This hotel was definately a good pick. The pools were large, many chairs, shaded areas to relax. The food was very good, lots of choice. The beach had lots of sea weed, they tried to remove it daily, the water was very wavy. There are flamingos, peacocks, other animals walking everywhere. They did not expect tips, some people left them, others did not. We enjoyed the Iberostar del mar, from check in to checkout everything went smoothly.
Thank you Louise Endean, you made everything about trave[... read more]l great from our first conversation wondering what hotel to choose, to our departure. We will definately choose you for our next travel destination.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
SarahS -
Verified Purchaser
Mediocre resort, not 5 star quality
Food was the same in buffet for breakfast and lunch every day. We went to 3 of the restaurants (Mexican, Brazilian, Japanese) and they were all TERRIBLE! The Mexican was embarrassing considering we were IN MEXICO, it was like the dishes were all prepared beforehand and not fresh. The Brazilian was slow and none of the waiters talked to us/explained the process. All the meats were only offered once and VERY SALTY (and I typically like salt). The Japanese was the worst of all. We were excited to t[... read more]ake our daughter there to see all the tricks that they do at the teppanyaki table but the chef DID NOT DO ANY TRICKS!! We sat there in silence and watched him cook while the other tables around us laughed and cheered at the performances they got to watch. When I asked the waiter why our chef wasn't doing any tricks, I was told it was because he was "new and shy". We were very disappointed. The worst part of the hotel was that nothing was open to eat between 4:00pm and 6:30pm. My baby gets hungry around 5-6pm and that is when we usually give her dinner but we couldn't there. Luckily I brought a few containers so I would take food for her from the lunch buffet for dinner but we thought that was unacceptable! They should stagger the restaurant and buffet opening times. Overall the resort was quite large, we stayed mostly in the "quiet area" of the pool. I tried to go with my baby to the baby area called the Kangaroo room which has lots of great toys but it was not air conditioned so we ended up going to the room instead. I will choose a different resort for my family next time.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
KarlieBG -
Verified Purchaser
Wonderful stay at Del Mar!
We loved our stay at this resort. It was our first time to Mexico and it did not disappoint. Staff were outstanding, food was delicious, rooms clean, lots of games and fun at the pool. Great excursion with Cancun Adventures to Tulum ruins & Cenote caves. Only complaint would be the beach. Water was rough and there was a ton of seaweed. They worked to clear it but it was everywhere on the beach and in the water. If you love the beach would not suggest Mayan Riviera during Jan-June (as per locals)[... read more]. Otherwise, overall it was a fantastic resort with lots to do, eat, drink & play!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Great Resort
The hotel was extremely clean and the staff were extremely kind and helpful. The resort has great wildlife around the grounds that my kids loved seeing each morning as we walked to breakfast.
I would take my family back.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar
This was our 3rd trip to this resort and we weren't disappointed. Checking in was a breeze, no problems. This is a large resort with transportation (golf carts) available, if needed. However, it is a comfortable walk from one end to the other. We enjoyed walking over to the plaza and checking out the stores and restaurants there. The whole area is similar to a small village.
There are numerous beautiful pools, i.e. pool for activities, "quiet area", families, lazy river. The grounds are lush w[... read more]ith vegetation. Peacocks, Flamingos and other tropical birds add to the beauty of this location, also the funny little Coties. Although the rooms are a bit dated, they are very comfortable and clean. The whole resort, including the various buildings, are very clean. The staff are constantly attending to the walkways and grounds. The food and service was very good with a great selection at the buffet. We did dine at 2 of the available restaurants, and again the food was delicious. The beach is a beautiful wide and long beach with soft white sand. Unfortunately, while we were there the Sargassum seawood created a bit of a problem but we were still able to walk the beach and get into the clear, warm water. We enjoyed participating in some of the pool activities but mostly watching people having fun. The "animation" team was great. Leonel, Nare, Daniel, Alexander are some of the team that I can remember. They really got the pool hopping. In the afternoon we participated in the Zumba class with excellent instructors, Armando and Laura. The only thing I would suggest is that the "main" evening entertainment should start earlier. We found the 9:45, 10 pm start a little late.
All the staff were very helpful and made us feel welcome.
In summary, we had a wonderful time and are looking forward to going back next year
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Just Ok trip
We liked location , greenery , wild animals . We did Not appreciate that we were served with instant coffee and powder milk . Also , we not like an extra charge (1$ per day ) for sanitization. Other chains don’t charge extra . Fyi . It took us over 2 hrs to get from Cancun to Iberostar as they put us on a shared bus which stopped at 4 resorts dropping off 2 or more people and we were at the last place . It was very disappointing after 4.5 hr flight .
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Fun Week at Iberostar
My daughter and I spent a week at the Iberostar-Del Mar resort in February. Overall we had a relaxing, fun week.
