Iberostar Waves Tucan

astormchaser2002 wrote a review August 2025

A solid 4 good for the money

We had a beach front Premium Junior Suite ground level. It certainly had a much nice r location than many of the units with no view far from the beach. First the positive. Overall a good value for the money we paid. So take that into consideration when I describe the rest of this review.

1) Lots of activities for families with a very enthusiastic staff
2) All the restaurants have kids options
3) The grounds were well kept And the jungle trails are a nice aesthetic addition
4) Lots of activity on the beach jet skis , catamarans , Kayak, etc. Some cost extra, but they are there for you every day.
5) The nightly entertainment was cheesy but always fun
6) Lots of food variety
7) our room was well appointed again for the price , we have stayed in much nicer places, but for what we paid it was fine

The cons

1) Not the hotels fault but the seaweed is just gross near and in the water , and it just keeps coming, otherwise the beach is well kept and clean
2) The food was reminded me of decent cafeteria food. Nothing wowed me, but it was all pretty good, and for the price I would say it met or exceeded expections.
3) I wish they would enforce their towel and chair saving rules by the pool , its and easy fix just have the attendants remove towels from chairs that have been there un attended for more than hour. But like everything in Mexico they say they will do something but they don't. The problem is you check out your towels and will get fined if you lose them. So they can't really remove them. Their towels are pretty low quality and I can't imagine why anybody would take them home.
4) The dollar exchange rate is absurd they don't just round up, they gouge. I tried to pay in peso's and the lady in the gift shop said her "peso machine was not working" It's not so much the extra price I paid that was annoying its just a crappy way to Make money, maybe that is why people steal towels?
5) My wife and I are birders and specifically picked this hotel because it had a patch of jungle on the property. And they do and it is nice. But from a bird perspective they don't have any understory and they have peacocks , I assume more for pest control, they scour the grounds eating anything that moves, spiders etc. They also take a toll on geckos and lizards , all things that birds eat. There were way more birds across the street in outlot. Yes there are lots of birds , if you like grackles and doves but not the variety you would expect to see in the tropics.

Date of Stay: August 2025

angelicasA7068DF wrote a review August 2025

Nothing less of incredible

I absolutely love this place. All the staff are professional and friendly. Jose the bell boy gave us some good insight and places to go outside of the resort, as well as being attentive. Overall it was a 10/10 experience. Can’t wait to come back again soon.!

Date of Stay: August 2025

C1244IBcaseyh wrote a review August 2025

Dishonest marketing

They offered a $300 "credit" per room. This "credit" turns out to be twelve $25 gift certificates. You can only use 1 gift certificate at a time, and you have to spend $100 to be able to use one. Therefore you MUST spend at least $900 more. SCAM!!

Date of Stay: August 2025

herbertd603 wrote a review August 2025

A SOLID 3 star resort ⭐️⭐️⭐️ on a good day.

This resort does not reflect the “4.5” rating is has on tripadvisor. Its probably a solid 3 star resort. We on the fifth day of our vacation and were pretty much DONE with this place and disappointed. Keep in mind 3 of those days we spent doing exursions away from the hotel (which are great- xcaret, cozumel snorkeling, cenotes). However, just being at the hotel alone is bland and disappointing.

If you are a young couple, i would not recommend this resort. Youd better off going to riu/riu palace. The only good thing here is the price we paid for 10 days which i think should’ve been $300-600 lower.

Food: 10 days and they only gave us 3 visits (max) at the “a la carte restaurants”. The buffets are at best a little better than cuba level buffets with few more varieties.

Activities: theres morning yoga, a tennis courts (which you could barely book a tennis court) due to the academy, gym, beach volleyball, generic pool activities, theatre shows (night/afternoon), karaoke.

Beach: great beach but a bit of sargassum during our stay (understandable). However, it is swimmable, just depends on the day. Of course there are vendors who would approach you and mask what they are selling with “weed or coccaine”, but not as bad from the ones in Los cabos.

Customer Service: 7.7/10 just a little over good but not the best. When checking in, Front reception forgot to give us our room number…. Wtf. He just gave us keys and told us to go to a general building. Like but which room!?!?!

