Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Great Hotel

We vacationed at Iberostar Ensenachos Nov 18 - 27th. Loved the hotel and staff. Take small flashlights for night time as often timer on walkway lights is delayed. We had to call twice to have our building outside lights turned on in pitch black. Food was lovely for Cuba, at the bufet and specialty restauraunts. Some people would be disapointed that there is NO view of the ocean from ANY of the rooms and there is a lot of walking. However, that did not bother me. The two beaches were lovely. Ther [... read more]e was a problem with the family section pool, so those guests were allowed to use the pools in the spa section. We were in the spa area, and to accomodate us, the management allowed us to spend a day at the Village section. Overall, we had a lovely time.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great Value!

Generally speaking, we really enjoyed our time at this property. The rooms and grounds were maintained very well, and the large pool was immaculate. While the buffet food was acceptable, it did become a bit repetitive over the 7 days. We enjoyed the Brazilian steakhouse two nights, and it was exceptional. The resort staff - especially the activity/entertainment staff - were very freindly and accommodating. They did a great job of organizing activities and keeping folks that wanted to participat [... read more]e, busy. Well done!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Our experience, no sugar coating.

This is a review of my personal experience while staying at the Iberostar Ensenachos for the second time. This is not a review to encourage or discourage anybody from selecting this resort as your travel destination; yet simply providing details on our experience alone. We stayed from Nov 21st - 28th and traveled out of Halifax via Toronto with WestJet (I now love them). We paid $1073 per person, taxes included. Previously, we paid $1550 per person in February 2013. We traveled with one other  [... read more]couple, and had 2 rooms initially in the park suites. We had requested upstairs rooms in building 41 or 42 with king size beds via email in Spanish (thank you google translations); we received 2 downstairs rooms in building 41. Building 41 & 42 in the park section is ideal, and likely the most requested buildings as there is a wooden walkway with a short walk to the end of Megano beach right outside your building. Barefoot walking to the beach rocks; no hot pavement or long walks to get to Megano beach. Building 41 in the park section was certainly showing its wear. The ceiling fan in our room was missing, the facet in the bathtub was missing, the ironing board wouldn't stand and the iron wouldn't work. Those things were quite minor and likely due to the overwhelming request for that building. The pool was also close by, but shut down on day 2 of our vacation for tile replacement; which was obviously overdue as one portion of the pool has been blocked off for safety reasons. The work had to be done, so we were cool with that. Notices were posted reminding parents that children were not suppose to go to the Spa pool due to this temporary shut down as they had a water park that was also fully operational. However, parents didn't care and took their kids to the Spa pool any ways, and nobody enforced it. Along with that, it appeared to be a 'free for all' for lounging parents to allow their feral children to do whatever they pleased; some people just shouldn't have kids - just sayin' ... having impromptu conversations with 8 year olds while swimming in the pool was fine, but sometimes a bit uncomfortable. In the summer, management did change at this resort; including the chefs. There are a few changes that have trickled down due to that. Last time when we arrived we were taken into a room where all our keys were ready and handed out in quick fashion, now it is much different. Upon check in people line up at reception in multiple lines to receive keys, and then have to get into another line to have passports scanned, but the lines are all mixed in and it made it confusing and a bit of a hassle - again, minor but could be easily fixed. Customs into the country was a breeze, and mainly based on if you had traveled to Africa or have been in contact with anybody who had traveled to Africa, all regarding the Ebola outbreak. Don't bother with holding up the bus at the airport for money exchange; it's the same rate at the resort. We were the first in line to change money at the airport and darn near missed our bus; they were NOT going to wait for the others, no joke, the ship was ready to sail. Bus to resort did not have bathroom on board, but in the past it had. They do a quick halfway for any desperate people (likely due to the beer they feed you). I'm sure by now you have read that it is 1.5 hrs on the bus to the resort, but it's very interesting and lots to look at - we quite enjoy it, even though it was our 4th time visiting this area. Now for the food, this is the interesting part. Previously we loved the food, and enjoyed it - that has changed. Nothing is hot whatsoever - and you MUST rely on the grilling stations (Pasta, pizzas, grilled seafood, grilled pork, beef, omelets, etc). I don't understand why they can't keep their food hot, it was hot before ?!?!? The lines were not bad, but it isn't the busy season as of yet. You will eat well, but you have to use the grill stations to do so OR order room service. The lunches at the Megano beach and pool bars are great, and made to order. The beef is bubble gum beef and is nearly impossible to chew, there is a reason Cubans don't eat beef. If you are picky, ask your grill guy to cook your meat longer as sometimes