Terrific

The grounds were meticulous and well lit at night. Loved the covered walkways, fountains, and decor. The pool areas were well designed and had plenty of lounge chairs for everyone in our group. Very much appreciated the shade coverings, hammocks, and quality beach towels. The food was great, with the exception of the seafood restaurant that required reservations, which was mediocre, including the desserts. Most of us didn't finish our meals. The accommodations were spacious and had a [... read more]ll the amenities needed.

Stunning resort, but did have its issues

Our check-in process took 3+ hours, which meant we lost most of our first day. Premium Lounge definitely had its perks though (AC, snacks, bar etc.). Resort was absolutely massive and staying at one gave you access to all of the different buffets, restaurants and things to see which was awesome. We took full advantage with a free pool scuba lesson, as well as paid excursions on a catamaran and jet skis, all lived up to expectations. The snorkeling on site was also great, got to see two sea tu [... read more]rtles and a lot of different fish. We did deal with a homophobic incident on our first night and thought the staff could have done a lot better job handling the situation. They called to offer us a perk, but when we went to require it meant signing up for their Resort Club and sitting through a 30 minute presentation. We declined, to say the least. Not sure if we'd return because of a few of these little things, but overall it was a good experience with great, friendly staff, reliable food and a variety of options so 7 days in the same area never got boring.

Great Resort in a wonderful Country, I have been 6+ times

The resort is one of the best I have ever visited, and I am comparing this to over 10 or so. The beach is good, managed to get some snorkelling in a find the right amount of shade. The rooms are top notch and the contents of the mini fridge are replaced daily. The entertainment was good to great (Circus, Michael Jackson, and the Magic Show), in that order. I thought the Kareoke show would be pointless, so I stayed away. The food in the main buffet was average to good, some dishes were next level [... read more] like the chipotle beef. The bus between buildings comes regularily and is useful if you are tired, but walking is also doable. As a total score out of 5, I would give it a 4 and would return some time. I also think the resort is very well run.

Gorgeous Resort and perfect for families!

This was our second time going to this resort. Love the setting and location. Staff are friendly and beach/pools are gorgeous!! So much to do and see. The buffet is too die for. Fresh food and selection for miles. Food is absolutely fantastic all around!! This visit the housekeeping was terrible. Forgot to replace things in our room (mini-bar, towels, body wash, etc.) daily and forgot to clean or room three of the days we were there. Entertainment was disappointing. Was hoping for my  [... read more]kids to see a beautiful Mexican show with Mexican music, instruments, dancing and flamboyant costumes... but they had singers perform barely understandable renditions of Disney movie theme songs that were so boring that my kids asked to leave part way through. Shuttle bus that is supposed to run every fifteen minutes often takes over an hour and made us very late for one of our reservations (feet were too sore by then to run). Don't scrimp on packing your sunscreen. We ran out and it cost us about $100 CAD to purchase one cream and one spray (and two bags of chips) from the resort store. We were disappointed that they didn't recognize us as repeat customers. Other resorts always have... with an upgrade or a little token/note in the room. We will book elsewhere next time due to this and because of the housekeeping and poor entertainment.

Excellent vacation at the Barcelo, as usual

We had a great time - loved the room, which was updated and had great amenities. We left a note asking that the air conditioning be left at a higher temperature, where we set it (as they kept turning it down to 20c which we found too cold). Only issue with the room was the Wi-Fi router (?) which had a very bright green/yellow/red flashing light facing the bed - bright enough to keep us awake. We fixed this by draping a facecloth over it to dampen the light. The food was great - especially a [... read more]t the buffet, which also had a nice atmosphere (better than most we've been to) - our favorite was the outside dining space, right beside the ocean. We went to four restaurants, our favorite was the French, followed by the Steakhouse, then the Brazillian. We also visited the Seafood - which was okay, but we wouldn't return as the menu options weren't as good as we'd hoped. Beach was great - a bit rocky at the Palace end, but we took water shoes which worked well. There was sea weed, but the staff were really good at clearing it, both early morning with tractors and during the day with wheelbarrows. Most days it cleared up quickly, and wasn't an issue. Last couple days were stormy, so there was more, but they managed it well. There were loads of beach chairs, and the palm trees have grown well, so there's lots of shade available. We spent time at the pools in the morning, before the spring breakers got there - then we moved to the beach, so had the best of both worlds. Although there were a lot of spring breakers there, the hotel staff managed them well - kept them entertained, and very quickly dealt with any behavior issues. It would've been nice if the dress code was enforced, and also if there was a dress code for women, as some of the outfits were totally inappropriate.

