I can’t go on enough about this place and more importantly the staff. We were a group of seven, celebrating a honeymoon, an engagement and a birthday. We range in age from 30-41.

The flight:
Skyservice was the carrier. Unless you are 5”5’ and under and you REALLY like cramped quarters, fly on a bigger carrier. The food was average and the staff was nice. We had a 6am flight and some of us slept anyway. Get what you pay for I guess. We flew into Punta Cana and drove for 2 hours to La Romana…more on that later.

Coming home…well all I can say is if I could find the morons at the Punta Cana airport if I go there again, they would hear it. They assured us we were sitting together, well it was far from it, we were in all different aisles, different seats, ALL singled out. Check your boarding pass and seat # before you leave the counter!!

Arrival and Luggage pick up
No problem, sailed right though

The drive to and from Punta Cana:
Be sure to have good life insurance…it’s completely insane. They basically do not have driving laws…try to avoid flying to Punta Cana first, La Romana is only 20 min from Iberostar.

Arrival at Iberostar…

Went well, we were greeted by Mickey who explained the hotel…we were just anxious to get going on our own. Our luggage was brought to our room no problem.

Restaurants
Seafood: Is the best, huge lobster dinner, great service.
Mexican: Yuck…service was great though.
Japanese: Very good, make sure to get the fried rice, not the steamed! You will see why when you get there, the fried rice is so good.
Steak: It’s not the Keg (very good steak place here in Canada), but I have had worse.
Buffet: Excellent, huge variety, pasta, salads, breads, meats (they had a variety of lamb, turkey, pork, fish) throughout the week. Be sure to check out the Banana shakes at breakfast…

The Hotel:
Stunning, well maintained, rooms are perfect, huge shower, very clean. Shampoo and Soap are supplied in the shower (not the sample kind) and there are samples of other toiletries supplied.

I have been to Cancun and the Mayan Riviera in 5 stars and this place was just as comparable if not better. The shops are reasonable; internet is available for $5 for 30 min. The computer keyboard is different though, make sure you know how to use the @ sign before you start.

The public washrooms are very nice and always clean. The towel service is excellent, don’t lose your towel though, it will cost you $10 US if you do.

The Pool:
Is nice, I’ve seen better but it served it’s function, Malfredo was the staff member at the pool bar, he’s a great guy and will accommodate any drink mixture. If you want a good pool seat, I would reserve your chair by at least 9am, we usually went to the beach first and were out of luck for the pool in the afternoon, well all 7 of us together anyway. The beach hut "seats" are quickly taken, get there early if you like shade.

The Beach:
Again, is ok. The lighthouse bar is pretty cool. It was noted the drinks were better poolside, but I didn’t notice. The sand isn’t Cancun, but is very nice…bare feet are safe on the beach and in the water..a bit of coral in the sea, but not too much. The sunsets are very nice…be sure to check one out. If you are going to check out the markets on the other resort, beware, they don’t leave you alone and it is very uncomfortable. Shop at the hotel. Be sure to grab some bread from the buffet and feed the fish...

The Staff:
Couldn’t say enough about them, they are just wonderful. Our star friends were Elvis, Alberto, Noiella (not sure if I spelt that right), Kelvin, Antonio, Alexandra, Mercedes, and Piky..there were more but I can’t remember their names. They are a wonderful bunch and truly work to make your vacation so much fun. They do work from 9am to 1am…long hours and you would not believe the energy they have. They entertain with dancing lessons, volleyball, beach parties (which you should not miss…great food), they hang out and entertain on the beach, they are in the shows (which we were a part of 3 of them), and then they dance at the disco until 1am. Great people, have never had the level of service they provided us at any other resort.

Have a great vacation, I would go back there tomorrow if I could!

I miss this place, it was fabulous! The food, the service, the rooms, the minibar, the beach, just everything was spot on! I recommend people to go there, it was just amazing!

PS: Go to the beach at night and look at the stars and lie on the sunloungers, i sooo want to go back but they are fully booked for 3 years now!!!

Mexican restaurant manager is rude and disrespectful!
He does not know how to communicate, treat or respect customer. He does not want to speak English or help to solve any occurred problem. He needs to be replaced ASAP, because such a good restaurant with tasty food can't suffer because of that one person.

Great Resort.
Food was great - didn't feel the least bit sick. Drinks were strong and people very friendly. Cassy in Guest Services, Malfredo at the pool bar - everyone was excellent.
Windsurfing and sailing the catamarans were so much fun.
Beach was soft and the ocean was warm and clear - try snorkelling along the buoy line - there is a manmade breakwall of giant pots filled with all sorts of interesting sea life.
Room was clean and modern.
Pool is huge and a great place to work on your tan.

People who would write a negative review about this hotel have serious issues. Your vacation can never be perfect - it is what you make it - This was a great place to make a near perfect vacation!

The golf at near by Casa de Campo is breathtaking but not worth the money - very poor customer service over there and don't forget your golf gear - nothing is included and it's $5 per ball!

We've been to RIU and Barcelo in the Mayan and in Punta Cana - The IHD is top notch - Go For It!!!