Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Have you heard about Playa Pilar? You may have seen it hundreds of times in photos, but your bare feet digging into the white sand trumps any of those images. Iberostar puts a one-of-a-kind resort at your fingertips among one of Cuba’s most tranquil and spectacular natural spaces. Sleep well, enjoy yourself to the maximum, relax your body and spirit… these are your biggest tasks on holiday. Our entertainment team will spread their enthusiasm and kindness to you in each and every one of its activities. The kids will feel especially welcome thanks to Star Camp and the splash pool. You also have a spa that will impress and surprise you, where you can be carried away by the treatments and delicate hands of our professionals. Missing something? Then just tell us what you feel like eating today. You have 4 restaurants to choose from…
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
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Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar garners mixed reviews, with many guests praising its lively atmosphere, replete with engaging music and performances. Despite some reports of room cleanliness and maintenance issues, the spacious accommodations with impressive views are often highlighted.
The hotel's prime location near beaches and the airport is a favorite among travelers, as are the varied amenities, though some note occasional shortages. While opinions on value vary, the staff's commendable service is consistently acknowledged.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Unkempt
Value
Mixed
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Satisfactory
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We travelled to the Cayo Coco on Feb 25-2020 and returned on March 4th. The Sunwing component of the trip wasn't very good. I will not fly with them again and in large part because of the bus rides at the Toronto airport to their own terminal. For take off and return. In the cold weather it sucks!
The hotel was one of the better or best I have visited in Cuba. The hotel staff were great, and the front desk made things happen fast. Other than being late for check in at 11:30pm, we were in our room within 15 minutes and at the snack bar for a late meal.
The snack bar as with most Cuban resorts lacked the food items on their menu which was disappointing but expected. This has been the case on all 7 of my trips to Cuba. However, the burgers were decent although funny looking.
The room was in a good state. The AC wasn't working at first, but it was fixed within 30 minutes of our entry into the room. Plenty of hot water, towels and toilet paper.
The food is some of the best I have had in my visits to Cuba. One must keep in mind that a 4 star plus in Cuba is not the same as you would expect anywhere else you might travel. The food selection was fair at best but quality was good. The buffet food area needs to be expanded. It's tight walking amongst everyone.
The pool was great, scuba and snorkeling decent. Pictures attached.
One thing I have never seen before was a raised deck along the beach above coral rock. The water is entered through stairs on the deck to make it past the rock. The deck is in need of some repairs but the stairs most importantly needs work. Overall, there was nice swimming. If the beach is the most important thing to you, try Melia Cayo Guillermo but the snorkeling won’t be as nice.
There is no dive centre at this hotel but a short double decker bus ride away for 5 pesos there is one at the Melia Cayo Guillermo. The diving, stave and equipment there was good, but their dive boat sucked. My knees were touching the person sitting opposite me and I was sandwiched between two people. I didn't go back for a second dive because I don't like cramped space!
I would go back to this hotel again.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Room 410 has a great ocean view through the sliding doors.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ReputationOnline, Quality Manager at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Mar 17, 2020
Dear guest, We would like first and foremost to thank you for choosing Iberostar for your recent holiday. Every day is a new and exciting challenge for us as we work to provide our guests with a feeling of staying at a home away from home. Again we thank you for your comments and we hope to welcome you back again soon. Best Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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We were at this resort in late February 2022 before COVID restrictions were lifted. For that reason the hotel was at a lower occupancy which made it a very serene, restful and peaceful experience. This was my second time in Cuba so compared to the previous resort, this resort had much higher hygiene standards, rooms were more modern and better maintained. The crew had better tools to maintain the premises.
The resort is situated on a coral reef and you enter the ocean from a pillared deck, much like a overwater Bali experience. We enjoyed the serenity and nature of the beach with many fish and bird species co-existing with man in this eco-friendly establishment. Star fish, needle fish, lisas, barracudas, sea urchins, pelicans, herons and others that I can't name.. It was so enjoyable to rejoice in the embrace of Mother Nature after the long lockdowns at home! Truly a Heaven on Earth experience.
