Iberostar Selection Varadero: Found my "Go To" Vacation Spot!

I don't ordinarily write reviews because I feel experiences are all relative and I haven't been wowed by a vacation spot in many years. However... This resort offered everything I could ever want from a Vacation. I (48), traveled with my father (81) and his girlfriend (79). I stayed solo in my own room and I always felt safe. The room was spacious and had comfortable beds with nice linens and everything you could want to be comfortable. If something isn't there just ask. Walk ways t [... read more]o the pool and beach were always enjoyable with a wonderland of exquisite trees, bushes and flowers. The beach is incredible with white sand and clear blue water. Many days I walked along the shoreline for as long as I wanted, always feeling safe, relaxed and happy. No one ever around harassing you to buy something. It's not a massive resort but I did get in a lot of walking, which was great-- at least 6K steps a day! The food was fantastic for the most part. Could always find something delicious and healthy to eat. My favourite was the fresh fish, pizza, pasta, home made bread and cheeses, assorted vegetables, legumes and fruit. They had chicken, beef and lamb which were all tasty. I can not believe that anyone could have a problem with the food here. They cook with real ingredients, minimal oils and salt and I never had to reach for the salt and pepper shakers. I didn't like the butter or margarine so I just stuck a piece of cheese in a bun, or they do have oil at the salad bar. The ice cream is the best I've ever tasted. So fresh and creamy!! The service at all of the al a carte restaurants is fantastic. Beautiful happy people making sure you are happy and satisfied. Tip: If you are feeling snacky between 4-6, they have a Cafe in the lobby with delicious sandwiches. Atmosphere was Cuban Casual elegance. Not flashy on first impressions, but when you sit and take it all in, it's very impressive. I felt the atmosphere had a Cuban/Spanish flair with thatch roofs, pretty windows, light fixtures and tiles, open air areas, gorgeous bamboo woods and architecture. I absolutely loved all of the live music, and pop up bands throughout playing beautiful Cuban music. Always a delightful suprise popping up somewhere! Considering the traffic, the resort was ridiculously clean throughout. The service was among the best I've ever experienced at an all inclusive. Cubans are warm, genuine and helpful people. I was amazed at their ability to smile and serve so efficiently day after day. The bar staff especially, were incredibly efficient. Various drinks were served in literally seconds, and the bar was always clean. I loved how they always greeted myself and everyone with a warm way of saying hello or friendly hand gesture. They actually remembered what people were drinking and always made you feel special and taken care of. Quite a feat with the number of people they serve day after day. A Special shout out to Cesar and Mandy at the lobby bar! The shows are so fun and the entertainers are so talented. They really take you away to a fantasy land when they perform. Some of the shows are geared towards children but don't miss out on the 80's night, or dance shows. The magic show was great as well. So much fun to watch. I did make use of the Spa for a Pedicure and Massage. The pedicure was nice, gentle and effective (my toes still look very pretty). The massage with reflexology was truly the best I ever had. I will go again when I go back. I've been to many all-inclusives throughout Mexico, Dominican, Jamaica, Aruba. I can confidently say Cubans are the 'coolest', most gentle, beautiful (inside and out) and hospitable people I have ever encountered. I met many fantastic people at the resort from Europe, UK, South America, Canada, many of them repeat visitors. I can certainly see why. The only thing I would change, is to make it an adults only. The stay made for a busy time but the kids were pretty cute and well behaved. TIPS: I was feeling a little stressed about the tipping situation. Thankfully, I didn't feel pressure from anyone to tip, but when we did it was so graciously and genuinely appreciated. Mosquitoes: Not a problem for me and they usually love me. I did try to remember to spray my legs and feet, day and night though. Unfortunate things happen on Vacations. I am still (hopefully) waiting for my luggage to come home. Things happen but I won't let it take away from my glorious holiday. Thank you to everyone at Iberostar Veradero for a wonderful vacation! I felt truly spoiled and I will be back! Hasta Pronto!! xoxo Leigh from Hamilton, Ontario

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Amazing Vacation!

