Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Amazing resort

Staff were great and very friendly, front counter staff could use a little refresher on friendliness but overall they were good. Loved the pools and beach right there was perfect, a short ride to town; we took taxis as trying to get on the bus was impossible for 7 of us so we just bartered two cabs. Food was good, and had good variety.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Great resort

Hotel was good overall, staff were very friendly and always smiling. Food was good, we took our own ketchup from Canada(tip from fellow traveller there). Was nice to be right on the beach and walking distance to marina and a short drive to town for day trips

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Amazing Resort

It was a big resort but it didn't feel crowded. With everything well spaced out, you were never crowded. The beach was nice; bar close by, towel hut and food was available. The A La Carte Restaurant were superb, great food and great selections. As well as the buffet. The kids club was handy. The mall with the disco (free free free) was all part of the all inclusive. The shuttles to and fro was a godsend. Very clean and lots of hot water in the rooms. FYI: Do not take the "free" shuttl [... read more]e to Del Carmen. It's only a 20 minute drive, it took us 3 hrs. They do a stop at a jewelry store and then to the tequila store. They drop you off and then you have to wait for your shuttle to come back to pick you up to take you to Del Carmen.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Unremarkable overall

I have been to Cuban all-inclusive resorts on four occasions so what follows has at least some basis for comparison. 1. Our room was always kept clean and tidy by the housekeeping staff. The room itself was a different matter. The couch, bed, and bathroom had seen better days. In fact the general "physical plant" of the resort was all but crumbling. Perhaps the most disconcerting issue with our room was the the door to our deck (which had a fantastic view of the beach and ocean) had no actual l [... read more]ock. While it was on the 3rd floor, a common balcony was next to it. I could go on about no mattress cover, peeling paint, mold in the bathroom but my observations should be clear. 2. The fridge worked some days and not others and was only stocked on the first day. It seemed to me and to those few I spoke to that requests to address issues was met with a simple transfer to another room (which often had different infrastructure problems). I realize that some of these issues were due to recent storms in the area, but many were clearly long-standing. Without doubt, the long beech was among the best I have walked on in my life. The greatest draw of this resort IMO. 3. I know that before we go to Cuba that the food will not be particularly tasty or varied. However, the food at this resort is in another category. First of all, the ques for having parts of meals (fried fish, omelettes, pancakes etc) were slow and long. One of the pizza cooks was using an two-deck oven where one of the decks was not working. Much of the food seems to have been frozen and reheated--even veggies. This was even the case at the ethnic restaurants. Prepared salads tended to be a creatively presented mix of aging veggies to the point that they became a kind of slush when put on people's plates. 4. Most of the workers were among the best I have ever encountered at any resort. I had a severe medical issue that was handled by the resort doctor and communications person with genuine care and promptness. The servers, gardeners, towel guys, and many of the bar/lunch places were excellent. Conclusion: while the crumbling physical plant and food were well below the 4* designation (even by Cuban standards) the genuine care and professionalism of the workers was outstanding and the beech was outstanding. If a beautiful natural surrounding and delightful staff mean more to you than average food and well maintained buildings and grounds I think you would enjoy going to Iberostar Daiquiri all-inclusive resort. Otherwise, you may wish to consider other options.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Not a 5 star!

This hotel might have been 5 star in the past but it is not 5 star anymore. The rooms were dated, the fans, showers heads, etc broken, mattress, bedding & towels old & worn out. The Japanese restaurant doesn't really serve Japanese food, they can call it anything but Japanese. The restaurant close to the beach doesn't keep the service & food until the exact closing time & the dishes were empty half-hour before closing time. The staff are polite & kind & the night shows were great.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Family oriented resort

This is a family oriented resort. Nothing much to offer for adults entertainment and overall animation. Annoying that children have access to the bar lobby and kills the vibe if you want to enjoy a relaxing adult only experience. Rooms are spacious and clean in the Spa section_block 21 is perfect setting. Food is ordinary and we saw some cockroaches at the buffet walking on the counter. Avoid the food at the snack bar near the beach. Do not bother with A la carte restaurants since they serve  [... read more]the same thing at the buffet. Please bring lots of hand sanitizer since this is lacking Pathways to access the beaches in really poor conditions and dangerous. Great tennis courses and coach is amazing. Same for Joby from animation team that offered private boxing training every morning at the Spa section. Great coach and excellent training. Staff are friendly.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: One persons opinion

