Great holiday, met or exceeded most expectations

Hotel was very nice, well maintained, clean, everything (electrical, plumbing, etc.) all worked very well. I requested some room specifics and they were all in place (2nd floor, quiet area, two beds). I know some have a negative view of the food in Cuba, but I had no complaints about the food here. Lots of choice, well made, tasted good. The "al a carte" restaurants were good as well, not the same food from the buffet which I've seen before. The pool area was beautifully designed and BIG. You ne [... read more]ver felt like you were laying on top of others. The beach was the only small disappointment. I'd heard the beaches in Varadero were spectacular and this one wasn't. It was fine, but not spectacular. The staff were great, so friendly and helpful. Activities pool-side each afternoon, shows each night. We had absolutely no complaints.

Very disappointed

Grounds were good. Bathrooms were horrible the smell especially the one by the dining room was so bad. Everything needed good cleaning. Even the front desk was empty. The bars were sticky when you pot your arms you can feel it.

Overall not good enough to return

We spent a week here with friends in mid February.The hotel facilities and rooms were average to below average and in many cases quite worn down/in need of repair or refreshing. This was surprising given we were told the hotel is three years old. The grounds were well kept and the facilities were very clean. The meals in the buffet were mostly good with an obvious attempt made to provide a range of choice within the limits of Cuban access to food. There was a special surprise dinner evening for  [... read more]all to celebrate Valentines Day which was very well done. The food service and atmosphere were all quite good on that night. The Dining staff are to be commended for that effort. Dining in the "specialty" restaurants was not worth the effort. Food and service was lacking on the nights we dined in the Asian and Italian restaurants. The staff attitude and behavior varied and we found the experience generally to be "transactional" and not overly friendly or customer focused. There were exceptions of course (again the wait service staff in the buffet were some of the friendliest and most helpful) but we found more of an aggressive, indifferent and less caring attitude overall when compared to prior Cuban visits. Beach was eroded a bit due to prior storms but was ok. Our day trip to Havana was very good and organized through the Transat agent at the hotel with no problems.

Nice resort

It was very enjoyable. The only negatives would be that it was sometimes difficult to communicate with the hotel staff, as many of them did not speak much english. The room was nice but the bed was hard.

Winter Getaway.

The Ocean El Patriarca is a lovely hotel. Well kept grounds and facilities. Restaurants have good meals, but Buffet was almost better! Excellent entertainment at Piano Bar, nightly show and Disco. Friendly staff, nice beach and pool. Lots of chairs. Great experience.

Great Vacation

My girlfriend and I visited in late January 2016. This resort met our expectations by Cuban standards. Food in the buffet was decent once you find a few things you like. Omelettes and fruit are great in the morning and the fresh fish station is great at lunch and dinner. We brought some hot sauce to add flavour. The room was quite big and clean though there were some harmless insects here and there, which is to be expected so don't leave sugary drink cups around. There were lots of chairs at the [... read more] pool and beach. Service was great, especially if you tip at the outset (don't be stodgy about this, this is how they make a living and feed their family) and get to know the staff a bit. Rum drinks are made with watery Cubay but they will make them with Havana Club if you ask. The Piano Bar has the best booze selection and excellent entertainment. The outdoor entertainment was great too, including a breathtaking gymnastic/acrobatic display. The water sports were fun; a very short catamaran ride is free or you can give the guys a few bucks and they'll take your group out for a longer ride, which was great for us. If you are sensitive to noise or like to go to bed early, make sure they give you a room away from the theatre and the disco. If you are nearby facing these buildings it will be noisy in your room until late. The age demographic was older than we expected, so don't expect to party with people in their 20s. If you want to take a daytrip to Habana it is cheaper to hire a local driver than take the hotel bus "excursion." We hired Carlos (his # is 5278627.) He spent the whole day with us. He is an excellent guide with a nice car (1989 Mercedes), excellent English, and lots to share about the country. Overall we would recommend this resort. Keep your expectation reasonable - Cuba is still under a punishing embargo that restricts their access to many many things - and you'll have a great time :-) Also, bring some gifts for the people who help make your vacation fun - they appreciate all used clothes, sunglasses, hair products, etc. If you really want to make a local woman's day, bring down some hair extensions :-) Bring insect repellent so the mosquitoes don't shred your ankles! Bon voyage!

Beautiful beach and well maintained resort

We travelled as a family (with teenage kids) to this resort in December 2015 and enjoyed our stay immensely. The resort was very well maintained, the staff were friendly and the beach was beautiful. However, beach towels were an issue and we weren't able to trade them in throughout our stay.