Rooms: needs upgrading!!! The rooms are from 1900’s with leaking bathroom ceilings and a comprised lock doors. Very outdated.

Pool and bars: just one main pool and a few small ones. Keep in mind theres a puny bar pool that doesnt see the light of day. Its in a small shady spot away from the sun. If youre a vampire thats prolly the best spot to go chill, 2nd place would be under a rock.

Date of Stay: August 2025

C7592WLrickf wrote a review September 2025

Was hoping for better

Went on most likely my last family vacation due to medical issues, brought the whole family to a place I was amazed with 20 years ago, but was the biggest waste of money I have ever spent I wish the resort had put in their notes online that they are closing shortly to remodel, from the stink of cesspool (it's not the seaweed) to filthy moldy pillows, bugs in the room, no ac that worked to areas that just where patched up, to flooded rooms due duct tape hold bathroom sinks together totally ruined family vacation. I have stayed in many Iberostar resorts and could only praise those that I stayed in but based of this important vacation it will be my last. Trust me don't go to this resort

Date of Stay: August 2025

Cruiser33884702780 wrote a review September 2025

Avoid this place unless you’re happy settling for mediocrity.

The food? Bland, forgettable, cheap buffet slop dressed up like fine dining. Desserts taste like they were thrown together for a school canteen. Definitely not 5-star — at best a struggling 4-star with some greenery to distract you.

Now for the scams. They push this so-called “resort credit” that’s basically worthless, and the photo racket is an insult. They take “included” pictures of you, then on your last day slap you with $20 a pop. I got hit with a $260 bill for 14 photos after they cornered me into picking them. Absolute scammy behavior.

Room service? Doesn’t exist. It’s listed on the reception phone menu, but when you call, they shrug it off. My wife had sunstroke one night, and I literally went to FOUR restaurants begging for food to bring her. Not one helped. To make it worse, when I tried to sit down alone just to eat, they refused because I’d be “taking a table for four.” Are you kidding me? I paid for this.

On the beach, you’re constantly harassed by guys pushing cocaine, cigars, and vapes, while staff look the other way. They don’t care, period. At night, some of the entertainment even had a nasty racial undertone — if you’re white and British, prepare to be laughed at or ignored, while they gush over Spanish/Portuguese guests. Classless.

Everything here is overpriced, the vibe is cheap, and the service is lazy. I live in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and somehow this place manages to charge more while delivering less.

Bottom line: Don’t waste your money. There are plenty of better resorts in Playacar that actually deliver 5-star service. I won’t be back, and neither should you.

Date of Stay: August 2025

MarcR2957 wrote a review September 2025

Best vacation ever

My wife and I stayed 1 week at this resort and can’t wait to go back ! Everything was perfect, especially the staff who was always happy, smily, and helpful. The pool is amazing and the beach is so gorgeous you don’t want to get out of the water. The bedroom are old typical Mexican hotel rooms, but they are going to be refurbished next year so it is soon going to be up to date. All the restaurant had good food, the buffet has a lot of different type of food, it’s not perfect food but it’s satisfying for an all inclusive resort. The mediterraneo, the Japanese and the Italian are better but have less seats so you have to book in advance.
We are really looking forward to come back soon !

Date of Stay: August 2025

chrisaF5337DX wrote a review September 2025

Already planning a return visit for 2026!

I think the key to knowing what resort is a good fit for you is reading reviews and making your selction based on your personal style and priorities. Toucan was recommened to me by a friend and it was a good fit for us. We loved Toucan & are already planning a return visit. We enjoyed the beachy/jungle decor vs a place trying to feel exclusive. This is family friendly and has a very inclusive feel. All staff were friendly and attentive. Shout out to our concierge Cesar Ochoa! Good communicator and helpful. And the greaters at the buffet with their welcoming smiles. Plus Luis, William(s), Jose and many others in the eating areas. Some really sweet people and always working so hard!! My husband relished the variety of foods offered. I found something I liked at every meal, but if you are only going for food...this is not 5 star. I preferred eating at the buffets over the restaurants for the variety. Also this is not a frat party environment if that's what your are looking for. If you are here for the beach and the pool, this is a great location---The beach by the resort is the best in the area! There were a variety of activities going on all throughout the day. Water Aerobics at the pool & beach volleyball seemed quite popular. TIP=*the main pool is mostly 5 ft deep, so bring a raft if you want to hang out much in the pool. We did not join the activities because we wanted total relaxation. My husband did 2 short scuba dives with the Dive shop at the Toucan and he was very happy with them. Next time we plan to join in a few activities and maybe visit the spa. The fitness room looked very nice. So much to do in this resort & this area. They are set to do a remodel of the rooms in 2026, but I hope they don't change too much. I like them they way they are. But they do need more outlets by the bed now that we all have phones to charge. I also felt like any event that incurred mircrophone use was a bit too loud. Everyone around us seemed to be having a great time. IMO, This place gets return visitors for a reason.

