Just got back a few days ago from an incredible vacation at Iberostar Punta Cana. I was there with my mother and her boyfriend from the 20th-27th who were escaping the cold and enjoying a bit of our great weather (not 1 drop of rain during the whole week).
Reception: Very efficient, although I have to admit we were the only ones checking in. My reservation had been added on 1 week before and for some reason Vacances Signature hadn?t informed them that I?d be staying in the same room. But that wasn?t a problem. They upgraded us to a larger room in the new wing and I got a semi-comfortable sofa-bed (mattress was all springs and no padding). All in all it must have taken us about 10 minutes to check in, sort out the room and get our bracelets on.
Room: As I mentioned before, our room was in the new wing which although is the furthest away from the beach, is close to the lobby and restaurants so it wasn?t a problem for us. We had a big kingsize bed and the sofa-bed, a nice good sized bathroom with bathtub and shower, plenty of room to put all our stuff away and a minibar that we ended up thawing out in the first night to help it cool our drinks better. The balcony faced a nicely manicured area, leading into a forest and I don?t recall hearing any exterior noises at any time during our stay.
Restaurants: We had planned on making a reservation for one of the a la carte restaurants but the buffet was so good and had such a good variety that we ended up eating there every day. There?re plenty of options for everyone, from seafood, to steaks, to salad, to Mexican tacos and burritos, to pizza, to fries? the options are endless. Desserts were quite good also, we were surprised to find some real brownies one night and a great chocolate mousse on most other nights (chocolate freaks, you know!). We also ate at on of the beach buffets for lunch which although offer a more limited menu, were very good also. It doesn?t get much better than eating some Nachos volteos with your feet in the sand! The waiters are very pleasant and willing to help. We ended up sitting at the same table everyday and by the time we got our plates to the table, our drinks had already been served.
Service: In general we were very impressed with the level of service and cleanliness of this hotel. My mother compared it to being on a cruise ship where you can always see someone cleaning something. Not one time did we see a dirty floor or chair or garbage lying on the floor. The maid was very pleasant also and did her best to always keep us supplied with towels and such. I don?t recall seeing any employee ignore a client?s request or answer in a bad way. Many employees speak at least rudimentary English and always manage to understand the request or find someone to help.
Bars: There are plenty of bars throughout the whole property with a bit of everything. I myself am not an alcohol drinker so I stuck to fresh juices and soft drinks. The soft drinks didn?t have that watered-down taste you get in some places, although my mother wasn?t able to get diet Sprite at any time. But that happens even in big restaurants so she?s used to it.
Activities: For sports lovers, you?ve got a bit of everything here. Volleyball, soccer, waterpolo, archery, kayaking, you name it, they?ve got it. The Activities guys are very nice (not a surprise!) but don?t badger you to join in. You also don?t see them hanging onto women or flirting with them nonstop either so that was a nice change. The pools are VERY big so even when the hotel is full, there?s plenty of room to take a dip. You can either hang around the pool under one of the parasols, or get a hut on the beach. As always, try to get there early because by 9:30 they?re all busy. But there are many so you usually can get something out of the sun. Beach towels were not a problem either, there were always plenty for everyone.
Evenings: Every evening there?s some sort of show or competition going on. From your typical Miss/Mr. Iberostar to a Comic show they were doing for the first time. The best however was their International show with their house band playing songs from the 60s and 70s and dancers entertaining us with different types of dancing. I must say that their 2 bands have to be some of the best I?ve heard in hotels, even if the songs do get a bit repetitive. Their singers are extremely good and we were very impressed with the quality of their voices. We had a blast dancing away on disco, meringue and bachata and watched other couples show their stuff with waltzes, polkas and tangos. All in all a very well planned and thoroug program for everyone.
Checkout: The checkout was even faster than the check-in. I called 10 minutes before leaving the room to let them know we were leaving and the only thing we had to pay were US$15 for the use of the safe. Nothing to sign, nothing to review. Extremely hassle-free.
