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 Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort —  Location: Beachfront - 75 km from the Cancun Airport All-inclusive - Barceló Maya Colonial Beach - 474 rooms ~ Barcelo Maya Beach - 612 rooms Barceló Maya Caribe Beach - 408 rooms ~ Barceló Maya Tropical Beach- 474 rooms Description from resort website: The Barceló Maya resort complex is located right on the best beach in the Mayan Riviera, on the Mexican Caribbean coast. Its magnificent facilities are surrounded by a lush 500,000 square-meter natural park. The complex is situated in the Mayan Riviera, 25 km from Carmen beach - 35 km from the city of Tulum - 85 km from the city of Cancun. All 4 resorts offer a complete all-inclusive experience with many restaurants and bars - water sports  ~ Reviews posted on this page — 41  ~ Map of Resort ~ Reader's Vacation Photos ~ 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7  ~ Readers Barcelo Maya Wedding Reviews ~ Mexico Resort Reviews Index
 ~ Mexico Travel Forum 
Have you stayed at this resort? Share your vacation experiences with others.Don't forget to send your review to Debbie by using an easy form or e-mail Debbie your review |
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | John ~ Ottawa |
We've been to quite a few resorts around the Caribbean, and this is definitely the best we've stayed at. The food is great, the grounds are huge but very well-kept, the beaches are nice, the entertainment is fun, the staff are friendly, and the rooms are clean. We bar-hopped every day and there are so many bars across the resort, it was hard work. Snorkelling is not amazing but it is decent, and there are lots of birds and bats on the grounds, so bring your binoculars and bird book if you're a bit geeky like us. I don't one have serious complaint; my only complaints are minor: (1) the buffet staff are hard-working, but someone needs to teach them the concept of specialisation. Wait staff are trying to do everything at once, so accomplish nothing very well.
They need to have dedicated busboys, waiters and waitresses, and drink servers, instead of wait staff trying to serve coffee, clean tables, make tables, and deal with special requests at the same time. (2) they fog the entire resort for mosquitos every evening around dusk, which may be necessary due to the swampy nature of the Yucatan, but they need to communicate to their guests that they are using an environmentally friendly and non-toxic insectiside (at least I hope they are) (3) requests to cleaning staff to not change our sheets and towels every day were ignored, even when the requisite supplied signs were left in the room - not very eco-friendly.
As you can see, not much to complain about: a solid 9 out of 10 in my book. My only complaint is with Air Canada Vacations, who cancelled our confirmed and booked a month earlier reservation for no apparent reason, so that when we arrived at the Ottawa Airport at 0545, we were told we had no vacation. After 5 hours of fighting with rude Air Canada staff, we had to pay another $2500 to fly out on a later flight, and we missed the first half day of our time in Mexico. We never received an apology, but after a week of complaints ot the President of ACV, our $2500 was returned with a terse email saying that Air Canada Vacations accepted no responsibility. Selloffvacations, the agent, was great throughout the whole thing, but Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations lived up to their consistently awful customer service reputation (on top of the standard delayed flights, broken equipment, and no meal service). We will never, ever fly Air Canada or take a vacation with Air Canada Vacations again, which, while it may preclude some holiday destinations, will be worth it to see the backside of that horrible organisation in perpetuity.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Shirleyujest |
We flew via Westjet Vacations from Vancouver. Flight was great and on-time. Great Westjet staff and service that we've come to expect and enjoy. We had booked the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort but due to renovations of the Beach / Caribe sections of this large resort, we were "upgraded" to the Tropical. This upgrade consisted of basically a couple more chits for the a la cartes. Not having been to this resort before, we don't really know what else the "upgrade" gave us.
This was our first trip to the Riviera Maya so we weren't sure what to expect when we arrived at the airport. Just to give you some background on us as "all-inclusive travellers", we have been to Punta Cana (2 x), La Romana (1 x), various Cuban destinations ( 8 trips), Cabo san Lucas (2 x), Puerto Vallarta (1 x), and Loreto, Baja (1 x). This is just to give you an idea that we have travelled before and that we sort of know what we can expect when we travel like this.
Arrival at the Cancun Airport was quick and painless. Once we had gotten our bags off the carousel, we just high-tailed it out of the airport, looking for the "Best-Day" kiosk where we were to grab a shuttle.
Being the first group to arrive outside the airport and into the hands of the "Best-Day" reps (of which there were about 10 of them) we were approached by one of them and asked to show our confirmation number. This info was written down by the rep on his piece of paper on his clip-board and we were told they would be getting us a shuttle. Just to wait a moment. There were six of us in our group. We were thinking this was great service and that we would be on a shuttle in no time.
I have to say that after two more reps came and asked for the same info and told us the same thing. An hour later, and we were the last group waiting, we finally got a shuttle. "Best-Day" did not start our vacation off to such a good start. We got into the shuttle and had a wonderful, very informative driver. We had to stop at another part of the terminal to pick up a group of 4 people who were also headed to our resort. This meant we had no stops along the way, although our driver did offer to stop along the way to get some beer for us. We all declined. We just wanted to get to the resort.
So began our hour or so trip to the Barcelo. It was dark so there wasn't really much to see along the highway, but it was interesting to see all the signs of the other resorts along the way that we had heard about or had researched before we had chosen the Barcelo.
Once we reached the resort we were in awe! What a beautiful resort! We have never been to such a huge resort with such "opulance". Our kids, who have never travelled this way, were VERY impressed! They asked, and we had to tell them, that we have never been to a resort like this! It was gorgeous.
I had emailed the resort ahead of time our requests and got the usual, "we will do our best to accomodate your requests". No problem. We had booked 3 rooms, one for a couple, one for a couple with a baby, and a single. Check in was quite smooth.
We had asked to at least have all three rooms in the same building. Well, the "single" was in a different building. Strike one. We didn't "complain" as we are all adults and really, in the scheme of things, who cares? It just would have been nice.
So, the "single" got his keys and went his way to find his room. The rest of us were escorted to our rooms by a bellman, with all the luggage, and taken to the third floor of the Yucatan building. We stopped off at the first room where the "family" was going to be staying. Since we each held the cards to the rooms (not the bellman), we put the card in the door lock, opened the door, and there was someone in the room! Hello!?! We apologized. The fellow inside said, "No problem. Welcome to the Barcelo." (sarcastically). The bellman didn't know what to do so he told us to follow him a few rooms down where the "couple" (us) were booked.
Ah, no one was occuping this room and the bellman got on the phone immediately to the Front Desk and got things sorted out.
Meantime, the "single" was waiting for us and his luggage to appear. Before we could do that, however, the bellman got a "new" room for the "family" that was at least in the same building as us but way down the hall. No big deal - at least there wasn't anyone occupying the room.
We dropped them and their luggage off at their room and headed off to visit our "single" along with the bellman and the luggage.
Like I mentioned, the room was in the next building over, the Veracruz building.
All the rooms had the same configuration - king-sized beds (we requested) and not on the ground floor (another request). All the rooms where roomy enough and in great shape. The housekeepers kept all the rooms in immaculate condition all week and we had no complaints. We didn't bother changing rooms to be closer together as we spent very little time in our rooms.
The mini-fridge was stocked daily with beer, soft-drinks, water and snacks. We also got 'turn-down service" in the early evening. Nice touch. Ours was the only room (in our group) that got towel sculptures and we all tipped.
So, once we sort of "settled" into things in our rooms (that didn't take long as we were hungry), we all arranged to meet in the lobby and head off to the buffet for a bite to eat. We had arrived around 10:00 pm and the buffet was going to close around 11:00.
The food, I have to say, was some of the best we've had at any resort we've been to. I can't believe that anyone would complain about the food. We sure don't eat that way at home and we don't expect the food to be the same when we travel. There were lots of options and choices of everything from veggies to salads, to meats to fish to chicken and then .... the desserts!
We didn't have a problem with any of the staff, the service all week, nor the food, in any of the eating spots on the resort. Our favourite place to eat lunch was the Palmeras Grill which had the best views of the ocean and it was open air. We tried the Mariachi and it was good, too, and the views of the ocean were nice, we just preferred the Palmeras.
We spent a week of doing the typical all-inclusive vacation things such as walking the resort, eating, drinking and checking things out.
The mini-golf was fun but make sure you have insect repellant! They will eat you alive!!! Lots of iguanas live there and it was really kind of a "neat" place to walk around and visit. We had brought our own balls as we had read that it will cost $2.00 if we lose a ball (yes, you can "lose" a ball at mini-golf) and at the end of our vacation we donated them to the staff that were tending to the mini-golf. The fellow there was ecstatic and said he would take them home for practice. He told us he had a practice green in his back-yard. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. He seemed happy to accept them.
There is also a "Business Centre" in the same building as the mini-golf attendants and you can find a book exchange there if you are so inclined.
We also found a book exchange just to the left of the Front Desk at the Tropical, and this room also has the "public" computers if you want to pay for internet service. There is no printer for use, however. We only used the computer once near the end of our trip so we could select our seats for the return flight home.
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We attended the nightly shows every night and thought they were some of the best amateur acts we've seen. We always enjoy the shows at all the resorts we go to, hokey or not, and these shows were more on the "professional" side of things. Lots of talented folks performing skits, dances, circus acts, singing, etc.
We went to the Jaguar Disco every night after the shows and it was fun. It's a huge place and there always seemed to be lots of people in there dancing. I don't think the resort was full so we were actually quite amazed at how many people were there. It didn't really seem empty at all. We didn't see anyone up in the VIP lounge.
The process to book the a la cartes is pretty easy. The Guest Services desk is located in the Lobby of the Tropical and the attendant is there all day. You can book your a la cartes up until 3 pm the same day and hope they still have the time and restuarant you want. That's the chance you take. Or else, just plan ahead of time which nights and which restaurants you want to eat at and you can book them all at once.
We always opted to eat later (8:30 - 9:30) and never had a problem getting in. We really enjoyed the Sante Fe Steak House the best and the Bali Hai was our second favourite! Very entertaining and the food was good. The hostess there could have been a bit friendlier but then again, it didn't bother us.
