Disappointed

Visited Melia Peninsula Varadero with our friends for a week. We have all been to Cuba before and had a lovely time, hence the reason to return for a getaway week and a winter break. The hotel lobby, main areas, grounds were all well kept. We had the vip upgrade which meant closer to the beach, robes and slippers in room, beach towels in room, a bottle of rum and 20% discount at the spa. The rooms were quite basic and served it's purpose - a good night's rest and somewhere to shower and ch [... read more]ange; most of the time spent on the beach which was lovely. The staff at the resort were friendly and helpful and tried to help us out whenever they can eg fresh towels daily, bottle of water, bathroom tissue. Our biggest grief was at the main restaurant - the food is what we expected (been to Cuba before) but the issue is that it was not being replenished. At breakfast, lunch, dinner the trays at the buffet would be empty, picked over and not be replenished. Families would be taking 2 and 3 plates of food per person, filled to the max, no sense of order at the queues, people cutting in, cutting you off and going around on the other side of the buffet. Utter chaos. By the time we get around to the buffet there is no food left and its quite a long time before its replenished. So very frustrating we would go to the pool bar and have an sandwich and fries or pizza. On NYE they pulled out all the stops and served steak and lobster, but there was still the issue of people cutting in and having multiple servings at once. We complained one night and was offered to go to the a la carte beach restaurant which we refused as we were there before and the food was awful - Cold soup and overdone fish and meat. The other a la carte restaurants - Italian and Japanese were fully booked while we were there and never got to try them. We were there to have a good time at the beach and have some downtime which we did, but we were all terribly disappointed at the main restaurant.

So many things, differently not a 4 star

Our first impression it was beautiful in the lobby. The bell hop’s was taking our bags to a different room. Had to yell at him from the ground to the 3rd floor of building. Finally get to our room had no bathroom door, electrical problems, plugs coming from wall, no power, tv worked some days. No lights in walkway from 1st floor to our 3rd floor had to call 3 times through the week. Went to the front desk to complain they said room under renovations never offered us another room. Waiting on  [... read more]light bulb. No screen door. Paid for the extra “ elegance club” not worth it had to call every other day to fill fridge. The staff was amazing. Couldn’t speak much English. Our map of the resort only in French German and Spanish (no English) had 3 la cart French was horrible. Noticed waitress used women’s washroom didn’t wash her hands then went back to work in the Japanese restaurant next to the French. Had the Italian just ok. The Japanese was great Experience. Went to the beach beautiful, beach bar was horrible no power, no music, unsanitary. Went to the pool bar same thing rinsed cups under tap water reused cups for the people. Just using a drink blender to make drinks. Ask for drinks and their not consistent. Food was ok, some was cold. Or uncooked. Some of the washrooms had no seat to seat on the toilet. My daughter scratched the wifi to much crying I mentioned to the front desk is their a problem with these cards? Never offered me to buy another card for 1 peso for a hour found out on our last day you can buy cards. daughter crying that she ruined it for us. Also the Activity’s and bar club were not operating due to lack of demand. Which to me their was lots of people looking to dance and activities. As we were their with my 2 children first time away. we made the best of it.

Coming Alive Again!

The hotel is working hard to restore itself back to original, after the hit by hurricane Irma. Activities were limited at first, but gradually animation team went into action, as more guests arrived. Buffet at beginning was breakfast only, then supper too, as our week went on. Beach and pool restaurants were always in operation. Food variety increased, too. A la cartes were fantastic! Grounds beautifully kept. Cleaning staff did a great job. Hot water for shower anytime! Beach beautiful ... [... read more]stretched ‘forever’. Pools ..great one for kids and a large beautiful divided one with swim up bar on one side for anyone. Bartenders and wait staff attentive and friendly. Know some had not had work for 3 months, due to the damage to the hotel. Glad to be back, for sure! Wish them well. Would return in the future.

Definitely not a 5 star resort !!!!!!!