Staff was very friendly, happy to be there and make your experience absolutely great. Yenia at customer service was especially helpful and made sure our every request was looked after. Please do look for her if you visit this resort. She will make sure that your experience is absolutely positive and great.
Food is good and plentiful, although the snack bar by the beach had fewer options possibly due to the lower occupancy.
The entertainment team and the ballet group were phenomenal, we saw some great performances, worthy of a Toronto stage, which only enriched our experience at night.
Useful tips: * Do book the ocean view junior suite, it's totally worth it! We enjoyed sitting on the balcony meditating watching the ocean.. A blissful experience! * Do visit the spa for a soulful refreshing and relaxing massage, only $55 US * Do visit nearby Pillar beach, totally breath taking views! You pay for 5min trip, chairs, any food and drinks there out of pocket. * Do take the catamaran to the nearby Half moon island - another peace of Heaven on Earth * Do bring lots of small bills (CAN preferred), no coins, not damaged bills. Tipping was one of the most uplifting things we did, it was our gratitude for us being there and enjoying this Paradise * Do plan for a data roaming plan, it is not that expensive with a major Canadian carrier. I could not use the wifi in the resort due to higher security profile on my iphone * Do not be rude with the staff, they work very hard to maintain this beautiful peace of Heaven. The only annoying fellas were some very primitive and rude tourists on a drink binge. Be gracious, grateful and respectful. * Expect less to enjoy most
Bon Voyage!
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Date of stay: February 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bibiana Carbonell Castelo, Other at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Mar 21, 2022
Dear guest, We would like to express our appreciation for your kind words and positive rating of our hotel. It was a pleasure to read your description of our establishment and it motivates us to maintain our standards. Of course, we will relay your compliments to our team, they will be delighted to know that they enhanced your holiday experience. It would be an honour to serve you again in the future at our hotel, until then we wish you all the best. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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We had a wonderful Christmas vacation with my family. Weather was amazing, always sunny with gentle breeze. Clean hotel, everything is walking distance, rooms & bathrooms are spacious, ocean view was spectacular house keeping “Osladis” was doing her best to make us a cute surprise every day. We just had couple of issues with the shower and toilet but got fixed.
Wonderful landscaping makes your walk so enjoyable. Beach is different, water is wonderful just the beach is rocky in the beginning but inside is sand, water shoes is an option.
Deck on the beach is a new & nice idea. Plenty of shades, never a problem to find a spot. Pools are great and clean too. Pool bar was great, all the bar staff were great, Lobby and the beach bar staff were so fast and professional too.
Food exceeded our expectations, buffet is very clean, lots of varieties, 2 grills are available every day, pasta and pizza station was amazing, bread was great too. We are at the Mediterranean restaurant, small portions though.
People are incredibly respectful, kind, smiley, hard working and trying their best to please you. Wearing masks all time, it’s the staff who are serving food at the open buffet for your safety, cleaning and sanitizing all the day.
Bonus, this is the closest hotel to Playa Pillar beach. Do not miss it, 20 min walk or you can pay for the bus, it’s a paradise beach with turquoise clear water. You can pay 5$ for a chair or simply sit on the soft golden sand for free. Definitely will go back soon. Thanks Iberostar team for making our vacation so enjoyable
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, Owner at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Jan 11, 2022
Dear guest, We would like to express our appreciation on behalf of the whole team for sharing such a positive review of your stay with us. The fact that you enjoyed your holiday is for us the best confirmation that we are working in the right direction. Please come back again soon. Kind regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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Pls do not be fooled by these 5 star reviews they were far from accurate This trip was a nightmare
The buffet serves the same thing every day for breakfast lunch and dinner absolutely NO SELECTION! food had a bit of flavour which is surprising for Cuba
So many flies and mosquitoes in the buffet room you can’t even eat in peace There is no dessert selection only ice cream and fruit in syrup !
