Maxine Simon
My recent stay at Barceló Maya Beach in Playa del Carmen was nothing short of phenomenal. This was my second time visiting—my first was in 2024 for a wedding, and this return trip, from May 22 to May 28, was to celebrate my 50th birthday with friends and family. I can truly say this experience exceeded all expectations.
From the moment I checked in to the day I checked out, everything was seamless and welcoming. I stayed in the Premium Level, where I had the pleasure of meeting two amazing staff members, Stephany and Marianna. They were consistently supportive, attentive, and genuinely kind throughout my stay.
Coordinating a group of 24 guests can be challenging, but the staff made it feel effortless. Every guest was greeted with warm smiles and refreshing welcome drinks, setting the tone for an incredible experience. The level of hospitality at this resort is truly top-tier.
I would like to give special recognition to Arturo Salgado and Julio Castellanos
They are both managers whom exemplify excellence in customer service. Their entire management team exemplifies outstanding service. A heartfelt thank you as well to my event planner, Christian Mendoza whose dedication and attention to detail helped bring my birthday celebration to life. With the support of Natalie and the team, they created an unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever.
From the restaurants, La Trattoria and the Mexican restaurant were all excellent. The lunch Resturant at Captain Morgan, and Maya Tropical breakfast spot, and others were wonderful accommodations our large party . To every staff member we encountered, everyone played a role in making this celebration so special. The resort grounds were always clean, beautifully maintained, and inviting.
We also enjoyed dining at both the Italian and Mexican restaurants, which were excellent and accommodating for our group. Every detail, from service to atmosphere, was exceptional.
To Ron in the Transportation Department thanks for organizing my guest list airport travel.
I feel incredibly blessed and grateful to have shared this milestone birthday with such wonderful people at such an amazing resort. Finally a special heart felt thank You to Estheer Morales who helped me through this journey. Your kindness and compassion and customer service makes Barceló Maya Beach truly holds a special place in my heart, and I look forward to returning again.
Martin Tolentino
Wow! What a phenomenal resort. On top of the amazing premium room and beautiful well kept resort the service in the buffet is wonderful. Fidelio and Selene are incredible. Selene is always on top of her game and offers amazing service. She knew all of my families names and her and Fidelio would always greet us with a smile. Before I would even sit down my latte and juice would be waiting for me. I would never have to ask for a second one because Selene could read my
mind. Fabulous 5 star service. We will definitely be back.
Miranda Brown
Mexico lindo - Gustavo odorio was great! Thankful for his service and his recommendations on food. Service was great! Tacos appetizers were great. Green sauce was spicy so only order if you like spicy, but it was good in small amounts. The steak was great. Corn soup and tortilla soup was just average.
Linda Chisholm
Recently returned from a 7 day stay at the resort. The entire resort is well maintained and very clean. Staff is friendly but few understand the English language. Used my google translator. Once the resort is figured out , it is very easy to move about. There are many maps of the whole resort around but because it is so large, the map is difficult to read. People with walk Issues may encounter difficulties getting around. The bus going throughout is a lifesaver but still lots of walking.
I would not rate this resort as a 5 Star for a number of reasons. The beach is the worst I’ve ever encountered. The water was beautiful but the ocean floor is uneven and extremely difficult to get in and out. Pools were beautiful.
The buffet food was okay for a day or 2 but the same food each day. They use so much pasta in different forms and I was disappointed to see the pizza crust came from a bag. Eating gluten free was extremely hard.
The Bandit buffet is better than the larger buffet but not open in the evening. Stokers lounge offers a small menu and we found chicken wings here.
Jpel
Awesome experience!
Our 3rd visit in 3 years and would definitely return again.
The rooms were VERY nice, big and clean, with keys built into your wristband. The room fridge was stocked every day with beer, soda and water. It also had a coffee maker. We got chocolate treats a few times at bed time, a nice touch!
The restaurant reservation system was very quick and easy. The a la carte restaurants were great! Super service, excellent food and really nice bars outside each one for a pre-dinner drink. We really liked the Italian and Steakhouse meals, and the Japanese had a fun show/meal experience. The buffets were also pretty good with tons of choices, we never got bored of the food. The breakfast buffets were good, but it was the only time I thought the service was hit-or-miss (not always great).
The pool and beach areas are HUGE, well maintained/cleaned, and tons of chairs. If you want to get away and relax, there is an adults-only quiet pool. It has a bar and bathrooms, and additionally you can rent a covered daybed, if desired. Good wifi throughout.
There are lots of pool bars for adults. For the kids there are several huge pools specifically for them with slides and play areas, they looked like perfect fun. The bars all readily handed out big plastic water bottles, handy to maintain hydration.
There are a ton of things to do, as this property is quite large. At the Mall there is a sports bar with a large screen theater for watching big events (we saw a playoff game). The food there is quite good also. There is also bowling (fee) and a free putt-putt course. Beach volleyball everyday was good (a court at each resort). There is a HUGE gym with nice equipment. The Entertainment staff does a good job providing some fun/entertaining games.
Snorkeling/swimming with the sea turtles (and fish) is super cool. They are found at the Palace resort straight out from the volleyball area. The turtles are there every day, this is my wife's favorite experience every time we go here. There is also a pier near the dolphin area that has schools of fish all around the end. Of coarse there are lots of additional wildlife like iguanas and birds, but we saw spider monkeys several times around the buffet building at the Beach Resort ... that was pretty neat.
As stated before, the complex is super huge so be prepared to walk a bit if you want to explore/experience the whole thing. However they do have buses that continuously travel between all the resort areas, and they are double-decker so it can be a fun way to look around.