The resort was so clean. The service was impeccable, the beach was beautiful, the food was very good. I've been to many, many resorts and this one was a 10 out of 10. Thanks to Robyn Murray for her suggestion and overall help with booking. 😊

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Beautiful resort!

This resort was beautiful. The grounds were kept impeccable,the staff were so courteous and friendly. There was always something to do or lots of places to relax and do nothing. Lots of variety to eat.

Hotel Mojito: Had a great time!

We travelled to the Iberostar Mojito for a quick 4 night girls getaway. The food was the best I've had in my 8 trips to Cuba. The resort was clean and I loved the fact that there was an adult only pool. There were many return guests that had a special bracelet that they give out after your 7th or 8th stay. That says a lot about this place. I also appreciated that the buffet was enclosed and air conditioned. I didn't miss the heat, flies or birds that can be irritating during mealtimes. The o [... read more]nly things I really disliked about this resort is the fact that other than the ground floor terraces there weren't any balconies at all. I've never seen that before and I don't understand why they would design it that way. Also the pools had lots of green algae growing in them. I'm not sure how often they are scrubbed but it was there when we arrived and also when we left. The beach was beautiful and the staff mostly friendly.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Wow amazing resort

A very family oriented hotel, we had a great time and would recommend this resort. The staff was exceptional and happy to help. I would go back in a heartbeat. A big thank you to the staff you absolutely made our stay very memorable.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Spectacular Cuba resort! The best yet!

What an amazing, breath taking resort. Hands down, the best cuba resort I've ever herd of and been to myself. Would recommend this to anyone! VERY modern and clean! including the rooms, bathrooms, resort bathrooms and everywhere on the resort. Two of the el a carts were breath taking, japeneese and gormet were my favourite. You walked in feeling like you were at 5 star restaurant for both places. Food at both restaurants were very very good, that's comming from a foodie myself and 3 people as we [... read more]ll. The mediterranean al e cart was my least favourite as they used food from the buffet and it was not mediterranean cuisine. Another downfall for me is that there is NOT your typical beach. It is man made and the sand area with lay down chairs and huts are behind a beautiful boardwalk ultimately blocking your view of the water. There is no real beach here which was huge for me. There was steps that you could enter the water with from the board walk but there was a tiny area with sand that led into the water, which was were the sail boats and paddle boats were. Which were by the way free and so much fun to go with a group of people on!. On the bright side you are a 20 min walk from one of the most beautiful beaches in Cuba called Playa Pilar. You so have to pay for drinks and your beach chair. But it is WELL worth it and that's were you get your REAL beach. It is unreal and just absolutely amazing. Overall a WONDERFUL experience and amazing resort, one of the best I have been too. A must go!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Disappointing Experience

One of the reasons we chose to go to Cuba was the friendliness of the Cuban people, I didn't find this at this resort. We work in the hospitality/tourist industry and with the exception of housekeeping, a few servers (I wish I'd noted their names) and the masseur on the beach found the staff morale to be very low, very few staff smiled or seemed happy; usually a management issue. The grounds & beach were beautiful, and our room was very clean; maintenance issues were never addressed, shoulder [... read more]s were shrugged by front desk staff when they were reported to the desk. We were travelling with my 78 year old father & other family; the phone in our room didn't work and we wanted to be able to get in touch with my dad and wanted him to be able to get in touch with us in case of illness and he was away from our room and calling would have been easier than 4 flights of stairs and walking 2 buildings over for him, even telling us it has never worked would have been better than the shrugging & "he'll fix it". The buffet was okay, ala carte restaurants were good, air conditioning would have helped, I wasn't going for the food though. If you want a shaded chair on the beach or poolside get a towel on the seat before 6:30 am, we read that this practice wasn't allowed at this resort but found otherwise. on our last day we had to check out at noon, we were told by our Sunwing rep that we would have use of the facility until our bus came at 12:15 am that night, access to a shower & a room to change in. We went to change at about 8:00 pm and were told that the spa closed at 6:00 and that we would have to change in the bathroom (they aren't the cleanest places in the hotel or big); again the desk staff shrugged their shoulders. I would visit Cuba again, its a beautiful country, I would avoid Veradero though and head to a more tourist friendly area, I heard from more than a few people that Santa Maria was far better and that this resort wasn't typical. Our trip with Blexie Tours to Havana was AMAZING, our guide, Rolando & driver, Alex were great, incredibly knowledgable, friendly, I can't say enough good things about them! Old Havana is beautiful, and I would recommend seeing it!!! We took the Jeep tour, driving through Matanzas was an experience, the countryside was nice, meal at the farm was very good; my only complaint is that the guide only spoke to the local vendors, it would have been nice to get some info from him regarding the areas we visited; other tour guides at the sites did chat with us and answered our questions however, same company so we just seemed to get a less involved guide. I still had a great vacation and like I said, I'd go back to Cuba, I won't stay at another Iberostar and will head to other areas of the island.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Amazing resort

