Occidental Costa Cancun: Wold go back

I loved everything at this smaller resort. Room, food, service, pool, bars, the close proximity of everything, cleanliness, location. The beach was very small but I knew that when I booked and it was still lovely. The only thing is we paid for ocean view with a balcony, and we got stuck with one that was only big enough to stand on. You couldn't fit a chair on it...whereas almost all other rooms had huge balconies with chairs and hammocks. It didn't ruin our vacation at all... just felt the extr [... read more]a 500.00 wasn't worth it. I still want to go back. Had a great time. Andreas at the buffet was was a rock star server..the other guys were great too. Great staff.

Occidental Punta Cana: Gorgeous beach, excellent service, very nice hotel

We stayed in one of the newly renovated buildings, 23, which was very nice. The service was excellent at all bars and restaurants (we are frequent tippers) and the food was good. The beer is cold and plentiful; tried mamajuana as well as a few other cocktails. Not really a fan of the house red wine but there were plenty of other drink options. Kudos for excellent service to Bibiano (and Franklin) at the lobby bar who are smiley and work well as a team and to the wonderful Nordy at the hibiscus  [... read more]bar near the theatre (not sure of the actual name of this bar but it has carved hibiscus flowers.) Nordy makes a wonderful martini and is very friendly and efficient. The a la carte restaurants were good and there was always something tasty at the buffets. The beach restaurant has really good burgers, much better than the ones at the snack bar. Excellent pizza at the wood oven pizza place, which is open 6 pm to 6 am. The beach is lovely, soft, white sand, lots of chairs, but not much shade. The gym has several machines (most of which work) as well as free weights. Clean and adequate. Overall, a great hotel for those who love the beach. Too many smokers for my liking, but that's totally a personal preference.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Impressive resort

My husband and I very much enjoyed our vacation at Barcelo Bavaro Beach resort. The grounds and beach area were well kept and the pool was wonderfully laid out with a ramp entry at one end that was shallow to the other end which was about five feet deep, perfect for swimming and very refreshing. Plenty of shade and sun areas both at the pool and beach and we never felt crowded. The turquoise water, the palm trees and powdery sand were visible from many of the restaurants and buffets which we fo [... read more]und both beautiful and very relaxing. The room we had was adequate. Nothing fancy but the bed was comfortable and the bathroom area provided everything we needed. The air conditioning was a little wonky, either too cold or not cold enough since the controls did not allow for much choice. The room could also have used a few more places to hang wet towels and swimsuits inside the room itself as opposed to hanging things on the balcony outside. But these were small things and didn't detract from our enjoyment. We were a little disappointed in the food at this resort. We have been to other resorts in the DR and found the buffet at the Bavaro did not have the variety of choices that we had elsewhere. The a-la-carte restaurants we tried, the seafood restaurant, the steakhouse and the Mediterranean restaurant all seemed very assembly lined with not much flavour and were very skimpy with the vegetable sides. The exception was the rib eye steak I had which was huge and delicious! The desserts everywhere look beautiful but generally are tasteless and bland. Nevertheless we always managed to find something to eat and it didn't prevent us from gaining a few pounds! We liked the variety of activities that the resort provided and were impressed by the shopping areas and rooftop lounge. Getting around the resort was easy with the train trolleys doing the rounds continuously. Overall we had a great week and would consider returning in the future.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Good resort for the money!

