Playa Vista Azul: Amazing Resort & Great Service

We knew when we booked a vacation in Cuba there would be some challenges. We upgraded to the premium and it did not disappoint. From the time we arrived in Cuba until the time we left, we were treated like royalty. Upon arrival at the resort, we were taken to our own check in, the staff at this resort is incredible. They truly make you feel like family. We stayed in the new section...rooms in the 1232, 1234 area. Our rooms were incredibly clean and modern. We had great service at the bars [... read more] and the a la cartes. We did only do the buffet a couple of times and found this challenging. The Italian and the International restaurants were much better. As part of the premium package, we had a couple of different restaurants for breakfast and lunch. We never had an issue with drinks or water (always bottled). There is a great cafe by the main pool for those after supper cravings. The grounds are beautiful and kept impeccable by the staff. The beach is amazing and clean, both small and large ones. We never had to play the chair game at this resort. The views at the infinity pool are stunning. There was entertainment quite a bit in the main lobby at night, consisting of piano and violin. Entertainment staff goes a wonderful job. Always vintage cars by the lobby and you can hire the driver to go to Havana or Varadero...there is also a local bus that will pick you up and take you to Varadero. This resort changed my entire view of Cuba...and I will definitely be returning.

Melia Cayo Coco: amazing once again

dining and buffet good as always drinks added this year and always love the Cappuccinos the staff always makes you so happy and very welcoming , eddy and other servers are the best in busssiness and would love to come back next year

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Wonderful resort. We’ll certainly be back.

Employees were warm, welcoming and very helpful as usual. Lots of food, and the variety was good, including shrimp, calamari, lobster, and also great pizza in the 24-hour restaurant. Enjoyed the sun and acres of clean white sand all week on the huge beach with a lovely sprinkling of natural trees. You can’t beat the spectacular views from the front or the rear of this resort! Take some bug spray this year though as unusually wet weather last fall brought out a few tiny but itchy mosquitoes.

Sol Palmeras: Great week in Cuba

The Hotel is quite old, but has been maintained well. The room was dated but clean and everything worked. Entry lock, safe, bathroom all worked well. The resort is very beautiful, grounds manicured and clean. Lots of daytime and evening entertainment. Nice area near beach entrance with bbq open all the time, lots of seats and umbrellas, a little shopping area, lunch served at 1:00. Of course the beach was beautiful, always able to find a spot to sit. Service was excellent, lots of staff.  [... read more] Food was quite good ( for Cuba). Always some type of protein available. They never ran out of eggs. Wifi was the only problem. Difficult to sign in and stay connected. My understanding is that along with some of the rooms that they are visibly renovating, the WIFI is also to be updated. We will definitely return to this resort.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Lovely Resort!!

Good points... Clean! Friendly and helpful staff. Honesty and trustworthy guests and staff- ppl had lost their wallets throughout our stay and were all returned to front desk with everything still there!! Good entertainment, definitely do the bingo!! Its free and You could win a bottle of rum. See Ernest on the beach at Marlin for excursions!! Super affordable. We went snorkeling for $20 Canadian ea. Try the massage inside the hotel ($35 CA for an hour!!). There's a train that comes every mo [... read more]rning around 945am for free that will take you to 2 museums ($2 & $7) that reflect on Indians that came from Venezuela and a burial ground replica, then take you to a farm where you get fresh fruit grown on the property!! The beach is clean and clear! Food was good, but repetitive. Go for breakfast early if you want bacon... Not so good.... No free Bottled Water- they have giant bottles 2 for $5 No pop..... Food was repetitive. If you go to the buffet at lunch, you'll see what your dinner will be except you'll get either beef, chicken or pork. Sometimes fish with bones lol.. Not much selection of fresh fruit The water served in restaurants has a weird taste Other than that we would definitely return!!

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Amazing beach and people

Diamond, some issues on our room door card to enter all time, bed mattress uncomfortable, food not good. Drinks service good. Customer Service excellent, good landscape. The hotel needs improvement to keep happy visitor for next trip.

