Playa Vista Azul: Lovely resort with great food

The resort was very clean, very well looked after and nicely decorated and landscaped. The lobby was open and airy and overlooked the ocean and a beautiful infinity pool. The Cuban people are nice and friendly. The transat events rep helped us book a snorkling tour and a day trip to Havana offering advice and tips to ensure our day went well (ie. Bring toilet paper with you!). The rooms were clean and spacious. The food was very good and the hotel tried to accommodate lots of cultural prefe [... read more]rences. The coconut ice cream was a favorite with my girls. The beach was lovely and sandy, clean without any stones in the water. They ran out of beach towels by mid day so if you want a fresh one get there early or bring your own from home.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Worst Vacation ever in my life!!!!

Ocean Casa Del mar in Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba. Arrived 23 Dec departure 03 Jan. I have never had such a bad vacation in my life!!!! I never saw anything like that in my life! Over 100 locals (Cubans) entered the resort and our vacation were basically ruined. Cubans are stealing food and plates form the buffet bullying all tourist, stuffing food in large bags full with meat, bread, cheese etc. We had to line up outside the buffet for 30 to 45 minutes just to get in to get food and it had a [... read more]ll gone! I grabbed a bread roll, no butter available and sat waiting for them to bring more food. Each time new trays were brought out, they vanished in seconds. Breakfast was just as crazy and the lineup at 8.30am was insane. We had to wait half hour to even get in! to find another line 30min. to get some eggs. The "24 hour" snack bar, didn't have food 24 hours. We will never return to this resort and feel as though I have wasted thousands of dollars! and 11 days of my life! I would never recommend this resort to anyone I know. Cuban airline are disaster, departure from Toronto 8 hrs late, from Santa Clara waiting at airport for 9 hrs. Andrew.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Good Family Vacation

Was a lovely resort with the most Amazing Beach! Rooms were clean but only one pillow per bed (unable to get a 2nd despite request) Food was average for Cuba (frequently ran out of food) Very long line up for buffet at times. Disappointed that a la cart was not available for 2 nights of our stay???

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Ruined by locals :(

Before reading this review - keep in mind that if the management had not allowed 500 locals to come into the resort the experience would have been much different. The hotel itself was very nice, despite a few issues and although we had a lot of issues with staff not serving us, the ones that did were great. I would have loved the opportunity to visit this hotel under other circumstances, I believe it could have been 5 star. I am reaching out in regards to a recent trip to Ocean Del Mar – Ca [... read more]yo Santa Maria. My boyfriend and I were staying there from Dec 30 – January 3 and we had the worst experience I have ever had at any resort, or anywhere for that matter. Although this is a new resort, and most people would be weary – I was excited to visit since I have stayed in another H10 resort in Punta Cana and everything was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, that was not the case here. We arrived late at night – around 9pm. We got to our room and the sheets were full of brown stains and there was nothing in the fridge, not even water – our room had been forgotten. We called the front desk and they said they would send someone to fix the room. We then head to the lobby bar and I went to the front desk just to confirm that everything would be taken care of. The girl was very busy talking to other workers but she assured us it would be done. We spoke to other people and no one else had this problem. We got back to our room almost 5 hours later and nothing had been done. We called the front desk multiple times and there was no answer. We finally walked to the front desk at almost 3am, which is a very far walk and the same person who said it would be done was still there. They changed the sheets, but still no water. That was a horrible experience to start off with, unfortunately the trip only got worse. December 31/January 1 the resort let approximately 500 locals into the resort. This absolutely ruined the trip for various reasons: 1) The locals were very ignorant towards the Canadians. We are not predigest and loved many members of the staff at the resort, however the locals that they let in acted like savages. 2) The food: We paid a lot of money to visit this resort and once the locals came we were unable to eat. The buffet was overrun by rude locals taking whole trays of food and leaving everyone else with nothing. They were ignorant and not courteous and you felt unsafe being in there. In one instance, we were in line for the buffet on new year’s eve and as the doors were opening – the locals got violent and a gentleman we were with got pinned between the doors and suffered severe bruising. This was followed by fist fights over food. They list that they have 8 a la carte restaurants but that is not the case. There were only 3 open and on new year’s eve they closed 2 of them and charged $30 to eat at the third one, which we did because we were starving and had no choice. Other times, we were forced to wait up to an hour to eat at the snack bar. The waitresses would serve all of the locals first so you were sometimes waiting 30 minutes before having your order taken. The food was horrible, and not what we paid for. With the amount of food the locals were eating, the resort ran out.. There was no bread for 2 days and we were forced to survive on hot dogs with no bun and ham and cheese with no bread. 3) The liquor: We suffered drinking the cheap alcohol because they had to hide it from the locals who were consuming everything. On January 2 after they left – it was a whole new resort. They had better alcohol out – men serving bottled beer etc. We should not have been punished because they let too many people into the resort. 4) There was never any toilet paper in the washrooms and when I would advise the staff they would just shrug their shoulders and say it’s all gone. 5) Twice all of the lights were out in the building we were staying ins main area and the surrounding area. I’m not sure if they do this to conserve energy but it was pitch black and very unsafe. If we had not had our phones there would be no way we would find our room. We went to complain to the resort about the horrible events, however there was a huge line up people complaining, so we didn’t bother. We had spent enough time in lines and waiting just to eat and wanted to try to enjoy the little bit of time we had left without the locals. We thought it would be best to reach out to H10 directly since those who complained at the resort were not being compensated. I have looked at trip advisor and see that someone has already posted a horrible experience very similar to mine. I thought I would reach out to H10 directly first in hopes that you will make it right. We were so excited to visit this resort, especially since it was a H10 resort but it ended up being our worst experience ever. We suppose that they decided to sell tickets to locals to maximize capacity, however it will hurt them in the long run. Every single person we talked to was miserable and hated their experience. We spoke to many others at the airport that stayed in different resorts and they did not have this problem and had an excellent trip. We are very disappointed and feel our time and money was completely wasted on this trip and we now have no faith in H10 resorts.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Nice Hotel Poor Food

