Melia Las Antillas: Stunning Grounds

The grounds are stunning and beautifully manicured. The hotel in general was well appointed ... could just use a little face lift in heavy traffic area (ie: paint touch ups) The room was very spacious ... beautiful view of the grounds. We could have used an extra couple of towels ... Daily service was very reliable. The beach was 'a dream' .... sand was superb. Cleanliness was very appropriate. Food - was more than plentiful/variety/..... Just great especially for Cuba!!! THE SERVERS WERE [... read more] VERY GRACIOUS, FRIENDLY, ACCOMODATING .... When meeting other travelers and asking lots of questions, we realized that we were definitely in one of the better hotels .... THANK-YOU The hotel responded to my personal review within 1 day .... wow!!!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: First Time Cuba

This is my first review of a property in Cuba. The Paradisus Princess Del Mar has its Pros and Cons. The Pros are the following: LAYOUT was open and gorgeous. The BEACH was amazing and the ROOMS were clean. NIGHTLY ENTERTAINMENT was excellent and the 24 HR SNACK BAR and the GRILL had food to hit the spot. The Cons are the following: BUFFET had no selection and food was scarce. A LA CARTE restaurants had no A.C. considering the men had to wear pants to eat there. A.C. in certain rooms not col [... read more]d at all. Had to switch rooms. POOL was not kept and seemed dirty especially around the pool bar. Overall: I would definitely go back but area different time when it's High Season.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Great Resort

First time in Cuba and we had a great time specially with my autistic child. He loves the pool and loves to go for long walks.Well maintain there are construction going on but did not affect us at all. Thank you Judy Donaldson for recommending this resort to us.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Repeat guests x 6 and will return again!

Staff were excellent. Upgrade to ocean view suite in building 18 was well worth it. Management was present and visible throughout the week. We will return next year for our 7th stay at this hotel. Thanks MJDR.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great - but....

The hotel itself does not maintain the same level of cleanliness as it did only a year ago. The beach is fantastic - no seaweed no rocks, just beautiful. The food - they closed the pizza snack bar and you are now having to eat with all others at the main snack bar. There were many flies in the buffet. The selection is OK - there should be more variety in the food. There is no parmesan cheese and no hot peppers or hot chillis. The pool was great - however the pool bar was murky and dirtly  [... read more]- first time I have seen this!!!!!!!!! BUT I still love the place and the people.

Melia Buenavista: Another fabulous week

This was our third visit to this beautiful all adult resort and again it did not disappoint. This is a small quiet all inclusive resort with about 120 rooms. It is about a 90 minute bus ride from the airport across the causeway to the hotel. There are 3 restaurants that are off menu, no overloaded buffet here! The service is second to none, the staff from the gardeners to the front desk, the pool bar and BBQ to the room butlers are professional, courteous friendly and welcoming. I reall [... read more]y enjoyed the brick oven pizza prepared by Yosvany at the BBQ by the pool, they also make great hamburgs and hotdogs. Breakfast at the beach restaurant was lovely and our waiter Fernando did a wonderful job. Lester, Osmany and Orestes mixed the best drinks at the pool bar and Livan was there to to make sure you were comfortable as you enjoyed the pool and the loungers. Adianez made sure our room was clean and stocked everyday, and always had a nice word when we saw her or she left us notes if we missed her. Gerardo was our butler for the week and he checked with us everyday to make our dinner plans and to make sure we had everything we needed. The resort is well taken care of, well maintained and very very clean. I was impressed with the level of cleanliness in all areas, public washrooms were spotless, the restaurants all were very clean, the lobby, the bars all well maintained. You can use the services at the two other Melia resorts down the road, there is a bus that runs from 10am to 11pm, running every hour on the hour between them. The other resorts are larger and have more families staying there so you do appreciate the serenity and calm you experience when you return to the Buenavista. The suites are very large and include a sitting area, with a coffee machine bar fridge and a supply of wine glasses and beer glasses, a walk in closet, safe, hair dryer, iron, magnifying mirror, robes and slippers. The bathroom has a large jacuzzi tub and this is the best part, an outdoor shower, loved it. There was no shortage of hot water or water pressure. The food I really enjoyed. Remember this is Cuba not everything is available at hand the way it is here in Canada. The breakfast is very good, make sure you let the servers know how you want something prepared, like a six minute egg and they will ensure that is what you get, if you like your bacon crispy, just ask for it! Coffee is good, they make a great latte, wine is also respectable, most from Spain, but a few from Italy as well. Make sure you ask for the coupon package when you arrive, great deals for the spa and on bottled wine and other off menu drinks. Internet is available at the lobby and we actually got access a few time in our room. They provide you with an internet card good for 1 hour of use, they will give you more cards as you use them, just ask at the front desk. If you exchange money to CUC's do it at the hotel, they have a better rate then the airport. The beach, actually 3 different beaches on the property are all amazing, the small cove is surrounded by rock and the snorkelling is fabulous. The larger beach have shaded loungers and the water is shallow for quite a way out and it is crystal clear. I would recommend this resort to those couples who are looking for a relaxing, pampered vacation. There is some nightly entertainment but more musical as opposed to the "shows" that other resorts have.

