Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Fair

Food was terrible. There was literally nothing to eat. Had to feed on papaya and bread for 4 days straight. Rooms are ok. Pools and beach sea amazing. This is my second time in this resort. It was definetly much better in 2019. Looks like covid break ruined this place.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Nice resort

Good location . maintenance okay in Cuban standard. Nice people. Good service. I am vegetarian and they try to accommodate my needs. Tennis court and Equipment could be better maintain. I would go back again

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Great time.!!

We had a great time as usual. This was our 9th visit to the Tainos. We noticed a few shortages but nothing that effected our vacation. There was plenty of food and drinks and the staff were amazing as usual. Looking forward to our next visit.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Good Resort

The resort is good maintenance, very calm beach, room is OK , food is well cooked that I have no problem even I have very sensitive stomach. Staffs are very nice to help in need. The price for 7 days all inclusive is very resealable.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Great Vacation

From October 26 to November 2 2023, 4 of us stayed in Iberostar Selection resort in Varadero. Overall, our stay was very pleasant. The beach at this place is one of the best we’ve seen in Cuba. Kilometres of white sand to the both sides of the resort, plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas. No need to “book” your chairs ahead - there’s always spaces available! Very clean and well maintained, there’s also a security guard on duty daily. The ocean is very clean and quite shallow, you need [... read more] to walk a bit before you go into the deep. Very safe if you stay with children. The resort is also very clean and well maintained. We stayed in a junior suite and it was spacious, with an extra sitting area with a sofa and a coffee table. This suite got cleaned twice a day. There were toiletries in the shower, towels, a hair dryer, a bidet and a bath tub. The only thing missing - no Kleenex tissues, but it may be a supply chain glitch. Our friend stayed in the regular room, which was only a bit smaller, also had a sitting area with a love seat and a coffee table, same bathroom/shower amenities. This room got cleaned once a day. There is a great pool with a bar - lots of people there daily. Drinks - plenty of them everywhere! Great coffee at reptile area, also there’s a little coffee shop with pastries and sandwiches open almost around the clock, so very convenient for the night time munchies. The food was pretty good, the buffet had a daily variety of veggies, fruit, pasta, rice and fish and meats. We had daily omelettes at breakfast, with yogurts and smoothies, and juices. The resort has 3 restaurants (Japanese, International gourmet and Mediterranean) for booking and we were pleasantly surprised, in fact we liked all of them, this is first time ever in Cuba😀 we especially liked Mediterranean one, the food was delicious and presentation - top notch! There was nightly entertainment, including specially for kids - the little ones seem to enjoy it a lot. The adult one was also very nice. The resort staff was courteous and friendly, which we think is a Cuban trademark, true to all Cuban resorts we’ve visited. We have really enjoyed our stay and will recommend this resort to our friends and family, thanks Iberostar Selection, gracias!

Iberostar Coral Holguin: Fantastic relaxing place

Staff are excellent amenities are great always lots to eat some shortages but there is still an excellent variety of food great alacarte restaurants bartenders are great especially the pool bar. Rooms are very spacious and well appointed

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Not what we were excepting, but we had a great vacation

