I stayed in many Iberostars in Mexico and DR, and mostly enjoyed them. I was a little reluctant to go to Cozumel because of it's lower ratings than other Iberostars on the mainland (now I know why). This opportunity was perfect: my wife and I were going without the kids to get certified in diving.

Ib. Coz. dissapointed somewhat. Rooms and bathrooms are much smaller than in other Ib's. Decor of the common areas lacks attractiveness and sofistication. Food choices are limited (well, you can't go hungry, but you don't see the lavish dining halls like in the other iberostars). The a la carte dining choices are very limited, and booking process is ridiculous. Location suffers a bit, too: $17 cab ride to town is quite costly. Otherwise, the cleanliness, friendliness, service -all are typical Iberostar's, i.e. excellent.

The worst part is certainly the beach, or rather lack thereof. To me, Carribean vacation starts with the sea. In Ib. Cozumel, it is impossible to enter the water other than from the boat or from the pier. The picture of the beach with no swimmers is a sad one. Iberostar execs should visit nearby national park Chankanaab and learn how they converted the rocky beach into a useful one.

Of course, if all you do is dive or snorkel, Cozumel with it's Palancar and Columbia reefs is the place to be. Otherwise, you have no business being there, I would pick Iberostar Tucan/Quetzal over Cozumel every time.

Was an amazing hotel to stay at...I stayed at the Iberostar in Cuba as well..and i can truly say i will stay in an Iberostar hotel wherever possible!
The staff are amazing...always friendly, and know how to have a good time!
Good for travelling with teens or young adults..there are plenty of shows put on..and activities all throughout the day for people to participate in!
All in all it was an amazing hotel and i would definately return!
The bungalow style rooms where a huge bonus as well! didnt feel as much like a hotel..more of an authentic mexican vacation!!
The beach was also very nice...a little rocky...but great for snorkelling just off the pier for beginning snorkelers such as myself

my husband and i stayed at the iberostar cozumel jan. 19 to 26.we wish it had been for 2 weeks. we have always stayed at 5 star resorts in the mayan riviera but decided we were sick of the huge 1000 room and up resorts. i recommend the iberostar if you are looking for a smaller more laid back vacation. you don't spend all your time finding out where everything is. everything is within a few minutes walking distance. the rooms are adequate, clean, and i like the hard beds. slept better there than i do at home. the food wasn't as good as some five stars but it is only a four. we found the had a good variety to choose from. the swim up bar and pool were great and you could actually taste the alcohol in the drinks . we stayed at a five star last year near tulum and you couldn't even taste the alcohol when you asked for a double. the sunsets were amazing on the beach and pier. lots of fish under the dock. went on the manta sunset snorkel and saw more than we have in all the years we have been going to mexico. saw a turtle, stingray, shark, and all kinds of fish. we decided next year to go back and stay for two weeks. the only negative thing i can say is the bugs. take some mosquito repellent, i had read the reviews and we took some so we were alright but others got bit . i didn't find the mosqitoes and sand flies any worse than in my own backyard in the summer actually i think their worse here at home in the summer. if you take a taxi the prices are posted in the lobby and you just make sure you get it straight with the driver before you get in. we went into town and we just loved it. so if you want to try a smaller more intimate resort with the most beautiful grounds and wildlife we have seen yet, the parrots, flamingoes and peacocks, iguanas try the iberostar. loved it.

We would go back to this resort. Only a couple of problems. One being that it took us four days to get a dinner reservation for the steak house. They tell you to make reservations each morning from 9 - 1. Every morning I would go down to make reservations at 9:00am, and would be told that they were booked, but they could get us in at 9pm. No thanks, we are not the type to eat dinner at 9pm. We would then walk by the steak house around 6:30, and would see several empty tables. Evidently people would book their entire week all at once, and then decide not to go. They need to "rethink" their protocol on making dinner reservations. The only other problem we ran into was the price of Taxi's. Every time we used one, it was a different price.
Now to the good stuff! This resort was very clean and accomodating. Walking thru the resort is beautiful & clean. A big "hooray" to them for all their work! We would leave tips in our room, and would have our fridge re-filled daily. The swim up bar was a riot! The pier was nice to get in & out of for swimming/snorkeling. We took 2 snorkel excursions with "Fury" and was very enjoyable. Seen lots of underwater creatures including a shark and sting ray. The sunsets were beautiful.......
We will return.......