Paradisus Varadero: Not Fabulous

We were told Paridisus was the best resort in Varedero. At first I was very disappointed, but than I just got over it because the beach was so amazing. We did The a family concierge. Rooms were very nice, flat screen tv, robes, comfortable beds. Service was pathetic. You couldn't call from your room 90% of the time. Nobody would answer. We got there and our concierge barely had a minute to tell us anything about the resort and said all the reservations were full for that night and to call [... read more] in the morning. In the morning, they said it was all booked again, for that night. We finally got in, the 3rd and 4th nights, and restaurants were not even full. You could not get a fresh towel. The whole resort was out of beach towels. I had to fight to get one for each of our family members, and we held onto them like gold, because they had no replacements the whole time. The food was pretty bad. We figured out what we could eat and stuck to that. Most people at the resort all felt the same way, but the beach made it worth it. Oh...the walk from the Family Concierge section to the beach was like 10 min. It was very hard to get a shuttle. I prob would not go back to this resort, but I did feel fortunate about how nice the rooms were, so maybe it is the best option in VAredero. Hard to say.

Melia Marina Varadero: Very clean resort

All was good the resort was very clean. Most of the staff did not seem to know what was going on. We couldn't find one evening show which was disappointing. The food was horrible. Staff need to practice proper hand washing procedures. The flight home was delayed 9 hours with no explanation. Overall the trip was relaxing and it was good quality time with my daughter.

Hotel Camino del Mar: Amazing Resort

The hotel was wonderful! Clean and updated. The staff were so friendly and helpful. It was a very relaxing stay and the beach has no words... stunning especially with the walk out on the water. Very picturesque. The resort is seconds to the beach. The upgraded my room the same day and also gave me a bottle of rum. The food was very good. A la carte was wonderful. Overall, I would definitely come back. It was wonderful

Paradisus Varadero: Okay resort. Good staff.

The beach was very nice. The staff was friendly, but limited on the communications skills. Do not, Do not book the Mexican restaurant. The service was terrible and the food was marginal. I recommend the Japanese restaurant. As for food, the variety is limited based on local supply/resources. The management and staff do try their best in presenting the locally sourced food as best they can. As for excursions, we tried three. 1) {best} was the AirTransat agent arranged Jeep tour. [... read more] It was a good outing. They use new BAIC BJ40 SUV (Beijing Jeep B40). They are nice machines. They are 5 speed manuals. The one I drove was new, for the clutch was still a bit stiff, but it was responsive. The off-road trailing was basic. I expected as much given the general clientele. Definitely do the cave swim. A big thank you to our guides Pedro and Ramone. 2) {good} Personal organized taxi trip to Habana (Havana). Our guide, Yeni, tried her best to meet the expectations of all six of our party. Thank you! :) I do not recommend the "flea market" stop though. While there are many booths at the market, they are very repetitive. 3) {worst} Catamaran snorkel trip to Blanco Cayo. Waste of an expectation. We were allowed 30 minutes to snorkel (no flippers). You get 2 hours at the beach on Blanco Cayo. As it was a hot time of the year when we went, it was a waste. The lunch provided on Blanco Cayo was good. As we left port, I asked the captain of the catamaran if we would be motoring or sailing on the excursion. He told me once out of the channel, we would use the sails. Not true. Only head sail was deployed on the return trip and the motors were used on the full trip. :( I recommend more time for snorkeling and less time on the beach at Blanco Cayo. Air travel: I would not book AirTransat again. They do not keep their arranged schedule. Both our flight down and back were delayed. Also, on the flight down, insist that the flight crew give you a visa form for each of the persons in your party (family). If you do not, Cuban customs will charge you $$$ for each extra one needed. Do not take the excuse from the flight crew that they ran out. This happened to the family traveling with us. We were in the forward rowed seats on the plane and received ours; while they were further in back and were shorted. During our check in orientation with the AirTransat representative at the resort, we were told after check out (12 noon on last day, and the management was insistent) we would be able to have towels available and a place to clean up, so we may use the beach or pool during the afternoon. There were no towels or resources made available to us. We had to languish around in the heat of the resort lobby for many hours. Our airport shuttle was not originally arrange until 6:00PM for a 10:30PM flight. That changed and we ended up with a 2 1/2 hour delay. We did not leave the resort until 8:30PM. For me the trip was okay, and I might be inclined to return to Cuba during the winter months. My wife stated she does not want to go back at all. Did not care for the food or the general service.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: 2 Star Downgrade

