We picked this hotel as we had stayed in an Iberostar hotel in Riveria Maya in Mexico. I would say this hotel is a little tatty round the edges but this did not spoil our stay. The rooms were lovely- the air com was not very efficient tho. The food was superb and the waitor service was excellent in all the restuarants.Our favourites were the Steak House and the Mexican. We used the dive company on site for a few days diving - the dive guides were excellent, great fun and full marks for safety. We went to Saona Island with the dive company and had an amazing day. A bit pricey , but would not have missed it for the world.
The pool area had some tiles missing and our costumes are ruined as they all turned green.
The evening entertainment was hilarious- because it was so awful. The day time entertainment was ok, but the staff seemed to favour the Spanish and was not that interested in the British....
All in all a lovely holiday and I would recommend this hotel..

Flew from Gatwick with Thomas Cook airlines, flight was Ok and on time. On arrival at Punta Cana boarded a coach for the transfer (nearly 2 hours) just what you need after a 9 hour flight! On arrval at the hotel we were given a welcome drink of punch, much needed after the coach trip. (it is a shame UK flights do not go into La Romana airport as it is only 20 mins away) The Hotel is set in amazing surroundings, immaculate gardens, water features etc. The rooms are spotlessly clean and made up every day with fresh towels provided. The beach is right next to the hotel and is very clean. The water is very clear with lots of beautiful fish that will feed on banana out of your hand, amazing! We booked the Blue Lagoon excursion where you drive your own speed boat. This excursion was brilliant fun and lasts about 2 1/2 hours, the transfer from the hotel is only 10 mins to the speedboats. You all set off together driving your own speed boat following the lead boat, beautiful sights all the way. There are lots of activities going on throughout the day at the hotel, you can do as little or as much as you want, there is no pressure to join in if you don't want to. The food in the buffet is of a very high standard with lots of choice, which varies every day. The Steak house offers good quality steaks (reccomend the ribeye ;-) For a romantic meal for 2 try the Colonial french gourmet restaurant, the lobster was superb, The mexican restaurant was very good too, never tried the Japonese restaurant, so cannot comment. The staff work very long hours, working very hard every day, we tipped them a few dollars every day and the maid too for all the hard work they put in. The weather was beautiful every day, apart from one day when we felt the wrath of tropical storm "Hurricaine Fay"! Lots of rain, thunder lightening and wind. It didn't cause too much damage and never spoilt our holiday one bit, the staff kept us all amused with their antics. The garden ground staff were busy cleaning up, and the grounds were spotless again the next day. I would reccomend this hotel to couples, families, every one really, there is somthing for all.

Andy & Family
Kent England UK

Well what can we say about this hotel!! The long trip from Punta Cana, 1 1/2 hours is worthwhile when you arrive and see the stunning lobby area and grounds. It then gets even better.........

We stayed from 28th July - 11th August. This was our second vist to an Iberostar having stayed at the Varadero in 2007. I have to say for all round satisfaction I don't believe you can go wrong.

It's true the pool will soon be in need of some attention however to say, as I have seen implied in earlier reviews, that this had a negative affect on other guests holidays is very picky indeed.

In our first week we had the privelige of being accompanied by a very loud group of East-Coast Americans who seem to think it's their destiny in life to make more noise per person that any other nation on earth. This wasn't really a problem more an irritant as there were always plenty of sunbeds to be had around other parts of the pool or beach.

If you really don't like loud Americans, try Cuba, they're not allowed there, and the Iberostar Varadero is every bit as good, if not better.

The food is exceptional. I have been through several of the reviews and cannot for the life of me see how anyone could say they couldn't find anything they liked. If you look closely though, you'll see that most of the negative criticism's are from the residents of the country which has given us hamburgers. There were plenty of European dishes to suit every taste.

The speciality restaurants were fabulous, particularly the Mexican and A-la-Carte. The Japanese was great for the food but ensure that you smother yourself in deodorant before setting foot inside. In the Mexican, ask for a bottle of Corona which they have but don't advertise.

The only real disppointment for us were the Star Friends. In Cuba last year the Star Friends made a point of trying to get people involved in the sports and games by walking the pool / beach. It wasn't full-on, a polite no was all that was required and they didn't bother you again. It was also more about a getting to know you thing which is nice. I think here we only saw them a handful of times and they didn't really seem to be that interested. This was a view shared by many of the people we met.

The evening shows were amateur almost bordering on the embarassing and it seems if you've been to one Iberostar, you've seen all the shows. We quickly realised that and spent most of our evenings in the lobby bar where there were always plenty of seats and where we sat with our newly made friends.

To summarise, the grounds, staff and general ambience were top drawer. The pool is tired and will very soon need major attention. The food in my opinion was superb with a huge choice. The place was only really let down a little I thought by the daytime Star Friends and the evening shows.

Overall had a great time and would go back although we've always made a point of never doing that so probably never will.

My rating may seem harsh as this is still a very good hotel but has so much potential. Having been to Paraiso Maya in Mexico last year, I can benchmark it as follows:

Strengths - Great design and layout very near to an excellent beach, intimate and compact and yet never overcrowded. Less humid with more breeze during day. Very friendly staff who push you for responses! No rudeness tolerated. Better quality of beef than Mexico. Mexican restaurant even better than mexican restaurant in Mexico!!

Weaknesses - Pool desperately needs retiling, way too many tiles missing and worn. Lots of debris and bird muck in pool despite best efforts of staff. Previous reviews are too kind. Poor air conditioning, even the staff were not happy with it!! Not all rooms have baths, showers only. Buffet restaurant too small and cramped. Needs another bar and restaurant.

Would love to come back here if improvements are made.