Pleasantly surprised!!

After reading many terrible reviews, my boyfriend and I weren't too sure if we had picked the right resort for our march break getaway. All I can say is, we did not encounter any of the problems that we read in any of those reviews! We were very pleasantly surprised. Arriving at the resort, the check-in was very quick and we requested to upgrade our room and this was done without a problem and for a little cost (we went from building 15 to building 24 which is ocean view). The employee at the fr [... read more]ont desk exchanged money for us because we only had canadian currency and the bank at the resort was closed; so right from the get go we were impressed. As for the grouonds of the resort, they were beautifully maintained, flowers everywhere and men working all day and night to keep it looking nice and clean. The hotel itself (rooms, villas, lobby) were in pretty good shape. There were a few minor cracks in walls and cracked tiles but nothing that really changed the overall quality of the resort. Our room was always cleaned by our maid and we had fresh towels every single day. The lobby was always very busy (such a fun place to hangout at night) and the staff was so helpful, always asking if we wanted a drink or simply saying hello. We spent most of our days at the pool with the swim-up bar...this was the best part of the trip. This pool was always clean and full of people. The staff around the pool and the entertainement crew were so nice and so friendly. All the employees on this resort always seemed to be in the greatest mood! Of course, the beach was beautiful, very well-kept and clean. As for the food, we did not go to Cuba expecting to have amazing food. The breakfast was very good and lunch at the beach snack bar was great. Dinner was alright, somewhat bland but we could always find things to fill our plate. We read many reviews saying that people got sick from the food...we did not, we simply made sure not to eat any items that we did not know what they consisted of. You simply need to be careful. Overall, this resort was very nice and the staff was very friendly and we really don't have a single complaint. We would probably rate this hotel a 4 star, we have been to five star and this is not quite as nice but no complaints, and very happy with our stay. Out of the 5 times I have been the Cuba, this has been the nicest/best resort I have stayed at yet!

Our Stay in the RIU Veredaro

Had to wait till the very last minute to get our room, not 2:00, not 3:00, not even 3:30, no it was right on 4:00. Sat around the hotel from 11:30ish to 4:00 to get our room. Room was damp and musty smelling. There was always chairs available at the pool. And the weather was fantastic for sitting around the pool. Buffet never opened on time and the food was always cold. (Unless you had fresh pasta made) which I ate lunch and dinner most days.

Decent Resort

The resort has a nice layout with pretty features and clean overall, however it is a bit run down. Also towels did not always get changed everyday and lots of line ups from waiting for food at the snack bar to making restaurant reservations, exchanging $$, etc. A bit disappointing was that the guests "hogged" beach/pool chairs even though the chairs weren't used, towels took their spots. Should be a rule not to be able to hog chairs if away for 1 hour or longer. Some of the staff expected tips b [... read more]efore they would pleasantly do their jobs with a smile. However, there were some staff who seemed to enjoy their job and being around people. They made our day! Piano bar was great at night to enjoy listening to with our friends. Before our trip, we did some research and knew to expect some of the downfalls of this hotel so we just took it easy and did not sweat the little stuff.

Nice place but not worth it

This resort is big. And could really be a nice resort! But food was sad to say the least. Cold and not a very good selection. If not for the omelette guys in the morning and the bread! I would have starved! I have been to Cuba before but this was the worst, even the drinks were sad, Never enough chairs. If you didn't reserve a chair by 8 am. Forget about shade! Also the beach towel exchange was never open. Had to use the same beach towels all week, Check in was painful. We arrived at 11 am and l [... read more]ined up, 45 minutes later we were checked in, but told our rooms would not be ready til 4 pm. So at 4 pm we lined up again! 30 minutes later we had our room key. Yes only 1 room key! They didn't have any extra. So had to line up again the next day and we were lucky to get a second key! on the 3rd day we went to our room at 7 pm to start to get ready for dinner,,, as we just heading to the shower the maid Knicks on the door to clean our room! Told her to forget it but asked for clean towels and she says no ! Didn't have any and walked away... Don't bother with the night out dinners! You had to line up ( yes line up again) and it takes about an hour and you can only book 1 restaurant at a time! We only went 1 night to the Cuban restaurant and let me tell it was terrible, waiter was rude and food was scary, I am a restaurant owner and chef! So I totally understand that business but have no clue what they think Service is! I asked for a drink? And was told beer or wine only,,, I guess they do not have Cuban special drinks , Also the pool was very dirty and dangerous. Not once did we see them clean the pool. And all the plastic edging was broken. And the little bit that was left would break if you walked on it! Twice we saw people fall through these screens ! My wife and I travel every year. , but will never do this resort again, I have heard good things about Riu resorts but this is not what I would think a Riu would be like, Lucky for us we had fantastic weather and we went on the catamaran trip and have to say that was one of the best excursions I have ever been on so thanks to them for that ,,, Other people had good food at other resorts in Veradero so try them. I wouldn't bother with the Riu!

Great resort!

