Gran Caribe Sun Beach: Great Location

Great location! The grounds and pool were quite good but definitely a 2-3 star. Front desk staff were very poor and unhelpful but the rest of the staff were OK. Not 5 star OK, 3 star OK. The room was dissappointing overall but the bathroom was very nice.TV did not work but my wife and I did not really care about that. It is in a wonderful location. Right across from a great beach. We could walk to shops and food and a bit of a walk to the bank. Front desk was not helpful with money exchange or b [... read more]uying water but we found a place to buy bottled water 2 minutes down the road and the bank 25 minutes away. Bus and cab always going by and next time we will take the double decker bus for a ride. We would definitely go back to Veradero for a relaxing and inexpensive vacation. We would probably try a different hotel next time but would go back to Sunbeach if it was priced better than other places. The meals were OK on the whole. We could always find stuff to eat. Our travel agent with Tripcentral was Cathie. She was great! She explained the hotel to us, as she had been there, so we knew what to expect. She was also very prompt in returning phone calls and very upbeat, courteous and positive whenever we spoke. I would highly recommend her. I would recommend this hotel if you are on a budget and don't expect much but we will likely try a different place next time.

Palma Real: Meets Expectations

Many of the complaints here are not really valid, for a hotel that is considerably cheaper than others. For what we paid we had a great time. Location-wise the hotel is amazing, with loads of restaurants, bars and shops within walking distance. The beach is a short walk away, and it is undeniably beautiful. The hotel itself wasn't very busy, and the bulk of the guests were Cubans on the weekend days. The staff were rather nice and at times a little too tip hungry. While the food was probably t [... read more]he worst I've come across, we got by still and would go out for dinner in town when we needed a change ($10 lobster!!). My only major complaint was that the water level in the main pool was low, about 6 inches below the filter intakes... which meant, well... it wasn't getting filtered at all. Kind of gross! Clearly this is not a 5 star hotel, so there really isn't a point in complaining about all the 5 star elements that are lacking. The staff that was there seemed to be trying hard, and at the end of the day we had a blast either way. We chose to stay at a cheaper resort and use our money for deep sea fishing instead, and we have no regrets!

Palma Real: exit stage left

The entrance was dirty, there are 2 bars ( you wait forever), and the food poor quality and cold, i have traveled lots with my husband and we are not picky people but this place you couldn't pay me to go back too.

Palma Real: GOOD TIME

THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO SAY NEGATIVE ABOUT THE HOTEL WAS THE FOOD AND THAT GOES WITH ALL CUBAN RESORTS. BRING SPICES LOTS OF THEM. SERVICE WAS GREAT. WEATHER WAS UNREAL FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY..RAINED ONE DAY..TAKE THE SAILBOAT EXCURSION..MADE THE TRIP....

Palma Real: about my trip

It was ok! What do you want me to say, stupid? It was just ok and that is all I can tell you. If you want me to say more and that would be pretty much all negative stuffs. Ok is a good credit for this hotel. You don't want me to say POOR!!

Gran Caribe Sun Beach: Only if it's really cheap!

Passable is the best I can say. The staff was very nice, nobody freaked when I took hotel food across the road to share with my local friends. But mu room flooded every time there was a good rain storm (I was not offered another room) it got cleaned up no problems but still. Only some rooms had fridges, was very clean though. Elevators are ancient and slightly scarey, one stopped on me for a nerve racked minute or two, phone in elevator did not work. Food pretty average for Cuba, the bars eh! If [... read more] you go to bed early it may be very loud for night time animation. Location was great, and beach was wonderful. But I don't think I'll stay there again and if I were a person who spends all their time at the resort I really wouldn't go, I had a good time cause I never spent any time in the hotel.

Palma Real: Good value..great staff!!

I have been many times to Palma real. I love the location. It's a good spot for a good price. This hotel has a good choice for pools. There is a fun pool with the swim up bar or the quiet pool (my favourite) . The beach is great and they have a bar/snack bar there.Summer is slow so many Cubans stay on the weekend. They tend to be a bit gready in the buffet and the bar but are very friendly. Rooms are very clean . The staff in the bar, the buffet, and also the cleaners are great. I just spent my  [... read more]birthday there which is off season for them and I was treated like a queen.

Palma Real: great entertainment

good service, lots of good food, nightly shows - great coffees not on the beach but 4 pools and only a short walk to the beach ocean view rooms - ocean views are beautiful - theme restaurants good super pizza

Palma Real: great resort

Had a great time at the hotel. Staff were pleasant & helpful, especially our maid & waitress. Rooms were clean, food was good, & lots to eat. Would stay there again. Great location, bank across the street, although not on the beach, it was a quick walk & devine!

