If you don't want to read the full review, in short, if your looking for a hotel in the price range of this one, I suggest paying an extra hundred bucks or so to test out a different one. Currently on day 4 of 10 here. It's alright , but there is a lot left to be desired. This was the one and only time I decided not to pack any basic toiletries such as lotion and conditioner thinking as it's a staple at all hotels but they do not have it here in the rooms, nor upon further request at the front desk do they provide it. The food is mediocre at best..quite repetitive and not much selection. If it was a 3 star resort I would say it's acceptable but for 4 stars I would have expected a lot more. Most of it is some form of over cooked slow cooked food lacking flavour and variety...no variety. Desserts are horrible and the same every night, extremely disappointing. There is no food allowed outside of the restaurants ie on the beach or poolside. Oh and no hot tub located on the premises. The service we have had from all the staff members has been very courteous no issues with that and the beach is wonderful. Nightly entertainment has been excellent. If it wasn't for that I probably would have given it 2 stars based on food alone.

Over all the place is beautiful. You can take the red bus #2 to market 28 which is a great place to shop and eat. The food was not hot the first couple of days but then got better. Over all the food is of poor quality. They make some strange salads. I suppose their trying to make it fancy but the reality is, it taste horrible. We ate out everyday. It's a shame since we paid all inclusive. A lot of people were eating out here. I seen the take out boxes. They have a lot of rules and as long as you follow them you're good but if you don't they are on you. The staff is friendly and accommodating. My room was cleaned daily and it was cleaned well. They have a few small gift shops inside the hotel. Kind of pricey. They have a pharmacy inside the hotel. My room was stunning with a double balcony over looking the ocean and 3 swimming pools. One pool is 18 and over only. You only have to be 18 to drink alcohol here. I've stayed in a few resorts and by far this is the worst food but the place is beautiful. They keep everything up. For myself I won't be back to this particular hotel because of the poor quality of food. The reviews about the food is all true.

Honestly one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve had. The hotel room itself was fine and the beach was nice. But for starters, everyone at the front desk I spoke to was rude and generally unhelpful, and there were a bunch of arbitrary rules that they were only willing to cave on when pressed - like you have to make a dinner reservation for their restaurants by 4pm, and you need a reservation to dine there, so if you check in after 4pm or didn’t know about the random rule, they act like you’re out of luck. We got a coveted reservation for the Mexican restaurant and 70% of the tables were empty. Which brings me to the food - at the Mexican restaurant some dishes were decent (though a long way to fall from eating at any normal restaurant outside of Cancun), but at the buffet everything was cold/lukewarm and generally questionable. It's an all inclusive, sure, but don't punish yourself by eating this hotel's barely edible food in a country with such amazing cuisine. We only stayed one night but the morning before we checked out I got horrendous food (or water) poisoning and spent the afternoon throwing up, and it took days after that to feel normal again. This was the worst way to end my two week trip around Mexico. I will say, everyone outside of the front desk I spoke to - the bellboys, our waiter, the pharmacist, the woman organizing covid tests - were all perfectly lovely and helpful. So at least there was that. I’ve stayed in hostels that serve better food; if you do stay here, do yourself a favor and eat elsewhere

Bars close early, some staff were straight rude. At times I felt like we were treated poorly because we're from the US. This was especially true about masks. We've been fine where we're from in the US without masks for over a year, no one mentioned any requirements before, until we were actually yelled at in one of the buffet restaurants. It wasn't a polite "do you have a mask," it was a forceful "you need mask!" Do you hand out extras? No, you have to buy them from the pharmacy. Also, the food in the general buffets was terrible. The only exception was breakfast. Omelets were good because we put in some type of cold cut meat in with it, and some cream cheese. The cappuccino was great. But man why couldn't we just get some good tacos for lunch and dinner? Only one outdoor bar open after 7pm, their attention is torn between you and the restaurant inside the door. Had a couple of maintenance issues in the room there was never any hot water, the switches for lighting were awkward. For the money, I've stayed at two other places in the hotel zone that were better in every way. Sorry Occidental, we won't be coming back.

