Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Conflicted Review but Honest

The design of this Hotel is both beautiful and confusingly silly. There is only one bar by the pool that sadly has only a few seats and tables but more designed for swim up purposes rather than two bars for a building this size (1 for swim up and one with an awning allowing chairs and tables below like most hotels). Surprisingly, the rooms have a bathroom with a large window allowing natural light into the bathroom but also completely negates any privacy what so ever. Not a place to go with a [... read more] friend and share a room! The buffet area requires a line to form for freshly made chicken, seafood, omlets and beef. Sadly, the line can only be up to 5 people long before there was over-congestion. This isn't in any way wise when the hotel is even at half capacity and a lunch/dinner rush approaches. the beach is not as "superb" as that of the areas closer to the city. This isn't a bad thing but another detail I personally see as a big selling feature for the higher cost over places such as Be Live Experience down the street. The staff made up for many of the pitfalls of the hotel and this is truly the reason I go to Cuba so often. the people and their genuine personalities. Although some were young and still learning their positions, they did a great job (besides the quarterbacks at the front desk who repeatedly dropped the ball when you report an issue with your room like a toilet not flushing. Expect it to be repaired within a few hours rather than within the hour as I experienced twice and gave up). Pillows smelled of mold. Replacement pillows were not any better. If you love cold showers, this is your dream hotel! With the location being filled as it was in mid-Feb 2019, warm water was available three of the seven days I was there. This was probably the straw that broke the back of my intention of returning to this location. On a big plus... the food was absolutely divine! The saying goes "You don't gop to cuba for the food" and this hotel shattered that quote completely. The dessert table was some of the best I have ever tasted in my life and tip my hat to the staff for that.

Muthu Colonial Hotel: Amazing Spanish architecture !

We found the Iberostar Colonial resort to be of a very distinct Spanish design and ambiance , quite different from the glass and metal buildings that you see in a lot of resort areas . The buildings are of old , classic , Spanish styles with stucco and woods and red tile ceramic roofs . This quality is maintained throughout the whole complex both inside and out . The interiors are of dark wood with cream coloured walls and black framed windows . The furniture is of dark stuffed leather variety  [... read more]both in the common areas and the rooms and are very comfortable . The rooms are a good size with comfortable beds and good storage areas . The buffet restaurant is more modern with white walls and a glass wall facing the lovely beach area . The first half is laid out for displaying the prepared foods which the back is setup for the cooking area . There is a good assortment of foods but very similar from day to day . Cuban cuisine is not noted for being anything special . The service was very good by the waiters and most of the cooks behind the various grills were friendly and tried to serve what you liked . The property is large with lots of old Spanish style Villas as mentioned earlier . The grounds are very well laid out with various trees and flower beds . The paths are cobbled with different stones instead of cement slabs and are nicely maintained . The beach area is close and very well laid out . There area couple of areas dedicated to children . We liked the resort and the staff but thought the food at the Buffet needs upgrading .

Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites: Outstanding resort.

Unbelievably well managed resort. Superbly clean in all respects -- beach cleaned of seaweed and debris every morning! -- grounds manicured. Outstanding service personnel --especially "PINEAPPLE".. You never have to ask for a drink or anything--staff continuously ask if you need anything without any intrusion. Food is excellent except Oriental restaurant which is more like a cafeteria and inconsistent with other excellent restaurants. Rooms are top notch but too cold and damp without abili [... read more]ty to regulate. Floors were washed and left soapy and slippery.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Great Resort

I truly enjoyed this resort, my previous experience with Cuba has been bad food and screaming kids...not this resort, food was better than good and adults only...when I go back to Cuba it will be this resort....

Hotel Mojito: Good vacation even with some of the minor problems

The beach was amazing, windy, blue chairs very dated, white chairs looked new. Spent very little time around the pool and did not swim in it, brand new chairs there. Rooms were dated but clean, toilet ran. The maid service was not up to par, our towels may have been changed once in our 7 days and sheets never. 1st day we returned from the beach at suppertime and no maid even came to make up our room. The next day we had to ask a few times, wasn't done until after 4 pm. Buffet was good, but food [... read more] is repetitive, staff were attentive especially in the mornings and lunch, not too busy either. A la cartes were really good, Gourmet and Cuban my favorite and excellent service. Was not impressed with the service at the lobby bar. I always tip but not when they ignore you, felt that way most times there.We noticed some of the Cubans receiving premium alcohol that had not upgraded to the premium, but when we asked were told it was not for us. The service and food in the snack bar was good, very busy. Bar tender was good there. We did enjoy ourselves at this resort and were stuffed after every meal, We have been to Cuba several times over the past 4 years and love this country. We will be back, but probably not to this one unless the price is really good. This is the 2nd Iberostar we have been to in the past 6 months and thought they offered a little more. I would rate this resort as a 3 - 3.5.

