Iberostar Waves Punta Cana: Perfect Escape!

The hotel exceeded our expectations. The grounds were impeccable. Everything was exceptionally clean and well kept. The food at the buffets was fresh, abundant, and there was a large variety. The staff were always friendly and smiling. The entertainment staff were fun and energetic and great at encouraging us to participate in everything from pool fitness to dance lessons. We ate at the Asian and Mediterranean restaurants and the food was very good. The fitness centre was wonderful and the yoga  [... read more]teachers were skilled! All around a fabulous vacation!

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Not a good place

It seems that they have great issues securing basic supplies for cleaning and maintenance. The food at the buffet is full of flies, the cucarachas are running on the floor and the walls by the trays with the food. There is no awareness about dietary or ethnic restrictions. Unless you are at the buffet when it opens you don’t find some of the basic options or you can’t eat it anymore due to the bugs. The towels or bedsheets are not being changed the whole week. The hotel has no beach or ac [... read more]cess to the beach. It has a strip of sand behind a deck. The pools were decent but they had no products to clean the edge of the pool so that was yellowish. No pool service, no drinks other than rum. Everything is old and not maintained. More than this it is obvious that they have limited training or awareness of safety practices. They use glass even by the pool and a few times when things broke they picked what was visible and pushed with their foot the small pieces to the drain or side area.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Don't recommend

Although the resort itself was fine, the food and drinks were not. No milk for cereal, no butter, usually no milk for coffee, no roasts, etc. Not many drinks available so usually drank beer even though normally it would be mojitos or pina coladas. An abundance of house flies as well. Staff were great though.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Disappointed

Although Covid had a tremendous impact on the overall situation in Cuba I was very disappointed in the lack of customer service received from the staff. The food shortage was accepted but there were cockroaches in the buffet and in my room. One day they had sugar the next day none. Just to name a few things. Staff was friendly but not eager to work. You would stand at bar with no acknowledgement. Would not go back to this resort

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Awesome Resort!

What make this resort special, is its people. Very friendly staff. Especially the entertainers, they were just great. The evening shows were great, the beach at this resort is so beautiful. Lots of variety when it came to food. If you need something spicy, just take it with you and add it.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Beautiful resort

Beautiful grounds and beach. Very clean everywhere. And the staff is so friendly and amazing always ready to help you and with a smile. Lots of entertainment. The Japanese à la carte is the best. The weather was excellent will return for sure

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Sweet and Simple

Room-Swim out suite with personal Plunge pool building 7 Pool on front side/beach party on back side. Private but not the quietest. Suite was amazing, 2 bathrooms,double sinks,2 tvs only one worked. Lights in closets but not working.Air conditioning worked great!No issues with water at all at any time. Plunge pool was not cleaned once not clean nor usable. Reported and requested but not addressed. Maid service-basics completed daily, had to ask to make sure water restocked. Friendly service. [... read more] Buffet-Typical Cuba menu, rice,chicken,fish,papaya, pineapple some days. We did not go hungry and love Cuban food. Since covid. Lots of shortages. No milk a few days,no beef,no variety or consistency. Best chocolate ice cream. Al la Carte(Gourmet) Very nice, good food,great service Lobby bar- Poor service, seemed very unattentive and disinterested in any requests. No consistency with coffee or mixed drinks. Each mojito and coffee made differently and often did not have what you previously ordered. Front desk- Sometimes okay service. Again showed disinterest in what you were asking. Did not receive our wake up call, when we mentioned this were told l,sorry no bellboy until 7. The entire resort had a major house fly issue. Hundreds in buffet, lobby areas. Pool- Clean, fairly small but sufficient. Pool bar seemed great. Music played from 10am-430pm daily extremely LOUD. Entertainment- We did not attend but heard great things SPA- services reasonably priced, wonderful staff 24 hr Snack bar- Most times offered only one thing. One day was a giant bun with a half a piece of cheese. Only fries 1 day out of 7, hotdogs no bun one day, deep fried chips one night Main Buffet- great,friendly old school happy welcoming Cuban service from Ideky and Luis. They made our trip. Boardwalk- Different than we are uses to but loved the wildlife and nature. Pelicans, fish,great white herons,amazing snorkeling,lots of fish,starfish Pathways-Low lighting at night Mostly sounds negative however overall this resort had everything WE needed. Most of the things didn't bother us or affect our over all trip. We felt the impact of covid on the people of Cuba and the economy. Shortages,lack of resources for workers, understaffed.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Good resort

For the most part the hotel and the grounds were well taken care of. Staff and grounds keepers were very polite and always greeted you. Sometimes you had to ask the cleaning staff to make sure the floors were cleaned, but for the most part they did a good job. Make sure to tip them the service will be better. Room safe locked on me once and A/C gave out a couple of times, the technician was not always available. The beach was absolutely AMAZING, one of the best beaches I've seen to date. Enterta [... read more]inment staff had music and activities on the beach which was nice. The beach grounds men did a very good job at cleaning up any washed up seaweed and tried to keep the sand clean. Food was pretty good, alot of meat options but not alot of vegetables. Also not a lot of fruit. But you definitely won't starve. Dining area could use a good clean up after each meal as sometimes the floors and table mats were dirty. The entertainment staff were great, very friendly and always interacting with the guests and making sure everyone was having a good time. Shows at night were pretty good as well, mostly when the guests were involved. Overall it was a good experience for a fairly new hotel.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Most amazing trip!