Everything is just super, perfect beach, very nice stuff, super entertainment, very good pools. Amazing grounds. The food is good too, especialy for Cuba. A lot of things to do. Kids friendly! Will recomend!

Iberostar Waves Punta Cana: Iberstor Punta Cana

The big benefit was the room close to the pooland the beach (no long walk or buggy ride !) For the cost and the perceived reputation ar Iberostar I expected a more "holiday" room versus a very basic room. There were no problems with the room but I was disappointed in the warm of the room. I wouln't discourage anyone from going there but I will fine something different the next time for myself. Happy with the foof and food service. Victor

Hotel Mojito: Great resort!

Had a wonderful vacation at Iberostar Mojito. Grounds and rooms were very clean. Beautiful beach, great for long walks. Pool with swim up bar was the perfect place to hang out. Food was the best we have had in Cuba. Especially enjoyed the lunch time grill in the picnic area on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The a la carte were great, as well as the buffet for breakfast and the snack bar anytime. The staff were all friendly and accommodating with special mention to Axel, Jose, and Jose the magi [... read more]cian at the swim up bar. We will return.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Beautiful Resort ,Awesome People

We were at the Iberostar Playa Pilar for our second time.Staff are amazing ,they do everything they can to make your stay fun and memorable.The rooms are clean and comfortable and the air conditioning works great. We booked an Ocean View but when we arrived we were up grated to a Jr. Suite with an amazing view of the ocean.We ate all the restaurants and the food was good, especially at the Gourmet and Japanese Restaurants.The buffet had a lot of variety of food so it was always easy to find som [... read more]ething to eat.The board walk at the ocean is so nice.They have comfortable beds and chairs to enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean and a bar that makes great drinks. Pilar beach is only about a 15 to 20 minute walk from the resort and is one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever been on.Oh and yes! The entertainment is fantastic,great pre shows and main shows.Can't wait to go back.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: First class resort.

The hotel was amazing. The grounds so well kept, pool area just lovely with lots of nice loungers. Buffet restaurant spotless clean with the best food ever, all a la cartes were first class we really loved the Japaneze, the cooks put on a great fun show. The chicken and steak cooked to perfection. The beach was breathtaking. The 2 peillo lunches ,one was chicken and rhe other seafood with great lobster. This is our top hotel in Puerto Plata. The best staff and service we have ever had. Can't [... read more] wait to return. Cheers the twins P.s. The beach barbecue and the beach live band were lots of fun

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Fantastic staff

My boyfriend and I stayed from the 3rd to the 10th of April. From the front desk to checking out the experience over all was fantastic. The bartenders and cocktail servers in the pool area were beyond hospitable ( Kensi, Navis, Aylin, and the rest of the staff their) The beach was amazing, clean bright and roomy! Housemaid's were quick but efficent with tidying our room. The Cuban restaurant was our favourite The waiter that server us was more the helpful. (Due to a double booking and mess [... read more]ed-up up dates for our reservations) Our Havana Colonial excursion was amazing although wished we had a bit more free time. I would love to go back to this resort mostly due to the amazing staff! We never wanted to leave! Thank you to everyone at Laguna Azul!!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: i loved it

there really isn't anything negative. The food, people and rooms were great. The pools and everything were in close walking distance and since I have a lot of pain with walking it was perfect. Everyone was helpful and the a la carte meals were unreal. my favourite was the Japanese. I would recommend this resort and would one day return. Oh ya and the beach was just amazing.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Another Great Vacay!

