Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Unfortunately Disappointed

This was my 5th trip to Cuba, so we are used to the nuisances that come with travelling to this area. That being said, I was disappointed with a few things, some of which may be covid related supply issues. The buffet had extremely limited menu options which only changed once, possibly twice while we were there. While we don't watch much tv while we're on vacation its a nice feature to have between beach time and dinner or going out, or just relaxing at the end of the night. Our TV was broke [... read more]n, we asked them to look at it, and it was fixed once. However turning the TV off reset whatever repair was done. We asked multiple times if they could look at it, but no one did. Staff on certain days were slower than the normal Cuban lifestyle. Every resort I've been to always had beer and pop in the room fridge, but this resort didn't. Could be a hotel thing or a supply chain issue, just another one of those nice to have things. The good, it had a cool boardwalk, the pool area was interesting, its a smaller resort which we liked. The Japanese restaurant was pretty good. Limited menu, but the entertainment was excellent.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Beautiful resort, place and people !

We have been to Cuba before (Cayo Guillermo) and we loved this new resort. The rooms were spacious, clean, full of light and conveniently organized. There were mosquito nets on the doors. The buildings are situated to have as many of the terraces to have an ocean view, specifically the 2-3 floors. The food was just right for me with enough variety for breakfast, lunch and dinner, to be able to make a different plate every time. There were servings of at least one or two types of meats (pork, l [... read more]amb, chicken) as well as fish at lunch and dinner. I am not a big meat eater and I enjoyed mostly the yogurt, bread, soups and salads as well as cooked vegetables, rice, fish and potatoes, etc. The staff at the restaurant melted our hearts each time we saw them. We will never forget the kindness, the smiles and the great service we received from Rosalia and Reinier. Entertainment: There was relax and dance routine each morning and afternoon at the pool and at the beach. The evening entertainment site was at the pool but there was also a beach party one night, which we all enjoyed and was a great time for everyone from very young, young and old. The Entertainers were the life of the place. Always genuinely friendly, happy and positive. We saw them everywhere and had very positive and good conversation, or danced together with Beatrice, Jessica, Andrew, Alejandro, Jackson, Billy and all the others! The cleaning staff was also very accommodating. There was shortage of bottled water at one time when they cleaned the rooms in the morning but they brought the water to our room later in the day when it was available. All the staff accepts tips as a normal practice across the resort, ask the staff or the Sunwing representative for information. We also brought clothes and gifts (tank tops and T-shirts) in good shape although not brand new to give to the cleaning staff in the rooms and outside. Everyone was grateful to receive them. The young staff was ecstatic about brand names. Since we have been back, we miss everything in everyone. This was a truly enjoyable vacation for our family.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Okey resort

I was there fir two weeks. The location was very beautiful however the room was as not to my like . The bathroom door is as not closing, the fridge was not working I, the plug in the bathroom was loose I had to hold the plug with one hand and the blow dryer with the other. I went on the front desk three time to have that look after and some they were tanker care two days before my departure. The food was good and Planty of it .the entertainment. Was very poor..

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Awesome stay

Just got back and it was a great time. Good was good, the rooms were redone and nice. The entertainment staff and all other stuff are super friendly they remember your name all week. The only bad stay was the flight.. won’t take swoop again.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Little gem...

23rd time in Cuba...After trip during covid we decided to go somewhere else this year. But after reading reviews from this resort we give Cuba another chance and Bingoooooo. Resort is very professionally run. Clean, well maintained, with good service. Great beach that was cleaned every day and pools. Both have lots of palapas and umbrellas. We never were sick in Cuba and never hungry. More food varieties in buffet and if you ask you can get almost everything. Staff is really trying to do somethi [... read more]ng from nothing. When comes to a la carte restaurants they need lots to improve. Menu should be printed out to avoid misunderstanding and take time to make choice...some times you have no choice at all. Japanese Restaurant definitely need more meat in meal that they provide and another restaurant is serving lobster soup that is really bad. Over all food was good. Bares should provide more quality alcohols and cocktails and drinks should be made the same way by every bartender. But this is Cuba...still learning. We are diffinetevly coming back next year. It was a good vacation.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Disappointing Accommodations and service

