Great resort!

I've only been to Cuba once before and this resort is leaps and bounds ahead of the one I stayed at previously. Great food, friendly service, very clean and bright rooms. The only negative thing was the room temperature hot tub, but who needs that when there's an ocean steps away?

Not a 5 star hotel

The toilets in the hotel or around the pools are not clean usually missind soap, the mattresses are very bad and old ,we stayed 36 hours without any towels and every other day we were missing towels.The fridge was supposed to be refurnished every other day but unfortunately it took 12 days,poor service in the buffet restaurant not enough staff to serve you,you have to keep looking for somebody to have your coffee or glass of water. I believe it is a management problem and not the poor employees.

Nice place

Our first trip to cuba was a good experience! The place was clean. Drinks were cold. Minimal line ups(except for check in-out). Beach was nice. Wasnt hard to find something good to eat. The cab ride to Varadero is 15 peso(20 canadian). Or there is a all day bus for 5$. We did the Havana excursion and it was long but very interesting. We did talk to some return visitors that loved the place.

Our 3rd Time in One Year!

We stayed here for the first time last January and loved it! We came back again in October, and again this January. The service improves each time we stay, and the staff and beautiful surroundings are what keep us coming back. We hope to go back again once more this year. Although I love this hotel, I gave it 4 stars as it can use some improvements. I will break it down into categories. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Beach / Pool 5* Beautiful large white sand beach with lo [... read more]ungers, palapas, and beach bar. Pedal boats, kayaks, and sail boats free to use. Nearby snack bar with burgers, hot dogs, fries and drinks. There are several pools on the property, all well maintained with bar service. The main pool offers a waterfall, nets for water polo, and games and entertainment through out the day. Next to that is the pool bar which offers amazing service and tasty drinks. Service 5* From the moment you arrive, the service is incredible and the staff are so friendly. Thank you so much to Anja, the girls at the front desk, and to our favorite bar tenders: Yariel, Fidel, Darren, Kensi, and Felix. I must also commend the entertainment staff for everything they do. Food 4* All of the a la carte restaurants are pretty good, but my absolute favorite is the Japanese Cooking Show. Reservations can be made in advance by contacting the hotel before your trip. The buffet food is good, but can use some improvement in variety. Food is not usually labelled, so you are often left guessing as to what it is. Not good if you have allergies, and a waste if you don't like the taste. The snack bar / Ranchon restaurant is a great place to grab a bite when you are still in your bathing suit. They usually offer burgers, hot dogs, fries and drinks. There may be more options at other times of the day (breakfast /lunch). There is also an ice cream parlor for a nice refreshing treat. It's also worth trying some of the restaurants in town. Many good options available. Rooms 4* The rooms are nicely decorated, and so far we've always had a nice view. Especially this last time. We contacted the hotel prior to our trip to ask for a nice room, and they really delivered! The view was incredible. The beds are okay, a little stiff with soft pillows, but I always sleep like a baby:) Water pressure is low and TV's need upgrading. Air conditioning works well. Beach towels on arrival, bathrobes in closet. Mini bar stocked with Beer (Cristal & Bucanero), Orange, Lime and Cola, as well as water. There is no clock in the room, so bring one with you. 220v European outlets. Location 3* The beach is quite large and well maintained in front of this property. People at surrounding resorts are not so lucky. And the property itself is absolutely beautiful and well laid out. It is quite large with many things to do and still easy to get around. The only downfall is how far it is from town. I would say at least 20km. The hop on hop off bus stops at every resort, so the ride can take about 45 minutes to an hour. And a taxi costs 15 CUC each way. Value 4* Although costly to go on any vacation, this resort offers a beautiful property and views, nice accommodations, a fantastic staff, and many extras for a reasonable price. Definitely worth trying. Although some improvements need to be made, these people work very hard to give us the very best, and it shows. I will be back again and again!:)

Absolutely Amazing Resort

We had wonderful vacation at this beautiful resort. The food was enjoyable, as was the entertainment. The only drawback was that there was very limited wi-fi accessibility. The staff was pleasant and the resort was always neat and clean.

Family fun

All was excellent. Lovely staff with good amenities. Some in disrepair but rectified upon notifying staff. Food was above average...recommend booking a la carte restaurant reservations immediately upon arrival so not to be disappointed. Tip well and you will receive five star service...otherwise...

Great weather but would not return to the resort

Iberostar Laguna Azul was a disappointment. While the weather and the people in Cuba are both wonderful, the resort's rooms were not very nice, often the public washrooms were out of toilet paper, and the food was middling at best. The Cubans are wonderful, but this resort is not.

Simply the the best!!

This resort is the best you'll find in Cuba. The staff work day and night to clean and give the best service. I would definitely stay there again. The beach was amazing, the food was fresh and there was something for everyone.

Relaxing vacation with a few issues

The hotel grounds were beautiful and even the food had good moments. We did have issues with the rooms (no towels, minibar fridge not working) but overall the stay was pleasant. The beach was a definite highlight and also the outdoor restaurant.

