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Barcelo Maya Riviera vs. Planet Hollywood Cancun

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August 13, 2021

Over the past few months I spent eight nights at Planet Hollywood in Cancun and eight nights at Barcelo Maya Riviera, a resort situated between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum. I was on the “adult scene” side of Planet Hollywood which is adults only but includes access to the entire resort. Similarly Barcelo Maya Riviera is adults only but has access to the entire Barcelo Maya Grand Resort. There are aspects of both resorts that I liked and disliked. Hopefully this will give you a good comparison of the two.

Rooms

I felt the quality of the rooms was equal. That’s not surprising considering the two properties opened just about 14 months apart. I liked Planet Hollywood’s television better because you could toggle between English and Spanish and it had helpful information like the schedule of events and the restaurant/bar times where the television at Barcelo did not.

Barcelo Maya Riviera

Planet Hollywood Cancun

All Barcelo rooms have hot tubs on the porch/balcony. That would be a step up from Planet Hollywood’s standard junior suites. At Barcelo I paid extra for the ocean view. At Planet Hollywood I paid extra for the swim out room. I could’ve had an ocean view for the same price but it wouldn’t have a hot tub like the Barcelo rooms have. At least not without additional upgrades.

Barcelo Maya Riviera ocean view

Planet Hollywood swim out

Planet Hollywood swim out

I think the Planet Hollywood room would be better for older or disabled because the shower had a bench. I’m assuming they all do. My shower at Barcelo didn’t. Not to say they don’t have any accessible rooms it just didn’t come standard.

Planet Hollywood shower

Barcelo Maya Riviera shower

I did like that I could still see the ocean from the shower at Barcelo. .

View from the shower at Barcelo Maya Riviera

One thing I liked about Planet Hollywood is every room is close to something. I wasn’t close to the beach but I was close to the restaurants and super close to the scene bar.

Barcelo took things to a different level. What I thought was a long walk at Planet Hollywood was nothing compared to where I had to walk at Barcelo.

It was a 1/4 mile walk to from my room to the hotel lobby at Barcelo. To go to a restaurant I would have to walk to the lobby area, cross over to the side the restaurants are on, then walk all the way back down to the end. It very well could be a half mile walk to dinner.

This picture will give you an idea. This is after I made the 1/4 mile walk to the lobby area. I would have to cross over to that other side and the restaurants are all way down on the end (to the left). It would be nice if they had a bridge that crossed over by the restaurants.

Food

Breakfast 

I’m not a huge breakfast person. The coffee shop at Planet Hollywood with pastries is really all I need in the morning.

The only other option for breakfast when I was there was the buffet. I’m not a buffet fan so I rarely ate there. The raisin pancakes with banana syrup were great but I never saw them again after that day.

Since I left they added a breakfast on the adult side in the Brazilian restaurant where you can sit down and order off of a menu. That was the restaurant right on the other side of my swim out. That would’ve been extremely convenient and a big winner for me.

Fuel Coffee Shop at Planet Hollywood Cancun

Fuel Coffee Shop pastries

At Barcelo I did like the empanadas and taquitos on the buffet.

They had many options for buffet fans. It was really a huge buffet. They had a bread bar. They had a cheese bar. They had a bar that was nothing but different sliced fruits. A bar that was nothing but yogurt.

They had a lot of stuff I didn’t cover at that Riviera buffet. It probably has three times as much as the Planet Hollywood buffet. And then going over to eat at the Palace buffet (La Hacienda) was nice. They had churros, other live stations, and better service.

Cheese Empanadas and Chicken Taquitos at Barcelo Maya Riviera Buffet

It was really frustrating not having a coffee shop I could go to at Barcelo. They did have coffee machines in the buffet. I didn’t really like that coffee. If I ordered a mocha from a server it was hit or miss. Sometimes it would take forever to get one and then there wouldn’t be any mocha in it. If I had time I would take a shuttle down to the Palace which always had good mochas.

Mochas and Churros at La Hacienda at Barcelo Maya Palace

If I could walk downstairs and get a mocha like I got at the Palace, this would be closer. But the Fuel coffee and pastry shop at Planet Hollywood wins for me. If you are a buffet person, you would probably favor Barcelo.


Lunch 

Again Riviera has a huge buffet with some high end live cooking stations like the meat station with the steak or prime rib or lamb or chicken. Then the seafood station with about five different options.

The Meat Station at the Barcelo Maya Riviera Buffet

At Palace I could usually find some good lunch options that weren’t self service like tacos, nachos, or fajitas.

