Hotel Tuxpan: Tuxpan

Staff Amazing, Beach Amazing, food was good, pool Excellent, Hotel terrific. I will definitely be returning to Tuxpan. Bottle of Champagne on ice and a bottle of red in my room . Staff heard it was my birthday, the Champagne and Vino were a lovely touch.

Grand Memories Varadero: Great Time But Will Not Return To This Resort

Coordinated a Girl's Trip and stayed at Grand Memories for the week of November 26, 2022. We enjoyed our stay and made the best of some of the limitations at this resort. The beach was beautiful as expected and the staff was lovely and accommodating. There was a lot of walking as we were situated at block 15 but nonetheless, we were next door to a nice pool and a great bar where the drinks were on point. Some things that I did not like...... it is a given to tip your maid and write notes [... read more] to ensure you get everything you need in your room like multiple waters, towels, and toilet paper. If you're coming to Cuba, pack a towel and a couple of rolls of toilet paper. If you like premium alcohol, buy it at duty-free and bring it along. They did not have tequila and vodka was very limited. Wine on the resort was very limited as well. The only place that I could get a glass was at the a la carte restaurants. Otherwise, you need to travel to a liquor store on the strip and buy a couple of bottles for your room. The food was okay but the variety was very limited. Some days there were no eggs but there was bacon. If I came back an hour later, there would be eggs but no bacon. They picked and choose when they would serve items that you expected to be at the buffet. Some days I just ate fish and vegetables. The entertainment was good. The majority of the time we stayed in the lobby and mingled with other guests in the evening. All in all, we met a lot of great fellow Canadians at the resort and had a lovely time. I would definitely come back to Varadero but would probably stay somewhere else.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: I will come back!

This is the first time I have traveled so I don't have anything to compare to, but I truly enjoyed the week we spent here. The staff was awesome. The food, although limited, was good. The beach was clean and ended up being my favorite place to be. We even explored some of Varadero, and spent two nights in Havana. Truly a trip I will never forget.

Roc Arenas Doradas: Cuban Delight

I have been traveling to this hotel for decades, and it has always met or exceeded my expectations. I have always found the staff helpful, and welcoming. They are slowly renovating some of their rooms, and you may get a dated one, but they are still clean and comfortable. The grounds are exceptional, and well kept. The front desk staff is friendly,and will help you with anything you need. There is a new GM, and he is always ready to have a chat and a smile. It's a smaller resort, so less hassle  [... read more]to get around. Perfect vacation spot!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Good resort, excellent beach!

Overall, the resort was very good. Food was absolutely delicious - do not go expecting burgers and fries, but there are whole foods, chicken, pork, lamb, fish, eggs, fruit, full salad bar, salad dressing…. Etc! Rooms were pretty dated, bathrooms weren’t cleaned very well, but the staff do the very best they can with what they’ve got. The beach is absolutely breathtaking. Very comfortable loungers, shaded umbrellas. Grounds are immaculately kept. Staff are friendly. We just came back, [... read more] and booked again at this resort for April. It should be noted that this isn’t a party resort. There were some pretty let down younger people here wanting to really “party”. The entertainment is good, but it doesn’t get wild at the disco. Lastly. Very run down gym, no jacuzzi.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: First Visit to Cuba

I stayed in a Privilege suite and found the room to be simple, clean & comfortable. Spent most of my time at the beach because the ocean was gorgeous for viewing & floating. Ate most of my meals at the Privilege restaurant. The food was better here than in the general buffet but still limited in variety but no complaints. The resort staff were ALL friendly and very helpful. Would definitely recommend this resort.

