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Hotel overview
Location
Cancun, Quintana Roo, MexicoProperty information
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Hotel details
Hotel advisories
General policies & fine print
- In the event that any guest(s) engage in inappropriate behavior disrespecting Hotel staff and/or other guests or causing physical damages to the facilities, the Hotel Management reserves the right to expel the guest(s) without reimbursement or refund of the remaining nights.
Ratings & reviews
TripAdvisor traveler rating
2029 reviews
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Dec 07, 2024A Five Star Adventure in Disappointment.
It started with an $85 shuttle fee for a measly 22 kilometers—a shakedown, plain and simple. No free ride, no tropical welcome. Just cold, transactional capitalism slapping you in the face before you even set foot in paradise. Cheaper hotels in Tulum—a two-star dive where your neighbor is a rooster—will at least toss you a free lift from the airport, 117km away. But at Iberostar Coral Level, they’ve perfected the art of nickel-and-diming their high-paying captives. The resort loomed large, all whitewashed facades and empty promises. Check-in was uneventful until I encountered The Concierge, a salesman in disguise whose sole purpose was to lasso me into some time-share breakfast meeting. Every trip off the elevator became a tactical escape. The man had a sixth sense for vulnerability and could materialize at will. By the third day, I started using the stairs, though the humidity made that its own form of punishment. The room was supposed to be “modern luxury,” but it felt like staying in the broken wing of an aging cruise ship. The paint flaked off the walls like dandruff, and the sheets were as rough as a cheap washcloth. The minibar—a cruel joke. One beer, bad wine, and no liquor. I stared into its barren depths and thought, This is where dreams go to die. The soaking tub didn’t have hot water for three days, and when it finally worked, the hot came out of the cold handle. Some Kafkaesque metaphor for the resort experience, no doubt. The food was a tasteless void, a gastronomic black hole where spice and flavor ceased to exist. Bland meat. Bland rice. Bland everything. It felt like they’d flown in a team of chefs whose only training was making hospital food. I’ve had more flavorful meals in airplane middle seats. The drinks? Weak and uninspired. They might as well hand you a glass of melted ice and ask you to imagine the rum. Seeking refuge, I turned to nature. Surely the staff could point me to some resources about the local birds. This is Mexico, after all—a country teeming with feathered wonders. But when I asked, their blank stares told me all I needed to know. The only birds they recognized were the ones on the menu, served grilled and flavorless. The beach—oh, the beach. It had sand. It had water. I suppose, technically, that’s all a beach needs. My partner and I, being strong swimmers, ventured past the breakers, only to be hunted down by a lifeguard who paddled out to chastise us. The man was struggling to stay afloat, and I almost felt compelled to rescue him. His reasoning? Other guests might see us swimming and decide to mimic us, thereby putting themselves in danger. It was absurd—a resort lifeguard enforcing safety through shared mediocrity. The jet skis sat idle onshore, waiting for a real emergency—or maybe just for someone to pay extra to use them. But amidst this circus of incompetence, there was one light in the darkness: Alex from the program staff. The man was a genuine soul, always smiling, always kind. He moved through the resort like he’d stumbled into the wrong place but decided to make the best of it. Alex could hold a conversation like a real human being, which made him feel like an endangered species among the robotic indifference of his peers. In the end, Iberostar Coral Level Cancun isn’t a five-star resort. It’s a well-manicured con job—a hollow shell where flavor, culture, and genuine hospitality are sacrificed at the altar of profit margins. Save your money. Go to a small hotel where the food has bite, the drinks have kick, and you might even meet a scrappy beach dog to share the sunset with. Trust me: you’ll feel alive again.
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Dec 06, 2024Very nice place!!
We stayed in ocean view suite. Very nice upscale room . This was our first visit and was skeptical as we usually stay at same place in Playa for 15 years but room were sold out there. We were really impressed (not easy for us). Food, staff, beach was all fantastic.
