Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Not as advertised: This is not a 5 star hotel

I don't like writing bad reviews but I think our experience here is important to share. 1- Rooms were dirty, with dead insects on the floor, specially under the beds (cockroaches). 2- Not hot water on first day. 2- Food was very limited: no bread, no eggs, very limited fresh fruit. Mainly rice and chicken and it wasn't even fresh. 3- They run out of glasses at the bar, toilet paper, napkins (they had to cut them in half) 4- They were understaffed. 6- In general facilities are not well m [... read more]aintained (Sofas in check-in area, were dirty and smelly). Although the beaches were very beautiful, and the staff was very friendly (they were really trying) this is NOT a 5 star resort at all!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Great resort, wonderful people, amazing beach

It was great resort worth to visit another time. Food was great, maybe more varieties of fish. Amazing beach, good for long walks. Rooms were decent, big, and clean. I would recommend this resort to other people.

Hotel Bella Costa: Beautiful pleasurable vacation

This was my 9th stay at this resort. Last was December 2022. Many upgrades since last stay February 2020. Rooms were very clean, as well as grounds, pools and entertainment areas. Some were masked. The employees responsible for visible food prep and serving were masked and gloved. It’s the guests that are the concern in the cafeteria areas. Herd mentality, as if there was not enough, which was not the case.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: isolated paradise with an amazing beach

this resort is new built and has all the amenities we needed. We enjoyed the gym with good selection of cardio and weight equipment and onsite free personal trainer ready to help out. three or four pools and all beautiful and clean. the beach is breath taking and the best part of the journey. it looked like a cover of a magazine and it was really hard to leave....make sure u bring sun screen and bug spray. the staff are really kind and friendly and we had the best time. the food is what you get  [... read more]for Cuba and not what we went for so we expected average food. everything else is extra ordinary and wonderful. one of the best resorts we ever visited. highly recommend.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Iberostar Playa Pilar Feb23, 2023

2nd time at this resort since March 2020 when Covid shut it down. We were 2 couples on vacation for a week and enjoyed the dining, a la carts, amazing beaches, entertainment, bars and staff. We were in the furthest bungalow #1 on the 3rd (top) floor. The walking and climbing stairs was fine but at night the stairs were very dark and we needed a flashlight. Our room was great but the mini fridge was empty and they told us that they do not stock the fridges. Well, they did in March 2020 so we  [... read more]were disappointed but what can you do. Otherwise a great week in the beautiful sun and turquoise waters of the Caribbean in Cayo Guillermo. We will definitely be back soon for a 3rd time.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: A lovely getaway

Nice pool, nice beach, surprisingly good food (fresh fish everyday!) While there were a lot of repetitions with regards to rice and egg dishes, the chef attempted to introduce variety, especially in presentation, from day to day. The rooms were spacious, but could have benefited from more storage areas, especially shelves in the bathroom. There were some minor maintenance issues: lights that didn't work out, sliding doors that didn't slide, but overall cleanliness was good. The staff were  [... read more]friendly and helpful. the resort was operating under reduced capacity due to covid precautions. This meant limited theatre and not all the al a carte restaurants were open, but that was fine with us. We did NOT enjoy the rowdy Ontario university students who were there for reading week, but that isn't the fault of the hotel.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Ensenachos is still terrific

We visited Iberostar Ensenachos in late February 2023 and stayed in the Park section; it was our 9th visit, first since Covid. The resort was half full, which meant no crowds in the buffet or on the beaches, but also fewer services: for example, less entertainment in the lobby at night, seemed like reduced menus at the pool and beach grills. We lunched in the buffet most days. Our room was fine, though the furniture is getting tired: some chips, drawers that didn’t quite fit. Several build [... read more]ings were not open and were being renovated. Canned drinks are no longer being stocked in the room fridges, supposedly for environmental reasons. Water was in reusable glass bottles. Overall the food was good, but with odd shortages; one day there was no bread. Likewise at the bar - very little in the way of liqueurs. We stuck to rum drinks. The beaches are the main attraction of this resort and they are still amazing.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Great location, But.

