A very relaxed vacation! The staff are very polite and hard workers. Beautiful grounds and clean. Lots of walking or a quick bus ride to check out connecting buildings/resorts. These resorts are gorgeous. Got to see 4 shows which were great performances! Food at Caribe buffet is good. Tried 4 of the specialty restaurants, the one we did not care for was the seafood one. Would recommend vacationing here but definitely not a five star. Good bang for your buck. read more

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This place is a disgusting rip off. Almost $450 US/night for one of the most infuriating and disgusting places I've ever stayed. We had to stay at the Barceló for a wedding. Problems started with the reservation--no one could figure out how to add a third night to our reservation. That should have been a warning sign. Check in was a nightmare, probably the worst of any hotel I've ever visited (and I've been to over 20 countries and lived in five, including Mexico). Over an hour in line, no AC, 35+ C heat with 100% humidity. And they didn't even give us a key--we had to return for that and leave our stuff out in the open where anyone could steal it! The first key we were given didn't work, and various keys we were given randomly stopped working all weekend. Thoughout our three nights, I had to make five trips to the front desk to fix broken keys, and they refused to give us a key for each of us. Oh, but they will charge you $30US if you loose a key! So much for all inclusive! The room itself was a complete biohazard, as shown in the attached pictures, and was literally falling apart. I had massive migraines two out of our three nights because of the mold, and the only reason I didn't have one the third night was because I stuffed myself full of pills before going to bed. The food is disgusting and the service worse, depending on the restaurant you visit. Our trips to the buffet at the Maya Colonial and Maya Tropical were among my top-five vomit-worthy dining experiences ever. And the staff at the Maya Tropical buffet screamed at us and wouldn't let us sit together. The servers were so lazy, I had to get in an argument with one just so he would give me a spoon! Some of the other restaurants had better service and slightly better food, but they were a ten-minute hike from our room. Even the supposed "premium" restaurant we visited was pretty crappy--think Olive Garden with slightly worse food, impatient wait staff and the most overpriced wine list in the history of humanity. As for the installations, they are a joke. There aren't enough kayaks to go around, so if you want to use one, you have to wait an hour or so in the sun for someone to bring one in. Snorkel gear requires another deposit in USD cash (I guess you're just screwed if you don't have dollars on you), and the pools themselves are overcrowded and dated. There aren't nearly enough hammocks, and the pool furniture is beat up and made of crappy plastic. Even the check out process was creepy. They give you a voucher for the guard at the exit, and I guess if you don't get this, you can't leave the resort. So if you have a disagreement about fees with them...I guess they hold you against your will? At least kidnapping is included in that "all inclusive" price. We will never be back. This place is a total scam, nothing close to a five star resort. Worse than most budget hotels I've stayed in. If you really want a luxury experience, stay at the Hyatt in Playa del Carmen... Now that place is worth every penny! read more

The facility is absolutely beautiful! The staff were all friendly & helpful! The food was delicious! However, I can't brag on the staff enough, from house keeping, to food service, to the staff cleaning the beaches! They work hard to ensure your stay is amazing!!! Please tip them for going above & beyond to make sure your stay is great! They kept our drinks filled while at the pool & on the beach! Plus, our room was always fully stocked with water, snacks, & extra towels! read more

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Another amazing vacation at Barcelo maya riviera (adults)! Food and service and rooms are top notch. Enrique Reyes the manager does everything possible to make the experience amazing (also assistant Louis ). Btw the French restaurant is amazing! The premium experience is worth it and the snorkeling by the palace is amazing. Also thanks to manager Juliana of Barcelo Tropical! read more

This is my third and LAST time staying at this place , so our first time was with my wife in 2019 stayed at the Caribe , no issues at all was able to get reservations at all the specialty restaurants and the staff was great, second time was in 2022 this time the tropical with 3 of my 4 kids again no issues and the service was exceptional, we did notice that the Palace was supposed to be a "higher" level resort so when we came in July of 2025 with all 4 of the kids we opted with the place, oh man what a mistake , there is no extra perk paying more $$$ just that you get to use a pool that's very similar to all the others, also we were unable to make ANY reservations for any of the specialty restaurants, we were told that they booked quick! Shouldn't staying at their premium level resort at least give you that perk where you get same sort of priority for reservations!!?! And the customer service is horrible!!I have gone on 14 NCL cruises and 10 of those have been in the Haven which is their premium level and the service is exceptional not subpar like bareclo, if you planning going to this place stay in the lower end resorts and save yourself some $$$ believe me you get nothing but horrible service for the extra $$$$ read more

Stayed as premium guests but everything was subpar. The key cards, Omgggg why do they still use keycards ?!!! The worst, it would not work, lock us out, we had changed them twice and still nothing. It is a hassle when traveling with a toddler too and restaurants weren't quick with the high chair, or tables weren't even ready when they sat you or the waiter would take forever. Service was meh, no greetings, no introductions, room mini bar was a joke, the fridge wasn't even working. Food was ok, drinks were ok. I'd rather stay at any other resort but this one again. Yes it's nice but that's about it. read more

Stayed at Barcelo Riviera Maya Adults for a bachelorette trip. I would not recommend to have such party here due to the lack of nightlife. The shows are closed due to Covid and it's 2022. The lobby DJ happens occasionally and while it's nice, it's not vacation party vibes. We ended up spending tons of money off site which wasn't the plan coming to an all inclusive. Food was ok but you couldn't bring any to your room and they closed early. Rooms were humid as heck! Be cautious your shower is semi see through from the bedroom read more

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BARCELO TROPICAL RESORT REVIEW - same property / beach / similar amenities - WATER SHOES!! Bring them - the rocky part's of the their beach are actually a blessing because being in the bay allows for a LOT of natural resources !! We saw tropical fish, sting rays, needle fish, clown fish, and we heard there's a section with tons of turtles!! The rocks and seaweed are WORTH IT for all that natural habitat - also if you're a good swimmer- when you swim past all of that- there are pockets which are crystal clear water. This review is also relative- its AFFORDABLE - so keep that perspective - when there's unlimited Don Julio tequila, fresh salad, fresh fruit, delicious seafood options, great traditional dishes - UNLIMITED - its a no brainer !! The a la carte restaurants need to be reserved daily- but also worth the rigmarole of doing it- amazing lobster tail in one, great steaks at another... I understand folks feeling frustrated at not having fresh squeezed juices or fresh avocados, etc- but again- for the PRICE POINT - its fabulous. Staff is lovely- bartenders are lovely - housekeeping rocks - it was CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN !!!!! Now clean is different than "updated". The rooms might need some TLC- but I appreciated the cleanliness - the white sheets- the tiled floors - the spacious bathrooms - the lovely patios - etc. Quite frankly at their price point, I'm not sure if room expectations for "updated" is fair... I WILL say due to being surrounded by a LOT of greenery, (not just surrounded by hotel buildings)- its on a huge property with trees / lush landscaping - the humidity is HIGH- bring your allergy meds, etc- ALSO - be ready to ask for a set of bedsheets that may feel less damp / fresher. Single dollar bills are your FRIEND - they will get you more of what you want !! Also- be sure to go see MAKY at the spa for a barcelo energy treatment, and then DEFINITELY do the hydrotherapy circuit- even if you JUST do the day pass for the hydrotherapy circuit- worth it !! Free hobby cat / catamaran 30 minute tour- but get in line at 8:30am to sign up ;) - bring your tip money for them too! Some downfalls - smoking IS allowed EVERYWHERE - so consider your comfort with that... no beachside service for drinks / food (but you can walk it over yourself from the bar- and they allow your own cups from home! also- it helps keeps things WAY cleaner!)... check in can take a while if you're a bigger group, I think they have an older system... tons to do we didnt do on the property- and a HEAVENLY HAVEN for families with kids- but large enough for adults to find their own escapes ! The gym and amenities are CLUTCH and overall- I'd go back! read more