This is a very dated hotel . Actually I haven't seen a more dated hotel than this in Cuba, Get this , there is no closet for your clothes...., The food is really bad. No Ac in the buffet . There were flies and birds all over the food. I had to bring these issues to the attention of the general manager, but he definitely does not care . This is a resort Without Spirit... I would never come back to this place neither recommend it to my friends. No one speaks English ... very hard to communica [... read more]te ....

Fair resort, can do better!

The online pictures are what sold me on this resort, please don't always believe what is seen in pictures, instead of person! When we arrived the room had no AC, which made it very uncomfortable to sleep at night, after days of promises of someone to fix our A.C., we demanded to switch rooms, the buffets was also very hot, and uncomfortable to eat in, the outdoor eating area had outdoor seating with a drain pool around it, just concrete , for the whole trip, it's very dangerous for young childre [... read more]n who could fall in and Crack there skull, only a cable to protect the fall, the main pool was closed for three days too, which was a good thing since it was being cleaned due to green filthy water, and also the place was under construction, not sure for how much longer, that left us hearing a saw all night, since it's hot to work in the day! You are only allow two visit to the a la carte per week, the only good place to eat in an nice restaurant with good food, Plus side was the amazing, very friendly staff , a cute and clean kids pool with a waterslide and the beautiful blue water beach, not a 5 star hotel, more like a 3 star, pick another resort in varadero, until renovation are finished!

Great Resort

First time in Cuba and we had a great time specially with my autistic child. He loves the pool and loves to go for long walks.Well maintain there are construction going on but did not affect us at all. Thank you Judy Donaldson for recommending this resort to us.

Nice Family Resort

The kids pool and the main pool are very nice. The kids pool has water slides and the main pool has a swim up bar. The a la cart restaurants were pretty good. A nice change from the buffet which has decent variety but does get a bit tiresome by the end of a week. The food is pretty good in general but nothing spectacular. There was live entertainment (song and dance) in the theatre most nights as well as a nightly interactive show for the kids. There was also live music in the restaurant [... read more]s/bars on most nights. The staff is for the most part friendly some more so than others. The room was a good size but the bed was not comfortable and the coffee maker did not work (although coffee was available a short walk away at the bar) The resort was under construction with a lot of hammering and noise by the pool. Some guests complained that this continued into the wee hours of the night but was not audible from our room. Our room keys stopped functioning twice during the week and we had to walk up to reception to trade them in for new ones There were tennis courts usually unused (too hot for tennis). The recreation activities seem to be more for show than for use. It did not seem like the kayaks and catamarans were not getting much use. The literature they gave us on check in with info about the facilities was in spanish and french (no english). Most of the staff can speak English but the resort seemed to be geared towards catering to French clientel

Super Resort

This is my thirteenth time to Melia Peninsula ,I call it my home away from Home .I have made many friends over theyears.Love the Cuban people they are so friendly and polite. The grounds of the resort is stunning ,a joy just to walk around to see how well kept they are. The buffet food was Cuban food if you know what I mean no spice little salt but that is Cuba and better for the health.The Restaurants was a treat ,good ,enjoyable and nice. The manager walks around all day long ready and wi [... read more]lling to stop and chat if anyone desired to ask any information.We were impressed with him. The beach was a little forgotten but as soon as all the new people get used to the hotel the beach will pick up..I personally cannot say anything negative about the hotel and we do hope to go back for our 50th anniversary next year..Afdvice if you are in need just ask the correct people and enjoy your stay.They also made many new renovations this year,beautiful rooms and if you are lucky MALady might be your Maid.Enjoy !

Unfortunately.... I am disappointed

I am not a pretentious person but this resort is not a 5 stars. It will be my 1st bad review. Personal need to be paid all the time.even for a bottle of water for my 2 1/2 daughter. I needed 3 towels in our room and I did had them all day. Only 2 out of 7. I asked coffee in the room each morning. ..I did not have. I asked for milk in our room . They never call back or come to the milk. The bar disent have chairs do u order and go away. The buffet has gaz problem so ou [... read more]r meals were half cooked. Bleah to eat raw chicken To be served it was an eternity. They came with a small coffee and then try to have a second it took forever that we said we might forget about it. Food is not tasty bug not even cooked. The children don't have juice to drink in afternoon. Only dinner time and that all. The beach bar is very poor and far. I didn't like it. I will stop because there is nothing I try to say I liked it. Maybe the sun ad the clear water. I will not return for sure here and for Cuba I Wil think twice or let more years to pass util I will forget thus bad experience. Ieeill definitely spend money in Republiqur dominicaine or Mexic but not soon in Cuba. I am sorry for the ones working there but there is nothing try can do. The management is to blame and also the system they are in. They might think is beautiful place and do a good job. Get out in the world to compare. Have a nice vacation for the ones go there find your beautiful in small thinks. Water beast sun .

