Club Kawama: Club Kawama

Great spot, clean! Food was good, close to town, great staff, upgraded room to premium ocean front villa for 25 CUC a day, easy process and friendly front desk staff always willing to help. Bellboys, Tito, Yassur, Alexander were awesome, special thanks to Tito for helping out straighten out Air Canadas screwup.

Starfish Varadero: Wow

This place is awesome. I like the overhead shower and the handheld shower. The best shower I have seen in Cuba. I have been to Cuba for 16 times and this is the best resort by far when it comes to eating seafood. The resort is located beside the best luxury resort in varadero- the Royalton luxury resort. I got what I really want For the price that I paid in using this resort.

Playa Vista Azul: Not what we expected.

The food was terrible (even by Cuba standards) and lacked creativity, therefore resulting in the exact same food each day at each meal. Staff were more focused on tips than genuine customer service. Very little attention was paid to those who did not speak Spanish or provide large tips daily. The alcohol seemed to be watered down as it was completely tasteless. The evening entertainment was okay, but the 'dicso' (in the snack bar) was juvenile and not well put together. Given that we were in Var [... read more]adero there should have been additional options for entertainment/going out, if the resort was unable to provide adequate services in that regard. The beach bar on the large beach is way too far from the beach area. Would definitely recommend people bring their own large cup or bubba so they don't have to walk such a long distance for drinks as frequently. The pool was good. Very clean and well taken care of, however the resort could definitely benefit from additional umbrellas. There were none unless you asked for one, and we only learned this by observing others doing this. The umbrellas should just be readily available. The room decor was good and the rooms were relatively clean. Smelled musty but better on higher floors. The resort grounds were well maintained and getting around was easy as the resort was not very big.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Nice resort

Second time at this resort and again, had a good time. I travelled with my elderly mother and I felt it was a good choice as the hotel is quite comfortable for Cuban standards. The beach is beautiful and access to it is easy for people with mobility issues. Most of the staff were pleasant and helpful with only a few exceptions. The entertainment is good and I was lucky to have met some amazing fellow travellers from many different countries. I would go back and would recommend this hotel to oth [... read more]er travellers.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: AMAZING RESORT!

This was the best all inclusive! 18+, attentive staff, nice entertainment, great food at the restaurants and a gorgeous beach! There is no ATM so bring cash and you will need an adapter for the plugs.

Barcelo Solymar: Most Breathtaking Experience

There is no doubt that we would’ve had a better stay in Varadero. The resort was beautiful with the beach just a few steps away and the food and drinks were always well put together. The staff was always so welcoming and made sure we were satisfied. We cant wait for our next trip back in the near future.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Very nice and elegant resort!

This was our second stay. We were just as happy as first time. It's a lovely space, well managed, kept clean, with team that is outstanding from the rooms to the restaurants to the bars... Just steadily great throughout the resort. Terase team of a buffet restaurant was outstanding and we kept going back to converse with these lovely people while having all our meals. The evening performances are top level! Jezz bar with elegant stylish music, such a pearl. Ice cream parlour... Hidden Jem - over [... read more]all just wonderful. If you need to arrange the excursion you can trust it to your room butter. Ronald was amazing. But all butters always are.They are all knowledgeable and nice. Most importantly - everything is safe and guests are all nice crowds - no loud people. Weekends attract locals and get busier, still very nice.

