Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Needs some work

The resort has the best view, best pools and great beach. Unfortunately that's where it's ends. Our toilet in our room didn't work all week, reported and wasn't fixed. Hear this ame issue from other guess. Lots of shortages at resort. But was expecting that. The food was plentiful but Unfortunately wasn't very good. Resort is starting to look alittle tired as well. It's not bad but I wouldn't return

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Absolutely Phenomenal

So this was my very first trip to Cuba... And based on this hotel, I'd go back again and again. Hotel is brand new, staff were great and the food was good as well. I know there were some issues while I was there but nothing that wasn't 100% manageable. The staff are new and getting their groove.

Roc Barlovento: Give it a miss!

While the beach was absolutely amazing, the rest of the resort fell short. For the first few days they were out of coffee and eggs, the food was okay though we realize you don't go to Cuba for the food! The rooms fell short as well; from hard beds/pillows to a serious lack of water pressure - at times barely a trickle out of the tap and more often than not it was cold! There was a stench of sewer coming into our room via the bathroom vent that we covered with a plastic bag. There were bugs (mosq [... read more]uitos?) that were drawn to the smell as well. There were also bed bugs!!!! Only the buffet and the Mexican restaurant were open along with the snack bar. They are very militant about towels, so keep your eyes on yours at all times and don't lose one, heaven forbid! To top it all off, there is a refinery nearby that caused it to smell heavily of crude oil mostly throughout the night, even with the air conditioning turned off; it was so strong we woke up coughing! Rampant cats running wild with their excrement all over the place. Liquor was lower shelf, not great. Couple good things: the beach, as mentioned earlier, was amazing and the best part of the place. The Mexican restaurant was good as well.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Beautiful resort

It is very large and grounds spread out but beautiful. The first couple of days we were confused about the location of everything. Once you get to know your way around its fine, everyone was very friendly. The room was on ground floor and was damp and chemical smell the first night was bad, The floor was dirty the first day but once they came to wash floor we aired it out after a couple days it wasnt as bad and just got used to it. I ask to get another room but we didnt follow up and were t [... read more]old to come back in the morning. All in all we had a lovely time. There was work going on everywhere but it wasnt an issue for us, My main complaint was the room was cold and damp. And was a few crawley bugs but after they washed the floor with bleach I didnt see anymore bugs not cockroaches but centipede and soil bugs. For what we paid it was a beautiful resort, We were not sure where the beach entrance was but once you know you know. It would be nice to have a boardwalk to the beach as we got bitten by sand fleas. There were not enough chairs some days at the pools and beach. The new chairs look nice but are very hard and not adjustable. The lobby is beautiful and a great hang out place. Some lights missing bulbs not matching etc. beautiful table in middle missing glass. Would look beautiful with a centerpiece on it. Loved the beautiful blue comfy chairs to wait for golf cart back to room or beach. Couple massage was great. Food was fine not an issue. We had been to Cuba so knew what to expect and had a wonderful time. You can rent the old cars from the lobby and go into Varadera, the Beatles club music was amazing!!

Villa Caprice: Villa Caprice - Beautiful Location and a Relaxing Stay

Beautiful location right on the ocean, quiet and laid back atmosphere. * Staff are exceptionally accommodating and helpful. * Food was okay on some days, and excellent on others (depending on availability). * Drink was plenty- wine/beer with diner & lunch; lots of mixed drink options with rhum ( rhum punch is popular). Beer was in short supply on a couple of occasions, but then available the following day. * Accomodations were clean and adequate - loved the comfy bed (2 large single beds in  [... read more]each room), cool and quiet a/c, hot water always. Some rooms have frosted windows - ours did so we asked to move and the view out of the windows was much better. * Beach is amazing. You can walk for miles, and it is not full of people. Water is warm. Need to be careful of the waves - the water can be rough depending on the weather. * Nudism is quite popular here, on the beach and at the pool and pool bar. NEGATIVE - there is a group of repeat and new guests who are promoting nudism at the pool and at the pool bar and snack bar (Facebook Group). At the pool it is posted that bathing suits must be worn, but they seem to think that clothing is optional (CO) at this part of the resort. Perhaps management or Sunwing can clarify, and clearly post expectations with regards to nudism on the resort grounds for future guests. * POSITIVE - I loved my stay at Villa Caprice, and yes I would definitely return ?? ? ??