things were a little underdone, but nothing that could harm a person. Bacon in the morning is undercooked and I had the omelet guy cook it on his grill a little extra. We did NOT over drink etc, but 3 out of 4 of us did experience stomach issues for 3 days while there; I was shocked and surprised as we have traveled many times and NEVER have had any issues and I have guts of steel. I wouldn't avoid this place based on this, but heads up for Imodium if you are concerned. Honestly, the best food I had during the week was at the Asian ala carte and the room service. Room service is a bit of a hassle for the staff to lug the food on the tray, but worth it - the only decent fries and chicken breast I had all week. Seafood restaurant we had high hopes for, but that also was garbage. MAKE SURE YOU BOOK THE ASIAN ALA CARTE. Heck, book it 2-3 times if that's what you want. What amazed me was a few of the staff had remembered me from 2 years ago, and I'm not a 'stand out person' ... they literally came right up to me and said, " Hey, I remember you, how have you been " ... amazing. Yunior (Junior) at the buffet is FAB, so fab he should be running the entire buffet. One day we asked for strong coffee, so he went for a walk to the lobby bar and came back with STRONG COFFEE lol. The staff remembers what you want each day, what you drink etc. etc. It does appear that the staff are competitive on getting people to sit at their section; likely the tips. We tipped 1-2 CUC for each meal, and sometimes 3 when service was fantastic (it always was). These workers are out of this world, very different from any other resort that we have visited before. These folks are some of the best that this area has to offer. The beaches are the best that you are going to find in the Caribbean. Ensenachos is the island before Cayo Santa Maria, which is more protected, so even on windy / off days; the water is very calm and very safe to swim in, even for small children. We don't have children as we come with a ' non breeding contract ' (ha ha), but it's perfect for families with small kiddies, VERY SAFE. You NEVER see a red flag on the beach, yet up the road in Cayo Santa Maria it is common. If you have children, this is ideal, but please don't be irresponsible parents and allow your kids to annoy other guests. Also, please keep your children dressed, unclothed children on the beach wasn't what I wanted to see, and quite frankly it's likely dangerous due to the intense U.V. penetrating where the 'sun doesn't shine'. The 'Kids Club' was alive and active - the workers appeared to be ideal people who really worked well with children; parents, tip these people, they don't get tips but have to travel 4 hours everyday on a bus with others who are bragging about how much they made in tips. They are looking after your little pride n' joys, show them some appreciation. Okay, so one night after supper our door wouldn't open, so I suspected that our keys had been disabled. We walked back to the lobby, got new keys and they still didn't work. We then walked back again and tried round 2. After that hassle, without working keys, we used our friends phone to request a bellboy come and open our door. They did come right away and still couldn't open our door. Something went wonky with the mechanism in the door and they had to break in via the back door. The next morning I went to guest services (dial 5 on your phone, or go to the downstairs lobby), and baby they were on it like white on rice. I hadn't been able to leave my room after the ordeal and when I did, I had to put duct tape over the latch so I could get back in. Anywho, guest services told me that they would fix the door immediately (which they did), move us to the spa section (adults only), give us a bottle of rum, and give us 30 minute massages for free. Score. I didn't even complain, get nasty, nothing, RESPECT goes a long way with these people, and trust me a lot of folks staying at this resort seemed to have left their manners at home. The French Canadians would mob a golf cart as you were trying to get on it, make nasty demands to staff, and then talk about us thinking we didn't understand what they were saying (we sure did, and would speak to them in French as we exited the areas Ha !). Drink guys come around at 5:40 ish daily to fill your fridge, you can pretty much get whatever extras you want, but you have to be there to get extras. Leaving tips in the fridge result in nothing extra. If you want to start a 'collection of drinks' just hide them in a spot late afternoon and let them restock. Beer included Crystal, Bucanero, and a new beer called 'maybe' (which was quite nice). Never saw a can of orange pop the whole trip, which was odd because we usually do. Diet cola was hit or miss, but just ask a bartender for an entire bottle when you see it. If you ask for milk for in your room (morning coffee) get it at the lobby bar, they will gladly give you an entire carton that will do you the week. The cigars at the resort are about 3 times more expensive than at the airport on your way out, and they claim it's because they have a humidor. The cigars at the market appeared to be high priced too, same with the beer. Beer was $3.00 CUC at the market bar, and $2.00 CUC at the market store. Off the island I paid $5.50 CUC for 2 beer, a pint of rum and 2 colas. They will soak you at the market if provided the prime opportunity. The market is HOT, HOT, HOT, so go when they open, 9 am. The bus is $1 CUC return, but is a lot of waiting; a taxi is $5 CUC each way. There are 2 markets, but Peublo Estrella is the largest. If you do any off island excursions, the prices are much better in towns.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Amazing staff

