Occidental Cozumel: Good value

We did a one week stay with 8 adults. Resort is good value for the cost. Rooms are spacious, well appointed. Food is average. Booking the a la carte restaurants was far more complicated and frustrating than it should have been. It should not take almost one hour of wheeling and dealing to book a sitting for what we were minimally entitled to and paid for. The staff was for the most part were some of the sweetest people I have ever met. I would go back to this resort again for this reason alone. [... read more] Beach access was convenient. Pool was adequate. No swim up bar for the adults. If you are looking for peace and quiet, beware. Rooms are not soundproof and main villa vestibule area echo all sound. If one is looking for some sun and on a budget consider this facility.

Occidental Papagayo: This was such a beautiful resort.

I loved the hotel. This was one of my best trips so far. Everything about it was excellent. The rooms were cleaned everyday, the staff were friendly. The grounds were kept up. I can't complain about anything. The food was very good especially the desserts. I would reccomend this resort.

Occidental Cozumel: Great resort

The resort was very clean. Rooms very nice. Food quite good. Only negative was that check in took quite a long time. Also the reservations for the a la carte restaurants was very frustrating. We were told the only time left was thursday at 9pm. Upon further review we eventually got a reservation in all 3 restaurants and every time there were a lot of empty tables. Overall this is a very nice resort.

Barcelo Aruba: Great holiday at the Barcelo Aruba

We stayed at the Barcelo Aruba in early January 2020. We had a pool/ocean view room with two double beds. We had our two children with us (13 and 12). PROS: very clean, excellent service, great location, hotel is a nice size - not too big, not too small, lovely beach, big pool, a la carte restaurants are very good (we ate at all of them and had no problem getting reservations which we made the day after we arrived, including the teppanaki at Kyoto - all the a la cartes were good but the Mex [... read more]ican and Japanese were really good), buffet was also good - always had fresh grill on the go for eggs, omelettes, fresh grilled meats and fish, and a pasta bar - you could always find something, nice lobby bar area, decent shopping and restaurants in walking distance to hotel, very safe (this goes for the entire island - you can walk the beach or in town in the evening and have no concerns). CONS: hotel rooms and their balconies are a little small, music at pool was sometimes really loud, small plastic glasses for drinks (take an insulated cup - you can get a bigger drink and it is better for the environment - kudos to Barcelo as they are at least using paper straws but the cups and the trash generated from those cups is insane - I think hotels should start providing an insulated, branded cup at check in for each guest to re-use during their stay), need more chairs at pool, hard to get palapa at beach, needs a casual takeout type of restaurant as even the beach grill is a sit down restaurant. What truly makes this resort a good choice is the staff. From the bar and restaurant staff to the front desk to the beach to housekeeping, we had wonderful experiences with all. Thank you to the Barcelo staff for a great holiday!

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Beautiful!

If you love nature and all it has to offer, this resort is for you. We spent hours and hours just walking on the trails at the resort and at the park. The rooms are beautiful, the pools are great, the adult section with the natural pool is awesome! Superb meals all around. Will definitely return.

Occidental Cozumel: Good value for money.

Pros: - Great beach - Big rooms - Buffet is above average for this type of hotel Cons: - The hotel walls are very thin. When our neighbour coughed, it woke us up - Service isn't great. Attitude from the poorly trained staff and you will have problems booking your la carte reservations, checking in and out and getting towels - Stay away from the seafood restaurant!! Very old seafood. - The nightly entertainment isn't any bargin (Karaoke night means the staff puts on 3 songs and shuts i [... read more]t off) - The after hours pizzeria is never open so make sure to fill up at dinner. Overall, we had a nice stay once we figured out what to stay away from. It is good value for $1100-$1200 but I wouldn't pay anymore. The beach is fantastic. We ended up eating in Cozumel (off resort) three nights and would recommend you do the same if you want a nice dinner. The service is awful both at front desk and at the buffets. We had to get our own utensils and beverages almost every night even though you are supposed to get these from the wait staff. Not a huge deal but was frustrating.

Barcelo Puerto Vallarta: Sweet resort

The resort was fabulous, food pretty decent and staff were super nice. Issue we did have however, we arrived 8AM from an over night flight with next to no sleep, and had no room to rest in as check in was not until 3pm.We had to figure out 6'ish hours by the pool, where we ended up sleeping. Uncomfortable start to the trip.

