Positive: Welcome: From the moment we arrived, the service made us feel welcome. David checked us in quickly and even gave the kids a "key" bracelet (without the actual key) so they could be part of the process. The step stool at the front desk was a thoughtful touch for little ones to see over the counter. Abi helped us make a restaurant reservation right away and walked us through the resort map--simple things that made settling in much easier. Room: We stayed in the 1100 building, close to both the pool and beach--ideal with small kids. The room was clean, the AC worked great, the shower had strong water pressure, and the balcony was a nice spot to relax. The only minor note was that the outdoor hanger could have used a better dusting. Parents, be mindful of the marble floors; our two-year-old chipped a tooth after running indoors (completely on us, but worth noting). Restaurants: Tulum Buffet: Loved the dedicated kids' section and plastic cups. The food was decent (don't expect a 5-star Vegas buffet), but service here was better than at Cozumel buffet at Quetzal, especially at breakfast. La Hacienda (Smokehouse): Our favorite meal of the trip. Despite mixed reviews online, we found it excellent--great service, tasty dishes, and a kids' menu that impressed even my picky daughter, who asked for seconds on the mac and cheese. Uxmal: Lunch on our first visit was hit-and-miss (good steak and fish, underwhelming tostadas, mid-level service). Our second visit was much better despite a check-in mix-up that sent us to the buffet right before closing. La Gondola: Reservation-only and worth booking. Our server, Cleiner, was fantastic--attentive even with a large party to handle. Highlights included penne Alfredo with shrimp, risotto, margherita pizza, and pizza Quattro carni. Calamari was slightly burnt (I liked it, others didn't). Desserts were all good. Bonsai (Japanese): Great service and fun experience. Food was just okay for me (salty rice, slightly dry sushi), but the kids loved it. Animals: The kids were thrilled spotting various animals around the resort--it added extra magic to our days. Pool: The kids' splash area with the playground next to it was a huge hit. I wish the main pool had more shallow sections, but floaties made it manageable. Negative: Golf Carts: We learned mid-stay that golf carts are mainly for Iberostar members and not guaranteed for non-members (like IHG guests) except at check-in/out for luggage. We sometimes managed to wave one down, but often waited 20-25 minutes for nothing to arrive. Guest services would say one was coming, but it wasn't until we spoke with concierge that we got the real policy. Tip: Reserve a cart for check-out so you know one will arrive. Quetzal Buffet (Monday, Aug 4): Service here was noticeably less attentive than during our first visit. We were seated with crumbs on the chair and sauce on the floor, which no one came to clean despite asking twice. Plastic cups (easy to find at Tucán buffet) were nowhere in sight. After asking four staff members and getting no clear direction, my toddler's patience--and mine--ran out. Thankfully, Leticia, one of the staff, turned things around. She checked in regularly with genuine warmth and attentiveness that was missing from the rest of the experience. She truly salvaged the meal. Overall: Despite a few hiccups, our stay was memorable for the right reasons--warm welcomes, thoughtful touches for kids, standout dining at certain restaurants, and a beautiful, family-friendly setting. We'd return, especially for La Hacienda, the splash area, and the friendly staff who made us feel at home. read more

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Very nice setting. Smooth traversing the resort. Some shenanigans with the employees saying we need to buy bottles of wine for a good seat in a restaurant or show. Complained to mngmnt & they said no that should not be happening. I think some dudes got fired over this. Clean resort near local shopping which was great!! read more

