Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Mediocre vacation

This hotel was less than I expected. I felt that the room was ok but not great. There was often no hot water at all and on one day there was NO RUNNING WATER. It was almost impossible to get our mini bar properly stocked. Our phone never worked-even after numerous complaints to the front desk. The grounds were well maintained but the facilities were not the best. The food at the main restaurant (buffet) left much to be desired (in fact, I lost 8 pounds while on this vacation and spent money  [... read more]on pringles chips from the very limited convenience store). The specialty restaurants were not good at all. My partner and I spent money of our own in Varadero searching for good food. The people in the dining areas were not welcoming (except for the man on the omelette station- HE was amazing). Everyone else was stand-offish. One server pulled me aside to try to sell me a "tour of Havana". I was not pleased by this. The people in the offices where the specialty restaurants were booked were downright rude. The beach was impeccable however but lacked appropriate bathroom facilities as they were constantly under repair. The showers at the beach entrance were out of order throughout the vacation. The representative from Transat changed twice. The person we booked out tour of Havana with was less than convincing in his appearance and his demeanour. The outing to Havana was mediocre and the guide spent most of the tour disappearing into bars and restaurants and left us to our own devices. The bus arrived 45 minutes late to the hotel in the morning and got us home much later than was expected. The tour included lunch and after being picked up at 8:30 am our lunch only happened at 2:30 pm. We were all starving by then. Some tour members were very upset and voiced their complaints. We decided not to because it was probably the best lunch of our trip. My partner and I returned home with bug bites all over our bodies. We are afraid they are from bed bugs as we never encountered any bugs anywhere. The theatre shows were atrocious. There was one dance show that had "international dance" and was absolutely terrible. One dancer had a clothing issue and her breasts showed throughout a section of the dance. The regular entertainment staff were ok and those shows on the beach or at the bar area were so much better than anything at the theatre. The problem with the bars was that there seemed to be a lack of servers. I regularly ordered something and never got it. It was frustrating to the point that we ended up going to the counter ourselves which seemed to annoy the barmaids but we had no choice if we wanted to get a drink. All this and we were tipping ALL the TIME because I had been told that the Cuban people relied on their tips. Well, I usually tip based on the service I encounter. If I had followed my usual ways not ONE server would have gotten a tip. They were all well under par. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I will not be returning to Cuba because of this. It does not compare at all with our Transat trip to Mexico last year or with the numerous cruises we have done. Jennifer I. Montreal

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: 5 star facility with some 3 star services.

Room was excellent, we arrived to some minor issues that were addressed immediately. Maids were friendly. Food was great but service not so much. Long lines at buffet. General manager needs people skills.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great Resort

Good hotel-very clean, great staff, good food, nice pool (cool) and oodles of lounge chairs. Have had better beaches but not that bad - loved the natural shade trees. Entertainment disappointing. Would recommend

Iberostar Waves Quetzal: Outstanding Resort

This was our 3rd visit to the Iberostar Quetzal. We enjoyed this last visit just as much as our first. The food; amazing. The buffet is just as good as the al a cart restaurants. The grounds: impeccable. Jungle views, monkeys, peacocks, flamingos are just a few of the sights you will see. The beach: perfection. Soft, white sand and crystal blue water. We give this resort 5 stars; not only for the resort itself but for its staff.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Beautiful resort limited service

This is a great place, beautiful beaches, nice to very nice rooms rather secluded by vegetation even after the hurricane. They did a great effort to rebuilt everything on time and they nearly made it. Recommended for families, but there are two sections for adults only. This place has lots of potential, but is limited by its staff or rather by the limitations on their staff. Misinformation, good will sometimes, staff training not optimal (this is supposed to be a top hotel). We were staying in t [... read more]he most expensive part of the hotel and we enjoyed it very much apart for the contradictions and misunderstandings of the staff. However: it is very enjoyable.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Can't wait to go back, but for 2 weeks next time!!!!

