Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Big resort

We stayed at this resort on Sept 20,2025 for 7 days. The resort is big very clean. We didn’t realize it was off season September is our preferred month to travel never had a resort that had low numbers. We were upgraded for a swim up room most of the rooms were closed for renovations. For the first 3 days we didn’t have any hot water. The main buffet was closed everyone was sent to the royal buffet that was tiny not much selection. We booked à la carte dinner every night only 3 were open.  [... read more] Japanese was our favourite. The beach was beautiful very clean same with the pool. We didn’t check out the nightly entertainment not sure how that was. Overall we really enjoyed this resort we would like to go back when it is busy to see everything they offer

Melia Internacional: Amazing Resort!

This hotel resort was outstanding. The property grounds were so well-maintained and enjoyable to look at. Relaxing at this resort was so nice. The beach was incredible The food was good. The people so nice. Can't say enough. We have been to Cuba 4 times. I would definitely come back to this resort.

Melia Las Americas: It starts with proper booking support

First of all our booking agent Jennifer Brown..what a wonderful, kind professional service she provided. Good on you Jen. Yes hotel lived up to its reputation. Wonderful atmosphere and offered the best of Cuba. If I can recommend anything than perhaps a ramp alongside the stairs to the beach .

Paradisus Rio De Oro: It is haven on earth… amazing place.

This resort we would definitely recommend. It is peaceful, with amazing gardens, quiet, relaxing place. Beautiful beaches. Food is great , lots to choose from , good quality and no shortage. Amazing staff.. they treat you like a family but with respect . Rooms are clean, nice comfortable bed, beautiful swimming pool. We have been to this resort many times and we keep coming back . It is the top resort in Cuba . We highly recommend.

Sol Palmeras: Great Resort

Beautiful resort . The room was comfortable and clean. Food was very good and lots of variety. The grounds were well taken care of. Beach was excellent but didn’t care for the pool, no swim up bar. The Asian restaurant was great!

Melia Jardines del Rey: Have never been treated so poorly in my life

arrived at Melia Jardines Del Rey on Sept 1 st. When I arrived at Melia I was told I had three rooms in various names Gwendolen Schultz, Samantha Leigh , Elizabeth Schultz. They called me by my wrong name at all times while addressing me. The food was horrendous. Tony Tony the sun wing representative knew I was not happy with my vacation so he offered to send me to Tryp for the remaining vacation. Samantha left Sept 8. When Sam was checked out they had deactivated my room key and told me to retu [... read more]rn both towels. I informed them I had one week still remaining addressing me as Elizabeth once again. They also wanted me to charge me for Samantha having a late check out of the room I held for the two weeks. I was staying inside for two weeks and she was in my room. They were ignorant and very disrespectful to me at all times. I requested to speak to the general manager I was taken in an office with 3 managers and again addressed by my wrong name repeatedly. I was very agitated and felt very attack. I stated again my name was not Elizabeth and I would be addressed by the proper name. I told them I would like to moved to my normal resort. I was threatened they wanted me to sign a waiver saying I would not complain about the service or the food on trip advisor. I refused to sign anything. Security was called. I again stated I wanted to be moved to my resort due to the threat. The wrong name being addressed by and the food. I was starving all week the buffet was closed most days no food in snack bars. They told me they would have to call Tryp to see if they would allow me to come to the resort. Tryp was already notified by Tony Tony. They were waiting for me to arrive. I was talking to friends I had met and I was told not to be talking to other guests. Twice approached by the management calling me by Elizabeth. I stated that that I had to wait for the next bus to arrive to take me to Tryp I would be leaving to Tryp. Ten minutes later I was told all arrangements were made I would be moving to Tryp on Sept 9. On Sept 9th I was waiting for my bus and I was surrounded by 4 security guards and was addressed by Elizabeth once again and I was told to leave and the security guard was told to remove my band. I was intimated bullied harassed and asked to sign this waver again. I waited for my bus out side the resort. I had no access to water or food for over 3 hours. I was not allowed on the premises. I arrived at Tryp with open arms. Tryp Cayo as amazing amazing staff amazing food. I am requesting a refund for both myself and Samantha. Also have spoken to the head of Melia and he wants me to email him with this complaint as well. Which I will be doing. I felt very unsafe. I am also requesting compensation for my loss of wages, due to plane on Sept 15 being cancelled. Also claiming for the loss of money due to having to take a cab to Tryp and my suffering. Lose of money due to my dog being in a boarding kennel , no food provided at airport due to stores being closed. I would not recommend Melia Jardines Del Rey to anyone. Thank you

