Barcelo Maya Beach - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

16204 reviews

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  Bigger does not mean Better

  After going to The Catalonia Riviera Maya 4X and The Bahia Principe, I needed to experience something different for my Big Birthday! Barcelo was highly recommended and first impression is it is MASSIVE! Perfect for BIG GROUPS, or Families with Kids, expansive Resort. I was hoping to hear, see, feel the Fun Vibes I experienced before Covid at another resort, but alas, Bigger does not mean more Fun! I always go Moms Day My Way! So the same dates each year I go. Check in was speedy and I had booked with a 3rd Agent, Do everything myself, and had no issues. Arrived Early and was in a nice standard room in the Beach Tulum building. All the Staff are Nice and helpful. Wow Check in was a Breeze compared to my last experience at The Cat. But just lucky as I do see other complaints about experiences. I take issue with people on groups that start their review with - My Honest Review of ---------. So are you implying that others are dishonest? People have Good and Bad Experiences at the same resorts, so all are honest in their opinion. Room was Beautiful to me, where some say run down, shabby, etc. Spoiled and entitled to refer to a basic room that is clean and big. The people that complain about this, HAVE to go to other comparable priced resorts , then make a review. I didn't like the cigarette smell of smoke outside while enjoying the deck. Smoking is illegal in public places in Mexico as it is in Canada. Smoking is not allowed on beaches, decks, near entrances etc, but some are just imbeciles and Only think and care about themselves. There are cigarette butts all over the beautiful beaches. I walked the mile from my room to where you can hope to swim with the Turtles, which is the most epic part of this trip. However I saw so many ciggy butts in sand. The walk along the many resorts is Beautiful! I was searching for " the Fun" Not the Party, THE FUN! I was disappointed to hear English music over Local Mexican/Spanish music. Big Pet peeve of mine. I do not go to Mexico to listen to English rave music. I go to Mexico to hear your local, fun vibe music, you can't help but move to! A few times I would gravitate towards the music but it was a Zumba class, which was the only fun I had..lol.. I'm a Fun Magnet, but either the groups were too young, drunk and loud, or older, sleeping and looky loos. I met some wonderful people, but soon after I arrived it was time for them to leave. The food , well I went back and forth every time between Beach and Caribe and preferred the Caribe. There were 2 nights I only ate potatoes , rice and buns. I don't eat seafood, nor much meat. The nights I'm talking of and others as well, they only had leafy wilty lettuce like butter lettuce for salad, fish sticks in the kids section and beans and sauces with loads of meat selection. On those nights I wish they had The typical Cesar salad and pasta available. Not asking much. I did love the Italian in the mall, for al a carte. Delicious! Also I went to every Beach Bar, Tropical was my ultimate favorite, and would have eaten there for every meal if it was open. Rancheros on Beach side too. But Cpt Morgans and the other one are pitch black, so dark inside, I couldn't stand it, I don't see the appeal, unless you're completely hung over. So DARK. SHOWS WERE EPIC! THE WAY I REMEMBER IN 2018. HAVEN'T SEEN THIS QUALITY SINCE THEN. WOW AMAZING SINGERS, PERFORMERS, AND ENTERTAINMENT WAS STELLAR. Only the Mexican themed shows with costumes, Tropical flare etc. So Good and NO NEED FOR EAR PLUGS! They actually don't have the Treble turned up so high it's like a dentists drill at some resorts. Really enjoyable for sure. They have so many Pools , specifically designed for kids and some Adults Only. Which even I had to direct a family with kids in a different direction as they were rudely and disrespecting going to spend the day at Adults Only. Get a Grip people , there are other people that have spent good money on their trip to enjoy this privacy away from your screaming, crying, whining, yelling Kids! I had no mold, A/C, room, food poisoning complaints, HOWEVER JUST AS I EXPERIENCED IN THE BAHIA, BED BUGS IN THE TULUM BUILDING and by 4th wakening with 100's of bites and reading other complaints similar, I knew it was bed bugs, not the rash from heat or ocean that some suggested. Funny enough the storm came in, so had to cover up anyways , however wanted to experience the Disco, but couldn't on Friday eve as I would have been a blown up mess of Itchy , inflamed bites, so that was a bust. I always am under the mentality of You just make due, or make the best of it. So yes I went to the hospital on site but they wanted to charge to just look at all the bites. So I took my allergy meds and had cortisone anti itch cream to get me through the next few days. I made a bed on couch, but after reading others with same complaint, I did go to management, they took pictures and reports were filled out, but I think as other establishments, it's all about the money. I know they are just renting that room out, because I took management to my room and he started using his cell flashlight in the broad sunlight to try and locate bed bugs. I was laughing telling him , you will NEVER FIND THEM, they hide in the fibers, only come out at night to bite anything hot and sweaty. It's like a zillion mosquito bites, not as bad but close. I asked him if they have a spray, as I showed him a picture of the can on BED BUG SPRAY I had bought after The Bahia, but he didn't use spray, I even said YOU HAVE TO HAVE RAID! Nope. So I said the only solution is to get rid of the mattress or take it out and fumigate it. I ended up going to some superior room for the night before I left and thank god no hitch hiking bed bugs, relief for that night. I have to say I do feel sorry for the guests who pay $4-$600. a night for the BIG rooms with 2 bathrooms, 3 decks, lr, dr, etc. Couldn't lock the sliding doors, room smelled like cigarette smoke, so had a headache the whole time. I would be miffed for sure. BEST PART WAS THE SNORKELLING! RIGHT FROM THE RESORT, AND LUCKY TO HAVE CAPTURED THE TORTUGAS. NATURALLY SAW THEM, but a warning of so many that do feed the Turtles so don't wear anything YELLOW OR GO NEAR THEM WITHOUT FOOD AS THEY DO BITE, Not their fault, but Guests that do this! Don't scream at the Turtles, just go to shore if you're freaked out. SCREAMING SHOULD BE BANNED. NO NEED TO SOUND LIKE YOURE BEING STABBED TO DEATH in such a pristine, breathtaking surroundings and with a blessed creature that's in it's natural habitat. Leave them Alone! A must do, but not if you're a scaredycat or sissy. Don't bother, your movements freak not only the wildlife out, but anyone that's around you. I won't return unless in a group as it is $500.-$1000. more Canadian then other resorts in area. It was worth it to experience and to swim with the Turtles. On to the next resort!

