Club Kawama: Good and Bad

The grounds were awesome and well kept ...the staff were amazing friendly and accommodating ...the rooms well another matter we moved 3 times there were cockroaches in the second room sheets were not changed from whomever was before us... poop in the toilet ...third room was good good till last day then a sewer back up and not just us there was always people complaining about the rooms ...Overall vacation was good we met some amazing fellow travellers but no I would not return

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Extremely Disappointed

Keeping in mind the situation for the Cuban people, we tried to be understanding of some of the deficiencies. However, the situation at this resort was just disrespectful to the tourists. We found most of the staff at the front desk and bars were not very welcoming or friendly and a lot of times ignored you when standing in front of them looking for help .- . We had 2 rooms next to each other and one of the rooms had no air conditioning for the entire week or a working fridge. Despite multiple r [... read more]equests to fix the AC and replace the fridge no one ever came. As a result we tried to leave the patio door open to allow some cooler air in during the night but this resulted in getting covered in mosquito bites - so we had to keep the patio door closed. The first 3 days we did get a small 500ml bottle of drinking water each in the room but then no more water came the rest of the trip - again despite our requests. There was no hot or even warm water to take showers with. Toilet in one of the rooms did not flush. Had to fill tank with shower hose. Bed sheets , shower towels or hand towels were NOT changed all week long. Half of the time we did not have a bath mat or hand towel. There were no eggs for breakfast until the last day - Breakfast choices were poor and the same all week long, which resulted in three of us getting diarreah(They reuse the same food). Most days there was no juice and if there was it was a powder mix and watered down and most days there was no Cuban coffee or sugar (which Cuba is known for). There's no pop of any kind to be found, not even at the shops which are pretty much empty. This was our fifth trip to Cuba for my wife and I and the third trip for our teenage children and we were all very disappointed with our trip with the money we spent to get 1 star service at a 4 star resort. The weather was great and the pool and beach were very enjoyable which made the trip tolerable. We will not be returning to this resort and we will not recommend it.

Playa Pesquero: Aging Resort

The positive is the beach and staff. Rooms are old, bedding is old, pool needs upkeep, food is not colourful or fresh. Powdered eggs and milk. Canadian dollars are often refused as bank will not take bills that have folds, fade or small defects! Staff constantly approaching guests to exchange loonies and toonies. No wine, water, pop or vodka. Definitely not a 4.5 anymore! Will not return.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: A well kept secret

This was my fourth trip to club Amigo and I will be going again. They are constantly improving the property, the employees are great and always there to help if you ask, even if it is not their job. Food is a bit of a problem but considering I gain about five pounds every time I go it can't be that bad.

Melia Las Dunas: Great

Older hotel but clean and the grounds are beautiful ! Beach is stunning ! Lobby had great drinks and coffee , very big and lots of different seatings. Food was good never went hungry , rice pudding was delicious. Pasta , beef, pork, fish everything was fresh and plentiful.

Melia Varadero: Great Experience

The hotel was well maintained and in overall good condition. The service was excellent and the staff were all friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed the layout of the property and the beach was very nice.. in my opinion much better than the pool area, but thats probably a personal preference more than anything. Only tried one ala carte restaurant and didn’t find the food difference sufficient to warrant another reservation at one. Buffet was large and had lots of food options. Quality a [... read more]nd availability of some items was hit and miss but exceeded my expectations. Overall it was a great trip and I would return to this property again!