I was going with the expectation that it was Cuba. So gorgeous beach ok room, and hopefully edible food. WOW!!!! Gorgeous wavy beach, Great rooms, we had an ocean view. The food was as good or better than we've had in Mexico and Punta Cana. We went to the buffet every night because it was so good. We heard the Japanese a la carte was very good. The only bad thing was the comfy chairs are around the kid's pool. If you want to go to bed early (we didn't) don't get an ocean view the nightlife is r [... read more]ight beneath you! The staff is amazing they all speak English and try very hard to help with anything you need. I loved this place. I've traveled a lot and so far it's my favorite. Transat, on the other hand, was a big let down!! They let someone get through all checkpoints before the last one with an expired passport and we all sat 2 hours on the plane until they could get their luggage off. You would think they would at least offer something(even a bottle of water). Nope first thing they said was how much everything cost. This even on Christmas day, shame on you Air Transat it was clearly your mistake. You should take a look at your customer service.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Let down for an Iberostar

The beaches are pristine and gorgeous. The food was ok ...actually better than expectation! One has to realize it’s Cuba and they work with the resources they have . The service was great...the staff was one of the most warm and friendly I have ever seen . Now coming to the resort itself ...we booked because of the Iberostar name but were really disappointed....the property grounds are clean but the rooms are a different story.....completely dated furniture,the beds were awful we used to wak [... read more]e up to aching backs ....we talked to other guests and they had the same issue . Also common use washrooms near beach were not maintained...The management needs to seriously update the rooms until then I would not go back to this resort ! For having spent that much one needs a proper nights sleep

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Best resort and beach

This resort is clean and comfortable. The staff are professional and always try to be friendly without being pushy. The food is fine. The two beaches are perfect if you like white fine sand. You are safe on this resort. There were many young families with children, but a children area and an adult area so everyone can be happy and not worry about the other.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great Resort!

The hotel was very nice. The colourful buildings provided a tropical flare that we enjoyed. The bar staff were amazing. The front desk staff were slow upon check-in. They don't seem to "ramp up" when a bus arrives which would be appreciated. My 13 year-old-daughter loved the place and it was very safe. We would definitely return again. Make sure you bring gifts for the staff there - they really appreciated Toronto Blue Jays t-shirts and Raptors hats. Bring lots of things to hand out and y [... read more]ou will make their day.

JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar: Amazing place!

Needs to up date the rooms and the grounds! It has been well used! Need to add a bar over at the quiet pool and more bathrooms! More help at the out door restaurant staff very pleasant and helpful! Need more rides to hotels had to wait for everyone to get to the van and they the driver packed the very tight.. we where over 3 hours before getting to hotel!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Very good service

Beach, food and service was very good. Pool needed more cleaning. Had lots of fun doing the activities. If you like sea food, you will love the buffet. Christmas celebrations was excellent. My whole family had fun. We went 2 times in this resort and we would definitely go again.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Beautiful vacation

We really enjoyed our stay at this resort. The staff are very friendly and helpful.The resort is very well maintained and the grounds are beautiful! We have two suggestions, one is to update the guest rooms as far as decor. They are vey clean! The other is to have more signs for the quiet area of the pool and to put one at the bar in that area. Too many loud abnoxious people would come to that area and wreck it for those trying to enjoy some quiet time.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Recommend this resort to everyone.

This was my first visit to Cuba. We were very delighted with our choice. The grounds, lobby, beach, rooms and buffet were exceptionally clean and well maintained. The employees were the most friendly and very accommodating. The buffet had a varied menu for everyone's taste. We highly recommend this hotel to anyone who enjoys a quiet and friendly resort.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Good Value

This resort is good value. They hotel is still recuperating from the hurricane. The food is very good and the staff are friendly and helpful. The lobby bar is open 24/7 for coffee, tea and alcoholic drinks.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Great resort

Nice pools, nice service, nice beach, nice food. Great pool entertainment team and lots of activities to do. For the price I paid it was quite a good resort. The pool stretches about 200 meters which is was nice. There was a diverse food selection. Would recommend the steakhouse.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Great First Experience!

