Very disappointed.

Hotel is very run down. We were on the third floor. Was not clean. The doors are very dirty and falling apart. The grounds were o'k. The pools are beautiful well kept. We were supposed to get a superior ocean view room, did not get it. Got one overlooking pool.The sheets on bed were very dirty when we arrived. The room maids need to go through retraining for cleaning.Dust was thick on headboard.I could go on and on. Took pictures. Rating was mostly for cleanliness of third floor and for hotel be [... read more]ing run down.Have stayed in different hotel 2 years ago and it was terrific expected the same here. Sadly No.

Reasonable for the price

Location. Awesome, fantastic beach and water. Short ride to the airport Rooms. Good size. Needs a coat of paint. Only 1 small towel provided in the room, not changed daily. The smell of smoke in the rooms comes from the bedding. The housekeeping staff smoke in the room where the clean laundry is kept. This needs to change! Food. Good selection, could always find something to eat. A La Carte restaurants available, not a big choice at them but food good. Drinks. lots of choice of liquor, but no bl [... read more]ender drinks, only slushies with alcohol in them. Staff. Friendly, good to deal with. Helpful when you had any issues. Shared facilities with Solymar next door. This give the resort more amenities. Solymar side is where the entertainment activities during the day happen. Also geared more towards party crowd. This leave the Arenas the quieter side of the resort Gym. Old poor facilities, equipment in need of replacement. Overall for the price paid and with the expectations of a resort in Cuba, it was good value. With a few upgrades this could be a great place.

Good Resort

The thought the Hotel and Resort was generally clean and well kept. The food was decent and the staff were helpful. By day 3 of our vacay I knew what were my favs at the buffet. The beach was nice and clean. There could be more beach loungers though. I would suggest that there be more in the way of activities during the day.

Fabulous trip!!

What a beautiful resort! The rooms were clean and the staff friendly and helpful. The beaches were fabulous and the water gorgeous. The only concern I had was with the food; while there was a lot of it, the menu was repetitive and a little on the bland side. I really appreciated the proximity of this resort to downtown Varadero. It was a nice walk into town for shopping and touring. All in all....a memorable vacation!

Great airline and resort

Sun wing airline was 40 min early there and back. Everything went very well the resort had good entertainment and food was ok. Staff was mostly very friendly some kept repeating was there birthday every night

Nice resort but needs updating

We stayed at the Arenas Blancas from the 26th February to the 5th of March. The resort was nice but definitely needs some updating. The room that we stayed in was a superior room that needed a facelift. Specially the washroom. The control for the air conditioning was missing but it did work throughout our entire stay. The grounds of the hotel was well maintained and clean. Most of the staff were friendly and were very accommodating. Specially Lazaro from the dining room who always took care of  [... read more]us at breakfast was a pleasure to speak with every morning. Yadiel from the beach bar was very friendly and professional and made one of the best mojitos and finally Maria, our maid always ensured that the room was clean every day. The variety of food was a bit disappointing, how ever when we walked over to the Barceló next door the variety was a lot better. We dined at 3 of the A-la carte restaurants. Among them the Spanish and Sea food restaurant were by far the best. The food and service were both good at these restaurants. The beach area was well maintained and there was always free chairs even if you ended up going later in the afternoon. One of the best things about the resort was its proximity to the town. It was just a 5 minute walk to get to the bars, clubs and restaurants. I would definitely go back.

