Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Excellent Resort - Fabulous Beaches

Positives: This hotel was excellent. Staff very friendly and the lobby was a fun place to be in the evenings. Entertainment every night in mini theatre was a nice touch with loads of local talent. Tennis courts were brand new and a pleasure to play on. Catamaran outing was very good value and they actually raised the sails! Food was very good - no complaints! The beaches are the best in Cuba - better than Varadero! Negatives: Check in was a chore and could easily be improved. VIP package ($3 [... read more]5 CDN each) for departure was a disaster. (Air Transat needs to investigate... Refreshments were a joke. Seating in lounge was limited. Non VIP people got much better treatment and much better seats on the plane.)

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Great value for money

We just got back on Friday. Overall it was a nice resort. Clean rooms and friendly staff. Paid for the upgraded spa package. Buyer beware. Not worth the extra money. Everyone has access to the spa. The jacuzzi had ice cold water and the one sauna that was working smelled of feaces! The gift and champagne that came with the spa was not worth a mention. The food was quite acceptable for Cuba. Overall a nice week. Thanks to Laura mulvihill for her assistance once again!!! Love her service and would [... read more] recommend her to everyone!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: very nice time

the room was perfect, right across from the pool, service in the lobby was great, always a waitress asking if I needed anything, still not crazy about the food in the cafeteria but found a snack shack at the pool for fish and chips and hamburgers, real good, wish there was a way I could leave Windsor early and have the day in Cuba and come back later in the last day to get more sun, actually only have 5 days vacation, I have bad knees so the ground floor room was great, the ocean is only a few  [... read more]minutes walk, my only complaint is the cafeteria food, I am not a picky eater but I couldn't eat it, maybe a trade deal for food from Canada is in order, oh ya, one more complaint, the exchange rate is way too high, for $100 Canadian I got $68 pesos, this is not fair to Canadian tourists, I will be going back because of the great Cuban people I met

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Still Decent resort

The week of Jan 26, 2017 was our second time at the Iberostar Ensenachos. Our party of 2 adults, 2 seniors, and 2 kids stayed in two communal rooms by the kids friendly pool. We were very happy with our first stay at the hotel because there is always a lot to do for everyone...the white powdered sand, chystal clear waters, the complementary tennis, non motorized boats, archery, and air gun, evening shows, kids club activities keep you very busy and entertained. Also, food and selection is dec [... read more]ent. We are puzzled with the discrepancys at the hotel this stay...the tap in one of one room was running and will not return off. Requests for repair at the front desk and with our Air Canada rep were ignored. Room service never delivered our food on one occassion with no follow up. They "ran out" of ones at the bank for 6 out of our 7 day stay so we could not convert our money to tip the staff. Finally, on our previous stay guest were not allowed to save beach chairs just by placing towels on them but not actually being at the beach for hours. As a result, the beach was mostly empty but there was no place to sit for those actually at the beach! Although these things were annoying and disappointing...The Iberostar at Santa Marie would be the only resort we would go to when travelling to Cuba and we have been to Cayo Coco, Varadero, and Havana