Staff is very friendly. Lots of activities. Food was tricky. Had to find what food was good or not good. Theatre offered some good shows. Drinks were delicious if u have tip u get the better alcohol. Entertaining staff very active and encouraging. I personally would return to this resort.

Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites: Beautiful Resort

Iberostar Bavaro is really gorgeous. We had a suite with no view (just the other bungalows), but since we hardly stayed in the room, it didn't matter. The grounds are beautiful and the temperature in the room was perfect. Everything worked well - plumbing, hot water, fridge, etc. However, we were robbed of US$200 on our first day, which kind of put a damper on things, but it worked out well in the end. The hotel provided a free excursion and the manager, Wanda, couldn't have been nicer, going ou [... read more]t of her way to reassure us and in general, being extremely helpful. The food in the buffet was plentiful and varied. We tried two of the restaurants, but were disappointed and next time, would stick with the buffet. The drinks were so-so, but since we are not really drinkers, this didn't matter too much. The beach is beautiful and generally free of seaweed. We did not go in the pool, so can't comment. Went on two excursions - Horse Play, which has to be arranged online or by phone as it is one of the excursions offered by the resorts. It really gives you value for your money - a long horseback ride, zip lining, a demonstration of cigar-making, a demonstration of how chocolate is made, and a typical Dominican meal. Well worth the price. The other excursion was Bavaro Splash - snorkelling, snuba (not as deep as scuba diving), and riding your own speedboat. Also very good. The people were so kind and it was a good day out. All in all, despite being robbed and my daughter's getting sick, we managed to have a good time. I can highly recommend the Iberostar Bavaro.

Iberostar Selection Playa Mita: Beautiful resort

Beautiful grounds, good food, great staff. Take a boogie board to enjoy the ocean . The beach is long and beautiful with very attentive staff making sure you have a palapa. Everything is nice and clean. We really enjoyed Glennis, geovanni, Claudia and hervey. They all went the extra mile to make our vacation great.

Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach: "A" for Effort

We had a wonderful time. Beautiful resort, wonderful staff (with a special mention for Nadeen, Sandrine and Kimone.) Service was exceptional except for one breakfast and lunch at the buffet (same server both times. She was abysmal in comparison to everyone else). The only disappointments were the food and mini bar. Food was plentiful but mediocre (for the most part, as some local style dishes were a pleasant surprise) and rarely hot. Desserts were horrible. No redeeming qualities there. Stick wi [... read more]th fruit and cheese (which were great). Mini bar guy showed up the morning after we arrived and never came back. Ever. Would have been nice to have another diet Coke at some point. Aside from those couple of issues, everything was great. Oh, one thing...Now this isn't a complaint, honest, its simply an observation...Its quite a loud resort. The common rooms are cavernous and everything echoes. With no carpeting (of course) there is nothing to absorb the sound. Husband didn't notice but I like to read. Hey, if I needed silence I could have stayed home. Again, just an observation. The grounds were gorgeous and the view was amazing. The Japanese restaurant is a must do. The show was a lot of fun and the food was very good...and HOT. Pools and swim up bar were perfect (lots of bees, though, but that's to be expected with all the sweet liqueurs). Bartenders were very entertaining and fun. Again, great staff! We never had a problem finding loungers by the pool, which was greatly appreciated. In summary, two thumbs up! Small issues but certainly not deal breakers and, hey, perfection doesn't exist. A wonderful vacation, dont hesitate to stay here! You'll love it.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Disappointed :(