We are a couple that stayed at the Barcelo Arenas Blancas for two weeks the end of March 2017. This was the first time visiting the resort. Hotel: rooms were very clean and everything was updated in the room except the bathroom. The room was great, bathroom was ok, but was clean and had great water pressure and lots of hot water. Staff was very polite and friendly all through the hotel. The main Buffett servers were hit and miss, but if go there look for Yamila and sit in her area.. you wi [... read more]ll not get better service anywhere!!! The wifi was purchased by the hour and you would just log in and out until you used up the 60 minutes.. ours lasted us the 2 weeks as we just sent quick checkins home. Hotel and bathrooms were kept very clean which was a great change from some other resorts we have been to. The place needs some updates, but they were renovating and updating all over the place when we were there and you can tell it will look good when they are done. Beach: Amazing! You can walk for miles in either direction.. there is shade but you need to get down before 8am most mornings if you want a hut. Paddle boats, kayaks etc.. available to use for free.. beach bar had the best Piña Coladas as they made them with real coconut milk there as opposed to the lobby bar that used mix. Food: This is one of the better resorts we have been to for food, and that includes 4 and 4.5 stars in DR and Mexico.. lots of options, plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, ice cream in regular flavours like vanilla, choc, and strawberry but also mango, coconut etc.. usual omlette and pasta stations, meat grills and there was a pizza station and crepes station as well. We were very pleasantly surprised at the food quality for a Cuba resort. There was also a coffee bar located in the main lobby area as well. Entertainment: We never attended the evening entertainment but we heard it from our room each evening.. everyone seemed to enjoy it but it was an outdoor area as opposed to an indoor theatre which is something different than we are used to seeing. Town: It was great to be able to just around the town in the evenings and feel safe while you are doing it.. it is a nice little place with very friendly people. Cons: there was not much for cons and what we considered cons may not bother others but we found the nightly entertainment loud even from inside our room and it went to 11pm each night.. this was not a real big deal, but for those with younger kids, it might make a difference.. the other was that to get security to deal with loud partiers at 3am, you had to call and complain.. this only happened a few nights the whole time we were there and we know it goes with the territory so we just ignore it, but one night it was really bad with vulgar and racist slurs being yelled by a large group and it went on for over an hour with nothing being done.. other guests actually ended it by telling them they were calling the police. We have been other places where security jumps in right away to "help" the noise makers back to their rooms and that would have made a big difference. The bulk of the partiers were located at the Solymar side of the resort. Overall it was a great two weeks and we would recommend this resort

Occidental Cozumel: Very Relaxing

Rooms are large and really comfortable beds with TONS of pillows. Bathrooms large and beautiful. Grounds gorgeous but no ocean views due to foliage. Lots of wildlife which we found fascinating Food ok but could be 5 star if they improved food choices and lack of staff. The staff who are there work super hard and are very friendly but they are understaffed for sure. This is a very quiet resort which has a separate adult pool which is nice and quiet. Evening entertainment is very simple [... read more] and there is no theatre which didn't bother us at all. We would return for sure.

Occidental Costa Cancun: Great vacation

I spent a great week at this hotel with my 2yr old daughter, my mom and my aunt. The layout of the hotel is ideal for travelling with child. No walking for 20 minutes both ways when you've forgotten something in your room! The resort is very clean, the staff is AMAZING, food is good. In terms of value for your money we felt we got more than what we paid for. We didn`t happen to leave the resort during the week we were there but had we gone to Isla Mujeres as orignially planned, the ferry was lit [... read more]erally at the doorstep of the resort. I suppose some would find the beach a little small, but again, for us it was great. My daughter loved watching all the boats leaving port. Would go back again for sure.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Can't wait to return

This property offered absolutely everything, the service was better than excellent, food and everyday selection was amazing for the Caribbean, the beach was clean and spacious, the selection of children's water parks, trains, kids club was endless, so very pleased, can't wait to return next year, I will be telling all my friends with children that this property is a must!! The adult only side of the property looked just as great, likely a bit quieter! ;)

Occidental Punta Cana: Beautiful Beach, Delicious Food, No Smiles at the Front Desk

We stayed at this same resort 16 years ago when it was called Occidental Flamenco. Our daughter had her wedding here. It was absolutely heavenly and we always wanted to come back. I know things change over the years but our travel agent told us that renovations had taken place and Air Transat only books the newly renovated buildings. When we arrived, it look a very long time to check in, other people who were behind us in line seemed to get their rooms before us. Finally we were told we would [... read more] be in Building 12. I knew this was not a renovated building and said we were promised an updated building. After much conversation we were told we could be moved in 2 days. After speaking with other people, we found most of us were put in older buildings even though we were told we were Preference Club. The room we were in had problems with the water. If you flushed the toilet once it would not flush again for another hour. The water from the shower from the next room flowed out into the hallway. There was a TV but no remote and it would not even turn on. I called the desk and reported these things and was told they would be looked after but nothing happened. The next morning we went to the desk to see if we could be moved. I said we paid for the Preference Club Package with beach towels, robes, slippers and updated room. I was told very rudely by a desk clerk, Mercedes, that everyone pays the same to be here and they place you where ever they have room. I was not happy with that comment. She finally she said we could change rooms if we moved out of our current room immediately, bring all our things to the baggage storage area now and come back at 2 o'lock to be placed in a different building. We did this, came back at 2 and were then told to wait another 45 minutes. This took up most of the afternoon. The room was much nicer, but the phone did not work, we still did not have a remote for the TV and didn't get beach towels in our room or robes or slippers. We reported these things several times. Someone came to fix the phone but it still didn't work. The Transat Rep also said he would report our phone problem but nobody came. We did not have a working phone in our room our whole stay, we had a nine day trip. We did not have a cell phone with us, I felt a little uncomfortable knowing we would have no contact with the desk if we had an emergency in the middle of the night. We were given a remote for the TV but never did get the beach towels, robes or slippers. I was really disappointed in the way we were treated by desk staff. We were not treated as guests but as inconveniences. Of all the times we spoke to them, we never saw a smile. The other staff in other areas were friendly and made us feel welcome and always had a smile. The Buffet staff were wonderful and helpful even though sometimes they had a language barrier. You can smile in any language.

