Barceló Maya Riviera - All Inclusive Adults only — Hotel in Quintana Roo

Let me start by saying...this was our first time staying at an AI resort and also our first time in Mexico. I was a bit in shock when it came to the scenery on the hour drive from the cancun airport to the resort. Very dirty and dilapidated..however, we were warned about this ahead of time. We had a 15 hour travel day to get there and our rental car situation upon arrival was a mess so we didn't even get to the resort until after midnight. The man at the guard shack/entry gates spoke little to no English but kept telling us that we were not on the list of people with reservations. After 15 minutes or so, he handed us the ENTIRE LIST of names and we found that the put my first name as my last name. He finally allowed us in.

Let me tell you...the hotel itself is beautiful. Very modern. Minimalist and calming. Our swim up suite was large and very functional. We did get the premium as part of our room so we took full advantage of our room service. The entire week we stayed, we heard nearly nothing when in our room. Very quiet.

I was surprised at how far it was for us to walk from our room to..everything. I feel like the design was not very well thought out. Maybe they should offer guests on the far end access to small golf carts when they upgrade to premium or something? It became quite the task, having to huff it 15 minutes in the heat to get to restaurants etc.

Some of the staff was VERY...unfriendly. we called the front desk a few times (they never refilled our shampoo and conditioner, so it ran out - needed more towels, etc) and they almost always seemed annoyed when coming to the door. Also, why would you not require bi lingual staff at a resort where so many Americans frequent?

Our 18 year old kids were staying at the palace building but popped over to Riviera to see us and an employee stopped them, asked to see their bracelet and began telling them they needed to leave and didn't belong on Rivera property. This bothered me because WE were paying guests and our kids are adults. Its not as if they slept in our room. They were not loud. They did not eat at Riviera. Why was this necessary? Our kids were actually scared to come see us for the rest of the trip so we spent a lot of time at their building after that.

What is the deal with the plates there? We ordered room service and were questioned on 2 different occasions about how many people were eating (just two) because we ordered 2 sandwiches and chicken strips plus a slice of cheesecake. Variety is the spice of life and we weren't told about any room service limits. Within 10 minutes of the food being delivered...someone was knocking on our door (even let themselves in our room once because we were in our hot tub and didnt hear them knock) to collect plates from us. We had barely even started eating the food. THEN on our last afternoon there, we walked to the buffet to make ourselves a few cappuccinos. The cups are TINY..4 ounces maybe?. So we made 6, 3 for each of us. These were piping hot. Burning our fingers. So we grabbed a buffet plate and set the cups on the plate to carry back to our room. A buffet employee followed us outside to tell us (in very broken English) that we couldn't take the plate. We asked if she had a box that we could carry the cups in and she shrugged, shaking her head. We asked here again if we could just run them to our room and we would bring the plate right back. She held out her hand and motioned for us to give her the plate, shaking her head.

The food was sub-par. Dolce Vita was ok. Sapporo was good but nothing to write home about. They charged us $20 for one can of Sapporo beer with our dinner. The Brassiere at the Palace was EXCELLENT. Our server, Reyi Campos, was literally the BEST service we got all week. He definitely ended our trip on a high note! We tried 4 different buffets and all of them were mediocre, at best. Half of the food I grabbed for breakfast on our last morning was completely inedible. Either rock hard or rubbery. Very little flavor across the board. I loved the more natural flavors...

Let me start out that we have been to the Barcelo Maya Rivera 3 previous times (once with friends for a wedding and twice for vacation). We love this place but have not been here in 3 years.

Our first day here (Monday) that evening after spending the day at the pool and getting ready to go to dinner. We tried to take showers, but the shower did not have any hot water and did not have enough pressure to keep the overhead shower to stay on. Our room was on the 5th floor. We contacted the front desk, and the female manager said they sent someone up to fix it, and it was now working correctly.

Again, on Tuesday, we spent the day at the pool and went to get ready for dinner. The shower did not work and had the same issues, no hot water and overhead shower head won't stay on, I have a video of both days that shows the overhead shower will not stay on due to low water pressure, especially when it is turned to hot. I called the front desk again, and the female manager said they were going to send up a maintenance supervisor while we were at dinner. Another dribbling cold shower before dinner.

After dinner, we stopped by the front desk, and this same manager said the supervisor checked it, and it was now working normal. We went to the room and immediately checked the shower, and to no surprise, it did the same thing and did not work. I called and asked for the maintenance supervisor to come up and either show me how to operate the shower or to see what the issue was. After a long period of time, 9:30 p.m. the maintenance person showed up, and I showed him what the issue was. He tested it, and it did the same thing for him. He said he needed to go get tools to work on it. He came back and left three different times to work on the shower. He finally said he could not fix it and needed to have someone the next day work on it.