This hotel is definitely not Iberostar quality. From the moment we arrived at the hotel the experience was not what i expected. I would rate this place at 2.5 stars at the very most. My family and i have travelled to Cuba many times prior to Covid and have had awesome vacations but this was the worst experience ever and i wish we had not spent our vacation fund money for this. Not sure if i will go back to Cuba again. Also disappointed in Trip Central as the travel agent suggested this hote [... read more]l as one of the best in Varadero. First time booking with Trip Central and likely the last. ARRIVAL - there was no one there to welcome us to the resort nor was there anyone to help us with our luggage off the bus upon arrival. Should have been my first hint of the disappointing experience. ACCOMMODATIONS: Our rooms were dirty, run down, furniture was old and broken. The rooms were stinky and smelled very musty and moldy. We moved rooms on Day 2 and although the furniture was somewhat better the shower and sink did not drain very well so we had to turn the water on and off during showering. The hotel seemed very tired and run down. FOOD & DRINK: There were definite shortages of alcohol and food. There was only Rum and Beer on the menu which we drink neither. Often the resort would run out of mix. I am shocked since this is an all inclusive. The food was pretty much pork, inedible beef, and one type of fish. There was no variety and again the resort would run out of food on a daily basis. My daughter lived on cheese buns and cucumbers for the entire 10 days. We had to go out for dinner several nights to enjoy a nice meal. The "a la cart" dinners were the same thing as the buffet only presented a little nicer. Again disappointing. STAFS: The front desk staff appeared unhappy and not very friendly. We had to stalk them for bottled water and toilet paper on a daily basis. The other resort staff were ok but again not what i have experienced in the past. This was my daughters first vacation that she has paid for on her own after years of saving. She was very upset and the first half of our 10 day vacation was ruined by the disappointing experience. Definitely not going to this hotel chain in the future.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Unsafe & Unsanitary

My husband and I have been to Cuba over 10 times. We love Cuba for the beaches and the people! We decided to take a family vacation with our 1 year old to Iberostar Selection Esmeralda for 7 days. Where to begin….. CHECK IN: We arrived at midnight and got checked in and did not receive any direction of where to go or how to get to our room. We had to ask another traveller who happened to be sitting in the lobby. We were told we couldn’t have the wifi code as the lady at the front desk [... read more] didn’t know how to do it. We said ok, we will come back in the morning (we like to check in with family back home to let them know we made it safely). The next morning we went back to ask for the wifi code and they told us they didn’t have any wifi available. ???? FOOD/DINING: We came with low expectations of food knowing the issues Cubans are currently facing with pandemic recovery and the US trade, on top of that we also know how the food should be since we’ve visited Cuba multiple times previously. However there was always a line up to get into the buffet and a LONG line up to get to the food (if there was any). Lunch starts at 1pm and dinner at 7pm. We had pork and rice for every meal, every day. Sometimes the rice was crunchy or dry as if it were 2+ day old rice. They ran out of bread for two days. Fries, pasta, pizza, condiments or butter were non existent. If you are looking for fruits, they only had papaya 2 of the days in the morning. The plates, cups, utensils in the dining hall were never clean. They were always still greasy or crusty and you could see the smear marks on the plates from how they wiped the previous food off. Coffee stains on coffee cups that were not cleaned prior. The lobby bar had no milk for coffees in the morning and snack bar did not have cups and they frequently ran out of beer and water. 24 hour snack bar only operates a couple hours a day and there is no selection of food. ROOM: The room is spacious and very well laid out however our shower did not drain and water pooled about ankle deep until it flowed outside of the shower (after about a minute and a half), we only had scolding hot water in our shower as well as lots of black mold. We arrived to our room with dirty, stained sheets and 1 blanket for 2 beds. Requested new sheets and we were not able to get them. We tipped our maid with money and gifts every day but it seems like they just do not have enough resources to provide clean sheets and towels. For 7 days we used the same dirty sheets and towels. Our balcony / floor in the room was never wiped down or swept. We did not receive toilet paper for 2 days. Minibar in the room is empty and was not stocked however they do leave 1 bottle of water per day (if you need more you must ask for a refill at the bar which tastes like chlorine). CHECK OUT: We were required to check out by 5:50am and the bus arrived to pick us up at 6:50am which meant that we would not make it for breakfast. The receptionist told us to go to the 24 hour snack bar but it was closed because there was no food available. CONCLUSION: We do not recommend coming to Iberostar Selection Esmeralda as it is simply not safe or sanitary. We understand the situation but it would be best to avoid booking here. They have a lot of work to do to make the guest stay safe.

JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Beautiful setting but food lacking

Grounds and room beautiful. Unfortunately, 4 of the 5 a la carte restaurants were not great. Only restaurant that was any good was the Surf and Turf. I got food poisoning in the Japanese restaurant. In the buffet I asked for gluten free pasta and it wasn’t so not happy about that!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Really good, really bad

The food was the best of 8 resorts I've stayed at in Cuba. Nice modern shower. Nice layout of the grounds. There was no hot water. Little bugs in the hotel room. I would stay there again. I don't care for swoop. Had to pay$70 each way for luggage each person.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: FIRST CLASS RESORT!

Wonderful stay, very large rooms, excellent shuttle service to beach, restaurants, lobbby and to our room. Discovered excellent snorkeling which was NOT advertised. We discovered CORA Adults Only Resort and will experience that next time.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Great time at the Iberostar Alameda!

Just returned from a 10-day stay at the Iberostar Alameda with a friend and we both travelled using the Solo Air Transat package, having our own rooms. Overall it was a great resort and we had a wonderful time. Accommodations: Nice rooms, we were on the 2nd and 3rd floor which they graciously assigned in #19 which was close to the beach, terrace and restaurants - thank you Wendy! The rooms are spacious, the bed comfortable, working safe and the bathroom was wonderful. Ladies, don't bother [... read more] bringing special hair dryers or flat/curling irons as there is only one plug in the washroom attached to their dryer which will only accommodate an electric shaver. The bedroom does not have any mirrors close to electrical outlets. My lights were out one night and the technicians came by instantly to fix the issue - this was amazing. The rooms need a thorough cleaning but all in all, the room was great. Beach: Beautiful beach and no issue getting chairs underneath a hut umbrella. There are some rocks further in the ocean but not harmful or sharp. Entertainment: Fantastic. Every evening on the terrace there is a band and a show or disco following. This was excellent! Entertainment at the pool during the day as well however, we are beach people. There were activities on the beach as well if you wish to participate. Food: No complaints - the food was great and plentiful. Breakfast had a wide variety, with eggs, omelets, pancakes, yogurt, cereal, fruit, cheese/cold cuts and the pastries were very good. Lunch equally as good and included veggies, salad, rice (of course) fish, porchetta and hamburgers. Dinner at the restaurants served good food, particularly the Italian. Staff: This is the best part - the staff are absolutely fantastic. Everyone made an effort to accommodate us in every way. From bartenders, to entertainment staff, the hotel reception, maids and waitresses who made our stay extra special. Grounds: The grounds are beautiful and the gardeners do a great job of keeping it well maintained. The buildings on the most part look okay however, the stairs in our building were loose and not stable or secured properly to the floor, and the outdoor stairwell walls could use a paint job. This resort has lots of potential and hopefully, it can be restored. Overall: I would return and recommend this hotel and will give it a 4 star because of cleanliness in the rooms and maintenance required. A great trip overall. Thank you to everyone at the Iberostar Alameda!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great Value for the Money

Everything was excellent for a 4 star hotel, the rooms, the pool, the grounds, the food, but especially the staff. Food service, bar and maintenance staff all excellent. Hope to return again in the future.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: cuba

hotel looking a liitle tired. Rooms comfortable but needing updating. lots of outdoor areas to sit but lots of smokers use the common areas. Food in one word was terrible.Plates dirty most of time. Bar selection very limited.Staff overall were pleasant but not overly so. Front desk reception- male worker, sorry didn't get name (no name tags) Not friendly.Left poor impression upon arrival

Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar: Resort was fantastic!