Absolutely no ketchup but you get a lot of mustard
The room we had was basic , furniture was old and decaying, the bathroom was decent. Flies were on the room along with mosquitoes
Customer service was a hit or miss some of the people at front desk like Mercy were exceptional and went over and beyond while others could care less. The bellboy is the worst his attitude sucks and he’s always expecting a tip regardless of getting one prior
The bartenders are a mix as well some very friendly some don’t even smile and make you feel welcome. They do not have any champagne or tequila The mixed drinks suck the flavour is very watered down or extremely sweet
The beach park is the best! The two ladies working there are amazing ! They have great customer service skills and they make great drinks
The snack bar serves pink burgers and I highly doubt they are beef. I asked for mine to be well done and it was on the outside but inside was extremely pink. I’ve never seen that before so pls be aware. Food at the snack bar is not the greatest either. But customer service is amazing.
The public bathrooms in the lobby are disgusting! Everyday they do not have toilet paper in the stalls and there is always poo or pee in the toilets! Absolutely disgusting
The lobby area is clean for the most part. The pool area is nice they have lots of pools to choose from and the pools are cleaned
Unfortunately my card wouldn’t work because even tho it’s Canadian it’s from an American company and I had no way of using my card for any upgrades
The wifi sucks constantly in and out it’s extremely hard to get any type of service in areas even if you’re on your phone data
The only good thing about this resort is the beach it’s exceptional! The water is crystal clear and has an abundance of fish that you can see.
Overall I would say save your money and go somewhere else this resort is not worth the hassle
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bibiana Carbonell Castelo, Other at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Jul 11, 2022
Dear guest, Thank you very much for taking the time to share this review of your stay. We are deeply saddened that we were unable to live up to your expectations on this occasion. Due to the seriousness of the aspects of our services that were not to your complete satisfaction, the hotel management and the appropriate departments are working to make all the corresponding research and changes. We assure you that this description is a total departure from the standards of quality and the professional and friendly service that we strive to provide. We offer our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused. Although it would appear this was not the perfect fit for you , we hope you will join us again at one of our many other beautifully located Iberostar hotels for your next holiday. Best regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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I want to say this resort is very nice and it exceeded my expectations. The room was cleaned every day and it was consistent. I didn’t see any face cloths so was happy I brought one. Fridge was stocked daily with two sodas and two beers and a bottle of water. Tips are very much appreciated. The staff are very nice and being pleasant back goes a long way. The ocean is beautiful but found the disco music on the beach annoying as I just wanted some quiet. I guess it’s hard to please everyone. So maybe have music half of the day or every other hour. Just a thought! Now the not so good but can be fixed. Most meals were good except for the service. I had a difficult time getting water and coffee. I asked three servers and no one came back with the coffee. I would recommend they set up a coffee station so people can get it themselves. I think out of all the meals I had, I only had coffee five times. It might be that they are under staffed. I tried to get tea and there was no water in the jug so that proved pointless. They kept running out of spoons. Also, the bathrooms on the resort were not maintained adequately. All in all, I had a great time.
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ReputationOnline, Quality Manager at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Mar 13, 2020
Dear Laurie and Lucy, First of all, we want you to know that the way you have described your stay with us is really helpful and we thank you for providing your rating. Although the majority of your comments show that in most areas we are performing well with our quality service, we have taken your feedback regarding the areas you raise seriously as we know that we can only improve by listening to our guests. Again, we want to thank you very much for sharing this review of our hotel and we would be happy to welcome you back to one of our hotels in the future. Best Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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It is absolutely not a 5 star hotel. Bad service, rude staff and the worst food in Cuba. The all-inclusive service is a bluff: almost impossible to eat in one of the 4 a la carte restaurants (which are also very bad) because the staff simply does not want to clean tables, "24-hours bar" closed at happy hour time from 5 p.m. to 10.30 p.m., extremely poor quality buffet and most of the food written in any menu was not available.