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Never again

Been there 12 years ago, same off season. After a very tired journey reached the room at 9.30 pm. First two days no air condition and no hot water service in the room The night we checked in no drinking water or any drinking water in the room. To call the reception, do not know the extension number for the reception. Bus boy told when he leaves, he will bring a water bottle or notify to the person who brings it. We reached the room after dinner, closer to the beach area at 9.30 pm, after a  [... read more]tired journey rushed to the buffet which closes at 10 pm. Nobody brought any water. Not been told that there is no Air condition when we checking in, next morning when I went the reception only been told there is countrywide power outage at that time. Mosquitoes are everywhere. Lots of mosquitoes inside the room too. Without AC, with outside temperature of 31C, with mosquito inside the room, itchy bed linen, think that night would be. Food is very limited, same food everyday, the eating area infested with lots of mosquitos. Only commendable thing is nice staffs, and superb beach. Chose this resort for 5 star rating, but so disappointed. Never again

Melia Cayo Coco: Beautiful beach !

Very quiet resort, older crowd. The entertainment is limited and apeals to more mature clients. Only choice of 2 restaurants. No Lobster or shrimps. The beach is great ans a lot of chairs available. The employees are very professional, Nice clean rooms.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Amazing resort

Friendly staff good food for Cuba great beaches and infinity pool Would visit here again Friendly staff good food for Cuba great beaches and infinity pool Would visit here again Friendly staff good food for Cuba great beaches and infinity pool Would visit here again

Melia Las Antillas: Unfortunately disappointing

Beach is very good. In the afternoon you have a beach to yourself! Beautiful! Beach chairs beyond dirty. I don’t understand why! They have staff and water! Pool chair are new. Towel new/microfibre ! Very good. Pool was dissent. Not crowded. Food was ok. Real eggs and pancakes, fruit, in the morning, simple lunch. and dinner fish on grill couple of times, shrimps on grill one night and chicken was most often. Salat choices very simple. Same with deserts. But it is all unde [... read more]rstandable, it is Cuba. Room were the most disappointing, actually bathroom. It was broken, scratched, broken doors, like a correctional institution. It made me feel very uncomfortable. Sun-wing needs to check where they send customers. Lobby was stuffy, no air circulation. They made effort to have nice live music every evening and shows at night. We payed $1000 with luggage, Sun Wing charged extra for luggage. Not worth it. It is supposed to be around $800 for quality.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Disappointed

No minibar in the room not even complimentary water.We had to go to the lobby to pay for the basic necessities like drinking water the fan in the bathroom didn’t work the same food was served every day with no variety.The resort was persistent unpleasant odour similar with sewage in several areas even worse we have to manually flush the toilet with garbage bin as the flush system was broken.

Melia Internacional: Nice view

The room is great with ocean view so clean , the beach so beautiful. The food is not good at all , so limited no variety and I saw cockroaches at the Japanese restaurant on my table and beside the food and in the wall. The people are so nice and simple and friendly

Paradisus Varadero: My last trip to Cuba.

