Great resort!

Amazing beach and great people! Grounds are beautiful! Food was good...snack bar was excellent! Nightly shows were enjoyable! Excursions were a little expensive but were enjoyed by all. Would definitely recommend to a friend!

Good resort

I would rate this resort as a 3.5 star. The grounds were nice and clean. The pools could use a cleaning but weren't too bad. However, if you don't get down early to put your towel on one you are not getting a chair, that goes for the beach too. The beach was beautiful but full of cigarette butts. Which is the patrons fault not the resorts. The beach was also super congested at all times. The staff were all kind and helpful. The rooms were big but in need of some TLC. Last but not least th [... read more]e food, breakfast was decent its worth the wait in the omlet line to have fresh eggs. As for lunch and supper they had a huge selection but nothing had any actual flavour. I would bring your own salt and pepper! We did try three of the restaurants and they were all ok. The Japanese was by far the best and the mist flavourful.

Amazing stay

I have been to cuba many times...first time to cayo santa maria...iberostar ensanachos...this is 5 star or 4.5 in my opinion....out of all of our trips..this trip was the best... service is the best...food was amazing 6 days we had lobster in 3 restaurents, punta del pirata was awesome...lobster there, and then in italian again lobster then in cuba also lobster....and then we were given lobster in the buffet also great food....ensanachos beach was the best....we went to once the megano beach whi [... read more]ch was closer....but ensanachos beach was amazing though its far...you have cart access to beach. staff were amazing.....the animation was great..the director for animation show was friendly and caring...he speaks like british..lovely staff everywhere.....beach pool staff...staff at gym was...staff at spa....reception yaniche she was always there when my card reader for room has problem...they took care of us....maid in room anita was great....cleaning the room every single day....beer and water packed daily....buffet staff....cook usbaldo was fun and hard working....ensanachos beach staff yichel...beach pool staff yunior everyone is fun loving....our kids had great time in water park....it was our best stay....except the first day of rain....weather was good....water was a bit cold...because in march this is expected.....all in all it was a great stay....beach is best part of it....i would definitely go back

Friendly people

Beaches beautiful, staff couldn't do enough for you. The first room we were in had separate beds, ceiling fan wasn't working and no phone. The staff moved us to another room right away when we brought it to their attention. Unfortunately I got very sick the last couple of days and had to seek medical help. The medical staff was very good.

Some unexpected surprises!

On the positive side, the resort public spaces are well taken care of and it is a really large resort with a beautiful beach. The entertainment staff (Star Friends) were so friendly and worked so hard to make sure everyone had a great time and participated in the many activities on site. The things I had problems with were: We weren't shown to our room and once we found it, our room keys didn't work. When we got into our room there was no toilet seat and no hot water. I asked for our room to be [... read more] changed and they took us to show us another room and it was occupied by someone else. We did get a toilet seat two days later and they fixed the hot water. I also came across a huge cockroach in the room. This was a little inconvenience but the TV didn't have a remote control and the beds were very uncomfortable. I know that Cuba isn't known for its good food but the food was plentiful and we were able to find enough things that we could eat so we didn't starve.

Great Value for the Money!

When we arrived on Sunday, they gave us rooms on the ground level which were not to our satisfaction at all. They assured us that they would change our rooms next day (seeing as how we arrived late evening). They did and we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of our stay. The property is fairly large with much to offer. The food quality was decent - really no need to book in the a la carts restaurants since the variety in the International Buffet was vast. Service was on par for a resort....the bi [... read more]gger the tip...the better the service. The beach was the best..then again, it's Cuba - best beaches in the world. Pool area needs attention. Water was clear but by mid day garbage would be floating in and around the pool area. Entertainment was great - dancers were amazing.

Amazing Resort

This resort is amazing. The service was fantastic! Staff is amazing. Rooms were very clean. The entire resort was fabulous. Would definitely stay there again! One of the nicest resorts on the Varadero Strip.

Fantastic even the second time

Once again we were greeted with smiles at the iberostar Laguna azul. Our room was fantastic all that we wanted with a view of the main pool and the ocean on the horizon. The only change for the room would be a new bed but other than that is was always super clean. Our Chamber maid always kept the room super clean and everyday more fantastic towel art. The buffet was good with a lot of selection with my favorite being the station where they cook up small pieces of beef and chicken while you wait. [... read more]..so good. The à la carte restaurants need to be made more accessible with more people taking the booking requests we only managed to book two out of three after standing in line for almost an hour and they were both for 9pm sittings. The foam party gets everyone going and is so much fun in the main pool. All in all, this is a great resort with great people in Cuba

Fantastic resort

this was the resort i have been waiting for! when i arrived at the entrance i was impressed and also when dealing with the hotel staff they always had a smile. the rooms were very nice and well furnished and the food was excellent! when we were there we ate langouste every day with no extra charge and let me just say there was plenty of activities at this hotel! this is a excellent choice for vacation and i will surely return 😎

Average resort!

