Honest Barcelo Maya Riviera Review: Pros & Cons 2024

Barcelo Maya Riviera Review Overview

Is Barcelo Maya Riviera Worth Staying At?

Barcelo Maya Riviera Review: Quick Facts

Barcelo Maya Riviera Pros

These are some of the best things about Barcelo Maya Riviera:

✅ New and Modern Rooms

One of the best things about Barcelo Maya Riviera is that all of the 850 rooms, suites, and junior suites are very new and modern.

Having opened in 2019, this new Barcelo resort in Riviera Maya has some of the newest rooms you’ll find in the region.

Plus, the majority of the rooms have a great ocean view and they all come with terraces with a large hot tub.

And as one of the best hotels in Riviera Maya with swim up rooms, you can even upgrade to one of the swim up suites.

Barcelo Maya Riviera Room Types

Junior Suite Ocean Front Review

I personally stayed in a Junior Suite Ocean Front and it was extremely spacious and comfortable. It had an oversized king-size bed, a full couch, a flat-screen TV, and a desk area.

The oversized king-size bed is actually two double beds pushed together so it really is JUMBO-sized!

And if you’re like me and wondering if there’s a crack in the middle of the bed, there’s not! They put a large mattress pad over it so you can’t even tell.

The room also had a huge bathroom with two double sinks, separate toilet area, and a walk-in shower.

Each room also has a spacious closet with an in-room safe and comfy bath robes, as well as a mini bar with beers, water, and soft drinks. Plus, there’s a coffee machine and a handheld steamer.

The best part (for me anyway) was the hot tub on the balcony! I really enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub at night reading my Kindle Paperwhite with a glass of champagne! 🥂

Overall, the rooms at Barcelo Maya Riviera are extremely comfortable and have everything you need for an enjoyable stay.

✅ Largest Infinity Pool in Riviera Maya

Barcelo Maya Riviera has the largest infinity pool in the entire Riviera Maya (or so they say) and it’s the real highlight of the hotel!

The stunning deep blue pool stretches all the way from one end of the resort to the other, offering plenty of space for everyone.

The pool is really massive and it’s right in front of the private beach so the ocean views are incredible!

The pool is also surrounded by numerous lounge chairs, shaded lounge areas, and even some fun clam-shaped lounge beds. And there’s lounge beds in the middle of the pool and around the sides as well.

Plus, there are two swim-up bars (the Pool Bar and the Music Bar) where you can grab a drink without ever having to leave the pool!

The Pool Bar is more relaxed, while the Music Bar offers more of a party atmosphere with live DJs and the resort staff getting people in the party mode.

The drinks at the pool weren’t super strong but not completely watered down like you’ll find at some resorts.

Overall, I was really impressed with the infinity pool at Barcelo Maya Riviera and spent many hours just lounging by the pool sipping a cocktail.

It’s probably one of the largest pools I’ve seen in Riviera Maya and with so many spaces to lounge and relax, it’s wasn’t hard to find a lounge chair.

✅ Large Beach Area

Barcelo Maya Riviera’s beach area is really expansive and stretches from one end of the resort to the other.

The water is mostly calm and swimmable, but depending on the day, there can be some seaweed. The resort does their best to clear away the seaweed every morning so the beach remains clean.

There are also plenty of lounge chairs spread out so you can relax in the sun or shade. Plus, you can walk down the beach to beaches in front of the other Barcelo Riviera Maya Mexico resorts if you want a change of scenery.

The only downside is that there isn’t food or drink service on the beach, so you have to go back to the pool area if you want a drink.

Overall, I was really impressed with Barcelo Maya Riviera’s beach. It was huge, the large palm trees provide plenty of shade, and there are tons of lounge chairs to relax on.

✅ Great A La Carte Restaurants

Barcelo Maya Riviera resort has five restaurants, including a large buffet (open for breakfast and lunch) and four a la carte dinner restaurants.

While the buffet is pretty standard, the a la carte restaurants definitely make up for it and I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was!

Reservations are required for all a la carte restaurants so be sure to make reservations in advance. You can do this by stopping at the Guest Services desk next to the Front Desk.

I personally ate at Dolce Vita had a really good experience! The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and it had a great ambiance.

I ordered a caprese salad, spaghetti with meat sauce, and tiramisu for dessert–they were all excellent and the presentation was really impressive.

All of the other restaurants looked equally impressive and they are uniquely designed to fit the theme of the restaurant.

Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of the food and service at Barcelo Maya Riviera’s a la carte restaurants and don’t think you would get tired of them even if you stayed for a week!

✅ Access to Entire Barcelo Complex

Another one of the best things about staying at Barcelo Maya Riviera is that you have free access to all of the other resorts in the Barcelo complex.

This means that you can enjoy unlimited dining options, entertainment, and activities at Barcelo Maya Beach, Barcelo Maya Caribe, Barcelo Maya Colonial, Barcelo Maya Tropical, and Barcelo Maya Palace.

You can also access the bars, pools, and beaches at all of the other Barcelo resorts which offers plenty of variety during your stay!

The complex has tons of fun activities including the Maya Mall shopping mall, a bowling alley, an 18-hole miniature golf course, Go Karts and Quad Cycle, tennis courts, a basketball court, the Pirate’s Island water park, and the Surf Rider surfing simulator.

Keep in mind Barcelo Maya Riviera is the only adults only resort in the complex, so if you venture to the other resorts there will likely be more kids and families.

And there’s a fun red double decker bus that circles the property and can take you to other resorts so you don’t have to worry about walking.

Overall, I really loved that Barcelo Maya Riviera offers access to all of the other resorts and so many different activities for both kids and adults.

