Iberostar Selection Playa Mita reviews
5332 TripAdvisor reviews
Another Enjoyable Return.
John W (Sherwood Park, Canada) on Mar 23, 2024
My wife and I, both seniors, spent 12 days here in early March. It was the fifth time we have been here over the years it has been open, our first being in 2015. We find it interesting in comparing it, not just with the other resorts we have been to, but to itself with the changes made over the years. It is one of the most beautiful resorts we have been to in so many ways, the view of the bay from the Sunset bar, the beach itself and then, the beautiful well tended garden area between the wings of the hotel. The major reason for our return this year however, was not just the above, but due to my wife presently having mobility issues, even 1 step presents issues. We knew how well it is organized for those who are mobility challenged. The whole time we were there my wife was able to avoid stairs. Everywhere is accessible by elevators or ramps. This even includes the pool which has a gentle walk in slope. This was really appreciated. Changes since our last visit. Your room key is now your wristband. This was very convenient. No worries about making sure you took it with you or losing it. It was completely waterproof, though it did have to be reprogrammed once after a week, quick and painless. The A la Carte restaurants were gradually being switched over to no reservation while we were there. When we left only the Japanese still required a reservation. We went to all of them and never had to wait to be seated, though we are early diners so are unaware as to whether this was the case all evening. It should be noted that the restaurant hours shown on the app cannot always be relied on. We went to the steak restaurant at the 6pm opening shown on the app, only to find a sign in front saying Closed. Open at 6:30pm. We found the food generally good for an all inclusive, but could be a little inconsistent. I raved over the steak I had one night, only to return a few nights later and found the same thing pretty ordinary. The buffet had a wide variety of food, no reason for anyone not to find something, though most was of normal, good buffet standard. I had mentioned in my last review that the overall standards of food service had gone down compared to previous visits. This has been rectified. The service was uniformly good, quick, efficient and friendly. We miss the menus at the bars saying what drinks are available. Mexican Night has changed from games, stalls and mariachi in the lobby area, into numerous booths serving different Mexican foods on the seafront events deck. I imagine this would be nowhere near as enjoyable for families with children, but very interesting to foodies. The evening entertainment seemed to have gone down a notch overall, but the Circus Show at the seafront and the indigenous dancing were spectacular. The latter deserved a much better venue than the lobby, where there were few places to sit and poor sight lines. Some reviewers have mentioned the construction next door. It is certainly happening. However, other than watching the large crane do it’s job, it didn’t intrude on our stay. Certainly we never heard large noises such as constant pile drivers mentioned by one reviewer. The pool remains unheated. However, other than a cold feeling as you went in, it was perfectly acceptable. It certainly didn’t seem to bother the patrons of the swim up bar. However, tiles are coming loose in areas and we daily saw workmen in the pool trying to replace them. The beach was gorgeous as always, we were well looked after as far as umbrellas etc. and drinks. It is like another world down there, with its own food, bar and restrooms. The room was very clean and was cleaned daily very efficiently, though I agree with other reviewers that the decor is beginning to look tired. The in room fridge was replenished daily with pop and beer. I wondered when read reviews about the lack of small water bottles and the provision of two large refillable bottles in the room with refill stations in the hallway, how that would work. I was surprised how convenient we found it. Make sure you bring your own refillable water bottles and it will work very well. There were many activities provided by the entertainment team, but I will leave comments about them to other reviewers as we seldom took part in them. As I mentioned, the service by all staff was excellent, but I particularly want to acknowledge Cinthia in the buffet, always pleasant and efficient in her service and Estovan from the entertainment team, who, although we were seldom taking part in the activities provided, checked on us at least daily as to how we were enjoying our stay. In conclusion, Iberostar Playa Mita provided just what we wanted for our vacation, a relaxing, stress free escape from our Canadian winter. Hopefully we will return again sometime in the future.
Great March Break trip for 2 adults + 2 teens! Highly recommend for this life stage!
