Barcelo Bavaro Palace: No entertainment

The hotel and grounds were kept very clean. The food was lukewarm at best. The buffet was sub par, the restaurants were ok. Our biggest complaint was that other than the show that started at 10 pm nightly there was no other entertainment.

Barcelo Ixtapa: Great resort!

This was our 2nd time at this resort. The food got even better than the last time we were there (2019). Beach is beautiful but ocean is little rough. The entertainment was good but wish they spoke more English so you could understand them. Over all we would definitely recommend this resort.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Wouldn’t book here again

Unfortunately didn’t love my stay here. The agent who booked told me there was no kids water park at this one but the others connected would have it- nope ours was full of kids and water park- room was dated which we were aware of and said it was fine as long as clean and still nice it was a 5 star so I wasn’t concerned - shower was terrible rusted parts and sink was cracked. The most uncomfortable beds and pillows I’ve had on a vacation. Hotel staff were not friendly I was really disapp [... read more]ointed in the service only a few were friendly and nice. Foe the price we paid and what we got I would never go back or book through trip central again. The food was good and weather was great so that helped.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Bad Customer Service

Public areas were maintained well but Customer service was extremely bad, guests arrive from international locations and may reach hotel late in night and may leave early in the morning, restaurants should be able to serve some food. Guest cant stay or leave with hungry stomachs. Mosts of the trips outside hotel either start early in mornings or end late in the evenings. We could find food before leaving or after coming back coz restaurants are closed. And when we ask for food staff at restauran [... read more]ts were laughing as if they are giving food from free. Dame we paid to stay at hotel.... We opted the hotel thinking its 4.5 stars we were treated bad for the money we paid....

Barcelo Aruba: Not a good experience, not even close to other Barcelo resorts

It's the first time ever I write a negative review, but I've felt it's in the travelers' interest to know about our bad experience with Barcelo Aruba. I would pass on the fact that the hotel is outdated, the beach crowded, and you have to wake up early for a spot in the shade. Worth mentioning that buffet food has no variety. But what I can't accept is spending 3 nights at 18 deg Celsius, that got us almost sick. After the first night, when we tried to adjust the temperature manually, automati [... read more]cally, turn it off, etc, we complained at reception. A mechanic was sent to fix the problem, but he was unsuccessful. After a second night we complained to management, and they moved us to another room. Needless to saying that the same issue re-occurred in this new room, and another mechanic was sent to verify the air conditioning. He confirmed what we expected that there is a problem with the system. A team of 2 mechanics showed up on the 4th day, and fixed the issue, a solenoid valve. Spending 3 nights in a refrigerator in Aruba is un-unacceptable and we are very dissatisfied with two managers, they know who they are; their service and approach on solving this concern was very poor. One showed a visible mistrust and miscontent when we mentioned that the second room we moved in has the same concern, and the other gave us a geography lesson about Aruba being near Ecuador and subject to high humidity, requiring a specific air-conditioning system. Really dissapointing.

Occidental Nuevo Vallarta: Would recommend

First time staying in the riviera Nayarit, the beach is much nicer than puerto vallarta and buserias. the food at the buffet was amazing every day, and even on a 10 day trip I looked forward to the food every day. The drinks at the bar were very good, and the bartenders showed us some new ones. (Special shout-out to Leo at the pool bar and Irving in the buffet for their service that went above and beyond) The grounds were very clean and well maintained. The hotel has an old and a new section, [... read more] we were in the old section. We had a few minor issues in the room but nothing that would ruin the trip, the only real complaint I would have is the rooms are not soundproof at all. You can hear everyone walking down the hallway, and the neighbours talking in their rooms. That being said, the rooms were very clean, the water pressure was amazing, water was hot, air conditioning worked great, and of course an amazing view from the 5th floor.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Beach 👍 Everything else 👎👎

Beach was absolutely beautiful. Hotel was run down not taken care of. My kids are not picky eaters at all and didn’t eat the food. Didn’t even have simple things like French fries. International restaurant had spaghetti in juices from meat no tomato sauce. Service at the cafe was bad wouldnt even look at you unless you had cash on the table. Amazing beach but that’s about it!! Very disappointed. Been to cuba numerous times so it’s not like our expectations were high at all. Wouldn’t re [... read more]commend this resort.

