Melia Marina Varadero: This is a 3 star Not 5

I was expecting much better hotel and service. Since it says 5star hotel and I compared it with Melia las Americas which is 5 star too. After two days I end up switching to Melia las America since I got food poison with their lobster and chicken. Ground is hazardous, lots of holes and uneven ground. Beach too far. Music too loud in the restaurant or common area

Sol Cayo Coco: Great Resort

The hotel was very clean. Beach was nice and spacious -never had any problems looking for a beach chair or hut. The best part of the trip had to be the amazing service we received from the staff. Special shout outs to Riley, the stir fry chef in the evening and the front desk ladies. The cleaning ladies did an amazing job Day in and out while also maintaining a sense of fun with the cute shapes they would make with our blankets and towels. Overall a good first experience for my boyfriend and I i [... read more]n Cuba. The people are definitely what my heart felt closest to.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: TERRIBLE. WILL NEVER RETURN.

This is our 4th stay at this resort and the last. Check in took an hour because there is only one person at reception after 9PM. Our room was newly painted and the washroom was renovated. There were no pictures on the walls, no shades on the lamps, no paper and pencil on the table, no information sheet about the resort or the list of telephone extensions ,no coffee makers or coffee. All rooms received only one bottle of water per day. We paid for the Elegance Junior Suite package and received wh [... read more]at every other lower priced package received. There are 2 washrooms near the lobby that serve the buffet restaurant, the lobby bar and the lobby.They needed work 4 years ago but nothing has been done. They were not clean,and there were no paper towels or hand dryers.In the men's washroom 3 of 5 urinals were out of service.The day after our arrival both washrooms were closed and were still closed when we left 5 days later. Food was ok but very little selection at the buffet. I learned from someone in the know that Hurricane Irma destroyed fruit, vegetable,coffee and tobacco crops. Staff was courteous but not as warm when meeting people on the main walk...no greeting of any kind. Basically I would be generous to rate this resort a 3 star.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Definitely not a 5 Star

The hotel is tired and nothing suggesting the 5 star rating implied. The food was classic Cuban food with little variety from day to day. Foods were not marked well and made it very difficult for us as we both have food allergies. Service at the buffet was hit and miss depending on where you sat and whether you tipped. Activity staff was non engaging and it was very difficult to figure out what was going on daily. The room was kept clean, air conditioning was inconsistent, back door did not [... read more] lock. Bar fridge was sparingly filled some days. The beach was nice but the wind and sand fleas kept us at the pool. Overall we would give this resort a 3 Star at most and will not return! We have been to much nicer resorts in Cuba for less money

Melia Las Dunas: Really great food at this resort for Cuba

The Great: Our sunwing rep in cuba (Michael) was amazing... so helpful and very honest with awesome recommendations. He always put a smile on our faces. This was our second time in Cuba, so we were prepared with spices and ketchup, but we didn't need them. The food was very good and had a variety to choose from. I liked all of the fresh juices in the morning for breakfast and the fresh omelettes were awesome. Also, the snack bar was very good. There were several and you could always get s [... read more]omething to eat and be satisfied if you didn't make the buffet or ala cartes. We tried three ala cartes, the mediteranian, international and asian. I enjoyed the mediteranian and asian best of the three. At the international they had a really great piano player. the grounds were well kept - very lush and well laid out. I liked the hanging swings. We stayed in the family section, which seemed better lit at night especially at the pool area where we took lots of short cuts to and from places from our building. You can tell they worked so hard to put everything back together after Irma hit 6 months ago. The beach was great, my only regret is that I didnt take advantage of the kite surfing and other water sport activities this resort had to offer, which was a draw in choosing this place. We did a catamaran excursion which was lovely. I snorkled around a reef and saw schools of colourful fish. I wish I had brought a waterproof camera... it was beautiful. We also had snacks that they provided and went to a isolated and private island. That was really cool. On a night excursion we went to see the Bueno Vista Social Club play. We were very lucky to have had that opportunity. I heard alot about them previously. The Not so Good... Unfortunately, there was a mix-up when we checked in and went to our building I realized we had a gardenview room and not the balcony room which I asked for when booking. It was in building 51 room 12 (on the beach side). It was a beautiful room with new beds. I could tell it was renovated recently however, the mold and musty smell was so overpowering when we walked in I felt sick and after 20 minutes on the phone I eventually got through to someone and after a few hours we were switched to a balcony room on the other side, which was building 17 room 23. This room was not as nice and needed some updating, especially the shower curtain, bedspread and bedsheets. However, it was clean and there was no mold smell so we were happy to be settled. This resort felt a bit isolated to us, the double decker buses that run through the island are rare. So, if you want to go to the market or explore off the resort you better get a cab or you will find yourself waiting for hours on a bus that might never come. Just be sure you sort out the 5 cuc price with the driver. Some will demand as much as 10. But 5 cuc is the correct rate to go to the Estrella market. Also, you wont have much luck getting information from many people who wear suits in supervisor or management positions... they look like they might know something but they are just there. I found the prices really inflated for buying souvenier and gift items compared to Varadero or Havanna. Other people took notice as well. I suppose they can do that because there isn't many options. The service staff were pretty good and some were very exceptional. You won't get the sense of real Cuban life or it's people here in Cayo Santa Maria.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: A good time was had by all!

