Typical Cuban Resort with pros & cons

This resort is probably more like a 3 star. The staff were always friendly and helpful. Our dated room with a very uncomfortable bed was kept spotless by our wonderful maid Teresa. The beaches beautiful. The grounds well kept. The food horrible, always cold even if you got to the buffet right as it opened. Even the "specialty restaurant" food was terrible. I have been to Cuba several times so I know the food isn't always the best but this was beyond bad.

Resort was okay but the people are wonderful :)

The hotel is a bit dated but they do their best with what they have. Some maintenance in the common area bathrooms would be great (no toilet seats in the men's and missing some in the women's). Entertainment is quite good. Magic show night was awesome. The food is okay... could always find something to eat. Tuna sandwich at the snack bar was yummy! The main reason I would go back is the people. From the front desk staff who are polite and efficient to Mary our maid to Ismary my favorite b [... read more]artender... wonderful people. Big hugs all around when you leave. Bring them what you can... we brought toiletries, bras and underwear. Everything is appreciated. Beach was nice but the water was a bit rough (stormy weather) - we still went in. Some sellers on the beach but nothing too invasive. They leave you alone when you ask. Day trip to Havana was great too.

Surprisingly nice resort

Hotel was very nice, rooms clean. Pool was cleaned every day. Food was okay, got a bit boring a few days in. International restaurant was terrible. My steak was maybe 1/4" thin and mostly hard gristle. Beach was beautiful. Staff for the most part was friendly. Grounds were immaculate and beautiful. I would recommend this resort to anyone. Thought the night entertainment was pretty good. One of the best I've seen. Great place for great dollar!!! One negative is the swim up bar was closed for th [... read more]e entire week. You had to get out of pool and walk around into the restaurant sipping wet. Was dangerous as my husband fell and others did as well

Party of a lifetime!!!

What a great time. Weather couldn't have been better. Beaches were amazing and felt like they were endless. Now let's get to the good stuff. I've been to a couple all inclusive including Mexico, Dominican, and other resorts like Bahamas and Orlando. But the staff at this resort was top notch. Always welcoming, smiling, joking around but most important polite. The one day I spent almost the whole day just chilling with the staff on their down times. They told us all the best places  [... read more]to go off resort for food and clubs. Couldn't walk in any part of the resort without talking to one of them. Food was my only downfall but no different from any place I've been and I know it's a lot harder for them to get certain foods so it was understandable. Wasn't the worst I've had. Overall meet probably 30 or more people we had dinners with and drinks with. Disco was always a good time. And met some friends for life. If you want to relax it's easy to chill on the beach or at the pool as well. Couldn't have asked for a better time.

Welcoming resort

Had a great week (Sept 26-Oct 3). Staff are very welcoming and make this a wonderful resort for your vacation. Friendly and accomadating. Rooms, pool, beach and all others very clean. This is the third time I have been to Cuba. Twice to this resort. One of the main reasons is that the food here is exceptionally good considering other more expensive resorts do not have very good food. The beach restaurant at lunch is the best! Negatives are the following: Bar is missing many different [... read more] selections of drinks. Disappointed on the fruit drink mixes. Artificial flavorings. The public restrooms are clean but only half of the toilets are in working order.

Beautiful beach!

Playa D'Oro was a great resort. The beach is excellent and the water is crystal clear. We really enjoyed our stay at this resort. The restaurant on the beach was amazing and we really enjoyed the open air barbecue. The entertainment was good and the house band as well. All the staff were very friendly and the "animacion" did a very good job entertaining people and engaging them in activities such as dancing and stretching. We would go again.

For 600$ ok

Used to be nice hotel, but i guess its getting old, If you're going to this tesort expect : neglected leak in bathroom, burned lights, some of staff rude and lazy, food cold or sometimes way too salty. Beach was beautiful but often annoying people always asking to sell you same thinngs. I went to some others 4 stars resorts in Cuba and had better experience. If you can get cheap package go for it, if not look for better resort.

Good value!

Nothing special but the beach area is great! Don't come for the food but you may want to bring your own hot sauce. Bring your own pillow and your own beach towels. Don't expect your bed sheets to be changed or your bath towels.

Mercure playa del oreo

Well we had to change rooms two times re no lock on door, water leaking threw ceiling, toilet would not flush, and no tv working for three days. towels were in short supply .Resort in need of lots maintenance.FINALLY THE THIRD ROOM was livable.TK U.

