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| Image Iberostar Laguna Azul (Source PennyPincherBlog) |
After much encouragement from my travel agent we decided on the Iberostar Laguna Azul in Varadero Cuba. It was our first trip to Cuba we had a glorious week of fun, sun, adventure and
relaxation at the Iberostar Laguna Azul in Varadero Cuba.
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| Breakfast buffet (Source PennyPincherBlog) |
FOOD. We had read negative reviews about the food in Cuba being bad but the food selection to be very good in terms of the wide variety of vegetables, fruits and overall choice of dishes available. However, if you are a vegan, vegetable protein sources like beans were often cooked with some kind of meat. Since there were sufficient meat dishes available there was no need to add meat to the beans. There was a marked absence of whole wheat or whole grain breads or cereals during our stay.
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| Image Iberostar Laguna Azul (Source PennyPincherBlog) |
THE RESORT. The beauty of the Iberostar resort is undeniable. We had a great pool view room. The hotel landscape and overall appearance and decor are exceptional with awesome views from every direction day or night. There were several pools with the main pool being the hub of the resort. From all the pools you had easy access to the bar, a lunch buffet ad a 24 hour snack area. The animation crew ensured you were always entertained at the pool.
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| Room (Source PennyPincherBlog) |
ROOMS. The bedroom was spacious as well as the bathroom. One problem with the bathroom was the tub/shower combo. The tub was quite deep and it was like a high wire act to get in and out after a shower. In the room there was a fridge, TV, coffee maker and ironing board. The fridge was stacked with 2 cans of beer, bottled water and some cans of soft drink but not replenished. The bed was very basic with about a 6" mattress that was not particularly comfortable. However, staff were very creative with bedding art work.
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| Varadero Beach(Source PennyPincherBlog) |
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| Magic show (Source PennyPincherBlog) |
ENTERTAINMENT Entertainment was great for the first two nights. However, as the week progressed, it was more of the same – 3 lead singers and a dance troupe . Even though the shows had different themes each night it was essentially the same show under a different name and with different costumes. Wish they was more variety like the one night magic show which was quite enjoyable. I also felt that some of the pieces in the show were not appropriate for young children. In many of the pieces female dancers wore thongs and performed explicit dance moves exposing bare buttocks that would cause a parent to cover the eyes of her young ones. The disco does not cater to English speaking guests or more mature guests. The music was primarily Latin and European style
hard rock. It is certainly not your usual disco.
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| desert (Source PennyPincherBlog) |
AL LA CARTE RESTAURANTS The a la carte restaurants are for if you want a change in pace. Perhaps one night during your stay you feel like dressing up and going to dinner. My advice is don't bother. They are not worth the effort. There are long line ups to get a reservation in one of these restaurants and in most cases you have to take what is left. The menu choices are severely limited, the
food average and the service average.
Serving staff (Source PennyPincherBlog)
SERVICE Unlike some of the reviews that give glowing tributes to the staff, I did not find the service better than at any other resort in any other country I visited. The service was not exceptional it was just OK. Servers and other hotel staff were not generally friendly even though a few were. I saw reviews that say you have to tip to get good service. I take exception to having to tip in order to get good service. There is something wrong with that theory. What we did was tip for exceptional service only and we sat at different sections in the buffet so we were exposed to different servers each time. We found that the majority offered mediocre service. They didn't refill your coffee, water. Many removed your plate and cups without asking if you were finished. That being said, liked the fact that there were always servers available to bring you whatever free drinks you wanted, anywhere.
GYM The gym was good but there was no cleaners available to wipe the mats or equipment before an after use. I tried to use the Jacuzzi on a few occasions but as told they were painting and it was closed, On the day before I left I asked to use it and was told only then, that I can only use the jacuzzi if I paid for a massage. I didn't. The staff here weren't very friendly.
PROBLEMS
1) On check in we discovered we had separate beds even though our reservations from the airline clearly stated that a king size bed was requested. The receptionist said that they do not get the information about the type of bed requested from the airline. we were put on a list for a new room and were promised that someone would come to put the beds together in the meantime. This never happened and when I inquired later that night I was again told yes it will be done. No one ever came or told us about the move so we slept apart the first night and got moved the following night.
2) In the new room I detected a urine type smell which bothered me but it was late and I was tired and assumed it was coming from the bathroom. The next night same thing. Next morning I decided to take a whiff of the pillow and sheets and discovered that the pillow and the sheets reeked of stale urine. I reported to the front desk and asked for a change of sheets pillows, blanket. This would have to be the worst part of my Iberostar experience. They did change it that day and I was finally able to get the first good night sleep after 3 nights.
3) There was a shortage of beach towels at the Iberostar Laguna Azul in Varadero Cuba. We lined up daily for towels and it wasn't until our 3rd day that a new shipment of towels arrived. Overall we had a wonderful stay as we tried not to dwell on the irritants mentioned above. The beauty of the resort was a real plus as was the excessive amounts of food and drink for those who like excesses.
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