Very disappointed. Food is inedible. Had to switch hotels after day 2. Good points are, great pool entertainment and house keepers were awesome. I've been to Iberostar in Mexico, was fantastic, varadero was not good.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Dump - don't go here

Iberostar Laguna Azul We arrived Nov. 16, 2014 for one week and wanted to fly home the next day, but sunwing refused. This hotel is a DUMP--dirty, rundown and not repaired or maintained. Flooring has chunks of tile missing, doors and walls ghetto dirty. The tub took half an hour to put 6 inches of water, and the grab bar to get out of the tub pulled out of the tile when I barely reached for it causing me to slip and fall in the tub. The door has toilet paper shoved in the hole so the door closes [... read more]. We arrived 2am and were refused service at the 24hr snack bar - claiming they stop serving at midnight and had uncovered bread and yogurt in bowls sitting out in the heat and humidity for food. We attempted to get help with our room - one towel for two adults, and one blanket, even though we had two small beds, no water pressure, nothing in the stocked fridge, and waited at the front desk from 6:30am until 10:30am; then told there was nothing available to change rooms. Then we were told we missed breakfast and lunch was not until 1:00 pm. From the time we arrived at the hotel at 2am until 1:30pm the next day we didn’t get food. The pool view room looks out to an empty pool, they don't have it filled. The spa jacuzzi was not working, and no plans to repair it. The staff are no help saying they don't understand. Select people are served in the dining room with drinks, and others declined. I asked to speak to the manager and he came over, played dumb and said I don't understand. The chair in our room was so dirty my arm that touched the material broke out in a horrible rash. I put the towel on it but the maid took the towel off the chair and put it in the bathroom for both of us to use after our bath. Again we indicated we needed two towels, the maid pointed to the towel she took off the chair and gave us one facecloth which we had for 3 days. This hotel is rated 5 star but hardly a 3 star. We knew Cuba standards were lower, but this is terrible. Vegetables are greasy, covered with pig lard instead of butter, and we can't stand the pork flavor. The beach is filthy, the sand has large pieces of crushed rock and shell, not nice like Cayo Santa Maria Cuba. They don't clean the seaweed, so smelly and flies, ants, mosquitoes and spiders abundant. Varadero is a man-made beach with brown sand, and anyone who says these are the nicest beaches has not traveled much. The washrooms don't have toilet paper or paper towel. People smoke everywhere even as they eat, and for me - allergic to smoke, and using asthma inhalers, could not breathe. There is no place for a non-smoker to sit. We could not attend the night show because of the smoking. The ala-cart restaurant served the same thing as the buffet, but the chicken was a piece of rolled up skin and fat and staff were not accommodating to allow you to book, even though more than half the tables were empty at the sitting times. The grounds are poorly lit at night, and we felt unsafe. The manager met with us again Wednesday and said they were not getting all their towels back from the laundry service. A repairman was sent to fix the grab bar, but all he did was put the same rusty screws back in the hole, no glue, so it came out when I tried to use it. I cannot recommend this hotel.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Wonderful stay