Food was OK, mostly bland but knew that from previous visits. Shortage on lots of items. No eggs for breakfast. Staff was great, but there were frequent power outages, and they turned the water off between 2am and 5am. very inconvenient. Resort definitely needs a reno, lots of broken things, no handle on patio door, with no handle made almost impossible to latch. Low water pressure. Room very dark, some lights worked others didn't. Toilet not secured to floor properly, and shower control h [... read more]andle keep falling of. Nightly entertainment in the front lobby was great, to bad they don't enforce the no smoking rules in this area, had to leave because of the cigar and cigarette smoke.

Hotel Bella Costa: Terrible resort but people great

This hotel needs major work. Air conditioner broke, door wouldn't lock and cockroaches in room. No ice machine broke, no white wine, gin, vodka and butter only at breakfast. Food was awful. Would not recommend this hotel to anyone. Only good thing was beach and weather. The people are very friendly but don't have a lot to work with.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: Fun Week at Iberostar

My daughter and I spent a week at the Iberostar-Del Mar resort in February. Overall we had a relaxing, fun week. I wanted to share some positive feedback on the resort as well as some areas I think they could improve on. I also need to mention the areas I think the resort could improve on in no way that affected our enjoyment at this resort. We are visitors from another country and never expect perfection. Just being able to escape our cold winters for a brief time in beautiful Mexico was enou [... read more]gh. Positive; -The grounds, nature, and beach are all spectacular. They are so well kept and it was wonderful being able to walk through the canopy of trees and lighted pathways at night. -The wildlife was also wonderful to experience (Coatis, Iguanas, Flamingoes, birds & peacocks) -The staff was all very nice, professional, and helpful. I witnessed many times when the staff also were warm and courteous to each other. -There are lots of pools to choose from. You can find a quiet area if you don't enjoy the music and games and activities at the main pool area. -There is lots of shade at both the pool and beach. -Rooms were very clean -The resort is very eco-friendly. There are water filling stations on each floor where you can refill 2 large glass water bottles. -The whole resort is huge. My daughter and I love to walk so there were plenty of places to explore. Areas for improvement; -I would rate the food at a 6.5/10. We booked the French, Mexican, and Italian restaurants. Overall I was disappointed with the Mexican food at the whole resort. At the Mexican restaurant, I ordered chicken fajitas. They listed on the menu that they come with rice and beans but my order was simply chicken, onions, and peppers. I only saw guacamole one time at the buffet and rarely saw baked tortillas and beans. The French restaurant served french onion soup with barely a teaspoon of cheese, the pizza at the Italian restaurant was undercooked and the pasta overcooked. -The egg/omelet station at the morning buffet was always very busy. I love having eggs in the morning but on several occasions gave up waiting. The bacon is also in the same area and difficult to access due to the line. The scrambled eggs appear to be from a mix and are undercooked and runny. -You do not have the ability to adjust the temperature in the room. When we arrived the thermostat was set at 22 degrees. It was much hotter in the room. I called the front desk and they adjusted it to 18 degrees. The room did not cool down and someone came and said there was a broken piece in the system. They tried to repair it but it didn't make much of a difference. - The beach and pool chairs are reserved very early (7:00am) with people who put their towels on them to save. We ended up having to do the same in order to have a chair during the day. I'm not really sure what the hotel can do about this. -The rooms are a little dated. There was a large burn mark on the floor in our room & the shower arm was broken. -The shows at night are limited and not really entertaining. There are 2 shows that are extra. We did not go to either. -There are no elevators in the building we stayed in. We were on the top floor (3). It wasn't a problem for us but might be for others. Again, overall we had a wonderful, relaxing time at the Iberostar. -One more tip- Do not take a taxi from the airport to the resort. We were stuck in a long line at customs and realized the Sunwing bus had left. We didn't know what to do. A man who claimed he worked for Sunwing told us we had no other choice but to take a taxi. He said Sunwing would cover the cost. We agreed upon $50CAD. He said he would give me a receipt but after the transaction, said his machine was out of paper. Once at the hotel, I checked my credit card and saw a charge just under $500 CAD. I'm embarrassed I fell for this but I wanted to warn others. :(