By this time, I was tired of this issue and having someone in and out of the room and not being able to go to bed. Finally, at close to midnight. I asked them to switch us to another room. They said they only had 1 room available on the 5th floor. We switched rooms. We tested the shower, and although it worked, it was very weak.

Wednesday, evening, same damn thing again. From 4:00 to 10:00 pm there is no hot water pressure on the fifth floor, period, sinks, shower, etc. This is ridiculous, and now the front desk said it is normal and there was nothing they could do about it.

I know you will see a response from management about them being sorry and concerned, but they will do nothing about the situation. A 4-star resort, and they have no hot water pressure above the third floor (that is, the rooms we previously stayed in and had no issues on the third floor). Oh, the new room didn't have a TV remote, the phone didn't work (411, SIP error, on screen which is also damaged) and the door doesn't lock unless you have to forcibly close it. I haven't complained about those issues knowing the way they are handling the other item or not handling that item.

We will be here till Saturday and will continue to keep up the poor reviews until this is adequately addressed in some manner.

BTW, they want us to join the Barcelo Vacation Club, fat chance. If they can't handle this correctly and make accommodations, how do I know how things would go at the other resorts if there ever was an issue?

Do not stay at Barcelo Maya Riviera unless you get a room on the 1st-3rd floors only, unless you are a Wim Hoff follower!

Management can contact me and propose a solution or accommodation through a response to...

One of the first things I noticed here—and loved—was how bug-free the resort is. Seriously, they do an incredible job keeping insects and animals away, which makes relaxing so much easier. The grounds are clean, the landscaping is beautiful, and rooms were tidied daily with great care.

Our stay didn’t start perfectly. The first room we were given had a strong moldy smell, with visible mold on the fridge and vents. It’s also worth noting that rooms can be quite a walk from reception, so bring everything you’ll need for the day to avoid trekking back and forth. That said, when we brought up the room issue, they quickly accommodated us with a new one, which I really appreciated.

Service overall was polite but not as personal or engaging as I’ve experienced at other resorts in the same group—like their Cancun property. Staff here seem to operate at a consistent baseline level, but there weren’t as many of those “above and beyond” moments I’ve had elsewhere. Still, the few team members who did go that extra mile made a lasting impression.

Some small tweaks could make a big difference. Dinner reservations are still managed with physical paper slips (forget yours and you can’t reschedule or cancel). Poolside shade comes from wooden structures that don’t offer much relief from the sun—I found myself wishing the beach had more umbrellas. The pool music was also on a constant loop of about 20 songs, which got repetitive fast. And for evening entertainment, the seating and location for shows could use an upgrade—the large stadium on property would be an amazing alternative.

Now, let’s talk about the food—because this was a highlight. I’d give it a solid 4.25/5 overall. The steaks and fish dishes were truly impressive, some of the best I’ve had at any resort. On the flip side, burgers, pizza, and chicken dishes were underwhelming. Still, most meals left me happily surprised.

Excursions were another win. The staff member who helped us choose activities was phenomenal—knowledgeable, attentive, and really listened to what we wanted. I’d give him a 5/5 for making the process easy and enjoyable.

A few personal wishes (not deal-breakers, just my preferences): • I would have loved if they could provide extra fans for the room upon request. • Partnering with Coca-Cola instead of Pepsi products would be a small but welcome change for me.

Now for the real stars—the people who made our trip special: • Jose Maranda and Luis Guzman from the breakfast team—warm, attentive, and genuinely kind. Jose surely did what he could to make us feel special and invited! • Leticia Cruz, Dolce Vita, and Benito Jimenez at the Italian restaurant—amazing hospitality and menu knowledge, making our dinner one of the best of the trip. • Ramos Magee and Tami Rangel, —friendly, attentive, and consistently helpful throughout our stay.

Pro tip for future guests: • Skip the resort gift shop—head to the Maya Mall on property for much better prices. • The mall also has a 24/7 bar with food that’s never mentioned at check-in. Ask for maps and lots of details when you arrive so you don’t miss these hidden gems.

Overall the resort was a 4/5. I’d give the service here a 3.8/5. The property is clean, the food is excellent, and a few amazing staff members really make the difference. With a little more personal engagement and a few small improvements, this resort could easily become a standout.

If corporate makes a few changes I’ll be back again with...