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Awesome beach, so-so hotel

I wouldn't give this hotel more than 3 stars. There was a bunch of annoyances that added up. Rooms were ok, but service was inconsistent. I had to remind the maid to empty trash and change towels on a couple of occasions. The floor wasn't always properly cleaned. I'd complain less if I wasn't tipping, but i was, leaving 2.5 pesos per room (we had 2) every day. We had rooms side by side and there was a playpen for our toddler just as we requested. However, one of our rooms (#4023) was next to cen [... read more]tral ac unit for the building. The ac unit was right behind the wall and was extremely irritatingly noisy. We could even hear it in the other room. We should have requested a different room right away. Our bad that we didn't. 3 days later my mom who stayed in that room could no longer sleep at night. At that point we did request a room change and got a different room a day later. I suspect the management knows about ac noise but is unable or unwilling to resolve the issue. They said they'll send someone to check the ac but we didn't see any change. Again, this was central ac, not the in room ac. The ac kept loudly whirring in the next 3 days, we just didn't care anymore as we were further away from it at that point. On one occasion the room fridges weren't refilled. We did completely empty them on that day, but that shouldn't matter. After a complaint at the from desk the fridges were refilled on that night while we were away for supper. Buffet restaurant wasn't bad. We were able to find food to our liking and were mostly satisfied with it. A la carte restaurants are overrated by some reviewers. Don't go. I'd take buffer any day over a la carte. Mediterranean was comparable to buffet. Italian - food was nothing special, i expected more out of Italian. Service was good, the guys tried. They don't seem to be toddler friendly though, no chairs for little children. We felt hungry after Italian and went to buffet. Asian - absolutely horrible!! Or perhaps i'm spoiled by Vancouver's fine Asian restaurants. Don't go there if you never tried Asian cuisine or you may decide that all Asian cuisine is just like that and hate it for the rest of your life. Sushi - what a joke, 3 tiny pieces (not 3 rolls) with rice in them tasting very wrong and having wrong texture. That probably wasn't even sushi rice. Tempura - bad. Fried rice and shrimp were kind of ok. Dessert - we didn't stay long enough to try it. We saw 2 cockroaches in front of us on the table and left. The cockroaches were the last straw. Headed to the buffet of course. There are so many smokers everywhere. The restaurants seem to be the only non-smoking areas. Family pool is surrounded by smokers. It's unpleasant to go there with kids. Some old smoking jerks are very inconsiderate to families with children. Well, that's not a hotel's problem, but having 2 very long beaches the hotel could probably allocate some portion of them as a non-smoking area. So one day 2 couples in their sixties moved into a spot on the beach next to us. They started smoking in turns making seemingly very intentional puffs of smoke in our direction. What jerks. 4 of them were going one after the other in turns non-stop. I understand we are not the most nicest neighbors ourselves with 3 sometimes noisy kids. Well, we at least don't make the noise intentionally and we try to calm children down if they go too far. Anyways, we lasted about an hour and then just moved further on the beach. Another family with children nearby stayed but they were a few meters further from the smoke, perhaps it didn't bother them that much. Now comes the best part - the beach. We stayed on Ensenachos beach all the time and we loved it. It's awesome. We were lucky to have very good waves on the first day (due to the storm on the day before). The rest of the time the ocean was calm and crystal clear. You can snorkel on the east side of the beach so bring your snorkeling gear. Beware of the jelly fish. They are tiny and there aren't many of them but they do sting if you happen to touch them. We saw a crab hiding in the sand, a couple of pelicans over the beach, 2 iguanas and a hermit crab in the bushes near the bar at Ensenachos. Make sure to bring enough sunscreen as the hotel store doesn't have any. Fortunately we brought enough. We spend most of our time on the beach and overall we liked our vacation much (because of the beach). The hotel doesn't really meet its 4.5-5 star rating though.

Hotel Mojito: Another great time!!

8th or 9th time here. Lost count. Fantastic, attentive and personable staff, from the bar tenders to the bell boys. Always aim to please and ensure your holiday is great. The food is decent for Cuban hotel food, though there are options to break the cycle if you need something a little different.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: The resort was better than expected

We liked meeting the staff they were very friendly and helpful. They treated us like family. The grounds were well kept with manicured gardens and a jungle like feel backdrop. The food was ok lots to choose in the buffet, the El Colonial a la carte was a 5 star restaurant. The beach is everything and more then what is described on their website. 2 weeks was not long enough... can't wait to return.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Not a 4 star resort.

Registered with Sunwing vacations as a 4 star resort is a misrepresentation. The resort is old and in need of a facelift. Originally in a main floor room which was to have an ocean view but we had a sand pile to look at. Moved to a second floor room and we got a beautiful view. Complained that the door dead bolt didn't work but it never was repaired during our stay. The food was good but we both got stomach bugs on different occasions which wasn't good. Entertainment was just okay. Snorkelin [... read more]g available from the hotel for 20 CUC. We had high winds that day and probably shouldn't have gone out. Life jackets optional according to the guide. Bad idea! I would not recommend this resort to my friends. Beach was outstanding. Lots of comfortable beach chairs but beach towels not always available every day.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Wonderful family stay at Iberostar Ensenachos!

