Barcelo Maya Riviera 5 STARS without a doubt

When we were dropped off (first) in the shuttle from the airport, the people staying at different resorts audibly gasped at the site of our lobby as it is as grandiose as something out of a James Bond movie. Barcelo Maya Riviera (18+ only) has excellent service, food, and amenities. I don't have a problem with kids, but we definitely felt the difference - not having kids running by the pool or screaming in the lobby. Our room had a swim-up pool which was fun but any room would have been f [... read more]ine. Buffet was good and the other restaurants were top notch. 24/7 room service came in handy. Quite a hike from the airport and to Chichen Itza but worth being patient. If this isn't a 5-star, they don't exist.

Can't wait to go back!

By far, one of the best all-inclusive resorts we've stayed at. The grounds were immaculate, room was well appointed with one of the biggest beds we've ever seen, pool was huge with good service, loved the beach and the food was at the buffet and a la cartes was so good. Lobby bar was a good place for a night cap. Staff were always kind and quick to help. The stay at 1, play at 6 concept is brilliant. If you get bored, you can easily visit the other resorts and use their facilities. The mini putt [... read more] and sports bar were so nice. Can't wait to go back!

We loved this resort!

Rooms were beautiful. hotel is very modern not the fun tropical vibe of the other barcelo resorts. We enjoyed being able to walk through all 6 resorts and trying some of the other restaurants. Being in the adult only was nice - quieter dining, beach and pool weren't as busy. Food was fantastic. Pools. Beach and gardens were beautiful. Would 100% recommend this resort and would return in the future. .

Worth booking

This is our 4th trip to this resort and it doesn't disappoint. The service is incredible. The grounds are maintained daily. The food is great and always available. The entire resort is modern and clean. You have use of 5 other resorts but they cannot use this adult only location. There is absolutely everything on the chain including a shopping mall and even a double decker bus that can drive you from each location.

Barcelo Maya Riviera

The resort is huge. It’s modern, clean and grand. Rooms are a great size & beds comfortable. The adult section can be quiet in the evenings, but a short walk or shuttle to the other hotels at the resort and you will find plenty of activities. The big problem is not enough chairs around the pool or the beach.

Great Resort

Overall a great resort, pools, beaches a la carte resorts and buffet were excellent, all the staff and workers were very friendly and helpful. No real complains, had a couple of days where you had to search the beach for available chairs

Outstanding!!!

We stayed for 10 days in the Oceanfront Jr Suite. WOW is all we can say. The pools were close to the resorts and the ocean was a short 1 minute walk from there. The 4 restaurant's on site all were extremely great food. The buffet was delicious from breakfast and a quick bite in the afternoon. Rooms were clean and spacious. My only complain would be the very stuffy elevators with no A/C. but that's extremely picky of me.

Barcelo Maya Riviera - Adults only. Modern and very well managed

The Barcello Maya Riviera is the "adults only" and newest addition to the strip of Barcello hotels that are all on the same property. The hotels are all lined up beside each other along the shore. I would guess that its about a kilometer of walkable beach between the ends of the barcello property. The hotel is the newest one on this property. The building, lobby, and grounds are maintained beautifully. The hotel is very modern and current. The stone and tile work is outstanding.  [... read more] Breakfast and lunch is only available in the very large buffet. The hotel is able to host large conventions and this buffet section is built to handle it. The variety of food is great and well made. There are 4 other a la cart restaurants. Reservations are required. The service is excellent, the menus are excellent, the food is excellent. This is one of the best restaurant experiences we have had over the years. The pools are the largest, and cleanest we have seen. 4 Infinity edge, pools with a number of waterfall and tub like settings with jets. Beautifully maintained and a pleasure to use. This was our 2nd time back over 4 years. The hotel is maintained to the highest standard.