We spent a week at the Iberostar Coral Esmeralda, Oct31 to Nov7. This being our 6th trip to Cuba and first post Covid, we thought we had a pretty good idea of what to except, ….wonderful people, amazing beaches, so so food and accommodations that may have a deficiency or two. Things have changed. Cuban economy and infrastructure was hurting before Covid, it has now reached a crisis level. Shortages of most everything, there simply are not enough resources to go around. The Cubans needs  [... read more]tourism dollars to improve their living standards, .. tourists expect toilet paper and butter , so the Cuban residents do without. Catch 22 However the shortages have become so acute now the tourism product is suffering and the price for vacations reflects this with incredibly low prices for all inclusive stays that after the Canadian air carrier takes its cut there can’t possible be enough revenue to cover resort operators costs. It’s a downward spiral .. Now. The resort is beautiful, small , just two years old, very clean. Our roof top suite was spectacular, a huge wrap around balcony with ocean views all three sides , The room advertised as 1400 sq ft. had two bathrooms, jacuzzi tub, huge two person shower and a very comfortable king size bed. We had water issues the first 3 days, first no water, then cold water only , then hot water only , then a broken toilet hose while we out of the room resulting in a significant flood and finally no water pressure. So we moved on the third day to another roof top suite that had even a better ocean view. The maids kept our absolutely spotless . The food at the Al a Carte restaurants was very very good you are allowed to book 3 meals per stay and all 3 were excellent. During our week the buffet had severe shortages , no eggs, no fresh fruits or vegetables, no orange juice , excellent tasting breads but usually no butter and never and jam or jellies spreads. The thing I found most odd that was missing was there were no labels telling what the food on trays and tables was. Not 5 star by Canadian standards but we didn’t leave hungry. Cuba is know for amazing beaches and blue waters, that is primarily what we go for, the beach here was a disappointment. Actually there are two beaches here, a very nice low tide beach and a basically nonexistent high tide beach. Not sure if recent storms or wave action has pulled away a lot the beautiful soft white sand recently, as most of reviews were very good, but at the afternoon high tide the water comes right up the shade palapas and many of the chairs are actually in the water . I have never seen a Cuban beach or any resort beach like this before. Mother Nature may have been removing the sand from the beach but she has been very busy bringing sea grass and floating garbage on to the beach. The resort daily cleans SOME of the beach area but not all it . We don’t play the before breakfast towel game and don’t normally mind getting stuck out on the far ends of the resort beaches when we arrive at 9:30 looking for shade spot, unfortunately the ends of the beaches get little or no maintenance and sea grass and garbage it horrific . We spent a half hour or so a cleaned up a couple shade palapas as the one we cleaned the day before was often taken the next day so would clean another, I thought we did a pretty good job picking up the sea grass and garbage and piling it up in the vegetation zone behind our palapa . I know that keeping a beach clean is an endless job and resort staff try to do a good job in the centre part beach but they had to do the job with a broken rake and without even a wheelbarrow to put the collected material in , they put it in a tub and dragged it away, such is the shortages of tools and materials in Cuba. However the one thing that the resort can control is investing time and effort to keep the beach clean. Toilet paper , bring lots , although toilet in the rooms is supplied daily do not count it in any other public bathrooms anywhere, airports, restaurants, beach bars, anywhere. There are no hand sanitizing stations anywhere , bring your own. I could go on but it comes down you get what you pay for. Talking to other people at the airport all the resorts were more or less the same although ours seemed to the only one without eggs all week , perhaps the Cayo Cruz area, being small and somewhat isolated is a lower priority for supplies? All and all we had a good vacation, meet some great people but we wouldn’t go back.

Iberostar Waves Quetzal: Nice place

The hotel and grounds are lovely. Food excellent. Staff wonderful. Entertainment great! Saw a fire show on the beach and a Michael Jackson show which was outstanding. We had a "jungle" room and fed monkeys on our balcony which was 3rd floor and very private. Beach is beautiful and there was no sargassum. Pool is nice too. This resort shares beach and pool with the Tucan so there are tons of people. Had a very hard time getting a lounger on the beach which was very frustrating. The resort is a $1 [... read more]0 cab ride from Fifth Ave for shopping and there is a little mall 5 minute walk from hotel. You have to fill glass water bottles in the room for water. Super eco friendly. Also they do not have any coffee mate in the rooms. Dont know why. Also, if you are a smoker its a nuisance because its banned in Mexico. They have 2 small areas set aside which were always packed but nothing near the beach. The advisory for Mexico says bring eco friendly sun screen but no one checks. Its like paste lol so didnt use it. We were sent a link to pay a new "Vista tax" but didnt pay it and wasnt asked for proof of pymnt. On the whole its a nice place if you dont mind ton of people. Myself I prefer smaller resort.The jungle rooms were the best for nature action. Monkeys swinging in trees and feeding them bananas, apples and pears was an experience of a lifetime. Enjoy!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: A Disappointment

My sister whom I travelled with had been here and raved about this resort. We arrived to find that the place is in disrepair and the services to be lacking. Although the staff works hard and try to please they have little to work with. They don’t even have the basics to work with. A 5 star this is not the place is falling apart and has not been maintained and they donot provide the services they advertise. Times are tough for the staff and the repeat guests are now disappearing. Please p [... read more]ick it up because soon you will have no one.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: The good and bad.