Not really a 4-star but still lots of fun

We had a great time at Arenas Blancas, though I wouldn't call this a 4-star. It was a little rough around the edges (needed a coat of paint and some plaster and some basic repairs). We had one of the newly renovated rooms and although the bathroom needed a little TLC and there was sometimes no hot water (just luke warm), the room itself was spacious, clean, comfortable and very nice. The mini bar was stocked every day. The maid service was great, though they ran out of towels a few times. C'est  [... read more]la vie. The grounds are beautiful; lots of pretty landscaping with flowers and palm trees. The pools are clean and well maintained. The entertainment was of excellent quality (that was a surprise; usually the entertainment at all-inclusives is hokey but the entertainment at the Arenas Blancas was professional and very well done). The food was terrible, but we had been warned that you don't go to Cuba for the food. A lot of it was absolutely gag-worthy and some of it had no taste at all; just texture. It became a source of entertainment after a while. The drinks were great; they don't scrimp on the alcohol. The location couldn't be beat; right at the end of the strip next to the town of Varadero so it was easy to walk to bars, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops, and watch all the gorgeous old American cars drive by. The beach is unbelievable: white sand like baby powder, turquoise waves. There were plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas. It was lovely. Because the Arenas Blancas and the Solymar (resort next door) are both owned by the same company, you have full use of the facilities at both hotels, which means loads of great places to sunbathe, more pools, bars & restaurants, a club house with ping pong and pool, a gym, sand volleyball, etc. The food is better on the Solymar side. Overall we had a great time but I thought it should have been a little less expensive given the slightly run-down condition of the hotel. Nonetheless, it's pretty difficult to have a bad time in such a beautiful location. I'm not actually sure if I would recommend this hotel to a friend but I'm going to say yes. I'd recommend it, but I'd make sure they understood some of the pitfalls.

Nice resort

Hotel was awesome .... but sunwing leaves alot to be desired... between delays of leaving and coming back lost about 36 hrs and my job never and I mean never would I ever recommend sunwing to anybody and they offered me a 50 $ gift certificate that is is incredibly difficult to run through

Ain't to shabby, even if it was a wee bit shabby

So this was not by any means a bad resort and I would definitely go back. We were there during the high season and smack in the middle of most universities and colleges reading weeks, which was why it was surprising how laid back and generally quiet the place was. I mean if you wanted to party, there was party to be had but nothing intrusive like say elevator vomit or hallway fights. The Staff were for the most part awesome. Our maid was a sweet heart and took fantastic care of us and our stuff. [... read more] She mistakenly took a friends birthday gift that we had left sitting at the end of our bed and showed up the next day nearly in tears apologizing for the mistake. She did not have to do that, she could have walked away with it. The food was what you wouyld expect from a resort in Cuba but there is a great steakhouse next door (literally thirty yards) and you can literally walk the Varadero strip from the hotel if you want to. The accommodations were just fine. Some of the light switched took a little fiddling and the maintenance guys forgot to turn the water on in one of our parties rooms (took thirty seconds to fix) but other than all that the only problem we really had was our balcony roof. Not really avoidable--we had super strong winds the first two days--they pulled a piece of siding loose that proceeded to slap around and make some noise. Maintenance got it battened down for us and the next day the sun came up and all was great. The beach they have is large and even in the high season not overcrowded. You also have access to the neighbouring resorts facilities which have a larger buffet and some other facilities you may wanna use. There are 4 or 5 pools if thats your thing. Overall I would say that it was a solid experience and that I would return. So book up and enjoy.

Very Clean Resort

Very Clean Resort, food was good lots of choices and the grounds well kept. Walking distance to town. Pool and beaches clean and lots of snacks offered throughout the day. Beach towels were always clean and could exchange daily.

Ok resort

The pool and beach areas were beautiful and well-maintained. The disco was very loud until 3:30 a.m. so hope you don't get a room directly above it like we did. The food was ok and the rooms could have been a lot better.

Great location

Great location, beautiful beaches. Food was not amazing, but not bad. I had plenty of options and was never hungry. Bar service could use some customer service training. I upgraded to the ocean view room and it was spaceous and had a gorgeous view. No pool bars, and I never used the pool.

Exellent all expectations met or exceeded!

Grounds great, food good, diverse and plentiful, staff friendly, helpful, patient with some of the obnoxious guests, beach fantastic. Feeling of being able to do what you want on the resort, and off. Close to town, bars, restaurants, shopping, etc.It has it all. I felt good to give tips but not obliged. Havana aggressive about soliciting tips.