Lack of customer service

Hotel as a hotel is in a need of repair.Leaky hallways and moldy walls broken tiles were replaced by big smiles of people who work there.You could tell signs of a hard life on their faces but that did not stop them of making sure that they will do whatever they can to provide you with nice vacation.My big problem was getting there and our way back from Varadero to Montreal. As we can not predict weather I do understand that but my 7 day trip was actually 5 days as Sunday Sep 4th was completely [... read more] lost and on our way back Sunday 11th was another full day of travel . I'm extremely disappointed with your help desk as they did not even try to explain why my flight was changed but they were repeating constantly that I agreed on whatever and that my trip was non refundable.My travel from Varadero to Montreal took over 12h .We left resort 10am on Sunday and arrived approx 11:15 pm. Therefor as much as I liked to go back to one of the resorts in Varadero I do not think that I will be booking through your company and this is only because of one reason.Lack of customer service on Tripcentral part.

Overall disappointing

The grounds were ok , the beach is beautiful. The room was fine , the bathroom was odd- shower half covered so there was no way to shower without soaking the floor. It was strange & annoying to me that there were no signs provided for the door ie/ please make up the room / do not disturb - so they came in every day - some days we just wanted fresh towels , which we could never get enough from day 1 . They gave 2 towels for 4 of us (one size , no washcloth etc) every time we had to ask for more  [... read more]and to have them changed . The wifi was bad - pay for use but every time we went to pay they said it was down or not working well so they wouldn't recommend - saw a few people trying and getting frustrated .. So don't count on having it...The food was horrible . I was told you don't go to Cuba for the food but it was worse than I expected . Food has no flavour and below the quality we are used to getting here. Even simple things were awful - I would think you would have to try to be that bad & nothing is covered so flies are all over the food, as well as a few birds flying over head and stopping to nibble. There were few activities and shows but much less than other places I've been. The staff was mostly nice - a few rude - it's like tip in order to get good service not tip for receiving good service . I expected more from a 4 star as I've been to 3's that were better . It was a first trip for the kids (7&12) and they were ready to go home after 2 days . One of the worse parts : they gave a "hospitality" room for us to get ready for the airport - which was a good thing - with check out at noon and flight at night but we had 1 hand towel ( first I'd seen a hand towel there lol) ONE hand towel to dry 4 of us after showering - we called the desk but they never brought any . I had to use the hair dryer to dry off 😬. Overall we were disappointed . I wish we had gone someplace else even if it cost a bit more . It was a vacation and an experience but I wouldn't go back.

Good First Stay

We had a little bit of problems with the hotel at first but then when we talked about our issues they nicely took care of us. The place was nice. some of the floors have leaking ceiling, or the light doesn't work or the rooms smells weird but most of them are OK. The food was decent. The beach is amazing through and the staff and really nice and welcoming.

Meh! Bah! Bleh!

NOT A 4 STAR! Food....Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Always sharing your food with the birds....food always cold....if you like stewed liver....or stewed beef tongue.......this is the place for you!

Good Value

Overall we had a good stay. Central AC was working but we were not able to regulate the temperature sp sometimes it was too cold for our liking. Food was ok and there was enough places to it. There was not to much variety as it is in some other resorts, but for a week stay there is plenty to choose from. Beach was amazing and not crowded with enough activities for those who want to participate. If you want to go to Varadero you will need to pay for a shuttle bus that stops nearby.  [... read more] The only objection was that we were given only 3 bottles of water while we stayed. Apparently that is all you get. Other resorts we visited supplied bottled water as needed. Of course you can buy water or you can go to the bar to get some. All in all, it was a good deal, and we enjoyed our stay. If you are not too picky it will be a good stay, otherwise look for more expensive resorts.

