Amazing Resort

First time to Cuba and this resort. The resort and staff are top notch. Food could be better but it is Cuba. Great beach and no peddlers to have to chase away. Great experience overall. Would definitely go there again.

Great resort

The hotel's staff is great, grounds are beautiful and food is good. The hotel does need repairs as it is older. They did take until the day before we left to replace our shower nozzle, because there was hardly any water coming out of ours.

Go for the beach!

I'd been to Cuba twice before (including during the early 90s when the economy was at its worst), so my expectations were realistic (low). My agent had requested a quiet room for us, away from the disco. We were given room G154 and our friends had G254 (straight above us). The upper floor has a view of the ocean whereas the lower floor doesn't. The room had an odd layout in that it had an extra room with a couch, bar fridge, and closet - and that's it. Maybe it's meant to be a party room? The ba [... read more]throom was small but sufficient. We had two double beds with 3 (?) long flat pillows in total. The location was great - close to the beach, lobby, and pool. Our maid was great and showed a sense of humour with her towel art. She wasn't able to replace the cola in the bar fridge with diet cola for some reason (said it was not possible, even though there's diet cola all over the resort). She provided extra bottled water upon request (which we needed because I had read the water wasn't filtered so didn't drink any unless from a bottle). Of note - our return flight home was very late but check-out is at noon; we were given a room to shower and change in before we left (which was great), but I will say that I would've flipped had I been staying in one of those rooms (404, in the same building as the Italian restaurant) - although the layout was good and the bathroom bright and spacious, the musty smell was overwhelming. I noticed no smell in our own room - and even my clothes didn't smell musty when I took them out of the suitcase when I got home. Also notable - our room had both 220 voltage and 110 voltage, so no adapter was required. Room 404 (and presumably the other rooms in that building) had only 220 voltage. Remember to bring facecloths, as they are non-existent at the resort. Wifi - you can buy a wifi card for 2 CUC which buys you one hour (that you can use whenever). However, wifi is available only in the lobby and pool area. For a brief stint of our trip, there was no internet service at all (from the evening until the next afternoon). So, warn your loved ones in advance that if you disappear it's likely due to lack of service! Also note that sometimes the wifi card code doesn't work, and you won't get a replacement or refund. My friend and I also are not convinced that the cards provided a whole hour of service (seemed more like 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the card). But again, the cards are still way cheaper than getting set up with a roaming plan from home. Buying a card was sometimes a good way to get change, as 1 CUC is scarce (often got back a bunch of quarters if asking for 1s - this is not a resort issue but a Cuban issue we were told by our Transat rep). There is one pool that is seldom used, although staff tries its best to drum up participatory entertainment during scheduled parts of the day. It's a good place to cool off after you've had too much sun at the beach and can't find shade. Note that beach towels can be difficult to replace - the "clubhouse" is often closed and sometimes is out of towels. Food - the buffet is open for three meals/day and has enough of a selection that you won't go hungry. There is nothing there to rave about, though, except the bread - delicious. I'd recommend making yourself a sandwich (using the bread at the bread bar and not the buns at the sandwich bar) and accompanying it with a bowl of soup (we liked the cream of tomato if we added a bit of salt). The egg salad was our sandwich of choice. If you have a sweet tooth, you won't satisfy it here, despite all the sweet-looking desserts. Also note that there is not a french fry to be found at this resort (which isn't a bad thing). We didn't think the Cuban restaurant was all that great (although others we met thought it was), and likewise for the Italian restaurant (again, others really enjoyed). It's a nice change from the buffet, though, and definitely half decent. It's a drag that reservations are taken only between 3:30 and 5:00 in the piano bar, but you can book several days in a row. Our Transat rep recommended a restaurant in Varadero (Varadero 60) and described it as being in a person's home with top of the line cuisine. We thought it would be quaint to dine in a Cuban's home and to eat their gourmet food. However, it turned out to be a regular "fancy" restaurant (and not cheap). Moreover, 3 of 4 of us in our group had upset stomachs through the night and into the next day (can't be sure of the connection, though). From there, we went to The Beatles Bar which was also recommended by our rep. It was a fun time, but the band we watched had three different lead singers and sang hard rock (only 1 Beatles tune) - it was a nostalgic trip to the 70s though (or thereabouts!). The cab ride from the resort to the city is an event in and of itself. We took three cabs the one night and only one cab was equipped with seatbelts. The best cab driver we had was named Ernesto (although he may tell you his name is Al Capone) - he's a young guy who likes to have fun. Drinks - I'm a red wine drinker and had read on this site that the wine was undrinkable. So, I brought $60 worth of cheap wine with me, only to learn that the resort wine was better than the wine I'd brought. I gave away my wine as gifts. I didn't think the sparkling white wine was very good, though, and I didn't try the white wine (although my friend drank plenty of it). For entertainment - such as it was - we would gather around the piano in the piano bar and have a sing-song. The talents of the sax player and piano player are outstanding. Gift shop - you can buy trinkets and WAY overpriced chips and suntan lotion - so bring those goodies yourself! The very, very best part of this resort is the beach! Gorgeous, clear blue water with soft sand. You can walk a long distance and still be above water. Paddle boating and kayaking are included - we did both and really enjoyed it. My friends went snorkeling (for $20 CUC each) and enjoyed that as well as the catamaran ride to get there. Never had any trouble getting a lounger. You will not be disappointed in the beach! (I did get a ton of bites, but not sure from what or how to prevent.) So overall, the place was dated but clean enough, the food was repetitive but edible and sometimes quite good (lobster tail at the buffet Friday nights for those of you who like lobster), the pool was nice and never crowded, and the beach was amazing. This is a smaller resort with an older crowd (and awesome that it's 14+ years only). I would go back - although I think $1735 was a lot to pay (the downside of going over March Break - March 12 - 19) compared to what you could get in Mexico for the same price (but I far prefer Cuba over Mexico). Hope this review was helpful!

