Iberostar Bella Vista Varadero

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]

Beau séjour à Cuba malgré la pandémie qui à durement touché le pays. La nourriture était bonne pour Cuba (Ne vous attendez pas à de la haute gastronomie et à beaucoup de variété). Le personnel est très serviable et souriant. L'hôtel est très bien entretenu au niveau des chambres et resto, par contre au niveau des corridor et des cage d'escalier, ils vont devoir faire quelque chose car ce sera très magané sous peux.

Hôtel pour famille, couple, ou bien gens qui veulent être tranquille (Pas de club et ça tombe très calme vers 23h00.

Plage superbe mais manque de palapas.
Équipe d'annimation très bonne. [Details]

I was looking for a resort with some entertainment for my three years old son and a nice swimming pool for children. The reason I booked with this hotel was because of a nice children swimming pool. It had two slides, one whale shaped and one dragon shaped. For that reason I was completely satisfied. My son had an amazing time. There was children show at 8:30 pm every night but my son was fast sleep by that time.

They also had a daycare setting where children could play and there was someone to watch over them. But I didn't want to leave my child there, it was my own preference. But some people and went off to enjoy some time for themselves. The lady working there was super nice.

The adult pools (2) were good too. There was entertainment from 3-5 pm daily. Children could also use the pools.

One pool was close to a bar and the other pool was close to the snack restaurant. The snack bar had hotdogs, burgers, and basic foods. But it was so slow getting served. It seemed like people working there didn't want to work or maybe they were short staffed. Sometimes when you ordered something from the menu they would say they don't have that item. It was suppose to be 24/7 too! I was disappointed with the snack bar.

The buffet was okay. Again, people working there had hard time keeping with the amount of visitors. They were so slow. On our first night, the line up to get food was so long. My wife spend 20 min just to get pasta. The buffet had all kinds of food but service was poor. I was disappointed with the service at buffet.

They had 4 a La carte restaurants. Cuban, Italian, Japanese, and one on the roof which is adults only.

My room was ocean front with a beautiful view of the oceans. But the quality of the room was poor. It needed renovation. A little worn out. Outside of the view the room was average.

There was a convenient store but they always ripped you off. [Details]

This hotel takes pride in their entertainment.Specifically CHARLIE and RANDY(entertainment manager's) they are so welcoming and feel like family now.Their energy is unmatchable and and made our stay so much more enjoyable. [Details]

Not bad, but not a 4 stars hotels in my opinion [Details]

We travelled here from May 6-13, 2022.
We booked double prestige and were up graded to a beautiful ocean view room on the 8th floor.
We were celebrating our 45 wedding anniversary.
Everything from check in to check out was absolutely amazing.
The staff are ALWAYS smiling and do what ever they can to make your vacation enjoyable.
This was our 10 trip to Cuba and this resort had the best food.
The restaurant on the 11th floor with the beautiful view was like a dream.
Thank you to all for making our vacation perfect.
We will definitely be back [Details]

Beautiful resort with great service, WiFi needs to be upgraded and improved. We will stay at this place in the future. [Details]

From the moment we arrived we were treated with such class. The resort is beautiful. There was not one spot I didn't find well taken care of. Upon check in, the front desk staff were friendly and helpful. Our room had the most beautiful view of the ocean right before sunset. The bar in the lobby had the best drinks and coffees. The bartenders were always extremely happy and friendly. They always remembered what we were having. (Pedro, Andreas etc.) The restaurants (Japanese, Italian and Cuban) were all fabulous and easy to book for two people. The pools and grounds are well taken care of and maintained. My only complaint was around the pool towels not being available most days to exchange for a clean one. The beach is extremely clean and well taken care of. The ocean water is the most turquoise color and is wonderful for swimming. There are plenty of beach chairs. The free boat rides are fun! There are many chairs in the shade for those not wanting too much sun. You can easily walk on the beach 15 minutes to the small mall to buy snacks or go to the bank. (plaza america) On the last day I found out about going to the top floor of the main building (11th) the most beautiful views. You can pay extra in the evening to have dinner up here. I highly recommend. Spectacular view and lobster dinner. The internet can be purchased by the hour but I enjoyed turning my phone off and soaking in all the food, culture and language. The snack bar is open at all hours and has a good variety. The service is a little slower. The evening shows in the theater were very entertaining and some excellent different talents. I especially loved the acrobatic evening (Wednesday). The gym facilities and spa are very lovely and not very busy. Tennis lessons were amazing. After talking with other tourists on the bus to Varadero this resort is one of the few that provides free drinks in the room fridge. Was a very nice touch. I can't wait to come back to Cuba very soon! [Details]

Clearest turquoise ocean right in front of the hotel. Second stay in 2 years. Delicious fresh bass fish several days, tender pork, lots of fresh fruit and veggies, champagne.

Wonderful staff overall, at reception, cleaning, support, restaurant/buffet and hospitality "Animaciòn" and at the spa (Mailyn, Jorge).

Talented multi-lingual animators of activities (Balery, Duniel, Osvaldo, Elio, Teran, Yandy, Randy, Yanetssy, Michel, Luis, Adisbell music guys José and Roly Boombon and Indira) such as: Stretching, Ocean aquagym, Salsa dancing ("Madre Tierra" and African dances), Spanish lessons, games. We did these activities every day and got better and better!

Nice crowd of Canadians, Italians, Argentinians, Russians, etc. Nice place for couples and for families as well.

Glitches get worked out quickly by customer relations and front desk staff. My husband adds, "Front desk staff are effective and cheerful at all times, as is client service." (Thank you, Julio, Emma, Yordani, Oriel, and Idalmis, Dayne, Mileysi, Yanara.) Clean! (Gracias Meyrelis, Janetssy). Friendly buffet and restaurant service (Yasmany, Yusmila, César, Maria Rojas, Yani, Johan, José Luis).