Great Vacation

The hotel was good. Had the basic amenities, was clean, the property was always being cleaned by the staff, the entertainers were great and the people were friendly. The food was not good, only the Japanese restaurant was good. But if you go with the mind set knowing that the food isn't great, you'll be fine. We went on the Havana excursion, which was great but we felt rushed and the Cataraman excursion which is basically a day on the boat. You need to tip alot which was kinda annoying since you [... read more]'ve already paid for your vacation. At every point, you have to have your tips ready. The drinks were good. I carried a bag full of clothes to give to the lady who cleaned our room and she was super happy. Overall, we had a great vacation because we had had read up on the place and did not let little things such as the quality of the mattress or the force of the shower ruin our vacation.

Nice Resort

The resort itself was beautiful with friendly staff. The rooms were clean but uncomfortable beds. The food was okay. The hotel public washrooms need more tending to - you shouldn't have to take your own toilet paper to a hotel washroom. Requests a few items to the room never arrived.

People are lovely, but this is 2* resort...

Upkeep is lacking, our sheets had blood stains and holes everywhere (in the blanket, on the sheet itself). They were only changed once, after 5 days, when we requested it. When we got into the room, 75% of the lights weren't working and had to be changed by a handyman (he was very nice and came very quickly). Ground floor rooms are unbreathable as they're heavily sprayed. Food is really bad, I sustained myself on pizza and guavas for a week, but that's Cuba... The hotel staff is wonderful, very [... read more] kind and helpful. I wouldn't come back to Cuba.

Average Resort

It is definitely not a 5 star. When driving up to the hotel from the street, the outer appearance and well groomed grounds look impressive. Pools and public washrooms were well maintained. Rooms were not kept very clean, no attention to detail. Apart from breakfast, the rest of the food at the buffet was just ' slop '. Deserts were great. Entertainment was good. ' Wait staff ' were absolutely fantastic! All night snack bar is a disaster. Burgers,hotdogs,fries etc. are preprepared and sitting in  [... read more]a tray for probably hours. When you arrive for a snack, burger is thrown on the grill to warm up, bun is microwaved and fries are thrown back into the fryer for a few seconds. The Japanese a la carte was absolutely fantastic! The Italian was terrible, we left most of the meal and the Cuban meal was so bad, that we had to return it and walked out of the restaurant. I told the waitress that I would not serve that to a dog. It was that bad. The meat could not be cut with a knife, it was so stale and charred from the the grill, the banana chips in batter, must have been 4 days old, could not even bite through it, disgusting experience. Lounge area was filled with smokers puffing in your face at all times, hence unable to enjoy the nightly beautiful musicians. ( the cigar lounge/bar is contained, so I can't understand why the same is not applied to regular smokers, after all, they are the minority) This problem should be addressed, it spoils the stay for all non-smokers, which are the majority. The furniture is old and tired, just worn out. The whole place needs a revamp. Not a 5 star rating for the reasons above.

Good Resort but in need of room upgrades

We were in Unit 10. The rooms (close to the beach) in this unit were need of upgrade. We had to move out of our first (King size) room as it was stinking of a dead mouse/sewage...we moved and had to settle for two double beds- this room had a broken shower, and in need of painting and general maintenance ( the TV did not work well). The cleaning staff and maids were wonderful. The front desk staff are mediocre - slow service and unresponsive. The concierge service is poor. The food service was g [... read more]ood , the number of items were overwhelming but the food was bland. The food spread was the same everyday ( this is what you pay for in an inclusive)so it got a little boring. The Japanese restaurant is worth going to- good food and great service ; The Cuba and International restaurants have lousy food but good service. The ice cream parlour and activities at the resort are wonderful- the coconut cream was my favourite. There was no internet except in the lobby and expensive - 5 CUC ( $6.25 ) per hour-remember to cancel your internet session using http://1.1.1.1/ otherwise you will running down your internet while you are switched off. You have to ask for a kettle as it is not their policy to put one in the room despite the fact they supply the tea bags and coffee! It is a good resort but in need of room upgrades . Enjoy.

Good holiday

Big resort, laid out well,building and grounds keep well(some repair and upkeep needed) enjoyed a quiet pool area away from main pool! Food okay-good comparing Cuba food, staff friendly and speak english

Could be anywhere...

If the Iberostar Laguna Azul is an indicator, then Cuba is now just like any other run down Mexican or Caribbean resort area. The staff is now so used to being tipped, if you don't tip, you are ignored. The rooms had mold on the walls, the elevator in our wing worked only three days out of 14. The 5 a la Carte restaurants were pleasant, however the food no better than the buffet. When we had difficulty with our reservation dates, the reception gave us every indication they would be able to assis [... read more]t. However, when it came time to check out, their story completely changed, and for a fee, they helped us out nominally. When our bus for pickup was over an hour late (at 2 in the morning), the hotel reception would not let us use the phone! We were checked out, and they no longer wanted anything to do with us. This was not our first trip to Cuba, and we are very sad to see that it is now like any number of over crowded, staff exhausted resorts on the Caribbean.

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.

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.

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.

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.