Occidental Cozumel: Great vacation!

We just returned from the occidental after a great week. More pros than cons for sure. This is our second year going there and we have done the royal level each time. Don’t think I would pay the extra next year. Resort was clean, staff very friendly and attentive. Food was good but small restaurant at royal was very slow service and food was cold when served. Buffets offered some selection and hot! Other restaurants were good. Beach was lovely. Water was refreshing. Unfortunately the Jacuzzi poo [... read more]l for royal was not warm even after bringing to their attention. We won’t go back their next year as need to change it up.

Occidental Caribe: Occidental Caribe

Karol Kim and I book a trip with you Jan 19/24 till Jan 28/24 to Punta cana Occidental Caribe. It was are first time with Transat and all inclusive very disappointed first they told us the plane would be delayed for 10 minutes after an hour and 30 minutes we finally left they never ask us if we would like to have something to drink. Arriving to the hotel we have to stay in line to registered it took us 1 hour and a half before we got served then the lady at the desk told us to go eat somethin [... read more]g and to come back and then she would give us are room number so we did but when we came back for the second time it took us another 1 hour and a half before getting our room number it was so hot I didn't feel good at all I thought I was going to pass out finally we got are room but the card didn't work go back down stairs wait another 15 minutes Finally go back to the room at this point we we're so exhausted didn't have time to examine the room we went straight to bed. Next day we realize that we didn't have any towels and the room was not too clean. Because we pay extra to upgrade that we were supposed to have beer in the fridge slippers and bathrobe we didn't have nothing like that. Food keep repeating lunch supper was cool no taste I had better food on a cruise. Language barrier they should have more people speak English and French. Very disappointed customer it was our first experience all inclusive and didn't like it at all we did 4 cruises and never been disappointed it would take a miracle for us to do this again. I know nothing will come out of this but I'm sure the media would be interesting to find out about our experience. Very disappointed customers

Occidental Papagayo: Nice resort

After reading so many negative reviews on this resort, we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as some people had described!! Yes, its dated and needs some updates but it is clean, the staff are friendly and acommodating and try their best. Some people reported the food to be "inedible". If you couldn't find something to eat, the problem lies with YOU and not the resort. There was plenty of selection at the buffet, with many entrees of local cuisine. The 3 ala cartes were fantast [... read more]ic. Lunch at the snack bar was great - particularly if you like chicken wings! They struggled somewhat with maintaining hot temperatures of the food at times but for us, that wasn't a huge issue. Also noted in many reviews was the fact that the drinks, especially at the pool bar, were watered down. This was not our experience in the least! The rooms are clean, and the housekeeping staff are diligent in ensuring so. They do not provide washcloths - it took 5 days for me to get one when I requested it. Again, not a big deal. Each room has a balcony/patio - make sure you keep your patio door locked or you will have raccoons coming in. There are also skunks on the property which don't bother you if you don't bother them! We are typically beach people but the beach was one of the disappointing things about our trip. There are about 20 stairs down to the beach and the sand is partially volcanic so its not the nicest looking beach. There are 2 pools - one with a swim-up bar. The resort is full of hills and stairs - we were unaware of this when we booked. Luckily they have shuttles that run constantly so you can jump on one of those and get around. Also, we found the resort extremely difficult to find our way around due to the location of the buildings - the buildings are not laid out in a sequential manner. It would be most helpful if a GOOD QUALITY map was given out on check-in. There is a map in the main building but it is confusing as well, AND it is in the main building. This would have greatly assisted us in the first few days to find our way around and ease frustration at getting lost! Also, if you are a smoker, there are only 3 designated smoking areas on the resort. You cannot smoke on your balcony/patio. Directions to the smoking areas was vague when we asked.

Barcelo Maya Palace: Best Resort to Stay

Barcelo Maya Palace was an unforgettable place. The staff, didn’t matter where you were or what you were asking for, staff was there to help at all times of the day. The food was amazing. We dinned out 3 restaurants, visited most of the buffets. All were clean, well maintained and food was excellent. The pools are the greatest I have ever seen. Especially the pool side bars. Now for the Spa, WOW we go on vacation, all inclusive to be pampered, they came thru with just that. All the amenities wer [... read more]e right at your fingertips and the shopping was amazing Thank you Trip central and hats off to our travel agent, an unforgettable experience you offered. We will be back

Occidental Punta Cana: This was a great resort ? !