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Loved it

Beautiful clean hotel, friendly staff, no shortages that we could see (despite dire warnings). Other than a few people wearing masks, there was no evidence of Covid. The single complaint we have was the insects. Couldn't see them until the itching started. Take a strong insect repellant and use it liberally.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Beautiful, clean, relaxing

Well what can I say, the place was better than we expected. It's our second time there and it got even better this time. It's very clean, the staff are very attentive, the food is great and the rooms are nice. Jenn makes it a breeze to book through TripCentral and she also helps with all the paperwork and insurance etc. Highly recommend this combination.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Varadero

beautiful beach and resort, too bad they do not know how to run run it properly, efficiently. The food selection, quality and service in the buffet was very poor every day. I would rate it max 2 star Many popular, famous drinks were not available the whole week.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: terible experience

The hotel should not be rated a 5 but a 3 at the most. The food was terrible and the same each lunch and supper. I didn't have a good drink or coffee the whole week. The hotel did nothing to protect us from covid' there wasn't even hand sanitizer to be seen. The buffet was totally self-serve and numerous times I saw people handle bread and then return it to the basket to be served, I once observed a customer tasting a fruit drink in a bottle and then return it to be served. We got to our hotel o [... read more]n Sat. and by Tuesday we were wishing we could go home. I don't mind tipping for service but it got to the point at which the staff were expecting a tip for everything and every drink we received. If you didn't tip each time service was slow and sometimes not available at all. There were toilets at our 5 star hotel without seats on them which did not impress my wife at all. There were no soap in the soap dispensers and no paper towels to dry your hands. Overall we were very disappointed and would not return to Cuba if the trip was free.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Super friendly staff and wonderful service

Lovely grounds, great pool and close to the beach. Will be returning to Grand Memories the Sanctuary again in the future! We went for our honeymoon and the staff helped make it so special for us. We will never forget them.

Club Kawama: Home away from home!

This was our 6th visit to Kawama. A bit different this time as the reception is under construction. The food was good and always plentiful. Enjoyed our daily Americana and Cappuccino at the café. We arrived late at night at the hotel and we’re not happy with our room. The situation was rectified the next day and we were moved to a better room. The A LA CARTE dinners we went to were fair. Nothing extraordinary but different than the buffet. We love the beach at Kawama. One of the main reas [... read more]ons we keep going there. We once again met amazing people and were happy to see staff members we had met on previous trips. The repeaters dinner was amazing. One way for the hotel to recognize those who have come back to visit Kawama. I think it’s important to remember that this is not a 5 star hotel. It’s one of the oldest hotels in Varadero. You get what you pay for. If you are looking for a 5 star hotel this place is not for you. But we know what to expect and it works for us. Another lovely trip in the books. Can’t wait to plan our next one!

Starfish Cuatro Palmas: Almost there!

Starfish Cuatro Palmas is almost back to pre-covid operations. There were a few fairly small issues to be worked out before they get a "10" from me. 1) no "snacks" were available between regular meal times. 2) It was impossible for us to book the ala carte dining. One day we were even told it was "Italian night" and you had to be Italian to book! How did they know I wasn't Italian, and why was it segregated anyway? It should be open to ALL! 3) I only had hot water for a shower twi [... read more]ce all week. The rest of the time the ocean was warmer! 4)A tray of pastries used to be placed in the lobby bar each morning. I loved sitting there with a coffee and pastry. Unfortunately, that is no longer a practice. Again, pretty small issues, but something to rectify. On the plus side, the staff was amazing and there was free wifi! So, I'd offer a solid 7 of 10 at this time. I'd return and recommend!

Hotel Los Cactus: Wonderful resort !!

This was my third time at Los Cactus. I came back because I love everything about this resort! It’s a little older than other resorts I’ve been to, but the staff is so helpful and friendly, the resort and rooms are kept so well, and the rooms so clean, I feel so safe staying there. I also love the size of the property, and look forward to seeing the planned renovations on my next visit. You could tell by the selection at the buffet and a la carte restaurants that food availability is a chall [... read more]enge since Covid, but the chefs are creative and I enjoyed every meal I had. I’m a golfer so I was disappointed about the golf cart availability after the accident at the golf course, with a call from the hotel guest services explaining our needs the golf course was able to help us get a cart for all of our rounds of golf. The beach the pool and cocktails all great! I had a wonderful vacation.

