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issues with Barcelo

have you or anyone you know had a terrible vacation with Barcelo?? I had issues with Barcelo Marina Palace in Varadero

15 years ago, February 1st 2009 No: 1 Msg: #61876 Delete Edit

sunluvr
sunluvr

B Posts: 1

I just got back from Varadero Monday Jan 26 and have to spead the word!!!! I have always heard good things about Cuba and I love the Caribbean so figured I would try it out this year. BIG MISTAKE!!!
I have already sent formal complaints to Barcelo Head Office (no replies yet), my tour operator and my travel agent. If you or anyone you know have been completely disgusted by Barcelo's standards (not the 4.5-5* experience I was expecting) please let me know. Also if anyone you know will be going to Varadero this year please update them with the possible issues. I will be posting a blog with the full details shortly but here's some of the details 😊
-if you have a food allergy be very careful, even with my spanish travel card (which worked fine in Spain btw) I had nothing but trouble.... be prepared to run into trouble getting help. Go straight to the PR person for the hotel and make them take care of the arrangements, bug them till they get it right!!
-broken sewage pipes that stunk up the resort
-cockroaches in rooms
-some guests went without power or water
-the worst drinks I've ever had anywhere!!!
-terrible food (I know the Caribbean isn't the best but this was TERRIBLE)
-staff working bars and restaurants/buffet have no hygiene
-inadequate lighting on pathways and no railings when there's a couple foot drop off the edge
That's just the tip of the iceberg check out the blog

thx

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15 years ago, February 4th 2009 No: 2 Msg: #62248 Delete Edit

deleted_109311
deleted_109311

d Posts: 5

I have had a major problem recommending any Barcelo property to my clients because they claim to be
all-inclusive resorts, but they have LIMITS on the number of times you can visit the better restaurants.

Almost every ALL INCLUSIVE resort that I have seen in 16 years of selling travel have had NO LIMITS on the number of times you can visit a restaurant during your stay.

For instance in Mexico, you get a "ticket" to go to the better restaurants for a pre-determined number of times based on the number of nights you are staying at the resort.

Example-Dinner at specialty restaurants "Brasseríe Palace”, “Rodizio Brasileño” and “Caribeño”. Reservation required, formal dress code and upon availability (7 night stay, 4 tickets at any of the restaurants, 4-6 night stay, 2 tickets given for either restaurant).

Please everyone BEWARE---If you want a TRUE ALL INCLUSIVE RESORT, WITHOUT LIMITATIONS, do NOT stay at Barcelo Resorts.
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14 years ago, March 13th 2010 No: 3 Msg: #106332 Delete Edit

enjoyyourself
no

N Posts: 1

Wow really. Your probably one of those extremely high maitnance people, enjoy your life of disapointment. I would go to extensive detail explaining why I loved the Barcelo resort I stayed at, but to sum up, it is the opposite of the above.

I loved it so much, I sought out a Barcelo resort for my second destination.

And the dinner limitations, well personally I think it works out perfect. Going to the full service resturaunts, eats up your night. Not because the service is so long, but because there is so many aspects to the dinner. Anyways, we did not even use all of our a'la carte's. We had other plans and couldn't do the fancy dinner every night. Though I have to say, going to the buffet instead was in no way a lesser meal.

I highly recommend Barcelo, I have stayed at many different resorts and anything Barcelo is usually in higher rank.

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12 years ago, May 20th 2011 No: 4 Msg: #136735 Delete Edit

jersygrl18
Jessica

N Posts: 2

I had issues. I was not thrilled with anything there. For one, a 45 minute check in was a tad much. No welcome drink as other hotels give you while waiting in line. Then, my request for double beds even confirmed via email frm the hotel ended up being one king size bed. The resort is way too big, and to walk all the way back to lobby to switch rooms was more of an inconvenience.

Then, they don't tell you the spa is on the other side of resort. (there are 5 separate hotels on the one property). I stayed at the palace delux, and to note it was not more delux than the others. The chairs at the other pools had blue cushioning on them and ours didn't. So much for delux.

The beach is nice but very rocky so be careful. There was no wait staff to be found at the pool, so swim to bar or walk to it since you'll never get a drink or a water otherwise.

I took a golf cart shuttle to spa and the driver crashed it! I went flying into the railing, ended up in ER with a sprained neck. Not until more than 5 hours later did I evn get an apology from a front desk manager.

The staff was not friendly, no smiling. Everyone seemed miserable who worked there, unlike other resorts I have stayed at. Down the street at Aventura Spa palace anyone you walked by always said hola and enjor you day. It almost got annoying, but there was not of that here at Barcelo.

We went for a friends wedding, and the wedding itself was nice. However bride said skip the hair and makeup, she ended up in tears doing it herself hours later.

All in all, the resort offered my 3 nights back at Barcelo in Riveria Maya for my accident and injuries. I would NEVER go back there, even for free.

Read reviews on trip advisor and other blogs, you'll find more negative than positive about this location. Believe me, all the reviews I read were for the most part on point.

I just sent my complaints out to corporate office in Spain via certified mail and email. Let's see where that takes me... Reply to this

12 years ago, February 22nd 2012 No: 5 Msg: #152219 Delete Edit

EMERGING
WIDO HOVILLE

N Posts: 2

Señor

Reading your comment (containing many mistakes) one gets the impression that you are a member of the Hotel Staff of the Barcelo Maya Beach Hotel.

We stayed there from 6 to 20th. February 2012 and had several problems with the Hotel (some of which which were fixed after complaning).

The hotel is far too big (for calm loving senior citizens) the buildings are too big (Coba) and loud during the night when the drunks come back from the disco.

There is no "night watch" no security in the buildings. The so called non-smoking buildings (Coba and one other Sayim) are "non enforced" locations. Chain Smokers are kings at the Maya Beach Hotel. One cannot sit on the balcony (or walk in the corridors) in a non smoking building without having a chain smoker next to you. Not to mention the lobby and the bars and the pools and the beach. We moved several times a day (on the beach and the pool areas) to get out of the Cigarette smoke. The hotel upgraded us to the club section because we could not sleep during the first 2 nights - Spanish and North American drunks and vandals kept us awake between 2 and 5 a..m. We stayed at a Barcelo in Punta Cana 7 years ago and it was a nice stay then. We learned our lesson this time one has to stay at a 5 Star hotel because the Maya Beach Deluxe Hotel is only 4.5 Stars and the Maya Beach Premium is 3.5 according to me. I am preparing a letter to the hotel general manager. But I believe that the Barcelo Spain Head Office does not really care. There are several issues with beach plastic pollution which are not taken care of. The hotel gardens are wonderful, the location is good the beach is rocky at some places. The problem is the "all inclusive formula" all included including the drunks and the vandals. During our stay some spanish drunk vandals sprayed Fire extinguisher liquid all over the floor in one of the buildings. In my view there is, That there is no supervision during the night (one employee of the front desk told me that the Hotel Management is too lax!). The Building Consierge comes at 9 a.m. and finishes at 5 p.m. It could be Paradise there but it needs organization and attention to details. Reply to this