Chicken Nachos and NY Strip Steak at La Hacienda at Barcelo Maya Palace

At Planet Hollywood I really liked Guy’s Burgers and sitting down and ordering off of a menu at the Italian restaurant or the seafood restaurant.

If you’re a big buffet person, you’re going to like Barcelo better because their buffet is huge and the Planet Hollywood lunch buffet was in a smaller building by the beach.

Then there are all of the beach grill buffets by the pools at Barcelo. Planet Hollywood may have a small grill by the pool but nothing the size of the ones they have at Barcelo. Again I think a big buffet person would prefer Barcelo. I like to sit down and order off of a menu so I go with Planet Hollywood again.

Guy’s Burger Joint at Planet Hollywood Cancun

Guys Burger at Planet Hollywood Cancun

Fish Tacos at Catch Seafood at Planet Hollywood

Dinner 

I wasn’t a fan of having to plan all of my dinners out in advance at Barcelo. Especially because I had all of the trips planned and didn’t know what time I would eat lunch or if I would even eat lunch at all some days. That said, I felt the Barcelo dinner restaurants were higher end than Planet Hollywood.

There was no lobster at Planet Hollywood without an a additional charge. I had it twice at Barcelo and big lobsters were an option at the Japanese restaurant. They didn’t have that at Planet Hollywood. They had salmon instead of lobster at their Japanese restaurant. For dinner I go Barcelo without question.

Crab filled with Tampico at Agave Restaurant at Barcelo Maya Riviera

Tricolor Enchiladas at La Cocina Mexican Restaurant at Planet Hollywood Cancun

Bars

Barcelo was very difficult to find bars you could sit at. You really could only sit at the lobby bars and the Coco bar. The Coco bar is way down at the Palace.

If you wanted something like Don Julio, you had to be booked in a Star Class room to get it at Planet Hollywood. At Barcelo they just had it. Now I don’t know if every bar had it. They definitely had it at the Riviera pool bar and the Coco bar which is only accessible by Palace and Riviera guests. It is possible the lower tiered resorts didn’t have Don Julio.

Coco Bar at Barcelo Maya Palace

The bartenders at Barcelo were less fun than the ones at Planet Hollywood. They didn’t really talk to you. They didn’t make fancy shots. They didn’t stack up drinks on you. I liked the bars, bartenders, and drinks better at Planet Hollywood.

“Mad Max” at The Scene bar at Planet Hollywood Cancun

Beach

I liked that the Barcelo beach was easier to walk through. At Planet Hollywood I would be sinking in the sand. I liked that Barcelo had a sidewalk that went right by the beach so you didn’t have to be on the beach to see the beach. At Planet Hollywood you have to walk over a small bridge to get to the beach.

Barcelo Maya beach

Planet Hollywood beach

Bridge to Planet Hollywood beach

There was more seaweed at Barcelo–A lot more. There was so much seaweed fighting going on it could be difficult to enjoy the beach.

This was pretty much the worst I saw the seaweed at Planet Hollywood.

Seaweed fighting was a 24/7 battle at Barcelo. I would hear heavy equipment on the beach at midnight. A portion of the beach and water would be unusable due to seaweed and heavy equipment.

In the eight days I was at Barcelo they had two weddings on the beach. That took up another portion of the beach setting up for the wedding during the day. On those days you may have a portion of the beach you couldn’t use due to seaweed and another portion you couldn’t use due to a wedding.

Setting up for a wedding on the Barcelo Maya beach

I do know that Planet Hollywood hosts weddings. They didn’t have any I was aware of during my eight days there. I know they had facilities like this one for weddings rather than taking up the beach.

These beach beds were very popular and no additional charge at Planet Hollywood. They didn’t have anything like this at Barcelo.

Beach Bed at Planet Hollywood

I don’t know if this is a seasonal issue at Barcelo but look at the difference in the water color between Planet Hollywood and Barcelo.

Planet Hollywood water
Barcelo Maya water

Snorkeling would be better at Barcelo than Planet Hollywood. I saw a school of fish and a stingray. I heard of people seeing sea turtles as well at Barcelo. At Planet Hollywood I didn’t see anything.

I liked the beach bars at Planet Hollywood. They didn’t have them at Barcelo. Coco would be the closest which was definitely separated from the beach.

Beach Bar at Planet Hollywood

For the beach I go with Planet Hollywood.


