Iberostar Waves Punta Cana - All Inclusive

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9314 reviews

• 

  Nice hotel - needs big improvement to make 5*

  Having stayed in Iberostar hotels previously I thought I had a good idea of what to expect in terms of service a quality - how wrong I was . We checked in at 9.30pm , we received no welcome drink and no offers to assist with our luggage .we were directed to our room which was in a block some 200 yards away. We enquired about food and were told the restaurant would close in 15 mins. We were also instructed to download the Iberostar app which would have all the info we would need! The app is quite good although there are some inconsistencies between the app descriptions and reality . Also there is no detail about the main buffet restaurant and its opening times. The room was clean and reasonably well appointed with an en-suite shower room Food wise the main buffet is pretty good with plenty of selection and a number of stations preparing fresh items, I must call out the toaster at breakfast which is more akin to a hairdryer- 10 laps through the toaster would get a slight golden hue - I did complain several times but no action was taken - one of the staff replied “ I speaka no englese” and promptly disappeared without action! The Speciality restaurants in the main were poor we had numerous examples of food being served cold and often overcooked. We did send a plate back on one occasion but this wasn’t replaced and no apologies forthcoming - generally there seemed to be a lack of management and standards in these areas. The only exception was the French restaurant which was truly 5* and a joy to dine in - just begs the question why this wasn’t replicated elsewhere. The hotel advertises a currency exchange service - so I took some Canadian $ to reception to change - only to be told they would only change US$ or Euros. I found this difficult to believe for an international hotel brand - so I complained via the app - very quickly I got a reply saying this had been sent to the relevant department and I would get a response ASAP!. I chased this again after 24 &48 hours before getting a response stating it was against hotel policy! There is a full daily entertainment schedule, mornings are generally quiet with music starting around 12 this ramps up around 3pm to full party mode with animation team members shouting instructions over microphones- guests wishing to have a little quiet time in the sun really have nowhere to go! Evening entertainment is a little scarce between 6-9.30 after this the animation team present their holiday camp style features. Fortunately on 2 nights professional acts were on which were a real breath of fresh air , the magician act being particularly good and of the quality I would have expected as standard. Whilst passing through reception i was asked by a staff member if I was enjoying my stay - I said I was a little disappointed, as I didn’t feel the hotel delivered its 5* rating - he looked a little perplexed and responded by offering us breakfast at nearby hotel to find out about their members club ! (timeshare). Service in bars and selection of drinks were very good. I must call out the Gardens which were beautifully maintained and manicured. Overall a nice hotel but falls way short of its 5* billing on service and food quality

  Apr 07, 2025
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  Nobody seems to take complaints on board - NOT a 5 star hotel

