Ocean Blue and Sand: Great way to spend our honeymoon!

Our first ever trip out of Canada and we had a blast. The hotel staff was super friendly, never once did anyone ask for a tip. Marino, our beach side privilege bartender was AMAZING. Always ready with a drink - he even hunted us down half way down the beach to bring us beer (even though we were not within our Privilege area). The resort was nice, easy to get around. The resort was not huge so easy to walk around. Only thing That would of made it better was more shows, bars and hang outs. [... read more] Food was good, with the exception of the Blue Moon - we were sick after that one. Enrique (our concierge) was very friendly and fun to chat with. He even gave us a beautiful gift for our honeymoon on our last day. The beach needs some work but our room was within feet of the ocean so it was great. The shop vendors off the resort could be a little overwhelming when you step on the beach but they are still friendly and not pushy.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Ocean Casa del Mar, Santa Maria

Carman and I booked our trip knowing from past experiences what to expect and are happy to report that this resort did not disappoint. Our trip from the airport was a couple of hours but uneventful. Check in was easy and we had to wait for our room so we headed to the snack bar for a bite to eat. Fabulous service and food was good. Once we got our room keys we headed up to a clean and nicely decorated room. It was comfortable and that was all we needed since we don't spend much time in it [... read more]. Would of liked a room with a bathtub but it was likely under the Privilege Club package which we didn't upgrade to. Buffet was typical and we most certainly were cautious of our choices, but we could also eat at any of the "a la cartes" that were opened. We stuck to eating mostly from the stations when we went to the buffet, where we could choose what we wanted and watched the chef's cook for us. We had a wonderful hostess named Leidy who provided us with a table, wine and a special hug when we came. She was wonderful. The pool bar and snack bar were very accommodating providing us with great service and I can honestly say they went above and beyond to make our stay accommodating. The only complaint we have is the internet was very frustrating. I had purchased a package from Bell ($75 for 30Mb of data) which lasted less than a day. So I had to contact them and get another 30Mb so I could download my emails. Internet was down 90% of the time it felt but I could turn my phone off airplane mode, download my emails and turn it off without any problems. Not sure how that works but that is what happened. The other complaint is that we only brought Canadian money as we figured we would just convert into Cuban currency. We were told the exchange rate that we were being charged would be based on the US currency exchange which is about $1.30? We all know that the Cuban dollar is not par with the US. I hope my review helps someone. Honestly, if you want to go enjoy a beautiful beach with crystal clear water, great pools and fantastic staff, this is a great place to go.

Playa Vista Azul: This was a great resort

very clean and people are amazing, rooms clean service and food was good, weather was great, I would return to this resort. entertainment was good, found the beaches a little far but overall great beaches .

Playa Vista Azul: amazing resort

the resort was amazing. the staff was great. my partner can not walk far distances and a staff member jesus got us a wheelchair from his own home for my partner to use for the duration of our stay to get around the resort. i did not get her name but there was a lady who worked the omlette station who was amazing. she always had a smile on her face and was pleased to see you. she made you feel like you were making her happy to order and omlette from her. she shared her knowledge of the area with [... read more] us and gave us tips on best places to see in varadero. i have heard so much bad reviews about the food in cuba. but at the resort there was always a wide selection of food and most of it very good.we never went hungry and always had full happy bellies. the ground were well maintained. there was always someone around taking care of grounds and pool. there was entertainment from one end of the day to the other. always something to do. a negative thing was that the pool was cold. you couldnt enjoy it. the ocean was much warmer than the pool.

Playa Vista Azul: Spectacular resort

This resort is beautifu! The two different beaches are amazing! The pool is amazing the staff are wonderful! I would highly recommend this resort! The nightly entertainment was always great to sit and watch! Great performers!

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Beautiful Resort!

I was very impressed with the whole experience there. It was our first all inclusive and everything was perfect! The staff went above for everything we needed and the rooms and grounds were clean and very well kept. I would definitely refer them to friends and family. The only thing which we found difficult was no elevators.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: WOW...amazing vacation at a wonderful resort!

