HOTEL BARCELO MAYA CARIBE

This is my first time going to Mexico on a vacation, I've stayed for 11 days with two of my friends , everyday we got to meet amazing people from all over the world, Spain, Italy, France , Cuba and more. The service was amazing, everyone is really friendly and always helpful, I met a lot of people who work there , the staff: Jonathan larissa Sergio erick and ely are amazing young people, positive and hardworking, also people who works at the water park Luis, andrey and Ernesto were really helpful, they thought me how to surfing which was one of the best experiences in my life

First of all let me note that the hotel is about 45 minutes away from the airport. Cab fare is approx 25 dlls per person. Now to the hotel, I was amassed by how big and well maintained it is. It is essentially a resort with 4-5 hotels which you have access of. We stayed at the maya caribe in march for nearly a week. Check in was HORRIBLE. We were checked in by what seemed like 14 year olds. Whispering things back and forth, we qualified for a room upgrade and they were very hush hush about it. When I asked if we could upgrade they whispered to each other some more and finally agreed to it. Secondly there was an issue with payment. My credit card company was saying they were billing for different amount. I asked if we could pay half at check in half at check out, they agreed. We are my Barceló members. When we asked about our wifi they whispered some more. Asked for ID to check in, gave them my passport card, wouldn't take it. Told me I needed passport book. I explained that I had traveled with that only. More whispers later, an extremely irritated me, and verification from a supervisor, we were checked in. Aside from the amateur check in process, the resort was AMAZING. Strickers bar food is not good. But the breakfast buffet, dinner lunch everything was delicious house cleaning was on par. We were upgraded to swim up suite, I really wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy it. We took a day to just walk around resort. Everyone was behind nice and welcoming. Pool bar, needs more staff tool about 30 minutes to get drinks. Beach is super clean plenty of sitting area. No complaints aside from check in process. Will be traveling next year to the same hotel. I don't think we will go anywhere else. Only difference is we will rent a car to save the 400+ dollars on can fare.

We have traveled to the Caribbean over 15 times (5th to Mexico). This is our first review of a resort ever. We just wanted to share with any others out there who read ( casually) reviews of all inclusive resorts when planning a future vacation. First, we look for a great beach with snorkeling on our vacations. This place has it! This had the best walk in snorkeling we've ever experienced. From turtle and stingray encounters, to multiple species of fish, we couldn't get enough. The best spots are the reefs out in front of the palace section. Swimming with the turtles was a blast and something our daughters will never forget. If this was all the resort had, we would have been satisfied, but there was more. We stayed in a swimup suite at the caribe and it was worth the upgrade. The rooms were in the front of resort, closest to the beach and pools. The beds were very comfortable and ac was great. The fridge was stocked daily with corona and snacks. The cleaning staff did a great job also. It was nice to have a little extra room on the patio by the pool. Staying in the premium level provided a quick check-in and some little extras that add up to make your week special. Twice during our week, a dessert surprise with champagne was delivered to our room. Wi- fi and easy dinner reservations were also perks with the premium level. There are plenty of dining options. If you don't see something you like, keep walking, you will. Some of our favorites were the omelette stations, pasta stations, fresh fruits, and other items we just wanted to try. These were from the buffets and all were good and had a ton of options. Captain Morgans had some of the best chicken wings we've had on vacation. Strikers had some great onion rings! We ate a a different restaurant each night and liked all of them. We got the latest reservations on most as we like to spend our days outside. All the servers were attentive and happy. These guys were great and made the dinners even better. Everyone had a different favorite, but the Mexican, Italian, and Steakhouse stood out. Some other points of interest that we liked... the gym, the discotheque, the swimup bars, Strikers, beach lounge chairs, The mall area, multiple bars, Captain Morgans, and did we mention SNORKELING!! We just felt the need to share our enjoyable experience at Barcelo Maya Caribe and wanted to say thank you to all who made that possible. Thanks!!

We just got back from one of the best vacations! This resort is so beautiful! One of the prettiest beaches in the area and lots to do. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. Loved our afternoons by the pool. Dulce Diaz would always make sure we were well taken care of. Kids loved playing volleyball on the beach, then in the pool. Just a great family time! My only complaint is I wish we could have stayed longer.

