Iberostar Waves Tucan - All Inclusive

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

11229 reviews

• 

  Wonderful Family Vacation

  We just got back from our first stay at Tucan and had a wonderful time. It far exceeded the other two Waves resort we have stayed at (Punta Cana and Cozumel). We loved the jungle and the beach was gorgeous – lovely crystal-clear blue water! We had the two dinner reservations allowed (Italian and Japanese). I really wish Iberostar would bring back reservations at the resorts. We are club members so Star Prestige helped us out with accommodations for dinner but that’s not possible at all resorts. Nobody should have to worry about getting into a restaurant during their vacation and no one should have to eat at the buffet because they can’t get into one of the restaurants. Javier and Emanuel are great at keeping the beach SP well run. They are so friendly and welcoming and even brought snacks out in the afternoon. When we were there the cabana game was in full effect at the beach. You had to get there very early to claim a bed or none were available by 9:00am. I have no problem getting there early for a bed, it’s just frustrating when beds are “reserved” with towels and personal items and no one shows up until the afternoon to use them. Perhaps adding some additional beds will take care of the problem. Loved the entertainment. We were there for Mexican night and the fire show. The entertainment team are always so friendly and fun. Also enjoyed the shooting and archery. I liked they had the photo folks just wondering around the resort for various photo ops. We were down at the beach taking pictures one evening and they were there as well so they took some. There was no appointment so was stress free. Only advice is to make sure you view them before you leave. We went a couple times with no luck to anyone being at the photo store and it was very challenging getting them ordered once home. Response to inquiry was slow and the photos are so heavily watermarked they are difficult to view. A general issue with all Iberostar resorts you cannot have 4 adults in a regular room. You have to do the family style room or book the suite option (if resort has them). Each room has two double beds so not sure why four adults is not allowed. An adult is anyone over 12 so it stinks if you have 2 teenage kids. It would be great if they had a teen rate as 12-17 year-olds aren’t drinking liquor and can’t participate in the adult activities. Overall, lovely resort and will definitely return!

  Feb 12, 2025
• 

  Excellent vacation. This resort is beautiful. Beach is long and wide. Food was excellent. Monkeys were an added bonus!

  Love this resort. A beach and a bit of a jungle all in one. There is a beautiful beach and pool area. Also a wooded walkway up to the lobby with monkeys hanging from the trees and other smaller animals around. So different!! Staff is super friendly, food was very good with a great variety on the buffet. Only wish the wines were better and it seems the liquor was watered down.

  Feb 09, 2025
• 

  Magical Jungle Narnia with great people!

  The beach is smooth sand, pristine, and great for swimming. The two sides of the resort surround a jungle park with walkways, filled with birds and animals - peacocks, Coatis, agoutis, and howler monkeys. Our rooms overlooked the park, and the monkeys occasionally swung in for a visit on our balcony!! The food at the resort is solid - the best choices are the 100% sustainably sourced fish ( really excellent) while the beef was less so - You are at an all inclusive resort, so know the buffets will be plentiful but not exciting, as they need to meet a wide range of tastes, ages, - they cover vegan options at every meal and restaurant - which is super impressive, and part of why we chose them. The grounds are well kept, and always immaculate. The rooms are straightforward - not crazy fancy, but again, immaculate. There is filtered water and ice and refillable water bottles - no single use plastics! And here is the REAL winner - the staff - I want to mention Abi, who organized restaurant reservations for us, and gave us our intro to what restaurants and events; Leo, who was a star when I suffered a sting from something and looked after us, and Israel -entertainer, instructor, - super charming and friendly and helpful - but every person, in the restaurants, front desk, at the bar, at the pool, cleaners was friendly, helpful - and made our stay pleasant, and made us want to come back. Here's one more important factor - we've been hearing horror stories from our friends that they are badgered with sales pitches throughout their stay to join ' clubs' or 'memberships". We were pitched when we came in, and we made it clear that we are not interested, and that was it, no-one bothered us again, and my message to Iberostar and others is NOT pushing the hard sell is the best way to be sure that we want to come back!! Bravo to Iberostar, and I hope other resort lines pay attention!

  Feb 02, 2025
• 

  Beautiful Resort. Boring at Night.

