My review of Iberostar Grand Bavaro
Luxury Adults Only Resort Dominican Republic
I LOVED the Iberostar Grand Bavaro. In this part of the world there are three resorts bearing the Iberostar Grand label. Besides Iberostar Grand Bavaro there is Iberostar Grand Rose Hall in Jamaica and Iberostar Grand Paraiso in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Iberostar Grand is a luxury, adults only brand. All three Iberostar Grands are located in complexes where other Iberostar resorts are side by side. The Iberostar Grand Bavaro is in a complex with the Iberostar Bavaro Suites and the Iberostar Dominicana. Guests of Iberostar Grand have full access and guest privileges at both of these resorts.
Because of this proximity, and the need to identify and differentiate between guests at the different resorts, Iberostar Grand does have wristbands, unlike many luxury resorts. Restaurant for the four a’la carte restaurants are required for dinner. You can get restaurant reservations prior to your arrival by emailing guest services. My experience staying at Iberostar Grand Resorts, however, has been that reservations are very easily made on site.
Each of the 275 guest rooms is filled with exquisite comfort. The mattresses are very comfortable and the sheets are very
Imagine resting your head here.
high thread count. To assure your comfort, you can select from a menu of pillows to match your sleeping style.
You can choose between a standard suite, an oceanview suite, an oceanfront suite or, my favorite, a swim up suite.
Each Iberostar Grand has a golf course attached. The golf is included. You get one round if you stay four nights or less. If you stay 5 to 7 nights you get two rounds. If you stay 8 or more nights, then you get unlimited golf.
Iberostar Hotels serve Coca-Cola products. (At least the ones in this part of the world. I can’t speak for the ones in Europe.)
Like all Iberostar Grand hotels, there is waiter service on the beach. There is nothing quite like sitting under a palapa, having your drink delivered while you watch the tide come in and the day go out.
The food is really amazing. From breakfast until late cocktails, you will enjoy the exquisite gastronomy at Iberostar Grand.
I highly recommend you plan to visit the Iberostar Grand Bavaro.
My Review of Iberostar Cancun
Iberostar Cancun
Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, operator of seven resorts in the Riviera Maya, hasn’t had a presence in Cancun. Until now.
Iberostar Cancun just opened in December. While it is not a new build (it is formerly the Cancun Hilton) it was completely redone for the new opening. While we were there, the hotel was quite full because of a big gymnastics competition that had traditionally come when it was the Hilton, and decided to continue on with the Iberostar.
Pools at Iberostar Cancun
As you can see, it was a cloudy day the day we were there. Actually, when you’re touring hotels, a cool cloudy day is the best. Most days in Cancun are nice and sunny.
Looking out toward the beach at Iberostar Cancun
If you’ve ever been to Cancun, you might remember the very best part of the beach. It’s the part where you see that public beach where all the locals go. As you’ve passed it in your transfer between airport and hotel you might have pondered how they saved the very whitest sand and bluest water for themselves? Well, the Iberostar is next door to that beach. Simply beautiful.
Lobby Bar at Iberostar Cancun
In this shot of the lobby bar you can get an idea of the colors of the lobby.
Pools and Beach at Iberostar Cancun
Here’s another photo of the pools and looking out onto that amazing beach.
Guest Room at Iberostar Cancun
The standard rooms at Iberostar Cancun are Oceanview. Nice looking, right?
Finally, here is a video of our experience at Iberostar Cancun:
Are You Beach Centric, or Pool Centric?
I am writing this post from the balcony of my oceanfront room at Iberostar Grand Paraiso in the beautiful Riviera Maya, Mexico. I have stayed at this resort two other times but this is the only time I’ve had an oceanfront room. (When traveling as an agent as a guest of the resort, one happily accepts the room one is assigned.)
I have spent many hours on this trip parked out under a palapa on a lounge chair having my hours of leisure reading interrupted by an occasional dip in the Caribbean Sea. The beach butler also intruded from time to time.
As I walk through the resort to find wireless signal to check on the office I have to walk past the main pool. There are many more people at the pool than at the beach. There are also countless more people actually in the pool than there are actually in the ocean. I would wager, however, that almost every person in and around the pool asked about the beach quality when choosing this resort.
Almost 100% of people we talk to ask about the beach itself when choosing a resort. Many of those same people barely spend any time there.
What makes so many more people spend their time at the pool when they’re in a beach destination? I would guess it has to do with proximity to the pool bar, lack of wildlife in the pool, and the fact that walking to and from the pool doesn’t involve getting all sandy. (Which is also ironic because getting ones toes in the sand is one of the thing people fantasize about when anticipating a vacation.)
Part of choosing the right vacation is knowing what kind of vacation you actually want. Are you pool centric or are you beach centric? Which is actually more important to you? Do you know?
If you’re one of the many many people who spend their vacation days at the pool rather than the beach, then stop agonizing over how long the beach is and how soft the sand it. Concentrate on the pool.
Where do you stand on the pool / beach issue? Tell me in the comments.
Ramona in the Riviera Maya
The Family Enjoying the Riviera Maya
An all- inclusive package is probably the best vacation option for a young family with small kids. It’s so comforting to know that everything is arranged and planned and there’s nothing left for you to worry about! You can then truly enjoy spending time with your beloved ones and making precious memories!
Our experiences so far have been great, thanks to Legacy Travel. We’ve been to Riviera Maya twice so far (Grand Sirenis last year and Iberostar Tucan this year) and I have never regretted my choices! Riviera Maya is close enough so that two small kids like mine (ages 2 and 4) wouldn’t get too tired travelling, it is moderately expensive so you don’t have to give up all your life savings just to spend a week at the ocean, and the hotel and dining services are overall impressive. We’ve traveled through Apple Vacations and everything went as planned.
The Beach at Iberostar Quetzal/Tucan
The beach at Iberostar Tucan was clean, well- maintained and it did have the exotic touch that we expected it to have. Check out the wonderful clear water, the palm trees, and the sandy shore in the pictures that I’m attaching! The beach at Grand Sirenis is just as wonderful, but the shore is a little rocky, so we had to wear water shoes. This year, at Iberostar Tucan, we even made plans to try some of the water activities in the future, when the kids grow a little. There are options such as snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing, swimming with dolphins. There are also archeological tours that I would love to take, but they imply, of course, some more travel and I was sure they wouldn’t have been too interesting to my small kids. No doubt I will do all these later though.
The meal options were great at both places even though it seemed to me that the Grand Sirenis service was slightly better (the choices were more varied). In my perspective, this made up for the rocky beach☺ Grand Sirenis also has extras such as a lazy river, a coffee shop, and an ice cream shop. Iberostar Tucan doesn’t have all these extras, but it offers wonderful exotic scenery: peacocks, monkeys, egrets, flamingos, parrot are part of the family there!
Iberostar Tucan
Monkeys at Iberostar Tucan
Beach at Iberostar Tucan
For those who love entertainment, there are choices here too. There’s a musical program for kids that my little ones loved and there’s also adult shows with live music and dance every night. The show that I liked the best was a selection of Mexican folklore dance.
We will definitely want to go back to Riviera Maya in the future.
