Titanic of Cuba

Poor hygiene. Hotel has deteriorated considerably. Japanese restaurant makes you sick. Two of the four restaurants closed. Waterfall not repaired in two years! Rooms filthy and not cleaned daily, no towels, drinks, sheets not changed. Cockroaches everywhere. Hallways and stairs poorly lit and slippery. Ran out of drinks daily but had for some special guests only. Staff ignored all requests. Guest relations and managers rude and inefficient-patronizing and dismissive. Beach gorgeous. Many [... read more] broken chairs. Very expensive for lack of amenities and service. Is a two star at most. If it was the Titanic, guests are third class passengers. Bring your own lifejacket.

Fantastic Trip

We stayed here from October 15-22, 2019. We booked an ocean view room and the view we had was amazing! When checking in, we arrived a lot earlier than check in time and was given our room keys and was so pleased with our room. The food was great for Cuban standards. We were never hungry. The staff was always smiling and happy. We are hoping to come back again soon!!

Worth less than what we paid

The resort looks average for a 5*. The rooms are kinda old. The activities are limited same as the availability of the towels at the pool.. The food is bad. The staff is not friendly you must tip first.

Very good resort. This resort value 4 - 4.5 stars

I came back from this resort 3 days ago (02 Sept 2019), I spent 8 days and 7 nights at this resort. I won't give 5 stars for this resort but I will give 4-4.5 stars for this resort. All staffs are nice and friendly. Food are very good. I eat at least 18 meals in the buffet in my trip but I never see any cockroach in the buffet area. Staff keeps wiping the buffet area. Honestly, there are a lot of flies and some birds flying in buffet area but this is an open area and also a lot of tree outside [... read more], I completely understand this is nature. Buffet food are out of our expectation, all food tastes good especially dessert area. Drink are free. Alcohol drink taste good. The only disadvantage is no alcohol drink menu, we don't know the name to order the drink. They better provide the drink menu to travelers. Room are clean and A/C is working all day. We are in the middle of the building, unfortunately, Varadero have thunderstorm and raining heavily 3 days (keep raining heavily more than 6 hrs after 7pm). Some of the ceiling are dripping water and my floor corridor are flooding but the resort cannot control heavily rain, this is also out of their expectation. Cause of the heavy rain, our room are out of electricity a few hours but finally they fix it. Some of the paint in my room is peeling off but this is not a big deal for us. Bed is very big, mattress is too soft, need to replace. Towel is not changing every day except you requested. The room keeper will provide a new towel when you requested for it. I don't know how long they change the pool towels in the room but we keep using the same pool towels in 7 days. This resort provide a swimming towel beside the swimming pool area but a lot of time out of towel. Toilet is clean and working well. The room keeper provide us toilet paper but no tissue in the room. You need to bring tissue by yourself. In the resort some public toilet locks are not working. I really don't know why some of the travelers never flush in the public toilet after use. Room refrigerator always keeps 1 large bottle of water, 2 cola and 1 beer. Only 1 day, they forget to refill the drink but I report to front desk, they refill the drink when I go back the room. Snack bar is 24 hrs, burger tastes good but never have hot dogs. Pizza and French fries are average. Beach is beautiful. Sand is soft, sea water is warm. I hate some travelers smoke in the beach and through the cigarette everywhere. Beach equipment is free, everyone can use 30 mins. Offer free life jacket when you use the beach equipment. Swimming Pool is clean. The deepest is 1.04m, it is good for family with kids but small kids still need to be careful. I just saw an infant without life jacket playing aside the pool and fell into the water. Fortunately, her aunt just help him out of the water immediately, his father is watching his phone, his mother is taking a photo. The pool is not clean because a lot of travelers did not clean their body and feet after going to the beach and then jump into the swimming pool. That's why some of the sand under the water and aside pool area. A lot of travelers drink inside the swimming pool, some of them leave their plastic cup inside the swimming pool, sometimes wind blows the empty plastic cup into the swimming pool, too. Tennis, table tennis, basketball, shooting game, pool game, you need to check the working hour and make the reservation except you bring your own equipment. Basketball not enough air, table tennis is weird the ball is not bouncing normally. They have pool table but no ball and cues, need to go somewhere to pick up the balls and cues. Gym is in 5th floor. Very good condition. Went to gym a few times because noon - 3:00pm is not suitable to swim (easy to get sunburn). We spent a few days in the gym between noon - 3:00pm. The Jacuzzi is next to the gym room, this is warm water open view Jacuzzi. Very good to relax and good view but not for people under 18. I need to ask my son go to gym, me and my wife can go to Jacuzzi for 15 mins. Check out is easy, just returned the room key and that's it. No any hard time. Check the shuttle bus to airport by yourself 1 day before check out. The receptionist does not know anything about airport shuttle bus. Wifi is 1 CUC per hour. Only in specific area can use wifi. Try not to use wifi in your vacation, better spend more time with your family than your devices.

