It's not about the service, it's about the beach

All in all it was a successful vacation. However the 6 of us will not return to the Riu. The service was lack luster. Most of the staff is miserable until you meet one with a smile... it's like a beacon of light! We struggled with the front desk to get king sized beds but eventually after wasting time arguing we got the appropriate rooms. The restaurants are pretty good, we enjoyed them. Unfortunately you are forced to wait in line in the morning 2 days before EACH (2 only) reservation. This was [... read more] enraging. Why would I waste more time in a second line tomorrow!? They seriously would not take a second reservation. On the bright side, if you got up early you could get a great lounger at the beach or the pool. Both were great! We really enjoyed our time there. We did 2 small excursions (Caribbean tour to snorkel the bay of pigs and the salsa night through sunwing) both were a blast. I was in good company, so that makes a difference. We also went to varadero on the double decker bus - don't wast your time. it takes forever to stop at alllll the resorts, just take a cab so you get more time on the beach later. We still love Cuba, just not the Riu.

Needs Improvement

Workers not very friendly, when food at buffet was done did not seem to be replenished with the same food. Gardeners were not around until 3 days into our trip. My toilet would not flush complained twice never got it fixed. Had to use my garbage pail to flush the water down. Long line ups at buffet and not enough staff to support the lineups. All and all I think for the size of this resort they were well under staffed. Could not get coffee after my meal in the buffet area had to have dessert the [... read more]n leave and find an outside bar for a cup of coffe or tea. Definately not a 5 star as advertised.

The Worst Vacation I have ever been on

I dont have enough room to express how terrible our vacation has been . There was 6 of us (all adults). It took 45 minutes to get a coffee int he lobby. Our toilet did not flush and we asked them to fix it. No music throughout the resort. Ran out of food at the buffet. Meat was raw. There is only 3 tables set for 6 people so we had to make one up. Had to wait 1 hour in line to book an a la carte??? only can book 2 days in advance?? strange place, I will never go back to a RIU ever.

Average in comparison to others

This is a simple resort with excellent staff, but poorly managed. We are well travelled in Cuba and for your money, there are better resorts to go to. Staffing in busy areas needs improvemnet, set up of resort is poor, and money exchange should be more than just one window - line ups all the time!!!

Amazing time

We had a great trip everything was perfect hotel was amazing and all the people were super nice the beach was just awsome service was really good I enjoyed all the food I have nothing. Bad to say about it it was so good I would go back tomorrow if I could

Fun in the sun at the Riu

Riu was an amazing resort, the grounds were often cleaned, surroundings were all taken care of. Our room was clean and bed comfortable as being in my own bed. I was most shocked about the water pressure and temperature of the shower, better then home. We ate at the buffet daily and as a picky eater each day I found myself full and satisfied, lots to choose from. The pool was warm and clean and always a great time to be had. The service that was provided whether for drinks, food, questions and of [... read more] coarse the most amazing time in Havana was beyond my expectations. I highly recommend this resort and the Sunwing guided tour to Havana is a must see. We will be returning again this year with our family!

Very good resort

The rooms and grounds were perfect but the buffet had a few problems although the food was good. For example, no bowls for the soup or ice cream. Most of the problems were little ones that could have been easily fixed but enough to make a 5 star into a 4 star. But for what we paid, it was a great value.

Great time in Cuba!!

The Riu Varadero in Cuba was a really nice resort. Very clean, the grounds were always well kept and the people were absolutely amazing. You could not walk 10 feet without the employees stopping what they were doing in order to say good morning, or good afternoon to you. The entertainment at night was also very good. Not cheesy at all and they really got the audience involved. Loved it and attended every night. As for the food: there was always lots of food and the quality was good. The only pro [... read more]blem is that it was the same thing every night. But with that said, none of us starved. It was good! The seafood A La Carte was great, but don't waste your time at the Italian one. (we had to stop at the buffet on our way back). Overall great resort, great entertainment and great people.

Not Riu material, or a Cuban 5 star

This hotel has potential, yet you can tell it is being prepped for sale. There was limited service, they didn't have a lot of hi-end product, and everything had inventory stickers on them. I liked the lay out and beach, the staff were friendly, and the food was Cuba acceptable. It took us 2 days to get beach towels, and one day our placemats said 'Blau hotels' on them....that is just the start of things I could list off, yet am choosing to be nice as I still enjoyed the trip.

Not Perfect but can be!

