Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Very clean, modern hotel

Entire resort was very clean; staff was friendly and helpful; food was good; wonderful large beach; no sign up or waiting lines for a la carte restaurants, which was great; Hola representative was onsite every day except Sunday, and she was very friendly and helpful; currency exchange was onsite; lots of beach lounges at the 2 pools and on beach; loved the daily lunches served out of the beach snack bar (lunch also served in buffet restaurant and snack bars); did not have to stand in any lines d [... read more]uring our stay. There were just a few negative features: no elevators in buildings - we were on the third floor, had to take luggage up and down and climb stairs constantly to go to our room; information regarding meals, activities, entertainment was posted outside buffet restaurant - it would have been nice to receive either daily info or at least a summary when we arrived; and, finally, resort was almost 2 hours from airport - that was a long ride!

Playa Vista Azul: Amazing Resort

This is a great resort and recommend it to everyone. It's clean, beautiful, great food, friendly staff. Lots of amenities and activities for all ages. The 2 beach locations prevents over crowding on the beach which is great if you head their later in the day.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Beautiful resort

The Oceans experience was very positive. The checkin was quick and easy the rooms were lovely. Absolutely loved the rainfall showers. The food was very good at all locations a favourite was the cappuccino The pools were spotless and staff friendly My only suggestion would be to have better stairs to the beach ( which is beautiful) but I can see how it would be inaccessible to many due to having to climb down to the water My only complaint is towels I understand there are times when the [... read more]y may run out but it was the attitude of the towel staff at the right end of the resort they were always rude and many people felt they closed even when they had dry towels Would I go back. Yes

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Ocean Riviera Paradise

We loved our trip to Ocean Riveria Paradise. Considering it is brand new there are still a few kinks To be worked out and little construction going on, none of which did not affect our stay. The construction workers fit in just regular grounds people, sometimes you would hear from drilling noise but nothing to switch resorts about. We stayed in the El Beso section and loved our room, it was close to the buffet and main lobby, a short walk to the pools and beach. Our room was clean, some days the [... read more] house keepers weee not consistent with cleaning times, how well they cleaned or how many towels they left, but it was not a big problem for us. We left an extra $1 tip in the fridge with a note asking for specific drinks and snacks and we got them everyday once we figures out they like when you leave money. We mostly stayed at the beach during the afternoons, went for strolls down the beach where you walked passed other resorts including Princess Resorts. Beach was a bit rocky but once you got out past the rocks it was ok. Pools were fun, lots of activities going on. We enjoyed all the restaurants and a la carts except the Mexican we did not try. Loved The Blue Moon reataurant the most and the Steakhouse was just ok, steaks were thin and not much flavor. Italian, Route 66 and Japanese we loved! Also loved the ice cream parlor and Mikes Coffee, went there everyday. We also used the Spa, had a couples massage and loved every minute of it!! It was our second last day there when we went to the spa, wish we tried them sooner cause we would have gone again for sure! The lobby and bars all very clean, good drinks. Shows were fun, enjoyed the magic show. Bowling also very fun! Only annnoyance was the staff bugging you and trying to bribe you into doing their Priviledge Tour, they would not take no for an answer, luckily we stuck with it and never did it! Loved this resort, has a great children's area, good lay out, not too long to walk but does have trolleys going around, would come back again!

Playa Vista Azul: Even better than last year!

Having enjoyed our week last year, we returned this year. The hotel is every bit as nice as before, only a few signs of wear and tear. The food was above average for a Cuban all-inclusive, and the a la cartes were better than before and easier to get into with the reservation system being revamped. Our room was lovely (the pool view is definitely worth the little bit extra) and even with construction going on at the resort next door it never bothered us. The pool bar was definitely the place  [... read more]to be every day. Yosner, Livia, Yeni and Marian make it a fun party and felt like friends by the end of the week. Would go back again in an instant, and recommend it to anyone looking to have fun.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Really great resort!

