5/5 except for food..

Hotel itself is beautiful. Beach is amazing, grounds and buildings well kept, pool was always clean and so nice. Our hotel room was average (our shower head sucked, but otherwise no issues). Maids always kept clean and never had any issues with our room. Staff all around were very kind, best staff was at the snack bar and cigar bar. Very quick, kind, and friendly. Some of the staff at the lobby bar were quite rude, one instance I asked a female bartender for water because we didn't have any more [... read more] in our room and she said they were out of water. I asked where I could get some and she shrugged and rolled her eyes. Javier at the lobby bar was the best staff member there, he was hilarious. Lots of premium liquor brands available I(especially at Cigar bar). Absolute, Crown Royal, Olmeca, Canadian Goose. My boyfriend and I both got food poisoning, throwing up for 12 hours straight. Sometimes the buffet was empty and you had very little selection. Pasta was always liquid, you get noodles in a bowl of soup basically, the daily "specials" they always seemed to run out of when we got there. Very repetitive. We didn't go to any Al La Cartes, but we heard they were all horrible, except for Japanese. Met a couple who stayed on Royal side and came to the buffet because food was even worse on Royal side. Entertainment every night differered. Excursions were a lot of fun and glad we did the Havana and Jeep Tour. Lots of bug bites, but you can never see the bugs. You don't need a band or anything to use the Royal facilities. Only had very good encounters with security staff, very kind and friendly. Even though the food was horrible, I would still go back because of value and the beautiful resort. Just be prepared to suffer when it comes to eating. My boyfriend and I aren't picky eaters at all and we had a lot of issues. Overall, would go back for value and beautiful resort, but prepare yourself to dread having to eat!

Great resort

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar is a great resort! The grounds are kept fantastic, there is always someone cleaning common areas and the bathrooms. Our room was in villa #6 (the newly refurbished villa # 6, yes there are two villa #6's). Our room was #6327, new bed and furnishings, mattress was quite hard but new, 2 double beds which we kept sliding together, so a king would have been prefferable. Bathroom had a walk in shower, and was ample size. We had an ocean view in the distance, which was  [... read more]a bonus! We ate at the buffet for breakfast, usually omelette station, lunches were either at 24 hour snack bar with burgers, ham and cheese sandwiches, tuna salad sandwiches etc, all were good. Or we would eat at the beach grill which was our favorite, but very busy. We ate dinner at the Cuban, Sakura, International and the Oriental, all were good with excellent service. We really enjoyed the night shows, piano bar and just relaxing at the Corona cigar bar, where a special shout out to Jean, Liuben, and Victor for their great service, smiles, and just a wonderful sense of humour! The lobby Bar was a nice spot to sit and meet new friends. The beach, well it's Cuba, some of the best we have been on, lots of Palapas, clear water, endless walks, simply amazing! I will say, Cayo Coco has slightly better sand though. I would like to mention that the manager Leo met all the guests at arrival, gave us an overview of where to find things, and showed us the property map on the wall. Throughout the week he would walk around the lobby and check to see that all the guests were enjoying their time or if he could do anything to assist me, that says a lot about how much he cares about the guests and the service his staff is providing!

Resort was clean

The all inclusive was limited as they ran out of items daily. No where to go to get snacks in the afternoon independently. Always had to go to a grill to get snacks and the serves was very slow. so you sit an hour to wait for food. Communication is limited - if they run out no one tells you what is happening. Everyone wants tips - Restaurants better than the buffet. Toaster not working most mornings - toast was located in the opposite side of were eggs were being made. Same buffet food everyd [... read more]ay.

Not for people with limited mobility even though it is an Adults only resort

The grounds were beautiful and well-kept. We had asked for an accessible room close to the pool and restaurants. We did get the accessible room but it was in a building the furthest from everything. The bathroom was equipped with a shower chair and flimsy curtain that went to the tiled floor, but no lip sectioning it off from the rest of the bathroom floor so the water ran under the shower curtain onto the rest of the floor. Very dangerous for someone with a disability. The pool, although very b [... read more]eautiful, did not have a handrail going down the steps or gradual walk-in to help balance the disabled or elderly people walking into the pool. My husband could not do the walk from our room to the buffet so it meant calling the main desk to get a shuttle to pick us up every time and one occasion we waited over 45 min.for one to pick us up. Because the restaurants were on a lower level from the main lobby, it meant my husband had to walk up 16 stairs in order to get a shuttle to take us back to our room. We found this very inconvenient and even though they had a chair lift at the stairs it was broken the whole time we were there. They need to cater more to the needs of older people. The staff made this trip very enjoyable at times, but improvements needed.

