This Iberostar resort is actually THREE resorts, all of which share some facilities and which can result in some interesting situations, not to mention getting hopelessly lost after sundown (note to Iberostar - not all tourists pack night vision goggles). We stayed at the Punta Cana. Directly across from it is the identical Dominicana, and adjacent to that is the Bavaro Suites complex. Even though we had ground floor rooms, we were in the middle of the single large building so it was a longgggggggggg trek to anywhere, beach or dining. To the specifics:

Airport: The usual tourist tax shakedown at the airport, and the usual mob scene with everyone trying to hustle you into their "special just for you, senhor" bus. We booked through Funjet, which uses VIP Travel Services in the DC. He was there with his sign and conducted us swiftly to our bus. The 40-minute ride to the hotel reminds you that you ain’t in Kansas anymore, but I found it less cluttered and cleaner than Mexico.

Check-In: Fairly smooth, but it would be nice if there were a few working ceiling fans in the open-air lobby during the heat of the day. The kids loved spotting all the turtles and lizards on the rocks in the central open courtyard fountain. Word of caution: Do not depend on the front desk people to know what is going on in the resort, we were there over New Year’s and they were completely clueless, which meant we went to the wrong place for the biggest party.

Rooms: Adequate by all-inclusive standards, no better than that. We did have a nice private outside balcony, complete with swimsuit drying rack. The wall sockets are as others have said, bring an extender from home or buy one in the gift shop. Maid service every day was punctual and thorough, and a written request and a few dollars kept our refrigerator and coffee fixings fully stocked throughout our stay. My only real complaint is that the bathroom is very small and the shower stall is quite dark, making it a safety hazard for older guests. Be prepared for at least some fun and games with your electronic safes, but once they put new batteries in, ours worked flawlessly. Never a shortage of towels as others have noted.

Grounds: One word – beautiful. And the roving flock of flamingoes, plus the odd duck or two, really made it quite tropical.

Beach: Here is where sharing one beach with two resorts gets kind of silly … that and the fact that Europeans apparently LOVE to get up before dawn to reserve a sun lounger or covered palapa. It was always a hunt to find my Dad a spot in the shade when we would finally go down there about midday, but the boardwalk that goes from the pool down to the surf’s edge was much appreciated. The beach itself is great, clean and wide and white. Don’t bother looking for shells, though, the offshore reefs keep all the good stuff far beyond reach. We didn’t get to try the watercraft because the red flag flew every single day we were there.

Activities: You are in the tropics. It WILL rain at some point. We were trapped inside the better part of a day by a gusty storm that drove the temperatures down into the low 60s. Bring a book or board game or something because the “indoor activities” are skimpy. We skipped most of the shows, the few we saw were OK, no better than that.

Food: A biggie at any all-inclusive, and what can make or break your vacation. All in all, I thought they did a good job, especially with the New Year’s Eve dinner (candlelight and lots of nice extra touches.) The day-to-day variety seemed adequate, although the crowds around the custom-dish stations required careful navigation if you’re a senior citizen. It is open air, so yes, there will be bugs. Compared to what you see in any of the local villages it’s well under control – deal with it and enjoy your food. This is not the US. One thing that worked great for us was sitting in about the same place for the same meal every day. The wait staff is assigned by tables, or zones, and if you leave a little something for them, they will practically knock you over to get drinks or extra silverware and the like. I never had to wait for coffee in the morning, he was heading our way as soon as we walked in the door. This is a poor country. Yes, you paid for all-inclusive, including tips, but a few bucks here and there can go an incredibly long way towards improving your experience.

I will say this, but cannot lay the blame specifically on Iberostar – this is the only time I have ever suffered from drippy tummy, not full-blown diarrhea, but loose stools for almost a month after we got home. Never had any problem like this in three trips to Mexico and one each to Jamaica, the Caymans and Turks and Caicos. I think it was probably the water, but who knows. Not a trip-ending disaster by any means.

Trips: We booked one trip through VIP, the Bavaro Runners Safari Adventures. Highly recommended, even for older travelers. You go up into the hills in a covered, open-sided bus with bench seats (and seat belts) and the trip was as advertised except for one thing – they no longer take you on a horseback right along the beach, but rather in a loop around a large meadow. Aside from that, going up into the hills, getting to visit the locals in their little villages, sample the cuisine, walk along a spectacularly deserted beach, and lunch in a mountaintop hideaway, made for a great day that young and old in our party enjoyed.

Internet and Shops: Internet is in a small shop tucked away in a little plaza in front of the Dominicana. You have to get your access code and pay at the front desk of your hotel, however. I never had a wait or problem getting on. The gift shops in the hotels have the usual overprized collection of touristy stuff, but the beach vendors have almost the same prices for lower quality items. Your call.