Very happy with this trip so far. It’s good value for what you pay. Beautiful beaches, delicious food with abundant variety, and excellent service. Fully loaded mini fridge in each room. The main suggestions I have are to provide beach umbrellas, and to update the rooms. Other resorts have beach umbrellas why is it $20 daily to rent one here? The rooms are also a bit shabby in that there are cracks in the bathroom tiles, mold, and dirt between the tiles on the ground. However, they do a very detailed cleaning including sheet change daily and that is appreciated. Overall I would come back again. Please provide beach umbrellas!

This hotel is a bit older but right on the beach. Check in was fast - check out not so much. The rooms are average (bed was super comfy) and the pools are nice. Wait staff are good - polite, attentive and fast. Food at the buffets became repetitive really fast (to be expected) and the food was almost always room temperature never hot. The Italian restaurant was the same with the exception of the made to order pasta. The seafood restaurant, however, was excellent - tasty, hot and excellent service. In addition to cold food, we had no hot water during our entire 2 week stay and no water pressure for 3 days (thankfully they fixed that). The final disappointment - which had nothing to do with the hotel, was the vast amount of seaweed that made swimming a hard no. Overall - we had a good time and we are satisfied but paid way too much for what we got. Won't be returning but for a combination of reasons. Not a bad resort but we have had better experiences at lower rated resorts.

I only purchased a day pass. By far I've never felt so welcomed! Agustin! You're service and welcoming attention toward a customer is far exceeding any experience I've had! If I could box you up and take you home... chef's kiss! I can't wait til 2024 when I return and I will be booking here. If it's how you treat day passes I can't wait to see how I'm treated as an actual guest. Please make sure that he is made aware that his service is impeccable.

My parents decided to try this resort out for our birthdays this year. They are at the top of the timeshare status, next level is the yacht which my mom doesn’t like, and even though they had a premium club, it didn’t feel as such. They had to ask for things they’re entitled too which wasn’t the case at other Barcelo resorts, which makes them fall short. They need to train their employees on what is expected of their guests of this standard. Other than that, the beach is the main attraction here. Food was okay. I think they make it for the tastebuds of people who don’t know anything of spices. Stick to cooking your food the way you would enjoy it!

It's alright for the price but I would definitely recommend spending a bit more for a nicer experience and a better vacation. Other than few staff, the hotel and most of the staff don't seem to care much about the guests and also try to push guests to buy time shares. - Not sure about the other rooms, but the one we stayed in need some renovation (as shown in the pictures). Didn't expect stains on furtinutes from a 4 star resort. - Food: the WORST food I've experienced at a 4 star resort. Not much flavor. Expected much more from Mexican chefs where flavors are plentiful. Breakfast is okay, lunch is tolerable, but dinner is a complete hit or miss. AVOID the buffet when they have the oriental menu for dinner. Just terrible. Caribbean dinner menu is the best. Mexican menu is alright. Ironically soup is the best thing on the Mexican menu. Seafood where you have to make a reservation is alright. That's the other thing. If I'm on vacation why would I want to wake up at 7:30AM to make a reservation? Why couldn't it be online or over phone? - Drinks: are good and bartenders are friendly and fun Cleanliness: is good and the room service folks do a great job or tidying up the room. They deserve all the tips guest give them. Overall okay, but expected much better experience from a 4 star resort. Unless they do some upgrade and care about their guests more better off paying a bit more and having a better experience. You're already spending the money. Might as well get the most out of it

Check in is at 3. They told us 10 min until it was ready and said we could eat at the buffet restaurant. We get into the buffet line and immediately get yelled at because we aren't wearing a mask. There was no signage anywhere outside the doors and the only place that states it are 2 small placards next to the food. I ask where can I get a mask and they had to be purchased in the pharmacy. We checked on our room again and they say 30 minutes. We weren't able to get in our room until 5pm. It never got better. The front desk staff was never friendly, we never were explained what to do or told anything including the fact all the information is on a qr code. There are 2 restaurants you need to make reservations for and have to be down at 730 at a desk next to the bar to make them. At 7:35 they are somehow all gone. We were able to get seating for 1 night and there was just the 4 of us in the entire restaurant for an hour. The buffet food was the same everyday and got old very fast since there wasnt a large selection. There was a private party here as well so we never got to be in the relaxing pool. It was constantly blaring loud music all day so even in the adult pool and during a massage, there was never any quiet. The only reason it gets 2 stars is the lobby bar staff and adult pool bar staff were always friendly. They answered any questions we had and helped us out far more than any of our many trips to the front desk. This was my 3rd trip to Cancun and this was by far the worst hotel and just the most awful experience.