We also found huge cockroaches in the room and cobwebs everywhere. Finally, although the hotel is called Playa pilar, to reach the famous beach (4 km away) the resort offers a bus service ... obviously to be paid...ridiculous!
You should be ashamed of the bad service you offer and the rudeness you have shown!!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ReputationOnline, Quality Manager at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Jan 15, 2020
Dear Stella, We really appreciate you notifying us of your concerns related to your recent stay with us. Firstly, we are very sorry to hear some elements of our resort were not to your liking. Impeccable cleanliness, exceptional gastronomy and outstanding service are the foundations of Iberostar. We invest significant time in our training process to ensure our dedicated and friendly staff are fully equipped to carry out their tasks to perfection. In addition, we have 5 different restaurants offering a range of Mediterranea, Asian and Cuban cuisine and our professional chefs work hard to prepare a wide range of quality dishes using only the most fresh local ingredients. However, will we pass on your useful comments to the management team, who strive to offer unforgettable holidays to our guests. We thank you for choosing Iberostar for your holiday and hope to have the pleasure of serving you again soon. Best regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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Vacation did not start off well as one piece of luggage did not arrive at the Iberostar with us. We suspected that is was mistakenly removed at a previous stop, so we asked the front desk to call the other 2 resorts to check for unclaimed luggage. They were not permitted to call the other resorts, so they referred us to the Sunwing Rep who would arrive the next morning. To make a long story short we got little help from Sunwing and none from Iberostar, we had to hire a taxi and retrieve our luggage from the other resort ourselves. A simple phone call to the neighbouring resort would have saved us a lot of time and anguish. The Iberostar was looking a bit run down when we arrived but there was lots of maintenance going on, gardening, painting, boardwalk repairs, etc. so by the time we left it was looking much better. Staff is very friendly, Rober in the buffet is super. Our room in building 4 could have been cleaner, and didn't always have face cloths or a bathmat.The bed is firm but we found it comfortable. The patio door could not be locked when we got there, several others at the resort also had this issue, ours was repaired within minutes of asking. The beach is nice, always lounge chairs available, shallow for a long ways, good for those of us who are not great swimmers, Pilar beach is about 1/2 hour walk away. This was our 3rd time to Cuba and this resort had the best food by far. WiFi is available in the lobby for 1 peso per hour. FYI one peso cost more than $1 US, seems expensive to me. We recommend this resort but they should have the ability to contact the other nearby resorts.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ReputationOnline, Quality Manager at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Mar 17, 2020
Dear Karen, We are very happy to learn that you had such a great time with us and want to thank you for sharing your experience with others. We welcome and value the ideas of our guests because with them we can achieve our goal of providing perfect holidays, therefore we will take note of your valuable feedback and will relay it to the appropriate department for their consideration. Again we thank you for this constructive review of our hotel and hope to be seeing you again soon. Best Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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So this is my 3rd day here. Those who are giving 5 star reviews were probably drunk since coming off the plane.
Toilets barely work, and there is little to no toilet paper.
Swimming pool is GREEN and murky. The water is very dirty, best to stick to the beach.
Kids play area looks like an abandoned playground
Buffet is extremely basic. There is a very small selection of food, and waiting in lines for eggs in the morning or meat in the evening is quite long. You will be sweating buckets at the buffet as the A/C doesn't work. It's very uncomfortable to sit down and eat.
The beach restaurant staff greeted us with "what do you want?" once we sat down. We had no idea what they served, turns out it's burger,chicken, fries and pasta.
3rd day was first time we had someone come to the room, they mopped the floors (leaving them wet) and that's it. The water wasn't replenished and the towels weren't exchanged for clean ones.no hand towels no soap. Bedroom fridge is empty.
Our bedroom safe wasn't working, 3 times we asked front desk to remedy this...still nothing
Bring your own wet wipes, toilet paper, and napkins...maybe even spoons as they appear to be a hot commodity these days.
