Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Very nice and clean resort

We had very very good time in Coral Iberostar adults only section.Hotel is very very nice.Service excellent food and room very good.We had room with swim out so it was perfect for us.Beach was so nice with turquoise ocean.I really recommend this resort.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Not bad except...

The hotel room was more than adequate. Cleaned daily. Housekeeping staff very thorough, attentive and kind. Water pressure was fine and plenty of hot water. Pool was good, no complaints. Plenty of lounge chairs as it's slow season. Buffet was adequate/good. Chicken, beef and pork every day. Pasta was amazing. Assortment of fresh fruits and veggies. Lots of bread, no eggs at all. Biggest issue: local cubans arrived, and took over the entire resort. I observed at the snack bar, numerous times peo [... read more]ple ordering stacks of ham and cheese buns, like 10 of them. They eat 2 and throw the rest out. This goes on all day, everywhere. And you are stuck waiting 1/2 hour for a sandwich. The buffet is even worse. They race in, swarm the buffet, grab 3 or 4 plates each, stacked high with all the meat, bread, cakes, ice cream.. and then they WASTE IT ALL! ..Except for the day they are leaving. Where they take practically everything they can from the buffet. The entire grill of meat..ALL the cakes...everything...then they throw it in containers and take it with them. After waiting 45mins for them to be done, there's not much left. And it's picked over. They leave their garbage everywhere, paper cups, plates, cigarette butts, dirty diapers. I spoke with someone about this, and my understanding is management is afraid to address this because they fear retaliation.(bad reviews or loud arguments) and staff go along with it because they fear reprisal from management. It would have been an excellent vacation spot but for the 3 or 4 days of dealing with this. All the staff are tremendously friendly, warm, helpful and kind. The only other issue i had was the beach. A lot of plant matter raked up in long strips on the beach and left to rot, which stank. And the water has a lot of sea shells, and coral, which requires water shoes. However there's a much nicer beach. Playa Pillar which is a short bus ride away. I would not return to this resort until I was assured that management has found a way to address the locals.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Could be much better

My opinion .I booked this hotel at a great price. So some things you complain about and some you don't. I have traveled Cuba for the last 10 years so I know what to expect. Many people are repeat customers at this resort. I am not sure why. : The bars had good service. The buffet was terrible had to line up for 1/2 hrs or more for food . I had to ask many times just for coffee. Tables were not cleaned. My room was nice but NO Hot WATER for the whole week. Had to ask for clean towe [... read more]ls. And room wasn't cleaned until after 4pm I think because of the many pools of stagnant water lying around we were all bitten alive with Mosquitos. The beach was nice but very crowded. Water was beautiful. I found that the Entertainment crew was not around as much as they should be.and to cater to all ages Would I recommend this hotel NO . Would I go back definitely not.

Melia Costa Rey: Very nice place

Do not forget this is Cuba, so you can expect surprises! Usually quiet at this time of year, there was 1,000 people on the premises, resulting in some items out of stock ( toilet paper on public premises). Very nice staff, very happy to see Canadians on site. Very nice view , beach cleaned daily Mosquitoes on the beach , bring some repellent if you are intolerant like me!

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Great price, nice resort

Grounds are lovely, beautiful pool and beach. Great and easy access throughout the resort. Friendly staff. Clean rooms (could use some paint touch up and better pillows). Food was ok-ish, alot of repetitive items and popluar items go fast with not enough to retock (pancakes, lasagna, pizza, potatoes). Lots of pork. We didn't go hungry by all means. The Asian a la cart was the best, by far! Overall, a great trip

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Amazing hotel

Very nice hotel . I would recommend the hotel to anyone who wants to go to Cuba The beach is beautiful . The staff are amazing Food and drinks are great . Restaurants are great. We had a very good time. We will be back soon.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Great Place To Relax!

Great hotel if looking to relax. Rooms were good but a bit run down compared to photos. Staff was amazing but food selection was not good and a lot of flies always on the food. Drink selection was okay but not as good as other resorts I’ve stayed at. Beach was a 5/5 but beach bar closed at 4 pm also No swim up pool. Would not consider this hotel a 5 star,

Vila Gale Cayo Paredon: The best resort in Cuba

Nothing to complain about. Food: excellent, room excellent, service : excellent would recommend 100%. Granted the resort was at about 20% capacity. Buffet was never busy and a la carte's had good food as well as good service