Resort: Beautiful and steps away from the nice sandy beach. Has a nice big main pool and 2 side (quiet) pools on each side of the resort. Lots of activities and performances every night. All staff were very friendly and helpful. Food: Snack Bar open 24 hours. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Buffets as well. There are 3 À la carte restaurants available for dinner with prior reservation with the following options: Japanese, Romantica, and Italian. To be honest, food wasn't the best but we' [... read more]ve been advised that about Cuba in general as all of the resorts are like that. It is very bland and not much flavor as we are used to but I guess that's just how it is there. Excursions: We did the Catamaran Cruise with the group which is about 7-8 hours including transfers. There are 2 options for this - with or without the dolphin experience. We did the Dolphin experience and loved it as you get to stand on a platform and have the dolphins swim by you and interact with you. This dolphinarium is built in the middle of the ocean which was pretty cool too. We were also able to snorkel and visit Cayo Blanco and have lunch there and swim on the beautiful island as a part of this excursion. We also went into the main city of Havana but we didn't do it with the group and opted to do it with a private tour guide with a classic car instead so we had more control of it and could enjoy it at our pace. This was a full day event as we left at about 9 AM and came back around 7 PM. The hotel staff can usually help you book a private tour guide. There were also sail boats on the beach that took you out to snorkel with lots of fish. This wasn't advertised but was probably my favorite part of the trip so be sure to inquire about this through the Transgaviota agents that run it on the beach. They take you to a nice spot and give you bread to feed the fish and there are hundreds of them so it was quite the experience. Notes / Things to keep in mind: As mentioned earlier, be ready for the food as it's not the best. Also, the ice and water at the hotel is spring water so you'll be okay there. Just be careful not to have ice or water out of the resort as you can get really sick. If you plan to buy Cigars when you do the trip to Havana, be careful as there are many fakes and we fell for this. Only buy them from the Airport Duty Free shop as even some of the factories sell fake cigars. My mom got pretty sick on the last day when we were scheduled to fly back home and our hotel checkout was at 12 PM but we needed the room for longer as she was really not feeling well. We had to pay 10 CUC / hour for the room until our flight at 6 PM. This was our only drawback from an otherwise amazing experience. Cuba is a very safe place otherwise so not much to worry about - enjoy your trip. Hope this review helps you with your planning.

Iberostar Waves Cozumel: Beautiful resort but smokey rooms and food poisoning an issue

Beach was nice. Snorkeling off the dock was the highlight. Food was good until I got food poisoning the 2nd to last day. Killed the rest of the trip. Beats pill was stolen form my bag at Mexico airport. Room smelt like smoke.

Iberostar Waves Cozumel: Run Down

It was our second time at the Iberostar Cozumel. I must and foremost praise the staff which was very friendly and helpful. Unfortunately the composting and sour smell was overwhelming. The area of the main lobby and main restaurant as well as the show theatre smelled so bad it was terrible. I was renting two rooms and room 2612 smelled like shit, pretty much like the composting site, which is not acceptable. The steak house was very good while the Mexican restaurant was disappointing. The beach  [... read more]area is non existant and requires shoes as there is no sand, just coral and rocks. The snorkelling is good having seen Moray eel, barracuda, octopus, and plenty of fish. The Christmas diner (buffet) was ordinary. Unfortunately I will not be returning

Grand Memories Cayo Largo: Un hotel pas pret pour acceuillir les gens !!!!!!!!!

Bonjour! 1.Pas de plage. 2. Pas de climatiseur, il ne marche pas. 3. Temps en temps pas de l`eau dans le robinet. 4.Pas de piscine. 5.Tre`s mauvaise gestion d` hotel. 6.La mer e`tait belle !!

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Great Resort

Clean resort, good food and activities for most ages. Service was good. Pharmacy never had basic things we needed and ordering over the counter meds from next town was very pricey. Was concerned about too much algae at the beach based in reviews. This was not an issue for us in mid-December.