We stayed at the Barcelo Costa for 2 weeks from 13th-27th July. We are 2 girls both aged 22 and we found this hotel to be perfect for us. It was everything we had hoped for. I do agree with some of the previous reviews, this is definately not a place for families with young kids or for anyone looking for a relaxing and quiet holiday. We booked with Thomas Cook and it actually states in the brochure that it is a LIVELY hotel suited to young couples etc. this being the reason we chose to stay at the Barcelo. Please dont worry about the bad reviews on here, if you are not fussy and one of these people who complain about anything and everything then you should have a brilliant time. I could not fault the place but everyone is different.

AIRPORT: After a 10 hour flight from the UK we then had to que for 2 hours to get through the immigration at Cancun airport. Absolute nightmare when your tired but once that is over with the fun begins and you forget about the whole experience.

ROOM: We stayed on the 5th floor which looked out to the pool area. The maids clean the rooms daily, they really work hard and were always smiling and polite when we saw them. Some people have said that they had things going missing but we never once had a problem with this. Huge shower, enough room for 2. Shampoo/Conditioner & Shower gel provided. The fridge is re-stocked daily with beers, water, soft drinks, peanuts and mexican chocolate. We found the beds to be fine, not too hard at all. We had 2 kingsize beds which was brilliant as a few people had the same but with 4 sharing 2 beds.

POOL/BEACH: If you are pool people like us then be prepared to be down at 6.30am to get a decent sun lounger. Unfortunately there is only one pool so it is very busy and you will not get a bed unless you are down there at the crack of dawn. There are always activities going on around the pool during the day, tequila volleyball, salsa, water aerobics but again nothing for kids and yes the music is very loud and aimed at the younger crowd.

There are waitresses around the pool area who bring you drinks all day long so some days you do not even have to get up and go to the bar. Absolutely brilliant, i have never stayed anywhere before that provide this service. The waitresses were always smiling and happy to please.
The beach is small but very nice. You do get alot of seaweed but the staff try their best to clear it several times a day. If you are a beach person then i would not recommend the Barcelo as the beach isnt great. This didnt bother us at all as we preferred being around the pool. We didnt come across any oil spillage in the sea nor bad fumes from the pirate ships docked next door!

FOOD: There are 4 resturants to choose from. Mexican/Spanish/Seafood & Buffet. We only tried the Mexican and the buffet as we are easy eaters and always found something to fill us up. The mexican food was lovely, the staff really go out their way to make it special. The Buffet could be a bit repetitive some days but if your not a fussy eater you will find something to eat. Yes they do have stew and bizzare meats etc out for Breakfast but you are in Mexico and they cater for everyone not just people from the UK and America. There was always a wide selection to choose from. You could always get fresh omlettes made, fried/ scrambled egg, bacon, sausages, pancakes. Fresh fruit and youghurt and a selection of cereals. Staff were always pleasant in the buffet area apart from the odd one or two but that could of been due to the long hours they work. One thing we found really annoying in the buffet resturant was that they would always take you to your table first. For what reason i do not know, totally pointless. I thought buffets were all about serving yourself. Beware of the 24 hour food bar, we ate in there after a night out (around 3am) and the salads/cheeses/fruit were crawling with tiny ants. I think this was due to it being left out for too long. You could also get pizza and hot dogs here. That was the first and last time we ate there. They say it is 24 hour self service to alcoholic drinks but i believe they closed the bar at 5am. We never found this a problem as on one occasion we managed to get it round the clock. There is also the beach bar which serves club sandwiches, burgers, chips etc around lulnch time which wasnt too bad.

DRINKS: We never found the drinks to be watered down. The lobby bar is usually very busy in the evening so sometimes it can take a while to get served. We never tipped at the bars but always got served. You probly would get better service if you did but do not feel obliged. In the second week we went over to the Buffet resturant for drinks before we headed out as you never had to wait. Ceasar was brilliant, he always sorted us out with champagne cocktails and variuos shots, mmm.... delicious.

ENTERTAINMENT: Was non existable. Two rubbish singers in the lobby who finished up at 11pm. There was a show on every night but this finished at 10pm so there is literally nothing to do after that if you are a family with young children. Now for the younger crowd, the hotel entertainment staff arrange trips to different clubs every night. $45 per person and that is for a coach there, VIP area in the clubs and free booze while your in there! What more could you ask for. Kiko, Omar, Alexandra and Tono are the night staff and they are brilliant. It wouldnt be the same without them. They really look after you and make sure you have a good night. We covered most of the clubs. The shows in Coco Bongos were very good to watch. Our favourites were Bulldog and the Ultra Lounge. The U.Lounge is the only place in Cancun that plays house and electro so prepare yourself for lots of R&B and Hip Hop.

TRIPS: We done the day trip to Isla Murjeres which was a nice day out. The beach is amazing, pure white sand and clear blue water. Just how you expect Mexico to look. We also done the Pirate ships. This is a must do, such a good laugh. If you tip your pirate he will bring you drinks all night long so prepare yourself to get slightly tipsy. I think i paid around $90 and that included the lobster dinner.