My family's experience at Iberostar Tucan, Playa del Carmen (Sept 27-Oct 1, 2025) I want to share my detailed timeline, so people understand exactly what happened. This isn't speculation -- it's based on what I personally experienced, recorded, and documented. Our family checked in on 9/27/25. We were ready to enjoy a long-awaited vacation, but I was also preparing for an upcoming exam, so I spent most of my time studying in the room while my husband and daughter enjoyed the pool. The next day (Sunday 9/28), I had a Zoom study session from 8 AM to 3 PM. I joined my family briefly for breakfast, then continued studying. Around 1:00 PM, my husband asked me to come out for lunch. Before leaving, I removed my four pieces of jewelry -- two Tiffany bracelets, one Van Cleef bracelet, and a diamond-set necklace from my mother-in-law -- placed them in a tin box with my daughter's accessories, closed it, and set it on the tabletop. At 1:28 PM, I texted my husband that I was leaving the room. I also left a small note in Spanish requesting more towels, soda, and beer, with a $5 tip. When we came back at 2:34 PM (captured on my Zoom recording), my husband commented that the room was "neatly cleaned." I stayed another hour studying before heading to the pool. Later that evening, we showered, went out to dinner, watched a show, and went to bed. Everything looked normal -- no sign that anyone had touched our belongings. On Monday morning (9/29), I opened the tin box to get my daughter's hair tie and immediately noticed something missing. Two pieces of jewelry -- the Van Cleef bracelet and the diamond-set necklace -- were gone, while both Tiffany bracelets were still there. My wallet, which had been on the same table, was also short two $20 bills, leaving only $10. We went straight to the concierge to report it. They said it would take 72 hours to investigate, which meant after our checkout on 10/1. I filled out a handwritten report and agreed to let them search the room. From that point forward, I recorded everything to protect myself. During the room inspection with a staff member named Adriana and another investigator, they searched for about 8 minutes and found nothing. Adriana reminded me that I hadn't used the safe and said the investigation would take 72 hours. While waiting for the golf cart back to the lobby, I asked if there were hallway security cameras. She said, "We used to have them, but removed them for guest privacy." That sounded strange to me. I later translated a portion of the Spanish conversation I recorded and learned that only one person -- a housekeeper -- accessed our room at 1:32 PM and again at 2:15 PM. That's exactly between the time I left (1:28 PM) and the time we came back (2:34 PM). That evening, I went back to ask for a copy of my incident report. The staff on duty, Leo, refused, saying it was for "internal use only." I asked whether the police could get a copy, and he told me that police weren't allowed to enter the hotel or even the lobby -- if I wanted to file a report, I had to meet them outside at the gate. I called the police anyway. They said they'd arrive in 10 minutes, but after 25 minutes I called again and was told to wait in the parking lot. The hotel refused to provide transportation to the gate, saying their carts were for "internal use only." I waited near the edge of the lobby with my 4-year-old daughter for almost 40 minutes, calling 14 times, before realizing the police weren't coming. I recorded the whole interaction, including Leo confirming they couldn't release my report. We had to stay two more nights, and honestly, it was miserable. I barely slept, felt unsafe, and had constant headaches. I tried to stay calm so my daughter could still enjoy the trip. The next evening, the manager contacted us for an update. We went to the lobby at 7:15 PM and waited 15 minutes. The meeting took place in the open lobby in front of other guests. The manager repeated that nothing could be done because I hadn't used the safe. When I mentioned my recordings and the key-log data, she eventually brought me a copy of my incident report -- saying it was a "one-time exception." To me, it felt unfair that a guest has to have recordings and evidence just to get a copy of their own report. I understand I can't get my jewelry back. I've learned my lesson about always using the safe. But this experience left me deeply disappointed. We've stayed at other resorts in Cancun -- Hyatt Ziva and Fiesta Americana Coral Beach -- and nothing like this ever happened. Still, I believe the "safe policy" should not excuse a theft that could only occur through authorized staff access. The room was locked, there was no forced entry, and only hotel employees had keys. This entire experience -- from the missing items to the lack of cameras and refusal to let police inside -- left me questioning how a five-star resort could handle a guest theft report this way. read more

I have been a member of over 7 years and renewed my Vip membership for another 10 years. We've been coming to Iberostar and Quetzal, and Tucan is one of my favorite hotels/resorts. View is spectacular, and service is top-notch. read more

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I recently went to revisit the place I got married at 20 years ago. The people at the front desk were lovely. We asked if they minded if we came back and took a picture with our son in the same place we got married they said not a problem. When we arrived two days later to take pictures, we were escorted off the property by Omar of guest services. It would've been less time for them to act like normal human beings, and let us take our picture, then go through the effort of taking us off their property. If I were a person, considering getting married here, I would consider the long-term attitude of this hotel is not so great. Well I'm not delusional. I know it was a long time ago that we came here and spent our time and money with our friends and family. It's just pretty shocking to see such a lack of sentiment for an experience this hotel covets as creating an amazing space for you to enjoy your day. read more

