TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

I am not sure how resorts keep their 5 star ratings and how long for but this resort needs to be down graded until it gets it repairs and receptionists in order. The room I was allocated the first night smelt like sewage and I could not stay in it , if it wasnt for my family I would of had to sleep in the loby as they said they didn't have anything else until the following night. There were many restaurants not open and when I arrived late before 11pm I couldn't get anything to eat but a cheese or pork sandwich. The buffet was good fresh fruit , eggs and homemade bread everyday , salad wine and more. The bar in lobby was very slow , but you got served faster if you were throwing tips at them, there was only one until a few days later they opened a small cart to serve more people as it was getting busier. The beach was beautiful and well kept clean by the staff. The pools were relatively clean and wonderful to swim in, they are renovating a large part of the main pool which when finished will truly be wonderful. The staff at the restaurant and buffet were very kind and very helpful. The front desk staff need to be retrained or replaced , not very knowledgeable or helpful , very rude and incompetent. The WiFi is not worth even trying to log on we didnt mind but it would be nice to have incase of an emergency. my recommendations would be paper posters for itinerary , more restaurants available for snacks throughout the day/night. I will not return to this resort.

This beautiful Art Deco inspired hotel was obviously amazing at one time but unfortunately has deteriorated. With that said, there is effort with some maintenance being done. I heard 100 rooms had been renovated and wasn't sure if mine was one...it had been painted (badly) new hair dryer, maybe new lights and two new chairs on the private patio. A lot of lights were out in the halls and outside, but I did see the outside ones being worked on. The spa on the top level is not functional,hot tub, wet sauna,dry sauna, yoga space,water feature must have been amazing at one time. The gym up there is open with a view of the hotel and ocean, massages are available. Most elevators are not working, I was fine with this as the lobby connects to the third floor, buffet ground and I was on the second. Cigar shop, smoking lounge and a well stocked shop if you forgot anything. Four pools, three open with one being repaired wasn't a problem because the hotel wasn't at capacity, one whole section of 80 rooms plus 10 or more shut down maybe for renovations? Two hot tubs ( in addition to the spa) so no hot tubs were working. Plenty of washrooms that were clean throughout the property. Ice cream shack,snack shack not open,( ice cream available at the buffet when open) one large restaurant/bar not open. There is a VIP area, this should be open to all considering a lot of things are closed. The theatre is an impressive building and has a bar, my favourite act was a rock cover band. The a la carte restaurants were lovely with basic menus. My favourites were the Japanese and Cuban. The Italian menu was a disappointment because even with the limited food they can get I thought they could have done better ( my opinion) The buffet in the main building had a variety of foods typical for Cuba. There was fresh bread,fresh eggs, and fruit every day. The bar off the lobby offered great coffee and cappuccino. This area had a variety of musical entertainment nightly, The beach was nice with staff helping to get chairs,clean up and a couple of scheduled activities. There is a bar on the beach and snacks nearby. Nice large beach towels can be borrowed with a deposit. For the most part the staff was good, I found reception a bit of a challenge, maybe grown immune to requests, probably deal with most complaints but that is the job. Would I visit this resort again? Maybe..I appreciate the character it has, great layout and I did enjoy my vacation. It was disappointing that most water features were not working so I can only imagine how spectacular it used to be. I just wish it had been maintained better because it is a classic. If Laguna Azul management reads this please consider a daily weather forecast somewhere ( TV screen in lobby), printed activity schedules to hand out

Do not come. Rooms are beyond poor condition. I kid you not a least 150 mosquitos in the room. Look at pictures for the condition. Had to sleep with sheets over head and still woke with bites Mattress stained. Ceiling and wall cover is squashed bugs. 4 pools, 2 are adult only, 1 is drained So only 1 pool kids can use Food is very poor. Wife cued 24 mins for a fried egg in the morning. Very limited selection The al a carte resturants are only part open. Hotel is in disrepair. The lifts nearly work and can only be called from certain floors. Showers round pool don't work On a plus the WiFi is decent when can get on. The weather is also decent. Have to pay a $15 deposit at reception on towels. The towel station runs out of towels very quickly so need to be early to get 1.

