Great value

Resort grounds were impressive. Staff very friendly. Food was typical for Cuba (this was my second trip to Cuba). Highly recommend al la carte restaurants. Room was a bit sketchy, but spent most of our time outdoors. Great location - close to downtown and so really cool historical landmarks! Would return to Club Kawarma for sure.

Good Resort

This was our first time going to Cuba, my wife and I enjoy the time in Club Kawama. Of course we wouldn't expect a 4 or 5 star because the price we paid was very reasonable for what we got. The people was very friendly and we felt very secure. We could recommend this place to friends because of the beach, the location and over all is nice. Food is ok but not the best. If I could rate the food from 1 to 10 (10 being the best) I would said is between 4 and 6. My advice is that if you paid a fair p [... read more]rice you will be OK. Helpful advice; if you can get a nicer room you'll be better off, our room was not that great. I will give my Overall Rating as 3, I would like to give better rating but I think 3 is fair enough. Something that surprised me is that they say the safe in the room was not included and you have to pay for it if you want to have access to it. We ended up having access to it but we didn't have to pay. I hope this helps.

Just Okay

The hotel was not good. Our room was leaking, was infested with mosquitoes and very old. Each day the maid would fold the wet towels. The grounds were better. The pool was nice but often very dirty and the service wasn't the greatest.

Old and run down

I didn't have high hopes when we booked our trip to Club Kawama knowing it was listed as a 3 star resort but even my low expectations were not met. We travelled with 2 children under 2 (5 mths and 19 mths) which can be "challenging" at the best of times. Our "upgraded" room was very run down and old. The tub/shower was very beat up and dirty and the toilet seat was in desperate need of replacement as was the bathroom sink and counter. The buffet was awful and there was always garbage (cups) arou [... read more]nd the pools and on the beach. The maids were sitting on our patio smoking and drinking during their lunch break - which made us feel very awkward and uncomfortable (although looking back this may just be a cultural difference). Our room was filled with cigarette smoke from them leaving our room open one day during their break which isn't appreciated when we have young children. I didn't find the staff friendly or helpful and was made to feel like an annoyance anytime I did need service. Now for the good: our room was right on the beach and the water is beautiful. There were lots of trees and the A/C in our room worked fantastic. The snack bar had really good ham and cheese sandwiches which we lived off of during the daytime. The a la carts on the resort were both very good so we ordered and ate lots and were even allowed to wrap the extras up to take to the room. We had a fridge in our room which was very handy for this purpose. We were close to Varadero so we took frequent trips into town and had an excellent dinner at Don Alex Restaurante as well as across the street at Salsa Suarez Restaurant y Bar (fantastic service, atmosphere & food at both!). The staff did treat our children very well and were always very friendly and helpful with the kids.

Okay Resort

The grounds are well kept. The ocean is beautiful. The pools were kept clean. The snack bar is the best part of the food, you could get a hotdog or hamburger, or a ham and cheese sandwich. The food at the buffet was disappointing, Hot food should be hot. I was very unhappy with the food. Been to Cuba a couple times and this was the worst. People are nice, staff is friendly.

A great deal!

Front desk was very accommodating. Our rooms were very close to everything in the resort. Food could be better, there was a lot and fresh, but it lacked flavour. Rooms were standard, a bit too small, but who goes to Cuba to stay in the room!

Beautiful Beach But.....

The beach was amazing but, as in what we saw of Varadero very dirty, litter everywhere!! No fault of the beach!! Our room in the 4000 block was just steps away from the sand, hence our room being full of sand, no fault of the very polite cleaning staff. All inclusive does not mean just that at this resort. A full week with absolutely no hot water and sometimes no water at all. We had to pay for a safe and bottled water, and the entertainment was hit and miss if it occurred at all. The disco shou [... read more]ld be condemned for the moldy, musty odor, good thing it was too dark inside to see anything.

Club Kawama

This was a last minute trip and we had a wonderful stay at Club Kawama. We had never been to Cuba before but will definitely go back and stay at the same resort. We enjoyed the Jeep Safari and the trip to Havana. The resort was close enough to walk to Varadero.

