Iberostar Selection Bella Vista Varadero

There is so much to love about this resort but there is also much that management needs to address to significantly improve one’s vacation experience. My husband and I spent 10 days here at the very end of September. We had booked a Star Prestige Swimout, same category as last year which is when we first visited. Upon check in we were informed that due to pool maintenance issues we were being upgraded to an Oceanview suite, which is their highest room category. Needless to say we were extremely disappointed as the swimout was the main reason for booking this property again. A bellman came to take us to look at the suite on the 10th floor to which we had been upgraded. The view of the ocean was the run off at the back of the hotel facing the huge construction site with trucks constantly moving in and out of the area. We were not pleased and returned to customer service to say we request a change in hotels and what were the options available. By this time the Sunwing rep came to assist, talked to the front desk and after a few moments returned to say that we would be placed in an oceanview suite on the 9th floor. Off we go with the bellman to take a peek at what they now offered. Well this room was absolutely stunning. It was huge with a separate living/dining area, bedroom and huge bathroom with a vanity center, double sinks, jacuzzi, and walk in shower. There was also a powder room off the entryway. There was a very comfortable settee with a recliner situated in front of a flat wide screen TV. The double balcony had really comfy padded loungers as well as a bistro set. The view was incredible. Naturally we decided to stay put but the chaos surrounding our finally registering and the amount of time wasted was above frustrating. Sunwing had not been advised that this area had been closed for days before our arrival and we felt that management was quite negligent in advising tour operators of the situation so that patrons had the option of rebooking to another property if they so chose. As has been previously stated in other reviews, during our stay there was actually only one elevator that was functional as we had been told that the others were closed due to low occupancy. Since both clients and staff then had to use it, it could make for long wait times at peak hours when everyone was trying to go to the restaurants, beach and pool. The least they could have done was have one operating for the staff with their cleaning/food/beverage carts and one for the guests. The beach is lovely but if you don’t go at the crack of dawn but like us show up after a nice leisurely breakfast there is a bit of a wait to get one of the beach attendants to bring you an umbrella and secure it by your loungers. More time lost. Since the swim out pool was closed for all but the last 3 days of our stay we were relegated to the crowded, noisy main pools where you guessed it you had to wait to get a pool worker bring you an umbrella if you sought some shade. Neither my husband nor I can now tolerate the sun’s rays for long periods of time. We need to be able to access areas that provide some cooler relief and in waiting to get this we lost more time. We did try the snack bar once and never returned as we found the selection very limited and the simple ham and cheese lacking in ham and cheese with only about 5 or 6 fries on the plate. The 2 a la cartes we tried were also disappointing as the pasta Bolognese in the Italian tasted like it had been reheated in a microwave . Almost as if leftovers from the buffet were being recycled. The Japanese was not much better. Unlike previous displays at a teppanyaki table we had no show. A gentleman showed up bearing a cart with utensils and items to be grilled and since he wasn’t wearing a uniform like the other chef, I assumed he was from the kitchen setting up the area. Nope he was the chef. Just basically poured oil on the grill to do the vegetables, rice and meats and liberally seasoned, very liberally seasoned the ingredients with soy sauce. Needless to say it was quite unappetizing. On the other hand the panoramic restaurant was for us perfect. The chefs at breakfast made the eggs the way we liked and there was a nice though limited selection of breads, cheeses, pastries, fruits, pancakes or French toast as well as fruit. Lunch was always grilled lobster, fish and beef, chicken or pork. There was bread, salad fixings, fruits, dessert and ice cream. Loved it. Dinners were sit down with 2 menus that changed mid week, We tried so many different entrees and all were excellent. Joeli and Cari were attentive, personable and so ever so sweet. This I think is the best part of Star Prestige. The bar on this level is also really good. The bar staff rotated often so it was hard to remember all their names but they were all awesome. It’s a great little place to chat up others and make some new friends. A good selection of premium spirits can also be found here. We also frequented the main lobby bar and though it can be a bit busy and loud, we also had a great time. All the bartenders are simply fabulous. Very personable and friendly and they always made an attempt to see how you were enjoying your stay. I loved them all and hope to return one day to see them again. In conclusion despite a rather disappointing start we really enjoyed our stay. We found the staff diligent and hardworking. Our Sunwing rep was most helpful and Yanavarg from customer services went above and beyond to assist us at the beginning and during our entire stay. They are the backbone of the resort and one of the main reasons guests return. Would we go back? I'd love to but I would definitely contact the hotel to make sure the Star Prestige Swimout was available.

