Its ok if you get a cheap deal

hotel is ok. food sucks. no water except on the first day for on bottle you have to buy after. Rooms towel was not changed unless you left a tip with a note. Drinks is ok the hid all the good stuff. Staff was friendly when its a woman. will not go back. disco sucks go off the resort

Needs some work

This hotel was rated 4 stars but we think it should be a 2.5 or 3 at the most. Overall our trip was amazing - who would complain about beautiful weather, sandy beaches and 24 hour drinks? However, the hotel was going through a management change and a majority of the staff reflected this. The grounds were unkempt, the rooms and buildings needed an overhaul and the food was horrible. Like I said, we had a great time but had read reviews ahead of time so our expectations were very low.

You get what you pay for

The place is very run down. People are nice and try to serve but have little resources. Food is terrible. Bring a large cup, peanut butter and a good pillow and enjoy the beach. Otherwise, use at your own risk :)

Pretty good

it was a great resort but it got pretty expensive. try to stay on the resort if you go and save money. the beatles bar in varadero was a treat. all rock music all the time. the lobby bar with mabelle and dunea was amazing. those two girls are amazing.

Excellent value! beautiful beach!

The beach is incredible, there is loads of entertainment on the resort, and the property is great! The food isn't very good but there are lots of different on resort spots to choose from so anyone can find something they'll like. Bring you're own insulated reusable cup to drink from so you don't need to use hundreds of their tiny disposable ones. Enjoy

Awesome week

We travelled 4 adults we had an awesome week. The beaches here are amazing. The service was good all helpful and very nice. The guys I travelled with brought guitars and played with the house band at the beach grill and mail lobby in the evening. We met a lot of really nice people at this resort other tourist and staff. I like too try different resorts but would I go back??....I would. :) it's beach, sun, drinks and good ppl. Cheers!!!

Pretty rough

The good: the water is lovely, ocean is warm with little seaweed. Spent most of our time there. The beach restaurant at lunch is the only edible food, make sure to get your fill. It also happens to be the Cuban a la carte, which is also very good food. Lovely staff as well, went above and beyond. The bad: oh where to start. Stained sheets when we arrived took over an hour to get changed by rude maids even after being tipped a 5. It's very run down. Please don't bring children, it seems unsafe..  [... read more]Towels are hard to get, have to check every half hour. We went with a good group so we made our own fun, but I would not recommend to anyone who has ever been anywhere half decent. I've travelled to Cuba before and this was way below average. Save your money and spend a few hundred more and have a lovely time at a well managed and well kept resort. Waste of money. I have no idea where they get their star rating but it is a 2 star at best.

Decent Resort

Good value if you can find a deal - we enjoyed the food and entertainment, the rooms are average, beach is amazing. Beach barbecue is the place to be for lunch! Will probably stay somewhere fancier next time though.

Bring your own snacks

Good place to go for a cheap vacation but bring your own snacks. The canned veggies and poor quality food will leave you wanting more. Beach was beautiful and the staff very friendly and helpful. Room was ok even though the sheets didn't fit the king size bed properly.

Less than stellar.

The grounds and main lobby were pristine at all times but the rooms left a LOT to be desired. Our first room was VERY mouldy and we needed to be moved which didn't happen until the next day. Our second room was better but still had some elements of mould. I found the general repair of the interior of the building to be lacking. Curtains hanging haphazardly or missing, damage to the drywall everywhere, sliding doors that didn't slide. Our "included" excursion was overbooked so we didn't get to go [... read more] (and did not receive compensation) and we considered ourselves lucky when we could obtain beach towels (which wasn't until the last day of our trip). The staff was either uber accommodating or not at all (mostly wonderful). I felt relieved we were only there 3 nights.

Nice resport

The resort was very nice and I had a great vacation, the food wasn't the greatest but definitely was already expecting that going to Cuba. The resort only gave us 1 bottle of water a week...so you have to refill your bottle at one of the bars when you need more. Towels weren't changed in the room often and their internet was down the entire week.And the workers were very casual nice, but not like other places I've been....Entertainment was good, and the lobby was the place to be most nights with [... read more] a very close disco just off the lobby. Found we wasted alot of drinks from them being mixed wrong or way too strong. The beach was beautiful and the ocean was amazing crystal clear pure sand bottom. Overall there were alot of issues at this resort but when you keep in mind your in Cuba and your there for the sun and fun ultimately it was good and we met alot of new people. This resort didnt have wrist bands so alot of people wondering in from other resorts but made for some good nights.

Some great, some bad

Beautiful location in Varadero, really close to the beach. Most of the staff were amazing and friendly (entertainment staff especially), a few were quite pushy (including our maid). Food mostly tasted good, plain as most Cuban resort food is, however in our group quite a few people got sick from the food. The rooms were fairly spacious with nice balconies however most people had problems with their doors and electricity, our rooms electricity stopped working half way through the week on the one  [... read more]side. The key readers to get into the doors did not always work. One friend stepped on a tile on the main floor and it broke and her leg fell through the floor. Breakfast was supposed to be at 7 but opened late everyday.