  Overall I really enjoy the resort. Sister to Quetzal. The only difference between the two is decor, with Tucan being more “Mexican.” I stayed at the Quetzal two years. Food I think got better overall (though the salsas seemed to be less spicy (sad for me)). I did an up charge steak at the Mediterranean restaurant and honestly was shocked how well it came out. Beach is beautiful. Stayed in building 16 facing interior. Liked being close to the lobby but if you are a light sleeper and go to bed before 11 you’ll hear the theatre pretty clearly. Outlets were an odd issue too. None by the bed and had to unplug a light for both of us to be able to charge our phones. Major drawback to this resort is the entertainment (mainly at night). It’s improved from 2 yrs ago but overall just strange choices. During the day, they would turn off the music at the main pool and do bingo at like 3pm. Staff had to practically beg people to play. Should add the staff was great, it’s more the scheduling decisions. At night, the lobby bars were usually dead. Doesn’t help that entertainment was light and if there wasn’t any, the lobby music was usually elevator music. The few times it was more lively they did karaoke or had Latin music playing and all the fun Argentinans would get a dance party going. Probably fine if you’re with a group or a family with young kids. Playacar neighborhood is safe and great to walk around, nice little taco shop about 10 minutes down the road. I would come back bc it is beautiful but after dinner, it’s pretty boring.

  Jan 27, 2025
• 

  Average all inclusive with a high price and great beach.

  This was a nice stay at the beach at an average all inclusive, which was very high priced. I would not consider this resort worthy of the TripAdvisor accolades it received. The beach: This place has a fantastic wide beach. Loved it. The only complaint I had is the chair-to-guest ratio was wrong and there were chair saving wars that were unnecessary if there were more chairs spread out through beach and pool (instead of stacked tightly together in small areas). They used this as a way to justify their towel-police/towel-card system instead of just freely exchanging towels whenever needed. There were a few day beds by the pool which were bafflingly both reserved and mostly unused. Also the afternoon music at the pool was audible at the beach, so no listening to the sound of the waves or any peace and quiet at the beach. Pool: Also lovely, huge, with little quiet corners for a swim up bar and adult activities. The only thing I’d change is the hot tub in the middle of the pool was not actually hot. Restaurants: Generally meh. The good parts — Breakfast was the highlight of each day it was really good; and in general they had a fantastic baker and bread of all types with every meal was wonderful. The worse parts: — the coffee - terrible everywhere (including the motel grade coffee maker in the room), seemed to be cheap powdered coffee. The guacamole, which should be a highlight of Mexico, was runny and was more likely from a bag than from from fresh avocados. As for the a la carte restaurants, they were deeply disappointing - they had all the charm of a hotel restaurant (none), most weren’t even fully a la carte - appetizers and desserts were buffet style; most of the ingredients were cheap/low value; choices were nearly non-existent at some (as an example, at the BBQ my husband asked for the hush puppies off the vegetarian menu and they replied that you can’t have meat and hush puppies; he said “ask the chef anyway” and the waiter said “we are out” which we assume was a face saving lie); the Japanese place was like a cheap less-than Benihana; the Mediterranean restaurant on a coast full of delicious tropical fish - had cheap tilapia as the fish of the day. The waiter service was exceptional though. The alcohol was deeply disappointing. Only a few selections of cocktails with a splash of low end bottom shelf alcohol. I suspect the alcohol was watered down (I had 3 daiquiris in a row and didn’t feel like I had any alcohol at all). There was no beer or wine selection at all - Your choices were Dos Equis and one type of red or white table wine - though some of the restaurant offered up charge options (like $9 for a Sapporo at the Japanese restaurant). Other amenities we have had at other all-inclusives (some that are cheaper than this one) that were lacking here: no welcome drink on arrival, no room service breakfast, no bathrobes, no slippers, no evening turn down service, no towel animal, no drink service at pool/beachside chairs (you have to go to bar); no pretty cocktails with umbrellas or in pineapples; very stingy mini bar stocking. The grounds: Fantastic. The small jungle and wildlife made this place special. I stayed at the Riu Palace Riveria Maya (just up the way) one night on the same trip due to a canceled flight and that it was nearly half the price of Iberostar. As a head to head comparison: Riu was cheaper, beach was more narrow; it had poolside/beach side drink service and better bar snacks; room service breakfast; smaller pools; breakfast was worse; a la carte dinner had higher end and service experience ingredients; there were more drunk adults here and more noise; air con in room was terrible.

  Jan 23, 2025