Would not go back. Tried to book another hotel but no luck. We asked to move to another hotel but they would not help us. Everything was a hassle. Rooms were dismal. AC worked intermently and very very loud. Bathroom smelled like sewer. My daughter got sick. No room service. Food just ok. Al a carte was only available to a small number of people. Had to stand in a long line to try and book. We had no luck. No water activities. Lobby very tired. Beach was beautiful.
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Dominic -
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Occidental Papagayo: beautiful resort
grounds were perfectly manicured, beautiful, food was great. pools were clean warm nice swim up bar. lots of stairs and hills. buffet and snack bars were good. drinks were mixed perfect. rooms were immaculate. no complaints
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Private -
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Barcelo Maya Tropical: Week in paradise
This was by far the best resort we have visited. There was plenty to do and it was so beautiful and clean. It felt very safe during the pandemic and the food was delicious. We plan to visit again next year and bring the rest of our family!
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Sameer Sadeqi -
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Barcelo San Jose: Not worth it
Not recommended
Poor service
Food was terrible
Rooms were okay
Location were okay
The rest was not worth it for that much money they charge
And i booked this hotel as fully package but they didn’t provide me lunch and dinner
Grounds and rooms were very clean. Food was good but could have had more verity. Only negatives were, hard to get new beach towels and limited bars were open, pool bar for one. Beach bar needed more staff and keep running out of beer. Mixed drinks were not made from upper shelf liquor; therefore, did not taste very good. My wife and I did not finish one drink.
Overall it was a great location, clean resort and very nice beach.
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Private -
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Occidental Caribe: Great resort
There was lots of shade both on the beach and around the pools.
The service was excellent
Guest services were very helpful in telling us what we needed to know for our Covid test
We were not happy with the Air Transat rep; didn't show up for orientation the first day and was late the 2nd. Also, we had no knowledge as where to go to meet himj
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Private -
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Barcelo Maya Caribe: Upgraded to the Barcelo Maya Palace
When we arrived at the Barcelo Caribe we were told they were full and we were to go to the Barcelo Palace as an upgrade.
We had a fabulous time. It was myself, my husband and our 2 young adult children. We loved the Palace but our kids spent more time at the Caribe which was livelier and more going on for their age.
Room/staff: Fabulous - 2 double beds, 2 couches, patio to garden, wrist band key door openers, large bathroom 2 sinks, toilet and 2 showers with bathtub in each room.
Great co[... read more]vered walkways to everywhere. Very clean well kept grounds and areas. Staff friendly and helpful. If you leave a tip in the room fridge you will get xtra snacks.
Food: Much better at Palace than Caribe as we ate 2 lunches at the grills at Caribe/Tropical and our stomachs were upset after those. Stressful booking dinners at restaurants at night. Had to book the first day and only got choice of 3 restaurants at a time so had to go back 2 days in a row to book more. Unable to get restaurants the first 2 nights. Restaurants are the way to go for dinners. They were excellent even at the Tropicale.
Breakfast buffets were wonderful with omelettes, crepes and papaya, bagels, lots of variety
Lunches were a great variety at the Palace- hot and cold items
Dinners at buffet were good but preferred the restaurants. Loved the Kyoto - Japanese that cooked in front of you with a show. French- Bassiere - lots of seafood, Caribe - seafood, Rodizio - Brazilian steak which was ok, Italian at Tropical was good- pasta
Drinks all free at all bars.
Bring own insulated large drink container
Entertainment: Poor.
Spectacular arena at the Tropicale was all in Spanish every night. At the Palace one night was Mexican dancers - costumes were great but same dancing for 1/2 hour. Magic show was good. The other nights were only karaoke. Shows started at 9:30 pm. Not much to do at night here. Kids had more to do at the Caribe in the evenings-dance parties, sports bar etc.
Beaches: Fantastic. Bring water shoes as lots of rocks. Need a float or noodle for me for snorkelling. Bring snorkel.
Walked from Palace to Adult Only every morning on sidewalk on beach - approx 6000 steps for both ways about 35 min to do both ways. Lovely walk in the morning at 830. Had to get up at 8 to get beach chairs on the beach at the Palace- put towels and clips on chairs. Palm trees for shade so had to move the chairs around every 30 min or so to get shade. Water was warm, first few days were rolling waves then last few days was calm no waves and clear water. At that time near the palace you could stand by the rocks and didn’t need to snorkel and we saw a sting ray, 2 turtle swimming next to us , and multiple coloured fish by just standing near the rocks by shore. Lots of water sports to do - windsurfing, wave rider $20US per hour, kayaking, catamaran- have to go early in AM to stand in line to book time in day to use. Other things you can pay for - jet ski, scuba, snorkelling trip.
