Occidental Nuevo Vallarta: Nice Resort but "less than expected "quality of services

It's a beautiful resort, clean and well kept. The beach was beautiful and we could walk for miles on the fine sands, good for beach lovers. -It wasn't the most of welcoming of check -in that we have been experienced. The front staff offered slow services and some appeared not knowing how to provide good customer service. -The room was nicely setup but it was too small for three adults. we had an exactly similar room as our son's with similar size and arrangement but he paid for two  [... read more]guests and we paid for three. Although we had paid triple and had requested a room with 2 double beds and one sofa bed, we were offered a room with only 2 beds, without sofa bed. We were given only 2 sets of towels, 2 glasses, 2 cups...and had to repeatedly asked the housekeepers for extra daily. When we asked the front desk that we had reserved a room with sofa bed, we were told that it's a busy time and they have none available but they do have one in the Royal level with an extra charge of 3500 pesos per day, or 2750pesos after the discount ( we had a discount coupon ). We told them that we don't need Royal service but just need a bigger room with enough beds for three persons, they then asked us to pay 2500pesos extra per day. We felt not being fairly served and decided to stay in the same room. -the wifi was another disappointment. They charge US$12/ day/ device. Unlike other resorts, there was no wifi available in the lobby at this resort. - the food was just ok. There were limited selection of food at the buffet in the first few days when we arrived, but we had better selection from The XMas day, though nothing special. The restaurants food were much better. We like the services at the Hacienda and Tokyo. - the entertainment were ok. We like the Michael Jackson show, but too bad the announcements were all in Spanish, possibly the resort wanted to entertain the majority of the Spanish speaking guests. -some of the staff were very friendly and some bartenders provided good services. We can't forget the good services and good conversations we had with Ricardo Marcos, Miguel, Jesus,... at the Hacienda and with the staff at Tokyo restaurants.

Occidental Caribe: Good week away

A lot of positives: incredible beach, nice staff, nice hotel, good a la cartes (especially the Italian and Japanese). A few negatives: lunch and dinner buffet (breakfast is good), overly pushy condo sales team and excursion reps at the beach and pool. Tip the staff and you will have no problems. Fresh towels, room upgrade, great service. Very nice people.

Barcelo Gran Faro Los Cabos: amazing hotel

Hotel was very nice. i liked the way it looked service was good. i enjoyed the food and the hospitality was good. The pool and beach were very nice. liked the view from the restaurant and the snack bar

Barcelo Karmina: Great stay

Beautiful resort, good food, friendly and attentive staff. Our first time in Mexico were not sure what to expect, but were delighted with our stay. We will return in the very near future, thank you for a wonderful week.

Barcelo Karmina: Excellent Resort

No line up, no waiting !Our suite was waiting, Beautiful,5 th Floor,balcony overlooking well kept grounds,beautiful polls and terrific view of the ocean.In minutes we were in swimwear,lounging at an adult pool, with a cold drink of our choice,delivered by the excellent pool service. No need to line up for 2 of our 3 a la carte suppers. Reservations were in our welcome package. Our first a la carte was the Kyoto, Japanese. So much great food, pleasant atmosphere,and excellent service. Our next A [... read more] la carte was the Agave, Mexican, restaurant. It's location and atmosphere is wonderful. The open air,and ocean setting is very special. The food and service could not have been better.We enjoyed a view of perhaps the longest and perhaps best fireworks display across the water from here--how lovely !! The Barceló treated us to a Christmas Eve Buffet and stage entertainment. This was beautifully set up on the grounds. The food selection was truly exceptional. Turkey, Barbequed steak, shrimp cocktails and so many-many- other dishes and choices !! We loved the Italian , Capri, perhaps the best. The a la carta was good food and excellent service, but their breakfasts and lunches were the very best. The friendliness and service we will never forget. The breakfast grill cook made your morning. Her smile, and knowing what our order was and how we liked it cooked was terrific. The staff all so friendly, and again excellent service. We so much enjoyed the extended a la carte lunches, of excellent "specials"from the menu, superior service and great view ! Our maid service was very good. She maid us feel very special with a floral flower heart decorating our bed and a hand written Feliz Navidad Christmas Eve. Our only bad experience was the Bugambilias Resturant. We were assigned a table and upon returning with our food found our table was taken. We immediately took another nearby table that was not set up. We were told we could not sit there , and moved to a table that was not set up. No glasses or linen. No service.After some time we were able to flag down a waiter, and ask for water and wine. Finally water came but never wine !! Oh well guess we can't expect perfection !!! The Mexican Show was very entertaining and well done.