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Great Resort

Friendly staff where ever you went. Whether you were at the beach, restaurant, bar or any facilities there was always a helpful hand. We booked restaurants in advance of our arrived and our reservations were ready for us on arrival. The rooms were clean and well maintained. A great beach with lots of chairs to choose from and the pool was clean and inviting. Had a wonderful time.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Very Nice Holiday! Coral Level Iberostar

We were here last March. There are visible changes....not the fault of the resort, or the Cubans. The workers are always eager to help with what little they have. There were minor shortages. But not enough to complain about, who eats bacon every day at home anyway, chicken was missing for a few days, but made a comeback for the remainder of the week. We didn't go hungry. The beach is always beautiful....one of the nicest beaches in Cuba. The only downside that I was a little disappointe [... read more]d about was the lack of entertainment on the adult side. There is a piano, only used for very short time for one night. One other night was a short show by a local guitarist....not that good. The family side had the typical boom boom garbage. I go to the caribbean for the culture, and Cuba has some of the most talented musicians. More live music would go a long way in order for me to go back. Other than that, I probably won't be back for the lack of entertainment. Bedrooms are great, the beds are very comfortable. No supplies in the fridge, but the coral level is so small, you are a couple of minutes from your bars.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: The best place to stay!

This resort is incredibly beautiful The staff are fantastic Our room was luxurious, the nicest hotel room I’ve ever encountered I can’t wait to book my next vacation I won’t stay anywhere else Thank you !

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Not worth the money

Issues from the start. We were given two options, to switch rooms or move to the 5 star resort. The rooms we were offered were no better and some had 2 beds instead of a queen or king. We didn’t move to the 5 star because we met a couple groups of people who told us they didn’t have food and they also had cockroaches. This was by far one of the worst experiences either one of us has had. The paint was peeling, the vents were rusted, the fan in washroom didn’t work at all, the outlet in t [... read more]he washroom was hanging out of the wall, the washroom door didn’t close, the light in the washroom had no cover so you could see right through to ceiling between floors, the food was so limited and if you didn’t get there once buffet opened you weren’t getting anything. There were days they didn’t even have different foods, it was just massive bowls of rice placed all over. Also got bad food poisoning from the meat we think. There was pork chicken and beef depending on day. There was cockroaches in the buffet area ( I almost died so gross). There was another patron at the buffet who screamed yelled “cockroach” and killed it. They had run out of tequila and vodka for a few days. Honestly I wish we hadn’t gone at all and had waited. The experience and vacation was not one I’d ever want again. The best part of the trip was the plane ride there and back.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: I would not recommend this resort

Although this resort was pretty clean as l have seen worst, the food was terrible there were not condiments no pepper, butter for toast or peanut butter or jam, no syrup for French toast some days no milk for coffee. The only alcohol was at times white or red wine, rum and beer. Mixes for the rum was scarce. The toilets did not work. I had to complain for 3 days in a row to get my toilet in my room fixed. Some rooms didn’t have hot water. Toilet paper was scarce so make sure you bring your ow [... read more]n. We made the best of a bad situation and did have fun as we met lots of nice people. The employees were very nice and friendly but very short staffed and those working were run off their feet and still managed a smile. Unfortunately there are so many wrong things l could not possibly recommend it

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: very good vacation with only a few cons

