Unfriendly/Lazy Staff and Bars close at 2am !!!

I've stayed at Barcelo Solymar in May 2015. It was my 6th trip to Cuba. First, I've never seen such unfriendy/lazy staff members. What heppened to the ``Hola`` that we used to get all the time!?. In this resort, the staff barely looks at you. Please do not ask for anything that would make them work harder because if you do ask.... they will make false excuses not to get you what you asked for. Example: you ask for a drink, cheese or fries. They first say they don't have it. Then you insist by t [... read more]elling them that you had some a few hours ago or the table next to you have some. Like magic...the drink, cheese or fries are now on the table. They are just too lazy to get it for you!!! Note: not putting all waiters in the same boat. This is based on my experience. Second, all bars on this resort.including the beach bar closes at 2am. No music. no drinks after that time! I have to admit that the website does mention the opening hours. However, having been in cuba 5 times in the past and having never seen a resort where drinks were not available 24/7 or at least till 4am, I had never thought of checking the bar's openning hours before booking. So if you want to party on the resort, do not go to this one. On a positive note, the beach is amazing. The food is pretty good if you base it on Cuban standards. The hotel is a bit run down but again...we cannot expect much from Cuban resorts. Cheers

Party resort

Nice resort, great beach. Only good if you are young and want to party a lot. Not for those who are looking to relax .food is up to Cuban standards and so are the rooms . Close to a lot of things to do off the resort.

Amazing time!

As a 21 year old I thought this hotel was perfect. Lots of young people and beach parties every night. My group of friends and myself had lots of fun and would go back with another group. The food was fine, there was always something that we could eat and enjoy. The a la cartes had really fresh food. Staff was nice. Room was always clean and beds made. Beach was amazing and lots of activities. No complaints. Not somewhere I would bring a family but for a young crowd it was great!

Great place, bad food.

We were a party of 16. We had a fabulous time at this resort and I always say, you get what you pay for. I paid for the beach and the Pina Coladas! The food in Cuba has a long way to go until it improves. The hotel needs a little TLC, but it was clean and the staff was 5*. Oscar in the lobby went above and beyond to help us out. He recommended a restaurant in town that was a lovely Cuban experience. All in all, you get what you pay for so I wasn't overly disappointed. Cuba has the best beaches e [... read more]ver and the Cuban people are wonderful!

Great spot and amazing beach

Service was not very good. Hotel was not in the best shape. Hotel was busy and with a good mix of young and mature adults and families. Beach was fantastic. Great pools and many bars. Buffet service had variety of fresh food - salads, fruit and fish/seafood was good. Discos, bars, cafes within walking distance for evening nightlife. Vespas and cars available for rent at the hotel - convenient.

Resort is accomodating

As this is my 2nd trip to Barcelo Solymar and 1 time to the sister resort, Arenes Blancas; I found a few changes. I stayed in the renovated area the first time and the unrenovated section the last trip. Big difference, I had a few problems on the last visit. The first visit - No words - just FANTASTIC.... On the second trip, A totally different story. Only a shower as bathtub not able to hold water due to plug fix; No remote control for the TV; terrible pillows (pcs of foam stuffed in pillow ca [... read more]se); the door frame broken on the front door. Asked for assistance and someone came on my last day to try a fix the door, not satisfactory. On the good side of things, I love Cuba and people and found this hotel extremely accommodating, except for fixes. The food was satisfactory/good; the service was excellent and a beautiful resort. Nice and close to town. Enjoyed the Beatles Club - Great spot and Fantastic Band. Many nice restaurants. Would return in a heartbeat.......Made many friends at this resort. Sad to Leave......

Fun

Run down rooms (bungalows only), decent amenities, above average food, watered down rum (drink vodka instead) beautiful beaches, nice pools, fun people to meet everywhere, friendly staff, beach bar is a nice touch, crystal clear ocean.

Good for the price

The beach was beautiful! Food was good so was the selection. The rooms were dated, not the cleanest rooms. There was this sewage smell in the lobby area. The bars were good to. 10 minute walk to downtown.

A real mix bag

The buffet is one of the best I have experienced in Cuba. It is an extremely busy resort with guests checking in 24 hours/day but there is not enough staff to handle the volume. The guests are a good mix of young and old and the beach is one of the better area in Varadero and the location of the resort is good because I can walk to many places. The staff is excellent but the younger guests from Canada are causing a lot of trouble , bringing their own music while the resort has its own and that c [... read more]auses a lot of noise, fighting with each other drunk but the hotel manager was quick to set them straight and bar tender are great in cutting guests off when they saw guests are intoxicated. The rooms are good but lots of cockroaches because guests are shuffling their unfinished food all over. The poor cleaning staff are cleaning continuously to keep the resort clean. Lots of activities and I had a great time over all.

