TMR On the Scene: Deep Dive Seminar into Iberostar’s Dominican Republic Offerings

Cuba is all but closed for business, for the time being at least. So where are all those Canadian beach-seekers supposed to go?

Iberostar wants them to ride the “Waves” to the Dominican Republic. For not much more, the company says, travellers can expect a different service, food and beverage experience.

That was part of the messaging shared with advisors by Angel Pacheco, Ontario BDM for Iberostar Hotels & Resorts.

Pacheco held three in-person seminars, appropriately located at the Dominican Republic Tourism offices in downtown Toronto, taking groups of agents through a detailed presentation and discussion covering the hotelier’s seven-property footprint in the D.R.

Iberostar’s flagship complex in Bávaro was the brand’s first venture outside Spain back in the ’90s. And although it isn’t technically on Bávaro Beach — Arena Gorda, to be precise — the complex has grown to include two “Waves” resorts, a “Selection” property (which also incorporates the “Coral” resort-within-a-resort concept), and the ultra-luxe, adults-only JOIA.

A good portion of Iberostar’s €1 billion — that’s billion with a “B” — investment through 2028 has gone, and will continue to go, toward renovations and expansions in the Dominican Republic.

For example, Iberostar’s Costa Dorada resort in Puerto Plata is currently closed until the end of October for a complete renovation of its rooms, some common areas and the pool. The Punta Cana complex is getting refreshed rooms, along with some excellent new family concepts, including in-room tents, trundle beds and climbing frames.

Meanwhile, the Hacienda Dominicus in Bayahibe is a standalone “Selection”-level property so lush and tropical that garden tours are actually offered as an activity. It also boasts new pickleball courts and the turquoise waters that La Romana is famous for. Pacheco’s description of this resort took on an extra-special tone, as it’s where he proposed to his husband.

There were also a few agent testimonials from within the groups, shared by those who had attended FAM trips or travelled to Iberostar resorts personally — certainly more reliable than a TripAdvisor review or an influencer’s TikTok video.

Additional details were shared about Iberostar PRO, the company’s direct-booking portal, where elevated commission levels are available, as well as its Star Agents loyalty program.

Pacheco said Iberostar is seeing increased direct-booking traffic from consumers and wants to give travel agents access to that same booking channel. Direct bookings can be particularly useful for clients who have points for air travel, and the portal also offers more room categories than are typically available through tour operators.

Agents definitely left the seminar with a deeper and more confident understanding of the Iberostar brand — and with a bonus 3,000 Star Points in their pockets, simply for taking time out of their schedules and committing to learning more.

Not a bad return on an afternoon spent in a seminar.