Club Kawama

The resort may have been nice 20 years ago. Currently it is very run down. The furniture is over 20 years old, curtains on windows did not cover the window. The air conditioning in many of the rooms does not work; the room I was initially given AC didn't work. Had to get another room and wait approximately 3-5 hours for it. There was only 1 restaurant open, so very little choice for meals. Other restaurant that was open required reservations, and was not much better in terms of quality of food.  [... read more]Flight leaving Varadero was at 3:30 am Saturday, and I was asked to check out on Friday by 12:00 noon. Nowhere to go other than sitting in the lobby which was hot/humid and very smoky.

Disappointing resort

This hotel has so few amenities I was shocked. The staff always seemed inconvenienced when you ask for help or outright annoyed. Major issues with room on a daily basis. One day no water for over an hour, another no electricity. Rooms not cleaned daily, only beds made and towels. Good was average. Buffett always running out of clean glasses or hot Buffett selections sat empty and many were unmarked with mystery food in them. Best part about the place was the beach.

Club Kawama

Well TripCentral is not what I thought about this year because of being scared to do any vacation that wasn't in my area in person. Well you know it was the best experience that I have had out of any of my 6 vacations. They made you feel like they cared not just to get your money. Everyday they contacted me through the computer to see if I had remembered anything and made me feel like I was special. They also made sure that I knew they were there through my whole vacation if something went wrong [... read more]. Made me feel very safe and I thank them so much because after my cancer I haven't been able to travel and found a vacation threw them , so it made my year.

Good affodable resort

The staff was very friendly, the food was above what I was expecting, the beach awesome & the entertainment excellent. The room was passible for a 3 1/2 star resort. The only problem we had was that the air conditioning broke & we had to change room. Will be going back next year.

3rd time

This was our 3rd tme to this resort and all I can say is it is going down hill!!We use to walk in and see friendly faces and now all you see are unhappy faces and there isn't a friendly face around. We heard more people complaining then ever before. Some days we had no electricity and some days no water. Did they care not in the least!!!! We use to love going to this resort but we will never return. One day we even had a flood in the room but no one even cared or even made an effort to correct t [... read more]he problem!! No the maid fixed the problem what a joke!! The front desk should actually learn what customer service means, very rude people.

ENJOYABLE RESORT

Comfortable yet not elegant rooms, good food, beautiful beach, nice big pool, very hospitable staff, close to commercial district of Varadero, lots of history and overall an enjoyable relaxing holiday for the price !

Awesome Vacation-except for "upgrade scam"

Our only issue was when we got to Kawama they charged us an EXTRA $370 for the room we had requested but apparently wasn't avail when we booked, but was now avail. This also happened to the 3 guests behind us a Check-in. We paid for it because it was exactly what we wanted. Other than that Kawama is located at the quiet end, close to town, and the market. The beach is fantastic. The Jeep Safari through Hola Sun was AMAZING! and worth every penny($240) you have to drive standard. Our friends book [... read more]ed through Sunwing and it was a totally different tour and they were disappointed! Staff is friendly, and resort is full of repeat vacationers and is one of the reasons I picked Kawama. We did 10 days and our overall vacation was amazing.

MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME

This is my 5th trip to Kawama, I love it. I do find that some people do not give it a fair chance. That should bother me, but Honestly those who do not like Kawama, I am happy to say should not return, there or maybe to Cuba. It makes better for those of us, and there are many multiple time returners, who LOVE it! I hear all the time how rude the front desk staff is, I also note how rude some people talk to them and they remain professional. If you are traveling anywhere in Cuba for the first t [... read more]ime let me tell you a few things you should know. #1 It is a THIRD world country, and poor. #2 The people are proud and friendly, they hug and kiss both cheeks of friends. #3. It Is A COMMUNIST country , they do not have the modern conveniences we in the spoiled North have, no multiple channels, or movie channels, no wifi everywhere, no phone calling to anywhere you want from your room or even from the Resort. The hotels are Govt. owned and run. They can`t get many medications there, like even Tylenol and over the counter drugs, we take for granted, so bring your own and be sure you have enough.!! The Health care is great, but some drugs are not available.! #4 the food is CUBAN, if you don`t want to venture out of your comfort zone, go to Dominican Republic, Jamaica, or any where else. #5 Tips of gifts,or only Cuban pesos, is much appreciated, but giving Canadian or other country money is not as appreciated. They cannot easily convert it and that is a problem. #6 Bring your own towels, if paying $10, refundable, is an issue, but remember if you spend a lot of time on the beach be prepared for sand fleas in your towel and room. #7 Kawama is handicap accessible, but it is not only for handicapped folks, I use a walker and so did my friend, we had no issues! I saw at least 2 wheelchairs and multiple strollers. If you cannot walk at all there are some obstacles that might limit you getting there, but you need to find that out prior to going ANYWHERE. I am writing this review as I have many times on Tripadvisor, I am honest, fair and Intolerant of people who visit once and have nothing but negative things to say. Research your trip, no matter where you go. If you are a picky person, hoity toity, or used to only the best, Cuba may not be for you, especially if it is your first tip to an Island. I however, believe every trip is what YOU make of it. Cuban beaches are beautiful, the water is clear, clean, and amazing colours. The sky is clear and blue, this tropical paradise is friendly and kind. I will be going back to Cuba and Kawama again and again, Why try the rest when you have found the best, FOR ME ANYWAY! I hope this helps some people understand Cuba a little. Enjoy all your adventures. Bea