Barcelo Puerto Vallarta: Great Time!

Pros: My husband I had a great time and enjoyed all the amenities of the hotel. The hotel was clean, staff very friendly. Our room was nice and comfortable and kept clean. Cons: Only problem is that I got sick on the last night of our vacation, so not sure if it was the ice in the drink or the food. Also be wary of being caught by timeshare selling at the airport when you arrive -we were delayed with the timeshare pitch and took a taxi to our hotel instead.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Great Stay

We've been here twice and this resort is fantastic (the whole complex). Food is decent but the beach and ocean are spectacular. You can snorkel right off the beach and see sea turtles, schools of fish, and some big guys too. Only downside is the lack of decent night time entertainment, but its certainly not a deal breaker. Resort is exceptionally clean and well kept. You won't regret coming here.

Barcelo Puerto Vallarta: Ok resort

The food at the buffet wasn’t great the restaurants were very good all in all a good trip but nothing spectacular the entertainment is really lacking if you go try and share whatever you can with the beach locals they really appreciate it 💕

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Loved it!!!

The hotel was beautiful the people friendly and the food delicious the beach also wonderful. I'm so so so impressed. There is always food available and of course drinks made to order. Our favorite eating area was actually the Mariachi Grill.. The staff there were the nicest at the whole resort! Look for Onisome, he is the manager and an amazing person. I extremely recommend this fantastic place!!!

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Barcelo Colonial reseort

We were at the Colonial the week before Christmass 2017. The Barcelo is a superb resort. It is excelent except for the rooms that were allocated to us. We are grandparent accompanying a family. We were given two connected rooms on the ground floor. These rooms were so humid that they were smelling mold. Not acceptable, especially for a baby and young children. We made several requests to be reallocated to the second or third floor and we were told that no other two connected rooms were avail [... read more]able.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Very nice resort

From the flight with Air Transat to and from was on time and we had the Option Plus , so we had something to eat , wine and chocolate bar and blanket ,neck rest and special line to check in and extra baggage allowed. Quick friendly check in The Barceló Colonial Jalisco Bldg. Are room was close to the beach. Great maid service and fridge replacement service 5 * Cleanliness on Resort 5* Buffet at Colonial 4* Buffet in evening at Caribe and Maya Beach are new and enclosed now with  [... read more]A/C 5* appearance( but food 3.5 * ) food cold on 2 occasions and overcrowded because they shut down half of the area. We stayed 2 weeks had Distinctive Group and had 10 A La Carts. Atmosphere compared to anyplace where we live is a 5*. Maybe we were lucky but I enjoyed every A La Carte. We had to cancel dessert on 2 occasions because I was so full. Very nice updates We went to Barceló Palace Supper Buffet . Food was better than the other buffets. Beach is one of the best in the area on Maya beach side. They are trying to cater to people. They had pool side service and sometimes beach service for drinks. Entertainment on Colonial section is hit and miss Great, M. Jackson Show and Circus , Fantasia Show.Maybe they could have some daytime entertainment . They have extra things to do at an extra charge, bowling, surf rider,casino, premium alcohol. But its there if you want it , we did not this time , Maybe next time. I think the Barceló continues to keep up with the consumers demands., you get what you pay for . Overall a 5* experience . We came home a little spoilt and heavier. A Great Vacation!

Occidental Papagayo: Adequate Only

Very hilly and beautiful BUT no hand railing. Poor at replenishing water, coffee and towels. Requested supplies several times to no avail. Terrific breakfast and large enough buffet to find something to eat. Fabulous fruit! We got a good deal and paid little so it was good value.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Very Disappointing!

