Help! Barcelo Maya Colonial,sandos Playacar Beach,catalonia Riviera

[smfahey]

Hello,

 

I'm ready to pull my hair out!!! I thought this whole destination wedding thing would be awesome but I can't seem to decide on where to stay in the Playa Del Carmen/Riviera area.  Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Maybe, I'm just looking for too many options in a hotel idk :/

 

Here's what I am looking for:

 

AL Resort

Daily pool games/activities

Nightly shows

Multiply places to dine

Disco with dancing

on the beach

pool

swim up bar

Things for older teens to do (14-18) but not overly kid populated since they wont be there the whole time.

 

I have been contemplating on Barceló Maya Colonial, Catalonia Riviera Maya, and Sandos Playacar Beach Resort but am open to new suggestions.

 

Thanks for any help given

 

[Moments That Matter]

Welcome to our forum community smfahey and Congrats on your upcoming dw in our magnificent Mayan Riviera - an Excellent Choice!!!

 

To show you what some of your choices would look like on your wedding photo backdrops, here are some magical wedding moments that matter we captured there......enjoy!!!

 

...taken from our Barcelo Maya Colonial Wedding Album:

 

 

 

....taken from our Sandos Cancun Wedding Album:

 

Wishing you happy research, and all the best with your amazing journey ahead - Enjoy!!! team MTM

[vancouverpetunia]

@@smfahey I think you'll find that picking the resort can be one of the toughest parts of planning a DW. If you read through the planning threads from a lot of brides on here - they all say the same thing. I found it was overwhelming and very hard to make a decision. Here's a few things to consider...

 

Read through the forums for threads on the resorts you're looking at and also do a search on those resorts to find planning threads/reviews from brides who are currently planning their weddings there or have already had them. Lots of good info in there. You've probably already done this, but just in case you haven't...

 

Are you working with a travel agent? Most brides who have used one, highly recommend getting help from a TA to narrow down your choices. They can take your criteria and make sure the resorts meet them and also point out other highlights (or lowlights of the property). 

 

Have you thought about budget - either for you or your guests? Wedding costs can be different at different properties and certainly the cost to stay at a resort can vary greatly. Make sure the ones you're looking at are in line with budgets. 

 

You might think about other criteria that's important to you, since the criteria you have listed are pretty common among most resorts. Is the location important (close or far from the airport)? Is a nice beach important (while there are issues with seaweed everywhere in the area right now, some beaches are nicer than others - less rocks, etc.)? What about the level of food - high end or is standard AI buffet sufficient? Is top shelf liquor important? etc.

 

I've stayed at the Barcelo before. The Maya Colonial section was actually closed for renovations when we were there about 3 years ago, so I would think the rooms would be pretty "new". The resort is massive - about 5 resorts all combined. So lots of variety to choose from for different pools, restaurants, etc. The beach was wide and sandy, as I recall. They had a fun little mini golf course there, too And there are a bunch of cenote parks directly across the highway if you are interested in checking them out. 

 

Good luck!

[acw271011]

@@smfahey Congrats and welcome! You've had a bit of advice already that is right on the money. A TA is definitely a good idea. You don't say if you're in the US or Canada - the packages are put together a little differently depending on where you're from but either way a travel agent will be able to guide you through the maze. One of the other things to consider is whether or not you can have outside vendors and I've heard that the Barcelo resorts don't allow them at all, which means you absolutely have to use their vendors. A travel agent will help you with your must haves and don't wants and also help with your guests bookings and questions, which will leave you free to concentrate on your wedding planning!

 

Good luck!

[ChelseaDuchene]

I choose to use the Barcelo Maya Colonial! So far I have been impressed with the wedding planners and the resort is beautiful. I did use an outside vendor for my photography. The hotel does charge you a fee however his services were still cheaper with the hotels fee than using the photographer they provide. I choose to use  www.OctavioMontes.com and he has been great! He responds back quickly and price quotes me on all of my ideas even when I change my mind a million times. I found him while looking at these forums and I definitely suggest using Barcelo and Octavio as your photographer if you need one! The prices of his packages and the quality made my decision easy. So don't fret if you choose Barcelo you still have great vendor options!

[AdamnJenn17]

His work is truly splendid - I am so glad I found this forum - not being about to have options with photography was pushing me away from Barcelo

[smfahey]

@@ChelseaDuchene did you already get married?  Any PROS and CONS from the hotel?

 

I decided on the Barceló Maya Colonial