Occidental Caribe: Not a great experience

The hotel rooms are outdated in need of a renovation. Public areas are nice enough, but the furniture is in need of repair or replacement. Lots of broken chairs.. Pool is lovely, beach is excellent. Customer service at this hotel was horrible. We were were supposed to arrive in the evening, but due to a flight delay we did not arrive until the next morning at 1030am and were not allowed to check in until 3pm (their normal check in time) . Their guest services could barely speak English a [... read more]nd were seemingly there to help only with dinner reservations in their specialty restaurants. We were supposed to have 4 reservations included in our package and were only able to obtain one reservation. The restaurant was only half full, I assume this was the case for the rest of them as well. Food was ok, not great, not bad. Bar service was excellent from the bar to the servers bringing drinks to our table/poolside. Tip these people please - they deserve it. We did find one large cockroach in our room. Only once, but it should be mentioned. The package we booked should have included: Bathrobes - did not ever get Slippers - did not ever get Beer in the fridge (replenished Daily) - never provided A bottle of Rum - never provided Coca Cola in the fridge (replenished daily) - no complaints (after $20 day 2 tip) Water in the fridge (replenished daily) - no complaints (after $20 day 2 tip) Beach Towels in the room (had to pick these up at the pool, not a big deal). Room did not have face cloths or a bath mat. We received a bathmat on day 5. The bed was surprisingly comfortable. We didn't let any of this affect our vacation, but we would never stay in this hotel again.

Barcelo Solymar: Bad experience

Hotel is not what it used to be. Under staff food is worse no working ac or hot water in our room. They were uder stocked of juices alcohol and food. I would never go back there again unfortunately because i do love cuba.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Not a 5 star

Hotel and room was absolutely beautiful, food was a hit or miss. Had to make reservations for restaurants sometimes long wait as multiple people were also there, you could leave and come back but same situation. Beach was awful rocky and not just near the water sand itself is not soft but rocky need beach shoes or sandals always. Would not return as overall experience was not what I expected

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Barcelo Tropical 2023

We have just returned home from 2 weeks at the Tropical. This was our second trip to Barcelo and We will def be booking again, requesting the VeraCruz builiding on the 3rd floor. Reg Room was perfect for us and again we had zero issues and zero complaints. We had 9 a la cartes and only booked 6 as honestly the many Buffet varieties around the resort and Room Service were plenty. Ask Jose Pascar (sp?) at the Tropical swim up bar for a Jose Special and then ask the young bartenders Albend [... read more]ro (sp?) and Jorge are fun to watch try and duplicate them. Some of the less experienced Bartenders and Serving Staff will be guided and trained in time, so be gracious and patient and remember you are on vacation! The pool women who serve endlessly and tirelessly are so lovely and keep you hydrated and a smile, tip and thank you go a long way. Vanessa and Guadalupe in the main buffet never let the water, coffee and beverages go empty and were genuinely kind and didnt rush the meal. The garden crews are amazing to see how they keep the grounds lush and vibrant and the beach team… wow what a job they have and do daily! We cannot say enough good about our experience as we feel we got great value for our cost!

Occidental Nuevo Vallarta: Good friendly resort with incredible staff

Over all we were very happy apart from one incident where a wedding was taking place and the wedding party were in the bar area until 1.30 am screaming and shouting. The bar area was under our room. When my husband rang the desk to ask that it be toned down he was told curtly that the wedding party has permission to have the area until 1am. He was also told that we should not hear it as we were on the sixth floor. The area was open to the high ceiling so anyone who had a room above that wo [... read more]uld have heard it. The noise was toned down somewhat but not stopped until 2 pm. We did not allow that incident to mar our holiday but were disappointed at the response to a civil request.

Occidental Caribe: Disappointing

We were a group of 6 leaving from Halifax NS joining two other couples from Toronto and Manitoba to arrive in Punta Cana on February 26, 2023 at 10:30pm. Our flight was delayed and we did not arrive at the resort until 10:30 am on February 27, 2023. Although we paid for our rooms, no rooms were available upon arrival which was upsetting as we had no sleep with all the delays. We were told to check back at the front desk at 1pm then 2pm then 3pm. Our upgraded room was to included Beach towels i [... read more]n room, welcoming Rum, robe/slippers and beer in fridge. We had none of that although later in the week customer service provided us with the rum. As well, we were to receive 4 meals at restaurants however we could not make reservations until we received a room. Once we finally were given a room and we went to customer service to book reservations they told us there were no reservations available. We challenged this and did get reservations however it added stress to the trip. Again more stress to our vacation. The bathroom towels were not consistent and often we were short. We had a leak in our bathroom which the maid was clearly aware as she placed a towel underneath. I am not faulting the maid crew as it clearly appears to be a supply issue for towels. The clientele for the first number of days were families from infants to grandparents. The day before we left buses upon buses arrived with student groups and the resort became unenjoyable and we could not wait to leave. The resort and our carrier should have warned us of that when booking. We requested a late check out on our last day due to our flight time however they would not give it even though we did not use the first night due to our delayed arrival and they subsequently received payment twice for that night. No late check out even though we only received 6 of the 7 nights we paid for. Very disappointing.