We just returned last night from our Iberostar Punta cana 7 day vacation. We were alittle suprised at the difference from the Iberostar Riveria Maya Vacation we took 3 months ago. There are 5 of us. My Husband, Myself, my 78 yr old Mom , My 17yr old daughter and 12yr old son. When we arrived at the airport We had to pay a 10.00 tax per person, So 50.00 for all of us. Its approx a 35 minute ride to the hotel. Check in was already set up for us so the fact that I needed a wheel chair for my mother didnt change the fact that we were on the 3rd floor. We had to take the elevators, didnt think it a big deal until we tried to get into it and the doors slam shut on us. Not like in the States where you put your arm out and it stops.. no this solid steel kept shutting. So the next day we went to the desk and said we wanted a room on the 1st floor. We Usually enjoy staying at the pool , the Beach is beautiful no question. The bigger pool with all the action is approx 5'6". We couldnt stand there and be comfortable It was over all our heads except my 6'3" husband who could stand on his tippy toes and be above water level. I know its called a "swimming pool" but I dont do much "swimming".... My mother wouldnt even go in the bigger pool so we stayed at the smaller pool. Very dissapointed in that! The Buffet is in a huge hut style with ceiling fans, no air conditioning. Flys all over the food. I actually saw a dead fly one of the dishes and told a worker there, He walked over to it and turned to look at me and saw i was watching him and THEN removed the whole plate. I cannot say what he would have done if I wasnt watching, But I would think A quick pluck of the dead bug and Carry on!.. Shows are nightly, They try! This too is in a big hut type of covering, No air. It just seemed to all of us that we never were comfortable I know we went in August so its extremely hot, but we would have liked to be somewhat cool during meals or entertainment.We werent and due to that we always seemed to be tired! Our safe was locked and called down to have them come and unlock it and they never did. Top of shower was broken, Toilet paper holder was broken . I called for a extra pillow the 1st nght, I called 6:00. 8:00 10:00 then at 12:00. It wasnt until 12:00 that I was not nice. Maybe not a big deal to some, but I really didnt want much but these little things would have made me happy. All the Workers are very nice and they work very hard.We went to Iberostar Riveria Maya Mexico 3 months ago and found it to be much more superior to this hotel. I will be going Back to mexico for my next vacation for sure!

My family (2 adults/2 children) just returned from spending 7 nights/8 days at the Iberostar Punta Cana, DR
Here are some highlights:
1) Landscape - Beautiful, gorgeous, very clean, there were always workers working on the ground
2) Pool - Huge, very warm water
3) Food - Above average
4) Service - Above excellent... The people there work so hard for so little money (1530 pesos/day which equal to about $44 US per day). The waiters/waitresses work from 7am-11pm each day for 12 days straight and then they get to go home for visits for 3 days - so PLEASE, PLEASE tip them. They appreciate it very much if you just tip them $1-$3 each meal. I mean, you still get the same great service regardless if you tip them or not.
5) Same with the maids - Please tip them! We brought some school supplies for our maid's children and she appreciated it very much
6) Entertainment - So so
7) Beach - Gorgeous, powdery white sand but beware of topless sunbathers!
8) Hotel workers - They always had a smile on their face, always said "Hola"
We would definitely return to the Iberostar Punta Cana just because of the great service we received.

I did ALOT of research before arranging our vacation so I hope this reviews helps you. I tried to compile everything I read before I went into one review.

I booked with Funjet Vacations aka VIP Travel and they did a great job! I (26yrs) traveled with my mother (48 yrs), aunt (46 yrs) and cousin (18 yrs). We had two rooms and even e-mailed reservations ahead of time to get “partial” ocean views meaning it looked out over the pool and the ocean was through the trees, and rooms next to each other which worked out perfectly! I found that the Iberostar Punta Cana is the relaxing/quiet resort while the Iberostar Dominicana is the “party” side with all activities occurring there and having the disco and casino. Our intent in this vacation was to lay by the beach for 7 days and just relax so our side was perfect. Being in the sun all day does take a lot of out you! We were usually in bed by 10pm but a few nights we sat in one of the rooms and watched a movie that we hooked up to the TV via a portable DVD player, though we usually fell asleep.

I read a lot of the reviews before we left so here is what I did and hope this helps you…

1. Packed my clothes and then removed half before I left. For a 7 day vacation I wore my swim suit every day with a pair of gym shorts and flip flops. (I brought 4 and there is a drying rack on the balcony to dry them on. I would take a shower every day before dinner and throw my swim suit on the shower floor to rinse it out while I showered.) Then at night changed into a sundress with dressier flip flops at the beach bar is really on the beach and so is the steak house.