Beautiful scenery, friendly staff

First time to a tropical resort, found the grounds to be clean and beautiful. Rooms bright, spacious and clean. Friendly staff willing to assist as needed. Would not likely venture out on bus type day excursions next time as travel time excessive stopping at 8-10 resorts to pick up individuals if you happen to first on and last off. Lots of food choices, labelling was 50/50 for the buffet

So-so resort

people are wonderful, very helpful and seem to enjoy their work.very disappointed with room. we requested a king bed and got two twin beds.When we inquired about the room and bed situation no one could answer a simple question regarding moving rooms.So we made the best of it.

Disappointed but made the best of it

Working with Jennifer was great this is our 5th time booking with tripcentral and it has always been a great experience an we will continue. This was our first time flying with sun wing we were a bit skeptic at first cause some reviews we read were not good but it was a good experience for us. The hotel. when we first arrived our room was not ready understandable check in is at 4pm however later on in the review it will explain why this was frustrating. The grounds were very nice the garde [... read more]ner was the best. The room was clean however we did notice when we checked in that we were given ground level and we then saw a older couple one of them in a wheelchair having to go up stairs to their room which we found not acceptable. It is a very big resort however i think it lacks in management.For the size of the resort the buffet restaurant is very small and some of the people who serve you are not very accomadating a few mornings we waited half an hour for coffee and water and then when asking for certain things we were advised there was no more. The lobby was small in size as well and there again you needed to wait at least half an hour to be served. We traveled with our daughter who's room key would not work 3 different times to get into the room at one point we called and the lady hung up on us then when we called back no one answered. I walked up. To the lobby and the girl at the front desk advised me that it was our faul the key did not work. The events that were put on at night were never on time supposed to start at 9 and started between 930 and 10. They had a outside restaurant that we visited a few times and were always told that half the items on the list they were out of. In certain areas of the resort they ran out of white wine. The restaurants we had to make reservations in were good and most of the staff was pleasant however in major areas there was a language barrier. The beach was pleasant and you always had someone asking you if you needed a chair the pool areas was very busy and you always had to look for a seat or ask for one as people claimed the seats very early in the morning by putting their towels on the chairs All and all we made the best of our vacation however it was not what we had read about we are glad we did not take the room with the hot tub as a lot of people were saying they did not work. Our fridge rarely got filled up we had to call and ask certain days coffee was left but no sugar and vice versa. The day we left we vacated the room at noon and as we were standing waiting for the bell boy the maid was going into our room to clean it that is why i cannot understand why they make people wait until 4pm to check in. Our tour guide on the way back to the airport could not speak English. The airport was great we had no issues at all.We will go back and visit cuba however not at this resort The best thing about this resort was the landscaping and the gardener. I think they need to look into there management and the ways it it run. We ran into a older gentlemen who said he has been going there for 7 years and in the last 2 years it really went downhill they should have a customer reiview card when you leave so you can give them feed back on what they can do to make their resort number one. I know this is not trip central fault however i hope you take this feed back into consideration if any other potential clients ask about this resort. Thank you Christie Steadman

Not what you expect for a 5 star resort

The resort was not what we expected for a 5 star hotel. I know it’s Cuba but I have stayed at 4 star resorts in Cuba that were better. The beach was nice the resort itself was nice. Unfortunately the service and food were both bad. The sunwing rep. Misinformed us on an excursion. We were disappointed.

Great Resort

Just the right size to manage with walking although we walked a lot. The room was great. Even the food overall was fine. The beach is amazing white sand. The weather was great for January-we had one day when it was colder. The havana excursion is a "must do" for one time but the bus trip is terrible.

