Palma Real: Amazing location

This is a 3.0 star resort...It is okay, a little run down but what can you expect when you have crazy hurricane weather one day and then extremely hot sun the next!...The location of this Hotel is amazing!...you are connected to The Havana Club which is free for people staying at The Palma Real and is happening every night except Mondays and then they open a club called The Cave which is amazing also but a 15.00 dollar taxi ride there and another 15.00 back, also 10.00 per person to get in!...Th [... read more]is hotel is down the street from Calle 62 which is always a street party with entertainment and no charge, you continue down the street to a bar called The Beatles Bar and that is also free to get in with locals playing all old time Rock-n-Roll...Incredible voices for sure!!!...This hotel is across the street from the most beautiful beach there is and people from 5 start resorts taxi over to our side of the Island for this beach, apparently theirs is not as nice!...All in all it is Cuba and the food is bland but can be good with hot sauce...lol...bring your own!

Palma Real: Location Location Location

Nice to see renovations. We stayed building 4 always had hot water. Elevator works. Location is everything. Buffet was repetitive but could always find something. Lots of nearby restaurants. Barbacoa was amazing. Beatles bar and Calle 62 a short walk to a great night. Get beach chairs early as there isnt many but never seemed to be a problem. Afternoon pool entertainment was great. Pool bar staff could smile a little more :)

Palma Real: good 3 star resort

as always i had agreat time staying at the palma real. the staff is always friendly and helpful the grounds are clean and the beach is amazing. food is average at best but who goes to cuba for the food. i wish they had new beds but this is cuba. all around it was a great experience.

Palma Real: Great location for visiting town of Varadero and walking on beach.

Great location, but dated. Mold smell in room we were in but otherwise clean. Pool areas clean but needing some tlc. Beach access good. Shortage of chairs on the beach. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Palma Real: Good resort for price

This resort is in a great location in varadero cuba. Buffet was good but no french fries. Some renovation to the room would be needed but the lobby and pool area were great. Overall it was a nice resort, the staff was very friendly.

Palma Real: Acceptable in the past ....Disgusting Now..!!

This time was the third stay in this hotel.! In the past it was somehow acceptable..!..In my past review i have mentioned about tens of dogs on the hotels beach ....But many of them are still there .. Is a real DANGER of contaminating the beach...At this time: No towels for the beach and limit of two for the bath (Sorry ...The Laundry is broken) They say. At the Lobby Bar: If you don't offer higher tip than 1 CUC....You have to wait longer to be served, and served in plastic cups ...Beer al [... read more]cohol or Coffee( Disgusting) In the Restaurant Buffet: They are asking you to offer them: expensive perfume or other staff ....Same with the Maids....If you forgot to live daily gift on the bed ....You will see a dirtier room after cleaning than you left.Every night drunk people are coming to the rooms at 3 or 4 in the morning with a big noise,fighting or smashing doors...I have complained many times ...But next night was the same ....What else to do if you are not a heavy drinker....Than stop going to this Hotel..!!

Palma Real: the worst resort

We have been to Cuba before and this was the worst place we have ever stayed in. The beach was so far away from the hotel that we were unable to walk to it due to mobility problems. They should have offered some form of transportation as you had to cross the highway. As it was a public beach, it was difficult to get a chair unless you went early in the morning to save one. You had to put a $25 deposit down if you wanted a beach towel, to be picked up when you left. As they did not have enoug [... read more]h towels you were unable to exchange it when needed. The food was terrible in the buffet dining area. It was unseasoned and had no taste. The rooms were substandard. The first room they put us in was not for a disabled person and smelt of mold. It was also very dingy and noisy. The second room had no hot water all the time we were there. Nor did we have bath towels most of the time. The cleaning staff were not very efficient. My sister had something in her bed, as she had bites all over her arms and legs, She went to public relations to let them know about a chair collapsing on her the person could have cared less.

