Hotel Iberostar Playa Pilar

As always the warm feeling of Cuban people makes the difference, especially big thanks to Leo and Dagnia the entertainment group. The aqua classes relaxing and the kids entertainment. Even though there are some limitation you can not compare customer service,a smile every turn and the gardener s going the extra mile bringing coconuts to you. Only in cuba

My expectations were high and I am not disappointed, I was there a few weeks ago with several friends and they all have the same opinion as me. The stay was wonderful surrounded by people who do everything possible to make you feel at home, the rooms were very comfortable, clean and decorated. The service in bars and restaurants was excellent, thanks to all those people for being so kind and hard-working. The drinks are very good and the meals in the specialty restaurants are very delicious... There will surely be a second time, I recommend it.

This was our first time in any tropical country. We had read reviews about this resort and overall complaints about Cuba's shortage of food/water/general supplies/power, etc. There was no way we were going to back out of this trip as this was one we could afford as a family of 5, including my elderly mother. So based on the reviews, we went with a low expectation but we will enjoy what Cuba has to offer as is. Well, we were surprised by how FANTASTIC things were. Plenty of food, drinks, water, toilet paper, power etc. I'm not going to deny that Cuba is challenged with supplies, but we barely experienced any issues. In one week, we had no bread for 1 meal(no big deal). A couple of times, they didn't have the juice for pina-colada, but you had other alternate DELICIOUS juices. Mojitos were hit/miss because of the difficulty of getting mint. That was the only supply shortage we experienced. Plenty of other drinks to offer. We did not go hungry at all. Now the food in Cuba overall is "different". Something about the flavors they use, I can't place it, but you'll know what I mean after you eat at the buffet for several meals. You might feel that some things taste a little the same. LOL. Still, it's good enough that you will not go hungry. I have fussy kids and they were fine and they all found something to eat that they liked. They provided a fresh bottle(2 litre) of water in our room every day and new roll of toilet paper(so we always had 2 rolls). Plus you could have water throughout the resort whenever you wanted. Our rooms were cleaned and provided fresh towels every day. The pool area is really nice. The water early in the morning was a bit cool, but by 11AM, it was nice and by mid-afternoon it felt like bath water. Kids loved it. Good thing about this resort is that it's not overcrowded. A couple of days, our family was practically the only ones in the pool. We were a little late in the season, so that may have played a part of this. I felt bad for the bar staff as they were not busy at all, but always willing to serve us drinks. The staff there was very nice. I would say 95% of them were very nice. I did notice this young gent who would open the door to the buffet greeting us with a smile every day. Super nice. Waitresses at the buffet and the restaurants were very nice too. I experienced a couple of people that appear to hate their jobs, but I get it, they work long days and they don't necessarily go home in a life that we get to enjoy in our own country. Overall, excellent staff. The beach was nice... especially if you're into snorkeling. If you're looking for a beach that you just sit on the sand and walk directly to the water... this may not be the beach for you, but look at pictures first before deciding. They have a nice boardwalk that will lead you to the water and help avoid some of the rocky shore. If you like snorkeling, this is a great place. My kids and I snorkeled a lot during our stay. We

This resort is special because of where its situated in the bay. You can walk/swim to Pilar Beach instead of taking the bus. The staff were great and service was awesome. Since is low season the nightly entertainment was a little slow. The beach and the water are simply breathtaking so clear and blue. The food was good and lots of choices at the buffet. The ala cart restaurants were good especially Japanese. The only thing is Sunwing charges $25 for your carry-on. BE AWARE. We will be back. Lots to do and lots of fun. For a 9 year old resort its still pretty good. Needs some TLC but not much.

This could absolutely be a great resort. It has a lovely layout and a gorgeous clean pool. It is advertised as beach front and there is zero , none , no beach, There is a protected coral reef shoreline . I liked the pools. There are enough sunbeds and lounge chairs and that's because if you look at my photos this resort is a ghost-town. There was never more than 8 people in the whole pool area. That's the positive. The gym has no working AC... when in fact it was closed most of our visit. I walked around the resort and spoke to other guests and it was very hard to find anyone that was enjoying or liked the resort. So I believe I am not alone in my opinion. We were a group of girls and dislikes our experience with this resort and ultimately requested being moved to another resort. Check-in was terrible. We had a person in our party with mobility issues and I pretty much had to cry to get her on the first floor. I sent an email in advance asking for our 3 rooms to be together but .. nope...of course they say they never received it. I am going to find, my request it as I did save it somewhere. Unfortunately the whole resort is very poorly cleaned and not maintained at all. This resort is very neglected, which is a shame, as it could be beautiful, under proper management. All the staff was rude; except the maid. Although one night my room was made up with no top sheet , only a bottom. so I went to the lobby in my pajamas since my phone didn't work, stumbling in unlit paths. Half the bulbs are out or either broken. The rooms are old but still look decent. Telephones in the rooms did not work, The AC worked a bit; but wouldn't cool below 24 degrees. So it was fairly warm. Minibar had no beer or pop, just .Ants, beetles and lizards can enter the room because there are huge gaps on the bottom of the doors. Food is terrible! Likely partly because the resort had such few guests. Cold food is served for lunch and dinner. What you didn’t eat yesterday and the day before yesterday you will eat today and tomorrow. The choice is small, but poorly prepared, not tasty. The meat station is the only place where you can get normal, and most importantly, fresh food, but be prepared to wait for 20 minutes, because only 1 person works there and it's very slow and extremely hot in the miniature buffet. Vegetables and fruits are dry, dehydrated. There was no lettuce... so no salads. Flies are everywhere. I sat on a chair full of bird poop every day. I can't believe they are never cleaned. The windows in the buffet are filthy. Never seen anything like it. Staff are always chatting and besides the maid and the chef; everyone else stands around and talks way too much. No work gets done. I really could go on and on. This was a horrible experience. In my opinion as a experienced traveler; this is no where near a 5 star resort!

Many issues regarding standard necessities (room door locking, power outages in room, A/C down in room, no toilet paper, no water, no towels in room) bad vs. good customer service a flip of a coin, staff raising their voices at me & being outright rude, however, food was great & plentiful, pools & grounds were very well kept, rooms not so much, overall okay vacation? But would NOT book there again, would do more detailed research on resort & stay elsewhere in beautiful Cuba instead of spending time rectifying issues half of the time while staying there.

Overall the resort was very fun. The beach was pretty and the pools were well organized and clean. I found the flowers very pretty. The workers here were very nice, and the performances were fun to watch. I very much liked the volleyball and the soccer and the dancing lessons.

Nice hotel, on the beach, good staff, good foods. WiFi works but could be better and does not work in all rooms. Option to take boat and go to island for 30CAD, very nice

Very nice and enthusiastic staff. Great entertainment and shows. Rooms are nice and spacious with working air conditions. Food at the buffet is great. Good variety of drinks, both juices and alcohol. Front reception workers are very nice and understanding.