My wife and I stayed here for 9 days in January 2013. The GOOD: service is good, everyone are polite (though not always English-speaking). Nice amenities include three pools. The SO-SO: the ocean here is much more wavy than at their sister branch Occidental Costa a few km down. Most days, we had a red flag for swimming here - but not there. The food was adequate - great at the restaurants you have to book, and so-so at the buffet. The drinks - alcoholic and otherwise are bad. All are way over sweetened (apart from those in the booked restaurants). Checking out is incredibly slow - leave ample time before your flight. All in all, we enjoyed our stay, but wish drinks and food would be better.

3 star hotel at its best, nothing more. Food is terrible, the rooms are outdated. Service of restaurant staff is great, front desk is the worst. Beware of the concierge scam - they’ll pull you aside and make it seem like they’re telling you about the city. Then they’ll offer to give you a free bottle of alcohol and tote bag for your trip. You need to put a $20 deposit down which is refundable the next morning when they give you the tote bag. However at no point in the interaction did he mention it’s a 90 minute mandatory presentation to sit through till the very end and then you’d get the tote bag and $20 back. If you value your time, not worth it. If you have 90 minutes to spare, go for it. The pool facilities were great, good location, decent bartenders. The food is simply terrible, probably the worst

The location is amazing, the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The hotel was spacious and our room facing the ocean was also nice. There is enough space for your luggage, beds were comfortable and the bathroom was clean (the room as well). Air conditioning was a little too much for us, but we were there in February. Service is okay, and the food as well, however it can be a bit repetitive if you spend a long time there. The seafood restaurant was superb. If you are looking for a hotel with good value for money, this is a good choice.

This is my second time to Mexico and an all inclusive. I really like the beach front property. Food was mediocre (3/5), room needed some attention (2/5), hotel staff was friendly (4/5), management was not the best at fixing issues (2/5). For an all inclusive I feel it should perform as such, and I feel it did not meet up to its potential. Good staff, but long wait times, loitering until rooms are ready, waiting for transfers, for food, drinks, etc. I did go to a 4.5/5.0 Star my first time to Mexico, so I will admit I was spoiled with all the trimmings. If you’re looking for a family getaway and a nice time with friends, this is a good option for sure. If you have experienced the higher rated resorts, this might not be the first choice. Hope this helps fellow travellers! Enjoy your vacation!

Although you pay for all inclusive service, you are constantly being pushed for more sales while at the resort. If you are not a member of their VIP group, you will get bad service. They are very pushy for their membership package, and lied to us to lure us into a 90 minute sales presentation and were rude when we declined their offer at the end of the presentation. The food is honestly not good. The drinks are also not good - you get the cheap liquor if you're not a member and they just mix it with sugar syrups... You also even have to pay to use the pool table, etc... But the pools are nice!

Love this place!! It’s a comparably quiet place compared to other beaches in my experience and the price is really good! The food could be better and there could be more entertainment on site but it was fun nonetheless. The cleanliness was good overall and the service was very friendly. The hotel room is in need of a more modern update but it was in good shape and the beds were comfortable. Would recommend for people on a budget and looking for a quiet getaway.

Excellent resort. Wonderful views of the beach and great crew to keep the fun going. Although the buffet was a bit on the smaller side, the quality was great. As mentioned before,the crew at the pool did a good job keeping you engaged and went out of their way to make sure you had a good time. And lastly the views of the beach were amazing, it feels photoshopped even when you’re standing their in real life. Unbelievably beautiful!

This resort is great if you’re on a budget. The food could be more diverse. They served the same things at the buffets everyday. There’s a little snack bar open until about 2 am. The lobby bar opens from 11 am - 11 pm. It’s a nice quiet small resort. Not much to do on the resort but there’s a little mall across the street and another mall a short walk away. The beach was very clean and staff were very helpful and nice. I had a decent stay, but if you’re looking for a luxurious resort probably best to spend a little more money for something nicer.

