Royal Hideaway Playacar: Pretty good resort

If you are looking for a relaxing vacation, this is the perfect place , with the exception that the management should look into the doors of the rooms slamming shut and making a loud noise , very difficult trying to sleep with guests room doors making such loud noises . The service was very good and they really appreciated the service. The age group is majority 50 and over , so it worked out ok for me. I felt very safe at this resort , little disappointed with the food, would give it 7 out of 10 [... read more]. Overall I expected a little more for the price

Barcelo Maya Caribe: The best beach!

My boyfriend and I had an amazing time at this hotel. The beach is large and to die for, chairs and shade always available. Food was delicious and a wide selection. Facilities were immaculate but rooms could use an update. Overall a fantastic experience.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Absolutely Beautiful Resort!

This hotel was beautifully designed. Each space was well thought out to make it amazing ! From the marble floors to the water features everywhere you walked.Beach was so pretty , white sand and snorkeling with turtles ! Service was great, food was delicious. I highly recommend visiting here .I would go back again.

Barcelo Solymar: We will not be coming back...

The good: - beach is beautiful - food in the main buffet restaurant was good; relatively good selection as well. - bottles of water, beer, etc., in the room fridge at no extra charge (with refills when needed) - the room maid was very nice and helpful - very good and helpful Sunwing representative in the hotel by the name of German - main evening shows were nice - good drinks in the main lobby bar - good food in the a la carte restaurants, good live music there as well  [... read more] - hotel is conveniently located close to the town of Varadero The bad: - the room was in disastrous condition; so many things broken: balcony door, AC control, closet door, falling off drawer front, falling off handle of another drawer, broken lamps, missing bulbs, completely broken alarm clock, damaged bathtub, TV did not working initially (the maid helped getting it fixed), closet hangers falling down, broken off makeup mirror, and so on... - lots of noise from the numerous "overly exited" guests, including at 4:00 am. - lots of smoking guests; smoking in the lobby and other places regardless whether smoking was permitted or not; the hotel stuff would not react to smoking in smoke-free areas. - lots of noise from cars, buses and tracks passing on the main road in the front of the hotel. - most (with a few exceptions) of the stuff appeared to be on an auto-pilot; very few smiles. Definitely the worst was the main reception service. On our last day we asked for the (promised to us a number of times) courtesy room to have a shower. In response we got a classical treatment combining everything between pretending that they did not understand us to telling us that there is nothing that they could do. It took them 30 minutes to get us 3 towels and telling us to use the falling apart showers in a gym with no lights and water flowing through everything but the shower head. Rodney, in the reception, was especially useless to the point where he would encourage me to write a negative review about his service... Rodney could not care less... :-( - evening live band would play for only a few minutes in the indoor venue used for evening shows, etc. The music was so painfully laud that you would not hear yourself. It was impossible to stay in the room when the band played. It looked as if it were done by design... blast the people out of the room and then quit as there would be no one to play for... When I got there there were only two people there: me and the barman. I run away from the noise and felt bad for the barman who had to stay in the bar... Too bad as we like a lot to listen and dance to Latin music and the band appeared to be good. - during times when the main restaurant was closed your only other food option were hamburgers and some cold salads that I was afraid to try. - sewage like smell in the main lobby for a couple of days.

Palma Real: If the price is right

We arrived late at night and our room had no lights. We were told there were no rooms available until the next day and to come back then at 2pm. When we did it took nearly 1.5 hours to straighten everything out. Slightly frustrating at the time. Once that minor inconvenience was taken care of, I had no significant complaints for the rest of the week. The resort is a little run down, but our rooms were cleaned everyday and the air conditioner worked well (but our safe did not at all). Our house [... read more] keeper was lovely. The bartender Tactica at the pool bar is adorable and super friendly! The food is kind of "stereotypical" of what you hear about Cuba but by no means did we starve for the week. The location was great. Very close to downtown bars, restaurants and markets and the beach was very nice. If you want extravagance this is not the place for you. If you want a decent enough room, a good beach to swim, to walk outside the resort, cold drinks and nice people - you'll do just fine. High maintenance folks will likely not be happy.

Allegro Playacar: A great place to relax!

Beautiful, clean, quiet, resort. Beach is lovely. Lots of good food. Lovely atmosphere. If you're looking for a relaxing vacation this is the place. Also has a good location that is within easy distance to do day trip to see ruins at Tulum and Coba.

Palma Real: Great resort for the money

A lot of improvement have been done since last year .The public washrooms were all redone completely and very clean.The room we stayed in was in building #1 with new mattress and newly painted.The pools were always cleaned every morning also with new edging.All the staff were very friendly and eager to help.There is a lot of work in progress.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: The best vacation spot ever!!

