Iberostar Selection Holguin — Hotel in Rafael Freyre

We just returned from our vacation at Iberostar Selection and my goodness, what a blast! I have been to Cuba many times so I have some room for comparison, and yet I enjoyed everything. My friend who had never visited Cuba before had a fantastic first experience. ||If you don't care for a long review, I'll sum it up: overall, we loved everything and the shortcomings were minor. I would recommend bringing your own toiletries, reusable water bottles, and condiments. Also a speaker if you want to party at the beach. ||If you care for a more detailed review, please read on :)||Firstly, we arrived around 1 pm. Our room was not ready, however we were given our wristbands and our luggage was stored in their room so we were able to go eat. ||Our room was ready around 3:30 pm. We were in building 24 and it was a pretty good place. It was relatively close to the pool and the main area with the lobby and buffet, but quite far from the beach. We had to walk through the pool area to get to the boardwalk to the beach, which took about 10-15 mins. The room itself was clean overall and our maid did a great job keeping it clean and changing our towels daily. They did have refillable bottles with shampoo/conditioner, soap, and body wash, however they remained empty throughout the week. We did not ask for it to be refilled (maybe we had to) but we did bring our own toiletries anyways so that was not a big issue for us. Just be aware if you are relying on their toiletries that they may not have, unless you'd like to buy at the store for $2-5 USD. They also have glass bottles that they bring daily for water. This is a great idea for the environment, but we ended up breaking a bottle by accident and found it difficult to bring water with us. Luckily we had water bottles to fill but I would recommend bringing your own reusable bottles/cups for convenience. They also sold water bottles at the store near the lobby for $1 USD or a case for $10 USD I believe, which we didn't mind spending money on. ||As mentioned, I have been to Cuba many times, so I did not find the resort to be as big as everyone was describing. However, there is a bit of walking. We did over 10,000 steps daily. We were 2 young women so the walk wasn't bad, however if you are travelling with people with mobility issues or young kids, perhaps the golf carts may be necessary. There were moments where there were none available as they were charging, but again, not a big deal for us. There were also times when we would be walking and a cart would slow down and pick us up, so I did not feel as if they were unavailable at all times. We were even lucky enough to catch one going from the beach back to the buildings. Most of the time, if you just ask to hop in, they will usually say yes. On the last day, it was easy to summon a cart and bellboy to help with our luggage. ||The beach was fantastic, and yes there are two. We did not visit the little bay area with the shallow beach, but walking past it daily, it looked perfect for families with young kids. The main beach was smaller than I was previously used to, but there was always room for us. There was a time where there were no more palapas, but we were offered a lovely spot under a tree for shade. The beach bar was limited in options, but worked regardless. We don't drink much anyways so we rarely visited it. There was a day where they did run out of cups and couldn't make drinks for an hour until they got more. The beach was absolutely stunning and super clean. The water was calm during our entire week and not a single piece of seaweed to be found. There are rocky areas, but a big place where it is just sand as well. The beach is also very quiet and no speakers, so it is perfect if you are looking to truly relax, which is exactly what we wanted. If you'd like to party on the beach, then unfortunately it might not be the place for you unless you bring your own speaker. The pool area had the music, which is where we went for fun.||The pool area itself was not that big, but the pool was nice with a gradual deepening area and then becoming waist deep near the swim up bar. It was cute and had bar seating made of tile so you can sit submerged in the water and sip whatever you'd like. The bar men were super funny and amazing, props to them. They also had a rubber chicken which they would squeeze from time to time and I thought it was hilarious. The entertainment by the pool was great. Ruben was amazing at leading the dancing and AquaFit. He was super fun and really got the crowd going. Big shoutout to him for keeping everyone entertained and making sure we get our exercise in! When there wasn't any activities, they played all the great Latin hits. There were plenty of loungers and lots of room for people. The sunbeds were free but you do have to come super early to get them. We didn't really need one, so not a loss for us, but they were always full when we would get to the pool. ||At the buffet, we had the absolute pleasure of being served by Leo (Leodanis) all week. He was such a hard worker and had a big smile on his face every time we saw