Blau Varadero: Honest Review

We did alot of research based on others' reviews when we were looking to book our vacay. I will say that the staff were very friendly, inviting and were not demanding at all of tips; however they were appreciative when given. No issues with the staff there at all; they were great! We kept reading all the ranting and raving about how AMAZING the food was and that was a huge seller for us when booking Blau! However; we were heavily dissapointed with the food the most! We were pretty much vegetaria [... read more]ns all week. The meat options were terrible! Poorly seasoned; just very bland. And believe me; I am not a picky eater and will experiment and try many varieties of food; but I stuck to fruit, bread, cucumbers and eggs most of the week. The a la cartes were ok. The International a la carte is outside where the lunch buffet is during the day. The food was OK but we were sweating and were eaten alive by mosquitos. The waiter was kind enough to pass OFF bugspray to guests which was so kind of him; but not a laid back dinner either way.The Italian a la carte was in an air conditioned building. Very nice and cool (Plus no mosquitoes!!). They had live music which was nice. I opted for a "Lobster Gratin" dish and was dissapointed. It was unseasoned partially mashed potatoes mixed with lobster; very dry; just not very good. Dessert was delicious; just wish it were bigger! (obviously!!) For Breakfast-- There is one buffet that serves breakfast untill 11. For Lunch--There was a buffet by the beach opened from 12-3pm. Food was ok; but it did have a Pasta bar... but I thought that the tomato sauce tasted like ketchup. Definitely doable if your starving!! The buffet was covered in flies and very hot inside where you sit to eat. There was also a food station by the pool were they have burgers and sausages which we never tried because the meat just turned us off. The burgers had an awful smell to them. Only thing we really had from this station was the french fries. There was a 24 hour snack bar by the Beach but options were limited. They had made to order pizzas made on flatbread. We ordered the vegetarian pizza and the first time we ordered it, it had cucumbers, onions and cheese on it--- second time we ordered it it had potatoes, carrots and peas on it. Super strange. For Dinner-- we had the option of 2 a la cartes during our week stay and pretty much went to the buffet on the 3rd floor each night which again was ok. The Lobby Bar had the best cappuccinos and a good selection of tables to sit inside while feeling like your outside. The pool was nice with plenty of loungers and the water was the perfect temperature. The BEACH was absolutely GORGEOUS!! The water was amazing and there was nobody bothering you on the beach. Pure relaxation! The room was nice and the cleaning staff were creative with linen swans etc. The balcony door was so heavy! And just a note; the door MUST be closed fully or the A/C will not trigger on and the room heats up quick and the A/C isn't extremely cold to begin with! The fridge is stocked everday with 2 colas, 2 beers and a bottle of water. (Note; ONLY if you are out... so hide any leftovers before your room is cleaned so that they will stock you up with more!) We had issues with our door not latching and locking properly so make sure you check to make sure it is locked because I am pretty sure we slept a few nights with the door unlocked. We had to go 3 times down to the front desk to get our door card reset. That was a pain! No FREE WIFI!! You could buy an internet card from the front desk for $1 CUC which gave you 1 hr in the lobby only with very poor connection. There are two little shops in the hotel on the 3rd floor; one is a cigar/cigarettes/liquor--- Overpriced and they charge you tax if you pay credit. A note for all Canadian Travellers; if you plan on using "Capital One" Mastercard while travelling in Cuba, its not accepted.. strange. So make sure you have a back up. We didn't even buy many souvenirs or ciagrettes because of the exchange on Canadian to Cuban. We paid $100 Canadian for $70 CUC's. Ciagrettes are cheaper at the Cuban Airport and have a much bigger variety to choose from. The resort was overpriced and honestly not much selection at all. The Airport--- A note to Canadian Travellers... The Cuban Airport are giving Canadians a hard time now because Marijuana is now legal in Canada. There is absolutely no signage and very poor communication at the Airport so we collected our luggage and proceeded to head to our bus and were were "randomly" selected to have our luggage sniffed out by a dog and they insisted on opening one of our luggage and taking each and every item out to check for drugs. After finding NOTHING; they demanded a body X-Ray where they again found NOTHING! Disgusting! The Airport worker told us that Cuba was not a joke. Not a joke? ...yet there was a worker sitting at a desk in plain sight, NAPPING! Real professional! Our whole experience at the Airport just turned us off from Cuba and this will be our last time in Cuba for this reason. We were hoping to make up for it when we got to the resort, but that was also dissapointing.

Barcelo Solymar: Mediocre Resort

The resort itself is not bad, but it wasn't as clean as it could've been, and it had a weird funky smell inside. Some things are falling apart in the resort grounds and in the rooms. There was hardly any entertainment. The bars in the resort wouldn't offer certain drinks, and you'd have to go to the other one... if it was still open..they'd close early. The pool was nice and the beach was amazing... although, I wish the beach chairs also had tables to put your drinks on.

