The Hotel is nicely presented with the gardens immaculate and everywhere clean and spotless, thanks to hardworking staff.
Food was good and with a good variety in the buffet. Also try the speciality restautrant -Japanese it is great.

Although I have to say that on the fourth day of our stay my wife and I went down with a stomach bug (food poisoning!) for three days. We cannot pinpoint what caused it and we did only eat in the hotel. The doctor sorted us out with some medicine. We had to trek down to the medical room as our phone was not working!
After we recovered we only ate hot cooked food (no salad) and noticed more flies in the buffet restaurant (on cold food, plates, cakes) In the Pool restuarant there where also numerous birds attracted by food left on the tables. Although the staff did their best to move it quickly.

The Beach is fine white powder sand and has shallow clear water. Really beautifull.

The room in the brochure looks really bright, although ours was dull but it was clean and we did not have any creapy crawlies except for some tiny ants that where coming in. Dealt with by spraying. Watch out about 8.20pm as a guy goes around the grounds of the hotel with a fumigator machine.

The entertainment was I have got to say-dire. Mimed acts with blaring tinny music in the theater. Also annoyingly on the beach they played loud music around 11am and at the pool also.
They best was in the buffet with 'Cafe Maracas' putting on a show.

If you go out for the bus turn right but you will have to pass the sewage pit of the hotel. It really stinks to hell. They don't tell you this in the brochure.

While we where there a great number of Canadiens arrived for several weddings at the hotel. I've never met Canadiens before. They all seemed very jolly and very LOUD. Perhaps they thought they where in a movie. And they loved their BEER.

Anyway overall I would rate this hotel as a four star. All the staff we encountered were exceptional and polite. Well done.

We stayed at the Iberostar Varadero between 16th-30th June 2008. Reviews on Trip Advisor helped make our final decision to book two weeks before travelling.

Firstly be careful that your suitcases are not over weight as you will be charged both in England and Cuba. We were disappointed with the Thomas Cook in-flight entertainment which compared to other long haul flights was very poor, also unless you already have the double style connector they charge £2.75 for headphones.

Arrival at the airport in Cuba was not as stressful as expected. One tip: if you want a better exchange rate, you can use the bank at the airport. Once you have got your suitcases go to the departure side of the airport and you can exchange Sterling to CUC before you get on your bus, it’s handy to have some coins to give as tips. We got 1.73CUC to £1. Transfer time was 20mins. Check-in was very quick, we were in block 10 which is close to the lobby so very handy for everything. Our balcony like most others overlooked gardens, not many rooms have sea views. The rooms were a good size, nicely decorated, very comfortable and cleaned every day. We never got to meet our maid but she did a grand job so we left a few gifts and a tip at the end of our stay. The complex itself was immaculate and always free from litter and the Gardeners kept everything neat and tidy. We gave them the beers out of our mini bar each day and they were very appreciative.

The buffet and speciality restaurants served good quality food and the waiting staff could not do enough for you. We had no complaints at all; our favourite was the Japanese restaurant, in our 2 weeks stay we went three times, it is well worth a visit just for the showmanship by the chef. Bars serve locally produced alcohol but branded names such as Gordons, Jamesons and Baileys are available if requested and tipping the bar staff now and again usually helps. I took Jack Daniels with me as they didn’t have a local substitute.

The beach isn’t very wide in places but we never found it a problem, there are plenty of sun beds and umbrellas and you get free use of the water sports. It looks like they were clearing back some of the bush land in between the hotel and the beach to make improvements. The hotel pools were kept clean and in good condition and if you wanted to get away from the daily entertainment programmes which can get quite noisy, you can use the separate quieter pool or the small spa pool. Sun beds are plentiful and daily beach towels are provided so if your suitcases are heavy don’t bother taking your own. Every night the “star friends” also put on themed shows in the theatre which are well presented.

We went on the Havana by Day trip with a tour guide which cost 67CUC each, it was very informative and enjoyable. You can also do the same trip but with an over night stay and a show for 165CUC each. The only other trip we did was the Boat Adventure which was driving your own two man speed boats or Aqua Ray through the mangroves at 39CUC each. If you want to explore Varadero you can also get on an open top double decker bus for 5CUC each and this enables you to get on and off when ever you like during the day to visit Flea Markets and shops or like us, just stay on to see the sights which took 2 hours to do a complete circuit.

The weather was excellent, we only had two rainy days at the beginning of our holiday but with the temperatures averaging 35 the humidity is quite intense.