A High Five Resort

The Barcelo Maya Palace all-inclusive resort is northernmost of a 6 resort property bordering on Puerto Aventuras just south of Playa del Carmen in the Mayan Riviera, serviced by flights to Cancun. The property is huge. It features an extensive oceanfront with sandy beach at the Beach/Carib end with rocky karst at the Palace end which is excellent for snorkeling as turtles and colourful fish abound. Abundant beach loungers are provided shaded by palm trees rather than palapas. The grounds an [... read more]d Mexican colonial style buildings are meticulously well kept. The pool with its swim up bar is very large and freeform with shallow walk ins to accommodate children at the end closest to the children's water park. It's great expanse accommodates animator led activities and a quieter nook. There is a great competition to "reserve" poolside lounge chairs in the wee hours of the morning despite an official no reserve policy. Likewise the adult only pool has a limited number of loungers. There are also Bali beds for rent costing $US15 per day. People are waiting at the pool bar to reserve those before 7:00am. Check in was accomplished quickly and efficiently. The Palace uses the wrist bracelet as the room key so misplaced or de-magnetized key cards are no longer an issue. The accommodations are in 2 groups of 3 story buildings, each with a central plaza complete with fountains. No one volunteered direction as to how to find our room. I had come prepared with a printed map and asked the clerk to mark where our room was and I still got lost. Palace rooms are large junior suites with king or 2 double beds, 2 couches which can be opened to form additional bedding, ample drawer storage, 2 hanging closets with robes, ironing board and digitally operated safe, a mini fridge with juices, soda pop, beer and water, some snack items, and a coffee maker with bottled water. The bathroom entry is via 2 sliding doors. The toilet is a separate enclosure, 2 single sinks overlooked by a large mirror, a hairdryer and a magnifying make up mirror. The separate bath enclosure features a rain head shower and a separate sloped tub with shower. Ample large absorbent towels are replaced daily if required. There are electrical outlets over each night table and a pair of them complete with 2 USB charging ports over the desk under the plasma television. Palace guests have access to 3 buffets and 3 themed a la carte restaurants at the resort as well as the buffets and la carte restaurants at 4 of the other resorts. Upon check in, guests need to go immediately to guest services to make 3 reservations. Thereafter, a guest can make a reservation one per day of stay. The a la carte dining is much in demand and there is much to do about guests being unable to make dining reservations at convenient times at preferred venues especially at the Santa Fe steakhouse and the 2 Japanese teppanyaki restaurants. We were able to seat 4 persons before 8:00pm on 12 of our 14 nights. Our favourites were the Rodizio and La Brasserie at the Palace. We felt that the Palace wait staff was better trained and more personable than those at the other resort a la cartes. At the Palace, one could shoot pool, play shuffleboard, shoot hoops, toss bocce, play table tennis and engage in some water based activity. There was an excellent and challenging mini golf course free during the day located at the Strikers Sports bar which is part of a shopping mall and Mexicana crafts plaza in the central part of the resort. They need to make a better scorecard system and do away with their "hockey stick" putters. There are several extra cost activities at Strikers including bowling and an arcade. Catholic mass is celebrated Sundays at 5:00pm in the chapel located proximate to the Mexicana mall and Colonial Resort lobby. The success of every resort depends totally on the efforts and presentation of the staff. To that end we commend particular persons who contributed to making our stay exceptional. Firstly, Alejandro Pat our room steward who was cheery, thorough and most helpful. Karen Yanez of Guest Services was another cheerful, engaging and most helpful agent of the resort. She worked her magic fingers over the keyboards to arrange our a la carte dining reservations. Despite the number of persons she saw everyday, she remembered and acknowledged persons whom she recognized while away from her desk. This makes persons feel as though they matter. Raoul our server at Rodizio was jolly, carefully and patiently explained all the dishes, answered our questions, was attentive during our meal and made a fabulous Mayan coffee. Jorge and Bryan were bartenders at the adult only pool. I tended to go there for my beverages because they were not rushed off their feet as at the main pool bar. They were always cheerful, eager to please and carefully prepared by drinks. Notes for travelers. There are no face cloths provided. If you require them, bring your own. One must ask for peanut butter at the buffets and ketchup is hard to find. Bring sufficient sunscreen as it is prohibitively expensive to buy at the resort as are snack foods. Improvements that would make the resort approach perfection include an escort to locate your room, night lighting on the beach, some other method of moving guests around other than or in addition to the 2 double decker busses now used. Other free activities such as archery and target shooting with good quality equipment such as at Iberostar. A lazy river such as at Sirenis,

