Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Amazing beach, resort needs work

We had a great week at Laguna Azul! Facilities, food and service was below what we have experienced in Cuba pre COVID Rooms need upgrades, service was hard to come by, mostly we went to get our own drinks Food variety and quality was limited Snack bar 24 hours was severely understaffed( only 1 person for a huge line up) and the hygiene standards would never pass, the food handlers never used gloves , no hand washing after handling tips and on occasional the food from the grill was still un [... read more]dercooked. We upgraded to “the Relax zone” and it was the best decision as we got an extra restaurant were we could pick from a small menu of maybe 5 dishes but were served at the table and the coffee on that side was delicious. We also got 4 a La carte for the upgrade what helped avoiding the buffet Bar staff mostly ignored you even though we were tipping often so we just started getting our own drinks Resort is beautiful and the beach area always had plenty of beach chairs available and the sand was mostly free of rocks, the beach is what we went for

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Amazing Accessible resort

I recently vacationed at the Iberostar Paraiso Beach, Riviera Maya. This was my 11th time visiting this resort. I have always return to this hotel mainly because it is accessible, but also for its great value, amenities, food and service. My one complaint is that as a returning guest, I was continually harassed to join the Iberostar Club and book directly with the hotel on future visits. Once I decline, the hotel concierge staff should not pursue the matter. Otherwise the trip was ver [... read more]y enjoyable. Travelers should be made aware that there is a new visitor tax to be paid at the airport or online, but the website was not functioning and the kiosks to pay at Air Transat in the terminal are not setup yet. Regarding the accessibility, it would be great if the hotel could add a few more wheelchair accessible spots on the beach in addition to the existing two. These spots are in high demand, so a couple more spots would be greatly appreciated. I wish the travel industry would make note of resorts that are accessible like they specify if a resort is adults only, golf, spa, etc.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Average 3.5

This is a nice resort. I would rate it 3.5 star .The staff was friendly. The grounds kept clean. Entertainment was average. One area that can be improved is food quality and variety. Breakfast had plenty of fried hotdogs and baloney. Unfortunately these are not what I would consider breakfast meats. Bacon was scares . Out of the 10 days we were there they served bacon on 3 of those days and no breakfast sausage on any days. Lunch buffet was the same every day ,pizza hamburgers salads and limited [... read more] lunch meats. The A la cart restaurants were average. The Italian restaurant served only pasta dishes. There was no veal or chicken parm,no lasagna , no pizza. I would not recommend the ltalian. Japanese and Mexican A la cart were good not great. If you are looking for a steak dinner this is not the resort you will find it at. The beach is kept clean. Seaweed was cleaned every morning .Overall a pleasant resort but I don't think I would go back to it. There are many better options on the island for $100 or $200 more. I was in Punta Cana on my last visit to the island which has much newer construction. Puerto Plata is a much older location and it shows.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: 60+ Hotel

Hotel for older peoples, Main animation at the pool is the Bingo at 4pm . Room was really old . Food was good . Employee very friendly Not enough place to seat down at the pool or beach. Hotel is old but clean.

Iberostar Origin Tainos: This is not a 4 stars Hotel!

We stayed at the Iberostar Tainos for a week in February 2023. The site and the resort are very nice: nice pool, well maintained garden and nice facilities. The beach was very nice. The service is courteous. The room was the equivalent of a 2⭐️. It needs some serious renovation. The bathtub and the sink focetts were rusted. The water pressure was pretty bad, especially late afternoon when guests are back from the beach. The furniture was old and outdated. The beds were comfortable though. Th [... read more]e food was ok. Not great and forget about the 3 restaurants options. It comes from the same kitchen.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Resosrt is beyond any 5 stars resorts

Service, cleanles, food, entertainment and facility are applicable to 8 stars. Iberostar Costa Dorada has one problem with beach, too much sea plants on the beach and this is the ocean fault. Staff tried to clean the beach but this helped only for few hours

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Love this place!

This hotel is in such a beautiful area, water is so clear you can see all the fish, Baracuda, stingrays, needlenose fish, etc. Playa Pilar is a must do. The staff try so hard to please us with everything, yet people still complain. Shortages of food and supplies are real, but maybe if people didn't waste so much food, they wouldn't be running out! People also leaving their dishes and glasses all over the place, clean it up! Staff have enough to do. Overall we had a great time and will be back.Be [... read more] prepared and know where you are going.

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Awesome resort

Check in didn't exactly go as planned,{assigned room was not ready until the following day} once settled in the accommodations were fantastic. All the staff were very friendly but had no explanation for the mishap. Food was readily available throughout the day but limited in the evenings ,{Brasilia restaurant no longer available}. Evening entertainment was also limited and repetitive. Beach and pool were fantastic!

Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada: Iberostar Costa Dorado - AMAZING!!!

We have been to this hotel 8 times now and this most recent time was the best so far. Everything improved from our last trip. Only thing that has not improved in all the stays is the service at the bars! Only people who get served are those who over-tip. Everyone else might as well be invisible. Beaches are beautiful and seaweed depends on the weather. But face it you’re swimming in an ocean! Service by the hotel staff and the restaurant staff was wonderful. Food was great and varied. We [... read more] aren’t much for themed restaurants and only went to the Italian but passed on the Mexican and Japanese restaurants. Cleaning staff were great and ocean view room was beautiful. Overall thoroughly enjoyed our stay of 16 nights was great! Highly recommend this resort.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Not a 5 - Star as advertised - Disappointed and would not recommend this resort

We have travelled to Cuba 10 times over a number of years, staying at various resorts mostly 4+ & 5-star and have never felt the need to write a review until now. We stayed at the Coral Level Iberostar in Holguin in spring of 2022 and based on a wonderful experience with the staff and the food we decided to book another Iberostar resort. We booked the Coral Level Iberostar Esmeralda in Cayo Cruz in January for 14 days. The resort in Cayo Cruz was very disappointing, nothing like the one in H [... read more]olquin. It’s hard to believe they are part of the same hotel chain. The resort in Cayo Cruz is not a 5-star, we would rate it as a 3.5 star at best. Be very careful reading the reviews for this resort on trip advisor, fake reviews much like fake news. Positives; Very clean resort, excellent staff and well-maintained grounds with lush vegetation. Check-in was quick and our room was cleaned daily. There were plenty of lounge seating at the pool and beach. Negatives; The resort is run on a very tight management budget, if any thing runs out – “sorry, not available at this time” and “supply chain issues”. We do not travel to Cuba for the food however this experience was like no other. Food I would normally rely on were not available for example; chicken, pasta, bread. A la cartes – Not only was the food terrible but 3 of our a la cartes were served in the same restaurant with a broken air conditioner. 24-hour Snack bar - 75% of the items listed on the menu were not available during our 2 weeks stay. At times there was only be one item available, for example a hamburger. When I tried to order French fries, I was told they did not have any even though the fellow beside me had them on their plate. I was then told I would have to order the grilled fish to get the French fries. Seafood - no seafood, shrimp or lobster. The only item from the sea was a fish similar to a grilled mackerel. It was plentiful but strong tasting. In our opinion again management cutting corners for budgetary reasons. Mini fridge - no pop, no beers, no wine only water. When asked if they could stock our fridge we were told to use room service. Room service takes about a half hour to get to your room. Twice we had to show our water bottle was empty to get another one. In Holquin our fridge was stocked daily with pop, beer and wine. Buffet restaurants - The majority of days they were out of chicken, pasta, eggs, bacon, butter, and soft drinks. The hot items offered at the buffet were not hot. In the past there would be a pasta bar at the buffet where you can customize your pasta, this resort only had premade pasta at the buffet. They even ran out of red wine several days. Again, in our opinion management is cutting corners for budgetary reasons. In Holquin the Coral Level had a restaurant that served a la carte for breakfast, lunch and dinner no reservations required. Conclusion –After speaking with the Coral Level Manager (Eugenio) and raising our concerns we were told “we understand and we are sorry”. Management tells everyone it’s a “supply chain issue”. When we asked why the restaurant next door was offering lobster, all he could do is say was “we are very sorry”. We also approached the Air Transit Representative (Maykel) who told us he was well aware of the issues at the resort and that he has raised these issues with Air Transit Management. Needless to say, we will no longer be booking at the Iberostar. The service and food were night and day between the two Iberostar resorts. We feel that we over paid for the services and food at this resort and will no longer trust the Iberostar chain.