We do travel often , and would recommend to anyone . The staff keep it very clean , food was good , entertaining was good , staff was very polite and eager to help as best they can. Pool was very clean looking , and security was plentiful on the beach . Rooms were quite large and nice and bright . Will definitely return there .

Barcelo Solymar: ..

My partner, and in-laws just came back from our recent trip to Barcelo Solymar, Varadero Cuba. Let me start by saying our travel agent Jim O'Neil was wonderful, if I had a question he was an email or a phone call away with the answer. Now- Onto the review of the trip. We went to Cuba Tuesday January 23rd - Tuesday January 30th 2024. We arrived at the resort and got checked in in no time. The staff were for the most part friendly at arrival. My partner and I were put into room 1148 and my in- [... read more]laws were put into 1144. We walked into the room to our surprise the rooms were AWFUL. The sheets looked like they were just remade from the last vacationers, someone else's hair was on the pillows, the sheets were covered in stains, the floor looked disgusting. I walked into the bathroom to check that area out - all around the shower was covered in black mold, and inside the shower looked absolutely disgusting. Our safe didn't work, and the light's didn't turn on. I checked on my in-laws and their room wasn't to far off from ours. So of course I went to the front counter and complained about how the room was. Now- I am fully understanding I am going to another country that does not have the luxuries we do, so I wasn't expecting perfect, but I was expecting the sheets to be freshly cleaned at least.. After complaining about the room- My in-laws, partner and myself were upgraded to a private villa suite closer to the ocean, which turned out to be beautiful. I was very happy they accommodated us to be together. So- The first night, they ran out of soda drinks, Vodka, and white rum. They only had dark rum left the very first night we were there. It took 3 days to receive a beach towel because the laundry machine was down, which meant the sheets in the room never got changed either during the entire stay. Housekeeping cleaned the room every single day, but don't expect anything except 1 big bottle of water left in your room. We were only provided 1 bath towel each for the entire stay. Some days the bath towels we're exchanged for new towels but we had to make it known we wanted fresh towels. We asked for a few extra towels but didn't receive any. The food.. let me tell you- I travelled to Holguin last year around the same time as this trip this year, and we had more variety last year for food than we did this year. This year we did have Chicken, pork and beef every single day- but it was every single day, every single meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). they did have eggs in the morning, but no bacon, the bread was used from the dinner before and placed out the next morning. The chicken, beef and pork were provided for breakfast as well, just re-heated from dinner the night before. We had to choose our 2 a-la-cartes right away, so we chose Italian and Mexican, Italian was awful to say the least. The food was cold, very small portions, overall it was disgusting. Mexican on the other hand, was delicious!!. As the week went on, the drinks didn't get any better, we had 2 days of Vodka, and white rum- the rest of the week was dark rum only, as they ran out of everything else. They do not have Slushie drinks, so anyone wanting a slushie drink forget it, because they don't have anything slushie at all. Pina Coladas are powder, so they were thick and gross. They didn't have coffee in the buffet, bring butter if you're wanting butter because they only had butter for 2 days. The resort, don't get me wrong, is beautiful, well maintained compared to the Occidental Arenas Blancas that we were connected to. That I wouldn't pay even $700 for. Their pool was algae filled, the food was even worse and lacked then our resort. I felt bad for the people that were staying at that resort, infact alot of them came over to Barcelo Solymar to eat our food, which meant very long lines for anything coming off the grill. As stated above, Barcelo Solymar does have a beautiful resort, the beach was absolutely beautiful, the ocean was amazing, the pool was wonderful, but without any of those- this trip would have been by far one of the worst. We made the best of it, but I will not return to this resort or Cuba infact for a long time until things change there. Again, I am aware I am going to a country that is far different from where I live, so I don't expect perfect- I am the last to look at everything in a negative way, I try to see the positive and remember that Covid made Cuba take a very hard hit, there-fore I feel bad for Cubans because I know they could have beautiful places with more to offer, but they are badly suffering. I really would not spend the money for this resort. This resort is easily a 3 star resort, and I wouldn't pay over $900 for it for what you receive while you're there.

