Great Family Vacation

It was good overall. GOOD: - Food was awesome and they accommodated and cooked food without salt or oil for our baby. - Staffs were kind. - Pool was clean and well kept. - The games and small activities are going on throughout the day and that kept us busy and fun. - I loved the mini shows done by kids. We didn't get to see the night shows till the end because of our baby, but from what I have observed, I think they were okay. - The room was well cleaned. - wished that we had more towels becaus [... read more]e we had a baby. - Common areas are clean and well kept. BAD: - Beach was not very clear because they had a lot of seaweed and corals. But because of that, we were able to see some fish! - Swimming pool was cold. - We had a room facing poolside and we liked it, but it can get loud if something is going on at the pool. Two nights when we were there, there was a wedding and the music was SOOO loud. I think many people had issued with it too. - Our in-room fridge was not working properly, we had it replaced and the same thing happened again. I had to call 5 times before someone come by to fix it. That was frustrating. - Specialty dinner was hard to get the spot.

Great resort

Everything about this resort is pleasant. Very clean . What makes the resort are all the friendly staff. They remember their repeat customers. The beach always has enough chairs. The entertainment staff try a get people to participate in the games. Thank you to Mari and Francisco at the reception desk. The food is always excellent. Thank you to Robert our waiter in the buffet. The bar staff are amazing as they get to know all their customers and know what they drink after the first order. The ni [... read more]ghtly entertainment is very good also, especially the production of The Circle of Life. This was our 4th visit and we will be returning in the near future.

Very nice resort

This resort is quite nice and the staff are excellent. My only complaint was that the locals were on the resort on the weekend. They kept to themselves and really weren't a problem, it just made the resort much busier - especially at the pool and restaurants. The beach is fantastic with plenty of trees for those who like a bit of shade. Lots of chairs at the large pool and at the beach. The food is excellent! Plenty of variety and everything is hot and fresh. The shows are great however they are [... read more] quite loud at night. We were in building 4 which has a nice view but is right beside the stage, so if you are someone who goes to bed early, you may want a building further away from the stage. Also, ask for a room on the second or third floor! There are no elevators but our room was on the ground level and was very, very damp The rooms are a bit dated - not 4.5 quality but clean. We paid $35 US for 7 days unlimited WiFi which worked everywhere on the resort, but they did have cheaper options available. There is a market off of the resort just down the beach a little that people may try to get you to go to. The people there are typically pushy, wanting you to come into their shop. I probably wouldn't go there alone. Overall, I would recommend this resort. It's very pretty with the tall palms, and it feels safe and clean. I just don't understand why locals are on this resort but not other resorts in the area.

Fun, great food and wine

Only good things to say....we were very lucky with blue skies and great temperatures. l was surprised at the quality of good Spanish wine and premium brands alcohol....generally they are watered down, and not the case at all. Food was of well variety and taste. Beach, pool, staff and the Dominican people were all warm and friendly. Truly a great stay, especially with the fantastic price.

Great resort and great people

The resort was very well taken care of and food was great!! It had very friendly staff who were very welcoming. There was always recreational activities to do if you were to stay there for the day. The shows at night were always very entertaining as well.

Great Value!

Generally speaking, we really enjoyed our time at this property. The rooms and grounds were maintained very well, and the large pool was immaculate. While the buffet food was acceptable, it did become a bit repetitive over the 7 days. We enjoyed the Brazilian steakhouse two nights, and it was exceptional. The resort staff - especially the activity/entertainment staff - were very freindly and accommodating. They did a great job of organizing activities and keeping folks that wanted to participat [... read more]e, busy. Well done!