I have good and bad to say here... The beach is nice, but not sugar sand. Ocean is warmer than pools nice sandy but a rock minefield in places. lots of great chairs. ZERO bar service at the beach except picking up empties. ZERO. You are not allowed to take your food there either.. The pool service was sparadic ... from zero to wow! Drinks were good to week as well. Rules... ugh dress code for men. Need dinner reservations and the restaurants won't accommodate larger groups. The buffet closes at 6, but sister resorts open until 10; these other resorts are family and very loud though! The lobby bar does offer a light menu late into the evening! Restaurants offer a wide variety of choices, some bursting with flavor and others far from authentic. Any of the places the cook in front of you seems the best! The rooms: Huge comfy beds, lots of room, great views. small stocked fridge. downfall is if you have noisy neighbors on side with glass partition on deck, you will hear them. you will also hear lobby entertainment. walk outside to your room or you'll feel like you walked to the moon! Town: A good deal is not available to town. Times have changed, it's expensive so plan it well. Ask before you get in that taxi to verify. we were told $67, once headed to Tulum and giving directions, our price doubled!! They have a nice variety of entertainment here during the day. I really liked how easy it was to get anywhere, they also have a descent amount of restrooms. There are two pool bars with ok service. It's beautiful, but a bit sterile for me. Sister resorts are full of character though. read more

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This place is BEYOND GORGEOUS. There is always someone cleaning or doing lawn maintenance so the property is kept up very well. However, mopping the floors at 8am when everyone is waking up vs in middle of night when everyone is asleep is DANGEROUS! I slipped several times. My husband is disabled and couldn't go anywhere when they were mopping floors with soap (they do it when cleaning your room too). Be careful and bring good slip resistant shoes. There was a group of 21 of us. They did keep us all in the same building (Jalisco) like we requested but it was impossible for them to accommodate us at dinner. Even if we arrived early they would never allow more than 12 of us to sit together and a lot of times they would stick us outside (smoking section and hot). They are not accommodating and even denied 2 of us from getting in when it was realized the wrong Japanese reservation was made (their fault because we told them all the same place). On the first night there we had someone almost pass out from heat exhaustion and not eating and when we tried to hurry and get her food they denied us entry into the buffet because we had swimwear on and they assumed we were wet. We had to argue with a manager until they finally let us sit outside despite us telling them multiple times we were not wet. The service here is not great especially at colonial lobby bar. They are slow and don't seem interested in helping. We tipped good and got same service as when not tipping. Saul from the mall bar was the only fast bartender that made amazing drinks. All the other drinks were made wrong or tasted horrible. They don't know how to make mai tai or lemon drop shots. They definitely use cheap liquor that gave us all headaches. Since when is Malibu considered a premium liquor?? The check in process was very slow. The room has hardly any plugs/outlets. The pool bar closes at 7pm which seems early. The towel system also sucks! You get a card that you trade in for a towel but they will not give you another one unless you trade your towel back and several times we had people steal our towels at the pool- it would make more sense to just grab towels freely like you do on a cruise. When we had our room cleaned she moved all of my stuff and piled it on the bench which I was upset about. I do not like people touching my stuff and feel like they should clean around my stuff. They also turned off the AC in our room so we came back to slippery soaking wet floors and a hot muggy room. I got sick for two days while there. We are assuming it was from the buffet because the meat is just laying out for a while so only get stuff you see them lay down fresh. On multiple occasions, food that is supposed to be served to you cold like cheesecake would come out warm. Definitely make reservations for the sit down dinners because it seems safer and 100x better than the buffet. The hibachi, Italian, Mexican & steakhouse were all excellent but the men must wear jeans or slacks (no shorts). They don't allow you to take food out of the buffet so don't think you can have someone bring you a plate back to the room. You must order room service which is a charge. The gifts shops are soooooooo slow! I got frustrated and put my stuff down because it took them 20 minutes to manually ring up everything for the person in front of me The beach and caribe side were better than the colonial in our opinion (better service, food and bigger beach) so if we ever came back we would stay there. The night club was too loud and only played salsa music with one or two random pop/hip hop songs. The smoking needs to be regulated. People were in the pool smoking with kids around. There should be designated smoking pools because no matter where you went someone was always in the pool or next to it smoking. Despite multiple complaints we would give this place another try because it's so gorgeous with so many things to do so you never have to leave (mini golf, mall, casino, night club, dolphins, water sports, etc). We do think the service could be much better and other things could be fixed but overall it's a decent resort with tons of options and beautiful beaches and pools read more

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Loved our vacation at this resort! We stayed 5 days and we were blown away at how well kept the grounds were, how friendly everyone was, how on-point the service was and how great the food was. There are teams constantly maintaining the premises, from the rooms, to the landscaping to the common areas. All of the workers were very friendly and out of all of our encounters, there was only 1 occasion where some of our English was not understood. So the waitress just got another waiter to come over and make sure she understood correctly - and she did! The beach is gorgeous and worth exploring. We took a 30 minute cab ride to Tulum, also very worth it. I would definitely come back. Rooms were clean, the ac in our room was ice cold, it was nicely updated and close to everything. We received two a la carte dinners with our stay, and we opted to pay $20 each for a third dinner at the premium options - it was very well worth it! I think I gained 10lbs, but I'm sad we had to leave! Highly recommend! read more