ONLY NEGATIVE: Beware of the mosquitoes; we were bitten every day despite using all sorts of lotions and potions. Daily spraying did take place throughout the hotel complex but it wasn’t very effective.

My family and I stayed at this resort between June 22-29th. 2 adults (40+), myself and my boyfriend (20), and my younger sister (15). It was amazing for all of us. Whether staying as a family or couple, you'll always find something amazing to do.

When we arrived I was a little skeptic about the resort because it looked small (after passing all the other resorts which were many stories high) but it is huge with beautiful grounds! The layout is amazing and I love that it’s not just a huge hotel-like building. The entire resort is covered with hibiscus bushes, palm trees and flowers! The pool was amazing (felt a little warm, but its in Cuban sun). We had to wait a little for our room so we got drinks at the lobby bar, ate lunch and took a swim to cool off. The mojitos are not that good (but I am a bartender, so I'm a little more picky) but you have to try the tigers, adelitas, strawberry milkshakes and blue hawaiians. If you are a vodka lover like me, you can ask for any drink to be made with the alcohol of your choice, which was amazing for me because I hate rum.

The first day at the lunch buffet was so-so because I was comparing it to Mandarin. But we all found something we enjoyed and the other days and nights had amazing for food! You have to keep in mind that its a different country and there are going to be new dishes you've never seen before. However, they always had something for everyone: pastas, pizzas, hamburgers, hot dogs, roast beef, french fries, many kinds of fish, mussels, AMAZING desserts (just like Mandarin crème de caramel, strawberry tarts, fruit tarts, mocha mousse dishes, éclairs, and much more), fresh baked bread and buns, cheeses, fresh fruit (pineapple, mango, passion fruit, watermelon). The presentation is so-so but keep an open mind. They don't grow or import lettuce (so be ready for no salads).

Restaurants
A la carte restaurants were very good (Japanese, Cuban & Mediterranean). We went to Japanese twice and I suggest the Tepanyaki or Teriyaki with chicken. "Sushi" rolls were identical to what you'd find here and tempura (deep fried veggies) was yummy. Get the soy-vegetable soup, sounds gross but was soooooo tasty! Have to get the deep fried banana dessert! Cuban was also very good but a little uncomfortable because its outside and the night we went it was very hot. We got the steak and it was very good! I would suggest skipping the Mediterranean all together if you are not a seafood LOVER. And I stress lover, because its only seafood options, and mostly fish. We got the seafood pasta and the mussels and shrimp were good but the sauce on the noodles was yucky. But worth a try and if you don't like it you can leave and go to the buffet. You can reserve each one once but go to them as often as you'd like provided there is space (tip a buck and you're in).

Beach
Beautiful boardwalk to the beach (refer to pictures). Along the way you pass a snack bar/grill (hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh cut fruit) and a beach bar. The beach was amazing! Go early to get many spots under the umbrellas, but if you are a late comer (we usually got there around 11am), simply ask and look around for some chairs without anything on them and move them yourself. You have to be proactive and ask people and everyone is very nice and relaxed and willing to share space and shade. Don't be shy about this! Its very important to get a spot in the shade because you simply won't survive in the sun the whole time. At least one chair in the shade is important to keep your bag, sunscreen and drinks under. The water was simply amazing, 88-90 F. Paddle boating, catamaran, and snorkeling was fun too! Beach games were held every day for a bottle of a rum, very fun!

Excursions
-Havana+Tropicana ($135 CAN)
If you're adventurous I suggest the Havana trip including Tropicana. This was a long (7am-2am) but fun day! You visit Old Havana, New Havana and Downtown Havana. Beware for beggars and do not accept any help! If you do they expect a tip! For example, coming into Old H we got off the bus and these two young men were following us and drawing us, they expected 1$ for a 10 second sketch. Just don't look at anyone and say no thank you! Don't feel like you are being mean, but if you give in every time, you leave broke! Havana flea market was a horrible time. You get an hour to cruise it. SO HOT and crowded. Everyone is trying to make ends meat and you can't stop at any stand with hearing "Hey pretty lady, price? I give you deal, where you from, oh I love Canada, special deal for you, etc!" There are about 200 stands, ALL repeat themselves and all of them pester you. However, its very easy to bargain and get deals on everything!
The cigar and rum factory was awesome! I got 4 26ers or alcohol and a Cuban for $22!!! Get the cohibas, romeo & juliets or montecristo cubans. DO NOT buy them off the streets!
Tropicana was amazing and worth every penny. Research it to get an idea of what it is. If you get stuck with a spot in the back and there are empty tables closer up, simply ask to move up and they helped us without a problem and we got amazing seats!!! Be proactive, anything is possible in Cuba, especially for $1!
-Cayo Blanco ($70 CAN)
Catamaran trip to Cayo Blanco Island. Very beautiful. Beach was amazing and we were visited by wild dolphins! Bring sun screen! Snorkeling at corel reef was so amazing and my bf found a huge conch shell (cannot keep it though). Water was so warm, but a little greenish.