him. By day 2, he knew our drink order and would have it ready for us in an instant. He was so kind and willing to meet every single need, which was usually more napkins. If he wasn't serving tables, he was always pushing the heavy carts of plates. Very kind and hard worker, big props to him. ||The buffet did not have AC, however. It was very hot in there, so I would recommend bringing a personal fan to cool off. ||Now for the food. Again, I have been to Cuba many times and have experienced times where the food was amazing and times where it was what people usually think of when describing Cuban buffet food. We were pleasantly surprised!! We found that even the steamed veggies had flavour. Yes, there were certain shortages at times, but the food that they did have was pretty good. They rotated between chicken and beef, but mostly had pork and fish. However, usually the meat and fish had good sauces and gave it extra flavour. My friend loves rice and found that even the plain white rice was very good. I preferred the rice with beans and found it yummy. By day 3, it did feel a bit repetitive, but we found options to eat regardless. The egg lines for breakfast were quite long so take that into account, that it was about a 15-20 min wait. About halfway through the week, they began switching things up and offered a pancake station in the morning. They also did have syrups and things to add so I don't think Nutella would be necessary, but whatever floats your boat. We did bring condiment packets but only ended up using it once. They also had a fried rice station and that was good. But the main highlight: the bread and cakes. They were so good we filled our plates daily. We loved the toast and the strawberry and coconut cakes. We also went during mango season and I had to have at least a few pieces with each meal. It was the highlight of my food experience. They did get papaya and guava towards the end of the week, so that was not always available. Avocados were also come and go but if they do have them, load your plate because they were delicious. Another tip: if you mix the veggie and beef soup, it's a fantastically delicious stew. ||We did all of the a la carte restaurants, and our favourite was the gourmet. I am not sure if I agree with other reviews saying how it is recycled buffet food. Some similarities, sure, but they offered things like salmon and chicken fajita that was not available at the buffet. All the food was delicious and the salmon, chicken, and lamb cooked nicely. The hibachi was ok. I felt bad because our chef put on a great show but our cohort of people at the table did not seem super interested which was sad. It was mostly seafood options for the proteins or pork, which we were kind of disappointed with, since we prefer chicken and beef. However, the food was good, we were just not seafood lovers. ||We also did need to visit the medical building, and although there was a bit of a language barrier, the doctor helped us. My friend had an allergic reaction to her sunscreen and was given a cream and Benadryl which was $10 CAD. It cleared up after a few days, so we are very grateful for her help. ||The entertainment was pretty good, and the dancers were great. We enjoyed the international night and the boogie night the most. I was very upset that we missed the Broadway theme because that was our arrival and departure day, but we will watch it next time ;). I also heard the opera singers were amazing, and they indeed were when they performed a few songs for one of the nights. After the boogie night, the dancers came to the nightclub. ||The nightclub was super fun when we went, again because the entertainment/dance staff was there. They really made sure you had fun and would encourage you to come dance. They would initiate dances that were easy enough to follow along, or hype you up when you were feeling it. The AC was blasting beautifully inside the club and the music was fun. It was similar to the pool vibe, with top Latin/Reggaton songs and good ol' Pitbull. They did play a few English songs as well. ||Some minor inconveniences were the fact that the wifi was not good. I was lucky because I had an international phone plan so I was able to have service and hotspot my friend. If we did not, we would be off the grid for a week lol. When we asked for a new login, they said they were unable to do that and that it was my friend's phone having the issues. We understood they would do nothing so we just gave up and used my hotspot. Another thing was that the lobby bar service was not great. We sat down and no one came to take our order. Ok, no big deal. We went up and ordered, and showed where we were sitting. After waiting a good 20-25 mins, and others who ordered after us getting their drinks, we just got up and left. The iced coffee was wasn't bad, and the cappuccinos were fairly good. The power also did go out a few times every day, but came on relatively quick so it was not that big of an issue. ||To sum up my essay, it was overall a great week of fun in the sun and despite some hiccups and adjustments, we had a blast! We will definitely be coming back :) (maybe just more...

