Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Amazing resort!

Grounds, public areas, dining areas, restaurants, pool areas, entertaining theatre ,bar areas, hotel rooms, cleaning services, front desk service - are excellent. I will recommend this resort to all my friends.

Hotel Bella Costa: For me, Iberostar Bella Costa was a 2 week haven of relaxation – friendly staff – great atmosphere and a beautiful beach!

I chose to stay in the main hotel – however would likely pick a bungalow next visit as they are closer to the beach. My 6th floor room was clean, well maintained and had a very comfortable king size bed. The housekeeping staff are very friendly and helpful. I chose not to have my room made up every day however Janice checked every day to see if I needed more water, toilet paper or fresh towels. Bella Costa provides water in your room in reusable glass bottles to save the ocean from all the [... read more] plastic water bottles that never get disposed of properly….I really appreciated that touch. The entertainment staff was wonderful and, if you choose, will keep you busy from morning until bedtime! Each morning starts with gentle stretching and then aerobic exercise either in the pool or on the beach. Throughout the day there are games and contests for the adults – with your chance to win a bottle of Cuban rum – and also activities for the kids. Every evening there is a show and then the disco after. I enjoyed the shows – ranging from water ballet to dance productions! One evening featured a couples game - guessing how their partner would answer questions – that was fun! The disco opens at 11 pm in the main hotel just off the lobby. Although it’s not really my ‘thing’ – I checked it out and people seemed to be having fun dancing and drinking. The lobby is stunning with a huge stone bar – grand piano – several different seating groupings and a separate coffee lounge. Entertainment was offered there every evening. Cuba still faces many food shortages – however I was completely satisfied with all my meals. I tend not to be a breakfast eater….and like to sleep in in the morning – so my first meal of the day was usually at the poolside restaurant for pizza after a while in the sun! Loved the pizza! Lunch is also available at the buffet restaurant overlooking the beautiful beach – and the daily selections were varied and tasty. I went to all 3 offered a la cart restaurants and had excellent meals – the seafood dinner in the Cuban restaurant was recommended by my server and was amazing – and at the Italian Restaurant I had the best mushroom soup I think I have EVER had! The dinner buffet has plenty of variety – although not as much as I have seen in Cuba in the past – and I enjoyed my dinners there quite a bit. A word of caution – I often hear people complain about the food in Cuba – I think you have to remember the situation the country is in – they frequently face food shortages and import many of their food products which can be problematic at different times. Cuba is not a tourist destination for the gourmand – however – if, like me, you enjoy good basic cuisine with a local flair you will be happy. I was nervous travelling in our pandemic riddled world as I am ‘older’ and have co-morbidities. The flight and bus getting to the resort was a little scary for me – however once I reached the resort I felt totally safe and secure. All employees wear masks at all times – I observed staff constantly cleaning high traffic areas and ‘touch zones’. Buffets had servers - guests were not permitted to serve themselves, and masks were required in the restaurant. The biggest ‘flaw’ I found was that the pool is showing significant wear and tear and is in need of upgrading/TLC. I observed chemicals being added to the pool daily and the water was clean, however there are many spots where the paint has worn away from the sides and bottom of the pool - and there is a general ‘run down’ feel. Having said that – the magnificent ocean and pristine beach is only steps away. I have mobility issues and especially loved how close the beach is to the hotel – how safely and easily it can be accessed – and the beautiful sandy bottom of the ocean. I usually vacation in Cayo Coco….however loved Iberostar Bella Costa and will be returning as soon as I am able! Thank you to all the amazing staff that made my vacation memorable and truly made me feel welcome and well taken care of and valued! Thank you to all my new Bella Costa friends.