Hotel Bella Costa: Trip to remember

The first impression of the hotel was, this could not be the same place in the pictures. We were cat fished, the appearance very disappointing. We arrived after 12pm, room was not ready, we were told, we went and checked out the hotel to see what to expect, the hotel smelled moldy, which seemed like they must have leakage, very much so. The beach was beautiful, went back to front desk, room was still not ready. Went to try get something to eat, the lanuage barrier was a major issue, my friend di [... read more]dnt eat pork, but i did I asked for a hamburger got a bun with cheese what my friend settled for. I asked for the hamburger with meat, We noticed the cook and other workers stearing back at us every minute, when I was servered the meat was burnt and couldnt break apart, we saw so many other people getting their burgers and it did not look like what I was served. This was about after 2pm, we left from the hotel went into town, we found a great restaurant named El Bodegon Del Gardo, Calle 49 NO.106 e/1 ra y 2da Ave. Varadero, Cuba (53)45611369 food was pretty good that was a go to place to eat and the staff were great. Went back to the hotel after 7pm same crap room not ready. It was about after 9 we got a room and when we went upstairs, oh and the numbers in the elevator don't match the floors. There was a trail of water drips down the hall to the room, the smell of fresh paint slap us right in the face, the sheets on the bed were dirty, the washroom needed to be cleaned, there was no towel, toilet paper, soap. There was tape holding the glass of balcony door. Fridge was dirty no water. We went right back to front desk, of course we got the looks of here they come again. My head felt like it was going to burst from the smell of the paint. We asked to speak to the manager, she came to me to find out what was happening. I explained to her our ordeal and she was very understanding and apologized for the inconvenience. She offered a new room, which was locted on the other side of the hotel in the bungalow units. Well it was a well needed upgrade. Until we had a visitor who ran out of the washroom (lizard) ? we almost died from heart failure, my friend ran out the room screaming down the path to the security, while I was jumping from bed to chair, security ran over to help but then said he can't go into the room, he went to get someone else, thank God a lovely guest came back from the beach and came to our rescue, using a pillow to get it out of the room. The guy arrived to helped but the work was done already, I almost fell on the lizard trying to move it from the front of our door. It was a very long and stressful day, but we made the best of it and had some very memorable moments and lots of laughter. The one day we chose to go to the beach in the water, was the day after they had a storm, apparently there was a message sent out to not go in the water because of jellyfish, we did not get the message and we were out in the water having a blast trying to understand why no one was joining us out there. Atleast we entertained the guess who was watching us from way up on the sand. Smh, the manager was amazing and really made it her duty to check in with us and tried to make us as comfortable as possible. Was only a shame we only booked for the weekend. Makesure you bring your USD or CAD there is no ATMs and there was no way to get any Cash, and information that we got from the Workers was not very useful, seems like they were confused as much as we were. We will be returning to Cuba but not at this hotel.

Blau Varadero: Wonderful Resort, even better staff!

I never write reviews but Blau Varadero deserves one. From start to finish, our experience was fantastic. The hotel lobby is stunning. The rooms are not super fancy but they are updated and clean. The food was some of the best I’ve had in Cuba - For reference, I’ve been to Cuba over a dozen times. They had a variety of meat options including chicken, pork, beef and fish. They had lobster at the main buffet and the burgers at the pool grill were very tasty. With what resources they have, they [... read more] did an excellent job serving a variety of options. The staff is exceptional. They remember your name, they’re attentive and friendly and go above and beyond. Jennifer at the main buffet is wonderful and I hope to see her again! I have no doubt that I will stay at Blau Varadero again and hopefully sooner than later!

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: A great place to relax

My wife and I just came back home from a 5 days stay at this resort. This is a beach front property with a boardwalk that will take you right into the warm, beautiful turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. Our room was kept nicely clean and tidy by the housekeepers of Bungalow 5, (thank you very much Lia, Lauren and Carlos). The food was delicious, varied and abundant, and we got to enjoy many different Cuban Cuisine dishes. There was plenty of fresh veggies and fruits, that made our meals very  [... read more]delicious and healthy. The grounds are well kept and clean. I really have to commend the hard work and friendliness of the staff at this resort as they made us feel welcome and appreciative of our stay. This is definitely a place I want to go back soon again.

