A good review...
Iberostar Cozumel Dan ~ North Bay, Ontario
May 2006
We travelled to the Iberostar for the week of April 24-May 1st, 2006. We were a group of 8 ranging in age from 19-40. I haven't travelled down south much (so far) but I can easily say this will be a hard trip to beat, it is an amazing resort and plan to visit it in the future. I would like to visit other places but I will probably try to make it to this one every 3 years or so.
Check In
When we first arrived at the hotel I was a little worried since they haven't fixed up their main entrance from the hurricane yet, there is no sign, just a gate but once you get to the lobby you breathe a sigh of relief, it is beautiful. We were greeted with nice fruity drinks and very friendly staff, I believe it took us 10-15 minutes to get checked in. We arrived around noon and most of our rooms were ready with the exception of one room (we needed 4).
Rooms
These rooms are awesome, we had a king sized bed in the top level of a 8 unit hut (6311). When I saw my room on the map I was dissapointed it was so far from the beach but the walk was maybe 3 minutes away, it just looked a lot farther on the map. Our room was a little musty but they provide a scented candle to help with that. It was immaculate, marble floors, beautiful bedding, mini bar (with beer!), free safe, TV with 99 channels (only a dozen were english but who wants TV). Everyday the maids cleaned the rooms, made animals out of our towels and left flower pedals everywhere. We got a big jug of water to brush our teeth with plus bottled water in the fridge to drink. The beer was quite good, much better than the stuff I had in the Dominican which took a few to get used to.
Beach
The beach is great for snorkeling but not so great for swimming. Luckily I have thick soles and was able to walk in and swim but like many people before me recommended you should probably bring some old sneakers or aqua shoes if you're set on swimming in the ocean. Back to snorkeling, it is much more interesting at this beach than a sandy beach, we saw a nice variety of tropical fish here and even saw a barracuda. I brought my own mask and snorkel but they provide some for you if needed. I highly recommend the snorkeling excursion, it's like swimming in someone's aquarium, it is very safe and the guide is quite entertaining. Back to the beach, the part out of the water is pretty nice sand, some people said the chunks of coral in the sand were hard on the feet but again it didn't bother me.. although I learned pretty quickly not to dive while playing beach volleyball.
Pool
I love how the pool is divided into a lounge area, kids area, activity area and just a general swimming area. The swim up bar is great and wasn't as busy as other resorts, it was also nice that it had two sides to it. Only a few times did I have to wait a bit to get a drink, otherwise the staff is quick and friendly. If Abraham is working then you must try some of his famous shots, I called him the shot-master because he made layered shots with an artistic precision, you have to try a mexican flag and a shot-in-a-glass, two very good layered shots.
Activities
I had so much fun at this resort, the staff is so friendly and are always running around trying to recruit people for activities. Of course if you don't want to they don't pester you, but if you are known for doing just about everything (like I was) you almost always get asked. Kenia, Fernando, Leo, Ismeal (sp?), Edwin, Christian and Alex are all so awesome, they made me feel like there couldn't be a game without me. Also, if you win or place in a lot of events you get a diploma at the end of the day which can be traded in for goodies.
Staff
I can't say enough about these people, I actually miss some of them, it feels like I made new friends. We spent a lot of time at the swim up bar and got to know Mario, Nicolas, Abraham, Agustin and Miseal (I hope I didn't forget anyone). They are all super friendly, always smiling and joking around. The activities people are the best I've ever seen, when they have their meals they will seat with guests and talk with them, we got to have a meal with Kenia and Fernando, they both enjoyed discussing theirs lives in Mexico as well as finding out about Canada. I was so busy all the time trying to do as many activities as possible, even if no one else wanted to join me I felt like I had a friend to go with. I wish I had gotten some contact information from some people, it would've been cool to have some penpals. I went out to Senor Frog's one night and met up with Ismeal and Edwin and even during their time off they didn't mind hanging around with us and dancing with us, they were great! All the girls gushed over Edwin while all the guys were drooling over Kenia. Also, one couple in our group had some power problems, I called the front desk and told them about it and then went outside to sit on the hammock and just as I was sitting down a maintenance guy (Miguel I believe) was coming up the stairs. He had us up and running in 2 minutes.