Great relaxing vacation

The resort is sprawling over a large are right along the beach, so depending on where your room is, there can be a lot of walking. Most of the paths are easy to navigate and well lit at night, but some are uneven and not lit. We had our room changed to be closer to the center of the resort on day 3 of our stay and the less walking was traded off with more noise at night from the entertainment. Staff were mostly very friendly and helpful when we needed them. Our room was clean and tidy, though th [... read more]e cleaning staff did not do much 'cleaning' during our stay (sheets stayed full of sand, floors not mopped etc) but we had fresh towels every day and the beds were made up and floors swept. The food gets repetitive after 10 days, but we never had trouble finding something to eat. Lots of fresh fruit, great salad bar and usually nice fish, rice, beans, eggs etc. We spent several days on the beach all day and the rest of our days by the pool. Never had trouble finding a lounger and shade/sun when we wanted it. We didn't go expecting a lot of excitement and night life (there isn't much) and we didn't go to Cuba to shop, though there are several markets in Varadero to find crafts and souvenirs. Great place to relax in the sunshine and warmth and get away from winter!!

Cuba libre

Cuba is beautiful, the beach and ocean at the Club Kawama resort is fantastic. I returned to the Kawama because previously I had a great experience. This time my expectations were too high. The staff is great in the most part, lovely friendly people. One bad experience in the dining room, the waiter said he wouldn't serve me unless I gave him a tip. I was shocked and felt very uncomfortable. 5 out of 7 days we had no water in the room, which was a challenge when it was shower time after the beac [... read more]h. Cuba itself does not disappoint. Sun, sand, surf and relaxation. Great.

Meh.

Smelled of sewage in most areas, food was questionable, front desk was no help and housekeeping was rude most days. The beach was beautiful, full of garbage however except near the water. The main pool was nice, the pool bar was nice, the main snack bar was nice, the lobby cafe was my favorite. There was no WiFi, even though it says two internet bars... But the liquor was free and the sun was hot and the ocean was warm and clear. If you want a cheap place to be near the beach, with free drinks,  [... read more]and close to downtown Varadero, this works fine I suppose.

Some Concerns

As a 20 time plus guest, I was disappointed my last trip. This Hotel is quaint and close to uptown Varadero . The location is the best. BUT they really need to review who is arriving and their age. It took three days before I was given a suitable room and I had e-mailed prior. New arrivals and first time guests were given Upgrades while we were sent to the far corner of this resort in a terrible room that required maintenance. - after our being loyal repeat customers for many years. One of our f [... read more]riends who happens to be 88 yrs old was given a second level room. There are rooms on this resort that are truly below standard; not painted; walls all marked up - curtains hanging on three rings etc. As well some of the rooms are so far out seniors should not be sent there. With he exception of the Front Desk Manager who attempts to assist everyone the rest at the Front Desk need Customer Service training. They can be rude and simply ignore you. Tomorrow is there only response ...and this can go on for many days.....they hope you unpack and give up. This resort needs to appreciate their long term guests like they used to do....forget the return guest dinner and give suitable accommodations for them. Other than the room allocation...I love this resort due to its friendly atmosphere and no high rise situation. Close to the beach; walk up town; flea markets fishing and restaurants. Leida needs to recover quickly.......They need her back there.