The One Gallery Hotel: The best in Cuba

This resort was absolutely stunning,the grounds were beautiful from the gardens to the displays of art all over the resort the rooms ,lobby area restaurants, pool everywhere was emaculate . There were so many little areas to sit and enjoy the surroundings and have a cocktail or a delicious cappuccino . The food was good but the staff were what made this resort outstanding, so warm and helpful .we have been to Cuba many times and we love the Cuban people and the staff and this resort are very spe [... read more]cial. Oh and it goes without saying the beach and the ocean was total paradise

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Not so good

I am saddened to say that the trip I just took to the Royalton was without a doubt the worst in 32 years of traveling south, including Cuba. Despite what we all know about Cuba (so-so food, lack of certain things), we used to return to Cuba because it's a country we love, with people and history for which we have a real admiration. Our last trip was in 2021 during Covid to Paradisius de Oro (RS). It was memorable despite the ever-strengthening embargo, and despite the shortage of foodstuffs (ev [... read more]en pepper). At the Royalton, things were also missing, such as eggs. But that's not what had a lot of influence on the negative opinion of me and my partner. First of all, it's the obsolescence of the place, including the rooms, and the feeling that the hotel owners don't really care. For example, I took photos of places where a simple brushstroke would have hidden mold and I saw this urinal separator wall which is held in place by 2 pieces of plastic screwed together with 4 screws because it came off the wall (and we are talking here about the toilets in the main lobby, those close to the restaurants). But above all, it was the presence of cockroaches (large and small) in and outside the rooms that I could not accept. In 32 years of traveling to the Caribbean, this is the first time I have seen this. The fact that food was only in restaurants (no buffet) didn't help either. It's difficult to have to sit down each day to order the same food, wait for it to arrive, and realize that it's a small variation of what we were served the day before and that we didn't like that much. With a buffet, it's easier to snack a little without agonizing over the whole thing. The existence of butlers is also in total contradiction with the crisis which is raging from my point of view. We did not feel the need to approach them other than to ask for what we are owed. Certain rooms did not have wifi for instance. As for the staff, Alexis is a superb butler. The manager of the Royalton, Alexandro, does his best and is constantly making his rounds talking to customers. For the rest of the staff, it depends. We have found that younger people do rather rough work while older people are totally dedicated to their work. I sincerely hope that things change in Cuba for the better!

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Still beautiful as ever

I went back after 14 years, still an amazing resort on all level of service. The resort needs a overhaul as it was closed for so long and some upgrades Will go again no questions asked ❤️ Nothing much I went with 7 friends and we all had an amazing time it was first time for 2 of them and they enjoyed a lot

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Wonderful 10 Days

Beach is beautiful, pool is beautiful, buffets were clean with plenty of food. Although, a lot more selection at Memories which is just a short walk or cart ride...recommend Memories buffet for dinner over Sanctuary. Awesome hot lunch sandwiches at pool and beach grills. Pizza grill location at both Memories and Sanctuary...very good pizza!!! Bugs were very bad this year (Nov2023) so bring your bug spray. Staff were wonderful and helpful. It was handy to have Butlers avail for questions, but [... read more] would be just as easy to go to the lobby. No airline reps at Sanctuary, anything you need from them, you have to go down to the Memories lobby....minor inconvenience. Overall, wonderful 10 days. Sanctuary is very peaceful being 18+. 1.5 - 2 hr ride from airport to hotel is scenic, but long compared to other Cuba locations.

Barcelo Solymar: This our 3rd visit.

Beach and sun are a given, the BEST anywhere. Hotel in great need of repair. Main lobby only ONE toilet functioning, and 2 toilets no locks on doors, one out of service and they are at the end of the building. The toilets by the bar, haven’t been is service for years. Of all the elevators there, after 14 days, Two worked, then one, and on the day of departure no elevator functioning. We changed rooms a few times to find a bungalow with everything working. Food….. poor selections no baco [... read more]n ever at breakfast, no fresh salads, coffee shortages, often they ran out, no wine only at Specialty, , and even then rationed. Very disappointed…..we’ve overlooked many things over the years, but this year was the worst. No real repairs done in years, the waitresses did their best, working staff in the buffets worked hard… I’m sorry to be so honest as most of us always overlook what’s happening, just to keep the staff working.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Exceeded Oue Expectations!!

Travelled to Sanctuary with family in late November. resort is small and intimate with excellent staff service. Beach was spectacular- shallow clear warm water. Room was dated but very clean and hot water plentiful. Food selection was limited but good - fresh fish, beef, pork and chicken always available at lunch & dinner grilling stations. BBQ at beach grill was excellent! Standard cocktails were always available like sangria, pina coladas and Ron collins. Only downside was lack of live music [... read more] and evening entertainment at Sanctuary. Overall great value for under $1000 per person. Eight of us had wonderful time. Muchas gracias Sanctuary!!!

