Definitely not a 4+ star!

We stayed here for 14 days from Apr 26th, 2018 - May 10th, 2018. The property is in a beautiful spot, and the grounds are kept up well. The rooms are not cleaned properly. The bedsheets in our room were changed after 3 days at the resort and never again. The toilet was never cleaned (by the hotel staff). The floor was mopped and the bed was made every day. We saw the woman behind the bar wipe the top of the garbage can off with a cloth and then use the same cloth to clean the bar! The cooks wo [... read more]uld drop something on the counter, and just grab it with their fingers and throw it into the buffet bowl. The buffet is about half the size that it should be for the amount of people at the resort. Being Cuba, I didn't expect good food. That is very true. I have definitely had my share of chicken and rice. We did not spend any time at the pools, as it seemed to be a big party all the time. Not really our thing. A few of the staff at the resort really stood out as great hosts. Of course its not hard to stand out when the rest of them are just plain rude and constantly seem to be very annoyed that you have a question or request. The coffee is not very good at all. If you want a decent caffeine drink order an espresso with milk. They were great. Everything in Cuba is very expensive. It will even cost you a CUC to use the washroom at the airport! The ocean was rough the entire time (probably just the time of year) and there were very few fish to see while snorkeling. As with anywhere, go early and put a towel on a chair at the beach or pool. While fishing on the rocks one morning, a grounds keeper started fishing next to me and told me very aggressively to leave. I did not and luckily nothing happened. We did an excursion to the Bay of Pigs for some snorkeling. Excellent trip. It cost 56 CUC each and we had to stop at a croc farm on the way. The croc farm was very lame, but worth the trip to Bay of Pigs. We also hired a guide and driver in a classic car to go to Havana for the day. Our guide, Fernando, was extremely knowledgeable of Havana and the history. That trip cost 75 CUC each and was worth the trip. We saw and learned a ton about the country. Overall, we relaxed on the beach and got away from our busy lives for awhile, so a success. We will not be going back to this resort, we would not recommend it, and we will not be going back to Varadero.

A little disappointed

Expected more after reading the star rating. My husband and I always enjoy Cuba beaches, but this was overcrowded and not enough shade. Also, disappointed that there was only one large pool for the amount of people. We found favoritism, if you pay big bucks you will get better drinks. I found some areas where they served water down wine. Will choose another resort next time.

AMAZING!

The hotel was beautiful, the rooms were perfect, the pool was great, the beaches were a bit far (the larger one) and the small beach was quite tiny and so much seaweed which was a little disappointing. We thought that would be cleaned up daily. The food was much better than expected. The staff was friendly and we had a great time. We will recommend this resort to everyone!

Great Resort

The resort was very clean, service was okay. I didn’t find the entertainment that great and the lobby music was rather sleepy. Would like to have had the option for a little upbeat music and a dancing!

What a week!

I’ve been to Cuba many times and this was without a doubt the best resort I’ve been to. Beaches: amazing. I don’t even know where to start! Rooms: They’re very nice for Cuba. The showers are the best part. Entertainment: Amazing. The shows were great every night. Food/drinks: Good for Cuba! They had many lunch options (main buffet, pool BBQ, beach buffet, snacks in the coffee shop) The sit down restaurants were our choice every night for dinner. And the snack bar was always good lat [... read more]e at night. Staff: Always great in Cuba. Especially the bartenders! Other: The coffee shop there is a must see!! We also got an amazing deal for a park and fly hotel through tripcentral and that made everything a lot easier. Overall it was a great trip and we would definitely come back!

Good and bad

Hotel was clean, modern and in good shape. Food was good, main pool service was good as well as alcarte restaurants and maid service. Did not like where the lobby was located, seemed distant from the rest of hotel. Lack of entertainment nightly except for shows, little in way of music. Lobby bar service and buffet service non existent. Serve yourself or flag them down for a drink. Very poor unfriendly service, compared to service in Cayo Santa Maria. Been to Cuba a dozen times and feel service [... read more] here lacking. No alcholol served at beach bar when we arrived at 3 am only pop. Lobby check in poor, no lights on very dark, could not see where we were signing, even after told her she did not turn on a light. Overall I would rate our experience a 7 put of 10.

It was a great resort

the hotel was great the service was very good the food was soso but overall it was a very good resort and the beach was great the pool was good the rooms where clean but did not find there was enough entertainment going on and not to many restaurants ala cart to eat at overall it was a pretty good resort i would go back

Good resort worth the money

Facility was in good condition. Clean and well maintained. Only facility issue was the shower. The water temperature was either hot or hotter, no matter how much adjustment. Food was ok at best. Lots of variety but so so quality. Air conditioning was excellent. Worked great and was the most quiet I’ve experienced. Pool was good, but the color was green, weird by design. Staff were ok overall. Some gave great service some were poor. Bell boy was way to obvious looking for a tip, even though he  [... read more]didn’t take our bags to the room. Excursion to Havana (one day excursion) was disappointing. Too much guide talking and not enough seeing. The stop at the citadel was just an opportunity to expose use to vendors. Also didn’t visit the market as advertised. Sunwing flight was delayed going out, but sunwing made up for it.

