What would you do with a hand-drawn treasure map? Would you search for the treasure? We found it: the map is the Hicacos Peninsula and the X is over Iberostar Laguna Azul. Just a few meters from Varadero beach, immersed in an immense tropical garden, this hotel has 6 outdoor pools that are as refreshing as they are spectacular. Your kids will pretend they’re pirates at Star Camp while you try a Caribbean cocktail or practice your favorite sport. If your body is ready for a lower heartbeat, you can bring it down with a complete massage in the spa, along with the hydrotherapy area. At night, after choosing your dish in the themed restaurants, you’ll find an atmosphere filled with humor, entertainment and music, thanks to the shows from our team. The true treasure of the Caribbean is here, along with your smile. *In order to improve your experience, until 04/30/24, we will be renovating some parts of the hotel (Partial renovation of the main pool). We are sorry for any inconvenience.
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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The Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul boasts a lively atmosphere and beautiful grounds, often highlighted by guests for its nightly entertainment and warm environment, despite some signs of wear. However, opinions on cleanliness are mixed, with reports of immaculate areas contrasted by complaints about room and pool maintenance.
While the service and entertainment options receive praise from many, some guests have encountered unresponsive staff and maintenance woes in the outdated rooms. Moreover, several travelers question the value, criticizing the additional charges for basic amenities and the subpar food quality.
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Run-down
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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This was my first trip to Cuba. I really enjoyed the resort. A little disappointed that not all pools and hot tubs were functional due to maintenance. Sunwing did notify me appropriately about this matter beforehand. The beach is so beautiful and clean. I think it could be on the smaller side compared to other beaches at other resorts or in other islands but it was good enough for me. There is a bar nearby where you can get drinks. The beach party at night was so much fun! As you may of heard if you are into an abundance of food and variety- Cuba may not be the place for you. Take into consideration there might be food shortages due to economic crisis but I did not notice any on my visit. There were always eggs, food at buffet, coffee etc. I really enjoyed the ala carte restaurant. The snack bar ( by poolside) I feel could be improved in that I felt concerned with the food safety issues there. I only had a sandwich there one time and never went back. Mind you everyone seemed to like the grill and the barbecued food. The room was suitable for me. Room was very clean & functional but probably needs updating now. Housekeeping was always on point and always around doing their job. You may want to bring your own washcloth and beach towel. Maybe even bring a plastic bag so if you eat snacks in the room ( or other items you want to dispose of ) you can throw it in the bag. I did not notice any plastic bags in the garbage bins so this is why I express this. I enjoyed the entertainment , the front desk staff work very hard. Overall I enjoyed every minute of it!!! I cannot wait to return next year!!! Iberostar thank you:)
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Bring US cash as employees always seem to appreciate tips. Bring wash cloth, snacks, wipes, hand...
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Response from Bibiana Carbonell Castelo, Other at Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
Responded 11 Apr 2024
Dear Liss, Thank you for choosing us for these holidays in Cuba. We will be delighted to have you back next year. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Laguna Azul
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Overall my stay was satisfactory. I was in Cuba , Varadero 20 years ago in a different resort. Some things have changed a bit since but some not and limitations in Cuba persist . I stayed for one week in the Relax Zone which has its benefits.Beach is top notch . Daily meals at main Buffet were OK for me and many other guests. Food selections were also OK in my view during my stay April 2 - April 9,2024. One large pool was under renovations. Main bar was occasionally busy but not always. I was happy with my room although safe in the room stop working on a third day and could not be repaired. Restaurants which had to be booked had basic menus and in my view nothing to be fight for. Bring your own salt and pepper , mustard and ketchup is you require these condiments. I had my salt and pepper shakers. Definitely bring good mosquito repellent and plenty off as you will require it and apply repeatedly after 6-7 pm when sitting in the lobby , terraces, restaurants , at shows or discotheque or when outside any time after 6 pm. You may need it in the rooms as well. Possibly on the beach as sand on the beach may have some pesky critters which can bite and cause reactions similar to mosquito bites.Bring your own sun screen and lots of it to apply frequently as sun is very strong during day. You may bring your own beach towel if you do not want hassle with rental towel with deposit required. Bring some string to string on your balcony to dry towels and swim trunks. Bars had drinks which I like : variety of rums , vodka and tequila. Cuban cola only. I had small fridge in the room to keep the available purified water cool.You can take a bus to Varadero on your own . It cost 5 US $ and is valid whole day . It is hop on and hop off type of double decker bus which goes to Varadero and stops at major hotels outside Varadero and in main sites in Varadero. It’s route takes about 1:30 minutes to get around and bring you to your hotel at the street if you jut want just to take the tour around without exiting the bus. I did not exchange money for Cuban pesos.In Varadero in the markets you can use US or Can $ or Euros. When buying local stuff when Cuban pesos are quoted you decide how much you would like pay for the t-shirt for example and give the merchant your price in Canadian or American currency. Don’t be to stingy the Cuba is a poor country so are its people.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Â Get an adult Relax Zone add on when booking, bring mosquito repellent and basic condiments. May...
