The all-inclusive Barceló Maya Grand Resort located in Riviera Maya, Mexico is a destination wedding haven that offers couples and their guests a dizzying range of activities and friendly price points all in one large and beautiful property.
The picturesque coastlines of Mexico’s Riviera Maya offer a miscellany of resorts, hotels and theme parks ready to host a destination wedding and choosing one as the perfect backdrop to your special occasion is no doubt a daunting decision. Not only do you need to worry about a venue that can accommodate the size of your wedding in the style that you desire, but you also need to make sure that your guests will enjoy the amenities around them. And you need to do this in your allocated budget in a region where guests can easily afford to travel.
The resort is located about 45 minutes south of the Cancun International Airport on an expansive, 1.25 mile stretch of a white sandy beach. Yes, the Barceló resort has the shimmering pools with swim-up bars, a vast array of restaurants and well-appointed rooms and suites, but what makes this resort stand out amongst the others is that the resort is actually a collection of five (soon to be six) hotels in one, offering you and your guests a plethora of activities, cuisines and price points. At the top level is the Barceló Maya Palace, an all-suite, AAA Four-Diamond resort that offers six restaurants, a large lake-shaped pool and palm tree-lined beach. Other hotels located within the mega-resort include the Barceló Maya Beach, Barceló Maya Caribe, Barceló Maya Colonial and Barceló Maya Tropical each decorated in a different style and offering a range of price points. Although guests are welcome to enjoy the amenities and restaurants of all the hotels, its all-inclusive package includes the most variety of activities, drinks, cuisines and more within one price while the add-on Premium Level offers guests the best rooms with a private concierge service and an unlimited number of fine dining restaurant reservations for dinners.
As a whole, the Barceló Maya Grand Resort is a playground for both adults and families. The property boasts 2,700 rooms, 10 pools, a full-service spa and state of the art fitness center, two nightclubs (one for adults and one for teens), water parks, ziplining, water sports, three theaters,18-hole mini golf course, a shopping mall, open air shopping markets, and so much more. Each night, the resort has scheduled performances and events, from movies to glittery Vegas-style productions. In essence, the Barceló Maya Grand Resort offers everything one would want in a vacation in one beautiful and conveniently shuttle-linked property.
Food from Tokyo to Tropical
Cuisine offerings on the resort range from buffets, casual fare, to fine dining and all-inclusive guests can enjoy all of these at no additional cost. The food is abundant and includes Mexican specialities, local fruits and vegetables, house-made pastries and desserts, fresh juices and continental favorites. Basically, you will find pretty much anything to satisfy a variety of tastes. However, the real stars are the more specific fine dining options also included with the all-inclusive package. Brasserie, focusing on French cuisine, is a romantic restaurant that serves local fare cooked with French techniques. Expect dishes like Foie Gras Tarte, Oysters in Mornay sauce, Petit Chateaubriand and a very delicious Crunchy Sea Bass Fillet. Desserts range from Crème Brûlée to Crêpes Suzette. Kyoto, a Teppanyaki restaurant includes a dinner and a “show” similar to what you can find at your local Benihana while Mexico Lindo is offers dishes typical of the various regions in Mexico from Oaxaca to Mexico City. Other dining options include Italian, Mediterranean, a steakhouse, Carribbean and Spanish cuisines. Needless to say, you won’t go hungry here. As far as drinks, the resort carries a decent selection of beers, wines and liquors, but if you want something in particular beyond the house-offerings, those too are available at an additional cost.
