Barcelo Maya Palace: Amazing Resort

Great staff, food ,service was excellent. I recommend you get a premium room no wait times to check in excellent location, nice rooms great beaches, also use Air Transat best airline to book, Maya Palace is the best choice or Tropical

Occidental at Xcaret Destination: Great Resort, Highly recommend!

Had a wonderful time with the family, the kids loved the pool, kids club and the wildlife. We also got the unlimited Xcaret pass (get the pass when booking!), the park is so close, within easy walking distance.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Beautiful resort!

We really enjoyed our stay at the Barcelo Bavaro Beach resort in Punta Cana. However, we were very disappointed as many other tourists in this resort to see the extreme sargassum situation on the beach, which made the beach unusable. The smell of seaweed from the beach caused a strong unpleasant smell in the pool areas. I believe when booking this area with a travel agent, the travel agent should be able to warn the consumer of this extreme situation. We are beach people and this put a damper on [... read more] our vacation. We could not even walk along the beach. We chose this particular resort because of the calmness of the ocean. I know this cannot be remedied due to nature and extreme climate changes on the Atlantic Ocean side, however, to pay full price for a resort and not have the use of the beach proved to be very disappointing for us, as well as many other tourists on this property. I had done much reading and research and I was aware of this situation however upon arrival I was astonished to see the amount of sargassum which even the best of crew members were unable to keep up with. We enjoyed the fact that we were able to use the facilities of the Bavaro Palace it's sister property. However, in comparison the Animacion team and the shows differed immensely! We found the Barcelo Beach side was just too quiet with many activities cancelled without notice on their activities schedule and no vacation vibes music played throughout the resort. There was only one show on the beach side that we enjoyed. We found that we were always taking the train to the Barcelo Palace side to use the gym, the hydroptherapy spa, they included two free visits and the massive pools. The Animacion team made a valiant effort and the shows were of high caliber on this side as well. We did have a decent room with a King bed and much to our surprise we had an ocean view. The variety, presentation, and abundance of food was highly noticably, however even though they had advertised a gluten free station at their buffets, there were no such stations and I had a gluten free card, it was hard for them to accomodate my needs and, I am lucky that I do understand and speak Spanish since at this resort most of the employees do not speak English. They were more than happy to accomodate my eating needs at three of the a la carte restaurants that we ate at. Overall, the cleaninness and the abundance of pools and a la carte restaurants and buffets were plenty when were allowed to use both resorts.

Barcelo Bavaro Beach: Barcelo Bavaro Beach - A Fantastic Adult-Only Escape with Exceptional Service

Dates: August 13–20, 2026 Resort: Barceló Bávaro Beach (Adults Only) Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5) We recently returned from a fantastic week-long stay at Barceló Bávaro Beach. If you are looking for a beautifully maintained property with great entertainment and a relaxed atmosphere, this is a wonderful choice. Here is a detailed breakdown of our experience. ? Premium Swim-Up Room (Room 3021) * Daily Use: Having direct water access from our terrace was a game-changer. We used the swim [... read more]-up pool every single day. * Meticulous Care: The ground staff cleaned the pool area every morning and checked the pH levels throughout the day to ensure perfect water quality. * Room Service: Prompt, attentive, and consistently great quality. ?️ Dining & Gastronomy * La Brisa: Outstanding experience. The food was delicious and the service was absolutely excellent. * The Buffet: While smaller than standard mega-resort buffets, the food preparation and flavour were vastly superior to most other resorts we have visited. * The Main Downside (Palace Side A la Cartes): To attend the specialized à la carte restaurants, you must travel to the family-friendly side of the resort (Barceló Bávaro Palace). This area is incredibly chaotic and "stupid busy." * The Commute: You have to take a small train ride over to a massive plaza, which you then have to navigate through just to find your restaurant. We found this overwhelming and a complete distraction from the tranquil, chill vibe we enjoyed on the adults-only side. ? Outstanding Service & Concierge * Mister Amazing (Felix Ozuna): Our concierge, Felix, truly went above and beyond to turn our holiday into a special event. * Highly Responsive: He was always available on WhatsApp to answer questions or help out (though, of course, the man rightfully deserves his time off with his family!). * VIP Perk: Felix provided us with a complimentary excursion to Don Lucas, which was a massive highlight. ? Don Lucas Excursion Insights If you get the chance to go, do not hesitate. This excursion offers a fascinating, in-depth look at traditional Dominican products: * Cigars: You get to see the meticulous process of manual cigar rolling and learn about the different tobacco blends. * Coffee & Chocolate: They provide immersive educational breakdowns on how local cacao and coffee beans are harvested, roasted, and processed. * Tastings: You can sample and purchase authentic, high-quality Dominican goods directly from the source. ? Property & Entertainment * Grounds: The entire property is pristine, lush, and exceptionally well-maintained. * Nightly Shows: The entertainment team puts on fantastic, high-energy productions every evening that are well worth watching. ? Final Verdict Barceló Bávaro Beach delivers a top-tier adult-only experience, largely driven by stellar staff like Felix and excellent food quality. Just prepare yourself for the stark contrast in energy levels if you decide to cross over to the Palace side for dinner!