Pretty good stay

We liked the resort the food wasn't bad but the front desk staff was very rude the rest of the staff throughout the whole resort were 👍 the Italian ala carte was the best Blue Moon also good never did get to the seafood place

Fantastic resort and Awesome Staff

Just got back from spending a spectacular week at the Ocean Vista. First of all Thank you Amanda! Booking with you was very smooth and excellent. Our check in was very easy and the rooms were modern and clean. Service was perfect and the people were so friendly and treated us excellent. Our maid Raquel was the best, she always came to say hi in the morning and check to see if we needed anything extra. The entertainment staff went above and beyond to make our stay most enjoyable. Milton alway [... read more]s made sure to come and say hi and to see how things were.The shows at night are excellent. We also enjoyed the music entertainment at the Lobby bar at night before the show. Loved everyone at the pool bar, where we had the best time. Henry Ernesto, Livia, Mayrelin, Yos and Yeni, You guys were so much fun!! Lobby has an amazing view which overlooks the infinity pool and the seafront. Both beaches were beautiful and the lunch buffet at the small beach was amazing as well as the people there. Loved getting to know Rachel-(such a sweetheart) Staff at the buffet are also very nice, there was always a good variety to choose from. I looked forward to my omelette in the mornings just to see Erlennys( she made my morning with that big beautiful smile. We visited all the à la cartes and enjoyed them very much too. We also enjoyed our daily visit to Mike's cafe, the girls there are so friendly. Cant forget our new friends at the Theatre Bar Mirunga, Alejandro,Neston and Adonis. They went above and beyond everyday to make our stay that much more enjoyable. Really enjoyed getting to know them. Lastly we can't forget the groundskeepers who worked hard everyday to make it look spectacular . Cant wait to go back next year!

Beautiful Resort

No regrets booking this beautiful resort. The staff are amazing, especially the pool bar, as well as the buffet. Always greeted with a big smile, or a high five. Food was very good for Cuba, the resort was very clean, and easy to navigate. I would return in a heartbeat. 😎

Something for everyone

This fairly new resort is a well represented 4 star with all the amenities to make me want to return again. The food was plentiful and tasty. Beds were not hard. Staff were energetic and helpful. I enjoyed the nightly entertainment in the lobby & theatre, but everything quieted down around 11pm. (I think a bus took partiers to a bar/disco close by.) Our pre-arranged ground floor room request was granted and the walk-in shower was beneficial for ease of access. There was a mix of young and o [... read more]ld with a separate wading pool for kids. You could choose from two beautiful beaches with kayak use at one. There was a money exchange at the hotel lobby to buy wifi cards ( 1 CUC peso for 1 hour) or cigars/rum.

Great Time

This was my 4th or 5th time to Cuba but my 1st time at Ocean Vista Azul. The resort was clean, the rooms were clean, the staff very friendly, the grounds are well maintained everyday. The restaurants had great food and the buffet was good. I have always said "if you are a picky eater you may not like Cuba". The swim up bar staff were amazing and the entertainment staff were great! We had met people that had been to this resort a couple of times, to me that is a good sign. I would go back t [... read more]o Ocean Vista Azul!

