Best a Resort On The Beach

The Melia Peninsula is set in beautifully landscaped, well maintained gardens, winding paths throughout the plantation-style buildings. Nothing is crowded; no high hotel-stlyle architecture, simply 2 and 3 story, 4-unit sections, well set back and spaced. The staff are amazing- friendly and helpful. A large pool with snack bar cools you down after a day on the beautiful beach. The international restaurants, especially the Japanese- Barbaro the chef-, are a nice change from the buffet. Michael an [... read more]d Barbara in the lobby bar, Angel in food and beverage everywhere, Daneb in customer service, all go out of their way to help.

Good Resort

Nice resort, would have been nice to be told that the resort was under construction, aka, the rooms right beside ours. Begged for clothes and money every time we walked by which was the way to go to the beach. Unfortunate. Our sliding patio door was broken and wouldn't lock, had to call 3 times with no repairs at all. Didn't receive water bottles one day, was the hardest thing to get out of anyone at the resort. The staff were friendly, beach was amazing, food was good, drinks were good. But the [... read more] above takes away from all the nice features. But I would still recommended on the basis that there was no construction being done, that was really a downer.

Resort itself is good

Did not expect so many kids. Food was always cold unless it was cook in front of you. Service was fair at the most. Ran out of different alcohol for cocktails. Room was nice and clean. Not for singles or couples

Nice resort

The food was good with a lot of choice.Buffet only started at 6:30pm and the show at 9:45pm, so a bit late for children. Did not get a room with double bed the first night even if that was the only specification requested for the holiday. I guess it is the usual when you go to cuba. Got unlucky with key card, they had to change the entire door handle that took another day. The hotel should have more activities and should have music during the day and should have music at the beach. The only ente [... read more]rtainment was the LOOKea team. The team is only for french European guest. So the hotel should have their team too. Some staff were friendly but not all. Often I was thinking they should smile more or at least be friendly. But all said and done it was a nice holiday but just to much time wasted on a room.

Melia Peninsula Varadero - beautiful

We just returned from our first trip to Cuba - Varadero. The staff at this resort were amazing, everyone is only to happy to make sure you have a great vacation. Smiles, service and a great attitude. The grounds were immaculately groomed and the pools were clean and spotless. The beach is gorgeous - clear and turquoise waters. Food was very good - although most might expect to have everything "just like home" - that will not be the case. Both the buffet and the a la carte restaurants have a wide [... read more] variety of food, cooked to satisfaction. Enjoy the culture! We paid extra for the Elegance club and I am not sure that is necessary, other than the bottle of rum and a robe. The room was clean and well appointed.

Very good

Rooms were clean, newly painted but still needs updating ( shower head and faucets ). Great service ,good food. Quiet resort, ideal for seniors and families with young children. We stayed there for our second year in a row.

1st time to Cuba, great 1st impression!

Other then a little bit of construction going on when i was there jan 12 to the 26th 2015 service from the beginning to the time I left was exceptional! A friend from Canada that was to join me could not make it so I was on my own. All of the staff from the lobby to the beach were very helpful in making my stay a great trip to remember for a very long time! All of the food was plentyful and flavorful, the ala carts were fantastic! I am going to go back because i made a lot of new friends, both  [... read more]locals and from other countries. Alot of us got tear eyed as I was saying my good byes, "until we meet again", I said! When I got back to Canada and looked at my emails a few of my new friends wanted to know how my flight was and to make sure that I got home safe. Obviously we all made a good impression on each. I LOVE YOU ALL, HUGS AND KISSES!!! Thanks again tripcentral.ca and Air transat for all of the memories! :)

Fantastic resort all the round

we totally enjoyed everything they had to offer, the grounds were gorgeous except for where they're doing new work but it was discreetly done keeping the rest of the grounds perfect, the beach was wonderful, and most of all the staff were amazing, friendly and professional

My experience at Melia Penninsula Vweradero

although the buildings are dated, the grounds are spacious and well kept The staff are friendly, well mannered and polite. The food is not upto Canadian standards,but I am told that is better than average in Cuba. some of the services that you take for granted in other resorts in other countries do not exist, like ice machines around the resort. This resort had a terrific children,s program and the adult entertainment was excellent.