Drinks
Drinks are awesome at this place, there is so much selection and no one is stingy on the hooch. In fact if you find a drink weak most bartenders will hand you the bottle and let you add as much liquor as you want. Also, I may not have been the first to do this but I think I invented a really cool drink. I went over to the self-serve espresso machine and plopped a couple large espresso's in my Timmy's mug; I then ordered a coco-loco and dumped it in with the coffee.. the result? coco-loco-chino, it's an awesome way to start the day... man I could go for one right now. I don't know how many drinks I tried, I lost count in the 30's. Also, the bartender will invent stuff for you, you just tell them you want something fruity or sour and they will come up with a tasty concoction for you. They also serve up a tasty selection of shots, be carefull though, all that booze and sun can be pretty tough on the system, we had a few sick people on our hands.
Food
What can I say other than the food was great, the selection was sufficient for just about everything to find something they liked and one night there was lobster, how can you go wrong. We tried out the steak house, it was ok, but we preferred the buffet. My pants were a little tight for work this morning so I guess that is a good sign. The breakfast buffet was amazing, if you can think of a food to have for breakfast it was there... ever monte cristo's! I haven't had those in years.
Nighlife
I'm a little biased on this one, I'm not big into live shows with dancing and stuff.. the other people in my group assured me it was top notch entertainment but I normally skipped it and took a little siesta and shower during this time. I think the existing disco is still being worked on so the theater is the make-shift disco for the time being. Not many people dance and stay out late here, if this is your scene then I recommend a trip into town to Senor Frog's. The cab ride is $17US each way, which isn't too bad if you can get 4 people in a cab, also the downstairs bar will give you some "monopoly" money equalling your cab fare to spend on drinks, you have to get a form at the hotel, ask one of the staff. Make sure you get the cab driver to fill in the amount and present it to the doorman at the club, he gives you some play money good enough for a round at least. I forget the name of the downstairs bar.. Carlos and charlie's?, anyway, it's more relaxed and lit up, good for a few pre-dance drinks. Once you are ready head up to Senor Frog's for a great night of dancing (heads up: men have a $5 cover charge). The music is mostly techno with some mexican stuff thrown in, they sometimes show videos as well. Be prepared, it gets very hot in there, you WILL sweat, dress appropriatly. There are open balconies where you can cool off. The drinks are close to what you would pay in Canada.. I was paying $3.50 for beers (Sol, Dos Equis) and I was paying $5-$6 for mixed drinks. To maximize your savings do a bunch of shots before leaving the hotel, that way you only need a few rounds to stay "happy" ;-)
Shopping
There's a ton of shops downtown, just get a cab and ask to be dropped off at the Pier, again it's $17US each way. I spoke with some staff and they said the taxis are regulated and are 100% safe. Bartering at the shops is pretty simple, just tell them that whatever price they state is way too expensive and start walking away. You can bargain like crazy and get pretty good prices, I normally didn't try to hard and paid about half the asking price in most cases. I know I could probably get them lower but these people aren't living the high life, they could use the money more than I can. I found the shops very touristy, lots of trinkets and stuff you only find in tourist locations. It was still a fun way to spend a few hours.
Now for the cons
Not much wrong with this place but just wanted to point a few things out, once and awhile at night you get a sewage smell that blows through the place, it can get pretty rancid at times. Don't leave your door open, I had a little guest a couple of nights. Don't leave any food out, there are ants.
Summary
I HIGHLY recommend this place, I find it to be big enough that there's quite a bit to do yet small enough that you actually run into people you meet multiple times. The last resort I stayed with was too big, I would meet some cool people and then never see them again. The staff is exceptional, I cannot stress this enough... they dance with you, eat with you, will be your partner if needed for a sport of some type, etc.... everyone speaks English quite well, I tried my best to speak spanish when I could and learned as much as I could while there. The staff was more than willing to help you with spanish if you wanted. I would give this resort a 10/10