Totally adequate

A decent layout with one pool and the usual Varadero lovely sandy beach. Plenty of chairs in both places. A slightly hidden jacuzzi that actually works was very pleasant. The food here and elsewhere in Cuba is improving all the time. There was always enough good food for most tastes. Some of the staff were a little less friendly than in past years. The WiFi cards one can purchase for 2 CUCs per hour didn't always work which I found a bit frustrating. For me, the most irritating thing was the unn [... read more]ecessarily loud music and shouting by the staff trying to get people to participate in various events. Most people seemed to want to relax and not be aurally pounded into submission.

Two years - two enjoyable trips!

My husband and I stayed at Breezes the last two years (during the Ontario March Break) along with two other couples. Having been to Cuba 10 times, I can safely say that the weather is always fantastic at this time of year. Two years ago we stayed in the Junior Suites and this year we stayed in the Gardenview suites. The Gardenview suites were definitely nicer and we had a great location in E block just around the corner from the pool and the buffet. The resort isn't too big though so you really  [... read more]aren't to far from anything. The Junior Suites are in the same building as the disco although the noise from the neighbouring resort is actually worse than the Breezes' disco. The food was pretty good. There seemed to be plenty to choose from, few line ups, and lots of good choices on the grill. We also enjoyed the a la cartes as well as the Air Transat dinner. The omelette line moved quickly in the morning and overall I would say that the food in Cuba improves each year. I think with any buffet you need to be careful what you eat but none of the six of us were sick and we had more than enough healthy foods to choose from. The beach is amazing! The water was a bit cooler than I remember from last year but still very nice to swim in. You do not need any beach shoes in this area. We went snorkelling right off the beach and saw a few fish, including a large barracuda, as well as some neat shells, etc. For about 20 CUC's (perhaps negotiable - we didn't go) you can get a cataraman ride further out to snorkel along the reef. If you enjoy walking the beach, you can walk safely for miles. The resort also purchased brand new beach chairs since last year. There was some damage to the shade huts from last year as there didn't seem to be as many. We were told that there was a storm a few months ago and some of them were ripped out. The beach volleyball court was also no longer on the beach. It was in behind the dune line but they were planning to move it back to the beach eventually. It too was damaged in the storm. In the evening we enjoyed some of the shows and hanging out at the lobby bar. We especially enjoyed singing along at the piano and on Karaoke nights. The tennis court(s?) looked nice as did the basketball court but we didn't try them out. We would go back to this resort! We had a great time!

