Iberostar Origin Bella Vista

Staff was nice , always helpful. Food was ok need to improve [Details]

Our initial room did have some ants, but since it was our honeymoon they changed our room and upgraded us to prestige. Beds were very comfortable and AC worked well. The general buffet had a great selection and the ALaCarte restaurants were good [Details]

Check- in was easy and received assistance with our luggage for all 8 of us (4 rooms). Although our room location was the most ideal and convenient to the beach, the room was falling apart. The cabinet drawer as i opened it to place my cloths in feel apart and was not able to use it. Our safe was broken and never got fixed. Our shower self feel down and the rain shower didn't work. But the most concerning was that our room door did not lock at all. Thankfully we were with other friends who had rooms next to ours and used there safe.
The other 3 rooms also experience similar issues, with the shower and things broken, but a big issue for one of the rooms was that the AC did not work. We mentioned this to the front desk but it felt like this was a known issue.

As a prestige client, we had access to the 11th floor restaurant which was better than the main buffet. Im not a picky person and have been to cuba main time but the main buffet was horrible with very few options. [Details]

During our stay we noticed dark stains on all the towels and bedding. It seemed to be an issue with the laundry machines. Hallways were not swept and the same dead insects and hair would be there for days. The wifi and internet connection were very unreliable. They would run out of types of food such as chicken and all bread products. They were running very low on toilet paper and we had to ask to have some brought to our room, even after housekeeping had just cleaned our room. [Details]

4.5 star. ⭐️Check in/aut was fast. Room, bed, towels was clean. We had fridge and 2 bottles of water. There was a humidity smell, but we had Ac on at all time and opened balcony to refresh the room. Hot water worked all week, but key cards didn't work several times. I learned to ask cleaning ladies to open the room. Very good buffet we had everything fresh fruits and vegetables, fish meat, great choices of cheeses and even nice hamon. Ice cream yummm. Great entertainment program, I played volleyball, had lesson with tennis couch [Details]

Speaking about the Star Prestige adult only section. This upgrade is so worth it. A la carte restaurant for breakfast, dinner and supper. The staff at the Star Prestige restaurant and bar are wonderful. We had so much fun chatting with them. Special mention to our concierge Diana. She catered to our every need with professionalism and made our stay so very carefree and enjoyable. Also Deglis, hotel manager, is a gem. Very kind and professional. We miss all the wonderful people that made our stay so much fun. Even with the economic crisis happening in Cuba we never went without and i highly recommend the upgrade. The beach is stunning as per most beaches in Cuba. Looking forward to our next adventure in this beautiful country. The safety of the island and the people keep us coming back year after year. Till we meet again. [Details]

