Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Not Terrible...

This resort was disappointing. Not a terrible time , it just lacked in quality and entertainment compared to other places we've stayed in varadero. The lobby isn't very open to the outdoors so it's very smokey. Almost unbearable if your a non smoker like myself. The food was the exact same everyday in the buffet lunch and dinner. Breakfast was ok, the bacon is never cooked but if you take it up the chef will fry it longer for you. 24 he snack bar only served fries hamburger and hotdogs and ran o [... read more]ut late in the evening on the day we arrived. Pizza is served at snack bar on a random days . The resort advertise more snack bars but there was only open for lunch and the other was back/24 he one The bars were either the swim up, beach bar or lobby which was laid out very inconveniently and has ZERO entertainment. The lobby bar had a piano playing every night which was not entertaining. This resort had very little in terms of music and entertainment aside from the Little theatre shows which were not great. All that nit pickyness aside it's Cuba. If you've been there before you know what to expect. The beach at this resort was incredible. Simply beautiful. But I would not rank this hotel any higher than 3.5 . Elevators were broken, one day all the toilets were closed so you had to walk from beach to the main lobby and then no toilet paper. Wifi is available but it's a terrible connection. The a la carte were delicious.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: “Very nice and helpful staff & chefs were amazing with my special dietary needs”

We arrived to a nice clean oceanview room. The maid surprised us with a nice romantic turn down service when she noticed I had a nice piece of lingerie I had takin out for bed time... Nice touch, my boyfriend was impressed! Food was great & the serving staff do not push for tips which is a big plus for me. Having been to Cuba a couple of times & find they are a bit pushy for tips. The organize tons of events for adults & kids. The nightly entertainment is great & your never bored. The beach l [... read more]unches are a nice touch as well. The guys by the beach that promote a market up the way are a little annoying, but just talk friendly and laugh & tell them your not interested and they will leave you alone. Another BIG plus is that there are security everywhere! Had a great romantic get-away for sure.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Clean but dated in dire need of repair to bathroom bed was terrible

Not the best needs some update dining was terrible meals were the same everyday the night shows we're okay the showers didn't work well door couldn't shut properly room smelt must the waiters were very helpful but I would rate this hotel as 4 stars check in was fine

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Great hotel

We are a family with a 2 years old. We stayed 5 days at april and we really appreciate this hotel and also booking with tripcentral. The staff is really friendly and they were so kind with us. The beach is great and also pools. I recommend it.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Lovely New Resort

We enjoyed the lovely amenities of this resort. Nice buffet meals with tasty selection of fruits and veggies, rice and beans, fish, meat and cheeses. My one critique is that meat and fishes were somewhat overcooked and therefore dry and lacking taste. However there were lots of other options like cold meats. Yummy omelettes were available each morning made to order and superb. There were a la carte eateries where one can reserve for a particular evening. There was also a hamburger and fries eate [... read more]ry a few steps up from the boardwalk. Great hamburgers. Alcohol and non alcohol beveridges were available in abundance. Cuban people are LOVELY well groomed, pleasant people who always seemed to be smiling with their eyes. Conversation with them revealed positive, grateful ambitious people. Most travel daily two hours by bus each way from the nearest town, but do not complain. There seems to be an "Attitude of Gratitude" among staff. The grounds are well kept with several pools, lounge areas, gym and spa. A board walk borders the water front. The water is a magnificent aquamarine which depending on the wind/breeze can show at least three shades of that color. My only disappointment was that there is no beach between the waters edge and the resort. I enjoy being able to walk the beach. Pillar Beach is nearby but requires a hike or bus ride up the highway, neither of which I enjoy. The resort has several guest hotel units spread through the resort. Access to theses is by well maintained walkways bordered by well managed garden beds. We had a very pleasant stay

Hotel Mojito: Wonderful first time experience!

After 25+ years, this was our first stay at an all-inclusive resort. We enjoyed the experience, from the staff & service, to our room, our view and our accessibility to the beach and adult pool. Wonderful!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Very nice resort

Resort was very well kept, food was good, friendly staff. Our room service was terrible, still cleaning at 6pm, a few days no shower mat, no hand towels. In our sons room a few days they used their beach towels as there were no towels in their room.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great Family Resort--Amazing Service

The resort was a perfect place for a family vacation. Great value for the money spent. The resort is small which means the pool, beach and restaurants are never over crowded. Everything is close by as well. The lobby is nice to sit and relax. Great entertainment team, star friends and live bands were fun. They always had fun activities throughout the day to participate in. Food and drinks were good. The staff are what make this resort so wonderful!! They treat you well and are very kind [... read more] and appreciative.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Good resort.

The maid service was horrendous. Towels not changed daily. Toilet paper not replaced. Pillows missing and askedmfor several times. Etc etc. Rooms made up very late in day when wanting to get ready for dinner.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Returning Vacationers!