This was my second stay at the Iberostar. I was there 4 years ago, this time I decided to take my kids. When we checked in there was a mix up with the rooms, but they accommodated us fast and upgraded us to a poolside view. The staff were friendly and the food was as good as I remember. Everything was extremely clean and the bar and buffet/dining staff were prompt. The entertainment staff worked really hard, but I didn't find there were as many of them around this time. The one that truly stands [... read more] out was "skinny". He was hilarious and very friendly!!! I would definitely recommend this hotel, and I am looking forward to returning again soon.

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: Amazing resort

We went for the second time to paraiso lindo and enjoyed it as much as the first time. Employees went out of their way to make us feel pampered and meet our wishes. Resort is clean, food is good and the snack bar at the beach came in handy when we didn't want to go up to the restaurants to eat. Ice cream is always available around the resort. It's a beautiful resort overall and would definitely go back there.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Good Resort

Spent a week at Iberostar Costa Dorada in Puerta Plata April 2 to April 9 2017. Very good value for the money and the food was excellent, especially on Tuesday the Italian sea food paella they did on the beach. I won’t go into great details as I’ll only end up rehashing the many positive reviews, so I’m just going to do point form pros and cons. Pros: • As mentioned food was excellent, at the buffet, pool bar, Brazilian and Japanese la cartes. They make a fried chicken that would ri [... read more]val anything here, very moist and not greasy. • People very nice and always had a smile, they work very hard but will help you out whether you tip them or not. For example the knob for our air conditioner in our room broke; we didn’t bother telling anyone as the air conditioner was still working. That afternoon when we got back to our room a maintenance guy was there to replace the knob. The maid must of saw this and got it replaced for us without our asking, now this is service!!! • Favourite person was Yaya at the lobby bar, every morning I was there at 9:00 when it opened to get my cappuccino. After the second day I no longer had to order it as she would see me and start my coffee. • Room very clean but as mentioned by others dated and in need of a fresh coat of paint. • Pool area was nice and clean with lots of tree and shrubs, pool guys where there everyday cleaning, water nice and clear. Lots of pool chairs only issue was the ones in the shade they went very quickly. The towel game is alive and well here. Cons: • Mexican la carte restaurant was just awful, wouldn’t bother reserving this one. • Iberostar has this premiere program that they want you to sit down with them for 90 minutes, idea is for you to avoid the travel agents and go directly through them, blah, blah, blah. We were only there for a week so you can be sure I’m not wasting my time on this. When they see you aren’t interested they try harder to get you to listen to them, telling you they just started the job and needed you at attend so they don’t get fired. Anyway we found this annoying. • Beach, not really the hotels fault but Puerta Plata is known for windy beaches, the problem with this is the ocean is always churned up and not nice and clear (at least when we were there) the water looks dirty and when you go in it you come out with sand all over you (and sand in places it should not be). Also sitting on the beach is like being sand blasted due to the wind, not fun. All in all it was a nice vacation and good values for the money we spent, but I think next time we’ll go to Punta Cana.

JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar: GREAT RESORT

The resort was the best one we have ever been to. Service was amazing as was the top shelf drinks. The food was good as well and the fitness club was amazing. Many different exercise times and routines available most of the day.

JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar: Great vacation

The staff and service were excellent. Food was very good. The pools beach and the gardens were beautiful. Some areas of the resort could use some updating, furniture and carpeting worn out. Concierge was applying pressure for me to attend a special breakfast where I assumed some sort of sale was going to be promoted. First day we arrived we received at least 6 phone calls asking how things were going from butler and guest services. Totally not necessary, went on vacation to get away from phone [... read more] calls.

JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Amazing Resort

What a beautiful resort . Rooms were spacious! Grounds were lush! Beach was amazing . The food was delicious , from the a la carts to the Buffett . It never felt crowded ! The staff so very helpful . My favourite resort so far