Occidental Arenas Blancas: Disappointing vacation

I am a return customer and therefore know what to expect from Cuban resorts. Unfortunately the hotel seems to have let its upkeep, grounds and rooms, decline to an unacceptable state. As has the buffet which has become mostly uneatable . ( Usually you can find a little something to sustain life, this trip it was questionable ). The staff has also become so unacomadating, throughout the entire week I met only three workers who were smiling and seemed to enjoy there jobs.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: trip was OK..but we won't go back

Our trip was Jan 10-17 2019. If you go to this resort read this carefully. IT IS NOT A 5 STAR, just because it has a golf course, swim up bar, houses over 2K people and has 7 a la carte restaurants if not a qualification for 5 stars. The service was just okay. 3/5 The rooms ( I upgraded PLUS had 2 family suites) were awful, truly awful! They all need a massive update! They are old and renovations are long over due 2/5 The food was pretty good 3.99/5 The grounds were lovely 4/5.... BUT [... read more] i'm not sleeping our there! The beach chairs were pathetic! they need to clean them replace them! 2/5 If you get this place on sale, go, but DO NOT PAY REGULAR PRICE!

Allegro Cozumel: Decent value

Allegro is a great choice for families with young children. The entire resort is kept spotlessly clean, the food is good, and the rooms are comfortable. However, the doors between rooms cause serious noise transmission. Overall this is a decent choice for the price.

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Family Friendly

We took our 7 year old and 11 month old for a week and we had the best time. There was so much to see and explore. The food was yummy and the staff was incredible. The sand at the beach is unreal. Our children could have spent the whole time there.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Beautiful resort

This resort is very well maintained and spotless. We stayed at the Caribe resort. No problem getting a spot at the pool so you do not have to worry about putting towels on the chair. Be prepared to walk as there are 5 resorts on the site. We stayed in a Premium room which had two couches in the room and a hot tub on our balcony. The shower had a rain forest and hand held shower heads. The Spanish a la carte was very disappointing. Husband ordered his steak medium well and it was raw...heard the  [... read more]same complaints from other guests. Japanese and Italian a la cartes were amazing. Buffet was always good as well. Drinks are plentiful and beach is beautiful. No problem getting chairs there either. Lots of activities around the pool and free access to kayaks, catamarans, water tricycles.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Amazing Resort

Can't think of one aspect of this resort that we didn't like. Everything was great. Very well maintained and beautiful resort. Loved that we could eat and play at all 4 resorts. Resort is great for couples and families.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Barcelo Bavaro Beach - Adults only

There is two part for this Hotel. The Barcelo Bavaro Beach the adult side and the Barceló Bavaro Palace the family side. After having spent 10 Days on the adult side only "The Bavaro Beach Side" I am convinced that the 5 stars rating is as a result of the family side. The most updated infrastructure and the most available amenities are on the family side. The Adults side infrastructure, accommodations and décor is dated. Reminded me of a Cuba resort. This should not be deemed a complimen [... read more]t. The cleaning staff do their best to maintain the area clean. The Casino, the bar lounges, cigar lounge the Disco and swim up bars, amenities of normally found on a Adults resort, were all located on the family side. 8 of the 11 Restaurants are on the family side and the majority and although a so called all-inclusive resort, most of them required additional cost. Either $15.00US per person or $30.00 US person. WIFI is not inclusive and cost $55.00 US per device for a 10 Day stay. In 2019, WIFI should be inclusive. So from my perspective, there are money grabs for the restaurants and WIFI. The grounds are very tidy, the pool to beach geography is great. The Beach is very clean. The pool bars and serving staff were very polite and courteous and would not shy on the preparation of drinks. Expect to be served in plastic cups. For us there were too many amenities and activities missing on the adult side that I would rate it a 3 Star vice a 5 star. last year we went to the Valentin Imperial in Mexico and we are realizing that we got spoiled and our expectations of 5 star resorts has increased exponentially. If I would go back, I would stay on the Family side and further explored/enjoyed the amenities it had to offer, that is, if you can deal with having lots of children around you and an over populated beach side.

Palma Real: The worst resort

We came back on Jan 18 and never been so happy to be back. It was the worst experience ever! Through out our stay at this resort, we kept being woken up from drunk people banging on the walls and door of our room and this did not happen just to us but to everyone staying in the resort. The Lobby was constantly full of drunk people and was not quiet at all. We went on vacation to relax but instead we were scared when night came because of drunk people and when we called security, no action was t [... read more]aken and the security did not care at all. 2nd- our towels and bed sheets were never changed in 7 days of staying there and we were not provided with a drinkable bottle of water until the 3rd day. The new staff at the resort were extremely rude. The check in for this resort is at 4pm and we arrived at 9am so the entire day was wasted and the staff was not helpful at all. The food in this resort was very good however, the resort was turned into a party resort. This is not our 1st stay at this resort and this time, was the worst stay.

