Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Fantastic service

Resort itself was great. Good service rooms were clean à la carte restaurants were a little tough to get in, but we managed. The only issue I ran into was lack of toilet paper, which I’ve never run into my previous four times to Cuba

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Most relaxing stay ever!!

This small resort was ideal to get away and relax. We had a swim-out room which allowed us to leave our room only for food and drinks if we wanted. Nothing was far,, staff were excellent, atmosphere was quiet and relaxed, food and drinks were good. No complaints at all! We rarely visit the same resort twice but we would return to the Iberostar Coral Esmeralda. Great place to recharge. We met a couple that were there for their 5th time in 4 years. If you are looking for an active nig [... read more]htlife and big entertainment productions, this is probably not the resort for you.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Best resort in Cayo Coco!

Absolutely beautiful resort, with lovely pools and main areas. The food was good, and the mangoes on the beach were incredibly delicious! Staff were so kind and friendly, and always had a smile on their faces. Water was warm, and the sand was perfect. Not too hot, so fine it was almost soft, and we enjoyed taking strolls down the lovely beach during the day and night. We went during seaweed season, so there was a bit of seaweed on the beach, but there was always someone picking it up trying to  [... read more]keep it at bay. We went on a few excursions to go snorkeling and on the catamarans, and when we were on the bus going past the other resorts, we were so glad to have chosen the one we did, because it definitely looked and felt the most beautiful and premium of all the ones we saw.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Great family getaway

We just returned from a week away to Iberostar Ensenachos where we had a great stay. The beach and water are amazing. The grounds are well maintained, the entertainment and animation team, the people we met at the reception, bar/buffet are all trying to please and engage with the clients. Yes, there are renovations and some time it seems there is a long walk to get to the lobby/buffet place, but we did not let this disturb our trip. This is a great place for people that fishing, swimming and sno [... read more]rkeling. Thanks Ensenachos Team

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: 30+ trips to Cuba, do not recommend this resort, 3 star resorts are better than this 5!

30+ trips to Cuba within the last 10ish years. Lots of various resorts ranging from old 3 star, to new 5 star. I’m comparing Cuba to Cuba resorts. Check in: Arrived at 11am, did not get our room until about 6pm! Even though check in should be 4:00. If they were honest, I would have just stayed at the pool, instead of waiting 2 hours in a wet bathing suit in the lobby, hearing them tell me “any minute”. Rooms: What a disaster. Our room did not have a bathroom fan. Every shower would steam [... read more] up the whole room, including the floors, which became very unsafe. So we had to blast the AC to get rid of the condensation, and were frozen, otherwise we’d have wet damp bedding. Since everything was damp, the smell was extremely musty/moldy, with lots of mold one the walls (see attached pics), how is this a new 5 star??! The toilet make major noise at 5am every day since they shut the water off around 1am, and turned back at 5am, waking you up every day. Pro was the bed was comfortable and AC worked. Service: Lobby bar service, I don’t think I’ve seen worse. 10 people lined up to get coffee with 1 server in the morning. The staff played the “If you tip more, you get to cut in line” game. Which is unethical. My fiancé had been waiting a while, one lady came in waiving a $20 and bartender went to her! My fiancé said something clearly upset and the bartender pretended that he didn’t see him standing RIGHT infront of him for the last 10 minutes, very disappointing. No table service like they do at Grand Sirenis in CSM. A huge difference like I’ve never seen before. Buffet staff were better, but a bit slow refilling drinks. Pool bar should have someone willing to interact with guests for the experience, not someone who looks miserable to be there. Snack bar staff was good. Food: 9/10 for Cuba. They had a nice grill by the pool, although the wait times were long. Buffet was typical Cuban food, but seasoned well. AC worked very good, even too cold. Con would be the area is designed way too small, the place was packed when even 60% full. Hard to get around. Be aware: When looking at social media images, some are from the CORAL section which is a different resort. Entertainment: Sat under the shade spots at the beach all day, other than 30 minutes at the pool, oh and before that under the stadium seating eating food that guests would bring from the snack bar, when they asked people who were walking by. The guy with the colored hair is sketchy, I’ll leave it at that. Was the worst entertainment team I’ve seen. A guy won a barrel pool riding competition, and they then said to win the bottle you had to do an embarrassing “sexy” dance, which he did, and then they said it was a joke, NO BOTTLE of rum at all! Yet the 3 star hotels give them out with every game! Pools: Lounge chairs from hell. You go to sit in one, and the back smacks you hard in the back of the head. They are all broken! You need ties to hold them in place. (Hard to see in the pic, but when sitting you can see the back doesn’t stay attached to the base, it goes up with you) Along with that, all spots were taking at 6am., and this was end of high season, end of April. So if you didn’t get up you didn’t get any shade. The actual shade was broken umbrellas, which you had to ask a lifeguard for the stick to be able to prop up. Half of them had fabric missing (see pics) People had to sit in the snack bar, with towels to be able to swim. The resort was built in the windiest place in Cuba, how could you not plan that there would be days where 90% of the guests would be at the pool?! The only good thing about the pool were the nice lifeguards, pretty much the only people that interacted with you. All other staff were cold, non talkative, I wonder if the managers told them they aren’t allowed interacting unless providing a service? I’ve never seen anything like this at any other resort, again, 30+ trips all over Cuba. Beach: Couldn’t really go due to wind. You can’t sit down, because you get pelted in the face/eyes with sand. And the one day that was calmer, no shade spots to be found, all taken. Management needs 50% more shade! It’s not a vacation having to fight for chairs at 5am. Overall: Would not recommend. I am actually writing this review after staying at an old 3 star hotel (review coming soon), and because the 3 star was SO much better, I decided to write the one about Esmeralda, to save people their hard earned money. There might be people that liked it, but have they seen 30+ resorts in Cuba? Or did they go to 2, and Esmeralda was their “favorite” that they now call “the best”? Food for thought. NOTICE: When trying to upload a review to SELECTION side, it’s defaulting to CORAL. So that might be an issue.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: June 2025 girls trip

