Occidental Papagayo: Deluxe Bayview Room

Our deluxe bayview room overlooking the water watching the boats go by was amazing! Room was clean, food was good, drinks were cold and the weather was very hot. The resort is built on a hill so be prepared to walk up and down constantly unless you want to wait for the shuttle. I don't mind walking but for someone with mobility issues it may not be the best resort to visit. This is the second time we visited and would definitely recommend.

Barcelo Maya Palace: 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.

Occidental Punta Cana: Ok resort

The grounds were well kept. The resort is nice. The staff not friendly and not much English. Saying that there was 2 bartenders at the main lobby that were great. And the poolbar was good.The food was terrible. Buffet was cold, oriental al a carter was nasty. Food tasted terrible. The steak house was good . Service was great until we finished eating the steak and sat for 25 -35 minutes waiting for the dishes to be cleared. Then the table collapsed on 2 of us. Then they came to ask if we were  [... read more]ready for dessert. Would not recommend this resort!

Barcelo Gran Faro Los Cabos: Very disappointed. Not 4.5 star

Will Never return. no towels upon arrival don’t heat the pools stole money from our room accessed friends room when they thought they were out. unfriendly servers served raw chicken 2.5 star place

Barcelo Maya Palace: 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.

Occidental Punta Cana: not a 5 star

The Occidental is a very nice resort. The grounds were very well kept and the rooms were very clean and nice. That is about the only good thing about this resort. The service was not great and the food was mediocre at best. The beach only has a few palm trees for shade but it was very nice. The service at the beach bar was very slow as well. The service at the pool bar was very good tho and a few gentlemen at the lobby bar were great as well but thats about it. I will not go back to this  [... read more]resort. Also the website says 20km from the airport but took us an hour to get to the resort.

Barcelo Solymar: Past its Peak

I've stayed at Barcelo Mexico in the past, which is why I chose this resort over the others. The beach is amazing - white sand, and the water is clear and pretty calm. Most of the shore didn't have rough rocks/boulders like I've experienced in the past, so it was pleasant entering and exiting the ocean. the boardwalk to the ocean is falling apart. The location is great. You are able to use the facilities of the resort next door. If you walk through the other resort's lobby, downtown Vara [... read more]dero is a 2-5 minute walk. Not too far from the airport, so the bus ride is pretty short. When we did the catamaran trip to Cayo Blanco the bus ride was only 5-10 minutes. The spa inside the resort was closed. I'm not sure if it is permanent or because they had a huge leak. The leak was in front of where the gym is located. The gym is dingy and humid. I did not see anyone use it during my stay. The resort looked a bit rundown in general. The decorative fountains are turned off. Make sure you bring any toiletries and clothes you may need. I have more appreciation for how accessible basic things are here in Canada. The resort has a couple tiny stores that probably won't have what you need. The only sunscreen they had was 50ml for $20 CAD. My boyfriend lost his sunglasses and couldn't find a single pair in Varadero (finally found some at the airport) The resort does host games like bingo, bowling, and mini put a couple times a day. There is a schedule on the wall in the resort. Always a bottle of Havana Club for the winner. The bar kept running out of mint, so they couldn't always make mojitos. They don't have the stuff available for Mimosas either. There was no bar in the pool - technically the rules on the wall state no drinks even allowed in the pool. The pools are very shallow and there is barely any shade. There are no longer any canopies for the lounge chairs. The structures are still there but there are no tops. For a pool with some depth you have to go over the other resort. After spending time there, the photos I see on tripadvisor must be from when they first opened because the buildings are no longer colourful as shown. Also, the pool by the lobby looks way larger in the photos but they've definitely reduced the size. The ceiling in the bathroom of the room leaked and when we first arrived there was no hot water which took a day to fix. The room itself it pretty basic but the mini fridge is only stocked with water. No sodas, tea, or coffee... despite there being a coffee machine available. Half the outlets didn't work. I had to use the outlet beside the bed for my flatiron, which was annoying because there was no mirror there. The pillows are basically two body polyester pillows so I found it awkward with two people trying to use the same pillows. The food is terrible. Often the same food for lunch and dinner. Either very bland or too much vinegar and often over cooked. Seen a roach crawling on the wall a couple times in the cooking area. I ate very little. There were only three a la carte options - Italian, Cuban, and ex-seafood. It's ex-seafood because the restaurant use to be a seafood place but it isn't anymore. Not sure what they served there because we didn't choose it. I found the servers either were awesome or a little rude. A couple times we sat down, ate, and left without the server ever coming over to even say hi. However, the good servers are great. Once we figured out who were the awesome ones we pretty much always sat in their areas so are experience with servers improved as our time there passed. Overall, I didn't enjoy the experience and I was ready to go home half way through the vacation - which I've never felt as such on a vacation before.

Barcelo Maya Palace: 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.

