Beautiful resort

Great time..maid service was awesome..did not have to ask for anything..beach was good .flea market vendors there..just say no...along as there's not more than one..buffet service again awesome..all in all clean resort with great pool service and freinfly service..would abso recommend.. Thanks kelly

Excellent Visit

Four of us visited the week of Nov. 12th to the 19th. Airport and resort check in went very smoothly as did the welcome cocktail. We arrived at the perfect time around 3pm and headed right to our rooms. Concierge led the way and explained some details about the resort and our room while our luggage was delivered. First impressions of the layout and grounds were wow, very nice, mountain in the back and ocean in the front. We requested two weeks prior for building #1 top floor with king beds in b [... read more]oth rooms, close together and received exactly that. Rooms 1214 and 1215 were well located with decent ocean views. The room was great. Everything worked well and super comfortable pillow top beds. The resort is very well laid out with only a two-three minute walk through lovely grounds to everything. The beach right in front of our building was perfect, always loungers available and a really nice entry into the sandy bottom ocean. To the right there was some rock but nice entries could easily be found. The guys on the beach trying to take you the market were annoying at first but a no thanks and they left us alone. The water was nice and warm and a little wavy, perfect for cooling off. The pool was also refreshing and clean. They repaired a part of the pool while we were there, took three days to complete. No problem because the other two sections remained opened. Always felt not crowed and again plenty of loungers. The food and drinks were of good quality and very good. Our new favorite was Bombay Gin/sprite and lime, also very refreshing. The buffet was great with a nice variety. Breakfast was amazing every morning with anything you could think of. Themed nights mixed things up nicely like Asian night and Dominican night featuring shrimp and lobster. We tried all three restaurants and enjoyed them all. The Japanese was our least favorite. The main stir fry was good, appetizers and the overall loud show not so good. Service was good everywhere. The shows were okay, but way too loud. The Circle of Life (The Lion King) was very good as well as the show where couples competed in these hilarious various games. The entertainment staff go over and above all day long to entertain the guest especially Justin Beiber who went out of his way to get to know and make us laugh. If you visit you’ll be sure to hear/see him. All in all it was a great week and a very nice/classy resort. The weather was a nice mix of sun/clouds/heat and a tropical storm that went on for hours one evening. Would highly recommend, you won’t be disappointed.

Fantastic Resort

Grounds immaculate and well maintained Food excellent and wide variety Outside Tours (went on one ) excellent Staff just super Entertainment Good Super resort worthy of trip advisor (#1 out of 40 hotels) in Puerto Plata. On our way passed by other resort which seemed not up to par to Iberostar Don't think the resort was 100% according to the no of people in the buffet. Other specialty restaurants available

Amazing resort

This resort was amazing..From the minute we entered the resort it kept getting better and better. Check in was fast, my ocean view room was like a dream, the food was so tasty we are more than we should lol, we both came back 3lbs heavier. The ocean was a beautiful colour and the sand was like powder. The staff acomedated us with all are needs. It's was my bday on Oct 1 and my boyfriend got lots of help making it a perfect day with champagne, flowers and a birthday cake. The games during the day [... read more] and the night shows kept us entertained all week. We will defenetly book with Ibrostar again. And thank you so much to Julia Tollis for recommending it.

Best vacation ever

This place had everything beautiful beach amazing entertainment...great drinks very friendly staff Alahondro was our favorite beautiful scenery great photographer rooms were wonderful lots of excursions to try best place we have been by far

Could have been better

The hotel rooms were very dated and our bathroom ceiling leaked, staff were told but nothing was done. My Brother and sister in law joined us, their room was much bigger than ours even with just the two of them, I had to sleep with my son as the beds were not big enough to accommodate 2 adults. The pool was always warm/hot and very cloudy and turned out sons hair green and ruined our bathing suits. Poolside drinks machine didn't work the whole 2weeks and we always had to que to get a drink.  [... read more]On a meeting we attended with staff, they admitted that this particular hotel was the lowest quality hotel of their collection, but it was a very expensive holiday for us. As always delays with flights. Not a hotel we will use again.

Great Vacation all-around!

We just returned from a one-week stay at the Iberostar Costa Dora resort in Puerto Plata. The resort has a fabulous setting both the outdoors (landscaping and the beach) and indoors (rooms, bars, restaurants, disco, etc.), as well as friendly, courteous, professional and attentive staff. We were especially impressed with our main restaurant waiter, JOEL, tennis pro, PABLO, and our room housekeeper, KENIA.

Great Resort

I loved that the resort was small. Family rooms were great. The entertainment and activities were awesome. Clean and well kept grounds. Food was good, but the Japanese was excellent!! The beach was nice, a little seaweed but nothing to keep people out of the water. We would go back.

