Great resort - service outstanding!

Quite a big resort with 2 sets of buildings surrounding the lobby & buffet. Food was above average and the beach was fantastic & ocean with turquoise colours! Service was terrific - staff were friendly! However, the bus ride is over 1.5 hrs to the resort from the airport. There were plenty of excursions to choose from and we enjoyed swimming with the dolphins & lobster lunch! There are entertainment shows every night and you can dance the night away in the disco after! Had a wonderful we [... read more]ek with super weather, and even left little gifts for the cleaning staff for our room. I'm sure you'll enjoy the Valentin Perla Blanca resort!

Good and Bad

The resort itself, although it's only 3 years old, it still needs improvement. Tiles in the pool, lighting on walkways, walking paths, condiments, changing of sheets daily and bananas, yes bananas, were all missing from this resort making it feel more like a 3 star resort. There were many pluses, like the beach, coffee, ocean (beautiful turquoise), al-a-carts, 24hr snack bar and entertainment. Easy fixes would be the lighting on walkways and removing all the broken walkways to the palapas so  [... read more]no one breaks an ankle and replacing all the lawn chairs that are broken with new ones. We had a nice trip over all but I would not be returning to this resort. You get what you pay for.

Great Resort

Pros: Beach was beautiful. Facility and rooms were great. Staff were very friendly. Cons: Very limited on chairs at the beach and food was just ok Would recommend and would consider re-visiting

Maybe a 3*

I will start with vacation is what you make it. In no way do I expect the people of Cuba to make my vacation great, however I do expect to know the conditions of the resort before I go so I can decide if it's for me or not. The pictures of this resort are deceiving. It has aged badly for not being very old. The hurricane sure didn't help this place with not enough shaders on beach or sun loungers either, a lot of them broken. Buffet very busy as I think it is just too small. Everything was wait  [... read more]in line ups so by the time you got food most was cold. There was a death the day on the resort the day I left so I was glad to go. Beach was Beautiful , loved when the tide was out. I would not return here but I did have a great vacation🏝

Beautiful Resort

The majority of the staff are very friendly and very helpful. There was not enough staff in the restaurants. The Italian Restaurant was great. The one complaint that I had was that when you go to the front desk to get your keys reprogrammed, they don't even ask your name. You could be getting the keys to any room. The snack bar by the quiet pool was the best place for breakfast and lunch. The beach here is beautiful.

Relaxing but too big...

This resort is way too busy and big. The buffet was understaffed and line ups were crazy. We ate at the restaurants and snack bar because of this. Room towels were only changed twice in the entire 7 days and the beach towel exchange desk was only open at 10am and didn't stay open for long. There are only about a dozen beach chairs for non "preferred guests" and the changes of you getting one was next to NIL unless you were "preferred". They had lots of chairs available for preferred guests  [... read more]that were sitting empty while we sat on the sand. The resort next to it had tons of chairs and sun huts and a much wider beach. If we go back to this location, we will be trying that resort.

Most amazing beach!

Pros: breath taking beach, great food, a la cartes were great, some staff were amazing, always clean towels, cheap wifi, decent entertainment Cons: too many people in and out of our room (3 housekeeping, very rude mini bar refill guy) room key issues, had items stolen from our room (cell phone, selfie stick, money, sunscreen, beach bag) reported it, no one seemed to concerned. Seems we weren’t the only ones that week to have things go missing :( Often large lines to order drinks, lack of  [... read more]chairs at the beach and at the pool I would not recommend this hotel if you are traveling alone.

