Barcelo Maya Caribe: Great resort

Just returned from the Barcelo Maya Caribe Dec 3-10 and had an awesome time. Beach in front of Caribe is the best for swimming. The Colonial, Tropical and Palace not so good, rocky. Went to 4 ala carte's Tokyo show table lots of fun, Spanish awesome steak wrapped in ham with blue cheese sauce yum, then finished with Spanish coffee made at your table flaming wow amazing, Seafood restaurant also very good shrimp in a pineapple filled with dip, then lobster with hollandise sauce. The waiters were [... read more] all very friendly helping us with our Spanish in the ala carte and Buffett. Awesome job by Joel Hernandez in the Caribe Buffett always greeting us with a smile and conversation made us feel important and remembered our names. Also Juan Cahon and Nicolas Arcos in the Spanish restaurant awesome waiters. Not impressed with the Wifi situation only available for 3 hrs free 10am to 1pm in the mall area of Caribe unless you purchase a package. Other resorts we have stayed at had free Wifi right in your room anytime. All in all it was a wonderful experience and would certainly recommend this resort. It is big and you do a lot of walking so be prepared to get some exercise.

Barcelo Maya Palace: Beyond my wildest dreams.

This was a vacation of a lifetime. The rooms, food (buffet and a la carte) , pools etc were all 5 star plus. The Pirate Ship was absolutely fantastic. The entertainment , food etc was top notch. We have been to Cuba and the Dominican Republic but this vacation beats them all. We would not hesitate to recommend this hotel.

Occidental Costa Cancun: Great vacation

The hotel was very clean. When we arrived it was very beautiful to look at. Then we checked in and the ladies who checked us in was very kind. It was quick to check in. I was there for 7 days and it was great. Great food and staff made my whole trip enjoyable!

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Amazing resort and staff

The Barcelo Barvaro Beach was everything that they advertised. The food was great - buffet's exceptional. Whoever is training their staff could give lessons to other resorts. Everyone there, was happy to help you, greeted you with a hello and smile. We enjoyed the "Adults Only" and it really was. We watched a staff explain to a family that they could not come in the area. There is a great little train that goes around the resort, which is huge, every 15 minutes or so. It was great being able [... read more] to use the other resorts in the chain. My husband golfed 4 days, you reserve your Tee times, then go down to the front desk, who phones the course and they send a cart over to pick you up. The waterpark is great! There were 6 of us that played a 18 hole mini golf (which was free). Another really great thing is that it is only about a 25 minute transfer from the airport, depending on traffic. I would go back anytime!

Barcelo Solymar: Amazing time !!

Stayed the week December 3 to the 10, 2016. Stayed on fourth floor oceanview..awesome location..10 minutes walk from downtown. Had a great time..the food was ok..Ala carte restaurants had no a/c.we didn't starve...entertainment was ok..missed beach party because it was not advertised anywhere and we had gone to town to party..

Barcelo Solymar: Interesting visit

Enjoyed my stay at the resort, the beach was nice, grounds loving and the people were wonderful. It was a quite week as the President Castro passed away,so the country was to mourn for 9 days,no music,no dancing, no alcohol off the resort.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Good and Bad but mostly Good !!

-the ocean was terrible at this location full of sea grass and huge patches of seaweed...unlike any other resort I've stayed at in the DR and this was my 4th resort. Most people on the beach weren't ever in the water...and there was garbage in the water I guess from the party boat businesses which are right at the edge of the property. - the beach was great plenty of chairs and clean - the staff was OUTSTANDING...the hardest working and most helpful people I have encountered at any re [... read more]sort anywhere!! - the food in the buffet restaurant was just ok but the other restaurants were pretty good and no issues getting reservations and the drinks were plentiful although only 2 bars a lobby bar and a beach bar - the Palace part was very nice with the casino and stores and the better restaurants and the little train that runs between the 2 parts of the resort was great

Barcelo Solymar: Resort

This was our third visit to this resort complex, we were disappointed that it is going downhill. We could barely open our room door as it was rubbing on the floor. The TV remote did not work, but we talked to people who were amazed that we had one. The grounds were somewhat kept up, the pools were really nice. We bought a internet card and wasted the whole hour trying to get on the internet, we never did get an English connection, even after asking 4 people who understood Spanish to help us.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: A very pleasant surprise!

The Barcelo Maya Beach Resort is a fabulous place. Many pools, bars, restaurants, and paths to explore. Our 2 year old grandson just had a ball in the children's pools. The staff was very helpful. The grounds are well groomed. The rooms were great. Overall a great experience and we are planning a return in the future.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: comfortable resort

The resort was busy, but very well operated. The room we had was great , reasonably clean but dated. The service was 4 star, and all personnel was very friendly and accommodating. The beach was well stocked with beach chairs and shade when needed. The beach was second to none, very clean, and picturesque. This resort is affiliated with the Solamar resort, which makes it very nice because the sharing of restaurants and services make both resorts a better place. The Solamar was extremely busy and  [... read more]a bit noisy compared to the Arenus Blanca. We met allot of very nice vacationers from all over the world. The majority were Canadian.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Service definitely needs improvement

