Barcelo Maya after Emily??

[KC Arrowhead]

Does anyone know, or is it too early to ask about how the Barcelo did after Hurricane Emily?? I know that clean up is a major factor, and the people who work there and run it have family,lives,and homes to care for.. Not wanting to sound like someone who is only concerned about my upcoming trip... I am just curious .. from everything I saw on the news here, looks like that area took a very hard hit?? Just wondering??

[Shammy]

Originally Posted by KC Arrowhead

Does anyone know, or is it too early to ask about how the Barcelo did after Hurricane Emily?? I know that clean up is a major factor, and the people who work there and run it have family,lives,and homes to care for.. Not wanting to sound like someone who is only concerned about my upcoming trip... I am just curious .. from everything I saw on the news here, looks like that area took a very hard hit?? Just wondering??

It has been said, but not confirmed, that they will be open in 72 hours. That remains to be seen....they did take a major hit.

Yeesh, I hope all is 100% restored soon!

[al'Thor]

We are scheduled to arrive at the Barcelo Maya this Sunday the 24th. We have not cancelled this yet, but we are searching for an alternate resort. The more I see/read about the Barcelo, the more I am convinced that it sustained some pretty heavy damage. Although I am sad to do so, I will most likely book somewhere else (postponing the vaction is not an option as we have our house rented out for next week).
The decision must be made today, so unless someone has a more favorable report on the conditions at Barcelo Maya, I will be forced to cancel :-(

[14 year TA]

Originally Posted by al'Thor

We are scheduled to arrive at the Barcelo Maya this Sunday the 24th. We have not cancelled this yet, but we are searching for an alternate resort. The more I see/read about the Barcelo, the more I am convinced that it sustained some pretty heavy damage. Although I am sad to do so, I will most likely book somewhere else (postponing the vaction is not an option as we have our house rented out for next week).
The decision must be made today, so unless someone has a more favorable report on the conditions at Barcelo Maya, I will be forced to cancel :-(

Received from Barcelo Rep. at Barcelo Maya; report was posted 12:27 AM July 20

"As you know we are facing many challenges, one of them the lack of telephone lines in the Riviera Maya. Our team is doing a great job; every single employee at the hotel is helping to get the property back to normal.

I just finished my first site inspection of our resort. Tomorrow I will do a second one. Right now this is what I can tell you:

- The hotel is operational.
- Present occupancy 65%.
- We do have 200 rooms closed with minor damages, basically broken windows and / or doors. Every day more of those rooms will be back to inventory, for tomorrow the GM expects to have 40 more rooms back.
- The resort has full electricity power.
- Front desks fully operational.
- Lobby fully operational.
- Air conditioning in the rooms fully operational.
- Hot and cold water available in all rooms.
- Room service working normally.
- Buffets working full capacity, now opening from 7 am to 12 midnight.
- Restaurants a la carte full capacity, right now A/C is not working. The GM believes by tomorrow, Thursday the latest, should be working; in the meantime both accept reservations as usual.
- Swimming pool at Maya Caribe working in perfect conditions. Wet bar at this pool will open tomorrow. Swimming pool at the Maya Beach closed until further notice (basically still dirty and needs proper cleaning, once it is opened it will be advised to you).
- Grill at the Maya Caribe will open in one week (working on the “palapa”), Grill at the Maya Beach the GM believes it will be fully operational in one month.
- Some roofs have some damages; rooms under those roofs are closed. Some ceilings in the corridors and in the theater have some damages (they are working on them).
- Palapa to get the towels closed; service available at the Kids Club.
- Kids Club and kids area fully operational.
- Water sports center, will be back to business in 2 days.
- Gym fully operational.
- Day and night activities working.
- Tennis courts, 2, ok, fully operational.
- Golf (putting green) open.
- Theater, fully operational (I saw the show tonight by the way).
- Telephone lines, they believe it will take 1 to 3 days to get the lines back to the hotel. Internal phone system works properly.
- Business Center closed, no email available, 1 to 3 days to get back to normal.
- Shops at the hotel, fully operational as well as guest services, Vacaciones Barcelo and reps services for the guests.
- Gardens and walkways clean, I was very impressed on this. Many palm trees and trees were damaged by the strong winds but at least all areas are clean with some exceptions but they are working on it.
- The beach is perfectly clean, all chairs available for the customers on the beach as usual.
- Showers at the beach working properly.
- Customers, and until further notice, are getting every day lobster in the buffets and Premium liquors a no additional charge.

The hotel is currently accepting reservations, no penalties for cancellations / no shows will apply until further notice.

I was able during my site inspection to see the hotel working properly (with the limitations described above), so if the customers are properly advised I do not see a problem for them to enjoy their stay.

If you need to report sales please send your manifests to our Barcelo Tucancun Beach until we get the phone lines working, this way the hotel will be able to update its reservation system.

Part of our Barcelo Maya Beach Resort Sales Team will be tomorrow from 11 am at the Barcelo Tucancun from where they will be able to assist you with specific concerns you may have.

