Iberostar Selection Varadero: Amazing

Very clean food was good, beach beautiful, room clean staff amazing, would go again, families welcome, entertainment very good, grounds clean, pool small, beach staff, bar tenders, maid service, dated property but clean

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Too "Canadian", no authentic culture

Pros- Most staff were kind, friendly and wonderful. The grounds were clean, well kept and well designed. The pool and beaches were stunning. There was plenty of food, no one would go hungry at all. Cons- The resort is "white washed". No Cuban authenticity. The food was catered to Canadians and that's not what we travel for. Not once did we see black beans and rice- a Cuban staple. Not once did we see croquettes, yukka and there was a distinct lack of tropical fruits. Not one banana nor mang [... read more]o all week. Wild life is almost non existent, which is so bizarre. Lizards, tree frogs were missing. Dogs/cats shooed away. Every other resort we've been to, this has not been the case. The lack of follow up for any "rules" they list. Excessively drunk people constantly -both foreign and local guests. There was one local guest who was so sloppy drunk there was a puddle around her and she demanded the bar play her music during the busy evening time. Just obnoxious. They should be cut off. Period. The "saving" of lounge beds and seats at the beach, only to see no one show up for them to use is infuriating. Speaking of- the many many rude guests. Just because you can smoke in Cuba, doesn't mean you leave your manners at the door. The smokers were so rude, lighting up wherever, whenever. The amount of parents who dragged their infants and toddlers to this resort is enough to never return again. Why are you bringing small children who get absolutely nothing out of these types of trips with you? Or parents who bring their screaming kids to the A La Carte restaurants. Good lord. How about we talk about the many guests who were blaring music in the rooms with no regard for other guests who paid just as much as them. The check in was atrocious. The day we arrived on a large flight from Toronto, apparently a flight from Cuba to Halifax was cancelled. The room upgrade we paid for wasn't ready and wouldn't be for hours- at 3pm- the check in time. Why? They allowed the Halifax people to return to their rooms vs pleasing the new group that would be there an entire week (or more). Made no sense. We finally agreed to the standard room just to get somewhere to rest. Missing pop and drink mixes on certain days, never had any cheese all week (other than parmesan) and a lack of seafood... in Cuba. While I understand there are shortages and times are rough, after speaking to other guests from other resorts (while on an excursion) they didn't experience these same lack of products. While not within the resorts control, but the removal of the CUC was a very dumb decision by Prez Miguel. The fact that all items are in USD is just silliness. All in all I won't return as there was nothing Cuban about this resort. Just catered to wealthy white people from mostly Quebec. I'll stick to 2 and 3 star resorts. This 4-5 star is not my style. Lesson learned.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Great time at this resort

Extended family of 7 stayed the first week of April at Iberostar Selection Varadero, then just my wife and I for a second week. I'm an experienced traveler, I've been to 20 different resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean, but this was the first time in Cuba.The beach was probably the best I've ever seen, just wonderful to swim in, and it was calm enough in the mornings for my grandchildren 5 and 7 to splash around and swim. Later in the day it usually got a little rougher but not so rough that I w [... read more]ouldn't still go in but maybe not young children. The pool was fine, the small water park was great fun for the grandkids.The kids club had nightly entertainment and would put on a little show, my grandkids loved participating in this. The rooms were nice and clean. The staff and their service was probably the best I've ever encountered. Everyone who worked there was nice, pleasant, helpful, I can't say enough good things about the staff. For trips, I would recommend the double decker bus to Varadero. Also my wife and I had a fantastic trip to Havana in a 51 Chevy.with a driver and English speaking guide.We booked it through the hotel for $190. for 10 hr. worth every cent. Our driver Miguel and guide George made the trip fun and informative, they were the best. I highly, highly recommend this trip. Now for the food, the a la carte's were quite good. It pains me to say this because the buffet staff were all so nice and would go above and beyond to make you feel welcome, but the food was average. I'm a bit of a picky eater and I could always fine something I liked but the buffet was just not as good as ones I've enjoyed in Mexico or other Caribbean Islands. The nightly entertainment was top notch, much better than most resorts. Overall I would recommend this resort especially for families.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Still good value

Fourth time at this resort, as we have always enjoyed it however, you can tell that the pandemic has had significant effects on the level of service and the condition of the resort. Also, there was three days where there was no beer, and one day of no eggs, which was very disappointing.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Disappointed