Service is great.. large variety of food to choose from from 6am-1am... beautiful beds on the beach with white linen drapes for Star Prestige members with our own private bartenders, servers and cabana boy. They make a special dish for lunch on the beach everyday and burgers plus they have a buffet right by the beach as well. You will only go hungry if you choose to bcz there's something for Everyone's liking. They also provide massages on the beach. Parasailing and scuba diving available. And tons of other excursions with transportation service from resort. And if you want to step out of the resort you can enjoy a shopping strip walking distance. read more

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I came here on vacation with friends, expecting a relaxing getaway, but what we experienced was a complete disaster. One night while drying my hair, the provided hairdryer started smoking and spat out fire sparks that burnt two holes through my shirt. When I reported this to management, their response was shockingly dismissive: "We can either take you to a doctor or offer you a sunbed." Why or? Medical attention should be a basic duty of care--not an either/or option, and certainly not a replacement for appropriate compensation. I was stunned by their lack of responsibility or concern. We eventually settled with a $30 store credit (Which is the only other compensation they would offer, like com'on really? for an incident that could have been much worse if I hadn't noticed the sparks in time). I was also asked to sign a very problematic agreement in order to use the store credit -- it included a clause asking me not to post publicly about the incident nor take legal actions. When I pointed that out, the manager shrugged and told me to ignore that and sign it. Why would I sign such agreement? I refused to sign that version and was eventually given a revised one without the clauses, which I signed. Regarding the food: Horrendous. They left ceviche -- a raw dish that must be refrigerated -- sitting out in the heat with bugs flying over it. I ate it on day one and ended up with diarrhea. They also advertise having 5-6 restaurants, but two require reservations that are nearly impossible to get. The remaining options had wait times of up to an hour. On top of that, the staff at these restaurants were rude. One night at the buffet, after finally being seated following a 45-minute wait, the waitress returned to tell us we were at the "wrong table" -- the very one she had seated us at -- and moved us to a cramped corner so she could give the better table to another family, likely assuming they would tip more. Regarding the "free" activities: When booking this resort, we expected to be able to enjoy activities like windsurfing at no extra cost. Not so. Only paddle boarding and kayaking are actually free. All other activities require payment, plus you're forced to purchase a mandatory $20 "family insurance" policy -- even if you already have valid international coverage through your own insurance. So let me be clear: this resort is not worth your time, money, or peace of mind. From serious safety hazards and rude, unhelpful staff to false advertising and appalling food hygiene, it was the worst travel experience I've ever had. If you value your health, time, and sanity, stay far away. Don't let your vacation turn into the stressful, disappointing nightmare that ours did. read more

Please don't not waste your money on this cheap hotel!!! Nothing works in the rooms the AC want working they moved me rooms and still wasn't working, oh and the refrigerators keep things warm VS cold I suggest you fill your trash can fill it up with ICE and use that instead.. now on to the food don't eat at the beach buffet nothing is fresh or good. The main buffet was decent but my boyfriend got food poisoning and wouldn't stop throwing up they didn't have anything to offer instead they were asking for 180 for a consultation to see a doctor. He had to pay for medicine and a shot. I should have know when I seen someone else throw up at the Asian restaurant they have here. I should have known just to stop eating here when I seen that earlier this week really disgusting if you ask me. Now the pools omg I didn't get in at all the pools are good warm they feel disgusting the beach they have is even worse brown water you'll never see it clear.overall this resort was so disappointing don't waste your time or money!!! Please please save your time and go to a five star. read more

Nice grounds and accommodations but it took 45 min each time I had to check in. No lines, no people milling about, just three people behind a desk looking puzzled with no explanations telling me I had to wait from 3:00 to 3:45 to check in. I've gotta say, that's absolutely insane. Why aren't the rooms ready? or why can't they find my reservation? I hate waiting till three or later to check in and being asked to wait longer really kills your day. At one point the front desk guy used my phone to email himself my confirmation email, then he returned and told me "I" sent him the wrong email. Ha! Completely insane check in experience both times. Oh yeah then they tried to put me in a non ocean view room despite what I paid for. Maybe they need me to clock in and do the work for them, what an embarrassment. Also be prepared for upscale cafeteria food, which is pretty much standard for this type of place. read more

Overall a very underwhelming experience. The most disturbing thing is the lack of care the staff shows. In the other resorts I have stayed at in the area, the front line staff go out of their way to accommodate. Here that is not the case. In particular is the arcane reservation system they have for the restaurants. The buffets in general are about what you would expect from a 3 star resort, certainly not 5 star by any stretch of the imagination. The pool is huge, the staff at the kids club do a great job, overall though we wont be staying at any Iberostar properties again. read more