Occidental Caribe: Poor Customer Service

The hotel was mediocre at best. We had booked a superior room with a king sized bed. Our assigned room had two double beds. It did have a fantastic view of the ocean. The room was supposed to be stocked with water, pop, a bottle of rum, beer and snacks. The water was hit and miss dependant upon what they had on the cart. We never had beer or snacks supplied to the room. We eventually got a bottle of rum after speaking to guest services twice and our Air Transat Representative twice. W [... read more]hen we tried to book dinners in the restaurants, we were met with great resistance and told on Day 1 that there was no space available in any of the restaurants. We refused to leave customer service until we had some bookings as our package allowed for four choices. The food in the restaurants was good but they were only half full so I am not sure why it was so difficult to get a reservation. Any time we went to customer service for an inquiry, we were told to come back later as no one was available to assist us. Overall I would say the resort did not live up to the promised package and the building was somewhat run down. We enjoyed the weather, but were generally disappointed with how we were treated while there - the remainder of our group had an even worse experience due to a delayed flight. They gave away their rooms so they were not able to get into a room until 4 pm on the day of their arrival after having been travelling all night long! I blame it on the management of he resort as the workers- with the exception of Guest Services did the best they could with what they had.

Barcelo Solymar: Excellent Staff!

I enjoyed my time at this resort and felt nothing but welcomed by the staff who were extremely courteous, friendly and a joy to deal with. People have complained about the food but given the situation within Cuba, I had nothing to complain about in that regards. We had a BBQ lunch every day at the Beach Bar and it was great. Dinner at the restaurants we went to were equally as good - was the pizza like the pizza I normally eat at home - no, but I didn't expect it to either. I was in Cuba for the [... read more] beach and the sun which did not disappoint. Overall I liked this resort mainly because of the staff which made my first time in Cuba very memorable.

Barcelo Aruba: Not a great hotel to stay

The hotel is very outdated and I was not impressed at all. We had issues with the air conditioning and it took 2 days to figure it out, and then change the room. The a la carte restaurants were super good but the buffet same food every day. The beach is nice and clean and people are nice but very slow on addressing our concerns.

Barcelo Gran Faro Los Cabos: Heavenly Resort

The pools were fantastic and afforded a stunning view of the ocean. The grounds were well-maintained. There was an abundance of activities throughout the day such as water Zumba & exercises, Spanish classes, stretching exercises, water volleyball and bingo. The restaurants offered a wide selection of items.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Best Vacation Ever!

As a nurse, on vacation, I am now burdened with the concern regarding Covid19 while traveling. The hotel had many hand sanitization stations at main points around the hotel, as well as every entrance in a dining room area. Staff were friendly and the space between us always felt safe. We were able to pick how often our room was cleaned, and upon witnessing the cleaning while walking by other rooms, the housekeeping was thorough and I saw them wipe down high touch areas (even the balcony railings [... read more]). The food was amazing, I couldn't get enough! I have nothing bad to say, except I wish I had booked a longer vacation because I didn't want to leave.

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Fantastic experience

We travelled to the resort the last two weeks of February and first few days of March 2023. We stayed at the Tropical, in the Veracruz building, about mid-section, top floor facing east towards the Barcelo Palace. Our room was listed as a "Superior room run of the house" and I can say it was a great room, spacious, clean, well furnished and everything worked as it should, hair-dryer, TV, A/C the works. Perfect. There are six total resorts on this stretch of beach, all operated by Barcelo and i [... read more]nter-connected by pathways which are easy to figure out and well lit at night and there are enough bars, shops and night-life to keep you entertained. The pools are situated between each resort-pair and also mirror each other so you can choose which you want to hang out at, however if you want a good lounger you will need to rise earlier to claim your spot. The pools are well maintained and clean. The beach has loungers to spare so show up anytime and you're bound to find something suitable. The beach itself was a bit of a disappointment but we soon adapted and still had a great time. It's primarily a coral beach so the sand is peppered with small objects, remnants of coral that jab your bare feet. Bring water shoes if you have them or purchase them at the beach store behind the pool or if you're careful bare feel will do too. Also the depth of the beach isn't what we are used to, it's a very short distance from the palms to the water and there's a bit of a drop down to the water's edge so if you have mobility issues that could be an issue. And there're rocks too just under the surface that will require some dodging. When approaching the water look for the dark spots and just walk in between them that's where the sandy bottom is and you'll be fine. The buffets were good, ample food and well prepared, well staffed by pleasant, helpful and happy people just want you want. The a la carte restaurants were all amazing, best food I've had on vacation that I can remember, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Make sure you take a pair of slacks and collared shirt for these as no shorts or t-shirts are allowed, though if I were the establishment I'd relax the rule allowing nice bermuda-style shorts as well. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would come back to this resort in a heartbeat. Have fun!

Occidental Punta Cana: Wonderful resort

This hotel was amazing, the rooms were beautiful and clean and the cleaning staff were always their if you had any questions. The grounds were kept beautiful and everyone was so friendly. We really enjoyed our stay and the food was great, would definitely go back their again.