Disappointed

Hotel of 3 stars maximum. There is nothing to love to this resort. Beach : uneven Food : Poor menu and tasteless food Room : 3-star room Services : Detached and uninterested employees in providing services Example : 1 day without hot water, 3 days without light on resort alleys, 2 days without beach towels, 2 days without water to drink, We returned home with our legs and hands full of insect bites or food poisoning.

Hotel with Great Potential

This hotel is not a 4.5* hotel as rated in the travel magazines. It is closer to 3/3.5*. However it has great potential to be a 5* with some simple improvements. The location is great, on the beach, and away from high density traffic. The buildings are in good shape with minor repairs/painting needed. The grounds are maintained and clean but there is room for improvement. They could do a better job with the entrance and lobby areas. Filling in the empty pool areas with flowering plants would gr [... read more]eatly improve the image. Signage around the compound is poor and in several areas the outdoor lights did no work. Our room was large but lacked some basic amenities, e.g., no coffee maker, need an indoor fan rather than running the AC all the time, mini bar poorly stocked, a luggage stool would be helpful, mattresses are old and uncomfortable, the room is dark once the curtains are pulled. Food in general was good but could do with more vegetarian/healthy choices, e.g., no whole wheat/multi grain breads, no hot cereals, vegetables over cooked and mostly in oil. Labeling of the cooked dishes would go a long way to help improve the selection process and thereby reduce the wait times. Service at times were sub-par even after tipping. Unfortunately workers seem to expect a tip for doing the normal jobs. It took 4 days and multiple complaints to get the television fixed in our room. We had to make multiple requests for upgraded services we paid for, e.g., water was not delivered daily, took 3 days to get our robes, etc. Definitely need more servers/waiters in the buffet restaurant. Table are not cleared timely resulting in high wait times, long delays getting coffee refills. Entertainment was excellent for both adults and children. Lots of variety and fun things to do. The 3 tours we took were very good. The guides were excellent, spoke good English and were very knowledgeable. The one negative comment - the buses were always late for the start of the tour. Overall we had a very good time and met some very nice people. The staff were courteous and generally helpful. We felt very safe at this facility.

Beautiful beach!

This resort is being slowly renovated so at this time it is more of a 4 star resort. Our room was updated so the bathroom was quite new but the door is made of sliding glass so it is a problem for those needing to go during the night. The shower was awesome as it had not only a hand held but also a rain shower head. We also had a balcony which is quite handy for hanging towels and bathing suits. The beach is very long but not very wide but has a lot of palapas for shade and lounge chairs. It [... read more] is very quiet meaning no boat traffic that we have had at other resorts. There is a great kids/teenager club who keep them busy and they even put on a show for the parents. They were very entertaining even for people without kids. They also offer workouts at the beach and poolside and dance lessons to everyone who wants to join them. The food was quite surprising as there was lots of good meat, an unending supply of fresh fish, vegetables, cheese, fruit and other desserts. We went to all of the a la carte restaurants and they were all excellent - we even went back to a few. Our favourites were the "Bistro" and "Italien". All restaurants offered red, white and rose wine which to my great surprise were quite good but you can also purchase wine from a wine list. The buffet that is conveniently located right near the beach was good but can be repetitive for food choices but that is to be expected since it is smaller than the large one located further away at the reception area. The grounds are quite beautiful and they are constantly working on improving them. Overall this is a great resort and we really enjoyed our time there.

