Iberostar Playa Pilar

The hotel was just fine. The room was clean and our service attendant (Lia?) was most professional. A/C, water, mini fridge, TV and toilet were fine; just a little jiggle here and there was needed.
I single out for special mention Yaniel Ochoa in the lobby bar, and several folks in the buffet: Leo, Daniela, Doris, Luis, Marhey, Mercedes and Liether. At the a la carte Alexander was a delight as was Frank at the beach bar. excellent. [Details]

Toilet didn't work.AC leaking in room.TV didn't work. Hotel grounds not lit at night. Food shortages. Airline broke new luggage.Thursday night and Friday morning mosquitoes were fierce. Rep.gave info.only on tours. We would never return to this resort [Details]

Lots of issues. Room flooded the first night from a toilet. Begged them to turn off the water and when someone came they asked if we had a plunger. Door didn't lock, patio doors didn't lock, shower head broken so had to hold it by hand. Entertainment mediocre. Toilet paper was hard to come by. Public washrooms often had no toilet paper either. Food was very very limited. Limited to the point that I lost 1 pound a day for the trip. At the reservation restaurants, food was slightly better but no much variety. Always caprese salad, mixed salad and soup option for appetizer, chicken or fish for main course even though different restaurants. Wifi didn't work for first few days and then only worked in lobby. Never got connection in room. Pool was nice, beach was nice. The decking around the ocean was in poor repair. The step down to the ocean was missing and the part of the barrier between the platform and the shallow ocean was off and not replaced which can be a safety risk. Chairs at beach and at pool were sometimes broken and hard to come by. The chairs in the ad are not the chairs they have. The chairs there are all plastic. Stayed for 5 days and was more than ready to go home. Staff were not particularly friendly. Would often walk by without acknowledging guests. Water went out for over 24 hours so no toilets available. Was told it the issue was off resort but saw repair people digging up flooded areas in resort. We feel we were lied to about the quality of the resort. [Details]

Minimum shortages .had eggs 3/7 days .We always found something to eat. Lots of toilet paper in our room and water every day.beach was amazing..The resort staff were amazing and aim to please with what they have. would go back to Cuba again. [Details]

My family had a great time in Cuba and this was a solid resort to spend the one week we had there in late January. The resort is beautifully laid out, wonderful pools surrounded by palm trees is just the sort of thing we were looking for. Loved the swim up bar! You can walk towards the water on their pier and have a nice view of the ocean. Now this resort isn't perfect: The food was just okay, nothing special. They have a 24 hour snack bar open but it does not start providing food until 10am (not sure when it stops serving food at night). The wi-fi works well in the lobby, pool and snack bar areas but there is NO signal in your room, which was unfortunate. The TV in your room has about 100 channels, mostly in Spanish, not a huge deal for us but it really would have been nice to have wi-fi. The staff are very friendly, and can help you with any questions you have. There is an on-site rep from Sunwing there that will help you book activities you may be interested in. This resort is just a five minute drive from Playa Pilar beach, which was amazing, the best beach I've ever visited in my life. You can taxi in a 50's convertible from the resort to the beach for just $5 a person, definitely worth it! So for some experienced travellers, this might not be the best resort, but for our family, we had a great time! [Details]

The hotel is slowly deteriorating. Toilets not flushing properly, many burnt out light bulbs. Air conditioning did not work in the bedroom. Frequent power outages. Lack of food, well good food. Sewer smells coming from lobby men's bathroom. Lack of drink selection. Garbage cans not being cleaned around resort. No pads for beach chairs. Many of the chairs are broken. Sheets on beach beds are very stained. On calm days the beach flag was never changed from red. No water sports, no paddle boats. No one ever gave a reason why. [Details]

This is a nice resort if you just want to relax as it is very small. I would consider this a 3 star at best and would not want to pay more than $1000 taxes in. The staff were great, the food was ok and the drinks were good. It is a clean resort and is great for all ages. I wont go back, only because its a little too small and quiet for my personal taste, not for any other reason. [Details]

Although the hotel was clean, the food especially and service was not good at all.
Late night bartenders and security staff are looking to take young girls back to their room...WATCH OUT!!! [Details]

