IB* Quetzal -- Cowgirl Trip Report, Chapter 5

Cowgirl · 10-10-2002

I'll post another topic that focuses exclusively on our wedding experience after this one, which will deal specifically with the resort and our thoughts about our recent stay:

We landed at Cancun airport on September 21 in the afternoon, and I hear we were one of the last planes to land before they shut down the airport because if Isidore. The weather really wasn't all that bad... and we got to the resort just fine. The resort had upgraded us to a junior oceanfront suite... which would be nice when you didn't have a hurricane hanging around fairly close by!

Lobby Bar
I had posted a reply recently about how I heard this had been renovated. It's really very nice, however, last year we felt like we met a lot more fellow travelers from around the world at the lobby bar, because it was a stand-up kinda place. The new lobby bar is very spacious with beautiful wood and a very hip backdrop where they place the bottles into these cube nooks that are lit up -- looks great. But people don't hang out at the bar, they tend to grab a table... so it's not as conducive to meeting people. Even so, this was generally the place we'd hang out to have a drink before dinner or to meet up with friends before dinner. Fantastic bartenders -- Clemente is a sweetie.

The dreaded buffet and the private restaurants
I think I had posted somewhere else that just because I like the IB* doesn't mean I like buffet. I do not. I'm a certified buffet snob. However, I would find it hard to find someone who couldn't find something they enjoyed on the buffet here. They have freshly prepared food, cooked to order... so it's not like you have to get something that's been sitting on a steam table for hours. There is tons to choose from and more often than not my husband and I had completely different things on our plates. We had 40 friends and family there and there was only one complaint, and that was from one of the four vegetarians with us -- she felt there wasn't enough selection for vegetarians. I had told her about some of the cool places in town to check out, so she was fine... and the other three vegetarians all were happy with the offerings. Everyone loved the private restaurants -- there are four: steakhouse, caribbean, italian and mexican. Since the italian and mexican are air conditioned, those were often first choice! All of the food was fantastic in the restaurants... and we learned a little secret. Even though you supposedly have only two reservations you can make per week, you are welcome to stop by the reservations desk at 5 p.m. and if there is anything still available for that same evening, it's yours. So on our second week there, we ate at a private restaurant just about every night.

The dreaded plastic bracelet
Yes, I too was aghast last year on our first trip down that I would actually have to wear a plastic bracelet the whole time I was there -- I hated that! I would cover it up with a chunky bracelet -- drove me nuts. This year I was smarter and asked that it be put on my wrist loosely and I just took it off and only put it back on when we were leaving or entering the resort. My husband did the same. Now I do need to say that there were several people that remembered us from last year, and since we had our wedding here this year, we were recognized well at the resort, so maybe that's why we didn't have a problem. But really only every once in a while would someone say something, and we had both bracelets attached to our room key in my husband's pocket. He'd show them and they were cool with it. My husband's cousin and friend did the same thing and never had a problem. It's really mainly getting in and out of the front gate where you need it. Anyhow, worked for us!

The people
... were FANTASTIC. I cannot say enough about the wonderful people we met who work at the resort! We were so flattered that a couple (our favorite bartender and his wife) remembered us from last year... and we made some new friends. We do tip as you'll hear others say... yes, it is supposedly included in your package price, but it is nice to reward those individuals who were particularly nice to you or went out of their way to help you out. This year we tipped like we did last year -- close to our departure date. Our two favorite bartenders each received a tip, for example. The guy who coordinates the sailboats received a tip as well, since he always had a smile on his face and would try to work us in on busy days. Oh, and the maid we tipped on the first day along with a note asking that she fill our minifridge with only bottled water and beer, no cokes, etc. She took care of us the whole two weeks. We'd also leave her a tip when our room was particularly messy. (Our room tended to be the late-night party place for all of our friends, so it happened.)

