Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: This resort was amazing!

This hotel was definately a good pick. The pools were large, many chairs, shaded areas to relax. The food was very good, lots of choice. The beach had lots of sea weed, they tried to remove it daily, the water was very wavy. There are flamingos, peacocks, other animals walking everywhere. They did not expect tips, some people left them, others did not. We enjoyed the Iberostar del mar, from check in to checkout everything went smoothly. Thank you Louise Endean, you made everything about trave [... read more]l great from our first conversation wondering what hotel to choose, to our departure. We will definately choose you for our next travel destination.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Resort is beautiful, people are friendly happy smile kind polite

Hotel is good, rooms are clean and new, some area in one of building had dirty stairs, was disappointed last day I saw in kitchen counter cockroache oh that made me very upset, couldn’t eat after I saw, they need to watch that They are trying to keep clean, employees always warmly welcome but this things made hotel star lower , Security and beach is perfect Charlie, entertainment man is very nice, making people happy, I loved dancing on the beach , around the pool and evening in concert  [... read more]hall parties, music dancing makes completely relax your mind , I loved dancing and motivated others Overall I enjoyed it

JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Amazing Resort!!

Review Great first impression… The entrance looked stunning, and smelled wonderful. Check in was fast and easy, and the room was ready ahead of time We were told about the morning after arrival meeting to get an $800 resort credit and they sort of made it sound necessary, but it’s definitely not. We didn’t go and were never once approached by any sales people. All of the hallways smelled wonderful and were nice and cool to walk down as well The grounds are gorgeous and alw [... read more]ays being tended to and manicured by the hard working staff. The attention to detail is incredible: fresh flowers on the tables in the buffets and restaurants, fresh towels twice a day, turndown service, chocolates, daily snacks, bottle of Dominican rum, white & red wine, a variety of beverages, lots of bottled water, towels animals every night with rose petals on the bed, they treat each & every person like they’ve known them for years, and the list goes on…. The room was always nice and cool and it’s the first Caribbean resort where I wasn’t sweating my butt off in the bathroom while putting on my makeup. It was great!! The room did feel a tiny bit damp at first, but it wasn’t bad. I have never used damp rid, so I don’t know how effective it is, but I’ve heard others mention it before. I always dried off my swimsuits outside on the drying rack. The bath towels, hand towels and washcloths are plush, unlike other resorts and they give us the amounts everyday that we requested, which is not a typical thing at any other resort we’ve been to. All of the staff are “A”-mazing!! So happy and friendly. Always singing and dancing around. Our butler wasn’t the best, but one night he left a path of rose petals on the floor that led to the jacuzzi where he had run a bubble bath to surprise us. He had spelled out “love” with rose petals on top of the bubbles. It was fun… The buffets were delicious and always prepared so beautifully. We ate breakfast and lunch there every day. This is the first resort I’ve ever been to in Punta Cana that has unsweetened iced tea, which I love drinking at meals. (Usually I have to make it myself, which was nice not to have to explain what I needed to make it.) At dinner time we always ate at an ala carte restaurant (without reservations may I add). They all had fantastic food. Our favourite was the gourmet restaurant. Every night around 7:00 there were singers in the lobby area where the, “dance people” tried to get everyone to dance. It was always fun to watch and listen to. Every night at 9:30 there were shows in the theatre that were fun to watch. Thursday night was the white party in the parking lot that was probably very fun, but it was too hot the night we were there so we just went back to our swim-out to cool off. At 11:00 pm every night there is a disco below deck of the ship. There is also a pool table and dart board too. We went one night. It was fun. There were always palapas available at the beach. The beach was great. Easy to get in and out of too. There was very little sargassum, which never bothers us anyways. The water temperature was perfect. There were plenty of Cabanas and we had one every day. We did have to grab it fairly early though. That was really nice to have. There were always lots of pool towels, so we were never without, and they really didn’t limit you as to how many you could have. The pools were lovely but way too warm. Not refreshing at all, but it was very hot and sunny, so I would expect nothing less. It was never hard to get a drink at the pool. The waitress was great, and even the bartenders were very attentive. The activity staff were amazing and something was always happening. I’ve never seen so many different activities at a resort before. This is the first resort I’ve ever been to where the washrooms by the pool for spotless, and had somebody standing there to clean them after every person left! No disgusting wet floors, etc. Bugs were never an issue with us whatsoever, but, there was an evening wedding in the sand and everyone was getting bit by sand fleas, I assume. They must come out at night, because they were never a problem during the day. We had full access to the other Iberostar resorts and you could have someone take you anywhere on site by golf cart. One day we went to Caribbean Street to do a little shopping. The day we were leaving, our favourite hostess set up a special table for us to say goodbye. She put a white rosé bouquet and other tropical flowers on the table and folded our napkins in a different way. When we returned from the buffet, she had spread red rose petals around the table. She was so sweet, and it was such a nice surprise!! So, as you can tell by my review, the resort was amazing, and we will definitely go back again.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Iberostar Laguna Azul June 9 - 12, 2023