The good... 1. the ocean was beautiful 2. the beach was clean of trash and seaweed 3. pools were nice, not super fancy but there were several to pick from 4. staff was very willing to help and was always prompt and attentive The bad... 1. the room was in bad condition. it should have been updated and remodeled 10 years ago. definitely not luxury, more motel 6 quality 2. the food was poor!!! most items on the buffet were gross. even the breakfast was bad. somehow they screwed up eggs. the Italian restaurant was terrible. we went hungry that night after tasting the low grade quality of food. I complained to the management and they claimed that they had no head chef currently. this resort had much bigger issues with food than a missing head chef could account for. 3. the premier upgrade was worthless. we checked in and out in a separate room, we also had to make restaurant reservations (which we were told was not necessary with the premier), there was no upgrade in drinks. we did get free room service so we saved the $7 charge there, not worth it at all

The biggest advantage of this place is it's location. Right next to a beautiful beach with an amazing view. The beach itself is clean, there are sunbeds available. Pools seem to be fine too, as they overlook the beach. Bars are just nearby, so you can grab something to drink at your convenience. Sadly, that's it. Standard room is quite spacious with comfy beds, but cleanliness of the room could be better. Food is served all around the clock, but it's quality is way below of what I have expected. There are some tasty bites but you have to look for them. Most of it is very mediocre, almost at the point of inedible. Average variety. The bartenders do good drinks, so you can cheer yourself up with them. To sum it up, I'd not stay here again.

There is a huge lack of communication in this resort. The food is ALWAYS cold. The location is beautiful and some of the staff are friendlier than most. I would like to say Mariam (room service and bar) is one of their best employees. She is attentive and truly cares about your experience. As a member, the lack of making sure your stay was perfect was forgotten by the attempts to upsell. We lacked hot water for over 12 hours and no one followed up to ensure we could take a shower. The entertainment staff definitely tried to make you feel welcome and got you involved. They could use a little more variety in the activities but overall a great staff. The premium club...what a joke! Not only did they not have top shelf liquor as promised their waters were warm. They were super busy and having more than one staff member to assist your owners would be beneficial. I'm giving this a 3 star review for the location, Mariam, and the entertainment staff.

The staff and the common areas at the hotel were great. The food in the buffet was average and seemed to repeat itself. The grill area were the omelettes were made is located right in the middle of the buffet line which causes a great deal of delays. It needs to be relocated to an area outside the line. While the deserts were pretty to look at, they had no taste. It would be nice if you were provided some information about the hotel at check in. Such things as to how to make a reservation at the restaurants, when they were open, as well as other activities and events. They want you to set through a sales pitch on their premium level offerings as well as time share offerings in order to receive this info. As stated previously, the common areas were nice and clean. The room we stayed in needed some TLC. The bathroom was well worn as was the rest of the room. The TV did not work nor did the phone. I rated the hotel a four because of the common areas and the staff, they were great.

Pros: This resort is beautiful, very clean, and has amazing staff that provide top notch service. The entertainment was great 4 out of the 6 nights which was nice to have something to do in the evenings. The activity staff by the pool are really fun also. I got a free massage with my reservation and the Spa has a lovely ambiance, with professional and skilled therapists. There is a bus stop in front of the hotel so it's easy to take the public bus to get around to the market, ferry terminal, museum, etc. Cons: My family and I felt that the food was poor quality overall even at the restaurants that weren't buffets. The Mexican restaurant had terrible food which was disappointing since we were in Mexico and I expected it to be the best. The beds were very hard in our room also, and my back ached each morning.

This resort was quite nice however there were a few things that prevented the 5 star review. First the good : Premium room which was huge and very accessible to the beach and pool. Had its own pool chairs, mini fridge and was definitely an above average room Premium services such as use of premium lounge and premium alcohol Very good seafood and Mexican speciality restaurants Pools were nice and always had space. No problems getting a pool chair. Excellent location and beach The not so good: Buffet food at breakfast and lunch could have more options, food didn’t taste very fresh here Took a while to get drinks at the bar Sometimes they couldn’t make certain drinks The lobby bar was packed to the point where you couldn’t get a drink past 9pm Not much happens after 11 at the resort Could have more entertainment options

When you come here go to the adult pool and go see Ishmael! He is the best. He we definitely take care of you and make you laugh! Most of the staff here are really good! Please tip the folks who don’t wait on you like the people responsible for getting the pool ready,cleaning up etc. the do a great job as well! The shows are good and the pool parties are fun! Enjoy😊

It's a great place and I would recommend to just about anyone. The room's could use some detailing and the refrigerator in our room didn't work to well. With 3 cafeteria's / dining rooms, they did have a large variety of food to choose from. The staff however were ridiculously polite and very friendly.