I doubt anything will change for the next 4 days....but if it should by some miracle I'll update my review.
The locals definitely get preferential treatment and this is a trend I've been noticing at more and more resorts. Looks like from now on Mexico will be the destination instead of Cuba
The beach is the only redeeming factor. The water is amazing.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bibiana Carbonell Castelo, Other at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Aug 9, 2022
Dear guest, Thank you very much for taking the time to share this review of your experience at our facilities. It saddens us greatly that we were unable to live up to your expectations on this occasion. We have reported each of your valuable comments to the responsible departments in order to find solutions as soon as possible. Likewise, we are sure that we will be able to change your mind with the personalized attention that we work to offer to each of our customers regardless of race, nationality or religion. We will do everything in our power to make sure you return home with wonderful memories of your stay. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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Iberostar selection Playa Pilar is the best resort we’ve been to in Cuba. This was our first time to Cayo Coco and we were amazed at the beautiful beach, clear water and the friendliest staff! I have to give out some mentions to Yenia in customer service! She is the best, very friendly, superb English and a smile that will brighten your day. She will also assist you with room upgrades, late check outs etc!
We also loved the gardeners especially Ernesto and Andres who always greeted us in the morning! The beach bar girls and Frank the waiter always made sure we had fresh, cold drinks! Basal at the beach always made sure we had the best lounge beds, and entertained us with his friendly demeanour and humour!
If you hang out at the pool, Roberto makes really good daiquiris! And Babo at the towel hut, was a big hit with the kids!
And last but not least, our maid Yudelki was a sweetheart and always made sure our room was spotless, tidy, lots of water to drink and different towel animals everyday for the kids. If you like specialty drinks, enjoy playing pool or being in the A/C you should go to the sports bar….Oney makes really good margaritas!
This resort truly is a hidden gem. It was not crowded, there were never line ups for food or drinks. The beach is crystal clear and is shallow for 100m at least. It’s a great spot for kids.
Also, check out the boat rentals. The resort offers free paddle boats, kayaks, and a free ride on a hobicat too. The water is so clear you can see lots of starfish. And they offer a snorkeling trip also that even small kids can do! The food was delicious, omelettes and fresh bread every morning, and we especially liked the Japanese a la carte! And Cappuccinos and coffee….so good!
And it’s only a 20min walk (that my 7 and 10 year old children can do) or a $5 cab ride to the official Playa Pilar beach which is breathtaking. You must go there!
We can’t wait to go back!!!!
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bibiana Carbonell Castelo, Other at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded May 20, 2022
Dear guest, We would like to express our appreciation on behalf of the whole team for sharing such a positive review of your stay with us. The fact that you enjoyed your holiday is for us the best confirmation that we are working in the right direction. Please come back again soon. Kind regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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My first time at the hotel and I could not have chosen a better one, I am very satisfied with all the services in general. My room was always clean, very good accommodation and I do not lack beer, water or soda. The food in the very good buffet was always hot , very well crafted and I found great variety! Excellent cleanliness of the surroundings, clean public bathrooms always found toilet paper and hand gel. Very good entertainment as well as services in the lobby and other bars. The beach although it is I loved it very little, the walkway that takes you to the beach needs to be repaired, the workers are working very hard under the sun and it is already being changed! The truth is that I am very pleased with all the services and the treatment of the workers !! Whenever I return to Cuba it will be Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from QualityMCuba, Quality Manager at Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar
Responded Mar 2, 2020
Dear guest: Thank you very much for your review of our establishment. We are always very happy to receive confirmation our guests have enjoyed an excellent holiday and have left with wonderful memories. We look forward to welcoming you back again. Until then, we wish you all the best. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
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There are more places to choose from in the Cayo Guillermo area.
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Iberostar Playa Pilar
LOCATION
CaribbeanCubaCiego de Avila ProvinceJardines del Rey ArchipelagoCayo Guillermo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
482
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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