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Dec 05, 2024Iberostar Coral Level Cancun Stay 2024
This is our 12th or 13th visit to this resort. Let’s start off with the positives. The staff. Since we have stayed here so many times, we have become friendly with the staff. I want to make sure I do not miss anyone so I will start from the moment we arrived. Ignacio “Nachito” the bell boy is always great, attentive and always remembers our names. At check in Luis and Yazmin were very attentive and remembered us. Our loyalty was rewarded and we were upgraded to a corner suite. Luis and Yazmin even reserved a special table for us at the steakhouse that same night. Jordan, who cleaned our room everyday was great. He decorated the bed with rose petals and towel animals. The staff at the beach and pool are amazing. Laura at the towel station was extremely attentive. Diego from the entertainment staff attentive as well. The waitresses, Rocio, Manuela, and Sabi were extraordinary! I cannot say enough. They really take care of us. The breakfast and lunch waiters, Nebai, Arturo, Carlos and Pascual, awesome. The dinner staff, Laureano, Jesus, Ernesto and Jorge, again, great. We also ate at the Iberostar family resort buffet, Amalia and Abisai took very good care of us. This is the main reason we keep coming, the staff. They work so hard and make sure all of your needs are met. Now the negative. While the food is OK, it was way better when we first started coming. Also, there is more variety and in some cases better food at the Iberostar buffet. We pay more for the Coral level, yet, the other resort has better food? Makes no sense. Management, I hope you realize that the staff is your best asset.
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Dec 04, 2024
Cancún
We booked here 11-29-24 to 12-4-24. We stayed on the Adults Only Coral side and we upgraded to a rooftop via an offer through email a couple of weeks prior to the trip. First off, we arrived several hours before check-in at 3PM but were given full access to the resort and were allowed to check in at 1PM. The Coral rooms were excellent. Very clean and well kept and the views were priceless. The housekeeping was superb and they even had a turn down service every night. Walls in the bathroom are pretty thin compounded with the echo in a bathroom could hear our neighbors more than expected. Rooftop hot tub is only hot when requested and takes about 30 mins. We were able to use balcony and rooftop for only 2 days of our trip because of the wind. The Coral pool is open 24/7 and has a swim up bar. I think it is also heated near the bar. Getting a pool lounger is almost impossible as people claim them early. The beach was pretty awesome. The loungers were good. The waves and wind were pretty gnarly during our stay. The hibachi & White Shark snack shack was in my opinion the best food on the resort. Everything else was just mediocre or not good. The food compared to our other 2 all inclusive trips elsewhere was not very good, the buffet selection was small on Coral side, never tried Selection side buffet. Drinks were good and you have to request the better brand for every single drink or you’ll get well. Decent selection of drinks. No Patron, or Don Julio, no Crown Royal. Most alcohols were mid-shelf, very few “top-shelf” options.
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Dec 04, 2024Stunning Hotel but NOT adults only.
Aesthetically this hotel is fabulous, we arrived early evening on the Selection side of the hotel and were quickly transferred to the Coral level check in by buggy. Reception is designed to look like a boathouse the staff were fantastic and check in was fast and painless. We had a room on the second floor and on the way to the lift stopped by to see the concierge Stefan. He gave us a map of both hotels and information about the services. He did also invite us to the dreaded "welcome breakfast" but knowing its really a meeting to push the club side we declined. The room was fantastic, a large kingsize bed and sitting area which leads to a balcony with stunning views complete with hot tub. The mini bar was satisfactory, we particularly liked the inclusion of half a bottle of red and white wine. It would have been nice if they had been replenished but they were not. There were also nuts and pretzels. Water is supplied in reusable bottles and were always replaced. The aircon worked okay but I dont think we had much control over it. Housekeeping was fantastic, the room was serviced twice a day to a very high level and was always spotless. Just a note on floors, we were on the second floor but its really 4 floors up as the ground level is the buffet and pool area and the first floor reception and bar. Even first floor rooms get a great view of the ocean. The pool area is immaculate, we never had issues getting beds around the pool and it is kept in a very good condition througout the day. The pool is lovely with a infinity aspect looking out to sea and a swim up at one end. The staff at the swim up are first class and the drinks both here and throughout the Coral level were great. There is a fast food grill