sam

Suzanne - you referred to a hotel in the rip-off post in Playa Del Carmen (please don't tell me to post on the Latin-American board), that you said was terrible. It sounds like the one I'm about to book with a large group and must give a deposit tomorrow! Will you e-mail me @ [email protected]?

suzanne

I don't mind posting it here...

It was the Iberostar Paraiso Beach/Del Mar (there were 2 different sides with different names).

Many people there were exclaiming, "Isn't this just...paradise?" which makes me think that many people go for the type of beach resort where you just sit by the pool all day and drink and eat junk food. Granted, it WAS a beautiful resort...nice (though obviously unnatural) landscaping and a beautiful, huge pool, but I need to keep very active on vacations or I just go nuts. Plus it was definitely a couples & families type place...there were exactly SIX single people out of ~1000 guests, including me & my friend, and two of them were with their parents. Thus, nightlife was nonexistent. We took a cab into town a few nights with the 2 other single people ($20 each way) and that was a little better...though not great.

Just my opinion...

leelane911

It sounds like you, Suzanne, made a poor choice of resorts rather than that the resort ripped you off. If it is a beautiful resort with a beautiful pool, how were you ripped off? Is it the resort's fault that you did not choose a singles resort with a huge variety of active things to do? I believe you did not do the research on where you were going.

sam

Thanks Suzanne for your speedy reply! We are ready to book the Iberostar Tucan - is it the same or close by? I don't want to be sick all week or be stuck at the resort bored out of my mind. Any comments?

fluffnfold

I loved the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar, but Suzanne is correct when she says it's lots of couples and families. I would probably stay away from any all-inclusive if I were single and looking to meet other singles.

sam, I think that the Paraiso del Mar and the Tucan properties offer the same types of things, as do the other Iberostar resorts in the Dominican Republic. Iberostar is one of my favorite all-inclusive chains (when I am looking to do the AI thing, which isn't every vacation). I would tend to go with Paraiso because it is a newer property (I believe it first opened in 2000 when I visited), plus they have added a third property in the past year alongside of Beach and Del Bar, so you will have additional restaurant choices, etc.

sam

Thanks for the info.! The group that I'm going with went last year and they loved it. They did say that one building had mostly couples, whereas the other had mostly families. They went minus children, and they said they didn't realize the segregation until near the end of the trip. She also mentioned it wasn't a real singles spot. I was hesitant about going for a few reasons. One was safety if we left the resort. Two was the quality of the food and alcohol (I basically only drink Bud Light, which is not on their menu, I hear). Last is that, it's not until next May, and alot can happen between now and then that may change my mind. Oh well, $100 holds my spot and I can get some of it back if I cancel. Thanks Suzanne and Fluff for your input!

suzanne

It had been my friend's job to research this trip and she spoke with a travel agent who said there were lots of singles and fun nightlife at the resort. So we were either lied to or the agent had visited at a time when there were single, fun people. Who knows...maybe it changes week to week. But I still think it was a ripoff because all the activities they had advertised on the Apple Vacations site didn't exist or were cancelled due to the wind. We couldn't even play volleyball. And the cancelled excursions...now THAT really pissed me off! So yes, it IS the resort's fault that I didn't have enough to do.

The resort is beautiful in the way that Orlando can be beautiful...very nicely landscaped, clean and well-cared for. I guess, in the end, I'd rather stay in a dive of a resort with non-stop fun activities.

After this disastrous trip I tried 3 different Club Meds (at 1/2 the price) and found them all more to my liking. I learned to sail and salsa, did flips on a trampoline, played v-ball and water polo, water-skiied and snorkeled, acted in a couple shows, competed in a mini-triathlon, and danced my butt off. For no extra cost. And with no kids around. Yeah, now THAT's my type of vacation.

Sam, if you are with a large group of people you like, I'm sure you'll have fun! Actually we tried to get into the Tucan first (heard it was better) but it was booked. I believe it's also a cab ride away from town. The Iberostar I stayed in had some beers (Mexican ones only I believe) but frozen drinks were a hit. But I bet it's the ice they made them with that made me sick...or the buffet food which gets left out for awhile. They certaily don't offer much in the way of "healthy" foods. They have several ethnic restaurants that have decent food, much better than the regular buffet.

leelane911

Suzanne, I am not meaning to be critical of you but I do think it is the travel agent who misled you, or rather, your friend. It is an agent's job to know the little details about a resort, and she misled you. I imagine she was getting a good commission from them and did what lined her pockets. I would not blame a resort for cancelling activities due to high winds. That is a safety precaution (the situation would disappoint me but I would understand.) People have to do their own research in travel books and on the internet, not depend on a travel agent or you can be disappointed.