Better rooms than other resorts in Cuba but...
Unfortunately , except the New Year eve night the food was terrible bad and served with lack of hygiene. Ex - they were supply water on the buffet tables from some big water totes which were full off ice . They were dipping on it a water carafe which was sitting on a table with all kind of stuffs, food moneys , etc , pick the water and put in smaller carafe. Flyes everywhere
For 4700k paid I deserve at least a bottle of spring water. Many times the juices for the kids were diluated and made of instant powder and served as natural . 3 or 4 days with no bread on the buffet. The Snack Bar with lack of supplies

In my opinion the fault is not on Cubans . The Canadian leisure companies ( all ) which advertise these location should send their canadian representative from time to time to check if the resorts in a specific location meet the minimum Canadian standards of quality and hygiene. I didn't buy the vacation from Cuba , I bought it from a Canadian company . [Details]

Beach is beautiful and that's about it!!
Been to Cuba many times and this was by far the WORST!!! Do not stay at this hotel. It's definitely NOT a 5 star…1 star at best.
Diane at the pool bar was fantastic. Other staff seemed annoyed when we asked for things.
No soap in the public area bathrooms. Watched as cups, cutlery, etc were rinsed with tap water and put back into use. Rationed toilet paper
Little to no entertainment
Hotel and rooms are run down, things are broken and resort looks WAY older then 8 yrs
Cockroaches and flies EVERYWHERE including all over the food
Buffet was closed and only the snack bar was open.
I don't know how this resort stays open and how travellers aren't getting very sick.
Will NEVER go back.
Kids area was closed. Don't ever take your kids here [Details]

Not a good experience. You get what you pay for. Not recommended. [Details]

The staff at the resort were terrific especially when you tipped them.
I give the room 2 stars, the mattress was super thin you could feel the coils.
The food was terrible, I recommend you bring peanut butter, jam, ketchup snacks, and most importantly a water bottle, yeti or bubba. I sadly returned back home with a stomach virus. The beach is out of this world which is the main reason that kept me there the whole week. The cigar lounge was the best spot in the resort it was stocked with great alcohol and air conditioning!!
The music at the poolside was so entertaining, the shows at night not so much. Unfortunately, this would be my last visit to CUBA. [Details]

1st time in Cayo Quillermo, hotel is very near to Playa Pilar, after a good breakfast, take a walk about 25 minutes on a paved side-walk arriving to the beautiful beach. Water is clear and sandy beach is wonderful. That's what I want to come to Cuba. Hotel location is excellent ! [Details]

The kitchen is dirty and the food is not tasty. [Details]

Third time in Cuba. We knew before going that things were rough but, not like this. I'm just going to write in point form all the issues.
- Pesco is worthless therefore they gouge you with insane prices in usd or cd. A single bottle of rum is 15 USD. Prices in cigars, rum, souvenirs have more than tripled since 2019.
- Supply shortages ! No water for rooms, no cola, no pina colada's, no bread one day.
- Food was brutal
- Pool was cloudy
- Room was dated, tv was shit, toilets were awful
- lobby bar was busy, always a line up.

** Done. I'm not writing anymore and I could go on forever. This was not a great experience, and I'm never going back to Cuba until their government gets their shit together. Covid and inflation made things 10x worse. I is [Details]

THE CLEANERS STOLE MY GIRLFRIENDS EPILEPSY MEDICATION. THEY CONSTANTLY STEAL. THEY DON'T EVEN LEAVE US WATER [Details]

My daughter and her children travelled to the a/m hotel and found the food to be in a terrible state. No milk, no butter, no bread. One of her children loves any type of food and is barely able to find something to eat. My daughter has observed several persons at the front desk trying to change hotels She has been to cuba before and have never encountered this problem. This is March break and all quests paid double the normal price for this hotel [Details]

I went to Cuba >15 times before and it was heartbreaking to see how the country and tourism deteriorated after pandemic. Please take this review as serious warning (red signs/flashing lights!!!). We stayed with my family for 2 weeks.

Everything is broken at the resort and is not being maintained. In the room -- no hot water, toilets broken, cockroaches at night, patio doors don't lock, toilets broken half light bulbs removed from lamps, towels on many days not changed (sorry don't have is a standard answer from chambermaids).

The resort is not maintained -- all public restrooms are broken as well and many don't have even soap or toilet paper.