The resort was really big! The hotel staff were so friendly it made the stay better. I liked that they had two buffets because the resort was so big. The pools were amazing, one of the pools had a waterfall! The only thing I did not like was the beach was on the other side of the report it was a 15 minute walk. The repsort was great! Would definitely go back.

Disappointed it has the Rui name

Grounds were beautiful, pool amazing, rec staff good. The rooms were ok but, service was terrible no clock in room, wake up times were never received,. Arrived at night had to find our building/room. Had to ask for pool towels then clean towels after 2 days, never got new pool towels our entire stay or new bedding. When's to an a la cart restraunt not the food on menu had to ask for drinks, buns even got the dessert wrong. If you didn't get to the beach by 6 you didn't get a chair. Ran out of fr [... read more]ies, ketchup, and even toilet paper. We have travelled every year to different rui's and was impressed by their standards for guests, this one definitely needs management leadership.

Excellent

Hotel and grounds perfect.food was great. The staff and housekeeping aimed to please everyday. Had a massage to die for on last day . water exercises and pool side games were a lot of fun. Was great to relax and people watch.

Not terrible

It's a good location with a nice beach. Rooms were clean enough although lacked certain amenities. Cleaning staff were sweet and exceptional. Food was ok... not exceptional, the specialty restaurants are not worthwhile.

Far from a 5 star resort

On arrival the room was full of mosquitoes , air conditioner was not working. This was looked after the next day. Received beach towels 1 day, no facecloths ( I did bring my own) received fresh towels 2 days and had to request these. most washrooms had no locks on the doors. The grounds and rooms were clean and well kept. The pools were awesome as was beach area. Very friendly staff. They were always out of something, whether it be french fries, ketchup, pizza, towels, ice. This was my first tim [... read more]e at a resort and not what I expected from a 5 Star. I would recommend this resort but not as a 5 Star

Okay resort

Nothing outstanding. Rooms clean, water pressure great, beds comfortable will meet your basic needs plus - stayed in superior room tv older everyone looked like Martian and radio did't work - great job keeping bar fridge stocked. Rm 22320. Not enough cover at beach- be there by 6:30 - no exaggeration to reserve a covered spot. Lounge chairs uncomfortable - plates matt was a great idea a few guests had. Many loungers broken few huts in disrepair - need new leaf parts. Beach well groomed. Beach ba [... read more]r a pain - long lines for drinks and most often single bartender - bring big cup or walk 10 minutes to pool bar. Restaurant near Beach not great and again too few staff and lots of waiting. Buffet food at the beach restaurant just ok. Pool bar well staffed and great service. Same issue reserving seats - sleep in and nothing till mid pm. Buffets (2) always something too eat no issues at all. Great breakfast omletes and cooks. Some exceptional staff reserved kind of indifferent. Ladies running capichino bar exceptional as we're main bar staff. All a carte - booking them a disaster such a pain. To do with huge lines and unhelpful staff why waste your time. Did go to cuban or creole - 5 times to cuba worse than my only 3* experience. Huge black mold water stain on ceiling. Been there a while as lights had been removed. Bottom line - want a serviceable place to stay and don't expect the moon fine. I spent most of my time at the beach or pool, filled 3 big bubba cups to avoid the line and had a great time. Recommend if can get it around a grand.

Just Wonderful

We were at the Riu Varadero Feb.17-24/15. We had two days of cold weather but the rest of the vacation was wonderful. We stayed in the Deluxe section of the hotel and just loved it. Our room was great and the cleaning staff were so friendly. We had three big water bottles in our room at all times. My daughter and her husband were return guests to the Riu so they were treated to one of the biggest suites they had at no extra charge. What a surprise, they were tickled pink. There was never any sho [... read more]rtage of food. I was so worried before we left because I am a picky eater. We ate at both of the buffets and all of the restaurants, they were all simply irresistible. No one had any complaints. The pool boy was great, as soon as he saw us in the morning he brought us cushions. We had brought with us a half dozen baseballs and gave them to him and he was just so greatful. I left gifts every morning on our bed, I gave gifts to the servers around the pool and the servers in the restaurants. They were all greatful. The grounds were kept up and so lovely. The entertainment that was provided in the evenings was great. I have been to two other islands and the entertainment at the Riu was the best. Thanks also to TripCentral for arranging the vacation.

We enjoyed our stay

Service was good. The buffet food wasn't great, but you could find decent food if you went to the cooking stations (pasta for dinner or omelette). We went to the Italian and Gourmet a la carte restaurants and those were both good. We saw a few of the shows at their theater, the dancing was very well done. The location is a little removed from Varadero, so it's around a $17 (CUC) cab ride to get into town if you want to go to a bar for the night.