We booked via Expedia for an early November 7 day trip. Website is dishonest - they are wrong about the amenities they list. They do not offer room service at all (their website says they do). Employees do not seem sympathetic about this. They do not offer 24-7 food service (and the hours for restaurants are quite random), almost all restaurants require reservations but they strongly limit how many reservations you can get in your trip, often times there aren't even any reservation available, meaning 90% of the time you will be eating at the one of the two nearly identical buffets every day. You will have very limited access to restaurants that aren't the main 2 buffets. On a 7 day trip, we had 3 reservations allowed, meaning we ate at the buffet 18 times as we eat three meals a day. The website doesn't mention this either. The main buffet isn't particularly large, and about half the food isn't kept warm (but should have been). Cold pasta, cold meats, cheese left out for hours, etc. When the other reviews mention getting sick from the food, listen to them, and be very careful what you eat. It was bad enough that we often walked to the Starbucks down the street to get pastries, despite having an all inclusive plan. They force you through the app for many interactions with the resort, such as dining reservations, but the app is terrible, crashes often, and will often do things like show you reservations that aren't actually available. The shower changes temperature very sharply randomly, will be scalding hot then 10 seconds later be freezing cold, and never stays at one temperature long. The in room minibar is poorly stocked compared to other similar hotels. Really, in the end we just wish the website was a little more clear about the food situation, and they tried a little harder to practice food safety, as we feel pretty misled and disappointed by our experience. Their Toucan is cute at least. Hope she gets better food service than we do. read more

I had higher expectations of the resort then what I got. The rooms and beach were great the food at the restaurants was as expected nothing spectacular but fairly solid. There are animals roaming the grounds Agoutis are the largest group. There are a few peacocks and Tucans around, quite a few Quetzals, and a family of Monkeys that you can hear and see in the trees. And if you're lucky enough to live near the "rainforest" they may even come down for some food though it is not recommended to feed them. Rooms are good but small -ish. And the worst of all diluted booze. I mean tequila that doesn't give you a buzz no matter if you take a shot or down a bottle, which we found strange but figured out when we got a Margarita at the bar in Cancun. read more

Date Of Visit: July 8th (Thr) - 12th (Mon) 2021. How this place is a 5 star resort is beyond me! Maybe 6 years ago when most of the 5 stars were reported, but recently this place rates as substandard at best! First, we had NO AIR CONDITIONER for our entire stay! We complained about it, but every time they would say they fixed it. Sleeping at night with the heat and humidity was extremely unpleasant! We even went up to the hotel front desk on July 10th and hotel manager on July 11th to complain, and we were assured the AC would be fixed. It was not! Secondly, the food was horrible! The premium restaurants served food that had been sitting around because they definitely were not made to order! Nor were they fresh. On occasion they did have some food items at the buffet that were decent, but never good. Just OK. The staff was not very helpful. If you're going to ask me to spend $1,000 a day or more, you had better treat me with amazing customer service. We have had better service at Motels than some of the staff here. When we first arrived, we basically had to beg someone to take our luggage to our room! We will never come back here. And I recommend you spend your hard earned money and time elsewhere! Oh, and the manager NEVER reached out to us! Not even once to apologize or try to make things right. We had to reach out to them like it was our obligation and not theirs! read more

The Best of the Best, being a VIP Member getting all of our accommodations done as needed being picked up from our room in golf carts, taking us to all the excursions with all VIP services the service at the hotel is amazing from day one!!! read more