The hurricanes
This one is a mixed bag. On the positive side, we were really blown away (there go the lousy puns again) by how well everything was handled. We accumulated a TON of sand on Sunday, according to the groundskeeper we met. The very next day they had a bulldozer out there trying to level it off and make the beach all beautiful again. For safety -- they were outstanding. You weren't allowed in the ocean, for obvious reasons... but they wouldn't even let you get too far out on the beach on the really bad days -- Sunday and Monday. To some that may be bad, but we appreciated it. The last thing we needed was for our wonderful yet intoxicated cousin to decide to go swimming at 1 a.m... there was always someone on the beach keeping a lookout. Also, when palapas got knocked over on the beach, five minutes later there would be ten guys out there carrying it away... same with the outside furniture, everything was secure. The storm blew a hole in the lobby's huge palapa roof, so they cordoned off the lobby and then resumed operations in the Tucan lobby, all for safety. That said, they were not at all good about providing information, saying, "We don't want our guests to worry!" with a big smile. Um... we are close to a hurricane, we want information. It was all "no le pasa nada" and smiles. That we didn't care for but thankfully they have internet access at the resort, so we simply hopped on weatherchannel.com and then sent e-mails to our friends back home that we were AOK. Okay -- I have to tell you this one just because it was funny. One woman at the front desk said, "Don't worry -- the hurricane is now heading south toward Florida." :o Anyhow, all in all they did a tremendous job of trying to ensure safety and we never lost electricity, and since we were prepared for the weather, our friends would just meet us at the pool bar with their dominoes and poker dice and hey, the beer was still cold and flowing. We had a great time!

The animals
One of our very favorite things about the IB* Quetzal is the animals. They have monkeys, peacocks, flamingos, pheasants, roosters even... all roaming around free along with iguanas and those little nutria looking guys. They are beautiful and always surprise you when they show up in a new spot -- hanging out on the railing near the big theater, walking across your path or hanging out in the trees. They also have two huge turtles... there's probably a more accurate name for them, but they are fantastic. Often the group of peacocks would invade the turtle pit to eat their salads -- now that was funny. Anyhow, everywhere you turn there is something to see. And except for the turtles, they are all completely loose, not tethered in any way. They make your stay a lot more fun.

As you can tell, we really love this resort. It is absolutely beautiful (I agree with you Munichchick -- the architecture and design is fantastic!). HOWEVER... you cannot go to PDC to sit in your resort all day!! I like doing this resort along with a lot of time spent going into town and checking out the great bars and restaurants and shopping. All 40 of our guests ended up spending a lot of time (and coin) in the city... in fact, our cousin and friend probably ate and drank more in the city than they did at the resort. Next trip we will probably stay in town... or at least split our time 50/50 -- half at IB* Quetzal, and half in town. I hope this information helps, and if you have any more specific questions, please ask!

littleone · 10-10-2002

Thanks for the great trip report! I am anxious to see your next one with the wedding details. My boyfriend and I are going to this resort in November and were wondering if you have any advice for us? Is there a specific room we should request? Did you ever walk into town? What tours should we do? Any advice you could give us would be great!

Thanks!

Cowgirl · 10-10-2002

You should definitely walk into town -- or take a quick taxi ride. PDC is a blast. Our room number was 2006 and it was a very nice room, facing the beautiful beach. We were upgraded by the resort because we had 40 guests coming down to stay at the resort for our wedding... so we didn't pay extra for a much nicer room. We stayed last year closer to the lobby (I believe it was building 26) but we enjoyed that as well! The only thing we didn't like was being on the third floor -- the view was gorgeous but it's so tiring taking those three flights of stairs if you've been partying it up in town a little too much!

Look for my other posts on the General forum to see what other things we did... and I think the more you read the form the more you'll come up with ideas of things that will suit you perfectly! Have a great time... and I'll start working on the wedding posting!

