TOP OF THE LINE RESORT

From the moment we arrived until the day we departed the service was excellent. The rooms were clean and daily maid care was above average. The pool was clean and clear, only problem was lack of enough chairs, but from what I have read about other resorts this is a common problem. They need to find a way to stop people from claiming chairs early in the morning and occuping them for the full day. Beach area was clean and guard was on duty at all times, they cleared the seaweed daily unlike some o [... read more]f the other resorts in the area. They had daily activities, directed by employees who were enjoying the activities as much as the guest. Lastly the food was above average, healthy, wide variety, and plentiful.

Excellent Resort

Nothing but positives to say with the exception of cockroaches twice in the room. They are obviously dealing with this as we were advised that they would be fumigating our block of rooms one morning. Otherwise nothing but praise. The food in the buffet was fresh, varied and good quality. It was easy to get great service in the bars without waiting. The animation team offered lots of varied games if that's what you want and they were fun but not in your face if you weren't interested. Lots of lou [... read more]nge chairs on the beach, harder around the pool if you wanted sun. Good quality gym. Housekeeping was fine. Overall, a really nice resort and excellent value. Our best DR, we have been in DR 4 times.

Nice resort

Resort was nice ,clean and staff was vary nice.Food was excellent. The only problem we had was every time you went to the beach people were there asking you if you wanted to go to the market just down the beach.First time they asked we went to the market, it was ok the usual souvenirs, but every time after that when we went to the beach they were there asking if they could take you really anoing .We stopped going to the beach.

Rum & love & sunshine

As a young couple, we stayed at an Iberostar in another destination and completly fell in love with it. When we were given the chance and had saved up to go away to discover a new vacation destination,we'd choose no other than Iberostar. We knew we'd be in fabulous hands! My hubby & I LOVE Iberostar!!Costa Dorada was amazing! Beautiful beaches,the hardest working resort staff,impecably kept hotel grounds,fantastic a la Cartes and strong Rum drinks!! Hope to visit another Iberostar in the future! [... read more]:) ♥ thankyou for a wonderful experience! ! We will continue to rave about how fantastic our Iberostar visits have been! Chase & Emily

Iberostar Costa Dorada

We have no real complaints about this resort...except for the smoking issue.Smoking is not allowed in the restaurants which is great. .however,as is the case with most Carribean resorts,smoking is allowed in all other public areas...bars,patios etc.As is the case here in Ontario, we would love to see smoking banned in public areas.

Iberostar Costa Dorada

We only had one complaint re this hotel,,and its one we have with all resort destinations we have been to...althought smoking its not allowed in restaurants, it is allowed in most of the public areas.

Very enjoyable holiday!

Just returned from the Iberostar Costa Dorada and had a great time. Unfortunately we had a few days of non stop rain, but one cannot control the weather. I cannot find anything to complain about our stay. We requested a room change to an ocean view and this was done for us with no issues. Thank you for that! We found that the food at the buffets and the a la carte's was excellent quantity and quality. Staff in all areas of the hotel were friendly and helpful. Lovely beach for walking and we didn [... read more]'t have any issue finding chairs. Spent most of our time on the beach, but the pool did look lovely as well. Rain did not dampen our spirits and we had a wonderful time and I would return. One suggestion I would make is that perhaps there could be more stringent rules regarding designated smoking areas. Being nonsmokers, we did notice a fair bit of smoking.

Beautiful Resort

We were a party of 6 seniors who enjoyed a restful, trouble free week at the Iberostar resort. The staff was always helpful and courteous. The waiters seemed to always remember our preferences and the food was fantastic in all the restaurants with lots to choose from. We even had ocean view rooms without asking. The grounds are beautiful and the beach area was clean and not crowded. We will certainly be back for another holiday.

