Written By: Geoff Millar, Owner – Ultimate All-Inclusive Travel Inc.
This month we are going to look at the remaining 2 Iberostar Resorts in the Riviera Maya and their resort on the island of Cozumel. These resorts a very nice mid-level 3-star resorts. Two of them are in the Playa Del Carmen area, the Iberostar Quetzel and the Iberostar Tucan. These two resorts are about 1 – 1.5 hours from the airport depending on traffic. The other resort is located on the island of Cozumel, the Iberostar Cozumel.
The first resort we will look at is the Iberostar Quetzal located in Playa Del Carmen. This Mayan designed resort provides the best setting. Your guests can spend their time at the resort or explore the wonderful town of Playa del Carmen just steps from the resort. The resort has beautiful grounds and a great swimable beach. Guests at this resort are very close to the ferries that take passengers to the island of Cozumel where, because of exchange privileges, they can use the facilities of the Iberostar Cozumel. This resort is a very nice mid-level 3 star resort. Iberostar is another chain that ranks all their resorts 5 star.
Accommodations consist of Standard rooms with a variety of view, Pool, Jungle, and Garden. The next category is the Jr. Suite with two views, either a Jungle view or an Ocean front view. They also have a family suite which is made up of two connecting rooms, one with 2 double beds and one with a king bed. The next category is the 2,200 sq. ft. Presidential Suite with one bedroom and a pullout couch. This Suite also has an oversized patio with a hot tub. There largest room category is the Rose Gold Penthouse Suite which is almost 2,300 sq. ft. and sleeps 6.
Dining offers a buffet and 2 A La Carte Restaurants, Italian, and Mexican. There are 5 bars, a lobby bar, a beach bar, and a pool bar, a cigar bar, and a theater bar. There is an Ice Cream stand. When your guests don’t want to go out there is always 24 hr. room service.
Activities include water sports, land activities, and a kid’s club. Water sports include sailing, windsurfing, kayaks, relaxing on the beach, and using the gigantic pool divided into 4 areas. There is also a dive center on the property for snorkeling and dive trips. They are at an extra cost. On land Activities all day, an adult only section, a fantastic spa, gym and workout center, explore the town of Playa del Carmen, nightly entertainment for the whole family, and, of course the Kid’s club divided into 3 sections, one for the little ones, one for the middle level and one for the older kids. These provide a wide variety of age appropriate activities for all the ages including interacting with a wide variety of wildlife contained in the resort complex.
This resort is great for the client who wants a budget friendly all-inclusive resort close to town, on a great beach, and with a wide variety of activity and dining options. Guests at this resort have exchange privileges with the resort next door, the Iberostar Tucan.
The next resort we will look at is the sister resort to the Iberostar Quetzal, the Iberostar Tucan. This resort sits in the same complex as the Iberostar Quetzel and shares a lot of the same grounds and facilities. This resort is also a Mayan designed resort. It sits across the pool area fro the Iberostar Quetzel. It sits on one of the best beaches very close to the town of Playa del Carmen. Both of these resorts are located in the Playcar area just south of the main part of town. It is a very lush resort with a variety of wildlife on the property, birds, monkeys, and lizards.
Accommodations are the same as the Quetzel, Standard Room, Standard Poolview Room, Jr. Suite, Ocean Front Jr. Suite, Two Room Family Suite consisting of two connecting rooms, one with king bed and one with 2 double beds, a 2,200 sq. ft Presidential Suite sleeping up to 4 people, an almost 2,300 sq ft Rose Gold Penthouse Suite sleeping up to 6 people. All rooms come with minibar and fridge, upgraded amenities, and 24 hr. room service.
Dinning offers a buffet, and 2 A la Carte restaurants, Mexican, and Italian. As far as bars, there are 5 of them, a lobby bar, a beach bar, a theater bar, a sports bar, and a cigar bar. There is also an Ice Cream bar on the property. As with the Quetzel, there is 24 hr. room service.
Activities are the same as with the Quetzel, water sports, Land Sports, and a fantastic kid’s club for kids 4 -16 divided into 3 sections based on ages. In the water they have sailing, kayaks, windsurfing, relaxing on the beach or by the pool. Snorkeling and dive trips can be booked through the dive center on the property at an additional cost. There are daily activities, a wonderful spa, a gym or workout room. Guests can also take advantage of the town of Playa del Carmen close by or take the ferry to the island of Cozumel where they have exchange with the Iberostar Cozumel. There is nightly entertainment for all ages.
This resort and the Iberostar Quetzel can almost be looked at as 1 resort with 2 sides. Both are great resorts for clients who want a budget friendly all-inclusive resort with a beautiful beach, a lot of activities and close to town.
The last resort we will look at this month is going to be the Iberostar Cozumel. This 3-star mid-level resort is located on the island of Cozumel just off the coast of Playa Del Carmen. It is a very nice more rustic style resort with thatched roof bungalows. As we know the main activities on the island are scuba diving and snorkeling since Cozumel is surrounded by the second largest reef system in the world. It is the sane reef system that starts in Belize. It offers fantastic reef, wreck, and wall diving. As with the other Iberostar Resorts, there is a dive center located on the resort. This resort sits on a very nice beach and has a pier where the diving and snorkeling trips depart from.
Accommodations come in the form of thatched roof bungalows located throughout the property. They start with Standard rooms with a garden view, Pool View standard rooms, Superior Standard Rooms closer to the beach and pool, Restricted Ocean view Standard Rooms, Ocean View Standard, and Ocean Front Standard Rooms. As far as Suites there is the Standard Suite with a separate bedroom and a Garden view, A restricted Ocean View Suite, an Ocean Front Jr. Suite, a Family Two Bedroom Suite Garden View. This Suite is two connecting rooms, one with a king bed and one with two double beds. Then finally there is the 1,238 sq ft Oceanfront Presidential Suite with private pool. All rooms come with upgraded amenities, and minibar.
All dining options at this resort are buffet style with an International Buffet, a Grill buffet, a Mexican Buffet, and an Asian buffet. There is no room service at this resort. There are 4 bars including a swim-up pool bar, a beach bar, a lobby bar and a theater bar.
As far as activities, Scuba Diving and Snorkeling dominate with some of the best in the world. Other activities include kayaks, sailing, tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, and a fitness center. There is also the Star Club for kids providing a wide variety for activities for the young ones ages 4 – 12 divided into two sections based on age. There is a fantastic Spa for relaxing after a full day of diving and other activities. There is a wedding dept for great relaxing Destination weddings.
This resort is great for Scuba Divers and those couples and families that want a great relaxing affordable vacation on a spectacular Island.
Next month we will continue looking at Iberostar Resort as this chain has over 100 hotels and resorts. We are not going to look at all of them as several them are non-all-inclusive hotels in areas other than Mexico and the Caribbean.