Liz A on Mar 20, 2024
We're just back from a terrific week at the Iberostar Selection Play Mita. Hits: - Staff, staff, staff! Really lovely, hardworking, friendly people. The activity team was particularly amazing - special shout-outs to Paloma, Fernando, Sayuri, Marco and Fabian, for starters, who made us all feel right at home and free to participate. Ultimately, the staff throughout the resort made us feel most welcome. - Great activities. Always something going on - you could be as busy - or not - as you wanted. We did a mix of rifle shooting (we are Canadian, so it's not in our blood or culture, but we had a blast every time), archery, ping pong, Bingo (yes, Bingo) and more every day. The kids enjoyed pool volleyball, 'Wipeout' pool obstacle courses, throwing contests and such too. We didn't do tennis but courts looked fine. - Beach. No seaweed! Yes, it has some pebbles, but was good for walking in both directions. Yes, it's relatively wavy/windy, but it's an ocean, people! Worked for us. - Food worked for the week. The buffets were generally fine (and I'm not a buffet person) - only once, at the poolside buffet was I quite disappointed as it seemed a bit picked over - and the a la cartes were a nice change. We went to the Steakhouse twice, the Japanese once (what's an all-inclusive without Teppanyaki?!), and the Mexican once. (We skipped the Pacific Express given reviews and a menu that didn't suit our group.) Fish tacos at the beach were good. The cafe/snack bar was a HUGE hit with our boys. No one went hungry, and I got the week off cooking. - Size. Not small, but not too big. Fully walkable without a shuttle. (Our location was terrific too, right near the pool.) Misses (nothing major): - The rooms are a bit dated/tired. - The pool needs some love (tiles seem to have chipped off in places). Overall: We had a great time and the hotel was great for us. While it's not a 5-star hotel, it was a 5-star family experience, and for us, delivered excellent value for money. While we're moving out of the all-inclusive life stage as our boys are finishing high school this year, we would return if we ever have grandkids - this place is built for multi-generational vacations (we saw many happening). Thank you to the Iberostar Selection Playa Mita Team! It was a terrific final March Break. All the best till we return!
Another great experience
stepherkay1966 (Sandy, Utah) on Mar 19, 2024
We vacationed at this resort for a fourth time March 7-12 with our adult children. This resort has a really great beach which is a big draw that keeps us returning. The ocean is generally safe for swimming and the beach is great for walking. The resort is in somewhat of a secluded part of Punta Mita so the beach also is not crowded. There are workers on the beach to help set up chairs and umbrellas and the drink service was really great this time too. The beach bar serves some really tasty tacos which we enjoyed almost daily. The staff at this resort is always really friendly and helpful. We recognized many familiar faces from a previous trip in 2022. The food this time was better than I remember from previous trips. My beverage of choice is white wine (boring, I know) and the wine was of really good quality. I don't think they try and serve lower grade alcohol like some resorts do. They serve what you ask for without up-charging. I'm giving a 4 star review because the rooms are really starting to look tired and worn. We booked sunset view rooms. My husband and I were first assigned room 2227 and when we showered the first morning the shower was not draining properly and there was water pooled all over the bathroom and into the entryway. We asked to be moved and were moved to 2141. We didn't have any shower problems in this room but the cabinet under the tv and our coffee station was crawling with little tiny bugs. I think they may have been some type of ant. I kept them wiped up with disinfectant wipes so it wasn't problematic but it was bothersome to know the room needed to be treated for these bugs. The room was clean otherwise, the bed was comfy and the daily cleaning service was great. We didn't feel it was worth it to be moved again. We spend our time outside and don't need perfection to be happy. I asked at checkout if there are plans to do some updating to the resort. I was told updates are taking place and will be done 2025. We had another great experience and we'll be back.
Good but hide your stuff!
Carlie P on Mar 19, 2024
Overall it was a really cool place. Lots of things to do and the food for the most part was good (except the steakhouse, food was cold or over cooked). I would give this a higher rating but my backpack in my room was gone through by the cleaning services and my cash was stolen out of my wallet! There is a safe in the room, but ive never had anyone go through my personal belongings. Very Unfortunate to happen at the end of a wonderful trip.
I wanted this to be 5 stars but…
cynlas (Ocean Shores, Washington) on Mar 17, 2024
After having spent a week at another 4.5 star resort (Vidanta) we were looking forward to our stay at Iberostar. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. First off, we were “upgraded” to a beachfront room. Although the view was great, we were not told that the room was right next to major construction with jackhammers, etc. going from 8:30am-6:30pm even on Saturday. The balcony was covered with construction dust, not cleaned before we arrived nor daily. The room decor was bare and dated; uncomfortable seating inside and on the balcony. Hallways throughout the complex were always spotted with drink spills and debris. The overall grounds were just “ok” but I was comparing it to the lush tropical grounds we had just come from. We were told that no dinner reservations were needed except for the Japanese teppanaki which we were able to eat a very nice meal at the first night. The buffet restaurant was one of the best all-inclusive buffets we’ve ever had and we enjoyed the food at the other two restaurants. We did have a 45 minute wait at the French restaurant because they don’t take reservations. The pool was nice but noisy in the afternoon with loud music, water aerobics, and games so we walked the beautiful beach every day and took a few excursions which were the highlight of our stay there. Overall, I would not stay again at Iberostar. There are too many other nicer resorts to choose from for the price they charge.