Love the Paella on the beach

My second time at this resort and It was impressive- ocean view room. Food was excellent and I loved the seafood and steaks. Beach was not great- had lots of sea weed and turned my white bikini bottom green. Pool was very nice and of course we had friendly Canadians who left us their float and noodle. A very family oriental and older adult resort. Entertainment staff worked really hard and we enjoyed the shows. Service staff was friendly- we have our favorites- Juan, Joel, Bonny, Tony and Zacari [... read more]s. I was not happy with one staff in particular who I had given a token and she called my room explaining that her grandfather was not well and needed money- she called numerous times for four days consecutive which made me very uncomfortable that I do NOT want to go back to this hotel. The receptionist was friendly upon arrival but some wasn't as warm when departing. Overall, a great resort and good food and good service.

Mediocre resort

Would rate as 2-3 star. Room moody and damp, needs updating most a la carte not available , food is okay as are pools. Restaurants needs updating . Service is average at best. Would not recommend this resort.

Our favourite resort in Puerto Plata!

As usual, we had a great time! The staff are always friendly and helpful, especially Joseph (waiter) and our housekeeping lady for room 5119. Also a high five to Francisco at reception. I think of the Iberostar as my second home and would go again in a heart beat!

We had a wonderful time overall!

Booked this trip of 3 to this resort unknowing of what to expect but with relatively cheaper price we had to go for it. The trip went very well as I have been to Iberostar resort in the Caribbean I wasn't disappointed in spite of it's relatively smaller size. The food, the friendly staff, the well kept clear grounds, a nice well-looked after Gmy, and the clean specious rooms makes it a great resort.to stay at. The Japanese a la cart restaurant is worthy a visit it was great. The only 2 things th [... read more]at dented what would have been almost a perfect vacation were check-in which took for ever as the rooms were not ready until 4:30 when we arrived at the resort at 1:45pm and the normal check-in is 3pm. They kept promising that the rooms would be ready in 20 minutes until we gave up. And the wifi prices are a total reap off, $25 for 5 days is unacceptable in this age. Otherwise we had a wonderful experience and we would think twice to return sometime in the future.

Ok

Staff was very good here, especially animation team. Resort is very pretty and picturesque, room are older, but kept very clean. Food was typical all inclusive. Breakfast was the best, lunch very limited, a la cartes decent. If you go on a weekend, which we did, it is you and hundreds of locals. You can't get near the swim up bar, and if you do, good luck being served. Also any games or events, same thing, taken over by locals, and your lucky to get involved. Also mostly everything was done in s [... read more]panish, so big language barrier if you wanted to understand things. The other problem was the 3 cockroaches (one ran out from makeup bag in bathroom) we saw during out stay, so being paranoid we left everything outside upon our return. Bit of an inconvenience. I will say the staff is great at make you a part of most things, so that would be the biggest positive here. If you go, I would avoid the overcrowded weekends. This is our second trip in 6 months booked with trip central, and we have been very pleased using their service. Have recommended them to many friends, and will definitely use for next booking.

Beautiful resort, exceptional staff and service

The rooms were bright and beautiful....bathrooms could be a bit better...the grounds were so well taken care of and the service.....I will never forget how well I was treated! The daily food kept my belly singing and the staff were all so happy and courteous..always looking for ways to brighten our day no matter how big or how small! I cried the day I left.....it was very hard leaving such a paradise. I wish though we could have swam in the pool after hours ..it was so looking forward to wading  [... read more]in the pool in the moonlight.... it was my first time in the Dominican. ...and it will definitely will not be my last...it can't wait to come back to Iberostar Puerto Plata! Oh and a very special thank you to Barbie, chocolate, chocolaka pepsi cola, Romero, Boss and many many others..you went above and beyond to make our vacation so memorable! Thank you again!

Nice resort.

