Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Great hotel

This was an amazing trip to Cuba. The hotel had plenty of food and was right near the beach. The beach was clear and you can see the fish. The service was amazing and staff were kind. The room was a bit dated. But it definitely worth the money and price.

JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar: Worthy of being called Grand

This was a very nice property and definitely 5 star in all aspects. The a la carte restaurants were excellent. Buffet breakfast was very good. Lunch buffet was just ok but the view from the restaurant makes up for it. Entertainment was excellent, both in the theatre but also in the lobby area. Lots of live music and staff to dance and entertain the guests. The golf course was also very well conditioned and fun to play and a good deal at $79 for resort guests. As far as COVID protocols there was  [... read more]signage and hand sanitizer stations around but that was the extent of it from what I could see. The hand sanitizer on the elevator I was using was empty all week.

Hotel Bella Costa: Acceptable accommodations

The rooms were adequate. Water pressure was good. Hot water available on most days. Food was limited. No24 hour options. Grounds were simplistic. Beach was fantastic. Limited activities. Very close to town which is convenient.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Amazing resort

The resort was very beautiful and the beach was amazing. My only complaint is that we had no hot water in our room. I complained every day and they said they would look at it but it never got taken care of.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Not worth the money

I went in 2010 it was amazing 5 stars so we wanted to go back . We went on Jan/02/23 Extremely disappointed - 1 star food sucked the alcohol was dilute there was cockroaches in the in buffet area by the tables were we eat all the restaurants in the resort had cockroaches no food selection every day was the same thing .it our room only once the towels was changed I will never go back and don’t recommend anyone to go!!!!

Iberostar Coral Holguin: Great holiday in Holguin

A truly great experience, everything was the way it was described, we enjoyed every minute. The greeting we received from Junior and how he explained the room and the attention he showed us all week was a very nice touch. The bed was one of the most comfortable I've experienced in Cuba, the room was cleaned everyday by a very thoughtful maid. The shower was the hottest ever and it never went cold!! the shower gel and body soap are in dispensers so no fear of running out,and its eco friendly.  [... read more]The pool was well maintained and the beds and loungers were available most of the time (not crowded) the two beaches were beautiful and always room for everyone, beach staff always willing to help find a spot for you. We enjoyed all the meals both buffet and a la carte, always sometime tasty to eat and the service was excellent, always seemed happy and willing to satisfy. We didn't take in any of the shows as the selection side was extremely busy, there was some nightly entertainment on the Coral level and we very much enjoyed that. We never ventured off the property as we had no reason to, everything was at our resort that we wanted or needed. This is an excellent property to get some much needed R&R and thats what we received, thank you to all the staff for making our time at your resort very memorable, we will be returning again, that says it all :) Kelly & Lisa December 29-January 5th 2023

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Bring your own dinner napkins and toilets papers!

The rooms are clean...the check in was slow... the hotel is very nice but still need lots of improvement's. Was in Cuba many times before so I know what to expect, this time I was disappointed The pool was nice…the hotel property is huge and need lots of walking, we can't catch the shuttle easily...there is a small beach where the water shallow but lots of rocks...we had to walk between 5-10 minutes to the better beach which was nice, caught the shuttle only one time...little bar on [... read more] the beach but no grill or any place where we could bite something for lunch, had to walk back to the buffet basically that was the only place in that big hotel where was possible to eat something during the day...the 24 hrs. snack bar menu was very limited and the food was awful there...tried the ala carte restaurants in the evening it was the same food what had in the buffet so was no point to go there. Had no soda, tonic, juices for week and a half (it was only the diabetic juices which had no taste)…many times no forks end spoon on the tables...it was a little peace of toilet paper for napkins on the tables or sometimes nothing, the VIP section had a proper dinner napkin (that coast $35 US per person for a day)… drinks quality and entertainment was poor. It was a stinky washroom on the beach, but after couple days was out of order and wasn't fixed while our stay...the only availability was walk back to the hotel or use the bush or the ocean. The staff are friendly, polite and helpful of course...we love Cuba and the people we will definitely return but not in this hotel.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Very Run Down

This hotel has seen better days. The weather was beautiful, and the beaches were stunning. But every walkway, building and area is very run down. The rooms need a major update, as the beds are very small. Our room was double beds, but the beds seemed more like a twin size. The bedding is old, and the pillows are old. We didn't have enough pillows the first night, so I slept without one for the first night. We had no hot water in our room. Staff looked into it, and decided it was becaus [... read more]e the batteries for the water heater were dead. They didn't have replacements. Since our kids were also on our floor we declined being moved to another building and would shower in our other room. Our room was also very musty. The first desk staff are mostly rude and hurried. It took over an hour to get checked on the first day. They would also only give you one room key, as they are having supply issues with key cards. This made it hard for my family of 6. You are given free wifi, but after the time is up, you need to return to the front desk to ask for more. The front desk always seem annoyed when we asked for more time. The buffet was passable. It was the same food served all week long. Choices were very limited, but I think this is normal for Cuba. There were often no clean plates, so you had to wait for them to bring out more. Often the plates looked dirty. The staff serving the food were kind and polite. At the tables they didn't offer spoons, so each meal I would track down a spoon to feed my younger child that required a spoon. I think this is a suppy issue. they are running short on many things. The snack bar was not good. They offered french fries and plain hamburgers. Served from a very messy-looking area. No condiments, no toppings. Just a bun and meat. I was most disappointed with the entertainment. There were absolutely no activities for teens and children. There was a large chessboard, a ping pong table, and a pool table. There was no attempt by the staff to engage the children at all. they had a volleyball net at the beach, but they did not have a volleyball.