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Beautiful hotel, beware of bugs

This is a great hotel, rooms are clean and spacious with contemporary design. The music is not too loud you could always find quiet place to enjoy your time here on the beach. Except been attacked by million mosquitoes for the last day, we loved our stay. Overall it is a good resort with good staff, who are not properly trained but do the best they could. Bring bug spray and Keep your expectation in check, you will be fine.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Really enjoyable vacation

Love the pools! Staff was so friendly and helpful. Food was fresh and there is something everyone can eat. The room had some issues with the shower water getting on the floor but housekeeping kept the place very clean.

Paradisus Varadero: Just Don't

Please go anywhere else but Cuba. The resort was decent as far as structure and pools and beach. Not everyone knows how to make a drink. So good drinks were few and far between. Four of us went and we all came home with stomach issues. There are alot of shortages in Cuba so food is being highly affected and reused day over day in the buffets. Resturants were no better. Excursions cancelled due to fuel shortages as well. No potatoes not even a french fry was avaliable to try and stay on the safe  [... read more]side. A complete waste of money. Our rooms curtians were broken bathroom mirror rotting. We offered to pay for an upgrade to royal service and were declined. Just dont do it. Sunwing vacations were no help. I will NEVER book a sunwing vacation again in my lifetime. No business class on flights. Looked into paying $50 per person for elite but dont do that either elite is the exact same as everyother seat on the plane. $50 per person each way if you want to sit at the emerg exit row. Just Crazy. $25 per person each way for a carry on? Sunwing nor Cuba ever again. I could go on. Oh wait should i mention that we couldn't exchange our towels for clean ones because of laundry service shortage. Employees seemed to really be trying but alot was out of thier control. Spa didn't have steam room or sauna working and mini bar had only water and two beers a day. We were told it was due to shortages. There's more but quite frankly its too much to list.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: 2nd time and great place to vacation

Rooms are big and spacious. Air conditioning and ceiling fan work great. Refrigerator stocked with only a bottlr of water everyday. Beautiful grounds kept clean. Small resort where everything is within walking distance we were in block 5 which id right off the lobby. Loud music at night so if thats not your thing ask yo be put in block 7,8 or 9 which are closer to the beach. Beach is beautiful. Not long but really nice. Food was repetitive but aleays found something to eat. One of the biggest d [... read more]ownfalls is the mosquitoes..really bad compared to varadero.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: IBEROSTAR SELECTION ESMERALDA

Our 2 week stay was from Oct. 28th to Nov. 11th, 2023. First of all, Iberostar Selection Esmeralda in Santa Cruz is a beautiful resort and the staff do their best to please all visitors. My wife and I stayed in a suite in building #5 which was fantastic. A bedroom with a spa, shower, bathroom, and a television. In the livingroom was a sofa, chairs coffee table, a second television, and another bathroom. There were patio doors leading from the bedroom and the livingroom which gave us private ac [... read more]cess to two balconies where we could sit and relax outdoors. The only problems that we encountered in our suite was we had to get them to change the batteries for the safe 3 times, unblock one of the toilets, and change a battery for one of the TV remotes. There were only two a la carte restaurants open, Cuban and Mediterranean. Both located at the same restaurant. We went once to each during our two weeks. The buffet is where we ate regularly. The first week there was a reasonably good choice of food, including fish at several meals. The second week the choice of food was not as good as week one. For the two weeks we were there, no eggs were served at breakfast. Also, a couple of times they had no bread or butter. In the buffet and at the lobby bar, they seldom had white wine. In the buffet, on one or two occasions, they had no white nor red wine. We would like to express our thanks to Reinier Baez a waiter who tried his best to take care of our needs. He does his best to serve his customers and to make everyone feel welcome. On a regular basis they were missing small bottles of cola (for rum and coke) and pineapple juice for pina colada. In the lobby, on one occasion Genny was able to get me two cans of Pepsi. At the small pool, Junior (the bartender) took care of our needs during our first several days and we would like to express our thanks to him. We stayed at the small pool for a part of our first week only. The chairs around the pool were not comfortable and I ended-up with a sore back from sitting in one. The chairs are of poor quality at the small pool. The chairs at the large pool were of better quality and seemed to be newer, so we spent a lot of time there. To the best of my knowledge, there were no excursions available there. Two of our friends. reservation no: 66132995 in the name Edith Bouchard and Ghislain Hainault, also went with us to Cuba. In addition to our problems, they had a few other problems. After one night in their room in building #4 near the large pool, they asked to change rooms due to the noise (music) late in the evening. The next day they were moved to the room across the hall from our suite. However, the air conditioner didn’t work and maintenance was unable to repair it . A lot of time was wasted waiting for air conditioner repairs. The next day they were moved a few rooms down the hall. The only problem that they had in that room was the necessity to have the batteries changed for the room safe. Our friends spent a lot of time relaxing at the beach. It took several days before a cleanup was done at the beach. We paid for a 5 Star resort, however we don’t feel that we got what we were entitled to, so we are asking you for a refund of $500.00 for each person or credits from Iberostar for future stays at their resorts in Mexico or Dominican Republic. You may contact us at the following email addresses: Fred Bean: fred.bean@sympatico.ca Monique Tremblay: mot.tremblay@gmail.com Edithe Bouchard: edithebou1949@gmail.com Ghislain Hainault: hainault1950@hotmail.com