This year we decided to go back to Barcelo Maya just as a couple after having such a wonderful time with friends last year. The trip did not disappoint, but for those of you looking to travel alone, as a couple, or with friends, there's some things you should consider. Which resort to stay on: The Barcelo is split into 5 resorts lines up side by side the length of the property. Though you can wander and indulge in what each resort has to offer during your stay (with the exception of the Palace if you don't upgrade or stay there). Where you decide to book your room will affect what you have immediate access to. If you're looking to be close to the nightlife then you may want to consider booking your room in the Caribe or the Colonial resorts. These resorts are in the middle of the property on each side of the mall and Sports bar (Open 24/7), with the Caribe closest to the theater and the mall, sports bar,dance club, a buffet, and easy access to the Gym/Spa. Our stay at the Caribe was wonderfully convenient for quick access to the above amenities, but the trade off was peace and quiet. There's a lot of foot traffic through that area, and the theater is literally right outside of the rooms, So if you're looking to be right in the mix and don't mind some noise, this spot is likely for you. Caribe also attracts the younger party crowd around the pool and beach. So if you're looking for the most peace and quiet pick the Maya Beach or the Tropical which are on each end of the resort. I have not stayed at the Deluxe yet, but I plan to in the future. Time of year: Depending on what you're going for the time of year will produce different experience. Last year we went in April and it was far quieter than it was this year when we went in June (School out for summer). We've been told by locals that October-November would be the quietest if that's what you're looking for, but with a greater chance of rain. This year they held a private talent competition that took up the last 2 days of our stay. There we no shows at either of the theaters for 1 night and there were kids running around everywhere making a lot of noise for our last 2 nights. Last year in April this did not happen. So keep that in mind. Amenities: Sports bar: Open 24/7 and perfect for that late night drink or snack if you can't get to sleep. There's a giant theater room with the huge projected TV running replays of classic Soccer games but it does play live events if they're big enough. The Sports bar boasts tons of televisions around facility to ensure there's something to watch for everyone. There is also a small bowling alley in it, video games, pool tables, foot pool (giant soccer pool tables), and mini golf out back. The servers and bartenders are awesome there and always make sure you are taken care of. This year (and last year) Alondra Delfin Mora was so sweet and made sure we were always taken care of. Jose Teh, Francisco Mendieta, and Eduardo Cabrera also made sure our cups were filled with quality drinks and our bellies were full with delicious snacks. Buffets: Depnding on which buffet you go to you will have different access to different foods. Each buffet has their own themes and rotate daily. I love Sushi, and the only one that seems to have sushi every day is the buffet in the Colonial. So if you love Sushi too, that's the place to frequent. When I wasn't eating Sushi, I spent a lot of time at the buffet in the Caribe next to our room hanging out with Hassim Viana. What an amazing guy. Easy going, easy to talk to, and just goes out of his way to make sure you feel special. He really seems to appreciate what he does and it shows. There are also 4 snack buffets, one for each resort along the back of the beach for a quick meal while you soak up the sun on the beach or the pools. Those all feel about the same, the only one that is really different is the one at the Caribe which is a big Captain Morgan pirate ship bar. It's the only snack buffet with a bar inside I believe. Very cool. Bars: Swim up bars in each of the pools and at both theaters. Last year we had so much fun with Asuncion Solis and Ricardo Rosas at the Theater that it played a large part in us returning this year. Though I did not get to see Asuncion this year, I did see Ricardo at the swim up bar and he made me a fantastic Bloody Mary. It was great to chat with him again. No matter where you are on the resort you will always have quick easy access to a bar to get drinks. There are also a few quieter classier bars near the lobbies of the resorts. Amenities: I spend a large portion of my time in the Ocean. I love snorkeling and this beach is fantastic for it. You can walk up and rent goggles and a snorkel to take out for a limited time per day. I just pack my own and go until I shrivel up. The Colonial and Tropical beach is quieter than the Caribe and Beach side. There is also a nice reef to swim on the Colonial side and watch all different kinds of Sea life. Last year I swam with sea turtles! It's also deeper, but you can't go as far out. On the Caribe side, it's shallower, but you can go really far out and run into different kinds of sea life than you may see on the Colonial side. This year the surf was pretty rough, so the water was murky from kicking up the sand. I found that the Colonial/Tropical side was better for seeing underwater as it was deeper and kicked up less debris. There's also Kayaking, Wind Sailing, Jetski's and Scuba gear you can rent out to go have some fun with right there on the resort. JetSki's and Scuba costs. The others do not but may require a deposit. At the mall you can find all kinds of shopping, a couple restaurants and the Sports Bar. The mall is always open and also houses a small Casino and Haunted house. To sum it up, we had a really fantastic trip this time. It almost felt like we never left from our previous trip and we were able to just pick up right where we left off. This resort is so large that we still had plenty to explore the second time and we still haven't seen everything. Our next trip we plan to come back and stay in the Palace where there's a whole resort we haven't seen yet. Thanks to the staff for making our trip extra special again!