Occidental Caribe: Beautiful Beach

The staff were friendly and kind. Most however did not speak/understand basic English, but they tried and were always smiling. The activities staff (Alex, Alexander, Gabriel and Warlin) were fabulous and always went the extra mile to make you feel included and remembered. The energy they portrayed was wild. They were always ready to pump up the crowd and have a great time. Evening entertainment was enjoyable at the theater and we had a great time participating in the Ideal Couple show. We booked [... read more] for the honeymoon package and were very pleased with our ocean view upgrade and extra amenities they provided us. We were disappointed that our romantic dinner on the beach became a romantic dinner beside the bar (no privacy, very loud with drunk guests all around us) as the light was out on the beach and it was very windy. It would've been nice to be a little more secluded for this type of dinner (maybe off on the chess court, since it was private and not in use at night). The beach was spectacular and very clean. Beaches at the other hotels were covered in seaweed and not cleaned. Barceló, definitely had the longest, nicest and most spacious beach, with lots of palm trees to nap under and it never felt over populated. The food was ok. Some days were better than others. My milk soured in my coffee one morning and you need to be careful of the foods that are left out in the heat at the buffets (pasta salad with mayo). Variety of foods was good. The A La Cart restaurants that we were able to experience (Japanese, Dominican, Seafood) were excellent. New Years dinner was a little chaotic at the Dominican a la cart, as they were never sure what they had or hadn't served you yet. We did spend a lot of time dodging the Coco Bongo representatives while there. They really wanted you to purchase their package and didn't like taking no for an answer. They were a little pushy when you just wanted to relax and be left alone. The pools were great! Loved the sun loungers in the quiet pool (except for the kids playing all over them, when their pool was right beside it) and the pool bar was fantastic. The bartenders were always friendly. Our room cleaner did forget to restock our fridge twice and towels (we had none for 2 days) and had to use our beach towels in the room. The resort lost power for a few hours and water. However, they had it up and running within a couple of hours and they did a great job at keeping all the guests happy. We were pleased with how they dealt with this situation (especially since it was New Year's eve). Overall, this hotel was pretty great for the price. There were some things that could change to make it even better, but we were pleased with how helpful, friendly and kind everyone was.

Barcelo Solymar: Good and Bad Resort

the resort is basically this: Pros - great beach, lively crowd, good party scene, decent bungalow room, nicely landscaped, good staff, great location Cons - horrible food (ate dinner in Varadero every night), rooms are outdated, all public washrooms and facilities are terrible.

Barcelo Solymar: Fun in the sun!

The hotel wasn't the best, didn't have any hot water all week, food was pretty good and the beach was gorgeous! I wish the accommodations were a little better, service wise. And also I wish the same bartender, server and/or front desk cert worked no so stageared. Other than that the staff were nice and the people in the cities were friendly to Canadians!

Barcelo Huatulco: Great Resort

The resort was great. Service was excellent. Great restaurant choices. Buffet could get better. Activities were well coordinated. Convenient location to the airport and the city. Without hesitation, I can recommend this resort.

Barcelo Solymar: You get what you pay for

All in all this was a good trip. Would I go back to the Solymar side probably not, but maybe the Arenas Blancas side.... Pros: - great beach with lots of chairs and shade umbrellas - if you're interested in partying this is the place to be, there was a party by the pool every night - walking distance to the town - the lobby with the hanging vines is beautiful - able to go between the 2 resorts Cons: - the food was as to be expected but we found things to eat - the resort needs maintenance (ext [... read more]erior needs a paint job, shower door fell off in my bathroom, the lobby bathrooms need updating, only 1 jacuzzi was working) If you want to get away for cheap it's a good option.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Awesome Family Vacation!

Stayed at the resort from December 13-20, 2015. Check in was quick and easy, and our rooms were perfect! (5232, 5233). Quite happy with positioning as far as resort location, and view! The service was awesome... Found the staff friendly and accommodating. Food was good.. I really did feel that there was always something you could find that was good... Lunch seemed like the best selection to me? The best a la carte in our opinion was the Steak house.. we went 3 times! We also tried Italian and Me [... read more]xican.. I would give it Fair... but we spoke to others who totally loved it! Vincente, our server in the Steak house was exceptional! We did find it a little challenging to find chairs where we wanted them, but we managed :) Rooms were clean, and our fridge was always well stocked. I would definitely recommend this resort. The only thing is if you are looking for a small resort, this is not for you...this resort is huge! It never felt too busy or crowded...but it is definitely large!

Barcelo Maya Colonial: The resort was amazing

Everything was excellent, especially the food and the pools. The pools had fantastic slides for the kids and the beach was readily accessible. We also liked the hospitality of the hotel staff, the entertainment, the shopping and free WiFi in the MAYA MALL.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Amazing Vacations at Barcelo Maya Beach Resort

My niece (16years old) and I went to Barcelo Maya Beach Resort. The Barcelo Maya Beach was a excellent resort, the staff were friendly and always helpful, food was great and the beaches were 5 star, I would definitely be back again and would recommend Barcelo to any one who wants to go to the Mayan Riviera

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Great Resort!

This resort is good. The food was good with lots of selection. They are a bit disorganized in setting things up, for instance we were celebrating our 30th anniversary and I had asked if they did anything for this and they said they send you up a bottle of wine to your room, as well as a breakfast in your room the morning of your anniversary. I arranged this with guest services, and we never did receive anything or hear anything from them. A bit disappointed with that, what was the point of even  [... read more]inquiring about it. Resort is kept very clean, and beach is beautiful. Lots to do there. When we checked out they never did ask how are stay was either, which I thought was kind of funny because most places do ask that when you check out.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Open Air Dining and Ocean Views.

