Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Not what we hoped for.

Booked an Iberostar resort expecting better quality. Sadly this was not the case. The outside looks very grand, grounds are well kept. My first room had no air conditioning, ceiling fan didn't work, smell of mold was awful and there were cockroaches. No sleep that night. Moved to a better room next day...AC was loud enough to drown out the show from the theater each night, toilet leaked out into the hallway (never fixed during 6 day stay), pillows are chip foam and old. Towels never comple [... read more]tely replenished, no beach towels 2 days of 6. Beach chairs are hard plastic with very few foam pads. What pads there were seemed to be kept for the pool users. So uncomfortable. There were attendants on the beach to help you find a chair and a spot, which was nice.. Beach was gorgeous. Majority of people were lovely. Service is very much tied to how you tip. Cockroaches seen on the bar in the lobby...so disgusting. Check in was brutal...took an hour at 1am. Food was not too bad for Cuba but by day 5 I was tired of the same things every day.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Iberostar Playa Pilar

Traveled April 13-20, 2017. It was our first time to this resort. To Start, the bus ride to the resort was amazing. Up on arrival to the resort check in was fast and very smooth. Down fall was there was no one there greeting us. Other Cuba resorts greet you with drinks before check in. They had staff there to bring our bags to the room and they were fast at doing this. The rooms were very clean and tidy. The resort grounds were very clean. They were still planting greenery and painting.  [... read more] The pool bar staff was the best. They were always quick at getting your drinks ready. The food was amazing now complaints. We were able to book three restaurants. They had a new steakhouse which was ok, we also book the Japanese however do to a mix up (our ticket had 7:30pm reservation but they lady had wrote 6:30pm on the sheet she gave to the restaurant. So therefore they could not get us in however they moved us to another restaurant which was fine. The entertainment was kind of boring. The lobby music was very low key and the show were ok. The music was very low in the day time out by the pool. The resort is beautiful and I believe with a little bit of work and experience there resort will actually be a 5 star. They still need to work out a few issues.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Will not disappoint!

Apr. 26-May 6th, 2017 Distance from airport is only a 45 min. drive..the rep on our bus could have maximized his effort and drivers tip potential by using our drive time educating us on the area / country. In my opinion , the rep on our return did little to engage or educate as well. While it wasn't deterring , it was a missed opportunity to make a great first impression and earn tips ! This resort is small and its size is definetly welcoming!! No waiting for shuttles or trams, just as vac [... read more]ation should be - walk at your leisure to the ocean ...or wherever you wish to simply Be. Don't let 'small' fool you, its footprint is the only aspect of small. This resort has an entertainment Team with a passion for building relashionships and entertaining. Of all my resort experience this Team by far, has been the most professional and talented, dedicated to the client experience. We actually went to the nightly shows and enjoyed them! The buffet has a wide variety and their presentation appealing. Unlike other experiences I have had, the food actually has destinctible flavours rather than bland or all the same. Buffet was extremely clean and orderly at all times ! The Team in the buffet were very professional and also committed to building relashionships. Three al a carts are offered, the Italian, in my opinion failed to deliver. They missed the mark on flavour..there were 5 at our table, all agreed the pizza was the only item worthy of mention. Our waitress was excellent. Beach side lunch restaurant is a smaller version of the buffet, boasting a daily bbq feature, which was excellent . I spent the majority of my days at the beach, and ate mostly at the buffet as I welcomed the air conditioned break from the 30c + tempetures during our 10 day stay. Our room was among the newly renovated, we were close to a building reno in progress and despite reading other reviews about reno noise, we were not bothered by it. The property is well maintained. A friend travelling with us asked for a different room than assigned due to bed size and found the reception staff to be committed to please. My experiences with reception were same. Our rooms were very clean, fresh towels provided daily , clean sheets every 2-3 days. Our maid was excellent, although her task is not easy she never swayed from pleasant ..very admirable. The pool area is extremely clean, offers shade and entertainment as well quiet time. Their children/ family area is well designed and equipped for safety & fun. The pool is not deep, although always active! The beach is well equipped with beds & shade, as well, clean with lifeguards and 1st aid always visible. As with everywhere the entertainment Team is actively engaging anyone who wishes to participate - their mantra,' be crazy not lazy.' I certainly hope the resort management are treating this wonderful , dedicated, hard working group of Team members well in Spirit, as well, financial compensation as their efforts individually and collectively are exemplary. Without this dedication I and others would not have experienced the high level of care as we did and therefore the resort not benifiting their maximum return on investment . I truly wish that more tipping was offered than what I witnessed. Consider budgeting tips into your vacation daily. This property is Great Value all around - The Little Resort that Could !