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Iberostar Tucan Travel dates: August 16-23, 2022 First off, I want to thank all of the employees who worked so hard to keep the resort clean, our food and drinks prepared and served and our room tended to during our stay. Everyone was friendly and eager to help us and Martini and Joan at the concierge desk are the best! The employees are the resort's best asset. My husband had stayed with a friend at Iberostar Tucan 20 years ago and always raved about it and promised to one day take me to experience it. This was the year and we decided to go for our 21st wedding anniversary. We booked everything online and even called the resort to confirm and check in was also done on their website. We arrived at the resort and didn't know how to proceed to get our room keys so we went to the reception desk. They told us someone would be with us momentarily. After a few moments, a nice woman met with us and we told her we checked in online and were celebrating our wedding anniversary when she asked why we chose the resort. Apparently, they didn't have the information and only had the reservation confirmed for my husband and a baby. That was incorrect and the time we took to check in online was useless and we had to do it all again. We got our wristbands and keys and proceeded to our room. The rooms are old and tired and the furnishings are rough. The mini bar is a joke and the unit was only filled with two cans of soda, one mineral water and two beers. The fridge was hot with no way to adjust the setting. We reported the fridge condition and no response. Also, very few electrical plugs are in the room and I was grateful we packed a small charging station to accommodate our cell phones and ear buds. Everyone has different bedding likes and dislikes but for us the bed was like sleeping on a board. While the room was extremely clean, the BIG issue was the lack of air conditioning. For the first three days, it wasn't working at all and thank God for the ceiling fan. We called twice to get someone to look at it to no avail. Finally, someone showed up to repair it but only after we agreed to sit through their Star Prestige Vacation Club presentation as in the past, we have enjoyed the Iberostar brand and this truly is NOT a timeshare situation. More on that later. The maintenance man did tweak the air a bit but the unit is so old it just struggled to keep up with the ongoing heat and humidity. Another oddity is the air only goes on when you are in the room. If you exit the room, it shuts off until you return. The problem is we were out a lot doing things so each time we returned to the room it was like a sauna. The shower in the bathroom no matter how you adjusted the water temperature, it kept going back and forth between extremely hot and cold water which made shower time unpleasant to say the least. The food at the restaurants is good and enjoyable. The buffet was the same every day and while there was quite a variety, it wasn't anything we hadn't had elsewhere or that we couldn't make at home. I guess we were hoping for more creative and cultural selections. Also nowhere on the resort can you just get a glass of wine. You have to buy it by the bottle. The nightly shows were engaging enough and it was nice to have something to do after dinner. What is lacking at check-in is we were given no information about booking excursions or finding out about resort activities. Another traveler told us where the excursion desk was and where the big computer screens were located to find the daily activities. Getting back to the Star Prestige presentation, after almost two hours of our time, we were engaged and liked the discounts and amenities the program had to offer and we were going to enroll in the program at the Black Level which was presented to us on a laptop at a specified price. But when they presented us with the contract to sign, they had us at the Gold Level, one below black. We caught it and suddenly they couldn't give us the Black Level at the price quoted to us. We said no deal and left annoyed. For the next few days, we were asked by the concierges what happened and we explained. They also asked us about our overall visit and my husband explained a lot of little things were missing like room decorating with bed animals made from towels and turndown service. We were told they only do that for special occasions. We told the staff a few times we were here celebrating our wedding anniversary which to us is a special occasion. On our last day, the Star Prestige club staff found us by the pool and said they could give us the Black Level deal at the price we wanted. We said no as it was about trust and we didn't appreciate the last minute switch. This site only gives me so many characters to use but there were other issues as well. We rank this resort between a 2 and 3. read more

We came with 8 month old baby. We asked the room at the first floor. We got it. No AC, no phone, no water pressure and if you do not love in the room for 15 min all electricity is gone so no fan either. And for that amazing room we had to pay extra. Next day we were move to another room in second floor. Ac was working. Yey but in an an hour we were moved again. Another room, no ac, no phone, no working safe. We got robed, our luggage was broken. And still nobody offered at least to give us money back for that amazing "upgrade". Food... no comments ... in 3 days we moved to another resort read more

You will pay only for cheap ass rooms for dirty ass beach and for being hungry all the time , the only thing that i liked was woman that was cleaning the room despite all that it will cost you lots of money ! Be aware of " Iberostar Club " total scammers , tell them to fuck themselves because they will rip you off like they did with me , and if you did end up with the contract in your hands make sure to cancel it within 5 days because after 5 days you won't get your money back !!!! Worst vacation ever , the most expensive one and the most horrible one ! read more