This was the best resort we have ever stayed at. We typically vacation once a year, but it’s only our second time bringing our kids (8&4yo) We all had a blast, it exceeded all of your expectations. The pools were perfect and there were a lot of areas to choose from. The kids splashpads were perfect. The resort was busy, but we always found a spot for the day. The beach was beautiful as well and the sand was soft. We didn’t book any of the a la cartes, (although our friends did and bragged  [... read more]about how good they were) but we stuck to the buffets and we’re very happy with the variety and quality. There was a lot of walking so we definitely worked our big meals off. As if the basics of an all inclusive weren’t enough, we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of extras around the resort. The kids loved the bowling ally and the arcade. We watched the dolphins and the kids got henna tattoos. We are planning on making the trip again with our entire extended family within the next few years. It was top notch in every single way.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Will definitely be back!!

AMAZING resort!! Everything was top notch. Good for all groups from girls trip all the way to family vacation. Resort was impeccably clean. Food quality and variety was great. Staff and room were great. Pools and splash area from kids was so fun! Beach is beautiful! HIGHLY recommend!!!

Occidental Arenas Blancas: what a week

the Hotel is dated but clean - the buffet could be bigger overall the food was fine - very close to down town and walking distantance of the Bealtes bar what a great night that was swiminig with the dalfins was great what a rush varadaro cuba is one of my most favorite places to go and would return again in a heart beat.

Barcelo Solymar: Awesome resort

Resort was well staffed friendly and courteous couldnt have asked for a nicer vacation for the first one outside of Canada. Great pool beach was amazing. Everyone i talked to said food was going to be bad in cuba but i thought it was excellent and lots of it. Cant wait to do it again.

Occidental Caribe: Great Tesort

The hotel itself was very clean. Just a room, nothing special. The maids had to be asked a couple of times to clean our room. The grounds were well kept. Staff were very friendly and helpful Good was good wherever you ate. Overall had a great time

Allegro Playacar: our second visit

We really appreciated the smaller size and very personable staff at Allegro Playacar. Everything is convenient , the grounds are immaculate and very beautiful. The beach is first class lined with palm trees never a problem finding a lounger unlike so many resorts. It is especially convenient for taking tours or just getting a cab into 5th Ave.,Playa del Carmen. Our second visit was every bit as enjoyable as the first.

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: AMAZING!! Soooo Beautiful !!!!

This is the most gorgeous resort ever. The rooms were a good size, up to date, well supplied, and lovely, the linens were excellent quality. The water pressure was good and temperature well controlled with quick hot water available, and all was well taken care of. The grounds and buildings are always well maintained. With the canals and interlinking pools and the wildlife, what a well planned and gorgeous place. The eco/nature theme is done really well, with the nature paths, and there are rui [... read more]ns actually on the property. It's cool to see the monkeys and all the variety of birds up close in their natural habitat. Our balcony faced the trees and monkeys and birds were a regular sight at the balcony. It's an easy boat ride or short walk to the Xcaret park from a couple of entrances right from the resort. The beach is small but lots of sand, and palms, and 3 levels to choose from with the platform beds or hammocks on upper levels. It could possibly use more beach chairs. The swim area isn't much deeper than a pool, and is calm which is great for families or those just wanting a relaxing time in the water. The buffet restaurants are huge with lots of variety, and there are lots of a la carte restaurants to choose from with excellent food, and bars in good locations. They even had a sports bar. There was entertainment each night, and what we saw was all very good, and they were thoughtful to include entertainment for the kids at earlier hours. They have lots of stores on site, and merchants coming in with crafts, etc. various evenings during the week. The people are friendly and all very helpful. It was a wonderful stay, leaving me to want to go back again very soon, we just LOVED IT !!!

Barcelo Solymar: Not a terrible resort...I would go again

The Barcelo Solymar wasn't terrible however there were certainly a few things that were unsatisfactory. The biggest complaint I have would be with the people at the check-in/out desk. When we arrived we were early so we knew we wouldn't get our room until after the check-in time. This was fine because we were able to store our luggage in a safe spot. What wasn't fine was when we finally got our room. The room itself was pretty standard for what you would expect at a 3.5 star resort (beds were no [... read more]t that comfortable, bathroom needs to be upgraded as it's weathered, nice pillows) but we only had a fitted sheet on our bed. We went back down to the front desk since they would not answer our 3 attempted calls and let them know we didn't have any bedding on our beds other then a fitted sheet. The lady there told us they were aware but someone would be up to give us one in a couple hours. We went back to our room a few times and still there was no other sheets. Again, we attempted to call down to the front desk but no one answered, so again, we went back down and let them know we needed some sheets. After our 4th time doing this and we were ready for bed they finally had maid come to our room. The maid showed up with ONLY a thin sheet for each bed. This was certainly NOT enough to keep us warm. We tried to explain to the maid that this thin sheet was not enough to which she became angry. We finally found some old looking blankets that were not even large enough to fit the bed and used those for the entire week. The resort itself was clean, the rest of the staff was extremely friendly. Try to tip the cooks, the staff that goes around the pool cleaning it up and the cleaning ladies on the first floor that clean the floors and bathrooms! The food was not great but that's Cuba. Go out to the restaurants or get the street meat. We went out every night to the bars/clubs and had the best time. I will probably look at another resort however what I did really like about this one was the location and of course the beach!!