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Très beau resort

j'ai adoré cet endroit c'était ma première fois au tainos. A proximité de tous pour les personnes qui n'aime pas marcher la bouffe rien a dire et le staff super gentil et serviable. Le seul chose se sont les chambre surtout les salles de bain qui aurait besoins de rénovations

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Amazing Place that needs minor improvements

We liked everything about the rooms and amenities. The staff were hardworking, nice and pleasant but I would like some improvements on the following:- 1. If there is no toilet paper in a public toilet then a note should be written to notify the public. The public toilets are many around the reception area so just redirect people. The reason is that as a lady it’s embarrassing to use the bathroom and realize half way there is no toilet paper. 2. Food hygiene should be number one priority. It [... read more] maybe hard due to the open buffet style but have a glass protector to prevent dirty hands and flies. 3. The Wi-Fi is very unreliable. The fact that you have to call the reception all the time to give you more hours that disconnects 5 min later. Most of the time no one handles the call at the reception for assistance. The username and password is very long and can’t be saved and you have to retype frequently to login. It is very exhausting when the network is very poor.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Loved it!

We travelled as 2 families over the Christmas holidays. We were very fortunate with Air Transit. 2 hour delay on the way there and half an hour on the way back but we got our luggage unlike West Jet and Sun Wing! I've been to this resort 3 times now. The grounds are beautiful and proximity to the pool and beach are real assets. We had a pool view room which was a great perk for booking early. Lots of choices for food. Always pork, fish, chicken and beef on the buffet line as well as at the gr [... read more]ills. We had omelettes everyday. 24 hour snack shack provided lots of ham and cheese sanwiches and fries. Ice cream stand was a nice daily treat too. 4 a la carte restaurants provided great service. Japanese is always a front runner followed by Italian, Romantico and Cuban. Delicious and nice to have table service. Bring a deck of cards as sometimes it's hard to fill the time in between dinner and the show. The lobby is spacious and grand and it carries out to a large, beautiful patio. We all enjoyed stretching on the beach, dance lessons, beach volleyball, ocean swims, ping pong, pickleball on the tennis courts (brought our own paddles).... Cuba's beach and ocean can't be beat. Turquoise water and white sand. The animation team works hard to get people involved in games and contests, but you can be as lazy or active as you want. Lots of shade available in the huts at the beach. Not much shade at pool area. Fun in the sun! Miss the palm trees and Pina Coladas already.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Meh

In one word, I would have to say the resort experience here was underwhelming. I had never travelled to Cuba and though I was lowering my expectations, so to speak, from other all inclusive resorts, this resort was simply “okay”. Our room was clean enough and stocked with necessities (hand soap and toilet paper). The patio door did not lock though being on the third floor it wasn’t too much of a concern. Not enough loungers by the pool - many were “reserved” in the evenings by p [... read more]eople placing a towel and a rock on them. Pools were a generous size and the boardwalk/beach area was beautiful, though again, lacking in seating. You could walk out in the ocean quite a ways and it was definitely the highlight of the resort. Wifi available in the lobby only and this was very spotty at best. Food wasn’t labelled in the buffet, the variety of beverages was lacking and there were always constant lineups. Waited in line for everything! Only one food option available during the day - when the buffet was open the snack bar was closed and vice versa. Would often order food at the snack bar and after 20 mins or so, would still not have received our order. Constantly running out of food (fries and hot dogs). Very limited options at the snack bar. Again, a lot of waiting! Could never get a towel poolside…recommend you bring your own. Could only book one a la carte and the food quality was simply fine. The resort “shop” sold not much more than cigars and cigarettes, so pack your necessities and change of clothes/footwear in your carryon in case your luggage is lost/delayed. Playa Pillar beach was stunningly beautiful and a short walk away. While it was nice to get away from the frigid Canadian winter and spend time with the family, the resort services were just “meh”.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Christmas vacation

Was pleasantly surprised with the food, but 24 snack bar was dirty and had obvious roaches everywhere. Rooms were dated but clean, common areas clean, but furniture in rough shape. Limited entertainment.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Disappointing

Terrible experience. Food is poor, same every day, hard to get food between meals. Buffet is disorganized, not enough tongs, guests are generally rude and push you around. Not enough pool/beach chairs for the number of guests. Smoking EVERYWHERE, you can’t get a drink from the lobby bar or line up for the buffet without inhaling a bunch of smoke. Grounds keepers are creepy and will peer into rooms when nobody is there, presumably to see what they can steal, they will also try to sell you off b [... read more]rand cigars, etc. if you drink, don’t expect much selection. Coffee is either too weak, the staff don’t even tamp the grinds for espresso so it’s basically coloured water. Pools are okay but small. If you have a bad weather day, there isn’t much to do. There are no trails or anything adventurous much to do in the area unless you want to spent a fortune on an excursion, there’s one road with a bad camber, it’s safe to run on but gets boring quick. Would never go back here, and definitely would not recommend.

JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar: Iberostar Grand Paraiso

Food in a la carte restaurants good Buffet excellent Staff attentive Golf course one of the best we have been a number of times so we know what to expect over time the hotel has changed but overall remains a 4-5 star resort

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Still want to hear about covid?

You ask about "covid"? It is clear you have not moved on, and it shows. Many issues here, none due to covid. I would suggest the TripCentral employees begin to re-learn about their destinations and provide their clients with relevant information. Being misinformed on basic details is an odd phenomenon considering you are our knowledge base for such trips.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Go for the people .. take lots of extras!!

The fantastic people at this resort are like family, we just keep going back to visit. Cubans are simply phenomenal people who will do anything they can to make your trip enjoyable. This is our first trip since 2019, and we’ve travelled to Cuba many times. We have a few important points to share: 1) Do not exchange money into Cuban Pesos. Most places will not accept them, especially inside the hotels. It’s all credit card and billed in USD. They will accept CDN paper money, US paper m [... read more]oney and also Euros, but ironically not their own Cuban Peso. All bills must be in excellent condition, with no tears or issues with the bills or they won’t except them 2) CUC or Cuban convertible pesos are no longer accepted and won’t be exchanged. The new Cuban Peso also won’t be exchanged back into any currency once converted. 3) There is exceptionally little to buy on the resort. Their gift shops have rum, coffee beans and tonic water that is basically it. All other essentials MUST be taken with you. You can’t buy sunscreen, potato chips or cookies. There is no food for purchase anywhere on the resort. 4)The food choices post COVID are very limited. As repeat customers we know not to expect Canadian style food, however this time even we were challenged with the food. There is also no longer an in room coffee maker, and also no in room mini bar. It’s all been taken away .. a coffee machine can be “ purchased for 600 pesos a day and you get 4 coffee capsules and sugar. One glass litre bottle is refilled with purified water and replaced daily. 5) Paper goods are in very limited supply. Take Kleenex tissues and even some toilet paper, as you will get one roll. The Iberostar Selection Varadero is one of the better resorts in the Varadero strip and we struggled a bit with these changes. I can imagine that lower star resorts are even more impacted!! Luckily I’m a very prepared traveller, so our trip was comfortable as I took many extras. They’ve expanded the beach during COVID and it’s simply wonderful!! The Cubans can’t access much so please take things with you to give away like sneakers, ladies black shoes, nylons, socks, children’s clothes, health and beauty items and chocolate or cookies. Anything you can take with you is very much appreciated as they share with their entire community!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Below expectations

I found most aspects of this resort to be below standard or at least below expectations. From the start, the hotel reception staff seemed indifferent and often bothered that we had arrived. Simple requests, like requesting a bottle of water, having wifi activated in the room, etc, were returned with furrowed brows and no response. No one took the time, to show the resort but pointed to the map drawing (illegible) propped on a dirty display on lobby counter. Was given a key and had to figu [... read more]re out where the building and room were. We had to wait 24hrs for the next scheduled Sunwing rep appt session in order to get some perspective on the resort. At which time he really only offered ppl info on what to do if you’re traveling outside the resort. Rooms were dated and dirty. Maintenance staff were inconsistent, walk through rooms in dirty outside shoes, didn’t always change sheets/towels and spent a lot of time yelling at each other across rooms and buildings. The resort was very noisy all day with constant 90’s dance music playing at all times. Food was mediocre and service and service same. The lady who booked dinner reservations was unhelpful, didn’t speak English and petitioned me to buy Canadian coins, twice. All went from average to worse, following the delayed flights at the end of vacay.

Iberostar Waves Tucan: Amazing trip

The resorts and grounds were immaculate and well kept. Staff very friendly. Food was great and lots of choices! The most pleasant surprise was the natural jungle in the middleof the resort, and all the wild animals you get to see. Wake up service by peacocks on the balcany!

Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: A Good Resort

This was a good resort, have been to 4 other resorts in the Mayan area ( twice at one). This resort offers all the standards that most resorts offer. The staff were fantastic, wish I could remember everyone’s name. Having a water and ice dispenser in each block of room was very nice. The buffet was good but on the smaller side and pretty repetitive but as I said was good. Pool games were okay, I really enjoy pool volleyball and it was tough to get games going when the volleyball net was at a d [... read more]ifferent pool than the activity pool. One thing I did not care for was not having access to the other resorts connected to the resort. We have stayed at other resorts that have multiple resorts in one and could use their amenities, except the private sections. The Star Cafe and the ice cream shop at the mall were a nice treat. I don’t want to discourage people from checking it out for themselves but I would probably not return.