Date of Stay: September 2025

577andyw wrote a review September 2025
Cwmbran, Torfaen, South Wales, Wales

Poor food

Beach is nice, although technically it should be open to the public anyway by law. (The hotels in the area make it very difficult to get on this stretch of beach).

Not enough loungers, as people 'reserve' them with towels never to be seen again. (I wish hotels would do something about that).

Bar was great, food was unfortunately some of the worst buffet fair I have had.

Date of Stay: September 2025

rosocamx wrote a review September 2025

Wonderful stay!

This was our third visit to Iberostar Tucan, and we just had the best time during our six days at the resort! The food was not only clean but also delicious. The staff was super kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. They always wore their uniforms at restaurants, but we found ourselves wishing they could wear short sleeves since it was so hot!
We had such a great time seeing all the wonderful animals like monkeys, iguanas, agoutis, and peacocks! It was an amazing experience!
Paco and the team at Star Camp were fantastic, and they took good care of the kids. My daughter (11) made friends in no time! We loved all the fun activities the staff organized for the shows. Also, W2M travel agency in the lobby was really helpful for planning our tour to the ruins/turtles/cenote—it was perfect for our needs!
Just a little heads-up: be careful around the heat lamps at the buffet, wife had a small mishap and burned her hand. But aside from that, our whole experience was amazing, and we can’t wait to come back again!

Date of Stay: August 2025

T9841JQsandrar wrote a review September 2025
Scotland

Experiência inesquecível

Very good hotel, clean rooms and clean areas. Food very tasty and delicious. Staff working so hard, very friendly and helpful

Date of Stay: September 2025

567romanp wrote a review September 2025
River Grove, Illinois

Great, almost excellent resort!

Throughout the last 15 years you've been to many resorts in the Playa del Carmen area.
In general I would write this 4 out of 5 stars.
The goods:

Customer service is outstanding no matter which part of the resort you interact with staff.
The beach is wonderful. Plenty of sun beds under the palapas, beautiful white sand, no rocks in the ocean. The ocean area itself great, with various depth for young swimmers and for adults.
The food is good, not fantastic.
Amenities and rooms are slightly outdated (and we stayed at 11th building supposedly after the renovation). Everything functioned well in the room. The room was cleaned at the request very quickly and efficiently - great job there as well!
Very good premises with a lot of nature, jungle and animals all over the facilities. All three of my kids absolutely loved it!

The bad:

I read about this issue prior to our trip on the trip advisor, however, I didn't realize how major it is.
The only reason I am giving it a 4, almost 3 star rating is that all the buffets and majority of the restaurants had no air conditioning at all. Especially in the area where you and they serve the food. With the climate in Mexico, that is very hard to tolerate. Some cheeses, veggies, meat and eggs looked not fresh due to the constant exposure to the heat from the outside. In the buffet's dining area we tried to choose the tables right under the fan, however, it was still very unpleasant to dine.

I think it is a fixable issue overall, to add the glass all around the perimeter and install the air conditioning systems.
We would only come back to this resort if the dining experience is fixed.
The slightly outdated rooms are compensated by the attentiveness of a staff so that is not the issue at all.