Rooms need a lot of love and upgrades hallways need renovations, broken tiles and old
Dirty chipped Paint and water damages everywhere, food and cutlery in halls left behind by guest, could be better kept.we picked the Iberostar chain because it accommodates a family of 5 with two connecting rooms. The beach was beautiful the hotel is nice but needs so much work! Out of all the elevators, only one worked and it took on average 5 minutes for the thing to get to your floor! We took the stairs all week 6 stories up, I didnt mind, but for people with mobility issues, it's a pain.Moldy bath, walls,sheets they all have stains,
Smells like humidity and very musty! Air conditioning works ok, had to change room because the unit wouldn't stay on and room was damp sheets needed to be changed because of the humidity and bathroom faucet wouldn't work. Half
Rolls of toilet paper in the rooms, better to bring your own, at least you know who else has used it before you.two glass bottles of water per room, not replenished unless you specifically ask! Sheets were never changed the entire 7 days, towels changed once on demand. We left over 160$ CAD and lots of new clothes,food,school supplies,toys,and basic toiletries/hygeine items every day. It didn't help the punctuality for the cleanliness of our room or the service we would receive in the room…. Food was limited, little to no variety in the buffet, had no eggs,pancakes,or even sliced bread.repetitive items like always same two fruits ( papaya and pineapple)in the buffet all week, same veggies all week, carrots,potatoes only. We had fried tomatoes on occasion. No soft drinks during the week for drinks,limited wine we had white one day and a”rosé” twice during the week. only fruit juice we had was guava and papaya all week, rest was all made from instant powdered sugar ( lemonade and orange juices). We brought our peanut butter, ketchup,toilet paper,towels,cereal bars,candy,cookies,gatorades,apple sauces as we were traveling with children. But we wouldn't have survived the week without the snacks we packed! The site itself is nice,clean pools and up-kept beach, only down side is the same CD playing over and over all day for the 7 days by the pool at a very very loud volume. I love loud music, but one Spanish cd all week blaring at the pool from 10:00am to 6:00pm was a little much they could use more chairs at the pool but there's enough room to lay on a towel. 1 bathroom stall per section was available all week, without toilet paper and toilet seat was mostly optional. So 1 toilet at the pool,1 toilet at the lobby, 1 toilet at the buffet etc, all week. We had to wait very often for the toilet because of this. With a 8 yr old child who unfortunately got a stomach bug on day 2 of our stay,this was a pain in the butt as she couldn't always hold it. Also, no hand soaps in the common area washrooms either! Entertainment,They could've posted more information for the entertainment planed per day, as it was a guessing game all week as to where and when their would even be any entertainment.
Staff was mostly friendly, one certain barman at the lobby bar seemed to hate his job, no table service in the lobby we would wait at the bar to get coffee or drinks. the ladies tending to the washrooms would often ask for handouts, Tylenol,food etc.but they were nice to us and polite. Ladies in the buffet were so sweet and friendly! They would always reserve a table to accommodate our group of 11 people for every meal!

Given the current situation with food I wouldn't recommend or go back until something changes. Even in the city, we went down to the stores to get more snacks and everything was bare and the prices are ridiculous. [Details]

To start - we were looking for a cheap vacation. I knew there were issues in Cuba. We chose to go despite this and kept our expectations very low. I also want to note we are not difficult people. I smile, I greet people, we wait our turn, we say please and thank you and don't get angry at staff.
This will be long. I will mention things that aren't exactly a complaint but others might not like.

Long story short - there was always something cold to drink, the weather was perfect, the beach was beautiful. There was usually something edible. Sometimes it was even really good. We felt safe.
Would I have been happy with this hotel in Canada or US? No. But for what we paid and what we got it was fine. I wouldn't go back to this resort though. If I did, I'd do Star Prestige.
That said I don't think there is a perfect place right now. All hotels are having some issues, some more than others.

We were not star prestige. I have heard better things about their buffet.

The food - We arrived late and ordered pizza from the snack bar. It was 3 small triangle of sauce and cheese (not bad) but the crust was dry and stale. It was so dry it was curved. We worried at that point we made a big mistake.
We went back to the snack bar a few more times. I always had the ham and cheese sandwich. Most of the time it was good. One time the bread was so stale and hard I couldn't eat it. We never tried the pizza again. The pasta looked good.

I am not a breakfast person. I ate breakfast once. There was lots of breads and breakfast pastries. There were no eggs the day I was there and for the next couple. The last couple of days there were fresh eggs.

Lunch buffet - some days I loved it. Some days I ate bread and cheese. You will get some variation of rice, usually black rice and white rice, every day, yucca and maybe squash. There is a pasta station but we always found it cold. They usually cook a protein on the grill in front of you. Could be chicken, could be fish. And there is a carving station - sometimes turkey, sometimes pork or fish.
Sometimes the meat in a sauce was delicious other days I didn't like it.
On one day ate bread and cheese I was getting a piece of chicken cooked when I watched her put raw chicken on the grill and then used the same tongs to handle the cooked chicken. I was done.

They had a beach BBQ set up next to the pool one day. The food was pre-cooked and carved or grilled there. The pork was to die for. I loved the cabbage and the sauce with it. The grilled chicken was also excellent. That was a highlight.

Supper - It was usually the same as the buffet. So if you didn't eat for lunch, you didn't want to eat for supper. We did the a la carte restaurants. We did not like the desserts - that fine we aren't dessert people. The apps we had everywhere good. Italian main was good. Japanese main was tasteless and undercooked rice. Cuban, my partner loved his breaded chicken, I ordered the wrong thing for me. Everyone seemed to love the lobster anywhere. We didn't order it.