Blau Varadero: 110 % Satisfied

110% Satisfaction My wife, wants to go back for 2 weeks next time... 1 week is a tad too short. Went Sept 4>11-2019. Very humid and hot for us... Next time would be Oct or Nov or Dec. Cooler less humid. Forget the negative reviews. We stayed in room 708 which was Ocean view and totally 4 star. Buffet was great... Have the Crepes.. Great cheeses, bread, chorizo... Get smoothies and forget poor OJ. Both restaurants were semi upscale Italian/International... Had Penne arrabat Yum... Forget  [... read more]the Lobster. Cuban (Krystal) Beer is great as are all the free drinks. Coffee poor... Bring your favorite blend and round filters. Nice pools and 5 minute boardwalk to fabulous beach. NEGATIVES (Few) Bath soap small; Elevators tad slow at peak times but not serious. Pool Lounges fill fast but always enough. Food, Bar, Cleaning Service very friendly and competent. 2 CUC tips Likely best high rise hotel in Varadero... 1 week for 2 =$2200 CA Frank & Brenda Read... Ontario ps: Havana tour bus comes to door and you can pay for ride or ride with tour about double cost. Forget Hop on/Hop off bus. Next time I would take ride plus hire horse 🐴 drawn cart to tour old Havana Enjoy Blau Varadero✈️✈️✈️ 😁😎🌴😁😎🌴😁😎

Melia Internacional: Excellent!

Loved almost everything about this resort. Stunning at every angle. Beautiful. Staff awesome. Most beautiful beach. Food all good, in Cuba!! Only complaint would be lack of evening entertainment. Communication of events lacking.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Love this place!

This was our third time at this resort. If you want friendly service, good selection of food, great entertainment and a stunning beach - this place is for you! The resort itself needs updating in some areas but the homey vibe overrides any shortcomings in that regard - best place in Cuba!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Small but great

It's a small VIP section on the much bigger Grand Memories ground. We have our own cozy elegant restaurant, snack bar,Lounge Bar, Reception and swimming pool. We can also use all facilities and restaurants in Grand Memories but we ended up staying at the Sanctuary throughout the 7 days because everything is very good and within 2 minutes walk from our room. It's our 7th time to Cuba, 6th to Varadero and we are very impressed overall with the Sanctuary but especially so with the following: ( [... read more]1) Sanctuary's restaurant serves yummy lobster almost at lunch almost everyday and 4 times during our stay at dinner. The staff lead by manager Karl . The manager Karl is very professional and hardworking, setting a great example for his staff and together they provide efficient and friendly service. We always found ourselves very well taken care of. (2) Sanctuary has the best night entertainment we've ever had at a Cuban resort. We have the option of watching a nightly show at the Grand Memories theater or having our own entertainment in our Lounge Bar. We did go to the Cuban Show the first night which was good, but in terms of comfort of the environment, quality of the show and interaction with performers, the nightly Lounge Bar entertainment is several levels higher. We had opera singers, a hot rock and roll band, sax and piano duo, pool side Retro parties and Karaok. Never danced so much and so crazily at a Caribbean holiday. (3) Mosquitoes usually like me but at this resort I didn't get one bite. And this is first ever. (4) There are 2 bottles of rum, one vodka and one scotch at our disposal in our room. (5) Our butlers, especially the lady (sorry I didn't get her name) have been most helpful. They are always around and would be asking if we need anything. Our requests had all been fulfilled. It's a nice feeling to be taken care of. Of course, the resort is clean, service is great, our room is big and the shower looks pretty new. The maids are pleasant and friendly. Every guest seems to be having a great time. The hotel manager Sabine is always there to make sure everything is what it should be. With management like Sabine and Karl, it's not surprising that Sanctuary is run so well. I was skeptical about how true those 4+ star reviews were before the trip but now I know why people made those comments. Have already told friends that it's a must-try.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Beautiful Beach!