Ocean Vista Azul

We stayed here from Feb 28, 2018 – Mar 7, 2018. Although Ocean Vista Azul is rated a 5 star and is a beautiful resort is does not come without some cons and I would have to say it is shy of 5 stars. With that being said, the Pros certainly outweigh to Cons. We booked with the Privilege upgrade and sometimes questioned if it was worth it but decided if we hadn’t booked the Privilege we may not have enjoyed this stay as much as we did. The staff at the Privilege Lounge (Maikel and Milai [... read more]nie (Lala)) and (Jovan and Andenada ??) and the staff at the Privilege restaurant- Neptune (Maite and Katia) you made the Privilege upgrade so very worth it and should be recognized for your excellence in service. However, that is where the cost of the Privilege ends. Our appointed Privilege Service guy/butler, Yadil left a lot to be desired. Upon arrival, one of our keycards did not work and he was going to get us another one but never did. We eventually got it ourselves later in the week. One day I called down to speak to Yadil and he wasn’t at his desk but I left a message to call us. When I finally went down to speak to him he said I just called you 3 seconds ago…not realizing that my wife was still in the room….he lied and had never called. Guest services and especially Privilege guest services need to take lessons from the staff in their Privilege Lounge and Privilege Restaurant. I can not say enough about how great of service we received from Maikel, Milainie, Jovan, Andenada, Maite & Kaitia....Thank you again! The rooms are very modern, clean and spacious but as for paying Privilege and getting a room that looked out over a construction zone AND continued construction well past sundown (10:30 PM one night) not to mention the constant traffic in and out of the resort beginning early and continued into the night, this is not what I consider a Privilege room but thank goodness for earplugs. Our room was also very well attended by Yanerris! She was not only a great towel sculpture maker but her cleaning was superb and she is very friendly too. Thank you Yanerris for you outstanding service!!! Her bright smile and greetings made you feel special. The infinity pool was amazing. It is such a beautiful place to be during the day even though it was a bit cold to swim in. Generally there was scattered seating at the infinity pool until about 10. The beaches, although very beautiful were a bit of a hike to get to. The smaller beach which is closer has a restaurant near it and quieter. The larger beach was a bit far but that is where all the “Beach” activities and sports takes place. The main pool was a very nice pool set up to please both adults and young. One end had the swim up bar and also the pool restaurant that served hamburgers, hotdogs and fries etc. Good food but very busy. The side set up for the kids has an inflatable slide that we also saw a few adults taking part in the fun. There is also a gift shop near the pool....but good luck shopping there as it is the favorite place for the "Lifeguards" to hang and never mind them while you are trying to look at what the shop has to offer because they are not moving out of your way! The evening entertainment in the lobby was good but very low keyed entertainment and after dinner brought on a slumber feeling when waiting for the shows to start. Maybe introduce some upbeat entertainment like the 3 violin players….they were VERY good! Your human statues are also quite entertaining!! For those interested in taking a day trip into Varadero you will need to walk to the bus stop off of the property and down the road a bit or there is always a plentiful selection of cabs to take and some being your beautiful vintage cars. Also, for those interested in going to Havana for the day….look outside of your Tour Bus group tours and go for the Private Tours instead. We took a Private tour with I Love Cuba Photo tour with Yosel and it was the best tour ever. You can provide them with a SD card and they will photograph you whole day. Best Tour Ever....Thanks again Yosel!! Overall, a very pleasant stay at a beautiful resort. All things considered, yes, we would visit this resort again and now know the things to take into consideration when staying.

Very nice resort

The staff was amazing. The hotel room had no working hairdryer but I had brought my own-so no big deal We had quite the time trying to get the correct water temperature in the shower but we figured that out eventually lol so we have a very funny memory for sure! Blonde moments lol The pool was great and swim up bar areas were fabulous- despite the down time due to something breaking and needed fixing the hotel did an amazing job of going to plan B. Really great food and servers. Entertaining eve [... read more]nings and afternoon music with lots of really great musicians. All smiles everyday all day...great beaches and views. The People of Cuba are proud people and I felt privileged to see and share their home.

Fantastic Experience

A lovely, inviting hotel with great service and entertainment. The privilege lounge/bar was one of our favourite after dinner hangouts! The restaurants were great and they happily accommodated my son's peanut allergy. Our family would happily return!

Good quality resort

I can only say positive things about my stay at Ocean Vista. The food was good, it was clean, the staff were friendly and accomadating. The beach was beautiful. I would recommend this resort to my friends and family.

