Iberostar Quetzal
 

Looking for recent visitors to share comments on this resort. We've been to Playa before so we are familiar with the area, just not this resort. Any comments appreciated - thanks!

It's fantastic. Anything in particular you want to know just ask and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Hi Miggs - thanks for your offer of help. Essentially I'm just looking for what block of rooms to request - we would like to be away from the music noise at night. We travel every year and know the drill about getting up early to get our chairs on the beach (which we actually use until lunch time and then head to the pool) - but is it as bad as I've heard - you have to be out there by 6:30 a.m. to get a spot on the beach? Lastly, is the beach as crowded as it appears in some of the photos I've seen? Thanks for your thoughts!

Hello again MuyLinda. We stay on the Tucan side but always stay as near to the beach as possible.I think the equivelent to this on your side is block 22 / 24 but they have a plan on the reception desk so ask to see it and then tell them where you would like to stay.You do not say when you intend to go so I can only advise for October which is when we always go. If you want a palapa shade on the beach I would advise you to go down early and put your towels out but we have always been able to get beds at anytime of the day without the palapa.You can however get parasols at the towel station and as long as you take them back before I think it is 4pm you will not get charged for them.We don't sit round the pool but I have heard that the beds round the side of the pool go early in the morning and only the ones in the background are empty.The beach is so beautiful though that I think you will prefere it to the pool and you will get a nice cooling breeze there too.We have never found the beach to be very crowded although everyone seem to sit close together where there is a bit of shade.The food is delicious and the beachfront restaurant at lunch time is fantastic. I can taste the chicken now. Mmmm.The steakhouse does a very nice rib eye steak and the Italian lamb chops are the nicest I have ever tasted.Try the chocolate bombs after. We did not do the Mexican but we did eat at the tropical restaurant and did not like it very much. Do have a strawberry daquari for me will you and have a wonderful time I'm sure you won't be disapointed. We are going back again this year for the 3rd time. Lots of luck.Miggs

Hi MuyLinda & Miggs ~
I'm looking at the Iberostar Tucan for my family's next vacation.
Can you tell me, is parasailing available along this stretch of beach? How close together are the resorts? Walking distance?
I've read about the Fat Cat catamaran group. Is this a good choice? Should I make plans for excursions ahead of time, or wait until we arrive?
This trip will not take place until next April, but it will be peak season for us northern vacationers.
Thank you in advance for any further information!

Hi Tricia.There is paracending about 50 yards along the beach along with canoeing hobby cats and other small boats etc but I am sorry I can't answer your question about Fat Cat catamaran as I have not done it. Me and boats don't like one another. The resorts are mirrored so you can eat, drink and do whatever you want to do in either. They both share the same entertainment and pools and it is only a short and very pleasant walk from one to the other and there is plenty to see on the way. Lots of wild life and monkeys in the trees. Just absolutely perfect. The brochures don't do this hotel justice because when you get there you will just gasp in amazement at the beauty of the place.Vacations should be ok booked at the hotel even though it's your peak season. The hotel also has a travel agency of it's own where you can book excursions. Do consider doing Chitchen Itza. It's amazing and much better than Tulum. We did not like Cancun and at the time you are going there will be a lot of kids doing the spring break so bear that in mind also. Hope this all helps. Miggs

Hi again Miggs,
Yes, all of your information has been helpful!
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
One more question, if you don't mind: How are the bugs? Are there a lot of mosquitoes?
Thanks again!!

Hi Miggs - Thanks so much for your informative posts! I booked our vacation today for June 14th - June 21st. I'm so excited. I have to call our agent with our passport #'s and that's when he'll take down all of our special requests - like what block of rooms we want, etc. Seems everyone says the same thing - the buildings 22 - 24 are what they recommend. This trip will come quick - I've been so geared towards going to Turks & Caicos, but when American Airlines started playing around with our flights the end of last week, we decided to pull out and pick another airline so that's why we are headed to PDC on what is such short notice for me. Again, thanks for all of your help! Linda :0)

Hi Tricia. I had a couple of bitea last year but in 2000 I didn't get bitten at all. I think maybe it all depends also on the time of the year. I just take tea tree oil and lavender oil with me. and it's no problem answering your questions so do ask if you have any more and I will be happy to help if possible.Miggs.