I thought the Havana Lounge would be the nicest place to sit and enjoy a beverage but, since I am highly sensitive to smoke, I couldn't use it. Too bad, it's lovely in there.
We enjoyed the open-air Tequila Bar situated in the Tropical Lobby more than the Puebla Lobby bar (at the Colonial) which I think is the piano bar. It's air conditioned and we just prefer the open air lounges. Take note, too, that the grand piano in there is a player piano. We saw a fellow in a tux playing the piano in there just one of the evenings and we were very impressed with his talent, that is, until we walked in another time and noticed the piano music and the keys of the piano moving and no one actually playing it.
We did one excursion as a family - the Mayan Encounter I think it was - which was an all day event. We were picked up at 8:00 a.m. and didn't get "home" til about 9:00 p.m. This included a tour and climb of Coba, zip-lining, cenote "swimming", hiking through a natural forest, a "snack", canoeing, an opportunity to see how a Mayan family lives, and a meal. We were then taken back to the "store" of the company and we could buy pictures and/or a CD of our days' adventures. We could also buy souveniers and clothing there. I would not recommend this trip for anyone 5 and under. It's a very long day and if you do plan on doing it, bring water and something to eat with you. We booked it through the "Best-Day" tour operator at the resort.
We enjoyed all aspects along the beach. We walked as far as we could to the neighbouring resort that is partially open but the rest has been devasated by a hurricane and there are no plans to rebuild it. We were met by a "guard" who told us we couldn't even swim across the "lagoon" as it was full of barracudas. Well, whatever. Who are we to argue?
We enjoyed the snorkelling off the beach, mostly in between the Tropical and the Palace, and there were lots of turtles there. They didn't seem to care that we were there. Lots of fish to be seen but nothing bright and colourful as I would have thought.
Our "single" took the scuba course in the pool and then did a couple of dives. This was put on by the Dressel Divers, a company I have heard good things about. He had a great time and bought the DVD to bring back home - it doesn't work! He has since emailed them and is awaiting to hear from them. Other than that, this was something he will never forget and would like to do more of.
My daughter and I tried the water aerobics once in the pool and that was enough! I have never been in a pool that was that cold! We rarely saw anyone in the pool just sitting and the swim-up bar staff looked terribly bored and the bar was empty.
Check out was easy. Once you "sign out" you get a piece of paper with your room number on it (we don't know why we got the paper). The interesting thing about this is that our "single" got his piece of paper and the room number on it was the room number next to ours! These were adjoining rooms! So, for some reason we had the room next to us booked but we didn't get to use it. Ah, es Mexico!
We didn't have the greatest weather and always had to bring a sweater along at night. The days were not hot and sunny as we had anticipated but it sounds like other Caribbean destinations had the same during this same week. Just a cool week all around.
All in all we had a good vacation and everyone enjoyed themselves. We would recommend this resort if you like, or don't, mind huge resorts. It's beautiful, well manicured and clean. It has great food and great staff. The only downfall of this resort is the "domestic" liquor they serve. For a 4 - 5 * resort, one shouldn't have to pay extra for brand-name liquor.
If you have any other questions I would be more than happy to try and answer them. You can find me here at Debbie's.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Steeves and Celeste ~ Regina, Saskatchewan CANADA |
Arrival: March 2008
We visited this resort in February of 2007 and March of 2008. We greatly enjoyed both our visits.
Rooms:
The rooms were very nice, clean and roomy. The mini-fridge was replenished every day with beer, cola, water, and treats. We also had bathrobes and slippers.
Restaurants and Bars:
Food: The buffet has a good variety of dishes. We spent one week and could not try everything we wanted.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach and Pools: Beach and pools are very nice and well kept. The pools are cleaned every day. The resorts has a private beach which makes for an pleasant stay.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Trips and excursions: During or first visit we went to Chichen Itza. The trip include a visit to an underground “cenote†and had lunch at an authentic Mexican buffet restaurant. Even though, the round trip to the site from our resort was 3 hours we enjoyed it and learned about ancestral Mayan culture. Over our second visit we went to “Coba†and visited a Mayan Homestead.
Other Comments:
Service: The staffs were always polite and friendly. We tried to tips as much as we could, which helps. They did everything to make our stay an enjoyable experience. We have found that most employees spoke good English.
Overall: We stayed at this resort twice and we would go back in a second. We highly recommend it.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Denise |
Just returned to Atlanta from 5 days at the Barcelo Maya Tropical Beach Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico (November 14-19 2008)- Fantastic quality for the price, would return again in a heartbeat. I traveled with 3 other ladies in our 40-s (one in her 60’s) and everyone agreed we’d love to return again next year.
The Flight: You can’t beat Spirit Air for the bargain price- cheapest airfare around by far, but beware that everything extra will cost you. If you check any bags, they’re $15 each. If you want to reserve your seat in advance, that costs too. We saved money by checking one suitcase for 2 people then each taking a carry-on with most of our belongings. Just read the fine print on their website. Even a bottle of water on the plane costs money- they don’t take cash, just debit and credit cards. But the plane was new and just as nice as the major carriers, and it was on time.
The Hotel: We paid the $84 pp per night, double occupancy rate because we booked the Maya Beach but because it was under renovation, we were moved to the Tropical at no additional charge. We had a garden view (pool/beach views go to people who buy the premium package and get the gold arm band) Regular folks get a blue band. Our room was spotless, maid service was immediate if anything was needed, but you HAVE TO ASK FOR WASHCLOTHS EVERY DAY or you’ll never get any. Everything in the room looked brand new and there was plenty of space for 2 people, with a table and chairs plus a sofa. They brought us a bottle of champagne and fresh fruit plate right after we checked in and the champagne was quite good, not too dry or too sweet. If you want the high-end liquor, it will cost extra if you have the regular blue arm band. When I asked for Bailey’s and Sambuca, I was told, it was extra, but the bartender didn’t say how much, so I skipped it.
The food: Beautifully presented even at the buffet. Delicious and fresh fish, chicken, beef, you name it. The desserts in Mexico are usually flavorless fluff and these were no different. Go for the gelati if you want something sweet at the buffet. We were given 3 complimentary nights at the a-la-carte restaurants and they were superior to the buffet with beautiful presentation. The Italian restaurant was the best with a fantastic salad bar, I had the Chilean sea bass, the appetizer of gnocchi was so rich and delicious it melted in your mouth. The steak restaurant, Santa Fe had the most tender fillet mignon I’ve ever had cooked to perfection and the best desserts of all the restaurants. Get the chocolate mousse. It comes in a white chocolate cup. The brownie was dry. The Japanese restaurant was exactly like Beni- Hana or Sho-Gun here in the states with the show and great food. The only a-la-carte restaurant that disappointed was the seafood place. I had the shrimp and it was fine, but the entrée of mussels were tiny and chewy, the lobster was rubbery and the lamb chops were chewy. The desserts were nothing special either.
As to the difference between the Tropical and Colonial- there isn’t much. They share a kitchen and all the food is the same. If you don’t like to walk a lot, stay at the Colonial because most of the shops center around the Plaza Mexicana which is at the Colonial, as is the disco and the spa.
Xel-Ha was worth every penny of the $75.00 entrance fee. This is the most beautiful natural creation I’ve ever seen- and you will need all day. Get there at 8 am when the gates open and start checking it out. The food was wonderful and plentiful with great variety and service. The alcoholic beverages were bigger and better than at the resort. Make sure you go all around the park and save your drinking and lounging for the end of the day when it starts to get dark. You won’t want to miss the rope swing and sky-bridge (I think it’s called the wind walk) and if it’s chilly, I recommending paying the $6 for a wet suit. Dolphins, manatees, emerald green water, caves and natural wonders words just can’t describe.
Transportation- we took the local “collective” or bus from the street right in front of our hotel. It comes every 10 minutes and costs 2 or 3 dollars each way to most destinations. We took it to Playa Del Carmen and Xel-Ha.
Don’t plan to go to Cozemel on Sunday because all the shops are closed. Also, stores don’t sell liquor on Sundays after 2 pm (but you can still drink in a restaurant).
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Glenn |
We are going back to the Barcelo Maya Beach resort for 2 weeks in April for the 10th time. We have been to Cuba, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana and this resort is by far the best yet. Your beach is private and with thousands of palm trees for shade and thousands of loungers. No need to get to the beach at 7 to put your towel on one. Why go anywhere else, when you know you won’t be disappointed here. The food is great and the staff are the best and most speak English with the exception of the maids and grounds people. They work long hours in the heat and most only make $5.00 a day so tip generously. We now have many friends here at the Barcelo and look forward to seeing them every year. It is like our home away from home. We have 2 grown up daughters who plan on getting married here at the Barcelo and I would highly recommend this resort to anyone for a wedding. We renewed our vows here for our 25th Wedding anniversary and they did all the work. It was absolutely awesome getting remarried here on the beach in bare feet. Better than the 1st marriage. There is also so much to see here in the Mayan Riviera with the ecological parks and mayan ruins in the area. The snorkeling at the resort is also very good by the pier and there is never a lack of activities to participate in if you wish to do so. Water aerobics in the ocean is lots of fun. You may even see a stingray or turtle while you are out there. There is also so much for the children to do with the Barcy kids club and the children’s water parks at the new Colonial and Palace resorts are awesome. Don’t believe the bad reviews. I can’t understand why anyone would not enjoy themselves at the Barcelo. Even if you are a picky eater, you can always find something good to eat. There is more variety at the main buffets, but the buffets at the beach aren’t bad either. This resort has also received awards for cleanliness in their kitchens. Go and relax and enjoy your vacation here at the Barcelo. I have sent many people here from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and everyone that has been there can’t wait to return.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Fullhouse714 ~ USA |
Just returned from the Barcelo Tropical in Riviera Maya June 8 - 15. What a place!
There were 6 in our party. My husband and I are in our 40's. Two boys each 16, and two girls ages 12 and 13. This is a place for everyone!
Our vacation was booked through Northwest World Vacations and my AAA travel agent. When we arrived at the Cancun airport transportation was waiting for us - all included through Northwest. Straight to the resort- no other resorts to stop and drop people off.
