November 14, 2004
08-06-2005 1:34 pm
November 14, 2004
color=#0000ff> Iberostar Message BoardOur family stayed at the Iberostar Dominicana from 7/10 - 21/10/04 and had the holiday of a lifetime! We had originally booked for Superclubs Breezes, but were transferred due to storm damage. On arrival we were made very welcome, and given an efficient and friendly check-in, with all our bags (too many, I'll come back to that later!) taken to our room by the bellboys. On arrival in the room allocated, we found two double beds, which caused a slight problem, as my husband is very large and took up one of them, (and I hadn't come on holiday to sleep with my daughter!) so we went back to reception, and explained the problem, and were immediately allocated another room, with a kingsize bed, and a single for our daughter. During our stay we received wonderful service from eversmiling staff. Our room was kept spotlessly clean, with plenty of towels, and a wellstocked minibar. Please note - for those who don't recognise a bottle opener when they see one (us) it is on the wall in the bathroom! As is the only full power socket! Hairdryers etc only work on half speed in the bedroom area, but are fine in the bathroom. (Needless to say I was only told this 2 days before we left!)
The entertainment is really Butlins in the sun, but no less enjoyable for that, and perfect for families. The animacion staff work really hard, with everything from dance lessons (you will like merengue, you will, you will, you will!) to shuffle board and aquarobics during the day - but you don't have to join in, and the first week is usually chilling! Watch out for Jonathan! He is really funny, and underneath all the cheeky chappy routine is a young man who has a very sensible head on his shoulders, and is very caring - he gave my daughter some very good advice while we were there, and like most teenagers, she listened to his every word, rather than listen to Mum (who gives the same advice every day!) In fact all the staff keep a very weather eye out for the younger teenagers, as they are at a very impressionable age, and in the case of the girls, often look older than they are. My husband and I felt able to relax knowing our daughter was in safe hands.
Food was excellent, with plenty of choice, and no problem with the seafood, which I ate every day. If you want to eat in the speciality restaurants, make reservations as early as you can, as you often have to queue for ages to make them. Try to decide where you want to eat and when, and book the lot in one go! The steakhouse was great, and they offered my husband another steak when he finished the first!
The pool areas are kept very clean, and are beautifully landscaped. If you want sunbeds with palapas (umbrellas) you do need to go down early and leave towels on the ones you want (7.00am ish) but no-one will move them, so you can go back to bed! (take it in turns, it's no hardship) You do not need to take towels at all! you get a card for towels at the pool side, which you change as often as you want - you can even take them off site, on trips if you want, and think of the space it gives in your suitcase. BE WARNED - they charge $10 per kilo excess baggage coming back so although the airline lets you take it out with no problem, coming back can be pricey, especially if you have bought gifts etc. You don't need clothes during the day at all, as you can eat at the poolside in your swimwear, and a lot of the trips only need swimwear and maybe shorts and a tshirt. We tried 3 trips: -Manati Park, an all day event with a variety of shows, and the chance to swim with dolphins if you wish; they have some very entertaining guides, (ask for Eric, my daughter loves him, and he made our day very special). A half day trip to the Marinarium, swimming with sharks and rays, and over the coral reef, was amazing, and great fun!, and last but not least, the day trip to the Island of Saona, with a catamaran trip out, under full sail, and a speedboat back, stopping in the natural pools on the way. The BBQ on the beach was great, and if you want cigars, haggle, we got a box of 25 splendidos for $20 with no problem!
Nightlife! The disco opens at 11.30pm and does not allow under 16year olds. What the security guard does is check your arm band - if it is a junior one, tough, you can't go in! However, when you check in at the hotel, and they issue your armbands, if you have paid full price for your child (over 12) if they ask how many adults, I think you are quite justified in saying that your child is an adult. In fact they make it quite easy by just saying "3 adults?" ( or however many are in your party, provided they look old enough) Just agree with them, and you will get adult armbands for your teenager, and it saves a lot of sulking! When checking in the disco to see what your terrible teens are up to, watch out for holes in the wooden floor - it was the only thing I could find in 2 weeks to complain about, and I didn't bother, cos everything else was so good, it seemed petty! They have dance competitions every other day (ish) in the disco, and there are always willing partners - part of the job for the overworked staff, who, by the way, are not allowed to eat, drink or smoke in front of residents! (Mind you, a sneaky glug of your beer can often be arranged!)
Shopping - several shops in the hotel and the adjoining Iberostar hotels give a good selection of souvenirs and gifts. Tobacco is pricey, sun lotion exhorbitant, so take plenty with you, especially high factor ones, as blisters are not a good look, and at £18 for a bottle of factor 50, it's cheaper to buy a tshirt! There is a doctor and clinic on site, if you really need it, but commonsense beforehand is much cheaper. There are markets on the beach, about 10mins walk, where you can haggle to your hearts content, and you can get a taxi to Bavaro Plaza for approx £6, but there is nothing different there, and the traders there are expert cryers, who make you feel as though you are personally reponsible for starving their children if you offer a low price!
Sorry if I have gone on a bit, but with a little information before you go, you can avoid any potential pitfalls, and have the same brilliant holiday that we did! We are in the process of booking again for next year, so hope to see you there!
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