Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Second Time Staying At Same Resort
Our first stay in Oct. 2023 was Amazing.
Our second stay on April 08, 2024 was 3/4 amazing.
We did not get a WELCOME BACK sign on our door. And when I told the front desk they had no idea it was our second stay.
Over all we might return the resort is great for entertainment and there is Alot to do on the resort.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Wonderful resort
The grounds were impeccable. The resort is an older resort but the rooms were spacious and clean. Had some problems with a few things but the staff was quick to remedy them. There was a great selection of food so no one should go hungry as anyone could find something to eat. The entertainment staff did their best to put on a variety of different shows every evening and the activity staff got many people to join in the festivities .
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Waves Punta Cana: Wonderful resort!
The only complaint is that some of the food at the buffet was cold. At the Smokehouse, the brisket was very dry and tough but the chicken and fries were really good.
Other than that we had a great time!! Loved the resort!!
Staff was wonderful!!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Cur Knoll -
Verified Purchaser
Hotel Bella Costa: Fantastic Resort!!
We have been going to the same resort now for 15 years and this was the best week ever. First time back since Covid and there has been many changes at the resort. It is more accessible for disable people as they have put in ramps. The grounds have been renovated and looks amazing. The workers are amazing and very helpful. As for food there was lots and a great variety to choose from. Looking forward to going back next year.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Cur Knoll -
Verified Purchaser
Hotel Bella Costa: Fantastic Resort!!
We have been going to the same resort now for 15 years and this was the best week ever. First time back since Covid and there has been many changes at the resort. It is more accessible for disable people as they have put in ramps. The grounds have been renovated and looks amazing. The workers are amazing and very helpful. As for food there was lots and a great variety to choose from. Looking forward to going back next year.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Tiberius11 -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Waves Punta Cana: Thoroughly a great experience
We had a great time at the resort. The staff were helpful and the grounds well maintained.
We had a couple issues however. First of all we weren't impressed with the food. Not a big variety and the meats were overcooked and fatty. After the second day I basically became a vegetarian.
Also there was not any itineraries for us to know of things going on.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Cindy -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Nice, small resort
The best thing about this resort is the staff.
I did not like the layout . I did not like the bar being in a separate room. The lobby is not a gathering spot. No day time entertainment, no bingo ect...
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Dinger -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great resort
As a third time visitor to this resort, I can assure you if you are a solo traveller you are absolutely safe there. One of my main reasons for going to this hotel. They continue to be smart and have the same person clean your room daily. Therefore, they get to know you and you feel more confident versus some hotels changing housekeepers every 3 days. The front desk etc does not sluff you off and speak fluent English. The hotel is small medium so easy to find things quickly. The food is good and[... read more] plentiful. The only drawback I found this year was them offering you a free massage if you attend a so called short introduction. Unless you are keen on investing into their hotel package offer decline. For 2.5 hours you will waste of your holiday. The first clue is when they ask your occupation. The other downfall is the quality of entertainment at night, however a bit prejudice after I saw what they are capable of that way in Jamaica. On a different note they are unbelievable in recycling and they are way ahead. Impressive. They have many repeat guests and their fan page is so helpful. You give a shout out and a guest will immediately reply. I highly recommend this. The main issue was people begging for Benadryl for mosquito bites. So please take that and mosquito repellant. You can't see the mosquitos so very tiny but they itch like crazy. Overall, I would return again, just annoyed that they weren't too upfront on the buy in process re hotel and the time it takes. Tourists are very friendly and helpful. Have fun, you will return!
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: We didn’t make it
Water was out for days and when we arrived at airport we were told there that we were being taken to another hotel. We did not get to experience the Iberostar nor did we get the ocean view room we had paid extra for. We were taken to Ville Gale Paredon - on ground floor. Beautiful hotel and room, however and beach. Long lineups and food was just ok.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Harlow 2021 -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Selection Holguin: Great resort
Great for families, modern rooms, beautiful beach, amazing staff , over all a great week, food was to be expected for Cuba, wish there was more fruits and vegetables, alcohol was a hit or miss, would definitely return for the value
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Jeff80 -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Selection Holguin: Great place
Awesome staff great food overall a memorable expedience
Only thing I could recommend them on trying to approve on was the snack bar service was less then efficient at times
However I’d definitely consider returning
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Hotel Bella Costa: We had a good time! but...
Our family had a good time at this resort however a few things were surprising. Our first impression was walking into our room and being very disappointed in the cleanliness. I found dust and grime on the lamps that couldn't have been cleaned in months . The bedsheets and towels were stained . I'm sure they were washed but dingy and stained sheets leave a poor impression. Cuba is experiencing shortages but hot water and soap are still available to the cleaning staff.
