My husband and I chose the Iberostar Punta Cana for a relaxing beach getaway to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. We had been to Punta Cana once before (Natura Park in 2004) , and also especially love Saint Martin and the Caribbean in general - 11 cruises over the past 20 years or so.

Price was a major consideration for this trip, and we got a great bargain from Detroit through Funjet Vacations. This was our second booking with Funjet, and we have been pleased with their prices and service. Because we purchased the full insurance package (which we have learned from experience can be worth its weight in gold if you have an unexpected illness or delay during your travels) , we were able to take advantage of a $350 drop in our vacation package price between our booking and departure, which MORE than made up for the original cost of the insurance. We received a refund within a couple of weeks, no questions asked. We were also pleased with the services provided by VIP, the on-site rep for Funjet.

I recommend taking advantage of the gentlemen who greet you at the airport to take your bags - first of all, you'll have a hard time getting them to take NO for an answer, but more importantly, they are great at getting you to the front of the line, and on the right bus quickly, with no hassles. We saw countless people wandering around aimlessly, in the hot sun, carrying/dragging heavy bags - just not worth the trouble when there is someone just waiting to help you. Well worth a $5 tip, I say!

Bus ride to the resort was relatively uneventful - not the most pleasant scenery, as others have noted. Check in was quick and easy, and we were upgraded to the newer all-suite building near the lobby area. Room was great size with plently of space to spread out. Nice patio overlooking the more private back gardens. Dining table with 2 chairs, couch & upholstered chair in the sitting area. Adequate storage, although short on actual drawer space - bring a few extra hangers. Location was fine for us - but it would be a long walk for those with mobility issues.

Food was about as expected - not up to most cruise ships (especially our favorite - Celebrity), but certainly acceptable for the price. We made reservations at La Cana, the beach front steak house (so-so steak, fun to have your feet in the sand), La Maria Bonita, the mexican restaurant (decent appetizers, nice shrimp dish) and La Pagoda (oriental - good tepanyaki beef - probably the best meal of the week). The buffet was OK - we could always find something to fill up on. We expecially enjoyed the fresh fruits and cheeses. Lunch at the LaCana buffet on the beach was our favorite - we loved the roasted chicken they served every day - in fact I have been craving it since we returned!

We're not big drinkers, but I was a little disappointed with the beverages. Service was good, but drinks like margaritas or pina coladas, or even rum & lemonade were usually way too sweet and you could not get true blended drinks by the beach. Not a deal breaker for us, but some may be bummed.

Americans were in the minority which is perfectly fine with us! We rather enjoyed hearing the bingo caller call out numbers first in German, then French, then Spanish, and finally English. I also found it easier to "tune out" my neighbors on a crowded beach if I cannot understand what they are saying! We did brush up on basic Spanish - it wasn't difficult (and much appreciated by the staff) to be able to say: please, thank you, good morning, good evening, beer, water, coffee, yes, no and the like in Spanish. We got a kick out of it, although we never had a major problem being understood in English.

The beach was the whole reason for our visit, and we were not disappointed! Our goal was a week of relaxation and laying around in the sun on a beautiful beach, and that's exactly what we got. Mostly great weather and undeniably one of the world's best beaches.

Not much nightlife to speak of, but that was OK with us. We went to one of the shows, and it was fun, but our king size bed was very inviting after a long day in the sun!

All in all a great trip, and we would gladly return to the Iberostar Punta Cana.

