TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Our family experience was that the food was relatively cold much of the time and in particular the Mexican restaurant was below standard. Also massages are an eye wateringly expensive at $180 for a deep tissue massage for 50 minutes with a 35% discount. I'd be hard pressed to pay this much in the US. Now the positive: Staff are friendly as always, the grounds are beautiful and the beach is wonderfully kept and is very large and possible to walk long distances down the beach unharassed. Also, the fitness center is quite nice.

We would like to thank Antonella for her help and kindness. We asked her a question directly at reception, and she took the time to provide us with clear and very useful information. Many thanks to her.

We just returned from a wonderful trip tp Iberostar Waves Queztal. We traveled as a multi family, multi generational group, but had no little kids with us. I was very impressed with the staff, food, and facilities. We checked in with Sarahi, who was excellent and helped us with our complicated room reservations as well as dinner reservations for our large group. We ended up upgrading one of our rooms to an oceanfront and it was really nice to wake up to the sunrise and to be close to the beach. We found the activities to be much more fun than anticipated. We jumped in for the foam party and the aquafit, and tried pilates at the fitness center. Sergio in particular was the best and we tried to do more activities when he was working. He was so much fun and his energy was infectious. He also helped me with some exercises for ongoing injuries I was dealing with. The gym is a bit small, but is adequate. And it was fun to have the peacocks and gray-crowned crane staring through the windows (they are really looking at themselves in the mirrored glass, but it looks so funny from the inside). All of the restaurants were good, and I was glad that even the smokehouse had a vegan option. What surprised me the most was how incredibly pleasant and helpful all of the servers were. Being an American, and knowing that these servers were not working for tips, I guess I didn't expect much. But they went above and beyond. At the Cozumel buffet, Yahir overheard me saying that I saw chilaquiles but was disappointed they had chicken in them, and offered to have some made without chicken just for me! Other servers who really went out of their way were Isidro, Bernadino and Mirna. David in Gondola also took outstanding care of our large group during a birthday celebration. My only restaurant complaint was that the hood over the cooking station in the Japanese restaurant wasn't working, and there was cooking smoke that blew in my face the entire meal. The ventilation hoods were working at the other tables, and we seemed to be the only ones with smoke in out faces though. One of the things I liked best about this resort were all of the sun shelters. I think it wasn't a very busy week when we were there, but we were always able to find beach loungers in the shade together, and without going out early to "reserve" them. The pool was a little chilly in December, but the ocean was perfect. I did wish for a hot tub though! I didn't go to much of the entertainment since I like to go to bed early, and had no trouble with noise. I also found everything very clean and the housekeepers did a really good job--especially considering all of the sand. I liked the environmental focus, and that there was very little waste. It was also great to see how well the animals were all cared for.

I stayed 10 days with my wife and kids (9f & 7m), MIL and her boyfriend. The beach was very well kept with close access to amenities. That’s the stuff you can get anywhere for a cost though. The real shining star is the staff. Everyone seems genuinely involved with making sure their guests have a great time. The lovely people at Star camp, Yessica, Gabby and Karen made sure the kids felt welcome ( I’m really sorry I cant remember everyone’s names. They were all great). The entertainment by Christian and his crew was top notch. From acrobatics to traditional regional singing and dancing. There was a show to be seen every night! And they were all exceptional. We also had one of the most amazing waiters. Yahir. My kids are upset we didn’t get to get a picture with him before we left. That’s how great he was. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking to go to Playa del Carmen.

My husband and I recently returned to this resort for our 3rd time. We hadn't been for several years, but always remembered the amazing wildlife and jungle-like surroundings. The resort is two hotels - Quetzal and Tucan. Separate lobby areas and rooms, but joined in the middle with the pools and access to the beach. We have stayed in both sides and both are great. RECEPTION/ARRIVAL: Check-in was quick and easy, and one thing that changed since we were there last is that the bracelet is now conveniently your room key. So much easier than having to take your room key everywhere you go. Twice my bracelet didn't unlock our door, but reception quickly reset it. Everyone on reception was polite and friendly, and most staff have a great knowledge of English. ROOM: We had the standard room, which was large enough and had 2 double beds which were super comfortable. The only drawback is that there are no drawers, so clothes that you would normally put in a dresser have to go on shelves in the closet. We were only there for 4 days so didn't have alot of clothes, but if we were there for a week it would have been a bit tighter for space. Lots of hangers though. Only disappointment was that we were repeat guests and I requested a room on a higher floor. Our room was ground level and the balcony had the view of the neighbouring hotel's parking lot. It was dark and only had 1 chair. Not very inviting and we never went out there. Bathroom was good and large enough and hand soap and lotion are on the counter, and in the shower there is body wash and shampoo/conditioner provided if you don't want to take your own. FYI the hair dryer works well but you have to hold the button down the whole time. Glass water bottles are provided, and each floor has a water dispensing area. The hotel prides itself on being environmentally friendly, and so we had no problem with having to get water ourselves. It was actually better as we didn't have to worry about running out of water bottles and waiting for someone to come around and refill. Housekeeping was fantastic! Room was spotless. One concern was that our power went out twice in 4 days. It was fixed quickly as I think it was just a breaker, but when the lights go out, the bathroom is pitch black and not great if you're in the shower at the time. Hopefully this issue will be fixed with the upcoming renovation in 2026. BEACH/POOL: The beach in the Playa del Carmen area is stunning, and very long. However, for many months of the year now there is alot of sargassum. We had never been at the end of November before and there was none, so that was a bonus, and the beach was amazing. There is a quiet pool, and a main pool. The pool is very deep though, and if you are short like me and not a strong swimmer, not great. Perhaps the pool renovation will change areas to different depths. It is a large pool though and because it's so big the activities can be on one side, and the other side still open enough for plenty of people to swim in. We never had an issue getting sun loungers, and near the pool is an ice-cream hut, a bar, and a restaurant that is open for lunch. There's also washrooms and a gift shop. The separate pool bar is awesome, and hopefully it remains the same. It is huge, and you walk down into it, resulting in a grotto like feeling. Really nice. FOOD: For breakfast and lunch we went to the buffet restaurants on the Tucan side. I think both sides weren't open as it's not high season and the resort possibly not at full capacity. For dinner we would eat at the buffet restaurant in the Quetzal side. Food is good, with alot of Mexican food, but it was a little repetitive. Servers and hostesses were all very polite and friendly. NOTE: I have a gluten allergy and I found that compared to other resorts there wasn't alot of choice. There were signs above the food, but limited gluten free options. You can ask for gluten free items though. I had the bread one morning which was like a baguette. I really wanted sliced bread so I could have toast with my breakfast, but at least it was something. I also asked about gluten free desserts one night and they brought me a chocolate tart which was really good. But, more items on the regular buffet would have been appreciated. We didn't go to any of the a la carte restaurants because of my allergy. If you go to the Tucan side for breakfast and lunch, ask the hostess to be seated in Isabel's area. She is absolutely amazing! ENTERTAINMENT: They had a great entertainment team at the pool every day, providing lots of activities, and the usual pool fitness, volleyball games, etc. We found night time entertainment was a bit lacking though, and found this on our previous visits as well. After dinner, before the nightly show, it is super quiet in the lobby bar areas, with not much going on. There is some entertainment, but nothing that makes you want to hang out there. They should have more singers or small bands to keep you engaged. I can't comment on the nightly shows as we didn't go to any. OVERALL ATMOSPHERE: We really enjoyed our stay and seeing all the wildlife, including monkeys, was great. The location of the resort is perfect, beach is wonderful, and staff are great. I am sure we will go back in the future. *Remember to tip*