Paradisus Varadero: Bad experience

I have been in Cuba 7 times prior to this vacation at paradisus varadero last week of May 2022. By far the worst experience and service. Watch out for the loggage guys they want Canadian money right from the second they dropped your bags. A thank you is not enough. 1 snack bar is not enough for a big resort, runs out of supplies daily so don't be surprised if you eat a burguer without ketchup and mustard for afew days. (No kidding) Bring a book or download movies because unless you are under [... read more] 10 you will not enjoy any of the night shows in the entire week . If you have kids GOOD LUCK! apple juice, orange are no where to be found. We saw cereal in the last 2 days and the cereal was not crunchy. Food well well well. I been in Cuba 7 times I know food is never good but I never saw a shrimp on the buffet in 7 days not fresh fish only dark tuna steaks which were good surprisingly Rooms were clean but that smelled of wet never goes away. Keep toilet seat close or you will get that bad Snell all over your clothes. The gardeners and the cleaning ladies are the ones that will smile and welcome you the most without any interest. The beach is 9 out of 10 That's why I go to Cuba because of the beach. Overall I found in this trip that food supply and financial situation has changed what I love the most about the island. That free loving welcoming spirit. Now you better have money in your pocket for tips To Cuba I might return but to paradisus varadero I will not go ever again not even if the trip is free and I get paid to go.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: The worst Cuban experience!

We were a group of 9 women who were so eager to travel to one of our favorite spots again since Covid. This excitement was over shadowed quite quickly once we were finally settled into our ant infested rooms. One of the women's rooms looked like there was bed bug eggs all over her nighttables and the other room wreaked of sewer. This was topped with the absolute lack of service everywhere in the resort with the exception of the à la Carte restaurants. If you have a picky eater in your group goo [... read more]d luck. The buffet mainly consisted of muscles, shrimp and questionable mixes of all of that. Saving grace was the omlette station but be prepared to wait 25 mins. One grill and lots of hungry guests from the night before. One honorable mention was Dayron in entertainment, real gem. One server in the restaurants named Edwin. No bar service close enough to the beach to make it anywhere near wanting a drink. The bugs nighttime were absolutely unbearable and several girls needed medical attention. Cuba is normally a favorite place of mine but I think I will wait a couple years to return, if ever to Varadero. Also off resort we went to a lobster dinner at El Carbon, the house flies almost ate our meal for us and the waitress ripped each of the 4 of us off for 12 dollars each. We just paid and got the hell out before we got eaten alive.

Brisas Del Caribe: Amazing Resort

This resort is amazing. Just got back from our 12th visit there. Staff is #! ground and pool areas well taken care of. I would recommend this resort it is a great place to spent your vacation. Michael and Celine go above and beyond to ensure you are happy and enjoying your vacation. Johnnie and Jennifer in the VIP lounge are awesome. And the coffee/bar staff is the best anywhere Alberto Alfredo Miquel and all the others to many to name.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Service and staff made it a great experience

I thought it was close to what we paid for and expected. The grounds we're great, beach, pool areas we're well maintained. Dining hall and bar areas we're good. Food and quantity of certain beverages we're descent at best but I knew that beforehand. Overall we're very satisfied with our experience.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Worst resort

I wanted to enjoy my stay so bad... The resort is run down, the rooms are not clean at all! If you don't bring your own cup to drink out of.... Have fun finding a clean glass! The staff was rude and could care less about your stay. Watch out for the security guards if your a lady... They do not respect boundaries or care about age limits! My daughter was only 14! Do not buy alot of peso's as they only accept cdn $ at the resort and most places take only credit card! I will never at this place ag [... read more]ain or will be returning the Cuba for a very long time!

Memories Jibacoa: Lovely vacation

All of the amenities in this hotel were lovely; rooms, grounds personnel, food, ocean, shows etc. The food is served to you by masked staff, and when walking through the dining area, you were required to wear your mask. One small annoyance was that some of the food lines were a little long.... having waited 15 minute to get your meat grilled, there was another line for bead, then another for salad etc. If you are a person who is content to stay put at a lovely resort, this place is ideal. For  [... read more]anyone who likes a bit more local colour and the availability of tours, either Varadero or Havana might suit better.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Beautiful resort