Amazing stay!

Great and clean landscaping, very friendly and helpful staff, excellent beach. Variety of daily programs and nightly entertainment. The food exceeded our expectation from what we were led to beleive for Cuba, there were lots of variety with good taste! We recommend that you pack bug repellent, as the beach fleas left us with nasty bites. We didn't have a convertor for charging our electrical devises, and the one in the washroom was not working. We were thankful to be given one! Uppon arrival che [... read more]ck if your fridge is stocked with water, as you can't drink tab water there, and we were dissapointed at night when we found our fridge empty, and no bottled water was available on the resort!

Melia Peninsula review

Impressed with this resort. Food was better than other resorts we have stayed at in Cuba, service was very good and nice, well kept resort. When we contacted customer service and maid service,we were looked after right away and they were very interested in pleasing us. This resort is an excellent family friendly resort (even though we were travelling as a couple). There were renovations going on the centre Moat when we were there just before Christmas which was a bit inconvenient but was nearly  [... read more]complete.

Great quiet resort

Resort was nice and developed. Needs some updating. The staff was great, specially Indeera in the buffet restaurant, great server. I would go back to the resort again. Kids had fun (3 and 6yrs). The resort make sure to accommodate my oldest peanut allergy concerns, which was nice.

Amazing vacationing at Melia Resorts!

I had such a great experience at the Melia Peninsula in Varadero, Cuba. The room was clean, sheets changed everyday, clothes and shoes organized every day. The staff very friendly and helpful. Selection of food quite good: i could always chose something for myself. And amazing bartenders !!! They always listened to my wishes and made the best drinks i have ever had... Very memorable stay at Melia Peninsula Varadero. Im thinking already about going back soon, even though I just came back a week a [... read more]go. Recommend to everyone.

Great friendly family resort

My first visit to Cuba. Didn't know what to expect. Arrived at Melia at noon. The lobby was really nice. Huge. Floors were gleaming. Reception excellent. Were shown to the room within 20 minutes! Room consisted of 2 beds, 4 pc. bathroom. Bedding/towels were white. Bar fridge adequately stocked. Canadian standards are much higher but I was there for the warmth & sun & not to spend time in the room. Buffets & a la carte restaurants were really quite good. There was all kinds of food for every pala [... read more]te. Drinks were plenty. The people working there were just AWESOME. They couldn't do enough for you even with my broken Spanish & their broken English! The resort consisted of 2-3 story bungalows of about 6 units, which suited me just fine as it was much quieter than a tower. Grounds were well maintained & again workers would always greet you with OLA each time. It will not be my only visit to this resort. I am going to go back as soon as I can.

Melia peninsula veredero

Beautiful resort, very clean friendly people. Was disappointed with the food selection. If you ate Cuban food then it was like going to the mandarin, but as for the Canadian food selection, there was very little.

Disappointed

Stayed there from Aug 20-27, 2014! Arrived at the hotel around 11:30 am; some people from my group were assigned rooms immediately, we were told our room was not ready until 1! Checked back around 1:30 and room was still not ready then was told to check back around 2:30! Checked back at 2:30 and room was still not ready then finally was assigned to our room at 3:45! I understand the official check in time is at 4 pm but when a guest arrives early, front desk should inform housekeeping to put a p [... read more]riority to clean the assigned room! After all, the check out time is at 11 and it shouldn't take over 4 hours to turn around a room! When we got to our room 2621, it has a strong musty and cleaning chemical smell! Decided to stay in the room instead of going back to front desk to ask for a room change after being in transit for over 12 hours! I have travelled extensively to the Caribbean and this was my first time to Cuba! I was told by my friends to have low expectations on the quality of food and they were right! What troubled me the most is the way they handle meat at the grill station, they allowed the raw meat to come in contact with the cooked meat! Major no no for food contamination! This would be my first and last time staying at a this resort!