Hotel was great. Read a lot of reviews and already had my expectations for the food to be subpar. I was more than impressed. Hotel and grounds are beautiful. Workers are working everyday keeping it up. The furniture is dated but everything worked. Food was better than I expected. Not a ton of variety but always something there. Egg station in the morning, pasta station lunch and dinner. Was scared to drink the water at first but after a couple days, realized it was good. They give you [... read more] 2 liters in your room each day. And I am sure you can ask for more if needed. We never got sick from anything. Even ate the ice cream and the alfredo pasta. We did the Italian and Japanese a la carte . Both were great. The Japanese was fun to watch and delicious to eat. I recommend both. But you have to book in early, 9am - 3pm is when the booking office is open. We slept in the first morning and never got to book the romantic one. But we still got 3 al a carte booked for our 4 days stay. Resort had good whiskey and liquors. Great fruit juices as well. Staff were super friendly and always smiling. We bought the Cuban money which was not needed. They prefer USD money. which we brought with us as well. Everything in the Cuban airport was also in USD currency. Beach was amazing. Clean clear water. We got a couple of buns from the buffet and took them into the ocean. just about 20 feet out (still standing) and there were a ton of tropical fish that came and swam around us. The resort offers free snorkel masks, but we never used them. Didn't need them as the water was so clear, you could see the fish no problem. I had never been to Cuba before, and I would go back. We are planning on going back next year and we are going to be book this resort.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Well kept on the outside- great views and beach

You need to know Cuba, always choose 4-5 star and don’t expect it to be like Canada, it is Cuba…it is that simple. Go for the beach, water, people, fresh fruit and don’t expect gourmet. I read various reviews …all worried as I was travelling with a toddler, so I brought what I needed for him and so my expectations were met. (Diapers, formula some snacks- all was good.) Hotel was decent, they probably just repainted the outside and the inside could do with a better clean and revamp, but  [... read more]it was all livable for our stay. Coffee was good as usual, sugar was not available( but I brought honey) sugar came in three days later… no big deal. Sweeter they had was actually better than what we have. I bring loads of stuff to give away and people are always happy with that. Things are more expensive after Covid especially at the airport. Buy at the hotel or at local places. I would suggest this hotel… it meet my expectations. No shortages or issues. .

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Amazing Resort

We just returned from Iberostar Costa Dorado and don't have any complaints. This was our second time at this resort. The resort was well maintained, there were a ton of beach loungers and our room was great. The only complaint we have is the outside vendors that are brought in are extremely pushy. They do not take no for an answer and were getting very upset with us if we did not buy anything. We would not hesitate to return for another vacation.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great staff & service

I went to Iberostar daiquiri in April. And I again visited last week. The staff goes out out their way to accommodate you. Please remember you are visiting Cuba. There ARE food shortages which the government controls. Bring protein bars, peanut butter packs or snacks. The shows are fabulous along with singing in the lobby at times. The courtyard was wonderful in the morning where I enjoyed feeding the Mother & 5 baby roosters. It was quiet while enjoying my breakfast of fresh buns, omelets and f [... read more]ruit. Thank you to the man at the front desk for fixing my phone! You are fabulous. I dropped it in water and he fixed it. Once again, thank you to all the staff, the girls ate bar who brought me my favorite food for breakfast! I will be returning again soon. Miss you all, Janet