We could have just as easily gone to Las Vegas. The buildings were all shiny and glitzy. Definitely nice but just not Mexican. Positves: The food was plentiful. The drinks were good and at some bars they had premium brands. The beach was very nice. The room was comfortable and quiet. We were immediately checked into our room and they put my son and his wife across the hall. Staff was pleasant but not friendly. Negatives: At check in we were not provided with any information about the r [... read more]esort except a map of the resort. When we entered our room there was an overwhelming odour of must and mold. I called the front desk and asked if they could put a deodorizer in and they sent someone right away. I would have asked for another room but my son had already unpacked and I wanted to be near them. It was better for one day and then the smell was back the next day. I asked for a refresh again and once again they responded immediately however once again it only lasted one day. We decided that since we were not in the room much and it was not hot we would live with it and open windows when we could. WIFI was only available at very limited 2 times during the day and only in a small area of the shopping mall. Not even enough places to sit. We were given coupons to be used to reserve our meals at some of the special restaurants. We went to the guest services right away the next morning and we were not able to get our meals at any suitable dining times (either 5 pm or 9 pm) too early or too late. Went back a few times to see if there were a cancellation but we were only able to get one at the Mexican one and the Japanese one. At the Mexican one there were many empty chairs (more than 10 and no one came in to fill them. At the Japanese one there are supposed to be 12 chairs around the chef and he puts on a show. The fun in that was to be interacting with the other 8 people in the group but the 4 of us were alone. Once again a disappointing expereince. There was also an unpleasant altercation with our server and my daughter-in-law over the sake she bought for us. Really ruined the evening. So we had to eat all the rest of our meals in the buffet. There was lots of selections but all the food was either luke warm or downright cold. We started to just eat the food that was supposed to be cold. There was only 2 places to eat - the main buffet or the lunch only beach buffet. Very limited selection and once again COLD. I started to live on soup. There was another place called the Sports bar. It was mainly appetizers and snacks. It was a sports bar (surprise) and very noisy. There was no place to get a late night snack or drink because everything closed early (11 pm.) The beach chairs were plentiful and the sand was lovely however I was not expecting so many stones and rocks to get into the water. Water was clear and lots of fish swimming around. The water sports were too far away up the beach and mainly snorkeling. If there were any activities during the day we were not aware of them because we were not informed of anything. There was a main stage in the lobby of the outdoor shopping mall. They lasted about an hour and it was a surprise every day. They just set up folding chairs in the open hall. However the weather was very cold for 3 days and I had no winter clothes so sitting outside stopped many folks. We were thinking it would be fun to have so many activities available but everything cost extra. All in all a very disappointing week. Even if we had paid less it still would have been a failure but for the price we paid even a worse experience. We will continue to go to Mexico but certainly not this one!

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Don’t stay here

Room was never properly cleaned. Bathtub was dirty. Towels were never changed. Buffet was lukewarm or cold all the time. Was never offered a la carte restaurants. Hamburgers were bloody awful. No snacks or anything to munch on between meals. No show in the evening except kids show. I wouldn’t consider this hotel again. Hotel lobby was flooding when it rained. I would rate this a 1 star I like Cuba and I know what to expect I have been to Cuba before. I know Cuban hotels, I would ra [... read more]te. It maybe1 1/2 compared to other Cuban Hotels

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Upgraded!

when we first arrived at the resort, we were told we would have to check in at the sister resort. We thought we would have to walk to ours, however, we were happy to find out that we were upgraded to that resort. We loved the ability to enjoy the amenities at both resorts, while getting a room in the better one. Staff were friendly, and food pretty good considering it was Cuba. The town was a short walk down the street, where we are out at restaurants and bought souvenirs. Overall, loved it!