Beautiful Resort. But not for a solo traveller

I am a solo female traveller, and I spent a week at Valentin Perla Blanca from April 3rd to April 10th 2018. Let me first say that this was my first time to Cuba, and it is wonderful! The people are so lovely and kind, and I felt so safe. I think you will experience this anywhere you go in Cuba! I decided on a last min vacation, and was looking for something that was safe and beautiful. Immediately my travel agent said "Cuba"! So I then started the search of what resort to stay at. I liked th [... read more]e idea of an Adults only resort that was economical. And the Valentin kept popping up time and time again. So I bit the bullet and I booked! Upon arriving at the Valentin, It was definitely a stunning resort. Modern, well appointed. And I could see that exquisite Turquoise sea as soon as I entered the lobby. The staff, as lovely as they were, were on "Cuba" time. Nothing was rushed, nothing was considered urgent. They had only one person at the check in to serve about 20 people standing in line. This wasn't that big of a deal to me, as I was enjoying the magnificent scenery. I will sum up a few things for you. 1. Food - Not great, but I knew this going in. I didn't go to Cuba for the food. But I will say that the 3 a la Cart restaurants I went to (Italian, Seafood & French) were really great. 10 times better than the buffet. The chicken fingers and fries at the Snack bars were good. But my first night I ordered a hamburger, and it was very raw! 2. Rooms - Basic but fairly clean. The balcony door didn't close properly and wouldn’t lock. This was minor as I was on the 3rd floor, so I didn't bother complaining about it. If you are looking for a quiet place to stay, don't get a room by the activities pool or the main lobby. I was near the main lobby, which was good in some ways because I didn't have to walk far to go to the buffet or the lobby bar (Which is the best one!). But in the evenings, when I would often head to my room for an early night, the noise and music from the lobby bar and theatre was so loud, it was like the performers were right in my room! But usually things died down around 11pm at the latest, which was nice. Unfortunately, the "Do not disturb" sign means nothing to the staff. There were 2 occasions where I was suffering from a terrible headache due to the heat, so I wondered up to my room to have a nap in the afternoon. Both times I put the "Do not Disturb" sign in the key card slot on the door. And both times, a staff person removed that card and just walked into my room! Scaring the hell out of me! I realize that my fridge had not been stocked, but I was ok with that which is why I put the sign out. I did not want to be disturbed. So after that, I felt very uncomfortable in my room, knowing that anyone will just walk in! 3. The Beach - What they say is correct. The beach is stunning and the water is unbelievable! During my week there, the weather was absolutely amazing. Hot sun, blue skies and calm turquoise waters every day. It was wonderful. But there was one HUGE issue. There were not nearly enough beach chairs or shelters available. I am a beach person. I love the sand and the water. I could spend all day, everyday at the beach. So the beach is the MOST important thing to me. So when I would head to the beach in the morning at a reasonable time...around 9-10am after breakfast, I would walk up and down. Sometimes for an hour, just looking for a chair and shelter. But every single chair on the beach was "Reserved" by someone who had placed their towel and/or personal items on it. And no one was there! Just row upon row of empty chairs that were "Reserved". This was so infuriating, as there are multiple signs everywhere saying you are not allowed to reserve chairs or shelters. But no one abides by this. And in fact, the staff even encourages it! One day, as I was at my wits end trying to find a chair, I went to an employee who worked on the beach and asked him to please help me find a chair. He straight out refused (The only negative interaction I had with an employee). I pointed out that there were a stack of unused chairs behind him, and he said that those were for "Privileged" guests only. I then asked him why people were allowed to reserve the chairs when the signs say they are not? He answered with "That's just the way it is". He then went on to tell me that if I wanted a chair, I would have to come down at 6am (With a flashlight, as it is still pitch dark), and reserve one myself. Well, I refused to do that. But its not just the lack of chairs that bothered me. If I had to, I could spread out a towel and sit on the sand. But I absolutely HAD to have shelter. I am very fair, and the Cuban sun is unlike anything I had ever experienced. I NEEDED to have shelter. But there was NOTHING available. So I would continue to walk up and down the beach just waiting for someone to leave. During my first 2 days, I got lucky, and I managed to grab a chair under a shelter from someone who was leaving and enjoyed the rest of the day. Unfortunately, for the rest of the week, I wasn't so lucky. And ended up just leaving the beach area, very upset. Also, out of the chairs that were available, most of them were broken. I'm assuming it is from the hurricane. And they haven't been repaired or replaced. 3. The pools - After leaving the beach disappointed, I decided to head to the pool. I first went to the Activities pool. And again, after walking around the entire pool, there wasn't a single chair to be found (Under a shelter). So I made the 10 min + walk to the relaxing pool on the other side of the resort. And again.....no available chairs under shelter anywhere! Keep in mind that this all before 12noon. Utterly disappointed, I headed back to the lobby bar or to my room to have a drink and sit down to read. I couldn't believe that I was at this amazing beach resort and I couldn't sit on the beach or at the pool! I eventually found that going to the beach and/or pool in the evening was the only way that I could find a spot to sit. So this is my bottom line. Very nice resort. Very beautiful. But I will never go back. For 2 reasons. 1. The beach and lack of chairs and shelters. Not being able to sit on the beach, enjoy the beach activities and the bbq during the day, was really upsetting for me. And 2. The resort is just too big. It has well over 1100 rooms, so at any given time, you are looking at a min of 2000 + people there. I was so lost as a solo traveller. And I don't mean that literally. I was just another face in the crowd. I didn't see the same person 2 days in a row. I was often overlooked by staff. I was ignored (Not on purpose I'm sure) when I would sit at the bars. I tried to be friendly and start up conversations with people, but people rarely gave me the time of day. I found that most of the people there were couples, and clearly didn't want to start up a conversation with a "Third Wheel". In my opinion, Valentin Perla Blanca is not the place for a Solo traveller or for a Beach lover....even though their beach is beautiful! You will never get a chance to see it.....unless you get up at 6am!