The hotel was nothing special. My fridge was not stocked daily, my balcony door did not lock and my toiletries were not restocked daily. I did find the beds very uncomfortable after a couple days. The resort itself was nice and staff were friendly. My only complaint os that there was nowhere to buy bottles of water.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Needs some updating

The first rooms we were assigned to were terrible building 20 I believe. They were dated, dirty and not at all five star quality. After negotiating with front desk we ended up in building 16 which was where we stayed previously and it was nice! But not enough beds. Overall the resort has lovely grounds. Great pool ocean front is amazing. The entertainment was great! Only would recommend ocean view building 16!

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Good time

It was a good time, everything was spread out so lots of walking, lobby closed early every night. Good food, overall 3.5/5 would probably go back with better footwear. Staff was good to deal with, should be provided with a map of everything included including sister resorts.pool was colder than the ocean.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Hidden Gem

It was a beautiful hotel, accommodations were amazing, beach was great, and the staff was super friendly. What more could you ask for in a resort. Food was as best as cuba could offer, and the entertainment was superb.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Pleasantly surprised!

Spent a week with friends at this budget friendly hotel and was pleasantly surprised. Having travelled to Cuba 4 times previously, I was well acquainted with the cuban cuisine, beautiful beaches and friendly people. The resort is approx. 40 mins from airport. Not a lot to see during the drive, major destruction to the vegetation caused by last year's hurricane. Area consists mostly of hotels, considerable distance from any town. There is a marina nearby for sailing and snorkelling. (I am a snork [... read more]elling enthusiast), not a great coral reef, but the catamaran excursion was still fun. The hotel is small (my preference) with lots to offer. The grounds are well maintained, the pool clean and the beach so beautiful. White powdery sand, lots of chairs and shade available. The water clean, warm, beautiful turquoise, some seaweed growing in areas, beach cleaned regularly. Catamaran, paddle boats, and banana boat activities available short walk down beach. Also parasailing available for very good price, we were able to stay up for 20 mins. and got as high as 480 to 500 meters, very good experience if you get the right weather. The area is very popular for kite surfers as well, provided incredible entertainment on windy days. The hotel itself is older and as I mentioned fairly well maintained. Didn't request upgraded room when booking, took deal of the day pricing. The room I had was clean and comfortable, new mattress, new pillows, etc. Everything worked, view was of pool and oceanview. (All rooms are oceanview) Air conditioner worked, lots of hot water,mini bar stocked daily with water, beer and soft drinks, maid service was excellent. The staff are excellent and try very hard to please it's guests. Check In was well organized, bags portered, no wait for rooms, etc. Desk staff spoke good English and very friendly. Money exchange at lobby desk was actually better than bank! There is a bank on site at the resort. WiFi cost very reasonable for 1 peso/per hour in lobby area, range extended to pool/room area depending on device. Lobby bar by far the most popular for drinks including best coffee, but no smoking restrictions may be problem at times. Dining was a pleasant surprise. Buffet offered many selections and variety. If you like fish you will be very happy, beautiful fresh,local fish/seafood grilled to your liking (sea bass, mahi mahi, baracuda, snapper, large shrimp, and others). For the meat lovers, there was fresh grilled to your preference: pork, chicken, beef, bacon for breakfast if desired. Everything was cooked fresh. Lots of salads, breads, beautiful cheeses, fruit of all kinds. There was a pasta station, pizza station, different stations for different nights. One night sushi, another night amazing burgers need I say more. I can't comment on the desserts as they are not my thing, but I can say the ice cream cannot be resisted. Line ups, yes unfortunately at times, but that is why you book al la cartes, there are three of them, Italian, Mexican and Cuban. Besides line ups are a great way to meet fellow guests. The entertainment was nice, the dancers were very good, couple of ok magic shows, but what I enjoyed most was the informal music in the lobby bar area, local cuban music bands and singers all very, very good. If you like cuban music don't miss out on a opportunity to see the legendary Buena Vista Social Club, not too far from hotel for 25CUC's, up close and personal, small venue for this renowned performance. There are few places I would return to as I love to travel and there is a big world out there to see, but I just might go back to this place. But I would definitely recommend it to the budget minded traveller, lots of bang for your buck!!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great Resort. Grows On You. Would Go back!