and the white shark bar. This bar has one of the best cocktail makers I have met, hes called Armando and just ask him to make you something, his tamarind margharita is a thing of beauty. The beach is a couple of steps down from the pool area giving a nice flow to the site and is again kept to a good standard, no seaweed just sand and a few stones and shells. quick note about the sea, it look amazing but every day we were there it was a red flag day and not easy to get in or out. Once in it shelves very quickly and I couldnt stand up after about 8 feet from the surf. The entertainment team during the day are always doing something, Pedro worked really hard to keep people entertained and we always had a fun time. There is a small buffet on the Coral side which 2 nights a week changes to ala carte plus a Brazillian night and a barbeque. The bar on the first floor serves drinks to a very high standard plus snacks. We always had great service there, Irma stood out and always remembered what we drank (Cappuccino and a latte Irma!!) There was a two or three times a week a singer until about 9.30 in the evening. You also have access to all the Selection side including buffet and ala carte restaurants. These are the Italian, Steak house, Mexican, Hibachi and American Diner. these are on a fist come first serve basis and cant be booked (or so we thought but more about that later) except for the Hibachi. A couple of things to note about these, the Mexican is a set menu, you can only choose between meat or vegan, this means you probably wont do it more than once, the same with the Hibachi, its nice but once you have been you have done it. The food at the Italian was good and the steak house really good with service to match. The diner is a bit quirky and can get loud but it was okay. The second point is none of these ala cartes are adult only, you cant have a quiet meal anywhere. All staff throughout both hotels are amazing, we had no complaints at all. So why after all the above only 3 stars. Coral level is advertised as adults only which on the surface it is, but apart from the pool area, bar and small buffet everything else is on the selection side, this includes all the evening entertainment. The food on Coral level is not as good as on the Selection side, this includes quality and choice. we quickly gave up going to the buffet at Coral as the food was always cold and service could be hit and miss. this is particulaly bad in the evening even when it is a so called ala carte. We got served one night, tried to eat the steak and found it was reaal tough and cold so we walked over to the selection side buffet. the Brazillian night was okay but nowhere near the level we have had at other hotels even non premium. The 3 ala cartes (Im not incuding Hibachi or Mexican) open at 5.30pm and to have a chance of getting a table you have to be there before 6pm. I am an adult and dont want to eat an evening meal that early, the restaurants are always loud because they are full of kids (not their fault, they are on holiday as well) so if you are a couple there is nowhere you can go for a romantic evening meal other than room service. I said earlier we were told we could not book the ala cartes but half way through our holiday we discovered you could by going to reception on the Coral level the day before. Concierge will say no but you can. This is essential for premium level price points, on our second night we turned up at the Italian at 6pm and was told no availability but we could wait. There were 12 tables in front of us but we only got seated at 8.30pm. This was before we found out you can book. Once we did book we got in immediatly. The other really big issue is night time entertainment or rather lack of it. There a 3 shows a week on the Coral side (Circus, Brazillian and Mexican) these take place at 9pm around the pool and last 25 minutes. After that there is nothing. By 9.45 the hotel is like a ghost town, the bar is always quiet. The main shows take place in the theatre right at the opposite end of the proprty and are aimed at a family audiance (again I totally understand this) The only adult only entertainment is in the so called night club from 10-30 until 1am. This consists of an hour and a half karaoke and an hour disco. The venue cant decide if its a club or sports bar and its tucked away up some stairs and is cramped and not for for purpose. To sum up this isnt an adult only hotel, its an adult only section of a hotel with nothing else adult about it. You are paying for a view and a nicer room. To justify its price bracket it needs dedicated evening entertainment every night that goes on until at least 11pm and a much better adult only dining option. there are better hotels at lower price points that offer this and more, we visited TRS Yucatan a couple of years ago (catch my review on that) payed a third less and got so much more, even the Bahia Principie (Sian Kaan) does adult only better. At the end of the day you are an adults only hotel or you are not. The advertising is misleading. If you can fix the issues you will have a truely outstanding hotel but I wouldnt return until you do.