Wonderful stay

We stayed at this resort with a group of people. I was nervous as I had heard the beach wasn't as nice as Punta Cana. We found the beach was absolutely beautiful and hardly saw any seaweed. The only down side is being constantly harassed to visit their market or to pay for excursions. Other than that we loved our room as we had a view of the mountain and the ocean and the pool. Rooms were clean and large and met our needs and we're always cleaned on time everyday. We found the food at this resor [... read more]t was excellent. Having an egg white omelette every morning was the best and Robert always made sure our glasses were filled with water. At lunch we would pick the fish and they would cook it. Always delicious and plenty of vegetables and salads to choose from as well. We always had lunch out by the pool bar so it was convenient and delicious. Can't say enough about the service and the way the animation team gets everyone playing games such as bocce ball and horseshoes and volleyball. Tons to do if you like that kind of thing. They sure work hard to keep you happy. Only thing I found that could be improved is for them to come out to the beach in the morning as well to ask if people are interested in these games. We found they mostly asked people that were at the pool. A la cartes were awesome and food delicious. They worked tirelessly to ensure everyone got their food on time and always service with a smile. This was the first time that I ever looked forward to the nightly shows. They always did a great job. Mr iberostar was hilarious and their dance shows spectacular. We did the cable car ride excursion, would highly recommend that. We wanted to do others but were only there five nights. On Halloween night they decorated the disco and had a haunted hallway. We were so impressed at how well this was done. They did a rendition of thriller for everyone which was really good. We dressed up as well as did lots of people. Was a great night for kids and adults alike. All in all we loved this place, met a ton of people from England and the states and made some great friendships with them. The people at the hotel always made us feel welcome. I was shocked to read some of the latest reviews as this was not our experience at all. Our group had a great time and would recommend to come here anytime.

Great time in DR!

I had never been to DR, my wife had been there apx 20 years ago, and at different done. Overall, this was a lovely week in the sun, and yes it was sunny, and hot as well. I had heard that going off the resort was not a good idea for safety reasons, but being a runner I did so every day and found nothing but friendly locals and I got to see the wonderful countryside. As for the resort itself, it was wonderful and the staff helpful in every way. I spent each day as well using the resort gym/spa. A [... read more]s it was partly open air, it was like working out in a steam room!, but it was enjoyable all the same, with good equipment. The beach and pool areas were excellent, with staff always on hand to help and/or set up fun games in which the winners were given a medal etc every night before the evening shows, which were also first class and well everyday! One day before we left, a large group came in for what appeared to be a wedding party, they were young and set up a boombox pool side and blasted hip hop music for "all to enjoy", I thought the staff could have made an effort to tone them down as it was very loud and took away from the nice island music playing on the hotel system, but that aside, it was a small issue and otherwise a great resort we would go back to any time with friends!

Beautiful resort!!

All of the grounds are very well cared for, all of the main areas, and washrooms were always clean. The food was very good and the staff very helpful. The entertainment at night was enjoyable, the lighting and sound were good as well.

5 star resort? I don't think so...

This resort was recommended to me by a friends of mine who claimed that it was the best place she had ever been at. I on the other hand was not impressed at all. On first impression, the location was nice, there were flamingos in the lobby area which was a nice touch. For a 5 star resort, it was lacking... if you compare it to a 5 star resort in Punta Cana. However putting aside comparing the two locations, these were some positives and negatives about this resort from my experience. Good: - ni [... read more]ghtly shows were entertaining and excellent performances. - introduction to scuba diving lessons Bad: - food was decent, but mostly too salty or too sweet, lack of veggie options at the buffet and restaurants - a/c broke down in our room one night - shower ran out of water while showering - pool was small and dirty (dead bugs, twigs and leaves) - medical health was questionable, unprofessional, and not tourist friendly - staff were half and half on being professional and not very pleasant - the bracelet given to us did not last the week stay, the ink rubbed off on us (took forever to wash off) and thankfully not our clothes In conclusion, I would not recommend this resort to my friends and family. Maybe it was the bad luck or the lack of "wow" factor. This is only my second time being in Dominican Rupublic, and after this experience I will likely to not return to this resort or country.

Great resort

This is a great resort, well worth the money. Food was great, room was great with ocean view, staff is great with the kids, everything was amazing . I would go back there for sure, highly recommended resort

Very nice resort

Thought the hotel was very clean. Grounds were extremely well kept. Food was very good, lots of different variety's to choose from. Rooms were clean. Entertainment staff were excellent. Outside bar area, would have been better with stools around it, so as to interact better with people. The swim up bar, certainly wasn't the best I have been to, so definitely room for improvement. The location and size of the property was perfect.

