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Trip Reviews, Ratings and Comments - Trip Review - Barcelo Maya Beach Resort
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A word of warning, all you travellers out there looking for information on either the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort, south of Cancun, or Sunquest or ALBATours. My friend and I just got screwed over by both last week on a one-week vacation package we booked through Sunquest at the Barcelo Maya.
When we boarded the bus at Cancun airport to take us to what we thought was the Barcelo, we were handed a bunch of papers. One of them told us that due to "unforeseen circumstances" the Barcelo was overbooked and we would instead be spending the week at another resort. We were on a bus of 80 people (yes, 80!!) who were all booked through Sunquest and ALBATours (run by the same corporation) who ended up at a place other than the Barcelo, despite the fact our trips were confirmed, and our tickets and vouchers issued for the Barcelo.
People on the bus we talked to said they were phoned a day or so before departure and asked if they wanted to cancel, due to the overbooking. They were told if they went on the trip but at a different resort, they would receive a $100 to $200 credit each on their credit cards. My friend and I got neither the heads-up about the change in hotel or the offer of a credit. Now Sunquest says they never offered anyone a credit and that we have to provide them with names and addresses of people who say they're expecting credits because Sunquest obviously thinks we're lying!
The long and short of it is that the Barcelo has been shifting people over the last month or so to different resorts in the area because they're overbooked. Where ever they can find room for people, they are re-routing them there. Don't think it won't happen to you. Think of how many busloads of 80 people over the past month have ended up elsewhere. The day after we arrived, there was another Sunquest/ALBA flight arriving and they were also going to have to be rerouted. I have been seeing since Barcelo opened that it is always sitting around 100% occupancy.
Please be wary of booking at the Barcelo or through Sunquest/ALBA. You get screwed, they take your money and you have no recourse. We have filed a complaint and are waiting for a response. Should something similar happen to anyone, be warned that the fine print in the back of the travel brochure says that you should settle any complaints or problems at your hotel or with your tour operator representative while there - don't wait until you're home. The reality of it is, as you can imagine in Mexico, no one has answers. Everyone points a finger at someone else and the information provided is inconsistent and suspicious. The more people you talk to for information or answers, the more confused and frustrating it becomes.
My friend and I were very disappointed to not spend the week at the Barcelo. I spent hours on the Internet researching this resort and had read very favourable comments from people who had been there. I find it painfully ironic that Sunquest boasts about its Gold Consumers' Choice Award for top ranking in such areas as service. We are just two lowly individuals who have been ripped off for our one-week vacation. We work hard for our money and look forward to the one or two weeks of vacation we can get each year. It is disappointing to be so powerless against large organizations that only think about numbers and not people or customer service. Our only recourse is to try to warn others and hope they can gain something from our sad experience. Good luck. If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me directly. Let the Buyer beware . . .
Submitted by: Carol -- ctalbot@cantire.com
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