Service is not satisfactory. We were having issues of hot water. They didn’t change towels. Not enough toilet paper.food wasn’t enough for everyone. If you come little late for breakfast or lunch or dinner, half the item were missing. They don’t replace it . For tea the milk was not good. They won’t put milk in the fridge .it happened two days in a row.We told them but they were still serving it.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Nothing like five star resort

This hotel was not at all to the standard of Paradises resort of Mexico.Basic things like bottles of water were not also easily available.At the time of check in we had to wait over an hour,as there was only one clerk.Secondly Wifi was a big issue.Every few minutes the wifi gets cut off.Also out of 8 Resturants,only three were open and reservations was a big issue.They said we were only allowed to reserve four nights,when we had a week to stay.The rest of the days we were asked to go for general [... read more] buffet restaurant.Not much choices of Vegetarian.No drinks in the room fridge and no Tea/Coffee facilities in the room.They mentioned that room service is chargeable when we had All inclusive.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Paradisus Princesa Del Mar

This is a good resort overall. Nice location, close to the city with access to public transportation. It is old, somewhere dated, but clean and tidy. Staff are friendly and ready to help you when you need it.

Memories Jibacoa: Wonderful resort!

I chose this particular hotel (Memories Jualisco) for the location. I wanted to be close to Havana and I wanted a resort where I would be able to snorkel right from the beach. This resort did not disappoint! The snorkeling was great, lots of fish and nice coral to see right in front of the hotel. The beach was excellent and great for swimming and cooling off, with a nice sandy bottom and calm waters to play in. The hotel is very nicely laid out and everything is within a five minute walk to ei [... read more]ther the beach or the main lobby and restaurants. Lots of bars to choose from, however they were sometimes out of certain items so drinks were limited. In fairness this could be contributed to the import difficulties due to COVID. The restaurants were all good, although I missed the food spices (bring your own) and some condiments. They did not have everything every day, but they managed to keep the salad bar, pasta bar, dessert bar and meat selections well stocked. Excellent selection of fresh fish & meats for grilling every day. The rooms are dated, but very large and functional. Not a lot to do at the resort, but it was great for relaxing (no Boom Boom music all day). However, as I wished Havana is only 45 minutes away. You can get a vintage taxi with driver and guide for a day trip into Havana for $120 Cdn. Our only disappointment is that the evening entertainment was really poor. This could be due to COVID, but the last two times we were in Cuba the evening entertainment was fantastic at both resorts.

Melia Varadero: Melia Varadero

We enjoyed a week at the Melia Varadero. The Cuban employees at all level were beautiful and very accommodating however there were many extremely rude cuban guests at the resort. we did not let this ruin our vacation and maintained our manners . Food was as we expected but the beach at this resort is a real let down. Rocks everywhere. we would walk to other resort to enjoy the water the rooms can really use some attention

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Beware!!

SUNWING should be ashamed for listing this property as a 5 star and hidden gem...shame on you! Our experience was less than stellar to say the least. The hotel is run down and in need of serious repair to the point there are safety issues with walkways and railings. Basic room amenities like hair dryers, lights, umbrellas and such just don't work. The aircon could not keep the room a constant temperature and if you want a hot shower 9:00am forward in the morning or later evening for 9:00pm [... read more] dinner good luck with that. We brought our concerns to the hotels and they did send staff to look at things but nothing was ever resolved so we finally just gave up. The service is what you would expect from a three star hotel with the butler service a complete waste of money. Four days requesting pillows and nothing, lost our day trip which was included ($200) and the list goes on. The hotel manager said he would look into things but again you constantly felt you were just being placated. They say the fish rots from the head down and any management we dealt with just seemed indifferent; sad really. The working staff was completely different; attentive and smiling always. Couple of shout outs and I'm bad with names so very sorry. Our yoga teacher, dance instructor and the ladies in the Italian restaurant and swim up bar OMG top notch. The people behind the food stations were truly a pleasure to be served by as well as the table staff. The resort used to be a Sandals and from what I garnered it was a treat to stay here. We met two couples that had been coming back for 8/9 years who told us what it was like and finished with they would never come back again.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Great resort

This was my second time at this resort.The first time was 9 years ago and it certainly could use some freshening up. I strongly recommend you upgrade to privledge.The food and service there is exceptional compared to the buffet and restaurants.Roberto in the privileged bar went over and above for all of his guests as did all of the staff working the privileged restaurant. The jeep safari was one of the best excursions I have ever been on in Cuba.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Bad experience!

