Royal Hideaway Playacar: Stunning Resort

This resort is truly a 5 star. The rooms are beautiful and large. The beach has white sands and the water is different shades of turquoise. I have never seen and been in such clear and clean water. The service is outstanding, very polite and helpful. We did tip a lot but it never seemed expected. The infinity pool was a lot of fun and we participated in the water fit held at noon which was so fun and the music was peppy and made you want to dance in the water. The meals were so delicious, espe [... read more]cially at Spices, an authentic Mexican Caribbean restaurant. Try the chicken tortilla soup and the fresh fish options. Everything was so good. Be sure to go to the Allegro bar for the live music and delicious margaritas.We definitely recommend this resort.I would love to go again.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Awesome resort

Great resort! From the time we checked in when they accomodated our request that our daughter's room be close to ours. Great food and terrific service especially at La Brisa restaurant where Labrida and Juan Kelly were amazing! Of course there always could be improvements such as; - perhaps a snack bar, grill or something similar between restaurant openings. - Hoyo 19 restaurant service, food and dining hours took a significant down turn from our last visit 2 years ago. We were unpleas [... read more]antly surprised to see the golf cart rentals more than doubled from 2 years ago ($35 to $75). If this Barcelo wants to remain our top destination choice then it has to stop these negative changes. Sincerely Mario

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Can’t wait to go back!

Occidental Xcaret destination is the most beautiful the resort I have ever visited. The grounds, pools and beach are amazing. The food is delicious. The rooms are clean and spacious. I can’t wait to go back.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Nice Location

This hotel is located right on a very beautiful beach and just one block from the town of Varadero which is awesome. I also liked the large pool. The beach and pool were always busy but we could always find a couple of deck chairs too. The amenities were not the greatest as the hotel is a bit older and it has not been maintained as well as it could be. I hated that the air conditioner would not adjust its aim and I had to move the bed around to avoid being pounded all night long; but it was  [... read more]good that the air conditioning worked! The food was just ok, especially difficult for me as a vegetarian; the specialty restaurants were definitely nothing special. The best day was when we hired a private driver (Angel 52586667) to go to Mantanzas, checked out the real Cuba lifestyle, then had lunch at a lovely private (vs government) owned restaurant called Litoral Matancero, after which we did the deep cave tour (biggest cave I've been in), and finished with a dip in the fresh water at the base of a small cave near the airport in Varadero on our way back. Awe, good times!

Allegro Playacar: Poor rating due to poor management

The grounds, rooms were very clean. Food was good. Management needs improvement for front desk. There was a mix up regarding our rooms. You put in a request in for building 57, we could not have them unless we paid for upgrade of 300. We could not afford that.You do not get want you request. The only availability was 38, Michele and Mahlon got the front upper level but we were behind them looking at another building. It was the only one available. We arrived at 11 and they told us our room would [... read more] be available until 3. Come 3 o'clock, they wasn't available. My husband was pretty mad because we were waiting to long.He demanded to go somewhere else but air transit was not there, so we had to wait. It should not take 4 hrs. to get our room. He demaned to see the manager but it was nothing they could do. It was very hot and we were tired. I had a headache and not feeling good. It was 4 o'clock before we received the key. At that time we would take anything. The next they tried to push a membership on us. Not a good thing. We would not go back to that resort. There was a big misunderstanding with us and the rep. for barcello. They told us they would like to talk to us over breakfast but didn't relize they were taking us for ride and wanted to show us the Occeantile Xcarlet. Nice resort but not interested. We misunderstood them on wed., we thought we were having breakfast on the resort. We asked us to take s back, to be with our friends. If they would have left us on the resort, we would have set down and listen. They were very pushy. The maids were good, kept the clean. Pool was clean, beach was good but a lot of seaweed. They cleaning it all the time. Food was good, you did not go hungry. Food available all the time. The location was good, close to playa del carmon. Close to town The bar tenders were good and entertainment.

Barcelo Huatulco: Barcel Huatulco

Staff was very good. The food and restaurants require more effort, and also the special restaurants aren't open every day. The location is great, rooms were fine. Did not use pools beach was very nice. Few more showers from beach would helpful. May want to add a few more beach chairs and huts. Enjoyed the people and found it to be very safe. Thanks for a relaxing vacation.

