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.
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Private -
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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!
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Private -
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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!!!
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Sudbury single -
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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!
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Private -
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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.
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Judy -
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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!
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Mrlosst -
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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.
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Krissy -
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Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Amazing Time!
This hotel is currently under renovations as we knew about this before we went and contrary to what others have wrote on Trip Advisor the construction was NO BIG DEAL. Unless you plan to sleep all day in your room in which case you may hear some of the banging but otherwise the noise is limited to 10-5 everyday. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous, monkeys, birds, flamingos as you walk around the resort. The pools are spotless and the entertainment staff at the activities pool are a blast and s[... read more]o accommodating (especially Marialuna and Ali). The food was really good and selection of restaturants (and the fact that you do not need to make reservations in advance - this was a first for us) was amazing. There was food choices for everyone - even the pickiest of eaters. Bars and bartenders and servers were phenomenal and would serve top shelf booze if requested and always with a smile. We had pool side service and an amazing server (Noemi) who always made sure we were taken care of. I would and will definitely go back to this resort. My only complaint if I had one was the beach and it is small (but we knew that going in and made the best of it).
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Lisa 2016 -
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Barcelo Maya Colonial: Barcelo chain of resorts is huge!
We stayed at the Colonial which has the authentic Mexican look (as did the Tropical buildings) They are clean and well kept but older looking and if authentic is what you want, then choose either of those two. If you want more modern looking I would choose the Caribe or Beach resort. We didn't stay at those, but from the outside it looked more modern with ceramics tiles and less traditional looking. When you stay at one you have access to the main hub of them all. Each hotel has its own lob[... read more]by/check in etc. but they are all connected with TONS of walking and beach front. There is a double decker bus to take you to each of them should you need a ride. There is one more resort but its exclusive for those who have tons of extra money to spare. Its called the Royale Palace Deluxe. They do have access to the other four though. You get free Wi-Fi in the mall/shopping area each day from 10am to 1pm only! You can pay extra if you want all access though. The buffet was ok....breakfast was good since you can't go wrong with fresh eggs and toast plus a huge assortment of stuff to choose from. Lunch & dinner buffet was touch and go. For those looking for a huge assortment but not fussy on taste...its good. The a la carte restaurants were the best food and it was awesome!! You have to go to the Tokyo Japanese for the great presentation and food!!! The ONLY place open to eat 24/7 was the "sports bar" located at the 6/10Caribe section of the mall. If I had to rate those snacks it would be 6/10. If you like runny cheese on your nachos its good for you then. Can't go wrong with the all you can drink booze/drinks though. Although each bartender makes them different!! Pools close at dark, which was around 6pm...so if you are looking for something to do after dark...good luck! Unless you are into a party you can check out Jaguars' night club (we didn't but its a night club, not much to explain). Each night at 9:30pm they have a 45 minute show, different each night. Excursions...you have to do the ALLTOURNATIVE tours they were amazing! We did two...one was atv/zipline/maya jungle walk and swimming in a cenote. The other was a mayan village tour/lunch/walk, zip line, repel into a cenote and bike ride to see mayan ruins in coba. amazing!!! Overall I would give this resort a 4 not a 4.5 but we had a great time. Our kids are 11,14,16 and there was no teens/kids club so they were bored after the pool closed. We would visit again, but just the two of us. If you have younger kids, they have a kiddie pool/water slides and a kids club which looked great for young ones. Oh, and if you can speak Spanish that is an asset because the front desk staff (all two of them at any given time) they speak a little bit of English. The bar tenders know drink names and that is about it. Maids/other workers won't even look at you so unless you know Spanish, don't bother asking them for anything. I had to ask front desk 3 times after trying to ask maid staff for a face cloth for 3 days. Just minor things, but if you need anything good luck getting it! Also, the communication between each resort isn't the same. I asked my front desk staff what the theme at the show was for that night, at the other resort and they had no idea. Vice versa, I asked them a question about the "water park" and they had to call them and still got no answer. Mixed messages and lots of walking in the heat to find out was frustrating. The pirates waterpark costs $15 USD for one day use per person. It has a few small waterslides and a surf simulator. No shade really though so put on your sunscreen. It was open 9-5pm. It was fun for one day for our kids.
