Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Exceptional resort.

Exceptional in so many ways, reminded me of Disney world, staff always behind the scene, there the minute you need anything. A massive property to explore and enjoy with a small resort feel to it, food , beverages entertainment everywhere.

Barcelo Solymar: Great resort

The hotel has a lot to offer and grounds are very well maintained. All the staff right from the front desk to the gardeners are always pleasant. Spent a week in a bungalow and was not disappointed at all. The location is a few minute walk to the boulevard and a ten minute walk to the best piñcolada bar!!!

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Best resort in Varadero

If you enjoy crystal clear beaches, resort entertainment and walking distance night-life parties, then look no further. This resort is located central downtown so you are 2 minutes from the district and 10 minutes from commercial shopping centre. The most popular cigar store is across the street. There is daily games on the resort and the beach, nightly entertainment and friendly staff all around. Went in January 2023 and though food quantities were even less than before, keep in mind COVID shut [... read more]downs took a huge toll. Excursion must would be Cayo Blanco cruise where you will have interaction with dolphins and a private island leisure where you can eat the most delicious Lobster tail. This resort is even better than Barcelo Solymar (sister resort next door) and amenities are shared (except for buffet). Great resort for adults and children!

Occidental Caribe: Definitely not 4.5

We stayed for a week Jan 15/22 we had to change rooms once due to mould and mildew smell room was out dated and disgusting! Our second room had no working TV for two days the staff are rude and the maids to the bare minimum. No fancy towels barely had clean towels to shower everyday. The towel service by the pool was just as bad never had towels on site to exchange always had to wait and try throughout the day. The food was no better would recommend the buffet over the a la cart French and Itali [... read more]an were beyond disgusting French charged for wine and Italian was not edible and nothing fancy overall this resort is a 2 star would not recommend

Occidental Caribe: Occidental Caribe is very poor

We did not enjoy this hotel. The rooms were so uncomfortable and very poor. The quiet pool was really nice as was the beach. The buffet was reliable and the a la carte book so fast we didn’t get to try any of them. We would not go here alone unfortunately.

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Great resort

Everything was wonderful. Beautiful location, resort, people, food at Royale restaurant was wonderful as is their staff who work very hard and help each other. Only issue would be their check in/out needs to he improve d. We waited a couple of hours to get our room and in the heat with Jean's on it was quite hot. Even if their was a "changing station".

Occidental Punta Cana: If you are "NOT" concerned about SERVICE, FOOD or ROOM please go to the Occidental Punta Cana.

The rooms and lobby are a scene out of a Cuban resort. Checking in was our first indication that the staff seem malcontent. Nobody smiles here. For a front desk, the level of English is very limited. With a group of 11 of us travelling, checking in was a challenge. With only 2 of the 5 rooms ready at 3, the rest of us had to wait unit after 4:30 for the remaining rooms. All of us were scattered over the vast resort and the request that we all stay in the same building fell on deaf ears. The reso [... read more]rt is obviously dated. Although they state that the rooms had been recently renovated, they left quite a bit left to be desired with patch work repairs and furniture from the 70's. the pillows were old. The bathrooms were awful. Sinks backing up, toilets not flushing, flushers not working, hair dryers being held together with electrical tape and filthy floors. Having the maids wash the floors with bleached mops simply does not do the job. The only shining star was the beach, the hotel landscaping and the weather. Although the seaweed washed up on shore every day. great efforts were made to remove it with large tractors on a near daily basis. You do however need to get to the beach at the crack of dawn it you want lounging chairs. There are none available after 8 it seemed. Walking the long stretch of beach was fabulous. The food was average. The bar service was just awful and no beach or pool bar service was available. You had to fend for yourself and wait in long lines to be served. Obviously a way to cut back in the cost of consumption by the hotel. If you like a diet soda, good luck. If you'd like a smile, good luck. If you believe this to be a good resort, good luck. If you would like photos, please simply ask. @susansnider

Occidental Caribe: Amazing resort

This was our 3rd time at this resort. We were a group of 13 people, the only upsetting thing was our rooms were all over the resort because when we booked it back in May we specifically asked to have our rooms together & on the main level as we had disabled people with us. It was frustrating that groups that booked way after we did had their rooms together. We have found since Covid there are less loungers around the pool so it was almost impossible to get a lounger unless you got up at 5am. We  [... read more]find the staff very friendly & the resort is very clean.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Awesome place to stay!