Munichchick · 10-10-2002

Wow, Cowgirl! You sure had a fantastic honeymoon and vacation. I did not realize you went with 40 people. That must have been so much fun for all of you. For a group like that AI is the way to go. You are so right the IB Quetzal/Tukan is just such a nice resort. 50/50 split for next time sounds like a great idea. That is kind of what we do. We sometimes spend 3 or 4 nights at an AI and than some more nights in a nice small Hotel. Works great! Did you get over to the IB Paraiso? That place is also amazing but almost to big. Even more animals and jungle areas. Very pretty. And the pools are incredible and go for miles. We purchased their evening pass for $35 per person and spend the evening there. Had dinner, drinks, walked around the grounds, watched the show, had more drinks and went to the disco. I hear they also have a day pass for (I think) $50 per person and you can spend morning until about 5:30 PM there AI of course. Just a tip for the people that are staying at a small hotel in Playa but would like to still experience the world of Mega All-Inclusive for a day. I think you can do this at several of the AI resorts including Reef Club. We called the IB before our trip and found out about this. Maybe just call directly to the front desk of the Resort you are interestd in to make sure they offer that. Does anyone know if Xpu-Ha Palace does day passes? Would like to see the lagoon there

Cowgirl · 10-11-2002

Coming down with 40 people -- I just can't tell you how much fun that was! And not only was it low season, but many many people cancelled due to the hurricanes. The resort was already pretty empty... so wherever we walked we were running into our wedding guests... it was too much fun! And then in PDC, the same thing... walking down 5th avenue and saying, "Isn't that your Aunt Claudia??" "Look! There's Jonathan!" It was great.

We like going this time of year because of it being low season... but we've been lucky and never been there during a hurricane... until now. Anyhow, it was so empty that it was so easy to get one of the nice big palapas by the pool -- you know the ones I'm talking about that are big enough for several people? Last year we never even got close to getting one -- this year they were yours for the taking.

Never made it to the Paraiso, but we were talking about going there, just couldn't fit it in. I'd love to see it. Gosh, I just can't wait to get back... I keep thinking that with me being laid off, if I'm paid a good severence... then we sure do have a lot of extra time on our hands, hint hint to my hubby!

Munichchick · 10-11-2002

You guys took over the whole town! Funny! Good luck with that severance package. Hint, Hint to your hubby!!!!!
We have been twice already to IB Quetzal now and to the IB Cozumel. It was always great!