Barcelo Maya Palace: Absolutely Amazing Resort!

Our travel agent, Karol Chareza has been telling us about this amazing resort and how awesome it is for years. We finally got to see it for ourselves. My family and I stayed at the Barceló Maya Palace for 10 days in January 2019. It was everything my family and I expected and more. The rooms were spacious and very clean. We had fresh towels each day and the in room bar fridge was stocked daily with drinks and snacks. The food at the La carts, was amazing and there was always somethi [... read more]ng for each of us that we really enjoyed. The buffet's had so many options to choose from. We never went hungry! The PEOPLE that work at this resort are over the top amazing. Very happy to help and always greeting you with a smile. We ate at the Marenostrum were we met two terrific guys, Mario and Antonio. They were the best. They made us a Mayan Coffee. What a show that was and the coffee tasted amazing! We also met Nelson at the Brasserier. He takes service to a whole new level. He made sure we were enjoying the food, drinks and atmosphere. He took the time to talk with us and gave us tips about the report so we didn't miss out on the events around the resort. These are just a few guys that helped to make this trip more amazing. All the employees were over the top amazing! We really enjoyed the beach. The sea turtle were right there and we swam with them each day and really enjoyed feeding them bananas. The pools were a tad on the cold side, so we mostly hung out at the beach. We enjoyed every minute. We also swam with the Dolphins that were right there at the resort. Very convenient. We did a day tour to Cozumel. Booking this trip was seamless. The resort travel group took care of everything. We were picked up and dropped off on time. This resort had everything you needed. There was a mall on site, a bowling ally, lost of shops around to purchase any souvenirs and you did not have to walk far to get to everything. There was a bus that went to each resort all day so you could get around very quickly. This was my family's fist tropical trip together and we are already planning to return. It was so much fun and we would recommend this resort to all our friends. Thank you Karol for helping us set up this amazing trip. You always know how to send us to the best places. :)

Occidental Arenas Blancas: OK not Great

Beach was amazing, the pool not so much. It was super easy to explore Varadero. The drinks were awesome but the food was not good, and not available 24 hours. Felt like the place was closed for winter.

Occidental Caribe: Awesome Resort

A beautiful resort. Grounds well kept. Staff all friendly and helpful. Restaurants are very good. Everything in walking distance. Great clean pools and beach. Lots of lounge chairs . Well kept rooms. Our absolute favorite resort. Would recommend this resort for all ages. Great for young families as it has kids pools and clubs. Awesome place.❤

Palma Real: You get what you pay for?

If you are expecting a swanky room and a ton of nice amenities and good food... you should probably spend the money and get a 5 star. Because you will be at the front desk complaining about everything lol If you are going to party your butt off and drink yourself until you pickle your liver while not caring about sleeping in sub par living quarters... then you will have a blast. Eat off the resort though. It’s right in town Beatles bar is dope and it’s a pretty safe spot. If you are a [... read more] “can I speak to the manager” type person... find another place

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Everything you can want in one Resort

The resort is very beautiful with pools and bars located everywhere. Staff was always cleaning and you can tell by how well maintained the property is. The resort has it's own bus which works great for getting from one end to the other. A la cartes that we went to were the Tokyo (great show and food), La Trattoria (food and staff were awesome), Sante Fe (great food and staff was super friendly. Now the BAD the Lindo the Mexican Restaurant (Our reservation was for 530 and when we got there th [... read more]ey told us they dont open till 6, so we left and came back. The service team was rude ar the front door. The staff inside was decent but the food was disgusting and I personally was sick all night from it. People were leaving without even getting their food because it was taking forever slow service.) Bar staff was great especially in the main lobby bar where we spent almost every night, Jaguar had some good vibes. The mall and the vendors were pretty good to have to souvenirs. The water in the pools was cold but i liked that as it was refreshing from the heat. The beach was well maintained and very little seaweed. The Buffets were all pretty standard but the good was pretty good for a resort buffet. Wifi worked everywhere on the resort. Bellhops were great getting us taxi service for our deep sea fishing excursion that we booked separately. A lot of things to do here with no shortage of food to be had.