Great location.

Grounds were well tended, people were very friendly; a little more attention to efficiency and time keeping would be welcome. Room in need of repair. Cuisine could be improved upon. Overall it was a great vacation due to the amazing beach.

Good Resort - Great Food & Clean Rooms

Overall, great resort - clean, food was well prepared,the beach was incredible. Internet was down a few times, but not there for the internet. Weather was perfect and the staff were all pleasant and helpful.

The best resort!

This was my first time to Cuba. I was very happy with the cleanliness of the resort. The staff is what made it the best though! They are polite and friendly. I saw other resorts in the area and they did not compare to this one. Barcelo Resort is top!

The yin yang resort.

A place such as this may only be described by the use of a yin yang symbol. Barcelo solymar was an utterly dreamy hotel. The resort was an array of beauty everywhere you look. The rooms, meeting standards and accommodating for everything you'd need while away from home. Water more blue than a baby's eyes and sand as soft and warm as it gets. The bartenders meeting and surpadsing expectations and always providing great drinks. The good. The service and food on the other hand may not meet complete [... read more] standards. Being a young female, I was harassed by workers on more than one occasion. I was asked if they were able to take my photo many times, and my room was called at all hours of the night by the staff asking to take me out. Overall, a very uncomfortable situation to say the least. The food was often undercooked and the variety was thin, but all was eatable. Overall, there is always the good in the negative, and the bad in the good. This hotel may equally represent both, but for an amazingly relaxing day and an eventful night I would recomend Barcelo 10 out of 10 times.

Great Resort

The hotel is a little older, the rooms were clean and comfortable, Didn't enjoy all the smokers in the bars and lobby. should have to go outdoors to smoke. The beach was a 2 minute walk from the hotel .Best beach I've been on, water was warm. The food was not bad, better than what I've heard. Lot of things to do during the day. The staff were very friendly and considerate.

Fulfilled Expectations!

First time traveler. Quite happy with Solymar. Access to 2 resort amenities helps cover any deficiencies. Grounds were immaculate, able walk barefoot most of the time! Desk staff needs better English.

Great Beach, Tired and Dirty hotel

Expected hotel to be dated , but it was in disrepair. It was also very dirty. Staff was amazing. Beach was fantastic. Hotel was 3 star at best NOT 4 star. Broken tiles and windows. Sharp nails exposed - all around there were dangerous elements as a result of non-maintenance. Expected cockroaches, but not as many as we encountered. Room was filled with them - 10+ per night and dining room had them around food - not great !

Friendly resort

It was my second time to this resort , the staff are all exceptional , the beaches were nice . The food may need a lil upgrade but I had a relaxlimg vacation. Would go back In a few years need to explore other destinations. Rating this 4 out of 5 stars.

Okay but not great

If your looking for nice beach and greT location this is good spot The room cleaning is poor The beds are uncomfortable The pillows are more like tree logs Recommend you bring your own Food is good but desserts are poor Waiter staff is good Lobby is pretty with a live music nightly

Barcelo solymar in Varadero

The food was the worst food at any resort i have ever been to and I have been to many. The staff were the most unfriendly staff i have ever encountered. The resort was not clean but the actual room was ok. ie. some guy dropped a plate of food on the bridge over the pool and it was still there the next morning when i was walking out to the pool. The fridge in the room was not plugged in so nothing was cold (they knew we were coming, plug it in). the shower doors almost fell off. Water came out fr [... read more]om under the tub whenever you had a shower. If you asked the desk staff any questions they acted as if you were bothering them and they also knew nothing eg where any specialty restaurants were. You couldn't pay me to go to this place. Its a one star at best. The only good thing about it was the weather and the beach. Worst resort I have ever been too. Was nice tho that it is close to downtown Varadero. Avoid resort at all costs. They also stop serving alcohol at 11.

Barcelo party!

Stayed in the villas, maids were very nice kept out rooms clean and stocked up with beer and essentials. The A la carte restaurants are your best bet, we personally didn't enjoy the buffet food it all tastes the same :S Not a whole lot of entertainment during the day, but the disco was pretty busy at night. The booze was a steady flow but they tend to run out of vodka:( All the staff was very friendly, and helpful! It was a huge party all week, we went during spring break so there was lots of yo [... read more]unger people! Over we had a great time :)