To Do: wave rider, skating, bowling, Mexican shopping mall - lots of stores to shop at inside and outside. Palace hotel also had lots of stores to wander in. Can take the free double decker bus around to all the Barcelo resorts. Swim with dolphins - 4 of them and the 15 min show is at 10:30 every morning. Cute show with jumps. Sport club screen to watch sports on, video- gaming screen . At pool areas had pilates, games starting at 2 pm dancing etc. Beach has beach volleyball. Kids water park at each resort and kids clubs at each resort with activities.
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Private -
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Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Barcelo Bavaro Palace
This is my 3rd visit,obviously,I like it here.Golfing is great !! The people working there are all very nice.I wish something could be done for the hoards of inconsiderate people that "reserve" there beach chair with a towel.This is ridiculous,there is no one on the beach,but no chairs.You should stop this,some how,disallow this.I have been to places that do not allow this.Otherwise food,rooms were great,and everything else.Thanks Terry
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Nicole -
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Occidental Punta Cana: Beautiful resort with amazing people!!
This was the first time my husband an I were in dominican and it was everything and more!! The resort was absolutely beautiful, very clean everything was close and the people were the best part! All the workers where so nice and made our trip that much more amazing.
The food was fantastic. Always so much to choose from in the buffets. We tried all the el la carts and they were all sooo good!
Food was never an issue at this resort, there was always somewhere to grab a bite!
The rooms were gre[... read more]at, other than the showers not being the best and not knowing if you would have hot water. But this didn't bother us none!
The beach is where we spent most of our time! Talking to the locals on the beach was the highlight of our day!
Other than the staff wearing masks it was a vacation away from covid, we didn't need to wear masks or worry about anything! The resort was so clean so we didn't worry about anything. We traveled with air transit so we had our covid test in our room which was do convenient!
We will definitely be going back to this resort next year and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a smaller, quite resort!!
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Mandy -
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Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Recommending for a great time away .....full review so read away:)
We have just returned from Barcelo Maya Beach and are looking forward to our next visit.
From Booking with Martine Reid to departure home our trip was a wonderful experience.
We spent 15 days at the resort and a few none issue items that we just went with.
1.Arrival in Cancun- easy, no problems with the provided transport other than a longer than necessary wait for a couple who were duty free shopping and held up our bus,
I prefer a direct drop off as the 2 hotels we had to stop at added[... read more] about an hour in total to the trip but again that is my preference, Barcelo is about 70 mins away from the airport and the bus had great AC, working toilet and great cold beers and canned Margs for purchase.
2.Checkin- It is at 3pm and onward.. we had requested 2 beds and they had 1 king so it took until 430 pm to get our room, we had some lunch, wandered about to get an idea of where things were and then got our room.
Checkout-easy and no issues at all and the bus was direct with no stops to the airport..
3.Room 1315- it is Tulum building and the room was great, clean, mini fridge well stocked, large towels, quiet and a top floor with the garden view. AC worked great a room key is used to activate it, lots of hot water in the shower and no issues at all.
4.Beach-looks exactly like all photos, kms of white sand beautiful warm ocean... if you want snorkeling head to the opposite end by the Plaza and it is rocky so water shoes are a suggestion.
5.Pools and Towels- huge pools and lots of space to float about, towels are bath sheet size so no need to bring from home and the Pool bar... a fun place to sit and watch or participate with the Activity Team but be prepared as it is loud from 12-4pm
6. Shade, sun and lounge chairs-tons to use on the whole resort so no need to get up early to towel mark a chair.
7. Restaurants/Bars
- Main Buffet-hit or miss but there is always something to eat, (they are learning service so drinks are a bit slow to arrive but again its vacation so no need to rush about anyway)
-Captain Morgan's for lunch- always fresh pasta, pizza, salads, burgers(as big as your hand) and a great spot for some shade during the day to sit and chill, the Managers, Marayil and Enrique were lovely to speak with and they brought us fresh Mango Margarita's to the pool and they were some of the best Marg's we had the whole time...