We arrived after a 10 hour snow delay to warm weather. Check in was fine. Hit the beach until lunch. Meals are nothing to talk about as the food is very bland, usually cold to the touch with no quality controls put in place. Housekeeping was terrible. An example would be when my family showered that first night all of our towels were left in the tub to be replaced the next morning. When we came home the wet towels were left to hang out on the veranda over the ledge and on the chairs. Wow! [... read more] We also killed a cockroach and it remained on the floor for five days before it was swept up. Beds were small and very hard. Drinks were fine and the service was great. On a positive side, resort is beautiful, staff are friendly and a tip driven. Weather was so so with three days of cloud and one day of rain. Catamaran trip was fantastic and so was the private trip with a guide to Havana for the day. Overall, it was fun but would probable try a higher star resort next time. Thanks, Glenn

Great resort-poor rooms

The grounds were the best part of this resort, it was large and happening. Many bars and seating throughout, great lobby, nice terrace. The rooms were poor, they needed a little finesse. One towel only per person, no face or foot towels. Got a coffee machine after requesting one, the maid gave us only one broken mug, did not supply coffee daily. Only one pillow each, had to ask for it. Had to request an iron which we got, but no ironing board. Our toilet seat was broken, toilet didnt flush pro [... read more]perly. We took the lid off and flushed it by pulling the flap inside the tank manually.it took about 3 flushes to clean the bowl. We have been to Cuba many times, and we know their standards are different, but this was way off. The rooms need improvement. The curtains were half hanging off the hooks, they had a poor visual.We are not fussy people, so we overllooked it and enjoyed our week. It wont take much to improve it, just a little effort from the maids.We only changed our beach towels once throughout the week because they never had clean ones. The beach was great, we could always find a hut. The food wan't too bad for Cuba, a little repetitive but thats ok. Better than We would not recommend this hotel to fussy people. I would go back to this resort if a deal came along. Great grounds.

Nice place, but it needs refurbishing

I imagine the original resort was great, but it is badly in need of maintenance. Broken fixtures, poorly done repairs, and other problems really detract from the experience of a great resort. Staff is very friendly and helpful and the food is okay by Cuban standards i.e. not very good. Beds are terrible and the air conditioning is feeble. Since the other resorts suffer from similar problems, I would recommend it as the better of other choices. Cuba is cheap and you get what you pay for.

Very nice resort

The hotel and grounds were very nice and clean.the staff was very helpful. The lobby was packed every night with people enjoying a drink.the food could of been better. I would tell my friends and family members to go, THEY HAVE A LOT TO DO AND SHOWS AT NIGHT ARE GREAT.

Super Resort!

What a super resort in Cuba. The grounds were very well maintained (neat and clean). Staff were extremely friendly. The room itself was acceptable. The cleaning staff were beyond great. What was amazing... was the food (which I know is suppose to be uncommon in Cuba) - huge selection every day of not only North American food, but also I was able to taste lots of Cuban dishes - which I loved.

Great resort!

This was my first time in Varadero, but my 4th time to Cuba. The Beach at Laguna Axul was spectacular; best yet by far! The beach bar was convenient and the bartenders were very friendly. The room was clean and large but the water pressure was disappointing, but that's pretty normal for Cuba. The bank in the lobby is open 24 hours to exchange your money which was very convenient. The food was passable, but nothing to write home about. But again, that's pretty standard for the country of dest [... read more]ination. The only EXTREMELY frustrating experience was dealing with the receptionist at the SPA. She literally did not speak a word of English! And being as I had booked a SPA room, I was expecting some perks associated with it. However, I gave up. It was just too frustrating. All that being said, the resort is one that I would consider going back to a second time

Great resort

Very nice staff. Wheelchair accessible resort. Lots of activities. Food was best we have ever had in Cuba by far. A fair drive to Varadero but an inexpensive double decker bus runs back and forth all day.

Beautiful resort

Lovely resort, wonderful staff, good food, great entertainment, only thing that needs to be done at this resort is to upgrade the hotel rooms Need to be upgraded. All closet doors broken needs new paint, but the rooms are kept clean

Lovely resort but a few challenges

We found the resort itself quite lovely. The pools, grounds and rooms were well maintained and we were pleased with them. Our only concerns were 1) the lack of toilet paper in the hotel proper toliets (lobby, areas near the specialty areas, pool area) and overall cleanliness condition. We really didn't like the buffet food offering at all - canned vegetables, mystery dishes (couldn't distinguish between meat and vegetable dishes at times) and sameness of choices daily. We did not look forwar [... read more]d to meals which is unfortunate if you are someone who food is a large part of your experience. If you are looking for a nice hotel at a good price only then this is a good option. Also, we found the buffet serving staff quite abrupt and surly - perhaps a language issue? PS our Sunwing representative Brianne was very efficient and helpful.

Mix between a 3 star and a 4 star...

3 Star .... rooms, food, restaurants 4 Star .... lobby, pools, service, beach, staff Room... safe door was missing, no shower bar to hold the shower head, stained couch. Lobby... lots of seating areas for playing cards and drinking

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!