Barcelo Maya Grand Resort: Amazing resort.

I just got back from Barcelo Maya resort and we have no complaints at all. We originally booked into the Tropical where we had 1 regular Junior Suite and 1 premium level oceanfront junior suite. The older kids (18 and 15) were in the regular room and my wife and I in the premium room. No issues with the transfer from the airport. Got to hotel and they ended up upgrading us to the Caribe. At least it was more expensive to go there when I was looking to book which was over New Years Eve. We d [... read more]idn't mind. The process of checking in does take a little while but the workers there are pleasant if you are pleasant back. No need to get all worked up about having to wait a little. Your on vacation after all. Got to the room. It was really really nice. Very clean and no damage. We were very happy with it. The premium oceanfront looked over the pool and we loved the room. The regular room looked over the gardens and it was serene and peaceful. No complaints and we would for sure book again at the Caribe. Half way through the vacation we were informed that we had to move rooms due to a maintenance issue in the building. They put us into the Palace in an oceanfront premium junior suite. The whole move process took about 2 hours however it rained during that time so it wasn't so bad. It didn't rain the entire vacation except for that two hour window. Think most people would be put off and not happy with having to pack up and move rooms half way through but we saw it as an opportunity to see another part of the resort. Plus it was an upgrade. The palace is way more expensive than the tropical or caribe. The room at the palace was also very nice. Clean and right on the oceanfront next to the Palace. If I was comparing the Caribe Premium Oceanfront to the Palace Premium Oceanfront I would say the Caribe was not any less quality but it cost a lot less. I would also say the Caribe bed was more comfortable. However there ware some perks that you get with the palace that you don't get with the Caribe such as access to all the resorts and all the restaurants. One of our favourite things to do was to pool hop from one end of the resort to the other. You could, for the most part start in the pool at the Palace and walk all the way to the end of the Riveria in a pool almost the entire time. You have to get out of one pool and into another but the longest walk was maybe 50 meters. Some only about 10 feet. The other great thing was there was a pool bar in all the pools so you were never not with a drink in hand. Keep in mind that this is only possible if you are staying at the Riveria or Palace with the special bracelet. We did this almost every day and it was a lot of fun. Better than walking on the beach which was rocky and was not good to walk on at certain points. There are some great parts of the beach that are nice soft sand but the whole resort is not that. There is also a wonderful beachfront path the runs along the entire resort that many people walk on and jog on in the mornings. Very easy to get from one end of the resort to the other and still be at the ocean with the beautiful views. The difference between the Caribe, Beach and Tropical was minimal at best. In my mind they are all good and all are a little different in their own unique way. The Riveria is brand new and although we didn't go inside the resort the outside is modern and sleek. The pools are awesome infinity pools and the oceanfront room views are amazing. I'm planning on going back to the Riveria in April that's how cool it looked. As far as the other amenities go. The Fitness facility is amazing. Huge and centrally located. For a resort this was top notch. The sports bar was very good too. We watched college bowl games and NFL playoff games there and the staff were accommodating. The food there is typical bar food. Chicken wings, Nachos, Hamburgers and Hotdogs. Hit the spot when you were watching the big game. My only critique of the sports bar is that the pool tables should have some TV's near by them so you can watch the game while playing pool. They are isolated in the back behind a wall all on their own. Also there should be some kind of sign up list or waiting list for the pool tables. There are three of them and you can purchase 30 min or 60 min of time to play however when it gets busy at night the staff aren't monitoring how long people are out there for so they had no idea when the next one would come open. With a resort this size and this many people those three pool tables fill up quick at night and they need a better system to monitor the time of play. (and put TV's back there). All the restaurants were very good. No complaints at all about the food, lots of variety and was very delicious. The waiters were always pleasant and nice. We did not experience even one person that wasn't nice or didn't have a smile for you when you said hola to them. If you are nice to them they will 100% be nice back. We didn't do the Ventura sky fly park but it looked really cool and we will do it when we go back. Also the Dressel divers we want to try out when we go back. The snorkelling right off the beach was decent. Not a lot of coral and most of it is dead however we did see lots of fish and three sea turtles and a sting ray right from the beach which was cool. I've been to almost every carribean island and lots of resorts. Overall this was a very good, safe and clean resort. I would absolutely recommend this resort to people without hesitation both adults and families with kids. Note that it is a very large resort and the easiest way to get around is to walk, however, there is lots of walking. If you aren't that mobile or don't want walk a ton then you can take the free shuttle through the resort. We did it once and it was good however we liked to walk to burn off all the awesome food we ate so we walked mostly. The grounds were meticulously kept. Workers were painting, pruning, cutting and clearing the entire day. I was very very impressed on how well the resort was kept up.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Nice vacation

