Barceló Maya Palace - All Inclusive

Best vacation for a family. So clean and friendly, we'd definitely go back. The beds are the only thing I'd complain about at all.

Very nice resort to stay at! The food was good and the beer was free! There was an algae bloom while we were there so it was hard to enjoy the beach

It’s a great hotel to stay at but could use some minor improvements. The hotel grounds are very well maintained.

We had been looking forward to this vacation for months, choosing Barcelo Maya Palace specifically for its 5-star reputation. Though, when you select a resort of such caliber and are willing to pay thousands of dollars, you do so with the right to expect a certain level of quality and service on par with the rating it positions itself as. Unfortunately, this resort failed to meet many of the most basic hospitality standards. The Check-in: We arrived at noon after an exhausting early flight, yet were told our room wouldn’t be ready until 3:00 PM. While unfortunate, the primary issue arose when we asked where we could change and shower. The staff, instead of offering a convenience room (which they allegedly had as we found out later), had mentioned it not once, and suggested we change in the public restrooms and wash in the pool. To make matters worse, we were never escorted to our room, being left to haul our luggage whilst navigating the massive and unfamiliar complex on our own. As it turned out, we were not the only ones. When we finally found it, the keys hadn't been activated, for no one told us they had to be in the first place (all other resorts we have been to never had this necessity in the first place). We had to wander around looking for anyone who could help us get inside. This is simply not how a 5-star property should operate. Housekeeping: The housekeeping service did not do much to improve the situation. Our hopes that perhaps we just had an unlucky first day were shattered after our room was utterly ignored twice during our 7-day stay. On the first occasion, housekeeping arrived at 7:00 PM only after multiple calls to Guest Service, personal pleas to the concierge, and direct talks with the housekeeping staff. On our final night, the room wasn't cleaned at all as well. I eventually had to track down a staff member myself just to get clean towels for my family, not even bothering with the cleaning at all. Dining and Maintenance: The main buffet was rather mediocre and does not reflect the hotel's star rating. There is some choice, but it is not the most appetizing of selections, especially when a lot of the food is lukewarm. There is also no 24-hour snack bar, at least to our knowledge, and if you have an early departure, you'll be left hungry unless you pay for room service. Yes, room service comes at an additional cost, leaving the resort's "all inclusive" slogan open to debate. Furthermore, beach maintenance was poor, with seaweed often left uncleaned throughout the day (we only saw some apparent effort in the early morning). The Positives: On a positive note, the French and Seafood à la carte restaurants were excellent. The pools are large and clean, and the grounds of the Grand Barcelo are truly beautiful. Conclusion: While the property itself is lovely, the management and service are severely lacking. It was a stressful, dissapointing experience that felt like a waste of hard-earned money. For the first time in many years of traveling, we actually wanted to leave the resort early. If you expect true 5-star service, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere.

Our 13th return visit to our favorite resort! Everything was amazing as always, grounds, rooms, restaurants, but mostly the kindness of the staff and willingness to accommodate you has not changed in many years. The sad reality of the sargassum being the worst we have ever seen, kept us off the beach and in the adult pool (which we love anyway). The hotel workers were working night and day to keep it cleaned up, which was a losing proposition. They deserve much credit for their efforts!

Our dream resort in Mexico and the Caribbean's. We've been here 10 times over 20 years. Will do it again. Definitely a 5-star resort of this type. Great hotel, services, food, and staff.

Great resort, excellent staff, wonderful food. Fantastic pools. They have everything you need, so you never have to leave. The only downsides are that it took us 2 hours to get there on a shared ride from the airport. The bedsheets smelled like mildew.

The resort is great for families and groups

This resort was a great accessible resort! I use mobility aids (walker & mobility scooter) & had an accessible room. The room & bathroom was large with lots of space to maneuver around, a large tool in shower. The resort had a large accessible shuttle bus where I could drive my mobility scooter right up onto it. The pool had a shallow gradual slope that made getting in & out easy. The elevators were large, flooring through the hotel was smooth, the paths around the pool were rougher. The sand on the beach was mostly hard packed so I could use my mobility scooter on the beach. The only issue I had were the bathrooms around the resort, the main doors don’t have automatic door openers which made it difficult to get in & out of with assistance. Some of the bridges over the pools were steep but there were paths around them so you could avoid them. All the Staff were very friendly & attentive, great at their jobs. At guest services they always asked if there was anything I needed or anything the hotel could do to make my stay better. They helped me with my freezer packs for my medication to be able to travel home. The food was delicious, lots of variety & à la carte restaurants to choose from. We were able to make lots of reservations. There was always fresh baked bread, lots of fresh food stations like donuts, pasta, fish, tacos, different meats & Gluten free options at the buffet. they were very accommodating to food allergies at all the restaurants. Lots of different options for vegetarians. The pools were large, with a great swim up bar, lots of beds to lay in. Not a whole lot of shade so the shaded huts in the pool were awesome! I would highly recommend & want to go back already!

EL CIELO BAR! Leonardo CAAMAL & CONSUELO PEREZ THANK YOU SOO VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE & wonderful energy!! Cheers!