Occidental Papagayo: Hidden Gem

We recently stayed at the Occidental Papagayo for a week and everything about it was great!! This hotel and it's grounds are absolutely stunning. The buildings built into the cliffs makes it very unique. We were in building 6 and had incredible views of the ocean, the mountains and volcanoes. The staff were always smiling and very friendly and helpful. The food at the snack bar, the a la cartes and specifically the breakfast buffet was great. The beach was nice, a little rocky but good. Very  [... read more]warm and fun at high tide. We would absolutely not hesitate to return in a heartbeat. We had 3 amazing tours with Frank the Tank tours that were incredible from start to finish, absolutely flawless. A truly amazing and unforgettable week

Barcelo Maya Colonial: an awesome resort

The grounds, gardens, pool area are beautiful. The beach has plenty of trees and beds. We were lucky that during our stay the sea grass was not unmanageable. However be aware that this area at times gets lots of sea grass washed on the shores. The resort made a lot of effort to clean it up. The buffet was average but you can always find something that you will enjoy. The a-la-car restaurants were very good. The hotel staff was very kind and helpful. Our room as large, nicely furnished an [... read more]d kept clean.

Occidental Costa Cancun: Great resort !!

Small so easy to get around - I loved that I’m not a fan of giant resorts. Buffet was great, had Italian à la carte and it was very good. Pool is great but typical loud - beach is very small and shallow would be great with small children - no real ability to swim it’s a tiny cordoned off area - but we walked quite far down the beach to number of other resorts, and they were very weedy. Great service other than check-in, which is always painfully slow for some reason at these places. A real b [... read more]enefit is that it is right beside the fairy dock so you can take a ferry so easily to Isla Mujeres and have a fabulous beach day there. If you’re a pool person, it’s a great resort seemed very easy to get chairs, etc. if you’re a beach person you really need to just go over to the island. It’s ok for a day or with small children but really limited

Barcelo Maya Beach Resort: Outstanding overall

Positive Remarkable buffet experience Clean pools and beach À la carte restaurants great food Happy and friendly staff Clean rooms Negative Unable to change early pre booked à la carte reservations Leaking water from shower area, had to use towels on the floor to prevent slips and falls Shower gel / shampoo drinks were not replenished. We had to ask. Fridge not cooling properly.

Occidental Costa Cancun: Lovely resort

Great food was offered at the buffet and restaurants. The rooms were spacious and very clean. Location is convenient to the ferry terminal. I would definitely stay there again. The only improvement I could suggest is to add ceiling fans in the lobby.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Fabulous!

Transfers were smooth. Grounds were amazing and staff were always cleaning up promptly. Exceeded expectation with changing towels, restocking water supply, cleaning room and bed making. Staff took pride in their work all over the resort. Beach was constantly patrolled for sargassum, resetting lounge chairs, glasses left by guests. Food/ drink was excellent. Highly recommend.

Occidental Punta Cana: Low budget hotel

1. It’s a Spanish owned hotel, not much workers speak English. 2. Food was a 5/10 3. Waited 1 hr in line at the reception desk to check into our room just to find out we have a royal level check in which is somewhere else that had no line. Workers were not working, keep leaving the desk doing other things even thought the line was long. 4. Beach was the highlight 8/10 just lots of seaweed by the shore.