Barcelo Maya Palace: Awesome Resort

This older resort boasts beautiful manicured landscaping, lots of shade with mature palm trees. A great selection at the buffet and 5 star a la cartes; beef Wellington and filet mignon cooked to perfection. With the additional resorts there was plenty of walking and exploring the many facilities on site including dolphinarium, mall, casino, the option to travel the resort by double decker buses are also available. Service was top notch. Although the rooms were dated, the rooms were very clean [... read more] and the bed and pills very comfortable. Rocky beach on Palace side but better spots further down the beach.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great resort

We had a family trip to this resort last week and had a very positive experience. We booked a room at Barcelo Maya Colonial but were given a room in the premium section of the Barcelo Tropical (with privileges that Colonial guests have) because the Colonial part was all occupied when we arrived. We liked the room very much. It was very close to the beach, clean, spacious and tastefully decorated. They also provided robes and slippers, which was convenient. The balcony had a drying rack, which wa [... read more]s also very convenient. The resort is huge, but it was quite easy for us to find everything that we needed. Grounds of the resort look great. One can tell that money is invested in keeping grounds in good shape. The beach was amazing. No seaweeds. Sand is like powder. There were strong waves the week when we were there, but these waves were clear and looked very beautiful. Of course, swimming wasn't possible, but jumping into waves was fun, and just being in the crystal clear warm ocean felt great. One absolutely need water shoes there though because it is easy to hit toes against rocks at the bottom of the ocean. The beach has plenty of beach loungers so we haven't had a problem to find a spot under the palm tree. Swimming pools are beautiful and water there is very clean. Food in buffets was fine. Nothing extraordinary, but we were always able to find something tasty to eat. We have also booked three restaurants (Kioto (Asian cuisine , Santa Fe (stakes) and Marenostrum (sea food)). All of these restaurants have very beautiful décor and tasty menu. We enjoyed them. Staff at the resort is also pleasantly attentive and polite. They try to help with everything that they can. Evening entertainment at the resort is great. They offer decent quality shows each evening. Overall, we are very pleased with our vacation to Barcelo Maya Colonial.

Occidental Caribe: Honest review family vacation

Two couples and one child aged 7 stayed at this resort on the last week of January in separate rooms side by side. The beach and hotel grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Our rooms were by the swim up bar ground floor. The real kicker for us was the rooms. We arrive and neither of our safes work, friend had no hot water for 3 days, both tvs broken and replaced, brown water leaking from my washroom ceiling, clog in both showers that turned your shower into a bath, toilet leaking mine, lamp [... read more] had hole in shade and cord had wire exposed held together by merets mine, someone's thongs were found on the floor at the side of the bed in friends room and blood on sheets? We saw maintenance every day and saw them more than the bartenders. Day 1 we waited 4hrs in room for someone to show. We asked for other rooms and was told there was nothing avail. After chatting with others, found that most people got moved to a different room? Maintenance throws towels in the ceiling to fix leaks, TV's are taken from other rooms. Everything had a bandaid. The room issues created unnecessary stress and put a damper on our vacation. Food: buffet was ok. Lots of options. Specialty restaurants: Japanese was excellent, Dominican was excellent, Mexican was good. Good chicken wings at the pool restaurant. Bar: ran out of beer on day 2? I was really shocked that there was no beer for 2 days. We had to purchase Corona at the store. Entertainment was good. Kids- waterpark was good. Kids club- had lots for the toddler age and not much for older kids. Upon leaving the resort we get to the airport and the bus back door is jammed and driver couldn't open it. The bus driver had to get a broom handle from the airport to open latch from the inside. I would not recommend this resort to anyone. We were severely disappointed and felt ripped off.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Great stay - just a few minor issues

My wife and I just got back from Bavaro Beach. A very enjoyable stay, great restaurants, great beach and an excellent golf course. What we liked the most was the breeze off the ocean which made it feel cooler! Helped on the golf course too. Try the French, Japanese and Seafood restaurants…La Comedie, Kyoto and Coral. Plus several others like Santa Fe, Dolce Vita Chez Gourmet. Service was basically good although it took over a week for the drain in our tub to be fixed. And communica [... read more]tion was an issue at the Pro Shop as was their clothing inventory. Not much of a selection in terms of sizes. I would have bought stuff but they did not have any XL sizes. We would love to go back.

Occidental Caribe: Worst Resort

This was my first time at this resort which was highly recommended by people who have gone in past, some of them where there at the same time I was. The rooms were not clean, I had hair in the bathtub (not mine). Coffee machine as well as TV not working reported and never fixed. After reporting the poor maintenance of the cleaning staff, upon my return that night to my room in my entrance was a patio table and chair that blocked the entrance (my patio furniture was on my balcony). Day 4 the bath [... read more]room ceiling was leaking, after a very well deserved complaining at the front desk finally got one competent clerk to change room, upon arriving in the room the bathroom floor was flooded from a leaking ceiling, TV still not working but at least this room was clean. I would never recommend this resort to anyone.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Upgraded to Paradise

We were upgraded on arrival due to an issue with rooms. Paradise was beautiful and the atmosphere was fun! We were so thankful and happy to be upgraded because it was overall nicer at the Paradise hotel

Barcelo Huatulco: Nice resort

The resort is well maintained. The bartenders were always quick with a drink, but I'm pretty sure the alcohol is watered down. The food at the buffets was blah. Same things everyday. The Italian a la carte is amazing. We also tried the seafood and Mexican which were just okay. Be warned, a lot of the food is spicy!