The hotel was beautiful, clean and well maintained. We really liked that the rooms were in 3 story buildings as that meant you always had a connection with the beautiful grounds. The staff were friendly and attentive. The beach was gorgeous! We have just a few areas for improvement: -The sheets did not fit our king size bed and always came off in the night! -It was hard to get small change for tips - this is important because just like anywhere else, the staff rely on tips to supplement  [... read more]their income -The food was uniformly good but not outstanding

Melia Cayo Coco: Terrific Valentine's Day trip

My husband and I did not have really high expectations for our trip to Cuba as this was our third time visiting. All we knew for sure was that the beach was going to be amazing. Melia Cayo Coco was a wonderful surprise. The resort was 15 minutes from the airport. The check in was done within minutes. The food was excellent and there was very good variety. The rooms were large and clean, and the service was friendly and not obtrusive. And the beach was more than amazing...it was large, clea [... read more]n and had lots of sun shelters with roofs for shade. Many of the nice guests we spoke to were there for their 7th, 8th, and 9th time! Yes, we have been to many ultra-lux hotels on other islands, but if we are talking about value for your money for the beautiful weather and people of Cuba, then I would absolutely recommend this hotel.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Don't waste your money there

Arrival: from the moment you arrive, instead of giving each couple a personal greeting, they actually tell everybody to leave their passport on the counter at the reception (totally against any security advice on protecting your passport) and tell you to come back at 4:00 pm, even if it's just noon instead of telling you to come back in a bit to see if your room is ready. They expect you to leave your luggage right in the entrance for hours until your room is ready instead of offering to store  [... read more]them in the luggage room. Without saying it in so many words, they literally tell you to get lost until 4:00 pm and roam around the resort. Even if you have swimwear in your carry-on, you can't get a towel as the pool staff expects you to exchange the ones from your room, which of course, you don't have access to yet. No warm or hot water whatsoever in our room until the 4th day, some people were without for 10 days. Most vacationers you talked to on the resort had the same problems. On the second day, you call to request a coffee packet for your coffee maker as per instructions on the card in your room and they tell you, no coffee packets left at all on the resort, without offering to try finding some; funny enough, cleaning ladies find you some the next morning. No whitener or milk for your coffee; they don't even sell milk at the store. We had to go get some from the restaurant. No facial tissues in-room, not enough lamps for lighting in the room. No paper to wipe your hands in any of the machines in the public washrooms around the resort. No air conditioning at all, no fans and no windows in the à la Carte Bamboo restaurant. Food was generally good but you often did not get what you order from the menu at the Racket Club restaurant as they don't have it. Whatever and wherever the problem, the excuse is always the same: it usually works or we usually have some. The only ones contributing to help you enjoy your vacation regardless of the numerous problems are excellent cleaning ladies like little Yami, day shift and and her colleagues, Yaima, evening shift, restaurant staff like Rigo from the buffet restaurant, Dayleen, Maria Eugenia and sometimes Vallin from the racket club. We met people on the bus on our way to the airport when we left and they stated the 3 and a half star rating hotel was excellent as they didn't have any problems at all. This hotel is sub standard and definitely not a 5 star as rated. Will not stay there again.

Hotel Vigia: Sol Cayo Guillermo

This was a very nice resort. The people were friendly. The food was good and a reasonable selection was available. The beach was beautiful and you could see the beach from the pool area, which was also good. The entertainment was good. They had dancers and singers or musicians almost every night. The employees were very helpful and accomodating. We had a relaxing week.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Great place for relaxation and entertainment!

We enjoyed our stay in this resort with our small family and friends. Beach is beautiful and shallow. Lots of activitues by the pool area. Night programs for kids are fun and shows are spectacular, don't miss them! Food is OK, unlimited drinks help you relax. Friendly staff!

Hotel Vigia: Beautifull beach !!