Drinks
Water was not an issue. There were two bottles in the room. They replace them when empty. They use glass bottles so you can't grab a bottle of water to take. They will fill a cup for you so take a second container for water if you are a water drinker.
There was vodka one night. No cola the whole week but there was sprite. The juices are bar mix. Like you don't get real OJ in a mimosa.
The pool bar doesn't have a blender. The beach bar does. It can vary between bars what you get. The lobby bar wouldn't have sprite sometimes but the pool bar did. Sometimes you could get mojitos sometimes you couldn't (keep in mind they use lime bar mix and sprite with mint and maybe something else to make the mojito)
And the drinks could vary greatly. Rum punch at the beach bar was red. It was blue at the lobby bar.
The upside was there was always something cold to drink and they weren't stingy with the alcohol. I would have to ask them to stop pouring the rum sometimes.
Pool bar uses paper cups. Bring your own cup. They are small and they get soggy.

The pools/beach

The beach is beautiful. The pools were nice. Everything is close together.
We learned quickly you have to get up early if you want to get a lounger at the pool or in the shade at the beach. They did not put out enough loungers at the pool and I could never find anyone to ask for more. We saw a few arguments over people moving other people's things to take their spot.

There can be issues getting beach towels. I would have brought my own if I knew.

Room
It was fine. There were some stains on the cover for the bed, it wasn't dirty, just white cloth that was stained. The air conditioning worked well.
Bed wasn't super comfy but it was fine.
The shower head was clogged so it only sprayed a bit and then dribbled out the rest. that was my partner's biggest complaint.
One warning - for anyone with balance/movement issues - the tub/shower was high off the floor. You had to make quite a step up/down when getting in or out. The door moved so it was hard to have something to hold on to. I talked to a few people and this seems to be the standard shower. The tiles are very slippery when wet. Some days we had a bath mat, some days we didn't.

Hotel -

It seems a lot of elevators didn't work. The ones nearest the main lobby worked. The ones further out did not. The stairwells further out were not lit. I walked to the end of one building to go down the stairs closest to the snack back and the stairwell was pitch black. I walked back to the main stairwell.
As noted it is small. Everything is close.
The wifi worked well in the lobby. The first couple days we'd get kicked off in our room frequently but at the end it was fine. Talked to another person who said they could only get signal on their toilet.
It did not work at the pool (expect maybe in a couple spots near the snack bar) or beach. It worked at the a la carte but not the buffet.
The wifi was confusing. When opening your phone after being off awhile you would have to go in and connect again. It brought you to the page where you have to put in your username and password. I eventually learned you didn't have to do that every time. Just wait and you'd get a little green box pop up, close it out. Click on the wifi again and you'd be on.

There was often no toilet paper in the public washrooms. I always brought my own. Once in awhile there would be and that was a bonus.

Staff

With the exception of the activity staff and one bartender the rest of the staff were pretty unfriendly.
The guy who checked us in didn't tell us much. I watched a few other people getting checked in another day while waiting to speak with the front desk and they got so much more info that would have been nice to know.
The bar staff were often busy interacting with each other and often ignored people waiting for drinks (yes I tip).
We dealt with the front a desk for a few things - our bathroom sink was stuck closed. It took 4 requests to get it fixed. They told my husband they'd sent something right up. He called an hour later and it was going right up. An hour after that he went downstairs and waited at the front desk for them to go get it.

We do not do shows. we didn't do any excursions.

Overall I/we felt safe at the resort - that's huge. I did not hear of any thefts (I have read comments in other places about things being stolen, even out of the safe).

Cuba overall
We did go to town a couple of times. We even ate at a restaurant in town. it was good. We felt safe (well, riding the top of the double decker bus made me pretty nervous with the swaying).

As I said above - we got what we paid for. The food was a little worse than I was expecting and my expectations were low. [Details]

Week of Feb12-19, 2024. Overall a great vacation, good hotel, great staff, beautiful beach. We were in the prestige section, so my comments about food do not include the main buffet, as we did not eat there.