Barcelo Huatulco: Great Resort experience

The Barcelo Huatulco is one of the best resorts that we have stayed at. The all inclusive travel package offered by WestJet is certainly the way to go. The resort grounds are immaculate, the beach is fantastic, food and drink are readily available, and service is one of the resort's best features. In all, a great experience.

Occidental Punta Cana: Beautiful resort

The grounds are beautiful and the rooms are large . This resort is very clean and the food is great. Unfortunately only made it to 3 a la cartes in our 10 day visit due to no availabilty. The steak house was very good and came out hot. Italian restaurant was good but my food was barely warm. The buffets were all very good.

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Beautiful resort

Wow, what an unexpected pleasure this resort was. Our room was on the second level first villa closest to the hotel. Very quiet and a garden view that was tranquil and serene. What can I say about the restaurants other than all were absolutely fabulous. Presentation, taste, wide choices and wonderful service were sure to please any palate. The beach was lovely and clean. There were always chaises available on the beach and some Bali beds as well that my partner being the early riser acqui [... read more]red for us. The grounds and landscaping were beautiful and there are several quiet pools throughout. The staff were amazing and friendly and always courteous. My only complaint for this resort is that dinner reservations had to be made for all. Your concierge is more than happy to walk you through this and make suggestions. Book early for the Asian cuisine as it is popular and was so amazing. The good presentation was gorgeous and delicious. Offsite excursions were booked with Carlos our AirTransit representative. It was the first time for all of us (two couples) at this hotel and we would definitely reconsider returning.

Occidental Cozumel: Very disappointed

Occidental changed and for the worse. The service is awful, nobody made us feel special there whatsoever. They had a clear lack of food and the resort generally felt badly taken care of (insects in the rooms, damp beds from humidity that the ACS just aren't able to keep up with) We weren't even greeted with a welcome drink, and asked a passer by if we could get.some drinks, the drinks came in plastic cups...you can tell a lot by the first drink. The general vibe of the resort was gloomy, everyo [... read more]ne seemed depressed (staff AND tourists). We would have stayed there despite all this has we been able to book scuba trips, but even that was "fully booked and nothing they could do" We changed to a different resort. A WestJet rep helped us, but not Kevin, it was a 3rd party rep that helped over the phone and had us transferred for an additional $200. We were satisfied with the other resort, it was a lot better and a lot more positive in general. So all in all - I learned a lesson. Not going to use West jet again...they don't even include a piece of luggage on the plane, not much is offered and they pricing is pretty high. I may as well have gone to Cuba with the experience I had. Sorry, but this is the honest opinion. Hope you improve

Occidental Punta Cana: Great home away from home

Clean and spacious rooms. Wifi free for all. Food was good, and plenty of it. Wish they had bacon. The specialty dinners could use a little help and better organizing. Beautiful, clean beaches. Overall, great home away from home. Will definitely be back.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Amaizing resort!

It was our second visit to this resort. It actually looks more as luxury hotel then resort. Very neat, clean and tidy! All organized well with no issues. All concerns should they occur may be addressed promptly. Service was impeccable. Food variety was plenty. Restaurant booking was easy, and food was amazing! Good quality strong drinks, decent cocktails. Definitely, will be back again.

Occidental Punta Cana: Beautiful beach!

The beach was beautiful and you could walk for at least an hour in either direction. The grounds at Occidental were immaculate, the pools clean but very shallow, the beach chairs comfortable, the rooms comfy & clean, the wifi consistently good around the property, the buffet food tasty (if a little repetitive), the variety of a la carte restaurants was good with food that was a notch better than the buffets. Not as many day-time bars as other properties I've been to, so there were always line- [... read more]ups/waits to get drinks. Thankfully, the loud evening entertainment didn't go too late!

Barcelo Maya Tropical: Barcelo Maya Tropical has it all figured out!!