-Room Service- not included in the All Inclusive pricing but definitely worth the few dollars for great sandwiches and a salad instead of going out for a night
-A la Cartes-
-Italian was a delish experience , we went a few times as it was fabulous, highly recommend it
-Tokyo for Japanese, a great meal and show and again we went a couple of times, highly recommend it
-Mexican- it was ok.. we both felt rushed, it was too dark and the food was not what we expected.. It was good but again not authentic feeling or tasting.
-Strikers Sports Bar- Great place for some bar food, a fun atmosphere but expensive for Bowling (15 US a person) Arcades games fun for kids and a bit expensive but the Air Hockey was a fun hour!
Drinks:
The drinks were a hit and miss at all bars we tried as everyone makes it their way.. only a couple that were definitely off the mark but for the most part they were great..they made for some great laughter so again not a big deal as you just order another one if its not what you wanted or like but for the Supreme package you do not get access to anything other than house liquor so be prepared as I did not know this.
Beer in room was Corona but on tap was Montejo I think and it was great and cold..
Bottled water at the bars and pool and it was always chilled
Spa- Highly recommend it and the coupon at checkin was fabulous.. you pay this on arrival at the spa so credit card is needed and again its in US.
Dolphin Show- free and fun to watch or you can pay to swim if you like.
Nightly Shows- start at 930pm but good for an hour to unwind, open air and lots of seats and all age friendly.
Venture Park: We did the go carts and Zipline and it was fun and scary for a first timer but its on site and no need to leave the resort.. it was 35 US each and a good way to spend and hour and a half.
There are great shops on site and a Mexican Market for all your souvenirs including string hammocks and a great Tequila shop that is comparable to duty free and when a taxi to 5th Ave is 25-30 US each way it was easy to pick up what I needed without the Playa craziness as much fun as it is.
We had a great vacation and our on site rep Johnny assisted with our PCR test booking and again no issues and his check in and check up on us was appreciated.
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We didn't do tours off site this time but many folks did and the prices seemed to be the same as every time we have visited.
Masks were mandatory for public spaces (going into restaurants, shops etc but not in the pool at the bar and all staff were masked the entire time... Covid protocols were in place and we felt quite safe and most people were respectful of each others space and if the staff can wear masks, we found no issue in having ours at all times.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions I can answer but again , we had a great experience and Martine's help from Trip Central from start to end was really appreciated.
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Mattie10 -
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Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Wonderful vacation at Barcelo Beach, Mayan Riviera
The Barcelo beach resort is an older resort but it is well cared for, beautiful lush grounds, several clean pools, lots of shaded areas to get out of the sun and beautiful beach with plenty of lawn chairs to relax under the palm trees. The a la cart restaurants were delicious, especially the Japanese one! The buffets had lots of variety, meat was always tender, but tended to be the same foods all week which I didn’t mind. Top notch entertainment at night! There are several Barcelo resorts th[... read more]at we could visit and use their facilities and bus pick up every 15 min to shuttle guests was a bonus. Very big resort! Lots of young ppl there but when they returned from late night outings tended to be a little noisy running through the corridors before getting to their rooms. Otherwise very quiet. All the ppl working at the resort were friendly and worked quietly. I especially liked Susie who led the daily water aerobics class. Even though pandemic is basically over, I still found staff always wore their masks, took guests temperature before entering restaurants. Excellent week! Highly recommend Barcelo!
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Sterls25 -
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Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: good resort! disappointing rooms
The hotel beach was very nice the pools were great and there were lots of chair options id recommend walking the whole beach to get the best parts. the food was very good and i am a picky eater there were lots of options the Italy was not very good the rooms were old and the air was not good nothing dried and everything was always damp masks were mandatory at bars and restaurants the took you temp when going in to buffets and all the workers were in masks the whole
time. we liked everything bu[... read more]t the rooms we even switched rooms because are air was not working and it was still not good in the new room i also had to fight with front desk to move us when are room was set and stuck at 26 it was 28 out side for reference this made the first two days very stress full.
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Private -
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Occidental Cozumel: Wonderful resort & staff!
A wonderful smaller, intimate resort with lots of lush green plants and trees making for a calming and serene environment.
All of the staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious, especially the a la carte restaurants.
The rooms, pool, restaurants, bathrooms were always spotless and covid protocols were always in place which was reassuring.
Beach & pool area was beautiful and well maintained.