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Mariaz -
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Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great resort !
My wife & I spent one week @ Barcelo Maya Colonial Beach .This was one of the best places we've ever visited.
Great place for singles,couples and family.No lineups in restaurants and very good food.Rooms are extremely clean.
Looking forward to going to this place again,but this time for more than seven days.
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Kgbalana -
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Barcelo Solymar: Amazing resort
The room always gets cleaned by housekeepers. Although there were some things that need fixing such as the light fixture, toilet seat, hair dryer at the room we stayed. Other than that service is pretty good. Food is alright. But my overall experience has been fantastic and I would definitely come back and recommend it to my friends and family
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Nancyjo -
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Barcelo Maya Colonial: Something for Everyone
First impression, this resort is extremely clean and beautiful. The lobby is elegent and spacious with lush gardens throughout the resort. The rooms were large and very nice. We went Premium, but would not go that route again. Some things we did not get with that package, so not worth the extra money.
Pools are clean and lots of room to find a chair or your own little space. The beach is long and tons of room for a lounger or a nice long walk. Gorgeous sun rises here every morning. Yes[... read more] there are tons of rocks and coral in the water, but we were able to find space to walk in without hitting the rocks and loved the clear blue water. The water activities were plentiful and easy to use and lots of fun.
The staff were nice, but again would not go Premium again as they were not overly helpful and customer service is not a priority at all. The buffets were actually better than the al al carte's as there was much more selection and better tasting. The exception was the Mexican restaurant where they served extremely good food and they were very attentive.
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Snash -
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Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Great golf holiday!
Just returned from a week at the Barcelo Bavaro Beach. Golfed every morning and spent every afternoon at the beach. Loved everything about this resort and the Palace next door whose amenities we shared. Pretty much every activity or sport is available there. The golf course was fantastic, the beach beautiful. Super clean. Walk to the beach from any part of the hotel is never more than a minute or two.
Only negative and not bad enough to stop me from going again, was the wine in the buff[... read more]et restaurants both at lunch and dinner was undrinkable. We drank beer after the first day. Coffee service at all meals was also very slow to non existent.
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Weller -
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Barcelo Maya Colonial: Amazing as usual
we have been to this resort 6 times and it did not disappoint! Many upgrades and service and food were fabulous. I would not recommend the bowling however. Very poorly run. Did not have shoes to fit the children and then offered bumpers on our 10th frame....geez thanks! We also were never asked if we wanted a beverage or snack which is included! When paying $15/person you kind of expect some service.
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Kimberlee -
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Barcelo Maya Caribe: awesome resort
we have been going to this resort for 10 years it never disappoints biggest draw for us is the amazing beach no complaints ...staff is friendly and helpful rooms are clean and food is good.
have stayed at all sections of this resort except the palace.
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Semi-Adventurous Traveler -
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Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Twice Lucky, Great times
The Occidental at Xcaret Destination is a great place to visit especially if you like excursions they are so close to everything that you will never run out of things to do. The food is amazing, my favorite the Steakhouse went twice for the sirloin. The pool is huge with a great swim up bar the only down side to that is the wonderful waterfall over the bar it looks great but you can't get away from the bar without a watered down drink. The staff are always friendly and eager to help. The one dow[... read more]nside to this resort and I find it with many is the constant request to be a part of the vacation club, the "free" gift you will get but only if you do a tour and sit through a sales presentation. It gets tiring and eventually just a nuisance. But for good food, clean room, great swimming and even safe snorkeling on the beach the Occidental is perfect.
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LAM -
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Occidental Caribe: Better than expected !
Stayed @ the Barcelo Punta Cana from Oct22-29th
My wife and I went there for a family wedding.
We have been to Punta Cana many times and usually stay @ 5 star resorts.This resort was listed at
3-1/2 to 4 star so my exoectations were not high !
We were pleasantly surprised as the hotel turned out
to be better than we expected.The rooms while on the small size are well kept with a very comfortable bed.
