Laguna Mar Hotel Resort and Casino

The best service and very clean. The best pina colada I ever tasted! Yummy! very friendly staff, the shows each night was very entertaining. Very tasty food and I'm Trinidadian so I KNOW about taste!

My best friend and I (mid-20's) had a blast at the resort. It turned out better than either of us expected. We can't wait to make a return trip...everything was totally superb...even the great looking men who work on the resort.

I got married at Laguna Mar on 20th May 2005 and it was all we wished for and more. There were 10 of us in the group and we had the best time ever!! All of us had a stress free 2 weeks with the wedding co-ordinator doing all the work - I would definitely recommend this hotel whether you are thinking of getting married abroad or just going on holiday. The Laguna Mar certainly lived up to, and beyond, our expectations - food, weather, rooms, beach, service, people, complex, activities. The food was delicious no matter which restaurant you chose to eat in and as we were getting married we were upgraded to a Junior Suite Deluxe room which was massive and had a living area, dining area, 2 bathrooms, queen size bed. We will all definitely going back again.

We (2 adults and a 5 years old boy) enjoyed the Laguna Mar in Pampatar. The staff was very helpful and professionnal, the entertainement team (managed by Miguel an ex of Club Med) is also great. Our room was in the South Tower closer to the beach and was also top. Only one thing can be critisised it s the beach which is not that terific at all, but the nine pools are making this to be a detail. On a scale of 100, Laguna Mar reaches from our point of view 90...

We got married here and I must say the service we recieved was absolutley excellent and Im so glad we chose to go there for the wedding. The beach is lovely, Im a fussy eater but there was such a wide range of foods especialy in the Topaz buffet restaurant that you cant help but find something you like. We found the rep and resort staff to be very friendly and helpful. Went swimming with dolphins which was about £25 and brilliant fun, we also did the jeep tour which was great. The casino was great fun although the locals take it very seriously and you have to be quick putting your chips down on the blackjack table else you'll miss a hand. Can't fault the place at all, anyone that complains about this resort needs their heads testing! We had the best time of our lives!

My husband and I have just returned from the Laguna Mar. The hotel is excelent. The food is varied and very good. The rooms are clean. The complex is HUGE but very well kept. They have the whole thing very well organised. Including the little shuttle bus's that runs from about 7am to 2am all over the complex. The staff are friendly and very helpful. We used all of the bars and resturants and found them all excelent. The only one con we could find is the usual not enough toilets around the main pool and entertainment area. The best thing I did was to swim with the dolphins . And it was only £30 ($60 us) We are going back next year and I will DEFINATELY swim with them again. Everything elese was cheap there as well shopping, gifts taxi's etc. And eating out. Which we only did when we hired a taxi for the day (£30) to do an island tour. The shows were also excelent everything from the Lion King to Grease. I did find that a little Spanish goes a long way. But there would be no problem if you don't speak it.

My husband and myself will be going back. This place rocked! It took a day to get used to everything being so spread out but we found the trolley to be quite useful. The beach was tranquilizing and the food was amazing. The Mexican Restaurant was extra good. The rooms were kept clean and were nice. The employees were quite helpful and were very nice. The only negative we had was our shower was rather cold and we had to keep telling them to make it warmer. My husband had me take a shower first and after I complained then he would have them come and fix it. :-) We went to La Aldea shopping for pearls and were not disappointed. I bought some awesome jewelry. My husband gambled about every night and came back in the positive. He really liked the tables. I don't recommend Coche Island/Day Trip. It just wasn't everything they advertised and we found it to be very boring. There were Jelly Fish near the beach so we couldn't swim. We went thinking we would be snorkeling but with the exception of jet skiing (which was an extra cost), there isn't much to do. Our beach at the Laguna Mar would been just as nice and more comfortable.

Travelled to Lagunamar March 9-16 with a 12 year old, on an all-inclusive package. This is not a true 5 star hotel, but has 5 star lobbies and amenities; the rooms are 3 star, however they are spotlessly clean. BEACH/POOLS:There is a great shaded beach, with restaurant-bar, vendors, activities. The beach was yellow-flagged all week, however the breezes were cool and the atmosphere comfortable. There are numerous pools and my son quickly found friends at the waterslide and the wave pool. My wife found quiet pools for tanning. I hung out at the activity pool (aquabics, bingo, dance lessons). There is also a kid's club with another pool. There are 3 jitney buses circling the entire 15 acre complex. ACTIVITIES:You can get a bike, kayak, windsurfer, or ride the banana boat, seadoo. You can play tennis, shoot hoops. There is a gym which is a bit tired with Universal machines and 5 exercise bikes. FOOD:The buffet reastaurant was good, varied, and sometimes excellent (Spanish and Venezualen nights). Plenty of variety in fruits, vegetables and salads. There was always something for every diner to eat as every dinner/lunch had chicken, pork, fish and beef dishes. WE could access two a la carte restaurants, one Mexican (OK) one Italian (my meal was cold, service poor, and several people picked up a 12-18 hr G.I problem from something on the appetizer buffet).Bring Immodium or get vaccinated with Dukoral. DRINKS: Rum drinks, beer, juice, softdrinks were good and plentiful. The available red and white wine were barely palatable. Purified water and ice were available on every floor of the hotels. STAFF:Front-desk and guest services staff were fluent in English. In the restaurants, the serving staff was a bit less flent. But overall, language was NOT a problem BUGS: No roaches, no mosquitoes, no "no-see-ums". RATING: Excellant value. Great for kids. VERY SAFE, SECURE RESORT. We are going back next year for two weeks, but will be vaccinated with Dukoral to avoid any potential G.I. problems. G Pockele, London ON

