Iberostar Quetzal Reviews

My wife and I stayed at the Iberostar Quetzal in Oct 2008. We had requested a non-smoking room because I have respiratory issues and need to sleep with a CPAP machine. When we arrived at 5pm, our room was not ready and it was a regular smoking room. When I brought this up to the clerk she was neither sympathetic nor helpful. I asked to speak to the manager. When I explained to him that I needed a non-smoking room and that I had booked one, he said that even though we had booked one, there was no guarantee that we would get one. Finally after going back and forth with him for fifteen minutes he agreed to get us a non-smoking room in another building. The catch was it was only available for two nights and then we would have to move to another non-smoking room. We agreed and were finally able to get to our room after having been on the road and in the air for the better part of 12 hours. Two days later, we were supposed to relocate to another room. We were told to pack our bags and someone would move them for us. We spent the day snorkeling and sight seeing and were told everything would be ready when we returned. When we got back a 4pm, we found our bags outside of our original room and our new room was not ready. In fact, no one was aware that we were supposed to move. It was assumed that we had checked out and left our bags! It took an hour to get the second room sorted out... The food at the resort is terrible. The buffet food was overcooked and tasteless. We made reservation at three of the restaurants on the premises. The first one we went to was the Mexican restaurant. You would think that being in Mexico, the food would be good if not great. I've had better food at Chi-Chi's. The steak restaurant server very small portions of very well done steak. It didn't matter if you asked for rare or otherwise. What you got was akin to shoe leather. Finally we dined at the Japanese restaurant. Once again, the food, which was served hibachi style, was overcooked. Being hibachi style it was prepared in front of a group of about ten diners. At several points during the prep the chef had to be asked to set aside portions of meat because otherwise he was going to cook everything into oblivion. Also, they served sushi - all of it cooked - badly. Later in the week my wife and I took a trip to Xcaret. Great eco-park. If you go, snorkel in the underground river. While there we ate at the buffet, which was part of our package. It was fantastic. Afterwards we stayed for the Mayan history show. We did go into Playa Del Carmen one day and took the ferry over to Cozumel. Would have like to have seen more of Cozumel. It's a shame the resort was sub-par because Mexico is beautiful. Outside of the resort, there are sights and food to experience aplenty. I'm looking forward to going back someday, just not to the Iberostar Quetzal.

We were set to go to Cozumel when a co-worker suggested Iberostar Quetzal. They had just returned a week earlier from their vacation there. She told me it was not as "touristy" and crowded as Cozumel- great for relaxing, etc. I followed her advice and we couldn't have been more pleased! We did the 4 night all-inclusive stay- excellent value- the atmosphere and food were great! The rainforest surroundings were a bonus. Beach was beautiful and not too crowded. Pools were very refreshing and again- not too crowded. Next time I will get the ocean front room with balcony- and stay for 7-10 days!!

Each summer, my women friends and I go away to the caribbean for an 8-day/7-night stay at an all-inclusive resort. I have been to three different Iberostar Resorts. All I have to say is...you cannot beat an Iberostar Resort. In 2008 us women went on our annual Women's Tropical Get-Away to the Iberostar Quetzal in the Mayan Riviera in MEXICO and had a wonderful time. The food & drinks, the accommodations, the buffet restaurants, the staff, the organized activities, and the well-kept beautiful grounds are great...we had no complaints there. The only odd thing I noticed about this particular resort was the beach area. Due to what the past hurricanes have done to their beaches in the past, they have placed these HUGE whale-size, sand-packed, burlap-looking bags out in front of their beaches in the ocean waters to prevent beach erosion from future hurricanes. If you like "the jungle feel"...with live animals....this is the place to be. I picked this place because of the abundance amount of foliage...plus, I heard about the monkeys that are seen in the trees as I knew my friend liked monkeys and she had never been to an Iberostar Resort. You also saw iguana, large rodent-looking animals (sorry..don't remember what they were called), peacocks, and other wildlife. The grounds are constantly kept immaculate. The beautiful flowers that are used to decorate our rooms each day with the towel animals. I would highly recommend going to the Iberostar Quetzal as well as any Iberostar Resort. I have been to other resorts at different locations and have found that all the Iberostar Resort's staff are always friendly and helpful...compared to some other resorts I've been to. You will not be disappointed when you book at an Iberostar Resort.

We were kindly traferred to the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar when we arrived at the Quetzal. The Quetzal was clean, beautiful and the staff was friendly. However, the Govt. was rebuilding the beach and it was unavailabel for use. The hotel was extremely accodating and the Paraiso was equal to the Quetzal. Food was great, and you had many choices. It was wonderful to have a full service bar and food right there on the beach. The pool, rooms and ground were very clean and gorgeous! We are sched. to visit twice in the next 6-8 months.

The hotel has lovely grounds, full of wildlife. The rooms are very clean and comfortable and all of the staff we encountered were friendly and working hard. However, the food nearly ruined the experience. I did not have high expectations as I understand the resort has hundreds of people to feed on a limited budget... but that is no excuse for undercooking and overcooking what is served. It was always possible to find something that wasn't bad, but only after sampling most of the buffet. Perhaps the hotel should offer a narrower selection of food and concentrate on making it better. The bartenders at the pool/beach bar never failed to be efficient and friendly despite having a constant queue of half-drunk, sweaty people demanding frozen drinks. However, with only two bartenders and 1 or 2 servers, I can't help thinking the resort makes it challenging to get a drink on purpose to save money. Still, the drinks were good when you finally got one -- not watered down. (The wine, however, was horrible). The spa prices were the most expensive I have ever seen, with the exception of the Four Seasons!

The Quetzel is my favorite hotel and always offers a quality experience. Customer service continues to exceed all expectations. It is a real treat to walk through the rain forest and view a variety of interesting animals on the way to the beach. A tropical paradise offering gourmet food, activities and service that will keep you coming back time and time again. The natural setting offers a chance to enjoy the present, reflect on the past and look forward to the future. The Quetzel is truly a great escape!