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All-inclusive resorts are like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're going to get. Because all-inclusives attract a wide arrange of folks interested less in culture and more in relaxation and convenience, it's hard even to decipher via online reviews if you're going to appreciate ones offerings. So, you just don't know until you go! I stayed at Barcelo's adults-only resort recently from Sunday-Wednesday in mid-January. I swooped in last-minute on a reservation booked by a friend so wasn't really involved in any of the administrative aspects of booking, but everything seemed to go as planned. They upsell you during check-in for "premium" for $30ish a night/person, and it's a waste. The promise of this color wristband is immediate access to the premium "buffet" and bar (they bank on you arriving peckish and thirsty), better alcohol, though not one person in our group of 20+ received any top-shelf liquor (even if they asked for it), a discount on spa services (the prices are pretty high to begin with, so not exactly a perk), and room service at no additional charge (I never used it once, but my roomie did every evening, so worth it for her). My advice is to skip it. Reservations are required for dining at their on-site restaurants (Italian, Japanese, Mexican, and French), which you kind of have to make while checking in to the hotel, so you have to guess what you'll be hungry for and when! Japanese/hibachi was the resounding winner of the three we experienced while there. The buffet was fine, in my opinion; they had a ton of options and the different stations to customize items (tacos, omelettes, pasta, etc.) were aplenty. I especially loved the Mexican coffee in the very back! It was nice to split time between the beach and the pool (which was a bit chilly). And the jacuzzi/bathtub on every balcony was definitely a more lavish feature that I wish every resort had! Some staff shout outs: -Cosme in the lobby bar - he made sure the carajillos flowed and whipped up other concoctions and just brought them to us. -Gabriel who manned the bar in between two of the restaurants - he made sure we celebrated our friends' surprise engagement as if it was their wedding -Eric and Arelli from the activities team. I did every activity on the schedule the very first day I was there and they had the right jokes and the right energy; even if I was the only one in the class! read more

Texas is more Mexican than this place. Pros: great pools and beaches Everything else is a con. Terrible check in process. No information. NO customer service whatsoever. TERRIBLE food, honestly disgusting, with so many rules at each restaurant. How can you have a dress code to a shitty American buffet? No poolside food. And if you miss the buffets at lunch hours you'll just have to wait until dinner hours, if you have a reservation. It's about a half mile walk to your room. Property is huge and serves the masses. Food and drink is terrible. And people who work there hate you for being there. Rooms smell and are constantly damp and warm with hard beds. Was really looking forward to this vacation and wanted to leave during check-in process taking 2 hours, with multiple credit card transactions and no information. Just attitude. I came home craving Mexican music and food because the culture has been completely stripped from these hotels. Thank god for the views. read more

THE BARCELO PROPERTY You can walk across five hotels (Palace, Tropical, Colonial, Caribe and Beach) each with beach access, pools, restaurants and bars. End-to-end, it's a 20 minute walk. There is also a mall (mainly the destination for late-night gatherings once the restaurants have closed), dive shop and activities center, and pool with dolphins. The pools are great. We visited in January so the water was cold (the ocean was warmer!) but they had everything from swim-up bars to waterfalls and play areas for kids. Plenty of chairs and hammocks too. The ocean was gorgeous. The sand is fine and white. There are some areas with rock but it's mostly sandy and the water is perfectly calm. Fish are abundant too! There are plenty of beach chairs but they do tend to fill up by the afternoon. Bar service was excellent. DRINK TIPS: Bring a refillable cup with a lid (and straw). Bartenders are happy to fill up even the largest cups and some bars have self-service soda fountains and beer taps. ANOTHER DRINK TIP: Ask for alcohol by brand (e.g. Bacardi or Absolut) or you get house. It's all covered. And it might be all-inclusive but don't forget to bring tips! (US dollars are fine.) They make excellent mudslides, chocolate syrup swirl and all! Our only a la carte dinner was at Mare Nostrum (Mediterranean seafood) and it was okay. We had the seafood cannelloni, seafood bouillabaisse, fried shrimp and grilled lobster. It was as fun to have lobster but some butter or a sauce was needed. Otherwise, we only ate at the Palace restaurants so see below for food reviews. ACTIVITIES TIP: Check the activities desk early. We found out you could take a lesson on a Hobie boat then rent one yourself. But you had to show up at 8:30 am to get a reservation or they booked up. The activities desk staff weren't very friendly. When I did get up early on our last day and made a reservation, they only made it for 1 person so my boyfriend got left behind. No one offered to fix it or help - it was just go or don't go. The desk staff never smiled. THE BARCELO PALACE Our room in the Oaxaca building was gorgeous. There were two closets (his and hers - awesome), a bath, two showers, his and hers sinks, and plenty of seating and storage. There was a drying rack on the patio, safe, ceiling fan, and anything else you could need. Our king bed was HUGE - possibly a California King (?) but seemed bigger. The room was cleaned daily in the morning with an evening turn down service and we got fresh towels every day. The Palace was well worth the splurge to upgrade from the rest of Barcelo. Friends told us they disliked their hotel buffets but we always found something yummy that we really enjoyed (from roast beef to chilaquiles to stone crab legs to vats of guacamole). While Palace guests can eat at any restaurant or buffet on the property, only Palace guests can eat at the restaurants at that hotel - including French and Brazilian steakhouse options, which were very popular. Overall, I found our decor to be the prettiest too! CID EVENTS & THE CONCERT You can't beat an event like this! We were greeted with lines of waiters with drinks on trays. Waiters then braved the crowds all night long with trays and trays of drinks. And, if you went to a bar and ordered more than you could carry, a waiter happily followed you into the crowd to assist. Don't forget to bring cash to tip!!! I was shocked to see how many times groups ordered 20+ beers and left the wait staff with nothing more than a handshake. The food at the concert was better than the hotel! I didn't believe past event patrons when they said to skip the hotel dinner and hold out for tacos but they were right! Our event offered tacos with all the fixings (including a vegetarian option, hooray!), nachos, corn on the cob, tortas, quesadillas (the best food I had all week) and churros. Overall, the experience was incredible. The venue didn't feel packed. You could walk up to stage or sit in back, right by the water. Nothing beats a concert on the beach! CHICHEN ITZÁ PREMIUM TOUR (booked through the Barcelo Activities desk) While I absolutely recommend a trip to a cenote and Chichen Itza, I would not book another excursion through the Barcelo desk. Aside from the horrible food ("continental breakfast" turned out to be plastic-wrapped ham sandwiches and "beverages" turned out to be a guy on the bus pouring Sol from a 40 oz bottle into plastic cups) the tour at Chichen Itza was lacking. We didn't get a map or any info and totally missed the observatory. Other guides had binders with pictures of the inside of El Castillo, etc. so I wasn't impressed. Would I go back? Yes! Would I book the Palace? Yes! And see a concert? ABSOLUTELY. But tours and activities? Look elsewhere. read more

