Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: TYPICAL CUBA

Hotel: This hotel/resort was ok, but Iberostar Corporate office needs to take notice of it. Definitely starting to show its age, shower drains need to be cleaned out throughout the resort as an example. Work needs to be done on the buildings to bring them more up to speed with what Iberostar is promoting their standards to what its hotels are at. Food: Visited at the end of October, so end of the low season. Some things were available in abundance, such as pork in a variety of styles, sal [... read more]ads, cheese and vegetables. Hit and miss on other meats like chicken and beef. The only fresh fruits that were available were pineapple, guava, but lacked any other fresh fruits, not even bananas, which are grown there. Beach and Pool: Beach was amazing, even though it was too windy to enjoy some days. Loads of room at the pool, no searching for lounge chairs at all. Enjoyed it almost every day. Pool bar could have used a roving server. Restaurants: Buffet had an excellent variety of items to choose from, never went hungry. The A la Carte restaurants were alright, the property used two locations to serve the Gourmet, Italian and Cuban dinners. Rotated the venues, mind you, since it was low season, not all of the resort staff were employed at this time, makes sense. Staff: Absolutely Amazing! All of the staff from the buffet, restaurants and bar areas were almost bending over backwards to keep us happy which was greatly appreciated with return friendship to them, and the tips we gave didn't hurt either *chuckle*. Also, kudos to the transfer bus service. Fantastic service with both the drivers and reps both in and out of the resort. Would we go back, maybe when the economic situation stabilizes and starts getting better. Have to wait and see what the future brings.

Blau Varadero: I liked resort.

Beautiful hotel building, large area. Nice big rooms, liked the public areas. The dining room and menu could be much better for such a resort for selected persons. I didn't like the service on the beach. Special thanks to the massage therapists of the spa salon, show artists and restaurant staff who cooked dinner, and the maids who cleaned the room.

Starfish Jibacoa: Good resort

I love the resort but the pools need new liners plus the cement is very dirty and never washed like it was before a lot of garbage and plastic glasses laying on the ground at pool. The locals on the wee yard very inconsiderate butting in line and just throwing their garbage wherever it landed. The people on the resort are amazing work hard and very friendly and sweet.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Vacation Bliss !!!

It’s all about the people. We were made to feel welcomed right from the moment we stepped on the bus from the airport to hotel. Nothing was too much trouble for the team at the hotel. The Hotel was well run, clean and comfortable. Our Room was well appointed with easy to adjust air conditioning, clean and comfortable towels and linens. Regular serviced by friendly maids. The Entertainment was exactly what we wished for, high quality musicians, singers and dancers offering a good selecti [... read more]on of Cuban culture and music as well as international. We just loved the music and atmosphere in the bar in the evening. The food was tasty and plentiful. Just remember you are visiting a foreign country, food may be prepared, look and taste different. The Beach was beautiful and although we visited for 2 weeks ‘out of season’ the weather was bliss. Just be ready for ‘liquid sunshine’ falling from the sky a couple of days. On those days you can visit Havana or Varadero. We would recommend the catamaran day trip. Beautiful scenery, fun crew, just sad that the reefs were bleached with very few fish or coral. We look forward to returning!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Cuba Resort

Hotel was clean and staff were friendly. Hotel was a little dated but clean. The grounds around hotel had a lot of palms laying on the ground and sometimes garbage bins were overflowing and needed to be emptied more frequent. We had two days with cold water but it was fixed afterwards. Restaurants were good and food was decent. Entertainment was varied and good even though resort was only operating at low capacity. Beach was beautiful and clean and pool area was fantastic with great bar and some [... read more] activities.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: not a 5 star

6 of us went in October 2023 and the grounds were nice and the pools were clean. The rooms were not as promised in the website. There was no coffee maker in the room there was no soda or beer in the fridge either. Our room didn't even have a dresser to put our clothes in so we lived out of our suitcases all week which was very disappointing. The shower head holder was pointed at the opposite wall and spayed water all over the place. We had to hold the shower head to shower (when there was h [... read more]ot water which wasn't very often). The food was good (what there was of it) we were told they were at 1/3 capacity so all 300ish people were eating at this super small buffet that turned into an a la carte at night with 3 options to choose from. They ran out of cola OFTEN as well. The staff was very friendly. If you go to the Japanese restaurant I hope you get Raphael as your chef he was amazing and the food was great!! I am not sure that we would go back to this resort.