Oops Sorry about the spelling mistakes but I was typing in the dark in between TV adverts and in a hurry.

could you please tell me if there is an adult pool I heard that they built a new swim-up bar is that true? thanks

The adult pool is now the swimup bar.

thanks so is the new swim-up bar adults only ?

Hi - realize I've asked this before but I need to check again. How is the erosion on the beach now? We were (next door at the RIU) about 2 years ago, and the beach had eroded right up to about where the steps were in front of the dive shop. Nothing but sandbags to stop it going further. There was a bit of beach on the Toucan side but no trees or palapas for shade.
How is it now? Someone a few months ago here advised that they had rebuilt the beach but is it as deep as RIU Yucatan next door? Any palm trees?
Also, we're pretty well settled on Quetzal or Toucan for our wedding next Feb - do you recall any kind of gazebo or pretty area on the resort for a wedding. Don't want to do it on the sand.

Not sure if the swim-up bar is adults only Towerlady as it was only being built at the time we were there last year. Will find out this year when we visit again. TWO_CATS the beach is fine now with no erosion and no sandbags but there is plenty of shade and loads of palapas and you can also get parasols from the towel station free of charge as long as you return them by 4pm.There is a special part that they use for weddings and they put lace and flowers etc on the trees surounding the area. If you go to www.iberostar.com and click on the hotel you will find pictures of the wedding site. I think most people have a reception in the Italian restaurant after there weddings which is air conditioned and the food is very nice.

MuyLinda It's nearly time for your holiday now so good luck .I do hope you like it at the Quetzel and please let me know what you think when you come home. Perhaps you can tell me a few things then. Happy holiday.

Miggs, thanks so very much for the new info!!!!!!! Still can't see the wedding spot on their website but that's okay as long as I know there is one there.
We've stayed at the IB Paraiso and it had the most darling little wedding area in the center of the property...the rooms and the waterfall at this one are simply spectacular....just too bad this one is 25 minutes from PDC (and the beach is too rough) otherwise it would have been our first choice for the wedding.

Two_Cats The Tucan Quetzal have the most beautiful waterfall in the middle of the complex also.I have just looked for the wedding site and it was on the virtual tour but for some reason it does not work now. Maybe they have discontinued it.The beach is beautiful and the water sooo clear. There are no rocks under foot also.

Two_Cats I have found you a virtual tour to download. http://www.iberostarcaribe.com/tucan/vrstucani.html Good luck.

thanks miggs we are booked for the 26th of july and cant wait....

Hi Miggs, thanks - checked out the site and couldn't get the virtual tour to work but the picture of the wedding part is good 'nuff for me right now.
Is the water not absolutely indescribable? When we were staying at the RIU Yucatan, my husband (we're common law right now) used the dive shop next door at the Iberostar - he got a few of his dives captured on video and when we brought it home and viewed it, I was ever so happy to see shots of the divers getting into the boat because then I could see that gorgeous water again. I know people complain that there is no good snorkelling in front of the resorts here but you can't have reefs for good snorkelling and shallow sandy bottom all at the same time....with so much great snorkelling down Akumal way and Xcaret, I'm glad of that sandy bottom and gorgeous blue-green water.
Looking at the picture of the resort and that great beach out front, it's hard to believe that the beach had eroded away all the way up to the steps to the dive shop, and has now been put back.
Thanks again.

they say if you stay at this resort they give you a day pass to visit Iberostar paraiso but transportion is not included. has anyone did this? did they take a taxi or can you catch one of those mini buses that run up and down the road to playa and back?

MuyLinda. Hi Linda by now you will be home from your holiday. Did you enjoy it as much as we did. It would be so nice to hear from you. Miggs

Hi Miggs thanks for asking!