You don't always get what you pay for :(

The resort was okay and clean. Best part was the Japanese restaurant, Jose was an awesome host. There were 7 of us travelling together and we paid 40 each for an upgrade, for the elegance package which was suppose to include a bottle of rum, bathrobes, extra dinner reservations and Beach party.... unfortunately even after repeated attempts with our travel rep, we didn't get our robes and two rooms didnt receive their rum... extra dinner reservations were given to anyone who asked whether they pa [... read more]id the extra or not, and the Beach party was lame. I would recommend the hotel if you get a good deal on the price, but save your money on the upgrade, the bottle of rum we got in our room can be bought at hotel market for $3.10 and our upgrade costs us $80.00 per couple... The people in cuba are very friendly, and it is very safe. I would recommend you take a trip to Havana, the culture and history is beautiful. We took a private tour, instead of getting on the bus. It was more personal and we got to see so much more. Ask around for the best prices.

Melia Peninsula Varadero

I have always liked this Hotel, this was 8th or 9th time to Cuba, and this is one of the few hotels I would go back to. This was our second time there and the staff have always been great ,and service is always out standing. Never went hungry and had a great time as always.

Great resort

The nightly entertainment was excellent. The specialty restaurants were awesome. The staff was very friendly. The Caribbean night and carnival was an excellent touch to the resort. The water sports were excellent.