The Riu is well looked after almost immaculate with beautiful grounds. The staff is very polite,friendly and try to please. The shows are amazing. The food had great variety, although the heat lamps did not work very well and often cold at the buffets. The portions of the restaurants were somewhat small but then one can order 2 portions. The beach is lovely but not the white, fine powder sand that is on beaches closer to Varadero. The only problem is the flight times out of Vancouver can be tiri [... read more]ng arriving and leaving in the middle of the night. Best to be careful on that. You have to pay extra to keep your room after 12 which is 10 dollars per hour. The main complaint was from section near the disco which was very loud which is most of the regular rooms. Not sure why they can't move the disco away or keep door closed? Also the pools are not heated so best go in hot weather if that is your thing.

Good value hotel

this was our first trip to Cuba and overall enjoyed our stay. would highly recommend the a dults only section great international restaurant serving ala carte breakfast lunch. and dinner (includes lobster tails)!to make this resort better you need a music at the adults only pool.

Riu Varadero 2014, October

It was a fantastic vacation! A very good location of the hotel, very good service. A lots of activities provided. A private beach with a very good service. You can go to Varadero for a small shopping, or to Havana to see show...A special "Thank you " to all staff of the hotel for a very good service.

Great resort

The entertainment and the general atmosphere were the best features of the resort. The big surprise was the food. People were warning us that the food may be not to high standards, but, in fact, it was quite good. And the most important for us was the fact that we had only one rainy day out of 7.

Good Value for the money

Hotel rooms were decent, food was 3 star rating, staff was very friendly, however royal service was not up to the title. The alacarte restaurants were hard to access and they tended to place you in the restaurant that came with the adult section. The pool in the adult section needed music as it was extremely quite.

Filthy motel

The hotel is more a motel. Blinds are broken, dirty stained towels, hard sand filled bed. The staff are all very pushy and tip driven. I had an experience where a waiter chased me out of the hotel after asking for a glass of wine, requesting his tip. most of the pools are closed and it is an extra fee to use the hot tubs or get room service. this is not an all inclusive resort.

Great place! !!!!

Going by Sunwing? The support by Sunwing at the hotel is awesome. The hotel staff is really good! Food restrictions? The buffet gives you a lot of choices. All in all, the Riu is a great hotel that offers a lot to do in 5 acres of beauty. Rooms are nice and the lobby bar is busy every nite!

Great Resort

The RIU Varadero is a great resort. The grounds were kept trimmed and beautiful. The staff was fantastic! Very accommodating and friendly. I was in a group of 12, and we had a great visit. There was always a good selection of food at the buffet restaurant. Jorge and Renee at the swim up bar were outstanding. Some of our group would've liked to be closer to Varadero but it's just a quick cab ride in a fancy old car, or a bus ride away, so no big deal. The rooms were comfortable and clean, and the [... read more] AC worked really well! Had a wonderful time, and would love to go back!!

Good Value

For all the stories that you here about Cuba this hotel was very good. The rooms were very clean and the food had something for everyone. Only complaints are the beds were really hard and be prepared for no spices in food. Some people that we traveled with brought spices, an onion, and Ketchup.

Great Resort

Having travelled to Cuba a bunch of times this resort has to be the best one I have stayed at so far. Upon arriving we were upgraded to the deluxe section at no extra charge. This resort is kept very clean. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Although tips are appreciated when given they were never asked for at this resort. The food at the buffet and snack bar were very good for Cuban standards as well as the selection of drinks available at all the bars. The only negative about thi [... read more]s resort is how far from town it is but you can usually bargin your way down to $15 for a cab.

Good resort - value for money

Considering you can't go anywhere in Canada or the US for $700 a week, this is great value. For example, I stayed at the Holiday Inn at the airport in Montreal (drove from Ottawa) and it cost $177 with taxes and parking for a week. The Riu is a bit dated and the food is not the best. This was our first time in Cuba so can't compare to other resorts. We wanted a beach/pool and we got it. We got really clean rooms and although the beds seemed hard, we slept really well. There are a lot of Franco [... read more]phones from Quebec at that resort and not sure that's all of Cuba! We got upgraded for free to Adult only and suspected it was because they were keeping one section of the resort closed since they were not at capacity. Adult only was so quiet and peaceful. Handful of guests there, no fighting for chairs. Really close to the beach! It was perfect. If you need internet, do not visit Cuba. Wifi is only free for 1 hr per day and it's super slow. Some food was really bad tasting and some just bland. Beef is almost always too chewy. Fish and pork were usually a good bet! Overall, value for our money! Really, what can you do for $700 each!!