For those of you familiar with the rest of this megaresort complex (the Barcelo Maya Grand Resort), you know that once you set foot on the property you feel like you are in Mexico.  Mexican architecture, decor, and culture permeates much of the spaces in the Beach, Caribe, Colonial, Tropical, and Palace resorts.

Not so with the brand new Barcelo Maya Grand addition, the adults-only Barcelo Maya Riviera resort.  Its contemporary look and feel could place it anywhere in the world rather than in the heart of the beautiful Riviera Maya.  I was hard pressed to find anything Mayan at this new resort–perhaps the statue at the beginning of the “driveway” up to the entrance, but that was about it.  So rule #1 if you decide to visit this resort (and especially if you are a previous visitor to the resort in general) is not to expect this section to be anything like the rest of the complex.

As you enter the resort to check-in, the soaring lobby area ceiling is certainly impressive, but the overall look is rather sterile with little to no potted flora, water features, statues, nada.  The features to be lauded, though, include the multiple electrical outlets for charging devices available in seating by the main check-in, the huge screen inside the Bahia Lobby Bar showing music concerts, the multiple information screens in this general area, and the more than generous space within the Premium Lounge (the private area designated for guests who have chosen to upgrade their stay with Premium Level suites).  With 110 Premium Level Swim-Up Suites alone, a larger lounge with multiple staff available to check-in guests means a faster way to start one’s vacation which is certainly appreciated after a lengthy day of traveling.

After check-in at the Premium Lounge, I and my bags were escorted to my swim-up suite which was located in the Premium Building (beachfront).  It’s a very long walk from the lobby to this building which may prove to be difficult for guests with mobility problems; the lengthy walk is due in part to the semi-circular shape of the main guest room building itself (the Premium Building is a separate building set at the very end).  While I was surprised there were so many ice machines intermittently placed and several concierge stations along the way (staff are only at these desks during the day), there is nothing remarkable about the lengthy trek.  I would advise getting to/from the lobby from this building by walking poolside, or by walking in a relatively straight line through the sandy beach to the middle of the general pool area from which you can gain access to the buffet on the ground floor or the lobby area upstairs on the 2nd floor.

Anyone who follows my blog knows I love a good swim-up suite, and this one had some very nice features including a “super” size king bed (two double beds put together), a terrace Jacuzzi (all rooms at this resort have a terrace/balcony Jacuzzi), a tiled double pool lounger with two in-pool tables for drinks, lots of hangers, and massive drawers and multiple shelves to store clothing.  While the bathroom in this Jr. Suite can be closed off by a sliding door, one shower wall faces the bedroom area and is only partially frosted so that individuals in the bedroom/sitting room can see a vague outline of anyone taking a shower–this may not go over well for friends traveling together or parents taking their adult children with them on vacation.  Also, the swim-up pool is not heated which makes the water a “refreshing” temperature during winter months.  To use the swim-up to its full advantage I would not book one between the months of November through March since one has to rely on the sun to heat up the water.  I looked at the other swim-ups in the regular guest room building, and it appears that extended morning sun is strongest on swim-up terraces with room numbers from 1739 through 1815 (try and get further away from 1739 since it is close to the buffet outdoor seating area).  I would not get a swim-up located behind the Music Bar (far north side of the resort) since the bar area will ruin the view.

Also, while the Premium Building is beachfront, I did not get a beachfront view due to the vegetation.  I can only guess that cutting it down would have been a violation of some environmental contract Barcelo signed with the Mexican government.  Oh well, swim-ups generally don’t have the greatest reputation for views anyway.  This was a very quiet section of swim-ups and I felt relatively guilty playing my Bluetooth device on the terrace–certainly not the party atmosphere I had been hoping for in a swim-up suite.  Come to think of it, I never noticed any party-like action in any of the swim-ups, all was rather quiet for an adults-only resort.  Rule #2 to follow if you decide to visit this resort is expect it to be pretty tame.

What I missed out on with a lack of view, I made up for with super easy beach access.  The beach was immediately adjacent to the end of the Premium Building with lots of loungers and easy ocean entry.  While I brought water shoes, I chose not to wear them and only encountered a few rocks about 20-30 feet from shore.  A few larger fish were swimming with some floating seaweed, but there was no sargassum which made the beach one of the loveliest I have ever seen.  Those who require strong shade will want to move down to the Maya Beach area since there are mature groves to the north which provide deeper shade opportunities.  The newly planted trees at this resort don’t give enough shade and there are no shade umbrellas or palapas here or at any other beach areas at this resort.  There was morning and afternoon beach volleyball at the north end; the only open bathrooms I found were by the pools.  There was no beach bar (I feel the Barcelo really missed the mark by not providing one for this adults-only resort on a gorgeous beach), and there was no beach wait service, you have to go to the pool bars for drinks.

