Occidental Punta Cana: Much needed vacation

I have personally been the Occidental Punta Cana once before in 2013 and stayed in first club with my parents. I instantly fell in love, the people were so friendly, the food was amazing, and the resort was stunning. This time around I decided to show my boyfriend the place I fell in love with. We decided to stay Royal Club this time. Everything was a breeze when we first got to the airport, boarded the plane, and were transferred to the resort. They had a bell boy bring us to the Royal Club lob [... read more]by to check in, and was told our room wouldn’t be ready until 3. Within the next 45 minutes our room was ready early. amazing customer service. The next day we met with the Transat rep who was phenomenal. We decided for our excursion to go adventurous and go zipling and the dune buggies. Both excursion were fantastic. All in all Trip Central did an amazing job with the booking of this trip. Air Transat got us there and back safely and the staff at occidental Punta Cana made us want to rebook again. Highly recommend going here

Occidental Punta Cana: great resort

this was a very nice hotel, rooms were large, very clean, ceramic showers, the beds and pillows were out of this world amazing. food was good, very acceptable. Grounds were always clean, people were very nice, drinks were good and strong.

Occidental Punta Cana: Amazing resort

Me and my husband booked the package to occidental resort as our honeymoon treat. Overall, we LOVE the place. Food is great, buffet changes almost every meal, staffs are helpful especially Elizabeth from the front desk, Linn who’s helping to book excursions and Leonardo from the bar. This trip was beyond our expectation and we enjoyed to the fullest. Never ever miss the show occidental presents every night! It’s defintely 5-star ranking shows! Stunningly amazing shows. And the activities a [... read more]nd dancing with staffs were so fun as well! Would definitely recommend to people. The only negative part of our trip: 1. It’s a package with air transat airline. The representative of transat at occidental was extremely rude and impolite. He didn’t show up the first day we arrived and we wanna arrange our schedule. We booked three excursions from the resort and next day the transat guy immediately changed his attitude to us and said we SHOULD book with transat and was even suggesting we should go ask our money back to book with him. We understand it’s about commission fee he could get but we hope air transat can pay attention to this behavior because he ruined our mood that day with his rudeness. It is not supposed to be like this. 2. Everything, mostly at occidental is inclusive. But of course nothing is free. You pay for what you get. The a la Carte restaurant wasn’t good. I waited 45 mins in the seafood restaurant after I ordered. And they promised to give us honey moon package but was a very unpleasant experience for us.

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Monkey Heaven!

This resort was absolutely amazing. Starting from the wonderful staff to the rainforest aspects. The pros: the breakfast buffet by the beach was absolutely stunning due to the views. The lunch time buffet on top of the pool bar had the best burgers and chicken wings Paco Taco for supper was delicious (it's open super late too so for the ones that love the disco, you can end your night at This restaurant) The margaritas and Bloody Caesars were amazing. The rooms were spacious,modern and com [... read more]fortable. We had monkeys on our balconies all the time, they are extremely friendly. Even though the resort was at 90% capacity, we never felt as though it was busy or packed. We always had a beach chair available to us. Cons: the staff asking for VIP meetings was abit excessive.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Amazing resort.

This is our 2nd time at the resort for our wedding anniversary and we must say we had no issues. We always stay 10 days. The room, food, staff and grounds were all great. Considering all the weather out there; we actually had it pretty good. Sure some rain but that is normal and no damage at the resort. The resort treated us special, had champagne and cake for us in the room, the beach is great, we got to stay in Uxmal building again woohoo and ocean well what can I say it was wonderful. We a [... read more]re total beach bums. We will be going back again. Snezana and Hubert Hummel

Occidental Caribe: Amazing Resort

Very well designed with excellent landscaping. Beach areas spacious and sandy. Waters calm and worm. Many pools with lots of activities. Large theatre and many shows. Fresh foods with variety in Buffet and restaurants(Sea food , steak, Mexican). Clean room and very good room service.Nice staff all around.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Grace

We just came back from our trip to Mexico. To tell you the truth we didn't like much our vacations. The beach has a lot or rocks and a lot of waives, we couldn't swim with the babies. The buffet was way to far from our suite and was impossible to walk with the babies 3 times per day because it was too hot. But the most important thing was that I was looking to go to a nice beach that I can swim with the babies and this time I couldn't do it. That was very bad. We had to travel 2 hours to get [... read more] to Isla Mujeres to find a nice beach that I could swim with the babies. But thats it, only one day of beach. I am very disappointed of this trip. My friends and husband are very disappointed as well.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Awesome resort