10-10-2002	#1 (permalink)
Cowgirl way into it Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 127	*IB Quetzal -- Cowgirl Trip Report, Chapter 5** I'll post another topic that focuses exclusively on our wedding experience after this one, which will deal specifically with the resort and our thoughts about our recent stay: We landed at Cancun airport on September 21 in the afternoon, and I hear we were one of the last planes to land before they shut down the airport because if Isidore. The weather really wasn't all that bad... and we got to the resort just fine. The resort had upgraded us to a junior oceanfront suite... which would be nice when you didn't have a hurricane hanging around fairly close by! Lobby Bar I had posted a reply recently about how I heard this had been renovated. It's really very nice, however, last year we felt like we met a lot more fellow travelers from around the world at the lobby bar, because it was a stand-up kinda place. The new lobby bar is very spacious with beautiful wood and a very hip backdrop where they place the bottles into these cube nooks that are lit up -- looks great. But people don't hang out at the bar, they tend to grab a table... so it's not as conducive to meeting people. Even so, this was generally the place we'd hang out to have a drink before dinner or to meet up with friends before dinner. Fantastic bartenders -- Clemente is a sweetie. The dreaded buffet and the private restaurants I think I had posted somewhere else that just because I like the IB* doesn't mean I like buffet. I do not. I'm a certified buffet snob. However, I would find it hard to find someone who couldn't find something they enjoyed on the buffet here. They have freshly prepared food, cooked to order... so it's not like you have to get something that's been sitting on a steam table for hours. There is tons to choose from and more often than not my husband and I had completely different things on our plates. We had 40 friends and family there and there was only one complaint, and that was from one of the four vegetarians with us -- she felt there wasn't enough selection for vegetarians. I had told her about some of the cool places in town to check out, so she was fine... and the other three vegetarians all were happy with the offerings. Everyone loved the private restaurants -- there are four: steakhouse, caribbean, italian and mexican. Since the italian and mexican are air conditioned, those were often first choice! All of the food was fantastic in the restaurants... and we learned a little secret. Even though you supposedly have only two reservations you can make per week, you are welcome to stop by the reservations desk at 5 p.m. and if there is anything still available for that same evening, it's yours. So on our second week there, we ate at a private restaurant just about every night. The dreaded plastic bracelet Yes, I too was aghast last year on our first trip down that I would actually have to wear a plastic bracelet the whole time I was there -- I hated that! I would cover it up with a chunky bracelet -- drove me nuts. This year I was smarter and asked that it be put on my wrist loosely and I just took it off and only put it back on when we were leaving or entering the resort. My husband did the same. Now I do need to say that there were several people that remembered us from last year, and since we had our wedding here this year, we were recognized well at the resort, so maybe that's why we didn't have a problem. But really only every once in a while would someone say something, and we had both bracelets attached to our room key in my husband's pocket. He'd show them and they were cool with it. My husband's cousin and friend did the same thing and never had a problem. It's really mainly getting in and out of the front gate where you need it. Anyhow, worked for us! The people ... were FANTASTIC. I cannot say enough about the wonderful people we met who work at the resort! We were so flattered that a couple (our favorite bartender and his wife) remembered us from last year... and we made some new friends. We do tip as you'll hear others say... yes, it is supposedly included in your package price, but it is nice to reward those individuals who were particularly nice to you or went out of their way to help you out. This year we tipped like we did last year -- close to our departure date. Our two favorite bartenders each received a tip, for example. The guy who coordinates the sailboats received a tip as well, since he always had a smile on his face and would try to work us in on busy days. Oh, and the maid we tipped on the first day along with a note asking that she fill our minifridge with only bottled water and beer, no cokes, etc. She took care of us the whole two weeks. We'd also leave her a tip when our room was particularly messy. (Our room tended to be the late-night party place for all of our friends, so it happened.) The hurricanes This one is a mixed bag. On the positive side, we were really blown away (there go the lousy puns again) by how well everything was handled. We accumulated a TON of sand on Sunday, according to the groundskeeper we met. The very next day they had a bulldozer out there trying to level it off and make the beach all beautiful again. For safety -- they were outstanding. You weren't allowed in the ocean, for obvious reasons... but they wouldn't even let you get too far out on the beach on the really bad days -- Sunday and Monday. To some that may be bad, but we appreciated it. The last thing we needed was for our wonderful yet intoxicated cousin to decide to go swimming at 1 a.m... there was always someone on the beach keeping a lookout. Also, when palapas got knocked over on the beach, five minutes later there would be ten guys out there carrying it away... same with the outside furniture, everything was secure. The storm blew a hole in the lobby's huge palapa roof, so they cordoned off the lobby and then resumed operations in the Tucan lobby, all for safety. That said, they were not at all good about providing information, saying, "We don't want our guests to worry!" with a big smile. Um... we are close to a hurricane, we want information. It was all "no le pasa nada" and smiles. That we didn't care for but thankfully they have internet access at the resort, so we simply hopped on weatherchannel.com and then sent e-mails to our friends back home that we were AOK. Okay -- I have to tell you this one just because it was funny. One woman at the front desk said, "Don't worry -- the hurricane is now heading south toward Florida." :o Anyhow, all in all they did a tremendous job of trying to ensure safety and we never lost electricity, and since we were prepared for the weather, our friends would just meet us at the pool bar with their dominoes and poker dice and hey, the beer was still cold and flowing. We had a great time! The animals One of our very favorite things about the IB* Quetzal is the animals. They have monkeys, peacocks, flamingos, pheasants, roosters even... all roaming around free along with iguanas and those little nutria looking guys. They are beautiful and always surprise you when they show up in a new spot -- hanging out on the railing near the big theater, walking across your path or hanging out in the trees. They also have two huge turtles... there's probably a more accurate name for them, but they are fantastic. Often the group of peacocks would invade the turtle pit to eat their salads -- now that was funny. Anyhow, everywhere you turn there is something to see. And except for the turtles, they are all completely loose, not tethered in any way. They make your stay a lot more fun. As you can tell, we really love this resort. It is absolutely beautiful (I agree with you Munichchick -- the architecture and design is fantastic!). HOWEVER... you cannot go to PDC to sit in your resort all day!! I like doing this resort along with a lot of time spent going into town and checking out the great bars and restaurants and shopping. All 40 of our guests ended up spending a lot of time (and coin) in the city... in fact, our cousin and friend probably ate and drank more in the city than they did at the resort. Next trip we will probably stay in town... or at least split our time 50/50 -- half at IB* Quetzal, and half in town. I hope this information helps, and if you have any more specific questions, please ask!

