Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Awesome resort and service

Our second time at this resort and not disappointed. Beautiful facilities, rooms, pools, restaurants and beach. Can't say enough about the staff. Everyone from the bar, grounds, restaurants, reception, cleaners were so friendly. The food was very good too! Much better than is typically rumored for Cuba. We're hoping to return again before the end of this year and would definitely recommend.

Starfish Guardalavaca: Overall good :)

Good overall, perfect size and capacity to have calm vacations.... Good room service overall , good room cleaning services, friendly staff, food is a 2/10 and some night shows involving dancing would have been great, like twice on 7 days. Mostly senior/elderly clientele

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Cuba Is Suffering

I can’t say enough about the people. I’ve travelled to many islands and the Cuban people are by far the most appreciative, hospitable and this trip was no exception. Rooms were typical but clean. Beach was AMAZING. I wish people wouldn’t “cool off” (pee in the pool). If you sit and watch how many people actually leave to use the facilities you would most likely spend more time at the beach!! The hotel had no vodka (which unfortunately is all we drink) but the staff managed to find 1 bottle fo [... read more]r the two of us. We went to town and bought the only vodka on the shelf. So we did have to ration for the week. I would have liked to change my beach towel at least once. Unfortunately they were only open the first day we arrived.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: A Solid Experience

The resort was pretty solid altogether. Service was above average, and the staff were quite friendly. The beach was nice, and so was the pool. We spent a lot of time in the loby and it was a great place to relax. The food was better than I've had so far in cuba, but it's still not anything to write home about. The buffet was pretty similar every day, with either pork and chicken or pork and fish as the main attraction. Lots of rice, bread beans and vegetables to fill your plate. Fresh fruit w [... read more]as usually available, but the quality wasn't great. The deserts, however, were exceptional, as was the coffee at breakfast. The resort had a few issues; some of the washrooms were in a state of mild disrepair, and our room had its eccentricities. But we had hot water throughout and no power issues. Entertainment wasn't always our thing, but you have to respect that they made a solid effort. There was always something going on. There was a special Canadian cocktail hour... this was a little silly, I'd probably skip it if I were you, and the gala dinner at the buffet just ended up being the buffet with more pageantry. The lobby bar isn't super well designed, as it's difficult to queue up and often devolves into confusion. But if you hang out in the lobby long enough, someone will come and take your order. The cigar lounge was a bit expensive (15 USD for a basic cigar), but they poured you a nice glass of rum, and the guy who ran it was friendly. Overall we had a good time and if you're easy-going, you will too.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Great Resort

Had a fabulous time at this resort! Staff was exceptional (especially the pool staff, always willing to find you a chair), rooms were super clean and food was OK…remember - you're in Cuba ;) Will definitely return!!

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Not what I was expecting

Most amenities were closed. The hours stated for the gym opening, the store etc were always mixed matched never opened when they were suppose too. The Al a carte most of them were closed, toro was closed there were a bunch of features not running. There were major shortages and our room was never stocked. Not once in our whole vacation even after asking and tipping. They had almost no soda, no variety and the meals were terrible. I am not one to complain but it made our stay very hard. There [... read more] were a few staff members who were amazing. Very happy and polite. There were a few who were rude and would play favorites giving special treatment to some guests. The beach was amazing. One of the most beautiful. The pools were well maintain and also beautiful. I love Cuba and have been on other occasions and had a fantastic experience. This time me and my group felt under whelmed and disappointed with some features. Some of the issues reported by other guests in my party were issues with there rooms, not getting the rooms they paid for, rooms flooding, AC not working, not being stocked, unfriendly room attendants etc. It wasn't all bad but we were expecting more.

Melia Las Antillas: Needs update

The washrooms at the pool seldom worked the ones in the lobby also. Elevator not working, food on buffet was cold always,alacarte restaurant was good, Hotel needs complete freshen up it’s dated.People we’re very good and polite. Good service all around

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: great resort

grounds beach are all fine,found the buffets not as good as last year.. should not have mussells as main corse and then in several side dishes evidently batteries are in short supply for the shuttle carts,evidently other resorts have this problem

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: This resort was good and bad....