Wonderful week at Breezes

We were two couples travelling to Breezes, we had a fantastic time, the beach is beautiful, the staff is friendly. We really enjoyed the piano bar and visit the coffee bar every day. We look forward to coming back soon.

Breathtaking beach!

Wonderful beachfront. Beautiful sand - no rocks, no seaweed. Clean all the way out. Accommodations were decent. Air conditioning was good. Maid service excellent. Food was average. Buffet had no variety from day to day. Of the specialty restaurants, the Italian was the only one worth doing.

For the most part - very satisfactory

This is my fifth stay at this resort - beautiful grounds, beach, food at buffet, junior suites. Where it falls short: Needs a more efficient system to provide requested rooms; better bathroom odor; general room-cleaning could be better.

Relaxing & quiet

Nice resort, grounds very well kept, clean. It is a little dated, the rooms were clean. On our first day the air conditioning was not working and we requested a move to another room which they accommodated. It is hit and miss on the hot water. As mentioned, the rooms are a little dated, but hey, you are only in there to sleep. The staff is very pleasant and accommodating. We were told the food is not top notch and this is true; however, it is okay. We only saw one night of entertainment, we went [... read more] to relax in a quiet resort and we did. The beach is spectacular!

Not so all inclusive

The good: The beach, the weather, and the people. The bad: The food. The ugly: power interruptions, hot water shortages, toilets backing up in the dining hall. Scuba and snorkelling NOT included & very expensive.

We had such a great time!

My husband and I had an excellent time at a good resort. It was our first trip to Cuba and it didn't disappoint. This resort is older than some, it's small, clean and has nice gardens. There are many repeat customers. You see the staff hugging people they've clearly been seeing on and off for years. We made some great connections with staff members while we were there too. Lots of great people on staff. The vacationers lean toward the older set. The 20 to 50 crowd was a smaller portion of the po [... read more]pulation. This made for a nice quiet resort in the evenings (we still partied at the lobby bar and disco so there's evening fun to be had if you want it). Our room was nice. The beach was great. Lots of pelicans. The food was better than we expected given reports of what food was like in Cuba. The only minor complaint was that sometimes the food in the hot trays at the buffet wasn't exactly hot. We visited all three a la carte restaurants. They were all a bit different but all decent. I enjoyed the Cuban one the most. The Italian one would probably be the closest to tasting like home. Make sure you have room for all the food they provide at this 4 course meal. The beach grill has hot dogs and hamburgers if you don't want to go up to the buffet at lunch. Who knew shredded cabbage was as good on a hamburger as lettuce? You can also sit on a shaded deck that has a great ocean view from there. Another bar with a hot tub also has a wonderful ocean view. There's a sandwich place in the lobby that opens at 5:00pm if you're hungry before the 7:00-7:30 dinner seating. I especially liked their chicken sandwich. You can get a fancy coffee (Spanish, Irish, Breezes etc.) at the coffee bar before you go to dinner. My husband went snorkeling. There's a reef not far from shore you can get to via catamaran. Lots of fish to see including barracuda. We did the historical Havana day trip. It was super informative and gave a good overview of the area and some important sites in Havana. A bit more time on the bus than I'd have liked but well worth the trip in to the city. We've been to other places that had more bells and whistles but I we had just as excellent a time at Superclub Breezes.