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We have been to this resort many times, and we had a fabulous time! NOT THIS TIME! Horrible experience, waste of money and being charged for services we were told were free. Please Read on... The 1st issue was the room they put us in was not what we had paid for and the air conditioning in the room wasn't working. They gave us a run around for 2 days. We reported this problem to the people at the front, and they gave us a hard time, so we asked to speak to management to get our room changed. We finally got hold of the management, and they said that they didn't have any other rooms available right now. They told us to come down the next morning, and they would get us a new room. We headed down in the morning like they said, and once again no one knew anything about what was being discussed. They said to call back later and talk to the manager. Later, we called the manager, and he said that there were no rooms available at that point, but they would be later. He then asks us to repack everything in the room and bring our luggage back downstairs. The day goes by and there is still no room for us. Eventually, they give us keys to a new room. We walked into the room and someone's stuff was already in there! We have a video of this! We went back down there and told them that they had given us a key to a room that was already occupied! We waited around for another couple of hours until they found another room. At this point, we are fed up and upset because we are here on vacation and these people are giving us the run around. Eventually, a manger (Rafael Castro) reaches out to us and apologies for all the inconvenience. He says that he will upgrade us to a premium service, due to all the issues that have taken place. He takes our bracelets off and replaces them with the new premium service bracelets. He then tells us what is included in the service. One of the perks was free services at the spa. We specifically asked him if massages were included. He told us not usually, but he will make an exception, since we had such a rough start. He says that he will let the spa know, so when we arrive, we will be all set. During the visit, we had 2 massages on different dates. The spa people were aware of the arrangement because it was noted in the system. They gave us papers to sign. We refused to sign them at first because it was saying that we would pay for them. They reassured us that this was protocol, but we would not be charged due to the arrangement we had with Mr. Castro. As we checked out, surprise! We are charged for the massages! We explained to him that Rafael Castro (the manger that we dealt with) had upgraded to the premium service to multiply issues that occurred during the visit. The man at the desk refused to let us speak to any management. He said no one was on duty. I told him that we were not paying for a service that we were told was free. So, we got ready to leave. Security came out and wouldn't let us leave, and our transportation refused to take us to the airport unless we paid. So, at that point, I had to give him a card and pay, because they wouldn't let us leave. Nothing like having the worst vacation and then ending it with being forced to pay, or they will hold us there! When we got back into the states, I called multiple times to get a hold of anymore that would speak to me about what happened and to remove these charges, NO LUCK! Now I am stuck paying for services that were supposed to be a courtesy. read more

We came in the Spring with some friends and our combined three kids and had an ok time. Since we have been to all of the major resorts in Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen, I have more than an average knowledge of what to expect and as far as the other all-inclusive resorts out there, you can do a lot better for your hard-earned dollar. I actually told my friends that I wasn't sure if it was "covid stress" or what, but I've never received a colder reception from the entire staff at a resort. I always brag to people that Mexico has the warmest people on the planet; it wasn't so here and I actually felt embarrassed at the staff on our first trip here with friends. Food was ok and kids are easy to please so the resort style buffet meal was fine. We weren't wowed but at the same time we didn't feel as though the food was terrible. Since we have little kids, our days were mostly filled with entertaining them and didn't have time to go to the casino or any nightlife so I won't include that part in my review. The water features at the park are fun for the kids and they loved returning each day. They have sprinklers and slides and the water level was low enough even for tiny toddlers. Shows were ok as well and we went to 6 nights' worth of them. Mostly, with little kids, we left a little early each night to have them get to sleep, but we didn't feel as though we were missing much. The very best thing that this resort has going for it was the 10/10 beach of the best sand we have ever experienced in well over 40 trips to Mexico. Great beach and great sand! We, as a rule don't do resorts more than once- but I wouldn't recommend this one for anyone making a first trip to Mexico. read more

CONs Charged $25 more becuz of transaction fee rate changing when charges cleared in bank the following day. Pay with cash if possible. No ventilation in bathroom so when u shower everything in room gets condensation. No fan in toilet area! Bring air freshner. Food at buffet gets cold by the time u sit to eat. Need reservations for ALL specialty restaurants, some not available. Unable to bring drinks or food from buffet to our room. Only if u order room service @$11 per meal. Waited over 1 hour for hotdogs w/fries. Hot water went out on Friday afternoon for 5 hrs. Intercom system for announcements regarding hurricane were not used. Learned by word of mouth from other visitors. No offers of compensation for issues. PROs The resort is absolutely beautiful! They made sure people wore their masks in restaurants and took temps. Food was great and presentation was awesome in the restaurants. They have French, Italian, Mexican, Seafood, Japanese, & Buffets. Service was always great. Games at night included bingo & karaoke. Weather was great other than the hurricane issues. Beautiful beaches. Access to 6 resorts. 4 were closed due to covid19. This resort ADULTS ONLY. Palace is the family resort. Definitely WILL return but not during October/November. Hurricane and rainy months. read more

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I was here for a destination wedding. I stayed at the Palace, which also gives me access to the other hotels (Beach, Caribe, Colonial, and Tropical) located within the resort. I wished we had more time to explore the grounds. There was a double decker bus that took guests around. For a photo opp, take it to the Dolphinaris and there is a colorful Barcelo Maya sign. We also went to the Maya Mall, because that was the only place to get free wifi during certain hours. Food is important to me and I was a little worried about the options at the two buffets, but they were ok. The best things were the made to order items including omelettes and waffles in the morning and seafood (calamari, fish, mussels) and pasta during lunch/dinner. There's always a long wait for those. We mainly had dinner at the a la carte restaurants, including Brasserie (French), Caribe (seafood), and Kyoto (Japanese teppanyaki). One thing that was most memorable during this vacation was that I got to eat lobster every night at these restaurants, and at the wedding. Yum! Make sure you go to guest services after checking in to make your dinner reservations for the a la carte restaurants. They fill up fast and for some of the reservations, we were given late times. Although it's an all inclusive resort, make sure you tip! The staff that I encountered were all friendly. There were a few cons. I hated wearing the plastic wristbands that they put on you when you check in. Its purpose is to distinguish which hotel you're staying at and certain amenities. Another con was no free wifi, except at the Maya Mall. Our room was great, except the hair dryer was dirty! It was sticky and had blonde hair on it. I complained about it, but it was still dirty... Otherwise, I enjoyed my stay overall. read more

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Very much lacking.. Plenty of other places to spend your money at.. this is not it.. food very mediocre.- I was actually appalled to the lack of service standards at buffets (no one monitoring, things not at correct temperatures, cross contamination everywhere and certainly ZERO concern for allergens and food descriptions) Service at the pool is none existent. There's 1 person at the bar for thousands of people at the pool.. half the time you have to pull up recipes for drinks, "bartender" didn't even know what a Cadillac margarita was.. gentlemen cleaning our room.. very nice.. hence the two stars.. but a room you can find anywhere else.. do your homework.. the Barceló brand means nothing here.. very disappointed. read more