  This is our last day of an 11 night stay here. My reviews are always long but very detailed as I appreciate knowing as much about a hotel as possible. We arrived at about 9.40 pm from the airport, check in was fairly quick, we were given wrist bands which was also the room key - fab idea!. Then told to download the hotel app which would give us all the information we needed, dinner finished in 15 mins and our room was over there!!! Sounds ok however this place is absolutely massive. We had to go find our room on the third floor in a huge block of rooms, there are a couple of blocks so not the easiest to find. We then ran down to dinner with 5 mins to go. As a 5 star hotel I would have expected someone to either help with the cases or show us where to go. Hotel rooms: Decent sized room with a lovely walk in shower and plenty of wardrobe and cupboard space. Extra coat hangers were brought up on request. Lockable safe which is free of charge, a mini bar and 2 glass bottles which you can use to refill with water from the stations in the corridor. Another super idea which saves on so much plastic. Beds weren’t the comfiest and our mirror was old and grainy so difficult to see in to do hair and make up. Rooms cleaned and tidied every day by the very efficient and friendly housekeepers. Flowers left on the bed every day which was a nice little touch. Pools: Pool and beach area are good with hundreds of loungers and straw shades. Excellent!!! So many hotels dont have enough loungers. Pools could be cleaner, someone was sick in one of the pools and nobody cleaned it up. One pool has blue tiles and looks really clean the other has a green tinge to it and we avoided that as it had debris in it all the time. Sometimes there is a life guard but not always. Pool Towels are available and changed every day at the hut. Great water stations outside to fill your bottles - iced lime water, pineapple water, changed flavoured each day. This was probably one of the best ideas I have ever seen and much appreciated so you dont have to bother the bar men for refills. Entertainment around the pool!!!! So there is an extensive range of entertainment throughout the day which is all good and fine for the people who want to join in. BUT its very noisy and at about 3 pm it ramps up to another level and then the entertainment guys literally scream and shout over the loud music. If you are between 18 and 30 years of age you will probably love it but we are a little older and we ended up leaving the pool area as it was far too loud, you couldn’t even talk to each other on the next lounger. There is no quiet pool area for older people which I find amazing as they have more than enough space and not everyone wants to listen to loud banging music on holiday. Food: the main buffet restaurant is very good, 5/6 stations where food is freshly cooked each mealtime. The choices are extensive and we found this to be one of the best all inclusive choices we have ever been to. So much fresh fish, salads etc. The children’s choices were somewhat lacking but there was plenty of pizza and pasta everyday too. The desserts were outstanding and definitely 5 star. It gets very chaotic seeing as it’s such a huge hotel especially at the beginning of service and lots of people queue jump which gets annoying. But its fine and the food is very good, 2 negatives here -the toaster is useless, 11 times you can put the bread in and it still isnt done, you complain and the staff just say ‘ no speak english’ and walk off. They dont want to help. The other complaint was the very salty soup which was often cold. Now the other restaurants are where the main issues start. There are a few but the main problem is nobody seems to be front of house and complaints are not dealt with. Some of the food was served on multiple occasions stone cold or so overcooked it was inedible.. The beach one wasthe worst, we went twice, first time the fish had been cooked for so long it was terribly dry and then we went last night and the chips and veg were stone cold -we had seen them sat on the side for ages. I told the waitress and she didnt seem to understand and I told her to touch them as they were stone cold. She took them away but didnt return with anything else. So I just had a piece of steak and my husband a piece of chicken and that was dinner. Nobody came near us to ask what the problem was. I could see staff going to check with other tables if things were good but not us. This is just not good enough service for a 5 star hotel. The smoke house was by far the best, massive amount of brisket which was delicious. If the food was just cooked and served hot this would make a massive change to guests experience. Some of this food is only 3 star and if I had been in a restaurant and paying I would have sent it back! Evening entertainment is somewhat lacking, so much more could be done - the magician was amazing and the hotel needs a few more acts like this. The entertainment team spend a lot of tine just dancing with people and there is awful music playing a lot of the time. It gets a bit boring between 7 pm and half 9. Some of the entertainment is ok but not what I would expect for this type of hotel. So all in all a good hotel and we have had a lovely time but if I could have a part refund I would ask for one because we paid a small fortune for this holiday - it certainly wasnt cheap and expected 5 star service in all areas but we didn’t get it. So a bit disappointing really, we wouldn’t return.

  Apr 06, 2025
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  Good value

  If you’re looking for a good value this is the hotel. The food isn’t 5 star but, you’re not paying 5 star dollars, the food, beach, large free form pool and the upkeep of the property is good. When you enter the main dining area go to the front right area that’s Janine’s area, she’s the best.

  Apr 05, 2025
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  Lovely Hotel with Excellent Staff.

  We had an excellent time and would like to thank the following staff for their Exceptional Help. Yohanna in star prestige reception, Manuel the star prestige ambassador always on hand to help, Mia the excellent Star prestige Bar lady. Luis, Veronica, & Beatriz Exceptional Waiter & Waitresses And Felix and Gennessis at the star prestige beach, All wonderful ambassadors for Star Prestige. Nice comfortable Hotel . Rooms are currently being upgraded, as we joined Iberostar the club when we visited in November we thought we might get upgraded room, but sadly didn't. Although for our 2nd Week we stayed at Joia Bavaro we got a room upgrade so that made up for it. Punta Cana Waves is lucky to have so many loyal staff and most go out of their way to make your stay special. We booked a Junior suite and rooms was large and mostly comfortable and i am sure when all renovated they will be a High standard. Buffet restaurant is very good with Excellent staff. The A la Carte restaurants are all first come first serve except the French that you need to book. Beach & pool areas are very good & Star prestige Area of Beach is Excellent. Overall a very nice experience, made by the Excellent staff.

  Mar 25, 2025
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  Awesome resort

  This resort is so beautiful, clean, spacious with an awesome staff. Our group had guests with allergies and we had a dedicated staff member help us communicate with the chef and staff to make sure all were safe. Manny and Limbert gave us their contact numbers to notify them where and when we were eating. The food is varied and delicious and the shows were fun. We loved the beach with no seaweed or large waves. This was my 3rd stay here and will definitely be returning.

  Mar 17, 2025