Great Service at Paradisus Princesa del Mar

The resort grounds are beautiful and well kept. The property is showing it’s age a bit with slightly dated rooms. We had excellent service from everyone from check in to the servers, beach staff and entertainment crew. Everyone friendly and helpful. Our room was kept spotless and well stocked. The food is the food in Cuba but we enjoyed the Sakura Japanese a la carte which was entertaining and had delicious food prepared in front of you. As usual, the fresh omelets, bread and selection of trop [... read more]ical fruit kept me going. Lunch at the beachside restaurant was the best with grilled fish and chicken daily. One thing I liked a lot was not having to wear a bracelet! Because the resort is at the far end of the peninsula there were no vendors on the beach and it was nice and quiet. There was a bit of seaweed but not enough to be smelly or get in the way.

Good Resort, Would only do Royal Service

The overall trip was good. I would only recommend going if you upgrade to royal service. The non royal service side you could never find a chair by the pool and sometimes find a chair by the beach. The royal service gave you two additional pools and a private portion of the beach that was less busy. Although I recommend the royal service side, I wouldn’t expect much from the butler. The butler at this resort was useless. I have stayed at Melia’s were the butler was amazing. Our butler  [... read more]“joel” never came to ask how anything was, if we needed him we would have to find him. We would ask for something and then he would forget and we would have to ask again. He basically showed us our room day 1 and left us alone. I wasn’t expecting much, but it would be nice if they would check on you to see how things were. Overall food is typical Cuba food.

AMAZING

Had an absolutely wonderful time at the resort to celebrate a friend's birthday. Made arrangements in advance with the hotel for the celebration, and they did it up terrific at the Hilltop restaurant. Staff were superb in every way. From the Room staff, service staff, bartenders, and managers. They recognize return guests also. Very quick and efficient check in. Special thanks to Barby and Oreste, and Alexander. Always looking to please. The ala cartes were great, and if you are exceptiona [... read more]lly hungry, or prefer appetizers, just keep ordering until you have had sufficient. No comments about the buffet, I simply wont eat at any buffet. If you like extra spicy food, remember it is a resort needing to keep most people happy...bring your own hot sauce as we did. Lobster was abundant, and done very well. The evening shows were quite good. Don't miss the water ballet! Only thing I am sorry for is that I did not discover the singing server in the lobby bar until the last night. Stunning voice! If you don't want to be disappointed in your stay in Cuba, this is where you should be.

Piano Bar is a MUST!!

I travelled alone and felt completely safe! Wonderful staff and good selection of food! Within 5 min walking distance of 3 year old mini mall and marina! Everything was kept clean and fresh! Variety of entertainment was great! Sometimes singing, sometimes dancers, sometimes a rock band! I would definitely recommend this place!

Outstanding resort & staff!

Both my boyfriend & I have been to many resorts in Cuba & this was “hands down” the best resort we have been to! The resort is very clean, rooms large, beach huge, & food was absolutely great, especially the a la cartes! The best part of the resort though, was their staff!! Always smiling & helpful, kudos to all of you & the management team! We highly recommend this resort!!

Overall Solid Resort

Food: was overall quite good, especially compared to what I was warned about "bad food in all of Cuba". The food wasn't totally amazing, but I would rate it between good and very good, with great variety. Bars: great assortment of quality liquors and overall good drinks. Beach: great, no complaints. Rooms: between fine and good (non-Royal side). Shower water didn't get hot enough ever, was the biggest problem. A/C adjuster didn't work the greatest. Card slot to power the room  [... read more]wouldn't work sometimes. Beds decent. Overall fine. Service: decent. Lost pool towel and had to talk to about 4 different parties to get replacements, after which I was threatened to be charged $30 if I lost it again. Money exhange booth workers seemed to take 30 minute breaks wayyyy too often. Overall service was sometimes lackadaiscal at bars, restaurants, etc, but overall acceptable. Entertainment: Ok - good enough for families and adults. For single young adults, you'll generally want to find your thrills elsewhere. Overall: our goal was to have a place with decent room, food, and beach (a good home base for exploring). It served it's purpose fine. Next time, may try Starfish in downdown Veradero to minimize cabs at night, if beach is still as good.