This was my 6th visit to Cuba and first time on the Cayo Santa Maria coast. We travelled with a 4 year old and my parents for my mom's 50th birthday. I will start with the outstanding features that were an immediate hit with my family - ensenachos beach, which was much better than the closer Megano. A picturesque walk through the hotel grounds can be conveniently replaced with a golf cart ride from the lobby. You can even dial for a cart from the hotel room. As everytime and everywhere in Cuba t [... read more]he crystal clear waters were the best part. This beach boasts beautiful fish for those who like some snorkeling. The hotel itself was spacious with a balcony that can easily fit 10 people, a dressing room separate from the main sleeping room and a spacious bathroom with a stand alone shower. The grounds of the resort were massive. I won't lie we were lost the first night, and tired of walking some days. But again, a golf cart as at your service. My parents love the chance to walk through spectacularly kept landscapes of this resort. The food had variety every day and plenty of options. The people friendly and welcoming as always and, even though we didn't visit the pool area often, my daughter loved the water park and the kids club. The hotel also features a full indoor theatre for evening entertaining which helps avoid mosquitoes at night. My only complaint was the Cuban a la carte restaurant and the service we got there waa terrible. I've never experienced anything so bad in Cyba before where we had to leave half way through the dinner because the server wouldn't even refill our drinks. Overall, a wonderful stay and can't wait to go back!

Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites: Rose Hall Suites can't be beat!!!

Iberostar Rose Hall Suites met and exceeded our expectations for an all inclusive family-friendly resort. The staff were amazing as advertised, always smiling and offering assistance where needed. Our kids loved the Children's Waterpark and Kids Club. Having the main pool so close to the beach and ocean allowed us to easily transition from one to the other, which was important for us with young children. The restaurants were fantastic, including the main buffet. All in all, a great family  [... read more]vacation, one that I would recommend to others!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Hotel was OK!!

The food is what was good. This hotel was okay, nothing special. Large pool with a pool/snack bar area which was nice. Billiards area was small, only accommodated two pool tables and one ping pong table. Entertainment was lacking big time, nothing to do in the evenings or during the rainy weather. Housekeeping could have done a much better job cleaning the rooms, like mopping the tile floor and providing towels when required. Most staff was nice and friendly. Overall this was I would say a  [... read more]3 star not a 4.5 star like stated at time of booking.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Totally worth it!!!!

Everything was beyond our expectations. Staff was amazing, food was terrific, beach was breath taking, room was immaculate and very clean. The bed was a bit uncomfortable but overall a great value. You won't be disappointed.

Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach: Lovely Resort

This was my second time at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort. Very laid back, relaxing and fun place. Rooms are clean and large. Staff are helpful and friendly. Food is great, hotel lobby bar is a fun place to meet up in the evenings All in all, a great experience.

Iberostar Waves Cozumel: Ok resort

This resort's food was great but rooms need to be redone. Very smelly with dampness. Pool was great. Staff excellent. We paid for superior but don't feel price reflected that. The wild life that was on the resort was excellent.

Grand Memories Cayo Largo: Ok

Grounds are great. The people work hard. Few days we experienced no water in the morning and later in the evening which was a pain. Room was cleaned well everyday with fresh towels. Food was ok. A la carte was good. No beach which we never knew about until we arrived. Beach washed away last year with hurricane Matthew but another beach up the road.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great vacation!

I travelled with a friend for 7 days in January. I've been to Cuba twice before but not Cayo Coco, all of the reviews I read were decent for Cuba so I had some hopes for this resort. I was not disappointed!! The beach is beautiful and the sand is fine and white, it never blows around no matter how windy it gets. They clean up the washed up seaweed early every morning so the beach was always clean. You never need to reserve a chair here or at the pool. The beach is huge! Even with a full resort t [... read more]he beach looks empty. The resort was immaculate and the rooms were nice but our room was definitely in need of some TLC. We didn't mind because we didn't plan on staying inside much anyway. Beds are hard, bathroom is beautiful and spacious. The shower is a rainfall type and we always had good pressure and never ran out of hot water. There is no door on the shower but if you adjust the shower head you don't spray much on the floor. Working iron and hair dryer. Our safe wasn't free and we didn't have a coffee maker in our room. The fridge was stocked everyother day, not daily. The staff are all incredible!!! The entertainment staff are lots of fun and were successful in getting a variety of people involved, music is mostly Salsa with a few main stream songs thrown in. They had live music every evening in the lobby and each night was different. They had a beach foam party the day we arrived (Friday) and again on Thursday but at the pool. The pools are smaller than any I've seen at other resorts but they have two that you can choose from. The pool bar has a waterfall and the staff always available to either bring drinks to you or you can swim up and order. The dancers are incredibly talented and each night there was a different show, we both loved going every night. Food, well it's Cuba...don't expect to have high quality food but we never went hungry. Neither of us got sick and we both tried a variety of foods. The buffet is always the same but not many line ups as they have 3 grills going and also a pasta and pizza bar. The pizza and pasta were sooooo delicious! Eggs, fruit and bread every morning and lots of fish available everyday. They make burgers and fries as well and pork and beef. Other than the buffet there were two other snack bars that always had burgers, salads and fries. Sometimes chicken was grilled at the beach grill but we only seen that available one day out of 7. We did not try any a la carts. We went to pillar beach and we were not disappointed, the beaches sand is like icing sugar and no seaweed to be seen for miles and miles. It's rated one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, I highly recommend a trip or a few there! Drinks were plentiful and the bar staff always happy to serve, they seemed to enjoy their jobs and are often singing and dancing around a little. I definitely will be returning to this resort...before booking this trip I had mentioned that this would be my last in Cuba but I've completely changed my mind since vacationing at this resort.

JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar: EXCELLENT RESORT

Excellent Resort - Food is exceptional - Rooms are very clean - Grounds are kept clean daily Butler Service - more like Concierge Service Everything is close walking distance A La Carte Dinners are excellent

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great quality/price

We stayed in an upated room. Most rooms are seaview, they are basic and clean. The grounds are well cared for. Food was OK, something for everyone. Make sure your fish and chicken are cooked properly. Lobby quite nice. The best beach is definitely in Cayo Guillermo.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: AMAZING STAFF!!

Thank you Susan Williams- Tripcentral agent for finding me this resort! You really went out of your way to find me a great trip in such a professional way and such a cheery disposition. I appreciate the attention you afforded me. I will definitely call you again when I travel. This was by far the best experience I have had in Cuba. The staff really went out of their way to assist and make your stay comfortable in any way they could. They were full of smiles and ready to chat at any time a [... read more]nd not bcse it would get them a tip...on the contrary if anything I had a hard time tipping bcse they kept turning it down. Even the shop keepers were quite generous, I heard about people whose baggage was lost in travel were offered toiletries and sunscreen free. I tried to just buy a pen and they would not have it, but rather just giving me one (I know this seems trivial to us in Canada but in Cuba this is a very nice gesture) . The hotel was well maintained and clean. The grounds impeccable. The pools were clean. and well stocked with chairs and towels. The beach was fantastic with lots of places to swim and explore or to just sit and enjoy the Pelicans diving for their dinner. The mattresses and pillows were quite comfortable and seemed like they were just recently replaced. A real plus for me and my asthma, was the fans in the bathroom and the air conditioning vents were clean and free of dust and mold. They kept the fridges well stocked. I did not see any bugs in my room at all and no one I met had either. I would bring bug spray for the evenings as there were a few mosquitos around maybe bcse it is a nature reserve. I was travelling by myself and felt very safe in and around the hotel and with the staff. I found it amazing that two days after I got there, I went to the front desk and the woman remembered my room number! That was nice personal touch. The hotel is on a smaller scale ( I believe they said 390 rooms) so you never had to fight line ups and there was always room for you wherever you went. The food at this resort was by far better than any of the other places I have visited in Cuba...the bread was amazing I only would hope they get better at labelling their dishes so you can eat around any sensitivities you may have. The evening entertainment was super with a variety of things you could lose yourself in. Being from Canada I forgot that in Cuba smoking is allowed. On a few nights I was uncomfortable but when there was a nice evening breeze it was fine. However I think a designated smoking area would be beneficial for both sides of this argument. Thank you Rosa, Ciedel, Pablo, Horja, and Divan ( only a few of the names I remember) I hope to see you again. You made my first experience travelling alone a great one! In conclusion my only complaint is I didn't take a 10 day trip instead of a 7 day trip. Oh! One more thing the airport was not as intimidating as my last few trips to Cuba. The staff were very friendly

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: Iberostar paraiso del mar

We stayed in January and I could not complain about anything. Everything about this resort was excellent. There is something for everybody all ages on this beautiful resort. This was my third time to Mexico and this one topped the list. The a la carts were terrific. I read bad reviews about the Italian but ended up being my favourite. We also had the Japanese and Brazilian which were both very good as well. The buffet restaurants always had lots of variety. The service and entertainment staff we [... read more]re the best I have seen at an all inclusive.