We stayed at Memories Resort from July 28th to August, 6th. The grounds are beautifully kept. The is a large resort so someone with mobility issues might have a problem. We were located at building 25 which was located close to the quiet pool and main buffet. The rooms were kept clean but very dated. There were issues with the refrigerator not working, the piping in the bathtub was completely rusted as well as the mold smell. The main buffet had a variety of food. You would never go hungry. The [... read more] beach bar-b-q was amazing. Entertainment at the party pool was fun too. The pools did have a lot of floating cups and people smoking inside the pool. The quiet pool looked green by the end of our stay, as for shade there was always plenty. The staff are great and always greeting you with a friendly smile. I did forget to mention the bathrooms located at the main lobby were horrible, never had toilet paper and was invested with cockroaches. Overall our trip was amazing, the weather was sunny and hot with just a few rain showers that lasted for a few minutes. Would I go back to this resort, I definitely would but with an upgraded room! I did forget to mention the nightly entertainment was amazing with the disco! And don't forget to bring a reusable cup with you, they ran out of cups every night!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great Vacation

This is my second visit to the resort. I had first visited January 2019. I had stayed on the Royal Service Side both times and recommend the Royal Service Side. Service - 4/5 - Staff overall are awesome. I did not give a 5 as some staff seemed to give more attention to Spanish speaking visitors versus the rest of the crowd. In addition, when I ask for Havana Club rum I kept being served Elixxir while the Spanish speaking/Cubans visiting received Havana Club. This typically happened at the  [... read more]pool bar on the Royal Service Side. Food - 4/5 - Food selections were optimal for Cuba. Chicken, pork, beef, fish all available. Salads, veggies, and local fruit available. I did not give a 5 as the beef was usually tough and dry and the a la cartes were often bland. Room - 4/5 - The room was spacious. The room on the hilltop air conditioning was not working properly. I was moved to a renovated room by the lobby/pool/beach. It is much smaller as it was only a junior suite but closer to all amenities. The air conditioning did not work properly in this room either. Perhaps the units were being overworked as it was hot and humid. The room was not hot it just wasn't cool enough. Also, ground floor renovated rooms are prone to ants entering. Not a big deal but had to put towels down by the doors. Beach - The beach was kept clean and very calm. The water was not clear because of the storms at night. The sand was clean. Plenty of spots to sit and get shade. Overall, I enjoyed my vacation and will be returning on October 2019.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Fantastic staff

The staff at this resort are amazing. Friendly accommodating I cannot say enough about them. Our breakfast/lunch waitress Yirenia was an absolute sweetheart. The beach is beautiful and kept clean. The resort is pretty clean. We were in room 7121. Decent size. But needed work. Issues flushing the toilets. Back of the door not clean. Stocking of the mini bar is hit and miss. We asked for a room with 2 double beds. We got 2 twin beds pushed together. Not cool. On that note theA/C was hit and miss. [... read more] Sometimes we had to go outside where it was cooler. Hot tub didn’t work. It’s hard to escape the heat. Lobby bar outside no ceiling fans to create a breeze. On the other side of the resort that lobby bar was in door. No a/c no fans. The food was mediocre at best. Lunch buffet on the upgraded side ok. The other side had a great lunch. By the beach. But breakfast and dinner not bueno

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Just a massive disappointment