This review is honest long one . I have vacationed in this resort last year(2024) during August and this year (2025) July last week for 7 days Me, my wife and our 3 young kids. First of all this resort just got a new manager (Javier) and new chef 3 months ago. U will see Javier everywhere u go from morning to late nights u cant miss him . There are already many noticeable upgrades since last year we came. ||||Food is alot better compared to last year with new chef. Chef's wife and children eat at this resort as well we saw them couple of times. More selection and food tastes alot better this year. there is something for everyone (fish, lamp, beef, pasta, lots of rice, burger, pizza and more) all cooked in front of u. plus dessert section is improved alot with many more different varieties. we had eggs omelets ,pancake milk every morning with delicious goat cheese. buffet and restaurants are where we seen the improvements alot. Snack bar still serve similar food but they put a new full bar at the snack bar which is very nice. Snack bar serves hamburger , hot dog, pizza and pasta .they sometimes dont have buns left which was not a big deal. they had a cuban day right on the field one day and food was BBQed infront of u with cuban rice which was very nice for a change. ||Drinks are regular resort drinks , we bring our own bottles since we dont like to litter the place with cups , they also change their cups to paper cups from plastic which i think is very good for environment, good drinks u can get at lobby bar for 24 hrs , best drinks u can get from cigar bar (more variety of hard liqour) when its open at night time if u are more picky . other bars have limited sugary resort drinks. i like mojito and i got mojito everytime i almost asked for it. if u dont know what to order just google the cocktails before u come to resort pls they dont have a drink menu. So food and drinks are very good at this resort as of now. i also talked to other customers in the hotel and no one was complaining about food. if u have a concern regarding to food and drinks i think u will be satisfied with variety. ||||Second most improved section is entertainment . There were more variety and talent this time. Every night there is a show in the theater with singing and dancing , singers and dancers are very good and talented im an artist myself as well and i can see the quality improved on this section alot. they also added more shows on the beach (live music foam party) , pool dance party and Canadian cocktail party with dancers as well . we did alot more than last year and never got bored during our length stay. there is TV in the pool(game) room with entertainment programs schedule for the week u should take a picture to be on top of the schedule. ||||this part is for families with kids. we have 3 young kids , this resort have a big functioning waterpark which is very nice for kids. last year waterpark was in need of maintenance and this year we saw that they freshly painted and fix everything in the waterpark. so its like brand new waterpark. there is also small baby kid pool right beside the waterpark. there is a kids club is running by lovely lady Sunny right beside the waterpark. She is great with kids and took care of our kids many times , our kids love going to kids club in this resort. there are some other activities for kids we find the mini disco in the club by the lobby is very nice everyday at 8PM. our kids love this resort they did not want to leave. ||||this part is for beach lovers . this resort have 2 gorgeous cuban beaches one is right on the resort its big and beautiful but its very shallow (great for kids) but not good for swimming . other beach is located on the Playa Pesquero (its my fav beach) its very nice and good for swimming and snorkeling if u are into corals and tropical fish. this beach is connected to resort with a bridge which is a 10 minutes walk (if no bus running) from resort. Cuban beaches are the best , i will see no weed or smell like other Caribbean counties. there are catamaran (Juan) , padel boats for water activities on the Playa Pesquero side which is nice when water is not rocky . There are small bars at the beach serving regular resort drinks , Javier told me that they are working on putting good bars with restrooms at the beaches ( there arent any restrooms right on the beaches) |||| This part is for the pool. Pool is big with bridges over which is great for shading , there are shallow sections which is good for the kids. I think pool needs to be updated immediately, there are tiles falling off and many tiles are already missing which is a safety hazard, plus pool lights are hanging in the pool which is a safety hazard as well , they dont treat the water with enough chlorine as a result water turns green specially after rain pool water should be maintained with cholorine . there is a volleyball pool and two jacuzzis (one working only) as well right around big pool. my kids love spending time in the pool so im hoping they will update the pool very soon . pool bar and bartenders are very nice and attentive. ||||Rooms are modern with everything working , cleaning and fresh drinking water everyday serviced AC is working never had any issue with safes in the room as well. if u get a oceanview its very beautiful view in the sunset and sundown towards the Playa Pesquero. ||||There is one problem in the resort is small golf carts (buses) are not running on schedule. this is a big resort so u either catch them on ur way or have to call and wait for it to arrive for u which is unconvenient and time wasting for older people or people who cant walk much. i like walking so its never been an issue for me but people who wants easy access to beaches (smaller beach is far away from resort ) , restaurants this resort might not be a good option if they dont wanna do any walking. i talked to manager and couple of people they are working on getting some lithium batteries very soon which lasts longer than regular car batteries they are using currently which does not last long and needs to be charged very often and their lifespan is very shorten with heat and excessive charging. ||||Workers are mostly nice not too nice but not unfriendly as well which i like . they do their job well and looks like they care about customers satisfaction. my wife made more friends since she is more social i like to keep things to myself. Cubans are going through hardship not so it would be nice to bring make up, drugs and other pharmacy selfcare, kids items they value them alot. Tipping i usually bring 1 dollar us bills since they cant exhange canadian coins , i did took some coins with me back to Canada to help them , but this also works ok just bring some 20s with u to take back coins with u if u really wanna help them .||||we usually go on low season because i dont like crowds, lineups and price is cheaper during low season if u value ur money and time i think this resort is very good specially if u have kids with u during low season. during the low season more latino tourist we see than Canadians which is also nice since u feel more like in latin country. ||||i have been to Holguin city couple of time , if u go to city go on Sunday its more relaxed on Sundays , there are some nice parts in the city u would enjoy. if u go for shopping go on weekdays since most shops are closed on Sunday. i didnt do any excursions since i have small kids its hard to go around with them. but they offer jeep driving , horseriding , big catamaran to natural deer parks etc if u are interested. ||||Most likely i will go back to this resort again since Manager is very attentive and cares about whats going...