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Response from Bibiana Carbonell Castelo, Other at Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
Responded 18 Apr 2024
Dear guest, Thank you for trusting us your holidays and for telling other travelers about your experience. We ill do our best to surprise you with an even better stay in the near future. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
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We were excited for this trip at first our room was really not a welcoming we had 5 rooms in total 1st room had funny moldy smells and ants were all over the washroom 2nd room was OK but the toilet seat was disgusting looking my nephews refuses to use it 3rd room was also OK but there was no cold water coming out of the faucet or shower plus ants 4th room had ants and the shower was broken it comes out past the shower curtain 5th room had ants all over the room and the toilet was leaking We were all able to switch rooms the next day, though the pillow was smelly we all just had to put towels over it. Though we all did notice that there were no door hanger signs on each every room, you have to specifically request for one or they will go into your room without permission and clean (we noticed this must be the tipping tactic). Someone did steal our door hanger (and others will take them) so we had to ask for another one and we decided to write our room number on the door hanger. The pool towel you have to put a deposit, which is fine but the time of the pool towel section is upsetting either they will open on time but no towels available or open late with towels available to exchange. Most of the time towels are not available to exchange so you have to keep on going back. Food at the buffet is a hit and miss, snack bar as well because for burgers/hot dogs they always have no bread available but they will give you options just to eat the meat lol. The grill lunch at the snack bar area is very delicious you just have to line up one hour before they start grilling because they do not have enough for everyone. A La Carte was delicious, we had international, cuban and Japanese, though we also did not notice their a la carte staff are short staffed too. We also did notice that the resort is short staff. They take long to serve drinks and/or take your order for drinks.
It is what is. We just made our trip to be a positive one and most of the workers we’ve met were all nice.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
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Response from Bibiana Carbonell Castelo, Other at Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
Responded 11 Apr 2024
Dear Wayne, Thank you for telling other travelers about your experience. We will do our best to conquer with positive changes on your next visit. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Laguna Azul
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Overall we had a great time in Cuba, however this resort is definitely not 4 star. The rooms were not serviced properly, the first day we arrived, it was clear that the bathrooms had not been cleaned. When we asked for someone to go in and clean the room, they simply closed the toilet lid, and did not clean it. This was evident because there was hair on the seat, and when we opened the lid again, the hair was still present. Most of the towels were stained, along with the toilet seats, and tubs. There were also many cockroaches which was not a pleasant sight. Maid service was not the best to say the least.
The rooms in this resort are very outdated, we ran into a major problem with our door not locking. This become a regular occurrence, even when we would get it fixed, it would still happen once we opened the door with the key. Eventually we stopped using one door and would go in from the second attached room.
The only good restaurant was the Japanese one. We booked 3 (max number of reservations you can have in a week) We went to international, Italian, and Japanese - both International and Italian had the exact same menus, minus the addition of 1 pasta and soup for Italian.