We stayed in room 1101 and were pleased with the room. Everything was close by. Pool was just down the stairs, the beach was to the left once you were on the ground level. The main lobby was clean and well managed with a lobby bar and another bar were the entertainment was held was opened at night so there were no long waits. The pool bar was amazing. There was a swim up and walk up on the opposite side. The food was excellent in my opinion. The a la carte options were enjoyable. Japanese was pr [... read more]epared in front of us, the Mexican was very good, we had beef skewers instead of tacos and we were extremely happy with out choice. The Brazilian was also well done. We had the skewered choice there as well. The pool side buffet was perfect with snacks for all palettes ie burgers, pizza and fries and much more. There were 2 days were paella was prepared on the beach which I did enjoy. There was a beach barbecue that I missed. Entertainment and activities at the pool were very entertaining to watch, I didn't volunteer or participate but I enjoyed watching. The bikini competition was fun to watch, bingo daily, sports like competitions etc. At night there were some hard working, very physically fit staff who performed shows and had audience participation including children. The same performed the evening entertainment. Very hard working young men and women. Service staff worked tirelessly on the gardens and trees, the pool, the water gardens, the bars and the buffets. The housekeeping was immaculate. It really was an incredible experience to stay at this resort. I have nothing negative to say. The price is moderate and you get everything you pay for and more. We enjoyed our vacation immensely, would we go back? Unsure, I like hopping around but would not hesitate booking with Iberostar resorts.

OMG You gotta stay here!

We are returning fans of the Iberostar Costa Dorada. Cannot say enough about how well you are treated. From the front desk, cooking, cleaning, grounds keepers, bartenders, meal servers... THEY ARE ALL THE BEST! The entertainers are amazingly wonderful. Wow, these guys and girls make sure you have an enjoyable and memorable trip. Chocolate, Chocolaka, Pepsi Cola, Blackie...(cannot remember everyones names:() There was always something to do. Great for all ages, the activities had something for ev [... read more]eryone. The pool was clean, thank you cleaning staff!! Food was AMAZING!! So much variety hard to choose & always available. Very clean & always well kept. Food 24/7, the late night snack is a full on buffet. Pool buffet is huge, gotta try the guac! Loved the local musicians every night, lots of room to dance. The Star Band is spot on. The beach is beautiful, the trees are welcoming in the hot sun. Hats off to the beach groomers that keep the beach a wonderful sight. The beach party was a blast. The orchid garden is wonderfully beautiful and great for pictures. They grow their own mint and aloe vera for use on the resort! Live flamingos & peacocks roaming around. Very cool, got a chance to see the babies this year. Will be returning with a larger group next year. Thank you Julian, my private guide for chocolate and honey :)) Check out the Del Oro organic chocolate factory, finest you will every indulge in. See you soon!!!

Incredible resort

All areas were clean and welcoming. The ocean and sand were beautiful and the beach was quiet. The pool area was crowded and noisy however we remained on the beach. The food was delicious. That alone would make us return. We did the xtreme excursion and that was so much fun! We will certainly be returning.

