Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Wonderful vacation

Our stay in Varadero was great even though we had heavy rain six of seven days. The resort was great the grounds are well laid out so even in rain it was easy to get around. The Staff were amazing especially the lobby bar. Ketty Mario Axavier Alexander and the rest kept the party going even through the days of rain. Our rooms were very clean with great views. The beach and looks wonderful the staff in the buffet and al a cartes were great. All so helpful. And a special thank-you too our li [... read more]ttle friend that kept the front lobby and bar and washrooms so clean. It was a great week and will return soon. Hopefully only thing missing will be the rain. Lol

Melia Marina Varadero: So not worth it

The hotel food was not so great. Hotel is outdated. So I upgraded to Level.the guy name Maykel? He said no charge for child but he came and found me in the line up for the buffet to come see him. He said I needed to pay 50%. So I paid. He said internet was free if I upgraded I felt uncomfortable asking him for more hours. He didnt greet us after few days despite the fact I tipped him 3cuc. He wouldnt give me more hours while waiting for my shuttle at 6pm. I needed 2 more hours but he said until [... read more] 4pm. It felt like he was talking bad about us to his colleague in spanish. I felt offended. The restaurant people working are so generous. I waited for my shuttle an hour longer because my guide said 5:15pm but it was 6:15pm. I will never go back here. Not worth the money. Buffet on christmas was good with seafood but other days always the same. Went for 5 days weather was cold.. hot tub was broken.it was the worst experience ever.

Barcelo Solymar: Pretty disappointing

Came to this resort 10 years ago and it was amazing! Everyone was happy and it was a lot of fun! Maybe I’ve grown up a little however the people were not happy at all! Every bar was always busy and the drinks were not good! All the bartenders were mad if you asked for anything besides a beer! The gift shop charges 25$ just to use VISA so for some Pringle’s and a couple red bull it was almost $50 American, so like 65 Canadian! The food was not as bad as everyone was saying, however there was [... read more] frequent trips to the washroom after every meal! Would not recommend this resort to any avid travelers! First timers maybe! However the hotel location is great only a two beer walk into town to checkout all the little shops and the Beatles bar which was fun! All and all not horrible but not even close to being a great hotel! Shout out to the bartender JORGE!!! He made the trip worth while

Club Kawama: Like home away from home!

Hotel Kawama is one of the oldest resorts on the beach in Varadero. It has history and character and has sprawling grounds and about a kilometre of beach. Things are generally well-looked after, clean and maintained (a few missing lightbulbs here and there don’t bother me). The staff are mostly long-time employees and are like a big family. They treat guests very well and will go above and beyond if you are genuinely friendly and courteous to them. They work hard with limited means. The fo [... read more]od is great here with lots of options at each meal. I’ve been to many resorts in Cuba and this is by far the best for service, staff, location and food. I love that it is mostly quiet (no late disco) and there are always loungers on the beach in the shade. The pools are a great option when waves are high. Walkable distance to the markets and several nice restaurants as well. I will be back! *pack things to give away when you go! Toys, tools, sports balls, clothing, shoes (runners especially). :)

Palma Real: Absolutely terrible!!!