The buffet food was not good, there were also cockroaches in the kitchen which was very off putting as I can only imagine how many we couldn't see. We really survived on hotdogs, sandwiches, and french fries from the snack bars. The food always seemed undercooked and we were constantly having to ask to make sure it was cooked thoroughly.
Most of the service we received in terms of the buffet area/bars and for entertainment was very pleasant, they were always kind and made the experience a bit better.
There was internet service, which was on and off, you definitely had to reconnect many times throughout the day. The best part about the resort is definitely the beach, although the drinks at the beach bar are served in paper cups so they end up tasting like paper. The pool bar was closed most of the time, so we spent a lot of time in the ocean instead. I would bring your own beach towels, they charge a $15 credit card hold for towels.
I would recommend doing a lot of research on resorts before visiting.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with family
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Response from Luna Alfonso Pous, Other at Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
Responded 27 Aug 2024
Dear Guest: On behalf of the entire team, we would like to thank you for taking the time to write this review and for choosing us for your holiday. We have immediately passed on your comments to the hotel management and the relevant departments in order to identify what may have gone wrong on this occasion and to take all the relevant measures for improvement. We hope that you will give us a second chance to change your opinion with the personal attention and quality service that has earned us the trust of our guests. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
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ATTENTION!!! Bad choice! I ask that for the love you have for your family, do not choose this resort. It was the worst experience of our lives. Nothing works. The food is the worst of all, it's disgusting to look at. Everything is bad or raw or smells bad, every day the same food for lunch and dinner. We are confined to eating pizza every day, if you can call it pizza! There is no salt or sugar on the tables, you are forced to eat without salt and drink your juice or coffee without sugar. You see people walking around the buffet with empty plates, not having the courage to take that food. One night at dinner, they put some apples on the buffet, a fight almost broke out to get an apple, which was sad to see. The employees had fun watching the scene. On the third night we went for an early dinner hoping to have something different. There was even a cockroach roaming freely across the restaurant floor. After that, we went out to eat every day. Elevator doesn't work, there aren't even any buttons. We had no water in the room to drink for 3 days. Hot water in the shower only after 7:00. In seven days they only changed our towels once. One swimming pool is closed, the one with the wet bar, and is not expected to open according to an employee. I exchanged 100 euros for Cuban pesos at the hotel and the girl told me that when I left she would exchange the pesos for euros again. Lie! When I went to exchange the weights the same girl told me that I could only exchange them at the airport, I was deceived. Pay attention: do not exchange your money for Cuban pesos, 90% of places do not accept pesos and especially in the hotel, they accept dollars and euros, they do not accept their currency! Be careful with good reviews, they offer us a bottle of rum in exchange for a good review, it's amazing how people sell themselves for so little! Just think carefully before choosing the Iberostar Laguna Azul in Varadeiro as your next destination. I wouldn't wish what we experienced at this resort on anyone. I hope I helped in some way.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Tem uma piscina fechada. A que tem o bar molhado. Sem previsão de funcionamento segundo...
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I am not sure how resorts keep their 5 star ratings and how long for but this resort needs to be down graded until it gets it repairs and receptionists in order. The room I was allocated the first night smelt like sewage and I could not stay in it , if it wasnt for my family I would of had to sleep in the loby as they said they didn't have anything else until the following night. There were many restaurants not open and when I arrived late before 11pm I couldn't get anything to eat but a cheese or pork sandwich. The buffet was good fresh fruit , eggs and homemade bread everyday , salad wine and more. The bar in lobby was very slow , but you got served faster if you were throwing tips at them, there was only one until a few days later they opened a small cart to serve more people as it was getting busier. The beach was beautiful and well kept clean by the staff. The pools were relatively clean and wonderful to swim in, they are renovating a large part of the main pool which when finished will truly be wonderful. The staff at the restaurant and buffet were very kind and very helpful. The front desk staff need to be retrained or replaced , not very knowledgeable or helpful , very rude and incompetent. The WiFi is not worth even trying to log on we didnt mind but it would be nice to have incase of an emergency. my recommendations would be paper posters for itinerary , more restaurants available for snacks throughout the day/night. I will not return to this resort.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
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Location
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Service
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Do not go to this resort until you see better reviews.
