Miguel Alfaro, Jesus Chan, Alejandro Yerbea, Jorge quijano , Eric Chan were EXCELLENT servers and VERY FUN for my daughters spring break white party at the Coral grill-thank you!!!! They were very friendly, fun, funny, professional! We had so much fun! Miguel very very welcoming and comforting! The music was great dance music!
Excellent family inclusive vacation ages 5-63 there was something for everyone. The rooms were clean, the pool was clean, had everything you would ever need within walking distance! Staff was very professional and willing to help with anything.
I've been to a few different resorts on the Mayan Riviera, and this one is my favorite hands down. Outstanding service, great food, nice pools, and an all around wonderful resort. Our family (kids ages 9, 7, 4) all had a wonderful time. Will definitely be looking to come back!
Best vacation ever! Everything about the Barcelo Maya Palace exceeded our expectations. Beautiful pool and grounds, incredible variety and quality of food at buffet and restaurants... this was our first time here but I cannot wait to go back one day!
Although overall we very much enjoyed our vacation at the resort and there were many things that we liked about it, especially when it comes to child entertainment, overall there were many aspects that were disappointing. We made sure to enjoy our stay no matter what, but for the resort that calls itself a 4.5 star resort (with a price to match it!) it certainly didn’t meet those expectations. I will mention some specific things we liked and those where the place was lacking: Positives: poolside entertainment was outstanding; their crew works very hard and are genuinely fun and engaging. The pool itself is huge and pool and area by the pool never felt overly crowded Kids club staff were phenomenal and there were many daily activities for younger kids. Overall the resort is very kid friendly. Bartender staff were mostly very good Bars have good selection of alcohol (but make sure to ask for specific ingredients, otherwise they will use the generics that don’t taste too great); always a good idea to carry your own mug as they use very small ice that melts quickly and a drink becomes watered down almost immediately Rooms are spacious and the two additional beds for kids were a very decent size Food at the main buffet was quite decent (not the best we’ve had but it was good enough); that was a solid breakfast and lunch Espresso coffee selections were quite good Bottled water is easily accessible at the bars throughout the resort Negatives: the resort is very large (and is part of system of several resorts), things are very spread out and it takes either a very long walk or a long wait for the bus to get from one point to another. It took us close to 10 minutes to get from our room to the nearest pool or place to eat; that is just way way too long especially when you have to make the trip several times a day and have two young kids. We specifically asked to be placed closer, booked almost a year in advance and at the front desk were told that our room is “very close” which was just a lie. There are no paper maps available, few signs around the resort. The resort is quite dated, definitely needs to be updated and many little things seem to be slowly falling apart. It feels that most things have not been updated for at least 15 years. It definitely doesn’t feel modern and is not “fresh”. Service at the front desk was atrocious. We were checked in and checked out by the same person, his name is Luis Balsam. He was rude, unfriendly, did not smile, did not welcome us, did not thank us for the stay at the end. He looked like he didn’t want to be there and didn’t know what he was doing. We’ve observed other front desk staff behave the same way. No one at the front seemed to smile and was unwelcoming. When we arrived no one oriented us to the resort and all the things that are available. Food: 1) buffet was decent but could be better; there was essentially no variation in food from one day to another 2) specialty restaurants were quite mediocre 3) reservations to restaurants are very difficult to get and yet all the times we were there they were half empty - something is off about that 4) the only way to get food is to go to the buffet for one of three meals. You cannot carry any food out (like literally you cannot go grab a burger and have it by the pool - this is the first resort where I've encountered that). I really wish there was at least some stuff available by the pool and some snacks in the afternoon. Particularly as everything was such a long walk this was VERY inconvenient. This was very unusual for an all inclusive resort where there is usually abundance of poolside snacks, grilling etc. Room service: this was another problematic area. Many days we would leave the room at 7am, put up a sign to make up the room, come back at 3pm and it was still not done and not done until we made a few calls. We once ate at one of the other sister resort buffets where I think they served tap water (at our resorts it was bottled filtered water) and all got very sick