It was lively, romantic, fun. We loved it. [Details]

Group of 4 ladies , visited Iberostar Bella vista. , This was my 8th trip to Cuba and so far the best.
Everything in the resort was beautiful but it's the staff and their service who makes the difference .
Excellent service , very nice and helpful staff.
Beautiful beach , great selection of food and clean grounds .
A special thanks to Elizabeth at the reception who made sure to make our stay delightful .
A special thanks to Regina at the buffet who went the extra mile to make sure we always enjoy our breakfast .
Will be back next year for sure
Thank you for the excellent service . [Details]

It was a beautiful hotel lots of different things too do

I really enjoyed the food the entertainment at night and the pool staff a man named daniel really made me feel welcome considering I'm from Canada near Winnipeg Manitoba For the first few days I felt very far from home , as soon as I started meeting people I was better all the staff make you feel welcome and when your far from home it makes it a lot better my hotel experience was great the room was always clean and animals made from towels were always something I looked forward too , the one thing I hope could change is the fact that the bathrooms have a glass. Window in the shower but that's just a thought my whole experience was fantastic it's my first ever trip too the beach in the middle of winter and my other favourite part was the swim up bar of course hahaha. It was a experience I'll never forget [Details]

The best way to describe this hotel is that it is very tired. I don't know how old it is but it certainly looks like it has seen many years of travelers. Floor tiles were cracked and crumbling throughout the hotel, many elevators were not working, the public bathrooms were missing toilet seats, toilet paper and soap in the dispensers and many light bulbs in the common areas and pathways outside were burnt out making it difficult to maneuver at night.

The staff were pleasant and accommodating but I witnessed one thing that made my stomach turn: a staff member of the Snack Bar existed the toilet without washing her hands. Therefore, I must conclude that the staff are not trained in proper health and safety. Perhaps its a cultural thing but any board of health in Canada would come down hard on such improprieties.

As for our room, it was comfortable and clean but the towel rack in the shower was broken and hanging by a thread.

The grounds were beautiful as was the beach but if you are looking for bar service at the beach, forget about it. Bar service at the pool side and inside the hotel was very good.

The food was good by Cuban standards and we enjoyed the restaurant meals immensely. The Japanese restaurant was our favourite followed by the Italian one. The 24 hour Snack Bar had a limited variety of food but it was good. The café is the place to go for a good cup of coffee. The buffet was good and had a good variety of food.

Despite everything mentioned above, we had a very good time. But I will not come back to this hotel and will give friends and family a qualified opinion of the hotel should anyone ask. [Details]

Let me start by saying I have been to Cuba 18 times and out of those 18 times I have stayed at Bella Vista 10 times since it has opened. This resort has everything that I find important. It is clean, great food, fun entertainment and the people who work at this resort is the reason I keep coming back. The buffet staff are very attentive and very friendly. The bar staff always remember your name and your drink order. The entertainment team is a always a fun time. The a la carte restaurants are always a great treat. The front reception is really well organized and well run lead by Elizabeth Quesada and the team she has working for her speaks english really well which serves me well. Overall i will keep returning to this hotel and I highly recommend it [Details]

nice hotel good food [Details]

I didn't like. Never ever again. I done. [Details]

The staff are nice. For a newer resort it's extremely run down. There's chunks out of the walls, the tile flooring is damaged throughout the resort. Only 1/3 of the elevators work. The food is terrible. They're trying to serve western food, but it's horrible. Got stomach issues 3 days inn. The italian restaurant ran out of chicken and served us pork instead. Nice beaches, but won't go back. [Details]

The flight from Montreal arrived in Varadero late in the evening and we were just 2 people getting off at this resort. First impression - quiet for 11 pm :)
Room was definitely not what I paid for and e-mailed the resort, I have to say that I never received an answer to my e-mail, even the standard "thank you for your e-mail...requests are based on availability...". This is the only resort (and we travel quite a lot) that completely ignored the e-mail, so it was a bit disappointing. However, the room was beautiful and ended up not changing it, the view was perfect - hotel and ocean not ocean front). The cleaning lady was lovely and the room was spotless. I am not picky and when on vacation I try to see only the good things, so I loved every minute there. Buffet food and staff, lobby bar, cafe, a la carte restaurants, and the beach... the beach was perfect.Food I found it better than in any resort I went in Cuba.
Only went to 1 show, the Magic one and for the first time in my life I really enjoyed this type of show.
Language spoken at the resort - Russian and again Russian. This time of the year the hotel was approx 60% filled out with people from Russia and the beach can get very noisy at times, I heard also tourists from Germany and Netherlands, so a lot of Europeans. If you're North american and not a smoker you won't like the fact that everybody was smoking everywhere (except rooms, buffet and a-la-cartes). For me it was no issue.
The side of the resort I was in, room 10430 was quieter and no issues with the elevators.
The Spa was what I needed - I twisted my back a few days before my departure so 1/2 of the trip I was in so much pain, until I went to have a massage. Lindsay I think it's her name was awesome, I walked out of there with almost no pain.

Also many thanks for the Sunwing rep from the resort, she was probably the best rep that I have ever interacted with. And she was busy, always there and always with a smile, solving whatever she could solve or interacting with Sunwing guests.

Check out is at noon but I had the room until 2 pm. If you want to keep the room the hotel offers late check out at 11 CUC per hour. There is a complimentary room that they offer to take a quick shower and change before the bus comes, luggage is safe in a room next to the front desk. Many thanks to Lourdes at the front desk - she definitely was the best one there.

Would I go there again? In a heartbeat. If the price is right. [Details]