Club Kawama: No food

Resort is nice people great no vodka no gin all week no food at all what was there was not good line up we’re long staff is only cooking small amounts of food at a time then running out after only one hour of service

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Wonderful resort

We loved how the resort is laid out, very easy to get around. The groundkeepers do an amazing job! And I can't say enough about the animation team...they are all very talented and kept us entertained every day and night. Our room, while a little worn down, was clean and the beds comfortable. We had an issue with the toilet not flushing on the first day, but maintenance fixed with a couple of hours...THANK YOU! All the staff are very friendly. As for the food, we didn't go hungry (we are no [... read more]t very picky eaters). Yes, there are shortages at times, but that is not the resort's fault. We will definitely be back!

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Fantastic Getaway

This hotel was pretty great. We stayed in the Cayo Section and loved the location of the beach and only a few steps to the swim-up bar pool. The beach was spectacular, the food was delicious and plentiful. The rooms were decent, could be a little more well kept but good enough to lay our heads at the end of the night. We had a 8 year old and a 16 year old and both had a great time here. We are planning to return!

Melia Trinidad Peninsula: Amazing

This hotel is amazing state of the art amenities from the rooms to dining pools and lounge areas. The food is fantastic best I’ve had in Cuba if your a beach bum not the best beach it’s very rocky probably because it’s so close to the mountains which are also a beautiful site to see the sunsets are spectacular and the staff are very friendly and very appreciative will definitely go back