Prestige: Highly recommend. This allows you to eat in the restaurant on the 11th floor as well as use the bar and rooftop terrace there. At the buffet, you get salads bread ect on your own, but main meal (eggs/meat) the order is taken and brought to you so no standing in line.

Food: the main concern with Cuba at this time: Everything we ate was very good to excellent. Was the buffet repetitive? yes, we had the same types of salad and the same meat choices at lunch, but it was well cooked and tasted great. We had the Cuban and Japanese à la carte and both were good. Big shout out to Deglis, who organized a bday cake (which was simply delicious). Had pizza, hamburger and chicken salad sandwich at the 24 hour snack bar. It was ok, a good plan B when you feel like a snack. On Cuban day, a grill was set up poolside, chicken, ham, ect were served.

Bars: Bar at 11th floor, spectacular view! Basic drinks, coffee and wine. Most days any special drinks (pina colada ect) were not available past noon. Beach bar: great service despite being super busy! beer was low one day so they brought out cans and added ice while the beer was chilling. Lobby bar: so busy and of course as we got into the evening, very pushy guests (a few drinks in) made it hard to get a drink. All bars are closed as of 22h30.

No shows, no nightlife. 20 min away from the city if you want to go out!

Room: We lucked out big time and got a super suite on the 10th floor, ocean view. 2 rooms, 2 bathrooms, jacuzzi and a double balcony. Clean, and kept clean by our awesome housekeeper. Bed linen changed and new towels every day.

Beach: Varadero beaches are as always stunning. It was a busy week, so yes, we were forced to play the towel game by max 8h00 am. Not enough chairs for everyone, lots of latecomers ended up on the sand. However, by noon people start leaving for the pool so chairs became available.

Room for improvement: elevators! 4 available, only 2 worked all week, so slow going when we are talking about 11 floors of rooms. Beach huts are very close together, so everyone is lined up and quite close together. Extra beach huts with more space in between each would give it a less crowded feel. It would be awesome if the prestige had a section of the beach (would be a great selling point)

We headed into Varadero a few times, used a great classic car taxi who drove us, waited and brought us home (email me for info) Two restos that were incredible: Nonna Tina (small intimate Italian) and Terraza Cuba (band, fun vibe with a surf and turf better than any I have had at home)

My only major problem was something the hotel can absolutely not control. Just like the weather, the resort is in no way responsible for how guests act. And while it is unfair to generalize (every nationality has its share of people who have no concept of savoir-vivre) we all know that a certain country can only travel to Cuba at the moment.. unfortunately, a majority of them are entitled, loud, are not very nice to staff - and other guests, as well as complain about just about everything.

Overall a great time. With the prestige we paid 1300 each. Excellent choice in this budget range. Please remember that things are not like at home when you. I for one do not have an oceanview from my living room in Canada, so I enjoy every second and remember how lucky I am to have the opportunity to travel. [Details]

We booked this resort based on the Iberostar name, we have stayed with Iberostar in the past and was looking forward to some or the conveniences that we have come to expect.
The consistencies at this resort was probably our biggest issue and understandably the Cuban government controls alot of what happens....in the week we were at the resort we did not see one "real" EGG....the was little to no soda available and the alcohol was not consistent from one bar to another....The drinks were not the same from bar to bar and you never knew if one Pina Colada was going to taste the same from bar to bar.
We were told this property was built and finished in 2016...there were a number areas that have diminished....chipped tiles and rough interior walls...when we arrived the Shower did not work and the sink did not drain....and three days in the A/C decided not to work....little things that we overcame....out of the 5 elevators it seemed that there was always One or Two not working....got stuck on an elevator a couple of times when it stopped working between floors.....
That all being said....the staff are amazing, they work hard and extremely long hours...Diana the prestige concierge...does an amazing job and is everywhere all of the time.
The beach was great the sand was warm and the pools were very good!
Go with an open mind and understand that CUBA is not perfect!
Go and experience what CUBA is ! [Details]

Love the swimout rooms this was our 4th time at this resort in swimout rooms [Details]

