My girlfriend and I went as a group of 35 or so for a wedding that she was in. Compared to other all inclusive places via Apple Vacation this place was very expensive. Was it worth it? That's a question that is answered on a case by case basis. I love to eat and am a social drinker. I feel the price was worth it but honestly not sure how much longer my body could have handled all of the food and liquor :) My only 2 complaints on this place was that the main pool (one with bar) was freezing cold the whole week and the rocks on the beach. We all joked about finding the SOB that was dumping leftover ice in the pool afterhours. The pool was also salt water which was different from any other that i've been in. The beach was excellent except for a 30 yard or so section in the center of the beach with rocks. I'm assuming they are there for looks, pics, etc but just not my thing. The waters were pretty choppy with Red Flags out most of our trip so we didn't spend much time in.

I would say this place has been the most accomidating of any all inclusive properties i have visited. Staying here you are able to go to the 3 other sister properties of which we checked out the Maya once but just to see the wave pool and lazy river.

Food - I though the food was really good. The Restaurants for dinner that require reservations were excellent. We ate at Toni's, The Le Gourmet, and Japanese place. All were excellent. At Toni's i recommended the flaming coffee & Fried Ice Cream Dessert. At the Gourmet I highly recommend the Fillet with Bacon/Potatoe. At the Japanese place I recommend the fried rice & Beef Fillet along with the Fried Banana dessert. Don't be shy and request multiple desserts if you want them :) Once you do I can bet your family/friends will to. That was my expreience at least.

For breakfast we ate at the buffet every morning. I liked the omlette's, banana nutella crepes, fresh made doughnuts, etc and fresh juices. There are 100s of options but these were the ones i ended up going with! I almost forgot I recommend the Cappuccino's!

For lunch the first day we tried the buffet (same place as breakfast & dinner buffet) and the rest of the trip we ate at the place only open for lunch that backs up to the beach. I would recommend it over the buffet. It's a buffet but you can also order kobe beef burgers, fajitis, shrimp, lobster, steak, etc. We loved the fajitis. I would grab a plate from the buffet and order fajitis. For dessert I always went with the ice cream!

For Dinner as mentioned we hit the restaurants. We never tried the dinner buffet. We used room service once which was good.

Liquor -
This is the first time i've been to an all inclusive that had this selection of top shelf known liquors. They still had the standard mexico flamingo stuff but you can specifically call out the liquor you want. I used this opportunit to try a bunch of liquor i have heard of but never tried. The butler when we checked in asked for specific stuff we would like for the mini fridge. I struck out on IPA beer so settled on Negra Modelo and absolute. They stocked the fridge with it as well as brought us a new bottle of Absolute for the room. If you like chocolate and bananas i recommend the dirty monkey drink. We requested Grey Goose Vodka for it and it was really good. They go down easy so best to order 2! For a dessert drink the usual Baileys as well as a drink called Tom Cherry there which taste like a liquid vanilla pudding.

Pool Bar - We spent a lot of time at the pool bar. Daniel & Humberto were awesome. If they don't have it they get it. I tried more frozen drinks than i can list and all were good. After meeting up with another group that were there for a wedding we learned about a shot called Purple MF'er. Not sure what was in it but it's purple and tasted pretty good. I would recommend it. As far as Tequila shots we prefered the Don Julio anjeo over anything we tried there. If you are a black liquorice fan try the Pernod. I though it was absenth but it wasn't. Not my thing but i've tried it now.

Lobby Bar - This was probably my favorite bar in the place as i liked the atmosphere and the fact you could have a few drinks then even it out with a cap or latte. The popcorn they bring out in bowls was good also.

Dinner Drinks - The restaurants offer full drink bars including shots.


Misc / Spa - Since the main pool was super cold we at times utilized the indoor heated pool which was awesome. It's located in the spa building. There are 2 hot tubs (one on each end of the pool). This building also has a Dry & Steam Sauna located within the changing rooms.

Overall I really liked this property. They go above and beyond to make sure you have everything you want and need. The wedding turned out beautiful and the resort photographer was excellent. Very impressed both the pics as well as the slide show they put together.

Final thoughs. Would i stay here again. Yes

We were upgraded to the Iberostar Grand upon our arrival for free. The Grand is very much a great place for honeymooners or couples. Quiet, full service anytime of day. Service on the beach. With this stay we had access to all the Iberostar properties. I was travelling with a friend so we weren't much into the nightlife ourselves but it would be an excellent place for couples or honeymooners looking to relax by the pool or on the beach. Very quiet, not a lot of vendor interuptions on the beach. Please tip your server on the beach regularily though - it must be terribly hot to walk up in down in their hotel uniform every day for a few dollars here and there! The buffet was better than the a la cartes I found but to each their own. It's not like there wasn't plenty of everything.

This is a long overdue review. My hubby an have been twice to the Grand. It's by far the best all inclusive vacation we have taken. Yes, the pools are kind of cold in Feb, oh well, still love this place. We hope to go back one day.

PS: We went Feb of 2009 & 2010.

Our travel agent recommended this place since we wanted an all inclusive that included golf and this place delivered, mostly. The property is breathtaking from the moment you walk in, everything is immaculate and the staff is very friendly, without seeming forced. Service, for the most part was outstanding. There were a few glitches in the buffet dining room when the staff didn't seem to know who was supposed to wait on us. We were in a villa with butler service and again there were a few requests we made that weren't met in a timely fashion. The restaurants did not live up to our expectations. The breakfast and lunch buffets were wonderful, but don't bother with the evening buffet service. We tried it twice and it was a disappointment each time; a lesson to get your specialty restaurant reservations early. We did eat at the Gourmet restaurant (which is gourmet in name only), Japanese restaurant (sushi was mushy and entrees were more like Chinese), and the Italian, which was the star of the show in our opinion. We had the best risotto and ravolis ever. Golf course was spectular and in Augusta-like condition and worth the trip. Three georgous pools, including an beautiful indoor pool. A-one liquor brands. Only downside was the food--but not enough to keeps us from returning.