Vacation in Paradise

After months of waiting we (group of 6) finally took a belated birthday trip to this resort and what an awesome experience! We arrived right at check-in time and the front desk had us processed in under 10 minutes. Our room was 5722, Junior suite oceanview and did not disappoint. Super clean, huge comfortable bed (the biggest we've ever seen) and a view to die for were just what we needed. Mini fridge restocked daily, towels replaced and room left spotless every time. Just wonderful. Pros  [... read more]Pools were huge and perfect temperature Beach was kept seaweed free and had multiple available loungers. Sand was soft and white and water was crystal clear. A la cartes Went to all four and was not disappointed. Portion sizes were good and choices were plentiful Buffet Almost too many choices! Always a great selection and food was hot and replenished frequently Bars Great drink selection and bartenders were always friendly and service was fast. Club (Jaguars)/Strikers Bar A real night club at a resort and a rec/play area for all ages. Fun!! Cons None for this resort at all. We've been to quite a few all-inclusives and this was by far one of the best. A definite must return for us Just a heads up that the other resorts at this complex are a complete nightmare at the buffets. Kids misbehaving while their parents ignore them. Hands in the food, food on the floors and even a kid riding a scooter at dinner. Returning to the AO was a definite highlight after a visit to the Palace buffet. If you've seen the one negative YouTube review of this resort I can assure you that the person who posted it has either never really stayed here or is angry that he wasn't comped for his stay. Everything, and I do mean everything he said was a complete lie. Do yourself a favour and book this resort.

Great time

Even though it was Easter weekend and busy we still had a great time. 2nd time there. First time was just pre covid and resort was new. Food was fantastic, staff were great, servers around the pool always checking on us. Cannot complain. Walked through all the Barcelo properties to explore. Can’t wait to go back to Barcelo Maya Riviera

Amazing Geyaway!!

We thoroughly enjoyed this resort. Rooms were very spacious, bed was HUGE and comfortable. We did have problem with ants in our room when they had left us chocolate covered strawberries. Food was amazing and drinks were plentiful. Only downside was they only had one house white and one house red for all restaurants. The house red was horrible. You could buy a bottle of red for an exorbitant amount of money. The pools were fabulous and the beach was very spacious with the palms teees for shades a [... read more]nd chairs. Overall we will be going back. Loved it!!

Amazing

March 2024 we go back and it will be approximately our 18 or 20th time to the Barcelo. I all those trips we only had to refuse one room due to poor house keeping which is not the normal for this Resort. They immediately put us in a new room . Grounds great , restaurants booking the past few times we went poor as very little available even though is included in package, But restaurants themselves great if you get in to the ones you want . Pools great , staff excellent,beach very nice but care [... read more]ful some rocky areas, This is actually the only resort we recommend to friends.

Perfect, as always.

This is not my first trip to Barcelo AO and it won't be my last. The food was delicious, the grounds were immaculate, and the rooms were welcoming and comfortable. But the best thing about Barcelo is the staff. I have to say, they are so friendly and warm, kind and helpful. Each night we looked forward to having drinks at the lobby bar/terrace and always tried to sit in Yazmin or Norma's section. They are exceptional servers who work hard and make all guests feel like family. A special shout out [... read more] to Maru Navarro. This caring young lady always goes above and beyond for Barcelo guests, making their stay perfect, and smooth. We loved walking by the Premium lobby, just to wave or stop in to say hello and she always had a big, warm smile on her face. We love how she always goes the extra mile, to make the trip extraordinary, positive and memorable. I'd like to always give a shout out to David Quiroga and Araceli Castro, in the French restaurant (La Comedie) at the AO. Always a smile on their faces and they went out of their way to make sure our dining experience was top notch. Barcelo you have hired some great people, who work very hard to give guests a positive experience. Well done. See you next year.

Amazing 2 weeks at Barcelo Palace

I thought two weeks would be too long but we were sad to leave and could have stayed another 2 weeks. Resort amenities the beach the food the service was outstanding and the staff are so professional and eager to make your stay memorable. The staff at the Water Sports and dive shop are so helpful and knowledgeable. We went out on the Hobie Cats daily. I recommend upgrade to premium level for additional services.

Mexican Paradise!