Hotel Mojito: Good 3.5 star resort

Fantastic beach windy, rooms dated towels and sheets changed maybe once don,t get room near pool very noisy all night from 24 hour snack bar bldg. 16 especially. alacartes surprisingly good gourmet and Cuban are the best, Italian so so, Bar service at main lounge so so some of the bartenders look right through as if you don,t even exist didn't seem to mind giving their cuban friends premium drinks even if they didn't have a premium bracelet seen more than one occasion wasn't the only one who not [... read more]iced so I tipped accordingly some were decent buffet was okay food good but very repetitive overall a clean 3.5 star resort

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: Iberostar paraisso Del mar

This resort was exactly what I was looking for . Jorge Garcia gave me lots of good information and we hope to come back again next year ! I was very happy with the gym and golf course . My wife enjoyed the pool as well as the beach . We spent several hours laying in the sun enjoying the property .

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Beautiful Beach

We booked Iberostar Daiquiri through Carol Mack at Tripcentral. We were very pleased with this resort and would definitely return. It is a smaller resort and therefore everything was close. The grounds were well kept and they spayed every morning so insects were not a problem. The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. The rooms were good but needed a fresh coat of paint on the doors and trims. The fridge did not keep the water, etc cold. The bathrooms, however, were modern and we always [... read more] had hot water for our showers. We recommend the Mexican restaurant. The Italian restaurant was good, except for the appetizers. We could always find food that we liked at the buffets. Go early when the food has been just put out. Now to the beach....it was beautiful!!! The beach was very wide with soft white sand, the consistency of icing sugar. We loved it! There were lots of lounging chairs and lots of space. The ocean water was warm and a beautiful turquoise near the shore. There was a grassy area but you can swim over it. The pool area was also great, with nice wide stairs and a railing to enter the pool. This would be very helpful for anyone with mobility problems. Overall, we were very pleased. The friendly staff, the beautiful sandy beaches and the nice safe ocean to swim in made our stay one that we will look back on with very fond memories.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Amazing Resort

The entertainment team was fabulous and all the staff were kind and genuine people. Amazing stay and service. The location was beautiful, even though it was windy. My family and i had a great stay. Would like to go again!:)

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Wonderful Multi-Generation Resort

Located between Puerto Morales and Playa del Carmen, Paraiso Beach is an enjoyable resort with a family orientated emphasis. It has all of the amenities that are contained within beautiful grounds and is staffed by attentive and hard-working folks. There are a variety of restaurants, bars and a plethora of daily activities featured in addition to, evening shows that range from high end amateur musical theatre to off the strip professional performers. We travelled with three teenagers (with [... read more]out cell phones) for 12 days who were on the go from 8 – 11 p.m.; lovin’ every minute of it. (The kids club received rave reviews from both parents and kids.) If you have mobility issues, you should alert the front desk, as it is a large complex. Additionally, it is difficult to acquire a family meal times (5-7 p.m.) from the a la carte restaurants. However, there are many alternative options of extensive buffets, tacos, burgers and the little-known Star Rock Café which serves excellent food without a reservation. For our family of five this was a good value for money, all inclusive resort and it is fittingly well- recommended.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Lovely resort!

We really enjoyed our vacation at this resort. The beach and pools were amazing. The food was good but a little bland. The food could have used more spice. The staff were very friendly. The entertainment was excellent. The singers and dancers were very talented. The bars were good and the drinks tasted great. We were a bit disappointed to find two single beds in our room. We felt that the resort needed some maintenance. For example, we heard that some shower heads did not work, some safes did no [... read more]t close, some doors in the lobby did not close properly, some phones did not work, some railings were broken, some rooms were without water for brief periods and the rooms smelt musty. Overall, we were pretty pleased with most things.

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: Lindo never fails

This is our 5th stay at Lindo and it will not be our last. We have been to many other resorts in the Mayan Riviera and while most of the others were nice we have never returned to them. Lindo is part of the Iberostar Paraiso Resort Complex, there are five resorts in the complex, and Lindo is the middle of the five. We feel that Lindo gives you the most bang for our buck. The staff is amazing and they go out of their way to go that extra mile for you. The food is great, after you have done severa [... read more]l Caribbean and Mexican resorts you come to realize that the quality of food is very different from one resort to the other. The resort is a very safe place so there is no worry about walking around at night or early in the morning. Also there are not people on the beach driving you crazy trying to sell you their local wares. Unlike most resort chains Iberostar does not have people harassing you to buy time shares or join clubs, these are offered but only if you show an interest. The only thing that I can say at all negative is about the evening shows. These shows have not changed in the past five years. While the rock show is great this is mainly because of the guitarist who is the real star of the show. I would like to see all of the other shows given an update. I would love to be given the job to select new music for all the shows. If you have never been here before you will enjoy the shows but if you are a returning guest it becomes a little boring. The entertainment team has completely changed this year, and they are very energetic. Also the resort has been doing some renovations which are great, the beach bar and snack bar are both redone, and there is now a 24/7 coffee bar in the lobby area. I can't say enough good things about Lindo and I am looking forward to going back