Visited the week of Feb 14th to Feb 21st, had a great time, hotel still abit rough around the edges after Irma but they are working hard on restoring the grounds and rooms, the beach is better than before but a very windy week. We had to change our room once as this seems to be a common occurrence, some rooms aren't quite up to par, the food was ok but a little repetitious, staff were great, overall a good trip for the price we paid. Tripcentral was very helpful in booking as we only booked t [... read more]he day before we left, talk about a rush packing LOL. Would go back for sure. J & T

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Good resort

This hotel is very clean and spacious. We were not sure going to Cuba again because we have not enjoyed ourselves any other time we have gone. The food was not bad here:). The hospitality at this resort was top notch I couldn't ask for better service it was incredible. This was by far the best trip we had in Cuba

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Good resort for family

The beach was great. The pools, with gentle slopes, were good for the kids. The food was good by Cuban standard, especially the pizza and burger at the snack bar by the pools. The entertainment was good and there were a lot of activities all week. The negatives? Having to line up 3 mornings to book dinners and the Santa Clara airport was the absolute worst.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Amazing beach! great resort

The room was really clean the beach is amazing the staff very friendly the food was ok at buffet and the A la carte was excellent (Bana,bistro and mexican) Over all we liked it but the food at buffet could be ameliorated

Paradisus Varadero: My favourite one so far!!

Can't say enough, everything was great!!! The resort staff, bartenders etc. were so nice!! The pools and grounds were well keep. The rooms were spotless. The beach was beautiful. We loved the pizza at the 24 hr restaurant. This is my 7th trip to Cuba and this is my favourite resort so far. I would come back to this one again for sure!!!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Not a five star resort

Our room was okay but never cleaned until at least 4pm every day. Smelled like cigarette smoke but bearable. There's a coffee pot in the room but they never refilled the coffee. The food was the same every day. The a la carte restaurants were mediocre at best and the meat in all restaurants was always over cooked and dry. I would only give this resort a 3 star, certainly never a 5 star. Most of the guests were English speaking but most of the staff had extremely limited English.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Amazing resort

We had beautiful weather,food was good,staff friendly and helpful. The resort was perfect not to big not to small. I would definitely go their again . We took the local bus to into town a few time good restaurants, markets. Shopping

Melia Jardines del Rey: Amazing Vacation!

Pools/Beach are fantastic - they accommodate everyone. A lot of older people and kids/families at the shallow pool and younger adults and couples at the "party" pool. Sand was white and ocean was clear on the beach, tons of room just make sure to reserve a spot if you want shade early in the morning. Music was fantastic at both. Service at the pool swimup bar was great (Miguel) especially - beach was good too but longer lineups considering there is only one. We had a classic room - clean everyda [... read more]y and never had an issue. we had the shower/tub and the pressure was amazing, a lot of hot water too! Food was not too bad at the buffet but it pretty much accommodates everyone. We had tried the bistro, Cuban and Mexican restaurants and they were all amazing!! Highly suggest the Mexican. Beach buffet is probably the best one for lunch. Sometimes didn't get a bottle of water left in our room but make sure you do because you can't drink their water. Service was okay throughout our stay considering the resort was full with over 2000 people. Tipping makes a difference obviously. Drinks were good - ask for sex on the pool or Miami vice (the best one is at the entertainment bar). Lobby was full of life and entertainment was great - a lot of live bands playing which was enjoyable. There is a disco which is on the resort but I don't think it is part of it 100%. Didn't have a chance to do any excursions but I heard they were fun! We had a massage on the beach for 30mins for only 25 pesos and he was amazing (highly reccomend)! To top it off we had perfect weather from Feb 13-20 lots of sun, some cloud which was nice and a breeze. It only rained twice at night for maybe 2 minutes and we missed it both times which worked out. We stayed in bungalow 23 and it was a good spot in between everything. Overall it was a great vacation and I would definitely go back again! P.S Alex the Zumba instructor on the beach is the kindest most fun person you will meet.

Sol Varadero Beach: , Great service, nice people, wonderful beach!

Had a great time at Sol Sirenas Coral. We stayed for a week in mid-February and had a lovely time. We spent much of every day on the beach, with the white sand, beach bar and good waves. Clean rooms and common areas, good pool and pool bar. Often noisy at night, if your room overlooks the pool and grill area. Would go back!

Melia Cayo Coco: Exceeded expectations

Very nice small hotel - Melia needs to invest in renovating the rooms, bedding & linens which would improve this property so much - very dated! Exceptional staff from front desk - entertainment (Victor is an asset to this hotel) to the bellboys and even the gardeners who do a great job of the grounds. Food very good - best I've had in Cuba however have to do a better job on freshness & rotation of salads etc. That are left out at beach restaurant...not good! Table staff at the restaurants ar [... read more]e for the most part pretty good but need more training on how to interact with the clientele and better service. All in all a very good Adult Only small facility that is quiet and good for older travellers. Exceptionally clean in all areas! Would return!