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Iberostar Paraiso Beach

We returned from the resort on Sunday and discounting the fact that I got very sick early on the second day of our visit, I would say we had a good time. I mentioned "Montezuma's Revenge" to Nicole and surprisingly, she hadn't heard that expression. In any case, I'm sure it was the salad I had for lunch the first day. Lesson learned..no salads any more. We were at this resort in Feb. 2020, just as Covid hit so this is our 2nd time back. We love the resort. It's quite large but you can get around [... read more] easily; great for walking but there are also shuttle buses if needed. It's lush with beautiful vegetation and as a nice surprise, beautiful peacocks strut their stuff around the grounds. The area is like a small village with the 4 resorts. We were in Paraiso Beach. Our room was good.. not luxurious but very clean and comfortable. I can't really comment on the food as I was unable to eat too much, but according to my husband, everything was very good. Fantastic swimming pools and beach. Evening entertainment should be improved in the lobby as well as the theatre, also, the kind of music played by the pool should be reviewed. We found the Rap and HipHop to be very loud, annoying and inappropriate especially with children around. The animation team was great..keeping everyone busy and entertained. We look forward to returning next year.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Great vacation

The hotel is big and very clean. The beach was beautiful and you could always get a lounge chair as the staff don’t allow people to reserve them all day which was great. We were very lucky that there were no shortages of food while we were there. The only thing that they didn’t have was mix for the fancy cocktails which was too bad. The staff for the most part were great especially the ladies at the kids club. I found the lobby bar staff to be extremely inattentive though and I’m not sure  [... read more]why. We we’re always friendly, patient and tipped. It’s very quiet in the evenings as it’s mostly families. The resort is very large at first but once you get to know your way around it doesn’t seem quite so big. I probably will return

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Best Resort

The resort was top notch. Beautiful spacious room, very clean. Excellent value. Wonderful staff. The beaches were beautiful. The water couldn't be any clearer. We felt like special guests. Already planning to return in January 2024.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Good resort

Beautiful beach with shallow water. Almost no waves. The food was good with lots of varieties- chicken, pork, fish with side dishes. Excellent cappuccino in the lobby bar. The rooms are a little bit outdated but clean.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Never again!

We were very disappointed in so many things. The only hot meals offered at the buffet both lunch and dinner every day and night were limited selections of pasta and pizza. Drinks, especially wine, were watered down. No vodka, no orange juice, no blended drinks. No entertainment, including music, poolside until 4pm. Constantly had to ask for dirty glasses in room to be replaced. Air conditioning was so loud. Elevators never worked, buttons were holes that we were not going to stick our fingers [... read more] in so had to use the stairs all the time. We tipped everywhere but didn't make a difference in bar service or housekeeping. The only good thing was the weather.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Worst trip ever.

The hotel was old and empty. The had only had what they call cola and fanta in the main bar. Rum and rum are your only drinking options the had no vodka tequila whisky anything just rum. First day we got there the ran out of hamburgers we paid no attention cause we thought there would be more options. Nope. Hot dogs and French fries at the snack bar when the have and if you don't mind the roaches climbing all over the bar. Secondly the have a hot wings station that wasn't hot enough to fully coo [... read more]k the wings that were poured out of a bag over the grill along side/ on top of cooking chicken. No options at breakfast on only two cooking surfaces for the whole resort If u just want a beach and pool this is the place. Bring cup of noodles condiments snacks and pepto. Only way I would ever do this trip again if the 12 friends I went with were all sent back with me for free. Don't try any of the restaurants they all share the same roach infested kitchen the people in the hotel are amazing.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Resort is average !

Hotel is nice and clean ,my room was close to the beach,buffet ,pool and other entertainment facilities what happened daily we loved ! Food was fair everyone can find something to eat ,but we can see some differences compared to previous years i been shocked no bread for the whole day ,not eggs for the breakfast (several days) we stayed 12 days but you can always find something ! Only thing i like to tell for management it's dirty dishes and glasses !

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Needs work

First time at an Iberostar, and will not be going back to any of their properties - 5 Star, was more like a 3 star. We wanted to try this group and thought this location, Coral Level Cayo Coco Esmerelda was a good option, lots of positive reviews... Resort was clean needs updates in some areas - for a year old, the buffet area needs an update in decor, something more modern, lighter summer colours Food was not at all like a 5 star - more like a 3 star - bar was not stocked well and ran out of  [... read more]beer, wine , sparkling wine. No soft drinks, no juices, ( tang for oj), no bottled water for a half day, limited liquor & Specialty drinks, Pina coladas, daiquiris were improvised with their own concoctions...the food was very limited, breads, cheeses, "salad bar" and grill were best options. Al la Cartes were disappointing...Italian had two pastas which they also serve at the 24 hr snack bar, and a lasagna which was OK. No chicken until our last night, at the Mediterranean, which was pretty good. 24 hr "snack" bar had good pizza and burgers & fries, but get there early as they ran out often....beach bbq daily at 1 was good when they had it, but the BBQ it self needs to be replaced, is VERY rusted...beach bar was pretty good for beer, and sometimes lead a good Pina colada The lobby bar at night was amazing with the piano player, saxophone player & violin player. The staff are amazing and did their very best, thank you to Juan Carlos, Beatriz, Hindrian, Alejandro, Lixander, life guard Denny. The house cleaning staff were very friendly and did an amazing job. Overall, we would NOT recommend this resort to anyone, unfortunately.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Canadians must read ...