Pool is often cloudy and they allow glass around the pool and on the beach -- hence, be wary as there is lots of broken glass everywhere (in the sand of the beach, around pool, etc.)

Food is a special topic. There is NO FOOD (even basic food is missing).
On breakfast they will commonly run out of eggs, butter and yogurt. NO chicken or shrimp (ever). The only choices are pork, beef sometimes (not chewable) and ~2 choices of fish. You will be standing in line and feel lucky just to get hot dogs or rice. There are no deserts - long lines just to get chocolate ice cream (no vanilla on most days). They will take regular bread rolls and put chocolate on top. Some very limited bakery products offered. Fruit is limited to papaya and guava (bananas and apples sometimes). It is very, very, very sad what happened to Cuba. If you want to go -- bring your food, towels, soap and other basic necessities. [Details]

I'm only reviewing the Spa at this point. As their service was 5 star. Livan at the reception is exceptional and has excellent customer service and the masseuse Ellie was simply the best. Such an awesome massage, so professional and therapeutic. Absolutely loved it. Thank you! [Details]

If you've been to Cuba before you know that you are there not for the food or a fancy hotel room - its for the beach & the friendly staff. You will find exactly this at the hotel. The beach & vibe was great. The weather was fantastic. I travelled with my three teenage daughters and did not fear for safety at all. The beach is smaller because part of the coastline has coral but this was an interesting plus for us as you got to see a lot of different fish & birds. The water was calm and you could walk out really far without it getting deep which I think would be a big plus for those with smaller kids. Besides the resort there is not much around to visit (if you like markets and such) - we did not take any excursions so I can't comment on that. Internet/wifi was very hit & miss - which I didn't mind as it got my kids off their electronics. Overall great relaxing holiday and would definately recommend. [Details]

A very relaxing week at Iberostar Playa Pilar. Staff are attentive and soon get to know you and are engaging and anticipate yor needs...sugar cane with your cafe madam? The oceanview junior suite in Building 2 had a breathtaking view and was quiet and tucked away from any activity. Found wonderful shells including conches on walk to Playa Pilar beach. Snorkeling was fun and easy right out front. Kids seemed to love the engaging staff for the kid's programs [Details]

We returned for the second time to the amazing Iberostar playa Pilar resort Jan 7-21. We had previously visited the resort in 2019 for 2 wks. We had a fantastic vacation

We spent most of our time on the beach which always had plenty of beach chairs available and Basil was more than happy to accommodate us. We made it to Pilar beach twice: once taking the path and the other on the ocean shore. 15-20 min walk by path. Little longer by beach. Bring water shoes!!

The beach bar was always waiting with smiling faces from Frank, Yolenia and Maryland and let me tell you they make fantastic drinks! (Havana special and Rum punch were our favs!

The buffet was always offering chicken ,beef ,and pork at both lunch and dinner. There was always lots of cheese and sliced meat options as well. Breakfast was always welcomed with delicious omelettes. There was even lots of real bacon daily ! Hats off to Daria who gave us the best service!!

We visited all the a la carte restaurants; our favourite was the Japanese and our favourite chef there was Anatolli.

Lobby serving staff was very good early in the morning for cappuccinos from Daily and China.

We went to a few shows during our visit and I was really impressed with the talent!

You must stop by the cigar bar and meet Oney! He makes the best drinks and serves up the best wine! I discovered he is also a cigar sommelier!

The real “Pearl “ of this resort are the people who work there!! Everyone we encountered was always smiling! Special thanks to Yenia for her exceptional customer service! I cannot say enough about the way she goes above and beyond to help make her customers happy! [Details]

We stayed there for 7 days. Its my 4 th visit in Cuba Its not more than 3 star resort. Food service at snack bar is worst I've seen in cuba. One of the bartenders was literally wiping off the froth of beer glass with his bare hands and the second bartender came and he literally blew the froth away with his mouth, it was disgusting and they were laughing about it.
At snack bar a vegetarian couple asked for fries and the cook there added ham sausages in the same oil in front of them .
Every time My wife get coffee at snack bar or reception bar...they don't have sugar lot of times... unbelievable....
Overall poor management
Extremely poor service....
Rooms : air conditioner panel not operating
Cold water in shower for days . [Details]