Well, where to start? This resort is wonderful! Great layout, four total different environments, plus the beach. Family and kids pool and area (just walked over to see because we are all adult siblings with spouses and our mother) Next section, just off the lobby is a huge pool used by all ages (weren't many kids though?) Water aerobics were awesome! Big shout out to Augustine for that! Villa Marina Restaurant is right beside this pool, buffet during the day and a la carte restaurant at night. N [... read more]ext section, other side off the lobby is the swim up / party bar. So much fun there! The bartenders (here, and everywhere really) just love to joke around with guests! Lots of fun activities here during the day and at night. Foam Party is on Wednesdays, don't miss it! Other great shows and contests too, some dancing at night around the bar...just great fun! Last section (down by the Privilege Section) is a large pool that anyone can use or sit around, the beach chairs at this area are only for Privilege though. This pool has The Creperie Restaurant by it, only opens for lunch and dinner. This area is quieter, we really liked this pool. One thing to note, when you check in, you will receive a Towel Card. Towel Booth is located by the large pool off the lobby and only opens at 8 am. You give them your card and receive a beach towel, then get out to where you want to sit for the day (pool or beach) and put your towel on a chair to reserve it, do this early. No one will touch it (most of the time) and you can go eat or whatever then come back, maybe leave a small personal item to save it like a sandal or sunscreen. Little tip: when leaving the pool or the beach for the day, go exchange it for a clean towel that you can bring back to your room for the next day. We usually hit the breakfast buffet at 7 am (opens at 6 am but only for Continental breakfast) after putting our towels out to save our chairs. The main buffet is called Casa del Mar and is breakfast buffet, lunch buffet and dinner buffet but is "themed" differently each night. All the A La Carte restaurants are situated beneath the lobby around Casa del Mar. No reservations allowed except for Sensai, which only takes reservations for the day of, starting at 11 am (be there earlier or you'll miss out) The best part of this resort is the staff! Wonderful people everywhere. Shout outs to Nacho our server at Casa del Mar one night, funny and does tricks too! Ricardo our bartender was great by the pool one day! Augustine was my wife's favourite! I liked the girl in the blue bikini that had the Tequila shots in the squeeze bottle (didn't get her name :( ) The staff cleaning the rooms were amazing, always smiling when you pass them, "Hola, morning!" was heard so often. Every second day we got them to do up the room by just taking off the Don Not Disturb sign, and each day we got a different little animal made out of towels! Two swans kissing (it was our 10th wedding anniversary), then a bunny rabbit, and lastly a wonderfully detailed crab...holding the TV remote! haha We tipped fairly often, US $1 bills are best, or maybe $20 pesos for a round of drinks, we chose to leave $2 or $3 US on the pillow for the maids. Didn't tip every single time but with such great service and everything free it was worth it. If you have any pesos left before leaving maybe consider seeking out a grounds worker and reward them for their tireless work keeping this resort so clean and kept up! The beach is nice, sand is made of coral so is always cool and wonderfully fine and soft. Yes, there is seaweed but the tractor goes back and forth constantly cleaning and is a natural part of this ocean area. Walk over it and into the water...feel with your feet for a Conch shell! Definitely do some kind of excursion, we took a taxi to Puerto Morelos and ate at Pelicanos Restaurant on the beach...amazing ceviche and different Mexican beers! Shopped the little Mayan Flea Markets for some souveners. Another day we booked an excursion to snorkel with the sea turtles at Akumel, then walked and swam in the underground Cenotes (Seh-no-tays)...trip not to be missed! All in all, this was an amazing vacation. Myself, my 3 sisters and our spouses along with our mother were able to have the family vacation of a lifetime...don't wait until you miss the opportunity to have the time of your lives! Room Tip: 4th floor rooms have ocean view, take ground floor if stairs are an issue Green Features: they have signage explaining how the seaweed is natural and part of the rebuilding process of a beach Stayed January 2017, travelled with family

Ocean Blue and Sand: A let down

To give an honest opinion the resort itself was good. Restaurants were good. Rooms were clean. I upgraded my room to privilege at the cost of $1000 Canadian. That is where everything went bad. The toilet didn't flush, shower didn't work. They took 3 days to fix the toilet, the shower never was. We never received any of the bonuses for the privilege upgrade, besides the access to the beach huts. Even after talking to the staff 3 times nothing improved. Was a total waste of money.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Stay at El Patriarca

This hotel was different from other hotels that I've stayed at as it was not a high rise building but rather set up in several different building small buildings across the grounds. The room itself was nice and the maid service was excellent. The room came with three twin beds and the bathroom was equipped with both a stall shower and a bathtub with shower head. The room did smell a bit damp when we first arrived but that's really the only negative thing I have to say about it. The beach and poo [... read more]l were easily accessible. Overall the resort was beautiful and I would definitely come again!