Great Experience in Cuba

All in all, the hotel is very nice, the accomodation and amenities are great at the price-point and there was lots of activities to pursue inside and outside of the resort. Almost all staff members including the maids, bartenders and servers were welcoming and if i were to ignore 1-2 not-so great interactions, I could confidently say they were the nicest resort staff I have encountered. It is fairly easy to gravitate towards individuals that have a positive influence on your stay and I want to g [... read more]ive a particular mention to Richard and Maday at the beach bar for having that positive influence on our stay. The variety of food (fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads) offered was impressive and to someone who is not a very picky eater, it was quite good. It was also easy to avoid dishes that I did not like and truly, the only dish that I could not consume was the prawn salad in the 24hr bar. While I understand it is a 24hr bar, they had "lunch time" items but nevertheless it seemed that always, about a quarter of the items on the 24 hr bar were not available. Additionally, it was common that the menu description of items at the A La Carte restaurants were exaggerated to sound more appetizing than they truly were. Finally, I had trouble booking the A La Carte restaurants as the booking agent stated "it was high-season and they were almost entirely booked" but when I approached my Transat Representative and inquired about reservations, she managed to book one for each night of our stay. In general, our Transat representative was a great resource to have and I strongly recommend consulting your booking agency representative when at Princesa Del Mar. In conclusion, the issues that we faced during our stay were insignificant, minimal and we are left with a feeling of wanting to come back

Decent value with some caveats

The resort itself was in generally good repair. Hands down, the Royal service is the way to go. We were offered a very reasonable upgrade to poolside upon arrival. Unfortunately, the pool was very cold, as it isn’t heated. Staff was nice, but your service is dependent on tipping. We ended up tipping at least 30 CUC per day on average. The alcohol options in Royal Service was exceptional. Unfortunately, the food across the entirety of the resort was terrible. We ended up eating ham and cheese s [... read more]andwiches via room service to make up for wasted food at the restaurants. The entertainment was excellent. One final and very important point is the prolific incidence of insect bites. Virtually all guests that we interacted with were covered in bites, and about half of us ended up in need of medical attention. All in all, you can find good value here if you can handle these deficiencies. It is one of the top resorts in Varadero, judging from what we saw along the strip. Unfortunately, we won’t be returning to Cuba.

Resort Did Not live Up to Hype

We stayed at this resort December 9th-16th. Resort is classified 4.5 stars, clearly did not live up to that. We travelled as a group of 4, my wife and I are seasoned travelers with 20 beach holidays under our belts, this was our 5th trip to Cuba, 3rd to Varadero. The Good- beach is beautiful, plenty of chairs, water clarity excellent. Beach extends for miles each way, excellent for long walks. For the most part, staff friendly and willing to help. I certainly believe in tipping and being cour [... read more]teous/ pleasant, this goes along way. Nightly entertainment was enjoyable, no shortage of alcohol in drinks... Grounds are nicely maintained. The Bad- Resort is showing its age and in need of up keep, hand rails in buildings are loose, unstable. Our building & my sister's/brother in laws hand rails held together with plastic zip ties and phone cords. Male washroom at pool not in service all week, female washroom closed for a few days. Sinks & hand dryers throughout resort are not in service. For 2 days, beach washrooms were also not in service. Our room had an unpleasant septic bathroom odor. Food options were limited, what they had was tasty but repetitive, no beach bbq. All of us tried ordering chicken, each time could not eat as clearly uncooked. Lighting is an issue at night, walk ways are dark, stair lights are missing and need replacement. The Ugly- Gym, we work out regularly, was disgustingly dirty, floor mats were stained and torn, we placed our beach towels on the mats to avoid direct contact. More than 50% equipment out of service. I ended up stretching on my bed Vs going to gym the last few days. Sand flies were terrible (not resort's fault) stopped counting when I hit 100 welts, itching was absolutely horrible. Even Polysporin & Benadryl did not eliminate the discomfort. By the 13th we were all ready to go home, our bags packed the mourning of 15th for a 3 PM flight home on 16th. This is the first review I have wrote, am disappointed this resort was highly recommended to us. We are open minded people and believe complaints are the easiest thing to comment on, for us there is good reason. We will not ever return to this resort.

Disappointing

Food selection was extremely limited..some chicken and hamburgers were raw in centre. Rooms were comfortable although housekeeping service lacked. Resort washrms were not clean and often wreaked of urine. Many washrms had broken locks on doors. Stairwell railings were held together with ty wraps. The service of staff however was wonderful. The beaches were beautiful but overrun with sandflies leaving all of us with limbs covered in bites even though insect repellent was applied. I would n [... read more]ot recommend this resort and will not come back.

Very good resort

amazing entertainment and activity daily and every night ,different restaurant to book for night,24 hours snack bar and there are bars everywhere, beautiful beach and swimming pool, nice employee.