Barcelo Bavaro Palace: Great place BUT

My child contracted Hand-foot-and-mouth disease on the third day. This is a very contagious virus so it is obviously lurking all over this resort. We met other people whose kids got it too and found out after that there is an outbreak of this disease in Punta Cana, and has been for a few weeks already. We met people at the airport who stayed at different resorts whose kids were also infected. This REALLY spoils your vacation. And the worst part is - this is a known issue. Many children were seen [... read more] by a doctor and have confirmation notes of this disease. At the airport, the check-in agent knew right away what it was and told me to go straight to the doctor when I get home. We should have been notified prior to the trip of this outbreak especially given the young age of our children who are most at risk. For four out of seven days we stayed in our room watching movies because my daughter had a high fever and a painful, itchy rash. Huge waste of money for us. This resort is not cheap. Otherwise the place is pretty good and I would return. Great amenities. The food is ok. The rooms were not my favourite but that's probably because we stayed in ours so much that I had time to notice every little imperfection.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Fabulous huge Resort

We have traveled different resorts in the Mayan Riviera over the last 4 years and found this resort to have beautiful manicured grounds along with well maintained buildings / walkways. It is a huge resort and enjoyed all the large promenades which were used for walking pedestrians only and not motorized carts. There are numerous large pools and play pools for children so we never felt crowded. The availability of lounge chairs either around the pools or at the beach never posed an issue. Plent [... read more]y of water sports and daily beach activities. We attended 8 A-La-Cartes during our stay and found the Mexican and Japanese our favorites and also found resort staff were always friendly and courteous and picking up a drink at any of the bars was always quick. The night shows in the theater were OK but the sound system there was terrible. We checked in Feb 28th only to discover an electronic music concert called Deja Voom starting up that Thursday night down at the far end of the resort. That was the beginning of 3 sleepless nights due to the bass sound being so loud along with the partying attendees coming back to their rooms and carrying on until wee hours of the morn. When we booked our resort we didn't have any idea of concerts at the facility so that was quite the surprise. Before ever booking again I would be cautious and review any upcoming concerts venues during our potential stay there. Overall 7 of our 11 days were great!

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great resort

Rooms were very nice. Pool was huge. The entire resort was very clean. Would have liked more beer in the room. I could never find the beer delivery guy. Would likely recommend this resort to a friend.

Barcelo Solymar: Loved the location!

There was six of us that went on this trip. Great Hotel and location. I have now been to Varadero several times and I have to say that this was my favorite spot. It was a good sized resort and always lots of room to find a place to sit and relax. Never huge line ups at dinner or the bars. I loved the grounds, pool area and food was good too! Most of all The beach in Varadero is one of the most beautiful beaches you will ever experience. The staff was always so accomidating to help us out [... read more] in any way they can. I would definitely stay here again.

Barcelo Solymar: Fantastic

First time travelling alone. What a beautiful resort, and even more so the people from front desk to maids to bartenders and servers. Everyone was so accommodating. Clean room with a nice pool view. The beach was obviously gorgeous. Food was ok ( I’m not a picky eater) so I always found something I liked All and all amazing trip, walking distance to market and downtown. Will be back in August!!!

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Spectacular resort and service

We loved the property, the service, the staff, the food.....all of it! It was so well maintained, staff always cleaning the property. We actually had no idea it was one of the Leading Hotels in the World, and were very pleasantly surprised. It was a perfect vacation, and we intend to come back soon! Thank you so very much.

Occidental Cozumel: A week of Sun and Diving

We just got back from our week at Occidental Cozumel. We chose to try this resort before settling on a brand of hotels we truly love, like Iberostar. Keep in mind while reading this review that we just got back 3 months ago from being at Iberostar Paraiso Maya, which was an incredible 5 star experience compared to what we received at Occidental. Upon arrival at 11am, we were told that we had to check in at the Royal Club and to wait for a golf car to pick us up. After waiting around for 1 [... read more]0 - 15 minutes, my husband and I chose to walk the 2 minutes over to the club to check into our rooms (not an issue, but not sure why they wanted to drive us over). There seems to only be one golf cart for the entire resort, very much unlike Iberostar's fleet of 20+. Wifi is an additional fee if you are not Royal Club (it was free at Iberostar), and not sure why they wanted to check us in at the Royal Club since they claimed it was full and we could not upgrade to it. Our room was "not ready" so we had to come back at 3pm for our room keys. Wasn't an issue as we headed to the buffet. We got our keys at 3pm only to find that we were being placed on the ground floor. If you are on the ground or second floor of any of their buildings, prepare to hear every toilet flush, every shower, every suitcase and every step of your neighbours above. Luckily we asked to be moved up, and managed to be in a second floor room with quieter top floor neighbours. Emma, the concierge was very quick and helpful to find us a room, and extremely understanding of our concerns. All week, the single lunch buffet they have on site was sparse in comparison to the immense selection we had at Iberostar. Not only was it sparse in selection, it was sparse in quantity. Once whatever dish was finished, it generally was not replenished for the duration of the meal. Speaking of sparse, the staff on site seemed to not only be sparse, but not eager to greet you as they did at Iberostar. Almost every single time we went to a restaurant (breakfast, lunch and dinner) we had to wait a good 5 - 10 minutes before being seated because there was no host (and no line up). One time at lunch, there was a good 30 - 40 person line up for the buffet because the host was not only seating people, she was clearing tables and serving drinks. Breakfast and lunch are very bland and repetitive - so if you are looking for just peanut butter and toast, or stale home fries and soggy eggs, you will be content. At breakfast, the omelet station is generally left unattended, only managed to have eggs made fresh twice because no one was there, even after standing around waiting for someone to arrive. Rooms are nice, but odd that the closet and safe is inside the bathroom. Tiles are particularly slippery when wet so beware! No fun towel art or kind notes from the cleaning staff, and generally they take a very long time to get to your room. There isn't a big traditional theatre as most resorts showcase for evening performances, just a big empty square with plastic chairs. The grounds are lush and beautiful with iguanas and coaties. Beach is not as well maintained as most resorts I have been to. Garbage and plastic cups are discarded and not cleared as quickly. There appeared to be only one staff member asking to bring you drinks, as well as only one bar to get drinks from for the beach and pool next to the single pool at the resort. There is an adult pool too, but we are more ocean swimmers than pool. We were there mainly for the diving, but always enjoy dressing up and eating like kings on vacation. Although the diving was incredible, we were disappointed with the dining experience at the resort. It is possible that they were understaff, however, we will most likely not be returning to Occidentals anywhere due to this experience.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: It was okay.