2. I brought mostly small bills as the ATM only dispenses pesos and change is given in pesos so I wanted to ensure I always had exact change. For one week I brought $900 for two people (100 - $100; 10 - $10’s; 10 - $20’s; 2 - $50’s; 4 - $100) I did tip the maid every day and the waiter's at the specialty restaurants and sometimes at dinner at the buffet.

I payed for the zip line excursion ahead of time at www.bavarorunners.com and got 10% off and it was so much fun. It seems scary when they explain but it’s actually relaxing and you don’t go very fast. though i recommend wearing longish shorts as the harnis tends to ride up. I also payed for our snorkeling ahead of time for 15% off at www.dresseldivers.com so I didn’t need to bring money to pay for these things. I came home with $400 but we only spent maybe $200 on souvenirs, mostly painting. The front desk does give change in dollars for the larger bills, my aunt did this.

We also did the ATV tour booked through VIP travel and it was so much fun also. We went to amazing beach half way through so wear your suit and lots of sunscrean on your back! And bring a bandana (or they sell them for $5) to cover your face to block the dust.

3. Air freshener – most hotel rooms have that musty smell so this just made the room more pleasant.

4. Called my credit card company before hand and let them know where I would be on what dates and the maximum amount I expected to spend. I did not use my credit card at all on this trip.

5. TONS of sunscreen and after sun lotion. We only got burned in the areas that we “missed” with the sunscreen so I recommend applying SPF 15 EVERYDAY before going into the sun. Then really do keep applying. Though the cabana’s on the beach and the pool come in handy once you have had too much sun for the day. They are a great place to just read your book and relax.

6. As soon as we got to the resort we booked our three meals so ensure there was space: Steakhouse, Oriental, Mexican. All were wonderful! And it was a really nice break from eating at the buffet everyday, which does get old after the 6th day but we managed and the food does change slightly each day.

7. We woke up each day by 9am to eat breakfast then head to the beach till lunch (whenever we got hungry), then we would sit in the shade for a while. Then showered around 5pm and did dinner at 7pm. Then to the beach bar after dinner and walking around to the shops behind the Dominicana. The resort bar has better drinks but the beach bar was quieter with a GREAT view and a cute little pregant dog that just layed around. On the days we had excursions they take up most of the day so you don't get much beach time.

8. mugs to keep water cold on the beach.

9. Tums and Pepo Bismal though our stomachs never got upset, even with using the water to brush our teeth for the first couple of days

10. don't let they guys at the airport carry your luggage! it is a VERY small airport and you will only need to walk 20 feet.

Lastly a few more things just so you know what to expect...The safe in the room is free. the air conditioner does not require a key to turn on though it does get really cold even on low (we put our beach towls over us as well as all the covers and slept with socks on). The beach towels they provide are pretty nice and we just got fresh ones each day before dinner. Bring snacks for the room for late night treats. I had a European converter plug (circle outlet to slit outlet) to use as an extender to plug in the blowdryer which came in handy! Check-in at the airport takes a while so you should leave the resort 3 hours before flight departure (lines move fast but you have paper work to fill out). There is an internet cafe that is $5 for 30 minutes, we didn't use it. My aunt got an international call/text plan from AT&T since my cousin at 18 yrsold can resist not texting.

There are shops in the resorts and shops on a strip by the gym and some down the beach. ALWAYS haggle price. The sometimes start at $900 and you get it for $20. so have a price in your head for anything you want beforehand. Mostly the shops have the same things so shop around first.

We didn do any of the un-motorized sports at the beach. There was a transportation strike on our second to last day so it was all closed and when we went the last day there were booked. So book a few days in advance if you want to get a catameran, or wind surf thing, or kayak.

I did get a massage by the pool area which was AMAZING!! I totally recommend it to everyone! though make sure you get all the salt/sand off of you or it's more like an exfolliation treatment.

Other than that the resort was beautiful, very clean and I didn't see any bugs the whole time I was there, though maybe one or two mosquito bites and everyone was SUPER nice that worked there and always willing to help you even with the language barrier. My cousin and I speak moderate french so I learned lot's of spanish translations. If I didn't know the word in spanish I just said it in french and they understood and then corrected me in spanish, which was really FUN!

My mom and aunt did buy mama juana but had it taken away at customs cause you can't bring/check it on the plane unless it is in a sealed glass bottle and they had bought it in plastic bags. My aunt was able to buy more at the airport gift shop. That was really our only hicup the whole time.

Just be patient cause it's a Caribbean pace down there and they don't know the word "hurry". We all went with the mind set to just relax, go with the flow and enjoy the beach and the sun and WE LOVED IT!!!!