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: A Nice Vacation

We have been to Santa Maria Cuba several times in recent years but this was our first visit to Grand Aston. We visited as a family, including kids and grandparents. We were there February 14-21, 2024. The people there were wonderful. The rooms were very clean and everything in the rooms worked well. The food in Cuba is inconsistent across the board, so some days the buffet was well stocked and there were tons of options. Other days there were no eggs, bread, butter and/or limited meat  [... read more]but we don't go to Cuba for the food (they were never out of all of those things a the same time). We go for the beautiful beaches, the wonderful people and the feeling of safety that we have there. We always found food to eat here and never went hungry. If you want to get the best food, go early. It will be busier but the food options are better. On the days that the buffet was't great, we walked down to a pizza place and a small market that is just past the adult side of the resort. The pizza was really good and averaged about $6 Canadian per person. Some of our party went to the Italian a-la-cate and said it was awful. We have never had good Italian Food in Cuba though. We went to the French a-la-carte and is was very well done. The food and the service was great. We didn't get to try the Cuban a-la-carte but I suspect that one would have been pretty good. There was also a bowling alley here that I believe was about $5 Canadian per person. The kids enjoyed that very much. The snorkelling at this resort was outstanding. There is a short path to the ocean right beside building 6. We went snorkelling in this area. If you swim to the right side there are some beautiful coral reefs with a ton of fish. We even saw sting rays. This is of the best off-beach snorkelling that we have ever done. If you like to dive or snorkel, this is a good resort for you. The larger market in Sant Maria closed down this last year which is unfortunate because it was a nice place to visit. We didn't get the chance to do it this year, but we were told that you can pay a taxi driver with a classic car $160 Canadian to drive you to the town of Remedios and back for a private tour. It's on our to do list for next year because I am told that Remedios is really beautiful. There were a few things that we did not like at this resort. There are two pool areas at this resort. The adults only side has a smaller pool that is quiet but obviously, is only for adults. If you didn't pay for this side, you can still get in but you can't get food or drinks. We were not on this side but if we had been, I would have been annoyed with the fact that I paid extra for this privacy and anyone could still get in here. Everyone going to the beach or the market needs to pass through the adults only side. My in-laws did pay to be on the adults only side. They paid significantly more than us so that they could have that privacy. They also paid extra for a full water-view room. The hotel overbooked, so they did not get a water-view room. When they inquired about it, the hotel told them that they were given a room upgrade instead of a water-view room. Their room was massive but they were only two people. They were upset because they didn't need or want a giant room. They wanted, and paid for a view that the did not get and they were never asked for their preference. The main pool area is nice but from 2pm-6pm its like going back to a dance club in the 1990's. They blast 90's techno music and rap super loud. We stayed in building 6, which is right beside the pool and could not get away from the music. It was so loud that we could hear it underwater when we were swimming in the ocean. My father-in-law has hearing aid and was miserable because he had to turn it off because of the volume of the music. Poor guy couldn't hear us speaking but still said that the music was too loud. The beach also had loud music so there was no escaping the party vibe. In my opinion, this is a great resort for a girls trip or for going with friends. Especially if you grew up in the 1990's. I would not return here with a family. Around 9am in the morning, there is an airplane the flys over the resort, multiple times, spraying some chemical to control the bugs. The good news is that bugs were not at all a problem. The bad news is that if you don't run, you will get sprayed with whatever that chemical is. Watching people scatter was quite the sight. Don't leave your clothing or towels out on the balcony to dry in the morning or they will get sprayed. This issue probably isn't resort specific but it would have liked to know about t in advance. There are shows listed in the lobby that are supposed to happen at 9:30pm in the auditorium. There were only two nights where that actually happened. The Michael Jackson show on Saturday nights was awesome. Otherwise, they do a fashion show with girls in thongs and beach cover-ups walking around the lobby and trying to sell you beach clothing. They did have a DJ or guitar player in the lobby most nights if you are into live music. The guitar player was very good and the type of music switched up from night to night. The lobby at night is very busy and again, has a party vibe that wasn't ideal for our family vacation. This is a small thing, but every time you ask for a coffee at this resort it will be made a different way and most of the time it tasted like brown water or just hot milk. We have traveled in Cuba a lot and typically their coffee is excellent. They have their own coffee brand called Cubita and they usually make killer Cafe Con Leche. There is a coffee shortage right now. On this vacation, the coffee was terrible so maybe bring your own instant coffee. One of our family members did and she just got hot water from the 24 hour cafe every morning and and had no issues. Next time, we will bring our own and leave it behind for the staff. I would suggest packing toilet paper and white wine with you. Our room always had toilet paper. Other parts of the resort did not always have it. If you go off resort, you will need it. White wine is hard to get there right now. Make sure you bring enough money to spend and tip. The bank at the resort had Canadian and US money but will only give you Cuban Pesos which are essentially useless. Nobody down there wants to get the local currency because their own stores require them to buy things in foreign currency. DO NOT bother bringing Cuban Pesos with you. The people are happy to take Canadian or US money. They can only cash paper money that is not damaged at their banks. You can tip with loonies or toonies but you will find staff asking you to trade their coins for bills if you have them. There were a lot of really great moments on this vacation. Expect to experience the friendly hospitality that you would expect in Cuba. I do think that in the future we will be looking to go to a more quite resort. Parts of are group are already planning to return in November for a girls trip to take part in some of those party vibes. We would not return as a family though.