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Terrible Customer Service

Pros and cons to everything, but I was shocked by how terrible the front end service was. Experienced issues the first week and can’t believe they’re still in business with how things are handled there. The grounds are beautiful, it’s so fun having the animals around, the beach is gorgeous (I would suggest staying away from the rocky parts which you can see clearly), the food had a great selection, the cleaning and food staff were always great - essentially if you experience zero issues, y [... read more]ou’ll be fine, but if you have any issues, basically keep them to yourself or you’ll be frustrated beyond belief and waste way too much time. My first night after a full day and night of travel we arrive, and there was confusion because there’s 5 hotels on this one resort - all the perks we were looking forward to that we saw weren’t actually included with where we booked which was a huge let down. We had the option to upgrade but it was really expensive, so we let it go and it just was what it was - definitely very misleading and kind of shady, but we didn’t let it bug us. First night, I had the most terrible sleep and MAYBE got 4 hours cut up because of this drunk group of guys trying to bash into the neighbouring room. I called security - eventually the bulk left, and the AC turned on which is quite loud so the remaining sound was drowned out. I was woken up again by a drunk person continuously knocking and tapping on the door trying to get in again - called security again. Managed to get back to sleep, but woke up again to drunks trying to get into the door, called security for a third time.. and after this phone call they then started fidgeting with my door handle trying to force their way in. I was literally appalled that I had to call security three times in a night, and they claim someone came each time, but to call not once, not twice, but three times? I can honestly say I already didn’t feel safe after night one of 13. Went to the lobby the following day to see what the heck happened, and time and time again no matter who I talked to, everyone just justified what happened as though it was normal and there was no issue and I’m essentially overreacting. Being a family friendly resort with a baby and having a group of drunk men trying to force their way into rooms in the middle of the night repeatedly? Nothing was offered, no apologies were made, it was this constant flow of the systems they have in place and how everything is handled and there was no problem. We were then told by our hands on travel guide at the resort that the front desk/concierge workers are known to be more of sales people and less people people, which makes sense because of how much you’re up sold. Following this shocking display of a clear lack of customer service, we went to their sales presentation as you got some perks for going, so why not? It’s actually an ingenious program that would have been considered, but no longer was when the first manager came to us prior to it starting and asked how the stay has been so far, and we told him the truth of what happened the first night. Response? Didn’t acknowledge it at all, clarified that we knew this was a sales presentation, signed off, and passed us along. Who in their right mind hears of someone having a terrible experience their first night, completely ignores it, then continues to try and sell you more time spent at this resort? It was appalling the demeanour in how they talked to us and looked down on us - just like we were money for the taking. Didn’t care at all about us. This was now an experience we brought to the front desk to bring attention to how off putting this resorts dynamic was - but there was more justification, no one really cared, and we were actually sickened by how some treated us. Eventually we clawed our way to the front end supervisors and managers who could finally help us, but it’s very clear that this resort runs on a very top down, hierarchical model where people are paid poorly and are not happy, which actually made me really sad. Again, the food staff was incredible always, the cleaners were sweet as can be, and you’ll get good and bad everywhere you go, but for the Human Resources and front end to be that bad, I honestly don’t know how they’re still afloat. This was only the beginning of our problems but I won’t write them all here as the issues all came back down to the same thing - lack of leadership and knowledge of dealing with people. Even very small things that weren’t a big deal but we wanted to get sorted out became huge confusing issues that were impossible to get to the bottom of.. we spent way too much time in the lobby dealing with things on our vacation. Very disorganized, inefficient systems - we chatted with a lot of other people staying there who were as confused as we were when we arrived, as most things aren’t explained, the map barely makes sense, and you’re kind of just left to your own devices. Multiple families we met on their way out after a week stay said they had just learned of helpful things like the shopping centre, the Iberostar app, the times of buffets and a La cartes, etc. I’m not sure if covid made resorts worse, but prior vacations I’ve never experienced anything like this. We’re business owners so that’s where our perspective on this is all coming from - if our business ran this way and we treated our customers as we were treated, we wouldn’t be in business today.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Decent hotel

I had a bit better expectations, but the hotel was decent. The location is really good but the rooms needs work. The waterflow in the washroom shower is extremely slow and there is no actual shower just the shower head. Also, the bedsheets were not clean. Food area was in the open and there were flies, and birds eating from it. We got food poisoning. However, they did open the indoor buffet area a couple of days before we were leaving and that was much cleaner and nicer. The staff was extremely  [... read more]friendly and I cannot say enough good things about them. The shows at night were spectacular and there were several activities that kept us entertained. Overall, except for the food and average rooms everything else was quite decent. For a 5 star resort I had a bit better expectations but our stay was still fun. If I go back it will be only for the staff.