We travelled to Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar Jan 7th – 14th 2023. After 25 trips to Cuba this was our 4th time to this beautiful resort and as always it didn't disappoint!!
With beautiful surroundings and genuine people! you cannot go wrong with choosing Playa Pilar to spend your vacation! Very nice accommodations, great ocean views from most rooms, a good selection of food to choose from and of course the weather is much nicer than Eastern Canada at this time of year!
We found the effects of COVID to be minimal during our time here, a couple of supply chain issues like what we have at home but not a deal breaker. With that in mind just come prepared with condiments you like such as ketchup, mustard, relish etc. Maybe pack some tissue, an extra beach towel and you are good to go.
But as beautiful as this resort is it is the wonderful hard-working people there that make it a Gem in Cuba, folks such as Wilber, one of the bartenders at the Snack Bar, always a “Hola” and smile, quick with a special drink and a story. My friend Yadier on the front desk, funny, caring and always helpful to everyone. And of course, Yenia in customer service, she is one of the most caring persons you will have the pleasure of meeting here! A definite asset to the Iberostar Team and they are lucky to have such a person.
We will be back!!
Cheers!!

Dapa81 [Details]

We travelled here over the Christmas holidays (Dec 17-31). My wife, mother-in-law and myself. I've waited a while to post my review. We arrived at the resort around 3:00 pm after a long day of travel and had to wait for our room (no problem). Got our wristbands, sat in the lobby bar and had a coffee. Once our room was ready, we had the pleasure of riding in the golf cart with Niuvar (Cuban Vin Diesel). He made sure our luggage was looked after, including my MIL's walker. We were in a suite in building 6 – exactly the room that we had booked. We had asked for a second bed to be brought in for my MIL. No problems there. The rooms were set up for 2 (2 towels, beach and bath, etc), however, all you had to do was ask for extras – they were more than happy to provide additional, if they had it. Our maid, Disney, was very detail oriented and always graced us with a towel animal (highlight for my MIL).
Yes, I've read the reviews about no towels, can't exchange the beach towels, etc. Instead of complaining, did you bother to take the time to ask and find out exactly what the issue is/was? The laundry facility is in Moron (1.5 hours away). Electricity, fuel and water are being rationed. In August, there was an explosion at the island's fuel storage facility in Matanzas. To see the magnitude of this event, you can refer to this link https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/09/americas/matanzas-cuba-worst-fire-intl-hnk/index.html
I drove by the explosion site, on my way from Varadero to Havana – so seen it first hand. The line ups at the gas stations, rolling black outs, water being diverted. These resources, or lack of, are not the fault of the resort. They do the best they can with what they have.
Our vacation was what we made it – we loved the boardwalk at the beach, the snorkeling (saw all sorts of sea life, including starfish, sting rays, barracuda's, needle nose fish etc). The 4, sometimes 5 pelicans were a joy to watch, so much so that we named them – George, Henry, Frank, Carl and Dave. There was also a 1-legged seagull that we named Larry. We saw Steve the salamander daily in our room. The lady's (Maryland and ?) and Abel at the beach bar were absolutely fantastic. Maryland always had a smile and greeted me everyday with “Mi Amor”. Andres and Basil at the beach always asked us if we needed loungers. The big issue around the beach was that guests would take up the beach beds and not utilize them for hours – even worse, they would take up a bed at the pool also.
The buffet – you always found something eat. At breakfast, you had 2 egg stations and could have eggs done to your preference. Pastries were exceptional – all made in-house. Fresh bread, assortment of cheeses, meats and fruits. We were always greeted with a “coke” and a smile by Anna and Vanessa – they were our lovely servers at breakfast and lunch. For lunch, you had a choice to eat at the buffet or at the snack bar/beach grill. The service at the snack bar was slow(er) – perhaps an area of improvement. Most days you could get fries (bring your own ketchup), ham/cheese or tuna sandwich, chicken strips, hot dogs and cheese pizza (usually after 1:30). Dinner buffet had similar options – 2 grill stations (one for meat and the other for seafood). Another area of improvement would be for the buffet items to be labelled. As a non-pork eater, I found the labelling of dishes to be hit or miss. Having said this, Leo Silla (Food and Beverage Manager) and his team did a fantastic job every day, including the spread that was put on Christmas Eve. Leo was not afraid to get his hands dirty – always with a broom or mop when needed. You also had a choice of 4 a la cartes for dinner – Japanese, Gourmet, Cuban and Mediterranean. Our faves were the Japanese (x2) and Gourmet (x2). We always finished off the night playing a game of crib and a drink from our fave bartender Oney at the cigar bar or a latte, Spanish coffee brought to us by either Mabe or Chyna. Oney makes the best cheladas and espresso martinis.
We didn't get a chance to meet a lot of the pool entertainment group, however, Michael and his crew (including Babo) did a fantastic job keeping the guests entertained, even during the four days of rainy weather.
And last but not least – Yenia Rodriguez Batista – she goes above and beyond. Handles all complaints and issues with a smile. Her smile is infectious. Extremely polite and has a genuine care for the guests.
Overall, my family and I had a great experience at the Iberostar Playa Pilar. Would we return, yes. Why? For the people and staff at this resort. They work hard. Always have a smile. Go the extra mile (at least that was our experience). Treat them well. Always say please and thank you and you will get that in return! [Details]

