Club Kawama

As I have travelled in the Caribbean before, I knew what to expect. I liked the resort with it's cottage style rooming arrangement. My family were a little taken aback, as there were many renos going on as well as street construction at the front door of the Club. The food was a little bland and no variety: that was a surprise. I have been to Cuba before and have eaten well. The A-la-Carte restaurants were better, with *El Risolino* surpassing the rest. The rooms were spacious and clean. The  [... read more]beds were very comfortable. There was hot water for the shower at any time of day. Then, the beach!! The beach was wonderful and the ocean was warm and welcoming! There were sufficient lounge chairs under palapas for everyone all day and all week. All in all, I liked this place very much and would return in the blink of an eye!

Club Kawama Review

Grounds: Overall the grounds were nice. They were a little run down looking, but every building was close to a pool and the beach. Thank goodness the A/C worked well! Staff: For the most part the staff was wonderful. Always for attentive and willing to help. On the other hand, my family and I found that the staff working in the main building (lobby and lobby bar) were not overly friendly and often looked annoyed when asked for help. I found this strange as they are the first staff members tha [... read more]t guests see. Beach: This beach is the most gorgeous piece of land (and ocean) I have ever seen. Absolutly gorgeous beach. 10/10!!! Opportunities: The location of the resort is very convenient if you want to go into Varadero. There is a bus stop close, or you can walk (a bit of a walk but worth it). The expeditions the resort was offering were ok. Not a lot of variety. I went on the Jeep Explorer Tour, and would highly recommend it if you want to see more of Cuba and experience many activities in one day. Food: I will just say that I ate to survive and not because it was good. I did not like the food at all in the buffet. There are only two "A la carte" restaurants associated with the rest. The international restaurant is off the resort and was not impressive. Half the items on the menu were not available and the food was mediocre. The staff at this restaurant were not friendly. The Italian restaurant on the resort was my saving grace!! It was delicious! I would have eaten there every single night if I could. The staff were great. We also had to travel off the resort to get drinking water (on our own dollar) because the resort did not provide any for free. Overall I have a wonderful trip but would not go back to this resort. Although going back just for the beach is tempting, there were too many negative aspects of the resort for me to stay there again.

Better than expected

Actually was pessimistic about a 3 star in Cuba. Had a problem with hot water and were going to move me rooms no problems. Was scarred of the food and avoided it until the 5th day and turned out to be better than the restaurants off the resort go figure!! :) People there were very pleasant. Pools and beach were great. For a 3 star in Cuba was really good. I would go back any day, real good deal for the money.

Social Resort

The resort has been around for a long time and is spread out. It's pretty typical of what Cubans rate as three star. The bar area in the hotel and beside the pool are quite confined and sharing of tables is normal practice. The upside to this is that you will meet many people. I didn't find the bar and front desk staff as friendly as in other resorts we have been to. I think it might have been because of a shortage of 1 peso notes which made it hard to tip. The food was a bit below standard whic [... read more]h confused us a bit because a month earlier other friends had een there and said it was better than average. I would recommend it but with a qualifier. We only paid $546.00 a person in mid April so the value was good. There were a lot of people who were returnees.

Kawama

april , 1 week, public areas well kept, staff friendly, helpful, food good, great outdoor bbq at lunch 1 day, beach lots of lounge chairs, towes large and thuck enough [deposit 10cuc], bars as expected, room 1801 awful

Another great vacation

Club Kawama is the perfect resort if you want an inexpensive beach vacation in Varadero. It is the oldest resort in Varadero, but has recently gone through some renovations. It is on a beautiful long stretch of beach. This is not a 5 star resort, so don't stay there if you are expecting 5 star amenities. However, if you want an inexpensive beach holiday without all of the bells and whistles, this is a great choice. I've been there 10 times, and plan to return again.

Cute rustic version

Beautiful beach as always....cute rustic looking....renovations are still being done but considering this is one of the oldest resorts in Veradero the resort is in pretty good shape....good entertainment

Great Location

This is definitely a 3 Star Resort. The food was basic, you could always find something to eat and we did not get sick! We were in 300 block which does not have private balconies but once we were able to move to an end room we had achieved that goal as no one could walk by us! We were disappointed in the beach as it was not a good beach to walk on. There was a lot of garbage on it along with broken shells. The location was excellent, lots of places to walk to. Excellent service from our maid Dan [... read more]ay and the dining room staff! This Is our 10th time to Cuba staying in different locations.

GREAT VACATION!!

Well first thing is when your on holidays try not to have super high expectations if thats the case then go book a vacation at Sandals or Breezes. The beach is the best beach ever Hawaian style no joke. Clean beach white sand and warm water. The hotel is clean the staff are awesome. We had room 1608 which is the nicer side of Kawama. We ventured out to the 40's and it is a big difference....needs updated and some repairs but the beach bar serves better drinks, better music and better food :) We  [... read more]ventured out almost everyday to each on the strip....Kikis and Sangria are excellent and not too far. We only had salad at Capones. The strip is safe and ride all day for $5 on the double decker bus. Taxis are $6 to get to the strip as far as Beetles bar, which is alot of fun by the way. We ate at so many small places and it is a fun town Veradera. Try the $36 excursion for snorkeling and cave...that is a good deal. The only thing that i might suggest Kawama to do is add a daily event page to each room when the cleaners are cleaning. We never knew when the activities were, found out from other guests or as the event was happening. We also do not like that locals can come in and out as they please....not sure if management is aware of this but its fun to listen to some crazy stories. We met alot of people from around the globe. I would not recommend Kawama for kids, not too much going on for them. We were two girl friends over 50 just having some relaxing girl time. Would go again to Veradera but may want to try another resort. Have fun, we sure did

Club Kawama Cuba

It was what i paid for 3 stars. The buffet was small and very busy,limited of thing to pick from. The sank bar down to the far end of the resort had the best food. The beach area at this end had the most room and seats. The the staff were great, the front dusk staff where not friendly The bathroom could be cleaner and the two beds where not a king beds.Over all I had a good time, you get what you pay for 3 stars .