Checking in was easy. Our room was not ready as it was way before 3 o'clock. We had requested an adjoining room and of course none were available so the first night we had rooms near each other. The clerk suggested checking early the next morning to see if they could move us to adjoining rooms. I did this and we were able to move to adjoining rooms. Not a huge deal to move, but I was glad they were willing to make this change for us. If you are asking for adjoining rooms it will more likely happen if you request one room with a king size bed and the other with 2 double beds. We met with our NW representative right away and he explained the in's and out's of what our vacation included- basically everything. We also discussed the day trips available- did not pressure us into anything just gave us the facts. One suggestion is to schedule your sit down restaurant meals right away. We checked in on a Sunday and could not get into the Japanese restaurant until the following Saturday. It was worth the wait though :)
Our first room was in the Veracruz building on the 2nd floor. Our adjoining rooms were one building over (closer to the lobby area) in the Yucatan building. I thought the Yucatan building was closer to everything- lobby, restaurants, activities center, etc. Really just a matter of opinion thought the buildings are identical; so much so that my kids kept going to the wrong building to find our room. The rooms all have a little smell of damp Mexico. It's humid in Mexico. I don't think it is anything resort is doing wrong. The rooms were absolutely CLEAN. Bring a Glade Plug In if you are afraid the smell will bother you.
The food was EXECELLENT. Anyone who complains on this web site must be really picky. There were 6 of us and there was always something for everyone at the buffet. Trust me if all 4 of my kids could be happy at the same time there was plenty to chose from. The sit down restaurants were all nice. Our favorites were the Steak House and the Japanese.
The pools and the ocean were beautiful !!! Some places on the beaches were rocky. I would not want to stay at the Palace for that reason. The Tropical and the Colonial are really the same place so you have about the same beach there. The beach that is most clear of rocks is down at the Beach Resort. But again that is just a matter of opinion.
The pools at the Tropical had lots of entertainment; volleyball, water polo, water basketball, etc. The pools at the Colonial were more quiet- and had more for babies and little kids. The Barcelo Life employees make hanging out by the pool very fun. After 4 days of watching the dance lessons I finally made myself try it. It was very fun. I wish I would have started the first day- maybe I could have been good after a week of lessons. My 12 year old made friends with some of the employees and kids from all over the US. There is also chess, table tennis, a volleyball court, boche ball, and bowling near this pool. Tons to keep kids and adults active. But if you wanted to just sit and relax they left you completely alone. Also the grill is right there if you are hungry, there are 3 bars right there if you are thirsty and plenty of restrooms. They absolutely thought of everything. There were some waiters and waitresses to get drinks. Mostly you did go to the bar and wait on yourself. I considered this my exercise so it was not a problem for me. I know others on this web site have mentioned that as a problem- that's just silly.
Day trips. We took the 3 hour trip and did the Chichen Itza Plus tour. Well worth the money. Our tour guide was the best guide I have ever had on a trip. He really knew his stuff! It included lunch in a Authentic Mexican buffet restaurant and about 45 minutes at a cenyote. Kids loved that! We also did a 1/2 day snorkeling trip suggested by the Northwest Rep. Also very fun. Guides were so nice and very helpful. We also took a taxi to Playa Del Carmen one morning. Very fun. Not busy and the shop keepers were very willing to dicker on prices.
All in all the trip was awesome. Staff was very accommodating and kind. Place was neat freak clean. Rooms were nice, not over the top but nice. Pools were perfect. Ocean was beautiful. Food was unbelievable. Something for everyone. Northwest World tours was very organized! And my AAA travel agent put it together perfectly. We would go back in a heart beat. No doubt about it!
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Gina |
We just returned from Barceló Maya Caribe, April 8th-15th 2008. We had a great time and the people there were very friendly.
Me and my husband are in our 40's and my parents came, plus my sister, her hubby and 2 children, 13 and 15yrs old.
Just some advice, have your travel agents phone # with you!
When we arrived, they said our reservations had been cancelled in Nov.! I quickly called my agent and it was straightened out but I was a bit stressed at first. We had upgraded to the Premium Club and that must of been why they thought we cancelled. We loved the upgrade because it allowed us to eat at any alacarte restaurant at the other resorts of Barcelo, except at the Palace, and more than once. It also gaurenteed us an ocean view room, which is actually a poolside view room because the ocean is past the pool, anyhow we loved our room, big and clean! Beers in the mini bar everyday, leave a tip right in the refrig.
We loved the Santa Fe steak house, Oscar was great and helped us to celebrate my nephews 15th bday there , awesome steaks, and we went there twice. The Italian place, Capri, was great- try the lamb, Mar Nostrum, the seafood reataurant, was very good-try the lobster and the Japanese restaurant was the favorite, the 2 teenagers liked that best. All 4 of those restaurants were at the Colonial/Tropical, you can take the Barceló "train" for free or walk. We never even booked at the restaurants at our place because I had read they were bad. Book all your dinner reservations on day one, our first 2 nights the earliest they could get us in was 10pm! The rest were at 7pm.
Allot of last years reviews complained about the hard mattresses, they must have listened because ours had a thick cushioned cover and I slept like a baby.
I agree with the other reviews NOT to buy your excursion tickets from your travel people at the hotel, the transportation is a rip off, you can get transported antwhere much cheaper by bus or taxi. We liked Xel-ha very much but it was way over priced, Disney tickets are cheaper! My husband and I did Coba with the zipline and repelling, we were the oldest ones there and it was very physical and scary, it was an awesome experience and I'm lucky I didn't kill myself, only recommended for athletic people and wear sneakers!!
It bothered me how many people don't tip the workers at Barcelo. The Mexican workers make 6 dollars a day at the hotel and work 16 hour days!! They always smile and most know 3 langauges! Please people leave a couple bucks for every waitress, bartender and housekeeper who waits on you. We brought 50 $ in ones and that was plenty for tips for the week. They appreciate it so much and treat you like gold.
The place is very big and a bit over whelming at first but by day 2 we knew where everything was. The buffet was OK, plenty of choices. The booze was definitely watered down but with the Premium Club we were able to get top shelf booze like Absolute, Stolyes, Baileys etc. so then the drinks were good.
I suggest if you have time to sit through the time share thing that they get you with at the airport, to do it. The rest of my family did do it and they got tickets to Xcaret for one forth the price and got cash and gifts and they never bought a timeshare, it took 3 hrs out of their day and they got like a thousand dollars worth of stuff.
We booked our own deep-sea trip with Tequila Sunrise before we even got to Mexico online and that was awesome, all 4 of our guys caught huge fish, blue marlins, tuna, barracuda etc( catch and release), once again don't book it through the hotel.
It bothered us how many highschool kids were drinking alcolhol when we first got there, Michigan highschools were on break, and it was hard to get a drink, they took over all the bars all day long, most left on Thursday and then it was fine.
Just a note that 60% of the tourist at Barcelo are from Europe so many of the women are topless on the beach, no big deal to us.
It was just a shock at first but the guys in our group enjoyed it!
We would go back and stay at Carbi Beach again, they had the best beach although Colonial and Tropical had much prettier buildings and better restaurants. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes, we walked so much and some of us got blisters. Wear lots of sunblock, we wore 50, we are all very fair and did get red.
Hope this review helps.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Mark |
We just returned form a week at the Barcelo Maya Caribe and wanted to post a few comments for other first time travelers to resorts in Mexico. First, bring along twice as much sunscreen as you think you may need. Sunscreen at the resort gift shop (and any gift shop in the region for that matter) sells for anywhere from $18 to $25 US for small bottles or tubes. Second, take the public transportation whenever possible-much cheaper than using anything arranged by the resort. We paid $2 per person to go to Playa del Carmen vs. $20 for a one way cab ride. Also, do not, I repeat do not, book your excursions at the hotel from the vacation representatives. We paid $440 for two adults and two children (this was bargained down from $500) to go to Xel-Ha and Tulum. As one other reviewer noted, it was very rushed at Xel-Ha because we spent about 90 minutes first thing in the morning picking up people at other resorts. We could have paid the same $75 fee at Xel-Ha for entrance and caught the public vans plus the $5/person entrance fee at Tulum for about $100 less had we known of this option in advance. We personally thought Xel-Ha was highly over-hyped. Unless you are an avid snorkeller, there really isn’t much to do. The ride down the river is slow and pretty boring plus very uncomfortable in the two person inner tubes.
If staying at the Barcelo complex, go into Playa. Lots of fun and gives you more of an idea of the local flavor. You can bargain a little with the vendors. My daughter got the hair on her crown braided beautifully for only $10.
The Barcelo Maya Caribe was a great resort but not all that kid friendly despite being advertised as such. Ours are 15 and 9 and the 15 year old was pretty bored. Not much other than hot dogs and hamburgers at lunch for kids either. We were on the second floor. We had asked our travel agent to request a no-smoking room because our daughter has asthma and our entire building was no-smoking so that really helped. Our room was very clean but for some reason the maids never left face cloths or soap. We had to ask for those every single day we were there. The refrigerator didn’t cool anything which seems standard at the Barcelo. The shows in the evening don’t start until closer to 10 even though the signs say 9 or 9:30 PM. The Circus Night and Variete night were the two best. Both specialty restaurants (Spanish and Mexican) were very good and we had no trouble getting reservations at either but I highly recommend making them as soon as you arrive.
There is a tram that runs between properties so we went exploring. They would not even serve us a soft drink at the Palace. The beach at the Palace and Tropical is not as nice as the beach at the Caribe and Beach properties. No problems getting lounge chairs. As far as the water sports go-beware of the life jackets. They all had mildew on them and our daughter broke out in a terrible rash after using one to go on the water bicycle with her mom. The rest of us had rashes but not nearly as bad as hers. You would have to wear a turtleneck to not be exposed to the mildew!