Please know that this review is somewhat harsh only because this resort touts itself as being a 5 star, luxury property. Had we been staying at a family resort (like the sister properties) I would probably not even be writing this email. Farrell and I have stayed at a few nice resorts in the Cancun area (Excellence twice and Iberostar Grand) Upon arrival there was no greeting of a drink or fresh towel. I know this is a minor thing, but other 5 star resorts do this. Additionally, we were directed to stand in a line, like at a bank. Again, other 5 star resorts we've stayed at let you relax on a couch until it's your turn. Then they temporarily lost our luggage and didn't do anything about it until we called looking for it at 9 pm that night. Again, not the level of service that matches the price of this resort. "We didn't know who owned the luggage" is what they told us (we had our names on tags). The facilities (the buildings, the pools, the rooms, the grounds) were all amazing. Gorgeous, top notch, clean, modern and felt very high end. But anything related to personal, or drink selection was distinctly not high end. We noticed that the sister resorts had all the exact same drink choices. In other words, our higher end resort did not offer any top shelf beer, wine or spirits. The selection of drinks itself was several steps down from even the Carnival Cruise we went on last month. Booking a dinner reservation was an ordeal. The only way to get one was in guest services, where often the 2 employees were overwhelmed. It was not enjoyable to spend tons of time in a small room to make a reservation while on vacation. Overall, the people working there seemed to be in a bad mood, or indifferent. Very few smiles or greetings and any time we asked for something, it was like we were asking a favor and it was a bother to them. This is very different from the service we've received at other resorts or our most recent cruise. read more

Review For the barcelo Mayan palace. I would never ever stay in this "all inclusive " resort again. Pros: nice beach view when you walk in the lobby .I only enjoyed one of the restaurant reservations I Made. My experience ; we first come in and the front desk person that attended us was not very nice. -the food was horrible I stayed at the hotel of 8 days and 7 nights they served the same breakfast every day !!!! Like I almost knew what they where going to be serving at their buffet by memory lol - someone took a DUMP on the pool and instead of hurrying up and cleaning they just left it there ! - the bedroom was far from the Lobby, so if you stay here which I don't suggest you do at all , be prepared to walk a lot ! -the mini fridge in the room didn't work , called to get it fixed and nothing was done about it . -the AC was not cool enough, if you open the sliding doors which we're very hard to open anyway the AC turns off . -theCeiling fan in the room was broken it made a weird noice the whole night which didn't let us sleep well . -If you make reservations for the restaurants you most likely are going to have to take a shuttle to get there since the restaurant can be at any of the other sister hotels . - Room service nine dollars a plate you have to leave your card information at the lobby, this is supposed to be an all inclusive resort and it's not! - Went to the casino they're supposed to close at 2 AM they actually close at one so that they could have all of their shit together by 2 AM so that they could leave by 2 am . the lady at the bitting table asked me to wear my mask, so when I saw that people at the bitting table Infront of me were not wearing their mask , I asked her why and she stated that the other people did not have to wear it because they were bidding $1000! This was amazing to me !!!! Like seriously ???? Because they are bitting $1000 that was a very dumb response ! -the person giving you your wins at the casino Was super rude as well . Heads up Don't stay at the barcelo Playa del Carmen !!!! I wouldn't stay at any of their hotels ! I just got Back from My trip last night ! we were a family of 17 and none of us liked it one of the WORST hotels I have stayed at my life !!!! read more

Sad to say that we had one awful experience here that I forgot to add previously. We were having a good time until husband noticed his earphones were missing from the nightstand. We looked everywhere because they aren't that big. They can easily be replaced. We phoned the front desk and they called Security. We told them it wasn't the cost of the item but that they disappeared. Instead of trying to replace them with at least those cheap ones, they SEARCHED into OUR STUFF and luggage!!!! They treated us as if we were the ones stealing something! They DID NOT APOLOGIZED for any inconvenience. A nightmare! I would never bring any business back nor recommend it at all. I would not trust my belongings to their staff. Beware! read more

Decent place. It's massive and can be confusing, definitely be sure you plan which of the hotels in the group you stay at carefully. There is 6 in one massive complex and depending on which hotel determines which facilities you can and can't use. Each hotel (other than maybe the adults only, not sure) only has one real restaurant you can eat at other than a buffet/snacks type food, so it's good to be able to go to as many as possible. The breakfast buffets are nicely sized with lots of options, the dinner restaurants are nice but very, very limited menus. Friendly staff, but it would be nice If they gave you more information when you check in. It was late when we got there, but the place is HUGE and it's very you can eat here at this time but not here at this time. Same thing for pool activities etc. Which is fine, once you figure it out. The kids water park areas are really great. My kids aren't super little anymore and they still had a lot of fun on them, but we're accessible to small children as well. The room was quite small (even with premium), but it was nice that they have enough beds for everyone even if it sacrificed a sitting area. There is a lot of walking involved as it's so massive, but there is a bus that goes constantly between all the hotels and the mall which helps a lot. Another bonus is there is lots to do here. So many pools, the beach, but also lots of shopping not just gift shops, the surfing thing, dolphins (we didn't do either of those), bowling, ziplining and go karts (ziplining and go karts we did, and it's an extra cost, but very very fun and fun, helpful staff) and more. All accessible easily with the shuttle/bus. read more

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Scammy Resort with Rude Staff, Don't Waste Your Money. If I could leave zero stars for Barceló Maya Tropical, I would. I came here for my senior trip and it was hands down one of the worst experiences I've ever had on vacation. The food was terrible bland, cold, and the same thing every day. But that was just the beginning. This place is a full-on money trap/pyramid scheme. If you're 17, don't even bother. They give you a "minor" wristband that strips you of most of the amenities, one minor inconvenience leads you to big trouble. Why? Because they're waiting to slap you with a $500 fine. I had my wristband break off during the trip on an excursion. I still had the tag, and they told me if I brought it back, they'd replace it. But when I handed it over, they suddenly changed their story and said it was "against policy" to put another band on and forced me to pay the full $500. Total scam. By the way they also threatened to take the parents who were trying to help me throughout this whole ordeal to jail for offering assistance. On top of that, the staff was incredibly rude and dismissive. When I tried to explain the situation calmly, they talked over me, rolled their eyes, and acted like I was wasting their time. No empathy, no accountability just cold attitudes and a clear goal of getting as much money out of me as possible. If you're considering this place especially if you're under 18 don't do it. There are way better places to go where you'll actually be treated like a guest, not a walking dollar sign. read more