Starfish Jibacoa: Phenomenal resort and vacation

Best Cuban Resort!!!??? We have been to Cuba over 10 times and this resort blew my husband and I away. Starfish Jibacoa is our new fave! We loved the bungalows. The room was clean,beds comfortable. The little patio facing the ocean was a great place to read or chill ,watch the sunset. We both loved the layout of the resort. Everything was near our room. Beach was right there...a short walk along the walkway. The trees and flora between us and the sand was just gorgeous. The grounds were well  [... read more]maintained and clean. We did not miss a la cartes! The buffet selection for us was incredible. Love the grilled chicken and beef, omelets, and the lobster night was delicious. Best we have had in Cuba yet! The resort had a thankyou toast for Sunwing guests which was so lovely. Yes, there are major shortages in Cuba currently. I really missed the incredible cappuccinos and my mojitos,however the espresso we enjoyed every morning and the creative drinks the bars concocted were fabulous. We ate,drank and were in vacation mode. The staff at this resort went above and beyond. Yanet talked to everyone, sat with us, made our stay extra special. Special mention to Niuka,who was so sweet. Michael and Luis at the Chill pool bar made the best drinks with what they had on hand. Grisel, and the snack bar and the buffet was always welcoming and her smile lit us up. Jonas the young entertainment guy was so sweet. Had a great game of bocce on the beach with him. Finally, the reef right off the beach is by far the best we've been to,aside from the Great Barrier Reef. We snorkeled 5 out of the 7 days,encountering new corals in different areas. The corals and fans were amazing, and the sea life we saw were phenomenal. Yes, there are sand fleas in the sand,and we got bites. We come prepared and the anti itch cream took care of them quickly. The palapas were lovely and there ere enough beach loungers for everyone! The pool area was clean and well maintained. The dogs on the resort pulled at my heartstrings, as we have 2 . Very quiet and chill resort. R & R heaven! We are already planning to book another vacation here for the same week next year! Thanks to all the staff at Starfish Jibacoa! You all rock!??

Valentin Cayo Cruz: Wonderful resort

I like the layout of the grounds. I enjoy walking so it was perfect. The buildings are spread out and it was very quiet. My room was awesome. All I could hear was the ocean and the birds. It was paradise. The buffet dining room is huge so I had a choice of privacy. Very comfortable resort . The staff was great. I felt safe and enjoyed myself very much. The beach is exactly how I had seen it in pictures. Absolutely breathtaking!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Don’t believe the negativity!!

Just got Back March 6th and everything was Great!! Only shortage was coka cola one afternoon and no eggs for 2 days!! There is plenty of food, beach is great and rooms were very clean!! Definitely go back !!

Melia Jardines del Rey: Bad experience

I reported to both the hotel guest service department, the sungwing representative in the hotel and to trip central First room I got was occupied, the second had a water leak from the toilet and had to put towels all week to control it, was never fixed or offered to move another room, also the TV was not working. Some of the basic things I pay for were not available, like running out of fruit in the breakfast buffet 3 days, not having red wine in the restaurants, not having to make basic dri [... read more]nks, mojitos etc.. Complete lack of care and follow up.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Great resort experience

Valentin Perla Blanca is beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our week there. The bars were stocked, food was good especially the a la cartes and the grill at the beach. The beachfront is amazing and the entertainment was very good. Hope to return soon.

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Beautiful resort with very poor service

The hotel grounds were absolutely amazing. The service was brutal from front desk, cleaning staff, servers and management. We addressed concerns with front desk, although they agreed, they never came thru with it. Cleaning staff only cleaned the room if there was a tip and we had to tell them to replace towels. Servers looked lost as we ordered drinks and they came back when we were ready to leave. The management don’t realize they have a real big issue as people will NOT want to go back to [... read more] this resort.

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful place

The hotel is definitely showing it s age but overall it is still a beautiful resort. The grounds are beautifully keep. The staff is amazing. Shout out to Debis, Lissetty and Alexander in the buffet. They go out of their way to make you feel so special. The lobby bar has amazing Bartenders such as Yoisnel Martin, Lilianis Rodriguez and Saile Orea Cabrera. Always smiling and so happy. O’Neill at the pool bar always happy and so friendly. The rooms have some issues such as water pressure but are al [... read more]ways kept very clean. Our maid Alina was always smiling very happy and went out of her way to say hello. There were some food shortages but always something to eat. You are never hungry. Overall this is a beautiful resort with amazing beaches and beautiful people.