I won’t lie, I read reviews whether it’s from trip advisor or from fan Facebook pages. I will always do my research. I’ve been to Cuba 6 times and I have experienced the good, bad and the ugly. Coming into this trip, knowing how hard it is for them to receive stock for food, booze, and other items I knew to not expect much. When I tell you I was blown away.. this trip exceeded my expectations. From the grounds, the rooms, the staff, the beaches even the food .. I was surprised. I wen [... read more]t with a group of 4, This is a 5 star resort in Cuba. The staff go above and beyond to exceed your requirements. We came out with many friends who have kept in contact with us. The rooms are great. You either get a king bed or two doubles and you push them together it becomes a California king (amazing) yes you get a fridge no it’s not stocked so bring pop or coolers from home not the end of the world. They must give you a bottle of water every day. If we didn’t see it we went right to the butler and it was in your room by the time you got back. The buffet we ate for breakfast and dinner and we had breads, bacon, fresh egg omelettes, and fruits. If you like peanut butter, butter, maple syrup bring small packets no biggie. Dinner we didn’t think it was repetitive. You had your choice of fresh grilled beef, chicken, pork, fish, burgers or hot dogs. You had different side dish options all were great. For lunch we kept with the snack bar. We had wood oven margarita pizzas, or hamburger (with buns) or even pasta one day. It was all hot and amazing. The a la cartes we did the only two open Cuban and Mediterranean. We really enjoyed the Mediterranean. Drinks. Strong but you get used to it. Yes you have to think of things to have but I always asked for the bartender surprise or if you go to the snack bar ask for the Luis drink (gin lemonade). We didn’t notice shortages as they adapt to it. The entertainment at both resorts were great and hilarious. The day staff is the same as the night staff and they work hard to include everyone. Yes the bus ride from the airport to the hotel is about 1 hour and 30 minutes but it’s okay I didn’t mind it. we would recommend the VIP lounge in the airport on the way home if it’s a mid day flight or later. Had the air condition and inclusive booze and food. Big question would we go back…. 100% Luis, Uni, Yoem, Danny all the lobby bar workers and entertainment staff .. thank you for a memorable week.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Would be happy to return

VEGAN?: I managed to keep to a plant-based diet. There was always a ton of fresh fruit (guava, watermelon, papaya, pineapple, and occasional bananas), fresh and cooked vegetables (greens, tomatoes, carrots, beets, peppers, cucumber) and legumes (lentils and/or chickpeas). To be fair, I can't guarantee that there was no cross-contamination or minute quantities of dairy and animal broth in some of the cooked vegetables and legumes, but I did not see or taste it. I would normally ask for confirm [... read more]ation, but in this context (different culture, language barrier, staff too busy), it's not reasonable to expect a reliable answer. Don't expect tofu, fake meats, plant-based milks or peanut butter. FOOD IN GENERAL: I ate exclusively at the buffet. The food was bland; I expected hot sauce and savory condiments, but the condiments were limited. Regardless, I was satisfied despite some people complaining. The bread was great, and guava is amazing. It's awful to see people taking large portions only to throw it all away; they should make those people live on the street like regular Cubans for a day. DRINKS: I only had red wine (and coffee). Both were fine. CLEANLINESS: Everything looks clean on the surface and I felt comfortable eating at the buffet. I did see twice a cockroach on my table. Birds come in once in a while as the doors are wide open. BEACH: Awesome. Not quite enough chairs. The outdoor rince stations/showers don't quite work well. Tourists who litter should be immediately redirected to Guantanamo. POOLS: I never even tried the pools but I preferred the beach anyway. Not enough chairs. STAFF: I made friends I was sad to part with. ROOM: Nothing fancy but nothing scary. Not much water pressure. Clean. Comfortable. Bottles of fresh water are included. WIFI: Free. They give you a login limited to 10 hours, which you can renew freely. Speed was sufficient. GYM: Pretty small. Limited equipment. Lots of broken stuff. At least it was cool (A/C). COMPARISON: We were transferred to Melia Peninsula for a night due to a delayed flight departure. I'm grateful for this transfer because I saw how much better Laguna Azul was. Melia Peninsula is too spread out, and its buildings feel unsafe (direct access from the outside, and signs of prior forced entry). Also, Melia had the exact same food at the buffet, but in trying to appear fancy, they had forks instead of tongs for the food (yeah, great for picking up individual strands of lettuce), they had tacky lighting, the staff applauded as you entered (please), and they didn't allow you to carry your plate outside. Melia Peninsula is lipstick on a pig, while Laguna Azul is convenient and practical, and it doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. On top of that, Melia Peninsula allowed rude Russians to skip the reception line ahead of people waiting 30-45 minutes. Now I know to never book at MP.

JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar: Large & Beautiful Resort

We stayed for 7 nights as a group of 30 for our wedding. Majority of us were at the Grand with some at the suites. The resort is huge! There are 2 buildings for each resort (beaches, suites and grand) making it a long walk between if you have people in the different resorts. The Grand is definitely the chill out, adults only area, whereas Suites has all the fun party pool activities! The foam parties, volleyball, the lazy river! The food was great at all restaurants. The only meals we didn't e [... read more]njoy as much was our Welcome dinner and Wedding dinners. We were a meat heavy group so cooking 25 steaks at the same time wasn't something they were used to. But all other meals were great, loads of selection everywhere you went. I had steak 2-3 other times and they were cooked to perfection! Butler service was amazing, coffee and mimosas delivered to our room at a set time daily! They use WhatsApp to communicate so make sure you download this app before going as there is free wifi everywhere! The beach was ok, Cuba beaches are nicer than Montego Bay. We didn't spend as much time at the beach as we were with a group, but if you like the beach vs the pool, they are not white sandy beaches. Overall, we would go back, but we typically don't repeat resorts so would likely explore another area of Jamaica instead!

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: Just Ok trip

We liked location , greenery , wild animals . We did Not appreciate that we were served with instant coffee and powder milk . Also , we not like an extra charge (1$ per day ) for sanitization. Other chains don’t charge extra . Fyi . It took us over 2 hrs to get from Cancun to Iberostar as they put us on a shared bus which stopped at 4 resorts dropping off 2 or more people and we were at the last place . It was very disappointing after 4.5 hr flight .

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Great Location

The resort was really nice and clean. Staff were friendly and welcoming. The beach was wonderful, only down fall that it was a little small for the amount of people. It got crowded at times and no personal space to relax. Food was ok, there was no salt, pepper, ketchup, hot sauce and butter. Make sure to bring your own. Coffee in the lobby was amazing! Overall it was a great place to stay.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Good 4 star

Buffet was great. Japanese restaurant and Mexican restaurant okay. Italian restaurant terrible. Drinks were terrible especially at the beach and pool bars. Staff were excellent, very friendly. Resort has a nice layout and feel but rooms and overall amenities need a refresh.

Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo: We would go again, absolutely!

Everything was great! The customer service was amazing, all the workers are incredibly kind, friendly and helpful. The check in process was seamless, even when there was a issue with our reservation (got a free upgrade to Maya from Lindo!). The restaurants were very good but the buffet was just as good. Highlights were El Rancho, La Geisha and El Tapotio. We did book restaurants right away and we worked around the times available. The pool is beautiful, the beach is amazing and the rooms were sp [... read more]acious. Maya rooms are bigger than Lindo but that is really the only difference other than access to a few more restaurants. Overall a great holiday! Would recommend for families with teenagers and families with young kids. My teens had a blast!

JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Amazing Holidays

The resort was kept very clean . Staff were very friendly and always there to help with anything you wanted or needed. This was by far the best resort I have stayed in so far traveling south. Food was especially good no matter which restaurant you went to and serviced excellent as well. Most all the staff spoke good english.

Iberostar Coral Holguin: Perfect Vacation

I wasn't sure what to expect as I had never been to this part of Cuba before or this resort. Everything was beyond my expectations. The resort was absolutely beautiful. The staff was the best I have ever had the pleasure of being with. The food was delicious. The weather was terrific. The sights were breathtaking. I have never gone to the same resort twice but will definitely be going back to this resort next year--hopefully for 2 weeks. I would rate my experience a 12 out of 10!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Hola cuba!

Loved the tropical feel and very clean grounds. Staff is fantastic especially the beach staff and reception. Air transit staff at resort(Risci) was very helpful and friendly. Cuban people are fantastic. Very one should try Cuba!

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Paradise Beach and amazing Staff!

Not sure why Sunwing and Iberostar are rating this a a 5 Star. Although the hotel is new, the beach amazing and the staff incredible, it lacks on other things that are very important. The food and also only having beverages for some. I personally don’t drink during the day but I do enjoy a glass of wine in the evening, and throughout my whole stay there was nothing but rum and vodka! I honestly thought that people paid a premium for March Break and expected some pretty basic things such as bu [... read more]tter, jam or milk for the morning cereal. I understand that Cuban people are going through a really hard time, this is a Spanish owned resort and they cannot be rating this a 5 Star when they are not. charging their guests Premium Rates and expecting us to accept it because it’s Cuba! Not impressed with the Iberostar or Sunwing!!

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Beautiful resort

For me I like the resort it was beautiful but I like it when you are relaxing outside and you have a waiter or waitress that comes along and ask you if you need a drink from the bar but we didn't get that service here if you wanted a drink someone had to go to bar for a drink. Food wise we eat but I don't understand that their is no fish at the resort we had turkey, porkchop ,vegetables and rice all week the snack bar had hotdog,fries,spegatti, pizza for drinks we were having sex on the beach d [... read more]uring the day and beer or cacao liquor after supper. Room and maid was great would I go back maybe but would look at one resort that we love to go to first for sure would be like my top 3 right now for choice