We just stayed a Casa del Mar and it was a good week. Staff was friendly, hotel was clean. The pools were very nice as well. The food was another story...the first couple of days were good then they ran out of food, qualitiy and taste was poor, and the lineups were huge. They do not take reservations for the a la carte restaurants which creates a very poor competitive atmosphere for food. Overall I give the hotel 3/5 stars!

Ocean Blue and Sand: Great time

Fun at beach/pool - Lots of activities for everyone. Crazy games Good selection of restaurants- My son had a birthday during our stay - they made it fun- Sang to him - brought dessert out with drums. Friendly staff.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: A Disappointment

This resort was a huge disappointment for us. After reading all these amazing reviews, we were excited to have booked there, only to come back not so happy. Pros: The beach, absolutely stunning. Our favorite spot. The pools were nice as well, and they had a really great play area for the kids which was definitely useful for our 2 year old. As this was a new resort, there was still a lot of building going around, but the grounds were ok, and the rooms were nice, especially the rainfall shower [... read more] head. Entertainment for the kids was great, the staff did a great job with the kids. Cons: The A La Carte restaurants did not take reservations, which resulted in us and others waiting for almost 2 hours to get in and have a nice sit down dinner. That kind of thing doesn't work well when travelling with a toddler that normally eats dinner earlier (like 5:30pm). All the restaurants didn't open until 6:30pm for dinner, which was still a little late, especially for the buffet. Food was not good at all. Not too many options, and not very easy when you have a picky eater. Our daughter lived on bread and butter, watermelon and ham the whole week. The resort had a lot of Cubans stay there, which I don't mind, but I was really disappointed to see how these Cubans would cut you in line at the buffets, and some were just rude. Hoarding all the food, fighting over the food at the buffet....it was a nightmare to see. The food was also catered to the Cubans tastes and not the other tourists. I get that this is Cuba, and the food in general is not the greatest, but if this is a resort that is supposed to be 5 star, then there should be more options for food. I've stayed at resorts in Cuba that have had really good food. They also advertised 8 restaurants, but there were only 3, plus a buffet and 2 snack bars that were open. Some of the staff members were great, friendly and helpful, but there were a few bar tenders that could have put a bit of a smile on their face here and there....they wouldn't really look at you unless you tipped. Also, it was hard to communicate with some staff members as they didn't even speak any English or French. The walk from the hotel to the beach was a bit of a hike, and the closest washroom was by the pools. It would have been more convenient to have some bathrooms a little closer to the beach area. Overall, I would not recommend anyone to go to this resort. If you can, spend the extra and go to Melia Las Dunas, it is 100% better, the food is good and staff is so much more friendlier and you get reservations for the A La Cartes. This has definitely made up our minds about not going back to Cuba ever again.

Playa Vista Azul: loved this resort

i absolutely loved this resort. workers were very friendly and made the stay enjoyable. any issues arised the employees were more then happy to accommodate you with any needs.rooms were clean day and night. the beach was only a 5 minute walk from the resort. the beaches were absolutely clean and the water was crystal clear. i would definitely go back!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Beautiful resort but some improvements needed

The grounds are nicely done and once it is complete it will look very nice. The rooms and public areas are very nice. The service from the maids and wait staff was very good. Reception were cold and indifferent to you and your needs. The food have little selection and very bland. The beach was awesome but that area is on the windy side. Lots of beach chairs and shade available. Pool area is beautiful

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Stomachache

Serving is so so as my daughter and I was assigned to a room for last shower without clean bath towels soaked n wet n walked to the front desk asked for clean towels Restaurants menus didn't change for the whole 7 days Entertainment was great and very friendly although more lights for the aquatic show at night. Scenery is ok and bathrooms has strong weird odor Servers were excellent

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Beautiful!

we were only there two full days due to weather delays. Accommodations and public spaces were amazing. We weren't overwhelmed by the food. Went to a a-la-carte dining space on the resort and ordered the filet. It was the worst meat I ever had served to me. the dining area was empty except for us and one other person at 8 pm. CLUE if we had more time may have been better able to manage food choices.