Mexican Paradise with some suggestions for improvement Check-in- we arrived around 2 am. There was one person working. There was no one else around. The check-in was smooth. We weren’t asked if we wanted a bell-person to bring our luggage but that was fine with us. I didn’t like that I couldn’t pay the hotel tax with Mexican pesos. I believe that local currency should always be accepted. Chairs- I woke before 7 am each day to reserve a chair at the pool or at the beach. The first day,  [... read more]I saw that all the chairs were taken by 9 am! We were at the resort during New Year’s so this might not always be the case. The Reservation System for the La Carte Restaurants could be improved. The second day, I was unable to book an a la carte. I was told to reserve for that week and return on Saturday to book for the following week. I woke up early and arrived 15 minutes after the 7 am opening. I was told that there was no availability for the Italian restaurant because people had booked the night before. That’s ridiculous! The staff need to tell people the correct information. Also, we asked about the New Year’s Eve Gala. We were told to just show up. Then, my husband said why not check again after being misinformed about sign up times. I went and asked at Guest Services. They signed me up for New Years. When I asked why they said it wasn’t necessary previously, they said they just learned that themselves (2 days prior to the big event). I’ve been to other all-inclusives where reservations weren’t necessary or ones where you can book on-line or through an app. Restaurants: The Buffet has an excellent selection of food. Salt and pepper shakers were almost non-existent at this resort. I did appreciate that the Buffet didn’t close between breakfast and lunch. It did close in the late afternoon until 7 pm. There are no snack bars. The less expensive Barcelo property had beach grills. We went to four a la carte restaurants. We liked the service at the Brazilian Restaurant at the Palace the best. We weren’t impressed with the food or the service at the Agave (Mexican). We both had the Snapper and it was dry and overcooked. We enjoyed the show and the food at the Japanese restaurant and the service was okay. I have seen better Hibachi shows at other resorts but I’m sure it depends on the chef. I loved my grilled salmon at “La Comedie” the french restaurant. The service declined as the restaurant got busier. For example, the service became slower and my husband had to ask a couple of times for his dessert when it wasn’t brought out with mine. Rooms: We had a quiet ocean room view. The room was clean and spacious. The bed was huge. I took advantage of the balcony hot tub. Pool: Beautiful, expansive, infinity pool. Beach: Lots of shade. Chairs reserved early. The communication could be improved. On the other properties, there were signs with schedules and maps. Some guests didn’t even know that they could go to the other properties for the nightly entertainment. At the AO, there were digital displays with schedules that flashed up and QR codes. I opened the QR code and made a screenshot of the schedule. I feel the front desk should give you a map not a QR code where you could look up a map. I would have appreciated being able to access the menus for the various restaurants ahead of time. At other resorts that I’ve been to, the reception and guest services display the schedules and menus. There could also be print copies of weekly schedules for guests who wanted them. This is a beautiful resort. I appreciated being able to visit it.

Not the best resort but descent

Resort and sleep quality was amazing, rooms were great! Food was bit repetitive and the restaurants need some different flavours while cooking! Also booking the ala carts should not need reservations now a days, it’s 2024 we need to be able to book online or on an app it was a pain to meet with guest services I’m on vacation and don’t want to work to book my dinners. I’ve been to several 5 stars and this one was a bit behind the eight ball on a few things.

Excellent Choice!!

We were very happy with our decision to stay at the Barcelo Maya Riviera. The hotel was great, very clean, great food and food options. The staff were very good and our requests were meet in a timely and courteous manner. Room was comfortable and clean. Very modern hotel with lots to offer. We will plan a return visit in the future. The beach was fantastic and the pools were awesome. There was lots to take part in from volleyball to pool aerobics or there was always a quiet spot to be found for  [... read more]an afternoon siesta!! The overall complex had lots to offer including the open double decker bus to get you around if walking is not your plan.

Amazing resort!

The resort is beautiful. So well maintained and well kept. Staff keep it so clean. The staff provide amazing service. The people are friendly. Being able to use the other resort amenities is great. The food is top notch! This is our second visit and we will be back again. Thanks so Susan Snider for her help. As always, she is amazing!!

Beautiful resort

The hotel was absolutely beautiful, way nicer and fancier than expected. All the staff were so helpful and attentive. The rooms were large with comfortable beds (I had the best sleep I’ve had in a while in that hotel bed) along with beautiful views. The restaurants were amazing on a restaurant level, not just “good for a resort”. The resort is very modern and grand and aesthetic, great to take pics. We loved it!