One other word of caution, if you book with Northwest/MLT/Worryfree vacations, make your representative call and verify that the bus will arrive as scheduled the day before you depart. We were in the lobby at 0700 as required to catch the bus to the airport. There were 12 of us at our resort stranded until 0830 when she finally managed to get a bus to pick us up and then it went to the Colonial, Tropical and Palace after we boarded. Altogether, about 30 people were stranded. This happened the week before as well so we were not an isolated incident. We had all checked the day before departure and were told the same thing-be in the lobby at 0700. Someone obviously forgot to order the bus for us.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Dana and Paul ~ Cape Breton; NS |
We just got back from this beautiful resort two weeks ago and would highly recommend it. It is a big resort but a beautiful one! The landscaping is stunning - lots of palm trees, flowers and other plants. It feels very tropical. The lobbies and restaurants are all connected by ceramic tiled walkways that are covered by a thatched roof so you're protected from the hot sun as you walk to your destinations. On either side of you as you walk to restaurants, the lobby, the theatre, etc. you is either lush vegetation or pools with fountains. You can even hear birds calling from inside the trees and bushes. The food was very good. I recommend the Japanese (entertaining and delicious), Steakhouse (get the beef tenderloin), Seafood (salmon was very nice) and Mexican. We booked our reservations every morning around 9:00. We usually ate lunch at the Captain Morgan, but the other buffets are good as well.
The pools are huge and gorgeous! Again lots of palm trees and fountains. The tropical side pool has the music and daily activities, and the colonial is more quiet. Never had a problem getting loungers at any time of the day and we usually went to the pool in the late afternoon after spending most of the day at the beach. We loved the beach. It isn't just a long white sandy beach. Rather it is a mixture of sand and finely ground up shells and coral. There is also some large rock and coral in the water in different areas which we also loved! Between the great snorkeling and the variety of shells/coral, it's much more interesting than a pure sandy beach. There are always pelicans diving into the water trying to get the fish, so you know there are lots of fish out there. Bring your underwater camera!
As far as excursion go, we went to Playa del Carmen. Great spot to walk around, see the sights, and do a bit shopping. Prices are cheaper here than at the resort and airport and you can barter. Get the $2 minivan ride at the resort entrance. There is always one going by picking up tourists at their resorts. Highly recommend Xel-Ha. Don't do the Tulum/Xel-Ha package as I hear it is too rushed and you want more time at Xel-Ha. Get the $2 minivan ride there and back. It's about 15minutes away. For $75 dollars you can go from 8:30 am -6:30pm. Includes snorkeling equipment (bring $20 for deposit), restaurants and bars. The swim with dolphins and snuba cost extra, but by the time you snorkel, go down the lazy river, eat and have a few drinks, and walk around the lagoon you've been there a few hours. The lagoon is beautiful! A giant turquoise lake! The fish are plentiful and colorful! Lots of fish around the rocks and under the bridge. Again, bring an underwater camera. Lots of palm trees, music, places to relax around the lagoon, and a walking trail around the lagoon. You can continue to go swimming in the lagoon and cenotes as you walk the trail. The lazy river is just that - LAZY. It's very slow and we wished we still had our flippers on to propel ourselves a bit faster. Along the way there are places to stop and jump off a cliff and walk a tight rope. Many people abandoned their tubes and swam the rest of the way back to the main areas (probably to get food and drinks!) It was still fun though.
The drinks were always good (and strong!) and service was quick. Corona is always on tap and ice cold (self-serve). Tried Mojitos for the first time. Very refreshing! Mini-bar in room always stocked with beer, water, sparkling water, pop and snacks. Rooms very nice and clean. IF you have a problem with tiny ants (we had them on the bathroom counter and entertainment stand a couple of times) simply spray the surface with bug repellent. I sprayed some between an opening where the inside of the sink did not meet up with the counter and it seemed to work for a few days. Not a big deal. The cleaning staff also have Raid on their cleaning carts if you want them to spray.
We loved our stay at Barcelo Maya Tropical/Colonial and will return again someday!
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Janet |
We returned from our week long family holiday on March 6th. Our trip was anticipated all year but we had to wait for our kids to be done hockey and Ringette, so we booked on Monday and left on Thursday. Our Canadian dollar was being well recognized. Skyservice was excellent, our flight was full, weather was great. Some cool temperatures when we arrived but that cleared up for our usual burns – we are blonde and blue-eyed! Our family travels every year since 2000 but never to Mexico. Our hotel list includes the Paradisus Varadero – which we loved, RIU in Punta Cana, Cayo Cayo which has new ownership but was our favorite for the gorgeous untouched beaches. I believe the Mayan to be much like a theme park. You pay big bucks to see an attraction and there’s always a gift shop at the end. I guess we are lucky in Alberta to have natural wonders that don’t have tour guides hounding you, or gates at the Tulum ruins that close at 430 pm! We got caught and didn’t get to see this. Shop around for the tours you want to see. We booked Xei-ha as a tour while our family at another hotel got the same package for $20 less per person. Great pictures. You don’t need to take a coach bus to see it. Grab a taxi or a smaller tour company, there’s less waiting that way too. The ride down the river was good, we tried out the ropes, jumped off the rocks, snorkeled. The cenote’s looked like our Alberta lakes, a hole full of algae. We had big winds and walking across the floating bridge was fun. Snorkeling was OK. We had a clear day but didn’t see anything that we hadn’t before.
Our hotel had a beautiful beach which allowed our family to swim in the gorgeous Caribbean ocean and terrific pools. We love the ocean for the sports and snorkeling but wanted to make sure our 9 and 13 year old can swim back. Even with some winds and a yellow flag it was excellent. As you went down the beach toward the Palace the beach wasn’t as sandy with objects to dodge. There was always a shade and a lounge chair. You don’t have to save early in the day. The dock was fun! The water surrounding was full of 4-5 different fish that get fed on a regular basis. We brought buns, day old work the best. If you swim with them, they will surround and bump into you.
I took a hobie cat lesson. Our guide was weak at this sport and frustrated when he couldn’t get the boat to turn.
Our room was far, far from everything which made us crazy. The hotel boasts a train … you will need it. This resort is huge. Although the watersports centre was close by, the kid’s waterslides were not. We brought our two way radios to help but forget it. Their multitude of buildings made from stone was impossible for the radios. If you stay at the Beach side, you will be second class. Our kids were turned away from using a basketball at the Caribe Beach and told they had to go back to the Beach section. It’s a huge walk. I’m not sure why this happened when we could eat at their buffets. We had great luck at getting beach towels which are really nice. In our room was a different story. I had to ask for room towels a few times. Room was clean, small, and never mopped. The hair dryer has one setting, hot and full speed. There was an iron, which I cleaned to use it. The room robes were handy. Beds were comfortable but only in a double size, do not hope for queen! The cot was tough to sleep on for my kids. Full of springs.
The mini golf was fun for the kids.
Food was ok. It got bland quickly. We tried to eat at different buffets. The buffet at Beach needs some work. There’s limited selection and they need to do some cleaning. Be careful on the floors. I saw a couple of people whip out because they are filthy. They need to be mopped and scrubbed, big time. I had to wash beer from my sandals because there was a problem with the machine that overflowed earlier in the day. We lifted the table cloth once, only do this if you have a great stomach! It was dirty and there was broken dishes stashed underneath. ??
Booking the restaurants is a treat ( that’s sarcasm). Do this at your first opportunity. Our girl was not friendly, she set us up for two and told us the Japanese / Seafood was $15 extra per person. I could live with that and agreed. She looked at me like I was unable to pay, asked when we were leaving, then offered us 9 pm on our last day. Hey, my 9 year old is long in bed by then from his day swimming running, etc. I booked the Mexican and Italian. We needed to change a reservation later in the week. She said she couldn’t and didn’t care that we couldn’t use the Mexican booking. I guess it was lost for the week and no other guest could use it either (more sarcasm).
To go again we would book at a smaller resort. We’ve found the staff to be friendlier at smaller places. Do not trust a cab driver for good information. Their English is better than they let on. The public busses (vans along the highway) are good. You meet some great people and it’s cheap plus fast. Playa del Carmen was fun at night. We got some good deals and some normal prices overall. Our shopping trip included the huge hammocks for $23 each. We should have bought more than two.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | A & J ~ Toronto |
We have benefitted for years from your web site and taken the reviews into consideration when deciding on a vacation destination. We have travelled extensively, and we feel compelled to share our experience at this resort with others.
My husband and I stayed at this resort from Feb 11-18 of this year. The tour operator was AirTransat, it was our first experience with AirTransat, previously we have mostly dealt with Signature because their service is outstanding.
The resort itself is absolutely beautiful and stunning. The buffet and restaurants rank amongst the best, and the room was clean. I will not go into more detail because the positive reviews of other travellers do this resort justice.
The reason for our review is to share our very bad experience with AirTransat. We booked the Prestige Class at this resort, which cost more than the "regular" service at this resort and is only offered by AirTransat. Do not waste your money for this upgrade. There is no difference in service, everybody is Prestige class and is just a money grab on behalf of AirTransat. There is no separate check-in. In fact, everybody is standing in the same line up, which was painfully slow because there were only 2 people at the front desk when we checked in at lunch time. We in fact received only one turn-down service, every room has soaps and lotions (not just the "prestige class"), there were no beach towels in our room and the concierge service was non existent.
The biggest problem was our room assignment. There seemed to have been a problem finding a room for us at check-in, and after lengthy debate we were assigned room 6145 in the Jalisco building. If you get this room, do not accept it, unless you are blind or you do not care about looking at weeds and shrubs.
