- all about families; waterpark and other fun; good price point.

Background about Great Parnassus Resort & Spa

This resort -- not to be confused with adults-only sister resort Golden Parnassus -- is specifically designed for families, with baby care, kids and teen clubs, water park, and rooms that can accommodate families of five.

Location is at the south end of the Hotel Zone, fifteen minutes from the airport.

The resort has 12 stories and 500 rooms including family rooms and several classes of suites; there's also a giant atrium lobby, movie theater, and multiple restaurants.

Great Parnassus: Features

• five pools, including adults-only, three-tiered main pool, sports pool, and one heated pool (rare, in Cancun).
• multiple gourmet and buffet restaurants, themed bars
• free shuttle to marina for watersports: sailing, windsurfing, kayaks, pedal boats, snorkeling
• tennis, basketball, aerobics, bicycles, volleyball, bingo...
• nightly entertainment

For Families:

• indoor minigolf
• family movies at the 400-seat movie theater
• Treasure Island waterpark with pirate ships and (medium-size) water slides
• stroller-friendly layout
• Baby Club for ages 18 months to 3 years old; Kids Club for ages 4 to 12; Teen's Club for ages 13 18 years old, Teen Disco too.*
• rooms designed to accommodate families of five, and up to three kids 15 and under can share a room with parents. (Most resorts set maximum age at 12, if they have "family-of-five" rooms at all.)

Keep in mind about the Great Parnassus

• reasonable price point
• kids club is downstairs and shaded but not air conditioned; baby club is air-conditioned*
• waves can be rough; watch for red flags on the beach
• no trees or extensive landscaped grounds -- this is a fun-packed resort right in the Cancun Hotel Zone.
• pirate ship kids' pool is inside the kids club.
• some guests report concerns about amount of supervision at the kids' club pool

Find out more:

• see the Great Parnassus site
• read details at VacationKids.com
• check prices
• read recent visitors' comments at a site liike TripAdvisor.com

This brief profile is meant to introduce this resort to family vacationers; please note that the writer has not visited in person.

*Always check resort sites for updates!