✅ Affordable Price Point

One of the best things about Barcelo Maya Riviera is that it’s a very affordable option compared to some of the other luxury resorts in the area like Hotel Xcaret Arte or Hotel Unico 20°87°.

I was pleasantly surprised at how many amenities are included in the all-inclusive price, including access to all restaurants, bars, pools, and beach areas across the entire complex.

And the rooms are really nice, with modern decor and comfy beds. And they come with private terraces and a hot tub.

Overall, I think Barcelo Maya Riviera offers great value for money. The nightly rate is affordable and they often have promotions and special offers available.

Barcelo Maya Riviera Cons

These are the main cons about Barcelo Maya Riviera that you should keep in mind:

❌ Limited Daytime Dining Options

One of the cons at Barcelo Maya Riviera is that they are limited dining options available during the day.

The only restaurant that is open for breakfast and lunch is the buffet, which can get a little repetitive after a few days.

And if you’re at the pool and want something to eat, you have to go back to the buffet as there’s no food service around the pool.

There also isn’t any food or drink service at the beach, so again you’ll have to go back to the buffet or the pool bars if you want something to eat or drink.

I will say that the specialty restaurants for dinner are really good and offer a lot of variety, so that kind of makes up for the buffet.

Or you can always go check out some of the other restaurants in the complex if you get tired of the food at the buffet.

❌ Average Service

The service at Barcelo Maya Riviera was good but not great. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating but nobody really went out of their way to make my stay more enjoyable.

The front desk was also really slow and the lines were long during check in and check out, so that could be improved.

When I finally got to my room, my key didn’t work so that took several trips back and forth to the front desk to get that sorted.

And around the pool, there are a few servers taking drink orders but they are not super attentive so it’s easier to just go up to the swim-up bar or one of the other pool bars if you want something.

Now at this price point, I wouldn’t expect the service to be 5-star, but that’s just something to keep in mind if you’re someone that values really great service.

❌ Mediocre Buffet

Another con I want to mention is that the buffet at Barcelo Maya Riviera was just okay but not exceptional.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of food and it’s all pretty decent but it didn’t really stand out or taste particularly great.

Most of the foods I tried looked better than they tasted and a lot of it ending up being lukewarm.

The breakfast buffet is your standard breakfast buffet with eggs, omelettes, french toast, bacon, sausage, pastries, donuts, fruit, etc. Plus, they have Mexican specialties too.

The lunch buffet features burgers, tacos, pasta, pizza, sushi, a made-to-order meat station, and much more.

The gourmet desserts, however, were really impressive and delicious! There’s tons of beautiful cakes, pastries, and gourmet ice cream to choose from.

Overall, I would say that the buffet is decent but not amazing. But it’s huge and there are so many options available that you’re sure to find something you like.

I would recommend trying out the made-to-order food stations to get the freshest food exactly to your liking.

❌ Room Service is Not Included

One of the things I didn’t like about Barcelo Maya Riviera is that room service is not included even with the all inclusive plan.

The resort offers 24 hour room service but it comes at an extra charge, unless you upgrade to the Premium Level.

So if you’re someone that likes Room Service, consider upgrading to the Premium Level, which is an added daily cost.

With the Premium Level, you also get some extra discounts at the spa, salon, and gift shop as well as 1 hour of free hydrotherapy per day.

❌ Large Resort

Barcelo Maya Riviera has over 850 rooms so it is a big resort and there is likely going to be crowds. It’s also a convention hotel so there can be large groups there for meetings and events.

However, even though it’s so big, all of the rooms, restaurants, and facilities are contained to one building so it’s not that spread out.

And honestly the resort is big enough to accommodate large amounts of people so it never felt overly crowded or congested.

It’s also very easy to walk to the pool, beach, and restaurants without having to take any kind of transportation.

I’ve stayed at other resorts in Riviera Maya where you have to take golf carts or shuttles just to get to the pool and it’s really inconvenient.

Now if you want to go to any of the other Barcelo resorts in the complex, you’ll need to take the red double decker bus but it’s pretty quick and comes every 20 minutes or so.

So if you’re looking for something more intimate, Barcelo Maya Riviera may not be the best option. But honestly I wasn’t turned off by the size of the resort because it’s large enough to accommodate it.

❌ Activities Cost Extra

Another thing to note is that there are a lot of activities within the Barcelo resort complex but almost all of them cost extra.

The mini-golf course (during the day) is included in the all inclusive plan but everything else like Go Karts, bowling, arcade games, the water parks, and Surf Rider cost extra.

They’re not super expensive (maybe around $15-$20 USD per person) but it would be nice if they were included for a true all inclusive experience.

So if you’re interested in doing any of the extra activities at Barcelo Maya Riviera, make sure you budget for them.

Barcelo Maya Riviera Review Recap

So, let’s sum up my thoughts on these Barcelo Maya Riviera reviews. Basically, there are some really nice things about the resort, but there’s also a few areas for improvement.

Daytime dining is a bit limited, service is so-so, and the buffet is just okay. You’ll also want to watch out for the extra charges on room service and for the optional activities.

And if you’re looking for a smaller and more intimate resort, the resort’s expansive size might not be the best fit.

But overall, I think Barcelo Maya Riviera is a really great option if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly adults only all inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen.

It’s new and modern with comfortable rooms, has an amazing infinity pool, a beautiful beach, great dinner restaurants, and lots of activities.

Plus, you get access to the other Barcelo resorts providing endless options for dining and entertainment.

Barcelo Maya Riviera Mexico: FAQs

Conclusion: Barcelo Maya Riviera Review