Hi all, I am writing this review/comparison for GP as our personal experience as an alternative to TTR. We have been going to TTR since 2010 and this was our 15 trip there, 4th since the remodel. This trip had to be split between 2 resorts as we had to wait for our state to lift the quarantine requirements for international travel before we could commit to the trip. By the time this happened we were only able to get into TTR for 2 of the 6 nights we had planned. In addition, because they were so full we ended up paying $450/night for a Tower room. We generally book Garden or Ocean view, so this was out first time staying in the Tower. As this is not intended to be a review on TTR I will just say that in my opinion the Tower nor this resort is worth $450/night. We had a blast mainly because we were there with friends we have met years ago at TTR. On day 3, when we were moving to GP we were able to stay and enjoy the entire day and had USA Transfers pick us up at 8pm to bring us to GP. We have read numerous reviews about GP and joined a private very active Facebook group. All of these were very positive and similar to this forum, the folks were long time repeaters and very defensive about their favorite resort. We had booked a Lagoon view room at a price point of about $150/night. We arrived at the resort and checked in around 8:30pm. As many people had posted this is an older resort, and the room we got we felt was very old looking and uncomfortable. It also had 2 double beds. There was some entertainment going on in the main lobby and it was extremely loud. In comparison, we have had rooms in the old TTR that was above Paty O's and this was probably louder than that. I will add that the center lobby was opened right up to the 6th floor so there was no where for sound to go but up. I had gone to the front desk and asked about available upgrades. They told me they had an ocean view room on the 5th floor I can get into right away for $40/night, I checked it out and it was much nicer with a king bed and we moved in there and were much happier. One final note, any entertainment ended at 11pm. This is not a factor for us, but those who are considering this as an alternative resort must be aware of this. Food: So this I think was the biggest difference for us. We found the food there to be considerably lesser quality than TTR. The breakfast buffet had far less selection than TTR. We ate at 2 main restaurants, Pier 12 (Seafood/Pasta) and Old Barn (Steak House) Both of them were OK at best. I would say they did not compare to the quality at the TTR restaurants. I did order Room service once, it was timely, food was hot, and it was again OK at best. One thing I will add, I love soup, and I feel how a resort or restaurant prepares something as simple as soup says a lot about the effort they put into their cuisine. I always find the soups at TTR to be top notch, including at the buffet, again at GP they were OK. Pools / Atmosphere: This was another big difference. The pool was nice, there is no swim up bar, but a very good bar in the pool area. I understand there is no comparison to the atmosphere at TTR, and I would add this, those that were there seemed to be enjoying themselves. There are always questions posted regarding going topless at the pool. For every time it is asked there are several different answers. I would say this, no one was topless, nor did you get the feeling that it would be accepted. Sixties Bar: This we found to be quite enjoyable. This was very reminiscence of the old Sports Bar at TTR. A couple of pool tables, a ping pong table, a foosball table. A very nice bar and several TV's with different sports playing. Again, this will also close at 11pm Service: Service was great, similar to TTR everyone there busts their butts to make your stay as best as possible. No complaints at all. Best Part: So we found this to be the only area that they exceeded TTR, they had Le Creperie, where they made you fresh Crepes and had any type of topping you would want. This was only open from 6pm - 10pm. Conclusion: Again, we were looking for an alternative to TTR as their price structure is ever changing. We love TTR and plan on being back again later this year, but already can not get in for the entire time we want. We do realize that they have made significant investments in this resort and we will no longer pay what we had paid pre-renovations. As many folks, we like to get this most our of our vacation $$ and may seek alternatives, even if it is to split a trip, this is what brought us to GP, in conclusion we would not return to this resort. I am not saying others shouldn't, I will repeat, the folks there all seemed happy to be there. My final point is that when TTR was closed for renovations, we had visited Grand Oasis Sens for Halloween. In our opinion this was a much nicer resort with comparable amenities to TTR. As for price point this is still available for about what we paid for GP after we upgraded our room. We hope you find this helpful, Paul & Lisa
Thanks. Have not been to GP in years, for the exact same reasons you mentioned. When the original owner's family (sons I think) took over the sexy vibe left. The hot tubs would be fun time in the evening and topless was prevalent.
Not much apparently has changed since we went when TTR was closed!!! GP was fine, didn’t have a bad time, great beach. They used to have a late night buffet that was great, but we were in room way to early each night. We then went to Sens a few months later and had one of our best trips (20+) even though a lot hated it it’s too bad because I bet gp could be a blast if they wanted to be. Thanks for the update!!
We went there when TTR was shut. It was very dated indeed and not as much fun as TTR. Have to say the animation team were outstanding and really tried to ensure everyone enjoyed themselves.
I agree with your review. Especially the part where you mentioned that the Facebook group were very defensive. It's been 7 or 8 years since our last trip there, and even at that time the veterans mentioned how much tamer it was compared to older days. I will say though, that when we were there topless body shots were done on the tiki bar at night, and that was a lot of fun. I'm sure that isn't done anymore. It does have a great hot tub location, and a much better beach. We had a beach side room both times, and the sound of the waves coming in was really nice at night. Thanks for the trip report.
