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.

Iberostar Origin Tainos: We would defnitely stay again at Iberostar Tainos in Varadero Cuba

This was our first stay at Tainos. We had previously stayed three times at a nearby 3 star resort, but wanted a step up this time. The Tainos resort was smaller than ones we stayed at before, and much more compact. Our regular room was quite nice, and the maid service excellent. The resort has many bars, all staffied by attentive courteous serving personnel. The meals were OK for Cuba standard. However the coffee at the breakfast buffet was dishwater. Each morning after breakfast we would rush  [... read more]back to the Lobby for our delicious cappuccinos. Really enjoyed the live music, although some of the evening shows appeared more amateur than what we saw at other resorts. Grounds and pools are very well kept. and the animation crew very lively. The beach of course was EXCELLENT. We are glad we stepped up to the Tainos.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Good but could be better

The hotel is really nice, one of the best in cuba but it falls short in a couple areas that could easily be fixed. The biggest issue we had was the pool is freezing. No one was in it, all week. When asked by a staff why we weren't in the pool we told them the water was too cold and they laughed and continued on. The food is cuba food, nothing exciting we lived on the pizza, pasta and fry diet all week. We were travelling with an infant and asked multiple times for a kettle. Like other reviews sa [... read more]id if you are asking for anything from the front desk it is a waste of time, we never received the kettle. The staff are great at this resort and really make it. Just watch where you step there are holes drilled in the concrete throughout the resort for what looked like umbrella bases but they are big and deep in tile and could easily cut someone. Overall nice resort and but simple things could make it great. We have been to cuba 6 times so have reasonable expectations.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Loved this resort

My wife and I loved this resort. From the moment my wife and I got there to the time we were leaving the staff were very Friendly and a happy atmosphere. The rooms were great clean and the fridge was always stocked. The food was awesome. A great place for you to get away would definitely go back again

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Won’t be back

Food was repetitive and only a few things were actually appealing. Both of us got food poisoning at this resort. We aren’t sure what particular dish we got it from but it occurred halfway through our trip. We had violent diarrhea and vomiting. There is an invisible stairway in the entry of the resort that numerous people injure themselves on, including myself. The lighting is very poor around the resort at night, they need to improve this and do upgrades to a lot of areas. 90 min drive on narr [... read more]ow roads to resort from airport. Will not recommend.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Amazing resort!

The hotel is awesome. It has good a la carte restaurants, and a huge array of food at the buffet location. Great entertainment and a large variety of activities available! It is kept impeccably clean. The grounds are fabulously maintained. The staff are friendly, helpful, and very professional. The Guest Service staff are incredible. They will help out with any problem you may have, and make excellent recommendations for touring the area.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Very good vacation

This is our 5ths time at this hotel. We are very happy for our holiday here.thanks all staff,workers.we are going to make a plan for next time.service is good,food is good,room is good,recommend this place to all my friends.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: A Paradise Palace Resort

I would highly recommend Iberostar Laguna Azula Resort & Spa. The grounds at this resort are meticulously groomed. There are a variety of pools catering to all age groups. The service was excellent & the staff was very personable, helpful, polite, and most entertaining with there laughter & jokes. The buffets were also excellent. There was a large variety of choices in the International restaurant. We most enjoyed a meal at the Japanese Teppanyaki Table, the Italian pavilion & the Cuban [... read more] pavilion restaurants. The food was excellent. The evening entertainment was also most enjoyable at the theatre. This resort has an awesome beach which you can go for long walks. Our room was very clean and the staff was very caring & genuinely sincere.The resort is very safe for tourists. Terrific Experience ! A home away from home.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Best Resort In Cuba!!!!!!!

Everything about this resort was first class. The food was amazing (better than home). Tons of variety (steak, chicken, fish, pork). Iris was the best Cuban sandwich maker in the world. Very lovely lady! The rooms were immaculate, clean, large. Housekeeping came by TWICE a day to clean!! Grounds were beautiful. Groundskeeper was so friendly. Always giving gifts to people. Ioanni (waiter) was the best! The Kids Club was amazing. Always something to keep the kids busy. Lia and Yuni are lovely ladi [... read more]es and kept the kids busy, entertained and happy! This is by far the best resort. I have travelled all over the world and NOTHING compares to the Iberostar Varadero!!!! Special thanks to concierge guest manager Arnaldo for being so accommodating! Love this place!!!!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Beautiful resort but needs improvements

