March 3, 2005
08-07-2005 8:07 am
March 3, 2005
color=#0000ff> Iberostar Message BoardStayed at the IBP Maya 7 nights and returned 5 days ago. I am not sure if this resort deserves all the accolades posted in this forum. If it is a 3 star resort and cost as much, I can agree with the reviews posted here. But, it after all is rated as a 6 star resort and costs $600.00 a night for a family of 4(2 adults and 2 children) during the peak season. It was simply too crowded and too little service for the number of guests. We saw very few wait staffs around the pools and at the beach. Empty glasses everywhere around the resort and beach as they were rarely picked up. We had to get all of our drinks during our stay throughout the resort and at the beach(and the resort is very large and may have to walk around the a pool or all the way across the beach carrying several drinks) except at the restaurants and even there frequently at breakfasts and lunchs unless you want to have leisurely 2 hour meals. We had to flag down a wait staff to get coffee refilled more nearly everytime at breakfast.
Yes, they are mostly friendly and try to help you whenever they can but they are simply too unde-staffed and over worked.
The resort is maintained very well, clean and esthetically very pleasing but the walls are very thin and is very noisy. We went there with a 5 year old who took naps occasionally and goes to bed early around 9:00 p.m.. We would hear every little rattle and footsteps and converstions. One night we kept hearing loud banging noise around 10:00 p.m. and I thought someone was bouncing a golfball on the floor for an hour. we found out that the room we were staying was next to a storage and they were trying to repair something in there that night. It went on despite our complaints to the security staff and finally stopped only after a call to a resort manager.
We requested an upper floor room when we booked the vacation via Continental vacation and also by e-mail a week prior to our arrival to the resort directly but it was not honored and we were stuck with a ground floor room next to the storage. We complained at arrival and were told the resort is fully booked and no upper floor room was available. the check in clerk found a room the next day and told to check back next morning before noon. Next morning, a new clerk at the desk had no idea of our request and could not find a room but again told to return after the breakfast. When we did return, another new clerk was there and had to go through the proceess all over again and still no room! She found a room the next day and asked us to return next morning. We declined the offer as we wanted to unpack and start our vacation.
My 8 year old boy lost a pair of sandals one day. It is very inconvenient without sandals as all restaurants including lunch buffets require shoes. When my wife went to the front desk lost and found, she was told that there is no lost item at the lost and found: that nobody EVER loses anything there as people tend to take good care of their belongings. Mind you this resort was packed with 4000 guests that week most with families with children. When a manager called one day to inquire about our impression of the resort,we mentioned the sandal affair. The next day, we were presented with several pairs of sandals and shoes and finally we had our sandals back.
Our return flight was 10:35 a.m. and our resort pick up was 7:20 a.m.
As checkout instruction, we arranged a wake up call for 6:00, room service breakfast for 6:15, Bell boy for 6:45. I had them repeat my requests to assure that there is no miscommunication. Wake up call came on time by computer and confirmation call by a person 5 minutes later. The breakfast never arrived. At 6:30, I called the room service. I was told the food is on the way. At 6:40, still no breakfast. When I call the room service back, they wanted to take my order again. I had them deliever to the lobby which finally they did by 7:00. Bell boy did not show up untill 7:00 and when he did he was not at all in a hurry. He came to pick up Many people's luggage along with ours. He was not going to take our luggages until he picked up 3 carts full of luggages. I had to find another bell boy to take my luggages.
My last complaints is restaurant reservation system. A 6 star resort should have all restaurants available at more flexible times. With little children early dinner is very popular. I found very difficult to reserve early times even in 4-5 days advance in certain restaurants.
Overall, I would not return to this resort at this cost. The resort is too big and no personal services of any kind. A smaller resorts I had been to provided with far better services. The pool and all the marbles they put in maybe rated 5 or 6 stars but the service is no more than 2 or 3 stars.
You would think the cheapest part of the resort is labor but clearly, they chose to cut corners in this most important aspect of the resort. Considering the large number of guests, very few people actually get into the pool and the pool is the most impressive part of the resort. The reort looks great in appearance but lacks substance in my opinion. We did meet some great family there and this was the best part of our vacation.
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