This was our second time to the Iberostar Costa Dorada. We were not disappointed! The staff at this resort are by far the friendliest and helpful of any resort we have been to. Attention to detail. Our maid Felicia did a fantastic job looking after us.We had everything we needed. Anything we asked for it was in our room! Beautiful towel art every day! Our server, Sarita looked after us every meal. We were showered with hugs every day! The resort is in need of some updating, but the room [... read more]s are very clean and the resort is very well maintained. The food is excellent. Lots of selection. We would definitely return again.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Awesome resort for all!

Grounds well maintained, friendly staff, rooms need some upgrading. Pool active place, beach is awesome!!!! Lots to do and participate in on resort! Food good ! Cuban people love Canadians and the reverse is true! Many clients return every year and enjoy the resort as the staff remember them! Felt very safe walking around the resort! Great for kids! Had a very enjoyable time!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Amqazing Vacation

Iberostar Ensenachos Is the most beautiful resort we have visited. The grounds are very well maintained, lush and beautiful. The staff is incredible they go above and beyond to make your stay amazing. The accomidations are well kept up and your every need is met with a smile.

Hotel Mojito: Been to Cuba 23 times. This was the best!!

I have to say, that I was not quite sure about this resort. I had stayed here many years ago when they had different owners. Well for number one. The staff are amazing! They really make you feel like family... I have to say that the clientelle that is attracted to this resort are just as friendly. The room that we had was very large clean and the bed and pillows were very comfortable. The food was the best that I have ever had in Cuba. There were stations that offered fresh hot food. The a [... read more]lacartes were really good as well. The bar service was excellent too. Never had to wait for a coffee or a drink. What I am saying, is if you treat our fellow Cubans like how you want to be treated there is never a problem. The beach was incredible! The only negatives that I have, and MANAGEMENT take note.... The boardwalk to the beach was very dangerous and we could see that someone could get hurt. We did complain and nothing was done.... Take a close look at it...as well, we are both swimmers and the pool was filthy. You need to take a look at that. Not once the whole week was it cleaned... But other than that it was a perfect holiday. We really like the gym and Jorge was a treat. He really knows his stuff and if you need any direction for fitness he is your man. We know, we compete hard core in triathlons. We plan to go back next year for 2 weeks and if there is an indication that people love this resort, most of the people we have met are repeat clients... I give it a 5 star all the way....

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Stunning beach - disappointing food

Lovely resort and as we had a bungalow away from the pool and festivities, it was a very peaceful trip. We spent most of our time on the beautiful beach and ate in the a la carte restaurants while we were there. We were warned. The food is bland and not great. I was surprised that it was all true. Sadly the food was awful unless we stuck to the simple eggs, bread, fruit and so on. Some salads at the buffet had some taste, but the two restaurants were sadly disappointing.

Iberostar Waves Quetzal: Great resort with beautiful sandy beach, friendly staff, amazing jungle

We had a great time during our stay at Iberostar Quetzal. We stayed from April 7th to April 14th The weather was pretty good, day time temperatures during our stay were around 30 degrees Celsius and it rained only once but at night. Some days it was windy at the beach. We found the Iberostar shows and staff performance better than in other resorts we visited in the past and we were always looking forward to see the nightly shows. The staff at the resort was always friendly and helpful, sp [... read more]ecially Karlos from entertainment. WiFi was available throughout the resort and we never had an issue with it. The resort grounds are well kept. In particular, we really liked the small jungle between the pools and the main restaurants and lobby. It was very peaceful. You can see lots of wildlife like: monkeys, flamingos, peacocks, swam, docks, Iguanas, turtles, agouties etc. We also enjoyed that the grounds have two good quality tennis courts and at 8:00 am a tennis pro would provide some basic ball feeding to practice your strokes. This was a pleasant surprise and it was a great way to meet other tennis players in the resort. The ball feeding lasted about 30 min and afterwards the Pro would pair players to play a game. The food was excellent with good selection and quality. The a la carte restaurants we enjoyed most were the Japanese and Italian. Finding reservations for a la carte restaurants was never an issue. The main buffet is open from 7:00 am to 10:00 am (breakfast), 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm (lunch) and from 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm (dinner). It would be nice if there is less gap between lunch and dinner at the main buffet. The beach at the resort is one of the best in the area. It is very wide, sandy and there aren't any rocks. The water was clear with beautiful shades of green and blue. Seaweed started to wash up after our 2nd day and the staff was working hard to clean it up but they were not able to keep up with it. They need more staff and equipment to clean it. Beach chair: We always found enough beach chairs and shade and it was never an issue during our stay. The resort is located close to Playa del Carmen. I takes about 30 minutes to walk to Playa del Carmen or 5 minutes by taxi. One night, we walked to Playa del Carmen and enjoyed the street performers located at "Parque Fundadores" close to Quita Avenue and Benito Juarez Avenue. It was such a nice surprise to watch these shows of the Mexican and Mayan culture. It was a great place to seat down, rest and take some pictures. Make sure to tip the street performers. I was amazed at how good they do the street performances. Later we walked along 5th avenue where we dined and shopped. Overall it was a great resort and enjoyed our vacation at this location.