ATTENTION!!! BORIS from Memories is now working at the Iberostar Bella Vista. With Boris here, this resort just went up a "STAR". He is an absolutely wonderful man. My wife and I visited this resort November 1st -8th. After speaking with Yordanka (lobby bar manager), we decided to give this hotel a try. Well, after visiting Cuba more than 30 times, this time was probably the BEST EVER!!! What exactly do we look for in Cuba? Well, the beer is the same. The sun is the same. The beach... mostly the same. And the rooms, as long as they are clean, we only sleep in them. So, that leaves the PEOPLE. Well, you wont find better people anywhere. We've been at another resort in Varadero for 27 times now and thought we were treated well. Here at Bella Vista, the staff were so wonderful that we felt like we were coming here for many years. Coming to Cuba, this is now our new location, because of the staff. Lobby bar: Wow. Yordanka and her staff were absolutely amazing. Our glasses were never empty and each time the smile bigger than the previous one. Having BORIS there was the icing on the cake. Each time we saw them there was a handshake or a hug. And always a smile. One young lady in particular was extra special. Laimarys.... shes a sweetheart. Always a smile and ensuring that her guests were happy. Pool bar: Another wow. Alexis, yulie and Alfredo were always busy making people smile and glasses full. Just what you expect on vacation. Unfortunately not always the case at other resorts. Beach: Nothing to say that anyone else hasn't already said. It's amazing. Buffet: Well, let me tell you that in the over 30 times we've been to Cuba, we've rarely eaten in the buffet...until this year. I didnt notice line ups or issues getting food. There were so many staff helping you find a seat and drinks. We were so impressed with it we ended up eating there often. A la cartes: The manager Lily is a wonderful woman who went out of her way to greet us and ask how we enjoyed our dinners. The staff were all amazing. The snack bar: We ate there quite a few times for lunch and never had a problem. Sometimes something wasnt on the menu but everytime, what we ordered we enjoyed. The staff there were also very good. I realize I talk about the staff alot, but those are the ones who made our vacation better. We'll definitely be coming back. And we'll be bringing friends. As for the management: Whatever you're doing, keep it up. Happy staff only means happy guests. Again... Thank you Yordanka for convincing us to come to Bella Vista. And Boris.... thanks for leaving Memories and joining us at Bella Vista....you deserve to work with only the BEST. Gracias por todo. Maria and David

First I was there with my mom and my auntie who did share a room also they are repeat guess they been to that hotel before 3 times already their last time before that one was in May 2019 and for myself i had a room alone and it was my first time there. When we did arrive everything went well with our check in we got neighbors room in the section 30 floor number 6. It was a quiet area super clean also. From the balcony we were able to see the ocean. After two days there the whole section 30 had a problem with the air conditioning it wasn’t working anymore and they told us it will maybe take 2 day to be fix or couple of hours they didn’t know lollll. We waited 4 hours before complaining cause we loved our room the location was great it was super clean I never saw one bugs in my room or anything and the maid was doing an amazing job everyday. Than we requested to change room because it was insanely hot and humid in our room and also they kept saying it will only be fix in 2 days. They send someone to help us move but they didn’t have 2 neighbors room anymore the only thing they had was two room in the section 20 this time on the 8 floor and it was separated by 10 room. we were disappointed but still it was better than no AC. I start to inspect the room before unpacking to make sure everything is good i started with the bed and both bed sheet was stain with blood and also I realize that the room was infected with bugs. There was tiny black bugs everywhere, on the furniture and on the floor. My mom and auntie room was ok at the time. I went back to the reception they gave me another room with rolling eyes. Now they gave me a room still in the section 20 but on the floor number 4 right next to the main elevator who kept jamming and doing crazy noise I couldn’t sleep all night because it was so noisy. They also had to send the maintenance because the tv and the safe wasn’t working. Also that room I couldn’t log into the internet because the wifi wasn’t reaching there. I was very mad I went back to the reception and they told me to come back in the morning after 9 am that at this time they couldn’t do anything else. that whole process took us the whole evening we basically lost our evening moving. We went back at 9 am to spoke to the ladies who is taking care off that she told us to come back in 2 hours she will find a solution for us. We came back after 2 hours she told us they fix the air conditioning in our first room in the section 30 but we had to come back in another 2 hours. We finally made it back to our original room but we lost that day to dealing with that. The air conditioning was “fix” but we didn’t care anymore at this point. That night we had a reservation at the Japanese restaurant my mom and auntie been there before and told me it was super good I was kind off happy cause at the buffet it’s always the same things everyday. The Japanese restaurant its big table off about 16 people and there is someone in the middle who cook and is doing a show. It was great the food was good so far than we realized that there was tiny spiders everywhere on the table and during the show there is about 4 roach that came out from the inside of the table it was so disgusting and unbelievable I almost been sick on the spot everyone at the table Stood up and start screaming than we left as everyone else at the table. This was a nightmare. We complain but no ones care. My two last day there I’ve been sick I couldn’t eat or anything I stayed in my room. I had to go to the doctor once I was back I trap a bacteria or something like that it took me 3 days to recover once I was back home with antibiotics. Plus our last day because my mom and auntie was a repeat guess we were able to keep the room until 4 pm the transportation for the airport was only coming at 5h30 pm but even that it was complicated and we finally had to pay a difference to keep the room until 4 cause they only give us at courtesy until 2 so we had to paid to keep the room at least until 4 pm. That whole process again took my mom and auntie about 2 hours. Again they waist time doing all that. Even during the day they lock the keys so we had to go back again to the lobby for them to reactivated them. It’s not the end off the world but we did waist so much time during our trip running everywhere with the moving and everything. My mom my auntie and I are so disappointed off our vacation we will never go back there specially with the room situation and the roach situation at the Japanese restaurant. The animation people are amazing the beach and pool people also. I have nothing to say about our maids they were doing what they can to help us and accommodate our request. For the buffet the food is everyday repetitive but still good quality. My suggestion if you take some chicken at the buffet make sure it is cook properly we had issue with that to. Also the buffet is so small it does get so crowded I can’t imagine what it does look like when the hotel is at full capacity. The snack bar the restaurant that is open 24h they have a menu but most off the time they don’t have half off the food listed on the menu. The beach is beautiful but there is so many people for the capacity of the beach chair or palapas. We were waking up at 6h45 am everyday to be able to reserve a nice spot with shadows and chair on the beach. Last thing sorry for my English I am so French lollllll.