The pool area in its entirety was massive with four different sections; the two end pools have the swim-up bars.  One very cool feature which I’ve never seen before at a resort were the mirrors behind the bartenders at both swim-up bars which showed reflections of the beach and ocean so that bar patrons could still see the beautiful beach and ocean water without having to turn around.  A truly great feature that maximized the view.  If you want some fun in the afternoons, visit the Music Bar which is at the last pool section to the north.  Guests can play Jenga, participate in Zumba lessons, receive Latin dancing lessons, occasionally hear some live music, or try Robert’s (Roberto’s) various drink shots in the afternoons (he’s there Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).  The other pool sections are relatively sedate, so if you want peace and quiet stay away from the Music Bar area.

Pool sections have various water jets, in-pool Jacuzzi’s, large day bed areas within the pools, and many built-in tiled loungers and tables for drinks.  Pool loungers have overhead panels which serve as shade since there are no umbrellas or palapas to be found.  Poolside loungers tend to go rather quickly, but I was able to find two loungers together as late as noon on one occasion.  Be prepared to hand in your towel card at either of the two poolside towel areas located by the bars; while the practice tends to reduce lounger “hogging”, it can be a nuisance to keep track of the card.  Just like the other Barcelo pools, none of the pool sections are heated.  Rule #3, be prepared for cooler swimming conditions if you arrive during the winter or spring seasons.

Now on to the restaurants.  This was a huge shocker–there is no dinner buffet at this resort; the exception would be when it serves the purpose of providing a special service for the convention attendees.  Did I forget to mention that fact?  This new resort is home to the largest convention space in the Riviera Maya; it can hold up to 7,000 attendees.  While the various conventions did not seem to take up prime space after hours (no pools closed or beach areas closed as a result of attendees special events), there is an entire section devoted to them which thankfully does not greatly interfere with the everyday goings-on of regular guests.  I still cannot figure out why there was no dinner buffet, though.  If you cannot get into an a la carte restaurant, I would suggest you take the shuttles over to the Palace and indulge in either one of the two buffets they have there.  That’s what I did my first evening at the resort, and the food (as usual) was wonderful.  You cannot fault the food at the Palace.  Guests who stay at the adults-only section have full and unrestricted access to the rest of this megaresort complex; this is not reciprocal, even for adult Palace guests.

I also tried the French and Italian a la carte restaurants (La Comedie and La Dolce Vita) which were good–to be honest, the French restaurant at the Palace is better which was surprising since the food comes from the same resort complex.  I was also surprised the French restaurant didn’t know how to make a lemondrop martini which is a pretty standard mixed drink.  I did not try Sapporo (I have tried so many teppanyaki show table dinners they bore me now), but I did try the Rodizio at the Palace–it was excellent with the tenderest skewered meats I’ve ever had.  A la carte dinners require advance reservations which can be made with the person who checks you in at the Premium Lounge; if you have not upgraded your stay, inquire at the main check-in desk where to make your dinner reservations (it may be at Guest Services).

Looking for food after hours?  There are snacks in the Bahia Lobby Bar 24-hrs. a day (small sandwiches, choice desserts, pastries, etc.), or you can order Room Service.  It is complimentary for upgraded Premium guests, but there is an extra charge for non-upgraded guests.

If you are looking for entertainment in the evenings there is the very large theater located over by the a la carte restaurants.  It’s kind of difficult to find since you must enter the area used for convention attendees, but just follow the crowd if you are arriving shortly before the performance and they will lead you to the right room.  There are themed shows for everyone including some operatic performances which I thought were very good.  The sound system in there is outstanding.

If you are not interested in shows, there is evening entertainment in the lobby area next to the Bahia Lobby Bar.  There is an evening DJ and two massive screens; the action depends on the type of guests present, but I saw line dancing, general dancing, while the DJ actually takes some requests.

The last important point to share concerns the shuttle transportation around the complex.  No longer will you find one shuttle which will take you from one end of the resort to the other.  If you are going to the Palace from the Maya Riviera resort, you must take two shuttles.  Get the double-decker bus outside the resort entrance by the bench and take it to the Maya Mall.  You must exit there and get another bus to the Palace (the shuttle windshield will say Palace, Tropical, Colonial, and Maya Mall).  Or, if you prefer, you can walk along the beachfront path.  It’s about a 25 min. walk to the Palace from the Maya Riviera resort, but it can be beautiful if the moon is shining on the water, or it can be fun if you are just in the mood for a lengthy leg stretcher.

I hope this review has been helpful.  My overall opinion of the resort is that it was a tad too sterile-looking and too tame for my tastes given it’s adults-only, therefore I probably would not return unless the action picked up considerably.  If your only vacation goal is to be on a truly gorgeous beach without any kids around, then that alone may be reason enough to book this resort since the beach is its best feature.  If you want to know more about the other sections of this resort, read my prior review, “Easier to Get Around Than I Thought“.

Below is my usual resort review picture gallery–just click on any of the thumbnails to get a larger picture.  Take a couple of moments and enjoy!

(The comments in this review are those of the author/reviewer.  This trip was paid for in its entirety by the author; at no time were any monies or services exchanged for this review).

Location:  55 min. south of the Cancun airport

Telephone:  011-52-984-875-1500

Email:  hotels@barcelomaya.com.  For the Maya Riviera resort, email maya.riviera@barcelo.com.