TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This was the worst experience at a resort I have ever had. Staff was very rude and unprofessional. Our room was changed even after we called ahead of time for booking and paid extra for the upgraded room to make sure it wouldn’t happen. Instead when we arrived we were told all of us would need to squeeze in one room, and when we asked what could be done to fix this mess up they told us that they are not willing to do anything and it was our fault for booking there hotel because they will not guarantee any room and they can change it whenever they want. The entertainment team was great tho. But for the rest of the staff very rude and unprofessional. Food was honestly the worst food I have ever had minus the Japanese and steak out were good but otherwise I would recommend going to absolutely any other resort as this was a horrible experience. Our sheets in our room were stained and the first night they were covered in dirt and there was an ear plug in between our pillows. I do not recommend anyone stay at this hotel.

We just returned from a group trip with 17 people, and while the resort itself is beautiful and many of the staff—especially the bar and restaurant teams—were friendly and welcoming, we experienced two major issues that put a damper on our stay: the room assignment process and the guest services department. 1. Room Assignment Disaster We booked in June for a mid-November trip and only needed four rooms with double beds. Our travel agent submitted this request in writing six months in advance, and the resort confirmed it in writing as well. Despite this, three of those rooms were assigned as singles, and the check-in staff argued with us for nearly an hour instead of simply fixing the mistake. We were repeatedly told, “You can request two beds, but we don’t have to give them to you.” At one point, a staff member even told part of our group they could “sleep in the lobby all night and wait for a room,” which was incredibly rude and unprofessional. After insisting that the entire resort (and all nearby resorts) were fully booked, they suddenly “miraculously” found a cancellation and moved two women into a double room. Meanwhile, two men in our group were forced to share a bed the first night, and although one room was eventually corrected the next day, two brothers never received a new room at all and had to share a bed for the entire trip. For a large group booking planned months in advance, this was extremely disappointing. 2. Guest Services & À la Carte Reservations The guest services team was equally frustrating. Staff were rude, unhelpful, and often acted annoyed by even simple questions. Booking an à la carte felt impossible unless you were willing to tip. We were constantly told there was “nothing available” or only very late times, yet when we showed up two hours early to one restaurant, it was practically empty and seated us immediately. Throughout the week, we walked past multiple à la cartes and rarely saw them even half full. I even watched a guest services staff member tell another couple that nothing was available without checking her computer at all. They walked away just as frustrated as we were, which really reinforced the feeling that the system is intentionally restrictive unless you pay extra. Overall The resort grounds are gorgeous, the pools are amazing, and many staff members work incredibly hard to make guests feel welcome. But the check-in experience and guest services left a very negative impression—especially when you’ve spent months organizing a large group trip and trying to do everything properly in advance. With improvements in professionalism, transparency, and respect from the front-end staff, this could easily be a five-star experience. Unfortunately, those two major issues overshadowed everything else.

Even though we booked Colonial, we got moved to Barcelo Maya Beach without our consent and we only found out about it during check-in. We have kids so being at Colonial was really important to us. We explained that to the staff at front desk but they weren't willing to help and get us a room at Colonial. They also told us that both Hotel sections are the same which turns out not to be true as we found out the quality of food, room and even the shows were less at the Beach. As a result, we had to walk each day to Colonial with the kids to enjoy the services offered by Colonial. Something that would have been avoided if they wouldn't change guests' reservations without their consent.

Overall I enjoyed our stay at Barcelo Colonial. I like that the beach has lots of palm trees offering shades at all times during the day.

Please place signage on outside of the buildings to indicate the room numbers in that building. Also a paper map would be helpful.