We are a family of 3 and we’ve been to Iberostar Esmeralda Selection from Feb 19-26. The flight was operated by Off We Go, the first time I hear of them, and the experience was excellent, they left on time and arrived early on both flights, they served a full meal and they had decent departure and arrival hours. The hotel is on a newly open for construction island – Cayo Cruz. From what I’ve seen, there are only 3-4 hotels and they are building more. The ride from Cayo Coco airport to th [... read more]e hotel is 1h (80-100km), and you travel on a causeway with beautiful seascapes. The resort is new (opened in 2020) and consists of seven 2-storey buildings plus restaurant, lobby, gym arranged in a circle, buildings 3, 4, 5 being closer to the beach and with partial or full view to the sea. The check in was slow: although there were 4 posts, only one clerk was working, and I noticed during the week that somehow there were always guests at the front desk waiting to be attended. The rooms are very good, ours had 2 full beds, very nice shower cabin with ceiling shower as well as hand-held shower head, very good ventilation in the toilet room, sparse but effective furniture; AC worked fine. However, one of our 2 rooms had an unpleasant and stubborn musty smell, one had to keep the window open, but that was not a problem with the mild temperatures outside. No complaint about cleanliness of the rooms. One complaint about the noise, though. We were in building 4 which also has 2 small a la carte restaurants and a bar and is right next to the pool theatre were all the entertainment blasted their music and their games. Luckily the shows went from 3-4 pm and then again 8:30-10:30 pm. This was not such a big deal, but on several nights, there were loud groups of people at the nearby bar (right under our room) laughing until the wee hours. I believe that, due to proximity to hotel rooms, the bar should have been closed for the night. The food was good, I had read horror reviews and was worried, but it wasn’t the case. The roasts (pork, veal, fish) were excellent, and so was the grill. Also, the stews were delicious, including veal. Good selection of salad ingredients: cabbage (I had it with every meal) tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, occasionally lettuce. Excellent cheeses, I think they were all Spanish. The desserts were varied and very good: meringues, cheesecake, flan, choux a la crème, ice creams, all yummy and very tempting. The food was not abundant, they frequently ran out bacon and one had to stalk until it was replenished, only once were there fries and the lineups were huge, there was no butter nor milk at breakfast and no cold cuts, except for the last day, and one morning there were no eggs. One or two days the fruit were scarce. Anyways, we did not go hungry. What I didn’t like at the buffet was that it was crowded. They didn’t open it at the time announced but rather they kept people waiting 10-15 min at the door, and when they eventually opened, all servers were lined at the door and clapping as guests entered. I disliked that. I confirm what another reviewer said about the plates not being squeaky clean, but on the contrary, with traces of grease. The tables were not cleaned fast enough for the flux of guests coming, and also, if you went late, the service was slower. I do not imply that the servers were slack but rather that more personnel was needed. We booked 2 a la carte restaurants, Asiatico and Cuban, but we went only to Asiatico which was bad: uninteresting food (better at the buffet) and very poor service The lobby bar was very good, but I mainly got cappuccinos and an occasional pina colada and Spanish coffee and the bar tenders were nice and efficient. The beach is amazing, with fine white sand, huge swaths of beach to walk. It faces NE so one can see the sun rise from the sea. It also has sizable tides, towards 11 am it engulfed most of the beach. It was pleasantly breezy the whole week and there were waves. Towards the right, beyond the Valentin resort, the beach turns rocky and it was fun to escalate that area. Towards the left there are kilometres of wild beach, another resort is being built. Unfortunately, there is a lot of litter that accumulates in that area. What I deeply disliked was that people reserved their seats on the beach. On the first days we arrived at the beach between 8-8:30 and we literally caught the last seats. Next to us 4 seats stayed reserved with towels but empty until 11:40. Maybe increasing the number of seats and shades on the beach would sort this problem. Overall, this was a good vacation, very good hotel, very nice beach, good food, great relax.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Good resort, but..

We stayed 15 days in February. The room is very nice and spacious. We moved from building 5 to 7 due to a noise that was right in front of our balcony ( show time), too hard to fall asleep. Room in building 7 -TV had only 5 channels ( others had 48), a technician couldn't fix it- no signal he said. Too strange and odd to have a string for drying the swimming clothes in the shower stall- too humid there for that - better to have it on the balcony. The food in the buffet was OK, no co [... read more]mplaints. A-la cart restaurants were not very impressive. We visited 2- Cuban and Asian ( Italian didn't work). It would be nice to have hand sanitizers everywhere in the public areas- I didn't see any. Also there were no tissues in the rooms, no coffee makers. The plates in the buffet looked as they were not properly cleaned. THE HOTEL HAS TO DO SOMETHING WITH FLIES IN THE BUFFET! They are everywhere- on the food, in the glasses. There are not enough lounge chairs on the beach- that's why people have to go early in the morning at 6.30 and reserve them. The neighbour hotel has hundreds of chairs on their beach. Comparing to Grenada's hotel- we could change the beach towels any time on the beach, here we had to leave them in the room so the maid would have left us the new ones- not very convenient. Hotel's marina was closed all the time- we had to go to Valentine to book a hoby cat. The guy made for us only 15 min along the beach, though the other boats were in the sea way longer. May be, because we didn't belong to Valentine? No bicycles for rent, it would be nice to have them. There is a grand piano in the lobby- nobody ever played it. I think, the hotel is OK, though there are some issues there, that can be solved. Cuban people are nice and hard working. My complaints are for the management.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Fun with my 4 year old