First I want to start by saying that I rarely leave bad reviews based on a one week stay at any resort but this must be said. If you want to go on a vacation and drink good beer and good rum, vodka. This place is for you. The adult only side is quiet and beautiful. Unfortunately there are more negative things to say than positive. The level side of the resort(kid friendly) is much larger and has more staff to attend to your needs. The buffet is larger and has more options, although those opt [... read more]ions are sad at best. The entertainment was good but inconsistent. Some nights they did not have any sort of entertainment. And when they did sometimes they started way later than planned. Now I will talk about the food. If you can survive off of toast and canned fruit then great, unfortunately not everyone can. The meat was extremely inconsistent and some nights you could tell it was old or from the day before. There was rarely no fresh fruit and NO fresh vegetables. My girlfriend and myself got some sort of food poisoning from the buffet, in fact I may even have a parasite. Travel to and from the airport was fairly long and boring. There were some pink flamingos on the way but nothing noteworthy. All in all I do not recommend this resort. Pros: Large modern rooms, comfy beds, amazing beach and beautiful water. Cons: Absolutely terrible food(food poisoning possible), lack of toilet paper, lack of fruity beverages.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: TYPICAL CUBA

Hotel: This hotel/resort was ok, but Iberostar Corporate office needs to take notice of it. Definitely starting to show its age, shower drains need to be cleaned out throughout the resort as an example. Work needs to be done on the buildings to bring them more up to speed with what Iberostar is promoting their standards to what its hotels are at. Food: Visited at the end of October, so end of the low season. Some things were available in abundance, such as pork in a variety of styles, sal [... read more]ads, cheese and vegetables. Hit and miss on other meats like chicken and beef. The only fresh fruits that were available were pineapple, guava, but lacked any other fresh fruits, not even bananas, which are grown there. Beach and Pool: Beach was amazing, even though it was too windy to enjoy some days. Loads of room at the pool, no searching for lounge chairs at all. Enjoyed it almost every day. Pool bar could have used a roving server. Restaurants: Buffet had an excellent variety of items to choose from, never went hungry. The A la Carte restaurants were alright, the property used two locations to serve the Gourmet, Italian and Cuban dinners. Rotated the venues, mind you, since it was low season, not all of the resort staff were employed at this time, makes sense. Staff: Absolutely Amazing! All of the staff from the buffet, restaurants and bar areas were almost bending over backwards to keep us happy which was greatly appreciated with return friendship to them, and the tips we gave didn't hurt either *chuckle*. Also, kudos to the transfer bus service. Fantastic service with both the drivers and reps both in and out of the resort. Would we go back, maybe when the economic situation stabilizes and starts getting better. Have to wait and see what the future brings.

Iberostar Coral Holguin: Great resort

The resort was very clean, the rooms very really nice, fairly new. the food was excellent.. choices were great as well.. the only thing the beach was about far from the resort. Otherwise it was of been perfect .. Pool was great..Drinks .. wide variety ..Staff was very friendly..

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Pleasant Trip - Oct 23

Value for price - very good! The resort is easy to navigate, clean and well kept. The people were amazing, always going the extra mile to help and with a smile. The rooms a little tired but very clean and the beds comfortable. Water pressure in the sink low, but the shower was good. The beach - great!!!! The pool, very nice and cleaned daily. Always a lot of food but there are shortages, i.e. limes and sometimes cola. The buffet had a reasonable variety of pork, chicken and fish a [... read more]long with salads, lots of cheeses and breads and pasta. The snack bar had sandwiches, fries and pizza - all good. Again, very good for the price. Piano Bar - GREAT! They make a wonderful cappuccino in the morning and lots of fun in the evening. The ala carte restaurants need a little help with their menu but the staff very good. Would recommend the Italian. When we were there the resort was no more than half full so we always had our choice of lounges at the pool or the beach. This is a resort where you can have a good time, learn the salsa, pool dancing, beach games or just relax.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Fantastic Family Friendly Resort in Cuba!

This was our third time in VARADERO and 1st time at this resort and we are incredibly pleased! The amenities, the staff, rooms and food were all perfect and to our satisfaction. It’s true, you pay for what you get! The biggest impression was from the towel bar, the staff there remembered our names the very last day and we had not mentioned them after our 1st encounter on the 1st day! To me that speaks volumes! The resort felt like a little community by both the guests and staff. I hope this r [... read more]eview helps you with your choosing.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Iberostar Belle Vista Varadero