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: One of the best

There is no better resort in the DR for golf Food and service excellent Golf course is in resort, no travel required Excellent Casino Bavaro Beach needs no introduction Beautiful grounds and buildings Plenty of activities High quality rooms, very good maintenance Bars and restaurants 4* plus Massive buffet, always stocked Excellent pools and sports facilities, spa, gym Kids have their own play pool away from the adult pools And most of all the people are fantastic We go there eve [... read more]ry year and will soon change to twice a year

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Beautiful resort

Beautiful resort our second time in 2 years, gorgeous grounds very peaceful we really enjoyed the beach it's breath taking beautiful , food was good too except for the Mexican restaurant which should stand out more than the others simply because it's mexico..

Barcelo Gran Faro Los Cabos: Barcelo Gran Faro visit

I had an excellent stay at Barcelo for 1 week. The staff all around were extremely friendly and welcoming! Luis in the VIP lounge was very helpful and accommodating when I needed to change rooms, which turned out to be a nice upgrade. The Italian and Mexican ala cart restaurants were outstanding.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Do not stay here

The resort is completely run down. Our door barely opened, the inside handle fell off the first time we tried to get out. Toilets wouldn’t flush, patio door barely opened and mold on ceiling. Air conditioner didn’t work. Maids would t change sheets or towels and forgot to fill water every 2nd day. When u called the front desk, had to call 3 times before got anything. The food was horrible ( worse then used to in cuba) and they ran out of all booze daily except rum. Do not recommend!

Allegro Cozumel: Very lovely and lively resort

We were there for one week through Air Canada Vacations. The resort itself is beautiful. The grounds are very well taken care of. There is a huge kid's fun area with a series of pools. Beach is smallish but accommodates the guests well. The main pool is not huge but functioned very well for the number of guests. We six had a great time. Food quite good. Loved the Italian and Japanese style restaurants. Mexican was just ok in our books. However, the main buffet and lunch buffet had many Mexican d [... read more]ishes on offer and were very good, especially the pork and bacon. The woman who made the eggs to order every morning was amazing and moved the line along very efficiently. Drinks were fantastic and there was certainly no skimping on alcohol. Cozumel itself is not boring. We rented a jeep for the day from HTL that they brought to us and picked up 24hrs later. Cost was 55US plus 25US gas. Drove around the island on the one road and stopped at various gorgeous beaches and look outs. The activities are fun and hosted by a fun team. Some of our group participated in many of the activities and had a great time. The reception team gad a few difficulties on our arrival finding new rooms for us away from the kid's area. Thry came through in the end. When our younger couple decided to get married on the beach, all stops pulled to make it happen, courtesy of Aeleen. Super service from all involved in this very emotional and joyous event. It was not legal but symbolic. We zoomed into San Miguel to buy dresses and shirts. Thanks to Lola at her shop of the same name on the main road facing the water, we found a wedding dress and 2 dresses for the ladies. If you find yourself on Cozumel please visit Lola. Beautiful dresses made on the premises. She can make something the same day and deliver it to your resort! She's worth the visit for lovely summer dresses, tops and pants all made by Lola. All in all a great trip. I would recommend the Allegro highly, especially if you have young children.

Occidental Caribe: Nice resort

We liked the outside of the resort pools were great and the beach was fantastic but the rooms are overdue for serious update…the restaurant buffet was a big disappointment food was not that great and the service staff was horrible we waited for drinks to arrive and table to get cleaned for ever ..

