This resort is amazing! We travelled with our two children, three and five years old. They are so sad that we had to go home. The staff at this resort is exceptional. And the grounds are spotless. We stayed in building 21 which is close to the ocean and the pool, although we faced the neighbouring resort. Some nights their nightly entertainment was loud, but we travel with a fan for background noise for the kids, so it didn't really bother us. The location couldn't be beat. Our beds were not hard by any means, not sure if they were different in other rooms/buildings.
My only small complaint is the depth of the pool. The main pool is very large and 95% of it is over 5 feet deep. There is a separate (small) kids pool which my kids loved, but I would have liked if we could have used the big pool more. My three year old was too scared to go in it. The beach is amazing so we spent a lot of time there as well.
We would definitely return to this resort.

just came back from two weeks holyday in iberostar quetzal.perfect hotel,jus food can be better

Excellent resort!!! Right from the moment we (ourselves and three other couples) entered the resort! ....at check-in they accomodated our request for all four couples to be in building 21, twenty steps from the pool and the closest you can be to beach/ocean without hefty upgrade. The grounds are very well groomed but yet it still feels like you are treking through the jungle...monkeys, agouti, peacocks, flamingos, agouti, iguanas!!! Beautiful beach!!! Barstaff/staff/entertainers that never seems to stop smiling....and for the barstaff esp Diego & Rafael at beach/pool bar...amazing....these guys were there from morning till night, 8, 10, 12 margarita's/mojito's at a time and still smiling - we all agreed that we would return to this resort in a heartbeat!!!

The only drawback we found is that they want to charge you for the better wine at the a-la-carte's...not just a little surcharge but $25 - 50+ a bottle, this was a little bit of a disappointment to the girls in the group, as all enjoy premium wines and have never been charged extra for premium wine in the a-la-carte's, but this would not stop any of us from going back, one week was just not long enough. Hope to return next Feb!

My husband, 4 year old son and I just returned from a wonderful week at the Iberostar Quetzel. This was our third visit to this resort (second time with our son), and it continued be be as nice as we remembered it.
I had emailed in advance, and our room request was honored for the most part (we got the building, bed arrangement, and direction of the room requested, but were put on the main floor as opposed to an upper level). Ultimately, being on the ground floor proved to be quite convenient for us, although a couple of nights, it sounded like there was an elephant walking in the room above us! (not the fault of the hotel)
The beds are hard, as everyone points out, and this year we didn't have the mattress toppers, but were so tired at the end of the day, we all slept very well anyway. The room was clean and cool. One negative was in regards to housekeeping - there were 3 days where we were not provided with replacement facecloths, and after we used up the large bottle of water for brushing teeth etc, it was never replaced, so we used the smaller water bottles in the fridge for that - not a big deal.
The jungle continues to look beautiful, and the beach is by far the best in the area. We sat on the Quetzal side, and since that is where the dive boats come and go from, there were never any beach chairs in front of us, so we always had a fabulous view of the water. We had to walk a few feet over to swim in the ocean, but that gave us a chance to drip dry when coming back to our chairs. All of the beach activities take place in the middle of the beach, so if you want action, stay in that area. The beach bar was always busy, but there was also a waitress taking orders if you didn't want to get up yourself.
The staff were all wonderful - everyone greeted us when passing on the trails, and were very friendly. Special mention of Mauricio of the Star Friends - he became my son's best Amigo while we were there, and my son loved seeing him every day. In the buffet restaurant, all of the staff were great, but David always went out of his way to chat with my son and ensure we never had to wait for refills of drinks.
Our son enjoyed the kids club every evening at 8 pm - I think it was fun for those kids in the 3 - 7 age range, but any older, and the games would seem too simple I think.
There was a mix up in dinner reservations on our last night - I had requested the Japanese reataurant, but was given the Italian - not sure why I didn't check the ticket more closely, so I have to take some of the blame myself - but we still had a great meal. We also ate at the Steakhouse (always great), and enjoyed the Tropical as well (the shrimp were fabulous). The buffets always had something, even for the fussy eater in our family. We found the buffet on the Tucan side was usually quieter and more relaxed for both breakfast and supper, and the food is the same. At lunch we tended to eat at the beachside restaurant and often had the hamburgers hot off the grill. I know it's been mentioned in many other reviews, but ladies, don't bother wearing spiky heeled shoes - you'll have a hard time managing the jungle paths or the wood path on the Quetzal side.
We really weren't bothered by any vendors on the beach - there were people walking around selling jewelery or cigars, but they didn't pester you if you didn't take an interest. Same for the staff offering massages or spa services - they were friendly and didn't hassle you if they remembered you from a previous day.
We had pictures taken with all the animals, and also did a family photo shoot with the photographer from the resort. I did feel pressure from the photographer when I went to see the photos - she offered me a "deal" for $800 US, and seemed put off when I only selected 7 shots (which was still $105 US). I didn't like how obviously unimpressed she was with my order - and I wonder - if it's not your wedding, do people actually spend $800 on vacation photos?
We ordered room service for our son twice, and were very pleased with the speed of service, and how hot the food was when it arrived. We also have to compliment the bell boy for how quickly he came to pick up our luggage when we were leaving.
After 3 times at the same resort, we have already decided to return there next winter, because why be disappointed by a place you don't know, when this resort has everything we need for a wonderful vacation.