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: Something for everyone

We enjoyed our stay at Iberostar!!! We stayed 10 days in April 2017 The resort is HUGE, so it literally has something for everyone. The staff was first rate!! Everyone from cleaning staff to the night lobby staff went out of their way to help and always with a smile! Good food!? Wow.. GREAT food! and first class service at every restaurant and the buffets! This place cost a little more but wow they deliver a first class vacation!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Meh~

Excellent layout, beautiful beach, dilapidated hotel unfortunately with cold jacuzzis, mediocre food & drinks, busted elevators and light fixtures,most of the public bathrooms closed or had no soap, broken doors, slow service, tip motivated, line ups for everything, no lobster, no banana chips. Came home with gift of dysentery. Nightly entertainment was Cuban typical. Only go if the price is right. I've had better in Cuba. Note: cost is less expensive at the airport for cigars, local brand alco [... read more]hol, coffee, and currency exchange in case you are wondering.

Iberostar Waves Quetzal: Awesome vacation

The staff were amazing,great service, clean rooms and good food. All the à la carte restaurants were good except the Mexican restaurant was just ok. Rosie from the lobby bar is excellent and made our vacation. Edwardo the consierge was also amazing. I would recommend this resort to friends and would go again

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Fantastic Resort

Last year, we had a group of 12 go to Varadero for our vacation. We chose the resort due to cost. This is normally a huge mistake, as was the case last year. This year however, we had to be weary of cost as we decided to take the couples, but also a family vacation. We had 6 couples and kids… all told, 25 people came on this trip. This year, we decided on Cayo Coco at the Iberostar Daiquiri. From the moment we got off the bus, we were confident we had made a fine choice. We could tel [... read more]l instantly we had found a friendly resort. Pleasant front counter staff, nice porters, and lobby bar staff greeted us. Although we were a large group, front counter processing to get us our rooms was efficient and relatively painless. On to the rooms… My spouse had asked to be in the renovated Holguin building. We were delighted to have a room that faced the water, which was an unpaid for delightful upgrade. Due to our large sized group, we had made some specific requests to accommodate the children being close to parental figures… all of which were completed with no pressing or issue from the resort. The rooms are designed nice, with lovely balconies and tastefully decorated.. A pullout couch was available in the room for additional guests (children). The bathrooms appear to be modern. Each renovated room had a walk in tiled shower. The rooms were cleaned daily with towel art greeting us when we arrived back to our rooms. The mini fridge was restocked everyday with pop and beers, along with a large bottle of water to be used for drinking or teeth brushing…. Overall, the rooms were very nice. My only negative comment for the room I had, and I also appreciate that this is an individual preference… the beds were something to be desired. For my taste, there was very little support and not overly comfortable. When you consider that you are going on a vacation, and spending about 8 hours a day plus perhaps a siesta, one hopes the bed to be a comfortable getaway. The resort amenities… This would be considered a relatively small resort. There is a very nice resort entrance with a lobby bar that makes pretty fantastic cappuccinos. Seating is ample, but fills up quickly in the evening, but this may have been more our issue as we often were trying to accommodate 10 to 15 people for our nightly time together. The main pool area is large with 2 main areas and 1 area for the little ones. The largest section of the pool did have a swim up bar. Only comment here would be, if you are looking to have conversation at the swim up bar, it does include a trickle down waterfall, which causes quite a bit of noise that was noticeably distracting. I realize that is a bit trivial, but still was a thing. The poolside chairs are similar to an episode of survivor.. Get there early if you want a coveted spot. The resort has 4 restaurant areas. Of course the main buffet, a Mexican, Italian and finally a Cuban. I will go into detail about the main buffet, but will quickly review 2 of the three a la carte restaurants. The Mexican eatery was a nice distraction after a few days. It is quant, has a small staff, but big on taste. I had the chicken fajita, which I found to be most delicious. I had a potato based starter soup which was nice, but nothing extraordinary. The drink of the night was a margarita which let me tell you went down better than any tequila drink ive ever enjoyed, evidenced by the 8 consumed before dinner ended. Take the opportunity to enjoy this restaurant. The Cuban restaurant was served from La Marina, which is the wooden structure just off the beach. This kitchen is used during the afternoon for an ad hoc lunch buffet which when we were there had fish, chicken and the standard round meat burgers from the post war era. For dinner, I had a Cuban Beef dish served with veg and potato. It was very tasty. Others commented the fish was under cooked, so be weary. The Italian restaurant is an outdoor facility adjacent to the pools. Also used for lunch to feed the masses and those not wanting to venture to far from the pool. I cannot comment too much on this dinner