Just got back from another fun trip to Cuba. Myself and three other lifelong friends stayed at Laguna Azul. The worst part of my trip was having to leave, knowing that I wouldn't be back for about a year. I was there with friends in February 2020 and had planned to return in 2021 but then things shut down. Please read my review from then. So how did they survive COVID ? Better than expected. Like Bob Dylan once said. “ if you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose “... I’m pretty sure that COVID was a kick square in the maracas . Are the resorts in need of renovation ? Sure, but it’s a catch 22. You need cash and capital investment. I’m pretty sure that there wasn’t a bail-out and debt forgiveness like everyone else got. Throw in the US embargo and it’s still going to take some time. I feel that their recovery rate is accelerated by their attitude and way of life. They know how to adapt and deal without until they have again. “ not right now, maybe tomorrow, maybe later “ Renovations are still progressing but on “ Cuba Time “ , which I defined in my 2020 review as close to “ some time” and not that far off “some other time” . Hence, “ not today, maybe tomorrow , maybe later “ . So , how was iberostar Laguna Azul ? Great ! The beach was fantastic, as always. The main pool with the swim-up bar was open and rockin’ , as always . The second pool in the main area is still under renovation but being worked on at a pace so as not to create too much disruption. It’s hard to renovate and still function to full service. They will get there just not right away. “ not today , maybe tomorrow, maybe later “ . Both Relax Zone pools were open and clean. A nice retreat from the bustling main area when required . I highly recommend the upgrade, it wasn’t much extra. The food was “Cuban food “ If you expected different , then you didn’t read my review from 2020. I’m not a picky eater, I always fine something good. If you need things a little spicier, then bring your own. We brought packets of ketchup, peanut butter and hot sauce. The a la cartes we went to were great. The Japanese was really great. Hit that one twice. Getting reservations was tricky as everything seemed to be booked. Use your travel rep. About 5 minutes of many Spanish words and we were in. BTW – this is one thing that they keep on time, so don’t be late. As mentioned, the Zona Relax upgrade was worth it. A private restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Not the immediacy of the buffet because they cook to order. ( why are you in a hurry ? ) . One day they had no eggs, one day they had no potatoes. “ not today, maybe tomorrow, maybe later “ If you need Wifi to survive, then perhaps you should be looking at Silicon Valley as your vacation destination. Most resorts ( this one included ) have Wifi in the lobby... sometimes. If it is not working, “ maybe tomorrow , maybe later “ As mentioned in my last review, I recommend a trip into Varadero. We went on a Friday night (not important, every night rocks) to celebrate a friend's birthday . An old taxi into town , relaxing drinks in the El Rancho with a Cuban band in the background and a birthday serenade with my buddy playing the maracas . ( great video ! ) Then, a horse drawn buggy to the other end of town for pizza. (don’t expect Dominos . If you did, then you didn’t read my last review) . The guy and his young son riding shotgun waited for us and took us back to The Beatles Bar. What a fun time ! We had been there before ( see last review ) so we knew what to expect. Did not disappoint. DeJa'Vu, I think the same band was playing that I saw last time. Surprised (slightly) that they had no beer. Service was hit and miss, mostly miss. If you need alcohol , plan ahead and pack a traveler or three and bug spray. ( you are outdoors ) No cerveza ? “ not today, maybe tomorrow, maybe later “ Money ? It’s complicated. USD works everywhere. CDN works most places and sometimes at par. Pezos ? They really don’t like them but, it’s their currency so they have to take them. The exchange rate varies dramatically depending on where you get them. Banks, resorts and stores will not give you a good rate. The locals will give you better but be careful, it’s just a piece of paper, very easy to copy. So, If the inner Karen in you needs everything to work perfect, this is not the place for you. Spend more money and go somewhere else. Bottom line – Happiness is a choice. If you choose to find fault or stress over things not going exactly to plan or on your schedule, then you will succeed at having a bad vacation. You need to get yourself on “ Cuba Time “ . Slow down and relax a bit . Things will get done. If not today, “ maybe tomorrow, maybe later “ I hope this helps. I’ll be back again next year, maybe sooner.

I have been in this resort for one week. Was amazing. The beach is really good. The food is not the best but is ok. The a la carte restaurants are very good too. The in this resort is the entertainment team. Yandy, ak Candy Boy, Happy Happy, Joshua. The bar at the beach( Troadio, Amaury, Yaisel) the pool bar( Mocha, Oliver and Yanet). For sure, I gonna come back. Amazing resort.