The Ocean Varadero El Patriarca was a blast! From the amazing beach to the lovely, well-maintained room, lobby, pool area and grounds to the thoughtful offering of services, it is a great place to vacation. The music in the Piano Bar was outstanding! In the Lobby Bar, Rosanna took extremely good care of us and was a riot! Libreto at the Beach Bar was great as well, and Hector and Adonys were always smiling and helpful at the Beach restaurant. Overall, the service was excellent! The musi [... read more]c was out of this world, with live bands at the Piano Bar every other night and some live acts in the disco as well. It is the first time in many years I have enjoyed a resort disco. The restaurants were delicious, and in particular the Chinese restaurant where the service and food were superb. The buffet was plentiful, well-laid out, and the staff very helpful. Reynoldo went the extra mile to make sure we were well taken care of. I would absolutely return to this resort again!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Amazing resort

Rooms are spacious and clean we had room facing swimming pool, it was very quiet more activity at the family pool. The grounds are still being developed will be nice in a year or two when matured. The food was plentiful and nice, we went to a la carte most nights they were excellent, sunbeds lots never a problem at pool or beach. The staff are very hard working and happy, gardners greeted us every morning with a flower nice way to start you day.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Not quite ready for an amazing vacation

We arrived at the Ocean Casa del Mar on Friday afternoon, the lobby was beautiful, the rooms were beautiful and the pools looked very nice but very cold. Food is survival food not awful but not great. We had a few issues with things working but they were resolved fairly quick.The resort is overly quiet to the point I felt uncomfortable it lacks personal service such as pool side drink service, activity team and just over all staff presence. There was no music what so ever playing anywhere I th [... read more]ought maybe we were at the quiet pool so we moved to the pool where the childrens area was and it was the same. There was a schedule of activities that we were unable to find and participate in, we wanted to do the aqua fit ... no where to be found, wanted to play bingo no one was runing this activity gave up and went to the beach and could not find that either. The tide was really high which meant the water was right up to the rock barrier and all the chair were pilled high on the rocks not appealing at all since we did come for the beach. We had 2 teenage(14-15) girls with us that had never been to Cuba before and they felt like they were in a senior citizen retreat. We did have ocean view but there is an odd space between the rooms and the beach/rock/vegitation line that made it feel unfinished I almost felt like I had been dropped of on an uninhabited Island. I wasn't satisfied that any of this would change for the better while we were there so requested to move resorts so that the girls could have some things to do for fun.

Playa Vista Azul: Not bad

Grounds a general property well kept and clean, music in pool area too loud room service no changing of sheets or pillow cases during our complete stay of 8 days , no first aid station ,not Evan to get one bandad !!

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Food was excellent

Grounds were immaculate, front line, wait staff and cleaning staff all very courteous and friendly. Bartenders were another story... even if you tipped them, they were slow and uninterested. All restaurants including the buffet had excellent food. Only downfall was the lack of music at the pools. When they did decide to play music, it was low and all Mexican. I understand we are in Mexico, but it was only when popular music came on, did the atmosphere liven up.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Casa Del Mar

We had a very enjoyable vacation at Casa Del Mar. It is a new and very clean resort. The buffet, 24 hour snack bar, And four additional restaurants, offered multiple choices, on a regular basis. Our favourite was Origami, as we enjoy sushi, however the freshly cooked food at the buffet was also quite good and prepared by pleasant and competent cooks. We also enjoyed seafood paella at the beach snack bar. Mikes coffee bar served several kinds of coffee, hot chocolate and teas. We agree with past  [... read more]guests, that Mikes deserves kudos for its menu and pleasant professional service. The gardens are tended daily and will become even more lovely as they mature. The pools were warm and there were always plenty of lounge chairs, both here and at the beach. The beach was our favourite! Beautiful soft sand, cozy little nooks nestled among the volcanic rock offered serene places to stretch out, enjoy the sun, sand, sound of the surf and a good book. One could easily swim out to the coral reef and while wearing water shoes is a must, walking along the reef, tropical fish would swim up to and around you. Beautiful! There was always staff available to help place beach lounges and sweep sand off them. The resort is large and offers a nicely appointed tennis court. There was nightly entertainment. We enjoyed the dancers, but sometimes found the singers a little too loud. We would definitely recommend Casa Del Mar for a relaxing vacation in the sun!