Sunwing Issue We were supposed to leave around 3:30 pm EST from Terminal 3. We came to the airport early as we had VIP access once checked in. By 11:15 we saw that our plane was delayed about 5 hours. On a check on the pervious WG410 flight from Toronto one week before we saw a similar delay so not happy. We were given ‘weather’ as an excuse but the plane was coming from Punta Cana so very unlikely since other planes from there were not late to Toronto. It seemed like a poor excuse. We we [... read more]re given $20 each to spend for food so we got at least something. Since we had VIP we missed the 2 gate changes that occurred between when we checked in and when we left so that was at least good for us. The incoming plane came in just before it was supposed to leave so we knew it would be even later. All said and done it was almost 6 hours late. Suffice to say the people that were delayed 5 hours getting to Puerto Plata the week before (Jan 10th) were once again delayed coming back as they had to wait for us to get in before their WG411 flight left Puerto Plata. Not a lot of happy faces. This fiasco made our bus drivers at the airport in Dominican have to wait 6 hours. The hotel staff were not happy with the delay and with Sunwing at all. Sunwing does not have a very good name, at least not at this resort. When we got to the resort it was almost 3pm their time (They are AST). We had no porters and it was dark and hard to find the room. To top it off the doors to the rooms slam shut VERY hard which was not great having 10 – 15 couples come to their rooms at 3am and have they many doors slam hard. I will NEVER do Sunwing again! Rooms There are two main groups of buildings with pool in between. 3 floors each side. You can walk from one building to another in the group while having shelter from rain if need be. You can basically get close to the beach and all the way back to the lobby and restaurants while staying within the sheltered area of the group of buildings. We were in the ‘7’ block of rooms. That made us close to the pool and very close to the snackbar. We had room 7103 (floor 2) We had a chance to look at an Oceanview room (first floor) but it was not as close as we wanted and quite frankly in a busy area so we kept our Gardenview room. Gardenview room was the best for us as it had a great view of trees, flora and gardens and it was very quiet. As stated before, be careful as the door to the room slams shut HARD! They had fairly basic showers in the room we had but we did see other rooms that seemed to have a more updated look. The cleaning of the rooms is great and never had any issues at all with the staff. Fridges are kept well stocked and they can provide more water if need be. Do not drink the tap water, only use it for tooth brushing and nothing else. There was no bottles of alcohol in the rom and did not ask for it so not sure how that works. We did get Presidente beer (their house brand in Dominican), water and sugar and sugar free pop. We got a nice size balcony with two chairs and a table. There was also a white plastic dryer on the balcony wall you could pull to expand to dry clothes on. The lock to the balcony was not working but since we were floor 2 we did not press it. Bed and pillow were comfy and we had a king bed. Safe was good and had no issues with it. They do not have any super deluxe rooms like swim up etc. Took Canadian electronics and had no issues charging and using the plugs but not many. Musty smell in the room but was normal for tropical destinations and we got used to it. Air conditioning and fan were perfect if in fact sometimes even too cold. Food and Drink Coffee is good in the restaurants but the espresso machine in the lobby bar is best for cappuccino etc You can self serve your coffee, tea, water, cappuccino, ice cream etc on the property. Alcohol was good. You get Presidente beer only and not top shelf booze which is normal. We are not too picky so for us was not a big deal. You can pay more for top shelf stuff if you want to. We did get them to make a bloody mary numerous times for us. Not a Caesar but as close as you will get there. Be careful though as some were making it with Ghost Pepper sauce and calling it ‘Tobasco’.. hottttt!!! There are 3 nights you can do a sit down dinner. Booking was quick and painless. We did not do Mediterranean but instead did the Japanese (twice) and Mexican once. There are 3 sit down restaurants. Mexican was great but since my partner is Mexican there was a hint of it