Everything was great at this resort. The beach was nice and we never struggled for loungers. The food was exceptional and the room was very clean. The only issue we had was the non-stop pushing us to go to their meetings to sign up for whatever they were selling. We did not attend but it never stopped.

Iberostar Coral Holguin: A very nice resort

The hotel was very good. The service was very good by certain people bartenders (Alexander and Dayana )the fitness instructor (Carlos) the evening butler (Yarandia spelling May not be correct ) The day butler was never around so no service the bartender's at the main outside bar were not very friendly service was ok The maids were great. Room was always clean The food was pretty good ! My wife and I would have liked a massage or two while we were there. Didn't happen. They were all booke [... read more]d up for the week The cigar store at the main hotel could have had a better selection of cigars The beaches and pools were great

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: A communist hotel in a communist country

It was a flashback to what was running away from in my youth. Everything is there, but nothing is working as it should. the problems are small, but they are everywhere. The balcony door that doesn't close properly, the tap you have to hold with one hand while opening it with the other; the meet that is not properly cooked, the broken lawn furniture, the god-awful painting (they did not discover yet the miracle of the masking tape and I could go on. You can live with it all, but the less you ex [... read more]pect the better.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Great week at Iberostar Costa Dorada

A fun and relaxing week at this beautiful resort. The staff were all amazing. Special Cuoto's to Kennedy, Carlos and Dulcee. This was our 5th time staying at this resort. If I could make one suggestion. Have some drink service at the pool. 4 servers taking drink orders would be an added upgrade to an already beautiful resort.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: It's a resort.

This was my first stay at a resort so I don't know what to compare it to, but it was clean and the staff was very nice. There was a toilet paper shortage and I couldn't eat the food after the fourth day. It seems like a good place for people who like to hang on the beach and in the pool.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Decent Resort With Flaws

I stayed at Playa Alameda at the end of January, 2023. It is the fifth resort I have stayed at in Cuba and I will rate it against the other similar 4-5 star resorts. Pros: -well maintained landscape, grounds and freshly painted exteriors of buildings -pool well maintained -great staff -better than average entertainment -cigar bar Cons: -no swim-up bar(s) -NO RYE WHISKEY! -rooms are tired and need upgrading; my mattress was worn out -hit & miss hot water in room -poor response time  [... read more]by staff to issues in room (e.g. locked out of safe) -1/2 of the pool area was approximately 18" deep -no VIP bars or sports bar Overall, I had an enjoyable visit. The gym is important to me. All hotel gyms in Cuba seem to have problems maintaining their cardio equipment and this one was no exception but I was able to get in good workouts there. What was very concerning was that there was not an adequate means to clean off the equipment after use. No anti bacterial spray or liquid provided. No paper towels. On occasion, you would be provided a cloth towel. The food was ok for Cuba. No bacon, orange juice or maple syrup for breakfast. For one week of my two week stay, there was no diet cola for mix. The lack of adequate usable pool area, swim up bar and rye whiskey would prevent me from returning to this hotel regardless of price. When your clientele is 70%+ Canadian, you do what you have to do to get rye whiskey! I WOULD RATE THIS HOTEL A 3 STAR OUT OF FIVE

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Very happy holiday

The hotel and grounds were everything we had hoped for: beautiful, clean, comfortable, quiet and convenient. We could always find a beach chair and never had to wait around in line. The food was Cuban (lots of pork, fish, beans, cabbage and vegetables) without a huge amount of variation but always tasty. There are shortages of some dairy products currently (milk and butter) but this didn't limit choice significantly. The snack bar (really a small, outdoor sit-down restaurant focusing on a piz [... read more]za oven) made for a fun lunch as did hot meal served every day at the beach bar. We had a swim out room and loved it: large, bright and with an amazing private poolside patio. The staff were kind and courteous. They noted it was my husband's birthday on arrival and treated us to an à la carte meal and bottle of bubbly which was much enjoyed. The beach is was quite windy and wavy during our visit but we could swim most afternoons in warm water with a perfectly foot-friendly fine sand bottom. The trip from the airport is rather long (over an hour) but the transportation arrangements made it all stress-free. A perfect place to unwind for people looking for relaxation away from the crowds of large resorts.