This room was on the ground floor, the terrace was enclosed on 3 sides and there literally was no view. We looked straight ahead to a wall of weeds and bushes. We did
not see the sky and had to go past the terrace to see if it was sunny or cloudy. There was no botanical landscaping infront of our room that would have reminded us that we are in Mexico. We are very tolerant people, but this was even too much for us. My husband called it the "bat cave". We contacted the front desk and requested a room change, and were told the hotel is full and to come back tomorrow. The next morning (day of the AirTransat welcome briefing) we went to the front desk again, explained our concern and asked for a room change again, and were told that they put us on the list and to come back tomorrow. We then decided to talk to the AirTransat rep. There are 3 at this resort, 2 girls and 1 guy from Montreal. One of the reps (the Paris Hilton clone) could not care less, and the other rep assured us she would look into this. Day 3 was a repeat of the previous days: hotel still full, we're on the list, the rep did not care. We worked our way up to the manager of the front desk. Her name is Arsenia, the assistant manager's name is Rosaria, just in case you need to know!! We were appalled by the lack of consideration by the AirTransat reps and their blatant disregard for our concerns. The only thing they truly care about is selling tours. We then found out the name of the Hotel Manager (Mr. Willbur) and contacted him, as well as the front desk and the AirTransat reps. Every day we were told the same story: that the hotel is full and there are no rooms. Visitors are arriving and leaving on a daily basis and we did not comprehend why a room change was so difficult, other than that nobody wanted to bother with it. I believe the philosophy behind this is to hope that we would just eventually give up. The AirTransat rep actually told us that they really only get involved with hotel matters is if there is a death or a serious illness. In short, they were rude and useless. On the evening of day 4, I approached the front desk manager again in a more forceful way and it was quite evident that I was very upset. We were moved into a Junior suite on the third floor with a gorgeous view of the ocean and the pool the next day!!!
We certainly would go back to this resort, but under no circumstance will I ever book with AirTransat if I can avoid it.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Heather |
I have just returned from a one week stay at the Barcelo Maya Colonial Beach Resort in the Mayan Riviera booked with Air Transat Holidays. I was on vacation with three other members of my family and we have all been to various resorts in the Dominican Republic, Cozumel, Peru, Alaska, Jamaica and none of us have ever experienced the utter chaos that we endured upon arriving at the Colonial. We arrived on time and were at the check-in counter at 12:00 noon. We were then told our rooms would be on the ground floor and would not be ready until 7:00 pm .... we had sent an email the week prior requesting 3rd floor rooms because one of our party has asthma and the ground floor rooms were too musty. We were then told there was nothing available but they would upgrade us to the Palace. So we picked up our luggage and shuttled to the Palace .... they had not been advised by the Colonial that we were being moved and we were then told the only rooms they had were on the ground floor as far from the pool etc as possible. We again said this was not suitable and after standing at the counter at the Palace for over an hour waiting for someone who knew what they were doing and after being treated so rudely here we asked to be returned to the Colonial. Finally someone came to speak with us and again we picked up our luggage and were shuttled back to the Colonial. By now it's about 2:30 and we are very tired, very hot and getting very frustrated. We were then told again that they had no rooms for us and we could go and eat and come back in an hour and hopefully they would find something for us. Finally at 3:00 they found us one room on the 3rd floor and would have a second room somewhere in the same building in about an hour or so.... so we finally got checked in after 5:00 pm. Our rooms were not together but we had no choice at this point. Our first day at the resort almost over and we hadn't even unpacked yet. They did promise to move us to better rooms together in two days but that never happened and we never got our welcome drink, our welcome gift basket or welcome bottle in the room. After 5 days the young lady on reception at the Colonial (Nalleli Peral) managed to make this happen but by then it was too little, way too late. Our Air Transat reps at the hotel were full of smiles and promises but they did absolutely nothing for us. We advised them of our problems at our welcome briefing and they promised to look after eveything and we visited them on 3 other occasions asking for their assistance but they never got back to us. Although the resort was beautiful, clean, well kept etc. our check in experience ruined our first day and our overall impression of the resort was tainted. Among other things we also had difficulty getting reservations at the a la cartes .... we were supposed have four but were only able to book two ....we booked them within a half hour of arriving at the resort (while we were waiting for rooms) and that was all that was available. The a la cartes are very small and very slow and can't handle the capacity of the resort. All in all, we managed to have a good time over the rest of the week but we would never consider returning to this resort and have severe reservations about booking with Air Transat again. I overheard another group in the lobby say that the Barcelo was a Five Star Resort with Three Star service and this was definitely the case for us.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Robert |
Me and the girlfriend just got back from the Barcelo Colonnial. It was awesome.....best resort I have stayed at ever. We are in our late 30's and early 40's. Enjoyed everything, food, rooms, pool, people!!!! Went snorkeling and scuba diving and toured around a bit. Only thing is you do have to go off restort to do some things but why wouldn't you tour around a bit there is lots to see around there. The drive around Cozumel was worthwhile as well althought it was too windy to snorkel from shore but had a nice tour of the island. Barcelo rocks and so does the night club there The Jaguar!
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Elisse |
My husband, myself, my 16 year old son and his 16 year old friend just returned from the Barcelo Maya Colonial Resort in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico. This is definitely not a resort for teenagers! There is basically nothing for them to do, particularily in the evening. We were let down time and time again at this resort. It started when we arrived. Our plane landed in Cancun at 4:30pm and by the time we got through customs, got our luggage, and the bus trip there, we never arrived at the resort until about 8:30pm. When we arrived there was one person on the front desk so there was a long wait to check in. We requested 2 rooms, one with a King and one with 2 double beds and an ocean view and be adjoining rooms. We never got any of this, we got 2 kings, no adjoining rooms and no ocean view. We were told to come back in the morning and they might have something for us. We did and they didn’t have anything, and we did the next day, and the next day and the next day etc. They kept telling us to come back again and again but they could never accommodate us. Meanwhile we heard several people on the resort complaining because they requested king beds and got double beds, very unorganized. We were told by the travel company that we booked through that we were getting the “top of the line” package with all the bells and whistles, the “Prestige” package. However when we arrived we never got any of these “extras” that we were promised. We were actually told when we got there that we just had their basic package which they called “Prestige” and the better package was called “Premium”. I complained to our Air Transit Rep about the way we were being treated and all the let downs we have had since weve been there and she was a bit curt with me and said they couldn’t do anything for us (all they help you with is booking excursions). While I was talking with her regarding our issue, another couple came along and was complaining of the same thing and saying they had been promised the top of the line package by their travel agent and when they got there, they were also surprised to learn they get nothing of the sort. When we got to our room we had ants galore everywhere crawling around. I complained to the front desk but had to kill ants for 3 days before they got there and exterminated our room. There were none found after that (thank goodness). We were on a ground level room and it smelled musty. We soon found out that our kids were not allowed to come to the disco, you had to be 18. We rented jet skis on the resort for the boys but soon found out you had to be 18 for that too. They would however allow an adult to go on with them. So I rented the jetski for 30 minutes and $60 US, and they put my husband (220 lbs) and my son (180 lbs) on the same jetski and it would hardly go out of the water. They brought it back and asked for a different one which they gave them but it was hardly any better. The water was rough that day and it was actually dangerous for them to be out there with no power and so much weight on the jetski. They called them in after being out there for 20 minutes because the Mexicans were going for lunch. So we paid $60 for 20 minutes. When it was check out time, I went to the front desk to ask for an extra 1 ½ hours in our room and was willing to pay for it even though it was supposed to be included in our package (we were told by our travel agent) and they wouldn’t give it to me, even if I paid. It was just one thing after another there and we were very disappointed. The hotel itself though is very beautiful and clean (except for the ants we had). The pools are lovely and the beach and ocean is amazing. The food is good and so are the drinks. This hotel would be fine for an adult couple and even for small children as it has a lot for children to do including some amazing water parks for the kids. We however, would not return to this resort with teens. We went to Cuba last year and stayed at a small resort and found the Cubans to be way more friendly and accommodating. At this huge resort you are just a number.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Bob & LJ ~ Vancouver Canada |
My husband & I just returned from our 2nd trip to this fabulous resort in less than 1 year. We first went in late January and had such a wonderful time that when we decided to do another winter vacation in November (Nov 18-Dec 2) we chose to return. We were worried that we would not enjoy ourselves as much as the first time - but not the case. It was just as we remembered it except we had a softer bed (Maybe they do listen to complaints about the hard beds - now they just have to work on the pillows). The rooms were clean, the bar fridge always fully stocked and the staff friendly without being intrusive. Never any problems finding lounge chairs (in fact one day we had an entire pool to ourselves - must have been a quiet time at the resort). The only loud noise came from the one pool in front of the Tropical where they did the usual All Inclusive pool exercise and games. If you went one pool over it was peaceful. The beach is beautiful - and yes there are rocks in front of the Tropical & Colonial but if you pay attention you'll be fine - much better in front of the Caribe and Beach but still some rocks.
What we really enjoyed about the resort was the variety of food - the buffets always had an excellent selection of everything from duck to sushi. The only thing lacking was vegetables and salad stuff. If you stay on the Colonial or Tropical side you have your choice of 7 a la carte restaurants. There is Thai, Japanese, Italian, Steak House and Seafood plus you can enjoy the Mexican and Spanish on the Beach/Caribe side. We managed to get to all 7 this time around and again enjoyed the Mexican and Steak House. First time to the Spanish and we wished we had booked in a second time. Same goes for the Seafood one - we had 2 lobster tails (cooked to perfection) as our main course and a shrimp salad for starters. Never once on either trip did we have problems with the serving staff - we tipped occasionally but not always.
The night shows are good - much better than many resorts. My husband & I are in our late 40's early 50's and went to the night club (Jaquars) and had a good time (loud music and flashing lights) not something we would do every night but you've got to do the whole experience. There is lots to do at the resort and we still didn't get it all done.
We didn't do any organized tours - we always rent a car and do our own thing. Roads are easy to drive on and we were able to tour the ruins at our leisure. Last trip we did Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza - all beautiful in different ways. This time around we went to Muyil (very small but interesting and no tourists - we were the only ones there) and Ek Balam - well worth it. We took the Collectivo into Playa del Carmen (20 pesos per person) - easy 20 minute trip but remember you are in Mexico so they do tend to worry about how many they squeeze into these vans - you could find yourself sitting with 3 other people on a seat built for 1 (but when in Mexico) - we always felt safe and they are the best way to travel. Just stand out on the road in front of your resort - they come along fairly regularly - no schedule. Coming back be sure to let the driver know where you want off or they'll go right past your stop. You can also take these to Tulum for the same low price of 20 pesos per person.