This was my third stay at this hotel. The first two times it was definitely a 5 star hotel. I raved about it to everybody that there is a good hotel in Cube with good food. Well, unfortunately, two years later that is not the case. Still not a bad hotel but far from 5 stars, I would say 3 stars. If you want a 5 star experience go somewhere else but if you are ok with 3 stars this is a viable option. Here is a list of problems: - Check in was slow process - Buffet food was below average,  [... read more]a la carte was average and sometimes a bit more than average - Property grounds not well maintained - Dead bird in front of my patio all week, never picked up - They ran out of fresh beach towels several times - At lunch pasta line with one person in front of me I waited 20 minutes! - At beach lunch restaurant only 2 girls serving, the poor ladies were running around trying to make everybody happy. We waited a long time but not their fault, management understaffs this restaurant - They took away the BBQ grill from the beach restaurant - Beach restaurant has a small menu to start with, the day I was there they had no hamburgers, no chicken and served me my hot dog on a hamburger bun!!!! - AC was very low - Had to call 3 times for bath towels - Had to wait for bath towels on 2 separate days out of 5 - I needed a late checkout, long story short we got 4 different prices from 4 different people at front desk. Price range was from free to $60CUC - The final disappointment was taking a taxi to the airport it cost me $25CUC to get to the hotel but the taxi that came to get me to bring me back wanted $50CUC!!! NOTE TO HOTEL MANAGEMENT DO NOT LET THESE DRIVERS ON HOTEL PROPERTY IF THEY ARE GOING TO RIP OFF YOUR GUESTS!!!! As the driver was leaving he passed the other driver (the drivers wait just outside the property line) and they shared a smile when he told his friend he got $50CUC out of me. Thank you Paradisus for letting these scammers onto your property. Thank you for not protecting your clients' best interest. Now the good! I do want to give a special shout out to the crew at the Piano Bar, Yaddi and Yusmilla. They are the piano player and the server just in case I am not spelling their names properly. These two are awesome and is one of the main reasons we returned to the hotel. Another shout out goes to the pool bar staff, they are 5 star quality. They are quick, friendly and remember your drinks. The three in particular are Barby, Diane and Mario! I hope this helps!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: relaxing vacation

the resort was good, service was good most of the times. the only bad experience that I had was on the last day, we had a day trip and when we came back to the resort, the person at the front gave us a room to use to take a shower as we already checked out. however, they didn't realize the book was booked by another person. so it ended up that person keep knocking the door while we were taking a shower. the resort needs to be more organized on that and make sure the room is not double booked.

Paradisus Varadero: what a heart breaking waste of holiday time

FIRST RESORT IS BEAUTIFUL...THE ROOMS IS AMAZING....WORST FOOD EVER...LACK OF FOOD....UN SANITARY, UNSAFE FOOD CONDITIONS MILLIONS OF FLIES BIRDS POOPING O N BUFFETT...NO JUICE, NO BREAD, NO BACON, NO POP, NO SPOONS, NO ONE ASKS TO FILL YOUR DRINK...2 DAYS NO TOWELS....GOT SICK FOR 4 DAYS..HAD TO LEAVE RESORT TO EAT 3 NIGHTS...I AM WELL TRAVELLED THIS IS THE SORRIEST EXCUSE OF A 5 STAR EVER...PLEASE DO NOT PROMOTE I SPENT MOST MY VACATION UPSET AND HUNGRY...STAFF AGREED THE KITCHEN BUDGET WAS  [... read more]TOO THIN....EXAMPLE ...BREAKFAST....FRIED HOT DOGS, CARROTS. FRENCH FRIES, RUNNY EGGS, NO BREAD , NO JUICE ONLY ONE JUG OF WARM WATERMELON JUICE...I COULD GO ON AND ON...THIS RESORT WAS THE ONLY BAD EXPERIENCE I HAD IN CUBA OVER THE YEARS...FEEL TOTALLY RIPPED OFF AND LIED TOO.

Melia Marina Varadero: Good resort

Staffs are very nice, rooms are comfortable. Nice beach and Swimming pool... Two things you may need to be considered. 1. Public washroom ( located on the mainfloor) need to be well maintained. 2. Food aren't as good as expected... most of the time same food for lunch and dinner.... not too many varieties.