I have been to this hotel in the past appx 2 years ago, at that time, the hotel was an okay resort being a 3 star..Well OMG this resort is absolutely gone down to s**t!!!..Completely absolutely disgusting!..Mold everywhere, every ceiling was full of it and you could smell the musty smell all throughout, the pool was all broken tiles on the sides where if you tried to get out of it that way you would certainly cut yourself and soo very dirty!!!...sooo many times the keys would never work and you  [... read more]had to walk a mile or more to get new keys for them not to work..The pot holes in the cement were so very dangerous when walking around..there was NEVER EVER ANY toilet paper like NEVER!!!..it was soo incredibly expensive now as the hotel no matter what day it is will always charge you 65 cents to 1 Cdn dolla, where the bank around the corner would be appx 73 cents..careful as bank also ripped us off each for 5.00 in their 1.00 coins!..yes the bank as well and then you can see the security outside the bank exchanging money with no paperwork!!!..yes I did witness all of this, as I said this is not my first time there and I know what's is what!..The food was absolutely disgusting!!..not even Franks Red Hot Sauce I brought with me could help!..There is no bottled water there at all even to buy at the hotel. .they give u 1 bottle that u have to ask for and days later finally get and then when u get it u have to refill at the bar every time where they go into a back room to refill..The Havana Club that is attached to this hotel used to be included is now a 10.00 cover charge plus the drinks are now 3.00 each..remember we already lost 30.00 on the 100.00 so every dollar you spend add another 30 cents..we went out for french fries as the hotel never had any burgers or hotdogs etc and they wanted $5.50 C.U.C!!..for the equivalent of a Wendys medium fries!..the Cuban airport on way back is a total rip off!!..Careful as they will not take C.u.c money, only USD n Cdn and they charge 10 % tax on USD and tax on CDN dollars!!!..Duty Free tried to charge me for 1 bottle of rum @ 9.90 along with a $5.00 tax!!!!..yes they wanted $14.90 for 1 bottle! ..I was shocked!..if u have Cuban $ left you might as well throw in Garbage cause it is useless once you pass security!..Cuba has now turned into a serious joke when it comes down to the money now!!..Don't waste it here and go to a much better resort where they have a disco and entertainment because this place has neither!!..nothing to do when it rains except sit in lobby or your stinky room, the entertainment was none existent, they had their shows which was extremely crappy and did not make sense at all!..The lobby bar that is supposed to be opened 24 gouts had now been closing at 11pm and they tell you to go yo the snack bar which is supposed to be opened at 11 pm..well that did not happened until at least midnight when they had a lineup or ppl stated to fet upset and then they yelled at you to hang on as they were preparing food..there was NO FOOD!!..they had cheese on a bun or ghilled cheese which was 1 piece of ham with a little piece of cheese!..it was absolutely terrible!!!..the beach is across the street which is not at all a far walk and the beach is absolutely breathtaking with white sand but they r doing construction there to build a new 1000 room resort, so the noise is unreal along with the dust and such so its a very dangerous path now to get to the beach part..their is little beach bar that is pretty plain but never any music or activities at all!.. the little shops they have also charge you wayyy more for their trinkets now as they have basically triple their prices and that is even when u bardered..the excursions are way overpriced and you don't even get to do what you paid for!..we were supposed to go snorkeling well that did not happen because they wanted to drop us off to this private beach so they could go do their own stuff..we paid 80.00 Cdn to ride an hour on a bus to go on a boat for 2 hours to sit on a beach for another 2 hours and eat the same shitty food and then to do that all over again on way back!..we saw absolutely nothing new at all!!!..The Beatles Bar was ok with their music but like I said they were charging 3.50 Cuban money for a beer!..same as here in Canada -$5.00!..like I said I have been there before so I do know what Cuba and this hotel and the food used to be like and it is now garbage!!!..Go someplace that will be worth the extra 100.00..I will never return to this place again!..Cuba yes but never to this shitty disgusting hotel!

Muthu Playa Varadero: decent stay

rained or cloudy four days out of seven so that put a bit of a damper on things.very surprised with the food ,had no issues at all was actutlly quite good thoroughly enjoyed the beef oxtail and stews.staff attitude much better then other hotels.always had hot water.room not cleaned one day reported to reception room was cleaned within an hour.went with very low expectations left pleasantly surpprised would recommend

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Resort Was Beautiful

The beach was awesome, the grounds were beautiful and the pools were gorgeous! The room was lovely, the dining rooms were excellent. The staff were mostly very friendly. My only complaint was that when I asked for 2 bottles of wine for my room at night it didn't always happen. Wasn't interested in fancy drinks so couldn't understand why my request was a problem.