Amazing Resort

Loved this hotel, food was great, especially in the Italian Restaurant, loved the fact that it was all inclusive; tours from the hotel were great and reasonably priced; lots of activities by the pool and on the beach, will definitely return

Very warm and courteous staff

The grounds are fantastic and well laid out. The food selection at the buffet was terrific with both hot and cold items always available. The restaurant choices were many with a good variety of food. The drink choices were superb as we paid a little extra to be in the Privilege Club. We had access to fine liqueurs at the Privilege Lounge. I would highly recommend the Privilege upgrade to everyone. The beach was great. There were activities for the whole family throughout the complex. The food se [... read more]rvice staff were wonderful and always attentive. The maids and bar staff were warm and inviting. Even the grounds keepers and gardeners. One gardener even got me a coconut! The only disappointment were the staff in charge of the catamarans. They were not very friendly and openly asked for tips for rides that were included in our package.

Very good resort

Not enough activities to do on the beach. More sports and beach activities equipment should be included. Need a book library with some top seller books. Vegeterian food options were not very good. We talked to the chef but he still could not give more vegetarian food options.

Best Staff

An excellent New Years Eve celebration and New Years Eve Buffet Great dancing entertainment Great beach Excellent work out facilities Have a shortage of towels so bring a beach towel from home if you use a lot

Just Average

This resort had a few good things about it which made the stay enjoyable enough however wouldn't return. Size was great everything was convenient. Rooms were good, maids did a great job cleaning and restocking daily. Restaurants were limited and not great. Buffet was alright but nothing special. Wasn't as kid friendly as we thought based on the website. Was hard to find a good bar tender or wait staff to warm up too. Piano bar was rockin on the nights we went that was definitely enjoyable. Beach [... read more] was beautiful and well maintained. Cuba is a great vacation, people are generally so friendly and kind and the country is beautiful. Just wouldn't recommend staying at this resort as a family or as someone looking for alittle more to do on resort.

Expectations surpassed

Our first trip to Cuba and we were pleased and surprised by the level of service we received at El Patriarca . The grounds were clean and tidy, the buildings all in good repair. The room we had in the 51 block, was very well decorated, very clean, and extremely comfortable. Eduardo, the food and beverage manager, is in the midst of upgrading menus, and sourcing of food supplies. Our room maid, Zoe, was exemplary and could not do enough for us. If there are any negatives, they would involve the s [... read more]pecialty restaurants and the food in general. We found the noise levels in the oriental restaurant well beyond comfortable. As well, the only staff member who expressed a "I dont care attitude" worked in that restaurant. The main buffet, has ample food, but it does get boring after a few days. All in all, we received an overall level of service, unmatched in any other resort we have been to. When you go to this resort, be sure to go to the lobby bar and introduce yourself to Justo. He is a wonderful person but also one of the most creative and entertaining bartenders I have ever encountered.

Food is not good

This hotel has good facilities and hardware. The room is pretty good and clean. But the food is so horrible. Everything is over cooked. Three special restraurants are all bad experience. The staffs are kind and helpful.

Great resort worth going back

I felt so happy and got praised by my family for choosing the right hotel - beautiful beach, spacious room, and many bars for us to spend the time. The swimming pool with underwater sitting place is my daughter's favorite. The food is decent and if there are more choices of vegetable, it will be great. Do wish that the staff at front desk can show more enthusiasm in welcoming the guests.

Ok resort

I'll start with the pros: 1. The beach was amazing and the staff was very friendly 2.The resort itself looks new and very well maintained Now the cons: 1. We had cockroaches in our room and the kids were freaking at first but since we didn't spend much time in the rooms it didn't bother them after few days 2.The food was eatable if you make it in time when the buffet opens but after an hour all you have is what's left, they wouldn't refill empty trays. Also the food itself tasted better on some  [... read more]days and much worse on other days. We found out later that it depends which crew is on shift. i can't really say if i can recommend this resort to others , i guess it depends if you have a good deal or just a standard price.

The resort is a beautiful place.

I like the beach the most. The room is merely satisfactory, the resort environment is not bad, but the food is not up to satisfaction, it needs improvement in the way of variety and quality. The pool is excellent.

Less than expected.

Good beach with lots of palapas and lounge chairs. Wifi in lobby very handy. Buffet has all the charm and chaos of a high school cafeteria. A la cartes difficult to access. Food below Average by Cuban standards. Below average service.

Excellent Resort

Loved the resort. I liked the bungalows. The grounds were well kept and clean. The activities at this resort were well organized. Plenty of options for food. The beach was amazing. Mike's Cafe and snack bar too.

An overall poor experience.

We found that very few personnel spoke or understood English, even at the main desk so communication was definitely a major concern. We had problems with our room in that the TV didn't work and twice we had to have someone repair our toilet with the overall result seeing us moved to another room on our 3rd day which was of course an inconvenience. We were upgraded but this did not include the benefits that went with the room which we felt we should have received given the inconvenience of our fi [... read more]rst 3 days. Our complaints were met with rudeness. The pick up service was poor in that it took forever to be picked up and we usually had to call more than once. Overall we would put this trip at the bottom of our list of resorts we have travelled to over the years.