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Hotel overview
Welcome to a vacation that has so much to do, yet also invites you to do nothing at all. Iberostar Punta Cana is the Caribbean setting of your dreams, complete with swaying palm trees and the clear aquamarine waters of the famed Punta Cana coast. And yet this resort also features every diversion imaginable, from refreshing pools to a Caribbean-style shopping street to multiple specialty restaurants and even a casino. Numerous activities are offered, including Merengue classes. Or you can simply relax and enjoy the magnificent Playa Bavaro waterfront.
Location
Punta Cana - BeachProperty information
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Hotel details
Hotel advisories
General policies & fine print
Check-in Policy - Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.
Convention Policy - Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.
Hotel Spring Break Policy - This hotel cannot guarantee a spring-break-free environment.
Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.
General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.
Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
SPRING BREAK POLICY - Bookings traveling in the months of March and April will be subject to the following conditions:
- The minimum age requirement for check-in is 18. One parent or chaperone at least 25 years of age will be required per room for check-in.
- In the event that any guests engage in inappropriate behavior or cause physical damages to the facilities, the Hotel Management reserves the right to expel the said guest without reimbursement or refund of the remaining nights.
SPRING BREAK GROUPS POLICY - Students/youth are considered between 16 and 23 years of age. In addition to the Spring Break Policy for all bookings traveling March-April, Groups shall adhere to the following conditions:
- Any student/youth group must be pre-approved and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Upon check-in, each group will be required to leave a refundable cash deposit per room for any charges or damages that might be incurred during the stay.
Ratings & reviews
TripAdvisor traveler rating
9423 reviews
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Jul 18, 2025The hotel was very clean, rooms spotless, staff really helpful and polite and always tried to help. Cant fault this part. Pools nice and very warm. Evening entertainment could be better but i guess that's a personal choice Food in buffet was boring, same every day, better to use other restaurants like Mexican, Italian, Asian and American. Beach was nice but we went in seaweed season, didnt know before we went so sea was awful!! They did clean it often but impossible to keep clean and stunk! Avoid May, June or July if you like and swim in sea Staff try to 'sell you' a club membership... dont bother, waste of money!! Overall, nice, clean hotel with very helpful staff. If use other restaurants other than buffet you will be fine. I have been to better so 5 not given
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Jul 16, 2025Amazing family holiday, would definitely go again!
We returned to the Iberostar Punta Cana in July 2025 after over 20 years and it's even better than the first time we came. The hotel complex is kept immaculately clean throughout the day by the hard working staff - at the pool, in the lobby, in the beautifully kept grounds and in the hotel room areas. We were worried after reading recent social media about people falling ill at Dominican Republic hotels, however as a family of four we did not experience any ill health issues whatsoever at the Iberostar Punta Cana, which shares facilities with the Iberostar Dominicana. We did carry a little bottle of sanitiser with us and used it immediately before we ate, as hundreds of guests use the serving tongs in the buffet restaurants and you just never know how unhygienic the other guests are. The food serving areas and dining areas were kept impeccably clean and tidy by the attentive staff. There is a good selection of food at the buffet restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner and it is of a high standard. Omelettes made to order at breakfast, bacon, sausages, fried eggs, hash browns, a range of fruit juices and milks (soya, oat, rice milk for those with dietary requirements), cereals, pastries, fruits etc. Lunch and dinner are also varied with plenty of dishes from different cuisines, plenty of salads, cold meats, cheeses, pizzas, pasta and meats being cooked freshly in the buffet serving area (chicken, fish, beef, burgers). All meat was cooked properly, professionally and hygienically. You can also get lunch at the pool restaurant and also at the beach bar where the pizzas are amazing. The cocktail menu at the hotel is extensive and they also serve mocktails. Other restaurants in the evening include the Mexican, Japanese, Italian and American. Our favourite was the Italian. The Japanese was also good, with the starters being a buffet selection of sushi etc. Both pools are huge and kept clean by the pool staff. The turquoise pool is where the activities and music are, the blue pool is quieter. They're right next to each other so you can switch between the two during the day. Plenty of sunbeds around the pools. The animation team are around the pools/beach throughout the day with activities/games if you want to join in (no pressure), they also leave you alone if you just want to chill. We went during sargassum season (I believe it's May-October) so yes we had the seaweed issue along with every other hotel in the area, however the Iberostar uses tractors every morning to clear the seaweed on its beach so that guests are able to access the sea. Most of the time the seaweed was mainly at the shoreline so once we stepped through the bits in the tide coming in, we could swim in the sea with minimal seaweed around us. There were plenty of sunbeds on the beach throughout the day but if you want a front line spot you need to be up early. Massive bonus points to this Iberostar complex for its care and concern for the environment. Single use plastics are nowhere to be seen, along with drinking straws which are so unnecessary and awful for sea life. Instead there are large glass water bottles provided for use in the rooms, with filtered water stations dotted around the open corridors. I recommend using this filtered water