WEATHER: We were really worried about the weather before we went as the BBC predicted rain everyday. Do not listen to the predictions as they are absolutely rubbish. The weather was beautiful, 35c and sunny every day. We had 2 days of torrential rain which was due to a tropical depression which passed into Texas but overall the weather is very good. You will def come back with a nice tan. Make sure you use a high factor for the first week at least as the sun is so strong. We saw lots people who had to avoid sitting in the sun for a few days as their sunburn was that bad. I have dark olive skin and very rarely burn but i stuck to factor 15 for the first 7 days and come back with a lovely tan.

Overall Cancun is a beautiful place and I would definately go back one day. The mexican people are so friendly and they do not try and rip you off like alot of places abroad. We found it to be fairly cheap outside the resort and easy to get around.

Please do not let bad reviews put you off, you have to experience it for yourself. It is a lively holiday in paradise :@) Go and enjoy.

We just got back from our 2 week stay at Barcelo costa and we absolutely loved it!
It is definitely value for money, if you want 5 star.....pay for 5 star!!!
Cancun on a whole was amazing. The weather was fantastic, there is so much to do and see.

Location: Not in the centre of cancun like it says in the brochure. It is in the hotel zone, and a 5 minute bus ride (which costs around £0.30p) will take you from 1 end of the hotel zone to the other. There is a bus stop right outside the hotel and coco bongos is 5 minutes away. The bus itself is a great experience.

Hotel:Couldnt fault it! When we arrived, a bell boy took our luggage straight up to our room for us. The standard rooms are very spacious, with a huge bed, big telly, and fridge with beer, drinks and snacks that are stocked daily. There is a small french balcony and the lucky ones get a bigger balcony with a hammock. Bathroom was lovely with a huge shower, hairdryer was brill, and the air con was great.

Pool area:Huge pool and own private beach. Only bad thing, you had to get up at 7am to get a sunbed round the pool or you were limited to the beach (which is lovely anyway and there are always loads of sunbeds). There are always waitresses walking round the pool filling up your drinks, there is a bar on the beach with shade where you can sit under and have a drink. THE PIRATE SHIP WAS NOT A PROBLEM. Round the pool every day there was always games such as Tequila volleyball, pool basketball and beach volleyball.

Restaurants: There is the albatross restaurant which we mostly ate at, they had lovely food everyday with lots of different varieties and lovely deserts. There is also a mexican and spanish restaurant and a 24 hour snack bar on the 2nd floor.

Night entertainment: There is always a show on at night and then singers in the lobby. We didnt really stay in the hotel, as the hotel staff arrange a trip everynight to 1 of the nightclubs. i recommend going with the hotel as you get a VIP area in coco bongo's ect.

Trips: we did Pirate ship which was fab and i wouldnt say it is directed towards children as they get adults involved for games. Jungle tour (not a tour of the jungle) - you hire a speed boat which you can drive, and then park up for a bit of snorkelling. Xel Ha - if we did isla mujures before this trip we wouldnt of booked xel ha as they are very similar except isla mujures is 10 times better. Isla mujures - the best trip EVER! its fantastic. we went to this ater park where we went down a zip line, snorkelled and kyaked, then we went swimming with sting rays, sharks and the dolphins is a must do its amazing. then they dropped us off on another island for shopping and then we headed back.

Nightclubs: Coco bongos is brill, the city is the best nightclub we went to over there. Hardrock cafe was great as well.

On a whole we had a brilliant holiday, if youre 18-30 then i would advise going to this hotel.

Just returned from this hotel a week ago, what a waste of holiday time and money! The music was too loud all day long and it was either the dirty pool or the discharged deisel from the pirate ships that caused two of our parties ear infections. From flooded toilets, leaking ceilings . The hotels moto should be waste not want not as the previous evenings meals are reheated and dished up for breakfast, (curried chicken, pork in a peppered sauce). If you don't like a hen and stag party holiday and don't like music blasting through speakers with bad language that should have a parental advisory warning , dont go there. We booked as a party of 8 with children in our group we did not expect this type of holiday. It was not what we booked for!
Be warned other family group travellers.

Where do I start? Having just completed my 4 page letter of complaint to the tour operator who misold us this "family holiday" please do not make the same expensive mistake as us.
The Hotel is hard pressed to live up to the standards of a poor 18-30 holiday you may recall from your youth.
You will experience total sleep depravation. If you are not kept awake by the bounding music you will be by the returning night revellers who will be being ill or crying over a lost love or failed conquest. Food is great if you like beef in green sauce for breakfast but try to communicate to the staff a poached egg and you could need 3 weeks rather than a fortnights holiday. Unlike me do not be confused with the idea of visiting the country that you think may have perfected the fajita or the enchillada we have definately captured this dish and improved it!
The beach is flagged by three supposed entertainment pirate ships that drift diesel into the sea and the smell is at times unbearable. Don't waste 10 hours on a plane when Veronicas is only four.