Barcelo Maya Beach Resort Or Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal?

jessiker05 · March 12, 2015

Hello! I am trying to choose a resort for my 2016 wedding and think I have narrowed it down to the 2 subject resorts. Has anyone been to either or both of these resorts who could give me some advice on which to choose? They both have pros and cons but I cannot make a decision!! I want to have my ceremony on the beach and the reception either on the beach or poolside. The Barcelo seems to charge a bit more for packages and extras from my research, but might have the nicer, more secluded beach area?

Help please!

Thanks!

Edited March 12, 2015 by jessiker05

snswedding2016 · March 13, 2015

I've never been to the Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal but I stayed at the Barcelo Maya Colonial for my cousin's wedding two years ago and had a great time. While I didn't stay at the Maya Beach resort specifically but they are all connected and fairly similar. The beauty of the Barcelo properties is that you can stay in one and use the facilities of the others. The stretch of beach is gorgeous and there are several little beach areas that are more private for ceremonies. My cousin was married at the beach area right by the Captain Morgan's bar. It was really lovely! If you have guests with varying budgets there is something for everyone. You could have some stay at the colonial or the tropical or for those who want to splurge at the Palace. I found the buffet decent and some of the a la carte restaurants to be good (make reservations on your first day - it books up quickly). The french restaurant at the Palace (complimentary for those staying at the palace but an extra charge for everyone else) was by far the best meal! The wedding meal itself was pretty good - we had the surf and turf (they steak was a little over done but I think that is to be expected when it is served at a wedding). Lots of stuff for the kids to do, you can rent ATVs and there is a cenote close by!

My fiancé and I were really considering the Barcelo properties in the beginning as we had such a good time at a DW there before but ultimately it didn't fit our wedding needs. My cousin had a smaller wedding 30 people including kids and we are looking at 50-60. The packages that Barcelo offers just doesn't fit out budget. They would include up to 20 maybe 25 guests and then I found the price per person on top of that to be quite high. This isn't just Barcelo, many resorts have packages like this which is why we ended up choosing Azul Fives. While AF can get quite prices with all the add ons, if you watch your budget you can customize it to really fit your needs.

Hope that helps! Happy planning!

kimmyd2 · March 13, 2015

Hello! I am trying to choose a resort for my 2016 wedding and think I have narrowed it down to the 2 subject resorts. Has anyone been to either or both of these resorts who could give me some advice on which to choose? They both have pros and cons but I cannot make a decision!! I want to have my ceremony on the beach and the reception either on the beach or poolside. The Barcelo seems to charge a bit more for packages and extras from my research, but might have the nicer, more secluded beach area?

Help please!

Thanks!

Hi Jessica, choosing a resort is the hard part, but thats great you have narrowed it down to 2 places! I was looking for months and just recently settled on the Barcelo Maya Tropical. I agree with everything @@snswedding2016 said, amazing private beach, great for photos, and lots for everyone to do, and that the packages are a bit over priced and may not be for everyone but definately a great resort!

We ended up choosing the barcelo as the price for guests and ourselves to travel there was the best for everyones budget, we have stayed at the barcelo maya beach section before and just loved it! You will definately find a lot of info on both resorts that you are looking at. I do not know much the luxury bahia resort though, but have heard good things about it.

Good luck with your decision and have fun!

Kim