Iberostar Quetzal All-Inclusive Resort

Iberostar Quetzal Hotel All-Inclusive resort in the Playacar area in Riviera Maya, Mexico is a great choice for folks who want the best value and highest quality for a 4 Star hotel and to be near the action in Playa del Carmen. The Iberostar Quetzal Hotel is located about 45 minutes south of the Cancun airport and only five minutes north of 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen. ULTIMATE VACATIONS has stayed at Iberostar Quetzal and inspects the hotel at least annually. We highly recommend it for a hotel in the moderate category.

We find Iberostar Quetzal to have many unique qualities including the friendly residents who will amuse you, like the monkeys who scamper on the roofs, the peacocks who strut their stuff, the turtles, birds and so on. This resort has gone out of its way to protect the original landscape and we are all better off for it. There is a tremendous amount of foliage, and natural rivers running through the resort, even a waterfall near the swim-up bar in one of the pools, and another one by the restaurants.

Iberostar Quetzal is practically a new hotel after an extensive 2015 renovation. And the location is super. Most people who stay in the Riviera Maya venture in to Playa del Carmen. Iberostar Quetzal is only a few minutes away. 

This is a very lively resort with picturesque Mexican architecture, and we love the thatched roofs. It has a lovely lake style pool with a center island covered with palm trees and a Jacuzzi. There is also an activities pool, a children’s pool, and an adult-only pool with a swim-up bar and the waterfall we mentioned earlier. Beware, the grounds are uneven and can be a challenge at night as they are somewhat dimly lit and the narrow paths difficult to see with so much foliage.

The guest rooms are rather basic. The 350 rooms are distributed in 3-story buildings surrounded by jungle and tropical gardens. Among them, only 24 junior suites have ocean views, and they are directly ocean front. All standard rooms have a balcony or patio with garden or pool views, either two double beds or a king size bed. All rooms have AC and ceiling fan, private bathroom with shower and hair dryers. All have cable TV with remote control, mini-bar with soft drinks, beer and bottled water, coffee maker, telephone, alarm clock, in-room safe deposit boxes, iron and ironing board.

During the day, try aerobics, dance lessons, water polo, beach volleyball, basketball, Spanish lessons and many others. There are 1 multi-purpose court and 2 lit tennis courts (equipment included). The PADI Dive Center located right on the hotel’s beach offers catamarans, kayaks, snorkeling equipment and diving lessons in the pool for no extra charge. Optional dives and certification courses are available for an additional cost. Kids and parents alike love Lucy’s Mini Club, with supervised activities for children 4 to 12 years old, everyday. There is always a different show with live music every night in the theater. 

Iberostar Quetzal has a buffet which gets adequate reviews and 5 specialty restaurants which receive better reviews, and those require reservations. Stays of 3-4 nights are guaranteed one reservation for a specialty restaurant, stays of 5 - 6 nights are guaranteed 2 reservations for a specialty restaurant. Seven nights - 3 reservations are guaranteed for a specialty restaurant. Additional reservations are based upon availability. All other dining will be at one of the hotel's buffet restaurants. There are 7 bars and lounges including swim-up pool bars.

If you have a 4 Star budget and want the highest quality, best value and most amenities, without taking the risk of a bad experience, and be near the town of Playa del Carmen, ULTIMATE  VACATIONS recommends Iberostar Quetzal Hotel.