This will be my first Yelp review ever- some things need to be disclosed. We were greeted at Iberostar Tucan front desk with a confrontation that we hadn't registered our 12 year old child. after 12 hours of travel, we graciously showed Iberostar our confirmed reservation (2 Adults/1Child). In order to Check in, we had to "screenshot" the confirmation and email it to their corporate HQ- some ridiculously long email address . We are staying in Room 1009- Ocean Front, which also happens to be about a half mile from the front desk. As we are hauling our luggage around after being directed to "Go that way" a friendly European guest who barely spoke English advised us how to find our room -as it was dark- thank you whoever you are Scandavian lady! Unbelievably, as we were 20 feet from our room 1009- a guy drives up in an Extended golf cart and asks if we needed any assistance . We just drug our bags for a half mile. The service at Iberostar Tucan is horrendous. The food is atrocious. I will never stay in an 'all-inclusive' ever again. I love tipping big and I expect top notch service. Do NOT come here if you are like me. I hope Iberostar gets this review, as we are here until Friday, but - they DO NOT CARE! They already got your money. Never going to all inclusive resort again. Beach is beautiful. Pool looks more like a lagoon (due to some eco-friendly Yada yada. They should probably put that on their website- pool is crystal clear online . Don't stay at this turd ! - Jason Perry read more

I found Iberostar in Playa del Carmen to be a mix of good & bad. The staff was plentiful and attentive. There are many food choices with the buffets, restaurants, and snack bar. The quality with some is great, with others - not so good. Their pastry chefs create some amazing and tempting deserts. At our final meal in the Mediterranean restaurant i ordered salmon medium rare and it came overcooked, dry and rubbery. I sent it back and the second time it was undercooked, OK on the edges, raw in the middle. :( The drinkers in my family said the liquor was low quality, but plentiful. After being told before we left that they had tennis rackets to use on their courts, I didn't bring mine or bring balls. Sadly, their rackets are worn out and the balls were junk. Some of the balls looked like they had been dog toys for 6 months! The courts were nice, but the tennis experience was not good. The fitness center was fine for my needs. We had requested a 1st floor room in advance and were told we would have it, but they tried to give us a 2nd floor room when we arrived. It took some persistence with the front desk staff to get what we were promised. The room was good with a nice view of one pool but the AC was poor and the toilet keep clogging. The shower was very good. For the required COVID testing the day before departure two of our group were made to wait over an hour in the morning to get tested which caused them to miss a sailing reservation. For three of us in the afternoon, the testing went smoothly. Another reviewer mentioned slippery marble floors if they are wet. That's certainly true and one wet spot caused one of us to fall on our final day there. It resulted in injuries that will be x-rayed at home. The doctor on duty was very good, splinted the arm and provided some medication. The main walking path to get from place to place inside the resort has a rough and uneven surface. That was difficult for one of us with a long time ankle problem and a more recent arthritic toe joint. The outer perimeter walkway is a smooth and flat alternative and walking through the multiple buildings on their marble floors is another option. Neither are as scenic, though. The resort's two parallel hotels, Tucan and Quetzel, would be better with some identifying signage, especially in the front desk and main lobby areas. Certain necessary resort services are in one or the other and that gets confusing when they look the same. The staff organized games at the waterfront main pool were nicely done and one (the kayak race) my son & I participated in twice was fun. Luggage transport by the bell staff on arrival and departure was courteous, prompt, and excellent. All in all, definitely a mix of good and bad. At the top was staff quantity and attentiveness. read more

I wouldn't recommend this place. They stated on their website that they have room service but that's not true. Plus they're super strict on the food rules. read more

Beautiful beachfront view with a lovely room, but we had cold water two nights in a row. The food was absolutely disgusting. 5 out of 11 people in our group got sick by the last two days, or within a day of returning home. The entertainment at night was fun- and Daniel was a hoot! A really fun activity director with a fantastic personality. We went out early each morning to save chairs on the beach which I recommend because they all get taken up before 9am. We will definitely not be going back. read more

Giving two stars due to the friendly staff and beautiful setting. Everything about the hotel is great except for one thing: the food. The food was AWFUL. All of the buffets and the restaurants in the hotel were nasty, nothing was fresh. The guacamole was pasty, like something out of a bag, the vegetables were not good, very soggy and processed. We ate the rest of our meals in Playa Del Carmen, which was much, much better. read more

Fantastic resort. Perfect for families with little kids as well. The food is ok, not great, but good enough. You cannot beat the service here as well. Very friendly, very accommodating. The worst thing about this place is the day you have to go leave. read more