It was the third time we went to Barcelo, Riviera Maya The rooms are clean, the AC is great, the staff is helpful and working hard. It is humid climate and the bugs are thriving . They use DTT to disinsect. DTT is toxic and not used in Canada but they use it in Mexico and Dominican Republic. This time they used a lot in our room and took a day to clear out the smell. In spite of this, there ere small bugs 🐜 in the bathroom. The smell of bathroom was coming into the room from time to time es [... read more]pecially during the night. Also, the food is not as good as used to be. There is a lot of food but the chefs are not great. Besides this, the beach is great, people are very nice and helpful. Overall, it is a good hotel. The best is the gym. One of the best I have seen. Also, the outdoor activities are great and keep you motivated. There is not a perfect resort, but is worth for money.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Barceló Mayan Riviera

The Hotel and grounds were very well kept. The only surprise we had was that the alcoholic beverages were not served until noon. We were told that it is a new law that was put in place by the Mexican government I would have liked to be informed of this before I booked. At 11:00 when the sun is out it would have been nice to have one of the specialty drinks. I had gone to the Bavero the previous year in the Dominican and was expecting the same experience.

Barcelo Maya Grand Resort: One of my favorite Places to stay!

If you are looking for an all inclusive resort that has it all look no further! The pools are gigantic and the beach is beautiful. I just returned from the resort after taking my 14 year old twins. This was their first trip away and were blown away with the experience. Their only complaint was that the cheesecake tasted like cheese and not sweet like we are used to. We enjoyed the Buffets and did not find the need to go to any a la carte restaurants. One thing to note is that the pool  [... read more]bars do not start serving alcohol until noon but the beach restaurants start serving at 11 am. I also recommend finding the towel place on your first day as people claim their beach and pool chairs early. I would have rated this 5 stars but I found that the level of service has dropped since the last time I was here. I found there to be less servers around the pool/beach and in the buffet. It is over an hour bus ride from the Cancun airport to the resort. Worth it once you are there but makes a long travel day. I will definitely be back!

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Awesome resort

Barcelo Maya Riviera Resort as soon as ate got there the the staff from the front entrance to the reception desk was very friendly helpful, and it was quick service, made us feel welcome. Handed us a drink with a smile.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Verry relaxing

Love this adult only hotel very relaxing , no night life just the way i wanted it if we wanted more night life we just had to walks minute to the Palace were theres lots more life snack bars casino kids are welcome the food is verry good and rooms were cleaned everyday new sheets ... staff dont understand much english so we downloaded the translate app wich was fine afterwards .. beach is beatiful ...

Occidental Cozumel: So relaxing!! Completely rejuvenated!!

What a beautiful resort. Instead of clearing jungle, they built around it. The resort was completely full and the only night you would have guessed was on New Years! The beach is beautiful and there is a lot of it! There is an adult pool which is a nice option. The other pool is down on the beach which provides a beautiful view!! No swim-up bar but that was the only thing I would add. Rooms are big and beautiful!! You never walk to far to get anywhere. Food was delicious both at the buffet and a [... read more]t the la cartes! It was a very stress free, relaxing week!! I would highly recommend this resort and we will be returning!