This hotel is about 30 minutes from the airport. First impression walking into hotel lobby was wow! Beautiful view of ocean with a large upper deck. Friendly staff. Beautiful beach, Two large swimming pools, one with swim up bar. Great kids area with two pools. The grounds people keep the place looking great. Lots of lush, beautiful plants and trees. Snack bar, one main Buffett and three a-la-carte restaurants. Room was large, bed was pretty comfy, free safe in room. Bar fridge, but they donâ [... read more]€™t stock it. You do get bottled water in your room everyday. Room smelt a little musty but I brought air freshener and after having the air conditioning on the smell was gone after a day or so. After reading reviews and first time to Cuba, I always found something to eat and I didn’t miss ketchup or mustard, haha. Would I go back, maybe but I think I would book the prestige with a swim out room. You also have access to an 11th floor buffet and bar area, which I heard from other guest was very good. Overall this hotel is good value for your money

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: The service makes this resort so worth it!

Pros Star prestige swim out is a definite must - personal concierge, private dining area, late check out, discounts on spa services and room service. The beach is beautiful (although too rough the week we were there due to weather) The panoramic restaurant and floor has a breathtaking view and nice to just hang out, socialize, enjoy the view, etc. The resort is the perfect size so you’re not walking miles to get from one place to another. The layout is well thought out with one main cor [... read more]ridor leading you to where you need to go. Check in was efficient considering only two people there that late at night, the wait wasn’t too bad. The food at Panoramic restaurant was buffet and a la crate for breakfast and lunch and fully a la crate at dinner with a different menu daily. The rooms are immaculately clean and very spacious. Our king size bed looked more like a bed for two kings - it was gigantic. The grounds are well kept and quite beautiful with lush trees and vibrant flowers. Always someone maintaining the property and ready to hand out flowers to all the ladies. One of my favourite things about this place was all the Spanish music everywhere you went. Felt like you were on vacation in the tropics vs having silence like most resorts do in certain areas. I The #1 pro of this resort is the service. Everywhere you went, you were greeted with a smile and greeting. Everyone at the ready to serve and remembering the small things, making you feel truly valued as a guest. Although we were Star Prestige, we did venture to the general buffet and a la cartes and the service was equally incredible regardless of where we went. Our concierge Diana was simply the best. Check in daily to make sure we had what we needed. She was super helpful when I needed medical care for a sciatic nerve outbreak and went the extra mile to get us a later checkout due to my lack of mobility. Super friendly and always ready with a smile. She really made our week all the better. No idea how she manages every star prestige guest with the same level of amazing service and a smile. Cons While commendable for Iberostar to go green, no paper access to menus or daily activities caused some hiccups although not deal breaking. We had some rain while we were there and floors had to be squeegeed but unfortunately done down the elevator shaft, making the elevator to the 11th floor inoperable. There was a shortage of pop (all over Cuba) as well as some of the beer kegs. This is not on Iberostar as the entire country is suffering shortages. The food was repetitive on all vegetables - the exact same vegetables cooked the exact same way, leaving zero variety to try something different day over day. The Italian a la carte was not Italian by any stretch. Tomato based pasta was made with barbecue sauce and not tomatoes. It was disgusting. While Cuba does suffer shortages of food, there is always something to eat. It would help if they knew some other recipes to bring more variety to guests. The lounge chairs need to be tightened as most had a gaping drop in the middle making them super uncomfortable. The huts on the beach are plenty but they’re super close together so be prepared to get to know your neighbours. Overall: The service at this place is the main reason people keep coming back. If you’ve been to Varadero and had terrible service, you may want to transfer to this great resort where they treat you like family.

Iberostar Coral Holguin: Iberostar Coral Holguin

October 13 to October 20/2023 Thanks Kevin, It was a wonderful trip at the Coral. Staff was amazing, housekeeping was wonderful. Place was always very clean so was the grounds. Having a Butler available at all times made this trip easy and trouble free. Thank you Trip Central for another wonderful trip. André & Michele

Hotel Bella Costa: Beach Resort

Great location, beach front. Staff are all amazing ! Food- who cares, it was all about the beach! Nightly they had a show. The sunset was amazing. The drinks were flowing. The cappuccino bar was the best.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Amazing

The resort was amazing. We had a little difficulty with wifi first couple of days but they fixed it up. Everything was very clean, the food was good and the staff was amazing. We had a swim out room which made our stay that much better.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Quiet and Tranquil

Beach was amazing Staff were exceptional Entertainment was great Rooms were spacious Layout was very simple Concierge was attendant Room Service was outstanding Chefs were courteous Many other guests were horrible human beings and there should be screening standards implemented