Palma Real: Dissapointing

This is the first resort out of ten that I didn't find something I could eat. The carrots and veggies from supper would still be there at breakfast..yuk! The main dining area was really small and there were lineups for everything. You even had to wait outside until people left. We did not like any of the restaurants. The food lacked taste and variety. Same thing every single night at the Buffett . We ate in downtown Varadero a lot . Our first room was in the furthest building from the lobby. It  [... read more]took forever to check in. We had to wait for hours on the bar area before they would give us a key. There were no lights in the hallway and we were at the end of the hall. It was very dark even in the day but really dark at night. Our room stunk to high heaven...not just musty but extreme stink. When we went to bed we found out that they didn't put a top sheet that fit on the bed. They put a twin sheet sideways so it looked good with the bed made with the bedspread on. It didn't even come up to our knees and when we went to pull it up it pulled out of the bottom. It would've been funny if we weren't already really regretting our decision to choose the Palma Real. We asked to be moved. I use a Cpap machine for sleep apnea and after one night of that putrid air I had had it. Our next room was in the building across from the Buffett . It was identical to our first room but not smelly! The rooms are old but that wasn't a problem for us. This building was fine. All lights worked. The walk to the beach was fine but I'd never seen one with so much litter on it. Most days it was red flag so we couldn't go in and here were lots of waves. We liked Varadero and that this hotel was in the town. The grounds were small but well kept. We met some nice people and loved our day trip to Havana...not through the resort. Our guide was excellent and our driver too. We booked with another person and split three ways. Affordable and safe.

Palma Real: Great location!

location was great as it was just right downtown, within walking distance to the beach, restaurants, bars and a few clubs, the bank and artisan markets. do not expect anything luxurious within the hotel. the room and the food was not the best but not overly disgusting. the staff was definitely amazing. this resort is ideal for people who would want to spend most of their day in the beach and exploring the city, not for those who would want to stay in the resort all week.

Palma Real: Good Value for the money

Well placed in Varadero with walking access to the city that made the trip so interesting. Local restaurants and culture all easily accessible. Beach was wonderful, albeit a short walk from the hotel. Main buffet had a large variety of foods which changed up every day. Now for the bad parts - I got food poisoning while there, spoiled my holiday. Very difficult to tell where it came from, but I would urge the hotel to practice safe food handling. Also the rooms were terrible. Small, old, in need [... read more] of repair. Across the hall the room door wouldn't close properly so the people staying there routinely had to slam it 15-20 times. Our bathroom door wouldn't close and even after many years of marriage we still want privacy sometimes. There was very little room for two suitcases. We didn't consider the rooms an issue however in judging our holiday, as you spend so little time in them, and we knew we were going to a budget resort. All things considered (and hoping food poisoning was a one time thing) we would recommend this hotel to someone wanting a budget getaway.

Palma Real: Best Trip Yet!!

My cousin and I wanted to go on a trip but did not want to spend a fortune. . This resort was perfect for us! The room was always clean, it was a bit small but we the only time we spent there was for sleeping and we didn't do much of that the week we were there anyways. The resort is attached to The Havana night club, so when you are staying there you get in free of charge (there is a $10 cover charge for everyone else) so there is always something going on at night time! We didn't get the chanc [... read more]e to catch any shows at night, so I can't really comment too much on the entertainment but they did have the girls dressed up in costume come to the main buffet at dinner time and they always looked great! The food was not the best, but we always managed to fill our plates and we did not go hungry. The 24 hour snack bar was the best place to get breakfast and also had great burgers for a late night snack! The resort is very close to downtown and we did take a few trips into town during the day to go explore some Cuban Culture. The beach was beautiful and the 3 minute walk there did not bother us at all! The pools were always very clean and the swim up bar was great! Overall we had an amazing trip , because we met so many wonderful people and the resort was perfect if you are looking for a cheap vacation and you are not super picky about food. I truly believe that any vacation is what you make of it, if you are going to let bad food and an older resort ruin your vacation you should probably just stay home.

Palma Real: Terrific value

Met our expectations. Everyone was friendly. Food was fine. Beach lovely and just a 5 min walk with food and drinks there. Will go again. Close to airport and close to hot spots in varadero such as Beatles bar. Suggest taking horse drawn carriage ride for your of the local sights. Also enjoyed the night club show at hotel international