Return visit even better!

This was my second stay at iberostar punta cana. my wife and i were there the same week of summer two years ago, and this time we were accompanied by my brother and his wife. upon checking in, we discovered that friends we had made two years ago were back for a third time at the resort. that's the type of place it is--many guests return regularly. much of the staff remains the same, too, and some of them remembered us. the staff works really hard to entertain and serve guests--from the groundskeepers to the luggage handlers to the waiters to the entertainment crew, they are unfailingly polite, helpful, and upbeat. at resorts in cancun i've felt that some staff were disgruntled or just going through the motions. never so here. pantera does a very good job leading the animacion (entertainment) staff in both daytime activities (beer chugging competitions, dances, comedy shows, etc) to the nightly program (game shows, caribbean dance, top 40 night, etc). we also had good rapports with several other staff members, including evelyn, a waitress at the lobby bar, and an animacion staff member known as "sexy man." we spent most of our time on the athletic activities--beach volleyball, water polo, archery, riflery, swimming, kayaking, etc. when activities were scheduled to occur, they did occur, unlike at some other resorts. food was plentiful--there are always several restaurants open for meals and snacks--and there are bars galore. i favor the banana mama and the limonada, which is lemonade made from granularized ice. the best foods were the perch (perca), steak, grouper (mero), lobster (langosta), and the various fresh breads. every meal offers an abundance of choices. the lodgings were pretty good, though the floor never really seemed to be swept. there were also lots of tiny ants in the bathroom, which didn't bother me much. the shower was good enough. the minibar was always stocked with water, soda, and beer. for my money, this place is a tremendous value. i love it and will be back soon.

Chiudi