You get what you pay for

Well most of the reviews were true. Don't pay anymore than $800 for this place. It's run down and need a lot of work. Food isn't the best either. Most times no hot water, towels, and most things are broken.. 75% of the resort are 20 year olds. Guessing cause it's cheap. Pay the extra and stay somewhere else

Nice hotel !

The beach is beautiful, there's 3 pools and lot's of bar. Drinks are good but the food is just okay. Not discusting but not delicious. We went to Havana Club and it was pretty cool. The room are good.

Wonderful time, we will return!!!

I have been to Cuba 10 times this is the first time I came to this resort my husband and I were very pleased with it, it isn't on the beach but only a couple minute walk which I stayed at many resorts that have a couple minute walk that are advertised as on the beach. The food was great the location was excellent! Went on the jeep safari and locked it! Stayed in room 4127, very clean, pleasant housekeeper. I left her thank you notes and she wrote back and pay so or nice gift for her. She even le [... read more]ft me a gift of a neck lace one time on my swan towel arrangement!

Great trip. Excellent value.

This was our first trip to Cuba so we didn't know what to expect. We have stayed at numerous other resorts with various ratings. For the money, we got exactly what we expected during spring break. The grounds and pools are well kept and clean. The rooms are clean and the beds are comfortable. The AC works fine. The staff are friendly (but you need to remember to be friendly too! I witnessed numerous growly and otherwise over-privleged guests that were treating the staff really lousy. Of cour [... read more]se the treatment you get back can be curt). The housekeeping is great and the kitchen staff are good. Service in the buffet dining can be a little slow, but for the most part they are swamped. At some times in the day there are not enough staff to handle the numerous demands of the numerous guests. Regardless we were pleased. The food in Cuba isn't exactly gourmet. I tend to refer to it as "home cooking". You're not going to get filet mingnon and sushi. So don't go expecting it. The restaurant dinners were VERY good and the service is great - make a reservation if you can. And I definitely recommend the Cuban and International restaurants. The beach is one of the best I've ever seen. But don't be afraid to walk away to either side if you want quiet. The entertainment staff have salsa lessons and other avtivities and they can be loud. Play beach volleyball - it was awesome. The staff at the beach hut were wonderful! They are great at the bar and really fun. Beach food is good, they kept bringing out paella and burgers and fries (I'd avoid the hot dogs). Don't listen to stories about bland food or no sauces or lame ketchup. Their ketchup is fine, they have hot sauces available! Be willing to try and taste new things! Don't be stuck up! =) The entertainment staff were really good too. Look for Alberto! The two evening shows we saw were great, there is a lot of musical talent in Cuba. The other GUESTS were what made the trip a little lousy. We were expecting to have a more subdued trip (We're Canadian, and pardon our prejudice, but we were happy to see no loud Americans) but the idiotic younger girls from PQ and rednecks from ON and rude Russians were just too much for us. This trip renewed my faith in our American cousins. I'll take a trip to Cancun with loud Americans any day, given that the other gueses in this hotel were waking us up at 5:AM shouting and even fighting in the hallway. The Newfoundlanders and guests from Spain were AWESOME! The other hotels right nearby were a little more expensive. I WOULD come back to Palma Real some time in the future. This is good value for the money. Next time we will save up a while longer and visit a more "upscale" hotel.

Good resort

dining area was clean and well organized. Staff very clean. Selection of food was fine. We moved once to a different room because of the loud music at night. Rooms were clean. The air conditioner only worked on full blast.... which was far too noisy. The beach was great and the waves too... went bathing in the ocean in the morning and also in the afternoon. Unfortunately people throw away so many of the plastic containers... garbage cans available but no big signs about clean-up. One person coul [... read more]d easily keep the area clean, including the garbage which lies on the way to the beach. I and some others picke up garbage quite often...... could not let it wash into the ocean..... and the solution is so simple and ceap. The check-in at the counter is very tedious.... all passports are copied again by hand, which takes forever.... very simple solution.... But, we would go again. Arno

Amazing Resort

This resort was super clean, well kept. The food is the best compared to other resorts in Varadero. The workers are also well experienced, kind, and helpful. The resort has many things to do especially since it is located in central Varadero, you get the city experience as well. The beach club is great if you want to go swim in salt water while having a few drinks. I enjoy it so much I keep coming back for the wonderful experience.

A nice resort

it was ok rooms clean, property clean, food ok, staff very nice en other visitors very nice beach was fantastic en had boats to use there was night entertainment that was good weather great rained only once for like 1/2 hr

Not bad for the money paid for.