Iberostar Grand Packard: Just OK for a 5 star.

Room was great, clean with great ocean view. Although water pressure was an issue. Staff were super friendly and help full. Facilities are clean. In room coffee maker was awkward to use and produced weak coffee. Food was just so so in the main resturant. Has to send one meal back as it was served cold. Preferred to eat at local places in the city. Need more food selection in tapas bar. Quality and quantity in the breakfast buffet was excellent. Some of their systems are awkward , but t [... read more]hat may be a product of government controls ie no cash allowed. Unrelated to the hotel, but in Havana you are constantly harassed with people wanting to change money, buy drinks, buy tours etc. Not my first time there and it's not the same old Havana. The economy is bad and the people are getting desperate, but no evidence of crime. Now for the bad part. The return flight was delayed appox 4 hours but the outbound flight was delayed over 7 hours. Received a $20 food voucher but it should be more. I need to find out more about a possible claim.

Iberostar Coral Holguin: Great Resort

Our stay was exceptional. The resort was spotless and staff catered to our every request. The three Amigos....Juniors (butlers X 2 & bar tender) exceptional service. Food far exceeded what we expected for Cuba. My husband believes this is the first time he has been to Cuba where he might have gain weight. If I could of pack the butlers in my suitcase to come home, I would have. Well worth the upgrade to Coral level. Looking forward to a return visit. Pools very nice. Third beach nice [... read more] across the bridge. Call 555 and have your butler drive you over in electric golf carts as a bit of a walk otherwise. Resort about 1 hour from airport but went by fast as tour guide on bus very entertaining.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Great time!

My room was beautiful. I especially loved the swim up room. So worth it! The grounds were very nice and the buildings with the rooms were very pretty. Now this is not the fault of Cuba or the resort, but the weather sucked, rainy and overcast. I made the best of it. I went to the beach which was really nice. No seaweed, no rocks and shallow. Lots of chairs and it wasn't to busy so no problem finding one. ***Bring lots of bug spray!!!!!!**** The mosquitos were brutal, especially at night and afte [... read more]r rain. I used the deet spray and that worked well. If you are looking to party this is not the resort. It's quiet and not a lot to do. This was fine with me as I just wanted to relax and swim. On the Thursday night their was a great dance show in the lobby. Their is a 24 hour bar here and you can get food their after 11pm. The food: People always say it's not great bit I found it good. Lots of fruit like watermelon, pineapple and mangos. A lot of pork dishes. Their was a lot of buns etc. You definitely won't go hungry. Anyway I enjoyed my time there though I wish it was a little busier and the weather was better

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: Iberostar was great, Martine was excellent.

Martine found us this resort last minute. I don't even know how she managed it. Great service. The service at this resort is awesome. Great if you have kids for the waterpark. Shows were a bit weak. Food is awesome.

Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach: Average ! Suite Personal Ratings at 3.5 Stars.

Well kept Grounds, Services are Good!Banquet Food Looks Delious,Taste as if Heated in the Fridge. Food are a Very Essential Part of a Resort's Guests satisfaction.. The Suite My Wife & I were in Were Satisfactory.Except the Bath Poor Draining System .

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Great Resort

The staff was very friendly and always helpful The food was amazing, lots of selection at the buffet There were daily activities we enjoyed as well as day and evening entertainment Clean grounds and pool

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Amazing resort!

Beautiful and clean hotel. Amazing clean and hot sea. Clean beach and no stealing beach towels, on surveillance all the time. So many clean pools. Delicious buffet. Did not try 3 restaurants because the buffet was so good. Best wifi on the lobby. Slow in the room. Live music every evening and show at 9:30 p.m. Very nice staff.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: A huge disappointment. Save your time and money; go elsewhere!