Loved this place. Went close to 20 Years ago and loved it and it is just as nice today. The only thing that would make it so much better is if they could figure out how to make cocktails. That was the only disappointment. The place is spotless and has great service from all the staff.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Fantastic Time once again

It was great to see the improvements just from a year ago. Food seemed much tastier. Pastries were delicious. Omelletes every day. An ice cream truck was just added near the pool and they just finished building a big terrace set up with picnic tables in front of two containers that were serving drinks and lunch. The beach was fantastic, no seaweed and waves only on one day but they were fun! There were mosquitos, but Off worked fine. There was plenty of entertainment. Opera singers one ni [... read more]ght, amazing pianist in the lobby every evening. Live band accompanying the show every night. The restaurant food was much improved over last year, especially the Mediterranean restaurant. The staff were all welcoming and so nice. Yoany in the buffet restaurant should be made manager. I’ve never seen anyone work so hard with such a smile! He never stopped running. Yeny in the reservations office was very helpful. Our maid kept our room spotless and we had turn down service at night so received new towels twice a day where needed. The only drawback was that almost every bathroom only had one working toilet and there were no toilet seats at all in the lobby bathroom. However that will not deter us from returning!

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Amazing Review

Everything was perfect food , pool, room, staff all friendly, and helpful.One thing I would say maybe have more water in the fridge , and change the pool towels everyday. Besides that resort was wonderful.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Very enjoyable time at this resort!

This review is mostly focused on the 18+ side. The grounds were very well kept. The room was amazing along with the view from the large balcony that was attached. Staff was very friendly and helpful. I had no complaints about the internet access, but I did not try any streaming. I was never disappointed at any of the restaurants, they all had good food and service. The buffet was very good as well. The food at the snack bar was also good. The pools were clean and always had available seating. Th [... read more]e beach was wonderful as well. Overall, I would come back here on my next trip. I would also like to give a special thanks to Alembert.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Amazing staff and beautiful resort