Had a beautiful time

This was my second time to Cuba, and I travelled by myself both times. The hotel room exceeded my expectations and was much nicer than the hotel I stayed at last year. The room was clean, bright, large and I had a lovely balcony. The staff were extremely friendly and the pool and beach areas were all well maintained. Short walk to the bars on the main strip. Nothing is ever perfect in Cuba, but for the money, the experience was very positive. Staying at Arenas Blancas, I could also take advantag [... read more]e of the events next door at the Solymar and it was great to go to the shows there and beach parties....then return back to my quiet space :) Like everything in life, if you look for fault, you will find it. If you look for what is great - you will find that too. I would not hesitate to recommend.

Great Resort

Staff worked constantly to keep all areas clean and tidy. I slipped on my first night because a drink had been spilled on the floor, it was then quickly cleaned up. Supplies (toilet paper) sometimes not restocked after advising bar staff at pool 3 times. Cleaning of the room was excellent and timely. Beautiful beach, good beach service. Reception and money exchange fast and courteous. I enjoyed the food, I had not expected it to be so good!

Welcomimg and friendly

Me and my family just returned from a wonderful vacation at this resort. We had heard so many stories of Cuba, so we went with very low expectations and had an amazing surprise. Rooms were clean and spacious, the air conditioner worked well and fridge was stocked daily. Towels were adequate. The only thing I can think of to improve the room would be a tub mat. The front desk staff were very efficient and pleasant. Meals were good, an interesting selection of foods to choose from. My personal fav [... read more]ourite was breakfast, with omelets prepared as wished by the jovial chef. We had a fabulous time at the Spanish restaurant, food was delicious and well presented and accompanied by lovely music from a talented trio. Already planning my next trip!!

Amazing beach & great location!

Overall the grounds, Lobby Area, Bars & Pools are beautifully kept as well as very clean. Our Superior room had a king bed, flat screen & huge balcony. Buffet food was adequate but plentiful. The Mexican Restaurant served excellent food. Buffet at the sister resort Solymar was a better choice of food & outstanding service! Entertainment was plentiful & we ruled the Disco one night. Something to be said about toilet seats or lack there of especially in the Women's Lobby Washroom during our recent [... read more] stay. Location is outstanding! Within minutes of walking nightlife surrounds you...be sure to check out the Beatle's Bar with live band & 100's of people dancing the night away!

Above Average Resort 3+

The grounds were lovely. A very old cactus (The Veteran) is on the premises. The beach is immaculate (Antigua standard). The pool is lovely though shallow, and very large. No swim up bar. The food is above average for Cuba. The fish is excellent. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Mojitos not always available due to a lack of mint at each bar. Pool bar closes too early. Access to Barceló Solymar a bonus. Gym is run down but functional. The toilet in my room required repairs, as did my bathtub which di [... read more]d not drain. However, as an avid backpacker these are for me minor considerations, and for the price of this resort the facilities were in fact "superior". Bring your passport to Havana!! Getting money is very difficult and your MasterCard will not work anywhere. You can get money with your MasterCard and your passport at the resort bank if you go early in the morning, but in Havana be prepared to wait in a line for two hours. Cash everywhere!! Overall, I would definitely go back. The staff are friendly and helpful, though restricted. They can't solve all your problems just because you whine about them. It is Cuba after all. You can't impose your standards or force your desires. Just go with the flow and have fun. I would definitely return to this resort.

Quite, even by Cuban standards

While the beach and the ocean are wonderful, hotel customer service is a study in incompetence: from having (only 6) newly arrived guests at 11 a.m. wait until 4 p.m. before letting them into their rooms; to having two spoons for ten salad bowls in the restaurant (positively comical); to having half the tables occupied and half covered with dirty dishes and none clean in restaurants at peak times; to front desk staff's inability to offer consistent accurate directions within Varadero; the list g [... read more]oes on. Overall, the worst I have seen in Cuba - this was my eighth vacation on the island. If you can close your eyes to to a badly mismanaged hotel, you may still have a passable experience. I would however have recommend staying away from this hotel, and, quite possibly from all other hotels of the Barcelo chain anywhere.