  Jun 21, 2025
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  disappointing

  I stayed at the Hotel Maya Beach. The entire Barceló complex is impressive, offering a wide range of activities and spaces to enjoy a holiday. However, the hotel itself falls short in terms of food quality and service. The food was not of good quality, and although there were themed restaurants, the same food was served from the buffet. Our room had a clogged bathtub, and the hand towel was not replenished. As for the staff, overall, we experienced poor service at the buffet and the pool bar. We were often ignored, sometimes waiting for over five minutes while staff remained in the storage area chatting amongst themselves. The only noteworthy service we received was at the Santa Fe restaurant, where Inovel Arcos provided an experience truly deserving of a five-star hotel.

  Jun 18, 2025
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  All inclusive except service at the front desk.

  Below average food, rude check in team. No interest in being helpful to requests. Felt like a bad cruise ship which is too bad as the property was very pretty. Front desk staff should be fired Will never do all inclusive at one of these again

  Jun 15, 2025
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  Terrible Staff, Dirty Rooms and Cruise Ship Food

  Terrible service! We arrived hungry to the resort and asked the front desk where we could get something to eat. A front desk staff member pointed and said go to the resort next door for a buffet. We walked in the hot sun only to be told that the buffet was closed. Hungry and with a headache, we went back to the front desk staff who tried to spend us back to the other resort. We refused and demanded that someone tell us where we could eat. Finally someone told us that the buffet in the resort was in fact open. No apology for spending us on a wild goose chase. Check-in is at 3pm but we waited over an hour and half for our room. They made no apology for the inconvenience. I spoke with the assistant front desk manager.She said the room is ready as though that was sufficient. The front desk and management are horrible and aren’t helpful at all. This is our first time here and definitely our last time! They don’t seem interested in helping the guests. This is a huge resort and getting around is difficult. The front desk didn’t offer to orient us to the resort or give us a map. Dinner reservations end at 3 pm but the front desk didn’t bother tell us as we waited hours in the lobby. We weren’t offered a welcome drink and had to ask for water. No refreshing towels to wipe your hands or champagne when you into the resort. We only found out about dinner reservations because we inquired of a bellman how do we make reservations. After failing to tell us about reservations, we were told we had to eat at the buffet! This staff absolutely doesn’t take pride in making guests happy. I asked to speak with the GM, Juan, but the staff refused to allow me to speak with him. The rooms are dated, dirty and straight out of the 1960’s. The rooms are 1star which matches the lack of service at the front desk. The floors are filthy in the rooms. There were no slippers, TV remote,or face towels in the room. I asked for slippers because the floors were too dirty to walk on barefoot. The food is like cruise ship food at best. There is no turn down service. If you are accustom to five star service, please don’t come here. The only reason we aren’t checking out and going to the Excellence Riviera, Joila Iberostar or Secrets Akumal is because we are here for a Joe Dispenza conference. Can’t wait to get out of this place! We are in Room 2171, if the GM is interested in contacting us.

  Jun 14, 2025
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  Superb

  We have travelled alot and this resort was absolutely stunning. The staff is very nice, attentive to all your needs, the cleanliness impeccable, the entertainment for the kids and adults is amazing; they have water slides, arcade, bowling, go carts and more; for the adults the casino, the shows, the disco and more. The food is amazing! They even have there own mall. The market with all kinds of artisan products is very nice. Definitely will be back again.

  Jun 14, 2025