Some of the staff were exc[... read more]eptional and friendly. Johnathon was awesome!
Yes, some pop/juice/vodka was unavailable but it certainly gave me an opportunity to try something else.
The bathrooms by the pool were dirty -I never saw anyone go in to clean them - must have been night fairies....
The food was always good at the buffet , a lot of carbs- pasta , rice, potato and bread. The Italian ala carte was excellent .
The pool was great , my grandson loved the foam party on Sunday! too bad some fool ( an adult) had a blowup boat with oars in the middle of the kids having fun.
Most days the music was at an acceptable level but one day it was beyond loud ! for 14 hours straight! When the entertainment staff tried to speak they yelled into the microphone in order to be heard and in fact blew a whistle into the microphone during an exercise session. Also on that same day the "DJ" played some rap crap with "f" bombs and other inappropriate words . I marched straight over and told them to stop that music -there were young families everywhere and the idiot thought those songs were acceptable??
When we had to leave , there was no trip book to refer to as far as when our bus would be picking us up from the hotel - it is something I would recommend and have seen done at other hotels. Also there is no place to shower after you've left your room but still have to wait for a later flight . It would be nice to have a designated room or bathroom to use .
If going to this hotel - go prepared . bring your own pillow cases - I did and I'm glad. Bring raid for the rooms - I always do. Bring snacks .
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great resort to relax !
The pros definitely outweigh the cons of staying at this resort. My cousin and I went the week of April 1st and the purpose of the trip was to relax so this resort being a smaller resort was a great place to do just that. We were in an ocean view room in the Varadero building. Clean rooms a little dated but everything was fine with exception of the toilet not flushing properly. The staff were friendly and very attentive when we needed service. Like most people we don’t go to Cuba for the food [... read more] but I was happy that they had bread and rolls at every meal, poached eggs boiled eggs and omelettes at breakfast. As well there was always some kind of fruit to eat. Pork, beef, chicken and fish were usually all available at the grill along with pasta station stir fry and fried rice station. No going hungry and for a week I don’t mind having the same choices everyday as I could just pick something different to eat. We talked to a lot of other people who loved the resort and kept coming back. We never had to reserve a chair at the beach and there were always some available no matter how late we ventured down. The only true negative for me was that the beach had seaweed about 10 feet into the water . You could walk down the beach in either direction and find a wide beach with no seaweed so wasn’t a deal breaker but I would have preferred a better beach. I could walk 25-30 minutes in either direction so it was a great beach to walk and lots of sea shells. Entertainment in the lobby every night and people liked to sit around and relax. There were night shows in the theatre as well as a disco however we were too tired to bother so not sure about these. I was happy with this resort.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Lovely
What a wonderful resort.
Food was plentiful and tasty. Staff warm, welcoming and friendly. Could use a bit of a variety of liquor and snacks but no real complaints ???
Would be nice to have screens on patio doors and waiters at the pool.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Great resort
We like this resort. Rooms are big and comfortable. Location is great, very close to the airport. Only 20 minutes ride from the airport.
Beach is amazing!
Only problem with the toilet paper …
Staff is very friendly
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Good Relaxing Time
If you're looking to relax and do absolutely nothing, then this is the resort for you. I always had a full meal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. But you need to ensure that you get there on time because mid lunch/dinner there isn't much left. I brought my condiments with me (ketchup, salt, pepper, mayo and hot sauce) since they are lacking resources in Cuba. This is essential if you want a little flavour.
I did do this trip solo which allowed me to do everything and nothing. Note: this resort is m[... read more]ainly Russians.
I did not have toilet paper the first two days, so please make sure you pack the BASIC essentials, they came in handy.
The beach was stunning. I spent everyday after lunch there, it was cold because of the wind, but it wasn't a bother.
Overall, I had a great experience.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Ryley7 -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Waves Tucan: Hidden Gem
Highly recommend this resort, great food, great staff, great beach. Awesome time had by our group. This isn’t a party resort which is not what we were looking for either. Traveled with our 6mo they were super accommodating and resort is quite stroller friendly. We tried all the restaurants other than the Japanese one, they were all excellent. The rain forest portion is amazing as well as the amount of wildlife on resort.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Vlad -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Worst hotel in my life!
We flew in from Calgary to Cayo Coco, but upon arrival at our room, we were dismayed to find no towels, water, toothbrush, and a broken locker. Despite multiple requests to reception, no assistance was provided.
The following days, towels were delivered but remained unchanged for the entirety of our seven-day stay.
Additionally, we only received two bottles of drinking water for the entire vacation, making access to water incredibly challenging.