By Cuban Standard, this is a two star hotel with four star food and beach

We book this resort because we are vacationing in GTA area and this is one of the few options that could be working with our return flight schedules. We had a good vacation in Cuba, thanks to the awesome weather, amazing beach, and nice buffet. However, this hotel is still the worst hotel stay I had in years. I know you get what you paid for. This hotel does not deserve the four-star standard and fee scale due to its run down facility and terrible services. Here is a breakdown of my review on v [... read more]arious aspect, and I hope it helps you to make decisions. Beach: The hotel is near the centre of the Varadero islands, nice long wide beach and close walk to nearby snorkelling (15 min walk to big sea rocks). The sand is fine grain, but it has broken shell mixed in, and is not as comfortable to walk comparing to cayo coco and cayo santa maria. The shade on the beach is limited even for a low season. Food: we like their buffet. Even though it has limited variety, but the food is actually of good taste. Different kinds of BBQ pork, beef, fish, chicken and shrimps, plus fruits and veggies keeps us happy. There is always something for someone's stomach. Beer and cold drinks are decent. We like the cuban made ice cream in buffet. A la carte restaurants are not as good as the buffet, which is very odd to my experiences. Pool: They have two small pools, one deeper, and one for young children. Pools are clean enough. There are plastic cups floating around and sand in the pool. Staff do not clean on daily basis. Rooms; The worst I stayed. Bed was okey to sleep in, but is nowhere near a hotel standard. Funitures were old. Bathroom is good enouth with adequate water pressure. AC was functioning, and helped us to escape the heat sometimes, but it could not be adjusted, so we must get used to it if it is too cool or not cool enough. I kill a gaint American roach and has to use bug repellent to seal entrance on tiles that lead to the ants nest, luckly they did not come back during our stay. No bed bug, which is such a relief give to this run down hotel room. There are four days, which we could not open our own room, we had to wait for a technician to show up and fix it repetitively. Room wise, it is no better than a two star hotel. Service: Staff was not in good mood unless you tip them. The Majority of staffs speaks very poor english, and are hard to communicate. Unbelievable for someone making a living in famous Varadero. There was no room service in three consecutive days. We were only given three 1.5L bottled water for the entire week. Forget about having beers and pops stocked into your mini-bar fridges; it would not happen in this hotel. The staff did bear minimum and sometimes inadequate for their job unless being tipped. They, if of adequate level of english, were more interested in selling you cigars and rums. We got good deals from them, and along with that, star guest service. Basically, the staff is under trained, unprofessional and unmotivated to provide on-par service for this level of resort. Kids Club: The kids club lady speaks very good English and French, and is very well educated, she is rarely seen in this small resort. The verdict: Should you go with this resort? If you do not pay for more than 70% of the high season rate, and you are ok with poor room and poor service, then this hotel might be ok. I know a lot of people just want sun, beach, cheap cigar and rum that come with a bed and no more. For them, this is their ideal two star get away with four star buffet. Just make sure you get a cheap price tag. For many others, go get a true four star or better for the dollar you spend.

Get what you pay for.

The phrase "you get what you pay for" couldn't be more true when you go to Cuba. We took a last minute vacation to Cuba with our stay at Playa D'Oro: Room: We were placed in a ground floor room. Upon entering the room there was a strong mildew odor. Being in the tropics it was expected, but the first night I couldn't sleep due to the odor, the pillows smelled like cat urine. So needless to say I didn't sleep well, we tried to spend another night in this room but couldn't stand the smel [... read more]l. The next morning I requested to move rooms. The front desk moved us to a 4th floor room which was much better. We also seen LARGE cockroaches on the ground floor due to the high moisture content. The bathrooms have been recently updated but watch out the shower curb isn't sufficient as the water exited the shower and flooded the entire bathroom floor as a result. Some maintenance is required as the curtains rods were pulled out from the ceiling and just hanging there at some point. Food: Well once again....its Cuba! I lived off fries, pizza and pasta. I have never seen weiners done in so many ways! The beef was barely eatable, my husband go sick from eating the shrimp...I warned him not to eat it! So the last half of his vacation was trying to deal with severe stomach cramps and diarrea. The wait staff was great! We enjoyed the cafe bar each morning. We ate at the "Italian" restraunt one night. The food was good (pasta and pizza lol). BUT when the guests were leaving the waiter insisted on a tip! He actually followed a young couple and almost demanded a tip. We watched him do this to 2 separate sets of guests so we were prepared. Prepared to tell him immediatley that we did not have any money on us! AFTER ALL ITS ALL INCLUSIVE! Pool: The pool is also in need of repair with lots of missing tiles and debris on the bottom. We were VERY disappointed that the swim up bar wasn't in service. Chairs were always available around the pool. I suggest bringing a insulated cooler cup as it is so hot that by the time you get to your chair the ice is melted and your slush drink isnt slush any longer. Entertainment: The entertainment was good! They had something to watch from in the lobby and then outside. Beach: The beach was FABULOUS 11/10. Clear water no seaweed and the sand awesome. So if what you are going for is beach you wont be disappointed. So my advice is...pay more for your trip and stay at a 5 star hotel. The beach is the same at any hotel in Veradero. All in all it was 7/10 and what gives it a 7 is the beach or else it would be 5/10.

Good resort

The hotel was clean for the most part. You get what you paid for, some areas are very dirty. I suggest getting a room on the upper floors. Beach is amazing and pools are very clean. Also don't expect much with the food!

Amazing trip!!

Myself and a group of 8 people went to this resort and it was so much fun! Food was ok, pool and beach was incredible, staff was great! I must say we were especially prepared for our trip thanks to our trip central agent Teelah Brown, she's awesome!

Amazing resort and people

The hotel its located close to amenities and specially to the beach Very friendly people . Great service ,excellent trip . I will go back anytime and recommend it to family and friends . The help I received from trip central was also great service.

Classic old Cuba

Overall good resort and a good deal. Food would be the weakest link. Needs help.... But you won't starve. Roast pork and black beans and rice are good staples. Rooms aren't bad renos taking place. Popular resort because of price and beach. Fun time, worth booking. Thanks to Jen at tripcentral