I wanted to write a review of this resort and focus on 2 things - stuff to bring and coming here with a young child. The rest I'm sure is covered in other posts... I highly recommend bringing the following items if you are travelling with young kids: - canned or powdered milk - their formula - their favorite juice (somehow) - ketchup (however we had French fries only once) - peanut butter/jam - mustard, BBQ sauce, hot sauce - salad dressing (!) - lots of potato chips (they are nowhe [... read more]re to be found around here) - Crackers - candy (they have some chocolate and cookies in the shops) - water/pool toys and beach toys (they have some floaties like inner tubes at the Kids club) - lots of sun coverage - finding shade can be a challenge - umbrellas get scooped up really quickly - wet wipes - movies/TV downloaded onto your devices - the wifi does not work well - 1 or more large travel mugs for cold and hot drinks from the bar Bringing kids: I came here alone with my 4 year old son. I had read there was a Waterpark which was why I booked it. There really isn't a "waterpark" although there is a cute kids pool with some things that spout water so maybe that's what they meant. We had an Aqua Fun room which just meant that it was right next to the Kid's Pool and Kid's Club. The ladies who work at the Kid's Club were great. They watched my son anytime between 10am and 5pm. He loved playing there. They had toys, play-doh and coloring books. They also have a little shallow baby pool (in addition to the kids pool) and a little swing set. In addition to the regular kids club hours, they would have "mini discos" at night some evenings for half an hour. They would dress up and play kids music and they had lights and would all dance to silly songs. My son loved it. Another night they played a kids movie in the lobby and put mats and pillows on the floor. Another night they had a "pirates dinner" and everyone got a pirate hat to wear. One very fun night they had a pjama party with games and lots of kids came out for this. I was a bit frustrated by the food situation there. For example, the lack of real juice, not having French fries, etc. The food was not very child friendly, although they had pizza one night. Of course my son didn't seem to notice. They always had ice cream and some yummy deserts. I'm glad I brought toddler formula along. We paid for 8 x 2L bottles of water because we went through it quickly and it was annoying to keep asking for more. There is no bath tub and my son hates showers so he only had one forced shower the whole week. Overall, it was a pretty, modern place with good staff. I'm so grateful that the Kid's Club staff were so willing to watch him so I could have a break. For Canadians: Please bring cash for tips in US $1 bills and some $5. They don't want our loonies and toonies, their banks do not accept them. If you're looking for a nightlife, this is probably not the place for you. But for a week sitting by the pool and reading it worked well for us. I didn't love the beach simply because of lack of chairs and shade. Maybe if we walked further along the beach we would have had better luck but it's hard to do that with a small kid.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: very good resort

The resort was amazing, full of green trees, bushes and local birds/animals. Room was spacious and clean (junior suite) Food was good but not like before (we've been in the same resort 4 years ago) Very good entertainment, except theatre shows that were scheduled very late at night (10-11 pm) The worst thing we encountered was getting a sit at the table at lunch (waiting time outside the buffet approx 10-15 min) and at dinner (30 min). This waiting time happened because the resorts (del Mar an [... read more]d Beach) had opened only one Buffet Restaurant for dinner.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Clean resort

Very clean. No hot water in my room....did not move me to a different room, even though I did complain, used friends shower, food was hit and miss...but it is Cuba...condiments hard to find, butter hard to find, no labels on food so you never know what the dish is, lots of rum but mix would run out every day....always cola on hand....not today....maybe tomorrow type of hotel...need more staff ....cleaning staff friendly.......again...it is Cuba....decent place