Great Hotel but terrible organisation

This hotel is so beautiful this was our second time. The people are amazing however they have made some cuts resulting in a bad experience. Instead of 2 buffets like last year they only had one open and it caused guests to fight for food. They ran out of beer for 2 days, to me thats just wrong. The food at the buffet was not good and having to almost fight was sad. This resort is huge meaning a lot a walking but we like that. We will be coming back not for the hotel but the beyond amazing  [... read more]staff

Very disappointed

I would like to begin by saying that when we arrived at the resort one of the people I was travelling with was ill and just wanted to lay down. I spoke to a staff member who indicated they would check her in after he was finished with the people he was checking. He totally ignored us and proceeded with the next couple in line. It took over an hour before we got to our room. When I arrived to my room the tv was on and the door was opened. The next morning went to the beach to find some bea [... read more]ch chairs and the majority were broken. Spoke with a staff member and they indicated that there were no more and they were too expensive to order. The staff never smiled. The rooms weren't cleaned properly daily and the garbage in the room was never removed for my entire stay. There was sand on the shower floor from previous guests. The mini bar was never ripped up. There was garbage on the grounds. They ran out of food constantly and beer and ice. One of the bar tenders said "No tip, no drink". The room was very noisy. Went to talk to Sunwing representative and he said he would speak to customer service. Maria said she would move us to another room but there wasn't anything convenient as they were located on the third floor and I have bad knees and my friend has a heart problem. Maria gave us "Privileged" Access for breakfast however when we arrived the waitress wasn't willing to serve us and the buffet table had several birds eating the food. I had a fruit plate and there were bugs crawling on it. I had to constantly complain to customer service and really nothing was resolved. There was never any beach towels for exchange as the towel hut was never open. I asked customer service if we could be upgraded to the privilege level and Maria said she could not do that however when I spoke with Louise in customer service he said that it wouldn't be a problem and all I had to do was go to customer service and it would be handled. When we got there Maria said they couldn't do that. I spoke with a couple and they spoke to their Sunwing representative and they were upgraded with no problem. I am very disappointed with the hotel, the staff, who never smiled, and the whole experience. I would like to be compensated for this terrible experience. Disgruntled Guest

Not so amazing

grounds were not too bad but they are still fixing up....rooms were clean...most of the workers were very nice....food was good in all the restaurants beaches clean but had no shade ........had problems with safe for 2 days before it was actually working properly on the 3rd day ....no hot water for 5 days only warm ....had to go to front desk 3 times before we had keys that worked...no hydro in room last day of our stay...asked for 2nd floor got only the 3rd so a lot of climbing to get to our [... read more] room all the time(we are in our 60's)...sunwing rep was not very nice....had to settle for little shopping place --trip into a bigger one was at least 2 hours away ---spent about 1/3 of my vacation in my room waiting for maintance man who half the time never showed up--- not real happy--would never go back or reccomend anyone to go there for at least 2-3 years before they get all the kinks out of it

Absolutely Amazing Resort!