Since the reviews on here were so helpful I thought I would post mine. 4 of us (2 Couples, 27-29) went the last week of April. I will preface this by saying I don't get annoyed at many things and can take things with a grain of salt. If you are looking for a place that is going to be perfect, either pay a lot more or stay at home.
Check-In: Wasn't the most organized process; however it only took us 25-30 minutes from the time we got there to when we were checked in. We were given a room in the 6000's and our friends were given one in the 5000's. They had 2 double beds in their room and asked for and got a switch to the 6000's. They said the 6000's were a little newer, but would not have asked for a different room if they had a king bed in their initial room.
Grounds: Nice, well kept grounds. I wish they had a straight path to the pool/beach, but you need to circle through the path. It wasn't a big issue, but after you have seen the flowers once you don't need to go through them again. A number of animals around the grounds.
Room: Our room was nice. A big bathroom, nice closet with a safe. The bed was more comfortable than any I have stayed in at a place outside the USA. We also had a couch and desk. Our patio was nice, but nothing to write home about. We did have some very tiny ants. They weren't what I was used to in the US, but they didn't cause any havoc, so I didn't care. Our TV was average, but they did have some American stations.
Beach/Pool: The beach is amazing like everyone has said. The sand is great. You do need to get there early if you want coverage in the morning. We never got up this early, but after lunch we were always able to find some coverage from the sun. The water is clear, we did have a little bit of vegetation floating in it, but nothing that was a problem. The pools are nice. They are big and have some shade to them. I wish they had a separate adults/kids pool.
Food: The food was decent. You could find enough to eat for a week. I was ready to get something else when we left, but always found something enjoyable for each meal. We went to the Steakhouse and Mexican restaurant, which both were average at best. The best food we ate was at the sports bar. They served you here and the food was good. We ate there our last night and I wish we would of ate there again. The drinks were fine. We mostly drank beer. I had a few mixed drinks and frozen which tasted normal and did the trick. We did bring a insulated mug to have on the beach that acted as our pitcher.
Activities: We did not do any excursions. We did go to Captain Cooks, which is a restaurant on the beach a boat/cab ride away. The food there, a huge plate of mixed seafood, was great. The nightlife is limited. The show was ok and could keep you entertained for a little bit. The Star Friends did a great job trying to get people involved. We played cards, went to the sports bar at night to watch games, went to the disco, and/or stopped by the casino. If you are looking for a rocking party, go to Vegas or Cancun. We had fun within our own group. We did use the fitness center during the day. It was decent equipment, some outdated, however it was open air and you could see the ocean from it.
Overall, it was an excellent vacation and I would go back to Punta Cana and an Iberostar. The workers were friendly and would help with whatever was needed. I did try and tip at each meal or when getting a drink. Not everyone did, but I figure if I tip at each drink in Vegas, it makes more sense to tip here. If are looking for a relaxing vacation with a decent atmosphere, the Iberostar PC is a great place.

Just got back from a 5 night stay at the Punta Cana. The beach is the nicest I have ever seen! The resort grounds and facilities are also very nice. If you are looking for a relaxing beach vacation this would be the place to go. If you are looking for some excitement, adventure, and great nightlife please do not go to the Dominican Republic. You would be much better off going to Mexico. I don't feel it is safe to leave the resort unless you are on a booked excursion.

The food was just OK and got really repetitive. The drinks were OK, if you wanted a shot, long island iced tea, or a certain drink with more than one type of alcohol they would not make it. They have a list of drinks you can pick from which does have specialty, frozen, and basic drinks. But if you didn't want something from the list then too bad. Make sure you make reservations for the specialty restaurants as soon as you arrive. If you want top shelf liquor they only serve that in the lobby bars and the sports bar.

The room was nice, and they did accomodate us with a third bed, no problem.

Beware, the hotel is not equipped with the proper electric outlets to plug your US electronics and hair styling tools into. You can go to the gift shop and buy and adaptar, however only one plug in our entire room would work with the adaptar. And the adaptars kept melting when we used them. Being three ladies traveling together this was a real issue when trying to get ready for the evening. The blow dryer they supply in the room is practically useless. I did see the front desk charging peoples cell phones and camera batteries.

Cell phone service - Verizon worked great, they told us our phone would not work in Punta Cana unless we purchased or rented a global phone and that was not true. Our phone worked fine, and you only had to dial just like back home - the 1 and area code and phone number. Nextel and T-Mobile did not work at all.

The disco was fun and had a neat decor with the cockpit of the plane being the DJ booth. The sports bar was nice and had tv's, pool tables, arcade games. The casino was small but decent.

The resort had mostly older couples, families, and Europeans. If you are single looking for romance I wouldn't suggest this area.

I am glad I want and got to enjoy the gorgeous beach, however I like a little more excitement on my vacations and probably won't be returning until I am in my 60's.

Just got back from a week at the Iberostar. About a 10 minute walk from the hotel, there are little shops on the beach. If you are a dog lover, please go feed the stray dogs there. There are at least 10 stray skinny dogs, and 12 malnourished puppies right behind the shops. Any local shop owner can point you to where they are. PLEASE PLEASE bring them food! We booked through TNT vacations from Boston and everything went very smoothly. For the price, this hotel is amazing! There are peacocks, flamingoes, a stork, and other birds roaming around the property. The property was well maintained and beautiful. The food was much better than what we expected, and there were enough choices so that we weren't bored with the food. Overall we had a great time, and wil go back again.