Starfish Jibacoa: Amazing

Love this resort,been there 26 times,staff is wonderful.people are friendly.love the bungalows.lots to eat and drink,its like our own little village.but need to do some upgrades on the rooms inside.my only complaint is that there is a lot of garbage in areas.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Nice resort

The hotel itself is nice. Our room had no hot water. Constantly running out of Pop ! No pop or beer in our room. Only 1 day when we mentioned it to the manager. Because the resort wasn't up to capacity the main buffet was closed. The buffet they used was small. Not much fresh fruit or veggies. The Japanese Ala carter was awesome. They do cater to those who are celiac. You just have to let them know!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Pleasant Trip - Oct 23

Value for price - very good! The resort is easy to navigate, clean and well kept. The people were amazing, always going the extra mile to help and with a smile. The rooms a little tired but very clean and the beds comfortable. Water pressure in the sink low, but the shower was good. The beach - great!!!! The pool, very nice and cleaned daily. Always a lot of food but there are shortages, i.e. limes and sometimes cola. The buffet had a reasonable variety of pork, chicken and fish a [... read more]long with salads, lots of cheeses and breads and pasta. The snack bar had sandwiches, fries and pizza - all good. Again, very good for the price. Piano Bar - GREAT! They make a wonderful cappuccino in the morning and lots of fun in the evening. The ala carte restaurants need a little help with their menu but the staff very good. Would recommend the Italian. When we were there the resort was no more than half full so we always had our choice of lounges at the pool or the beach. This is a resort where you can have a good time, learn the salsa, pool dancing, beach games or just relax.

Blau Varadero: Amazing Stay

Our stay was very nice. The hotel is amazing It is located near beach, the architecture is stunning White sand beach is long and beautiful Programs and activities were well organized Staff was friendly and helpful

Starfish Cuatro Palmas: Amazing resort!

Everything was top-notch - the food, the service, the friendliness of stuff... Will be back soon! Everything was top-notch - the food, the service, the friendliness of stuff... Will be back soon! Everything was top-notch - the food, the service, the friendliness of stuff... Will be back soon!

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Fantastic Family Friendly Resort in Cuba!

This was our third time in VARADERO and 1st time at this resort and we are incredibly pleased! The amenities, the staff, rooms and food were all perfect and to our satisfaction. It’s true, you pay for what you get! The biggest impression was from the towel bar, the staff there remembered our names the very last day and we had not mentioned them after our 1st encounter on the 1st day! To me that speaks volumes! The resort felt like a little community by both the guests and staff. I hope this r [... read more]eview helps you with your choosing.

Melia Las Americas: Great Resort

We enjoyed our Stay at Melia Las Americas. Food is excellent, service is really good and rooms are very clean. We were upgraded to their Level Area which includes a private pool, beach, bar & breakfast. A la Carte restaurants are excellent and we enjoyed them except for one. For Golfers - this is a great resort walking distance to the golf course. We suggest booking your tee times ahead of time - Golf course has a great layout & has it’s own challenges. All in all we would rate this Hotel 4.5 [... read more]****

Melia Marina Varadero: Nice, but...

Let me start with the good part. The room was bright and spacious and overlooked the pool and sea! Great! Food was OK. But... there were quite a few shortcomings which I will list here with the hope that the management will improve sooner rather than later considering a hotel of this calibre. First - the toilet roll holder was broken when we checked in and never replaced. The toilet roll (cheapest quality) was placed on the trash can or on the flush tank. The bathroom door was splitting open a [... read more]t the bottom and not fixed. Most hotels, of lower rating, that we'd visited over the years had a kettle and coffee/tea in the room. Nothing here. The mini-bar fridge only had one beer - no soft drinks (pop) at all anywhere in the hotel. Management and standards should be improved. I do understand that the economy is bad and tourism scarce, but with so many hotels along the coast one has to do better to entice tourists now that the peak season is starting. Also, most staff do not speak English. How do you expect tourists to be taken care of properly? Thank God for Google Translate! Housekeeping and restaurant staff were pretty nice.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Iberostar Belle Vista Varadero

This hotel is about 30 minutes from the airport. First impression walking into hotel lobby was wow! Beautiful view of ocean with a large upper deck. Friendly staff. Beautiful beach, Two large swimming pools, one with swim up bar. Great kids area with two pools. The grounds people keep the place looking great. Lots of lush, beautiful plants and trees. Snack bar, one main Buffett and three a-la-carte restaurants. Room was large, bed was pretty comfy, free safe in room. Bar fridge, but they donâ [... read more]€™t stock it. You do get bottled water in your room everyday. Room smelt a little musty but I brought air freshener and after having the air conditioning on the smell was gone after a day or so. After reading reviews and first time to Cuba, I always found something to eat and I didn’t miss ketchup or mustard, haha. Would I go back, maybe but I think I would book the prestige with a swim out room. You also have access to an 11th floor buffet and bar area, which I heard from other guest was very good. Overall this hotel is good value for your money

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: The service makes this resort so worth it!