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Meh... 3* at best

Lets keep it simple. Pros: -Beach is great..busy, but great. Lots of palapas to lay under! -Maid service was amazing friendly and clean -Rooms were ok minus one thing (see cons) -Skydive.. OMG amazing best thing I have ever done! DO IT! ...... that's all Cons -Bar service the worst! Especially at the lobby bar.. all they do is text on their cell phones and ignore you -loads of ignorant people... from a communist country I wont name. -Food was so bad I was sick almost every da [... read more]y until I stopped eating the meat and lived on pizza and pasta for 4 days. -my shower head was 3 feet off the tub floor so I had to go down on my knees to wash my hair, front desk wrote it down several times but still did nothing about it, I thought she just couldn't understand my English so I asked in Spanish and still...nothing -We had a Spa room, no bottle of rum in our room complained 3 times got it as we were getting on the bus to come home so ya... good luck same happened for our $50 spa coupon I had to really dig in to get that, I don't mind if they forget but going to the front desk every day kinda feels like a waste of your vacation time. Last trip to Cuba EVER! I'll eat dog food and put a tent in an ally downtown Toronto and get better service. (just so people know, I have been to Cuba many times and I know food is not great and service is lacking...I expect it there, honestly.... but this was just bad... bad bad...like make me never want to go back bad...) and the CUC is getting out of control so save your Peso's people!

Hotel Mojito: gem of a resort

As repeat guests to this resort for many years, we have seen it change hands a few times. Iberostar seemed promising, but it was a shame to see certain areas neglected. The pools needed to be cleaned, waterfalls needed repair - garbage was not being tended to - and the grass and landscaping was neglected. Keep on top of the mosquitoes!

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Great week in paradise

We traveled with a group of people 15 of us all together..the resort is two years old .. Rooms beautiful we had bungalow 3 perfect ocean front view.. Rooms where kept nice and clean mini fridge restock daily.. Buffet was over all good .. Great pizza station pasta meat and fish .. Also for lunch they have a beach grill great fish and chicken wings.. Lobby bar made amazing drinks .. Staff was grat friendly and helpful .. Beach isn't the greates but they have playa pilar 10 min walk or take the bus [... read more] for 5 pesos all day .. Shows a must see .. Over all a good resort traveled end of april

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Best resort so far in Cuba

Hotel was beautiful, the beaches are the best we have seen and the food was excellent. The staff went out of their way to ensure we were happy. They had quality liquor at the lobby bar and made a variety of coffee that were all excellent.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Beautiful Resort!

I knew I was going to like this resort, as soon as we pulled in. It's very tropical and the gardens are beautifully landscaped. We upgraded to the ocean view, it was very nice, but we would have been just as happy to be facing the pool or gardens. It is a small resort, so everything was very convenient to walk to. Lots of washrooms near beach & pool area, so that was a plus! The maids are extremely nice and our room was always clean as soon as we came back from our daily leisure at the pool [... read more]/beach. Plenty of palapas, so no need to rush early in the mornings to reserve as there is a "no reservation" sign beside each palapas. I was also impressed that instead of umbrellas at the pool area, they had the palapas, which made it feel tropical. I have no complaints about the food either - there is LOTS of selection. The resort is kept very clean. We were also amused by a few peacocks at the resort with their little ones - very sweet. I would definitely return to this resort. The only downfall was the ocean water - a little seaweed, but nothing to stop us from going for a dip on those hot days.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: Great value, lots of fun.

Grounds are beautiful. Pool is well kept. Lots of seating by the pool and by the beach. Lots of birds and wildlife.. Great food and service. We had a great time. Highly recommend iberostar to anybody.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Fantastic

Travelled as a group of 10. We had no trouble getting seating together at the buffet anytime of the day thanks to the amazing staff. Smaller resort which meant easy to get seating around pool. Beach was amazing. Great entertainment nightly and daily poolside. Loved the swim up bar. Very clean resort. Food was typical of Cuba but always fresh. Good selection. We definitely will go back. Great bang for the buck.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great service

This was our first "All Inclusive" trip and it didn't disappoint. As soon as we landed and got on the shuttle to the hotel, the staff were so friendly and offered good tips for our stay. The hotel room was ok- a little disappointed that we ended up on the ground floor. All of the bar staff, food service staff and housekeeping staff, even the grounds staff were very obliging to requests and went out of their way to be friendly. Would definitely return.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Beautiful Resort!!

What an amazing resort! I booked this resort after reading the reviews on Trip Central and couldn't have been more happy I did. The resort is very beautiful, clean and close to the beach. It's not a huge resort so not over crowded. The staff are overly friendly but I always loved that about Cuba. We had no water issues and rooms were always done great! There was always entertainment by the pool and theatre. Food was fantastic!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Poor attitude