with food poisoning for 3 days. A number of things (like one of the kids mini water parks with slides) had an additional fee; we felt this was just poor taste for an all inclusive resort. Many times when we asked for extra food at the buffet (like an extra piece of steak) we got this passive aggressive dirty look from staff, implying "Are you really going to eat all that?!" The gym at the main resort is very old, equipment is rusty and gross. There is a beautiful new gym at the other resort but that was a 15-20 min walk. One of the mornings we requested a wake up call and never received it. Shampoo and soap in the room was the cheapest and mostly grossly smelling that is imaginable. Although bars have very good liquors available and bartenders are nice, they usually don’t shake their drinks… just can’t make a margarita properly that way. Public bathrooms, especially those by the pool, do not get cleaned throughout the day and are just gross. Locks in some of the stalls are broken. So all in all, I think this resort was probably very different 10-15 years ago but needs an overhaul and needs way better service. We had a good time, simply because that was our goal, but we certainly won't be back, especially for the price point that it's at.…
The Barcelo Maya Palace is the northernmost of the 6 resort complex called Barcelo Maya next to Puerto Aventuras in the Mayan Riviera. We chose the Palace over the other resorts because all the rooms are junior suites, hence more room. Preferred status rooms overlook the main pool and the palm tree shaded beach beyond. It has dining at 3 buffets and by reservation at 3 a la carte restaurants. Guests have access to the facilities and dining of 4 of the other resorts, a privilege which is not reciprocal without a fee. There are a very large free form pool, a small adult only pool with its own bar and toilets, and a children’s water park with slides etc. The bartenders, Jorge and Bryan, at the adult only pool were less harried than the ones at the main pool. Consequently they were more engaging in banter with guests and more careful with the assembly of beverages. Shuffleboard, bocce ball, billiards, basketball hoops, table tennis facilities can be found adjacent to the beverage bar and equipment can be temporarily borrowed from the towel hut there at no additional cost. There are no towel cards. One only asks for a towel to receive. The beach is approximately 2 miles long in 2 coves with a pier in the middle for access to dive boats etc. At the Palace end, the beach is largely rocky with karst which makes for terrific snorkelling but beach shoes are necessary. Snorkelling in search of turtles is a favourite pastime. The beach becomes increasingly sandy as one progresses to the southern end of the complex. Other facilities at the complex include a mall with a 24/7 sports bar offering for a fee bowling, an arcade, food and a challenging mini golf course which is free for use during the day. Across from the mall is a plaza featuring Mexicana goods, a Catholic chapel, and sports facilities for racket sports. A for a fee water park including a wave runner pool is adjacent to the mall. At the beach in this section, can be found a dolphinarium, a dive shop and facilities to borrow non motorized watercraft. There is a spa. Two double decker buses provide end to end transport stopping at each resort lobby and the mall in sequence. The Palace has an indoor air conditioned theatre while the adjacent middle 4 resorts have 2 open air theatres located beyond the buffets. The shows rotate through the theatres each week. Our package was purchased through West Jet and included transfers by a sub contractor. Whether transfer occurs by bus or van depends on a variety of factors at the moment. After some seeming confusion at the port, our transfer was made by private van by a jovial driver who wasted no time in arriving at our resort in 1 hour and 20 minutes, stalled to some extent by road construction near the airport. Checkin was quick and efficient. We were asked how often we required our rooms to be cleaned. We were given discs on a thong as a wristband which acted both as an identifier and as a key to the room. No more lost, forgotten or demagnetized key cards. Great idea. As our rooms were not yet ready we were invited to make use of the facilities. Warned by others to do so, we went immediately to guest services to make a la carte dining reservations. We were 2 couples and were allowed to make 3 reservations each totalling 6 reservations. Thereafter we were allowed to make one reservation per day for each couple. This is a very competitive aspect of the journey. Reservations cannot be made until after one checks in and has a room number. Nevertheless we were able to secure a la carte dining for 12 of our 14 nights at times before 8:00pm. Note that there is a dress code for men requiring long pants and closed toe shoes. We witnessed one gentleman being loaned a pair of pants by the hostess. The trousers were not becoming and there are not that many “loaners”. As we sought food after checking in, finding our rooms