Well this is the first time we were at this resort and we had a very memorable holiday. 10 Days (mid to end of November 2022) of beautiful weather - even though our weather forecast showed thundershowers every day - we had rain maybe for 5 minutes and then rain clouds were gone. The grounds on the Tropical and Colonial is absolutely incredible. The grounds are so manicured and travel between all the buildings to get to the restaurants and events are very cool covered wide walk ways - perf [... read more]ect for rainy weather. The way that Barcelo is set up, everywhere you have to be (food, beach, shopping, front desk, bar, etc) is only 5 min walk from anywhere! So if you forget something in your room, it isn't a big deal to go back and get it. The beach is very nice indeed! With all the tropical palm trees on the beach, you can get as much sun or shade on where you park your butt. There are lots of lounges, but people seem to take extra lounges to put their extra crap on, so by 10 am there are none left usually. Put towels on early is a recommendation, or go to the resort beach to the south, they seemed to have more lounges on the beach. We are beach people, but the pools are very nice and they are very well laid out for relaxing as well. Great job on how the pools in relationship to the beach!! The bars are busy during the daytime as can be expected, but getting a beverage is usually within 5 min wait at the worst. The beach where the lounges are is very nice and is actually raked every morning - very cool. The only thing is where the ocean meets the beach. The erosion of the waves has left a drop off in a few places - no biggie at all. We bought some water shoes before we left - which were a blessing. They were cool water shoes - great for walking in and out of the water, walking to room, pathways. Get some!! As you got into the ocean there was 3'-5' of rocks and then sand again, so would have been a bit of a pain (literally) without water shoes. Not really the resorts fault from mother nature. I seen some staff cleaning up some of those rocks and within 2 days there were more rocks washed up. Food at buffet was really good we thought. Obviously there is always issues with buffets, but the resort has done an amazing job we thought for the amount of people that come and want to get fed. Yes of course you get the "not hot" on a few items but they had great variety and usually lots of food. I think they only ran out of bacon once on me, I just didn't wait 5 min for the new batch. Lol They always had the hot plate to hand make omelets, quesadilla, hamburgers, etc. Great job guys - Very tough job to make every one happy. Room was nice and clean and bed was good. Fridge can be filled up by just asking staff. Tv was a bit lacking - few English channels, but hey, we were not there for the tv. The only complaint is the drunks coming home at 2-3 am and feeling that waking everyone up was ok. Would have been nice to be able to adjust the speed of the ceiling fan - it was either full blast or nothing. We would highly recommend this resort to anyone and we met a few people that have been there that was their 14 and 5th time at the resort. I guess the only bad thing to complain about is the wifi. Wifi was exceptional throughout everywhere - even on the beach. Needy adult children and elderly parents back in Canada were much too accessible on your phones. :-)

Occidental Punta Cana: Gorgeous place to stay

The grounds were extremely well maintained. A very lovely place to spend vacation. The food offerings were a bit limited but were decent overall. We did not enjoy the restaurants as much as we enjoyed the buffet. Breakfast was extremely popular and very tasty!

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Barcelo Maya Beach Resort

Everything in this resort is absolutely beautiful.......................................................................................................................................................

Occidental Caribe: NOT FOR US...

I have been to several resorts in Cuba, DR, Mexico, Barbados etc. I anticipated the food would be mediocre and the rooms out of date but I was going for the lovely beaches of Punta Cana. Unfortunately this was the biggest disappointment for us. The beach is beautiful but the WAVES were so rough it was not good at all for kids and parents. We could not be more that arms reach away from him the entire time he was in the water because of the strong waves and undertow. This beach actually scar [... read more]ed me twice and I was so stressed when he was in the water that we barely went to the beach. The beach is why we go, not for the pool. The food wasnt great if you have kids. The pizza place was only open on weekends and if your not there when it opens your waiting in line. The buffet was ok. Always something but not much buffet options for the kids besides Fries. If you speak Spanish you are going to be okay but not speaking Spanish we were challenged. Majority of staff don't speak English, the resort seems to cater more to the locals that come for weekends - this is when things go so busy there were lines everywhere. The rooms were very outdated but that is not a problem for us. What WAS a problem was that our SAFE was broken and we spent a few hours in the room waiting to get it fixed. The AC is also barely working so it was quite warm, the fan and AC were not able to be changed to colder temps. Also our ceiling was peeling and our friends we met there had a leak in their ceiling. The pools were nice but the adult pool was the only pool that had any activities. We couldn't go to that pool because we had our son but we would have loved to participate in the activities. The kids pool area was very cute, lots of fun but it is more geared to younger kids under 6 yrs. My son is 8 and he wanted a pool that he could swim and jump and play so we used the other pool kids were allowed in but it was very quiet with nothing going on. We later found out there were some kids activities but we missed most of them. I would suggest if you go because of the price be prepared to get what you pay for. If you dont like to swim in the ocean and dont mind outdated rooms and Cuba like food options this is good for you. The grounds were beautiful and beach was super close to the hotel. If you enjoy the beach and swimming you might want to book on the side of Punta Cana more closer to the Caribbean Sea - like Barcelo etc. We also did 2 excursions that were fantastic - Monkeyland and the Caribbean Pirates at Sea. We had a great time and our 8 year old loved both. If you do go find Nelson in the dining room and Anna from the Kids club. Both were fantastic! Below I rated the BEACH/POOL low because of the beach but the pool was nice just lots of cups at the bottom of it - my son recovered most of them each morning.

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Family Vacation

This is a nice resort. There was no entertainment for my kids to participate in. I was waiting for an entertainment group to take my both sons and give the best vacation for them. My room was not cleaned just 1 day and had to call in. The beach was not good, very dirty and smells. If you are not paying attention to where you are walking when inside the water on the beach there are big bumps. The staff were friendly, the restaurants were nice. I would go back if they can clean up the beach. The b [... read more]ar service was not good, i was standing for like 5 minutes and some dudes come and get serviced before me. I have 2 children and a wife to get drinks for and this happening to me turned me off. The weather was good but no proper music to have while sipping a drink while laying down on the chairs at the pool.