Just returned from Punta Cana and while the resort and beach are nice and the food is decent (don't bother with the steak restaurant) the service leaves a lot to be desired. I've been down south over 20 times and I have never encountered such a lack of service or effort on the part of staff (mainly at the buffet and restaurants). I should add though that the bellman, front desk and maids were fine. The restaurant staff often made it feel like they were doing you a favour if you asked for some [... read more]thing. There seems to be an assembly like atmosphere......get the job done and go on to the next task. Perhaps the staff are overworked and not happy but whatever the reason, management should seriously pay attention to this problem. At almost every meal, we'd have to ask at least 2 people for our drinks. At one meal, we were led to a table that had food spilled on the floor. In addition, a waitress spilled a considerable amount of water nearby and at no time throughout the meal did anyone make an effort to clean any of the food or water. At the Italian restaurant, instead of a greeting the first thing the waiter said to us in a brusque manner was 'are you ready to order'? We chose this resort primarily for the golf course which was excellent but the lack of service will ensure we will not return.

Barcelo Karmina: One of the Best in the Area

Two weeks at the Karmina Nov 20-Dec 4. Still off season, hotel occupancy about 50%. Weather beautiful, a couple of night showers.Our first time in Manzanillo. Lovely hotel and staff, spacious rooms, excellent food with lots of fish and seafood. A La cartes were OK, but not spectacular--not all open every night. We got 7 a la carte cards for 2 weeks. Kudos to Mierela of Westjet tours and to Jessica, the Hotel Concierge.

Barcelo Solymar: Great Location!

The hotel was right on the beach and in central Varadero, so we could walk into town no problem. The beaches were gorgeous and very clean. We had an ocean front room, so we enjoyed the view very much from our balcony. We only at a la carte once (seafood) as the others were booked in the earlier time slots which we preferred. The dinner at the seafood was very good. We never had a problem getting drinks and the staff was always very friendly and helpful. The food at the buffet was fine, there was [... read more] a good variety. It was nice that the grounds were shared with Barceló Arenas as we could choose where to eat or which pools to use. The only negative was that because Castro had died on the day we left, there was no music anywhere in Cuba, though this was no fault of the resort, it was a part of Cuba we missed out on ... guess we will have to go back another time. :-)

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Awesome Resort!

We had a fabulous holiday at Barcelo Bavaro beach! I would go back tomorrow. We both really enjoyed our time in paradise. The people were all very friendly and helpful with anything you needed. The restaurants both a LA carte or buffet were amazing!. The grounds were kept immaculate, everything was beautiful. We met some really nice people and quite a few people who had been to this resort several times.....in fact one couple had been 16 times in the last 18 years so that tells you right th [... read more]ere that is a wonderful resort! We can't wait to go back.

Occidental Costa Cancun: Good value

We stayed at the hotel for 7 nights. Overall, we had good time there and were quite happy with the service, food selection, pool condition and entertainment provided at the location. However the second night I realized there were cockroaches in our room. I complained and we were upgraded to a very clean room with a terrace and a nice view over the resort. Our stay was very pleasant since. I think you will get a good value for your money just be careful of the bugs. Check your room before settli [... read more]ng for the night!

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Great resort!

The hotel was great and it was attracted to the Solymar. That made the experience even better. The hotel was walking distance from night clubs and shopping. It was very convenient and the beaches were close by as well. The staff was very friendly!!!

Barcelo Solymar: Great resort for singles!

Food was good in the buffet (didn't try any a-la-cart restaurants) Great big beach to relax, or sit near the music. Nice selection of pools. Close walk to clubs. Close to airport. Always people ready to mingle...all day. Disco's too loud and cluttered with chairs. Gym was under maintenance all week Nov. 19-26/2016. Good service by all staff. Water dripped from bathroom ceiling. Not much going on during the day expect relax or drink!

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Exceptional resort

Enjoyed a lovely week, inspite of some unseasonal rainy weather. The resort is large and spread out so you are never crowded or experience long lines. The food is delicious with so many choices it makes it hard to make a decision.. There are so many a la carte choices that it can keep you busy every evening. The hard working staff are very, very friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean and efficient. I can't think of anything to complain about.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: No disappointments here!

A well maintained and very attractive resort with everything anyone could want - lovely swimming pools, beautiful beach and landscaped grounds. Our room had a couple of minor maintenance issues but on the whole was satisfactory and the bed very comfortable. Staff were great - my husband needed a wheelchair which was promptly supplied and help was readily available any time he needed it. This is a large resort but we never had to wait in line and there were hundreds of sun-loungers with plenty o [... read more]f shade. Food was very good with a big selection at the buffet and wonderful dinners at the "a la carte" restaurants. We enjoyed watching the daily dolphin shows too!

Barcelo Solymar: Just the basics

Great pool areas; we were able to move around based on whether we wanted more or less of a party atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food was nothing special. The buffet was cold, and often mislabeled. It wasn't horrible, just blah. The buildings are a little old and tired, which explains the construction (which did not bother us, with the exception of having the sports bar under renovation). All in all, I expected more from a Barcelo resort, seeing as past experience has been excellent.