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Great Hotel

Very clean, service was great, ala carte restaurants were very good, Italian was amazing. Pool service was consistently great. Location of the pools were perfect, kids pool at one end of the resort, with a pool for everyone in the middle and the loud adult party pool at the other end of the resort, well planned out. Beach was good, great for long walks.....Walked into Puerto Moreles which was fantastic.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great Vacation!

The hotel was really good, great location and a really nice beach. The staff is amazing, always trying to make sure you're comfortable, 2 really big and nice pools, great entertainment and awesome drinks. The only downside was the food, but even then you can always find something descent and fresh to eat, especially on breakfast. We had an amazing time, would definitely come back next year, best value for the money we ever got.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Wonderful home away from home in paradise!

The Ocean Coral and Turquesa is a stunning, vast resort situated on the ocean with a beautiful beach, 4 pools, many restaurants, coffee shop, nightly entertainment with fabulous dancers and attentive, friendly staff. The resort was very well maintained, clean and well lit in the evening. We would stay here again and enjoyed our honeymoon very much. Roberto and Jose were our attentive wait staff for our private honeymoon poolside dinner and made us feel so special and welcome! Thank you! My o [... read more]ne concern is that we did not know in advance that there was no elevator for guests (unless handicapped I assume). We were on the top floor and have some health issues that made it difficult at times. Our maid was hit and miss with the daily room maintenance and once our room was not made up at all until we called in the late afternoon. Not a big deal but slightly annoying. I have already recommended this resort to two friends looking to travel to the Mayan Riviera in February and March.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Nice Resort

Resort has been well designed, 4 pools for different ages and genres, restaurants in close proximity of each other for easy access. However, NO ELEVATORS working anywhere, too many stairs to lobby and rooms, some rooms are quite far from lobby, definitely NOT a resort for people with any type of physical handicap. A lot of walking on hard (either marble or terrazzo or granite) surfaces everywhere. Easy access to the beach and "sea" as they call it. Constantly very windy, making the water quite d [... read more]irty with sand and weeds, so not the best for swimming and not at all close to Cuban beaches, so we were very disappointed upon arriving. This Resort is one of the cleanest (everywhere) that I've seen, also the grounds are really well maintained and groomed. The Complex is completely surrounded by fencing as well as front gate with guard at all times, every vehicle must check in & out, making security a priority for their guests. Rooms are large, iron & board, safe, all included. However the small beverage fridge should be free of ice build-up for coolness, they don't realize it needs defrosting, so it warms up. Wifi is better in the "Privilege" area, but not bad elsewhere. Italian is the best restaurant, but closed one night a week, others over-rated. Overall, it was a wonderful week with my four adult children & their partners.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Very nice resort

Junior suites are exceptionally clean and spacious. The variety of restaurants is excellent as is the diversity in pool environments. Staff were very friendly. The ocean was quite rough and beach had seaweed.

Playa Vista Azul: Everything we were told to expect (both the good and the bad).

The resort was exactly as the various pictures indicated. Very clean, new, beautiful beaches, large pools, plenty of nice areas to do whatever you wanted. Want to party? Head to the pool bar area, with constant entertainment, games, music, and activities....want to read a book? Head to the lobby-bar/lounge area for quiet relaxation. The two beaches accessible from the resort have a nice contrast...the larger beach has music, staff encouraging you to play volleyball etc...and smaller beach is [... read more] much quieter and more family oriented. Both are clean, and were never too crowded during our stay. The rooms (we stayed in a deluxe pool-view room) were spacious, clean and the showers/bathrooms were very nice, the maid service was excellent...the bed was very hard, but I would say that about almost every hotel bed I've ever slept on in comparison to my own bed. The food is the biggest downside to Cuba...luke-warm, bland...avoid the buffet in my opinion. Stick to the omelette bar in the morning, pasta bar at lunch and go off-resort or a la carte (or hit up whatever the prep-bar is doing at the buffet) for dinner. A la carte service was pretty slow, and the food seemed oddly luke-warm for a prepared meal. Breads/baked goods were very good. No matter where you go...avoid beef (or "beef-meat") at all costs. Your stomach will thank you. The Cuban people both on the resort and off are the main reason I would happily go back. Helpful, cheerful, polite, courteous...can't say enough about them. We were fortunate enough to be there during their baseball playoffs...and if you have the chance to catch a Cuban baseball game...it's one heck of a party. The chanting, singing, cheering and music (drums/horns etc) is unlike anything I've ever seen at any live sporting event in Canada. All in all, would return, and the knowledge gained in our week stay as far as what (and what not to) eat will certainly help on the next trip.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Amazing Resort

