Occidental Arenas Blancas: our happy place

The biggest plus about this hotel is the location and the added bonus of being able to use a second hotel on the property. We have been frequenting this hotel for years mostly because of location and wonderful staff. We just returned (April 2025) and must say they have really improved on their food offerings, there was variety and plenty to eat. We cant wait to go back in December.

Occidental Punta Cana: Occidental punta cana

The property is well maintained and the pools are well taken care of and very clean. You can tell that the rooms are becoming a bit aged and supplies like water and towels are not always kept filled but quickly handled once customer service contacted. The room we were in only had a plug-in at the coffee nook so at least we could alternate to plug in phones but it was too far away for me to use my cpap machine so went without it.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Barcelona Riviera

Beautiful hotel very clean with nice grounds. Food was good. Limited availability for a la carte restaurants. Not enough loungers people were reserving very early in the morning (5:30 am). Staff very friendly and helpful.

Occidental Papagayo: Quiet resort

Beautiful grounds, nice selection at buffet. Nice main pool, didnt spend any time at swim up bar. Friendly staff. Rooms are a little dated but well kept. Beach was nice. Monkeys , iguanas and lots of birds

Occidental Caribe: great resort

The rooms were ok not great but there was issues that got resolved we changed rooms 2 times first room people were already in the room that was our room Second room the door didnt work the patio door did not shut the ac did not work the ceiling in the bathroom leak so we moved again to a good room other than that it was a good place

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Beautiful resort, but beaches are weird

Everything about the hotel is perfect! The service, the room, the cleaning, the food! The only comment I have about this resort is the beaches. I understand the seaweed situation is out of the resort's control, but the rest is manageable. On the first day we came, we went for a swim in the ocean and my husband stubbed his toe really badly on a random rock. We found many dips in the water where there was just rocks. I stubbed my toe, but not as badly as my husband (his toe was purple for 5 days [... read more]). I feel like it's either lacking sand, or rock removal is necessary. But adding sand would make it more shallow than it already is... so you can't snorkel unless you go really far out (close to the ropes).

Occidental Punta Cana: Ok resort

Although I wasn’t happy either the resort for various reasons, I was extremely happy with the service I received from Jenn Black. Very professional and even helped me with documents I didn’t understand. I will definitely be booking with her again

Occidental Tucancun: Clean Place

Enjoyed our week. Rooms were very clean. Hotel very clean. Staff very friendly. Entertainment was ok. Not very exciting. The lobby music entertainment was the same every night. Same music. Didn't start until 10:15-10:25 and ended at 11:00pm. There was nothing else to do so went up to our room. Only 3 a la cartes. Mexican (didn't like), Seafood (they had a chicken dish for those who didn't eat seafood/fish) and Italian which was by far the best. Had to line up at 7:00am to book your a  [... read more]l carte. We managed eat at one every night. Buffet was ok. Not an assortment of food, but could find something to eat every day. Preferred the Seafood restaurant for breakfast and lunch as it was close to the pool. Adult pool area was nice. Always found a lounge. Didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to reserve one. Didn't go to the family/party pool. Ocean was very rocky. Red flag every day so didn't go in the water. Very little seaweed. Beach clean. No one bothers you on the beach. Didn't venture out of the hotel as we got there late at night. Had I'd known there was a mall across the street, I would have ventured out!

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Family Vacation

The resort is large with lots of pools and separate kids water park type pools, the grounds are clean and well kept. The staff were all friendly and attentive. The food at the buffet was very good (for a buffet) and the food at the ala cart restaurant's were excellent. The rooms were decent, clean and generally in good condition except for some of the furniture, it was a little wore out. This was the first trip for our grandchild and we had a great time. If you like large resorts I would defin [... read more]itely recommend this resort. Lastly Monique at Trip Central was great to deal with when we booked this trip, thanks for all your help Monique.