Wonderful resort

We would rate most things in this resort, a 10….including our room, the staff, all services, the fantastic pools, the visits to the many restaurants and buffets and all bar services. We would rate the beach about a 7, as it is rocky in some places. Entertainment was maybe a 6/7 for us. We are in our 70's so maybe the younger folks might enjoy it more than us. We loved exploring and enjoying all the many amenities of this large resort, but be prepared to do lots of walking .You can visit a [... read more]ll the same via the resort two tier bus. We rode this often in the evening just to enjoy the ride. Overall….this is a fantastic resort for couples or families and we would highly recommend it.

Surprisingly poor

We had high hopes for the Barcelo Maya Palace. It boasts very high reviews, particularly regarding the quality of food. It was dissapointing across the board. We've visited Mexico eight times. This trip was the most expensive and the lowest quality.

Perfection as usual

This was our third visit to this resort. Three times a charm. Nothing but absolute perfection. Will be going back for a fourth time. Apparently I have to talk for 200 characters there’s nothing more to say other than the great fantastic holiday. We had rain for 10 minutes in our 10 day stay. I would highly recommend 10 day trip as you usually eat up two days. During your traveling.

Amazing family vacation

Amazing family resort. Beach and pools were phenomenal. Snorkeling was amazing. Rooms were spacious and clean. Food was okay - need to plan dinner reservations better. Perfect for families and very accessible throughout resort.

Quite the resort!!

We had an amazing time at the resort, lots to do, amazing pools, bars, buffets you can't go wrong. Rooms were clean, staff amazing as well, we would go back! Having access to 5 hotels, and a double decker bus to drive us from resort to resort or walk the long private beach at your leisure.

Beautiful resort!

Resort was clean, the staff were helpful and friendly, pools and beach were clean and beautiful, food was delicious at buffets and restaurants, some food was cold at the buffets, and we prefer hamburgers well done

Beautiful Christmas holiday with family.

Beautiful holiday. Thanks for great memories. Only concern is flights.. We had 2 delays and fueling issues once boarded plane . Total 3.5 hours delay on return trip. General concerns for air travel as this is the structural factor to any holiday. We were very grateful that there was no flight cancellations as this would have been very difficult situation in respect to sunwing issues. If careful planning could go into travel either plane or transfers to and from airport as this makes or break [... read more]s a holiday and ones wishes to return to any resort. I will recommend Barcelo Maya Palace to friends and family. I'm placing my email address as not giving out personal information unless consent given.