Good and Bad

The Grounds are well kept. Some patches of pathways had no lighting. But are neat and tidy. The food was better than I expected. I was not impressed with the room. It was old style like from 1970s. Beds were too hard. We had asked for queen size but got two single size beds. Not comfortable at all. Entertainment was okay, but nothing to write home about. PR was not great either. Beach was nice enough but not as clean as I would have hoped. Overall its one of those places that you can say 'Been  [... read more]there, Done that!!. But once is enough. The hotel is rated as 5 star but is really no more than 3 star. Overall rating is 3/5.

Good value

Very clean environment which includes all public areas. The daily buffet food selection was quite good in terms of variety and quality. The hotel service staff were very helpful, friendly, and attentive to our needs. One suggestion however would be to add additional lighting on public pathways as they are quite dark after the sun sets.

Don't do it!!

This is not a resort one should consider. We were told when we booked it was the best there is. The resort is unkept. The rooms and beds are awful. Management doesn't care. The common areas are falling apart. The food is should not be eaten. Meat sits out all day, not chilled, and most of the other stuff shouldn't be touched. Staff was less than helpful. Pretty much have to get your own coffee and drinks. I was careful what I ate, mainly toast and have been home for two days and rarely [... read more] can leave the bathroom. Absolute waste of vacation time and money. Complained to tripcentral, didn't seem to matter. Complained to reps at hotel who would move us to a lateral hotel for $1000. Have registered a complaint with air transat. Just don't do it.

Ok resort....I would not consider it a 4.5 star.

Large resort with nice vegetation. The rooms were large but were dated. The shower leaked every time we used it. Room location was great.....close to pool and beach. We were traveling with my elderly mother and it was too much walking for her. They did have golf carts but not enough. When we called we would wait at least a half hour for one to come or not come at all. The food was good for Cuba. The staff were amazing and friendly. They do their best with the resources that they have. Th [... read more]e staff at the front desk were not as friendly. Entertainment was excellent. I would like to comment on the airport in Cuba on our return flight. There were so many flights booked that they could not handle the amount of people trying to check in and get through security. Their infrastructure is in dire need of improvement. We waited three hours just to check in and get through security which delayed our plane 1 hour.

Nice well laid out resort

The Melia Pennisula is a well laid out resort. All the staff were friendly and accommodating. The transat representative informed us of many things to do at Veradero. She reserved us a spot at a private house for dinner and it was absolutely amazing. There was a gentleman by the name Yoyo and he often worked at the pool snack bar. What a pleasure he was. The entertainment was very good and catered to all ages. The ground keepers were also very friendly and awesome to talk to. I would not recom [... read more]mend this resort for older people. Reason is the the grounds were very dark at night. The walkways were not lit up at all. People were using their cell phones in order to see where they were walking. One of the guests was crossing a small bridge from the cafe and he fell through the bridge. He was able to catch himself but is was very disappointing that not one staff member came to his aid. We arrived at our hotel in the evening and it was very dark. An older gentleman tripped over his suitcase and skinned both of his knees very badly and knocked out 3 of his teeth. Again no one seemed to be very concerned.

Good all around

The hotel needs a little cosmetic update and the food was good. The service was excellent and the beach was fantastic. The room we stayed in needed some work however it didn't stop us from enjoying it

Highly recommended

Grounds were beautiful- very well kept and groomed. Food was excellent and rooms very clean. The beach was amazing!!! Only complaint was that one day the lunch buffet at the beach ran out of food! Being at a 5 star this should not happen.

Melia peninsula varadero

We really enjoyed our stay at this resort...we found the food mostly good, the resort was lovely, our room was very comfortable and cool as it was quite hot out. The staff were friendly and helpful...we would go back and recommend it to our friends. The only thing was that even though we had the elite pkg, no one offered us a cold drink and towel when we arrived, it took a few days for us to receive our robes,slippers and bottle of rum but that was all very minor ...actually the one thing that  [... read more]really bothered me was that we arrived at the resort at around 12 noon, they told us check in was at 4...it wasn't until after 5 and I'm not exeggerating when I say we were the very last to be escorted to our room, it only bothered me more because I told them that the heat really makes me physically ill. So if we ever do go again we will make sure to set the arrival closer to 4 pm.