was difficult. We had come prepared with a pre printed map and the check in clerk was able to identify where the rooms were located. The accommodations are arranged in 2 strings of 4, 3 story buildings each. There are elevators. The Michoacan buildings are closest to the lobby and ring road while the Oaxaca buildings separate Palace from neighbouring Tropical resort. The buildings have a thematic central court replete with fountains which are turned off at night and palms. The decor is Spanish colonial. Our rooms were meticulously cared for by Alejandro Pat, room steward supremo! Upon entry, 2 hanging closets are on the right including robes, a digital safe and ironing board/iron. The closets are separated by a counter with a drip coffee maker and makings on the counter and a small fridge with beer, soda pop, juice and water below. Some single bags of potato chips and peanuts are also found there. To the left of the entry beyond 2 sliding doors is the washroom, with 2 sinks and a huge mirror, a hairdryer and makeup mirror. To the left of the vanity is the toilet enclosure with a sliding door. To the right of the vanity is a tub with a sloped bottom and hand shower. Beside it is a rain head shower. There was always lots of hot water. Hand towels are hung on the vanity while fluffy bath towels were on a rack in the tub enclosure. Our bed was king sized, firm but not hard and very comfortable. We covered with a sheet and a duvet and slept well. Each nightstand had an electrical outlet that would accept 3 bladed North American plugs or round prong European ones. Two outlets and USB ports were found at desk top height opposite. There was a large flat screen television. 2 facing sofas which could be opened to form beds completed the room. The patio door had secure locks and opened onto a porch with a table and 2 chairs. The yard beyond was trimmed and the whole was screened from the roadway by trees and shrubs. We experienced no road noise. The air conditioning was quiet and kept our rooms at a constant 20C. The free form pool is huge. Nevertheless there are only so many lounge chairs that can be arranged around its perimeter. This leads to a daily “game” as guests arrive early, before dawn, and “reserve” loungers by securing towels and personal items. While official policy does not allow this, there is no way around it. Some people abuse the necessary evil by not returning to the reserved loungers for the bulk of the day, making it more difficult for the rest. This is not an issue on the beach loungers however as abundant loungers can be found under natural shade provided by palm trees. During our stay, weather conditions brought much sargassum seaweed to the shore. Daily gangs of more than a dozen people hand bombed the stuff into piles in order to have a front end loader pack it into dump trucks. A huge round of applause must go to Karen Yanez of Guest Services and concierge extraordinaire. Her patience, friendliness and magic fingers enabled our a la carte reservations. I expect to see her as a manager when next we return. Menus for the a la cartes can be found on the resort website. At the Palace, we enjoyed coconut shrimp and lobster at Caribe. At Brasserie, the French restaurant, we thoroughly enjoyed tender steak and chicken done to perfection with crème brule for dessert. Our favourite was at Rodizio, the Brazilian steakhouse. As one of the menu items, one can order a skewer in which a waiter comes to you with one of 5 different skewers of meat and slices some to your plate. In the past we have found that the interval between presentation of the next skewer has been too long such that the guest is still wading through his/her meal while the rest are finished dining and waiting. Consequently we ordered steaks from the rest of the menu, done to perfection as required and presented by the ebullient Raoul who described then patiently answered all our questions. He made us feel truly welcome, was attentive to our needs without being intrusive and was an artist at making and presenting the flaming Mayan coffee. Our biggest disappointment occurred at La Trattoria, the Italian dining room at the mall. When we went to the salad bar, there were 5 empty bowls. When we left an hour later, the same 5 bowls were still empty. We found the staff disinterested and uninformative. The pasta was mediocre. We found the beef overcooked and tough in the fajitas we ordered at the Lindo Mexican restaurant. The crème brule was as good as at Brasserie. The all female staff at La Fuente, the Spanish restaurant, were attentive and efficient. While we enjoyed our food there, and there were no complaints from our party about quantity or quality, it was not memorable and I can’t recall what we ate. I thoroughly enjoyed my shrimp cocktail served in a half pineapple at Mare Nostrum while my bride said superlative things about her salmon. The Teppanyaki cooking show at Kyoto is always entertaining although some who have been part of it often before may be jaded. Lots of clashing utensils, flashes of fire and a jovial chef add to the ambience. My surf (large