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Beautiful ResortThe property

The property is beautiful. Gorgeous beach, very well maintained grounds that cover a vast area. Great for walking, jogging etc. Lots of activities, such as tennis, paddle ball, golf, water sports, etc, are available. There are many different restaurants and two buffets, with a wide variety of food options. The food is excellent, for the most part. Staff are friendly and accommodating, except for a few select customer service reps who were a bit abrupt. We have vacationed at this resort 8 times,  [... read more]because we love the property and the food is very good.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Beautiful with it's own issues

We stayed at one of the sister hotels (Barceló Maya) last year so we had a an expectation of the same quality and experience going into this. Upon arrival, we were greeted and directed promptly. The wait to check in was a bit on the long side. We arrived after 1pm and was told the rooms were not ready. They gave us a beeper and directed us to go and eat lunch and come back when the beeper went off or 3pm. We went back to find the rooms still were not ready so they gave us 2 rooms 8 rooms [... read more] apart. This was disappointing as I did contact the hotel twice previous requesting joining rooms, however I also understand it is subject to availability. The rooms were clean, but well used! a closet door didn't work in each of our rooms as well as the TV in 1 room and an alarm clock. However, when we contacted the operator, someone was always sent promptly. The resort is large. The train that operates is a nice way to get around. The childrens areas are great, however be prepared to pay for extras (Pirate ship splash area, Bowling, Golf, Games) It is setup to still take money from you after you have already paid the money to get there. Golf was no different. Golf is included with your stay! BONUS RIGHT! well, a $75 mandatory cart fee is ridiculous! $35 rental clubs for used or $45 for brand new! So included golf isn't so included! The food was OK. A La Carte were great but the buffets, like all resorts, you get sick of by day 5. Service staff were present however not always working for you it felt like. After a few days, they realized we tipped and service did improve. Some people my have an opinion regarding the lack of English speaking staff, however, I took it as I have travelled to a different country, why should I expect them to speak my language. The beech was the best beech I have been to. Clean shore, clean sand, so clean it was hard for the kids to collect rocks or shells! Pools were large and great. Chairs get snagged up early. The hotel even posts just because a towel is on the chair, doesn't entitle you to it however, who enforces that? We went early and did the same like everyone else. Overall we had a great time. The hotel has shown its age or use at least but it is still beautiful. The experience was great but the extra charges are enough to make you think "Is this place better then others?"

Barcelo Maya Palace: Wonderful vacation resort

The Barcelo Maya Palace is a wonderful resort. The staff is friendly & always smiling. The food was first rate. I tried many different drinks that I thoroughly enjoyed. The on sight shopping was very good. Our tour guides to Tulum & Playa Del Carmen were fun & informative. The rooms & the whole complex were clean & well kept. We would certainly consider returning for another fun filled vacation. The only down point is that people reserve the lounges by the pool early in the morning (7am) so t [... read more]hat there were no lounges available when we came out later. Most of these lounges were not occupied most of the day.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Quality Family time + Adventure = Goal Accomplished

From the moment we booked our trip until we returned, the trip central team and the resort ensured we were taken care of to achieve our goal = relaxation with a splash of adventure! Knowing we could ask rep any questions with confidence was invaluable. The resort breathtakingly clean and well maintained. The staff demonstrated that they cared repeatedly. The amenities were wonderful and kept our teenage kids moving and shaking when they wished or chilling when they needed it! The food  [... read more]was delicious. Our favourite restaurant was the a la cart Japanese - one word to describe - WOW! Overall, this is a great resort that is beautiful and luxurious, staffed by some of the hardest working people I have ever met, who prided themselves on taking care of the visitors. We wish we had everyone's name Antonio, Joshua, Samantha, Jacob to mention a few!

Palma Real: Great spot!

Had an excellent stay at this resort! Was clean, great location, beach was beautiful, people were helpful and nice. Rooms were upkept everyday. Lots of stuff was going on. Food wasn’t great but it was bad either. Would definitely go again!!!