Playa Pesquero: Great resort

The staff make this hotel, we met so many repeat guests. The staff are so friendly and helpful. Then I asked other guests why they returned it was always the same answer, the staff. The hotel is very clean and the beds comfortable. The pool is amazing and the beach is awesome. There is always plenty to see and do day and night. The only downside was the food, this year the entire island is in a food shortage crisis. There was always plenty but the selection was very limited and most of  [... read more]the meat was in stew type recipes. Was it edible, YES. Could you always find something to eat that tasted good YES. They tried their best under very difficult circumstances. Would I go back YES THEY ARE LIKE FAMILY HERE. Before you go remember this: You have to remember that you are in a communist country and do not expect the things that you would get from a non communist country.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Beautiful resort

We stayed there mid January for one week. There was plenty of food, the room was spotless after every cleaning. All the stuff was friendly. Nothing to complain about. Out of 7 days two morning we had no eggs but rest of the week fresh omelette for breakfast and fresh grilled fish for lunch and supper was the highlight for the week. A la carte was an amazing experience. Both international and Italian restaurants offered very tasty meals and excellent quality of service. I read reviews were peop [... read more]le suggested to take own coffee and peanut butter but I don’t think it’s really needed because of other things that they offer for breakfast. The buff was always full of choices. Both beaches beautiful with grill and bar on the site. Quiet small resort close walk to the everything. One suggestion I would’ve that is to bring a bug repellent and use it especially at evening.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: POOR - for a 5 Star "this is going to be a long read"

I spent 11 days (Jan 9-20) in the Coral section and I was ready to leave by the 2nd day. I do not recommend the Coral section unless you're specifically looking to be left alone and like quietness. You do not get additional services, the buffet and a-la cart restaurants serve same food across both sides. Grounds - well maintained, the gardeners work hard and are very friendly. The layout is pretty easy to maneuver around once you know your way around. They were happy and surprised that we [... read more] acknowledged and chatted with them. We speak a little Spanish but shouldn't matter a simple "Hola" goes along way for them. Room - I asked for an ocean view room, well, I can't say I didn't get see to a glimpse of the ocean (that's all it was). They are having alot of issues with house keeping. My shower was not cleaned the whole 11 days. Depending on who you get, you will get floor mats as hand towels (I got it twice as the regular person was on a day off). Come on, that's not acceptable. empty fridge, 2 (500 ml) bottes of water. Exchanging of towels we had to call Public Relations and they would deliver to the room. Dining Rooms - Coral side is 2 years old and the dinning chairs look like they have been around for longer, they are dirty and a lot of stains, very disgusting. The first 9 days, we were given a very thin ply paper towel for napkins, unacceptable for a 5 star. Depending who is servicing, you get what you get for service (some great friendly staff and others, they look and treat you like we are disturbing them). A-la cart restaurants, not worth it, they pretty much serve what is on the buffet. I understand that the Country might be struggling with resources, but customer service, cleanliness and service need a lot of work, this is not a lack of resources it comes down from the Top "Management issues". They need to lower their rating because they are not working at a 5 star level. I have stayed at other 5 star in Cuba so I can compare. I have also stayed at 3 star in Cuba and had better service and amenities. Common area bathrooms, were a hit and miss (more of a miss) with having toilet paper, so I was always carrying it with me and lacked cleanliness with not working toilets. Again, definitely not a 5 star rating. All, my issues I'm expressing here were discussed with their Public Relations representative (Ariel) and his response was, here is a bottle of water, your towels (pretty much shutting us up) and the hand towel situation was addressed immediately. We were locked out of our room on two occasions (7th day - opps mistake, come to the front desk for assistance, again on the 10th day - oops - again come the front desk. We spoke to Ariel regarding a late check out and he said it's 11/hr. I'm like anyway you can compensate us for all the inconveniences we have been experiencing, he had the nerve to say "what inconveniences" and went on to say this is a Socialist Country and we do not negotiate, that is the price. We did not lower our head and walk away this time, we exchanged some words with him and walked away, but nothing rude. Staff / Guests - we met some wonderful people both staff and guests. They were the ones that made our stay better. I want to say thank you and a few shout outs to Yari and Mi (Taca Taca - they know what I mean) for their friendly smile and tried very had to keep guests engaged. Joseph (singer/pianist) what a great guy, it shows he loves what he does and that is entertaining and engaging with the guests. Some bartenders were awesome (hard to give shout outs by name, as they don't have name tags). Beach - absolutely amazing, calm, warm and crystal clear to the exception of a few days. Once my feet touched the sand, I forgot about all the issues that were behind me. The beach boys, were very nice shout out to Humberto, very friendly and engaging. But take this as you may, this was our experience in the 11 days there, maybe things just happened to us, but I would have a hard time believing it was just us.