Palma Real: Disappointed / Saddened

This being our third visit to the hotel/resort, I was hoping that some upgrades may have been made with all the Canadian money going in. Heck they could rebuild the country with the amount of pecos being paid out to pee where ever you go. Excursions, Havana excellent, tour guide phenomenal, Sugar, cigar rum way to much driving. Jeep tour painful 90% driving, no information of what or where we were going and again having to put out all that extra money for stops to purchase their goods here and [... read more] there. NO stops to pee so when you got to the destination and you don't have a spare pecos pee your pants or use the bush. Toilet paper is always optional there to take your own. Room ok, without hot water 3 of 11 days. Water pressure sucked. Food much more bland than past two visits. When they say don't eat off of the resort it is probably so you won't figure out food is better off the resort. Staff mostly great and friendly, encountered some you we taken aback to. Will I go again NO

Palma Real: Downtown Resort

Overall a nice resort. Our room was clean but the safe didn't have a lock plus there is a 2 CUC per day charge. The service at the buffet was very good however the food was cold. The only time we could find a chair at the beach was after 3 PM and many are broken. A beach towel is only available with a 20 CUC deposit.

Palma Real: Great resort!

Friendly staff, resort and rooms were always clean, food was good. Perfect location to area restaurants, flea markets and Beatles Bar. Only complaint was there was never enough chairs at the beach and were taken first thing in the morning.

Palma Real: The Perfect Blend

This was our first trip to Cuba and our first stay at an all inclusive. We were told, 'travel to Cuba for the people and the beaches but not for fancy rooms or dining'. From the moment we landed the hospitality of the Cuban people was outstanding. They were warm, personable, and helpful. The hotel staff, Cuban shop owners and anyone we passed on the street was genuine in their desire to ensure we enjoyed their Cuba. The water was clear, the beaches clean and never over crowed. We were impr [... read more]essed with the level of respect shown to the beach and other beach goers. A book or pair of glasses placed on a lounge chair was enough to show it was occupied. Personal music and conversations were kept appropriate and within a group. The space was made for all to enjoy. An impressive accomplishment given the variety of cultures, age groups and personalities that were in attendance. As for the hotel and food. The 'warning' we were issued for friends and visitors was moderately accurate. The state of the hotel as not pristine and the food not extraordinary. But the entire hotel was clean, our room comfortable with air conditioning, hot water and a tv with English speaking channels. There was a wide variety of food for both those who wanted to be adventurous and those who wanted to play it safe. There was casual dining and quieter more intimate options. We were never hungry. The layout of the hotel was excellent. There were two pool areas. One that offered games and music the other, on the other side of the resort, allowed for quiet readying or resting. This is a family resort so the pools were closed at 6pm which seems early but guests either lounged in the main lobby or walked into town. We never heard a complaint about it. We were also surprised that despite the 24 hour bar the atmosphere remained family friendly. Our only struggle on the whole trip was with the flights, delayed both directions. The fight out of Toronto boarded on time, pulled from the gate but during checks found that a battery needed to be replaced. The crew was apologetic and prompt in the repair. As someone who does not enjoy flying I did not mind the delay as I figure the best time to discover a faulty part is on the tarmac prior to take off. The return flight was also delayed but the reason was not disclosed. On the whole we will defiantly be returning to Cuba, and Hotel Palma Real many times in the future.

Palma Real: Not The Best

The facilities are very clean and the rooms are clean also. However, the food is absolutely awful. Cold and always the same thing. Even the a la carte restaurants (if you want to call them that) are the same. The staff is NOT friendly at all, so you don't have to worry about tipping if you don't want to. Never met my maid, but she was excellent. The beach is extremely small with broken chairs. If you want a chair, get there before 8:30 as you will have none. Air Canada Vacations are the  [... read more]worse that I've been on. Me and my husband never got to sit together all the way back on the planes. Luggage was ruined also.

Palma Real: Great for the price you pay!