Beautiful resort

The resort is very nice and easy to get around, we stayed in a premium room oceanfront main floor. It was close to everything the à la cart. Restaurants are very good. The Japanese restaurant and the French restaurant were our favorites. The ocean and snorkelling were fantastic. We could not get a catamaran booked any of the days though you would have to get there by 9 o’clock to book and can only book same day. Our check-in was not great, we had premium level, but it took an hour to check in [... read more], and they did not bring our luggage to our room, really the only dumb side for us.

A very lovely resort and setting

The good stuff...we stayed at the Palace and enjoyed premium class while there. There were 2 Alacarte's that we enjoyed as a large group (7 adults & 3 children). The French, Brasserie and the Italian, La Trattoria restaurants, both provided us with exceptional food and service. There is lots to keep the entire family busy, activities, swimming, snorkeling, including 3 resident sea turtles fronting the Palace. The suite we had 8605, had a great pool view, with a peak a boo patio opening, that vie [... read more]wed the beach. Things that could be better...the house wine. Both red & white are lower end wines. The Champagne is also on the low end of quality. The hard liqueur is good, however you must request top shelf or you will receive their standard supply. The resort could use some quick snack shacks near the beach...just to get a quick burger or hot dog...that's missing. So you have to go to a nearby restaurant if you want something to snack on and take out is not available. There is also no bar service on the beach. During our stay we did not encounter any problems regarding COVID protocol, everything seemed to be business as usual. Some of the servers did wear a mask, but most did not. Travelling to and from this resort is challenging, and can be frustrating as traffic jams are common and wait time is long.

Fantastic Beach!

Beach/ocean is fantastic complete with sea turtles! Pools are clean and food is great. Water slide area has a lifeguard too. Recommend the dolphin experience, although the dolphin pool was dirtier than I expected. Pro tip: bring plastic plates so you can take food from the buffet to go! They don’t have take out boxes.

Amazing

A very nice resort. More matured crowd and kids have their own play area. There is 5 resorts in one. The food is amazing. The resort is very clean. I stayed in barcelo maya palace. I am going to save to go again. We got a free 2.5 hours bus ride to playa carmen a town close about 30 mins to the resort. They offered free scuba diving lesson in the pool.

Watch out for the baggage charges

I wasn't told about the $160 baggage charges. Lady at the Chek in counter told me these tickets were lowest class tickets so that we have to pay extra $80 each way for 2 luggage. We were a couple with a child. Not happy that we're weren't told about the extra charges at the time of booking. I am not sure if I will deal with the trip central again.

Beautiful property, views, and people!

This is our fifth time at the Barcelo over 25 years Most people we met from all over are repeat customers, saying it’s a beautiful place, clean, and consistent. Noticeable was less waste of items placed in rooms, clean surfaces, staff wearing masks, new staff polite, attentive. It appeared there was less staff but perhaps because the hotel was not full. Always could get a spot. No issues. Supper time Buffet was not as impressive but restaurants are good at the Palace. Family oriented, pa [... read more]tience as they do allow toddlers in the evenings at restaurants. Not able to take advantage of beach as much this week due to heavy Seaweed presence from super windy days. Barcelo is established sporting an expansive concrete boardwalk all the way across all five resorts makes for a nice walk parallel to the water to sandier beaches towards newer adult Riviera Maya hotel . It’s is a relaxing resort, well maintained-good value for the price!

Beautiful latge property.

The food is top of the line- rspecially the Brazilian, Italian and French a la cartes. Only food complsint is that like all most Mexican resorts there is only milk rather than cream for coffee:( the resort is very latge so condider that if you jave monility issurs- buses run from different barcelo lobbies but not from the buildings that house rooms to lobby, restaurants etc. Do not waste money on the upgrade- to premium level. Entire palace grounfs are wifi-friendly and rooms are all about the  [... read more]same distance awY from lobby. Beach is rocky and sandy but beautiful with sea turtles and natural life in the water.