The hotel itself was advertised as a 4/5 star resort, however, what we actually experienced was definitely not a 4/5 star experience. To begin, the Sunwing operator that took us to our resort on Aug 31, 2019 went up to my boyfriend after I had gotten off of the bus and asked him "are you not gonna tip?" My boyfriend responded with "I'm sorry, I don't have any CUC, I only have CAD... we just landed and I couldn't exchange my money yet" and he looked at him, rolled his eyes and handed him his lugg [... read more]age. Second, the food is a massive disappointment. Unless you are going to the a la cartes, good luck finding good food at the buffet that is remotely edible. We had to wait in line for almost 20 minutes to get some chicken griddled up by a very nice man however, the wait is just way too long considering we had other plans after dinner. The servers are sometimes nice, and sometimes will fill up your glass with water and others, seem as though they are waiting for you to tip them. Another issue we encountered was that upon entering our room and using the bathroom, it made a very loud screaming sound every single time we flushed it and continued to do so for another 10 minutes or so post-flush. Additionally, in the bathroom of 35208 (our room), there was a bunch of black mold located on the corner of the ceiling. I mentioned this to housekeeping and they literally said "ok". Mind you, I am fluent in Spanish so there is absolutely no way that there could be anything lost in translation over here. Another thing, when we asked for more water to be delivered to our room or to ask for another bottle of water from the bar, we often received looks or if we ordered them for our room, it took more than 2 hours to get it... almost as if they had to travel to get to the bottling company themselves and retrieve it. Don't get me wrong, I love Cuba and I understand that sometimes things take time to be delivered... but what I cannot tolerate, is the lack of professionalism, customer service and friendliness of hotel staff. Especially the lady that works at the check in/check out counter that works at nights in the Sanctuary lobby. She was a total witch with a capital B and every single time I asked to purchase a WIFI card, she seemed as though I had asked her to do the most impossible task ever. On one night, we found a cockroach in our curtains as i was closing them for the night and when we called someone to help, it took them about 20 minutes to get here which was a bit worrisome considering the cockroach had then moved to a different location in the room (Eventually, they caught and killed the cockroach). It is important to note, though, that in Cuba, and other tropical countries, you should expect to see these kinds of insects as they are native to the country... so this wasnt a massive deal. To make matters worse, when we were leaving from our room to catch the bus that brings us to the airport for our return flight to Toronto, we noticed that the entire building (35) was completely unlit in the staircases and hallways... We were residing on the second floor so we had to bring all four of our suitcases down with us in pitch black lighting because it was 6am when we left. We called reception/client services and no one picked up. I called them three times before I noticed it was getting too late and ended up having to bring our suitcases down in the dark otherwise, we would have missed our bus. Anyway, my boyfriend, as he was bringing his suitcases down, fell down the stairs (since it was so dark), and one of his suitcases fell on him, and subsequently broke from landing on the cement staircase. His carry-on's wheels split in half from the impact and were unusable and failed to function as they had been completely damaged from the fall which could have been PREVENTED, had the Sanctuary actually had lighting in the building. The whole lighting issue is not only problematic for people who are trying to go down the stairs with their suitcases, but this is also a potential fall and fire hazard as if there is an emergency, there is absolutely no lighting for guests to see down the stairs during an emergency such as a fire. I spoke to the Sanctuary reception/check in and check out lady that I mentioned above, and she didn't seem to care and said "lo entiendo" which means "I understand"..... understand what? that he fell down the stairs? or that you need to do something about this? The entire communication from the guest services staff and reception was atrocious. Nobody seemed to give a goddamn crap about anything and even with me asking very nicely in Spanish to prevent the risk of miscommunication, things were never done as they were promised. My boyfriend and I tried to be as positive as possible regardless of the crappy circumstances, but I certainly feel as though we need another vacation to help us de-stress from this mess of a "vacation". Also, I have stayed in the Sanctuary before... I stayed in the Cayo Santa Maria one in June of 2018 and it was beautiful. Everything in that resort was great... which is why I chose this resort in Varadero... expecting the same experience, but we ended up just super disappointed. Hopefully nobody has to ever beg for water to be given to them in that resort ever again.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Nice place

I like the hotel very much, it's clean and comfortable. My friends and I had great time there. I miss the blue sky, beautiful ocean, nice food, all kinds of drink... I think I will go there again. See you soon.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Very nice resort!

The grounds were spotless. Amenities is good places. However the one note that I can say, new owners are cheap. Food was not close to what it should be. No mint for mojitos. No chocolate sauce for banana drinks. Rumors of them swapping cheap vodka and representing russian vodka. The pool bar staff were top notch and catered to us as best they can with what they had. I may not go back but I still recommend it as a decent resort although perhaps overpriced if they continue to be cheap with food an [... read more]d drink supplies.

Melia Marina Varadero: Not recommended for kids

We were there from August 30- September 5, 2019 and there were cockroaches in our room. We were with an infant and a 7 years old. When I mentioned at the reception that there were cockroaches in our room, they took no action or gave us a room on higher floors (we were on the 4th floor). The food was bad and salty, but it was expected as this wasn't our first time in Cuba. Our flight was delayed and they gave us half hour courtesy room, but it was full of cigarette smoke. I wouldn't recommen [... read more]d taking kids to this hotel. I have been to other resorts in varadero and they were more cleaner than Melia Marina. The beach was great and the beach staffs and the bartenders were friendly. Nice view of the marina