We stayed at this resort with a group of people. I was nervous as I had heard the beach wasn't as nice as Punta Cana. We found the beach was absolutely beautiful and hardly saw any seaweed. The only down side is being constantly harassed to visit their market or to pay for excursions. Other than that we loved our room as we had a view of the mountain and the ocean and the pool. Rooms were clean and large and met our needs and we're always cleaned on time everyday. We found the food at this resor [... read more]t was excellent. Having an egg white omelette every morning was the best and Robert always made sure our glasses were filled with water. At lunch we would pick the fish and they would cook it. Always delicious and plenty of vegetables and salads to choose from as well. We always had lunch out by the pool bar so it was convenient and delicious. Can't say enough about the service and the way the animation team gets everyone playing games such as bocce ball and horseshoes and volleyball. Tons to do if you like that kind of thing. They sure work hard to keep you happy. Only thing I found that could be improved is for them to come out to the beach in the morning as well to ask if people are interested in these games. We found they mostly asked people that were at the pool. A la cartes were awesome and food delicious. They worked tirelessly to ensure everyone got their food on time and always service with a smile. This was the first time that I ever looked forward to the nightly shows. They always did a great job. Mr iberostar was hilarious and their dance shows spectacular. We did the cable car ride excursion, would highly recommend that. We wanted to do others but were only there five nights. On Halloween night they decorated the disco and had a haunted hallway. We were so impressed at how well this was done. They did a rendition of thriller for everyone which was really good. We dressed up as well as did lots of people. Was a great night for kids and adults alike. All in all we loved this place, met a ton of people from England and the states and made some great friendships with them. The people at the hotel always made us feel welcome. I was shocked to read some of the latest reviews as this was not our experience at all. Our group had a great time and would recommend to come here anytime.

Hotel Mojito: Great Resort!

Resort was nice. Very friendly & helpful staff. Clean resort & rooms. Beautiful beach! Great food at the Aqua Bar! Buffet food was hit & miss, but not bad. Good shows at night. Decent nightlife. Only complaint was all the Mosquitos!! Overall fun time & amazing weather!

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Fantastic Resort!!

This hotel was incredible. The staff was very friendly and the resort itself was beautiful and very clean. There were activities for the kids so our son loved it too. The nightly entertainment was INCREDIBLE; it even involved the kids so our 2 year old looked forward to the shows as much as we did. We had an amazing time.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great time in DR!

I had never been to DR, my wife had been there apx 20 years ago, and at different done. Overall, this was a lovely week in the sun, and yes it was sunny, and hot as well. I had heard that going off the resort was not a good idea for safety reasons, but being a runner I did so every day and found nothing but friendly locals and I got to see the wonderful countryside. As for the resort itself, it was wonderful and the staff helpful in every way. I spent each day as well using the resort gym/spa. A [... read more]s it was partly open air, it was like working out in a steam room!, but it was enjoyable all the same, with good equipment. The beach and pool areas were excellent, with staff always on hand to help and/or set up fun games in which the winners were given a medal etc every night before the evening shows, which were also first class and well everyday! One day before we left, a large group came in for what appeared to be a wedding party, they were young and set up a boombox pool side and blasted hip hop music for "all to enjoy", I thought the staff could have made an effort to tone them down as it was very loud and took away from the nice island music playing on the hotel system, but that aside, it was a small issue and otherwise a great resort we would go back to any time with friends!

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Great Resort for the Entertainment

