Good.

The resort itself was very nice... long walks but very beautiful... food was an issue... no flavour, at the buffet and resturants. Beach was amazing!! Definite ups and downs to resorts. One thing we struggled with was being locked out of the room for 36 hours... yes we had to stay with our friends for a night wearing dress clothes finally we climbed rhe balcony to get in. Front desk wasnt understanding the issue kept bringing us keys instead of fixing the lock itself... wasnt great wasnt bad. Av [... read more]erage.

Beautiful Resort! Perfect Wedding location

We had our wedding here in November 2015. The entire process was very well organized. I would recommend for anyone looking to get married in Cuba. The hotel is huge, our room was a 15 minute walk from the lobby and the carts were difficult to get to come and pick you up. I didn't mind walking because the resort is like a jungle and there is so much to see. The pool area is beautiful and clean. We spent most of our time on the Megano beach and I would recommend walking up the beach to the quieter [... read more] part as it is absolutely gorgeous. The food was OK, if you are looking for amazing food I would pay for the colonial restaurant as it is worth every penny, the steak there was incredible. There is always entertainment in the lobby. The lobby bar makes amazing drinks. order a "Rudy Special" from Rudy there!

Beautiful Resort

This resort was superb. Staff very friendly and accommodating in all areas. Beaches beautifully kept. Pool areas were always maintained and offered all services. Plenty of variety in foods available. Great place for destination wedding!

Good resort

Weather was excellent during our stay and the food was as expected for going to Cuba.....excellent place to go with a group of friends but there was little to do, on the resort. I had a good time but will likely not return to cuba

Best for R &R

Great resort. SPA section adult only was excellent. Food was above Cuban average.Staff made the vacation great. Beaches the best.One and only complaint children running around lobby bar at 10pm. Will return.

Iberostar Ensenachos is a great place!!!

Who looks for a beautiful beach with corals near from the shore it's right place!!! We lied on the beach under roof and enjoyed from calm water of ocean, ice cream and sea food in the restaurant on the beach!!!

Best beaches in Cuba!

This was our second time at this resort. The resort itself is very large, lots of walking. The resort is starting to show some wear an tear. The food was not as good as as when we went last March, repetitive. The restaurants were much better than the buffet. The beach staff and front desk staff were amazing, thank you Jaima and Beatriz! The beaches are amazing!!! One of the reasons we went back!!

Great Resort with awesome beach

The hotel is nice with great service, the mini bar in room is replenished everyday which is very good. There is also a kids playground and a kids pool that our kids enjoyed a lot. There is also a nice and sandy beach where you can do snorkelling it's bear the rocks in Ensenachos beach area.

Very nice resort!

We have been in 3 resorts in Cuba and this one is our favorite so far. Rooms were nice and clean. Territory itself very green, beautiful landscaping, we made great pictures. But territory is very big, you will have to walk depending on where you room is, didnot bother us though. Food was surprisingly good, we used to Cuban food, not always to our taste, but here it was pretty good, especially their smoked salmon, yum. Regardless of the low season, we were there in June, buffet had lobsters 2 tim [... read more]es a week. Pool was very good, no missing tiles. And anoyher pool for kids with slides was great (good for younger kids up to the age of 8 I would say). Beach is amazing and they have 2. First one more family with activities and games and small buffet if you do not want to leave for lunch, which Is very good. Second ine is very quite with just a small bar, but is has this like wall of rocks with colorful fishes and crabs living there perfect for snorkeling. Visit second beach at list one time. Kids club was very good and what is even better they have it at night too. they have one room by the pool for day and room close to buffet and night show for evening. You can leave your child there and have some time for yourself in the evening too. I think it is opened from 6 to 10 pm. Of course, it had small issues here and there, needs some renovations and upgrades, but overall I liked it very much and we are considering returning there again.