A great time in the riviera maya

We went to the Barcelo Riviera Maya on the last 2 weeks of august. We stayed 14 days and had 2 rooms with 4 people. Overall, our trip was great, the facilities are great and the food and service was great. Food Our group love the fact there are only sit-down restaurants in the evenings. The variety of choices are good, and the quality of the food and service was great. We tried the taco bar, sit down, seafood place, Brazilian steak house, Italian, French, asian sit down and Asian tep [... read more]panyaki. Enough variety for 2 weeks of stay. The buffet was great too, even if it shuts down at 6:30pm. The 1 complaint we had was that room service is an extra charge (e.g. a $20 cheeseburger) and aside from very minor snacks there is no food at the complex after 6pm. If you miss your reservation, or come back late from an excursion you are stuck hunting at the other hotels attached to the complex. The buffets shut down at 11pm at the other complexes and if you have to take 45min to travel on the shuttle, take that into account ff you arrive late. The food at the buffet at the Riviera is better quality and more varied than at the other facilities. If you are looking for good food, good service and variety this is the place to go. Overall score: 4.5/5 (-0.5 for lack of food options after 6pm) Pools The pools are 4 side by side pools with stairs and a walkway to go from pool to pool. There are several design flaws. The pools could have been connected so people can move around the larger pool area without getting out. This was a missed opportunity. Instead 99% of people congregate around the bars and those areas can get crowded. There is also no place in the pools with shade. This means if you are going during a very hot time of year you will not have places to get out of the sun while being in the pool. They easily have room for such and could add some large sculptures, trees or other features to resolve this issue. The pools are decent. Large and with a variety of temperatures, water features and 2 pool bars at either end of the facility. Overall score: 4/5 (-1 for lack of shade and crowding in 1 pool) Beach This ranks as the lowest quality feature of the facility. The sand is more like fine pebbles. The beach is full of rocks and there is no way to get into, out of or around the beach area without dealing with an excess of sharp and prickly rocks. It's a 500ft walk in the ocean to get to water that is deep enough to swim in without touching rocks. You can go to 1 of the other complexes for a better beach experience. Overall score: 1/5 (-4 for unusable beach area) Facilities The bars, restaurants, activities and entertainment are good. Also, there are 5 other complexes (hotels) to explore. There are better beaches, different food options and activities to find at these other places. As an example, the palace was a nice change of pace with a much different pool setup. The pools at the other 4 hotels is nothing special. The food at the other 4 hotels and their buffet is not worth the trip from the Riviera. The "mall" is hot and just an opportunity to sell you stuff (as the name implies). There is a doctor on prem at this location, but he lacks even the most basic facilities (e.g. ability to treat swimmer's ear) so it's just an excuse to funnel you to a Mexican hospital. There is a double decker bus that takes you from hotel to hotel. Expect to spend 45min+ to get from end to end. Expect to be hot and uncomfortable as you travel. The driver does not open both sets of doors which means you have to wait for everyone to get off and down the stairs from the 2nd floor before boarding and It's at least 5-10min to load and unload passengers from the bus because of this. You end up wasting a lot of time. They should consider putting smaller vehicles or a 1 story open air vehicle for travel. It would be far more pleasant. Overall score: 4/5 (-1 for terrible transportation) Rooms The rooms are the highlight of this property. Clean, up to date, the bed was comfortable, lots of space and the balcony hot tub was very popular during our stay. The very minor item of the AC being limited to 21.5 which was at the limit of what my family was happy with. Would have liked to be able to bring it down 1 degree. This was 1 of the best rooms we have had in our vacationing. Overall score: 5/5 The Service and Staff Overall staff were fantastic. Service was great, communication for the most part was good and we generally had a great time. There was 1 issue we have never encountered anywhere else (never seen it at even all inclusives in Cuba, Dominican Republic or other hotels). Key staff such as those at check in lacked the ability to speak English or actively seemed put out to speak in english. 2 examples: The guy at the front desk when we checked in spoke enough English to hold VERY basic conversations. However; it became evident that was it when we asked him if the unexpected “tax” charge he was asking for was mandatory or optional. He answer yes to both mandatory and optional. The whole check-in experience was very frustrating. The 2nd example was with those running activities at the facility. Such as, the Animation staff (such as at the pool) who genuinely seemed put out to have to speak any english. To the point of “huffing” when anyone spoke English to them. Strangely enough when we visited the palace several times we did not see the same problem at these facilities. We do not expect everyone to speak English but the front lobby staff should at least speak enough English to resolve issues and answer questions. We have never encountered this type of issue anywhere else (never seen it at even all inclusives in Cuba, Dominican Republic or other hotels). Overall score: 4/5 (-1 for lack of English)