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 Laguna Azul
Responded 17 Apr 2024
Dear guest, Firstly, we would like to thank you for choosing us and for taking the time to provide this valuable feedback. We would like to apologise for the shortcomings you have identified with our reception team. Our management will be looking closely at this area to ensure that everything is working as it should. We will also be strengthening our selection and training programmes. We would like to carry out a more in-depth analysis to prevent similar situations from happening again. We hope you had a safe trip home. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Laguna Azul
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As I sit here at the snack bar and write this review I am conflicted. For the price I paid for this resort,I feel as though I wasted my money. The pool has so many tiles missing and theres pieces of grout floating everywhere. I see the pool guy "cleaning" the pool each morning but it is still very gross with god knows what floating in it everywhere. The rooms are nice... I asked for a new pillow my 2nd night here as it's like sleeping on balled up toilet paper in a pillow case and I never got one, I am not picky on my pillows and I cannot sleep on this one. Our bed sheets have never been changed.. 1st day we had 4 towels and a bath mat now we are down to 2 towels and no bathmat..when the tile floor is extremely slippery when wet, why take my bathmat and not replace it? our room wasnt serviced at all today, and there was no reason that it shouldn't have been. The food is HORRIBLE and that is putting it politely. 3/4 of us have had nothing but stomache issues for the last 8 days and we have been to Varadero many times with no issues. Many others we have talked to are sick in their rooms. One couple spent 4/7 days in their room really sick. Another young couple very sick also. The amount of people at the buffet is crazy and not enough food if your not one of the 1st 50 people in there your stuck with whatever is left. Big men pushing my small 12 yr old child around to get in front of her for food! 24/7 snack bar is NOT 24/7 and often only has chicken sandwiches which aren't good. I've been hungry many days on my vacation and its upsetting. The beach is beautiful but the amount of rocks in the water is crazy you can break a toe, cut your foot or leg open very easily! Never seen this at any other resort I've been to in Varadero! We have talked to many Canadians that have been here anywhere been 3-12 times and they will not be returning either it is very sad. There is next to no entertainment at the pool or on the beach either which is shocking for a resort that has more then 1000 people at it at this very moment. There are a few AMAZING waiters at the buffet and they deserve all the credit in the world. When they aren't there it is horrible service cant get a glass of water or a cup of coffee. In my 8 days here I have seen 3 cockroaches,none in the buffet though. At night the resort has NO lights anywhere and it's very dark and hard to see where you are walking. The entertainment is almost like mini porn shows every night. Dancers grinding on eachother, nipples showing, boobs popping out of tops,thongs worn each night and they bend over so you can see EVERYTHING it is not child appropriate. We will not be returning to this resort ever or to Cuba for a very long time. This use to be paradise on earth and so much as changed. Very disappointed to say the least.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
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Trip 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 Laguna Azul
Responded 28 Nov 2023
Dear Kelly, On behalf of the team, we would like to thank you for choosing us and taking the time to share your detailed comments. Due to the seriousness of the issues that you have shared with us, the management of the hotel and all the departments are working to find solutions in order to maintain our quality standards. Historically, we are visited by many families and we will do everything in our power to continue to be an enjoyable, comfortable and safe choice. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for the opportunity to improve. We hope you will change your mind and visit us again. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Laguna Azul
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Hotel that sells very well on the web but has many limitations. The kids club was never open, neither was the spa and hammam, as well as the ice cream shop and other services that disappear without justification. Elevator buttons with a hole instead of the corresponding button, for three days there was a smell of diesel in the hallway and the room that I had to leave the hotel two days and nothing explained about it or did, when I returned it was still the same. The safe was broken 3 days as was the TV, the hot water barely left for 2 days and was only warm. The phone in the room never worked. These are some examples, it is not the end of the world but it is obviously preferable not to spend time on solving problems.