Paradisus Varadero: my observations

Very nice, beach and resort, too bad they do not maintain it properly. None of the beach showers worked, some toilets were closed, some had no papers, etc... If something breaks down, they don't fix it.

Sol Palmeras: Loved it!

I love the style of the hotel. And its various indoor lounge areas are just perfect. We had a superior room: it was great except for the AC rattle, but we didn't mind enough to ask for servicing. The grounds are nice and well kept. I loved the layout of the whole place! The food was good and never ran out. For allergy/food intollerance purposes, it might be a good idea to cook fish and seafood on different stations (we avoided fish because of this). The bars are ok though slightly overcorwd [... read more]ed at times. Drink options could be expanded but I understand this depends entirely on what is available on any given day. You need limes though... please? The beach is AMAZING. We didn't spend time in or around the pools, we go to Varadero for the BEACH, and Sol Palmeras was PERFECT for this. :D

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Disappointing vacation

While this resort may have had potential in the past it squandered its capital through neglect and lack of service . Rooms were dingy , towels dirty , food unappetizing lacking variety and we were served stale several days old bread . Poor visibility due to minimum amount of lights outdoors rendered navigating between units of resorts extremely difficult after sunset

Barcelo Solymar: Lovely resort but many things missing

Great staff,happy and grateful. 1 of 5 elevators working for over a week. Check out day, no elevators working for guests: One toilet on the entire main floor with a door That locked ! My room 1362 had no working room phone , No remote for tv; no working fridge: I stayed here twice before in a bungalow with better working amenaties:

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Sunshine in Cuba

We stayed in Sanctuary adult part of Memory Resort in Santa Maria; you couldn’t ask for better weather, ocean and cool silky sand ..oops the sand fleas were eating us alive and no amount of alcohol taken externally or ingested could help! the resort was fumigating grounds in the evening so we had no mosquitoes or flies.. everyone always talks about food how scarce it is or tasteless it is but I found it palatable and surprised at the choices of fish mussels chicken pork little steaks on daily  [... read more]bases.. there were some fruit and vegetables but very limited.. staff at the resort super nice and trying to be accommodating but with limited resources the place is totally rundown with shabby rooms, uncomfortable beds,doors that don’t lock properly, bathrooms that are grungy! Loved the spirit of entertainers but hardly any shows and of course constant misinformation Lt hand doesn’t know what the rt is doing …

Iberostar Coral Holguin: Perfect resort to relax and refresh

This resort has everything you need to break away from the fast pace of North American life. From the butlers who can take care of your every need to the masseuses who help you relax those stress-filled muscles. The beaches will satisfy your need for sand and ocean and the pool will refresh.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Nice place

Needs some upgrade for sure toilet seats and toilet paper and fresh water in the room every day should be a must but the place was clean and the staff are amazing and very appreciative and helpful. Mix for drinks was limited and well the food could be improved for sure all and all I would go back for sure

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Awesome Resort

As first time travelers to Cuba with much advise from other frequent flyers we were more than skeptical of what to expect. Not only did this Royalton resort meet but it surpassed expectations on the all-inclusive experience being in Cuba. From the well maintained amenities to helpful staff, and great food options! The al la carte restaurants all had a variety of delicous options and will definetly be missing that antipasta bar at Grazzie. Great location and excursion options offered both through [... read more] sunwing and the butlers recommendations. All in all we were very pleased with our stay and would definetly recommend to anyone who wants to take their Cuba trip to the next level with this luxury adults only retreat!

Brisas Guardalavaca: AMAZING RESORT

THE STAFF AT THIS RESORT ABSOLUTELY MAKE IT WHAT IT IS WE WENT AS A GROUP AND ENDED UP HAVING ISSUES FROM CHECK IN UPGRADES WERE OVERLOOKED AS WELL AS HANDICAP ACCOMODATIONS THE FOOD WAS CUBA FOOD .VERY SCARCE AND LIMITED THEY HAD COLA FOR FIRST 3 DAYS THEN NOTHING BUT FANTA ON A GOOD NOTE THE ENTERTAINERS AND STAFF WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND MADE THE TRIP WELL WORTH IT