Playa Vista Azul: Good resort 1st time to Cuba

We enjoyed the resort.Good staff and very pleased with the effort they put forward to make our stay memorable.Poor service on towel exchange every day.Was always closed or out of towels when trying to exchange a sandy towel for the next day at the beach.Resort was a great design for us to move around at all the amenities.Food was average as it seems is the norm in Cuba.More fresh fruit and salads at the buffet is needed.Think they could network from other buffets at other resorts elsewhere and i [... read more]mprove.Rooms were very clean and staff made sure they remained that way our stay.Great beach,sand and water.This was a good 1st impression of Cuba and look forward to returning

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Great Resort

The resort is beautiful, very well maintained - we loved the fact that it was not too large so that everything was in walking distance, no more than 5 minutes. The food was excellent, from the numerous restaurants to the buffet, each offered well prepared and tasty options. Premium liquor was available upon request at all the bars, and wine selection for purchase if the "house" wine was not to your liking. The room was good, ocean view, however the air conditioner and ceiling fan were loud whi [... read more]ch did interrupt sleep at times. Beds were comfortable and room was clean. The nightly entertainment was well done, not your typical resort shows; each night offering a different performance i.e. Lion King, Cabaret, Grease and Il Divo type trio - great. There are 4 pools from party, family, kiddy and adults only - something for everyone. The staff respect "no" if you are not interested in participating in the pool activities. We would definitely recommend this resort and consider returning in the future.

Ocean Maya Royale: Great holiday

We enjoyed our stay at the Ocean Maya Staff were very friendly, the resort was clean and well kept. The food was good our favourite restaurant was the Blue Moon special thanks to Caroline and Adrienne. His Mayan coffee was the best! Entertainment in the evenings was professional not the activities staff and was very good. The resort went all out for the Super Bowl party -decor , big screens great themed food and lots of Coors light! We had no problems getting lounge chairs on the beach everyday [... read more] and enjoyed long walks down the beach. Only downside was they need more bartenders and could only get wifi with iPad in the lobby. Phone picked wifi up better even on the beach.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Ocean Casa Del Mar - February 2017

Just over one and a half hours by bus from Santa Clara airport, partly through small (very poor) villages and partly along a 48-km causeway through an ecologically protected area along Cuba's north coast. Hotel is a year old and the hotel complex is beautiful and very expansive, reception area is grand looking, with fresh flowers, lounging chairs and canopied lounging beds, ceiling fans, and interesting lighting...and a fantastic view of the ocean in the distance behind the sand dunes. Rooms [... read more] in three-storey buildings are large and airy, and have good soundproofing. Ceiling fans and air conditioning in the room worked well, though there was a nice breeze if we left the patio door open. Everything is new and pristine, and there was lots of hot water. Maids always left towel art and other special touches. Mini-bar and coffee supplies replenished every day. We had a room on the second floor of Building 11, very convenient, between one pool complex and the main reception building, which also houses the buffet and two of the restaurants. "Ocean view" is a misnomer, as you had to stand at a certain angle near the patio door or be on the balcony...to see water behind the dunes in the distance. Two very large pool areas with lots of seating - one at each side of complex. Nice lounging area in back of main building, with lots of tables and chairs in front of small entertainment stage for house and other bands. Very pleasant. Mike's Coffee and Tea room is worth checking out. Good coffee and cappuccino, and some baked items to accompany it. We were very pleased with the resort...until we saw the beach. Apparently they had a storm five days before we got there and it wiped out half the beach (along with half the palapas).... 😞 We met some people the second day there, who had been there nearly two weeks. They confirmed that the beach HAD been beautiful.... It was also very windy the first couple of days so the water was quite rough, though not so bad that we couldn't swim. 😉 That said, the beach does have very soft white sand (interspersed with rocky areas), and there are lots of palapas (though many needed to be replanted...). The color of the water was pretty amazing, ranging from different shades of turquoise to dark dark blue... and the water was warm. There was staff on the beach to set up/clean sand off loungers and fetch drinks if you were feeling lazy. There is a strip of maybe 300-400 feet between the hotel complex and the dune/beach area that is still in development. It was apparently a shallow lake/ swamp that has been drained and some planting has been done but it will be years before it's filled in. Three sidewalks/boardwalks traverse that area and the dunes to access the beach. The food was better than we had in Varadero and Jibacoba --- same basic foods, but good sauces and effort to make different things (risotto, sushi, flambéd bananas, etc.).... and the à la carte restaurants we frequented had live music (fantastic violin player in one, sax and keyboard in another). They had other different food options at this hotel, as well: a "manned" pancake and waffle station at breakfast in addition to the two omelet stations; allso, they could make you a variety of liquadas (breakfast shakes), with fresh papaya, guava, mango, banana, pineapple, etc. One of the beach snack bars made Spanish paella, along with the standard burgers, etc. The paella was good - we had that a few times 🙂 There were five a la carte restaurants - no reservations needed. We liked the Italian and Asian (live music-the musicians were really talented) so never went to the Mediterranean, Blue Moon (referred to as "romantic"), which served seafood crepes, which I heard were really good, or the seafood restaurant.... 🙂 The hotel had quite good entertainment -- a very good house band that played in the open patio area every other evening, and other bands the other days, and a good animation team that put on some amazing dance routines (varied -- Latin night, Broadway review, break dancing and Michael Jackson night) -- they were all very good. The staff are super friendly and helpful. We spoke some Spanish, which was useful, but most of the staff managed quite well in English and were eager to improve their command of the language, and several expressed an interest in learning some French, to better communicate with French-speaking guests. Hard to get smaller denominations for tips (the exchange office often has only 5-peso and larger bills), but we soon found out that the staff are more than willing to make change. Tips in Canadian coin are a real problem for them as they can't exchange the coin for pesos.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: New resort, old food