Only one complaint - the trip from the Airport to the hotel. This time we landed in the new part of the airport at the same time as other flights so it was long line ups to get through customs, wait for your luggage and then another line up to get through your final check point. Once outside we found our bus and then sat there for another hour. (Beer at the airport is $5.00!!!) We arrived at the airport at 2:30 pm and didn't get to our hotel room until after 6 pm - next time we'll arrange our own transportation.
If you are looking for a relaxing place with good food, something for children of any age or just yourselves this is the place to go. I would highly recommend this resort and will go back again some day but first we have more places in Mexico to see.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Tod |
Hi there,
We just returned from a fabulous time at the Barcelo Maya Colonial Beach resort, Mayan Riviera, Mexico. We were there the last week of November 2007.
My wife and I with our five year old daughter travelled with my sister, and our parents (senior citizens). Other than the parents, we are in our 40's.
Check in and bus ride to the hotel was easy. Don't bother with the $3 Coronas on the bus. It's only a 1 hour and 20 min ride to the resort and once there, the coronas are free.
Room:
We had emailed several weeks before we left and asked management for a poolside room on the third floor after reading the reviews here about musty smelling rooms on the the first floor. Upon arrival, check in was very quick but they put us on the first floor. I complained and they told me to return in the morning to fix things since people behind us were waiting to check in too. We went to our first floor room and confirm what others say here. The room was VERY musty smelling.
I went to the front desk the next morning and we were moved to a third floor room. Unfortunately, there are no pool or ocean view rooms at this resort unless you upgrade to a jr. suite which costs $70/person/night extra. Well, we only paid $1000 each total (taxes included) for our trip so that kind of money was out of the question.
There was a 'beer fridge' that had four beers, several bottles waters and lots of pop (read 'soda' if you are from the US).
The beds were comfy and the air conditioning and ceiling fan kept us cool enough to sleep. Outside temps were around 82F or 28C every day but got cooler at night. You get a free room safe and put the code in yourself. This provided a huge laugh for us when my mom said there was something wrong with her 'microwave'. I went with her back to her room to see and she had mistaken her safe for a microwave. That was really funny.
Grounds:
I can't say enough. They were stunning. Just like everyone else says here. The nice part is that there are covered walkways from the room complexes to just about everything in the place. And contrary to some, yes, the resort is big, but getting around is pretty easy. Even my 70 yr old parents agreed with that. The ground can best described as sculpted jungle. Bring your camera and have extra batteries, film or memory cards.
Pools and Beach:
Pools are great. There are five resorts all in one here. Barceló Maya Beach, Colonial, Caribe and Tropical and now the Palace (completed Dec. 07). The Caribe and Tropical hotels are a little older and not as nice to look at. Their restaurants and buffets are limited unlike the Colonial, where we stayed, and the Palace about to open. There is a pool at each of them all within a short walk (5 to 6 mins). Most of the loud music is in the pool in front of the Beach hotel. We stuck to the beach and pool in front of the Colonial and seldom heard much other than birds and people splashing having fun.
There is no not tub unless you go to the gym. The gym is right beside the Colonial pool, just past the bar. My wife and I are fitness types so were in the gym every day. While there were lots of free weights, a universal, and several other stations, the cardio equipment was top-notch. There were 8 treadmills, 4 steppers, 4 recumbents, and four rowers. All worked well (unlike the ones in my gym at home in Stoney Creek). This was the coolest gym I have ever been in. Padded floors, thatch roofs with dozens of ceiling fans and speakers playing music lightly (not loud) and NO walls. I was running on the treadmill staring out at the gorgeous grounds, Caribbean sea, or the swim up bar just waiting my turn. And the place was seldom busy. I was there at 2pm each day and my wife at 8am. Neither of us complained. The hot tub here is great and seldom busy except one day when there were about 8 '20-something' girls in the tub that holds likely 20 people. Oh well, I sacrificed and went in.
The beaches are gorgeous, Beautiful white sand and hardly anyone on them. You do NOT need water shoes for the beaches. No one had any on while we were there in November 2007 and no one got injured. We saw the odd rock which I guess might hurt you if you weren't paying attention. But then again, some people can trip on a speed bump at home too.
Water shoes should be mandatory if you want to go into the water in front of the Palace, Beach or Colonial hotels. There are huge rocks the size of footballs just under the surface at ankle height. We could have really hurt ourselves had we not paid attention to this site and taken the water shoes. Now, if you don't mind a 5 or 6 minute walk down the gorgeous beach, the water in front of the cheaper Caribe and Tropical hotels is perfect. No water shoes needed. Simply walk out onto sandy bottoms and keep going.....
Loungers and 'palappas':
Whoever said you need to get up early at this resort to reserve good ones must have been visiting at Spring Break or something because not only were we the first ones anywhere near the pools or beach at 8am, but no matter what time we were there, there must have been hundreds of unused loungers and palappas on the beach. In fact, we couldn't figure out why there were so many of them unless, like every other hotel in the world, this one is jammed at March Break.
Bars and Restaurants:
Very good to outstanding in rating. The drinks are good. Beer (corona, and not the $3 type on the bus) is on tap and the taps face the customers. Simply walk, or swim up, and take what you like. Curiously, I was never without a drink or two in my hand yet didn't get drunk. I wasn't trying to get drunk, but just found it curious that I only got a slight buzz.
We saw lots of people with insulated mugs for drinks and the overpriced Canadian Tire bubba keg. You don't need 'em since the bartenders will give you as many drinks as you like and doubles too. Unless you plan to sit on the beach for hours, and don't want to make the 2 min. hike to the bar, they are not necessary. Although some people on this and other sites swear by them.
The buffets were good, not outstanding, but good. There is so much food and so many different choices that if you can't find something you like here, just stay home and eat your tofu. I will say that the food at the buffets was the same every night. We went to all four of the a la cartes. It should be noted that if you stay at the Colonial, as we did, then you get four a la cartes. If you stay at the less expensive Caribe and Tropical hotels, you only get two a la cartes.
We went to the steak house, seafood, Japanese and Italian. All were excellent, not good, but excellent. Our fav was the Japanese one only because they cook everything right in front of you and the chef is an absolute hoot. He throws food in the air and catches it in his hat etc. Don't worry, that is not part of your meal!
Oh, at the a la cartes, at least one if not all nights, you must try the Mayan coffee at dessert. It was worth the price of admission. They make the coffee in front of you and light the alcohol on fire and then pour the flaming coffee from one mug to another and back and forth. My five yr old daughter couldn't take her eyes of this, come to think of it, neither could us adults.
Trips and excursions:
We had so much fun at the resort and only had really six days so didn't do any trips or excursions. Although, it should be noted that if you want to go into the closest town, Playa Del Carmen, don't bother with the expensive cab ride. For one dollar, you can catch the bus in front of the hotel. We didn't do that but heard from dozens of people there that they did. It is very safe.
Scuba:
While sitting at the swim up bar with a mojito and mango dacquerie in my hands, this guy comes up behind me and with a heavy French accent nicely asks if I would like to try scuba. It turns out he is from Quebec and enjoyed chatting with me in my very poor high school French. Like a sucker, I decided to try the 'free' pool scuba. This was really fun. I got to put on a tank, BC, regulator, mask and fins and swim around the pool looking at the "butt-fish". Swim under water in a pool, open your eyes and you'll figure that one out soon enough. Anyhow, my wife joined us and we decided to give the real scuba a go. We have snorkeled before and that's it.
We went over to the dive school, took the one hour course, spent our $118 each, donned our gear and stumbled out to the dive boat. We got two dives to 40' for one hour each for our money. What an incredible experience. I thought it would be scary but once under the water and seeing what there is, I quickly forgot how scared I had been. We saw turtles the size of my five yr old daughter, eels, one sand shark, two dolphins, one manta ray and so many coloured fish that it put Finding Nemo to shame.
Snorkeling is outstanding right off the beach of the hotel. They say this is the second largest reef in the world.
Overall:
We would go back in a second. For $1000, tax in, each, there is no better value. Great food, friendly staff, gorgeous beaches, great gym, and tremendous ambience.
Within a day, you'll be saying "Hola" to everyone. Oh, one more thing...most of the staff speak English. Especially front desk, restaurant and bar staff. They all greet you with Hola and you will say it back. In fact, it is so commonplace to say Hola, that you end up saying it to other guests. OH, by the way, Hola means hello.....although I suspect you figured that out. About the only staff that didn't speak any or much English, they were the maids. But we never saw them except twice. They did a great job cleaning up the sand we kept trekking into our rooms. Tipping does not seem to get you any better service but we did tip our maid, the waiters in the buffets and restaurants and the one bartender we seemed to see daily. And by tip, I mean we left one Canadian dollar which always got us a loud and friendly "gracious" or thank you. Oh, and just for fun, when you run into an American, be sure to show them a 'loonie' and ask them if they have ever seen what $2 US looks like.........................
Have fun!!
Should you have any questions, feel free to email Tod or Paula at tod.mckay@sympatico.ca.
Hola and Merry Christmas!
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Lucie ~ Montreal, Canada |
My husband and I went to the Barcelo Maya Colonial -nov 15 to 22, 2007. We had been at the Beach complex (next door) a few years ago. We found the hotel very nice and clean, and the food very good at the buffet and at the restaurants. There is one thing however we were furious about was the NOISE during the day. There was noise at the pools and the beach- loud music, people screeming in microphone with huge speakers- for either aerobic classes, volleyball, spanish courses , salsa courses..... It was impossible to be peaceful anywhere during the day. It was the same at the Beach side. I felt I was in a place for teenagers during school break. Annoying. I will not return there for that reason.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Kathy and Dave ~ British Columbia |
The Barcelo family have created a unique experience for those of us who want to parachute into another world for a week. After an easy trip from the airport, my partner and I entered a massive lobby simply but exquisitely decorated in marble with water flowing softly from the many fountains. The palapa covered walkway to our room is a pathway through carefully tended but jungle-like gardens. Our room was a pleasant surprise. While the rooms in most of the resorts in the pictures online look very similar, this room was beautifully finished from the quality of the furniture, the mirrors, to the plumbing fixtures. The balcony was roomy. One odd but interesting detail was a bathroom scale tucked in the closet.
