Iberostar Selection Varadero reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

4.5 Excellent

  • Cleanliness 4.6
  • Location 4.6
  • Rooms 4.6
  • Service 4.6
  • Value 4.4

11706 TripAdvisor reviews

TripAdvisor users rated this property 5 out of 5

Wonderful place to spend a special birthday.

Horsleyfamily1 (Hornchurch, United Kingdom) on May 09, 2025

We came here for 11 nights over Easter 2024 and it was our first time visiting Cuba so we were very wary on what to expect. The place is perfect, so clean, the staff were fantastic and very attentive. Th...e lady on reception from when we arrived was extremely good and nothing was a problem, she arranged everything the way you would want from a good hotel. We were upgraded to a suite near the gym/beach as the lady said they could see it was my wife's 50th birthday, which was why we were going there as a treat. The room was a lovely size, reasonable sized balcony and fresh water supplied daily. The room also came with a fridge and safe. The pools were very clean and a great size, and there was some entertainment here and there, especially at 4pm when the DJ came to the pool for a party. All the parents and adults got in the pool with there rums and had a party whilst the kids were in the shallow end. There is a pool bar in the main pool and the service was excellent. Variety of drinks were very wide, good beers, lots of rum and different varieties and some cocktails. Down at the beach, which is miles long of white sand and clear blue sky sea, there are lots of sun beds and umbrellas, a couple of beach bars that offer the same drinks and service as the main pool bar. There is a place to get some food at lunch time by one of the bars, food is slightly limited, but still handy of you want something light without leaving the beach. At the other beach bar, there is a great chill out area, where you can sit on some nice comfy chairs and beds and be out of the sun and relax/sleep. Lobby bar, this is the main bar in the evening, very busy but the bar tenders are very good at their job, as with all staff, they really appreciate a tip every now and then and spot a good order of people so they generally service people in the right order. There are lots of drinks to choose form here and even some high end ones that you can pay for. Entertainment: This was a little hit and miss, we found some nights it was high end excellent dancing and singing, and other nights not so good, a little slower and usually done by the day time DJ. The in house entertainment crew that dance and even do pool synchronised swimming, are a great bunch, always practicing during the day and putting on a great show on their nights. Food: Yes, there are issues with a wide choice of food, due to the problem with the US, however, all the food was fresh and a nice choice each day. Bacon, eggs and fresh bread for breakfast, with fruits and juices was a great way to start the day. BBQ meats, rice and salads were the perfect lunch. Evenings were a good selection of fish and meats, however, we did on quite a few occasions have an issue with the two older chefs that were manning the large joints of meat stations. They would have large pieces of Pork or Turkey, but most evenings the meat was raw, you could see the blood coming out as they were carving it and it was such a shame as the meat looked great but I couldn't believe they were happy to serve raw pork, chicken and other meats to the guests. Obviously it just meant we ate something else, but if that meat was cooked properly, then we would have eaten a great evening meal each night. The special restaurants, were not so special. I think these could have been a lot better. The food was fresh and staff excellent, but they could have done a lot more for it to be called Ala Carte. For staff, everyone was very nice and friendly, and very professional. Everything was spotless and they were all smiling. We did have a lady that was the concierge, she was working by the suites on the ground floor, as well as the main concierge on reception. She was excellent and so helpful, it's people like her that make a great hotel. There are many other things I've since forgotten to mention, like the sugar cane press machine they brought into the hotel a couple of times at lunch time. An old fashioned machine crushing sugar cane for you to drink on the beach, with or without rum :) We will be coming back one day.

TripAdvisor users rated this property 5 out of 5

Book it. Worth the extra $$

LukenAnnie (Kars, Canada) on May 07, 2025

We stayed here with our teens. Been to Cuba 10+ times, and we unanimously agreed this resort was the best we've been to. We will return. We longed for nothing. Shortages and challenges were hardly felt a...nd easily circumvented. Our rooms were 1811 and 1812 on the ground level of block 18. Fantastic location close to beach, pool and dinning. Highly recommended. We tipped over $150usd which heightened the already strong service levels. Can't wait to go back.

TripAdvisor users rated this property 5 out of 5

Best bartender

Cass J on Apr 25, 2025

Fernando at the lobby bar makes 5 star mojitos We were told there weren’t ingredients for certain drinks Some bartenders take the extra care to craft cocktails that are still delicious Fernando did a grea...t job Thanks Fernando for going the extra mile

TripAdvisor users rated this property 3 out of 5

Food can be severly improved and Premium Rums in bar are FAKE!

Connector48855084335 on Apr 21, 2025

Overall, the experience can be 50/50 between great and so-so. Been travelling to Cuba for over 16 years so basically I know the drill and what to expect, but had never been to a all-inclusive resort in Cub...a. Overall, the accommodations are nice, comfortable and clean. I know food in Cuba can be complicated, but this is a major part where this place needs to improve. Buffet has lots of food overall but I found it quite hard to find something I liked, not that I'm picky but the presentation, and the taste is overall bland. I ended up just having fruit for breakfast, since even the bread is kinda weird here. The "gourmet" restaurants are ok, but nothing special, sometimes serving the same food as in the buffet, just served in a more "fancy" place. Snacks between buffet hours are scarce! People here are also a flip of a coin regarding their overall attitude, either you meet someone suuuper nice or you get a stone-faced no-sense of humor staff member. One issue I encountered, I am a huge fan of Cuban rum, and was pleased to see the bar had some premium rums to sip at the bar, but to my surprise, ALL THE PREMIUM RUM BRANDS WERE GARBAGE, not the real thing, they all tasted the same, THEY WERE CLEARLY REFILLED BOTTLES with some lower quality rum. Believe me, I know my rum and I was served garbage! I WOULD NOT RETURN to this place, especially because of the food.

TripAdvisor users rated this property 4 out of 5

Beautiful beach, great fun to be had!

Angela O on Apr 19, 2025

Having just returned from a week all inclusive at the resort, please be advised this is more like a four star hotel by European standards. The food is ok but if you love food and like it hot, you might b...e disappointed. It’s very much the same thing every day and lots of queuing if you want anything freshly cooked and hot. The beds were comfortable but we struggled with the sheets and the cleanliness of the bedding, and complained several times of stains on sheets, asking for them to be changed. Showers are not powerful and the toiletries supplied aren’t the best so would advise bringing your own. Toilet facilities inside the hotel were ok but lots of out of order cubicles. Outside the hotel, toilets are horrific so cherish the ones in the hotel and make sure you carry a toilet roll as it’s it’s like diamonds over there! Haha! Overall it was a good hotel and the staff are mostly helpful and friendly. The entertainment staff were great fun and different to the standard programmes you would expect. And the beach is beautiful so you won’t be disappointed there!!

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