The hotel was awesome! All the rooms were very close to the beach, lobby, pools and restaurants. It was very easy to get around the resort and did not require too much time to get anywhere. The train that took us between the Palace and Beach resorts was also helpful, but the walk between the two only took about 10 minutes, which was very manageable. The staff was very engaging and accommodating. There was always entertainment on the beach and activities to participate in. The staff were extre [... read more]mely energetic with all the guests at the resort, and we felt very welcomed. Our room was cleaned daily, and the mini bar was always well stocked. Again, the room location was a highlight. The bathroom having a separate area for the sinks/ mirrors vs where the tub and toilet was nice when getting ready. The beach was beautiful and clean. There was very minimal litter on the sand/in the water, and the chairs were well spaced out throughout the beach area. The water was very clean and you could walk out and swim easily. The food at the buffet was fun as there were themed cuisines each day of the week, so the dinners were changing each day. The a la cart restaurants were okay. The adult only restaurants were better than the other a la carte options. Going back, we would not go to all the a la cartes, but was nice to try them on our first go. We would return to this resort without hesitation!

Barcelo Maya Colonial: great resort

grounds are amazing,very clean,beach amazing(white sands)i recommended water shoes when swimming in ocean.buffet food was good but not much variety(lack of sea food) a la carte excellent(Kyoto) Italian restaurant(Marenostrum).Our room was nice but needs to be updated,it is not 5 star hotel, i will give 4-1/2 star.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Resort is beautiful.

Overall our stay was very good. Check in was slow and should be improved. Food was ok. More staff needed in serving areas and tables and cleanliness could improve greatly. People are friendly and helpful. A la carte was rushed and needs to be upgraded to a more relaxed experience. House wine is poor. Grounds are immaculate and beautiful.

Occidental Caribe: Run far away

The grounds are nicely kept and beach is beautiful. The food was fine. The facility is not being kept up. Lights in room broken. Patio chairs broken. Hooks missing. Sink stopper missing, closet light wouldn’t turn off. No towels. No soap, shampoo or conditioner. The bathroom by the bar has 4 sinks. All week only one worked. By the last 2 days no sinks worked. Our friend got locked in a bathroom stall. The list of defects goes on and on. Tiles broken. No toilet paper on 3 trips. The worker [... read more]s were nice especially Juany at customer service. This is definitely a 3 star resort. There are much nicer places to go,

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Incredible resort. Great for resting, relaxing and beach activities!

Public areas and grounds are beautiful, numerous pools can accommodate every type of swim activity and the beach is perfect for swimming - just bring sunscreen and your bathing suit. Food is amazing - 6 different restaurants plus numerous buffets ensure that you find something that works for even the picky eater. Rooms are large and comfortable.

Occidental Tucancun: Great resort

This is a smaller hotel with amazing staff. At first glance, the lobby seems very plain. Some of the furniture and rooms are outdated but it was very clean. Staff were very helpful. The Italian restaurant doesn't require a reservation and was our favorite. The buffet at the pool level was really good as well.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Fantastic Resort!