Very poor experience

The Ocean and beach were beautiful. Got ripped off when we ordered a safe. It cost $25. We gave $50 and received 7 peso back. The rest was exchange cost. No toilet seat and lots of mold in the rool...ceiling and walls. No light bulbs and no way to adjust air con. Buffet very poor. Service from nice to absolutely rude if not tipped more than $1.... Not recommending this resort.

Good budget resort

after a few major hiccups at check in and once we were put in proper rooms the rest of our vacation was smooth sailing. Food was great, always lots of fresh veggies and fruit! Found all the staff to be helpful.

Bad 7 days

first room was awful, no AC, no Hot Water, music till 3 am, had to pay 120 pesos to get a better room. have been to cuba many times since 1995 and never had such a bad reception. the only good thing was the pool and the beach.

Very good, there is always but.....

Very good value for the money, except the room - no balcony, patio, terrace in standard room. You have to take room upgrade at the moment of booking, as it is very expensive when you arrive at the hotel, and not always the rooms are vailale

Great time

Great girls trip away! The resort has had many upgrades in the past 2 years, very happy with them! Beach is fantastic! And the staff is very friendly.The Resort is close to markets and lots to see and do!

Excellent value in a resort!

This resort exceeded my expectations. Food really was amazing, in fact, better than any 4 star resort I have been to in other countries. Except for loosing a few items because of my beach walks and urban exploring, I had the trip of a lifetime!

Don't listen to the bad reviews! Great trip

Seriously, don't listen to the bad reviews, just keep in mind that this is a 3 star resort. I traveled with my boyfriend from feb.19-26th, 2016. Yes, the main buffet is closed but no, the walk is really not that far and we were put in the exact opposite corner of the resort. I think the longest it could possibly take a reasonably fit person is maybe 10 minutes. If you have health or mobility issues, request something closer. We had a standard room that was small but kept really clean during our  [... read more]entire stay. The pools are beautiful and the beach is absolutely amazing. The bars all make amazing drinks, lobby bar especially! (please bring your own reusable cup if you can! so much waste with all the plastic cups and straws). The '24hr' snacks not so great... they're available at the pool bar and are strictly ham and cheese sandwiches that have been pre-made. The main buffet is pretty small so they don't always have the best options, but the food is good. I'm a vegetarian and survived the whole week so you probably can too. If you don't want to deal with long lines at the buffet go about half an hour after they open and you won't have to worry. If you go right when they open don't be surprised if you have to wait and don't be annoying and complain about it. The staff were all great and always friendly. Please tip if you can, it really does make a difference to them and the whole time we were there it didn't seem like anyone was even leaving a peso for them. Also, don't worry about the dogs or cats. There's a small handful that are around and they all stay out of the way but are also very approachable and fairly clean. Overall, we really enjoyed our trip! Just keep in mind if you don't want to deal with these small issues pay extra and go somewhere else. Happy traveling!

Laid back resort with stunning beach

We took 3 grown children for our third trip to this resort & a chance to see Cuba before the American invasion. Since our first visit 5 years ago, there has been noticeable improvements to the beach, 2 pools, grounds, lobby furniture, the hot water in the rooms, evening entertainment & the quality of the al a carte menu. Unfortunately, the main buffet was still in renovations during our stay. I'm not sure why the resort choose to make major renovations during their high season. This is basic acc [... read more]ommodation: clean rooms, no undesirable bugs, edible food by our simple standards but don't expect clean towels everyday or room service. One of our 3 rooms was without air conditioning but it was cooler when we were there so this was not an issue except keeping the mosquitoes at bay during the night. We spoke to others on site who had no water or no power for several days. One daughter had to access medical care and was well served by the resort nurse & a doctor and pharmacist who paid a house call to the resort. Our most frustrating issue with this resort has always been the front desk. We find a number of the employees disrespectful, unfriendly & basically not very interested in helping you solve problems or provide information (such as how to obtain beach towels). Piece of advice: steer clear of the desk clerk we nicknamed the "Spanish Diva" - you'll know her when you see her. If you're used to 5 star hotels, don't even think about Club Kawama but if you're okay with minimal services, a large resort with plenty of beach, and a great location for excursions (Kawama is the last pick up & the first drop off for tour buses), then you'll find this resort comfortable and the majority of the staff friendly.

Got what I paid for!

3* overall- pool is nice... Good entertainment! staff was friendly... Booked superior room and was satisfied. Grounds need to be cleaner. Most Chairs at beach were broken or uncomfortable. Restaurant a la carte was quite disappointment but don't go to Cuba for food but the beach ! Et voila! Good place for the value!

A Slice of Old Cuba

We really enjoyed this resort-though it is 80 years old, & the oldest in Varadero. It probably doesn't have all the modern amenities like the new resorts in the area- but it has So much history and character. We had a room Right on the beautiful beach. We could walk for a long way along the beach, or through the resort itself- which may be 1/4 km wide, tho narrow, as there is the ocean on one side and the quiet street & canal on the other side. We found the buffet to have delicious food, beautif [... read more]ul pools & friendly staff all through the resort & lots to do. We liked the $5, all-day hop on-hop off double decker bus that took us all through Varadero. We could easily walk from the hotel to the town and markets. There were lots of options for day trips, which were well organized & efficient (we chose a bus trip to Havana, and to a Sugar cane plantation) There wasn't much to complain about- a few oddities like not many toilet seats. But otherwise , a great getaway. Thanks also to Mernie at Trip Central !