Hotel Mojito: Great value

We enjoyed staying at this hotel. Nice rooms (rain shower head and good patio door locking system). Food was good - good selection of salad bar items, carving station at dinner, pasta bar, stir fry at dinner... Snacks were somewhat limited in choice between meals but pizza was tasty. Lobby area nice (would prefer non-smoking area but that's hard to come by in Cuba lol). Cigar lounge was enjoyable with Freddie the bartender looking after us well and a fun band. Activities staff kept us busy [... read more] playing games. Longer walk to beach (but we knew that when we booked). Excellent availability of chairs at pool and beach. Lots of palapas at beach, less shade options at the pool. Great staff overall.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Beautiful Beaches and Amazing staff

My happy place for the third time but a horrible rude encounter with the female Cuban Manager because I expected late check out privileges as in the past....I will be writing a detailed account to the general manager on a later date.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Amazing staff!

We enjoyed our 2 week stay at Iberostar Daiquiri. The resort is a bit tired but a great value nonetheless. The food was good and we enjoyed the Mexican and Italian restaurants. The beach was amazing and you never had a problem getting lounger chairs. The staff at this resort are the best! So friendly and accommodating! The synchronized swimmers pool show was fantastic. The grounds are well maintained and rooms are clean. A great resort if you’re looking to relax on the beach, suntan and meet g [... read more]reat people!

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: Top notch resort

Amazing resort, with top quality food Its very big and spread out though, so be prepared to walk a lot (or take the golf carts) Excellent gym facility also - we loved to start our day off with a spin class

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Iberostar Paraiso Beach

We love Iberostar Paraiso Beach. This was our fourth trip to the complex; three to paraiso beach and one to paraiso del mar. We have always been pleased, hence our four visits. We were not impressed by Sunwing airlines. The seats were too tightly packed and they ran out of food on the way down. Ground crew taking us to our hotel were very efficient.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Very Quaint and Relaxing Resort!!

the Hotels charm was the Staff and the Eaze of learning the ins /outs .. We had a Fab Time ! Small , but very good . you got to know much of the Staff .. we only went for 5 Days , but long enough to provide a Great Time !! Close to Varadero and Havana Tour was Awesome!!

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya Suites: Iberostar Paraiso Maya

A very beautiful, spacious resort shared with 3 other sister hotels. The grounds are lush green and well taken cared by the staff, so many pools to be enjoyed by all ages including a wave pool for the kids.Our bedroom was amazing, the sheer size and we had a shower and tub in our bathroom. The little fridge was restocked daily with bottled water, pop and beer. There is 6 hotel blocks with rooms and each block had its own concierge desk to help visitors with issues. The hotels let guests share t [... read more]heir restaurants, so many choices and the food and service was excellent.There is a good variety of entertainment at the theatre every evening and different activities during the day at the pools and beach.If walking is too tiring for the kids or elderly one can ask the concierge desk to call for a golf cart ride to your destination ljke the shopping center...

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Great family resort

The hotel was visually very attractive.Our rooms were spacious with a beautiful ocean view. The large tub was tricky to get into and took some care to manoeuvre a safe entry and exit. Cleaning service was excellent everyday. The kiddie pools were lovely and great for our 2 year old grandson. The Olympic pools were enjoyed also. Now for food.That was a little disappointing. The main buffet was held up at different stations with people lining up to get omelettes, stir fries and toast.Not enough p [... read more]eople on board to handle the demand for fresh cooked food. None of the food was labelled. For myself, with lactose and gluten allergies, it was particularly difficult to choose something to eat that would be safe for me. Buffet personnel had no clue what gluten was. There seemed to be no itinerary in sight for the day’s activities.Booking specialty restaurants was really time consuming as one lady was doing all the bookings for that big hotel all by herself.Sometimes people would wait 1 1/2 or more hours to get a booking.Those restaurants were great and worth the wait.Lastly, the elevators did not work properly the whole week.Only one ever worked. Once again, you had to wait 5-10 mins to get it to do down to the ground floor. It was difficult for people with walkers, canes and suitcases. Overall, the weather made the visit worthwhile. I probably will not return to Cuba.I prefer a cruise. Thanks, Barbara Gail Walker