Starfish Guardalavaca: Do not go! Feb 27 to March 5, 2024

My husband & I used to go to Club Amigo often years ago. The last time we were here was 8 years ago. Unfortunately, things have changed a lot. The hotel was at 30 percent and I must say the clientele is mostly 60 + years old so it feels like an Old people’s home, not that there’s anything wrong with that. The food was terrible and when you were served it was a very small portion, no condiments at all, no mixes for any drink, they don’t have coke, Pepsi, 7up whatever and I don’t mean brand names [... read more]. They say they have coke but it’s a powder they mix with water and it’s disgusting. The water! It smells & tastes like a sewer. You are given one bottled water. I went and asked at the front desk for water or at least let me buy some and nope. Sorry lady no water? Ummm, this is a basic necessity. Shame on Sunwing still offering these trips to Club Amigo. Club Amigo needs to retire and the staff as well. Most staff are miserable and cranky. We only ended up staying in that resort for 2.5 days and moved to the one next door for an extra fee. Just be warned. I felt really bad for a couple with 4 kids and the kids saying on man no 7up again ??‍♂️ I mean c’mon Sunwing, people who come here have to save their money to come. And for what? No decent food, no water or risk drinking sewage water and get sick, no service, no drinks and they do something to the alcohol? Water it down or add something , not sure because for me it was like drinking something vile, like gasoline or something. Anyways we are home safe & sound and praying we don’t get violently ill from this terrible trip. Thanks, but NO THANKS.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Cuba’s 5 Star Resort = Regular 4 Star Resort

The first thing you should know is that Cuba is a communist country that is experiencing a severe food crisis. In addition, the Cuban government controls almost everything in the country, including those resorts. Because Cuba's tourism industry is government-controlled, it has no competition. After you learn this, limit your expectations and especially if you consider getting a 5-star service from these resorts. It was the unhygienic handling of food and the lack of variety for people who are ve [... read more]getarian / vegan that concerned me most. However, again, if you keep your expectations low, it shouldn’t be a problem. Moreover, they do not sell zero/diet sodas and serve Cuban-made Cola which has a peculiar taste. Aside from all that, Cuban white sandy beaches are beautiful. If you are traveling with children under 18 or non-adults, be cautious and do your research since their major food portion contains alcohol. In the future, if I travel to Cuba, I will go alone or just with friends, keeping my expectations lower. Thanks for reading.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Much more than we expected!!!!

We were extremely pleased with the resort, the staff, the location and the food. Though the rooms were a bit tired looking especially the bathroom, they were kept clean, and were spacious and comfortable. No issues with bugs. A spider got in once and a few pesky flies that bit me (but not my husband) as we left the window in the bathroom open, and it had no screen. Nice sliding/screen door leading to a porch or patio if on the 2nd floor. Room service came daily to make the beds. Th [... read more]e bath towels were replaced once on our 10 day stay. The beach towels were huge and plush. We did not run out of toilet paper or bottled water in our room. The common washrooms occasionally ran out of tp but I always had tissue on me in case. On any day trips we took, we needed to bring tissues with us, and to pay the attendant for some toilet paper (they expect a tip either way for keeping the washroom clean). I had read up a lot before we went to Cuba on the food shortages and lack of tasty food. The food far exceeded what we expected. The a la carte restaurants were fabulous. I stuck to fish for most of my meals and it was extremely tasty. My husband had fish, chicken and beef. His only complaint about the food was that it was often cold. Some of the buffet food was not great but there were also some very good options. They had a few grilling stations which were very popular. The bread and cheese were so good and available at every buffet meal. It was open 3 times a day: 6am-10:30am. 1-3pm and 6-10:30pm. You need to sign up for your three a la cart meals starting Monday between 8am-12pm. The sign-up is available Mon-Fri but not many spots left after Mon. The snack bar by the pool was great. It was pretty much open 24 hrs. It offered simple meals: sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers etc... Ranchon was an amazing lunch restaurant near the beach that was open from 12:30-3pm daily. This restaurant offered an app, main course and dessert as did the all the a la cartes. Coffee was available at Mikes coffee bar, the main lobby bar and the snack bar. Mikes offered amazing coffee choice. The resort ran out of coffee grounds for a couple of days but offered an instant substitute that most people thought was good. There was plenty of beer, rum, tequila and whisky. Wine was hard to come by and vodka was only offered in the piano bar. The staff was amazing. They were helpful, cheerful, pleasant, positive etc... They appreciated all the extras were brought with us. The store shelves are pretty bare. We were glad that we brough a 50 lbs duffle bag full of items to give out to these wonderful people. We also left some of our personal items and all our remaining sunscreen, bug spray(a must) and medicine. The beach of course was amazing. To the left it was rocky (you need to have footwear for the first 10 mins if you go for a beach walk) but to the right it was the typical endless sandy beach. We had heard that beach and pool lounges were hard to come by. This is correct. If you want a lounge chair by the pool you need to be up by 7am and reserve with your towel. If you got the beach by 8:30am, you could usually find a few open lounges. The most annoying part is the guests who put towels on lounges and don't show up until the end of the day to retrieve their towels. Very selfish.