Wonderful getaway

We visited in february of 2014 for an adults only week of fun in the sun. The grounds are striking, and this is obvious on arrival. Staff are constantly tending to public areas, but are inconspicuous and always pleasant. Our room was a little disappointing. It had a damp, musty, closed up smell, and although it was clean, it also faced the loading doc of the neighbouring resort where trucks come and go constantly, so there is a good deal of not so good noise. Since we are Canadian, and extra pol [... read more]ite to boot, we were inclined to stick it out, but decided, ultimately, that since we were here to have the best possible vacation, we would ask-just to see. Front desc staff were wonderful and invited us to come back on Sunday (we arrived thursday) to make a switch. We spent the last half looking at the ocean through palm trees-so sometimes it pays to ask! The food was wonderful, and plentiful. We ate at all a la cartes on site, and all were good, but none a standout. The buffet was excellent, and quite varied, and there was often something extra going on, so we would happily have eaten there every night. The lobby bar was a lovely place to relax at night, and to dance to the band if the mood strikes. On site stores were handy for picking up last minute souvenirs, but a walk down the beach also takes you to multiple markets where all manner of dominican craft can be purchased. Again, being canadian, and thus allergic to bargaining, we probably got taken for a ride, but whatever. Our favourite excursion by far was to the falls. We wish it had been longer! We also visited the teleferico which, if i remember rightly, was attached to a tour of the city, making for a bit of a long, but overall enjoyable day. Except for the fact that we generally try not to retrace our steps, we would gladly go back to the iberostar. We had just the unwinding time we were after, and came home rested, tanned, and happy for the experience.

Terrific Resort!!

Fantastic room, great food, beautiful clean beach with lot's of shade trees and an amazing beach bar!! Only downside was the entire outside of the building leading to rooms is ceramic tile that is extremely slippery when wet, which is more often than not....

Very nice resort

The hotel was just the right size not overly big and not too small,the room was spacious and close to the pool just where we wanted not to impressed with the view out the sliding doors we faced the neighboring resort. The food was good the people were friendly and the service was excellent. We did not venture off the resort because we just like to relax around the pool and drink and eat good food. There was food offered at all times.

Great Stay!!!

This was my Family's first trip to an all inclusive and we could not have been happier with the resort. The rooms were very clean and we enjoyed the food. We didnt spend much time in the room and the room luxuries are not very important to us as long as they have all we need and are clean. The rooms had great storage, a safe, TV, beverages, lots of sleep space and were very clean. The buffet food was great and different every night. We went to two A La Carte restaurants, the Mexican and the Bra [... read more]zilian. I did not overly enjoy my meal at the mexican but it wasn't terrible. The strange part was the Buffet had a mexican theme the next night and the same types of food at the buffet were really good. The brazilian was amazing. I really enjoyed the layout of the resort. Everything was a very short walk away and you could transfer quickly between the pool and the beach all day. The pool was amazing. Great for kids. I cannot say enough great things about the staff. From the buffet and bartenders through to the Star Performers. They truly made you fell like a part of the family. The Star staff kept the entertainment going all day and all night all over the resort. They made sure the kids and adults were always engaged. I have nothing but positives to say about this hotel!!!

Amazing value

Great entertainment (Joselito) and bar staff (Kennedy & Tony)! Beach is good, rooms are ok but a little dated, food is pretty good and nightly entertainment. There is a dance bar next door if you're looking for somewhere close. Look forward to visiting again! Excellent value!

Fun in the Sun!

Iberostar resorts never disappoint in that they are very clean, well appointed and offer the best of everything possible. The on-room balconies, coffeemakers and daily stocked mini-bar fridges are a nice touch. Overall the staff went above and beyond to fill any need that we may have had. This resort is also close to the city so that you can easily explore Dominican culture. A great get away for families and couples.

Unexpected great resort

We travel every winter to warm places, we have been to Puerto Plata in the past in 6 different hotels and expected a high level of comfort as this is the highest rated hotel in the area.We traveled with 3 other couples who had limited experience with all inclusives but own time shares in several US places, they all raved about the location, rooms, food, entertainment, everything was perfect and the best value for the money. We are booking holidays at Iberostar Hotels in Jamaica in November for a [... read more] wedding and back at this hotel in February.

Great stay

We stayed at the Iberostar Costa Dorada for 11 days in the beginning of may. It was a very nice stay, the staff are excellent at this resort. The resort is well taking care of, the food was good.I would recommend this resort for price you can't beat it.