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Beautiful resort in the jungle

We just returned from a week away at this resort. Overall we had a fantastic holiday. We opted for the package which allows for unlimited access to the Xcaret park which we took full advantage of visiting many times both day and night. We are a family of 4 with two children ages 5 and 8. Pros: Resort is very clean and grounds are beautiful. It is secluded and there are no other resorts in site. It feels very safe and you can walk it easily. Lots of animal to be seen around including monkeys, [... read more] coatis etc. Ample pools and chairs available. Pools are a little cold but ok. Food was decent and there is a good choice of restaurants. No booking required. The beach buffet is in a beautiful setting. Some more variation in the food would be good but overall we found lots to eat. No illness. We heard complaints about booze being watered down but this is pretty standard in Mexico. Service was friendly and attentive. Staff at kids club were very kind to children. Beach- it's a man made beach and quite small. It's a cove which worked well for us and there were no waves so children could swim safely. Other beaches in the area are much more beautiful but the undercurrent can be strong. Xcaret park is incredible. Tons to do. There are lots of optimal extras but we didn't do any and still loved the park. Cons- Some hassle to attend time share demos. We did attend and weren't given any hassle when we said a firm no. Beach loungers get snatched up quickly. Need to reserve early morning. Rooms are quite small. Typical hotel rooms rather than suites. No bath. Overall a lovely resort. More suited to families who want to attend Xcaret.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: It is really amazing Resort!!

I was here five years ago and I could not wait to come here again.(I did not go anywhere between). We love here so much we decided to extend our week staying for five more days(wish we could afford more). I feel like home here. Everything is sooo good (I am crying when I am writing ). People here are so nice so friendly. They really make this vacation special. I am so happy to be send here by my dear friend who is not with us anymore. I am sure He knows how happy and healthy I feel when I am he [... read more]re. I talked to many people who come here year after year and we all agree this is the best!!!!! Thank You, Alice and Milan Blahut

Barcelo Maya Palace: Best location

Resort is good, very clean everywhere but with evarage service Prices in resort stores just out of mind. Service stuff is not really welcoming. Always looking for tips without doing a good jobs. Show level is really low and it is kind of boring atmosphere

Occidental Punta Cana: Decent

We most recently spent 10 days at this resort. The resort is very well maintained and modernized. Rooms are beautiful and grounds immaculate. Food was excellent, service was good right from the maids to the bars. For the 24 hour food there was just the pizza available upstairs that they cooked in a wood burning oven. It was delicious but a little more choices would be better. The beach is beautiful, white sand however the time we where there the water was very rough due to the winds. Lots [... read more] of vendors on the beach but if you say "no" they will move on. I enjoyed the markets we went to, we visited 2. 1 way down the beach and the other right outside the front of the resort. The markets have better deals than the vendors on the beach. The resort is large so we did get our share of exercise for the 10 days. Switching rooms isn't always an option. The shows where not good. Only 1 night they had a circus show which was nice. The rest of the nights not good at all. If your looking to hear Dominican music either day or night, you won't. Which I thought was strange since we where in Dominican. Would we go back, that would depend on the deal. It's good for R&R. The weather was excellent the whole 10 days. We did 1 excursion which was a nightmare. The Soana Island one. I would not recommend it as we spent the better of 10 hours of the day in transit between buses and boats and only on the island for 1 1/2 hours. Not a good day at all.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Well-designed resort on a gorgeous beach

The Barcelo is a great design. Connected to a larger resort where there were many dining choices, a big theatre, casino and disco - the adult-only portion was more compact. All the grounds were very well maintained. The beach was amazing; clean, turquoise water and white sand studded with thousands of palm trees on an endless beach for walking. Lots of chaise lounges. The pool was superb although their activity leader should have had her mike taken away as she is quite shrill. Fortunately [... read more] activities were afternoon only. The rooms were large and we had an excellent view of the ocean from our unit. I loved the retractable clothes dryer on the balcony for bathing suits. Great idea. The restaurants were lovely. Mostly open-air. Service was quite poor. Very slow and forgetful. Staff needs a bit of training. The food was plentiful and varied. Unfortunately I got a severe case of food-poisoning while there which has tainted my overall impression of the food. Overall, this was a beautiful resort. Just be careful what you eat.