Potential Balance Unparalleled Beauty

My husband and I vacationed at Iberostar Costa Dorada April 22-29, 2015. We booked a regular room through Tripcentral and travelled via Air Transat Vacations, and we received first rate service. We base this review on the experience gained form 15 all-inclusive vacations at three repeat 5-star resorts in Varadero Cuba, Punta Cana DR, and Puerto Plata DR. Upon our arrival at Costa Dorada we were overwhelmed by the vast numbers of guests checking in along with us. We quickly discovered this would [... read more] not be a problem. We were efficiently greeted, offered a cold beverage, then assisted by a professional clerk, given our room assignment, key cards, instructions on beach towel card usage, a map of the resort and a meeting appointment with our Air Transat Rep. We were given a King room on the first level of building 6 with a partial ocean/beach view. While our luggage followed timely in the capable hands of a smiling porter we headed eagerly to check out our accommodations. We discovered our entrance was off a beautiful garden courtyard. The room itself spacious, a large bathroom to the right, with in tub shower, single sink marble vanity and hairdryer. Then past that to the right a huge King size bed with double night stands along the wall, then a high round table with two chairs. Upon entering to the left was a luggage bench next to a large seated desk area, offering a coffee maker with essentials and an ice bucket (ice machines located throughout each double building block) with glasses. Next to this a flat screen TV sat on a cabinet containing a mini fridge. The fridge held beer, soda pop and water, this was replenished daily. Our quiet and very private patio sat outside a large sliding door. It offered two comfy chairs with a table with a view onto a private, quiet, green area near the child daycare facility. There was never noise from outside, night or day. A partial view offered of both beach and ocean gave us reason to unpack our swim suits and head out to explore. We were very happy to call this room home base for the next week. We discovered the beach just a few steps away. We walked around the corner, from our room, along a flagstone pathway in front of building 5, past a foot wash/shower station onto golden sand. The beach is wide, with plenty of natural shade close to the Beachbar and beach BBQ/Grill area. There are palapas offering shaded areas and plenty of beach beds. Daily removal of washed up seaweed leaves the beach clean. The water depth drops quickly in some areas but this changes day to day depending on wind/sea conditions. The 'yellow' slightly saggy beach beds were a problem for us, they do not fully recline and prove to be very uncomfortable when laying on ones belly. We have been to 4* resorts with fully reclining 'blue' chairs that offer much more support. You are thinking we have a dislike for yellow but I assure you the comfort level and style was also pale in comparison to the sturdy blue recliners of other resorts. During our stay we had 7 days with no high wind and a gentle surf. The ocean temperature was very warm, sea bottom mostly sand with occasional areas of seaweed. We noticed that schools of fish were abundant. The buffet is a very large circular restaurant, divided seating areas, high palapa center ceiling, open along the exterior half wall to the outside, with option to lower curtains during wind or rain. The buffet is located close to the Spa/Gym and not far from the main lobby. From our first evening onward we chose to sit near the garden and, on occasion, we would see several of the resort's resident peacocks strut along displaying their colourful plumage. Our waiter Domingo was there at breakfast and dinner every day during our stay. He would greet us with warmth, offer a few mini Spanish lessons and always remembered our drink preferences. Following breakfast we went to either the pool or the beach. The first two days we choose the beach, the same palapa, daily became our private little retreat. As I mentioned earlier, I found the beach beds uncomfortable and by morning of the third day decided to book a therapuedic massage at the Spa. Poolside days that followed, allowed me to rest in comfort on a thick mattress of a fully reclining sunbed. During the mornings that followed I enjoyed few delicious mimosas, followed by short naps in the shade and a short walk to the beach for a relaxing ocean dip before lunchtime, oh the fun! We always lunched at the poolside buffet. The food here was excellent. Succulent rotisserie chicken, yum! Selections of fish, beef burgers, pork chops, steak, a variety of cooked vegetables, French fries, fresh lettuce and various vegetables, nachos, salsa, chili, cheese, breads, rolls, fruit, and deserts. Both poolside and beach activities were non-stop. Morning pool aerobics, beach yoga, Latin dance lessons, Spanish lessons. Silly poolside games, bingo, darts, washer toss, archery, shooting, zumba, tennis, on and on. If you want a busy fun filled day you will be kept entertained. If you want to relax, these games will not be a distraction, the music or noise level was never intrusive at either poolside or beach. We enjoyed both the games and the relaxation at our leisure. Aside from morning mimosas I suggest the pool swim up bar between 4-6pm. It is lively, a time for those who are young or young at heart, not for those who are prickly about a few adult jokes and conversation. It's a time for sharing