A nice spot with some good and some bad

I've been to Cuba several times in addition to other Caribbean places so I feel that I can provide an accurate review. We travelled with two adults and a 12 year old. This place is a nice hotel on two beautiful, quiet beaches. Sunwing provided a smooth, well run flight. The good: Beautiful beaches, Nice gardens, decent entertainment, super large rooms which were extremely clean, the buffet staff were super nice, no one was ever "tip trolling," a good mix of people. This place is very spread ou [... read more]t, so expect lots of walking (this is a good thing). Bars were generally easy to get a drink. Wait staff in the lobby were quick to offer you a drink or a coffee. The animation staff were friendly and encouraged our son to play with them. Pools are clean. The bad: All public area bathrooms were broken in some manner (yes all), the general maintenance in the public areas was worse than other hotels in Cuba, the staff in golf carts are just plain rude and usually ignore the clients, they ran out of pool towels for 4 days in a row (ours got pretty stinky). The food was average (the buffet was basically the same daily, the Italian restaurant didn't have multiple dishes listed on the menu, the seafood restaurant was good, the Japanese ok but not a lot of food). The map of the hotel was terrible - it took us a while to orient where everything was. The check-in staff were not that friendly. Pools were very shallow (1m or less) so it was difficult to play around or swim. Two other important items to note are things that cannot be helped, but customers should know. The distance to the airport is long (1.5-2 hours) and there are a ton of mosquitos due to the mangroves around the quay. Overall this was not one of my favourite experiences, but my son enjoyed it, and the beaches and gardens are awesome. I would recommend it only at the right price with caveats of everything I listed above.

Good, but not a 5 star

Not a 5 star. Room outdated. Flies everywhere at the buffet makes it hard to eat. Flies IN the food. BUT- The most beautiful resort grounds and beach I've ever seen. Pool is amazing, especially if you have kids.

Close to Heaven

I visited the Iberostar Ensenachos about 8 years ago when it was a Royal Hideaway hotel - back then it wsa absolutely spectacular and easily the most luxurious hotel I had stayed in in Cuba. It's now shwoing wear and tear, and the quality of the food has dipped. That said, the grounds remain spectacular. The beach is secluded - from both noise and waves - and the resort is absolutely huge. There are two beaches - one is beautiful (Manego) and the other is nothing short of spectacular (Ensenachos [... read more]). It's about a 20 minute walk (30 if you're really slow or are travelling with kids) from the lobby to the Ensenachos beach, but well worth it, There are snack bars dotted all around the resort so if you head out there and want to stay all day, you can. You can also ask reception to send a go-cart (or try to flag one down) but I found that takes a long time and not really worth the wait. The drinks were all wonderful - from the Bailey's spiked coffee to the mojitos - and the service was quick and very friendly. We stayed in the adults-only Spa section where I am told the rooms are nicer. They certainly were very spacious, the bed was the most comfortable one I've slept on in Cuba (notorious for terrible mattresses) and the bathroom was huge and well-equipped. I would recommend that you pay the 25 CUC per person for dinner at the Colonial as that was the best meal we had (a very nice lobster thermidor and great flan), mangoes were in season when we visited so we pretty much ate some all day - they tasted so much better than any mangoes I've ever had in Canada. Fish and shrimp, as well as paella were always fresh and delicious. I usually stay away from beef in Cuba as it's not the best. I usually like to try different resorts when I visit Cuba, but this one had it all (except for a party scene, but you don't come to Cayo Santa Maria to party!). I would definitely come back.

Met Expectations

This was my first trip to Cuba and I have no major complaints. Here are my thoughts: Food: I was warned about the food but really didn't think it was all that bad. The resort did an excellent job of ensuring there was something for everyone depending on your tastes and preferences. The food is not fancy by any means, but you can get by. If you are looking for a culinary experience, than I would suggest not traveling to Cuba. However, if you can live for 7 days on simple, fresh cooked meals than [... read more] you will do just fine! My highlights were breakfast; fresh cooked omelet and smoothie. As well, the coffee was to die for. I even asked for an iced coffee one morning it was one of the best I’ve ever had. I also really enjoyed the BBQ each afternoon by the pool. They served up hamburgers, hot dogs and fresh mangos. It was delish. Make sure you go easy on them though if you are a condiment person as sometimes they don’t have everything ie: Ketchup. One suggestion I have for the resort would be to add a Cuban a la cart. It would be nice to try some of the local fare and I’m sure it would be far superior to the resort trying to make other ethnic foods. Hotel: I was immediately impressed by the landscaping of the hotel, lush green gardens. The pools were very clean and not overly chlorinated. I was in the adult only section which I really enjoyed. Nothing was too far away and I enjoyed the walks. The hotel was clean but they could do a bit better job in ensuring the table clothes and chairs in the dining room where a bit cleaner as there was a number of stains on them. The rooms exceed my expectations – clean and airy. The bathroom was large and looked like it had been recently renovated. Staff: The staff was awesome and very friendly. They tried really hard to make our stay enjoyable which they succeeded at - the tips helped I'm sure. I did have one bad experience in the spa with my massage therapist who didn’t perform the best massage and then wanted me to pay him under the table so he could pocket the money. Beach/property: The beach was absolutely my highlight of the resort and my stay. It was so untouched and I loved the walk through the mangroves to get there. I especially loved that no other resort had access to it. The water was crystal blue, very warm and you could walk out quite always while seeing the bottom. I would go back to the Iberostar for the beach but would look at other resorts too just to change it up and experience something different.