I travelled alone to the Grand Aston Varadero from Dec 25/25-Jan1/26. i found both good and bad during my stay at the Grand Aston. Beach- not so great- you have to climb up and down a hill of sand to get to the water, and there were several rocky areas. I only spent one beach day there, and the weather the last 2 days did not allow for beach swimming so that was it for the beach for me. The pool area was nice and the chairs were in much better shape than at the beach. Food/dining- They  [... read more]could not manage to keep the food in the buffet hot (air conditioning was part of the problem, maybe-it was always very cold in there. Lots of repetition- I never once saw bacon, and I was there every morning for breakfast. Omelettes were good. New Year's Eve dinner was quite good with turkey, pork, beef and lots of lobster! Service was close to terrible in the buffet. The kicker was on the first night. The young girl serving me was inattentive and she went as far as to hang out in the back corner, chatting with a co-worker, while she cleaned her fingernails. I found this disgusting and I went over and told her just that. A la cartes- I went to only two-the Japanese, where I ordered a curried pasta, which did not taste like curry at all. We waited about 30 minutes for dessert; it never came, so we left without leaving a tip. I worked 30 years in the service industry, and I tip well, but I just saw no justification for a tip for such poor food and service. And I have been to Cuba 14 times, so I know what to expect-this was unacceptable. The Cuban a la carte was much better. I found the sports bar at the end of my stay--they had amazing pizza and snacks; (you pay extra for it-but so worth it). Staff- Most of the other staff were friendly and accommodating. My chamber maid (Regla), was excellent and she went out of her way to make me comfortable, brought me extra hangers, and my room was always very clean. She really appreciated the gifts I left her each day, and wrote me a little note every day. The ladies at the coffee bar were also very good, very attentive no matter how busy they were. All in all, I would rate this resort as a 3-star. The hotel and grounds are kept beautifully; most of the staff are friendly; the location is okay. I was looking for a quiet vacation and it was quiet. I think the Selectum next door might be a better choice---I heard it was much better than the Grand Aston. I guess it depends on what you're looking for, so I hesitate to recommend most resorts. I, myself would not return to this resort.

Playa Punta Hicacos: Great hotel

Our hotel stay was great. The food at the buffet could have been a lot hotter than it was . However It was plentiful. With lots of fruits, vegetables, salads and desserts. I would definitely go back Carlos and your staff were all amazing !!