We found the food to be the best yet and we have been to many all-inclusive resorts and we are picky about the quality of the food from both health and taste perspectives. This should not discourage people who want to gorge on rich food. It's there, but there is a choice. Seating in the buffet is nice. The room is circular, and all windows face water, fountains and lush foliage.
The a la carte restaurants were a treat. We loved the Santa Fe enough to go twice. The Bali Hai, a Japanese steak house, is entertaining and delicious. The only restaurant we would not recommend is the Thai. Our head server smiled warmly at us but was very nasty to the rest of the staff and the food was so-so (the Pad Thai was sweet and insipid). But nothing that a quick late trip to the buffet didn't remedy. Our experience with this staff member was unusual. The rest of the staff were that mix of efficiency and playfulness we so enjoy in the Mexican people. Please tip--these employees work long hours and return to hovels at the end of the day.
We suggest you make reservations at the a la cartes no later than 7 or 7:30 so that you don't miss the hour long shows! The caliber of the entertainment is stunning. These performers could be on stage in New York.
We enjoy the beach rather than the pool, but at Barcelo the pools are in the lush treed setting that characterizes the rest of the resort. Every evening on our way back from the beach we had a drink by the pool and listened to the soft music and the sound of the birds singing.
The beach! We sat under palm trees choosing shade or sun at our whim. We swam, but mostly we snorkeled. Right in front of the resort is a series of reefs with so many varieties of coral and fish. We saw turtles at close range.
An important distinction to make is between the four different parts of this resort. The Colonial and Tropical (where we stayed) are newer and superior to Caribe and Beach. You should be saving a significant amount of money if you choose to stay at either the Caribe or Beach sections. The fifth part of the resort opened the day after we left and is reported to be even lovelier.
Enjoy.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Shell |
My husband & I just returned from the Barcelo Maya Tropical -
Mayan Riviera (Nov 18 - Dec 2) & we absolutely loved it. First some background this was my husband's 1st trip to Mexico & my 5th (2nd go around in the Mayan Riviera) & we want to go back again.
I'll break my review into sections to make things easier;
GETTING THERE: Just a reminder don't talk to the time share sharks in the airport & unless you really need help with your bags NEVER let go of them, because the second you do a porter will grab them ($$)
We didn't get a big bus from the airport to the hotel, we rode in a mini van (no extra cost) - which to me was better because: 1) we got there faster - less people to drop off and faster speed & 2) our driver told us a lot about the area.
Check in was a breeze being that we were the only ones arriving.
THE RESORT: Huge & lots of walking!!! Beautiful!!! As everyone has said the gardens are amazing and all along the paths are info signs of the types of plants & animals in the gardens. There are water fountains from the lobby to the pools - great for photos. One of the things I loved about this resort is that it is between 20 minutes to an hour to the majority of the tours - it's still about a 3 hour bus ride to Chichen Itza, which you can no longer climb (we went to Coba instead). There is lots of stuff for everyone to do on this resort: pools are huge but not heated - chilly getting in. Lots of games to play or you can paint some pottery($$), Barclay Kids Club looked great for little ones - I even wanted to go play in the kids waterpark it looked like so much fun. You could play tennis or 18 hole mini golf. There is a "shopping center" on the resort so if you don't like to play the haggling game or pay the $40.00 in cab fare to go to 5th Ave then buy your souvenirs here and save the aggravation and time. It's all the same junk you don't need and nobody really wants.
Remember if you stay in either the Tropical or the Colonial you can use all the services of the Barcelo resort but if you stay in the Caribe or Maya Beach you are limited. When we go back we will be asking to stay specifically in the Tropical Yucatan building (not the Veracruz building) or the Colonial building but not on the side that faces the theater (the theater can get loud).
THE BEACH: BEAUTIFUL but bring water shoes. Both in the water & on the beach people were stepping & cutting themselves on coral or rocks. The beach seems to go on forever & it's great for both sunrise and sunset pictures. Bring your snorkel gear & an underwater camera, we saw everything: squid, turtle, and tons of different fish. At the pier you can feed the fish right from your hand (bring cereal or a banana from the buffet.) We never had a problem getting a chair either on the beach or at the pool but it was November.
THE FOOD: Yes the food gets repeated but there is so much I can't believe anyone could get bored or say it was bad. The buffet has a different theme night each day of the week. Also we never got sick (Thank you Imodium, I'll never use Pepto bismal again). Bottled water is everywhere. For all my fellow beer drinking Canadians, they have free pour Corona on tap. You can eat from 7am till 10pm either at the buffets, grills or a la cartes. As for a la carte restaurants we went to 4 - Capri (Italian) very good, Bali Hai (Japanese) very good & the food is cooked in from of you - lots of fun, Santa Fe (steakhouse) great - but hard to get reservations at, and Marenostrum (seafood) our absolute favorite & the best service out of all - Thanks Jose!
You must try a Mexican coffee when you go to any bar or restaurant, my husband is now hooked on them.
THE ROOMS: We found the beds comfortable & rooms very clean. Great showers & a nice touch having shampoo, conditioner, & body wash available. Here is the negative part of my review - the walls are paper thin, at least on the ground floor. Imagine having a great sleep & then being woken up almost every night at about 2:30am by drunks yelling & slamming doors (coming back from the Jaguars Nightclub also on the resort) or hearing your neighbors t.v. & baby crying till midnight. If the resort reads this review please post some security or night guards in the hallways from about midnight till 4am & then maybe we'll all get some sleep.
I don't blame the resort for this, just remember when you go on vacation don't be an ignorant, selfish jerk & have some respect for the other people that paid thousand of dollars to enjoy their vacations.
EXCURSIONS: I know everyone has different experiences on tours and what they find interesting, so this is just my opinion on what's good to see & remember I've been here twice.
Xel-Ha - (less than 20 minutes from the Barcelo) awesome, worth seeing every time. I recommend doing a whole day here and not the half day in Xel-ha & half in Tulum. You can not see all of Xel-Ha in 1/2 a day.
Xcaret - (less than 30 minutes from the Barcelo) awesome, & here's a money saving tip - bring food from the hotel. Buying food there is expensive & to pay for it with your tour isn't worth it, pack some sandwiches, snacks & bottled water & save up to $60.00 or more.
The underground rivers are chilly but more than safe (you must wear a lifejacket), it's a relaxing float. Above ground it's like a big zoo, aquarium, and historical park all in one. My suggestion is opposite from the guides - I suggest you tour the above ground first & then do the underground river, that way when you're tired, hot & sweaty from the above stuff you can cool down & relax in the river. Just put you end of the day dry clothes in the supplied bag & it will meet you at the end of the river float. The guide suggests the river first but if you do that then you will be walking the park in a wet bathing suit. It's all up to you. The night show (2 hours long) is a must, 260 dancers/singers, it's wonderful & interesting.
Coba - (about an hour from the Barcelo) we took a large bus to Coba (amazing guide Geraldo) hiked 2km into the jungle, learning & seeing the Mayan culture along the way, then climbed the highest pyramid in the Yucatan. We then had lunch at a little restaurant (o.k. food-I brought some from the hotel just in case), our guide fed an alligator some chicken. Then we went to a small Mayan community where we gave the kids the presents we brought. If you want to bring stuff they love anything - when we go back I will bring crayons & coloring books, that way they have a gift & they learn. After the village we went to a cenote in the jungle, it was very green and "refreshing" (cold) water but it felt good after climbing the pyramid and being in the hot village. Definitely worth the money for the all day tour.
SeaLife Plus - ( less than 10 minutes from the Barcelo) Probably the most disappointing of all our tours & the one that cost the most money. Unlike the dolphin swim where you just swim with the dolphins, SeaLife Plus you swim with Manatees, touch a Sea Lion & swim with the dolphins (2). You also get to waste a lot of time sitting around while they set up their video of you swimming with these animals. This sitting around happens twice - once after the manatee/sea lion swim & once after the dolphin swim. Before you swim you also have to sit & watch a video about manatees & dolphins. If you want to buy your video it's $60.00 and if you want to buy the pictures they take they are between $12.00 &
$15.00 per picture. NO UNDERWATER CAMERAS ALLOWED. It also seems like the staff are very disorganized (do not get separated from your group) - although the trainers are very good. Another money saving tip the Catamaran is included/free if you do the tour on Wednesday otherwise you have to pay extra & for how much the tour originally costs, the free catamaran eases some of that. Please take motion sickness pills if you even think you'll be sick, we had to come back early because people were sick. You can also drink lots on the Catamaran but the lunch is just a sandwich & a bag of chips. Although it was a wonderful experience swimming with the wildlife, overall it was an extremely overpriced, nickel & dime you, poorly run tour.
Overall we loved the Barcelo & couldn't find anything wrong with the resort, the staff (super helpful & friendly) or the location & we can't wait to go back. Just remember it is a huge resort so if you have problems walking it may not be great for you & if you're a light sleeper bring ear plugs. Also the floors are slick & there are rocks so save your feet & body & bring non-slip footwear/watershoes.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Ted |
Our family of 23 just spent eight glorious days at the Barcelo Mayan Beach Resort on the Mexican Riviera The rooms were large and beautifully decorated. The food was delicious and there were activities for all.
Some Suba Dived, most played tennis on five well-maintained surfaces and everyone enjoyed the beach. There is a "kids club" that all five under eight years of age could hardly wait to go fro, nien AM to 8:30 PM. I rate this a great big five star resort.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Sheila ~ Vancouver |
My husband and I just returned from a week at the Barcelo Maya Beach resort. We had stayed at the Colonial side last December, but this side was $200 cheaper each, so we chose it. We would stay here again unless the price difference wasn't that much. These resorts are all in a line along the water and it's hard to know where one ends and the next begins. Our side is older but not old. The difference between the Beach/Caribe and the Colonial/Tropical is more in the surroundings. The newer side is gorgeous, whereas the older side is a bit more casual. Also, in the older part, you get two alacarte meals versus four. You can eat at the new side for $15 each which is well worth it. We especially liked the Japanese for the show the cook puts on.