Excellent Service and the rest not so

Just came back from Iberostar Costa Dorada,and from the start I would emphasize that this resort is a solid skinny 4 star. the layout of Iberostar Costa Dorada is excellent not too big not too small, everything is close by. Nice gardens ( not as big as in Punta Cana) Buffet has lot of virility and dinner menus are changed every evening. Japanese restaurant has nice presentation and food is good. Mexican has a nice interio but the food itself not that good. Every week in buffet they have a Mexica [... read more]n team dinners which are better. Brazilian has lot of meat and the meat can be uncooked. Bars are all great with excellent choices of alcoholic and non alcoholic cocktails. For coffee lovers coffee in main buffet not so tasty. Ask for cappuccino at the main bar instead. One major issue for me was that the beach was very windy and the water full of seaweeds and lot of debris and even garbage. When its cloudy the beach is dark green and murky, even on a sunny days the beach is not as same as would be in other parts of D.R. The staff did not clean the beach at all and you will be always approached by local vendors and selling you tours, souvenirs or hair braiding, too many interruptions while on the beach. Due to above we spent most of our stay in the pool. On the weekends pool can be very crowded and not so clean. Iberostar has a special promotion for locals in summer months that allows them to check in on Friday and check out on Sunday. During that time the resort is loud and locals have no respect for other guests and staff. At times they can be rude and pushing at the buffet and bars. Pool need renovation

Beautiful Spot

We stayed here Jun 6-14. The grounds were beautiful, staff were very efficient, shout out to Joselito who took care of everyone in the pool bar. The food was amazing every day but one, lots of choices! The beach was good until about 2pm, then the winds seemed to pick up a little bit (this was a new experience for me, I usually stay on the beach all day, maybe the time of year?) The pool was clean and there were lots of places to choose to sit. It's also low season so we pretty much had the ru [... read more]n of the place. Our room was on the ground floor, no issues with the room at all. Beds were comfortable and I appreciated having a thicker top blanket because I found the air conditioning a little cold. Our maid always had cute new things in the room and stocked the fridge daily. I had heard people were receiving Budweiser but thankfully our fridge was stocked with Presidente! I'm not usually a resort person, but if I was choosing a resort I would stay here again.

Nice Resort!

This resort was very comfortable! The grounds were beautiful and the room and dining areas were great! We enjoyed the nightly shows and appreciated the helpful staff. Transportation from and to the airport was excellent.

Average resort

Overall, we enjoyed our stay. This was our fifth vacation to the D.R. and our first to Ibserostar. The staff overall were warm and professional, especially in the buffet and reception. This is a relatively small resort, well maintained though rather rundown and dated, overall. Our room was on the top floor with ocean view, which was delightful, but for a five-star resort, the room was pretty basic and the bathroom a big disappointment as it was shabby and old. For most of our stay we we [... read more]nt to the buffet as the food was good and the staff even better. The Japanese restaurant was very good for food and service but the others were very poor and the service was dreadful in the Mexican restaurant. The cocktail lounge was super and our early morning coffee delicious. The beach area was a shock to us, as there was actual garbage floating onto the beach, so there were specific areas we would only walk to, in order to swim. Be aware of traders walking up and down the beach all day, they are very Intrusive and annoying. The evening entertainment was probably the worst we have experienced in the D.R. Totally boring and amateur and so disappointing. We enjoyed our week at the Iberostar but will not be returning, as it in no way compares to other five-star resorts in the D.R. What put us off most of all, though, were the locals who are allowed to use the resort. They took over the pool and pool bar and were noisy, aggressive and messy. The paying resort quests literally just watched on the sidelines, wondering what on earth was happening. Every time I went to the swim-up bar I was totally ignored as some staff (you know who you are, Ana), chatted and served their friends and treated resort quests with distain. This is completely unacceptable, because this was not a cheap holiday, and we expected a four to five-star exclusive resort. Do be aware of this, as we found out this is a weekly occurrence and it honestly is upsetting. It brings the resort down to a two or three star. We only kept to the beach area because of this, through the day. Iberostar, you have a lot of improving to do, to even come close to the quality and service other five-star resorts offer! If you want paying guests to return, you need to rethink your policies, as we heard a lot of negative comments from fellow travellers there for the first time, and they were unhappy about the locals using this resort. What excels is your warm, kind and wonderful staff, especially in the buffet, cocktail lounge and reception. A big thank you to Narcisos, Allen, Ifrain!

Amazing resort!!

The hotel grounds are clean and well groomed, the pool needs a bit of work but I heard they were going to be doing that soon. The animation staff made our stay amazing, they were so good with our son and with us, and truly made you feel like family. The food was also excellent and we always found something good to eat. This was our second time at this resort and we will be going back for sure.