for brushing your teeth too (I'd say this is standard Dominican Republic advice for guests in any hotel). There are filtered water stations around the pool and beach dispensing chilled and room temperature still and sparkling filtered water, which you can take in the reusable plastic glasses provided, or bring your own thermal tumblers from home to keep your water or drinks cold during the day. We did the buggy/ATV excursion which was so much fun, however I highly recommend that you wear washable or throwaway old trainers or water shoes with grips, and lightweight dark coloured clothes you can wash easily because you will get completely soaked with mud. Also wear swimwear underneath for going in the sea at one of the stops (and in the cenote if you dare). Excursions can be booked via the hotel. The evening entertainment shows are of a very high standard with external entertainers brought in every night on the Dominicana stage (don't miss the Michael Jackson show if you're a fan). The Punta Cana stage has live bands and karaoke etc every night if you prefer. WiFi is excellent throughout the hotel including the beach and around the pools. Room cards are in the form of a small card on your All Inclusive wristband, it's so convenient. A big heartfelt thanks to Ruben and Franklin at the Punta Cana reception, we were well known to them as Room 5219 ☺️ They are both such a credit to the hotel and their customer service skills and helpful manner were welcomed after a tiring flight from the UK and throughout our two week vacation. Their English is amazing and they made us feel so welcome and they swiftly dealt with any issues we had in a professional and friendly manner. Elias and his similar colleague in the buffet restaurants are by far the hardest working staff in the restaurants. Always rushing around doing something that needs doing, they're so efficient and keep the restaurants running smoothly. All of the staff at this hotel work incredibly hard, the gardeners, the maintenance team, the chefs, the pool staff, the towel guys, the cleaners and the housekeeping staff, everything runs like clockwork and this hotel is very well organised. We felt totally safe and looked after throughout the complex and I would definitely recommend Iberostar Waves Punta Cana to anyone and I would be more than happy to return here for a third time ☺️
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Jul 10, 2025Bad experience
Very bad service the hotel isn’t prepared to reserve people or members the food wasn’t that good they don’t have any typical food that you would imagine and you have to pay extra if you want typical food, reservations get canceled and moved without you’re knowing, and yes this is seaweed season but the workers don’t make to much of an effort to clean it up to the point that the sea weed is the width of a road and sinks in when you step on it, plus we had the ac not work and shut off a bunch of times and the legs of the bed came off we had to call someone and wait around 2 hours for them to come and fix it. Overall we had a really bad experience here and will not be coming back.
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Jul 02, 2025
Great hotel, bad timing
Let me start with the elephant in the room - the entire Bavaro coast is battered by sargassum. Hotels are not really winning this battle, but it feels like Iberostar might not be even seriously trying anymore. There was about a day and a half within a week that you could actually get in the water relatively free from seaweed. It was to be somewhat expected during this time of year though. Other than that, the hotel was actually excellent. Well run, beautiful grounds, rather high standards. It won't score many points for style, but more than compensates for that with the substance. The room is very simple (see the pictures), but everything is very practical and convenient. That includes a proper bathroom door and a great shower. We were a family of three and an additional bed was already prepared for us in the room with two original doubles. Honestly, I don't remember the last time we got into a resort room where everything was just right and did not require coming back to check-in to ask for something. So kudos to Iberostar here. I also loved their reusable bottles and drinking water and ice dispensers everywhere. Given the beach situation, we spent most time at the pools and enjoyed it. The hotel seems well under capacity at this time, apart from the weekends when it does get busy. If you stay in Waves Punta Cana-Dominicana part of the complex, then this part is only really what is accessible to you. It is not very large and there are convenient covered walkways between all the living quarters, main restaurants and lobbies (which are bizarrely disjoint for what is basically the same property) . Great for both rain and midday sun. Most restaurants do not require a reservation. We only tried the Mexican one and liked it. The buffet food is quite good also. So overall this is a great resort and we had a very good vacation. Would I go back? That depends, I personally think some other hotels in the area are better value for money, and Tripadvisor's "value" rating perhaps reflects that.
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Jun 30, 2025You get what you pay for 👎🏼
I do not recommend this place at all. To start it was not easy getting the transportation (AmStar) that is said to be included. It was not and don’t fall for the “drinks provided”. They asked us what if we wanted drinks and handed them out and then said that they were $5 a piece. Then when we checked in to our ocean view room we found that there was barely a view of the ocean and we had 2 double beds when it was just my husband and I in the room. Also our Air conditioning was not working so it was very humid in the room. Called and complained about it and they just adjusted the thermostat. Helped it a little but not great. Some people in our group had their rooms switched because their AC didn’t work properly either. Our linens smelled musty, like dirty dish towels. There were bugs in our bathroom. The food was very underwhelming. Not quality at all and most servers did not speak English well enough to help explain the menu. Not good for anyone with food allergies. Also some of the staff were not very friendly. You get what you pay for at this resort. I recommend upgrading and paying a little more.