Barcelo Maya Palace: Everything I wanted

This vacation was everything I wanted and more! My husband and I went for a 10 day 25th anniversary celebration. This is a family resort but is a little more pricy than the other sister resorts as the food and rooms were suppose to be better so that's why we picked this one. We also thought with it being pricier it may deter families with little ones from choosing this one and although there were families at this location there were not as many as other family resorts we have visited. The  [... read more]drive from the airport was about 1 hour away, smooth transit to the hotel. When we arrived our room was not ready but we checked in, left our suitcases with the bell boys and went to have lunch. We toured the resort while we waited for our room and check-in occurred as promised at 3pm. Our room was is a great location, it faced the trees out the back but was still very close to the pool, beach and a short walk to food. The room was spacious, had everything we needed and was nice and air conditioned at all times. The fridge was stocked with drinks and the room was always cleaned nicely. Shower always had warm water and it was really lovely to sit out on the patio after a full pool day with a good book. Buffet food was absolutely fantastic. I am a VERY picky eater and there was always something for me to eat. If the buffet was closed then the other restaurant was open to meet our needs. Lots of fruit, salad, yogurt, excellent breads and deserts. We did an a la carte almost every night and the food was wonderful. We always booked a late dinner so we could enjoy all the sunshine we could until it went down. You can only have 2 booked at all times so just remember to pop in after you attend a dinner to book the next one. This hotel definitely had better food options than the sister resorts that we also were able to visit, so again I'm glad we chose this one. The highlight of the trip was swimming with the turtles. We heard they liked to visit the beach and went out looking for them. Our first attempt was a bust but there were lots of colourful fish, our second attempt was a big WIN. We swam with a pair and they were so friendly and such an amazing experience. I have already booked another trip here in October with my two daughters and can't wait!

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great Place to spend your vacation

The service provided by the hotel and it’s employees goes well beyond expectations. The entertainment offered each and every day indoors at the theatre and outdoors by the pool are great. The hotel offers a variety of excursions which gives you a chance to explore near by towns and local cultures.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Great Place to spend your vacation

The service provided by the hotel and it’s employees goes well beyond expectations. The entertainment offered each and every day indoors at the theatre and outdoors by the pool are great. The hotel offers a variety of excursions which gives you a chance to explore near by towns and local cultures.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Beautiful Resort!

Everything there was great: the food, the cleanliness, the service, the fact that it wasn’t crowded. The only thing I didn’t love is the beach, especially that we went in June and there was too much seaweed, or whatever it’s called.

Barcelo Maya Palace: Great stay at Barcelo Maya Palace

We enjoyed everything about this resort. Great food in the a la carte restaurants; fabulous staff in the restaurants, buffets and bars; super clean everywhere; lovely decor; awesome adult-only pool with cabanas for rent for a low daily cost. Even though the 'Palace' was not adult only, this one pool made it seem that way for us. There is lot of walking between the rooms and the restaurants/buffets but that was helpful after how much food we ate! Although it's about an hour from the Cancun airpor [... read more]t, we look forward to returning and would recommend this resort to friends.

Occidental Cozumel: Good value for the price

Overall the hotel was acceptable. Food was good, however they could use some sort of grill at the main pool by the beach (e.g. tacos, fajitas etc.) They could also use more activities during the day.

Occidental Cozumel: Beautiful resort set in jungle like setting

Enjoyed entire resort, especially the trees, beach, people and cleanliness of rooms and all public areas on resort. Enjoyed all the wildlife there. Lovely relaxing week. Met friendly travelers. Loved restaurant at the beach. Will return soon.

Barcelo Maya Colonial: Beautiful Resort

Hotel is beautiful. Food is excellent. Best pool and pool area I have experienced. Hundreds of pool loungers. Lots of friendly staff. Very clean. There are no golf carts to take guests to different areas. There is a no charge bus to take you to the sister resorts. Lots of palm trees for shade on the beach. The beach is not as nice as the old photos indicate. Excellent resort except for the rocky beach.

Royal Hideaway Playacar: Super relaxing

The food was absolutely incredible and better than I expected and I really enjoyed my time. It was super relaxing, and the staff are so kind. We had a couple issues with our phone for room service, but we just used our personal phones.