The hotel is not bad for the money paid for. I traveled with my boyfriend, and found Cuba is quite expensive for foreigners, 1 bottle of mineral water cost about US$3!!! Please make sure you don't make international phone calls from Cuba. It cost us US$40 for 3 minutes call to Canada!

Meh

It was OK. Not amazing (at all) but not TERRIBLE. You have to have lots of extra money to tip or the service is non existent. You pay for what you get, the room was very dated and I don't recommend going there if u want a good night sleep cuz you hear slamming of doors all night long from drunks. The food wasn't as bad as we thought. Third time to cuba but I think we are done with there now.

Sun and sand

This hotel was dated but clean. The weather for the week of Feb 23-March 2 was beautiful. A short walk to the beach with its own area for Palma Real guests and our own beach bar!! The entertainment was nice but the location of this resort is so close to the downtown area that we could enjoy the local entertainment, dining and shopping!! I think I'm going back next month!!

Good price good times.

Had fun, staff was super friendly and the drinks are nice. Just don't visit cuba expecting things to be like they are in Canada, because that's ridiculous. Worst part of the vacation was the other tourists. They were insufferable.

Really good time!

This hotel was amazing the only down side was the food but if you bring enough money to eat out restaurants are mins away and delicious! The staff was amazing they made me feel at home! If you can stay in building 4 it was newer a/c works had hot water all week. The lobby is a smokers paradise especially at night! Overall great time can't wait to go back to Cuba!

Decent

This was a decent place to stay for the week. The location is right downtown which is nice for the nightlife especially. The water went out on us twice during our stay. After advising front desk that both elevators weren't working, we were assured that there would be a bellboy to help us with our luggage that next morning, on the day of checkout. Front desk even took our room number down. The next morning we rang for a bellboy and was assured that one was on the way. We had to call back twice. T [... read more]hen we get a call back saying there is no bellboy. We went to the lobby, carrying our luggage 4 floors down because no elevator was working of course. I was livid. Then the lady at front desk proceeds to tell us that we would be charged 20 Pecos per towel if we didn't show our green slip. So, i had to dig through the garbage just to find this paper even though when we returned our towels, the person working there wrote our room number down to show that we returned the towels. On top of that our first room had mold in it. I wouldn't come back to this resort.

Amasing resourt

very good value for the money although my friend got sick when she ate the fish but overall the trip was great and would go again. We loved the view from our room as we could see the beach from it Also the cleaning staff were very friendly and treated us with the utmost respect

Great Vacay

I liked the location of this hotel. The food was good, liked the variety. Am not a picky eater so I enjoyed the food. Most of the staff was great, the odd one lacked customer service skills. Stayed in building 4 which was nice. I found the nights a little cool but other then that was great tanning weather.

Very Nice Resort...

That resort is very nice with great locality, but the rooms are in bad conditions. I had some problems with that resort such as, frigde was not working and some mood in the rooms. The rest everything is ok. The food was good and very weel servided. The great pools.

Good Value

Friendly counter staff, easily changed rooms for a better view of the ocean, rooms are clean, food is what one would respect for Cuba. Great value. Quick walk to the beach and completely safe to wander off resort no matter the time.

Not great!!

Must admit the staff was good but I would not stay there again. One buffet and hundreds of people having to stand in line to get food. Food was not the best. At night not enough light on the pathway to walk over to Block 4.

2nd time around

We were at the resort 4 years ago, somethings are better somethings suck. Better- Furniture in the lobby, Coffee and slushy selection, Bed quality was better but maybe just the same and i didn't notice, i was at a 4 1/2 star last year (blau Marina) and the beds sucked. Italian was awesome - too bad wasn't open for pizza at lunch anymore. Worse- Pool with swim up bar was half full of water some days- fill it up- No fries at the grill by beach or at the other snack bar- which sucks cause if you ca [... read more]nt eat at buffet at least you had fries to rely on. Elevator work sometimes and when your on the forth floor it sucks to have to climb. staff at front desk could be 80 % nicer. They are not helpful at all. (Not like we asked for much, but even just asking if they had $ to exchange you would think i was asking for a first born) Staff are friendly but love you if you tip or give them gifts. Only had one worker actually ask for a tip, (which we always did, but that set me off so she got nothing) All and all it is a cheap vacation and if you want under 600 each it is worth it, food is cuba selection was not as good as the (Blau) but you are right in town which is nice, Beach is across the road and not far to walk but get there early so you get a chair.

Great trip by trip central!!!

Hotel and grounds were great beach even better!! My son and I had a wonder time!! Will go back again!! And will use trip central, awesome job guys love trip central!! I will recommend both travel planners and resort to all my friends! Last minute deals are the bomb! Planning our next visit with trip central for next winter!!