Occidental Cozumel: Ok resort

Beach is washed out Nightly Entertainment is severely lacking Room had two twin beds instead of one queen as requested for sylvain and katharine No safe or fridge in room, room service offered in lieu of Dive shop was amazing Pool table only accessible during bar opening hours, teens need to be gone before 9:30pm for pool A la cartes were good, although we all felt very full / slightly ill after the mexican restaurant Buffet is small / runs out of foods quickly I would return to Iberos [... read more]tar way before going back to the Occidental.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Amazing resort

This resort did not disappoint. Beautiful, excellent food, clean. Lots to do on and off the resort. Highly recommend. We played mini golf, spent a couple of hours at the U spa which was amazing. They offer 40 percent off in the first 48 hours of arrival. Take advantage of it. You won't regret it. The shows were fantastic. Couldn't believe the quick changes into the elaborate costumes. Our favorite show was the Hollywood movie night. Can't say enough about this hotel. You have access t [... read more]o the other barcello resorts that are right next door. It's like its own little village. You never have to leave and we didn't.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Beautiful Place

We were very impressed with the complex as a whole. The cleanliness was excellent. This is accomplished by an amazing group of people. Anywhere or anytime we interacted with staff we could not have been treated better. Really friendly people who want to make your experience a most enjoyable one.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Lovely Resort

Stayed for a week with friends. Beautiful modern clean resort. Rooms are huge and well equipped. Lots of food options and access to the 5 family resorts located on the property. Staff were friendly and helpful. Worth the extra to book oceanfront rooms with beautiful views of water and sunrise. Only thing that could be improved is the a la carte booking process. All manual, could be done online. Info about entertainment, resort activities, buffet opening times, bar opening times etc  [... read more]could be available on one app if developed to avoid a lot of wasted time. All that info is in different places and spend a lot of time looking for it if you are a first time visitor.

Royal Hideaway Playacar: A slice of paradise!

The resort surpassed our expectations. From the moment we arrived and 8 days later, we were impressed with the consistency of all staff, cleanliness in all areas and the sense of relaxation the resort provided. Our room was very comfortable in a quiet area surrounded with palm trees. The 6 restaurants were very good with excellence in service and a nice variety of food. The 6 pools were lovely, clean and well kept. We spent most of our time at the beach and liked that you didn’t have to get up e [... read more]arly to reserve a sun bed. There were always plenty to choose from. The beach was well maintained by the resort and you can enjoy a nice leisure walk in both directions. Yoga on the beach is offered 3 times a week and the instructor was excellent. We didn’t want to leave!

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Barcelo Mayan Riviera March 2025

The staff were very friendly and helpful. The rooms were very clean. There was a nice variety of food every day at the buffets. I enjoyed the coffee machines. The beach was very good for kids. The pools were warm. Hard to get into the restaurants that required booking with our group of 7. Also getting a beach chair was challenging- had to reserve very early in the morning.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Amazing Experience Booking with Tripcentral!

We recently booked a trip through Tripcentral, and the experience was fantastic from start to finish! Their team was extremely helpful and punctual in sending all necessary documents, making the entire booking process smooth and stress-free. What really stood out was their outstanding communication. Anytime I had a question about our trip, they responded quickly and provided clear, helpful answers. It’s reassuring to book with a company that truly prioritizes customer service. If you're pl [... read more]anning a trip and want a hassle-free experience with great support, I highly recommend Tripcentral!

Allegro Playacar: Much Needed Vacay!

This cute little resort is tucked away in a charming, gated Suburb Playacar. Staff were very pleasant and helpful, food was always fresh and delicious. Their meal times were lengthy to give all guests a chance to dine. Pools were clean and refreshing with plenty of loungers-all in perfect condition. The grounds are beautiful and exciting to see local wildlife - the Coatl, the Agouti and many lizards. Found it intriguing that there is a staff who carries a falcon around to scare away the pesty bl [... read more]ack birds. The rooms had a comfy hammock and 2 chairs to lounge on the porch. Inside was cozy but not a lot of space to put away luggage. Big screen tv with lots of English channels. Beds were firm with lots of pillows. The sink and mirror was outside the bathroom which was handy for 2 sisters travelling together. The bathroom was clean and had a shower only - unfortunately very low water pressure and virtually no hot water. Varied activities in the pool, my favourite was the Mariachi band - they were fantastic! There was a movie and a show almost every night - my favourite was the Michael Jackson tribute. I didn't make it to the little Discotech. The beach had an abundance of loungers. The 1st day water was quite choppy and there was a lot of seaweed on the shore but we braved the waters anyway. The rest of the time, beach was gorgeous and we could walk very far out enjoying the gentle roll of the waves. Just a 2 minute walk down the street was a great outdoor shopping mall, with lots of vendors and even a Starbucks. Playa Del Carmen is only about 10min drive away....taxi charged us 300 MXN Pesos each way which we thought was expensive but we enjoyed shopping on '5th Avenue'. We booked our own excursion through the Air Transat app, with Viator Tours, to Chichen Itza, Valladolid and Cenote Chichikan for $160 CDN each. Included all transportation, entrance to all, a buffet lunch and Tequila taste testing. Other excursions I've been on we were provided drinks on the bus - water and usually a shot of tequila, unfortunately none were provided. We really enjoyed ourselves (myself, sister, brother, sister-in-law, adult nephew). There's a good possibility my sister and I will be back next year!