The beach and pool areas were very good and the grounds beautiful and well kept. The food [... read more]in the buffet was O.K. but a little on the bland side ( more spices required )abd sevice needed was sadly lacking. The a la
carte restaurants were pretty good and had good meals at the French, Japanese & Italian retaurants.
One complaint I had read about before going was that check in was very slow and that turned out to be true. They need to improve in that regard !
The service overall was O.K. and I would recommend trying to learn a couple of Spanish words, goes a long way to getting better service.
Most of the staffs English is @ a minimum though we did meet some who were quite fluent. The hotel did an excellent job for the wedding day and a fun day was had by all as we danced under the stars on the beach after the ceremony & meal !!
Wanted to mention that this resort is being taken over by the Occidental chain in December, so there was a lot of renovations being done on rooms/hotel.
The noise bothered some people but you have to appreciate the improvements they are making. I would recommend this hotel for people not requiring
4-5 star treatment but a nice getaway !
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Private -
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Occidental Caribe: Solid 3 star Hotel
Check in is a very slow process. Better at late arrivals.
I would like to clarify the “Blocks†of the hotel.
“Blocks†are sections, but all connected through 1 horseshoe shaped building.
Wheelchair accessible. Although some elevators didn’t work, others did,
So you can still get everywhere.
Hotel has a great friendly staff.
Very clean rooms and public washrooms throughout the resort.
Our room was perfect, (Block 6/ 2nd floor) balcony facing the pool, pool bar and ocean, [... read more]although others in our party weren’t so lucky.
Some had mold in their room, some had broken shower heads, and some were placed on construction floors.
Block 3 is above the buffet dining room, so quite noisy early mornings (6 am) preparing for breakfast.
Food is ok, a little bland, but ok. Beef is quite tough! Stick to chicken, pork, and pasta.
Breakfast was always amazing!!! Fantastic chocolate croissants, omelets, pancakes, French toast and fresh fruit.
A la carte restaurants are not all opened daily, so try to go to the French, Japanese and Italian Restaurants.
You are able to make your reservations daily. Reservation office opens at 7 am.
Weekends the resort is opened to the locals, so it gets very busy! Try to stay away from
The buffet on weekend dinners. Crazy busy!!!
Drinks are not so great. House wine is absolutely AWFUL!!! Wine drinkers beware!!! You can purchase a decent bottle of wine ($40)
No real juice other than cranberry juice. Orange, pineapple and fruit juices are a sort of powdered tang.
Don’t expect to have yummy chill blended tropical drinks. They do serve Pina Coladas but from a pre-made mix slush machine.
Cappuccinos are amazing!!! Very, very good!!!
Pools are clean and well maintained.
Doesn’t really have an adult pool, but the one without the swim up pool bar is quieter and more relaxing than the other.
Beach is very nice with lots of lounge chairs available in the sun or the shade.
We were here for a friend’s wedding. (54 guests)
They did a fantastic job with all wedding preps, although most were at extra costs to the bride and groom.
All in all, the resort is a good and solid 3 star.
If you get a good deal on your trip, (around $1000) you will be happy, just don’t pay extra to upgrade because then you will be disappointed.
Upgrades aren’t any better than regular. Some in our group paid almost ($1500.) and had the same as we did.
But if you want a clean, friendly, and safe vacation at a reasonable price, then this is a great one.
If you are looking for a 5 star, get pampered all week, white glove treatment, well, don’t come here.
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Brian -
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Occidental Caribe: Great resort
I found the resort very clean and well maintain.Service was very good from wait staff to house cleaning. they had lots of activities for every age. The beaches are the best I have see. Food was good not great but very good.
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Private -
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Royal Hideaway Playacar: Fantastic Getaway!!!
Just got back from this amazing resort!! It was our second time there and we were still impressed !!
Fantastic food and service!!! The resort is a perfect place to go to escape the busy world !!! The rooms and resort are very very clean !!! Our concierge Edgar was amazing and very good at his job!! Down on the beach we had Igor to greet us and help us every morning and all day long !!! The other guys were fantastic too....David, Javier, and so many more!!!!!
The beach is one of the best we hav[... read more]e had !!! I would highly recommend this resort if you want peace and quiet and fantastic food and service !!!!