Great for families with young children & couples

Some resorts have more of a 'modern hotel/high rise' feel, but we wanted a more traditional, colonial plantation style with 2-3 story bungalow, which is exactly what this resort offered us. Staff: Friendly, courteous, professional and always smiling and helpful. Every time we ordered food or drinks, we were offered a seat and they would bring it to us at our table. Grounds: Groomed daily and lovingly tended to as well as the beach. Huge majestic palms with lush gardens and green everywhere. The  [... read more]only downfall was the lagoon area around the main lobby/buffet area...the hydraulic system is not working, but they work hard trying to keep it clean. So close your eyes at it during the day, but enjoy it at night when the lights reflect and mirror the sky off it. Our Room: Large, bright and cheery with wicker furniture. Very clean, air conditioning worked great as well as good water pressure in shower. Our kids were in the room next door. Each had walk in closet. It's my understanding that this resort boasts the largest in Varadero. We had beer, pop and water stocked daily. Each room has a balcony. There are no ocean views at this resort as there is a little buffer area of trees between the beach and the bungalows. Maids were pleasant and did do towel art for us and wrote us little notes sometimes. Beach: Beautiful! with white sand and blue water. However, it was the most narrow of the beaches on the strip probably...when I say narrow, it's still wide enough to accommodate 3 rows of palapas (tons of 'em) and beach volleyball nets. Some reviewers mention the drop/step down to the water from the beach, this is really not an issue, but it's true that it exists. Kind of like a mini cliff which is the size of a step. Atmosphere: This is a family/couple resort in a nice quiet upscale tranquil surrounding. There isn't constant Latin music playing around the pool. They only do that around 3pm when the animation crew starts. Otherwise, it's a very relaxed place, not a party place for teens that's for sure. There is a disco in the main part of the hotel, but it wasn't particularly lively for the most part...I guess that all depends on the guests. Adult Pool: Huge natural shaped pool with swim up bar...also snack bar to the side. Not a lot of shade, but some and ample amount of loungers. This is not an 'adult exclusive' pool, so there will be kids in and about it. Children's Pool: On the opposite side of the hotel, a huge beautiful naturally shallow pool for little ones with a waterfall and 2 waterslides. There's a great pirate ship playground off to the side a snack bar and the kids club all within the same area. There's even a large wading pool for babies. Family area: On this side of the resort where the kid's pool is, there are about 5 bungalows so you can be closer. It's really an amazing area for young families with little kids! I wish I had money to take mine away when they were young. I would HIGHLY recommend this for families with younger kids, as this truly caters to them. Buffet Restaurant: Tons of food options! Yes, it's repetitive but so many choices, you don't have to eat the same thing all the time. We brought our own seasonings but ended up not using them because we did find the food flavorful ... Breakfast: Best croissants this side of France...crispy on outside and doughy on the inside with a chocolate sauce to poor over top if you like. Bread and toasting station, fresh fruits, marinated salads and cold cuts/charcuterie & cheese, omelette station (if you like your bacon more cooked than they do it, just bring it to the guy at the omelette station and he'll gladly cook it longer for you). Also, juices and yogurts (liquid kind). I even saw soy milk! Mini crepes, sometimes waffles, lots of sausage and meat type stews with beans. Any kind of egg you want..poached, soft or hard boiled, scrambled etc. Coffee is not great here, but get a wonderful cappuccino in the lobby bar before coming in! Lunch & dinner: Lots of meat and seafood options, marinated vegetables, fresh veggies, cold cuts & cheese, hamburgers, steaks, stews, rice dishes, pasta bars, chicken croquettes to name a few. Also ice cream bar for desserts. Cookies, squares, rice pudding and cakes. The a la carte restaurants impressed us so much! I don't normally love them, but they know what they're doing here. Granted it isn't fine dining, but the service and attentiveness give you that impression. Your water or wine will always be filled. We were spoiled and got to try all 4 of them. The Japanese Sakura that everyone raves about is really good. It's more about the show than the food though...cute and interactive with photo ops. Great stir fried rice, veggies, beef, chicken, shrimp and calamari. The French Bistro is the prettiest and food was lovely, although not authentic French food obviously. It has white tufted benches and a crystal chandelier in the middle of room. French onion soup is more an onion broth than the traditional gratinée Lyonnaise, but still tasty. The Cuban Tocororo impressed us so much and was surprisingly our favorite. With a huge cloth-like chandelier dominating the center of the ceiling and painted frescos on the wall, it's elegant. The dishes were nothing like what was served at the buffet. I had a wonderful black bean soup and the tastiest shredded beef dish! Yummy! The Italian Gondola was good, but probably least favorite of mine. It too was pretty with frescos but I found the food was a little plain. Service amazing though. The Laguna lunch buffet offered an amazing paella daily with some great grilled options as a guy cooked it all right there...pineapples, tomatoes, steaks, burgers etc. Inside is another build your own pasta and some of the same dishes offered at the main buffet. Again, tons of food options, you can't go hungry. The pool snack bar always offers juicy hamburgers, hot dogs were 'ok', and sometimes fries and other times homemade chips. There are pizzas available at various times tool. Staff here is lovely. Drinks: I NEVER found our drinks watered down. On the contrary, they use a lot of rum! Delicious pina coladas, bahama mamas. Mojitos were better at the lobby bar. Lobby bar also makes a wonderful iced coffee! When night falls at the resort, it takes on an elegant, upscale atmosphere with it's piano playing in the lobby and pretty lights around the lagoon/deck area. They try really hard to put on great shows for everyone's enjoyment. Personally, I am so tired I have a hard time keeping awake for them. A different show every night beginning with kids entertainment nightly with a clown etc. This is a really relaxed place and if you want to go for a swim at night, nobody will stop you. We stayed in the middle of the resort in block 1600 which is about a 2 minute walk to the beach, pool or main buffet and hotel lobby area. There is one beach disco night during the week which was fun. The DJ and animation staff take the music to the beach area so you can drink and dance with sand between your toes. Some people make claims that the resort is HUGE. It is very large, but it doesn't take 10 minutes from one end to the other. I would say maybe 5 minutes. We were also never bothered by bugs or mosquitos except one night there were a few. Don't forget your sunscreen, we ran out and were stuck paying an obscene $18CAD for some! My husband and I were delighted with this property but I think our teens were a little disappointed that it wasn't a little more lively. My youngest was thrilled to play volleyball on the beach every day. Don't forget, YOU make the choice to have a good holiday or not, it isn't the responsibility of the hotel or staff. You cannot go on vacation and expect the same customs and quality as we have in Canada. Where else in the world can you go for $800 that includes your flight, accommodations, drinks and food and live like a king for a week? This is a wonderful resort and I would highly recommend it. Make sure you know what you're looking for in a resort when you're booking. Make a list and do your research.