Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Hotel has potential but is not there yet...

As the title says, this hotel has potential but it is too new at this point and needs to improve in several areas. We went a family of 4 with 2 teen girls and stayed there August 21 to 26. Here's my review: Beach 5/5: The best part of Cuba by far. The beach is not wide, but this is something I preferred. Lots of shade and good loungers. Never had to be early to find a good spot. There are a few spots with rocks but only on the west side of the beach. Catamaran rides are free and beach is sea [... read more]weed free, clear and turquoise perfect water, always warm. Room: 4.5/5 - Rooms are very nice and new, with nice decoration in good condition. Nice LCD TV and the AC works flawlessly (not humid and cools nicely). Bathroom has a new shower and good fixtures. Safe works flawlessly. My only complain about the room was that that the sliding door to outside did not close at all, so room was vulnerable of someone breaking in. Nothing happened to us and we left our valuables always in the safe, but this issue should be resolved soon. Lobby/Restaurants/Public areas: 3.5/5 - Lobby is very nicely decorated and ventilated. Buffet restaurant has good AC and tables are adequate. Only two theme restaurants were open uring our stay. The asian Origami restaurant was decent, nice place and the food was about same quality as buffet. The italian restaurant was awful! Tiny and the food was horrendous. Lack of grass makes the gardens look awful but that will hopefully change with time. Entertainment 3/5: Only the first show (Michael Jackson night) was nice, the rest were boring. Staff 3/5 - After going to Mexico, Colombia, Dominican Republic I can say that Cubans were dry and not happy at all, from the airport to the hotel. We were very surprised because most Cubans we know that live in the USA and Canada are amazingly friendly people. So not sure if this is something that only happens in Cayo Santa Maria. The maid did a decent job cleaning our room (no towel figures though) but we did leave her $5 so maybe that made the difference. Just 1 bartender in main bar was friendly with us and we speak fluent Spanish so language was certainly not the issue. Food: 2/5 - The food was one of the worst things of our vacation. Very few selection and so-so at best. The pasta and pizza were ok. The meat and fish and shrimps is not cooked well at stations, plus long lineups even with an empty hotel. Breakfast omelettes were decent, but lunch and dinner items are the same, so it gets repetitive really quickly. Cubana Airline: 0/5 - That was the worst part by far of the entire trip. Flight was delayed 4 hours heading South and 2.5 hours coming back. Food is bad, service bad and they only have water and nasty coffee to drink. I will never in my life travel in that airline again. Conclusion: I think the place is ok and the beach was gorgeous, but unless the food and staff improve I would not go back to that place. There is nothing to do after the night show so if you plan on dancing or having night life fun head somewhere else. Overall I would give the hotel a 4/5 just because rooms, pool and most common areas nice. Once they open the other 3 restaurants things should be better too (Ranchon restaurant looks nice). The long 100 minute drive fromairport to hotel is a con as well.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Overall, a good resort

Pros: 1. Fantastic beach - powder sand, lots of places for shade, clear water, hardly any rocks or seaweed, no people on beach trying to sell you things, very safe. 2. Hotel grounds - landscaping is pretty, everything relatively easy to get to 3. Staff - overall, staff are very friendly and helpful 4. Rooms - comfortable beds, good air conditioning (you need to specify in person to the cleaning lady to have your sheets and towels changed, otherwise they will not change them) 5. Entertainm [... read more]ent - there were many options for entertainment in the evenings. The Michael Jackson show is actually quite well done and not cheesy. Often there were live bands playing at night in the main square by the bar. Cons: 1. Blocks with no shower - some of the blocks at this resort only have a bathtub with a deep step inside which could be slippery/difficult for some. As well, there is no curtain or enclosure so the water floods the bathroom 2. Restaurants - there were only two a la carte restaurants open (Oriental and Italian) and one buffet. Only the Italian restaurant was good. They definitely need to open more to have more variety and less of a wait 3. Food - breakfast was the only meal that was reliable with fruits and eggs available. Otherwise, it was difficult to have food that wasn't saturated in oils and there were no fresh salad options and all the vegetable trays in the buffet were soggy and covered in either oil or butter. 4. On many occasions, we did see favors being done for guests if they paid (being served first, being given better food or food that wasn't out for others, etc). Some staff would ask you for presents and tips. 5. Gift shop in hotel - our luggage was lost/delayed for a day and a half so we had to go to the hotel gift shop. It is very small and does not have even the essentials, such as a toothbrush, deodorant, etc. There is a market that you can take a bus or taxi to that has some more options. 6. Gym - very limited, no free weights 7. Lighting - it is very dark at night and the paths are not well lit. Would be a good idea to bring a flashlight. Recommendations: 1. Ask for a room with a shower 2. Ask for a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor as the balcony doors do not lock and some people reported break ins 3. Go to the small grill hut by the beach for lunch as they have the best options 4. When ordering drinks, they almost always will add a lot of sugar or syrup so make sure you ask them not to if you don't want it 5. Mike's coffee in the lobby is the best for your caffeine fix 6. Stay at the beach for sunset around 7:30 p.m. 7. Wear bug spray at night 8. Bring an extra beach towel as the beach towel exchange place was not always reliable 9. Bring a water bottle so you don't have to rely on the very small plastic cups they give you for drinks