Terrible Service

I have never experienced such a terrible service. Air conditioning at the Buffet or bar not working, or the managers don't put them on to save electricity. Rooms are run down and dirty. Cleaning lady terrible attitude. Do yourselves a favour and don't go to this hotel. Pay the extra difference and go to Melia International. At least it's clean. Towels dirty, food acceptable, but ugly presentation. Very lazy staff. A la carte restaurants terrible food. Beach bar was very good. The only place wher [... read more]e service was nice. Snack bar terrible. Pizzas and hamburgers worst of the worst. Iberostar should be ashamed that this hotel holds their name. Did I say that service was terrible? Peor de los peores.

From South Africans in Cuba via Canada

Overall the experience with the Hotel has been great. I will highlight some good and not so good experiences from the Hotel. The transfer to the Hotel is a mad dash to catch a bus. Its worth it spending a couple of CUC and have a porter help you with you bags to the bus - we were 3 adults , 1 toddler and 1 infant so we had a lot to lug around. The bus ride was great and the tour guides make it interesting as they provide some delightful insight into Cuba and the tour options. There were even  [... read more]a couple of Cristal beers offered to all guest on the bus. Arrival at the hotel you just realize what is meant with humidity. The reception is a nice welcome. The ladies a the check in desk was able to assist in getting adjacent rooms after a lot of conversation exchanges. We did however request for a baby crib through the travel agent and again on check in, I was informed that it will come through to our room but are yet to see the baby crib even after our departure. The rooms are acceptable and by that I mean the amenities are there but the rooms are in need of some upgrades or repairs (TLC). The bed lamps didn't have bulbs in and the TV remote didn't work at all. Even trying to use the button on the TV did not work as it kept on displaying an error message. We eventually ended up swapping TV remote from between room 15211 and 15215. As we have a toddler tv was a must at night otherwise we would not have cared. The lady servicing our room was great and friendly and she really trued her best to dress it with flowers daily. The fridge was stocked almost daily with 1,5l water , 2 local beers and 2 local soda's -free of charge. Buffet B-fast/Lunch/Dinner The food selection was good and be open minded to local cuisine options. They have employee preparing fresh meals if you are prepared to wait in a line a couple of minutes (its worth it). There is a good selection of fruits and desserts and if you are quick you can get ice-cream and by quick I mean before it melts. The only negative about the buffet's for us was the fact that there is no cooling which makes for unpleasant dinning experience. We had a pool view room and it was great. There is a lot of entertainment during the day poolside and at night. If you have specialty dinning options book these on arrival as the night book out quickly. I wish I could write more but I am limited to the number of characters. So to conclude - Overall it was a great experience. The rooms just needs some updating.

Good Resort

The hotel grounds was well kept , we upgraded our room which was a good choice, also we got the 5th floor which has the best view, the air condition did not work in the Buffet, the staff was friendly and helpful, the beach amazing , and pool area, the shows all in Spanish language, but ok their were some inefficiencies overall, but minor and repairable. the Wi fi $1.00 CUC only limited to the lobby area. Overall not a 5* maybe 4*.,food was okay lost of choices. Everyone's expectation is at d [... read more]ifferent level, so it depends what are looking for on your vacation and want to accomplished.

