TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This is the second time we have stayed here. We stayed 2 weeks this time. This is not a huge resort, but perfect if you want a quieter time and better service. The staff are excellent .the room was really ...good, and kept spotless by the cleaning staff..The Buffet was different every day, like a new restaurant. Everyone was eager to please. We will come again. Thank you.

The Barcelo Huatulco is not a 5 star resort. It's more like a 3.5 star restor. The Barcelo would be fine for 1) folks who have never been to an all inclusive and don't know what to expect and 2) families... with young children looking for a more budget friendly place. Here's the good and not so good. Grounds/pool/beach We knew that this place had a small footprint and that was fine for us. The pools are adequate. One is for adults only (swim up bar) and the other is for kids ages 4-11 with a water park That pool was constantly busy and those kiddies had a lot of fun. The grounds were well kept and the beach was good for walks at low tide. There is a HUGE problem finding shade!! There are not very many tress to provide shade. They have pergolas with light filtering material woven through the ribs on the roof. The sun still shines brightly and one needs that sunscreen. Palapas on the beach are snapped up early. Yes, we played the towel game before 8;30 am to reserve our loungers in a somewhat shadier area. Lots of locals come on the weekend so things were busy those days but quite relaxed the rest of our stay. Room We got a partial view of the pools and ocean. The room was cleaned daily by noon and the mini bar was restocked daily with two bottles of water plus beer and Pepsi products The bathroom was nicely done and the room had a good bed and pillows but the cover was horribly heavy! We ended up just using the sheet. A/C was good. The problem with the room was that the entrance to the room fronted the mechanical building with all it's little noises, the most annoying being a little whine which thankfully shut down for the night. In hindsight, maybe we should have asked for a different room, one with a quiet garden view. Food This is the area where the Barcelo falters. The morning and lunch buffets were essentially the same every day with a bit of variation here and there. Evening buffets did have some theme nights but only the Mexican one was good. We had the distinct impression that some food items were recycled. For example, the corn salad one day became a corn and tomato salad the next day. At least the fruit was plentiful and fresh. 3.5/5 One the other hand, the specialty restaurants were better. The Italian restaurant (La Fontana) was the best! Varied menu, excellent service, good wine and a classical pianist playing during our meal made it a 5/5. The Mexican restaurant (El Agave) serving Oaxacan food was almost as good. 4.5/5 The sushi bar (Kioto) was a tiny place that could seat 12 people comfortably. Only the miso soup was good so that tells you something. The sushi itself was nothing special. 3/5 The seafood restaurant (La Tortuga) was not listed with the other restaurant. Perhaps it's a new addition that's being tried out? It was down at the beach area (only restaurant that wasn't air conditioned) and it was good. 4/5 The main buffet opened at 2 pm which we thought was a bit late so we always went to the beach restaurant around 1 pm. Some of the same offerings as the main lunch buffet but also hot dogs, hamburgers and french fries. Staff Excellent, hard workers and with a pleasant attitude and lots of smiles. Thank you to Cirilo at the breakfast buffet who always had smile for us (and mimosas). Entertainment We never went to the theatre but we did listen to the musical presentations at the main lobby bar which were ok. Speaking of the lobby bar, it has the weirdest set up. One goes up four steps to the tables and chairs but the bar is still at ground level so when you order a drink, you're looking down at the bartenders. It also didn't open until 5 pm so if we wanted a drink earlier, we either went to the main buffet or the beach/ pool bar in order to get one. Never been to a resort where the main lobby bar wasn't open by noon or 1 pm. Would we go back? No, there are other resort chains which we like better.

very enjoyable. Hobby cats and kayaks available. Lovely beach for a stroll. Very few vendors on beach, but shops nearby.

Spent two weeks at this resort and it did not disappoint. The staff were exceptional and pretty much everyone could speak and communicate in English very well. The food variety at the buffets are better ...than most resorts we have seen and there are good restaurant selections you can reserve at as well. Rooms are well kept clean. Beach is nice and is no overloaded with a lot of vendors and the ones that are there are not pushy and respectful. Would recommend staying as a Premiere guest as the room upgrade and other associated perks are generally worth it. There is a Premiere seating area for beach chairs, but this is not enforced by the resort in any way. A few items stood out that could improve the stay. The premiere lounge could be larger as there was limited seating and often guests would be checking in with children running around being disruptive in the lounge. On weekends the resort gets very busy with locals coming in to stay. Generally they are fine, but we found that some of them have music blasting at lounge chairs (in some cases competing against each other for volume) which was very annoying. Only one did we see anyone from the resort ask the offenders to turn it down. Weekends were good days to lave the property for day trips. If you get a chance be sure to see Albino at the Fish Spa for a very unique and cool experience that is worth a try, not to mention he is a gem of a person to interact with. Overall a great resort that we would happily recommend and return to.

a great experience, property was well kept, staff very friendly, food was tasty and drinks were always nearby