For my first time out in Cancun it was an okay hotel not the best. The staff is friendly & has great customer service. The food is not that good, it could defiantly be better. The rooms are described different online than when you get here. Rooms are a bit dirty & have stains all around stuff. We had tiny roaches in our room & other bugs. I recommend to waste a little more $$ to get better hotel. Overall, we had a good time exploring out here in Cancun, but will get a better hotel.

The hotel is big and in a decent location next to a beautiful beach and you can take an inexpensive bus ride to the club's zone. The booze and breakfast included was good. They had decent free shows and games by the pool. My only complaint is the "Mexican food" they serve. Is not authentic or good. Even the fancy Mexican restaurant they have on site is fake Mexican cooking. Sad to see many tourist eat that and think that's what Mexican food is. If you want the real thing step away from ALL the tourist spots and into where the locals eat. The mini mall across the street has a bank that exchanges money at a honest rate. I had a good time and recommended it, would stay again.

So....I'm actually here right now laying by the adult pool in the sun. I was a little leary of this place based o. the reviews. Staff is excellent, very friendly and willing to go the extra mile. Resort is very clean, so I don't understand what the people were referring to in the reviews. It is an older resort and a little dated but our room is spotless. The maid service has our room cleaned by 11am. Hats off to the housekeeping ( Please tip them ) Nothing negative except the food is mediocre at best. No alacart restaurants and menu seems to be the same everyday 😕. We are only here for 4 days and there are plenty of fantastic restaurants in walking distance. Would I return ? Yes ! It's a great place for a short trip,and for what we paid I would definitely return !!! Don't listen to the negative. This place is clean and fun. Food is the only negative.

I visited last week, paid for a beach front double room with a king bed. Instead, I got a double bed room and when I inquired about it was not available and if I wanted a different room, I needed to drop my luggage at 11am in the front and waste my time until they could get me the correct room option at 4pm. Also, the balcony is nice but I can only see the sea standing up. The balconies are enclosed by walls, so I did not get the full experience I was looking for. I also did not like the lack of privacy in the room. If I would have travel with a friend or my kids, I would have have to kick them out of the room to take a shower. Bathrooms should be fully enclosed. Location is ok and food is decent.

The one thing that stands out the most is the Great staff, we had water leak in our ceiling and as soon as we told the front desk they were on it. They came in fixed the leak immediately and offered their apologies and did it with a smile. The buffet omelette's are amazing and so are the croissants very fresh. When sitting at the pool the staff is very attentive and assured we were always taken care of. The rooms are not great but the beds are super comfortable. We came with a big party and when we were making reservations for dinner the lady always made sure to accommodate us and she went that extra mile to sure we were happy. Thank you had an amazing time while visiting Cancun.

I am currently a barcelo unique member (which in all honesty it means nothing) I have been to several barcelo hotels around the country and I have visited this hotel 3 times. I was shocked with the experience we had this visit. We arrived at 11am with the unique level you are permitted to have an early check in if available. Unfortunately our room was still being cleaned but they did not check us in until 4pm which was an hour after regular check in time. Please keep in mind this hotel is a family hotel. NO MUSIC at the ADULT ONLY pool. At the family pool which was filled with kids , they had the DJ playing bad bunny & other Spanish music (a little too much for kids) everyone in the adult pool was complaining because we had no entertainment. The food was mediocre. The lines for the pasta were so long when I got to the front of the line the chef left the chicken on the stove for so long that it was burnt. Everyone was kind, but the service was sooo slow. I’m not sure if it’s because workers are underpaid but something must have changed from prior years. I was also promised so many amenities and gifts because of my birthday that were never provided. We will not be returning & I am disappointed that I chose this hotel for my birthday and graduation celebration.