We visited this hotel August 12-19, 2025. We have been given the reserve section of the hotel. The next morning we asked to move to the Junior suite side of the resort because the reserve side is a good walk away from the main lobby, pools, the beach and the main buffet. Junior rooms were much better decorated and located. We loved our room. Although the unit 2828 the AC is not working properly. Here is what we thought about the entire resort. 1) GROUNDS: Palm trees, tropical plants and beauti [... read more]ful colors of the ocean. Looks like paradise. My score for landscape is 10. 2) BEACH: The sand is never cleaned and full of garbage. Still nice but was dirty. Many beach chairs and many tiki umbrellas. Never needed to fight to get one because the hotel was at 20% capacity. My score is 8. 3) OCEAN: No sargasum here. The ocean is clean and swimmable. However the entry to the ocean is with sharp stones. Look for areas that are cleared. Many fish circles around you and rocky areas can be nice for snorkeling. Ocean score is 9. 4) FOOD: Breakfast is good. However lunch and dinner is a repeat every single day. You will find yourself only eating pasta. Many other choices which no one touches. Fruits are tasteless or dry at the main buffet. The meat is dry and not much choice. The food is not only bad, it makes you upset after a few days seeing the same food served day after day even though no one clearly eats them. This is one of the reasons I finally decided not to go to CUBA again for a long time. My score for the food is 4. 5) DRINKS: They were struggling finding ice from other hotels. Many times we could not get what we wanted because of not having any ice. Without the ice they are not drinkable at that high temperatures. They make the fruit cocktails like pinacollada from powder. Tropical island with no fruits. Drinks were ok. Nothing fancy. My score for drinks is 7. 6) SAFETY: Many serious grounds safety issues. In main lobby areas the decorative pools were emptied and when you walk you can not tell if there is a pool you can fall in. No markings and same color as the floor. A child or an elderly person or even any person after few drinks can fall in these traps everywhere. Many trip hazards everywhere without marking. Around the entire lobby and pool area the tiles are super slippery when wet. Obviously a clear wrong choice of tile. Many open holes where you can fall in dark on the grass area. Your child can easily fall in a hole in the dark. The darkness is an other thing. Some areas are pitch black dark. The lawn lights are not working and if you don’t have a flashlight you walk completely blind for a while. Many light fixtures are removed and the open wires are on the ground waiting for you to step on. Maybe they have no power on them at the moment but who knows maybe they have power. If you are older or have a young child these are serious problems, I am not exaggerating. Unbelievably unsafe grounds. SAFETY score is 3. I am sure someone gets hurt everyday there. 7) STAFF: Generally all Cuban people are lovely. Staff were always working hard and almost everyone is friendly and respectful. My score for staff is 7.5. 8) POOLS: At 25% capacity you are barely finding a chair under a shade to sit. I can not imagine if there were more people. In winter months you will have to wake up at 5 am to secure a good spot for sure. Pools were great. Yes we knew you don’t go to Cuba for its food. However after a few days when everything becomes a routine the lack of choice for the food is very upsetting. I can never understand why they can’t solve that problem but they can’t. We tried many resorts and they are all the same. That is why we will stop going to Cuba.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Our second time here but not our last.

My fiance and I just returned from our 2nd stay at this resort. We upgraded to the Royal Service both times. The resort is beautiful, the grounds are well kept and the cleaning staff do an amazing job keeping everything clean. The gym is in great shape and the trainer, Reembero does a great job keeping the gym clean. The food is very good and all the staff are amazing. You become like family there. Edgar and the butler staff made sure we were taken care of and happy. We can't wait to come back! [... read more]! Our travel agent, Alisa Infanti also gets a big shout out for always making sure our vacations rock.