Melia Cayo Coco: Our first visit, definitely not our last

Melia Cayo Coco is absolute paradise!! It is a very short distance from the airport, however during our stay we didn't see or hear a plane! The hotel isn't new however, the excellent staff, service, cleanliness and ambiance is incomparable to any newer resorts we have been to. The grounds, pool and beach are very clean and well manicured. Our room was bright and cheerful. Our day house keeper kept our room spotless with fresh towels every day. The night house keeper always welcomed us back [... read more] to our room with beautifully arranged turn down service accompanied by fresh flowers and elegant and delightful creations with our towels. The beach and inviting waters of the ocean are amazing! The food was an endless collection of fresh fruits, cheeses, fish, breads, meats...the list goes on and on. One could always find something new to try every meal. By far the staff was superior!! They go above and beyond. Everyone is so kind and friendly. By the middle of our weeks stay they all knew us and took time to visit with us. The service was exemplary!! My husband and I have decided that there really is no need to try other resorts in that area as the Melia has everything you could possibly want! As all good things must come to an end, as did our stay at the Melia we have decided to adopt the saying of our Cuban friends..." we are not saying goodbye, we are saying see you later!" We will definitely be going back for another vacation at the Melia Cayo Coco and highly recommend it to anyone.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Nice Family Resort

The kids pool and the main pool are very nice. The kids pool has water slides and the main pool has a swim up bar. The a la cart restaurants were pretty good. A nice change from the buffet which has decent variety but does get a bit tiresome by the end of a week. The food is pretty good in general but nothing spectacular. There was live entertainment (song and dance) in the theatre most nights as well as a nightly interactive show for the kids. There was also live music in the restaurant [... read more]s/bars on most nights. The staff is for the most part friendly some more so than others. The room was a good size but the bed was not comfortable and the coffee maker did not work (although coffee was available a short walk away at the bar) The resort was under construction with a lot of hammering and noise by the pool. Some guests complained that this continued into the wee hours of the night but was not audible from our room. Our room keys stopped functioning twice during the week and we had to walk up to reception to trade them in for new ones There were tennis courts usually unused (too hot for tennis). The recreation activities seem to be more for show than for use. It did not seem like the kayaks and catamarans were not getting much use. The literature they gave us on check in with info about the facilities was in spanish and french (no english). Most of the staff can speak English but the resort seemed to be geared towards catering to French clientel

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Our best vacation yet!

The Paradisus Rio de Oro is a lovely resort that exceeded our expectations. No need to upgrade. The room was huge with a newly renovated bathroom. The food was great, lots of variety. The resort staff are for the most part very friendly, helpful and want you to have a very enjoyable time. The snorkelling right from the resort beach is fantastic. The pool was large and beautiful. The beach was great, no problem getting chairs and an umbrella. The resort grounds are beautiful with lots of g [... read more]ardens and the resort is surrounded by lush green space. We met and had a fantastic time with new friends met around the lobby bar and beaches. The size of the resort lent itself to meeting people and seeing them around the resort, and in our case socializing night after night with some delightful people. Between the outstanding accommodations and food plus the wonderful people we met, the vacation felt full and well spent. The trip was exciting, fun and better than we expected. We would love to go back.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great Resort

The resort was great and I had a lot of fun. Food was good and the drinks kept flowing. Great weather every day but got a lot of bites at night. Staff was helpful and accommodating. Also went off resort a few nights to the clubs and staff was able to tell us where to go and got us taxi's to get us there and back again

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Fabulous

We stayed in the Royal Suites area of the Paradisus Princesa Del Mar and it was amazing. Private pool area, private beach area, two restaurants just for Royal Suites guests + a dedicated butler. I thought the butler idea was a little far-fetched, but Arletys was incredibly helpful, from booking our private tour to Havana in an old car to repairing a broken pair of eye-glasses, I can't say enough about the service we received. The food at the Hilltop was fantastic as was the breakfast buffet and [... read more] suppers at Miramar. The best though was the private beach area.. Always a lounge chair under a Palapa and a bar within in easy reach. We were there in early July and practically had the place to ourselves. All in all it was a great vacation.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Excellent resort

The grounds are beautiful in both sides of the resort. We booked into the regular side but I was very disappointed with the beach. It was very rocky and dangerous, due to this we switched over to the Royal section. The beaches on that side were stunning, but one of them had public access for the Cuban people. It was of course very safe but if you are in an adult resort and you are sharing the beach with children it's not as peaceful. It didn't bother me at all because I love the Cubans and the b [... read more]eaches do belong to them. The food was the best I have had anywhere. We were very happy eating in the buffet there was so much to choose from. The staff were amazing many of them have worked there for many years and lots of the guests return because of that. The rooms in the regular section were good size. The rooms in the Royal section were beautiful. I definitely would have stayed in the regular section for the whole week if the beach was what I usually see when I go to Cuba.