Date of Stay: August 2025

abimG4584UV wrote a review September 2025

Incredible Holiday ✈️👙

After just returning from Iberostar, i would love to have stay longer. The hotel was absolutely massive, very beautiful and so much to do and see whilst there. It was so lovely to see all the animals roaming around (flamingos, monkeys, lizards, coatis, peacocks, tortoises, cats, parrots).
There are plenty of options when thinking about food 3 restaurants and a huge buffet, the food tased good and always so much to choose from.
Although i didn’t get involved in any activities whilst at the hotel, we made good friends with one of the entertainment team. Victor, he is so welcoming and lovely to be around. Bubbly and cheery no matter what, brilliant outfits worn everyday and just such a lovely person. Victor was very approachable and always happy to help anyone and everyone.

The rooms were spacious, however i would say they are slightly outdated, the bathroom was lovely and balcony was beautiful to sit on in the mornings and nights. The pool is huge, plenty of sun beds to choose from around the pool and the beach.
All the staff were so welcoming and could easily tell how hard they work and how serious and professional they are at work.
This is the first time i have been to a iberostar hotel, and i don’t really have a bad word to say! I would definitely come back.

Date of Stay: September 2025

cinathumbelina wrote a review October 2025
Greater London, England

Brilliant staff & incredible food options make the hotel shine - renovation of bedrooms much needed

We’ve just returned from a wonderful family holiday at Iberostar Waves Tucan in Playa del Carmen, and overall, we were very impressed!

The resort is located in the safe, gated community of Playacar. It’s surrounded by lush jungle and incredible wildlife, we saw monkeys, coatis, and tropical birds daily, which made it feel extra special. The setting is peaceful, beautifully maintained, and feels close to nature.

One thing that really stood out was the resort’s strong environmental commitment. From refillable water stations to eco-themed kids’ club activities focused on protecting the oceans and reefs, it was fantastic to see.

The food was a major highlight, especially with our 18-month old. The buffet had tons of variety and never felt repetitive. We also tried most of the à la carte restaurants shared with the Quetzal side, Cozumel and Tulum were our favorites! A fun touch was the poolside soft-serve ice cream hut open daily, a big win for all ages!

The beach was beautiful with plenty of loungers. The pool areas were great too, though a large portion of the pool is quite deep, so it’s worth noting if you're not a confident swimmer. The kids’ water play area could use a refurb, as it was looking a bit tired.

Our only real disappointment was the room. We booked a premium all-inclusive option, but the room felt outdated and lacked practical features like enough outlets. The bathroom especially needs an upgrade. Also, there was no room service included and the mini-bar was minimal (just basic beer and soda not quite
what we expected from a premium package.
That said, the housekeeping was excellent!

The staff were truly wonderful — friendly, helpful, and great with kids. There were lots of activities happening throughout the day for all ages, which really brought the resort to life and made our stay even more enjoyable.

Despite a few drawbacks, this resort delivered a fantastic family experience filled with great food, warm service, and beautiful surroundings.

Date of Stay: September 2025

cubanflavor wrote a review October 2025
Toronto, Ontario

Iberostar Tucan...a great jungle experience

We’ve just returned from a wonderful family holiday at Iberostar Waves Tucan and overall we had a wonderful vacation.

The resort is located in the safe, gated community. Walking through the jungle was our highlight each day. The resort is surrounded by lush jungle and incredible wildlife. There are monkeys, coatis, birds, peacocks, rabbits, and parrots. The jungle is well lit at night as well and safe to walk through at night. It also has concrete pathways which makes it easy to walk through.

The resort is very committed to the environment and echo practices. The hotel offers refillable water stations at every floor of each building. Their bathroom toiletries are also ecologically friendly products.

The beach was beautiful with lush coconut trees, hammocks to lounge on and plenty of palapas. The adult pool areas were great. Its located in a cave like surroundings with a swim up barand water falls. It was a beautiful view overlooking the main pool.

We had a ocean front room so each morning we were able to see the beautiful Ocean view with the blue turquoise water and the coconut trees swaying with the wind. Out of the ocean we could see all the high cruise ships embarking each day over Cozimel.

The staff were truly wonderful — friendly, helpful. There were lots of activities happening throughout the day for all ages, but you can choose to just hang out in the lobby area which is surrounded with waterfalls and greenery.

All in all , the resort is.beautiful with nice and clean rooms and beautiful surroundings. Enjoy the buffet view close to the openedge. The fishes swim by back and forth.

Overall it was a great experience.

Date of Stay: September 2025