South Asian Weddings at Barceló Maya Grand Resort
The Barceló Maya Grand Resort is a popular choice for planning a South Asian destination wedding because of the various options it offers its guests and the affordability of its three packages. Starting with the Moksha Package, offered for free with the booking of 40 double rooms for at least three nights, the package includes a three-hour beach reception overseen by an on-property certified South Asian wedding coordinator. Moksha offers a generous open bar, sound equipment (bring your own DJ) and a menu of Mexican and vegetarian fare. There is no limit to the number of guests under this level. The Dharma Package offered at $4,500 for 50 guests includes the ceremony on a beach in one of the beautiful gazebos dotting the property and a reception with Indian food, basic decor, sound and wedding cake. The package also includes a henna artist that will do simple designs on the bride. And finally, at the top is the Karma Package offered at $14,000 for 50 guests which includes a two-hour Mehndi with an open bar and International and vegetarian hors d’oeuvres that can be held on a private terrace or by the pool. Here the bride will have her full henna done by an artist who still stay on for an extra hour at the event for the guests. The next included event is the Sangeet with a three-hour open bar, lighted dance floor and sound, basic decor and white lounge seating. A ceremony is also included in the Karma Package which comes with a traditional Indian set up with coffee and sparkling wine with two natural garlands. And finally, the package ends with a three-hour reception complete with open bar, food, cake, sound and decor. All of the packages come with special amenities, a bottle of sparkling wine sent to the couple’s room and the wedding group gets a 50% discount to the VIP area of the property’s dance club, Jaguar.
Getting Creative with Experiences
Beyond the serene beaches and expansive pools, Barceló Maya Grand Resort offers couples a unique way to celebrate their union as long as they keep an open mind to adventure. For example, instead of hosting a regular Sangeet night, shake things up by a visit to the on-property Dolphinaris, a dolphinarium where you can swim with these friendly mammals, learn about their behavior and understand how to protect the oceans of the world. You can also add on experiences like a trip to the nearby archaeological ruins at Tulum or swim in one of the area’s cenotes, spectacular underground rivers and caves. Or perhaps you may consider a day of adventure at the on-property park, Ventura Fly and Ride. It’s the area’s newest and most comprehensive adventure park with eight unique zipline paths that range from beginner to expert as well as a place to rent go carts, ATVs or quad cycles to be ridden by four people. Or maybe you can challenge your guests to a game of chess played with pawns that are about two feet high or divide your guests into teams and welcome them to an 18-hole round of minigolf. Trust us, planning a unique experience for your guests will guarantee they will never forget your wedding.
Finally, the resort offers a central Maya Mall which serves as a shopping and entertainment complex complete with world-class shopping, dining and sports bars, bowling lanes, ice skating rink and much more. For those looking for a more tranquil experience, the on-property U-Spa offers massages and therapies steeped in Mexican traditions. Book a day there with your wedding party for a relaxing afternoon of treatments most of which are performed either indoors or outdoors by the beach.
Wedding Central
Barceló Maya Grand Resort has a central office for its wedding planners that work with both on-property vendors like decorators, florists and photographers as well as off-property ones like the Indian restaurant Patravali who caters to weddings in the area. Some planners at Barceló Maya Grand Resort are certified in South Asian wedding planning and can offer fun ideas like their Cadillac Golf Cart that is perfect for the baraat or the bidai. And although major substitutions are not allowed to the above packages, the planners are known to work with the couple to fit the packages to their desires.
If you want to host your wedding at the Barceló Maya Grand Resort, you can reach out to their dedicated weddings department at Barceló Weddings. Because of the number of hotels located on the property, no matter where your wedding events are held, your guests can choose their rooms based on their budget from rooms on the lower end, low season being about $100 per night to $400 per night on the top end, high season. The entire resort is linked together by a double-decker shuttle which runs regularly through the night, and all of the hotels are linked via walkways and paths, making it easy for guests to gather, explore and enjoy.
Wedding Packages at Barcelo
Mint Breeze Package: Includes location for 30 people for the ceremony. Prefect wedding by the sea organized with a wedding coordinator, live music, wedding cake and more.
Coconut Paradise Package: Includes wedding location and menu features when booking a minimum of 70 room nights at the resort.
Blueberry Dream Package: Includes wedding location, private cocktail, dinner reservation and many other features.
Strawberry Passion Package: Includes wedding location, live music for ceremony, private dinner reception and open bar served on the beach for 3 hours and many other features.
Tangerine Sunset Package: Includes wedding location, private cocktail, dinner reservation, VIP services for the couple and many other features for 35 attendees.