I wanted to share some positive feedback on the resort as well as some areas I think they could improve on. I also need to mention the areas I think the resort could improve on in no way that affected our enjoyment at this resort. We are visitors from another country and never expect perfection. Just being able to escape our cold winters for a brief time in beautiful Mexico was enou[... read more]gh.
Positive;
-The grounds, nature, and beach are all spectacular. They are so well kept and it was wonderful being able to walk through the canopy of trees and lighted pathways at night.
-The wildlife was also wonderful to experience (Coatis, Iguanas, Flamingoes, birds & peacocks)
-The staff was all very nice, professional, and helpful. I witnessed many times when the staff also were warm and courteous to each other.
-There are lots of pools to choose from. You can find a quiet area if you don't enjoy the music and games and activities at the main pool area.
-There is lots of shade at both the pool and beach.
-Rooms were very clean
-The resort is very eco-friendly. There are water filling stations on each floor where you can refill 2 large glass water bottles.
-The whole resort is huge. My daughter and I love to walk so there were plenty of places to explore.
Areas for improvement;
-I would rate the food at a 6.5/10. We booked the French, Mexican, and Italian restaurants. Overall I was disappointed with the Mexican food at the whole resort. At the Mexican restaurant, I ordered chicken fajitas. They listed on the menu that they come with rice and beans but my order was simply chicken, onions, and peppers. I only saw guacamole one time at the buffet and rarely saw baked tortillas and beans. The French restaurant served french onion soup with barely a teaspoon of cheese, the pizza at the Italian restaurant was undercooked and the pasta overcooked.
-The egg/omelet station at the morning buffet was always very busy. I love having eggs in the morning but on several occasions gave up waiting. The bacon is also in the same area and difficult to access due to the line. The scrambled eggs appear to be from a mix and are undercooked and runny.
-You do not have the ability to adjust the temperature in the room. When we arrived the thermostat was set at 22 degrees. It was much hotter in the room. I called the front desk and they adjusted it to 18 degrees. The room did not cool down and someone came and said there was a broken piece in the system. They tried to repair it but it didn't make much of a difference.
- The beach and pool chairs are reserved very early (7:00am) with people who put their towels on them to save. We ended up having to do the same in order to have a chair during the day. I'm not really sure what the hotel can do about this.
-The rooms are a little dated. There was a large burn mark on the floor in our room & the shower arm was broken.
-The shows at night are limited and not really entertaining. There are 2 shows that are extra. We did not go to either.
-There are no elevators in the building we stayed in. We were on the top floor (3). It wasn't a problem for us but might be for others.
Again, overall we had a wonderful, relaxing time at the Iberostar.
-One more tip- Do not take a taxi from the airport to the resort. We were stuck in a long line at customs and realized the Sunwing bus had left. We didn't know what to do. A man who claimed he worked for Sunwing told us we had no other choice but to take a taxi. He said Sunwing would cover the cost. We agreed upon $50CAD. He said he would give me a receipt but after the transaction, said his machine was out of paper. Once at the hotel, I checked my credit card and saw a charge just under $500 CAD. I'm embarrassed I fell for this but I wanted to warn others. :(
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Very good resort
The resort was amazing, full of green trees, bushes and local birds/animals. Room was spacious and clean (junior suite) Food was good but not like before (we've been in the same resort 4 years ago)
Very good entertainment, except theatre shows that were scheduled very late at night (10-11 pm)
The worst thing we encountered was getting a sit at the table at lunch (waiting time outside the buffet approx 10-15 min) and at dinner (30 min). This waiting time happened because the resorts (del Mar an[... read more]d Beach) had opened only one Buffet Restaurant for dinner.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Great Experience - again!
As before the resort is beautiful. The grounds, buildings, pools, and beach are very well maintained and clean. The seaweed issue is dealt with throughout each day to maintain access to the beach.
Staff are wonderful and attentive and while there is quite a distance to some of the rooms and other amenities the ongoing shuttle service works very well.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Resort was fantastic!
Everything was great at this resort. The beach was nice and we never struggled for loungers. The food was exceptional and the room was very clean. The only issue we had was the non-stop pushing us to go to their meetings to sign up for whatever they were selling. We did not attend but it never stopped.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Beautiful Lush Property
This resort is large, grounds excellent. The food in the buffet is varied and tasty. The a la cartes we attended were well presented, and the food very good, the service great as well.
There are shuttles that run every 15 minutes, but we chose to walk for the most part, enjoying the pathways through the mangrove. The pools are quite large and the activities fun to watch.
There were a couple of issues with our room keys losing programming, at fairly inconvenient times and because we were in [... read more]Building 12 it was a pretty good walk to the lobby to have them reprogrammed.
There is something for everyone to do at this resort!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Seal team 1 -
Verified Purchaser
Beautiful Place
The grounds are clean and beautiful. The food is very good.