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Not feeling comfortable

This is my first trip to Cuba with my family when I choose this resort and read the reviews it was good so I booked and went last week at the first day I got shocked when I went to the restaurant at the lunch time and asked the waiter there for a spoon he told me wait 5 minutes until I wash it then at the same time I found him getting one to next table I understood later that nothing will happen unless you give tips The food in this resort was veryyyyyy bad at all times In my last day I deci [... read more]ded to try the Italian restaurant there the waiter was very rude with no reason I stayed an hour waiting for Marconi and chicken at the end I left without eating I know they are doing there best to entertain us in the resort but the show was not appropriate for kids at all I didn't like it at all All over will not go there again

Playa Vista Azul: Ocean Vista Azul

Very clean hotel in general. Rooms are very nice and clean...nice big showers! Staff is very friendly. Restaurants a la carte were very good and no reservations necessary which was nice. Pools are beautiful. Beaches are nice and no need to reserve beach chairs...always fiind a free space. Everything is close by so not too much walking distance between rooms, reception, pools, restaurants and beaches. I would rate this hotel for Cuba 4 to 4 1/2 star.

Playa Vista Azul: Ocean Vista Azul

Very clean rooms and nice resort. Restaurants a la carte are very good and great since no reservations are necessary. First come, First serve. Very nice shows at night, great dancers. 2 Beautiful pools. Everythjng is close by and not too much walking, so everything is accessible without needing a "caro". Employees very friendly. I would rate it 4 to 4 1/2 star).

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great time

New expanding hotel, great beach, clean contemporary style rooms, nice pool and a good variety of food (it's Cuba). Beach has free watercraft including Catermaran. Catermaran excursion and speedboat are great value. Nothing bad to say at all but I am sure some haters will find something lol

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Enjoyed it all

New hotel still expanding. Nice staff, amazing beach, clean contemporary styled rooms, food had much variety (it's Cuba), free watersports including Catamarans. The Catamaran excursion was good value for experience and fun as well as speedboat.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great people

This resort overall is very nice, the rooms were clean and modern as was the main hotel lobby. The highlight was the staff. All very willing to help and serve you. The A la carte food was great as well. However the buffet food is quite different than the food most North Americans are accustomed to. And while you can find something to eat theres a 1/5 chance that you could get sick from it since your body isnt used to the food. Im sure however this is to be expected in Cuba as the food is more sc [... read more]arce. The beach does make up for it though. Clearest water I have seen at a resort, non crowded beaches and white sand as well as lots of palapas to shade you from the sun. Yoel is a Barista at Mikes coffee and he is amazing. He ensures everyone is happy and will remember you after only seeing you once as he genuinely does love his job and interacting with guests. The pool area is nice but very loud during the day, I could hear it clearly from the beach which is quite a walk from the pool. The nightlife is also scarce. Aside from live music played by the same band doing the same songs every night and a show every other night there isnt a lot to do at the resort aside from a game of pool or sitting at the bar. They are however in the process of building shopping and a few other amenities at a new centre right next to this resort so in a few months im sure there will be more to do just off of the resort, a two minute walk down the beach. If you dont mind walking quite a lot as the hotel rooms, beach, pool, lobby and restaurants are all fairly spread apart, go to sleep earlier and you are not the pickiest eater then I would reccomend this resort to you. 7/10 the only real downside is the food of course.