not being fully authentic but in some aspects it was close. Japanese was terrific. We want two nights in a row. You get dinner and a show as it is Teppanyaki style. You get soup and appetizer followed by the ‘show’. You can get two items from octopus, chicken, beef and shrimp. It was phenomenal and by far the bets food there. The main buffet I believe was 7 – 10 am then 1 – 3 pm and finally 6 - 10 pm. In between is the snackbar by the beach. Late night the Mexican becomes the 24 hour snack bar and they have a surprising amount of stuff (ie you can get eggs at midnight there). Buffet was great and open on most sides so there is a chance for birds and bugs. Just a heads up. As well at the snack bar you will find there are a few wild cats that roam the property so do not be surprised. Entertainment At night there was a cigar bar right by the lobby bar and theatre area and they had a good range of cigars to choose from. We went to most nights entertainment and it was things like Michael Jackson night (Amazing), latin night, karaoke and Lion King. The animation team is just top notch and you do not want to miss the shows. There are a few columns in the way so get your seats early if you can. The main entertainment starts at 9:30 pm but there are other things going on stage about an hour before that. There is a bar right in the auditorium that is way easier to get booze from compared to the lobby bar right outside. We did visit the disco twice which is just past the lobby bar. It opens at 11. Nice place with a route 66 vibe as well as the front of a truck inside the disco (Don’t be surprised as it honks and flashes its lights). It was quiet when we went but it was just when it opened so I assume it gets busier later at night. There are nights where in the main courtyard by the lobby where there is music and dancing. We did see that if you exit the front of the resort, just to the right is a Casino. We did not go and there were mixed reviews on the casino. There is not a casino on site of this resort. Shopping We did pick a day to go to Puerto Plata’s main square. A Taxi costs $40 US for a 4 hour ‘city tour’. The cabbie stays with you the full 4 hours and you really can go anywhere in town that you want to go. Of course as we expected there were a few times the cabbie introduced us to ‘his brother’ or ‘his friend’ who wanted to sell us something but that was no surprise. Town is a bit run down. We went to the Amber museum (also run down a bit). It cost $2 US each and we spent about 10 minutes there. We also did a shop as Las Sirenas which is a grocery store (a bit like Walmart). Food and rum prices were ok. Shopping at the resort was not much. A few high end stores and there is a store that sells snacks, sunscreen, Dominican souvenirs etc. Property Overall the property is very well kept up… trees and bushes trimmed, clean outside etc. The only knock is that the rooms themselves seem a bit dated and also since there is only one pool it must be hard to ever fix and update it which is likely why it is showing its age. Walking by the gardenview rooms (behind the ‘7’ block of rooms) there is a nice area to view the trees and birds and aloe plants as well as another area where there are Orchids. We found this to be the best way to get to the lobby and food. Only one main single pool and it needs a bit of work. In the middle is a ‘hot’ tub but like most / all in these destinations it was just slightly warmer than the pool. Pool is cold as well as the ocean itself. Even on a very hot day the pool was shocking to get in to. I know that with the ocean they can do nothing but it would help if the pool was warmer. Not sure if time of year had an affect. Beach and pool were quiet and it was never an issue finding a seat or shade for that matter. They had older yellow loungers and newer grey back ones (where you can elevate the head and knees). Go for the new ones if you can. Beach was nice but as you get to the water there is quite a lot of seaweed. They did try on a few days to clean some of it up but there were parts of the beach where if you waded in you had to go through seaweed first. Final Tips - Remember its $20 US to exit the airport so have your money ready and make sure to get a receipt as you will need it when you check in - There are tighter restrictions on what can go in carry on. For example if I had ground coffee I would not have been able to do carry on… even things like soap bard and blocks of candy (like fudge) must be checked in or you lose it!