Barcelo Solymar: Past its Peak

I've stayed at Barcelo Mexico in the past, which is why I chose this resort over the others. The beach is amazing - white sand, and the water is clear and pretty calm. Most of the shore didn't have rough rocks/boulders like I've experienced in the past, so it was pleasant entering and exiting the ocean. the boardwalk to the ocean is falling apart. The location is great. You are able to use the facilities of the resort next door. If you walk through the other resort's lobby, downtown Vara [... read more]dero is a 2-5 minute walk. Not too far from the airport, so the bus ride is pretty short. When we did the catamaran trip to Cayo Blanco the bus ride was only 5-10 minutes. The spa inside the resort was closed. I'm not sure if it is permanent or because they had a huge leak. The leak was in front of where the gym is located. The gym is dingy and humid. I did not see anyone use it during my stay. The resort looked a bit rundown in general. The decorative fountains are turned off. Make sure you bring any toiletries and clothes you may need. I have more appreciation for how accessible basic things are here in Canada. The resort has a couple tiny stores that probably won't have what you need. The only sunscreen they had was 50ml for $20 CAD. My boyfriend lost his sunglasses and couldn't find a single pair in Varadero (finally found some at the airport) The resort does host games like bingo, bowling, and mini put a couple times a day. There is a schedule on the wall in the resort. Always a bottle of Havana Club for the winner. The bar kept running out of mint, so they couldn't always make mojitos. They don't have the stuff available for Mimosas either. There was no bar in the pool - technically the rules on the wall state no drinks even allowed in the pool. The pools are very shallow and there is barely any shade. There are no longer any canopies for the lounge chairs. The structures are still there but there are no tops. For a pool with some depth you have to go over the other resort. After spending time there, the photos I see on tripadvisor must be from when they first opened because the buildings are no longer colourful as shown. Also, the pool by the lobby looks way larger in the photos but they've definitely reduced the size. The ceiling in the bathroom of the room leaked and when we first arrived there was no hot water which took a day to fix. The room itself it pretty basic but the mini fridge is only stocked with water. No sodas, tea, or coffee... despite there being a coffee machine available. Half the outlets didn't work. I had to use the outlet beside the bed for my flatiron, which was annoying because there was no mirror there. The pillows are basically two body polyester pillows so I found it awkward with two people trying to use the same pillows. The food is terrible. Often the same food for lunch and dinner. Either very bland or too much vinegar and often over cooked. Seen a roach crawling on the wall a couple times in the cooking area. I ate very little. There were only three a la carte options - Italian, Cuban, and ex-seafood. It's ex-seafood because the restaurant use to be a seafood place but it isn't anymore. Not sure what they served there because we didn't choose it. I found the servers either were awesome or a little rude. A couple times we sat down, ate, and left without the server ever coming over to even say hi. However, the good servers are great. Once we figured out who were the awesome ones we pretty much always sat in their areas so are experience with servers improved as our time there passed. Overall, I didn't enjoy the experience and I was ready to go home half way through the vacation - which I've never felt as such on a vacation before.

Hotel Villa Cuba: Be live experience

The resort and the room were very clean and I had a nice trip. Personnel was friendly and entertainment every night. The music or sound was loud which we already told the reception. The fact that we could go and eat at the other hotel Los Mortas was good too.

Mar Del Sur: Has a mayor problem.

For a two-star hotel in Cuba, my stay at Mar del Sur was as expected, the food was not bad, good night shows, friendly and polite staff, the rooms were good. The only thing really frustrating is the dirty pool. This is a large well designed pool with a deck level overflow recirculation system which could be a great attraction if kept clean however the overflow recirculation has not been working for years as an employee explained to me , they only in the morning collect the floating dirt using ma [... read more]nual Skimmer connected to a suction hose. The result is people swimming in dark waters.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Relaxing experience

We enjoyed our stay. The beach was great. I booked the trip online but then called to check for some clarification Carol at EXT 7259 was soo helpful. Her advice about what to bring along made a huge difference to our stay and experience.

Hotel Tuxpan: Wendy Van Zandwik

My travel agent has been beyond amazing. Everything was streamlined & very efficient. I highly recommend her to the fullest & will be revisiting, again in May. Wendy if you see this stellar review, please respond back to me via email :)

Melia Las Americas: Loved every minute!

The level bungalow and all amenities were amazing. The beach and seating are spectacular. The meals were wonderful and drinks a plenty. Had a great excursion in a classic car to Havana. Loved the Beatles bar in Varadero. Meals in town were limited. Loved the entertainment at the resort in the evenings. Cannot wait to return.