Playa Vista Azul: Great resort

Our stay was for 5 days, August 7-11. We loved this resort. The rooms were clean. The food was good. We ate everything in moderation. We liked that you can choose your fish/seafood or meat and have them grill it in front of you. The espresso's were good. There are 2 beaches (left and right side). The left side was a little crowded and noisier (games etc...). The right side was spectacular. There were plenty of huts and chairs and it was less crowded. On this side, you find the pedalo's, kayak's  [... read more]etc..just a beautiful beach! We preferred the right side. The staff were attentive. We were a family of 4 (two of which were teenagers). I would recommend this resort.

Playa Vista Azul: Great resort

The hotel is nice, although the amenities could use an update such as the tennis court and basketball. Dining rooms were nice. I like the fact that we do not need to book reservation for a la carte. Swimming pools were great especially the infinity pool. Beach was amazing! It was great price for the value. Cubana airline actually impressed me.

Playa Vista Azul: Nice property

Clean grounds, good food, nice service, beautiful beach, great beach snack bar so close to the beach, easy access and great service. We took our 2 month old baby, wish I'd got a room in the main building as well as booked privilege the only elevator is in this building so it would have been better for the stroller and amenities, my complaint was with booking not enough was known about the property and how to book privilege. Thank you to Alex the butler at the privilege reception office. Go f [... read more]or the beach!

Playa Vista Azul: Breath taking views

Our room was amazing. We were upgraded to an Ocean View room. The view for the sunsets were amazing. The rooms were great, always clean and cool. Big bed and great bath. Waking up and getting the special coffees as well as the bars were high lights. I would highly recommend this resort

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Nice resort/Beautiful beach

Beautiful hotel with a beautiful beach. Very clean and the service was great. Unfortunately I was very disappointed in the food and entertainment although the entertainment before dinner at the bar was quite nice. It was the same entertainment at the pool everyday which became annoying after a few days. Quite often what we ordered at the a la carte restaurants was not what we received. This hotel is not wheelchair or stroller friendly at all and some walkway areas were not lit at night and  [... read more]it took them several days to fix the lighting after I mentioned it at the front desk. I will not return to this hotel as I felt I did not get a lot of value for what I paid.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great staff, great beach

The staff is so super nice, they made our vacation all the more pleasant. We stayed in room 350 and had a view of the ocean. The beach is gorgeous, with super soft white sand. Windsurf, paddle boat, kayaks and catamarans are available at the beach. The food is not the best but all the other qualities more than make up for that department. Definitely recommended!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: AMAZING PLACE

WE ENJOYED THE TIME TO STAY THERE. BEACH IS great. Only need to improve is the food quality . The resort is clean and the people are nice too. Our room hair dryer was bad and made us to keep call for repairing.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Beautiful resort on a beautiful beach

The hotel was gorgeous and the service was wonderful. The beach was one of the best I have seen but after that I don't have much positive to say. The food was not good at all and the selection was poor. One of the food venues was not opened all week...not sure why. The entertainment was scarce and not good either except the bands that were in the bar area in the early evening....they were quite good. The gym was very nice with an attendant on hand at all times. This hotel is not stroller or [... read more] wheelchair friendly at all. The hotel is located an hour and a half away from the airport. I wont return to this hotel

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Great resort!!

We traveled with my daughter, son in law and my granddaughters ages 6 and 10. Had a great time resort was nice rooms were nice clean and spacious. Food was good beautiful beach!! All the animators did a good job making our days enjoyable. Need improvement on the night shows.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great resort

Overall great experience. The staff were very friendly and accommodating to our needs. Resort is clean but as it is very new, there were still a lot of renovations and some things need to be fixed. The beach is the best, soft sand and beautiful clear water. Something that can be worked on is the food as options are very limited.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Way above expectations

The food was way above average for Cuba. Varadero beach is one of the best beaches in the Caribbean and this hotel sits on one of the best spots on the beach. Our room was large, air conditioning worked well, large bathroom with soaker tub and separate shower.

Playa Vista Azul: Beautiful modern resort

Facilities were wonderful, modern and very well kept. Staff was amazing and the food was decent. The beaches were Incredible Entertainment was amazing, and they had a very good array of excursions. We all had a blast.