Best I ever visited. Outstanding in cleanliness, accommodations, service and food. Had a wonderful time enjoying crystal clear water in presteen pools, great beach and scrumptious meals. Had the best beef tenderloin at the Santa Fe restaurant. Highly recommended.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Not for babies

Hi Teresa, We just came back from our trip to Mexico. To tell you the truth we didn't like much our vacations. The beach has a lot or rocks and a lot of waives, we couldn't swim with the babies. The buffet was way to far from our suite and was impossible to walk with the babies 3 times per day because it was too hot. But the most important thing was that I was looking to go to a nice beach that I can swim with the babies and this time I couldn't do it. That was very bad. We had to travel  [... read more]2 hours to get to Isla Mujeres to find a nice beach that I could swim with the babies. But thats it, only one day of beach. I am very disappointed of this trip. My friends and husband are very disappointed as well.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Money well spent

1. This is a couples resort. Not for singles wanting to party. 2. The wifi was free for a few hrs in morning and afternoon. 3. The beach shore was rocky. Other than that, excellent ...service.food..etc

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Almost perfect!

We spent 11 days , starting on September 15 at Barceló Maya Tropical. Upon arrival due to increased flow of visitors attending conference at Barceló Maya Resorts, we were upgraded by the hotel to premium junior suite with ocean view. Thank you Barceló! The view was breathtaking. The room, however, had few issues that made our stay not entirely comfortable. The air conditioning was preset at 21 degree Celsius, We found it often too cold, especially at night and were unable to adjust set [... read more]tings. Secondary the exhaust fan in the bathroom was not working, leavening smog of steam everywhere in the room. The bed and pillows were super comfortable and ensured good sleep and rest. The housekeeping service , despite tipping was average and inconsistent. It happened that the room was not cleaned at all and towels were not replaced. We called reception desk and asked to see someone from housekeeping. The issue wasn't resolved and after waiting for two hours we decided to shower and reuse old, wet towels that were lying on the floor since the morning, so we could go for dinner. The housekeeping supervisor who was speaking to another tourist, few doors away from our room, was very helpful and understanding, making sure that we returned after dinner to clean place. The grounds are magnificent and beautifully maintained. The beach was rocky at some areas, so we recommend wearing water shoes. There is plenty of chairs on the beach and no need to get up early in the morning to run to the beach to secure lounge chair that is close to the water. The beach itself is wide, but not very long for those who enjoy long walks. There is small reef just off shore which combined with crystal clear water, provides easy access for snorkeling . You can admire and enjoy colorful fish, turtles and see sting rays. Great variety of food choices . There is plenty of options in buffets plus five a la carte restaurants .We recommend La Trattoria and Mexico Lindo. Delicious food accompanied by exceptionally friendly, helpful service. The only exclusion and surprising disappointment was waitress at Kyoto restaurant at Barceló Maya Colonial, as reported in the complaint letter submitted through our BD Representative. We would like to extend our special "thank you" to Byron Zorrabal and Victor (sorry but we don't know Victor's last name) in Tropical Buffet for above and beyond super service, for kindness, enthusiasm, being so attentive, welcoming us always with smiles and friendly attitude. We hope to see you guys again! During the day you can opt for quiet time or get involved with variety activities that are taking place around the pool and on the beach. The activity team is incredible! Super energetic, entertaining motivating and ensuring that we all had fun and good laugh. Water aerobics and dancing classes were the best cheer! The Water Sport Centre at Maya Caribe offers variety of free of charge water sports from catamarans, kayaking, wind surfing, and more. Gabriela Hernadez is always very helpful with booking and suggestions. Gabriela always shines with super friendly attitude and will greet you with a smile. Thanks you Gabriela for making our stay at Barceló so much more memorable and allowing us to enjoy our time on catamaran ride! As for night entertainment we felt that there was lack of information and poor communication about what was taking place in the resort. The Palenque theater was closed for most of our stay. In the Tropical Lobby there was no information listed what was happening in the Kukulkan theater at Barceló Caribe or where and when evening events were taking place. The reception staff at the front desk gave us few times wrong information leading to us missing on events . We learned that going daily to guest services and getting information was the best and most reliable option. We wish however that there would be a calendar either at front lobby or on the board by swimming area listing shows. The last but definitely not least is the dolphinarium. As animals lovers and environmentalists we have refused to go and see the show. We are livid about five dolphins being kept caged in captivity and from what we heard from others in really small pool. With so much to do in the resort, is this so called "attraction" really necessary for the tourists? It makes no sense, having on the other hand signs posted not to feed fish to preserve local fauna, having isolated area preserving eggs of sea turtles, not using straws in drinks to preserve environment, and yet keeping animals in captivity away from their natural habitat. We are hoping that the voices of those don't support having dolpinarium on the Barceló Maya Grand Resort will be heard. Thank you Barcelo for much needed relaxation!