Hi. First, our travel agent was absolutely amazing. She did save our trip.
We went to Mexico Barcelo resort at the end of February.
Barcelo is split up into 6 resorts. The 4 in the middle, Beach, Caribe, Tropical, and Colonial (BCCT) are just typical. The BCCT are all connected and does not matter which you stay at. It’s one big resort. If you’re only there for the weather, then the BCCT is for you. The Palace is an upgradable option. My experience there was limited and can’t comme[... read more]nt accurately. The Rivierra is the adults only portion and it is definitely worth it.
We had booked at the Beach resort of the BCCT. I always start with the bad. No fault of the resort, our neighbours stayed up til 5am everyday. They were students and kept me awake with with various noise. The other bad, Our room was cleaned every other day, not that we’re merry, but it feels good to have it cleaned during COVID. The good. The resort is beautiful. The gardens were immaculate. The beach was stunning. The pools were amazing and different. There are lots of animals to see. Everything else at the Beach resort was a typical all inclusive resort. Food was ok, room was typical, nothing too much or memorable in comparison to the many other resorts I’ve stayed at.
Due to no fault of the hotel, the neighbours caused me not to sleep for 3 nights. The hotel could not do anything for me. My travel agent somehow did and had us moved to the Adults Only Rivierra resort. It is connected to the BCCT so it’s more of a different section than a different resort.
The Rivierra. First with the bad. At 5:30, the sun goes behind the building and the pool doesn’t receive sun. Another bad is the building is located or one side and my steps went from 11k a day at the BCCT resort to 21k a day at the Rivierra. So be prepared to walk if you want to see all the resorts. The good. The Rivierra was stunning. The entrance will make your jaw drop. The corridor is constructed so there is always a sun beam coming in. The room was breath taking and every room has a jacuzzi on the Balcony. We watched the sunset while in the jacuzzi. Our room was cleaned twice a day. This buffet was nothing like I’d ever seen before. I had a porter house steak made to my perfection in this buffet. The pools were very large with more than enough room and the beach had way too many chairs with a lot of space. Note- due to the sun setting in the back of the building, the premium rooms with a swim up pool are not worth it in my opinion. The rooms view the sunrise and not the sun set, so sometime early afternoon, its in the shade.
The grounds themselves are amazing. There is a lot to do. The bad. With all the activities it is very poorly advertised. Only on the last night did we find a piano bar where someone would play. The good, there is a lot to do if you go searching for it. Mini golf, bowling, zip lining, shopping. Kids water parks, various shows at the theatres, casino, finding the elusive monkey, etc….
I would recommend the BCCT to those that just love the weather, beach or the pool. If you want that jaw dropping wow factor and be pampered, the Rivierra is the perfect resort for you.
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Flatlander -
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Barcelo Maya Caribe: 5 th visit to Barcelo
The resort is large and offers a lot of amenities to visitors. Nice pools including lane pools and gym. Large pools and really nice beaches especially in front of the maya beach. Food is pretty good we ate breakfast at the buffet and went to Ala cartes in the evening. Book your Ala cartes as soon as you arrive to ensure you get reservations. The only negative is the party crowd who pulled fire alarm two nights in a row and some noisy late night people coming home. Best server is Irene Sanchez a[... read more]t the Maya Beach pool bar.
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Lynn -
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Barcelo Maya Caribe: We had a great time!
By day 2 we already knew we would come back. The food was delicious, the staff were friendly and courteous, and the beach was pristine. We felt very taken care of and it was a lovely place to relax and recharge!
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Jc13 -
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Barcelo Maya Colonial: First all-inclusive experience
Love this resort! Food was great and service was excellent. Nice room with a comfortable king bed. Will be booking again in the future. I look forward to when there are no Covid restrictions and more entertainment options will be available to experience
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Private -
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Allegro Playacar: Excellent service and beautiful beach!
This is a well maintained resort in a great location. Food was decent and variety was fair. Just wish there was a coffee bar. Rooms/bathrooms are on the smaller side but that's okay as you don't spend too much time in them. The beach area is great with beautiful white sand and all kinds of water activities if you choose.
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Brad -
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Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Great place
Rooms, food, golf and staff are fantastic and everything on the resort is wonderful except the casino where they are aggressive and speed up the spins and deals to a point where it’s not an enjoyable experience.
Very disappointed in this, as we would of liked to of spent an hour each evening before dinner.