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Paradisiac and Wonderful Place!!

This hotel left us ALL in awe. We came in a group of about 30 people for a destination wedding. All of us were amazed at the high quality of the food served, of the high cleaning standards, to the unforgettable and constant smiles of servers, dancers, actors, employees at the Reception desk, at the points of sale. The Officiant at the wedding was Superb, as well as the girl that organizes the weddings and the Photographer couldn't take better pictures. Everything was like a dream come true! Supe [... read more]r clean rooms, exotic food served with passion and incredible handcraft and ability. Everything was exceptional. The turtles in the open sea, the sea life, the multiple amenities!!! The many pools were superb. Even the TV channels offered multiple up-to-date movies and TV shows. The Spa was like a 5 star Hilton Hotel. I do not have enough words of encouragement for the outstanding work preformed everywhere. From the personnel washing the floors and the walls (!) of hallways at 6 am in the morning, to the dedicated people collecting seaweed on a daily basis.... Zero defects. Simply amazing. I haven't stopped giving all my praises to your wonderful Barcelo Maya Tropical. You make Mexico great! You've got my 5 Michelin stars for all of you in the blink of an eye. Felicitaciones!!!!

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Impossible to find a beach chair and depressing dolphin enclosure

Quite disappointing stay. If you wake up, have breakfast, and go to the beach for 8:30 am GOOD LUCK finding a chair until like 3 pm. We walked around across the entire beach and couldn’t even find one free chair. People wake up early and claim chairs with their items or beach towels. Some people don’t even show up until 11 am!! Employees weren’t very helpful and said that you can’t take a claimed chair, even if no one shows up for hours (even though there’s signs saying you can’t claim a chair). [... read more] Same situation at the pool. Had to sit on the floor with our towels. Apart from that, you walk by a sad dolphin enclosure where the dolphins swim in a small pool with no shade. Very depressing to see and it’s sad that this type of animal treatment is still present. If you search up the dolphins at this hotel, you’ll find out that a few had died here. Generally, resort was clean and well kept, but old. Our bathtub didn’t drain well when you took a shower. The beach itself is pretty nice and well kept. Food was average to good and generally a decent selection. We did get upset stomachs one day, unclear from what exactly. If you love sad dolphins and a going to war to find a place to sit during the day, this resort is a great choice for you.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great family resort!

This past week was our second time at the Barcelo Maya Colonial. We went last year and had the best stay so decided to do it again this year and again, we were not disappointed! The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The grounds were immaculate and there was always staff working hard cleaning up the leaves and cutting the grass to keep it that way. The resort is so big that it's almost impossible to be one bored as there is so much to do and see. We had our 8 year old daughter with us, so [... read more] the many splash pads and massive pools were a hit. Both times they gave us a room that was very close to the splash pad which made it very convenient for us. We felt very safe the entire time during our stay. The Grand food selection at the buffet was always satisfying, you'd always find something you like. And the a la carte restaurants are incredible. I believe you are allowed 3 reservations per 1 week stay but if you speak to the restaurant directly, and they have space, they will allow you to come another time so we were able to eat at 4 restaurants 4 different nights which was very nice. My favourite was the Spanish restaurant. The almond chicken was cooked to perfection and my father in law said the lamb chops he had were the best he's ever eaten in his life. We also did the xcaret excursion and had the best time! The resort is perfectly situated that you are pretty much the last pick up and first drop off. So we were able to catch the buffet quickly at breakfast just before getting on the bus. The rooms were the only thing that can possibly use a bit of an update, but they were very clean and worked just fine for us. Maybe bring an air freshener to help the slight musty smell that is inevitable from the salty sea air. That's what we did and it was fine. If you are looking for a resort that you don't have to leave to be entertained, this is the one. Pool entertainment, night time theatre entertainment, nightclub, dolphin show each morning, ping pong, floor chess, basketball and tennis courts, big gym, lots of shopping! We will definitely visit again! It has everything we wanted!