Entertainment
Nightly entertainment was a little silly (lame) but actually fun. Grab a table with your family and just keep asking the waiter for drinks. Grammy night was very funny! Don't expect much but just sitting there with drinks and music was enjoyable enough.

Resort
Grounds were beautiful. We took nightly walks around the resort and to the beach every night. BEAUTIFUL at night! Gorgeous lighting and atmosphere. Grab and drink and sit on the beach. Bring a camera to take shots of night critters: crabs and lizards. Very neat and harmless. Crabs were the size of melons and they ran away and did not snap at all! Geikos & tree frogs were neat and catchable. Disko was fun too. But you have to find the right night, because some nights there weren't many people at it. Downside: Bar closed at 2am! This was very disappointing! Food closed at 11pm. No chips. If you crave pringles or munch food when you drink, pack some pringles into your luggage (they shouldn't get crushed). You'll thank yourself. A can of them costs app. $8 CAN!

Things to Bring
- Bugspray! Essential! I had 20 bites on one leg! You don't need it during the day at all (too hot for them) but its a must for the night.
- Waterproof camera. A great investment for a worry free trip!
Olympus stylus 850 available at BestBuy with a floatation strap (so it won't sink) and case for $269. BestBuy offers 14 day return policy so if you don't like it after your trip you can return it no problem.
- Evening wear (cocktail dresses, heels, etc). Very nice to dress up and go to lobby bar at night.
- Comfy shoes for Havana excursion (sport flip flops)

*Buy alcohol freely. We had 3 26er bottles each expecting to pay CAN duty. Claimed everything we bought truthfully and paid no duty! Bottles of liquer (blue caracoa, grenadine, pineapple, coconut, etc) were $3 for a 26er. Good rum $6/7.

After we stayed in Havana three days, we were on our way to Varadero after a few stops to drop people of at other hotels we were really happy about how the place looks.

The room was only ready by three in the afternoon, so we had time for a long lunch, the buffet was great. A lot of choice and most important in a closed airconditioned area! Have been to several all inclusive hotels and this one is the best.

The room was nice and clean and we experienced some blackouts, just a minute then everything was working again, the maid wasn't too keen though, refilling the fridge was only refilling the beer, i had to ask for the fizzy water twice and got it once, the number of towels depended on her mood i think, one day is one short, two short, another no clean towels at all, I don't mind tipping, but it's not a pay-it-forward system is it?
But overall the room was clean, only fridge and towel issue...

The three restaurants, japanese was one big show, everything tasted the same, but nice to go to once, mediterranian i don't know, it was nice, but it was just a buffet, the cuban restaurant was the best, even you have to sit the heat and you are sweating over you food, it was best of three.
The best was still the buffet, me as a picky person, I was happy to see all the different choices and not even being a breadperson, there is a great variety of bread, decent bread not the bread"biscuits" the locals have. Once a week it's lobster, once a week seafood( crabs in all sizes),once a week italian(with all the hams) well it was great!

the pool was a nice area, i laughed my head of with the competitions they have regularly... the beach was great, light blue, you can walk pretty far out, but watch out for the pebbles and shells.

Only two remarks:
every night there is a show and the show is really really good, but that area is just a sauna, so i tried one night, I sat at the back, where there is a breeze, but yeah, a breeze comes with a whole posse of mosquitos, I ended up going to the doctor for a shot in my bum, cos the bites were swelling up like crazy. One tip, take vitamin B one week before you leave daily and while you are there.So an airconditioned room for the acts won't be a bad idea.

the bar area, it is just too small, either you go and sit in the sauna and have a drink or you stay in the bar and it is just too small, we would have dinner early so we could get a table at the bar, after 9 it's just packed. So maybe a bigger bar area.

BTW the people who are going to the hotel,there is a really nice girl working in the bar at night,Yanelis, she is great, say hello to her from the little asian who drinks champagne and the tall white guy who drinks caney rum.