My family of four (two young adults, plus my husband and I) just returned from our 1-week vacation at the Iberostar Laguna Azul. While this was our first time staying at this resort, this trip marked our 2nd trip to Varadero and our 4th trip overall to Cuba (our first trip post-pandemic too!). We were all super excited to come back to Cuba because of the positive experiences we've had before on past vacations, but we would be lying if we said we didn't leave disappointed by the end of our trip.  [... read more] Admittedly, yes, the pandemic has caused an economic crisis in Cuba and life has gotten a lot harder for the locals there. This has also caused many food and supply shortages throughout the country, which affects the resorts as well. All of these factors are understandable and they’re out of the locals' hands. But at the same time, the purpose of a vacation is to relax and not worry about anything. If you want a vacation that's hassle-free with an ACTUAL 5-star resort that lives up to its expectations, don't stay at this resort and travel to other countries instead. 1. BEACH/POOLS: The beach is perhaps the only upside to this resort, unfortunately. It is very beautiful (think soft white sands and turquoise waters) and the water isn't rocky in the least. There's also a coral reef a bit further out, which is really interesting to explore! Watch out for sand fleas though; as long as you wash them off with soap and water, you should be golden. We didn't really go into the pools at all because there are some broken tiles that remain unfixed (lots of reviews online were commenting about this) and it could be a safety hazard. 2. FOOD: Yes, one doesn't go to Cuba for delicious food. However, my family have never been picky eaters and we've still thoroughly enjoyed our vacations to Cuba, regardless of the food. Despite this, the food at this resort was absolutely unbearable; always bland, undercooked, SALTY and/or oily. It was always the worst at the buffets because they would keep putting out the leftover meals from the day before (most likely due to the food shortage), which lead to a lot of food going bad that we would try to avoid. The a-la-cartes were a LOT better and our family enjoyed them (the romantic restaurant is the best, followed by the japanese one and then the italian). Those restaurants were also SO much cleaner in comparison to the buffet/snack bar, which always had flies swarming on your plates, cups, cutlery, napkins, etc, plus on the actual food at the buffet. Not to mention that there are always birds that sneak in and eat the food at the buffet selection and empty tables. The staff don't seem to really clean off the tables or chairs at the buffet/snack bar too, so we're not completely sure how sanitary the resort is. Staff also don't use any hairnets or gloves whenever they cook food, which was an interesting observation. The resort also doesn't provide bottled water and the only option is "purified water", which is served at restaurants, bars and in your rooms through reusable bottles. My entire family started getting stomach aches towards the end of our vacation and are still recovering right now back home here in Canada. We're not sure if this is due to food/water poisoning or the difference in the Cuban vs Canadian water system/food preparation process, but we would definitely say that this resort is not the most sanitary. There also isn’t much selection with regards to food wherever you go, whether that’s at the buffet or a-la-cartes. The 24 hour snack bar only serves basic sandwiches and half-baked pizzas most of the time, topped with a side of cockroaches (which you will find all-throughout the resort. I know it’s a tropical country, but not sure how sanitary it is to have insects in the kitchen and on countertops, which we saw). 3. ROOMS: Their rooms are pretty decent, but from what we heard from other guests, your room experience will be very hit or miss. Unfortunately, our family fell on the 'miss' side and we had a lot of problems with our adjoining rooms (same building as the main buffet and on the same floor as the lobby) right off the bat: - the toilet in one of the rooms wasn't working at all (couldn’t flush) - the lock for the balcony in one of the rooms completely dislodged from the door-frame, which is a safety concern - neither of the telephones work in both rooms - the sinks were semi-clogged - no soap/shampoo/body gel in any of the washrooms - both of the rooms were VERY dirty and we had to request for deep-cleaning We brought up these problems with customer service and to be honest, it took quite awhile for them to be resolved. They eventually called in a technician to fix the toilet/balcony and a maid to do deep cleaning, but they couldn't give us new rooms because this resort has limited adjoining rooms for families (families, take note of this!). You also have to kick to open one of the washroom doors because it was broken, which is hilarious. 4. SERVICE: This was between poor and fair (2-3 stars). There was a TripAdvisor review that I had previously read saying that the “spirit of the Cubans had changed”, which is an accurate way to describe it. Cuban people are usually known to be extremely hospitable and friendly individuals, but there seems to have been a shift after the pandemic due to their current economic crisis. While this is understandable, don’t expect to get outstanding service without giving a tip first. They will still tell you that tipping is optional, but most of the staff won’t acknowledge you or serve you efficiently or effectively without a tip first. It’s 100% not the same hospitable atmosphere that Cuba was known for. 5. LOCATION: The location is another upside, but just a minor one. The resort is pretty safe as a whole and it’s located about 2.5 hours away from Havana, which could be a really great excursion outside of the hotel (please note that you will absolutely be aggressively swarmed by locals trying to sell you services, products and excursions while in Havana. Don’t buy anything in the streets and stick to inside shops!! Don’t openly display that you bought anything too or else this will put a huge target on your back and you will be swarmed). 6. VALUE: This is most definitely NOT a 5-star resort and it fails to meet the expectations that are in place for hotels of this caliber. Our family was left feeling disappointed not even halfway through the vacation, despite trying to make the best of it. Their entertainment and nightly shows are sub-par as well, plus the disco is always DEAD (might be due to off-season, but the DJ didn’t really play great songs either). We read many reviews of this resort and saw quite a few bad ones, but we didn’t really believe them until we started experiencing it ourselves. Not quite sure how there are so many 5-star reviews of this resort online as of recent when we’ve talked to so many fellow guests during our vacation who also agree with us! "Don't sweat the small stuff," some reviews have said, but a lot of these factors WILL drastically impact your vacation! This has been a real disappointment and a wake-up call that Cuba is not the same travel destination as it once was. While this is of no fault to the Cuban people, this will 100% affect your vacation… and not in a good way.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Terrible resort and services