Ocean Vista Azul

We stayed at the Ocean Vista Azul in Varadero, Cuba from March 1st - March 8th. Upon our arrival we were warmly welcomed by the front lobby staff. The lobby, is kept very clean at all times, is brightly lit and overall is a nice, welcoming large space, with plenty of comfortable seating, which also offers live music in the evening. We were checked in promptly and our luggage was taken to our room. We opted for the "privileged" package, which afforded us all of the resort's amenities. We were tak [... read more]en on a quick tour and rundown of what our package had to offer us and were then shown our ocean front view room. Our room was very clean, modern and kept in good repair. Our view of the ocean was absolutely magnificent! The room boasts a nice king size bed, with plenty of extra pillows, a flat screen TV and comfortable seating. We always had hot water for showering and the bathroom was nice and spacious. Our Maid Service was on point and we were always happy to see something fun and unique made for us from our bath towels and fresh flowers. The entertainment was lively and creative and the entertainers were interactive, outgoing and fun. The infinity pool is lovely and the view of the ocean from it is beautiful. The Wait Staff would often ask us if we needed refreshments while lounging by the pool. The larger pool was great; very spacious, with plenty of spaces to find a place to lounge and relax. Pool side activities at the larger pool area were always hopping, interactive and fun. The snack bar located at the larger pool, would regularly run out of fries, but would always try to substitute with something else. The food... (this is everyone's worst fear of going to Cuba lol) but rest assured we always had plenty of options to choose from. With our package we had the option of dining at all of the a la carte restaurants; our first dinner was at Limoncello, which is their Italian restaurant. The antipasto was tasty, which we had before our meal. Both my husband and I ordered very simple pasta dishes from the menu, we were both underwhelmed with our dishes; as they lacked seasoning and flavor, but on the plus side they were fresh and hot and the service was great. Our next a la carte dining experience was at Neptune's restaurant; we both had the Cuban rock lobster tails and they were delicious! We enjoyed every bite and again, the service was on point. Our last a la carte was at the Blue Moon restaurant; unfortunately I can't tell you how the food was because after waiting over an hour and 20 mins for our entree's; with our water only being refilled once, we decided to leave the restaurant and hit the buffet. As for the buffet; The fish grill was great, with a few choices to choose from, it was always fresh and tasty. The meat grill was very good as well, boasting many different meat options and everything was seasoned nicely and was always very fresh. There was a fresh pasta station, which when prepared properly was very enjoyable. There was plenty of freshly baked breads, the antipasto options were great and there was always a nice variety of fresh vegetables. All of the Wait Staff in the Buffet were warm, friendly and attentive. For breakfast we were able to order room service which needs to be booked the evening before. Our first room service experience was great, we got exactly what we ordered and right on time; everything was hot and fresh. However, the next time we ordered room service our order was not submitted and when we called in the morning to confirm our order, I was hung up on 3 times. So we opted for Neptune's a la carte for breakfast instead; which was always good. Fresh omelettes, bacon, coissants, fruits etc. Sadly, our last room service experience was again not that great; our order again was misplaced, but I was determined to get it lol - however, when it arrived an hour late, it was cold and unsatisfactory. In choosing the privileged package, premium drinks and spirits were included. We had a large variety to choose from. One thing I will say about the privileged bar; is that it is so dimly lit inside and out, that it made it feel like it was always closed. So unfortunately that cramped the ambiance for us. We would even ask if they were closed, or just about to close. The beach; it's absolutely beautiful, clean, plenty of loungers available and the water is crystal clear! Plenty of things to do; snorkeling, catamaran and beach side fun activities with the staff. Overall I would highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing and fun time away! Definitely not a party type resort; but most definitely a relaxing and enjoyable place to be!

New, Clean and Comfortable

The Ocean Vista Azul (OVA) is a new resort (local folks said the second last to be opened at Veradaro). The rooms are lovely, large, and welcoming with a spacious bathroom and shower. I had the king-bed and and the supplied pillows were firm and comfortable enough for a 100 kg. male. The pools were clean and the water temperature was cool enough to refresh. The resort sits on a rocky cliff so you need to walk a few yards left or about 50 yards right to access either beach which are shared wi [... read more]th other resorts. The main beach for the resort is to the right, and is deep, with lovely white sand. Lounge chairs were available even after breakfast at both the beach and the pool. After dinner, travel up to the lounge for live music and a nightcap. Staff in all cases were polite and welcoming. Real coffee (not syrup) and lots of rum. Was OVA perfect? No. Friends had problems with getting the water temperature in the rooms correct (first cold, then way too hot). Not everyone working the bar or espresso machine knew what they were doing - training needed. The food was OK: fresh (locally supplied), in good quantity and well prepared which is all I require. I have had better quality though, so if you are looking for a gourmet experience, this is not for you. In summary, OVA got nothing wrong and most things (all the important things) right. I would go back and would recommend it to others as a really good value.

Infinite Pool !!!

Loved: - Our room/location of the hotel (close to the pirate cave for parties, and the city centre) - The grounds were well maintained and the resort was not too big - Beaches (small beach and big beach both beautiful, plenty of chairs, activities mostly on the bigger beach which was a bit of a walk but well worth it cuz of free snorkelling, paddle boating, kayaking etc.) - The infinite pool was honestly breathe taking, and surprisingly not too congested with swimmers (...amazing spot to ta [... read more]ke pictures!) Did not love: - The food both in the buffet and a la carte dinners (no seasoning, cold, over cooked etc.) snack bar food was great though! - Drinks (stuck to my lemonade with vodka cuz the sex on the beach at this resort was too bitter, and the pina coladas tasted like powder mix more than I liked it to) - A la carte experience in general was a headache (no reservations unless you pay for premium package) and the restaurants (especially the good ones) were always full quickly Recommendation: - Catamaran (Cayo Blanco Plus): 8 hours of boating, snorkling in the middle of the ocean, interacting with dolphins, lunch and free time at Cayo Blanco beach and more partying on the boat all the way to shore - Cuevos Los Pirates (Pirate Cave): 10 CUC to get in, party gets going around midnight, reasonably priced drinks, amazing show at 11pm-ish (better than the ones on resort) - Double decker busses: $5 CUC for a day pass, bus travels to the city centre of Varadero where the markets, restaurants, medical centre and banks are located