Occidental Caribe: Great Getaway

My girlfriend and I enjoyed a 9 day vacation and it was great. Although the room was a bit dated it was everything we needed in our room, not that we spent much time there anyway. The pools were great and the beach was perfect. There were so many chairs that you were never fighting to find a spot on the beach or by the pool at any time through the day and there were always activities going on. The staff was always friendly and were very respectful. Shout out to the the best bartenders at t [... read more]he swim up bar (Jose, Michael, Guillermo and Ana), Maria at the Buffet and Bali Bali around the pool area. These staff members made the trip memorable. The food at the buffet was fairly standard although the fruit was always fresh and tasted great. The a la cart restaurants were great (especially the French and Italian - they were fantastic) and the pizza at lunch was a great staple. The only other thing was that, given the hotel was crazy busy over the holidays it wasnt as easy to find a table at the buffet and when you did it may still have dirty plates on it or no utensils but once servers saw you were going to sit down they made their best efforts to clean it up for you as quickly as possible. All in all we had a great experience and would definately consider returning again.

Allegro Cozumel: Disappointed with customer service

This was our 5th time to the resort as a group of 8 and we were disappointed with the customer service, i.e. room request, dinner reservations not available. We have always been extremely pleased with the Allegro (the proof 5th time!), however the reception and guest relations employees were rude and not helpful at all. We have never complained in the past but this will definitely be our last visit.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Beautiful Resort

i would like to start off by saying that Jill and her Colleagues at trip central are completely amazing. the Barceló Bavaro is a superp resort and the entire staff are friendly and courteous. the resort is super clean, the food is delicious recommend upgrading to premium level. the only complaint I have is that my son got sick there due to an ear infection which I'm pretty sure he got for the kids water park, must be something in the water. only complaint. would definitely go back.

Barcelo Maya Caribe: Great resort !

Visited the Barcelo Maya Caribe resort on December 21st to January 4, 2020. This resorts gives you access to 3 other resorts the Maya Beach, Colonial and Tropical. This resorts is huge, it has many a la carte restaurants, Japanese, Spanish, Seafood, Steak etc..The 24 hrs sports bar called Strikers is very nice, lots of large TVs and big screen and has 24 hrs snacks like hot dogs, hamburgers, fries , wings and cheese sticks. The buffet was also very good, lots of selection and drink were self se [... read more]rve like beer draft, coffee machines, mimosa. The room was basic but ok and nothing fancy. The only thing that is really bad is the check in which took 1 hour and I was the first in line. The grounds are well maintained, the pool are all great, there is even a lap pool which was nice and also a small Adults only which was very nice to get away from the kids. The beach was ok but you need water shoes there is some areas where there are less rocks. There is plenty to do like bowling, mini golf, surf rider, zip lining etc at an additional cost. You can get discount on the bowling from 10 am to 1 PM which is 2 for 1. The mini golf is free till 7 PM. There is free Wifi at the mall from 10 am to 5:30 PM. The service was ok.

Barcelo Maya Riviera: Exceptional Resort !

We loved the resort ! It was always clean! Everyone at the resort were very friendly and helpful! The food was amazing! Buffet had so much selection each day , you can’t get bored of the food. The restaurants were flavourful as well and the chefs were accommodating which was lovely . The beach was beautiful ! Some parts did need water shoes but overall it was perfect . The beach was clean and you never had to wait for a chair . Pools were amazing as well and again never had to wait for a chair [... read more] . I give this resort a 10/10 we both have nothing negative to say about any of it. The theatre always had something on and on certain days they also provided buffet and it was really good and a lot of variety ! We have already discussed going back ASAP because we were beyond happy with everything this resort had to offer ! It being adult only was a plus !!

Barcelo Maya Palace: Large kid friendly resort

The good: Food is average for the price. Great selection but typical resort quality, not much taste. Plenty of beef, chicken, fish, shrimp etc.. Lot's of space, chairs, activities for kids. Beach is wide, sandy, and shallow and no seaweed problems during my stay. The bad: Service is slightly below average for Mexico. Most staff really just can't be bothered. Room was often not made up, missing towels, etc.. No "towel art". Calling for service was always "we'll send someone" who never sh [... read more]owed up. Reception often does not answer the phone. They have obviously been told that they should deal with problems by agreeing with anything the guest says and then promptly ignoring it. Rooms are typical 3* beach resort. Clean but not impressive. Because it is a good resort for kids there are a lot of them and the rooms have terrible sound proofing. There is a lot of screaming and running. Entertainment at the Palace is poor, high school production quality, but there is better available at one of the other resorts. You have to pay (a lot) for wifi unless you are "Premium Level". Decent quality alcohol but wine is usual cheap resort stuff.