Overall Good

Went to this resort from May 15 to May 22. This was our second time. First time was in 2012 and my rating back then would've been a 5 star. This time is a 4 star mainly because of the food and we are not picky eaters. This time it was 15 of us and 5 got sick. Arrival- We got to the resort around noon with a bus full of people. The rooms were not ready until 3:30pm which was not too bad since we all went to eat lunch first. The drive to the resort went by fast. The guide was telling us about Cub [... read more]an history and it was nice to see Cuban life. Rooms- We had a corner room which was spacious with a walking closet and 2 double beds. We put the beds together and had our children sleep with us. We loved the large glass shower. It was so easy to wash the children and the water had great pressure. They did shut off the water due to maintenance for a few hours one day. That was hard because we just got to the room and we couldn't bathe our kids. The water guy came to refill the fridge in the afternoons. He would knock once and come in so be prepared in case you are not decent. Or you could put the sign not to be disturbed on the door if you don't need anything. The room was clean and the maid did a wonderful job every day. Food- This was our problem area. Our family didn't get sick but our friends did. Two of them was after the Japanese a la carte and because of that we canceled our reservation. The other 3 were from the food at the buffet. The workers definitely need training in hygiene and food preparation. The food is recycled and spoils fast due to the heat. My husband smelled spoiled rice and chicken a few times. He always tasted and smelled the food first before giving it to our kids. We stuck to fresh grilled chicken, fish, pizza and pasta. Make sure you ask the cook to keep it on the grill for a while even if he keeps trying to hand it over to you. Many times they under cook it so you have to watch out for yourself. There was also a lack of quality and diversity compared to 2012. No grilled calamari, no assorted deserts (they had the same cake with different colours on top) and other items that I can't specifically remember. The pizza was also better in 2012. . However, the ice cream was really good. Beach- Enseanchos beach is amazing! Megano beach was hit by a storm and has a shorter shore, broken palapas and some little rocks in the water. A few of our friends cut their feet there. Entertainment - Kids show every night at 8pm and adults show at 9:30pm. The Michael Jackson show on Monday was awesome! They have a disco on the beach at the snack bar every night from 10pm. We went once and loved it! Service - Really good. The people are wonderful and always serve you with a genuine smile on their faces. We tipped every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner (2 pesos). We also brought a full suitcase of gifts (new and gently used clothing, toys, toiletries, kids shoes). We packed them in different bags and hand them out to Cuban workers. They really appreciated them. We do this every time we travel to Cuba. They also prepare special events if you tell them ahead of time at the restaurant (birthday, anniversary etc.). Overall- a 4 star hotel for Cuban standards and we traveled to Cuba more than 10 times. I would return to this resort mainly for the beach, beautiful vegetation and waterpark which the kids loved! Hopefully, the food quality and diversity will improve again.

Iberostar Ensenachos

Iberosrar Ensenachos - has beautiful beaches, very friendly helpful and engaging staff. The food is good clean real food with plenty of variety to choose from, with fresh fish cooked to order both on the beach and at the buffet and lots of fresh fruit and veggies. The grounds of the resort are lush with vegetation and plenty of birds to watch

Great Value for the Money Spent!!!

The grounds were nice, the staff was amazing, the room was fabulous and the beach is to die for !!!! Even though it is a family resort the "adults only" area is very secluded and no children were present. The food was good and there was ample selection to choose from to suit every palate !!!!

Beautiful Grounds!!