Blau Varadero: Worth it

We went from Toronto YYZ to Varadero on Sun Jan 11-18. We arrived super later due to delayed flight. We chose select. If you’re even thinking about choosing it, just do it. ARRIVAL: Front desk staff was excellent and spoke better English than a lot of current Canadians. They were fast, explained everything we needed to know and do, and got us to our room quickly. They continued to be helpful for the entire trip when needed. ROOM: Our room was clean, AC on and working great. Everything  [... read more]we needed. Water and beer and cola. 2 beds instead of a king so we pushed them together. They were a bit too firm for our liking but that is just personal preference. Doesn’t mean all the beds are this way. The room was updated. The bathroom was not, but it was clean and not disgusting. It was good. FOOD: This is Cuba. Although we had never been, I had done my research and listened to others who had travelled to this country. I set my expectations low. Firstly, there was always lots of food. Maybe not a wide variety, but you won’t starve. Every day seemed like the variety was becoming more and more. Breakfast- Large variety of food from cereal to omelets. They make the omelets and eggs right on the flat top grill in front of you. Toppings for the omelets include ham, onion, peppers, spinach, pineapple, peppers and sometimes other stuff. Fruit, bread(they had a toaster), eggs and even crepes or super thin pancakes. They had coffee and juice. There’s no traditional bacon or sausage like you would find at home. There’s diced hot dogs and possibly some kind of pork. Plenty of food but not an enormous variety. I had an omelet, a little bit of mashed potato and a couple pieces of hot dogs and was stuffed. Could have just had the omelet and been full. Just for reference I am 6’7” tall and not thin and love to eat. Lunch- Great buffet. Pretty good variety of food for Cuba. Pasta available every day with stuff to go in it as well(cheese, ham, onion, tomato, spinach, sometimes more). Fish, several kinds of pork, a few days beef and almost every day chicken. Veggies and fruit, bread, potatoes, salad. Quite a variety considering the country. There are also burgers. Now, these are not what you will be used to. They are more like sliders sized. But they are tasty. There was ketchup and mustard and mayo. All of them are not the same as you would buy in a grocery store. They had pastries for desert and even ice cream. Beach Bar Lunch- I just wanted to throw this in quickly before I forgot about it. There is a bar 100’ from the beach along the boardwalk where you can get lunch. Burgers and even fries. The only place on the resort I saw fries. Everything was great there. They have throwaway containers so you can take your lunch back to the beach. Super convenient. Grab lunch and a refill of booze and head back to the beach. After the scheduled lunch time, you can get ham and cheese sandwiches which they grill. After 4pm they have chicken available but I’m not sure for how long. They are not awesome. But, if you need a little filler in between meals or to soak up a little alcohol, they hit the spot. They are similar to a grilled cheese. Ketchup and mustard available. Dinner- The same kind of variety as expected. Pork, chicken, hotdogs and some nights fish. They had more and more beef as the week went by which was a nice surprise. Again they had the flat top grills going cooking chicken, fish or beef. One night they had lamb. Didn’t expect that. Pasta, bread, veggies, potatoes, pumpkin, some seafood, fruit and salad. Something that everyone needs to be aware of: The sooner you go to eat, the more variety there is. They run out of stuff because there is not lots of every single thing. Some things they have lots of. This applies specifically to the à la cartes. À la cartes- There are 2. International and Italian. The lunch buffet building by the pool is one of them and there is a separate building by the tennis courts for the other. Now, if you book a later dinner time, you might not have all the menu choices. We heard through people we met that this happened to them. Not a big menu. International was a beef plate, chicken plate or veggie plate. Came with an appetizer, piece of bread and a desert. We booked 7pm and had no issues. Others who booked later on had chicken available and one dessert option. The chicken was excellent at both restaurants. The Italian menu was similar with a pasta option I believe. If you book select, you get 2 à la cartes to start with the option of a third if it’s available. Not guaranteed. We didn’t even try to book a third one. We didn’t care. Buffet was great for us. Bars: There are 6 bars. Not all are open at the same time. Drinks are served differently sometimes from bar to bar. There is an actual bar on the beach which is super