Locker dint work Balcony door was broken No wifi connectivity (I missed many work meetings ) Flush was broken in one of the room Receptionist didn’t action to our complain Our pickup from bus on day 1 was late by the bus driver which resulted in reaching hotel late at night and there was no dinner provided due to the delay Return flight was delayed for an hour which resulted in paying extra for the scheduled booked car at Toronto airport POS machine was not working in flight for  [... read more]any food purchase and the flight landed at 3 am. We were starving without food All 6 passengers in other itenary got 6 different seats despite of requesting them to provide same row seats as there were few senior and heart patient in family travelling together. Very limited option for vegetarians or who eats only chicken

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Amazing resort

We had a wonderful time at this resort beautiful scenery and beaches. Great temperature weather was great the staff was wonderful couldn't ask for a better staff there just like family. Would recommend this resort to anyone as a place to go to?

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: Mediocre resort, not 5 star quality

Food was the same in buffet for breakfast and lunch every day. We went to 3 of the restaurants (Mexican, Brazilian, Japanese) and they were all TERRIBLE! The Mexican was embarrassing considering we were IN MEXICO, it was like the dishes were all prepared beforehand and not fresh. The Brazilian was slow and none of the waiters talked to us/explained the process. All the meats were only offered once and VERY SALTY (and I typically like salt). The Japanese was the worst of all. We were excited to t [... read more]ake our daughter there to see all the tricks that they do at the teppanyaki table but the chef DID NOT DO ANY TRICKS!! We sat there in silence and watched him cook while the other tables around us laughed and cheered at the performances they got to watch. When I asked the waiter why our chef wasn't doing any tricks, I was told it was because he was "new and shy". We were very disappointed. The worst part of the hotel was that nothing was open to eat between 4:00pm and 6:30pm. My baby gets hungry around 5-6pm and that is when we usually give her dinner but we couldn't there. Luckily I brought a few containers so I would take food for her from the lunch buffet for dinner but we thought that was unacceptable! They should stagger the restaurant and buffet opening times. Overall the resort was quite large, we stayed mostly in the "quiet area" of the pool. I tried to go with my baby to the baby area called the Kangaroo room which has lots of great toys but it was not air conditioned so we ended up going to the room instead. I will choose a different resort for my family next time.