We have been to Cuba many, many times and found this resort to be a beautiful property. It was well laid out, the rooms were typical Cuban but they are renovating the bathrooms which is a nice improvement and found the beds were comfortable. Not sure what happened to the lampshades as there were none. The grounds were very well kept by the diligent gardeners who were all very kind. The food was a very big disappointment and we feel the management knew this as we did 4 surveys while there, we thi [... read more]nk with each survey they were hoping the reviews would get better? Not sure. We also did our own suggestions [because they have a suggestion box in the lobby], only to help them succeed as there is so much potential for this resort. It became an adult only as of November 2018 and WE NEED ADULT ONLY RESORTS that are reasonably priced, such as this one. What gives us hope at this resort is when suggestions were made they took the suggestions and implemented them [well some of them] like the next day! So they are listening, which makes us think they are open to suggestion BUT they need to keep it up! The buffet was so much of the same, everyday and it wasn't good. Yes, we read the reviews before we went and we are used to Cuban cooking and always have found something to eat as long as there was a pasta station to fill in between "not so good nights", but by the time we left I was pretty tired of pasta. One of the biggest problems were the washrooms especially the men's washroom closest to the lobby, very well used you would think it would be very maintained. The whole 2 weeks we were there the urinals were not functioning, had signs "not to use". There were only 2 urinals and 2 toilets in this washroom and the next closest washroom was way down by the pool! There is no paper and a pitiful dryer and the door to the men's washroom was propped open leaving the men exposed doing their business, at the urinal, so when the women came out of their washroom there the men were, their back to the open doorway. The pool washrooms MANY times had NO paper for toilets OR hands, you found that out of course AFTER. After 5 days of this problem I went on a hunt for a manager of sorts, I found one and explained what the problem was and stressed how unacceptable this was for a resort of this caliber, from that day to the time we left there was paper in the pool washrooms, still nothing for the hands. We felt sorry for all the workers that had to take the brunt of the complaints. On a more positive note, we loved all the servers Zuly you were our favorite, Donnie and Ca yile and Cookie, we miss you and our Ron Collins & gin and tonic drinks, the animation group and yes Charlie is a sweetheart, all the reception, Mildrey in guest services who is dear to my heart, they were all wonderful to us and enjoyed them all. TO the MANAGER: you are very fortunate to have all the wonderful employees at your resort, they made our trip and its the people of Cuba that keeps us coming back year after year. Just for your information our room was 1812 and you did hear from us at the suggestion box, we were there from Jan 8-Jan 22. We want this resort to succeed as there is so much potential and we did see you listened to suggestions but it needs to be ongoing and the food has to improve! At this point we would not recommend this resort because of the problems. But we are going to watch the reviews to see how you improve.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: very nice resort

Grounds well taken care of, rooms are clean, food good, lots of variety. The Italian restaurant was very good also the International one. The washrooms at the beach need paper towels or hand dryers, none were visible. The staff is friendly and service oriented. All in all excellent value for the price!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Two weeks in Paradise

This was our 7th visit to Iberostar Ensenachos. Previously wehad brought our family members but this time was just the two of us.Reception upon arrival was quick and easy and even Nestor the assistant manager helped us with our luggage. Nestor coud be seen every day watching over the staff and resort. We stayed in the Spa section, room 2910, which had been recently renovated. We had excellent accomodations with a new mattress and linen since our last visit in 2017. House keeping do a good job,  [... read more]there was plenty of hot water and the air conditioning unit was quiet, the bar fridge was restocked as necessary. The main lobby looks very regal with tall ceilings and marble floors. Fresh flower arraingments were all over.. Mixture of live entertainment nightly including children activities. The beach is well known as one of the best in Cuba. Sailboat rides were available on most days. You just walk down to the beach and request the ride. Simple and free (but a tip now and then shows your appreciation) . The beach bar restaraunt staff were attentive under the supervision of "Jeidi" and her staff. In the main buffet, Yuri and his wide Daily were attentive to our every needs as were Yerandy and Lainny. Food was varied each day with plenty of sea food and lobster two days in a row. The Seafood restaraunt has been renovated since the huricane and looks great. Swimming pools were all cleaned daily, gardeners will chop down coconuts for your pleasure if you ask them too. There was never a shortage of lounge chairs or towels at the pools and the life guards on the beach were willing to find us lounges under the palapas. Transportation to this resort was by Sunwing and this time went off without a single problem. Our travel arrangements were made through TripCentral.ca. and we have been using them for years. .