Playa Vista Azul: Amazing lobby bar staff

The hotel was new and clean. Couldn't really enjoy the swimming because the pool was cold but it wasn't a big deal. We tried all the ala Cartes and the service and the food was good. I just wish that the Buffett changed up the food. We had excellent service at the lobby bar. They all made it fun.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Beautiful resort with great staff!

We stayed at this resort Dec 7-14. This was our second time here. The staff are amazing, especially Enrique and Yeramis at the pool bar! They are always pleasant and quick with the cervesa! The ladies at Mikes's coffee bar are also great! There was lots of room around the pool, never had a problem finding a chair. There is a lot of beach and the ocean in beautiful. Rooms were nice and you could always find something good to eat. We never saw the towel hut open, so not sure how you can get fresh  [... read more]towels, we made sure to hang ours up each night. Our kids loved going to the kid's club. The staff there are wonderful, especially Grey. She looked for activities that our kids were interested in. Another fun vacation in Cuba!

Playa Vista Azul: Great resort

The stay was good. I did not like the late flight and check in because it was dark. Our room was nice with a great view of the pool. I loved the beach, the swim up bar and all the other bars on the resort. Caves were fun, we also went on catamaran which was a lot of fun as well. Our flight back was delayed so that was a bummer to be at the cuban airport so long, but the flight was great both ways. Only 3 hours. The food was ok on the buffet. Sort of boring after a while but the omelett [... read more]e station and meat stations were good. We also did a lobster a la cart for xtra and it was amazing. we did one dinner at italian which was also excellent.

Playa Vista Azul: I would go back right away if i could

Great on all levels! You enter into the resort and are welcomed at the front door. Easy check in with help right to the room with our bags. The entertainment was going on as we arrived and our room was 3 floors above the stage, it ends at 10:30 pm I'm told. On the mark, the only sounds left was happy people and the birds in the trees. The food was great, 3 full meals a day with great staff. The restaurants don't require a reservation, we waited almost four minutes one night. The service was top  [... read more]quality as was the food. The pool was great fun, but once to the beach, we never returned to the pool. The beach was beautiful, every picture taken developed beautifully. The swimming was excellent, and personally, the shade was thick. I hid in the shade and my other half sat in full sun. On the big beach, you can have a trip on a catamaran or take out a kayak. A good friend had said it was a good resort, I would have to agree. A+ all around lastly as you are shuttled to the resort you pass a few others and stop and drop off people. My shuttle had four stops before it stopped, in all that were seen Ocean Vista Azul was the best!

Ocean Maya Royale: Some much needed quiet

Overall The ocean maya was a fairly small resort, perfect for the couple that wants a quiet and relaxing break. It certainty didn't seem full. It was clean and the staff were friendly. There were lots of activities available; included games like beach volleyball and additional activities like parasailing, jet skiing, and scuba diving. And of course off resort excursions (I highly recommend a full day at Tulum). If you love being busy there was lots to do. But if you just want to relax on the be [... read more]ach, you won't feel overwhelmed by the goings on. The beach front was very small, most of the waterfront was not accessable for swimming and had a sort of board walk. The accessable part of the beach was very nice and the staff kept it well maintained, but make sure to watch your step as you walk into the water so you don't stub you toes, there are a few rocks. The pools were nice, pretty standard. Rooms Our room was a gardenview perfectly located between the lobby/main buffet (6 block) and the pool/beach. However if you had room in the 20s you would be far away from everything. The house keeping staff always did an excellent job, we always came back to a perfectly clean room, they also made sure our fridge was stocked with lots of water. Food There are several restaurants included: sushi, italian, mexican, and french. We tried the first three and they were excellent. The French one requires long pants. The regular buffet was also good, it has lots of options.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Loved it!

We had a short but sweet stay at this resort. The staff were friendly and the property was kept in top condition. The rooms were comfortable and clean. The food was good, enough selection that you could definitely find something to eat. Mike's Cafe was lovely, the staff were very friendly and the coffee was great! The pool was lovely, refreshing, plenty of sunbathing chairs to choose from. The beach was also gorgeous, a perfect strip. Overall, a wonderful vacation!

Playa Vista Azul: Viva Ocean Vista

Very clean and very friendly staff. It is spread out giving plenty of space to relax in the pools or on two perfect beaches. The entertainment on the stage was world class! And the musicians throughout the resort were an added bonus!

Playa Vista Azul: beautiful resort

i have been to cuba many times. i always stay at the 3 star resorts for the good cost. this time i gave a 5 star a shot. the resort was wonderful. spectacular views great food and rooms. excellent layout and always something to do! i want to give a shout out to Daniel on the entertainment team. he and his team go above and beyond to ensure you are having fun all day long. i would highly recommend the ocean vista azul for anyone coming to varadero. i will definitely visit this resort again. 5 st [... read more]ar service!

Playa Vista Azul: Best Resort!

Such an amazing hotel. Amazing people, the staff are the most friendly people ever. Food is great! The beach is beautiful and the resort is very clean! Varadero town is so close, 10 pesos by cab. So many great bars, clubs, restaurant and just sights. I cant wait to go back!