I have to say I am glad with what I saw, I was expecting something different, but I could see the hotel in good shape and customers enjoying their stay (we have over 600 rooms in house).

One more thing, this I am sure you got it already but in any case the Cancun Airport is fully operational and the road to and back from the Riviera Maya is in perfect conditions (completely clean). Many trees went down due to the strong winds so the landscape is not as beautiful as it used to be but it will be a question of time for it to get back to normal."

Again, this is the report from the sales rep. onsite. While I know that there is a slight tendency to gloss over some things my experience with quality resorts such as Barcelo is that they would rather be upfront with guests than have the guests have a permanent distrust of Barcelo properties. Until I here otherwise from either Barcelo Resorts or a reputable tour company this is the report I will believe. Too much hearsay elsewhere on the web.

Sounds like she's looking good considering!!

Boyfriend confirmed that although there is some damage it is not as bad as the other resorts around them and that they are open for business, everyone is helping out in cleaning up.

oh and he says in 2 or 3 days it should be pretty much back to normal.

[KC Arrowhead]

So I guess it is ok to assume that in 10 days, the Barcelo Maya will be "OK"

We will take that over what we have here.. As long as everthing is good..

[JAG]

http://unofficial-barcelo-maya.com/d...af6debfe0b94dc

This morning (Thursday July 21st local time in Europe) I received the following update through the travel agent in the U.S. I am in contact with (I just wait to see some first pics taken from guests back home to get a better understanding about the real damages to vegetation+infrastructures):

On behalf of the Management of Barceló Hotels & Resorts México, we would like to greet you and inform you about the present situation at Barceló Maya Beach Resort after the recent presence of Hurricane “Emily” at the Riviera Maya in México.

The Hotel Barceló Maya Beach is now in rapid process of all required reparations in the effected areas, and we are expecting to reach to the optimum operation in a month.

At this present moment, the following services are available at the hotels:

· As of today July 20th 2005, both buffet restaurants (Maya Beach & Maya Caribe) are operating regularly with a new schedule from 07:00 am till 12:00 pm midnight.

· Lobby & Theatre Bars are operating regularly. A temporary Bar on the beach has been opened.

· 80% of room’s capacity is in optimum condition to host our guests.

· Room Service is available 24 hours.

· Both specialty restaurants, Don Quijote & El Agave are functioning as before.

· “Kukulkan” Theatre is performing its shows as before.

· Daily activities are being organized to entertain our guest.


As to the affected areas, they are planned to start operating as indicated bellow:

· Telephone lines & internet services will be reestablished as soon as possible.

· One of the pools will be ready to function today, July 20th.

· The second pool will be opening approximately in one week.

· The Beach will entirely be cleaned by tomorrow, July 21st.

· The snack Restaurant “Capitan Morgan” by the beach, will start operating in one more week.

· The Snack Restaurant “Rancho Grande” will be opening in one month approximately by the beach, will start operating in one month.

· The gardens and the surroundings which are highly affecting. Will take more to be rearranged.

Hope this works and that you find this info useful/helpful...although I'm around alot, I don't have much experience posting here.
Judy

Allright!!!!! Hopefully the other resorts will be back in full swing within a month also, so the Barcelo won't be packed solid when we go in September!!

[emoc60]

Thanks for the update on Barcelo, still alittle nervous since I'm due to arrive there on Sunday the 24th.Since there are no other vacancies on Cancun I think I'll probably be there.

[emoc60]

Friday July 22nd.
For all those interested, My travel agent called me at 4:00pm yesterday. The Barcelo Maya lost power it does not expect to get it back for at least a week. I was to arrive on Sunday the 24th., now my vaca is canceled. My agent sent me pics of the resort yesterday and it looked like the damage was not to bad alot of downed trees, but they were up and running, so we decided to go until the power outage and they canceled our trip.Since we were booked on apple charter we can only use our tickets to go back there,or Punta Cana(on a charter flight) I can't use them now to fly to somewhere else which really stinks since I didn't cancel. There are no rooms available anywhere else in the Cancun either so I don't know where I will vaca next week now.

[Shammy]

Originally Posted by emoc60

Friday July 22nd.
For all those interested, My travel agent called me at 4:00pm yesterday. The Barcelo Maya lost power it does not expect to get it back for at least a week. I was to arrive on Sunday the 24th., now my vaca is canceled. My agent sent me pics of the resort yesterday and it looked like the damage was not to bad alot of downed trees, but they were up and running, so we decided to go until the power outage and they canceled our trip.Since we were booked on apple charter we can only use our tickets to go back there,or Punta Cana(on a charter flight) I can't use them now to fly to somewhere else which really stinks since I didn't cancel. There are no rooms available anywhere else in the Cancun either so I don't know where I will vaca next week now.

This is VERY interesting...I'm calling them right now...on hold....

[Shammy]

As I'm sitting here on hold...I noticed Funjet updated their web site just this morning.

NOW it says the Barcelo will reopen on 7/26.

Still on hold.........