We stayed at the Iberostar Paraiso Beach Resort on the Maya Riviera Novembe 12 to 20/14. We booked an all inclusive package which included 3 a-la-cartes. The free shuttle with our package was a short 15-20 minute drive south of Cancun, with Playa Del Carmen a 15 minute ride further south of the resort. The resort grounds were beautiful and the pook was huge with waterfalls, bridges across, winding and about 6 apartment block in length. There were about 40-50 grass canapies with 2 custioned loung [... read more]ers under each, many swinging canopied beds which you had to get to early and no shortage of seating. You cannot see the ocean from the pool area which is unfortunate, although the beach once again has at least 100 loungers and lots with canopies for shade. The entertainment team was at the pool every day, doing water exercises and then pool games and teaching pool patrons many different types of line dances. This fun and always smiling entertainment team also participated in some of the nightly entertainment and after the nightly show, about seven of the team would encourage showgoers to join them in more line dancing on the dance floor. The nightly entertainment was excellent with acrobatics, high wire acts, hilarious show with audience members participating, professional dancers. The steak a-la-carte was rubbery and grizzly. The Italian raviloli was doughy, the cannelloni good. The Japenese was well worth the show cooking, definitely recommend. The main smorg was huge with great selection of salad, fruits, veggies, meats, seafood, suchi and deserts with a smaller smorg near the pool and beach. We did try the Mediteranean or Brazilian as used up all of our a-la-cartes. Tip - Pay the waiter at a-la-carte for reservation and you will likely get table. Next trip we will book an Iberostar resort likely on beach in Cancun just for convenience of shopping and airport. Excellent service at all restaurants/smorgs/bars, staff always appreciative of our tips and always smiling no matter who you were. We eat out alot and have never had such excellent service at a resort/restaurant. Our tv stopped working the night before we departed and I called front desk. Within 10 minutes a worker came and checked tv, took it out of room and replaced it in another 10 minutes, even though most resorts likely would not have seeing as we were checking out the following day. We stayed at the Melia in Puerta Vallarta 2 years ago and the food choice, staff friendlines s and entertainment were not even comparable to the Iberostar Paraiso Beach. The room was okay, except for the extremely bad ceiling florescent lighting which shone a shadow over you head. As we had at the Medlia in Puerta Vallarta, there were very tiny bugs on the dresser (you have to look at one spot for a few seconds to notice them moving) so we spent some time killing those and wouldn't dare leave food on it. We kept chips, etc. in the fridge which was well stocked with beer and an assortment of pop and water bottles (large one on counter for your coffee machine). B. Pich Alberta, Canada

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Beautiful,Immaculate Resort

We thought the Iberostar was absolutely lovely with many beautiful birds,a long, well shaped pool, immaculate grounds and rooms and very good food as well. We did find the front desk person lacking in any warmth or attention to us upon our arrival..He did not look us directly but continued shuffling papers,trying to deal with 3 couples at once and made no pleasant, friendly attempts at welcome. It was a disappointing first impression. However the rest of the staff made up for that in their frien [... read more]dliness, attempts to please,remembering our names, etc..Special congratulations to the entertainment staff who were amazing. We were also impressed with the welcome and friendliness of the Iberostar Cozumel staff.as wespent a day there Back at the main Iberostar we enjoyed walking around this huge property, eating in various a la cartes and taking advantage of the many activities offered. The beach was a bit windy that week but we enjoyed long walks and getting a swim in the waves.

Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach: Outstanding Resort

I found the Resort, the Staff, and the overall frienliness was a major part in making this an outstanding week at the Iberostar, I certainly will be going back, but possibly for longer, maybe 10 days or 2 weeks, it was just fantastic

Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites: Iberostar Bavaro is great

Iberostar Bavaro is a wonderful resort. The rooms are large and very clean. The staff are amazing especially Francia in the dinning room. It is close to the airport so you can be by the pool or beach in a short time. The beach is endless and clean. The pool area doesn't feel crowded at all with a wonderful area for children. We have been to several resorts in the DR and this is by far the best!!!!! We flew with WestJet. The Sunwing check-in area in the DR looked like a big mess.

Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites: Great time for a family!

Great food, grounds, people. Close to airport. Loved it. We travelled with a 10 month old. Staff were great. Hotel is very clean. Beach is a tad rocky but they work at cleaning it up daily. We will return.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Beautiful resort!

This resort is beautiful. 6 pools and very clean. The rooms are a good size as well. Animation staff and bar staff are wonderful and very friendly. The buffet wasn't that great but I loved all of the a la carte restaurants. I would recommend this resort for sure.

Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach: VERY GOOD RESORT

IT IS A GOOD RESPORT, FOOD IS GREAT, SERVICE IS GREAT (slow at a la cartes) VERY FRIENDLY PEOPLE, BEACH IS AWFUL, LOTS OF ROCKS, DECOR IS UP TO DATE, BUT NOT MUCH TO DO AT NIGHT, WE ARE SMOKERS, SO THE SITTING AREA OUSTISDE IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED FOR 13 PEOPLE. NOT MUCH ENTERTAINMENT AT NIGHT ( no steel band, live band, dancing etc..) BUT IF THE PRICE REMAINS AROUND $900.00 WE WOULD ALL GO BACK. NEEDS ACTION AT NIGHT.