Gran Muthu Imperial: Totally disappointing

First of all it is not an adults only resort. Secondly we got there at 11:00 am and did not get our room till 5:00 pm. They would not give us Wifi access while we were waiting. Thirdly, no pop,no eggs except the last days, and we had to stand in line to get some, not enough for everybody. They ran out of bread, coffee,wine, beerand hardly had meat for meals. Also the A la carte, were misleading as there is no Chinese and no seafood at the Mediterranean. And on top of that there was blood on the  [... read more]floor of our building, the first day we woke up and it was still there when we left. This is a low 3 stars, and I would not recommend it to anyone. 1 positive the staff did what they could but had nothing to work with. I believe the website should be updated and reflect reality. And no condiments and things to put on our toasts in the morning

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Great Resort

Nice, big, clean rooms. Staff friendly. Beach was amazing. Food was ok, there was always something I liked. Overall a very good experience. I would go back. We stayed in block 7 which was quick.

Melia Trinidad Peninsula: Beyond Expectations

This hotel was nothing short of amazing the resort was absolutely beautiful along with amazing staff When we arrived we were more then amazed with the lobby until we got to our rooms Our rooms were nothing short of jaw dropping in a good way .The rooms were way beyond our expectations and nothing short of amazing I had read reviews about the resort but will tell you the food was great and never ran out of pop or booze like in a previous trip to another resort in Cuba .The snack bar always h [... read more]ad something good to eat This is definatly a resort i would return to as well as highly recommend The one downfall is location . It is an hour and a half bus ride which to me is the only draw back .But overall i would highly recommend this resort We will definatly be back as the bus ride is well forgotten by the amazing staff and resort EXCELLENT JOB MELIA

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Cuba's #1 Resort!

This resort was 98% spotless all the time,from check in to check out,spacious rooms, ample food and alcohol access from any point within,and the beach. From cleaning to maintenance, staff smiles and helpfulness, ?. Lots to do with events daily and nightly. Thanks to Nicole Kirk and the staff at Trip Central, I will diffently be booking through Nicole Kirk and Trip Central again!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: BIG DISAPOINTMENT

We spent 11 days there. At breakfast, there were very long lines if you wanted eggs or an omelette, at least twenty or more minutes waiting. Need to have a better toast making station with butter, jams, peanut butter, etc. No syrup available for the pancakes. The buffet was not up to standard. The specialty restaurants, Japanese and French were quite good. The Italian Restaurant was not good. The wines were generally good as well as the bar service. Very friendly staff. Rooms and grounds need  [... read more]some tender loving care. Stayed in Varadero about 20 plus years ago at a 4 plus star and were very pleased.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Okay but not quite what we expected

The Valentin El Patriarca Varadero is okay and they DO try hard to make your stay pleasurable. It's not their fault that they have so many shortages. I realized during our stay that I am a bit of a food snob and I also have high standards with regards to hygiene. We stayed for 2 weeks and never once had our sheets or towels washed which was disappointing. The selection of food at the buffet is amazing however, food items you expect to be hot (or at least warm) are only room temperature which [... read more] may be okay for some people but personally, I like my hot food to be hot. We had our share of challenges with the wifi and for sure we were never able to connect in our room so just be aware of this. Our shower door was poorly fitted and every time we used the shower, we had a flood on our bathroom floor. The pool area is amazing but you can never get a lounger around the pool OR on the ocean. The pool bar/restaurant is great with great food and drinks and sadly, as a result of the shortages of loungers and chairs, guests take the chair from the restaurant out around the pool so finding a table with chairs to enjoy lunch is often a challenge. Great people and they try very hard. Al A Cart Restaurants are good (except The Gourmet with chairs that are not very clean and actually smell, plus the food is not desirable) but the other's are good. Night shows are fun and evening music, entertainment in the lounge is enjoyable too.