Excellent service and fine hotel. Because live music every night at the open lobby bar it's almost impossible to sleep before 24:00 hours when the guest's leave on also a noisy way. During the day always loud music at one of the pools which you hear all over the garden.

Our expectations were not high to begin with, recognizing you get what you pay for and $1,000 per person for five days is cheap. However, when you can’t live up to just the basics, it’s a problem. 1). Housekeeping didn’t clean our room or swap towels the first three days we were there. We had to call daily. 2). Honesty. Reservations for two on-site restaurants requiring them is impossible. You’re instructed to make them daily starting at 7am and can only make them on that day. Yet, at 7am, it’s booked full. Plan on eating the same exact, average food day after day after day after day after day after day in the buffets. 3). Honesty (again). Like food reservations, honesty also isn’t prevalent with spa reservations. I was lied to, right to my face, and told I changed our massage time on the Sunday we had booked. I had wrote it down for her and made sure she wrote it in her booklet on the correct day at the correct time (so NO communication issues). We show up to find she erased our original reservation and pushed us back an hour. Clearly, they bump you for people who either bribe them or paid for a higher travel package. We will not be back. I’d recommend you consider somewhere else also.

The staff was amazing (Bartenders and restaurant staff). They went over and beyond to help make our stay enjoyable. Hotel Location is great! That’s where the good experience ends! The Room décor and furniture are old. The shower tile wall and door were in disrepair. There were LONG lines for the Buffet for breakfast every morning. Food was just ok. The lunch/dinner buffet were bland and didn’t have good food options .The have 3 restaurants that require reservations… you must reserve by 7:30am, which I’d like to sleep in on my vacation.. by 9am all restaurants were booked. OK What can I say about the TIMESHARE REPS!!! Wow, I was there in October and was sold on the NEW member trial package. Well, Too good to be true! they pulled the old bait and switch. I GOT SCAMMED - DO NOT TRUST THEM!!!!! They “sold me the “villa”. When I checked in they gave me a standard room!!!! I asked to speak to the sales manager & rep (Sergio and Ditmar) that “sold” me that trial Membership… They were nowhere to be found. The sales staff were not accommodating at all! I’m considering filing a lawsuit. We have a BIG special event at the resort (over 50 people). The reception dinner (service) was awful, servers were very unorganized. The entertainment DJ service the resort recommended was very unprofessional, poor communication. . Our guest had all sorts of issues. No AC in their rooms, No HOT water, Leaking ceiling and Bugs in their room! For the money were spent, My family and guest are very disappointed! We tried to make the best of it and not let it ruin our special event and our vacation!

The rooms need to be updated. The toilet seat in my room needed a screw to stop it from shifting around and the shower head didn't spray water more than a foot because it needed to be replaced. The food was fine, nothing fancy. There were plenty of hot options so I'm not sure why so many reviews say there was only cold food, perhaps they changed something recently. The hotel has a lot of small rules that make it feel annoying to stay there. Can't leave in your airport shuttle without handing in your bracelet and getting a checkout ticket. The beach has no umbrellas on it and the small palm trees there offer little to no shade. There's no entertainment at this hotel either. Other than some employees at the pool having guests play some games nothing is ever happening. There is a theater in the hotel but I never saw any mention of shows being played there. Overall this hotel feels like it has an owner that is trying to nickel and dime everything, which is a shame because it's in a great location. The mall is right there with a big supermarket inside and the beach is very walkable.

Hotel is only a 20 minute taxi from the airport. Regular rooms do not have balconies and definitely ask for the ocean view. The beds are comfortable and the showers are great after a long day at the pool. The views at this resort are breathtaking. You can walk for miles on the white sand beach. We enjoyed the ocean and the pools to cool off. There is a mall only a block away or you can take the bus to the market for only a couple of dollars. Staff is amazing!! Louis in the upstairs buffet is so friendly and we looked forward to seeing him at lunch. Evilly from the lounge is so funny and always kept us laughing. Agustin thank you for making my birthday supper so special! I would recommend this hotel!

The location is excellent! Everything is kept very clean! We really enjoyed the variety of good food in the restaurants and buffets, as well as the 24 hour snack bar! The help yourself soft ice cream was a hit! All of the staff are very friendly and helpful!!!