Amazing vacation at the Iberostar in playacar! I've been to Mexico before and stayed at an all inclusive in Cancun, playa del Carmen is beautiful and I will absolutely come back. It is about 45 min from the airport and worth the drive. I've stayed at other all- inclusives and Iberostar is by far the best! The staff is amazing and so friendly. Santos at the hotel lobby bar makes the best drinks! The grounds and hotel are beautiful and I love how authentic it feels. I actually felt like I was in Mexico rather than a transplanted cookie cutter hotel resort. The wildlife are amazing, be prepared and bring your camera! If you stay near the jungle, the peacocks will wake you up in the AM! I asked for a jungle facing room because I wanted to be near the wildlife, they have many buildings with different options. The food here is amazing and the best I've had at an all-inclusive. They have a buffet as well as restaurants you make reservations for. Everything is amazing. You have a choice between the gorgeous pool, swim up bar and the sunny beach. There is also an abundance of beach chairs so no need to fight for a chair- I loved that! I can't wait to go back, I just might avoid spring break time! read more

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Do not waste your money!!! So many great spots in this area this ISNT one! customer service at management level is horrible!! We had to call for replenishments every day ..linens were dirty and worn, coffee machine arrived (wasn't available when we checked in) had used coffee in the filters...least desirable food ...bland. the minibar will only be replenished with 2 beer per day or there is an additional charge ...no room service or ice service ...did I mention the lizard carcass in the minibar? The only thing I can say the monkeys are fun..but I can spend a lot less at our local zoo and feel a whole lot happier! read more

Beautiful grounds and pool. Rooms are clean...maybe a little dated. The shows were entertaining and helped to mix things up. My biggest complaint is the food and drink. It was pretty sub par. The drinks especially. I had a ridiculously hard time choosing a drink....because they just didn't taste good. (Except for the milkshake drinks....but I can only drink so many of those.) I have been to many AI resorts....and the food has never been delicious....but this was probably the worst one I have visited. I also thought the entertainment staff could have been more engaging. Overall I had a relaxing time....but I would not recommend or return. read more

Had a great time, hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. Place was clean and rooms were fully stocked at all times. Food was available at all hours of the day, we even appreciated the leftovers of the day as a midnight snack. I would recommend this place to everyone. It's not a high class place so no snotty people were there. Nice ambiance!! read more

Love this place! We've been coming here over the years and it never disappoints. If you are looking for a rustic cabin in the middle of nowhere and away from all the tourists, this place is not for you. But if you want to stay at a relaxing resort that's landscaped with koi ponds, waterfalls, and passageways that weave through a tropical foliage filled with exotic birds and animals, you'll really enjoy it. The hotel offers an all-inclusive plan, which comes with a delicious assortment of meals and top-shelf liquors. It is also a half hour walking distance from the local town, Playa Del Carmen, which has great beach bars with live music, like Zenzi. Also, the hotel is a great place for a care-free beach wedding (just had ours there in December) and it was simply wonderful! The wedding planner (Alejandra) was very friendly and professional and coordinated everything so all we had to do was show up :) The photographer, classical guitar player, and the DJ were included with the package and exceeded our expectations. The wedding package also included some spa services, which was a nice touch. A few days after the wedding, the hotel planned our romantic dinner on the beach, which was unbelievable. It was set in a palapa with a private server and romantic music. The table was covered with a white table cloth, which was sprinkled with red rose petals and decorated with candles. Now that we are back in New York in the sub-freezing temperatures, we keep reminiscing about the wonderful time we've had in sunny Mexico. read more

This place NEVER disappoints!!!! Simply amazing! Great staff, great food, great place to be!!! Entertainment is spot on and everybody is so nice!!!!! Restaurants were so easy to book, buffets weren't bad and the grounds were amazing!!!! Fridge stocked daily, room service was great! I LOVE this place!!!!! 3rd time here and every time is better! read more

Our initial impression upon arrival to the Iberostar Tucan was that it was incredibly unique and beautiful with the open-air feeling, detailed landscaping, and beach location. However, almost immediately we realized how terrible the service was from restaurants, to the bar, and beach. As a frequent traveler to the Riviera Maya area, our expectations are low with the overall taste of the food, but we can usually find something to hold us over throughout our short stay. The food at the Tucan was terrible making it nearly impossible to find anything remotely edible. If we did happen to find something to stomach, the buffet seemed to l run out of that item quickly. When we politely asked for it to be refilled, we were responded to rudely. Every staff we encountered seemed to act like it was a huge inconvenience to make simple requests such as a clean cup or more coffee. I would only recommend this resort if you get a wonderful deal and are simply coming for beautiful views of the beach. read more