We had a room near the pool, but the only issues we could complain about were that there is no coffee machine, iron or alarm clock in the rooms.
These are small things, but this is the first resort in our 6 vacations to Mexico that did not provide any of these. The people were amazing as always.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Beautiful Tropical Setting
Just returned from our trip and we were very happy with our choice to travel to this resort!! It is such a lush and tropical location that you cannot stop taking pictures and there are many paths to stroll along and enjoy. Lots of wildlife to see and take pictures of!! The pool is humungous and there is lots of space to feel comfortable enjoying during COVID. The hotel is very strict about masking in the restaurants and won't allow entrance without one. The beach area is also very spacious with [... read more]plenty of lounge chairs with shade cover. The food was very good with a very wide variety to choose from. Would definitely book this place again.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Annie -
Verified Purchaser
Absolutely Fabulous Resort
This was our 3rd time at this resort and we loved it so much. The staff are all amazing....especially Orlando in the Lobby Bar and Daniela in tge Prestige office.
The resort was clean....inside and out and the food was amazing
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Love this place!
Beautiful grounds, great pool and friendly staff. The food was great as well, although slightly less variety at the buffets than during our previous visit. Masking compliance by staff was excellent, however I would have preferred they wear KN95s or medical grade rather than fabric ones. COVID19 testing organized by the resort was easy and quick. We had our PCR results in approximately 12 hrs.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Great Experience - again!
The resort continues to offer excellent service. The buildings and grounds are exceptionally clean. The staff are friendly and are very accommodating. With regard to COVID-19 we felt completely safe and found that the staff were very diligent. I was happy to see the change to the water dispensing systems as a means to reduce the amount of plastic waste.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Our Wishes came true--Again!!
We are repeat visitors to this resort, and it did not disappoint. The staff were friendly, the grounds were gorgeous (beach and pool both beautiful!), rooms were clean, quiet (stayed in building 16), and comfortable. Internet connection worked very well. The food was wonderful! Loved the buffet restaurant, and had a meat feast at the Brazilian restaurant, El Rodizio, and a pleasant experience at the Mediterranean. We love to walk, and enjoyed the tennis courts for a game we play (no charge, [... read more]but need to reserve). Covid precautions were excellent, and on-site testing was available (for a fee). We plan to return again next year!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Wonderful Resort!
While the rooms looked a bit tired, everything else was great to spectacular! The beach was kept spotlessly clean. The buffet was above average for an all-inclusive. Service was friendly and timely. The beautiful peacocks, black swans and flamingos made an extra nice touch! Loved it!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Fantastic Resort
This was our 6th visit to the same resort - cannot say enough about it buildings are beautiful and very clean - grounds are immaculate and landscaped well - large resort area to walk around in addition to the large pools and ocean the are great. Food as always excellent. Was very easy to book with trip central and all travel arrangements were good and on time
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Will return to Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar
We will be returning to Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar
We really enjoyed our 9-day visit. We have been to several resorts in the Caribbean and this is our favorite.
High points:
-Rooms were spacious and sparkling clean
-Lots of towel art
-Rooms were quiet
-Service (both in room and elsewhere on resort) was good
-Decor and landscaping are well thought-out — wonderful!
-Hotel layout and signage are very good
-Wildlife is fun and adds life to the landscaping
-Buffet selections were ple[... read more]ntiful and good, except beef items
-Omelet station at beach buffet was excellent
-Lots of shuttles if needed, but the variety in the landscaping makes the walks very pleasant
-Variety of seating to enjoy, be it at beach (lounging chairs, beds, hammocks), at the various pools (lounging chairs, stationary and rocking beds, pool bar stools and “oasis†benches), or in lobby (comfy rattan lounge chairs and benches)
-Varied pool ambiance — quiet areas, music and entertainment/games area
-The resort was very well maintained and very clean
-Entertainment at pool was fun and varied
-Entertainment staff was courteous and very friendly (Hola Leslie, Katia and Enrique!)
-House wines were very nice
-Sugar-free mojitos at pool bars were great
-Both à -la-carte restaurants we patronized (El Colonial gourmet and Japanese) were very good
Room for improvement:
-Evening entertainment needs some work (especially the pre-show)
Food:
-Coffee (and lattes) in buffets could be much better
-Beef was super tough - hard to eat
Minor irritants:
-Insufficient garbage cans, especially on beach
-No recycling bin in room. The resort should have instructions about dealing with cans and bottles.
-Electric outlets that stop working when there is no movement were disconcerting — the resort should provide info about that on check-in.
-Fan in our bathroom was noisy.
-Occasional seats along jungle paths would be appreciated.
-Note that the concierge let us down a bit. When we asked about ordering wine to enjoy in our room (not available in mini- bar), we were told (quite insistently, almost rudely) by concierge that there was a room service card in the room (even though I had pointed out that there was not). (There was no room service card in the room)