to customer service?

I hope that this information will help future brides or families planning a vacation. Stay clear of the Grand Mayan Puerto Vallarta until some major changes are made on the management level.