10-10-2002	#2 (permalink)
littleone sandflea Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 7	IB Quetzal Thanks for the great trip report! I am anxious to see your next one with the wedding details. My boyfriend and I are going to this resort in November and were wondering if you have any advice for us? Is there a specific room we should request? Did you ever walk into town? What tours should we do? Any advice you could give us would be great! Thanks!

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10-10-2002	#3 (permalink)
Cowgirl way into it Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 127	You should definitely walk into town -- or take a quick taxi ride. PDC is a blast. Our room number was 2006 and it was a very nice room, facing the beautiful beach. We were upgraded by the resort because we had 40 guests coming down to stay at the resort for our wedding... so we didn't pay extra for a much nicer room. We stayed last year closer to the lobby (I believe it was building 26) but we enjoyed that as well! The only thing we didn't like was being on the third floor -- the view was gorgeous but it's so tiring taking those three flights of stairs if you've been partying it up in town a little too much! Look for my other posts on the General forum to see what other things we did... and I think the more you read the form the more you'll come up with ideas of things that will suit you perfectly! Have a great time... and I'll start working on the wedding posting!

10-10-2002	#4 (permalink)
Munichchick life=playa Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Corona, California Posts: 857	Wow, Cowgirl! You sure had a fantastic honeymoon and vacation. I did not realize you went with 40 people. That must have been so much fun for all of you. For a group like that AI is the way to go. You are so right the IB Quetzal/Tukan is just such a nice resort. 50/50 split for next time sounds like a great idea. That is kind of what we do. We sometimes spend 3 or 4 nights at an AI and than some more nights in a nice small Hotel. Works great! Did you get over to the IB Paraiso? That place is also amazing but almost to big. Even more animals and jungle areas. Very pretty. And the pools are incredible and go for miles. We purchased their evening pass for $35 per person and spend the evening there. Had dinner, drinks, walked around the grounds, watched the show, had more drinks and went to the disco. I hear they also have a day pass for (I think) $50 per person and you can spend morning until about 5:30 PM there AI of course. Just a tip for the people that are staying at a small hotel in Playa but would like to still experience the world of Mega All-Inclusive for a day. I think you can do this at several of the AI resorts including Reef Club. We called the IB before our trip and found out about this. Maybe just call directly to the front desk of the Resort you are interestd in to make sure they offer that. Does anyone know if Xpu-Ha Palace does day passes? Would like to see the lagoon there

10-11-2002	#5 (permalink)
Cowgirl way into it Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 127	Coming down with 40 people -- I just can't tell you how much fun that was! And not only was it low season, but many many people cancelled due to the hurricanes. The resort was already pretty empty... so wherever we walked we were running into our wedding guests... it was too much fun! And then in PDC, the same thing... walking down 5th avenue and saying, "Isn't that your Aunt Claudia??" "Look! There's Jonathan!" It was great. We like going this time of year because of it being low season... but we've been lucky and never been there during a hurricane... until now. Anyhow, it was so empty that it was so easy to get one of the nice big palapas by the pool -- you know the ones I'm talking about that are big enough for several people? Last year we never even got close to getting one -- this year they were yours for the taking. Never made it to the Paraiso, but we were talking about going there, just couldn't fit it in. I'd love to see it. Gosh, I just can't wait to get back... I keep thinking that with me being laid off, if I'm paid a good severence... then we sure do have a lot of extra time on our hands, hint hint to my hubby!

10-11-2002	#6 (permalink)
Munichchick life=playa Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Corona, California Posts: 857	You guys took over the whole town! Funny! Good luck with that severance package. Hint, Hint to your hubby!!!!! We have been twice already to IB Quetzal now and to the IB Cozumel. It was always great!

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