Occidental Tamarindo: Good Enough for sure!

It was a good time, if you're coming for a beginner surfing area this is a great spot. The surf in Tamarindo is great and you're a short bus or chill 25 minute walk to town. Had a good time! Wifi is $6 a day and did not reach our room, that was only complaint.

Barcelo Maya Palace: Beautiful Barcelo...

We have been to the Barcelo Maya Grand Resort 7 times now. There are 5 resorts on the beach there and we have stayed in 3 different ones (the Tropical, the Colonial and the Palace) we prefer the Palace because you can go to all 5 resorts if you stay there. If you stay at the other 4 resorts you can go to all the facilities at the 4 but not the Palace. The beach is absolutely beautiful and you can snorkel right off the beach and see lots of varieties of fish and rays and turtles. The resorts them [... read more]selves are spotlessly clean and the variety of food choices are incredible! There are so many different pools to choose from as well and if you have children with you there are lots of childrens pools with activities for them and they even have the Barcy clubs where you can leave your children to play if that is something you are looking for and the children always look like they are having a great time. We will be going again next year and can't wait.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Great resorte

I like the hotel and facility. All dining was great. Being close to mall is advantage. Beach was nice and clean with white sand. Bar was good snd make whatever you want. Love the breakfast varaity of food. People were freindly too.

Occidental Costa Cancun: A wonderful vacation for the whole family

The resort was very clean and the staff very friendly & always ready to help. The small fridge in the room is always full of drinks (beer, pop) & some peanut snacks. The entertainment staff, as a whole, was awesome, especially the daily aerobics/aqua aerobics on the beach, plus the afternoon dance lessons. In the evening, there's also a show with a different theme, every night. The beach is not big, but there's always room for everyone. There are lots of chairs on the beach to choose from, a [... read more]nd the bar is right there, just a few steps from the chairs. The food was very delicious & yummy, in all of the restaurants, buffet or a la carte, even the 24 hr snack stop was always filled up with fresh foods. Special mention of Jose Poot, who is a waiter at Claraboya, he really made our breakfast & dinners there more interesting; a very friendly person. And even on the last day, you can still eat & have a drink (or shots of tequila,etc), while waiting to be picked up for the airport. Most important of all, we felt safe all the time, even outside the resort. We went to a market, walked around, and everyone is friendly. Would go back again, no doubt! Thanks to Sandy Nichols, from TripCentral for recommending Occidental Costa Cancun to us; for answering all my questions and for helping us book this trip. :)

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Amazing resort

The hotel was great !!! Customer service was amazing and the people are very kind and nice. My only issue was with agency, there were some bad communication regarding room. The agency didn't communicate the issue with the people in the room so it was an issue the day we came to the resort,but thanks to barcelo resort that manage to help and found a solution.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Beautiful Resort

The resort was stunning! There was so much to and see. The buffets and a la carte restaurants were full of great selections and drinks. The staff are the friendliest people ever, always ready to help you in any need. The resort itself had a lot of activities to do, some inclusive while some were extra but it was all worthwhile. Will definitely be returning here again! Excellent for groups and families. I have no complaints at all. Thanks Barcelo for an amazing vacation!

Occidental Caribe: Amazing resort. The 5 star of the 4 stats

Just an amazing hotel. I enjoyed the every moment of my stay. Clean hotel, good food, beautiful beach, great pools, fantastic night shows and very good service. I consider it the 5 stars of the 4 stars. You get a lot of bang for your buck

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Worst Service Ever

We have traveled all over the Caribbean over the last 10 years. Unfortunately our experience at Barcelo Maya has been very disappointing. Hotel staff is very unpleasant and extremely unhelpful across the board starting from check-in desk to restaurants and bars. Both of our kids got sick with some kind of stomach bug. Wifi was limited to a certain location at a specific time of day. The water park is an extra cost (which explains why it is deserted). There were sharp objects in the pool and we w [... read more]itnessed two separate incidents of guests getting hurt. There is little shade at the beach and little shelter from the rain at the pools. There was an obvious offensive smell in the Caribe area of the resort for most of the week that we were there. Will never go back.

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Relaxing and romantic resort

This resort is being completely renovated and is beautiful The resort is quiet and offers a very relaxing atmosphere Our assigned room was modern in appearance and kept clean. All services were great and the food was excellent. The sandy beach stretches for miles offering a enjoyable walk. A special thank you for Jairus Maus of tripcentral who offered excellent customer service. Perry and Karen Cort (Waterloo, Ontario)