First of all, this is our first time staying @Iberostar, and also first time going away for Christmas, it's obviously not the best place for us because it's not what we expected. Secondly, we got to the hotel late @ night, so therefore upon check in, we got our room and first thing we did was take a shower and for the first night there was no hot water so my kids showered with cold water as we all did so thats a minus point for us. Another problem was the toilet keeps flushing every 3 minutes so we didn't sleep very good every night until our stay was over, we did report it and they stated that they will send someone to fix it but no one came so it was not fixed. Also AC was not working as well but they send someone to fix it and it was fix temporarily because he removed the thermostat from the wall and told me to use the power fuse instead if I want the AC to work at night.
So on the other hand, we met a friend with her 2 kids and she stated that they had no hot water for 3 days and she kept complaining to the guest services and they didn't do anything until my husband complained on their behalf because they had to take shower in our room because we got hot water after a day of complain to them. Thirdly, food was not all that. It is what is expected. I have been to Cuba multiple times and this is the first time I was very disappointed.
Towards the staff, bar stuff, beach staff and housekeeper are all amazing! That's a plus for us. The reception and guest services staff, they were not too friendly, no smile in their faces and every time we tried to talk to them they look miserable like they don't want to be there, but they did what they can do to help. The beach area was great and the kids were happy about that. That was probably the best part of the vacation. [Details]

Nice hotel, beautiful beach and friendly staff. Elevators didn't work consistently so having a mobility issue this did cause a lot of issues. Few public washrooms, which all had stalls that were locked and was different locked stalls daily. Not sure why this would be done. Lobby bar was also coffee bar, although there was the Star Cafe, but it was closed? Too long to order any beverage! Staff were doing their best. [Details]

I personally would never go back to this resort.
I paid way too much for what I got. I thought paying for a 5 star resort I would get a much better experience. This was awful and I couldn't wait to get back home. I was expecting the food to be limited but the service wasn't what I had expected at all. [Details]

The customer service at Iberostar Bella Vista was what makes it stand out. The bar tenders, cleaners, cooks, grounds keepers were all fabulous and made us feel like we were the only people on the resort. Indira particularly stood out - she took care of our group of 12 people and made our vacation stress-free!
If I were to make a recommendation, I'd say that better quality pillows (or more pillows) and bedding would up the star rating for this hotel. [Details]

This is my 2nd stay at IBVV. I have visited Cuba 8 times and came back to this resort because of the staff (and of course the beach!!). In particular, the animation team (mi Hermana Indira at the pool is the best!!), the bar staff and the hard-working people at the buffet grills truly make this worth the stay. The room is clean and the water is hot. Manage your expectations when travelling to Cuba (whether that be amenities, food, or quality of the toilet paper) and you will have a great time!

We are very very blessed to vacation to this beautiful country. Treat each other with kindness, show your appreciation and have fun!! [Details]

The location could not have been any better! Even though we upgraded to an ocean view room (which was incredible!) you could really smell the mold, it was in some corners and on the curtains and air intake vent. We made sure to daily air the room out and keep a/c on all the time! This did help a bit. The majority of the staff was very nice and helpful and friendly, but most of the Bar staff at lobby could take lessons from the others! Not very helpful or friendly. The beach was beautiful but could definitely be cleaned up lots of cigarette butts and broken pieces of plastic cups which I'm sure the tourists should be accountable for as well [Details]

Overall ok but was disappointed with how most of the staff was unfriendly. We had a nice room and good food only because we upgraded. Not too great for those of us that want to stay up dancing as music was turned off at 10 or 10:30. Nice and clean. Good size resort. [Details]

Overall we had a great time with our kids.
Not much food variety. [Details]

Overall, I do not recommend. The food offer is very limited, repetitive and nothing for vegetarian. I understand there is a scarcity of ingredient but the Hotel proprietors should work something out with the governments in order to provide good and healthy food for EVERYONE.

The bedspread was disgusting full of stains and the little couch wasn't much inviting either.

The length of the shower head was too short making it splash so high that I was forced to take a bath.

The hotel is an hours walk from the center of the action.

On the good side The staff are wonderful and always smiling

The beach is great and spacious, just the stupid smokers leaving their cigarette butt in the sand everywhere.