This was the third time I vacationed at this resort …… about 4 years between stays , I find the resort going in the wrong direction …… taking into account post covid , and understanding it’s truly not the fault of the staff , I think they could have done a little better …… some of the staff weren’t very friendly …… understaffing , resulting in long lines ….. sometimes running out of certain foods ….: I’ve never travelled to Cuba for the food , yet this trip was consider [... read more]ably worse …….. upon arrival , I checked approx 20:30 , went to the bar , and told they didn’t have any rum ! …… no rum in Cuba ! …..: hmmm …… yet , 5 steps away , I could purchase all the rum I wanted in the gift shop ….: interesting ? ….. to be fair , rum did arrive , a few days later …… trying to secure a taxi from the resort became an Olympic event …… first time in Cuba ( been there 12 times ) and been chewed badly by bugs …… a lot of people on the resort had the same issue …… I guess the bottom line is , Cuba is hurting ….. which trickles down to tourism ……: on a positive note , and I wish I could remember her name ( I know shame on me ) ….. my transat rep was amazing …… she went above and beyond to help me out …… and of course trip central.com …… very professional , thanks ! ……: I’ve always loved Cuba , but I think my next vacation will be elsewhere …… until Cubas in a better position …… sadly , I would not recommend this resort 🥲

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Beautiful resort

Hotel was old but well kept with character. Rooms were clean . TV sucked but that Cuba. Beach was beautiful and water great. Staff were outstanding friendly and helpful. Wifi was good but had to go to the desk to resign in all the time, sort of a pain. Shortages in Cuba were felt in the resort, you didn't go hungry or thirsty but they ran out of things from time to time. Overall had a great vacation and even being covered with noseeum bites and the shortages I will go back.

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Amazing Resort with Icing Sugar Beach

Majority of Staff are fabulous...rooms are clean. Food was good. A few meals were great. Front desk staff are helpful. After Canadians the next nationality would be Russians, Brits then other Europeans. Smoking is unfortunately very prevalent in Cuba. Great place for a week of fun in the sun!!!

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great Vacations

The hotel itself is good enough, we were told in advance about the food quality being not great and it was exactly it. Id you travel ensure you bring in some snacks, insect repellent, after-bite and of course a lot of sunscreen. People and staff were great, and I think they take the experience to another level. They are always keen to make you feel comfortable, and ensuring you are having a great time. Bedroom was good and clean. Everyday the maid will drop water and change towels if require [... read more]d. Buffet restaurant is good and has some variety. I think the only problem we had was with one visitor family that had superiority thinking, and even there hotel staff was able to manage. Tip: Cuban people are just amazing and in this hotel in particular they appreciate you coming and of course sharing a tip. Although it is not mandarory and you shouldn’t feel pushed. I totally recommend this hotel for kids and family. There were daily activities, night shows and performances. And at least our kids had a great time.

Iberostar Selection Playa Mita: Excellent value for money

We have stayed at this resort 5 times and other all inclusive hotels well over 30 times. We travel to the PVR area 3 times per season. For it's price this resort is excellent. We love the gorgeous long beach and the boogie boarding and swimming. We sometimes choose a more expensive adults only and are disappointed in money spent for the little if no difference. We do find this resort not as great as it was but that could likely be due to the shortage of staff which is a worldwide issue.  [... read more]The staff is great with some super stand outs that make the extra effort. Lorena at the front desk, Antonio on the beach (when he isn't getting your chairs and umbrellas he is constantly cleaning up all the debris left by people on the beach ), Jose and Karen at the beach bar, Isabel in the buffets, Yesi in the piano bar, Rafael the restaurant manager just to name a few. All our service was excellent but they went the extra extra for us and our friends.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: great resort

the resort was the best the beach was beautiful the food was lol cuban style but we knew this i did see alot of shortages on certain things like no butter the whole week milk was hit and miss no jam or anything for toast but you didnt go hungy lol and the first four days were fly free then it was unbareable those bugs chewwed me alive and that was with spray i felt bad for the workers they were beating themselves like crazy lol and the distance from the airport to resort was a long drive not  [... read more]much to do but walk the beach and soak up the sun which was good for me lol wouldnt go back to that resort just becauce of the long drive to the resort and the bugs but it was a good trip

Iberostar Grand Packard: Very fancy

This hotel is top of the line. The buffet breakfast is excellent and high quality. The pool is spectacular. The room was perfect. it is worth paying about 60 US per week extra to get an external view of the ocean. Hugh

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Amazing resort

Just got back from a week at this resort !! It was fantastic. The beach was amazing ,our room was beautiful!! The food was a bit hit and miss , nobody went hungry, The lobby was great with some entertainment, the whole week was sunny , can’t ask for anything better than that ! Thanks for the lovely week in the sun !!

