Iberostar Waves Punta Cana

Natalie Jones

Amazing Gatorade blue water and white sand beach. Service around the hotel is virtually non existent so don’t expect to have people coming around offering to bring you drinks while at the beach or pool. Rooms are decent. Front desk was good at fixing some room issue for us. Restaurants and buffets are below average. The staff overall did not appear to be very motivated to do much. Entertainment team during the day was very solid but night time entertainment was rough. Not a North American chain of hotels so many non English speaking people

Tina Lonsky

Here’s a strong, clear review you can post publicly: Our stay had a few positives, but overall it was extremely disappointing and raised serious concerns. The pool and beach were the highlights—both were beautiful, with plenty of seating and a great beach area. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The room had issues, including finding three cockroaches during our stay. Basic amenities were also lacking—the coffee machine worked intermittently, and we were frequently out of coffee cups. The biggest problems were with the food and overall cleanliness. The restaurant often ran out of coffee and cups, and dishes were consistently not cleaned properly. Plates, glasses, and silverware were visibly dirty with chunks of food dried on them —one plate had streaks of food that looked like it had just been brushed off. Food safety was a major concern. Food was not labeled at all, including allergens, which is especially dangerous as we have a child with a severe nut allergy. There were also not enough serving utensils, leading to cross-contamination between foods. To make matters worse, food was frequently served cold across multiple restaurants (buffet, smokehouse, Italian, and French). Even when meals were served on time, they were completely cold—not just cool. At the smokehouse, we waited about 40 minutes between courses, and the food still arrived cold. Most alarming, my daughter found maggots in her cauliflower after I had already eaten mine from the same serving. Several members of our group also became sick during the trip, likely related to the food. The resort also lacked activities and entertainment— little to no poolside entertainment, and the shows were not engaging. We also requested a blow dryer multiple times (three times at the front desk and with housekeeping) and never received one, despite other rooms having them. Overall, this experience fell far below acceptable standards, especially in terms of cleanliness and food safety. Due to these issues, we would not return.

Chardy Ndiki

I recently stayed at the Iberostar Punta Cana, and to say it was a disappointment would be an understatement. This property is heavily overrated and feels like a crowded, mass-market hotel rather than the 5-star resort it claims to be. The Positives To be fair, the property does have a couple of redeeming qualities. The central garden is beautifully maintained, lush, and genuinely pleasant to walk through. Additionally, the room itself was generally fine in terms of layout and comfort. Unfortunately, that is where the positives end. The Major Issues We Encountered: Room & Housekeeping Frustrations: While the room was okay, the air conditioning in the children's room completely stopped working. On top of that, the housekeeping schedule was incredibly inconsistent and inconvenient. Staff would often still be in our room cleaning at 5:00 PM, right when we needed the space to shower and get ready for dinner. Appalling Pool Conditions: The pool area was highly unappealing. The water literally had a green tint to it and was full of debris. Worse, there was visible mould on the pool tiles, and the sun loungers were stained and dirty. It did not feel safe or sanitary to swim or relax there. Severe Food Hygiene Issues: The dining experience was completely unacceptable. There was a lingering bad smell in the buffet area, and we were frequently handed dirty plates and glasses. The poor hygiene standards ultimately caught up with me, and I suffered from severe food poisoning as a direct result of eating here. Unprofessional Service & Harassment: Right from the start, the hospitality was lacking. Instead of a warm welcome, we were aggressively harassed by the luggage handler for tips, which set a terrible tone for the trip. Deceptive Sales Tactics: To make matters worse, several staff members claiming to be "concierges" spent an absurd amount of time chasing us down. We were eventually roped into an offer for a "free breakfast," which turned out to be nothing more than a deceptive, high-pressure sales pitch for a hotel membership. the last thing you want is to be constantly hustled by the staff on holiday.

Kevin Evenrud

The response from the manager is probably ChatGPT! In their response to this review they never offer a resolution for compensate for the money stolen from the safety! Poor service all around! Stay away from this hotel! To start the checking process takes way too Long! -Everyday employees try to schedule a breakfast to try to sell stuff, this was very annoying! -Service on the restaurants is the worst you can ever imagine! (Whenever we had a question or needed something it seems that we were bothering them)! -Food Quality was low, most of the time it was cold! -Plates and silverware dirty and greasy! -Only 2 pools and one which is the deepest one was always dirty! -Don't use the safety in the rooms, the staff stole some money from one of our friends room and the money was in the safety. -The only person that was serving and that was nice with our group was a lady named Maria she serves the pool and she was always pleasant and helpful!

Sabinder Sidhu

I recently stayed at Iberostar Waves Punta Cana and overall had a really nice experience. The hotel is very big and beautiful, with loads of activities to keep you entertained throughout the day. There are so many restaurants and food options available, and the food itself was tasty with plenty of variety. There’s also a great selection of soft drinks, alcohol, and cocktails to choose from. The staff were friendly and welcoming, which made the stay even more enjoyable. The beach being so close to the hotel is also a big plus, it’s really convenient and adds to the overall experience. However, there are a few areas that could be improved. The service can be quite slow at times, especially when it comes to drinks and food, so it feels like more staff may be needed. There’s also no poolside drink service, which would have made things much more relaxing. Another downside is that evening entertainment starts quite late (around 9:30pm). If you’ve been up since early morning by the pool, it can be hard to stay awake that long. Also, food service stops at 10pm, which is a bit frustrating especially when you’re drinking or waiting for late entertainment, as there aren’t really snack options available afterwards. Overall, a lovely hotel with great facilities, but a few improvements in service timing and availability would make the experience even better.