The resort is in an amazing location. The beach and grounds are great. However, the staff and service are lacking. I had so many bad interactions with staff, It was the rule as opposed to the exception. For example: the phone in our room didn't work at all. I went to the front desk 3 days in a row to get it repaired, each time they put it on a clipboard and said someone would come by to fix it, but nobody ever came. I went back the last time and they sent me to talk to the customer service manag [... read more]er, who made a phone call and said someone would be right up, again, no one ever showed. I went back and was offered breakfast on the beach.. how was this going to fix the phone exactly?? (FYI, The phone never did get repaired) Every difficulty was met with shrugs, by front desk staff, wait staff, bar staff, customer service.. the only consistently good department we dealt with was housekeeping; they were great! My wife's father, who is over 80, was checked into a room that was not cleaned since the last checkout. He slept on top of a dirty bed the first night as the front desk shrugged when he went to get this remedied. We had to go to the Sunwing rep the next day to get the room made up, so they offered an extra night in the a la carte restaurants.. this is how the placate guests with problems.. it's and all inclusive resort; don't offer me more food! As it was, the restaurants were "booked" and we never got the extra night anyway. I was at the small pool and went in to order a drink at about 3:45, ( the pools close at 7 ) and the bartender said to me, Have a beer! I told him I wanted a long Island Iced tea, ( which he had made earlier.) His response? " You're crazy! I'm closed!.. That's service! I had been tipping very well as I worked in the service industry for 20 years, but this obviously made no difference. All in all; I will avoid Iberostar resorts in the future, as there is a serious problem with the staff & management attitude toward guests. Outside the resort, I found the people of Cuba to be friendly and the country is amazing, I'll be back but will avoid this company.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Beautiful Resort!

We stayed at Iberostar Ensenachos for a week in May 2017. Beautiful hotel and facilities. Staff were AMAZING! Great food. Only suggestions would be to have a bit more variety throughout the week (e.g. themed meals) but the food was wonderful. The beaches are AMAZING - most beautiful I've ever seen. We loved being able to snorkel right off the beach. We took the double decker bus to the nearby artisan market - lots of variety and fun trip.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Wouldn't go back

The resort was in need of a lot of repairs. The staff always treated us like an inconvenience, yet were pushy and asking for tips all the time. When we checked in our room had a broken safe, TV, and air-conditioner. When telling the front desk agent she responded "all the rooms are like that" Finally we got one that worked properly. The beach was beautiful. Food was okay.

Hotel Mojito: not what we expected

The staff were very friendly and very helpful. The resort itself is in such a disarray and the lagoon to the beach smelled of sewage which blew into the pool area. The restaurants were also on this lagoon. At one restaurant nothing could be eaten for all 4 of us. Not due to the smell but the food. Choice of food was very limited in the buffet. Pathways to rooms were very dangerous at evening especially. The ground floors very very musty smelling and had a tendency to flood during rain. The upper [... read more] floors had no private balconies. The beach almost disappeared when tide was high. Entertainment team seemed to be only hanging out with guests instead of doing group stuff. Grounds staff were more interested in selling you something instead of their job.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Great family resort!

Simply put... Large rooms, including walk in closet, defined entry way (handy for beach toys, sand shoes etc), glass shower with consistent hot water and good pressure Beautifully kept grounds, but paths are dark so bring a flashlight for the evenings Lots of birds, geckos, crabs and fish to feed in the ocean Lots of walking - main buffet is near lobby, which BTW only has one bar for a significant area Pool grill is very slow and often runs out of food Lots of fish/ seafood overall Buffet [... read more] has lots of food, but is the same everyday. No theme nights. Lines for pasta, fresh meat and omelets are very long Air conditioning in restaurants is hit or miss The beaches are unreal. Take the time to go to ensenachos beach, it is stunning - there is a bar there also but the grill only has burgers and they are not very good Staff are terrific There are no vendors at this resort so if you want a souvenir take the double decker bus to La Estrella in Santa Maria ($2 pp) or a private taxi. Pools are great. Kids loved the splash pad. Staff serve drinks around the pool. Beach grill is ok.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Terrible Resort

Worst resort I have ever been to. Food was terrible, service was terrible. Hotel staff not friendly at all. Room maids terrible too. Only 1 out of 4 elevators working to service 4 buildings. Unlit pathways at night very unsafe for walking. Would not recommend this resort to anyone.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Great beach, very nice resort

I stayed at the Iberostar Laguna Azul the week of April 22 to 29 with my 3 daughters, all in their early 20's. Overall, the resort was very nice. The beach was beautiful and the pools were very nice. The flights, transfers to and from the airport and check in/out went very smoothly and were stress-free. The food was ok (similar to others resorts we have seen in Cuba). The services (wait staff, etc) was generally good. We had one incident with the housekeeping staff which was addressed quickl [... read more]y and professionally by our Air Transat Rep. Overall, this was a very nice resort and I would recommend it for someone looking to visit Cuba.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Fabulous Resort

I booked my vacation with trip central as I have before with great experiences.We went to the Iberostar paraiso beach on recommendations from a friend and was not disappointed.The rooms are just right in size and very clean.The workers in the buffet are very friendly and have a good selection changing things up every night .The pool area is well kept and the staff come around to make sure they include you in activities.They also have a shopping plaza on site where you can purchase jewelry clothe [... read more]s etc along with a free ice cream parlour coffee shop and burgers a disco for adults.All in all this place is like heaven always cleaning and maintaining things .I will definatly recommend this resort to anyone going to the mayan Riviera thanks