Very Good Resort in a Beautiful Tropical Setting

I avoided going to Puerta Plata for many years, based on comments of how the sand was dark and the whole vibe was not very tropical. Wow, were those comments wrong! Glad I finally took the plunge and made my way to the Iberostar Costa Dorada in Puerta Plata in May 2017. We took advantage of the new Transat service out of Fredericton, NB and it was great. It was actually the cheapest price in the country for that time of year! The resort was absolutely beautiful. VERY tropical setting, with p [... read more]alm trees everywhere, beautiful gardens, fountains, and real pink flamingos right in the middle of the lobby! I loved the peacocks roaming the resort, and was happy to see one go full bloom one morning. The resort is well laid out, and at 500+ rooms, it is a perfect size. We were never very far from anything (We stayed in building 8, overlooking the pool). The pool is a nice size, with lots of room for activities or peace and quiet. It had a swim up bar (yeahhh!) and lots of action by the animation team at certain periods of the day. Food was good, with lots to choose from. Basically, you have a main buffet (near lobby) and a lunch buffet between the pool and beach. Never had an issue finding something to eat. Lots of freshed cooked stations to enjoy! I was most surprised by the beach, which didn't have dark sand at all. They call in "golden" but it wasn't that far off what we've experienced in Punta Cana really. Yes, PC is whiter, but there was nothing wrong with the beautiful sand at this Iberostar resort. It was soft, and lovely! Depending on how the sun hits, the water does reflect that beautiful aqua colour, and it is picturesque. The only issue I had was that at certain times (depending on how the winds were blowing and tides coming in) there was garbage (Plastics, etc) in the water. The water is not clear and beautiful like in Punta Cana. But the price is a whole lot cheaper in PP as well. All in all, a great value. I would go back!

Amazing Resort - Amazing Staff

I have been to Iberostar Costa Dorada four times, and will go there many more times. The gardens are spectactular. The staff are the happiest I have ever encountered. There are more adult activities than I have ever seen. The buffet is a 5. I have sat in the same section for 3 years with the same waiter - Santos. He has become my Dominican son, and I look forward to seeing him every year. The nightly entertainment is the best. Beach and huge pool warm and inviting. I look forward every [... read more] year to returning to my huge Dominican family. They cannot do enough.

Beautiful Resort!

I knew I was going to like this resort, as soon as we pulled in. It's very tropical and the gardens are beautifully landscaped. We upgraded to the ocean view, it was very nice, but we would have been just as happy to be facing the pool or gardens. It is a small resort, so everything was very convenient to walk to. Lots of washrooms near beach & pool area, so that was a plus! The maids are extremely nice and our room was always clean as soon as we came back from our daily leisure at the pool [... read more]/beach. Plenty of palapas, so no need to rush early in the mornings to reserve as there is a "no reservation" sign beside each palapas. I was also impressed that instead of umbrellas at the pool area, they had the palapas, which made it feel tropical. I have no complaints about the food either - there is LOTS of selection. The resort is kept very clean. We were also amused by a few peacocks at the resort with their little ones - very sweet. I would definitely return to this resort. The only downfall was the ocean water - a little seaweed, but nothing to stop us from going for a dip on those hot days.

100% wheelchair accessible!!

This hotel is 100 percent wheelchair accessible and the staff are very helpful and go out of their way to ensure your stay is stress free and enjoyable! I travel with my friend who is a quadriplegic and uses an electric wheelchair and we had absolutely no issues with this resort. The resort is all on level ground and there is also a board walk that allows a wheelchair to go up to the ocean! The food is to die for and the entertainment is very good! We are definitely going to return to this resor [... read more]t and strongly recommend this resort to anyone who is looking for a wheelchair friendly resort!

Fantastic Spa

I loved the Paradise Island excursion. It was a beautiful beach and the staff were great. I had the best massage ever and would highly recommend it. The view of the beach at the resort was beautiful. The rooms could use some updating.

Wonderful Resort

The Iberostar Costa Dorada had one of the best layouts we have ever seen at a resort. Everything was so close. The beach is practically beside the pool. Check in was very easy, although you cannot check into your room until 3:00 pm however, the resort gives you a beach towel and a changing room to continue on with your day. The rooms were very clean and spacious. The buffet always had something to offer everyone. The Japanese restaurant was superb. The grounds are immaculate and  [... read more]the resort workers were very friendly. We did tip (in American dollars) and although not necessary it was very welcomed. One worker didn't even want to take my tip but I insisted. It was only a $1. The only drawback was the extreme wind on the beach which meant the red flag was up and we were not allowed to swim in the ocean the majority of the time we were there. Not sure if the high winds is the norm or just the time of year we were there. Also, during the Easter weekend the pool was extremely packed. It appears Dominicans traditionally visit the resorts for the Easter Weekend. It was a very busy weekend , it seemed like the resort was over capacity. Beach was nice, but not as nice as Cuban beaches. There were two areas, one side with huts and the other side there were trees that provided shade which added to the beach experience. Lounge chairs were easy to find both at the beach and pool. If you wanted a to sit in a specific area, there were always chairs available. Never been to a resort that had so many lounge chairs.

“Very nice and helpful staff & chefs were amazing with my special dietary needs”

We arrived to a nice clean oceanview room. The maid surprised us with a nice romantic turn down service when she noticed I had a nice piece of lingerie I had takin out for bed time... Nice touch, my boyfriend was impressed! Food was great & the serving staff do not push for tips which is a big plus for me. Having been to Cuba a couple of times & find they are a bit pushy for tips. The organize tons of events for adults & kids. The nightly entertainment is great & your never bored. The beach l [... read more]unches are a nice touch as well. The guys by the beach that promote a market up the way are a little annoying, but just talk friendly and laugh & tell them your not interested and they will leave you alone. Another BIG plus is that there are security everywhere! Had a great romantic get-away for sure.