Hotel Mojito: Cheap family vacation

Check in was efficient and although we did not get help with bags we managed. Upper floors are all stairs so anyone with mobility issues should get ground floor. Our Superior room in 2220 was dark and filled with ants so we moved to standard room in building 21. Much better clean and bright but no balcony. Adult pool is close to Building 21 and the gym, tennis courts are also close to Building 21. Buffet food was much the same each day. Omelette station for breakfast and meat grilling in eve [... read more]ning were our go tos. As well as pasta bar. Salad bar lacked greens and many premade salads were not to my liking. I am not a picky eater but it was hard to make a salad to enjoy. Suspected drinks watered down as hubby drinks whisky on ice and had only one day he felt like he was affected. mixes are not of great quality so hard to get nice cocktails. Wine was a Spanish poor quality so I bought wine in buffet for 5CUC. White Russian was a good drink. Mojito was not good. No fresh limes. Pool and beach areas had many chairs nor need to save/ Beach quite a walk from main resort area. No A La carte reservations available during our stay so sadly cannot comment.

Hotel Mojito: what I expected for Cuba vacation

Check in was efficient but not baggage assistance available right away so we took our own. No elevators so if you have a third floor room heavy luggage could be problem with lots of stairs. Room was spacious and clean. Mini fridge in room and hairdryer but no coffee makers and no irons in room. No patios but windows open wide to bring fresh breezes in if you like this. Safe was easy to set and use. Water was mostly hot but depending upon time of day you might run out quickly. no facial tissues i [... read more]n rooms. no pens or paper. Pools were not too busy never needed to save chairs and there was an adult pool for a quieter lounge. Pool bar and snacks 24 hrs consisted of pizza, fries and grilled cheese made to order. buffet was the same most days. greens on salad bar not common. many pickled items and premade salads catering to European clientele.I did not enjoy most of ths and I am not a picky eater by any means. Drinks were poor quality. Mixes not up to my standards. No fresh limes. mojitos were lacking minty flavour like the mint was not fresh. wine was Spanish and not very palatable but you can buy a Chilean wine in Buffet for 5CUC so I did this and was happy. A la Carte was unavailable for the four in our family during our stay so cannot comment. Overall would give this resort a 3/5 for sun, sand and expectations for cheap price.

JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar: Exceeded Our Expectations

The resort is beautifully appointed in guest rooms and communal rooms. Restaurants were very good except we did not like the Japanese one. We were kept waiting for 45 min. before they started cooking and in the end the food was over cooked. The staff is very well trained and most helpful. We had Star Prestige upgrade and was very good. Every day they asked if we were OK or could they do more. Although we did not golf we were told that the course was beautiful. You get a complimentary roun [... read more]d with every 2 night stay if you have Star Prestige. This is the best all inclusive resort we have stayed and we will definitely go back.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Third time's a charm!

Just returned from our third visit to Iberostar Ensenachos. Two week stay from Jan 10 through Jan 24. Had a wonderful time, as always. The resort grounds are beautiful & lush, and have recovered beautifully since hurricane Irma. Food selection was plentiful & varied; as with all buffets, quality could vary, but there was always plenty to choose from & some delicious dishes and desserts were always available. Didn't try any a la cartes this trip, so can't comment on those. Beaches are [... read more] stunning. Service was always impeccable (as usual). Thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and already making tentative plans to return later this year!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Better than we expected!

It was our first visit of this country and many people (our friends, reviews on websites) said, don't expect any luxurious hotels, clean rooms, good food, nice staff etc... So we were a little bit sceptic before we went there. But now after we came back, I have to say we were pleasantly surprised. Laguna Azul is really nice resort, with nice, smiling and helpful staff. Our room maid was very creative and always surprised us, how perfect prepared our room and she really play with blankets and to [... read more]wels on the bed. Food was really good and there were lots of variants, so everybody can choose to eat, what he really like and doesn't matter if it was breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have just one night food poison, this was after dinner in Italian restaurant a la carte. These two guys on the morning shift in lobby bar were so funny and they did nice tricks when they prepared drinks for guest, so this was our first way in the morning there :) Animators were also really good, aspiring and making fun. Beach was beautiful, not crowded and no line up on beach bar. Plus you can go for a long walk on the beach to the one side or the other. Our best part of this vacation was probably catamaran trip on the small lovely island and during this trip we stop for snorkeling but above all, we could swim with dolphins, which was our best experience at all! We really enjoy one week at this resort and we would definitely recommend it to all of our friends and everyone who want to go to Cuba Varadero. Hopefully we'll be back soon. Thank you Laguna Azul.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Well

The hotel was at best a 2*, one thing I can say is the people were amazing. The resort was rundown and the room smelt of mold and mold was visible. Place needs some serious upgrades if I were to return

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Nightly entertainment was a must see!

This resort was the perfect balance of peace and quiet , with exciting entertainment. Lovely meals and service , perfect sized resort that is easy to navigate. Friendly faces and good music. Great time all around!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Great Resort....great value

I really liked the resort. The grounds were beautiful. Lots going on. Lots of entertainment, very lively. People at the resort were awesome. Some of the best food I have had in Cuba. Rooms are a bit dated. We have an awesome Ocean view.