A lot of cockroaches in the restaurant. We saw them over the tables, chairs, so many of them on the floor and on the food trays. A lot of mosquitoes, we got up in the morning with lots of bites on our bodies. The bites on my parents-in-law’s bodies suggested bad bugs. The services was bad unless you tip them well.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: No more Cuba

you would be lucky to get food very minimal really bad, hard to even get salt, ketchup, fruits, salads, ect. no orange juice, only pop and water same foods all week long rice and more rice, breads, help yourself. foods that were served by staff was cold cuts, vegetables, deserts, so that everyone could get a piece of something, eggs were always a go! no spoons any where eat ice cream with your fork. entertainment horrible horrible, bar drinks minimal rum and more rum no crystal beer any where in [... read more] cuba, 1 glass bottle of water in room with a seal on it. They claim its drinkable water now. If you want bottled water you pay for it. currency is a joke now DO NOT EXCHANGE YOUR MONEY!!!!!!!! leaving the airport they have you believe you will get a better exchange for the paseo resort ratio 118 they will give you 140 get this goes to black market 190 they want you to exchange badly, you cant spend a peso if you tried only for tips and at market for souvenirs downtown Varadero and only private Cuban eatery's not even the beetle bar credit card only, no American cards so once again charge your Canadian card still converted to US dollar to you. you CANNOT convert paseos back to Canadian dollars lots of changes all the people that been going to Cuba for years will never go back again I guess its only for the sun now and water nothing else trust me resort occupancy scarce I don't think its all because of the covid it's the countries changes Good by Cuba

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Amazing resort!!!

The resort is really amazing!!! It's just a right size for us - everything is max 5-7 min walking distance. The beach and ocean - the most beautiful part. The rooms are big and very clean, AC is very good. Wi-Fi is everywhere is pretty good. My husband likes to watch news so he was very happy with Wi-Fi. The food is good - I liked the grilled calamаries (squid) and fish. We were there in May which is Mango season. We've enjoyed mangos during breakfast, lunch and dinner :) Please note, we h [... read more]ad to wear masks in the buffet when you take a food to the plate and lobby if you need any assistance. Otherwise, no masks are required. I would like to mention a snack bar by the pool - very tasty sanwiches, hotdogs and amazing service. Actually, the service is great everywhere - what a friendly, beautiful people work there!!!! 2 garden guys gave me a little handmade flower every day :). We would like to thank everyone in the resort. Great service everywhere!!! Thank you my favorite Cuba for the great vacation. We are planning to come over again sometime in November (we will have 45 wedding anniversary on Nov 25th).

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great time, great place

The place was overall good. They upgraded me to a suite so no complaints. All does not work perfect (bath drain was too slow), my first room has little hot water (I think they upgraded me for that reason), though I did not complain. But I enjoyed the place. Internet is far from great, but I did not come to be on the web. Cell reception is good. Food is ok, way better than all the stories I heard about Cuba (if was my first time in this country). Again, I did not go there for a great food expe [... read more]rience, so that was good too. Breakfast had a buffet or you could order an omelette. Coffee was good. Lunch buffet was fine too. Last but not least staff was great. Everyone always seemed in a good mood, smiling, whiling to help. I was surprised to see who everyone knew at least some English, sometimes quite well, in addition to French. So I would definitely go back. Good value for the price.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Nice

Very large hotel and very inviting Don't drink the water, the food could have been a little better ..your choice to party hard or relaxed you can do both.frendly people. Are also very nice. I think over all very good