The food is very basic (taking into account the situation of the country) there were no eggs most days to give an example. The rest of the meals very repetitive to highlight grilled fish, very good.
The daily animation quite acceptable, a pretty good team of artists.
The beach well, yes, you better not take into account the wonderful photos of blue waters because from September to December is when the sea is bad from the Atlantic side and you can not swim almost of the current and wind, of course forget snorkeling or diving.
Attention from the poor reception, have no basic knowledge of the area, nor respond to messages sent from the web in case you have questions before going. Too bad.
The bad customer service, the problems I detect because after telling them they did nothing to solve it, they just listen to you and little else.
Bad drinks, typical, if you want to have a mojito or daiquiri, complicated, there is usually almost never.
Regarding the location, it is what it is, a secluded resort of everything that has nothing to visit medium interesting within a radius of 30km. If you want to know something, you better choose another area, this is far from everywhere. The Caribbean area is much better, Trinidad for example.
I wouldn't recommend it or repeat it.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip 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.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This resort doesn't deserve any stars. I had the worst experience here, poor customer service, resort is in bad condition. I was in the buffet the servers pick n chose whom they want to serve, I walked up to the server and asked for water she rolled her eyes, 5mins later I got my water including my kids, my son drank his water and I noticed, she spit in my water, not knowing if she did the same with my fam water. I was so angry i walked up to her and confronted her, she pretended to ignore me, so I spashed the water on her. Then other ppl started to complain about the same waiter she was actually being chased by other ppl. My daughter tried to complain to the manager but she got the run around. When she finally talked to management they didn't care their worker spit in my water, they were more concerned that I spashed my water on the waiter lol of course we don't speak Spanish it was hard to translate, they said that they were going to complain about me to west jet 😅 ok, at this point i didnt care, I was glad we were leaving the next day The resort is in bad conditions, looks like it's falling apart, rooms are gross stained walls, they don't pick up the towels and they don't give you clean towels when they clean the rooms. It was a hassle to just to get clean towels, they don't stock the fridge with beverages and I seen a cockroach in the bathroom. Plus the pools, they only cleaned one of the pools while the others pools where fulithy not fully up to cleaning standards. Disgusting waiters, poor management. Please don't waste ur money. I'm warning all of you.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip 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 Luna Alfonso Pous, Other at Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
Responded 14 Aug 2024
Dear Chantelle, Firstly, we would like to thank you for choosing us for your holiday. We are sorry that we were not able to provide you with the holiday experience you were expecting. We are sincerely concerned by your remarks about the buffet staff. As part of the Iberostar family, our entire team is selected and trained to provide professional and warm treatment to every guest. However, we will conduct all the necessary investigations to establish what may have happened and take all the necessary measures. We hope you had a good journey home and that you will give us a new opportunity to conquer you with a better quality service in the near future. Kind Regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
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I had an amazing time at this hotel. My family and I loved everything! I highly recommend. Cozy rooms, friendly staff, serene atmosphere and customer service, fun entertainment/pool. I especially loved the service that the chambermaid Yanelis Vega provided to us. She was very attentive to our needs and made sure that our room was spotless. Our room was always very clean. She was also very nice to us and is such a hard worker. She made our time in Cuba extremely nice. Very much appreciated! Thank you very much Yanelis.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â If Yanelis Vega is your room maid you will have the cleanest room
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 Luna Alfonso Pous, Other at Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
Responded 10 Oct 2024
Dear Client, Thank you for choosing us to help you and your family enjoy your holiday and for placing your trust in our services and attention. We are delighted to read that your stay with us was to your complete satisfaction. It will be an honor to welcome you again in the near future and to continue to offer you the best experiences. Kind regards, Quality Manager Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul
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There are more places to choose from in the Varadero area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
iberostar laguna azul hotel varadero
LOCATION
CaribbeanCubaMatanzas ProvinceVaradero
NUMBER OF ROOMS
814
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