Pools

Barcelo Maya Riviera has three huge infinity pools where Planet Hollywood has just one on the adult side. Planet Hollywood had another pool for Star Class guests and a couple of pools on the family side that everyone could access.

Barcelo Maya Riviera infinity pools

Planet Hollywood Adult Scene pool

Barcelo Maya Riviera infinity pool

Planet Hollywood family pool

Planet Hollywood also had these cabanas around their pools for rent. They had different packages in the $100-200/day range. They were very popular. All of them were rented out every day. It seemed like groups got together and split the cost of renting a cabana. Barcelo didn’t have anything like this.

Planet Hollywood pool cabanas

I think the Planet Hollywood adult pool had the entertaining activities with a DJ, foam party, and twerking and beer chugging contests. I did see a singer by one of the Barcelo pools one afternoon.

Planet Hollywood has a more fun pool but the sheer size of the three infinity pools at Barcelo Maya Riviera makes it the winner for me.

Activities

There is definitely a lot more to do at Barcelo than there is at Planet Hollywood. Barcelo has a bowling alley, casino, dolphins, a thrill park (currently closed), a haunted house (currently closed), and jet skis. Activities Planet Hollywood had that Barcelo didn’t would be the lazy river and the movie theater.

Dolphins at Barcelo Maya Grand Resort

The Casino at Barcelo Maya Grand Resort

I enjoyed the lazy river and it’s bar a lot. But I also enjoyed having the casino at Barcelo. At Planet Hollywood it felt like other than the 9:30 show there was nothing else to do at night. They had karaoke every other night in the sports bar. The night club was open at 11pm on weekends. That was about it.

Lazy River at Planet Hollywood Cancun

For activities I go Barcelo.

Shows

At Barcelo the shows were all musical shows. I think they did those better than Planet Hollywood did. They had a bigger stage. It wasn’t as high as Planet Hollywood. They had more seating closer to the stage. I liked the live band that was incorporated into all of the Barcelo shows.

The Tropical show cast at Barcelo

At Planet Hollywood I liked the variety of shows they had. They had a circus night, a glow night, and a super hero night. I very much enjoyed the Freddie Mercury impersonator at Planet Hollywood.

Barcelo making Karaoke their entertainment for Sunday night which was two of my eight nights was a big flop for me because I hate karaoke. I think at 100% when they have more stages going with more options, Barcelo could be better but for now I’m going to go with Planet Hollywood for their variety and not wasting a night on karaoke.

Circus night at Planet Hollywood


Shopping

If you are a shopper it has to be Barcelo. Each of their resorts has it’s own unique gift shop. Then you have the Maya Mall and Plaza Mexicana.

The Maya Mall at Barcelo Maya Grand Resort

Plaza Mexicana at Barcelo Maya Grand Resort

At Planet Hollywood they had a few stores by the restaurants. One of them duplicated the stores they have down by the pools. Then they had the Planet Hollywood store in the lobby.

Shops at Planet Hollywood

Planet Hollywood brought in vendors one night which had similar offerings to those at Barcelo’s Plaza Mexicana.

Vendors at Planet Hollywood on Mexican night

Location

At Barcelo I definitely enjoyed being close to Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, and really Cozumel if you wanted to go there. It was also nice having several cenotes across the street you could visit.

Planet Hollywood is more secluded. It’s a pretty expensive cab ride into town from there. Isla Mujures is a popular day trip you can take from Planet Hollywood.

I think Barcelo is better for day trips. Planet Hollywood is better for staying at the resort every day. That’s the way I did it. I never left Planet Hollywood. I left Barcelo four of eight days.

Crystaline Cenote across from Barcelo Maya Grand Resort

Conclusion

I like both of these resorts. Barcelo is huge and requires a lot of shuttle rides if you aren’t staying in the Riviera area the entire time. The food has positives and negatives at both resorts. I like the pools better at Bacelo but the beach better at Planet Hollywood. I like the shows better at Planet Hollywood but the other entertainment better at Barcelo. I like location better at Barcelo but I like the bars better at Planet Hollywood.

I would recommend both of these resorts. If I were booking one of the two right now, I would probably go with Planet Hollywood because I’ve already done trips to Coba, Tulum, and Playa Del Carmen from Barcelo and I would prefer to relax at Planet Hollywood rather than riding shuttles all day at Barcelo.




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1 Comment
  1. Susan Anderson

    August 13, 2021

    Great comparison…..two thumbs up for this blog entry!

Comments are closed.