Great resort

Overall we enjoyed this resort. David Bell our travel agent was great and informative. Things to think about are no face cloths are supplied so bring your own. Food is ok. Servers in buffets and Japanese restaurant are great. Elevators were not working and pools were not deep. Overall we were very happy.

Amazing staff but very shy of a 4.5 star

This was not our first time to Cuba but our first to this resort. First let’s start with the positives. The beach was stunning, plenty of shade and lots of space. The grounds were lovely, the food was good (considering it was Cuba) and everything is centrally located. The staff at the resort were incredible, tried to sort out any issues we had and went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed. Unfortunately the rooms are very worn and tired. This resort is in major need of a full renova [... read more]tion. Furniture (throughout the resort+room) sheets and towels all had stains, mold throughout the room, closet doors broken, lock on hotel room door didn’t work, AC unit barely able to produce cold air and created a lake on our floor and the shower head wall mount unusable. If we were to consider returning, it would be because of the staff and a crazy amazing deal!

Laguna is AMAZING!

The resort was good and the people were AMAZING! We had a great time. Our room was clean and mini bar stocked daily. Yoselin and the rest of the crew at the swim up bar were fabulous! The food was ok but honestly I don't go for the food. I go for the sun and relaxation. Always found something to eat. One night we did have lobster on the grill in the buffet which was GREAT! Overall I would recommend this resort. We have been twice and this time the service and room were better than the  [... read more]first!

Worst Vacation

The structure of the hotel is nice but overall it was all outdated, air conditioner not working properly and rooms were all old and out dated. The food was bad, I'm NOT a picky person but I cannot tolerate the food, no variety of selection and it is all limited (ice cream, mango fruits and desserts). Snacks are all hot dogs, fries and pizza (worst pizza). The reception people are not friendly, rushed to talk to you and hard to understand because they rushing to explains things. The bar always ru [... read more]n out of mojito and other drinks. My family got sick with the food, the food people doesn't handled the food properly (dirty) and lots of flies in the buffet area.

Great vacation!

Two of my friends and I stayed here for one week and absolutely loved it! It was a relaxing resort with a beautiful beach and lots to do. We are in our mid twenties and were looking to relax but have fun so we spent our days lounging at the beach and nights watching the good entertainment shows, dancing at the disco, having a few drinks by the lobby bar, and exploring some of the nightlife around Varadero. We were comfortable at this resort and thought the service was good (sometimes a little sl [... read more]ow). The food at the buffet was acceptable and there was good variety. Also, the beach chairs were highly uncomfortable and the rooms looked a little run down but this wasn’t a problem in the grand scheme of things. We would recommend this resort to anyone...there was a lot to do for people of all ages and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

Relaxing vacation

Our adult family of 4 just came back June 10th 2019 from Laguna Azul. This resort from the exterior is stunning! Beautiful open and modern lobby, picturesque main pool and postcard beautiful beach. We had excellent weather- we went for the sun and boy, did we get some! We did an excursion - Catamaran/Snorkelling. This was a fun trip off the resort but the coral reef was nothing to marvel at; within 5 minutes I had my mask and snorkel off and was just swimming around enjoying the refreshing water [... read more]. Excursion stops for a buffet (great food) and beach time at Cayo Blanco...WOW! Beautiful beach and soft white sand. They have a mammal there called the tree rat- friendly and mostly looking for some food, water and shade! Happy to provide for them being an animal lover :)  The rooms had a mildly stale odor when we first entered and there were minor issues between the rooms- no toilet paper, really unstable fan, small leak from the mini fridge. The resort gives you blue beach towels to use poolside and we had none. Elevators frequently out of service around the resort. Wifi not included- you buy a 1 CUC wifi card which gives you 60 minutes of Wifi and it's mostly only accessible in the lobby not the rooms. The biggest trick I can share is to tip them/gift the staff including maids and buffet staff early on- our service had a noticeable difference afterwards! I know its backwards though...we normally tip after a meal or service since the amount is based on quality of work but just go with it. The food was plentiful but average. I grumbled a little despite being the most easy going with that but then I heard about other resorts really showing signs of the food shortage and sometimes only having rice etc and now I'm really grateful for what we had! Book the a la cartes, I enjoyed the experiences especially Japanese.  Overall, would I return to Varadero- maybe for a cheap and cheerful getaway and I would likely return here but otherwise I may try to upgrade to another country with more modern features. I came for rest and relaxation though and I am very pleased to say my vacation here delivered.