convenient and then the beach bar and bathrooms 100’ away. There is one bar only for select guests. The Quiet bar. It’s off to the side of the pool a bit. Has indoor and outdoor sitting areas. Better quality alcohol and more variety along with some chips, olives and nuts to snack on. There is a coffee bar. I’m not a variety coffee guy so I can’t really critique it. They gave me a cup with coffee in it and it woke me up as coffee should. Espresso, cappuccino, Irish, americano, cafe mocha. Maybe one or two that I just can’t remember. Open 7-5 which is great for that mid afternoon grogginess that creeps up sometimes. A few pastries available also while they last. Overall cleanliness: This resort is clean. There are workers going at it 24/7. We arrived at 1am and did a quick tour before bed and there were people working at 2am. Bathrooms are clean and taken care of. Did not see one clogged toilet. Don’t flush toilet paper. Many bathrooms in convenient spots. Staff: Super friendly, super polite. Down to earth people just trying to do their job and keep everyone happy. There is a bit of a language barrier sometimes. Not always. Learn a bit of Spanish, even just a few words here and there to make communication easier. You can always look up anything on your phone. Wifi: It’s ok. It’s not awesome and it’s not garbage. If you want to scroll Facebook all day, no problem. If you want to upload video reviews of resorts you may have issues. You may need a vpn to access some apps. I downloaded songs and watched videos with almost no issues. Wifi works great in the hotel and around the pool. Pool: One pool. It’s fairly big. It’s clean. Seating fills up fairly quickly like every other resort. I did notice however, the seats were filled all the time. No empty seats with a towel holding it for someone for hours and hours. The Beach: What you are really in Cuba for. It doesn’t disappoint. It’s huge. Long and wide. Lots of seating. A large area for select guests. Beds to rent for regular guests and beds for the select guests. The water is warm. The sand is powder. It is paradise. The colour of the water is the same as all the advertising pictures or videos you’ve ever seen. Clean and tidy and like I said before, it even has its own bar. Vendors do come to the beach but they stay down near the water and are not super pushy. There is a quad that bogeys down the beach that can make you a drink out of a pineapple along with the pieces of pineapple they carve out to make room for the drink. Blau beach area(in the water and land) is all sand. No rocks or coral reefs. We walk partway towards the end of the strip along the beach and Blau has a far far superior beach setup and section. Entertainment: There is always something going on. There is a schedule on the wall of the first floor by the one elevator that is probably 10’ long with hourly activities and nightly activities. Yoga by the beach or pool, dancing by the beach or pool, ring toss game, bocce ball, archery, pool tables, ping pong tables, badminton, pool volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, basketball and I’m sure I’m missing some. Pool foam party on Fridays at 4pm. There is a sauna and hot tub. A gym, a doctor and a pharmacy. There are 2 stores. A few clothes and soaps/shampoo and meds in one and cigars in the other. Nightly entertainment starts at around 9:30. They have a stage. Dancing, quiz night and magic shows, white night, Canadian night and Cuban night. There is an area called the piano room. It has a bar that is not really open until the evening. A singer who was excellent. Very talented. And sometimes someone will play the piano with her who was also very skilled. Very adaptable with the genre of music. Can play/sing old and new songs. Convenient for all ages. Late night disco every night at 11:30pm on the beach. Some things I’ve seen in reviews that perhaps need some clarification. The main bar is indoors on the first floor and you can smoke at the tables all around it and at the bar. I’m a smoker but I understand this bugs people. It’s Cuba. It’s a smoking country. There are sections where there is no smoking. The piano bar and the central lobby area with all sorts of seating. The piano bar area has an outdoor smoking area. This place is wheel chair accessible for the most part. Two sets of 2 elevators and ramps where needed. You will not be able to navigate the beach in a wheelchair but you will be able to come to it on the boardwalk. I would highly recommend this resort. Even people on our bus to the airport including the bus guide spoke highly of this resort (and a couple others I Airport to hotel was 40 minutes(ish). You have to drop off others at resorts. Hotel is about halfway up the peninsula.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Perfect Family Vacation - Kids Loved Every Moment!