Grand Memories Varadero: Great resort .

I enjoyed my stay at Grand Memories resort. It was very clean and the staff are very friendly and eager to please. The pool is great as is the beach . The grounds are well maintained and look great. I'll return.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Best Vacation EVER !!!

My husband and I spent a week at this resort, with a swim up room...We were in Building 6 and it was perfect. The service at this resort is by far the best I've seen in Cuba, and have been numerous times over the past 20 years. The food was delicious and plentiful. The grounds are lush and maintained just lovely. The bar service best around... Pools and Beach spectacular !

Melia Las Dunas: Good times

Let me say that I’ve been to this hotel many times, and things have gotten better. The beach stunning, the cleanliness above average, the service is freaking amazing, rooms are great, beds are comfortable, food is good I didn’t starve, far from it, so basically I had an amazing time once again, nothing’s prefect, would I go back, dame right in a heart beat, enjoy

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Dated resort

With what the staff have to work with {food, maintenance, old equipment} they do a remarkable job in keeping this resort functioning. There is talk of splitting Club Amigo into two, the other being Blue Diamond. We shall see. As a comparison concerning food, a group of 8 people went next door to Grand Muthu Almirante {5 star} for dinner. We walked in with no problem. We now know where all the medium to high end food is going, and no shortage of selection. The beaches and staff to date have saved [... read more] Club Amigo. Long gone are the days of lustre. Changes are coming!

Melia Jardines del Rey: Was worth the money

We where a group of 4 ladies . We found all the staff from grounds to housekeeping where awesome...the food was good the buffets where my favorite as i am a vegetarian and found the other alacarts had 0 options..ice cream hut was a bonus.. The entertainment was good...the grounds were well kept....

Melia Costa Rey: Had a great time!

The Gran Marena Cayo Coco was fantastic! Although there are repairs needed to certain parts of the resort, this didn't stop us from having a great time. The food was much better than I had anticipated and I had been to this resort previously. The staff are the best and will help you any way they can. We had an issue with the shower in our room and I think the solution would be to install a new shower head. Customer Service was notified and came to inspect. They wanted us to go to a new room [... read more] but we refused because we only had one more night to stay. Restaurants were great and the bartending staff do a great job. The weather was fantastic so that also was a bonus. Yes, there are shortages but nothing to serious that it would ruin your vacation.

Gran Muthu Imperial: Poor entertainment, understaffed

I didn't mind the kids and daycare at GM Imperial even though it's marketed as adult only. Some food shortages but good staff. The entertainment was terrible. No real music (although there was a grand piano in the lobby). The sound system in the "theatre" was crappy AND the bright LED lights lining the stage made it hard to even look at. Get a piano player or a guitar player for pete's sake.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: unfair called as 5 star hotel

We have been in Cuba 17 times including Varadero, all the times 5 star hotels . This hotel Princess del mare was our worst experience! It is not definitely 5 star hotel !!! ! a)Rooms are not clean, sink and facet was so dirty !, it was not properly cleaned at least for 2-3 years, I could not even touch that b) the worst there were cockroaches everywhere. I have phobia about that , so I had to sleep with the light. c) They gave us only one towel for each of us for all week long , the same to [... read more]wel was for the face and feet ! No drinking water was in the fridge . Every day I had to call at least 5 times to ask Customs Service to bring that to our room. d) There was not a basic normal food in restaurants, even eggs, butter for breakfast , soup was cooked with adds of uneaten salad from yesterday, like pieces of ham, cabbage, pasta, carrots , corn and something else together ! e)A la cart restaurants are even worse! Cockroaches were running on the table near to my plates. Waitress could not speak International language English at all !!! f) Beach chairs were no flat and it was impossible to lay on that at all ! beach sand was not cleaned from grass and other garbage in the mornings like in other resorts. g) and as a rule they pushed us to give money to get something what we had already paid for ! Just after our arrival while checking in they provided us a room with one bed on the 3 floor ( despite our previous request for 2 beds and the fist floor . we are mature 70 years old people ) But just after one minute later with US $25, they gave what we needed. We came for 2 weeks vacation and our time was spoiled and we wasted $5000 and time to rest !