We just returned from a lovely week at the #iberostarselectionholguin, a hotel that opened in late 2018. This resort is about 40 minutes from the airport in Holguin. It is a larger resort, so be prepared to do some walking or use the trolleys that come around often. It's a walkable resort, with flat, even paths and walkways.||Check in was quick and easy. The lobby has a breezy feel to it. It's divided in two sections. The front area closer to the reception desk is quieter, with lots of comfy couches. Then the other side is where the lobby bar is, with tables both inside and outside if you are a smoker. ||Our room was upgraded to a nice ocean view, which was appreciated. It was very nice to wake up and be able to watch the sunrise from our balcony. The room was comfortable; there was plenty of closet space and hangers. We never had any issues with water pressure or air conditioning. There was no coffeemaker in the room, which wasn't a deal breaker but a bit inconvenient if you are an early riser and enjoy coffee before breakfast. The 24-hour snack bar does have coffee, so you can go there. The mini-fridge only had water; no beer or pop. We were in building 25, which was a short walk to the pool and snack bar, and the beach was a couple of minutes from there. The lobby, buffet, and restaurants were a bit farther but still easily accessible. Our maids came every day and our room was always clean and new decorations made with our towels and blankets were always left for us.||The grounds are very well maintained. The gardeners and maintenance workers were out every day trimming trees and shrubs, cutting grass and keeping things clean. It looks like they may be making some changes to the tile work around the resort. Hopefully, this will include the main pool, which is in need of some repairs.||The beach, or should I say beaches...the resort beach was beautiful, clear water that you could walk out forever in and it not get any deeper than your chest. Great for kids. You also have access to the beach across the other side, Playa Pesquero. You can either walk over, maybe 5mins over that bridge or take a trolley ride over. Playa Pesquero beach is quite nice as well and a bit deeper for swimming. There is a small bar there you have access to but no food on that side. ||Restaurants included a Mediterranean, Japanese, and gourmet. They were all pretty good. Buffet was good as well. We didn't find anything lacking. We had fresh made omelets every morning with bacon, toast, fresh cheese and fruit. Lunch and dinner were a little repetive with ome dishes but you can get fish, pork or chicken grilled fresh, they have a pasta and pizza station, as far as veggies you won't have a huge selection but they get creative with it. 24hr snackbar was ok. They had hot dogs, grilled ham and cheese, tuna or fried chicken leg, all served with a little fries. They also served pizza or pasta. ||If you are a coffee lover, we had delicious cappuccino at the lobby bar and couple times a day. |The bars were not lacking either. We had rum, vodka, gin, all kinds of liquors, and no shortage of mixes either. The wine they served was decent too.|Entertainment team was not always around the first part of our stay. I'm not sure if it was because there werent a lot of people there they didn't have as many activities running. But then our last few days we had activities around the main pool. I I'll say they have a bocci bal pit and shuffle board, but the shuffle board paddles were broken and the bocci ball pit is in full sun so it was too hot to play. It might be nice to either build a palapa style cover over that area. |We actually didn't see any of the evening shows but the theatre is nic and large, lots of seating. There is also a disco, which we didn't go to but it was nice inside. ||One thing I found lacking was info about what was happening. They had TV screen in the main corridor leading to the restaurants that would play a repeat of hotel info, but most days it was turned off so there was no way of knowing what was going on that day. ||I will say the resort was probably at about half capacity at the time and this isn't high season. If you go to Cuba during spring break or Christmas at any resort you may find some shortages because of the sheer busyness. But people have experienced this in DR as well. ||Overall, we enjoyed our stay here and met some great people. Shout out to Jan and Alejandro at the pool/beach bar, as well as Julio who worked at the pool, and Felix from the entertainment team. It's staff like these that really make you want to return to a resort. We miss...