We were at the IB* Quetzal from 06/14 - 06/21. We liked the resort but didn't love it like we have other resorts. The beach is beautiful and believe it or not there was no hoarding of palapas early in the morning on the beach - all of that happened over by the pool area. If you are a pool person, it is true - you will have to be down to the pool area with towels to stake your claim by 6:30 - 7:00 a.m. to get a palapa for shade. I thought the pool was beautiful but it was far too crowded for my taste. Luckily we are beach people so we were happy as clams that we could sleep until 8:00 am and then go out to get our palapa. I didn't love the jungle atmosphere of the resort and because of it, I felt there was no easy way to get anywhere at this resort. We had great meals at the Mexican and Steakhouse specialty restaurants but found their buffet dinner restaurant boring after about the 2nd day (it was great for breakfast, however!). The beach bar was for great drinks (recommend a Miami Vice - half strawberry daiquiri/half pina colada with the rum drizzled down the side - delicious!) Lastly, I will say the resort is spotless and the service people at this resort are beyond compare - everyone just wants to make you happy during your vacation.

So we did have a nice, relaxing vacation but when we return to Playa we will probably choose the Riu Yucatan or the Riu Playacar. We've stayed at the Riu Yucatan before and for us we prefered the Riu over the Iberostar.

If anyone has specific questions, I'll be happy to try and help.

Linda :0)

Why do you like the riu's more?

Hi Ellene - I just had a better vacation all around at the Riu Yucatan. I liked their rooms better, their food better, the set up of their resort was much easier to navigate, their pool area was easier to walk around. It's just a personal preference, I guess. Like I said, the Iberostar was nice; we just prefered the Riu Yucatan over it.

Hi Linda. Glad you enjoyed youselves most of the time. We also have stayed in the Riu's at the Dominican Republic. First the Merengue in the north and then the Bambu in Punta Cana. The Merengue was fabulous but the sea is very rough over there and then the Bambu which was ok but I didn't like the food. The thing I like about the Iberostar is that you can just go down to dinner when you feel like it but with the Riu's it is 6- 30 or 8-30. But thats just me. What is the swim up bar like now it's finished? Anything else new there. I will definately try a Miami Vice when I go. I have heard a lot of people talk about them.

Hi Miggs - the swim up bar is lovely. I didn't go down there but I saw many couples enjoying themselves. We really didn't spend much time up by the pool areas at all - the beach is just so breathtaking and it wasn't half as crowded as around the pool. My daughter begged me to try the pool the last day and I'm glad I did. It was like bathwater and it's so large that when you are in it, it's not crowded at all (the crowds are on the outside of the pool area).

When is your next Iberostar visit? I'm already bugging my husband about a return visit to Turks... :0)

Our next visit is in October but we are already thinking ahead to next year. My husband wants to go to the maldives. Have you ever been. I could handle the daytime but am afraid I will be bored at night. Don't think I could race crabs or play scrabble all night long. Lol

Linda,
Is the swim up bar only for adults? We're trying to settle on a vacation spot for Thanksgiving and remember that our kids LOVED the swim up pool bar in Jamaica. I wouldn't let that decide our destination but it does figure into the equation.

Hi Tess - Yes, I believe the swim up bar is for adults only. It's actually in a rather funny place, away from the main pool area. You have to walk down a flight of stairs. I didn't go down there, however, as I always had my 14 year old daughter with me.

Linda,
What did your daughter think of the resort? We also have a 14 year old (plus an 11 year old) so I'm curious.

It's funny because the swim-up bar was put in as an after thought. I was there in '98 and there was no swim-up bar.

They actually listen to what their customers want at the Iberostar and many requested a swim-up bar so they built one.They really can't do enough for everyone.

Hi Tess - she had a nice vacation. She got a kick out of the towel art that the maid did for her every day. She has a Snoopy that has gone everywhere on vacation with her since forever and the maid would incorporate Snoopy in her towel art design. She also liked the non-alcohol frozen drinks - a no-alcohol Miami Vice became her favorite after the first day (half pina colada - half strawberry daiquiri). I totally agree with Miggs - the staff goes out of their way to accommodate - and even more so (if it's possible) with kids. I wish you and your family a wonderful vacation! :0)