The pool facility is also a great choice plus the water play ground for kids. [Details]

We went as a family of 4 with 2 teenagers, we had adjoining rooms. Our initial impression wasn't great, elevators are slow and not very clean, the hallways and stairwells are dimly lit, walls and doors have water damage because wind blows the rain in from window openings in the stairwells. The furniture Is showing its wear, chair had mould stains on it and bedspread wasn't the cleanest ( we took it off and got a clean one from closet) beds were very hard. The rooms were decent otherwise and had the essentials. Of concern, we opened 3 doors with our room key, as we were in the wrong section of hotel, I was told maybe the doors weren't closed all the way ( they were).
I was prepared to pay to change hotels, my husband and kids wanted to see what a full day was like before changing. Breakfast was just ok, lunch and dinner were better. The beach is absolutely gorgeous. There are kayaks and catamarans that are free to use and there is a decent little gym also. The entertainment team were really fun: at the beach in the morning, pool mid afternoon and at the shows in the evening. If you're going for a luxury experience and amazing food, this isn't for you. If your going for a alright place to stay that is fun, has a great beach and your not a picky eater you will be fine. The food was repetitive, but there was plenty of it (lots of fruit and veggies), not a huge variety but enough. The Al la Carte restaurants were decent. The beach bar makes blended drinks, the lobby bar was hit or miss( made great mojitos). We felt safe to let our kids wonder the resort at night, they had a lot of fun in the theatre area playing pool and dancing. Would we go back? I prefer a higher end hotel, but would go back if the price were right. This is not a four and a half star or 4 star, 3 star at best. It's not awful, it's not great…it's ok. [Details]

We had an incredible time at this resort. It was clean, the staff were friendly and helpful. The food was great and a lot to chose from. We really enjoyed ourselves, as there was lots of music, entertainment and activities for kids. Thank you for such an amazing time. [Details]

The staff were great, location and beach was excellent... food is better if you can do the star prestige package... night time foods are not the great in variety... bedding was not always clean (stains) and furniture due to condensation is eroding! City of Varadero very clean and friendly but you have to pay to use toilets... bring a lot of US ones but we used mostly CAD for waiter tips etc. We also converted $100 CAD into cuban pesos which was helpful in city and while tipping. Toilet paper and ketchup seem to be hard to come by. Water is always provided in rooms and is safe as well as ice. They do not stock fridge with alcoholic beverages. Swim up pool was always quite cold beach was warmer. Elevators can take forever and are quite creaky. [Details]

We have little to no complaints! It has been an incredible week. We did the star prestige and would never go any other way.

Room: We stayed on the 9th floor facing the road. Room was clean. The shower was a huge with a water fall shower head. AC worked great and always had hot water/pressure. The only thing is I would ask to be changed to face the resort next time. Our cleaners were wonderful and always had some sort of art with blankets on our bed. When we arrived we had 2 bottles of water and 2 beer. They refilled it when I requested more no issues and even did it without being requested a few days.

Resort: The resort is not big which was great to get around. Elevator always worked although sometimes slow but really in no rush anyways. Some furniture was aging but everything was kept very clean.

Bars: We loved the 11th floor bar for the incredible view! The bartenders were great and willing to make any drink you wanted we enjoyed the lattes and ice coffee. The swim up bar team was a blast we spent most of our days in the pool. Lobby bar was very busy in the evening which makes it hard to get drinks some nights. The theatre bar make the best Mojito! The beach bar had watermelon daiquiris which were delicious. Tipping goes a long way!

Restaurants: We only ate breakfast at the 11th floor where you will find the most incredible servers! They remember your order and always have a smile! Omelettes, bacon, fruit, cold cuts, salads and donuts all very good! We did lunch on the 11th floor and it was also great. Most of our lunches were at the snack bar. It can be slow to get services there but the burgers and hotdogs were good. Most of our nights we did supper on the 11th floor, seriously so good! We tried the Cuban restaurant it was also very good! Definitely get the beef Patty's (similar to a fried wonton). We have no food complaints and always found something good to eat!

Pool/Beach was beautiful! lots of chairs and the workers go above and beyond to help you!