We just got back from Bella Vista and loved it there. Please remember you are in Cuba and their standards are not the same as North America. However I’ve got to say, after visiting Cuba 7 times, this resort was the best I’ve stayed at. The staff are so friendly. Always working hard to keep the place clean and offering a friendly hola or asking if you’re enjoying your stay. Some highlights are below. We had emailed the resort a couple days before arriving and they promptly responded and happily accommodated our requests. They even celebrated our friend’s birthday with Champagne and cake. We stayed in the adults only swim-out star prestige room. It was really worth the upgrade. We did not any any issues with children using our pool. A family tried to use our pool one day and another guest politely told them the pool was adults only. Swim-out room pool was cleaned every morning so, contrary to other reviews, we did not find it dirty at all. We asked for our rooms to face the main pool instead of the ocean as you get sun until it sets. The swim up rooms facing the ocean (you really don’t see the ocean through the trees anyway) are shaded by about 3 pm and a lot more windy. Our room was always clean and towel art was lovely. I especially loved the notes that were left for us each day/. We also enjoyed a bottle of champagne on arrival and upgraded amenities (slippers and bathrobes). The beach is lovely. You don’t have to rush out to reserve a palapa although some people still do. Just ask one of the helpful staff to get you a couple chairs and umbrellas and place it where ever you want. Tipping is really appreciated. We loved the 11th floor for breakfast and lunch (Star Prestige). The panoramic view was incredible. I’ve never eaten so much lobster for lunch in my life. LOL. The 11th floor bar was a lot fun (shuts down about 11pm) and the drinks were yummy and generously poured. We got to meet a lot of great people from all over. The main lobby has entertainment nightly and wow were they talented. One night was had 2 violinists playing Guns and Roses followed by Smooth Criminal was just WOW. Exchange your money at the resort. Their exchange rate is better than the airport. They will also give you lots of smaller $1 CUCs for tipping. :-). You can also get your wifi at the same time. If you’re Star Prestige you get 7 free hours after that you pay $1 cuc per hour. Wifi speed is not bad. You won’t be streaming Netflix but why would you need to in paradise. Food was really good at the restaurants which for me was surprising. I have never been fan of the food in the Varadero resorts. The 11th floor restaurant was the best. We ate there twice and they changed the menu each time. We also enjoyed the Japanese and the Mediterranean restaurants. Both were very good but the Japanese was very entertaining as it was teppanyaki style. Lastly and most important is have a good time. You are on vacation. Don’t sweat the little stuff and just politely ask the concierge or front desk if you have a problem. They want to help. I’m happy to answer questions if I can help.

I would like to mention the people that made the difference for our Family vacation. Because of them we will be back!!!! At the bar they were just great and very professionnal thanks to Romelio , Juan Manuel you guys are just wow !!!at the restaurant Nelson made us felt so much welcome each time we enter the restaurant,Marin (feliz cumpleanos), Xiomara with your smile and the way you tried to speak our language ( french) was making our day each time ,you are a little sunshine. Hany, Darien serving us each time with a smile allthough we were loud sometimes lol!!! Once again muchas gracias para todo vamos a regressar pronto un grande beso a todo