I wrote a review on the Colonial, so I don't have much to add. This hotel is very nice, the food is great and for a fussy person, I still managed to gain four pounds in a week. Speaking of which, the gym is great. It has something for every fitness level. The showers have the added touch of having toothpaste/brush, combs, lotion, shaver/cream, nail file, etc. free. It's the added touches like this that make you feel special. The hot tub is kept at 104 which is comfortable.
When you stay on the Beach side, you can walk around the newer part, but you can't eat or drink there. If you stay on the Colonial side, you have the run of all four resorts. In closing, I would say that if it is for a special occsion , stay at the Colonial but if you are going to save a lot of money, stay at the Beach/Caribe. It is a lovely resort and we will go back again.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Nick and his family (9 of us total) ~ Ohio, USA |
This was the fourth time I had been to the Riviera Maya in Mexico. I am only 21 years old but I feel like this list of reviews needs a younger perspective. This was the second time we stayed at this resort and it has definitely grown a lot. The other two resorts we have stayed at were Iberostar and Grand Palladium. We always use Apple Vacations and they get us to the resort to the best of their ability. We arrive early and we expect to wait a few hours before we get a room, but it is never a problem if your swimsuit is readily available. I shared a room with my cousin and when we finally got our room it was actually only a single bed, that is not what we reserved of course. We were already a little tipsy and solved the problem with a simple phone call and a trip to the front desk. They delivered our luggage within a few minutes. Now, since we have been to Mexico before, we kind of already did all the touristy stuff like go to the ruins and what not, so we just stayed at the resort. I am going to compare this resort with Grand Palladium because the vacations were only a year apart and I was legally aloud to drink alcohol at both resorts. Barcelo is beautiful, the beach is one of the best, and you can go to any pool out of the 4 resorts if you just walk a little bit. The pools are very nice too. But I must say Grand Palladium is extremely beautiful but it is also a little more expensive, thats just one thing you have to keep in mind, you get what you pay for. I never had a problem finding a seat anywhere, and the hammocks that they have are awesome! I never really cared about a towel too much either so you'll have to rely on other reviews for that aspect. I never thought the pool or beach was too crowded and there were never too many kids at the Maya Beach pool. I am not going to lie, I am a college kid at OSU and I like to have a good time, and I did go out everynight. I know some people in their reviews complained about too many drunk people at night and underage drinking. In my opinion theres nothing you can do about that, just don't plan your trip over spring break or whenever. Anyway, of course there is a show everynight, and when we were there, aparently a really famous salsa singer performed and that night the theatre was pretty awesome. I was never a fan of any shows that resorts put on, so I really didn't go this year. But, after the show the disco named Jaguars opens up from 11pm-2am. This was by far the best disco at a resort that I have seen. It was very simple, by that I mean there wasn't a bunch of pictures and murals or whatever on the walls, like at Grand Palladium where their disco has a Rock n Roll sort of theme (kinda cheesey). I can't say this disco is exactly "classy" especially because of course you're going to have your drunk 18 year olds running around. Don't let that discourage you though, there are plenty of mature people there. And of course there is going to be a lot of Americans in there because many Americans are not used to the club scene and just want to experience it. I also really liked the music they played, I'm a bedroom DJ and I love clubs. Everynight there would be sort of Salsa dance music, of course Spanish/American Hip-Hop/Rap (think Sean Paul and Gasolina) but also a good selection of house music. They would change the order in which they played these types of music but one night there was a good hour or more of house music, which I like. Some people complain its too loud but I have been to many much louder clubs. There is a VIP area where you can get access to top shelf liquor for 10$ for guys 5$ for girls. You can also just charge it to the room. I never went up there cause the people up there just end up watching people dance rather than dancing themselves. Didn't sound like fun to me. I had fun everynight and you can actually meet a lot of people. Now here are some negatives about the bars/Jaguars: At Palladium they had Dos Equis and dark beer readily on tap. It is a better beer than Corona but everyone loves Corona anyway. In our mini fridge was Modelo, in my opinion not a good beer at all. And whoever says they don't have enough bar tenders is absolutely right! Sometimes it takes forever to get a drink! Jaguars only has 2 bar tenders working all night! We also wanted some champagne on our last night before the disco and after 10 o'clock we couldn't get it. Palladium also has a bar/grill open all night so you can grab a drink and a bite to eat before bed. After 2am at Barcelo you just have to go to bed. We were also aloud to swim in an adult pool late at night at Palladium but we did not know where to go if we wanted a late night swim here. We went to 4 of the nice restaurants, the steak house was the best but they're all alright. The buffets are alright but not air conditioned at Maya Beach, unlike what we had at Palladium. Mosquitos really got me on a couple of nights. I almost forgot, but of course the rooms are nice, yes the beds are hard, you can get a pad but to be honest it is best to have a few cock tails, you'll pass right out. Again, if you pay a little more you can have an even nicer place but Barcelo is still a great place, I would certainly go again.
Let me narrow it down for anyone who doesn't want to read all this: Pros:
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Todd, Lee and kids ~ Alberta. |
I must say I was a little leary before heading to this resort, as it has not gotten good reviews previously. Thankfully I didn’t need to worry.
Arrival was fine, no lineups at Cancun airport, no problems with time sharks, got to the resort, a welcome drink and checked in quickly, getting the adjoining rooms I had previously requested.
We had read that the resort was gorgeous and is it ever. Was always spotless, countless fountains, gorgeous pools and beach. I think it helped that we went after Easter break was over, the pools were usually empty, service was never a problem, no towel games, and the weather was fantastic.
Our rooms were cleaned daily, mini fridge restocked daily (with all my kids’ requests), we never had any problems getting service at any of the bars, buffets or restaurants. We did tip daily and frequently.
Off the resort, we went to Playa Del Carmen, Tulum xtreme tour (fantastic, I highly recommend that one, we all enjoyed it immensely), swam with the Dolphins at Puerto Adventures (I booked this months before we went, knowing it books up quickly) and Xel hu. All enjoyable.
I wouldn’t hesitate returning to this resort with my kids. But never during school breaks!
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Julie ~ Buffalo, NY |
My family of five traveled to the Barcelo Mayan Tropical Beach Resort in April 2007 for Easter week. We will never return to this resort.
First the positives. -The resort itself and the grounds are beautiful and meticulously cared for. The place is clean and well kept. The beach is gorgeous and the weather was spectacular.
Now the negatives. –This resort was totally oversold. When we arrived from the airport after reserving two rooms eight months in advance, they did not have both rooms. They put us in one room. The next night they had two different rooms for us and upgraded our bracelets to VIP status (top shelf liquors) for the inconvenience. Unfortunately the upgraded bracelets did not mean much because most of the staff did not know what VIP meant nor could they tell us. We did receive top shelf liquor when it was available which was not often. I have never seen so many irate guests yelling at the front desk staff due to the fact their rooms were “not available”.
The hotel did not have enough beach or pool chairs to accommodate the number of guests. If you did not put out a towel on a chair to “reserve” it by 7:30am there were no chairs available on the beach or by the pool. Since the towel hut does not open until 8:00am you had to keep your towels from the day before to accomplish this feat.
The hotel ran out of drink cups constantly and a couple days we were they ran out of vodka, beer and wine. This could be attributed to the fact rampant underage drinking was in excess. A few pesos paid to the front desk manager could get most teens a “legal age” bracelet which they then went crazy with. Sleep was had at a minimum because our rooms were on the first floor of a building and roving packs of drunken teens were constantly running up and down hallways swearing and yelling. We were woken to teens throwing up over the balcony one morning onto our patio. Security had to be called a number of times to monitor the kids poolside who were inebriated by 10:00am. The beds in this place felt like you were sleeping on a concrete floor.
Good luck trying to get reasonable dinner reservations at the restaurants on the premises. Too many guests means not enough availability and we only had choices of 5:30 or after 9:00 reservations. This whole reservations process was unpleasant and very convoluted. The concierge helping us was surly and seriously stressed. These restaurants had food only marginally better than the buffet. Ex. The seafood restaurant had no lobster and it is my guess they never do but just tell guests they have it. We tried to order bottles of wine from the wine list but their answer was they “ran out”.
The food generally was heavily salted, greasy or fried. There were not enough seats available at the buffets in the morning. If you missed the buffer times there was no food to be found unless you went off the resort property.
My husband went to get a haircut at the “beauty salon” on the property and there were four employees in the property none of who could cut hair! Laughable.
Make sure you have cash at this resort. Generous tipping means better service which you definitely need and truly defeats the purpose of “All-Inclusive”.
At the pool the staff announced “Any guests willing to leave the resort would be given a free room in Cancun”. No wonder foreigners call us “Ugly Americans” I can see why. There were so many people complaining in this beautiful setting we must seem over privileged and spoiled. But when you pay a lot of money for a “five-star” experience, there are some expectations that need to be met. Do not contribute to the Barcelo coffers and fell like the “suckers” that we did.
| Barcelo Maya Beach/Caribe/Colonial/Tropical Resort | Donald ~ Ontario, Canada |
My partner and I (39 and 40) just returned from another great stay in the Mayan Riviera and would like to add just a few comments specific to the BMBR. There are more than enough competent reviews of the resort, so I'll concentrate on only a few topics.
Dive Centre
We visited this resort specifically to get our Open Water PADI certification. The course took four days and the staff of the dive shop were just great. A tad disorganized at times, especially around the 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. pre-dive rush periods, but still conscientious about us getting all our pool and ocean dives, and ensuring that we understood all the theory.
The course cost about $450 US, which included all instruction, equipment, dives, and a really nice dive log and binder. Taking the course there also entitles you to one free dive as part of an excursion, once you complete the course. The only excursions they offer are a three-dive trip to Cozumel and a two-dive trip to the cenotes, but this would shave $49 off your costs for the day.
We did the course quite easily, generally spending about three hours each morning and afternoon doing the skills in the pool, the dives in the ocean, and watching the videos. We spent part of the evenings reading through the manual and doing the knowledge exams. All in all, a re