option as a few members of our party told us that this option was a kin to Pasta Murder and to avoid. May have been a bad night, but I will let you be the judge of this. Buffet This is the main source of your sustenance for the time you’ll be here so a look at the three meals will be more warranted. Breakfast… if you like eggs and either French toast or pancakes, you will be in heaven. There is very limited choice. The side items such as pastries and such are limited or not very tasty. The bread is good, but who can really mess bread up. Fresh fruit is available such as bananas and pineapple, or other fruit to which I was not familiar. Lunch Again, a routine of pasta station and hamburgers.. bread, fried options… There were a few days chicken was available along with beef, freshly made on the grill. Dinner A lot like lunch, a few additional items. My delight is a very nice gentleman who was there every evening making alcohol soaked bananas. These were flamed to caramelize the whipped cream and flambé the fruit. This was a daily sin for me. To gain favor, this artist of the tree fruit does enjoy a nice glass of red wine brought to him. Food Synopsis. I have been to Cuba three times. This is the second best food Ive had while on vacation. That’s to say, it was good, not great. I don’t believe anyone goes to Cuba with thoughts of culinary greatness. I am happy to say, no one in our group had any health related issues as it pertained to the food, so to me this is a win. Drinks While I am not a large drinker, I was able to breach the tipsy threshold a few times on this trip. The bartenders are not shy about their skill of the free pour. Being drunk is an easy achievement here if one desires. There is a large selection of liquors, Buckanaro on tap, powdered Peña Colada, and a couple other frozen slushy type bases to accompany the plethora of Rum to be had at this resort. A strong recommendation would be Amaretto and the Red Slushy. Taste exactly like the red freezies we all had as children, with a delightful after glow. The Beach. What can you say…. It’s beautiful. Given how big the resort is, they have minimal cabanas. Bring your own source of shade if this is an issue for you or be up early and stake your claim to one of the coveted spaced. There are plenty of fish to enjoy right off this beach, just bring some bread down, your snorkel gear and you’ll be in fish mania. Excursions This will be some first and second hand accounts in this section. In our introduction session, we were outlined the few options we had for leaving the resort to enjoy the island of Cayo Coco. Mine and two other families chose a relatively new option, which for a price that sounded reasonable, turned out to be not. We went on something called the Ultimate Adventure. This included a swim with the dolphins, a catamaran ride out to an island close to Pillar Beach, Snorkeling, lunch and of course return. The dolphin swim was a best value of the overall day. That being said, I have a moral objection to this practice, but the other members of my crew and other two families engaged and quite enjoyed. From there we went to the marina to be greeted by a diesel smelling boat that was not was expected. The captain and first mate that did not speak English transported us. We got to our snorkeling destination and due to poor water conditions only allowed us less than 15 min in the water. On top of that, in their first attempt to land us in a good spot to snorkel, dropped the anchor and did not secure the rope to the boat. This lead to about 20 min of moving about to find the rope/anchor to reattach. The challenge here was that due to not moving too much, the diesel fuel cause more than half of us to not feel well prior to going into the water, which made our attempt at snorkeling that much more challenging. Finally lunch simply didn’t meet any level of expectation. Overall.. this excursion was a very VERY expensive bust. Another group of 5 guys chartered a boat for a day of fishing and came back regaling us of a fantastic time and they highly recommended. Some of the parents of the young teens took the open air public bus ($5 CUC per trip) to the new climbing attraction at Cayo Coco. Although it was quite a distance from the resort, it was a fun time and very cost effective for the time spent. This was also recommended for the younger kids. The final excursion was one that in retrospect, I am upset I didn’t participate. This was the Jeep/Powerboat/Alligator Farm/Lunch trip. There were 8 from our group that went on this and came back absolutely raving about it. The main takeaway I got was that the jeeps could be driven “Like they were stolen”. It was a high energy, thrill based adventure that was quite enjoyed. If im ever on this island again.. this will be number one on my to do list. Recommendations Overall it was a fantastic week for Cuba standards. If you go here with the expectations of a first world resort, it will fall short. If you are thinking a cost effective resort, with free flowing drinks, salt of the earth people who truly do enjoy being around nice people. I was able to have a relatively quiet, low key experience in a nice, well kept environment with edible food and fantastic company. If you want a place that if calm, not a party atmosphere, child welcoming resort, you cant go wrong with the Iberostar Daquiri.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Just Ok

Resort is dated. They are upgrading rooms - make sure you request one of those. Staff seem like they don't want to be there - not helpful. Food is below average, even for Cuba. Bottom line is you get what you pay for. Spend a few extra dollars