The people are what make this resort! The prestige manger Roberto is incredibly personable and accommodating. Cubans are some of the friendliest people you will meet!

I would strongly recommend going into Varadero and exploring. We went to the Beatles bar which was the highlight of our trip. If you eat anywhere in Varadero I would HIGHLY recommend Terraza Cuba it is down by the big flee market seriously incredible flavours. A taxi into town from the resort was $20 each way. [Details]

My family and I stayed at this resort for 5 days, 4 nights to celebrate my sister's birthday. This was my first time in Cuba and my review is based on that.

ROOM: First night there, we had a myriad of issues (the shower head was not releasing enough water, the towel rack fell and hit my head, the sheets were dirty as there was hair found underneath the duvet, etc.). My family and I were vocal about the issues we had and they were quickly rectified (special shout-out to Yanara on guest services). After the issues were fixed, I was able to relax and enjoy myself.

FOOD: The food was not bad. I had heard horror stories about the food, however, I was able to find something to eat every day and feel satisfied. Breakfast was good (i had omelettes, bacon & this delicious crispy cheese mash potato thing, yum). I suggest booking dinner reservations as soon as you arrive & I highly suggest the Italian & Cuban restaurants, as they did not disappoint (Abor in the Cuban resto is a sweetheart and will make you feel so welcomed). If you're not sure what to eat, go to the snack bar (it's 24/7) and have their pizza & fish and chips (they did not disappoint).

AMENITIES: The beach is gorgeous, there was no seaweed (pure blue and clear ocean water). There are two pools available to adults and a kiddie pool area, which is nice! There's a tennis court, gym & spa. Unfortunately, we were unable to go to the spa as they were fully booked, but we did use the gym which had enough equipment to get in a good workout (the treadmills were not working when we were there though). Wi-fi was…..extremely spotty. It would log out after 2 mins, so you had to constantly type in your username and password. You are only allotted 8 hours of wifi at a time (when it's up, you can go to front desk to refresh it).

NIGHT LIFE ON RESORT: There is no club/discotheque, however, there is a theatre where staff members put on shows. The staff are engaging, however, some of the shows were in Spanish so it was difficult to follow. I would've preferred a disco.

Overall, I would rate my experience here a 6/10. I found myself towards the end of the trip saying I would come back to this resort because I now know what to expect. Staff members were very pleasant and friendly, which enhanced any short comings. Yenislyadis (sorry if I'm spelling her name wrong; she works at check in), was kind enough to bring me a safety pin from her home when I needed to pin my dress up. [Details]

The hotel is clean and provides a great hospitality. It's located very close to the beach. The entertainment team is working very hard to trying to evolve everyone. Every evening different shows: magician, rock, etc.

Overall a great hotel [Details]

One star was just for weather, and beach. I have been in Cuba in the past, this time my experience was not as good as I expected. Food was awful! Worse than before. Very limited items. The worst and dissapointing part was the snack bar. The staff were very rude mostly due to lack of communication skills. Issues were almost everywhere including: Not much food option to choose specially for kids, Lack of supplies like napkins (Napkins were cut in half with scissors for each guest), A la carte italian restaurant with no pizza!, Out of order elevator, Poor internet connections (WIFI kept disconnecting), etc.
Overall, We will not go back to this hotel or maybe not even to Cuba in the future! [Details]

Hotel is very nice, spacious and clean, staff is friendly and accessible and very helpful.
All amenities, pool, tennis court, beach, huge terrace are well maintained and clean! [Details]

We loved everything about our stay here...we wish so much that people would understand what this country has been thru due to their economy and covid enjoy everything they have and appreciate it...gorgeous beach and beautiful people❤️ [Details]

There are negatives and positives in every hotel around the world, the evaluation of the place depends on how much negatives VS positives.
In Iberostar selection Bella Vest POSITIVES are more than negatives. in General we as family, enjoyed our stay at this hotel.
If we are gonna revisit Cuba again, we are not gonna stay in this hotel, not because we did not like it, but to discover other resorts to reach the maximum enjoyment for my family. We can of course recommend IBEROSTAR SELECTION BELLA VESTA to our friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
You guys are doing a very good job, keep it up. [Details]