a shooter or two, poured with finesse and expertise. Many thanks to pool bartenders including Angel, Yara, Juan Lewis and Emmanuel. The staff at Costa Dorada are 'mi familia'. You will be adding to your face book friends list after a week at Iberostar Costa Dorada. After our first dinner experience at the main buffet we didn't restrict ourselves to bookings and chose instead to dine where we knew the food and service to be excellent. During our stay we heard positive things concerning all of the a la cartes, especially the Japanese, however can offer no personal opinion. Following dinner we either walked the manicured grounds or along the serene glowing poolside, visited the exquisite orchid garden, browsed the market area, took in vendor displays, or headed to the lobby bar for an after dinner drink. During early evening there is a children’s time in the theater, followed by an occasional mid evening interlude of musical entertainment, then the evening theater show, ending with nightly disco time starting at 11:30pm. During our stay there was very little mid evening entertainment. This was disappointing. One evening a local band played both a variety of slow to fast paced latin and international music in the courtyard. We enjoyed this romantic time, dancing under the moon in paradise. This one evening gave us a teasing taste of what should have been a nightly feast. On another occasion, a one man piano/guitar entertainer, not so tasteful, played/sang his rendition of Elvis and Beatles songs/music. He was annoying, his performance unprofessional. He would start the song, laugh, then stop, restart, so on, if this was meant as humor, it was not perceived by the audience as being funny. The courtyard area is open, spacious and offers a venue in which nightly mid-evening activity could be offered, I hope this situation improves. How to be polite yet remain brutally honest. The animation staff work hard-check, they give 110%-check, therefore, the following opinion is not a reflection on the “entertainment team”. They work all day, then they are expected to work all evening as performers, this is not good management! A resort that booms during the day has to fall apart at night when working the same staff! Outside shows, troops, groups, need to be brought in at least 4 out 7 evenings. This would give the Iberostar staff time to recharge and an opportunity to mingle with the guests. They deserve100% review feedback. We strongly feel the evening/nightlife is sadly lacking, at least it was during our one week stay. We feel our week should be the reflection of any average week as most all vacations are either, 7, 10 or 14 days. A resort of this rating and potential should offer more “spirit” after dark, instead it is tired, slow, and, at times, boring. We went to the disco only one night, simply because the early evening boredom set a mood of tired eyedrooping. Located behind the main lobby bar area, past the lobby washrooms, this space is air conditioned and offers modern trendy decor and design. You have to take a look inside, even if you don't plan on indulging in a late evening of dance and/or drink. The music started out as true 70's early 80's disco, this was actually amusing and offered moments of nostalgia to a few exuberant couples. We enjoyed non-stop dancing to a good selection of top 40's modern dance mix music. All age groups were on the floor, everyone seemed to be having fun. Then things went to latin, loud and booming. The dance floor emptied and everyone had a look of puzzlement. Even with the lacking evening entertainment, we still feel this resort is a well deserving 4.5 star. It has a warm, welcoming atmosphere, it quickly becomes your resort, your place, your personal paradise. Resort staff are omnipresent, pleasant, helpful and gracious. Would we go back? Yes, without question, in a heartbeat. The critiques we've given offer suggestions with a positive, hopeful attitude. We hope the balance of night and day entertainment will be realized. Thank-you Tripcentral. Thank you Iberostar. We had an amazing experience at Costa Dorada, where azure ocean meets luscious land, truly a place of balance and beauty. Pauline and Don Spurrell

Outstanding Resort!

There is not one thing I would change about this resort. The food was great, the rooms were nice with a beautiful view, the beach was beautiful, the pool was clean, and there was always various entertainment.

Clean, Attractive, Compact Resort

Went second week in May and the weather and temperature of the pool was perfect. Beach has a lot of seaweed (raked daily), crushed shells in sand, and there was a considerable amount of wind pick up usually around 11:00 a.m. so cannot comfortably stay at beach past noon. Plenty of palapas and chairs at beach and pool. Food and atmosphere at main buffet I found to be very good. Tried Japanese and Brasilian a la carte restaurants which were good. Rooms were dated but clean and fine. Three story bu [... read more]ildings with no elevators. Attractive surroundings and everything is within short walking distance. Daytime entertainment good as well as the entertainment staff. Evening entertainment could use some improvement as not as varied as Iberostar Punta Cana / Dominicana - i.e. band for dancing each evening, and there was not any professional shows the week I was there only audience participation. Locals come in on weekends and national holidays which makes it very busy and loud. Staff on the whole were very pleasant.