We visited the Barceló Maya Beach Resort in April 2008. I was with a group that included 5 adults and 4 children, ages 2, 7, 9 & 12. Overall, we had a fantastic time!

Check-In – A breeze for us. We were in our room within 20 minutes of arriving at the resort. I had requested that all three rooms within our group were close to each other…two were directly across the hall from each other, and the 3rd room was in the same building, not far away.

Rooms – Perfectly Fine. We had two double beds, two comfy armchairs, a nice sized television, a large closet and a large bathroom. The bathroom had a tub/shower combo with a deep tub, shampoo & body wash dispenser (no conditioner) and a hair dryer. There was a small safe in the closet, along with 2 pairs of slippers and 2 robes. There was an alarm clock in the room. There was also a mini-fridge which got restocked every day. There are extra pillows in the closet, along with thinner blankets if you don’t want to use the comforters. Our room was on the 1st floor with a patio. All rooms have either a patio or a balcony. There was also a ceiling fan.

Pools – Great. We hung out mainly by the Beach pool, although you can go to the Caribe pool, Colonial pool and the Tropical pool if you wish. The Beach pool was three-sections, one section had a water-volleyball net and had activities throughout the day, the middle section was quiet, and the 3rd section was where the large cold-water Jacuzzi was located. This section also had the swim-up bar. They also did activities in this section throughout the day. There were plenty of chairs to choose from and plenty of shade options.

Beach – The beach in front of the Beach/Caribe section was great. PLENTY of chairs any time of day. Lots of palm trees to provide shade if needed. Again, you can use the beach in front of the Colonial/Tropical section as well, but we did not.

Food – Good. There is a total of 4 buffets to choose from; Beach, Caribe, Colonial & Tropical. We ate only at the Beach and Caribe buffet. They were identical, same set-up, same food. The food was good. Everyone was always able to find something to eat at every meal. There were also two Beach Snack Areas, where we had lunch. Similar to the Buffet food, but not as large of a variety. However, this is where the Ice Cream Machine is located. The kids LOVED getting 4…5…6… ice cream cones a day! We had reservations for one of the a la carte restaurants, but we ended up cancelling (we went into town that night instead). We were only able to get a 9PM reservation??

Service – Good. With the exception of the bars. Everyone we passed always had a smile and an “Hola” for us. Everywhere. However…the bar service, particularly at the Swim-Up Bar and the Theatre Bar were EXTREMELY slow. Thank goodness for the Bubba Keg…it limited how many times we had to make trips to the bar! FYI…they serve drinks mostly in the 8-oz plastic cups. By the time you got your drink and walked back to your pool chair, the drink was gone. My 32-oz Bubba Keg took care of that dilemma! And the service at the night at the Theatre bar was also extremely slow…sometimes waiting up to 20 minutes to get a drink! Even when tipping BIG!

Activities – The kids I were with had no interest in the Kids Club. I don’t think it was anything to do with the Kids Club, they just wanted to stay by their Awesome Aunt (me) that they don’t get to see very often! There’s tennis courts, mini-golf, pitch-n-putt, archery, ping-pong, basketball, giant life-size chess board, a playground, an area with pool slides for kids…so much to do our kids were not bored. You could also paint pottery, take Spanish Lessons, do water aerobics, play a game of volleyball, do yoga, learn to Salsa Dance…always something going on. You can choose to participate or not, and not get pressured if you just wanted to relax and enjoy the view.

Overall – A really great trip. I would recommend this resort for anyone looking to have fun, relax, play some games, just generally have a good time. I would definitely consider this resort for another trip.

Tips – Cab fare between the resort and the town of Playa del Carmen is $18USD each way. Bring a Bubba Keg! Don’t loose your pool towels…it’s $20USD if you do. Book you’re a la carte reservations ASAP. If you THINK you may want a float, bring it from home rather than pay $20USD in the gift shop for one. Bring more sunblock then you think you’ll need. And don’t forget that After Sun Aloe Vera Gel! If you want to get a massage…you need cash. No credit cards, no charging it to your room account. CASH. Who cares what your hair looks like! The humidity will mess it up anyways!! Relax…and remember…you’re on vacation!