The Grand Outlet Riviera Maya Mall in Cancun

I had a few hours to kill today so I made a follow-up visit to the Grand Outlet Riviera Maya Mall in Cancun. My first visit to the mall was last year at this time when I was looking for Christmas presents for my kiddos. I left disappointed by the selection of shops and the prices. This was long before the skating rink and other entertainment offering had been fully realized. I determined there was really no reason to be there.

Jump ahead 12 months … I went back, cautiously optimistic and curious, to see if there was a huge change from my visit last year.

In case you don’t know, Grand Outlet Riviera Maya Mall is the huge commercial plaza you see when passing over the Moon Palace bridge on the way to or from Cancun. This sprawling complex has been hailed as Latin America’s largest luxury outlet mall, but after spending about 90 minutes there, I came away with mixed feelings … again. Let’s see what I found.

Grand Outlet Riviera Maya Mall – Shops and Brands

Let’s start with the shopping. Sure, there are some nice stores, but nothing you wouldn’t find in similar malls. The usual suspects, Carter’s, Sketchers, American Eagle, Miniso and Dockers are all there of course. Yawn.

Higher-end brands like Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Carolina Herrera, and Lacoste are also present, but anyone used to outlet pricing in the U.S. or Canada will be disappointed.

While there were plenty of “sales” and discounts advertised, the ticket prices in the upscale shops were still steep. It didn’t feel much like the bargain-hunter’s paradise you’d hope for in an outlet mall. I’m not sure who their target demographic is, but it isn’t me.

Entertainment and Activities at the Grand Outlet Mall

The entertainment options were another letdown—mainly because I didn’t get to experience any of them. The entertainment area Intrepoli, was closed when I visited. Turns out they are open from 1 PM until 9 PM. Bad timing on my part …

Intrepoli feels like the big draw to this mall. A huge, neon-lit space packed full of interactive video games, climbing wall, batting cages an ax throwing area and more! They’ve got mini golf and go-karts and everything else you can imagine.

From what I can see online it looks like a fantastic destination for couples and groups of all ages. This would be a terrific place to bring kids for a birthday party. It would also be a fun and unusual place for a work posada. There is definitely potential here and I can see how this might be the biggest reason to come to this mall.

Throughout the Grand Outlet Riviera Maya mall, there are plenty of places sit and relax and even a playground area for the kids. Early renderings of the complex show a large man-made lagoon behind the mall with dining spots and boating acivities. This feature is a long way off if they are even considering it in the final plans. Right now there are some nice water features with fountains.

Ice Skating in Mexico

You know what is fantastic in this new mall? The skating rink! I wasn’t sure what to expect really as I have seen suspiciously few photos on social media. My only experience with skating in Mexico has been at the Galerías Mall in Merida. That rink was a must-visit every times the kids were competing in Merida and it was always packed with skaters all sliping and sliding and having fun.

Based on that experience alone, the skating facility at the Grand Outlet Riviera Maya Mall is very impressive. It’s a regulation size rink and they are actively seeking local hockey enthusiasts to come and book rink time.

They are also looking for local figure skaters to come and practice their graceful artistry on the ice. Posters on the doors indicated that coaching may be available. Of course there is free skate time and skate rentals for the rest of us and Disco Skating on the weekends!

There was only one figure skater on the ice today and I watched her for awhile from the observation deck. I really hope they are able to attract more people, maybe in the evenings and on weekends.

Dining Options at the Grand Outlet Riviera Maya Mall

Although better than last year at this time, the Food Hall was still underwhelming. There are about a dozen eateries to choose from, most of which are Asian inspired. Some, were still not open at 12:30 PM when I strolled through. But, with no diners to serve, I suppose there is little reason to open for lunch.

Outside of the food court, there are a just few food options sprinkled in with the shops. Wing Stop has a nice-looking location at the other end of the mall. At noon, it was open … but empty.

There are the ubiquitous Aldo’s, Haagen Dazs, Starbucks and a handful of other small cafes to get smoothies, liquados and coffee drinks to enjoy as you stroll along. The famous Hello Kitty Cafe is also located in the mall and could be a huge draw for little girls’ birthday parties and mommy-daughter days out!

The Grand Outlet Riviera Maya Mall advertises a lively-looking bar called The Play Bar. Located inside the Intrepoli entertainment center, it was closed on this visit, I’ll have to check it out next time.

Overall, while the GO Riviera Maya mall has potential with its mix of luxury shopping and entertainment, my experience fell flat … again. Some of my disappointment, I think I can write off to bad timing.

Still … the mall property itself is still far from perfect. Certain areas feel like they’re under construction, MANY of the shop spaces are empty and the parking payment kiosks were out of service today leaving me scrambling around the underground parking area trying to pay and escape.

For a mall of this scale, after a year of operation, I expected a bit more polish and consistency, but it’s clear they’re still building toward their vision. I’ll keep an eye on its development and will certainly revisit in the future to see if things pick up.

What struck me the most, though, was the sheer emptiness of the place. The mall felt eerily quiet and it left me wondering how these stores are going to stay in business with so little foot traffic.

My pictures may seem like I went out of my way to avoid taking shots with people in them. I did not. In the 90 minutes I spent walking around, I saw maybe 30 other people—tops. Maybe it really picks up after work hours and on the weekends. I hope so.

So, if you are in Cancun or Puerto Morelos and you have a couple of hours, it may be an enjoyable place to kill some time (as I was doing). Would I recommend you make a special trip from Playa, Puerto Aventuras or Akumal? Probably not unless you are specifically going for the skating or another Intrepoli activity.

If you’ve been to the Grand Outlet Riviera Maya Mall, did you have a similar experience? Am I missing something? I’d love to hear your thoughts.