After our 4th visit to this Barcelo location in Riviera Maya, Mexico, I figured it was time for a review. We have stayed at the Colonial once and then opted for the Palace for our last 3 stays. While the Colonial was nice - as it is very centrally located on the property - we REALLY enjoy the perks of staying at the Palace. Sure, it is a bit of an 'up charge' for the Palace, but you have access to ALL of the 15 a la carte restaurants, top shelf liquor, and you are also close to the awesome adults only pool area - complete with it's own bar. What we love about Barcelo: + The STAFF: amazing, friendly, hustle their buns off to make things happen. We stayed for almost 3 weeks on our last visit and really got to know them - and they're wonderful. + The grounds: beautiful, clean, and immaculate. They are ALWAYS landscaping, cleaning, fixing - just always on top of making sure it looks pristine. + THE SPA: OMG. We always budget a few trips to the amazing spa. Pro-tip - book a service as soon as you arrive and get 40% off a service. We always start with the couples massage to get in to the vaycay spirit. + The all inclusive atmosphere: the a la carte restaurants are SO good, service is attentive, and the buffets are extensive. Something for everyone and they get better at each visit. There is always food available during the day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner is my favorite rotation). + On-site excursion planning: You can book day trips right on the spot - and get good rates. + The pools: HUGE common area pools with swim up bars. We tend to stick to the adults only pool as it is super quiet and secluded...and has it's own bar. + The entertainment: Sure, it has been the same Michael Jackson impersonator since we started going - but he has learned a few new numbers this year. The shows are fine, and there are 3 theaters each with a show nightly. You can also do activities during the day, every day (water zumba, bingo, water polo, etc.). You can also play mini golf, go bowling, or 'ice skate' in the mall plaza. They recently added an on-site zip line and go cart type park this year (we did not go). + On site shopping: They have a vendor plaza and a mall on site - even a little Casino. Honestly, it is hard to go anywhere else once you know what you get at Barcelo for the price. It is super reasonable, and flights in to Cancun are often affordable (and non-stop in season). Tell them we sent ya! read more

This is not my first time in Cancun and I will DEFINITELY NOT BE RETURNING!! Book somewhere else if you want to actually relax. Honestly had the opposite of a "relaxing vacation". This place sucks for multiple reasons. For one, my family needed two rooms and the hotel was overbooked (maya palace) so the hotel kicked one of my reservations to this hotel (maya beach) without any notice. Didn't find out until we got here and didn't get my room at the palace till the last night we were here AND had to pay a transferring fee (issue wasn't solved till it was shown we weren't gonna put up with this bullshit). Two, food is mid and two out of the six of us have been vomiting since the second day here. Three, reservations for restaurants is done in the most dumb way. When we tried making a reservation for a restaurant Thursday, they were booked all the way till Saturday. So only less than half of us were able to eat at one restaurant just because we were waiting outside for no shows. Other Barceló locations have day-of reservations at 7am each day to make a reservation at a restaurant which MAKES SENSE because the people who will SHOW UP will be there at 7 am. Four, the rooms SUCK. The ac doesn't work properly, not even the shower shampoo/conditioner/bath gel!! Literally this place sucks. They also ran out of beach towels???? Be so for real. Like I said, this place SUCKS. Go somewhere else. I highly recommend the excellence collection by the way. read more

After seven years of loyalty to Barcelo, tens of thousands of dollars spent and many fond family memories made; we are DONE with this resort entirely. I have noticed a gradual decline in their hospitality in general, however the treatment we received during our stay this weekend was beyond horrible, if not negligent. Check in/out is a lengthy nightmare, rooms are not ready on time, the staff (barring food service) is rude, lines at bars (due to partial resort closure and overbooking) are misera long, the entertainment is nothing like it used to be. Worse yet the staff at the exit actually refused to allow me to leave the resort temporarily in my loaner car; WITHOUT EXPLANATION! Awful experience, will NEVER return. read more

First of all this is an amazingly beautiful resort. We have been several times and actually brought friends with that were actually upgraded. We love the relaxed atmosphere. That would give my review 5 stars. One problem we had was making dinner reservations. We waited in a long line and couldn't get in the steak house but my husband and I did get into and loved the Lindo and Dolce Vita. We did get a small group reservation for Capri and that's were my issue happened. There was a miss communication about reservation time and we were a little late. They said they could not get us in. The hostess, that covered her name tag so I dont know her name told us to sit down and she'd let us know in 15 min if there was space. Thirty minutes passed and when I went to the desk, the manager Anna said there was no room, thanks for letting us know. Ugh! When the door opened to let other enter, the restaurant was only 1/2 full. The way Anna addressed me was so disrespectful. It was our last night, and that was a bummer. I hate being spoken with such disrespect. May cause us to not return. read more

I want to believe that this was just a bad week for the hotel since most of the staff I interacted with were either unhelpful or straight rude. Rooms are just what you except from a big Hotel, with great beds, clean bathrooms and a small terrace which was nice. Most of the bars I went to where packed and only 2 or 3 bartenders made it almost impossible to enjoy the "all you can drink" All you can eat was a hit-and-miss kind of experience. I had a good burger at the Spots bar but a very cold and almost stiff pancake for breakfast. Last, if you're seeking for party you must have to leave the hotel since options to party or even listening to music are literally non-existing. Overall, I would avoid this hotel. I can get a poor customer service experience for way less than what I paid. read more

If I could leave 0 Stars or negative I would. This place is completely dated, it's like staying at a motel 6. The bathroom is old and filthy, while the toilet ran all night long. The TVs didn't work and it's not really all inclusive as everything is an up charge. Do yourself a favor and go work here else. read more

Mmm alcohol. Good food. All inclusive. Mixed drinks were premium. Overall cannot complain. Jaja

Beware when you are booking that you may not receive a refund even if promised. This resort has basically stolen $1500 from us. We booked a second room on accident while on the phone with a booking agent. We were promised that we would receive a refund within a couple of weeks. It has now been a couple of months and nobody will respond to us anymore. We made an honest mistake which was supposedly dealt with right away. Apparently, Barcelo would rather keep the money than have us come back. We had a good time while at the resort but we find it disgusting that they've kept the money for a room that was cancelled 5 minutes after we booked it. After our stay, we thought we would like to go back but this is disturbing as we feel like they are thieves at this point. read more

Possibly the WORST customer service I have ever encountered in my life (and I travel for a living). Absolutely horrible. Members of my party arrived at 8:30pm to the resort and were told their room wasn't ready and they needed to come back in 30 minutes. That should have been a huge red flag right there since check in is at 3:00pm. We came back at 9:00pm and they were told their room wasn't ready yet, again. These people paid for the premium service and were treated like they were pieces of trash. The lady at the premium members desk was rude and disrespectful. We had her call a manager, who took their sweet time coming over, and she too was worthless saying she couldn't do anything for them. They were told to speak to another manager the next day, so essentially the night people passed the buck to the day people. If they is how they treat the premium members I'd be scared to see how they treat the regular members. This whole situation is appalling. Do not waste your time or money with this place, it will lead to frustration and anger while trying to enjoy vacation. read more