Barcelo Solymar: Good 2 weeks/ 3.5 Star Hotel- Jan.2-16, 2024

It was our first time staying at the Solymar, I would stay again if the price was right. There are a few things I wanted to mention, hopefully this will help with you trip. Front desk staff- were just ok, they really need to communicate a little better. When we checked in, only 1 other person was at the desk, so they weren't busy. The front desk staff never gave us a safe key, never told us about were to get beach towels, or were to book the specialty dinners. Safe key did not work, it took a [... read more]n entire day to resolve. You will have to ask a lot of questions after you arrive, it takes a couple days to figure things out. Superior room- Our room was on the first floor, room 1116. It was fine and looked a little worn, that didn't bother us. The beds were very comfortable, sheets changes everother day, 2 bath towels, no hand or face clothes. AC worked, TV worked (no remote), 1 large bottle of water is place in your fridge each day. You can fill up water bottles in the buffet restaurant. Housekeep- Did a great job, they work very long days, and that's 6 days a week. Our room was clean and in good order everyday. The house keeper for your room is who you get your beach towels from, they also change them out for you. IF you don't see your housekeeper, go to the front desk and request they get put in your room. I think they have a limited supply and have to registered to your room. If you loose a beach towel, it's just over $30 USD to replace. TIP your house keeper everyday! Bars- Great staff, and work 6 days a week as well. The staff were very friendly. PLEASE tip your bartenders, they will take care of you! Limited pop at the bars, only Sprite and Orange Fanta. They have draft beef, rum, tequila and sometimes vodka. Our drink of choice is vodka, we bought 2 bottles at Duty free on the way down, that really saved us. Buffet Restaurants- 3 buffets at day breakfast from 7-10, lunch from 12:30-3 and dinner from 7-10. The food was pretty basic, a lot of it wasn't to my liking, but I always found something to eat. Omelets in the morning!! TIP your omelet person! The service staff were great, and after a couple days they recognized us and brought our drinks or coffee to the table. Of course we tipped every meal, it was so disgusting to see how many people didn't tip. Beach- Was amazing! I love this beach so much. I would suggest IF you want a palapa you will need to put your towels on the chairs by 10am, otherwise you will be out of luck that day. Specialty restaurants- There was Italian in the lobby of the hotel, it was not good. Seafood down by the beach, we had lobster, excellent. A couple Spanish restaurants, by the beach towards Areas Blanca, Excellent, and a Mexican in the lobby of the Areas Blanca, not bad. Booking Specialty restaurants- This is done in the lobby office to the left of the elevators basically from 9-11 daily. Be there early, the line forms very fast. Try to book as many as you can, the buffet gets tried after a while. TIP the lady, we did $5 CAD, it really helped. The resort has a "STARS" dinner once twice a week, It does cost $15 USD by Credit car only, it was totally worth it. The service was like fine dinning and the 4 course dinner was amazing! Most people tried to dress up for dinner, bring some nice shirts and a nice pair of pants. Tank tops, day/beachwear is not allowed in the restaurants. Lobby and cleaning staff- The lobby is beautiful and very well maintained. The cleaning staff were working constantly, and kept it is tip top shape. What to bring- A refillable bottle of drinks, creams, suntan lotion, Benadryl or allergy medication. I got some bits from sand fleas on my legs, Benadryl and creams really helped. REMEBER , the electrical is 220v there, bring an adaptor to pug stuff in. Excursions and tour buses- ALL are paid for on credit car now, cash will not be accepted. The double decker tour bus that stops in front of the hotel, cost $5 USD, you pay when you enter the bus. The tour is about 2 hours long and you can hop off or get on all day with that $5 pass. Varadero downtown- we went a couple times, the 2 hotels you have access to are literally starts across the street. It was fine, but general expensive. Everything is in USD, beer cost $5 US each. ALSO if you every need to go the bathroom, good luck. It costs $1 USD or 200 pesos. If you don't pay you can't go in, there sometimes locked. The cleaning lady stands out front with the toilet paper, you get 2 squares...LOL Sometimes no toilet see, we felt we were being extorted and we were eating in the place, it was a turn off. Money and CC- Bring Canadian for some tipping, not $1/$2 try can't do anything with it. The Cubans want USD, bring singles, $5's, 10's. 20,s. You will need CC if you want to do any excursions, notify your bank before you go! You can exchange money on the bus to the hotel to get you started, don't buy too much. The lobby bar in the hotel will convert your money to pesos. Generally speaking $10 USD gets you 2400 pesos. We changed about $100 USD over the course of our 2 weeks. Tipping is generally about 200-300 pesos for each meal at the buffet, 400-500 pesos for housekeeping, Bartenders 200 pesos per 2 drinks. General composition of guest- When we were there it was 40% Russian, 30% Quebecois, and 30% Spanish/English and everyone else. The number of Russians really suppressed me, I guess they can go too many places anymore, so there is CUBA. Well that's it, if you get good price, try it out. This a 3-3.5 star, the price has to make sense for me to go back.