shrimps) and turf was abundant and cooked just the way I liked it. We topped it off with some tempura ice cream. Our experiences tell us that the a la carte staffs at Palace seem better trained or more attentive than the rest. The evening shows at 9:30pm occur simultaneously at the 3 theatres and rotate through the week. The Broadway show was the most entertaining. One show provided music from different countries while projections on screens showed photos of the countryside, people etc. Disappointing was the selection for Canada presenting My Heart Goes On showing scenes from The Titanic. We walked out half way through Tropicalissimo. While the costumes were exotic, the dance routines were constant repetitions and featured a lot of bare bums. The tenors of Il Divo have excellent voices, range and tight harmonies but their presentation was flat as milk on a plate. Dull. The resort seems to be a favourite for destination weddings. There were several w during our fortnight stay. On one day there were 3, 2 of them elaborate East Indian affairs. There are several large meeting rooms for receptions but also the grounds crew set up for receptions on the beach. Great care and attention to detail is obvious at this resort. The grounds crew were constantly planting, pruning and cleaning. All the Michoacan ground floor hallways were painted while we were there. They repainted the adult only pool bar in the middle of the night. Divers were often seen repairing tiles or jet nozzles in the pools. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Barcelo Maya Palace. We felt we received excellent value for what we paid. We might return curbed only by our usual intent to not return to the same establishment. One does not get a second chance to make a good first impression . We found it impressively clean and well maintained with eager and attentive staff in all respects. The decor was attractive. The food was obviously fresh, tasty, well prepared to our preferences, and abundant. The buffets provided great variety, constant replenishment and short lines for grill work such as omelets because there were several stations. A great variety of activities can be undertaken with the animation staff or privately. It could be enhanced by the presence of a lazy river feature such as at Sirenis down the road, and by a coffee/pastry shop and ice cream shops such as at Iberostar up the road. I would have appreciated the presence of an archery range such as at Palladium. There are many opportunities to engage in activities that cost money and we found the prices excessive. Guests would be wise to come readily equipped with suntan lotion, snacks if that is what is preferred, and other notions because the costs of these things on the property are very high.…
we stayed at barcelo maya palace and we did zumba with the entertainment staff! it was so funny!! thank you to ari esteban atziri carlos mariana and sam! they helped to us in everything!! amazing hotel
Carlos is amazing , all the activities are so fun the hotel is the best place to spend a good time with friends and family. The food is delicious and the drinks are my favorites. The weather in Mexico is beautiful
I’m a bit perplexed by all the positive reviews of this resort. For reference, I stayed at the Palace. This resort is very large, a lot of walking required since our room was basically at the end of the block. I knew this going in so not a huge issue. Here’s my breakdown Cons: - Lots of walking (so if you’re not a fan, don’t book this place) - Food - I’ve stayed at a lot of places, sad I can find better Mexican food in California. The food most of the time was lukewarm at best. It was meh.. - washrooms need more tending to. Soap dispensers not working. Toilet paper missing in washrooms. A lot of locations by the pools or restaurants had this issue. - our room wasn’t cleaned throughly. We tipped very well the first couple of days $8/ day. The shower was never cleaned nor things restocked. I cleaned things myself and asked the maids for items like toilet paper or Kleenex. Pros: - the beach is beautiful (careful entering the ocean as its Rocky in some areas) - clean up of seaweed was done very quickly by the resort - if you have kids, this is the place for you. It really caters to families. Splash parks, pools etc. if you have teens, there’s a lot for them to do as well. - gym is really nice If you don’t mind a 1.5 hour bus ride to this resort, enjoy a lot of walking and aren’t really a foodie this place won’t be bad. I left this resort with a great tan, memories but no desire to return. …
Our room was always clean Thank you Ideofonsa Tuz Our AC and air dryer weren’t working properly and all was fixed as of day 3 👍 First 3 days beach was excellent, no seaweed, no water shoes required When the winds lifted, waves brought in the seaweed. All à la carte were up to par Day 5 Hotel got really busy with spring break students. If you want peace and quick not ideal We will not book in March again for this reason Will try the Barcelo Riviera Maya adults only
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