Allegro Cozumel: Some key points

This is a beautiful resort. Very clean and amazing landscaping. I travelled with my boyfriend of 7 years and we did truly have an amazing time. However, this is a very family friendly resort meaning there is no 24/7 bar. No real lobby bar, it’s upstairs above the lobby with a pool table and air hockey so there’s always kids around and no smoking is allowed up there. The beach and pools are gorgeous but space can be limited so go early. Book you a la cartes within your first 2 days. Also donâ [... read more]€™t be afraid to rent a car and tour the island, it’s worth the $60. Also if you’re there for sleep request a ground floor room because the second floor has a thatched roof which carries so much sound!

Barcelo Maya Colonial: We loved this place

The hotel and grounds where pristine. The beach was groomed daily and had plently of room to relax. We absolutely loved this resort and will return. Our travel agent marlena was a great help and a pleasure to work with

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Beautiful destination !!!

Returned for our second visit to Barcelo Bavaro Beach . Everything was just as expected .... FANTASTIC !!! The resort is very clean and well groomed , the service is amazing ... your drink glass never gets empty before someone offers another . The staff are all very pleasant and helpful . You always feel welcomed and special . Food options were plentiful and tasty . The adult side is very quiet and relaxing .... but if you want action , head over to the Palace (also included) were things go all  [... read more]night . The beach is beautiful with plenty of loungers available . The pool is very clean and refreshing with plenty of loungers also available . The only down side is there is not a swim up bar .... but the efficient servers make up for that . I would highly recommend this resort for couples looking for a hassle free holiday in a paradise setting .

Allegro Cozumel: Well Worth the Value!

Positives: Perfect sized resort, less than 5 min walk from Main lobby to beach; Grounds, pools, amenities were in excellent shape (no cracked pool tiles) Kids pool area was loved by our kids and kept them very busy; Drinks were excellent, a lot of premium brands and made well; Staff was great,very friendly and majority of them spoke English; Beach was awesome (a little seaweed) the volleyball court was front and center with a lot of activity; The entertainment staff was great around the pool;  [... read more]the food demonstrations at the pool were excellent; The dive shop was very professional and excellent to deal with; diving from this location was very good and sites were close by; Rooms were clean and updated, Beds were very comfortable; Evening Entertainment was great, something different and professional every night; Kids club was located in an excellent location; Food overall was good but could use some improvement, Japanese was excellent, Italian was not. Negatives: Rooms were tight for 4 people; 2nd floor rooms leak in heavy rain; rooms were noisy from people outside; Hot water in room was hit and miss - more miss; Kids club was an excellent facility but needs to have more engagement and scheduled activities; Times between when the buffet was closed there was no real place to get good food (sports bar food was crap); Having to book Restaurants; The biggest negative I found was you could only book 2 a la carte restaurants within one 7 day stay - dumb.

Barcelo Maya Grand Resort: Beautiful Resort!

Just returned home from a stay at the Barcelo Maya Grand Resort. Everything was amazing. Well kept grounds, wonderful food, incredibly friendly staff and I could go on and on about how amazing everything was. The best thing about it was how accessible it was for the lady we traveled with who is in a wheelchair. This is the first resort I can definitely say we will be returning to.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Amazing Family Vacation

From beginning to end this trip was amazing! Staff are friendly and very accommodating to whatever we needed. The grounds are very clean and well maintained. Rooms are always swept and kept clean with fresh towels.....even slippers and a robe! Our kids ( ages 2 & 4) had an absolute blast. The waterparks are close to the rooms and everything else ( buffet, mall, market, a la cartes)- I didnt have to separate from the fun adult group we were travelling with regarding waterpark, pool and beach- Per [... read more]fect proximity to everything. Bars always seemed to be close with no wait times. Highly recommend Barcelo Colonial. We will be back soon!!

Barcelo Maya Palace: Something for everyone

We stayed here around 12 years ago and we wanted to return to relive some memories. We stayed at the Palace in a Premium room. The service overall was friendly. Breakfast service is spotty but not unusual for all inclusives in Mexico. Getting your coffee how you ask or even at all is 50/50 at the most. Luckily you can serve yourselves at the multiple coffee machines in the buffet area. The outdoor seating for breakfast is very nice. The resort is humongous, 11 a la cartes which all seem v [... read more]ery good, multiple buffets and multiple beach grills. Beach chairs are new and very numerous. The pools are multiple and huge. Lots of hammacks Great snorkeling on site with friendly fishes and turtles. We will likely return. The numerous kid waterparks are calling for our kids to come next time.