Okay resort

We just got back from Breezes. It is an older resort and rather tired rooms but they are kept very clean. The people are extremely friendly and very eager to help in any way. The food was very, very bland and I found a hard time finding something to eat that I liked except for breakfast which was very good. The other meals in the buffet were very, very unappetizing. The a la carte restaurants were very average. The Italian was okay but the Cuban restaurant was not. I ate a lot at the grill and t [... read more]he hotdogs and hamburgers and pizza were okay. I realize this is a very poor country but thought I would be able to find something to fill up on. I was hungry a good deal of the time. A word of caution when changing money at the front desk. Make sure you double check your money before you leave as we heard several stories of people being overcharged. One couple changed $200.00 twice and received only $100.00 pesos back. That is a charge of $100.00 for exchange. I also changed $155.00 and only received 78 pesos. The math doesn't add up and it is a total ripoff with no recourse.They will never tell you the exchange rate, only what they will give you. I have nothing good to say about our Air Transat rep there. She wasn't there half the time and when she was, she was only there to push tours and excursions on us.Not helpful at all!!! I would not go back...at least not in the next few years. Maybe if the Americans get there, things will greatly improve.

Great to escape winter

All facilities are close. No great distances to walk. Appealing pool. Interesting animation. Good shows every evening. Good meals, but after two weeks they may become repetitious. Still, great variety of food, likely to satisfy all.

Beautiful Resort

The resort was nice not to big, the grounds were kept and the staff are wonderful they try to do everything they can for you. The garden view suites were huge with two rooms and they were very clean. The beach is absolutely amazing with white powdery sand and NO seaweed. The whole resort is dated a little paint would go a long way. The only thing I can fault is the food it was repetitive and just not good. I would not go back there unless they do something about the food and if you go bring a lo [... read more]t of Imodium and pepto your gonna need it.

Beautiful people

Large, spacious condo type accommodations. Staff is amazing, so kind and helpful. Very clean, food was good. Location to beach only steps away, nice chaise lounges and sand groomed daily. Only drawback was that the hot tubs were not hot.

Not what I expected

Upon arriving to hotel we did not receive a warm welcome from front desk. We had friends meet us there and had been to their room. Informed us there were no coffee machine in room and beds were extremely hard, informed us to request a bed topper and a coffee machine. After 14 days we never receive the bed topper, coffee machine we were given didn't work. The room was clean, ocean view, the patio door was damaged with a piece of plywood in the glass section of door, by first week we had to call t [... read more]o have door fixed as it would not slide, a gentleman came up and put a silicone on but it really didn't work. We had a wonderful housekeeper, her name was Gloria. She spoke wonderful English, great personality and did a fantastic job. Every morning would go to buffet and stop and bar outside to get hot water and milk for team, depending who was working you could stand there for sometime to be waited on. But if Damarys was working always got a smile and quick service, buffet was awful with birds flying around and feeding off p,ages on tables or getting into dessert table or salad bar. I found that very disturbing.the food from week to week was repetitive. You could find something to eat but was usually cold. We ate lots of pasta as it was heated for you on the stop.cold cuts and cheese was left out not kept cool. Breads and buns were great. The beach was nice, but the weather was awful so we only walked it a few times. The bar by the gym was quiet and met some nice people and the bartender was exceptional. We did the Italian ala caret the most and the food and service was good. I know I sound like I am complaint but we travel every spring and this trip was my worst. Thank goodness our travel friends were there to help us through our two week stay.

Fantastic resort and staff!!!

I can't say enough good things about this place. The room was much bigger than I expected with a great balcony. The food was great and always fresh. The beach was fantastic. The best part was the staff though. They made the stay amazing.

Average

With out good friends this trip would have been a bust. A t age 58 - 60 we felt like we were the young ones, there fore making it a quiet resort. We had terrible weather for two weeks, rain, overcast and lots of wind. The hotel was average for Cuba, an older resort and it showed its age. The service was good, especially our maid. job well done. The food was the same daily for two weeks. Recommend the ala carte restaurant. The Italian being the best. Had a great trip to Havana, well worth the mon [... read more]ey. The Golf course was good for the price.

Tired resort

The grounds are beautiful. The beach is absolutely gorgeous. The restaurants are good. However, the rooms need some major TLC. We were upgraded two days in and then it was better but the junior suites are horrible! The staff were very helpful.

2nd time.Had a great time.

Everything was good. Grounds are beautiful. The service was very good. The food was what I expected. You have to make the best you can with the food and remember that you are in Cuba and not at home. The Italian Alicart was really good.