Melia Cayo Coco: Melia Cayo Coco

We had an amazing experience, very clean rooms, nice beach, great atmosphere and amazing staff. The food was good too. The staff were always helpful and available. We loved this resort! Nothing to complain about this place

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Just don’t

We packed up and changed resorts after two days. The Sunwing rep was amazing. Staff were not friendly. Crappy little paper cups (when they actually had them) somehow ran out of ice, Buffett food was poor even for Cuba. They were quick to shut it down and turn off the lights while you were still eating. Snack bar only had ham and cheese sandwiches and sometimes pizza even though there was a four page menu. Pay a little extra and stay elsewhere.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Beautiful beaches- Very good overall

The beaches are stunning, and the hotel was good value for the price. It exceeded expectations, although my expectations were in line for Cuba given various other trips. Premium upgrade was worth it as the room was updated and the bed and pillows seemed new. Overall, very pleased.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Grand Aston Paredon 2024 and 2025

This was my favorite place in Cuba to disconnect. It, for Cuba is a getaway. My son and I went April 2024 returned April 2025. Fit our budget, our needs and got us away from all that was needed. We brought the essentials which are cookies, peanut butter and jam, trail mix, we were full every day. Show respect, tip regularly, and explore. Bring a basketball or pickle ball and plan your day by day. Keep it simple and just relax there.

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.

Melia Cayo Coco: Melia Cayo Coco

My sister and I had a one week stay at this hotel. I've been to Cuba 10 times and this is by far the best resort we're stayed at. Great food, beach, entertainment and service. It was easy to book through Tammy Beamish at Tripcentral

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.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Relaxing resort

No complaints Had a lovely time and enjoyed the beautiful beach everyday. People are friendly and helpful. Food was as good as can be and l always enjoyed the ala carts. My personal favorite was the Cuban restaurant.

Playa Luxury Cayo Guillermo: Best Resort in Cuba

I booked a week long stay at this resort with my mother on very short notice in May and we have absolutely no regrets! We have each been to Cuba at least 20 times each and from day 2 we were sure that this is the best. To start, the food is VERY good here, throughout the week we had menu selections of lobster, steak, lamb chops, shrimp, soups, salads, all very good and fresh. Breakfast was a good selection of cured meats and cheeses, yogurts, fresh juice, fruits, coffee, pastries and made to ord [... read more]er eggs. This is the best food we’ve had at any resort in Cuba hands down. Next, the beaches were absolutely pristine. White sand and clear water with no rocks anywhere in sight, once you start walking on the sand a staff member will come set up your seat for you in a spot with good shade and the bartenders come by to bring drinks. There were activities every day such as aqua aerobics and non-motorized equipment you could use but no blaring music all day (which we very much appreciated). We had lunch every day at the beach bar where the food and service is amazing, wines, cava and beer were always available as well. Special shout out to the staff at the beach bar who are always absolutely 10/10. As well, an extra shout out to the entertainment team including Breno, Jessica, Yaritza and Gustavo. They ensured that we were always having a good time at aqua aerobics, nightly discos at the jazz club and one-on-one dance lessons, they truly were a highlight of our stay. There were also multiple live musicians throughout the week in the lobby and beach bar including a violist, a guitarist and a pianist. We were very appreciative of the quieter style of entertainment throughout this resort and did not miss seeing the same theatre shows again. And to end off, the rooms are wonderful, double sinks, double closets, our room looked brand new and we didn’t have any sort of maintenance issues. Overall, if you are looking for a relaxing, quiet, luxury vacation then this is our recommendation and we look forward to coming back again with friends!

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Good resort but poor food

Every think was good just food is very very poor . No red meat at all no shrimp . Too much pasta in the buffet 3 -4 pasta meal with just different dressing( red sauce or white sauce )Lac of condiments . One time no more coffee to serve . Rarely fresh fruits. When served and finished no more to add. Beach was good need to be cleaned more often from algues. Service was good

Melia Costa Rey: Melia Costa Ray is very nice resort in Cayo Coco Cuba

We just came back after spending one week at Melia Costa Ray Cuba. From the first minute when we got there and the last day we had an amazing time. The rooms are very nice and clean,buffet and restaurants are very clean,lots of food ,staff is very friendly and helpful . Beach is very nice and has lots of palapas . We definitely recommend to visit this hotel and we will be back there soon. Wanted to mention about wonderful waitress,who was serving us at the lobby bar Yamilet she is a very ni [... read more]ce person,also at the reception - Yanela. The chef at the beach made delicious shrimp and paella every day,his name is I believe his name is Raule Very nice place to visit.

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.