I would say that this was the best vacation I?ve ever taken in my life. If anyone?s interested in seeing the pictures, just let me know and I?ll give you the link.
Reception: Very efficient, although I have to admit we were the only ones checking in. My reservation had been added on 1 week before and for some reason Vacances Signature hadn?t informed them that I?d be staying in the same room. But that wasn?t a problem. They upgraded us to a larger room in the new wing and I got a semi-comfortable sofa-bed (mattress was all springs and no padding). All in all it must have taken us about 10 minutes to check in, sort out the room and get our bracelets on.
Room: As I mentioned before, our room was in the new wing which although is the furthest away from the beach, is close to the lobby and restaurants so it wasn?t a problem for us. We had a big kingsize bed and the sofa-bed, a nice good sized bathroom with bathtub and shower, plenty of room to put all our stuff away and a minibar that we ended up thawing out in the first night to help it cool our drinks better. The balcony faced a nicely manicured area, leading into a forest and I don?t recall hearing any exterior noises at any time during our stay.
Restaurants: We had planned on making a reservation for one of the a la carte restaurants but the buffet was so good and had such a good variety that we ended up eating there every day. There?re plenty of options for everyone, from seafood, to steaks, to salad, to Mexican tacos and burritos, to pizza, to fries? the options are endless. Desserts were quite good also, we were surprised to find some real brownies one night and a great chocolate mousse on most other nights (chocolate freaks, you know!). We also ate at on of the beach buffets for lunch which although offer a more limited menu, were very good also. It doesn?t get much better than eating some Nachos volteos with your feet in the sand! The waiters are very pleasant and willing to help. We ended up sitting at the same table everyday and by the time we got our plates to the table, our drinks had already been served.
Service: In general we were very impressed with the level of service and cleanliness of this hotel. My mother compared it to being on a cruise ship where you can always see someone cleaning something. Not one time did we see a dirty floor or chair or garbage lying on the floor. The maid was very pleasant also and did her best to always keep us supplied with towels and such. I don?t recall seeing any employee ignore a client?s request or answer in a bad way. Many employees speak at least rudimentary English and always manage to understand the request or find someone to help.
Bars: There are plenty of bars throughout the whole property with a bit of everything. I myself am not an alcohol drinker so I stuck to fresh juices and soft drinks. The soft drinks didn?t have that watered-down taste you get in some places, although my mother wasn?t able to get diet Sprite at any time. But that happens even in big restaurants so she?s used to it.
Activities: For sports lovers, you?ve got a bit of everything here. Volleyball, soccer, waterpolo, archery, kayaking, you name it, they?ve got it. The Activities guys are very nice (not a surprise!) but don?t badger you to join in. You also don?t see them hanging onto women or flirting with them nonstop either so that was a nice change. The pools are VERY big so even when the hotel is full, there?s plenty of room to take a dip. You can either hang around the pool under one of the parasols, or get a hut on the beach. As always, try to get there early because by 9:30 they?re all busy. But there are many so you usually can get something out of the sun. Beach towels were not a problem either, there were always plenty for everyone.
Evenings: Every evening there?s some sort of show or competition going on. From your typical Miss/Mr. Iberostar to a Comic show they were doing for the first time. The best however was their International show with their house band playing songs from the 60s and 70s and dancers entertaining us with different types of dancing. I must say that their 2 bands have to be some of the best I?ve heard in hotels, even if the songs do get a bit repetitive. Their singers are extremely good and we were very impressed with the quality of their voices. We had a blast dancing away on disco, meringue and bachata and watched other couples show their stuff with waltzes, polkas and tangos. All in all a very well planned and thoroug program for everyone.
Checkout: The checkout was even faster than the check-in. I called 10 minutes before leaving the room to let them know we were leaving and the only thing we had to pay were US$15 for the use of the safe. Nothing to sign, nothing to review. Extremely hassle-free.
I would say that this was the best vacation I?ve ever taken in my life. If anyone?s interested in seeing the pictures, just let me know and I?ll give you the link.