I went in June and the resort and staff were lovely......BUT I would never again go on the off season, the Mossys at night would carry you away and they opened the resort up to local Cubans to book to stay. I have never seen so many disrespectful people iny life, right from the amount of food they waisted to the complete ignorance they had for other people on the resort. I would go back but only during tourist season.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Highly recommend

Coral Esmeralda is a quiet adult resort that we enjoyed so much. Our first time to Cuba and we were a bit hesitant given talk of shortages etc. This resort was clean, well-stocked with very good food, drinks (lots of alcoholic and non-alcoholic choices), necessities like tp, soap, clean bath and beach towels. We loved having cappuccinos on the breezy lobby. Well appointed, lovely grounds, excellent service, great entertainment, reliable wifi everywhere except the beach. Beach was beautiful but w [... read more]hen we were there it was very windy and lots of seaweed churned onto the shoreline by the waves. There didn’t seem to be a system for cleaning it up 100%. Coral clients have access to the larger sister resort right beside (Iberostar Selection) which has very nice pools. Coral has a 24 hour snack bar for food and drinks. Highly recommend this resort!!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Torn

I've been to Playa Alameda many times. The staff as usual are wonderful. Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, the economy in the aftermath of COVID and the relentless suffocation from America has left them with very little to work with with. It is still labelled a 4.5 star but in all honesty, it runs like a 3.5 star: the bedding was never changed, the towels changed periodically, the room filled with mosquitoes, the toilet paper frequently missing, no sugar sometimes, no butter so [... read more]metimes, broken coffee machine sometimes, etc., etc. A person who had never been to this resort probably wouldn't return. Those loyal to the resort and people like myself might also think twice. It's better to label it 3.5 so that people know what to expect and they can accommodate.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: The perfect private club !!!

This resort was such a surprise to us - it was quiet - wonderful staff - so pleasant !!! and helpful- the food was top notch - great presentations at sit down dinners - The drinks were so good - not watered down like at other resorts. Beach was unbelievable powder white sand. We had a swim up room - this was decadent - and Carlos our personal Butler was always around checking in on us providing us with beach towels drinks, making our dinner reservations as soon as we arrived - no line ups no fr [... read more]ustration - it was simply GLORIOUS !!!- They love us Canadians - be sure to always tip - they depend on us for their liveleyhood. We are planning on returning end of September to see our friends again. You must visit this resort ?

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Top notch resort!

First class service from the moment we stepped off the bus. Greeted with hot towels to freshen up and lovely iced beverage. Our butler for the week introduced himself”Carlos” and took us on a tour of the resort then led us to our suite. He took us inside the suite and explained all we needed to know. Shortly after discovering our private swim up the phone rings and it’s Carlos wanting to book our weeks dinner reservations! So…. Every night the beds are turned down so pretty and every mornin [... read more]g fresh sheets, all fresh towels, and bath mats toilet paper provided every day. Fresh bottled water every night placed on the desk. It was just unbelievable how pampered we were. The food was really nice. Everything was cooked in light oils nothing too heavy fresh fish, pork beef. Everything was so flavorful There’s a lovely little lunch place on your way out to the oceanfront that we would have lunch at every day and the menu changes every day. The drinks are really good there and then right on down towards the beach, there’s another little bar! I have to say the best espresso martinis ever are made at The lobby bar Entertainment most nights in the lobby bar area. . Got to know quite a few staff members by name over the week and every one of them are so happy to be there and are just kindhearted lovely people! The Cuban people that work in these resorts, don’t make a lot of money and they really do depend on your tips so please when you go to these places, be sure to be generous. We are definitely going back again this year!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: The staffs are amazing

The hotel need ALOT of works The foods at the buffet are limited selection but overall foods at alarcate restaurants are good. If I ever come back to this place only because of the staffs, nothing else

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Poor service resort

Staff need to be trained regarding racism. One of the staff made fun of Asian eyes to me and i complained to the customer service. However, even the manager of customer service had no idea why i was racism. The food was either salty or plain. We asked for drinks and staff said it ran out. When my partner accidently dropped the US dollars, suddenly the drink was available. My rate of this resort is 1 star.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Beautiful place, specially the beach.