Paradisus Los Cayos: Great Staff, Gorgeous Beach, But Maintenance Lags

Getting to the Resort The resort is at least 1.5 hours from the airport, and the journey can take longer depending on how many resorts the bus stops at to drop off other guests. Paradisus is the second-to-last resort in Cayo Santa Maria. The buses were air-conditioned with comfortable reclining seats. Some had washrooms, others did not. The tour representative usually shares a bit of history as you pass through the towns. We arrived late at night/early morning, so it was dark and there wasn’t m [... read more]uch to see. Beer was available for purchase at the start of the bus ride. Check-In Check-in was quick but depends on how many people arrive with you. The bellboys take care of your bags, so don’t wait to grab them—head straight to the lobby line. We were dropped off at the Reserve lobby. Once you receive your keys, the bellboys meet you at your room. If you booked the Reserve or Royal section, you get a butler assigned to your room. The Rooms We stayed in the Reserve section, which is on the right side of the resort. The rooms were generally clean, though one had a non-functional shower. Water pressure was decent, but hot water was more lukewarm. Be aware that water is cut off during the night for maintenance. The room included shower gel, soap, and shampoo/conditioner. Toilets were dual-flush, but one had a faulty plunger button that required multiple presses to stop flushing. Closets came with an iron and ironing board, and hair dryers were available. A small fridge stocked with beer was provided. There was also a tub outside the bathroom—interesting and a bit odd. Towels and beach towels were provided, but be careful not to lose them or you may be charged. Most outlets were 220V, though 110V ones were available. Most chargers support both voltages. A safe was also provided. Our rooms had one king bed and two queens. Pillows were extremely soft—almost too soft. Not sure if pillow service was available in the Reserve section. Each room had a balcony with two chairs. Rooms were cleaned daily, and bath towels were changed, though they didn’t always smell fresh. Some had rust or other stains. A few handles (e.g., bathroom doors and closet drawers) were broken or needed maintenance. Beach towels weren’t available for exchange, but our butler arranged replacements midway through our stay. Rooms were swept and mopped daily. The Resort Due to low occupancy, the left side of the resort was closed. The resort is beautifully designed but in need of maintenance, finishing touches, and a deep clean. It has a beach-themed color palette and architecture. Some areas are stunning, while others feel overdone—like the bathtubs in the rooms, which we didn’t use. Air conditioning was broken in the central section, making dining in those restaurants uncomfortable. Many areas needed paint and repairs. Some hallway lights were broken or flickering, with exposed wiring. Chairs were worn, stained, and had torn fabric. I didn’t see the general floors being cleaned. One muddy footprint remained untouched throughout our stay. Pools looked clean and were maintained daily. The Royal section’s pool appeared cleaner. Staff areas had dirty floors and debris. We saw a few stray cats and dogs, which I think should be removed. Beach and buffet access was good, with multiple routes. We also saw a large tarantula, but it was dealt with quickly. Many floor access/light ports were broken with exposed wiring. Overall, the resort feels like it hasn’t been properly maintained since it was built. The Beach This was the best part of the resort. The beach was pristine—no sargassum, soft sand, and clear water. Some rocky areas were present but avoidable. There were fish in some spots, which was amazing to see. Water activities like kayaking and catamaran rides were available. We had drink service in front of the Reserve section, and one staff member (brown hat/red gloves) was exceptional—constantly checking in and ensuring guests had drinks. The Food We stayed in the Reserve section and had no major issues with food. Breakfast and lunch offered a decent selection, though the variety didn’t change much. The dining and kitchen areas need improvement. The grill area looked dirty and had flies and cockroaches. Lighting could be better. The Reserve buffet often ran out of mangoes, so arriving early was key. This wasn’t an issue in the Royal section. One day, the Reserve kitchen lacked chicken and pork due to broken equipment, and no alternative options were communicated. The Royal section was unaffected and could have been used, as the prep areas are connected. Two à la carte restaurants—Passion (Italian) and Fuego—had broken air conditioning, making dining uncomfortable. The food felt like repurposed buffet items and wasn’t great. Bana, the teppanyaki restaurant, was the best experience. Food was cooked in front of us and was delicious. The Reserve buffet was converted into à la carte dining on some days, which was enjoyable. The beach and pool snack bars had limited but satisfying options. Drinks were consistently good. We brought ketchup, mustard, and relish but only used ketchup for fries. Salt and pepper were always available. One gripe: the Royal section (adults only) had more variety and availability, which doesn’t cater well to families. For example, mangoes and fresh pasta were always available in the Royal section but not in Reserve. I hope these options become resort-wide. Food variety should be universal—especially for kids. Drinks can be the exception. People and Staff The staff were amazing—attentive, responsive, and solution-oriented. Ari and Yasser, our butlers, did a fantastic job reserving dinners and addressing issues. They regularly checked in to ensure we were comfortable. They always ensured that our kids were well taken care of in terms of food and drinks. Restaurant staff and cooks were also excellent. The chefs and waitresses were always smiling. Yanel, Richard, Freddy, Lana, Daymara and Deanna were always ready to assist and make us comfortable in the snack bar and Reserve buffet. Norma and Tani at the kid's club were also fantastic and checked in with us every day to let us know about activities happening throughout the day. They were really great with the kids! Overall, no complaints—the Cuban people are absolutely wonderful, warm and welcoming. They really do treat you like family! The staff do their best to work with what they got! Other Bring a lot of change for tips. There is an onsite money exchange place but you may get a non-preferable rate. Speaking of money, they prefer USD, and items for sale are all in USD. But I say stick to your home currency. If you want to gift them something they would appreciate neck fans, but also do some research for other items. The Cuban people are grateful for anything! You can take items like school supplies, over the counter medications, pre-packaged food and snacks, hygiene products and basic products like soap, toothpaste and shampoo. They even appreciate things like sauces and spices as it is not readily available for locals. Simple things that you may take for granted!