Big resort - needs management review

We stayed at the Riu Varadero from January 28th to February 4th, 2015(family group of 8 including 9 yr old twins). Our flight and check-in at hotel were flawless. My husband and I stayed in the Adults Only section so our 3 à la carte dinners were already reserved for us. We used 2 choosing to eat our other meals with our group. The seafood one was the better of the two. This is a very big resort and was filled almost to capacity. The pools are great with 3 to choose from. The beach and water we [... read more]re beautiful but busy.The grounds are very well maintained and very clean. We chose to return to Varadero (last year Melia Marina...fantastic but did not return there because prices had increased significantly) because of the Cuban people who are so welcoming, helpful and always smiling. Unfortunately this is where the problem also exists: The employees in all areas are understaffed, do not have the necessary equipment to perform their tasks efficiently and in many instances, the equipment is outdated or not fully functional. This is a management fault not staff! ( Apparently this hotel has been sold to another chain but the Riu logo is still everywhere). Nothing has been done to update this huge facility. One prime example is the coffee stations. There was always long line-ups for coffee in the main bar and often only one attendant working alone. One morning in one of the main buffets, the coffee machine broke and the waitresses had to run to an outside coffee bar, wait in line with guests and then run back to serve their tables. Other reviews mention having to wait for plates at the buffet, food to be refilled, etc. This is true but again management fault! Unfortunately many guests were outright rude and disrespectful of staff. The rooms are adequate - yes linen and towels are dingy grey, food is not the greatest but we always managed to find something, and all in all,we made the best of our situation. We were treated very well by staff and yes we do tip generously. These people work for such low wages and are so appreciative of anything you leave them...a few pesos go a long way and never did we feel it was expected of us! As a group we have travelled extensively and would probably not return to this hotel until some serious changes and updates are made.

Welcome to the devils play ground

They will not let me comment, don't stay at this hotel. trust me when I say it was the worst experiance in all my trips. Mexico was by far a better place to vaction. The people of Cuba were awesome but this hotel is a 3 star at best and unless you want to saty in a dump I would think twice.

Great resort but larger than what we like

So went to Riu Varadero feb 7-14 2015. We had a really nice stay. This resort is very nice. We usually pic smaller resort under 500 rooms but an enjoyable stay. The rooms and resort were very clean and maintained at all times. You always see them cleaning up. It is rated a 5 star but remember this his not a Canadian 5 star, remember when you go to Cuba they don't have all the luxuries we do here. Things will change now that the USA and Cuba are getting along. The food is bland as they don't have [... read more] the luxury of all the spices we have here. The meat is sometimes not chewable and I don't have dentures, I have all my original teeth so not sure how people with them chewed some of the meat. This is not just at this resort it is at everyone we have been to which is 4 all over. Chicken was always very good as well as the roasted pork. They do serve some bacon at breakfast but really need to seperate it before cooking as some is on the raw side and others way over cooked. They do try to please you and you do feel bad for them as they have no idea how spoiled we are here at home. But this is to no fault of the overall resort as that is what they have there. I'm sure they must think people are so wasteful with the food. But our overall stay was wonderful and are planing to go back again but to a different area. Just remember Cuba is like going back in time right now. So go with an open mind and you will Have a great time.

Good value!

Overall, my experience was good. The room was OK, it needed some new paint. The hotel needs a renovation soon. My bathroom had some mold, that is really my only complaint. It was really clean and our room was made up every day. In Canadian terms, the hotel is really a 3 star. The food was good (I recommend BBQ by the beach for lunch and a la carte restaurants for dinner) and better than most people told me. Make sure you exchange cash in the airport, otherwise you have to wait about an hour in l [... read more]ine at the currency exchange office in the resort. Also, for the a la carte restaurants, only 2 can be booked in a week (and it has to be reserved a day in advance) and the queue is also about an hour. So take these into account before heading to the beach! I highly recommend to book the Deluxe room - Adults only. There is really a difference in service and amenities: separate pool and bar & restaurant just for the Deluxe guests. You can also go to the Deluxe only restaurant every evening, no restrictions. The buffet is also a lot better (salmon, blue cheese, etc.). It's definitely worth it and the price difference is not big. Thanks.

Would not recommend

Half the of toilets and sinks weren't working. Usually no hot water in mornings. Not up to the standards of a RIU. Heard the resort has been sold and it seems they are just letting it go, no repairs being done. Ran out of food and drinks. Could not get bottled water.Very disappointing.

Awesome vacation

The grounds were well kept. The lighting at night on the path to our room was poor. The room was very nice and very clean. The food was good. The a la carts were amazing. The staff friendly. Entertainment very good.

Okay

Stayed 1st week February 2015 rooms nice. No hot water first 2 mornings. Stayed in adult deluxe section good thing food in restaurant there much better than open buffets. Beach was beautiful went everyday. Pool water too cold hot tub not hot at all same as pool staff majority very helpful and nice room cleaned daily very nice difficult to getal a carte where we wanted assigned before we got there. Not everyone likes fish, seafood. Some public washrooms not in good running order many no taps one  [... read more]of 4 broken little things like that overall goo need more vendors in resort

Trip was good because of the friends we were with.

Would not go back. Unfortunately we found out that the resort has recently been sold so therefore we were in the middle of the transaction and we found employees didn't case. Will not go back! Done with Cuba!