Grand Memories Varadero: Good resort

Overall resort is good, ours block had a fire alarm that kept going off every two hours all ninght and day, did not get fixed even after numerous complaints. Bedrooms are in need of repairs specially the bathrooms, beds are extremely hard and uncomfortable. Food was good and service also ,if you tip alot.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Hotel o.k.

This hotel is not a luxurious hotel, but it's o.k. Near downtown Varadero, at few minutes by walk. Room, restaurant, pool and gardens were clean. Service at restaurant and bars was ok as well. The buffet, ok as well. Beach and sea. Wow ! It's Varadero. I had a problem of leaking water from the top of the bathroom in the middle of the night. And I had a really good service by changing of room on the spot. More, the day after, in the new room, I had ants problem in the bathr [... read more]oom. And again, they change for a much better room again without the need of arguing. I really appreciated. In conclusion, I recommend, but with keeping in mind to not have big expectations. It's a low cost hotel, and it's o.k..

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great resort

We stayed at the Sanctuary. First time in an adult only hotel, and it was excellent. Staff were very friendly. Beach was beautiful Very clean hotel with spacious rooms. Food was so so but this is epected for Cuba. Would definitely go back.

Starfish Jibacoa: Beautiful place

My husband and I really enjoyed our stay here. Beautiful beach and very relaxing . The staff were all very friendly and helpful. We will definitely return. The rooms were not updated but they were clean and comfortable.I highly recommend Eddie for a guided tour in a classic car to Havana.

Sol Palmeras: Fun trip

Our check in with Gonzales was very quick. He was friendly and professional. The AC in my room did not work. I requested a different room and they were very obliging. My room was newly renovated and a walk out to the pool area.. it was great!! The restaurant was good. Service was good. Yedeil, one of the servers was very personable and great! We went to the Chinese and Italian al me cartes. They were ok. The pool was great and beach was nice. Water was fairly rough due to storm coming in.  [... read more]We experienced 3 days of rain unfortunately. The stay was still good. As time went on staff became more personable and service improved. Overall enjoyed the resort and the trip.

Gran Caribe Sun Beach: Amazing time

We are Russian and live in Toronto. ended up in this resort because brother and wife took trips here. Fortunately, I did not see a big difference from a five-star hotel, and the money savings are obvious. The only thing I would not advise is to sit in the lobby, because there are fleas in the armchairs that bit me. And everything else was cool

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Still a relaxing trip

I have been to this resort a few times already and was quite pleased with my experience in the past. The staff is very friendly and accommodating, the Rooms and grounds are generally well kept, the food options are plentiful and the beach is phenomenal. This time things were not as smooth with the trip in general but it did not prevent us from still enjoying our trip. Our flight was delayed 3 hours due to engine problems which I understand it happens. What was frustrating was the fact that I  [... read more]paid $100 more per person for the earlier flight only to arrive at the hotel at 6:30pm instead of 11am. I feel like I got ripped off. Secondly, when checking in a very large tour group was checking in at the same time. No one was able to help us for 45 min (no exaggeration). We were tired and hungry from the delay ( with a toddler ) and all we wanted to do was sit and eat something but we were not allowed to do so until they checked us in so we stood in line waiting for over 45 min. We went to our room and the ac was broken so we called to the desk and they very quickly put us in a new room without question. They handled that very well! Last, something went wrong at the hotel and we only had a clean beach towel the first two days. After that no one in the resort had clean beach towels available to them. We had to re use our existing towels for 5 days straight. At the end of the day, the purpose for our trip was to relax and be beach bums which was exactly what we accomplished!!

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Gorgeous Beach!