The Barcelo Riviera Maya is one of the nicest resorts I have ever stayed at. It was affordable and has so much to do within the resort. The property is massive. The decor was absolutely beautiful. Its was spotless, up to date and impeccably well maintained.They have mini golf, you could watch dolfins play all day, basket ball, tennis, pickle ball, kayak just to name a few - all free. There are 6 resorts within and we stayed at the Colonial. My opinion was this was the best location for beach [... read more] and food among the four inner resorts. Hotel staff were so nice and very kind. Food is good, I found they provided such a huge selection to fancy everyone's taste and was always available up into the late hours in the eve. The beach was well groomed and had wonderful sun and shade options. Pools were fun and there were many, swim up bars were great. I never felt crowded. My only critiques would be that because it's such a large place, I think they should provide an orientation of the resort rather than leaving it to us to seek out. Also, there should be more signs within the resort directing to wheee things are as we were lost for a frew days lol.. They could also provide more bar staff as they were the most busy. I would recommend this resort to everyone. If we visit Playa del Carmen again, we will be back.

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Exceptional Food Selection & Presentation

The resort is in need of some updating. The rooms are spacious but tired. The bathtub was in need of repair and there were areas where paint was peeling on the windowsill. The linen should be replaced....no longer white, definitely not fluffy and very worn. Beach and pools excellent.

Occidental Punta Cana: Great hotel for a familly trip!

We had a good time with our 2 yrs. Food is good, room are big and clean, people are nice! Its a calm place and fun with children because the noise stop after 22h30. It’s a perfect place to relax, read and spend good time with familly

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: So wonderful for our second time but it may be our last

We just arrived back from our second trip here. We came back as the property is fabulous. The beach is extraordinary. The food is, also. The Adults only Barcelo Bavaro Beach and the next door Bavaro Palace (for families) occupies about four km of beautiful beach. At the end of each property, there are public beaches. In front of these public beaches, many of the excursion boats anchor as they await their clients to take out. Many of them play annoyingly loud and aggressive music that spoils the [... read more] ambiance. On our last day, one of these vessels anchored right out front of the resort to let their clients snorkel. For 45 minutes we had to listen to the loudest and most disgusting rap music ever. We went back to our room as it was not enjoyable sitting there. We will seek out a more quiet environment for next year.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Amazing staff, nice hotel but poor management

Arena is a nice but dated hotel in a great location. The pools are huge, well maintained with deep and shallow areas suited for both adult swimmers and little kids. Beach area is really nice but beach chairs are mostly broken. Food is very poorly managed, lineup for one little tiny grill that is only hot enough to cook an egg with a very small surface...unfortunately we had to feed the food to stray dogs in multiple occasions since it was raw chicken or pork and was not safe to eat. The gril sta [... read more]rts only after the buffet opens so most people feel fed up lining up and just resort to other very limited options. My boyfriend got very sick. No food safety check is done by management since it was on multiple occasion we noticed uncooked meat was served. Staff are really nice but they could only do so much...our room was well ventilated but very dated, one small towel each and it was impossible to change to a fresh one. We tipped the maid well but she said she is not allowed to give fresh towels. No place to exchange beach towels! We used wet towels in 7 days and everytime we asked they said maid does it if you place them in the room but maids were saying they have no access to beach towels and refer us back to the reception...this is of course not staff fault and you could see the greedy management behind it trying to cut cost and corners. Ground was very well kept. Beach bar was closed...snack bar had no food but ham sandwich with one layer of mystery ham Overall we had a positive experience but we noticed a big negative change that was not staff fault.

Occidental Caribe: Would not recommend.

What seems to have been a nice resort once upon a time seems to have fallen under hard times: grounds are still pretty. Outdoor chairs are in need of a change. Pool towels are difficult to come by. One buffet restaurant: disappointing food, minimal staff, cleanliness and sanitary measures less then desirable. 25 min waits for anything at the grilling stations ( pasta, meat, etc.). À la carte restaurant: don’t bother. Barely staffed, crappy meals. Locals are welcomed in to party on weekends an [... read more]d at night. They clearly get priority for any service, especially drinks. Front desk is very understaffed. Staff looking tired and not overly happy. Rooms: broken patio doors to balcony. Will not close. No safe. Bathrooms tired with hot water issues in shower and leaky toilets. We enjoyed the sun and the company we travelled with. Other than that, big waste of too much money. Sorry.