Occidental Caribe: Great vacation

We had a wonderful vacation at this resort. Beach and grounds were perfect. No long walks or trolleys to the beach. Food was great. Rooms were great except the mattresses and pillows need to be replaced. The best of all is the staff, very friendly and helpful. The resort has a great layout that,s why we have booked it over and over again. We will return.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Over the top!!

Just returned 2 days ago and are already discussing that we MUST return! Everything you want from a vacation all in one resort: free dolphin shows, theatre shows, poolside entertainment and games, kids splash pads, kids pools beside the adult pools, water slides, white sandy beach (with some rocks), delicious food and a la cart restaurants. The grounds are constantly being cleaned and gardens are beautiful. The Caribe is in the perfect location on the resort as it is central to all the amenities [... read more] that everyone wants to see. No need to use the the on site bus service that travels the grounds when staying at the Caribe.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Very nice resort

Beautiful resort. Impressed with beauty and cleanliness of the grounds. Loved the palm trees on the beach and throughout the resort. Solid food and generally friendly staff. Two big thumbs up from the entire family including kids.

Occidental Caribe: Beautiful property not overly friendly staff

The hotel property and beach is beautiful. It's a nicely laid out property with great views of he pools and ocean. The food was fantastic with a large variety to chose from. The staff at this hotel didn't go out of there way by any means even when it comes to providing utensils or searching water and coffee. It seemed it was understaffed in the buffet or that the stay was just mainly there to clear tables that was the only major downfall of the resort. If you are okay wih fending for yourself in [... read more] many ways that it won't be a problem. One other slight problem is towels in the rooms for eveninf showers they don't tend to bring you towels until quite late into eh evening(again probably understaffed in he housekeeping department. All in all we had a great stay and managed to fend for ourself all while enjoying the beautiful property, beach and delicious food

Occidental Tamarindo: Amazing resort

Rooms clean beach is amazing!!!!! Pool amazing Food 🥘 great!! People so friendly Beach everyday was beautiful sunsets incredible best trip ever!! Would recommend this hotel and would go back again. The shows were great.

Barcelo Gran Faro Los Cabos: Went for a wedding

Resort is small but well maintained. Drink service around pool was good. Wait staff at Breakfast and Lunch always great especially Elvis and Karen. Food at Buffets and a la cartes were really good with a lot of choice. Supper wait staff were good until you were in a group of 8 or more. They couldn't handle the drink orders or any other requests for extra utensils, glasses, etc. One person in the group got their beer 45 minutes after ordering it. In small groups, the service was great. Ro [... read more]oms were basic. The view from our room was of 2 buildings made of concrete with a view of the ocean between. We hadn't ordered an oceanview room so weren't too concerned. One tip is to make sure you request a king bed before going if you need one. Those that didn't got 2 doubles. Beach was nice for walking but no swimming allowed. The under tow was horrible. That didn't stop some guests from risking their lives even though a black flag (Do Not Swim for risk of death) by swimming well out from shore. Saw whales breaching from shore and sting rays jumping out of the water. Check in and out was quick and efficient. The outdoor wedding went off without a hitch except for the pesky seagull that pooped on one of the guests. That wasn't the hotel's fault though. Food and dancing after was great on another outdoor patio. Had to be done around 10:30pm so we didn't disturb any of the guests with rooms right above it. The rest of the group headed for the Sky Lounge. We didn't as we knew if was extremely loud and we had to leave the next morning. Biggest complaint I have has nothing to do with the resort. We were in line for 2 1/2 hours at the airport waiting to get through immigration when we got there. We heard every Saturday is like that. The airport has to do something about that. I guess it made the drink when we got to the resort that much better. Also on the way back, had to sit on the tarmac for an extra hour while they found a fuel truck. Overall, airport was disorganized. I don't think they know how to handle all those people. It was obviously never built to handle that many people and airplanes coming in or leaving. To those people that decided to go around to get right in front of the person handling a wheelchair down the ramps...get out of the way. You have no idea how hard it is to maneuver one of those down a ramp going backwards so the wheelchair doesn't get away from them. Just be patient. You got no further by going around and in fact risked your own life or limb (mainly a foot). Please people, use your brains or what's left of them after a week of heavy drinking and eating.