(continued from my original review) Beach: The beach was clean and seaweed free. I went snorkeling several times and it was totally enjoyable.  Lots of beautiful coral and fish to see! There are some rocks so you might want some water shoes but there are really not an issue.  Snorkeling equipment is free for one hour a day but it's a looooong walk to the other end of the beach.   Extra costs: The only thing I paid for was $65 to rent a Jet Ski for half an hour and a few $1 tips at the bar.  I did not notice any difference in service whether I tipped or not. Oh, there is some $6 or so environmental tax you have to pay when you check in. Drinks:  Staying at the Palace gives you access to premium spirits so I'm not sure what the other places offer.  I went to the bar for my drinks and specified exactly what I wanted in them and how much alcohol without any fuss.  If you ask for a margarita they will make you a house version but if you tell them you want a certain tequila and the gran mariner with fresh limes they will make it.  I enjoyed many double shots of Martell VSOP!  Beer was good too.  Our Bubba Kegs were kept full with Banana Mamba's which was basically a pina coloda with banana and grenadine.  Yum! Pool Chairs: We ate a late breakfast so didn't usually make it down to the pool until 10-11 am and always found a spot with no trouble.  Beach chairs also available.  We had seven people so if there are fewer of you it should be even easier.  Keep an eye on your towel as you get charged $20 if you don't return the card you get back when you turn in your towel.   Service/Attitude:  Our poolside waitress always called me by my name and asked if I wanted anything even though I usually went to the bar.  Bartenders and waitstaff were always friendly and courteous.  I NEVER saw an employee on their phone. Shows: Every night they had a one hour show in the theater.  We went to Broadway, Las Vegas, and Circus.  They were all entertaining in a semi-pro, Spanish accented way.  Broadway was the best. Mall:  There is a fancy mall and a local vendor mall.  Bought a few things that were much cheaper than at the hotel store (cigars, fake oakleys, vanilla, etc.) Overall I thoroughly enjoyed staying here and we will be going back for a week next January.  I think that many of the things like crowding and the beach are dependent upon the time of year you visit.  I would rate this place a solid four stars especially the Palace!  Pack your horseradish, Bubba Keg, and extension cord for a truly wonderful beach vacation. read more

We stayed at the Adults Only Barceló Maya Riviera in a preferred level swim up room. Besides going on one half day excursion with a guide and another day on our own walking across the highway to the Cristalino Cenote, we spent the rest of the week at the resort. It is about a one hour drive from the Cancun airport, the transfer was included in the trip through Amstar. The highlights: 1. No time share pitches!!! We kept waiting for one but NOPE. 2. Pretty good snorkeling off the pier, about an 8-minute walk north. 3. We ate at a different restaurant every night. In order of excellent to "just ok" were Japanese (get the duck stir fry) Taco Bar at Mexican, French, Brazilian, Caribbean, Mexican, and Italian. All of these restaurants were at the Barceló Maya Beach except for Brazilian and Caribbean which were at the Palace, a golf cart ride away. The Miramar buffet for breakfast and lunch offered many freshly prepared items made to order like steaks, fish fillets, tacos, etc. They had good sushi on the buffet a couple times for lunch. They had what seemed like the world's fastest toaster at breakfast. I would say skip the Italian, go to the Japanese twice if you can - once at a private table and once at the hibachi table for fun. There is a cute animal called a sereque that hangs out outside the Brazilian and Caribbean restaurant patio areas and will take some handouts. Yes, you need to make reservations for the restaurants and I would recommend making all of them in your first two days of your trip to get close to the times you want. We had to eat at 6pm to get into the Brazilian restaurant which was a little early for us. It was easy to get a reservation at the Taco Bar at the Mexican restaurant anytime we wanted and I'm not sure why because it was excellent. 4. The swim up pool feature of the room. The ground floor rooms on one side of the building have a patio with a hot tub and stairs down to to swimming area. We liked to fill up the hot tub and alternate between that and the pool. 5. The resort is only a couple years old and everything feels fresh and new, if not a bit sterile. It would be nice to have some more Mexican flavor like the other hotels in the complex. 6. The lobby bar with what looks like a 30 feet wide by 20 feet high tv made up of smaller TVs. We would typically stop in for an hour before dinner and sometimes after dinner. They show Bandamax and other concerts on the tv each night. They showed the playoff football games as well. If you explain to the waitstaff or bartender what you what, they will get you a good drink. For example, we like basic margaritas - only tequila, fresh lime juice and Cointreau. No triple sec or sweet mix. 7. Beach Towels - you could take as many as you want. 8. Enormous pools with swim up bars. Waitstaff come around to take drink orders. 9. The beach was nice and private, no people trying to sell you blankets and other souvenirs. They don't have sun umbrellas on the beach like they do by the pool, but you can position yourself to get shade from the palm trees, you just need to move your lounger from time to time. 10. Other nice features of the room: big bed, lots of closet space, great blackout curtains, rain shower, two sinks, and everything was very clean. One thing I didn't like was the diet soda in the fridge and all Pepsi products. Would have preferred Coca Cola. 11. Because of Covid, the resort wasn't crowded at all and we didn't have to wait in line for anything. Not sure how it would be at a normal time, but we will definitely be back. Very good value for the money. 12. The staff was friendly and helpful. Worked on my Espanol a bit. 13. Oh yeah, did I mention it's 18+ at the Barceló Maya Beach!!!!! No kids and the guests were generally pretty decent. read more

Barceló Maya Beach - Salsas at the Taco Bar - Resorts Near Me - Riviera Maya, ROO

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My sister and I took a short trip here as a treat to escape high stress. We stayed at the Barcelo adult only resort in May 2021. I was particularly impressed with the hygiene, the property was well kept, clean, sleek, modern and ALL staff wore masks properly. Every encounter was positive and friendly. Of course the view was stunning. The highlight was a Chef Julio! This man was an absolute joy, he made the most incredible vegan food I've had to date. I was absolutely blown away by his professionalism, warmth and ability to create phenomenal vegan dishes. He would take time to chat with us and kept me well fed. The buffet does have a vegan area, which is appreciated. However, he went above and beyond. I still am craving a burger dish chef Julio made! His expertise deserves praise. Thank you chef Julio for making this trip even more special. read more