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Awesome Experience

The beach is absolutely perfect. The staff was friendly and genuine. The facilities were well laid out and the accommodations exceeded expectations. We spent very little time in the pool but it was very nice.

Hotel Bella Costa: Amazing time away with friends

I was here in October 2023 and then in January there was a big difference no white wine no butter I only drink wine so was a bit unsatisfied!! But the beach was amazing some of the staff was amazing some no so well but I would go back again for location beach and some staff !! Overall I will give another try I like the bungalow better then in buildings maids were good 😊 care taker’s friendly front staff amazing never had a problem à la carts were the best buffet was average for Cuba 🇨ðŸ [... read more]‡º

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: amazing resort

this resort was very new and extremely clean throughout. The rooms were clean, roomy and also well stocked with water, toilet paper and towels. it had an ironing board, iron , umbrella and a weigh scale.The only thing missing was a coffee maker which could have been useful.The mini fridge was restocked daily with water. The bed was comfortable with clean sheets and the cleaning maid was efficient and thorough. The grounds were clean with the ground crew , gardeners and pool staff doing an excel [... read more]lent job in keeping this resort clean. The public washrooms were always stocked with toilet paper and again amazingly clean. The buffet was average cuban food, better than expected as per previous reviews with most commodities on hand. No shortages of coffee, milk,bread, eggs, bacon etc. and the waiting staff was friendly and efficient replenishing your drinks and/or removing plates etc. The 24 hour snack bar had ample drinks, burgers, hot dogs, spagetti and chips when ordered. The staff did not bother us to change canadian coins and only did so when approached by us . We used only US dollar bills and exchanged them for larger denominations at end of or trip. The shortages people are talking about such as milk, bread ,mix were only temporarily and restocked later in the day or next day. In fact you could be missing a mix at one bar yet the next bar will have it. The weather was great, sunrise was beautiful, beach was spectacular with lots of loungers and shade. The best beach i have seen elsewhere. In closing, this resort is new, spacious but not large and extremely clean. i i

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Amazing resort!

Iberostar Paraiso Beach checked all the boxes for our recent vacation. Beautiful beach, pool and grounds. The property is so lush with beautiful gardens and wildlife. The food was amazing - great quality and variety, with lots of a la carte options. There was always something going on as far as entertainment. Also, the gym was incredible with ample equipment and lots of fitness classes throughout the day to choose from. I had zero complaints about this resort- we had a wonderful week!

Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach: Vert Nice Resort

The hotel was clean, grounds well kept, beautiful beach, great food and drinks and lots of activities for kids and adults alike.Loved it! The only issue we had was the rude attitude we got from one of the girls in the Tour area of the hotel.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great Resort

It’s a beautiful resort, lovely landscaping, friendly staff - chocolate & vanilla taught me archery skills and I won 3 tournaments in a row, it was a great feeling, enjoyed every minute of my time at this resort. Food was amazing, the housekeeping staff was so nice and friendly too! The only thing i would suggest for the resort to take note of is updating the rooms, especially the bathrooms as they were dated for a 4 star resort. And wish they had a café shop with a separate lounge. Other the [... read more]n that, our stay at this place was great 👍

Hotel Bella Costa: Wonderful people

We go to the Iberostar Bella Costa for the people who work there. Also it's easy access to Varadero. The ocean is wonderful. The rooms are fine and food is ok.The economy is very bad in Cuba. Less food and supplies for the hotels. For the first time the airport check in was awful it took over 2 hours. Overall we had a great time and would go back.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Not great beach

The reason I chose Cuba was for the beach. I have been to cayo coco and loved the beach so much. Not this beach sadly. The shore is short, It's not a wide long beach and not suitable for long walks. Just a bit away from the hotel, the shore was full of garbage. Beach chairs were not enough. People were fighting over chairs. Beach chairs were not comfortable one-piece chairs but rather old types with 2 separations. No fish, no sea shells. Just not the great beach I expected. Foods were bad as exp [... read more]ected. I was aware of that. I didn't gobcuba to enjoy meals. Every meal was more or less the same at the buffet. No butter, no cheese, no yogurt, no beef, no chicken, only cured pork like winners and ham they call it beef patties but it was clearly not. Not the one you expect to see in burgers we know of. Being your own foods! Don’t choose this hotel if the beach is your priority. Also 1.5H drive from the airport. Not worth it.