Every all inclusive resorts have their good and not so good points. Overall, the Barcelo Bavaro Beach Club deserves praise for the things it does right. The beach location is good with a beautiful walkway joining the larger and more extravagant Barcelo Palace which is family friendly. The Beach Club is an adult's only resort with average, but clean rooms. The beauty of these accommodations is that all rooms have an ocean view. Maid service could be better. The buffets were satisfactory but, wher [... read more]e the Barcelo stands out, was in the quality of its a la crate restaurants. There are many to choose from spread throughout the multi hotel complex. These are true a la cartes not the hybrid varieties found at other resorts. No salad, appetizer buffets here. You order all dishes from a menu and they are served to you. The perfect date night! Probably the best I have experienced. The beach was good with the water not too deep and plenty of clean washrooms within easy reach. It was easy to get a spot under a palm tree any time of day. bar service was good and there was entertainment every night. The hotel had a beautiful pool. The Barcelo has a small open air feel. We enjoyed our week's vacation there. Our only concern was that we weren't there to see every palm tree lit with Christmas lights.

Barcelo Solymar: Varadero's Best Resort!!

The Barceló Solymar Hotel is, I think, the best in Cuba! It is clean, the staff are friendly and very helpful, and it has a beautiful pool and grounds. It's close to the beach and minutes away from the main shopping strip downtown. It has a nice party atmosphere that winds down by midnight and if you are craving more dancing past this you can go next door to Arenas Blancas and continue the all inclusive party or go to dance clubs in the area. This was my second trip there in 1 year and will def [... read more]initely go back again and again! I can't wait for the next time I can go!!

Occidental Caribe: Perfect Resort

I plan to return for my next vacation, beautiful, can't say enough about how perfect the Excellence is. The pool is amazing, lots of restaurants and bars. Beautiful beach although the ocean is very choppy. This was not an issue as we spent most of our time at the pool.

Barcelo Huatulco: NO AIRCONDITIONED BAR

IT IS LIKE A NEW MERCEDES WITH A 11 hp BRIGS LAWNMOWER ENGINE- ALL SHOW NO GO. FOOD POISONING, TOO MUCH HEAT, NO WHERE COOL TO SIT AND HAVE A BEER. DRY PATH FROM THE POOL BAR TO THE WASHROOM, COMBATIVE STAFF AT THE DESK, ETC.

Barcelo Puerto Vallarta: Very pleasant resort and people

We enjoyed the resort. The room was spotless and the bed and bedding was fabulous. Unfortunately the food was just OK. The Spanish restaurant was good. The Japanese restaurant was very poor. The hostess was rude and you could smell rancid oil in the restaurant. The a la carte restaurant was pleasant for breakfast.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Favorite Resort

Top notch service, very clean, very satisfied. First trip here in 2012 and never stopped thinking about this resort. We traveled to other resorts in area but found this our favorite. Since they renovated there are more pools and never looking for an open chair as you will have many options. Best beach, food and accommodations. We recommend Jolly Roger Pirate Ship dinner cruise for an excursion and the Ruins that were discovered in 1995 (Ek Balam) Can't wait to return in another year. We plan on  [... read more]bringing a total of at least 50 folks for a grand family celebration.

Occidental Caribe: great resort

This hotel is great.The food is great so is the superior rooms so is the cleanliness.The staff is very friendly and very devoted.The beach is excellent except for some seaweeds on some days.The best feature of this hotel is the layout wich provides pool view as well as ocean view from the main buffet the main bars and the beach bar.The Tokio a la carte restaurant is excellent and so is the Marenostrum restaurant.Do not book the regular rooms because they are a bit run-down.I have been there 7 ti [... read more]mes from 2009 including 2 times in 2015.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great Stay!

Had a nice time at the resort. Overall it was very clean and quite beautiful. We stayed at the Maya Colonial which we found out once we got there was the last resort to be renovated (there are 4 sister resorts). Once we walked around the grounds and saw the other resorts we realized that we could've stayed at a much nicer resort. The Maya Colonial is one of the more expensive places to stay but paled in comparison to the other beautiful, newly updated resorts next door. Wish we would have known  [... read more]that. The rooms on the ground floor flooded. Thankfully we were on the second floor but kept hearing stories from other guests we travelled with of flooded rooms. A La Carte restaurants were nice. I would definitely go back, just wouldn't stay at the Colonial.

Barcelo Huatulco: Nice Resort

Almost completed their major renovations which have totally rejuvenated the resort. Great beach, probably best on the bay, and beautiful warm and clear water. They need to get some extra training for their bartenders. Friendly staff and well maintained room - best water pressure in shower of any previous Mexican/Caribbean trip. All things being equal, we would definitely return to this hotel.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Fantastic resort

Let me first mentiob the staff, particularly Yuni Eusebio who took care of my son when he hurt himself on the second day of our trip. He arranged the trip to the clinic and was quite helpful. Manuel Guillandeaux was also helpful. The staff called for the next three days to check on my son's recuperation which was very much appreciated. The grounds were immaculate, the hotel was clean, the beach was wonderful, chairs around the pool were always available.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Nice place, service was OK.

Nice resort, more amenities on the side with families. Service at the bar was lacking. Would have been nice to have a swim up bar at the adults only resort. Would have been nice if WiFi was included in the price of the resort.