The resort was nice, when we got there, I had to asked about "What happened to the welcoming with cocktails?" Then we needed to use the rest rooms, as we just came on a bus that doesn't have a toilet and it was 1.5 hrs of a rough ride; and when we got to the rest rooms they didn't have toilet paper, I mean non of the bathrooms male or female had any toilet paper. When I asked the reception they said " no toilet paper" very sorry about that " then they explained is because it is "OFF Season" w [... read more]e couldn't used our room's toilet because it wasn't ready until 4pm. We got there at 12:30pm. We managed to book 3 a la cart restaurants, we missed one, because we got our beach towel stolen the very next day after we got it, and I had to deal with the person in charged of security and he took awhile to come and see me to take the info about the issue. The second a la cart was the third day of our vacation and it was supposed to be the seafood restaurant, my fiance order pescado frito con arroz, (fried fish and rice) she thought it would be a full fish with fried rice and she was disappointed as the portions of fish were two tiny pieces smaller then sardines and maybe a quarter of a cap of rice. I order a tariaky pasta with beef, but it turned out to be very salty, all I could taste was salt, couldn't finish it. We end up leaving to the buffet restaurant to eat there, this turned out better. After this experience we didn't bother even to go to the third option. One day the beans at the buffet were not cooked well, hard to chew, other day they were spoiled and sour. I know Cuba is well known for the luck of taste on food, but this was for me one of the worst I had, and I being to many parts of Cuba a total of five times. This is rated 5 stars on the website, but I don't believe it should be, more like 3.5 *** The cleaning ladies were Awsome, the servers at the buffet were great, the bartenders were also great, the manager of the resort Israel came around after my complaint about the toilet paper issues, the beach towel incident and he turned out to be a nice and decent guy. I guess he found out that we were celebrating 5 years of our anniversary and he sent us a cake to our room, the third night we got there. We made some connections with a lot of the stuff members at the hotel and by the end of our vacation we enjoyed our stay. We made the best for what we had of our experiences.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Wonderful resort

Visited from May 27 to June 3. My husband and I spent a wonderful week at this beautiful resort. Received a most friendly welcome by Israel. Check-in was quick, being only two of us. Beach: Perfect – wide, fine sand, no weeds, miles long. Plenty of palapas and chairs. Room: Ocean front, modern, roomy, meticulously clean, all in excellent working order. Love the screen door, enabling us to hear the ocean and get fresh air. Room numbers are lit and easy to find at night. Pools: Looked nice [... read more], but not used, since we prefer the ocean. Hotel Facilities: Well-appointed, easy to get around. No steps to trip over (great for elderly guests). Wide and well-lit walkways. Common areas are kept very clean. Food at Buffet: Simply delicious. Wide variety. Food could have been warmer, and coffee better. Bars: Quick, efficient, friendly service. Coffees were delicious here, especially the Spanish. Landscaping: Lovely - gardeners are doing a fine job. Special mention: A sincere “Thank You” for the special attention and perks given us on the occasion of my husband’s birthday. Thank you to the pastry chef who baked the most delicious birthday cake, for the bottle of wine, etc. One negative: Music (if you can call it that) at the beach is way too loud and irritable. Base is too heavy, and could be heard far away. Why not play your beautiful Cuban music and songs? We loved your show and songs on Cuban day! Once again, sincere thanks to ALL the wonderful people: waiters, waitresses, cooks, bartenders, cleaners, gardeners, etc., who made our stay at your resort a happy and memorable experience. Would we return and recommend this resort? Definitely!

Iberostar Waves Tucan: Your Dream Vacation

Great accommodations, very convenient layout of all facilities, huge variety and tasty food, helpful and polite personnel. Very good night shows and activities. Brilliant idea to have adult only pool separately from big pool. Great beach with umbrellas. Jungle at the middle is a gem. We would definitely visit again.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Needs alot more variety of food

First time in the hotel ,not very impressed ,showers not working properly ,,either hot water and no cold water or vise of verse , Buffet no chicken all week , Only fish ,for people who have allergies to seafood not very good ,