Pros Star prestige swim out is a definite must - personal concierge, private dining area, late check out, discounts on spa services and room service. The beach is beautiful (although too rough the week we were there due to weather) The panoramic restaurant and floor has a breathtaking view and nice to just hang out, socialize, enjoy the view, etc. The resort is the perfect size so you’re not walking miles to get from one place to another. The layout is well thought out with one main cor [... read more]ridor leading you to where you need to go. Check in was efficient considering only two people there that late at night, the wait wasn’t too bad. The food at Panoramic restaurant was buffet and a la crate for breakfast and lunch and fully a la crate at dinner with a different menu daily. The rooms are immaculately clean and very spacious. Our king size bed looked more like a bed for two kings - it was gigantic. The grounds are well kept and quite beautiful with lush trees and vibrant flowers. Always someone maintaining the property and ready to hand out flowers to all the ladies. One of my favourite things about this place was all the Spanish music everywhere you went. Felt like you were on vacation in the tropics vs having silence like most resorts do in certain areas. I The #1 pro of this resort is the service. Everywhere you went, you were greeted with a smile and greeting. Everyone at the ready to serve and remembering the small things, making you feel truly valued as a guest. Although we were Star Prestige, we did venture to the general buffet and a la cartes and the service was equally incredible regardless of where we went. Our concierge Diana was simply the best. Check in daily to make sure we had what we needed. She was super helpful when I needed medical care for a sciatic nerve outbreak and went the extra mile to get us a later checkout due to my lack of mobility. Super friendly and always ready with a smile. She really made our week all the better. No idea how she manages every star prestige guest with the same level of amazing service and a smile. Cons While commendable for Iberostar to go green, no paper access to menus or daily activities caused some hiccups although not deal breaking. We had some rain while we were there and floors had to be squeegeed but unfortunately done down the elevator shaft, making the elevator to the 11th floor inoperable. There was a shortage of pop (all over Cuba) as well as some of the beer kegs. This is not on Iberostar as the entire country is suffering shortages. The food was repetitive on all vegetables - the exact same vegetables cooked the exact same way, leaving zero variety to try something different day over day. The Italian a la carte was not Italian by any stretch. Tomato based pasta was made with barbecue sauce and not tomatoes. It was disgusting. While Cuba does suffer shortages of food, there is always something to eat. It would help if they knew some other recipes to bring more variety to guests. The lounge chairs need to be tightened as most had a gaping drop in the middle making them super uncomfortable. The huts on the beach are plenty but they’re super close together so be prepared to get to know your neighbours. Overall: The service at this place is the main reason people keep coming back. If you’ve been to Varadero and had terrible service, you may want to transfer to this great resort where they treat you like family.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: 7 day stay

Nice grounds, Beautiful beaches, Not bad pool, WiFi was adequate Friendly staff, Maintenance was satisfactory, Meals were repetitive but fine, Not enough activities, Enjoyable evening entertainment, 3/5

Hotel Los Cactus: Nice resort!

I have been in this hotel 2 times before Covid and now it’s way different. There are very few entertainment programs and activities, the music ends at 11-12 pm, as for food, this is a separate issue. The hotel and staff are very good and friendly. Clean and large rooms.

Starfish Varadero: Superb Resort

This spectacular resort called STARFISH VARADERO Is the Complete Package. The food is Exceptional with a Large variety of dishes to choose from. The staff are Incredible and always aim to please the clients. The grounds are very well kept, Rooms are clean and inviting. Entertainment is bar none super with different shows every day of the week Truly an Amazing Experience awaits one and all including an ocean of Turquoise blue waters and beautiful clean sandy Beach. Come on take the plunge you wi [... read more]ll not be disappointed

Playa Vista Azul: Nice rooms, but

You can’t beat the beaches in Cuba however the food is definitely nothing to write home about. The people are amazing, The wait staff at the a la cartes were amazing. For a “5” star resort, they didn’t have any bandaids. I would definitely try a different hotel next time.