Barcelo Huatulco: Good Resort

We had a nice, clean room with an ocean view. Loved that we could make reservations for all of the restaurants at the same time as check in. The staff were friendly and very helpful. We really enjoyed the adult pool.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Worth Revisiting

This is a huge resort with lots to do for everyone. Clean, friendly staff, good service, modern and a beautiful golf course. The food was good. No complaints. This was our second time and I would go back again.

Allegro Cozumel: Great Times in Mexico

I had never been to Cozumel, Mexico and I can honestly say that I will return. The hotel was very clean and everything was close. We decided to sit by the beach bar one day and it was wonderful as one side was beach and the other side was pool. The housekeeping staff were cleaning daily, even the rails on each of the porches which I was impressed with. All the staff were exceptional especially George (english translation) at breakfast and lunch. One day we asked for champagne/orange j [... read more]uice and Bailey's for our coffee and everyday he remembered and had ready for us. On his day off, he made sure that his co-worker was aware. The only negative thing I can say was no free wifi in the lobby. It is a very quiet resort, but a nice bar downstairs, instead of the inside sports bar would make a difference. I definitely would recommend this place to anyone. From the web you would assume it would be full of children with the Pirate themed pool but it it a place for everyone!!!! I definitely will visit Allegro Cozumel again.

Occidental Caribe: Very disappointed

The hotel looks great and the grounds are beautiful...from a distance. This hotel is very tired and worn out and in need of major repair. They only advertise the upgraded renovated section of the resort which is section 1 and 2 (there are 7 sections). The room we stayed in had electrical problems, lights worked some times, water and plumbing stopped working on day 5, the door looked like it had been broken and pryed into and there was no security locks on our door, the safe was broken and the [... read more] shower had a broken faucet with a long screw being used as the handle to control water temperature. We complained to the front desk, guest services and to the front desk manager and they told us they were booked at 110% and couldn't accommodate us elsewhere at the hotel. The pools were overcrowded, loud and lots of dirt and chipped paint/missing tiles in many parts of the pool so be careful not to cut your feet on the broken parts. This hotel was advertised at a 4.5 star and we paid over $1500 per person, it should be rated at a 3 star and no more than $1100 per person for the condition. The good parts - the food was great, the staff in the buffet were incredible and very friendly and helpful!! The beach was one of the nicest stretches of beach we've been on. The management and front desk staff were very rude and not accommodating to us at all, we had booked a king sized bed with a crib and they gave us a room with 2 double beds and no crib...they told us they wouldn't have a crib for us until day 4 into our vacation. I had to sleep in another bed away from my husband all week so that my infant wouldn't roll out of the bed. I would not go back to this resort and I would not recommend it to anyone.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Couldn't ask for more.

The resort was great, clean and lots to do. Buffet was beyond expectations. Staff were happy and attentive. Enjoyed sailing the included hobby catamaran. Lots of shade on the beach and available chairs. Roach in the room. Slow check in.

Barcelo Solymar: Great Location/Good Resort

This was a solid 4 star resort. The beach is wonderful and the beach area is great with lots of seats and cabana. The beach has too great locations one for Solymor with all the entertainment and beach bar. Areanas Blanches beach area also had cabanas and had the snack restaurant and bar. 3 nice pools; 2 of which had a pool bar. Lots of chairs available at all 3 pools. None of the pool had umbrellas' but there were shady areas. Many options for eating with 2 buffets and 2 snack bars (on [... read more]e at the beach the other beside the main buffet at Solymor) and many a la cart restaurants. The food is typical resort food. Lobby's at both resorts are quite nice.. Enjoyed the spiral staircase and the greenery at the Solymor which you could enjoy while sitting at the Daquila bar. There was several bars and you could easily get served. The location of the resort is awesome. Steps away from 1st Ave of Varadero where you can enjoy all the shops/bars/restaurants. Rooms were clean and spacious. We were upgraded to a bungalow suite. The bed was a king sized and comfortable. This is an older resort so it does show it's age in some areas but all in all it is well maintained. Service- You are EXPECTED to tip to get good service.. However, I am of the belief you should tip good service. Plus the bank/exchange at the resort is very reluctant to give small bills so that you can tip. It was very much a catch 22. Overall we did enjoy our vacation and would probably come back especially knowing a few thing about how the system works...