The resort was beautiful - new build (about a year old) but the food was standard and on level with 3 star resorts. I would definitely go here again but any trip longer than 4 nights would become tiresome. The 2 hour drive from the airport to the hotel is something to consider when you look at checkin/checkout times.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Disappointed

Beach area was very narrow and many rocks. There was a sign on the way to the beach that indicated the Mother Nature is rebuilding the beach. This is the major reason why I selected Cayo santa Maria. Buffet was average, al a carte below average. Accomadations (rooms) were clean and nice. Cubans were very nice! Made the best of it but not returning to this resort.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Disappointing Resort

Resort was recommended by agent at trip central. Our room was at the very far end of the resort and although the resort was nowhere close to being full, they were unable to move us closer in. You could hardly see the beach from our "beachfront room" through the trees and at least 600 feet from the ocean. Sliding door would not lock and although it was reported it was not fixed. Sheers on window and cushions on chairs in room were badly stained. Pillows on bed were absolutely flat. Fridge was not [... read more] re-stocked unless you were in your room when they came. Air conditioning broke. Landscaping poor although they do seem to be working on it. Music every night was incredibly loud and there was nowhere to go to get away from it and enjoy your evening. Beach was terrible - relatively no sand and large rocks from the water's edge to at least 100 feet out. Poolside washrooms smelled badly of urine. Bank in lobby was regularly closed and when open was never able to exchange larger bills ($5's) for $1's. No shop in resort. 5x8 foot room with cigars and liquor and scantilly stocked. Buffet food and snack bar were absolutely terrible. Supposedly 5 a la carte restaurants but only 3 ever open and not all at once. Food in these restaurants was also very bad. Soda for bar drinks was flat and slushy drinks arrived at table melted. Many of the staff had very limited English.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: beautiful resort

Had a great week staying at this resort !!! Great staff, beautiful beach and lots of delicious food. Rooms are clean and only steps from the ocean. Nightly entertainment and many fun activities daily. If you want to go into town for the day the resort offers a free shuttle to the lively Playa Del Carmen for lots of shopping and authentic Mexican cuisine. I will definitely be returning to this amazing resort :)

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Terrible

Would never return. The worst trip I have ever been on. The beach was very disappointing. There was no access for food 24 hrs a day. that was misleading . Sand in the bed, the sheets had not been cleaned when we arrived. the bar at the beach was not opened first few days because of previous storm. the food was terrible. we could not make reservations for the a la carte restaurants, it was first come , first served basis very long line up to wait. Not really any entertainment or shows. Very borin [... read more]g vacation. It was ridiculous trying to get toilet paper. Always having to tip 3 pesos for toilet paper. Could never find a snack bar that was suppose to be opened. When we mentioned about the sand in the bed, the room attendant meet us at the door crying and upset. She changed the sheets and asked if we wanted the pillow cases changed. OMG. the worst ever.