The resort was better than expected. Our first room was std on the 4th floor and not what we hoped for. It was small, run down and the pot liÄ£hts in the bathroom were leaking water before we had a chance to ask for another room. We were offered a new room and were very happy to be given an upgrade to oceanview, also on the 4th floor. It made all the difference for our stay. My only complaints were the pillows and bar fridge. The covers were clean, but the pillows smelled pretty rank making me w [... read more]ish I had brought my own. I avoided using them. We also never had our bar fridge stocked aside from a bottle of water per day. We were given coffee one day, but not enough water to make a pot and have water to drink/brush teeth. I'm a non coffee drinker, so clearly I didn't care. Also, I'm told the pool bar makes the best espresso.The only other negative is the nightlife. The disco is only open on wknds. We took a trip to casa de melia which was a disco at another resort. Beer is 2cucs each, more for mixed drinks. It would have been ok, but the huge group of drunk college kids our bus picked up kinda ruined it for me. They were out of hand and very annoying. Aside from that, the buffet food was decent and beach amazing. The staff also made it a great time for us. Zuyami at the pool bar was a sweetheart. David at the beach bar was such a nice guy. Alexi the announcer was such a positive person to be around. The disco dj was a great guy as well. There were so many that deserve a mention, but sadly I can't remember all of their names. We took the bus to Varadero city, which is 5cuc per person for the day. I only wish we had gone earlier in the week so we could have done it again. Sadly the last bus is at 8pm so we couldn't stay to watch the band at the Beetles club. Casa del chocolate was yummy! We had chicken from the street vendor, also yummy. I shared mine with a hungry cat. Neither of us were sick at all. I've been to Cuba 3 times now. The 1st 2 trips in Cayo Coco, which was lovely. But Varadero is where the action is of you want to leave the resort. All in all, I liked the resort and would go again with my own pillow for a reasonably priced vacay. I would rate it a 3.5 star compared to the 5 star I had been to before. It was a good value trip, $729pp CAD booked 2 days in advance. If you're spoiled and have high expectations, spend more and go elsewhere. But as with anywhere, your attitude makes a big difference in how you are treated. I can't comment on the pools as I am all about the ocean.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Very big and friendly resort

Very big resort and beach line is massive and beautiful amazing sunrise and sunsets to watch very open to walk around has a light house to climb and look out at the ocean very friendly lots of places to eat

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Excellent vacation!

This was our first trip to Cuba and the decision to go to this resort was based on other reviews. May I say the reviews are right, this resort is clean, beautiful and close to many excursions. The staff are friendly, helpful and go above and beyond to make your stay enjoyable. The food, I’m assuming for Cuba is above average because we were very happy with the selection. The Japanese a la carte was WAY too salty and we didn’t enjoy it much but the others were fantastic. Special thanks to our [... read more] housekeeper Fefa, our regular server Marciely and Victor (one of the “entertainers”) for the great service. We will be back!

Roc Barlovento: Third time...we love it...

The staff is very friendly and helpful...the food selection is excellent...personally I love fresh vegetables and there are always plenty...the grounds are well tended and the beach is a dream....rooms are clean and comfy...the only drawback is,Overconsumption off alcohol ....since alcohol is free at any time off the day and night,people are abusing the generosity of the Cubans....personally I feel alcohol should not be included in the all inclusive....

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: A Great Stay

This a sweet resort with amazing staff. We stayed on the regular side. We enjoyed our week very much. The everyday buffet wasn't phenominal but we managed to eat well. The booked restaurants were amazing and Sakura (Japenese) was by far the absolute best. The 24 hour eateries run out of stuff quite often but you can still manage to get a bite to eat. The rooms were tidied each day, but the sheets were not changed during our entire stay. Close access to the ocean and there is also a stop for th [... read more]e "hop on hop off bus" just outside the main gate. Getting to downtown Veradero is quite easy. Would stay again with the knowledge that it is about a 3star resort by Canadian standards.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Good resort, horrible food

Beaches are amazing, best I’ve ever experienced. The staff is very friendly & knowledgeable. The rooms AC was not good, so we were pretty hot most nights. Big con is the food, below average, especially the buffet. Often had to eat outside the resort. Overall good experience.