Third time there. We stayed there last week of April and it was a heat wave 35C everyday.Got there at 12pm and was in room by 12:45pm Booked Spa side and got room requested 2nd floor. Clean and large, air con nice not loud, bottle of rum in room full fridge everyday with as many beer, pop, water. Food was not bad, but it has been better in the past, selection varied, breakfast great, lunch ok, dinner was good. If you booked the seafood rest you could have lobster at least 3 times during the week [... read more]. Spa side (adults only) pool was excellent, lots of palm trees and shade, no problem finding a lounge chair no need to reserve like some jerks do. Beach was great but hot hot hot!!! We would go down at 7am until 10am, after that you would melt, lots of people got sunstroke (idiots). Of course at 8am on jerks would start throwing towels on chairs for the shady spots beware! All three beaches are nice! Lobby is wonderful and relaxing, order special cocktail drinks form the lobby bar, my favourite was the Hemingway, the wife liked the Blue Hawaiian. We had sun all week! Enjoy.

Lovely time

Great visit! Nice to see small improvements and you can tell management has taken the suggestions from guests seriously. Way to go! Was a great visit for May. We were concerned for the weather but it was nice. Warm and enjoyable taking a refreshing dip. The hotel was less busy and we didnt have to deal with long lines and staff had time to be attentive with all guests. Its nice to see familiar faces. We love the spa side and highly recommend you book this side if you are adults visiting. This  [... read more]was our 2nd time visiting and were married there last year with a small group . I would highly recommend weddings here as the hotel does not over book other weddings on the same day and have many beautiful options with choice of areas for your ceremony. Because our group was small we married in the gazebo! It was perfect! The grounds are beautiful and private. I would recommend the photographer. Very affordable. Bring lots of tips for those who help make your wedding memorable ! The beaches are gorgeous. we were sad to see many Palapas washed away since last year at the Megano beach. No fault of the resort the tide has raised higher up onto the beach. The island itself at times is affected by lack of running water and the hotels are cut off from time to time. one bizarre situation at our visit this past time was a shortage of cheese everywhere. This limited food options at specialty restaurants and affected the whole hotel. No biggie. Lots of other options. Do not visit Cuba with high expectations of food. We are always open to this and as a result it does not affect our great time! This is a lovely resort. Cuba hotels in general we have noticed depreciates quickly with the humidity and weather. The hotels try hard to keep up but are limited. Assume that a Cuban 4 or 5 star are more like a three star back home. If you are open minded and happy and kind it will make your vacation so much more!

Brilliant beaches!

Hotel was as good as it could be for Cuba, the staff was excellent as always. The food is great (if you're trying to lose weight). The only con on our trip was that laundry had no clean towels for the room but plenty for the beach.

Loved this resort!

Hi. We had a great time. The resort was excellent. Really big and a lot of walking but we got use to it after a couple of days. Probably a good thing considering all the food we ate. The food was really good compared to where I stayed in Varadero. I was very pleased. No complaints from my husband either which was initially a concern for him about going to Cuba. The workers at the resort were amazing. Always on the ball, excellent service. They really work hard and very thankful for any tips. I c [... read more]annot believe the difference from my trip to Varadero in 2010. The a la cartes were nice, food was good, loved the Asian one. We went to book our a la cartes right away and most of the reservations left were only for late in the evening like 9 pm which we thought at first was way too late and worked out earlier times on different days but in hindsight we realized that the late reservations would have been better as we didn't have to leave the beach as early to get ready for supper and could have just got a snack around 5 if we wanted. The a la carte at the adult spa section was really good too. Nice that you could just go during the afternoon and not need a reservation. Spaghetti was awesome. The beaches were beautiful. Really good snorkelling at both beaches especially if you have bread for the fish. Beach chairs were all in good shape. They could use some more palapas but people just made shade with two chairs as there were lots. The grill by the beach bar was good. Lots of choices. Fish, pizza, salad, fruit, hot dogs, etc. The beach bars at both beaches were really good. Megano's beach bar was bigger and we went to a really fun beach party one night where they set up big screens and disco lights and music in the volleyball crt. We got to know the bartender as there was only one working. He worked really hard that night! We met a few Other couples while we were there. The shows were good on nights that were Cuban related. I was really impressed that the theatre was indoors and air conditioned. One more thing. I could not believe how family oriented the resort was. I always said that I'd never take our kids south with us but I think this resort changed my mind. The only thing I think would make it better is if there was a section of one of the beaches was for adults only. Being away without your kids, I found I didn't want to be near kids on the beach. But everyone wants to be in the shade under palapas. We could have gone to the other end of the beach but would have been without shade. Sun was really hot and we had excellent weather all week. 37+degrees and no clouds just sun all week.