Grand Memories Varadero: The worst hotel I 've ever seen on vacation. ( Feb 27 - March 5 - 2024)

The check- in was late, definitely past 4 pm. We were booking our trip together with our friends and we paid the same price, 1035$ per adult. Nevertheless, the reception guy gave us a room that was 1 km away from the ocean. At the same time our friends were given a place at the other side of the resort. The receptionist explained us, that we booked a standard room, when our friends ordered a premium one. ( for the same 1035 $ per adult). The receptionist recommended us to contact our agent what [... read more] we did. And what was the agent's response? She messaged -" Talk to receptionist". Good start. Finally, we gave a receptionist 140$ CAN cash under the table and got a "premium" room next door to our friends. There were no blankets on the beds, and only 2 pillows for 2 adults and 2 kids. The bar fridge had only 2 bottles of plain water in it. The balcony door lock was broken, and when I attempted to open a wardrobe sliding door - it just fell on the floor. They had troubles with supplies all the week - no sugar for tea and coffee, one or two days they didn't supply disposable cups. Towel service doesn't exist there - we used the same towels all the week, same for pool towels. The floor in the room was so dirty - they don't clean it properly. If you leave the balcony door open - the room is full of biting mosquitoes. A/C was working the first day ok, but when we tried to shut it off - it didn't start again. After fixing the thermostat on/off button never worked again - so we stayed with working a/c till the end. All the room equipment was old and devastated, but there was a shower with hot and cold water and the pressure was good. There was no pressure in the toilet flush - so we borrowed a kid's toy bucket to flush the toilet. Our friend's safe and entrance door locks were broken every other day, they couldn't open the door with the card. Food was OK, no one had any stomach problems, guava and papaya were good. No shrimps, no potatoes, no eggs. Egg powder compound is not a good replacement for the omelet. The menu was the same all days, no varieties - but it is normal for Cuba. The pool was OK, the entrance to the ocean beach is not fit for a baby stroller. Overall it is not worth 1035$. Varadero is a good place to stay for those who want to visit Havana. The hotel is not 4 stars , even not 3. If you find a deal there for 700 - 750$ - book it. I hope the agent will refund me my 140$, spent for "premium" upgrade.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Awesome Resort!

Hotel was great. The pools were awesome. The beaches were beautiful. There was always something to eat. If you aren't picky, you won't starve. The area was super safe and had fun things for the kids. Highly recommend this resort.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Cuba has seen better days

Had to move rooms 3 times (bloody sheets, broken faucet, balony door would not close). Bad wifi connection. Limited food selection. Elevator did work and part of pool was closed. On positive side beaches are still wonderful.

Valentin Cayo Cruz: Lovely quiet resort to relax

Not too busy, and has everything necessary for a great warm winter holiday. Staff were very helpful and kind. A special shout out to Deimis, our concierge. She went above and beyond our expectations! What an amazing lady!