Séjour globalement agréable et très amélioré par Yenia, une employée formidable, en charge du service client.

Resort en très bon état, propre. Bons restos à la carte et chambres agréables. La piscine est également très bien.
Playa Pilar est à 15-20 minutes de marche.

Le point à améliorer est la disponibilité des chaises à la plage durant les vacances scolaires. Il faut y aller vers 7:00 pour avoir des chaises pour la journée. [Details]

Nous avons passé une incroyable semaine à cette hôtel !! Je recommande sans hésiter. Personnel acceuillant avec le sourire, dévouer. Endroit très propre et bien entretenu, malgré la situation de Cuba nous avons manqué de rien, il font beaucoup avec peu. Restaurant à la carte très bon, réserver le japonais délicieux !!! Beau setup de trottoir pour ce rendre à la mer avec escalier qui nous amène directement dans l'océan, bref nous serons de retour sous peu. [Details]

Friendly staff, great snorkeling, clean and quiet spa area. Lots to do off the resort- hike along the beach to Playa Pilar. The small catamaran trip to snorkel off the island was awesome. Kayaks and paddle boats are free. [Details]

We returned to Iberostar Playa Pilar because we loved our visit there in April of 2017... I can't say the resort physically is in the same condition as it was then but it is still a beautiful location to go to, there were a few things lacking but the worst was pool towels so maybe bring a couple of those thin kind you see online (they would be light to pack and very useful for you)...

Yenia was wonderful any questions we had or help we needed she was on it and very sweet.
Oney who works in the cigar bar makes the best cocktails! I was impressed with his services and he was also very kind.

All the servers were lovely and happy to see us but we were always kind to them and cared how their day was going too. I think the resort is short staffed at the moment so people complaining about waiting and slowness its really not their fault they are doing the best they can. I would suggest to bring a book to the snack bar, relax and enjoy a drink and the view while you wait, you are on vacation after all..

We always over pack incase anyone is in need of anything this time I didn't and should have, I wouldn't normally pack ketchup or mustard or any sauces but the country is in a different place these days and I'm sure having a hard time getting some basic things so bring toilet paper, hot sauce or anything basic that you can't live without each day.

I enjoyed the food very much! I never went hungry nor did I have a bad meal there.

We went to Pillar Beach 2 days and had lunch at their restaurant and its a must try!

The first day we arrived at the resort we walked down to the beach and it was a sight for sore eyes. I was sad to see garbage and dishes left everywhere from tourists! Please its not hard to bring your dishes back up when you are done with them and when we did that the servers recognized us for doing it and treated us extra nice to us. Keep the beach clean and beautiful! If you can travel to the snack bar to retrieve yourself some lunch why can't you take another walk back and bring empty plates and garbage where they belong.

The pool was beautiful, clean, and fun... it is hard to get loungers by the pool we had to get up early to save some which is annoying but manageable.

If I see a good deal for this resort come up again I would mostly likely go back but come more prepared. [Details]

From the sip of the first full-bodied coffee of the day in the hotel lobby to the last Spanish Coffee made in the evening this resort staff goes beyond its duty to please it's guests.
A wonderful well-kept pool area, a unique beachfront and exceptional a-la-cart dining options make this resort a great choice to visit. Family friendly and very accommodating staff. Great buffet options daily at each meal. Will definitely return for another visit. [Details]