Fun times

This was my first experience traveling abroad, and I went to cuba. I must say that Cubans are an amazing people. Very generous and kind. I'm so grateful to be able to see for myself their incredible culture before their historical change. I would definitely go to Cuba again in the future.

It's a 3.5

Before going I did my research about this hotel, so I didn't have high expectations. It holds its 3.5 title! Internet didn't work, so don't expect to use that.. You'll get a bottle of water in your room the first night, and after that you'll have to pay for bottled water or refill at the restaurant .. Our bed was awful it looked like it was just a box spring, but we talked to other people that had better beds.. There was always lots of variety of food, and drinks.. Snack bar was good, try the tu [... read more]na sandwiches..All the la carte restaurant's were pretty good.. All the food was editable, but you just have to remember none of the food will compare to food at home.. It's close to the bus that takes you to the flea market.. All in all its a 3.5 not a 5, so for a 3.5 it was decent! They need to do some updates for sure!

Nice Resort with Potential

Beach 5 Main buildings 4 Rooms 3 (rating ranges from 1 - 4, many 2) Cleanliness, maintenance 2 Food 2 Staff Friendliness/helpfulness 5 Exercise room -1 (every machine broken/missing parts) I had a great time in Cuba because the weather was good, the beach was beautiful, and the people were friendly. Our first room was terrible (broken closet door, broken shower drain, hair on floor in shower and between sheets upon our arrival). Second room (we were moved on second day) was fine. I knew of frien [... read more]ds who had rooms in a terrible state. Towels were only changed once a week but you can get around that by using a beach towel which were easily exchanged. The restaurant staff is very friendly and simply in need of training (to supply clean plates, paper napkins rather than cloth ones which were dirty, and to replenish food which had runout (only replenished upon request). Selection of food was limited but okay. Breakfast prepared eggs, omelettes, French toast, and pancakes was great with freshly squeezed juice when available. Lunch at the beach restsurant was great, best meal of the day: grilled chicken, rabbit, fries, salad and great service for beverages. Buffet was mediocre. Activities' staff was good with games, yoga, Spanish lessons, dance lessons. Management listened to your concerns and were receptive to feedback. With several tweaks, this resort could rank much higher.

Beautiful Beach

The hotel is a bit older but very nice. Staff are wonderful friendly people. It is actually my second time staying their and I will go back. It is close to town and the marina so their are a lot of things to do.

Nice place, great staff

It was clean, safe, fun and friendly! The first floor seems to have a musty odor so we requested a different room. We were accommodated the next day when they had the availability. The staff are superior.

Fantastic

Over all a great place to stay. Close to Varadero great beach and pool area. Staff are friendly at the bar and at the desk. Only one problem had to wait until 5 PM for the room when I arrived at the hotel at 2PM

Stay away!!!!

This hotel is terrible! Don't waste your money on Playa D'Oro. The beds are hard and wrapped in rubber, bathroom floods when you have a shower (we were lucky...some people had the whole hotel room flood), and the air conditioner cannot be adjusted...you have to turn it on and off by using the breaker panel. We complained for 4 days to get the broken shower head replaced to staff and the Sunwing rep. They say you can find something to eat when there is not much selection...I ate raw pork, raw chi [... read more]cken, raw eggs, and raw rice. I ended up eating cookies. I was on antibiotics when I got back to Canada. Drinks were beer, a green slushie, a white slushie or orange juice with rum. There was no customer service. I spoke with the manager at the front desk about the waiter in the buffet tieing the back doors shut. If there was a fire 300 people would not be able to get out. She was rude. She said if there was a fire he would unlock the door. Then she asked for my room number. I would not give it to her. The room card that opens the door also opens your safe. There was garbage everywhere because of a lack of garbage cans and staff to clean up. I have travelled to Cuba before and did not have this experience. I have travelled to Puerto Vallarta, Costa Rica, Cozumel, Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Haiti, Dominican Republic and although not perfect, I have never complained. This was a terrible resort and I was ripped off for what should have been a week of relaxation!

Relax, Enjoy the beach and dance!

Mercure playa D'Oro was a pleasant stay overall. The room was nice and clean with comfy beds. There was a big selection of food, so even the pickiest of eaters can find something they like. though I would recommend going to the breakfast/lunch/dinner around the time it starts to get the best picks. The Beach! the beach was amazing made me feel like I walked into a postcard, white sands very clean, don't need to worry about stepping on any rocks. I could just stay there all day. they also have ac [... read more]tivities and dancing classes on the beach. The location is near a bunch of other resorts but its about 5km to town and they offer a variety of trips, so there is always something to do if you like to explore.If you are going to Varadero or Havana I recommend bring some toilet paper with you, because the washrooms may not have it or you will be expected to pay/tip for it. The evening performances are amazing and a must see, very skilled dancers. The entertainment team in general are great and very friendly. As with the bars I recommend bringing your own beer mug because they give you the drink in a tiny plastic container and you have to go for refills sooner. Also I find that some of the bartenders will ignore you unless you have a tip for them every time. Overall it was an amazing experience and i would totally go back!