By far my list of top five all inclusive in the riviera! The Tucan does not disappoint! The beach is beautiful! The service is fantastic! Everyone is so eager to go the extra mile to make your stay great! The rooms were clean and everyone is super friendly! The kids had the BEST time ever! Room service did not disappoint! Tons of wildlife and exploring - I highly recommend this resort! read more

This is a horrible hotel. We were off to a bad start when it took us over an hour to make our 3 dinner reservations at checkin. The whole real purpose of the concierges assistance is try to try to talk you into a welcome time share scam breakfast the next morning. Given the reservation system, I strongly suspect your "breakfast "would take you into the evening. The food is low quality. Vast choices but no flavor and terrible cuts of meat. The staff spends more time talking to themselves then doing their job. Floors were slick on the marble from spilled drinks that weren't cleaned up until you saw guests sprawled on the ground. This happened more than once. The hotel is incredibly buggy given the jungle atmosphere. Everyone in my party left with welts from the bites, despite applying copious amounts of bug spray. There is no "guest is right" attitude. Staff acts like they are doing you a favor by doing their jobs. I felt like I had to fight for our rooms even though I booked two ocean front suites. No rooms were available unless you persisted and politely requested what you paid for (over and over again). Then rooms materialized out of thin air. When I go on vacation, I don't want to have to advocate for myself. Things should be easy. The pool and beach are very nice but can't make up for everything else. I would never come back even if the trip was free. My infrequent vacation time is too valuable to spend here. read more

I love the scenery of this hotel. We have stayed here many years ago. The first time, my mother-in-law got sick. We really did not know why. This time, I got food poisoning from the main buffet. I was so sick and to be put in the hospital. My husband got sick, but was better in 12 hours. The thing that really upsets me is that they did not even offer an apology or anything. Not even hope you are feeling better. We travel to Mexico at least once a year. Had a difficult time trying to get into the restaurants even after I told them I was not going to eat at the buffet again and risk getting sick all over. read more

When booking showed that it was a 5 star resort which still confuses me. We have stayed at 3 other places ( Iberostar Cozumel, Barceló Allegro Playacar and Barceló Allegro Cozumel) nearby that were rated less, but turned out to be just as nice as this resort. My wife and I believe it is only rated higher because of the dining areas and entertainment building. The other 3 had their own things this one didn't, which offset the dining/entertainment difference. Hard to justify the rating system they use. Other than those 2 things all 4 have awesome pools & beaches and rooms..... About the room selections: If you like jungle view rooms, you will like staying here. We did not see many pool/ocean view rooms at this resort. We chose a Superior Standard Room because it was located near the pools and beach but was another $15 a night extra compared to the Standard Room. Now that we stayed here we see the only difference in those 2 room selections are walking distance to and from the beach/pools. If we were to stay here again, we would get the Standard Room and save the extra $15 per night. You are only talking about 150 yards more each way. Our Standard Superior Room faced the neighboring property fence line full of trees and brush. It is the same room you get with the less priced Standard Room. Both Standard and Standard Superior Rooms are located in a 3 level building. note: Top floor is a 36 step climb ( no elevator) so request lower level if you have trouble. Outer perimeter of resort has a paved road for walking and is good for those unable to use main interior walkways which are uneven concrete paths ( Beautifully done jungle type décor). Large main pool with jetted tub in center (not heated).... Lounge chairs: Like many other resorts this one is no exception. By 8 a.m. most chairs on beach and around pool are claimed by those who get up early and throw their towel on them for the day. Around noon after walking around a few minutes we found a couple unclaimed lounge chairs so we could move them together. We sat there about 2 hours and sad to see many claimed ones next to us never used in that time span. People just leave a towel and walk away for hours at a time. Same story every day. Sad to see people walking around looking for a place to sit and only seeing every other being used.... Resort choice Tucan or Quetzal??? walked entire complex Tucan on one side Quetzal on the other divided by the pool. Shared restaurants/ pools. Buildings look the same as does the grounds. Can't tell the difference by looking at them. Why don't they just call them by one name? : Overall: Would we stay here again. If it was one of only a few in area, then absolutely yes. It is very nice. We like moving around to try something different, and this area offers plenty. You can't go wrong with Iberostar Resorts, they are always a great place to stay read more