June 1, 2005

Iberostar Message Board

Well I just returned from a week long honeymoon May 23-30 at the amazing Lindo. I have been researching this hotel for almost a year now and was so anxious to finally see if I picked a winner--- I DID. I mean it, pictures do not do this resort any justice. To start out, my husband had never been out of the country, but I have traveled to Mexico 3 other times. We took Apple vacations which were amazing throughout the whole trip. The plane trip there was perfect-- USA3000 airlines are so nice. We arrived at the hotel around 11:30 and were shocked to hear that our room would be ready 3 hours early at 1:00. We were already impressed. I am not kidding-- my breath was literally taken away by the beauty and detail of this massive resort. Yes, we noticed the long walks but am in no way complaining. It is a gorgeous place and we enjoyed the chance to walk off a couple of the pounds we gained while down there. We went to the pool the first day and fell in love with the expansive pools and great swim-up bar. I loved the coconut ice-cream on the 2nd floor of the swim-up little island.

The only complaint I have about the pool is that it was way too warm for me. I get in the pool to be refreshed and half the time I felt like I was sweating while I was swimming (sorry to be so graphic). I liked the ocean water better because it was more refreshing, but the pools are still great.
My husband loved the temp of the pool water so what do I know?

We ate at 5 a la carte restaurants, but we definately had favorites:

*Jambalaya (Cajun Restaurant): We ate here the first night. Let's just say that I am cajun and that is not cajun food. This was our worst meal-- although we did enjoy the coconut shrimp.

*El Rancho (Steakhouse at the Maya) We loved this place! The blooming onion is amazing and the tenderloin was so tender that we went back and had it another night. I also loved the corn and potato served with the steak. Some people were complaining about the amount of food (saying it was not enough)-- these people must be insane-- there is more than enough food. This place is delicious and it's a MUST!

*La Laguna ( Italian Restaurant at Lindo): Another good one. We ate here twice too. I loved the Fettucini Carbonara. We also enjoyed the filet mignon-- even though it was a little different than the U.S.

*El Museo (Gourmet): Now this was a toss up. I loved it! I especially loved the voi e' vent appetizer (a pastry filled with vegetables and shrimp) and my filet mignon. My husband got the grouper and found it to be way to rich and to still contain some rib bones-- yuck! Also the strawberries with rum are to die for here.

*Geisha (Japanese at Maya): Amazing! Wow this is a fun night. Great food, great ambiance, great chef. We would have gone here every night but it was packed til our last night. I recommend the tempura, chicken tepanyaki, and the banana dessert.

The buffets for breakfast and lunch were really great too. We ate at the buffet by the lobby most of the time and were never disappointed with the selection. The homemade omelettes at b-fast are delicious.

I recommend the Pizza Margarita for room service. We tried several things, but this was the only item that truly got our mouths watering.

The drinks were all really good. We don't drink much but enjoyed the banana daquiris and mojitos.

Our room was a standard one with a king size bed. Why get a suite? The rooms were spacious and beautiful. We were in building 51 and loved our location. I would recommend building 51 or 52. They are centrally located and seemed to be the best for walking. I loved our view on our patio since we looked over the Del Mar side which has more of a natural jungle feel. Again, the maid service was great. We tipped her twice that week-- but it didn't matter because our room was always spotless.

The Star Friends are amazing. We were on our honeymoon but spent 3/4 of our time with two amazing guys who worked there: Ulisses or Jacome and Humberto. These guys were sooo nice and were great at keeping us entertained, plus they were just good people. We can not rave enough about the incredible service by all the staff there. We tipped quite a bit because they deserved it. Some people we met complained about tipping, but that is silly because the service in Mexico is much better than standard service in the U.S.

We loved the shows at night. We went almost everynight. They are hilarious and very professional. There is a dancer there that is named William and I recommend that everyone meet him and see him dance. He is coming to the U.S. and I have no doubt in my mind that he will be a huge star. You can catch him at night free styling at the disco in the Del Mar. You will know who he is when you see him. I loved the disco-- it was packed almost every night with the help of the star friends. The crowd was mixed from 14- 55. I loved the music and the bar was great there too-- I got cokes every night but still they were top notch--haha.

We also went to the Karaoke bar one night. There is barely anyone there but it is still a really good time.

The beach is beautiful with clear turquious waters and the water is really not that choppy. There are more rocks in the water on the Del Mar side-- I didn't notice any on the Lindo/Maya side. There are always loungers in the shade available and there are beautiful weddings everyday to watch on the beach. I was disappointed in the beach grill. It was pretty much a buffet and there wasn't much selection. We stuck to the guacemole and it was great!

I really recommend that everyone try the pottery painting on the beach. This was an amazing experience and our plate ($25) turned out beautiful. What a neat keepsake.

I also recommend the snorkeling adventure offered through Apple. It was amazing. We saw tons of brightly colored fish and really enjoyed the whole day. Also, the lunch that they serve is delicious-- fresh fish, onions in vinegar, rice, shrimp in a tomato sauce, etc.

Overall, we loved the Lindo and are definately planning to return. We can't say enough about the detail and beauty of this place. Like my husband said, "This is really paradise". We couldn't have asked for a better honeymoon and I attribute a lot of this to the staff and great entertainment. The food is also wonderful and any complaints are from people who are way too picky for an all-inclusive resort.

We loved the Lindo and cannot wait to return! Pick this resort! You will not regret it.

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Iberostar-Reviews.com user and not of Iberostar-Reviews.com.