just came back from a week vacation. truly a great resort, the rooms, the food, and the people were fantastic. The beach was amazing. I would definitely recommend this resort and will definitely be back. missing my Cuban Coffees.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Going back!

This hotel was great, easy to navigate and find restaurants, lobby, bars, pools etc. Lobby - gorgeous, plenty of room for sitting, couches, lounge beds, chairs and tables. Mike's Coffee is off the Lobby and it is so wonderful, they have so many coffee options. Access to WIFI in the lobby (you buy cards 1.5 CUC for an hour). also, the lobby has an incredible view of the ocean, when we arrived it was breathtaking. We went to the Japanese restaurant, it was very good. highly recommend visiting  [... read more]this one. you don't make reservations you just go. we only waited 5 minutes in line to get in. buffet had plenty of options for all meals, pasta station was the best I've had in Cuba. Pizza was good! our room was by far the nicest I've been to in Cuba, bathroom was great, the shower was great - good pressure and temp. cleaning was great. we were in building 6 and I would request that building next time. its a perfect location. beach is smaller than most I've been to, if you go to the left (off of the entrance near building 6) its really rocky, large rocks in the water (we were told this was because of a storm that washed away sand) but if you go to the right of the bar you can walk into the ocean fine. water is a perfect blue colour. there is a nice strip you can walk down! pool was great, entertainment was lively! always something going on but also quiet times. restaurant beside the pool was good for lunch. swim up bar was good. The only downfall is that there is a 2 hour bus ride from the airport but I think the hotel is worth it. you get to drive an hour down a causeway which was an experience, and pass three towns. the bus had a washroom and they sold beer! everything was good, I will be going back!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Beautiful resort

Ocean casa del Mar is a beautiful resort. It is very new, clean with attention to details in both the architecture and service. Each day we were greeted with an animal creation made out of towels placed on our beds. The rooms were spacious with fantastic showers. The mattress was new but not overly comfortable. They have pretty standard mattresses without a pillow top. Customer service was excellent. Very lovely people who really didn't speak English very well. The pools, gym, activites were wo [... read more]nderful. I was told you don't go to Cuba for the food and I'd have to agree it wasn't great. The highlights were the stations were omelettes were made fish was fried, and pizzas created (I didn't try the pizza), and fried bananas were prepared especially for you. The buffet had a wonderful selection of food. The beef was very tough and the chicken was dry. I enjoyed the fish and pork and fried bananas with coconut ice cream. The restaurants opening in rotation every night and offered Italian Japanese and seafood specials. Some of the meals were quite lovely. Some were not. The evening entertainment was superb. Live bands great musicians and dancers. The beach was the highlight of the week. I learned the art of doing nothing and had a very relaxing stay. If you want to rest relax drink and enjoy the beautiful resort, ocean casa del Mar is perfect. The island of Santa Marie is dedicated to resorts and tourism. To experience and learn more about Cuban culture & history a different resort or location would be preferable. For us on this trip the resort was exactly what we were looking for. Thank you.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great resort

Ola, Myself and my daughter who is 2 years old stayed at this resort and we really enjoyed it. The resort is new, clean and very big. However, it does need a little more landscaped areas and maybe a few more palm trees. The beach is absolutely amazing. The food is what people expect from Cuba but it is a little better than other resorts. Entertainment was excellent and all singers dancers, were putting on an amazing show every night.

Ocean Coral Riviera Cancun: Excellent resort!

We came to this hotel two years ago and were very impressed then and was no disappointment this time around. The rooms, meals and service were excellent. Would recommend it to anyone. Ocean10 are the best!