Melia Marina Varadero: Great Family Vacation

The beaches, the service from the concierges and others, and the views are amazing. The Cuban people are awesome! When you get a chance to meet the locals, take it. They are incredibly friendly, resilient and resourceful. Be prepared to travel off the resort for incredible dining opportunities!

Sol Palmeras: Very good and friendly resort

I loved my stay at this resort, my children lilked it a lot. The picky eater in the family didn't think there was much to eat, but I ate to my satisfaction every meal. BEach is beatiful, bungalows were very clean. Some bungalows are in the far back and you will HAVE to walk to go eat. They don't provide shuttle transportation except for the suitcases on the first and last days. We were in the number 535 and 534 bungalows and we asked to be moved closer which we were the last two days. I  [... read more]recommand you feel at ease with the travel agent you are assigned. At first, I wasn't feeling comfortable with mine and I didn't listen to my gut reaction and regret it. I lost time and energy undoing some mistakes that were made by her and communication was not good. I should have changed when it was time, I should have insisted that I wanted a different travel agent. And please, be aware that if you travel to Cuba, you won't be able to do check-in on the app for the flight back to Canada. I was never told and lost time and energy trying to figure out why the app didn't work... Thinking it was my fault.

Paradisus Los Cayos: Good resort for Cuba

Beach 5 star (one of the best I have seen). No sargassum. Staff 5 star (polite and out beat) Room 4 star (need some maintenance, we experience no water for 6 hours one day and 1 hour next with little explanation from management. Bathroom door look and can not unluck, but room was large) Grounds 4 stars (large complex) Food 3 star (expected, not a lots of choice or varieties included a la carte but Banos was the best) Bus drive was long but expected If you are looking for beach, this is the [... read more] place but only the beach for a good price

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Calm place for the rest

In the beginning of August Paradisus rio de oro resort was so quite and we didn't have problem with sunbeds at the beach, food &drinks at the restaurants and bars. Snorkeling was amazing, ocean was warm and clear. We used several times kayaks, catamarans and other seaboats. Tips are always welcome)

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Ummmmmm

Food was a no go Ac doesn't work at times but I think they lie about it not working to save cost . No water at times . Royal service is a waste of money nothing really royal about it vs the cost ,go and get a normal room. Some of the staff are great however