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: 5/10

1. Looks modern 2. Because the staff barely spoke English , whenever you called reception for something they hang up the phone on you 3. We were their for 4 days and kept asking reception and calling down for someone to come and program the tv 4. This resort is more for an older crowd I’d say 55 years old and up 5. Dirty dishes, and dirty blankets

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great resort with kind staff

This resort was great, we stayed at the sanctuary side which was 18+ and more quiet. We had access to the entire resort so it was nice to be able to come and go from the sanctuary to the busier family side. One aspect that could’ve used improvement was that there was a lack of communication about daily events, transportation and excursions. I read online there was yoga in the mornings but had no idea how to find the dates or times. We also had room service but had no menu or ways of knowing the  [... read more]services available. The housekeeping was good, but they didn’t come one day that we needed fresh towels, but the rooms are very clean. It was also noted in the sanctuary offers that the mini bar in the room would be restocked but it never was. We left a note asking but it did not happen. We were also told that we could exchange beach towels for fresh ones near the pool, but the hours were not listed anywhere so we never got a chance to catch it while it was opened. Another thing that took us by surprise was the lack of condiments and snacks. I was told before to bring ketchup but didn’t think too much of it… do it. The snack bar had hotdogs and hamburgers but had no sauces so they were just burger and bun. There was also no snacks to buy or offered on the resort, so you could only eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, or go to the snack bar which were more like full meals and had limited items. Also, the resort had extremely limited alcohol options… like only rum. Rum is great, but a glass of wine or a drink with vodka or gin would have been nice. They had rum and sambuca only at most bars, they also had beer but ran out a few times. We also had our safe break with all of our valuable items including money and passports 2 days before we were supposed to leave. Luckily they were able to call a mechanic who fixed/pried it open. And now for the good stuff: The resort was so beautiful and well laid out, with lots of greenery and flowers. The rooms were also very quiet and you got your own balcony. They were also very clean and the housekeepers did a great job when they came. They have a lot of bars on the resort which is a plus and are allowed smoking in the lobby. The pools were fantastic, there are 3, one being on the sanctuary side and 2 others on the family side, the bartenders at the swim-up bars were the best and very friendly. The beach itself was magical with tons of room on the beach to set up chairs provided under umbrellas. The water was crystal clear and very warm. Another pro could be that the drinks are extremely strong, this can be a pro depending on how much you like rum, lol. The people were also the kindest people, very welcoming and webfelt really safe there. We took a bus into Varadero one of the days and it was so beautiful. A double decker bus took us to the vibrant city, full of shops and art. We also went on an excursion which was a catamaran boat ride to a coral reef and then to an island for a few hours. This was definitely the highlight of the trip. The beach was beyond incredible and the buffet when we got off the boat was amazing. Overall, this trip was great! It was my first time in Cuba and I still went there expecting certain shortages, but the ones I pointed out were just what we noticed. In the end, I would definitely return, but I’d bring certain things with me like my own wine and snacks and potentially even condiments just to be safe.

Valentin Cayo Cruz: Valentin Cayo Cruz require lots of improvements

Bad: Dining - always missing something : bread, eggs, wine, soft drinks, water,food is always cold, my daughter had a stomach flu. Water served in the dining room had very terrible taste with lots of chlorine. Service require improvent - servants predend they do not see you too often, very ofyen it's no water in the room, difficult to change beach towel - no towels available. There are hard plastic chairs in the beach, soft only for the VIPs. It's practically no entertainment, in the evenin [... read more]gs and specially at the beach. Instead, the people from the entertainment team open the door to buffet, what I personally find very humiliated for them. Beach - not bad close to hotels, as soon as no hotels looks like a garbage site, for sure should be cleaned. Several times was no water in the shower or bath tab. Good: Very good gym, clean and with good temperature inside. Good coffee service. Conclusion: This for sure not 5 stars hotel, 21/2 max. Will not come back.

Melia Trinidad Peninsula: Absolutely stunning resort!

Love love love this resort! Everything is brand new and modern, staff are typical Cuban friendly and food and drinks delicious! Entertainment staff circulate throughout day to involve guests in activities. Room keys are linked to all inclusive wrist band so no carrying around room card. Abundance of loungers, umbrellas, sun beds and outdoor seating. Loved the live music at breakfast and lunch buffet. Good snorkeling right from the resort beach - such an incredible vacation!