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SUMMARY: Upgraded to the premium level (PL) for our family - complete waste of money! Got switched to Maya Beach after specifically booking Caribe. Separated from family and friends to the furthest resort of the 5 with an injured child. They could care less. Son got BED BUGS (photo). Two of us got sick. ROOM: our upgraded "oceanfront" looked straight into trees and bit of the pool - no ocean. Room ready an hour and half late. Decent sized and clean. Not all lights worked. Very difficult to find the room service menu. Couldn't get sheets the 1st night for our kid's sofa after 3 calls. Could NOT get wash clothes or the right amount of towels for 5! It was nuts! Often showered without them. AC didn't work right. Very warm during day (80's). Around 74 degrees at night at best. Called EVERY day to fix it after they tried to blame it on the patio door. My son slipped on the wet floor (from AC condensation) and hurt his face/head pretty bad (photo). Was like an ice-skating ring. We showed them when checking out, and they just asked if he went to the hospital. BUFFET FOOD: Lot of choices but average quality. Similar to good college dining. Hard to get a server, especially for breakfast. Finding a server to get a spoon is like finding gold. Can be very chaotic. Omelet stations take forever. Most food items aren't labeled correctly. RESERVATIONS AT RESTAURANTS: good luck! Even with priority PL reservations, couldn't get what we wanted. Only got 4 nights initially and were told we were lucky. Wasted time stalking guest services every day to squeeze in somewhere for the remaining 3 nights. Our times weren't ideal, typically after 7 pm. Don't expect to get reservations, especially at peak season. Although, half the tables were always empty at every restaurant. The website makes it sound like you can use all the restaurants - you can't. It's $20 more per person for restaurants at Palace. Servers were good all around. ALCOHOL: average at best. Still don't know what the top shelf liquors were for the PL and neither did most bartenders, except for vodka (Stolli). Never heard of Stolli being top shelf. If you said premium, they would just stare at you. Only have 1 white and 1 red average wines. Most resorts had Modelo or Corona for beer. Beach only had Modelo. Pool bartenders didn't seem to like Americans - would wait longer. BEACH - lots of seaweed and rocks! Seaweed rarely cleaned. Good location. Either 1 sitting lifeguard or no lifeguard for all resorts. POOLS - dirty! No pool lifeguards at Maya Beach, but saw some at Palace. We had one for a day or two who would rove around between the pools and beach. SHOWS - 2 were bad, rest were really good. It's an outdoor covered theatre, so it gets hot! ACTIVITIES - we didn't have daily activities at Maya Beach, although they said we did and so did our activity board. We happened to find an employee board that showed Maya Beach not getting any activity employees. Didn't even have music like the others. Can only use rock climbing wall 2 days per week at 2 specific allotted times. Good luck getting water equipment with any rough waters - we never could. You can't do most of the activities that they show. Overall, Maya Beach seemed the most neglected with unhappy workers, no activities, a dirty pool, and lots of seaweed. It appeared that Maya Beach got the least workers, and probably the ones with poor performance. Many others staying there felt this way as well. Caribe, Colonial, and Tropical were average but got better as you go down towards Palace. Caribe was comparable to the Beach but with more entertainment and a better location. Colonial and Tropical were definitely better. Way more lively and better prepared buffets. Palace (upgrade) is the only one worth staying at. You don't get nearly what they tell you get though. They want more money for everything. It's definitely a HUGE beautiful resort. It looks the part of a 5-star, but nothing else. It's like a big average-oiled machine. But no thinking outside the box. Problems go unanswered. read more

Horrible service, horrible food , don't waist your money !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We recently stayed at Barcelo Maya Rivera Adults only resort. This was our second time at the resort. We have stayed at a handful of all inclusive resorts - so far this is by far our favorite. We love NEARLY everything about it. -with one exception. We love the service by the bellmen and in the restaurants and at the bars. Jorge Alfaro at the pool/music bar was the best! He greeted us with a smile every day and assisted us with anything we asked for. We had several fine meals. One of the best was at Dolce Vita. Our server was Abdy Lopez. She was fantastic, catering to our every need. We also had a wonderful dining experience at La Comedie. Garmi was our server. He was outstanding. We had a terrific experience with the bellmen - Christian Mendoza and Alan Choreno. They were very attentive, helpful with our bags and transportation. My only complain is the front desk. They were frankly horrible. We were a group of 4 adults including my adult son and daughter. I booked 2 rooms each with 2 double beds. The people at the front desk argued with me that 2 double beds cannot be booked. They maintained the option does not exist online. I assure you when I booked - I booked 2 double bed in each room. There are some all inclusive resorts that do not have this option. I don't go there for that reason. We were 4 adults, each needing our own bed. The lady working the front desk said they could give us rooms with 1 king bed for the 1st night and then the following day we could move to rooms with double beds. I explained to the lady that my 2 adult children were with us. 20 year old brother and sister are not sleeping in the same bed. A man with the last name Reyes approached us. He rudely barked at us "you need to take the rooms with the king beds!' I explained to him as I did with the lady about what we booked and why - 4 adults, brother and sister. Mr. Reyes repeated himself even louder "You NEED to listen to me - you need to take the rooms with the king beds!" Despite feeling terribly intimidated -within 20 minutes of arriving to the resort I held my ground and told him I was listening to him and he needed to listen to me. Eventually they finally gave us the 2 rooms with 2 double beds. They weren't very close to one another. The front desk people weren't at all interested in helping us. Why put up such a fight if thy had the rooms anyway???? read more

This resort is a five in one. However you have to book the palace to have access to it. We reserved at the Colonial and we ended up staying in the Caribe but halfway through our stay we decided to upgrade to the Palace to see if the service was better and if the food improved. the place looked super nice....and then the bad experience began... The check-in process was extremely slow and took almost 2 hrs! Just to check-in! The rooms at the palace was nice. However we had to call three times because our air conditioner was not working. The lady said we had the doors open and that's why it was hot (we did not). Lol! Honestly did they think we're that dumb? Anyways, the Pool lady did not want to give us towels because we didn't have a towel card. I had to explain to her several times that a pool card was not given to me at check-in. I double checked. The activities are very limited and only last an hour! Seriously how can several hundred people participate in one hour of Karaoke?? The bed sheets smelled like they were not taken out to dry properly so they stunk. There was a grill next to the pool that told my husband he could not go in because he was a little wet yet a large family that was dripping wet walked right by and they were seated with no question. After ignoring them, I told the man he better say something to them since he was rude to my husband. He reluctantly went and said something after which he brought them all drinks (he did no such thing for us, he simply refused to let my husband in). The water activities closed at 3 (on a summer day!) The restaurants where you make reservation was the same food from the buffets. The "formal" dress code is not applied to women dressed as if they were working at a strip club or wearing a bikini with a see through dress or to kids wearing shorts and a t-shirt. My cousins husband was wearing dress shorts and a very nice shirt and he looked much much nicer than 90% of the people there and they did not let him enter because he was not wearing pants (he had to go change or would not be able to dine). They then let a man wearing old very torn up jeans with a raggedy t-shirt go in with no question asked! This resort was a mess, figuratively speaking! I don't recommend it! Go somewhere else. The money you pay is not worth the headaches and rude people! I've come to Cancun several times and this was the first time I had a bad experience. Find a different resort! There are much better resorts with better service! read more

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