We just returned from the most wonderful family vacation at Grand Aston Cayo Paredón Beach Resort, and our daughter had the time of her life! This resort is absolutely perfect for families. Our daughter was entertained from morning to night. The kids' activities were incredibly well-organized with the animation team always ready to engage with the children. She made new friends, participated in beach games, enjoyed the pool activities, and attended the evening shows which she absolutely loved [... read more]. We didn't have to worry about her for a second - the staff was always watching out for the kids' safety and having fun with them. The family rooms were spacious and comfortable, giving us plenty of space. The multiple pools meant no long waits, and the beach was pristine and perfect for families. The food was kid-friendly with options that our daughter actually wanted to eat, unlike some resorts. The staff remembered her name by day two and made her feel special. The parents appreciated the ability to relax knowing the kids were safe and happy. We could enjoy a quiet dinner while the kids were at the kids' club, or we could join activities as a family. The flexibility was perfect. Our daughter is already asking when we can go back! This is the type of resort where the whole family has an amazing experience - kids are happy, parents are relaxed, and everyone leaves with unforgettable memories. Highly recommended for families with children of all ages!

Valentin Perla Blanca: Amazing Resort

The grounds are beautiful! The staff was amazingly helpful. Staff looked after us like royalty! Room was always spotless and cleaned everyday. And we always had toilet paper. Food was very good for Cuban standards

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Amazing

Just recently stayed at the resort and our group was impressed. The rooms are a little dated especially washrooms but we went to enjoy the weather not the washrooms ?. The grounds are very well kept, pools are clean and the staff was super friendly. The food was what we expected in Cuba but you will not go hungry. Overall we had a spectacular time and definitely will be going back

Melia Trinidad Peninsula: Excellent value!

Hotel is new and kept in tip top shape. Comon area floors are swept and mopped daily. Rooms are big and clean. Landscaping is also top notch. Food is very good for Cuban standards. Great snorkeling! All staff is very friendly and attentive.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Watch out!!!

This hotel. Well I'm not one to generally complain about things I usually go with the flow and find fun almost anywhere. However I must say something when it needs to be said. The hotel staff were nice and friendly as always like Cubans generally are. Drinks flowed greatly and the beach was fine along with the ocean. The food was, well... "It's Cuba" as they say, but selections are getting limited. Quickly. Fresh pasted only showed up on day 5 of 7. However...WATCH OUT!!!! Room  [... read more]37314, for sure had bed bugs and I was bit many times. I wasn't aware it was bed bugs until I got home and had it confirmed by the doctor. I just assumed it was mosquito bites, but to be honest there was just too many bites to be consistent with mosquitos. Sadly .... At least in this room, my room and the bed closest to the balcony, there are bed bugs. If you travel to this resort do not stay in room 37314 and be aware that sadly Cuba is sliding down hill. There could be more rooms with bed bugs. It's too bad the Cuba government isn't stepping in and helping themselves and their people. The people of Cuba need their government to step up. I love Cuba, been there 10-times, but it is getting worse each time. And it could be my last trip to Cuba.

Sanctuary White Sands: Go!

Sanctuary White Sands, was good! We had a Little problem with our room, but our butler Dailin was on it and made things great. People complain about the food, but my experience was super. Lots of variety, great attention and good quality. Cubain food is NOT spicy. If you want spicy bring a few items. Like tajin, hot sauce. But you certainly can’t say the food was bad or lacking. Because it was the opposite!

Tryp Cayo Coco: Not much support

Booked and paid in FULL in June/July---get to resort, wrong room. Hotel did take care of that. They the day to fly home get 4 different delay messages then flight cancelation --Next day get notice of flight at 9PM then 3-4 other "delay" messages and at one point had us flying to Toronto then flip to Ottawa . Had to Pay $100 for baggage as the fees already paid referred to cancelled flight ?? The extra we paid to pick seats ($47-i think) again referred to the cancelled flight , so seats moved tw [... read more]ice. Then an extra $52 for parking. Contact West Jet which send a email saying "if booked through an agency THEY must put in claim for disruption for "passengers rights" Contact Trip Central and get told, sorry we can do nothing contact West Jet Other than that GREAT TRIP and would recommend this resort to anybody--they treat you amazing. Food was great---beach is amazing

Starfish Cuatro Palmas: Another great Cuba experience

2nd time staying at this resort and it was even better this time. Great location in town, very central to everything and easy to get a scooter rental a couple of blocks away. Pharmacy right across the road is handy too. The staff is awesome, the property is a good size and easy to get to everything. Highly recommend.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Awesome

I was in unit 30 and had no issues. Clean towels, garbage taken every day. Water, beer and sprite left daily. The butler was visible frequently throughout the day and was very eager to assist. Grounds were beautiful. The beach and pools were fantastic. Everything was clean. Staff were polite and helpful. I am allergic to peppers and still found plenty to eat.