All in all for the money we paid: this resort was clean, the staff was pretty friendly (considering how much they have to do for the guests) and the beach was just a 2 minute walk away. The food was so much better than 2 years ago (owner change) and the pool was clean. The downtown location can't be beat as we were so close to many restaurantstudents, clubs, market places and the carnival (awesome fried chicken there) I was greeted by the same friendly staff from 2 years ago...they remembered [... read more] who I was!!! Location, price, hospitality and all inclusive can't be beat at the Palma Real!!

Palma Real: Decent Stay

The hotel was definitely nice enough! Service could have been a bit better, and it isn't exactly close to the beach. Buffet food was very repetitive and not the best, but that can probably be said about most buffets. I got a super saver room, and I think the stay was worth the money I paid.

Palma Real: Very Good Stay For The Money

The room was kept clean by the cleaning lady. She was very nice and helpful. She even gave us a parting gift. The dining staff was very nice and very friendly always with a smile. The staff on the door and bar were also very nice and helpful. The food was very good for the country. There was a different choice in the evening, ham, fish, roast beef. roast pork, mutton and more. The salad was very good and the ice cream was to die for. Overall for the money it was a good stay and we would  [... read more]go back again.

Palma Real: 4th Visit to Palma Real, Not the Last

The hotel was overbooked upon arrival due to Reading Week. They were sending people to another hotel. We chose to stay here as we love the staff here and they are like family to us. As well, you couldn't get a chair at the beach as there were about 50 chairs and about 900 people registered at the resort. The lineups for food were longer than usual, but with the number of clients, it wasn't so bad. They have been doing upgrades and the resort is looking great! Already booked there for [... read more] our next trip in April.

Palma Real: Great Resort

Their staff are amazing. Nothing is too much to them. The lady at the beach bar remembers everyone's name. The front desk is available and polite with everyone. Because the resort is not right on the beach they make up in so many different ways. I'll keep going back.

Palma Real: Great location. Amazing beach. Tired Resort

Our only other visit to an all inclusive resort was 10 years ago in Punta Cana so we don't have much to compare Palma Real to. Read lots of reviews before going, but still weren't quite sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised by our room. It was certainly outdated but functional - clean, fully functioning 3 piece bathroom, toiletries and towels replenished daily, working A/C (we did however talk with another couple whose A/C was broken for the week), no bed bugs, cock roaches, sand  [... read more]flees, or mosquitoes. Room safe costs 10 CCU. Beach was 4 minute walk from hotel and was amazing but there are very few chairs so most guests were forced to sit on the sand. Pools were OK but run down - broken tiles, loose ladders, very dirty bottoms, towel rental seems like a racket so we just used our own. Building exteriors have been recently painted but grounds could use some upgrades. Public washrooms not well kept. Missing toilet seats, broken urinals, no paper towel and broken hand dryers. Lobby bar always busy and very smoky. Dining at Speciality Restaurants was pretty good but choices were limited. Buffet food was disappointing. Not much variety from day to day and unless you got food from the grilling/carving station, the food was always cold. Desserts weren't very good but always had fresh fruit and ice cream. Nightly entertainment was good. The best thing this Resort has going for it is the location. Just a 5 minute walk takes you to downtown Varadero where there are lots of restaurants, bars, shopping centres, and other attractions. Disappointed by the staff. We always heard about Cuban hospitality, but it wasn't found at this resort. Other than our maid, smiles were rare and helpful staff were scarce. We are definitely not seasoned travelers, but would not consider this a 3 1/2 star resort and would not go back.

Palma Real: Fun Resort

The hotel definitely needs some upkeep which they are currently doing, the hotel location is super close to other bars and entertainment in the city .. the staff were great and super helpful. We were booked through air Canada vacations and their representative osualdo was amazing to deal with and helped Us book our excursions.. the beach wasnt too far. Drinks were always full, the food in Cuba is bland but I think that's just across the board wherever you stay in Cuba .

Palma Real: Relaxing time

Resort was nice overall. Across the street from the beach (i didn't know that before I booked), decent food everyday, and good drinks. Friendly atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff, and the pools and grounds were clean. Resort is close to the town area so it's easy to walk and go explore day/night if that's your thing.