It has become very commercialized since we were there 3 yrs ago. At that time it was a great small resort. That is why we have come back 6 times. They put us in the wrong resort when we got there and it took 2 days before we were put in the resort I paid for. As far as a welcome pkg which I also paid for, it did not show up for 4 days and that was with a daily reminder to the people at Transat. It took 4 different people and 4 days to get what I paid for. The food in the resort was good and  [... read more]the staff as always are very pleasant and helpful. I do not think we will go back there because this past trip felt like a fight trip with the hotel and not the relaxing vacation I am use to having when at the Barcelo.

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Perfect for any group!!

We had an unbelievable time. Royal plan COMPLETELY worth it. We were incredibly spoiled with luxury everywhere no only in room, surrounding flora and fauna but also by the wonderful staff. Happy all the time it seemed. Incredibly clean resort. Buffets good but restaurants spectacular. Travelled with our 2 girls,10 and 11yrs. Lots to do never, a dull moment if you are looking to stay on the move. But plenty of day beds to do absolutely nothing on other than watch the ocean.

Barcelo Solymar: Very eventful resort

The resort was very beautiful. The food was good, and there was lots of entertainment. Be prepared for a lot of people partying. Most definitely one of the best beaches in the world. Lots of things to do in the town of Varadero as well

Barcelo Solymar: Great resort

Resort was awesome, no shortage of entertainment throughout the day. Food was good even for a fussy eater like myself. The rooms were all you needed and were always clean. The grounds were in good shape and the drinks were nice and stiff!

Barcelo Solymar: 2 resorts in one how awesome! Ask may have changed recently.

Barceló Solymar/Occidental Arenas Blanca - lots of ground to cover which is nice if you like to walk. Our room was in the Barceló, first time didn't have to change rooms had pool view and great maid service! Nice lobby area with bar and lots of place to sit. Buffet had lots of food to choose from even if you're fussy. The beach at Arenas was more entertaining with music and activities though the bar opened at 11:00am, but have someone taking orders on the beach. Tried 2 al la carte restaura [... read more]nts Mexican and Spanish were very good! Being close to downtown Varadero is a plus as you can walk safely and see the popular spots. People at both resorts were very friendly and leaving a peso every once in a while is so rewarding. The beach was extraordinary, we all know you go to Cuba for the beach!

Palma Real: Very very poor

Dear Vicky it was the worst resurt that I have ever seen. Once we arrived no attention lobby in a very poor shape. No indication that we asked to go in our room. Once we did find it it was a dump dirty baseboard eating by bugs the safe didn’t work the door in bathroom would not close and no light in bathroom. Got bug bight. Visited 2 other rooms after the same disaster not one secure safe to put our passport and money. My hubby very hangry and also myself so disappointed. Met with Sunwing age [... read more]nt that was on our time sheet the next day. I was crying just wanted to come home but she did find us a better resort that cost us 20 pesos for the taxi and more then400.00 for a nice resort. I do not mind paying but Vicky told us it was nice. Lots of bed bugs. For the snack they opened at 10pm hot dog and hamburger we were hungry I took a hamburger and the meat was not cooked. The worst experience of our 7 trips to Cuba. The next day taxi and Memories here we come ouf. We did manage to relaxe

Occidental Tamarindo: Costa Rica All Inclusive

This was our second trip to Costa Rica. The hotel is nice, not too busy, clean with some really nice hardworking people. The rooms are nice enough and kept tidy, we had a broken air conditioner so moved rooms once we realized it wasn’t a quick fix. The buffet is typical all inclusive, so gets a bit boring after awhile. The a la carte was quite good with fresh fish options. We went out for some dinners to get more variety. We never had trouble getting chairs by the pool if we got there before 9 [... read more]ish, the beach is lovely if you go swim over to the left of the hotel, especially at low tide. The sunset on the beach is unparalleled! It’s worth tipping the right people early, Carlos works like a mad man by the pool. It always pays to know Spanish in Costa Rica, and this hotel isn’t any different. It was nice to have a real international mix of guests. Overall we prefer smaller boutique hotels but this is a good option if you want to mostly set it and forget it on vacation.