The lack of tap water for two days compou[... read more]nded the issue, leaving us without essential facilities.
We kindly request that tripcentral administration refrain from cooperating with such a poor hotel.
Our vacation was ruined, resulting in a significant waste of money.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Vladtch -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: We had a good vacation, but with some caveats.
We spend a week at Iberostar Daiquiri at the end of March 2024. Small group of 5 people. First impression was 'What a rathole we got ourselves into!' - reasons being flight came late, check-in took very long, and no restaurant was working, hotel does not have ANY food provisions for arrivals after 22:00. So hungry/angry guests go to sleep in Cuban style - hungry! Don't have any REAL 24-h snack bar. Also rooms are looking old and musty, some lights not working, some furniture missing. Rooms were [... read more]clean, but still first impression was not favorable. Next morning we were rested, ate and had a nice swim, things look better. Overall, we had not a bad vacation!
So here is the list of pros and cons:
Food was good, probably the best we had in Cuba recently. Both fresh fruits and meats/fish present and well prepared. To the chief chef - thank you sir/madam!!! No shortages (at least no considerable ones).
Beach is nice, sand is clean and white, seaweed cleaned out daily, enough lounges/shades, beach bar - good, Pier is maintained and nice. Coconuts - cut for you for a small fee daily.
When wind is mild, swimming is very pleasant, but no reef close to the beach. you see lots of fish hiding under pier from birds. you can also see the lion-fish under the adjacent hotel's pier. We spotted starfish and sting rays once.
Staff is friendly and tries to help - even the infamous front desk staff. Waiting staff at the restaurants are somewhat slow, but bearable.
Showers are good and working, hot water present.
Internet is limited to 7 hours per week, but is relatively fast and present in the rooms too! Very good!!!
Reef is in 1 km to 3 km from the beach - catamaran ride for $20 or excursion for $50. Reef is so-so, but at least present.
1 hour bicycle rent is included, also 30 min catamaran run is included - use it, we liked it.
Cons:
Mosquitos near rooms and beach. Was not so bad for us, but some guests were all red spots, like chickenpox.
WINDY. I mean - kite-boarding and stronger. Could be a pro if you kite, but for swimming - not good. out of 7 days 4 were too windy, and 3 were very calm and nice.
Rooms are spacious but aged, they smell faintly of age, for some could be a big con.
NO food provisions for arrivals after 22:00. if your flight arrives after 9 pm prepare some sandwich for that. IF hotel admin reading this - you are CRAZY not providing this, EVERY other hotel - even 2 star ones have something for late arrivals. it creates VERY BAD first impression.
First connection to the internet was iffy and confusing, messages are in Spanish, even if you choose English. Once you are connected - done your browsing/calling/uploading, disconnect to save hours for later, next connection is ok, though wait for it, takes few seconds waiting. You don't need to enter password again - just wait.
That is it.
Few tricks: if you ran out of internet hours - go ask front desk for more, no charge.
If you want snorkeling - instead of catamaran for $20, you can go to Diving center (600 m walk to the left) and ask to ride as a passenger - same $20, but reef is nicer and bigger. They depart around 9:30 and 11:30 (approx)
Check out a wild flamingo flock - 1.5 km total walk from the beach to the right (800m) and at the next hotel (starfish) right again - another 600m almost to the main road, flamingo laguna is on the left.
Location
Value
Food
Beach
Rooms
Service
Helpful?
Report
Private -
Verified Purchaser
Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: A Series of Unfortunate Events
My parents have been to Cuba 11 times, we came as a family for the 3rd time together and unfortunately it was objectively the worst experience we’ve had. We are not picky but the 2/5 rating is based on the customer service and upkeep of the facilities. Due to the nationwide food shortage Cuba is experiencing, it wouldn’t be fair to rate the food.
Pros:
- lovely gardeners, very friendly, lovely landscaping, helped us source coconuts
- beautiful water, cold though in March-April
Cons:
[... read more]- my bed broke and collapsed on one side just before I went to bed (I weigh less than 120 lbs)
- toilets flushed only once every few hours (…“if it’s yellow let it mellow”)
- for about 18 hours our entire building ran out of water
- internet was out for several days, therefore unable to use credit card for late check out payment
- glum looking staff who seemed annoyed with requests or questions
- all towels and bedsheets were stained with old makeup or what looked like blood
- multiple rounds of keycards not working
- front door handle fell off
- previous guest’s hair was on the shower wall and remained there all week
Honestly.. it was not a relaxing vacation at all, we just waited for one thing to go wrong after the other. Perhaps this is now the case for resorts across Cuba post pandemic but we certainly wouldn’t come back here.