The property is beautiful, and the rooms are modern, HOWEVER, If you stay on the ground floor you will sleep with bugs.. we got moved to the third floor and found the bugs weren’t as bad. There were a lot of ants, mosquitoes and other small bugs in the room and completely unrelated to bugs, but we also found toenail clippings in the corner of our room. They cleaned the room but still didn’t clean them up, it seems they only make the beds and don’t clean anything else. They have 2 al a  [... read more]carte restaurants, Cuban and italian, and allow 2 reservations per week. They were both okay. The buffet was hit or miss, some days they would have food options and other days it was like grasping at straws trying to put a meal together, and even then it was average at best. There is a food shortage, so given the circumstances it wasn’t THAT bad, but like I said, some days were better than others. There is also a snack bar by the main pool that serves food all day, the pizza was great, but it isn’t always available and sometimes you would need to wait over an hour. The night snacks you had an option of fish, pork or a cheeseburger, the cheeseburger always comes undercooked, so I suggest asking for it well done. The bars were below average with limited selection. 1 type of beer, a few spirits, no sodas, and slow service. The frozen drinks came very watery and not thick and milky (Pina colada) or thick and icy (daiquiris). The wifi is strong when it works but can be very inconsistent and dodgey, it works on the beach and by the pools most times and in the room sometimes, but does not work in the lobby. You also get a slip of paper with your wifi login and you need to go to the front desk every 3 hours to re-activate the wifi. The beach is nice. White sand and turquoise blue water. There was a lot of seaweed but I think that washed in with the rain and they had workers slowly removing it over the week. The water is shallow and wavey, it was pretty windy when we were there. The amenities were lacking, it’s advertised there is a spa and water park. There was neither, we thought it might be at the coral section but we were told we couldn’t go there. The gift shop was terrible, they had corn flakes, candy, toothpaste and cigars. It was the size of a closet and only 3 people could squeeze in at a time. The service was very slow and we often felt like a last priority. 95% of the people at the resort were Russian and it was very clear they were favoured and top priority. The staff were younger (I’m only 30) and spoke more Russian than they did English. Some spoke zero English. One day I was at the front desk renewing my wifi and a Russian man aggressively came up beside me and talked over me to the agent to get helped first. The desk agent gave him his full attention and I was then ignored. When I called the man out and asked if I was invisible, he blatantly ignored me and continued talking to the desk agent, I then raised my voice and repeated myself and he mumbled something in Russian under his breath and the agent rolled his eyes and laughed. He then asked the man if it was ok to help “the lady” first… even though I was speaking to him first and we were there for the same purpose. I would like to point out, my friend and I are two females in our early-mid thirties and were very positive and happy / friendly toward everyone, very polite to the staff, not causing problems or making various requests. We are very low maintenance, and we had been tipping everywhere. So in a nutshell, this hotel is far from a 5 star and is closer to a 3 star. If you are Russian you will get better treatment and if you are Canadian I would probably just stay away all together. If you are looking for an updated room and a nice beach and don’t care about service, food, entertainment, drinks or being harassed and bullied by Russians then you might be ok with this hotel. I personally will never come back, and for an Iberostar it is an embarrassment to the brand (even for Cuba) At the airport we spoke to the other Canadians and they all had the same experience - poor service, entitled and aggressive Russians harassing them, bad food and feeling unsafe. Pros: modern rooms, beautiful lobby and property, amazing pools Cons: bugs in rooms, terrible food, terrible service (unless you’re Russian), no amenities (spa, casino, water park, water sports etc), entertainment catered to Russians (Russian music and Russian commentary)

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Iberostar Daiquiri - Cayo Guillermo, Cuba

The hotel was very nice and well kept. The staff were incredible! Everyone was so nice and gave the place a welcoming and relaxed feel. The beaches were beautiful, kilometres of soft sand, and a great place to get in the water and snorkel, swim or even do some diving (Coco Diving Centre was only a couple minutes walk down the beach, and those guys were wonderful to dive with, I highly recommend them!!) Overall it was just a great experience, we certainly look forward to going back! The only  [... read more]downside (being non-smokers) was that there were smokers everywhere. I felt bad for the staff who don’t smoke because a lot of the smokers would hang out around the main lobby and the staff that work there were stuck having to put up with less than courteous smokers. If this place were non -smoking, it would be as close to perfect as you could get!