Great beach

Beach was amazing that’s why you go to Cuba!! Hotel was run down ... ran out of pool towels .couldn't exchange for fresh ones .. had to change rooms 3x ... food was ok ... didn’t go hungry .. shows were entertaining.. kids enjoyed them ...

Great Resort. Amazing Beach. Very relaxing week.

Great resort. Amazing Beach. Very relaxing. Went with my wife for 7 days ending June 1 2019. Looks like we hit a transitional week as the hotel was changing from Winter staff to Summer staff, hotel was only about a 1/3 full. Service was a bit slow and unorganized when we 1st arrived, but seemed to get better as the week progressed. Food for the most part was good, plenty of variety at the buffet. Beach snack bar was disappointing - only serving pizza, fries and hot dogs, hit and miss on bbq  [... read more]chicken. Due to the summer restrictions, not all the Al’Carte restaurants were open. We ate at the Japanese, Italian and French, Food was excellent and a welcome treat away from the buffet We also choose to upgrade for a “Special Beach Dinner, 4 courses, lots of food. Service and atmosphere was excellent. Rooms were large and had everything required, bed was super comfortable, but the room and fixtures were looking a bit tired. We come to Cuba for the beach. This resorts beach did not disappoint, soft sand warm water. Love to see a upgrade to the plastic lounge chairs. Weather was fantastic, overall a very relaxing trip

Nice resort

Rooms really close to beach,very nice beach !! Grounds and pools well kept ..resort rooms could definitely be upgraded a bit outdated..food not so great but found some things tolerable enough to eat.friendly staff.enjoyed the outdoor area off main entrance..plenty of nighttime things to do..getting extra things brought to room ie extra toilet paper ,water..seemed to never be a priority when asking.would be written down but that would be as far as it went..with that being said it was overall a ni [... read more]ce resort ,beach was amazing ,water warm and clean and would definitely recommend and would go back.

Great experience!

Staff were amazing and friendly as could be, no complaints about the room at all, not 5-star but it was clean amd the bed was very comfortable. The quiet pool was just outside our patio door and we were out there pretty much every day, very nice pool. Great lobby, the servers were wonderful when bringing drinks, i need more cappucino! Food was excellent quality with great selection to choose from no matter what your tastes. Overall an awesome experience and we're going back to Azul again in D [... read more]ecember.

Amazing Stay

The hotel was wonderful! A little outdated but well kept and the grounds were stunning! It was very easy to navigate to the pool and beach am the restaurants! The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke great English for those who needed it! I really enjoyed the buffet as it seemed that there was a lot of European influence in the cuisine and the a la carts were great also but make sure to reserve as soon as you get in! The diving excursions through the hotel was on point a [... read more]s was the catamaran without Dolphinarium. We also got a bus into Havana for one night and he staff was helpful in getting us there and back! Thank you for a wonderful week!

Iberostar laguna azul

The staff were very helpful! The beach was beautiful, grounds and facility well taken care of. The rooms were a little out of date and we did have to switch in order to ensure we had a safe for our belongings but other than that we had a wonderful stay. Everyone was fun and energetic. The food was delicious and there was always something new to do or try.

Loved it!

This resort is very clean with excellent service and lots of friendly smiles. This was my 7th trip to Cuba, 3rd time to Varadero and it's the first resort I'd say I'd go back to a second time. The only thing I would recommend is to bring your own beach towel, getting a clean one proved to be difficult at times. Pools were always clean, beach is absolutely amazing and the staff at this resort work their butt off to make sure you have a pleasant stay. Tip them well !