My boyfriend and I (mid 30's) went to this resort Feb 23-March 2nd. Must say we were pleasantly surprised. I would definitely consider going back, something I thought I would never do. The grounds are huge but kept impeccable, beautiful lush gardens, gardeners working all day. The weather was hot and sunny everyday, rained overnight once. 10 degrees from the equator the sun is very intense. I strongly recommend a high sunscreen, I used 30, having never before in my life. There are 2 or 3 open air buses that circle all day/night from beach, south and north tower as the place is huge. 9 pools - water slide (is a hoot), length pool, jacuzzis, quiet pools, activity pools, wave pool. The pool water is not over-clorinated and kept very clean. While lounging no one ever bugs you to play games, etc. The pool by the north tower is very quiet, there was hardly anyone ever there. The problem is no bar/restaurant nearby to keep yourself quenched. Restaurants - Food was excellent at all the eating places. Even the pickiest of eater could find something. Everything was fresh, lots of seafood, chicken, pork and veggies. Its not all laden in butter/oil like I have encountered on other islands. 2 ala cartes. Italian was very nice, the Mexican was as great as the rest. My fav was Ocean Grill. Also loved Salvatores where they serve you and you choose from a short menu of pizza, burgers, grilled pork, etc. We did miss dinner one night - the brochure says midnight snacks in the disco, which is not so. We found little skimpy sandwiches at the south tower bar. I guess you could order room service and/or eat at the casino (not included) which was very good. Some days the hostess would write down your room/wristband number at the front before you sat to eat and some of the menu boards had prices. We were concerned and asked our waiter, but it is all included if you have your wristband. Lagoon/Beach - To get to the beach you cross the bridge over the lagoon (where the water sports are done). No beggers or people harrassing you anywhere. They did have vendor huts on the beach that you buy sarongs, souvenirs, jewellery, etc. The beach is about 1 km long and is watched by security guards in towers on either end. The yellow flag was up all week and the surf was rolling but, most people could go in for a dip or swin and not have to worry. Apparently there is a strong current but the lifeguards are watching everyone. I guess we ventured out too far one day and they whistled us to come closer. Tons of activities included, we went bicycling, kayaking and windsurfing. If you watch the lagoon waters at dusk you can see the jumping fish - which is amazing. Rooms - We had a room in the north tower (all people on our flight staying at LagunaMar were in the north tower) The room was basic but a good size, we had 2 queen beds. The toilet, bidet & shower with tub is closed off from the sink/mirror area. The shower was always good temperature and fabulous water pressure. Blow dryers are very good, dont need to bring your own. There is purified water and ian ce machine on every floor - you could fill up your carafe they have in your room. Maid was in everyday to change towels, sweep and make bed. Minifridge and safe included (even though the brochure says its not). The fact that this resort has a kids play area and such I was worried there would be kids running rampant everywhere. But honestly, you barely saw one. The resort is the "biggest in the caribbean" and even though it was at full capacity there wasnt masses of people around because of the size. A ton of loungers at the beach and pools, except the waterfall/activity pool could use a few more. You can change US dollars into Bolivars at the lobby store for 2300B for 1US. If you are not leaving the resort you dont really need to do this, just have small bills for tips and thats it. The casino rate is 2600B which was better, but if you win a lot of Bolivars they will not change it back to US and you should before you leave - the retail store lady will. Excursions - We took a taxi into Porlamar to go shopping - 7000B (3 US), it was nice but the prices didnt seem that much of a bargain. A lot of high end shops on cinquo de mayo - didnt buy anything. I heard the flea market was much better. We didnt do the jeep tour as there were so many other things to do on the resort, but I heard it was fabulous! and will definitely do it the next time around. I would recommend this resort to everyone ... all in all a great time!

We were at the Laguna Mar Feb 16-23 and had a good time .. I wouldnt suggest upgrading to a junior suite as there may be more room but for 2 adults there was too much space that we really didnt need. One thing I would suggest is that your room be on the 2nd floor or higher. There are 9 pools with a specific children's pool as well as a pool slide and lifeguards always seem to be on duty .. they also seem to have a lot of activities for the kids and each evening they are recognized before the entertainment begins. The food was good but the main dining room did not carry anything but beer or wine. Since I dont drink beer and the wine I found to be very sweet, I resorted to diet pop but even then it was very syrupy. We did go into town to the Sanbil Mall but found that everything was brand names and the prices were comparable or even more expensive than in Canada. We were then told that the Rattan Plaza was a better one but we ran out of time. Our best day was the Jeep Tour (guide Bernie was very informative) had a great day going to different beaches, driving thru parks and a boat ride thru the mangroves was fun even if it rained off & on. The Laguna Mar does have an internet cafe (very very reasonable) but there are no instructions on how to use the equipment etc. One other factor was that the attendants were not bilingual which made it difficult to communicate. The Casino had different rules on the slot machines and tables so ensure that you understand the game before playing. Otherwise the resort is well maintained, clean with good food (but strong coffee!) and activities (Aquafit 2x daily with Carlos was a treat!) but the lobby bar opens at 5pm and the pool bars close at 11pm. Although I would prefer to see the other islands first, I would return to this resort.