I just returned from my second vacation at this resort - and totally loved it AGAIN! The hotel itself is very modern and relatively new (4 years old) and decorated tastefully. The grounds are immaculate with stunning gardens. The beach is amazing - exactly what we were looking for - sections that have bar service and food available, as well as more secluded sections for privacy. The food in the buffet was good (not great, but hey, it's Cuba), and the a la carte restaurants are very good as well, [... read more] with our favourite being the Italian (lasagna like Mama makes!). The staff are incredible and so very friendly and the service was impeccable. We have nothing to complain about and will return again and again to this same resort!

Fun and Relaxing!

Perla Blanca is divided into two parts. The party side, and the relaxing side. It suits people that require a place to unwind and enjoy the sun most!!. The beach on the quit side is better than the party side.The staff is amazing, the beach is incredible and the food was just fine. The property is great!

Trip to Cuba!

When we arrived at the resort it took approximately 1.5 hours to check in and get to our room. I think we got to our room at 2:30 am. I checked the sheets that appeared dirty. No sleep that night. The next day we had a problem with our toilet tank which was leaking. This was fixed quickly with no more issues. The sheets improved some without us complaining so maybe the room wasn't cleaned before we arrived. Not sure on that. The great things about the resort was the beach was so beaut [... read more]iful and the resort was safe and well laid out. The bar closest to the snack bar had friendly staff. We could always find a nice spot not too crowded on the beach. The water was lots of fun and warm. There was entertainment each night as well as some classes throughout the day (exercise, Spanish lessons).

Hotel was great but the beaches are the best

Beaches are amazing, staff was super friendly. Food was much better than expected, had heard Cuban resort food wasn't that good but no complaints here. Only thing was that our host was only there for an hour a day so if you missed that window you missed out on excursions.

Amazing resort!

This resort was beautiful to say the least, very big, very clean.. I didn't see any bugs (except the odd moth). Beach was amazing, pool was amazing, the staff are so incredibly nice and welcoming! I honestly had no complaints and I would be happy to come and stay here again!

We Will be Back!

Incredible resort! The food was good, the staff were amazing and the beach was pristine! Just be ready for cold showers everyday fofore supper. The entertainment, both in the piano bar and in the theatre was amazing. The ocean side massages are a must do. We will definitely be back

Amazing resort

I loved everything about it. We had an amazing week. The only negative point is that there is not enough chairs on the beach The food was good. The grounds are well kept. The rooms are clean The staff (for most of them) friendly.

Average resoy

Upon arrival after midnight, it took three rooms before we got ocean view room as per our booking. It was 4 am before we got settled in. One room in particular did not have air conditioning working and no towels.There was six other couples experienced the same issue upon arrival. The phones for room service did not work and the visa devices often did work, which made if difficult to get cash for tipping. Placed complaint at service desk and the Air Transat rep because of poor room service  [... read more]Air Transat rep was not very helpful. Exchange for beach towel were three to four days or longer, left may guess upset. Pool and lobby service and amenities were great. Alecart restaurants were great. Beaches were awesome. Overall we felt this was more of a 3 star resort as opposed to a 4.5 star rating. No intentions to visit this resort in the future. We are seasoned travelers who have not experience any issues of this nature on previous resorts we visited. Roy and Mildred Green Only one buffet restaurant availabile for 1800 people.

Beautiful BUT WITH UNSOLVED PROBLEMS

Beautiful resort - with no maintenance people to fix flooding toilet and hot water problems. As a result we were moved 3 times and ended up with no hot water or towels for the last 2 days. This was a disaster for travelling home. I did not appreciate moving and packing up 3 times. All this eat into my vacation time. The Transit rep was wonderful trying to fix all these problems. Advised after 12 noon at our check out time we could have stayed until 3. Was this late advice to him? Why  [... read more]would we want to stay until 3 with no hot water or towels? The staff is wonderful, but management have no support to resolve problems.