Paradisus Varadero: Decent resort, ups and downs

Went here for a week. Lots of good and bad. Good was decent food for Cuba, nice pool and beach. Bad was the service. If you don’t go royal service, don’t expect anything special. The worst was the water shortage we experienced. Very had to get water for your room. The food was the fresh seafood and meat/chicken cooked on demand at the buffet. The restaurants were disappointing. Good if you want beach, bad if you want to be treated well.

Barcelo Solymar: Average resort

Barcello Solymar resort was a descent resort with it's ups and downs. The air conditioning worked well and in fact, had to turn it of some nights due to not having a thermostat to control the temperature. The bathroom is dated however the shower had plenty of pressure and the temp range was descent. Unfortunately, 2 days in a row, the power went out in several rooms, not resort wide. I approached reception and was asked to meet the repair man who is on his way to my room. I waited by my roo [... read more]m for over 30 minutes and no one came. I went back to reception and inquired what the hold up was as I did not want to wait in a dark room for the repair man. The guy at reception was angry and said that they are working on it. I asked why I was asked to wait for the repair man and that I waited over 30 minutes. He dismissed this and appeared more concerned with him counting money and was very dismissive. Not sure of his name but he appeared to be management of some kind. The food was descent at the buffet however repetitive. The burgers/bbq by the beach were my fav. The bartender staff seemed emotionless for the most part at the lobby bar. The beach was good with plenty of lounge chairs to enjoy the sun. Internet 1 hr cards appeared to last approximately 40 minutes until needing to be repurchased for 1 Peso per "hr" Water and beer were provided in the rooms daily.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: GREAT SATISFACTION

This was my second time at the Iberostar Laguna Azul and I must say that they did a really great job in showing that I was a repeat customer. Our room had an amazing view so I thank them very much for that! I was disappointed however that they did not serve fresh mangos nor did they have coconut icecream this time. We also missed the band they get to play outside on the veranda. I would have loved to see the band as the last time I was there I was able to catch a bit of it before we left la [... read more]te that evening.

Playa Vista Azul: Excellent Resort

Great resort. Clean and great staff. Great beaches. Food was OK, typical of Cuba. Only thing i’d like to see is that the a la carte meals should go by reservations. Line ups were long and there were no guarantees you’d get in by the time they closed. You were often bumped to the back of the line by “privilege guests”. Other than that, awesome resort.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Big disappointment

We were so excited about this trip but when we arrived it was one thing after the next. The rooms smelled real bad, our patio doors did not lock and we were on the ground floor. We had to practically beg for bottled water, they did not give face cloths unless we asked, the restaurant staff were cranky and would roll their eyes if we questioned our food, one waiter gave us shit because we wondered why it took 25 minutes to get our drinks, he said whats the rush...your on holidays! The food was [... read more] aweful to say the least. Our lobster dinner that we had to pay for came to us burned to a crisp, it was black and they said it was because the regular chef was not there! There were no designated areas for smoking so we were surrounded with cigarette and cigars at all times, there was no escaping it. This hotel should be rated 2 or 3 at best.

Barcelo Solymar: Somewhat disappointed.

Where we upgraded to a superior room, I was hoping that the Barcelo would have had a better hotel room. I mean for Cuba standards it is ok, only that the pillows have a strange odour and bathrooms are in dire need of an upgrade. At meal time it would be nice to not have pork 4 days in a row as main dish and to fluctuate different meat groups. My husband and I both have welts on our legs so we are not sure what bit us while we were there. Beach is gorgeous. Staff are awesome. Waitress, Moira (no [... read more]t sure I am spelling her name right) and other servers very friendly and efficient. Bartenders made great drinks. Overall a bit disappointed. but still enjoy our time in the sun.

Grand Memories Varadero: Not so Grand Memories

Do not recommend this resort! The grounds were well kept, the food for Cuba was ok. Enternight was good.The negatives were many. Line ups of up to 30 to 45 minutes for eggs, grilled meat, pasta, bar, specialty coffee, currency exchange. 2nd night experienced non stop diarrhea, vomiting. Think it may have been the alfredo sauce. Cleanliness of resort and room absolutely terrible! Our room was cleaned daily(?) The entire week there was a q-tip and a pill left behind on the floor. Our b [... read more]eds made daily, but it looked like they literally pulled the top sheets up without straightening the bottom sheets. Our sheets were not changed the entire week. The clincher that did us in was the theater washrooms! My husband went to use the washroom, 2 urinals were full of vomit! The second night the same, he informed staff. 3rd night a sign on the door, out of order, the urinals were still full of vomit!!!!

Barcelo Solymar: Great resort

I’ve been to Cuba many many times this resort I could say eight out of 10 I really enjoyed it the only problem the activities group were the most laziest people that I’ve ever met in any any resort . The people in the service they were very very friendly I would go back to solmar. Especially the location which is right on the strip

Hotel Los Cactus: Good Hotel for 3***

This was the 2-nd time this year in Los Cactus . The hotel is clean and well maintained The room was clean enough . Unfortunately I found in the room few large and scary bugs reason to feel enough uncomfortable for all period . It was for the first time in Cuban resorts to see few dogs on the beach Pooing and Peeing on the beautiful white sand ..It wasn't a big pleasure to walk on that sand anymore . Of course I contacted the Customer Relations manager ,and the answer was : Cuban beache [... read more]s are public. In any park or beach everywhere else than Cuba You can see at the entrance if dogs are permitted or not. For this reason I will never go to that resort again.

Melia Las Antillas: Great beach! Great staff!

I had been at this resort back in November 2018 and enjoyed myself so much I rebooked & returned April of 2019 and plan to return again. Staff was very gracious and helpful. Melia has continued to invest and improve the resort. A new Health Bar has been constructed, the entire boardwalks to the beach have been replaced and hand railings are being replaced on the balconies. I will be rebooking again to Melia Las Antillas!

Melia Marina Varadero: Fantastic Vacation

We stayed at the Melia Marina from March 31 to April 9. Our stay was one of the best visits so far. I have been to Cuba 7 times and this resort was one of our favourites. The people were very friendly and helpful. The rooms were clean and bright. We had a classic room above the pool and the view was excellent. The food was very good for Cuban standards. Not a great variety at the buffet but enough that you would never starve. We will be returning to this resort for sure.

Roc Arenas Doradas: Roc Arenas Dorado

This resort was amazing, the food was fantastic, the room was newly renovated modern and clean and the maids were awesome. You were made to feel like family by all staff members of the resort right from the front desk to the waiters and waitresses, maids and even the gardeners, we had a lot of fun by the pool with the animation staff they are a real hoot, and the night shows were great. Will definitely make plans to return. Thank you Maya.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Nice Stay

Stay was from March 28th to April 4th Very happy with our choice. The resort was very clean and the staff were super friendly. Varadero has the nicest beaches by far from anywhere we've been to date and we've been to over 6 different resorts in Cuba to date. We know from past experiences that you don't come to Cuba for the food. There was not much of a selection at the buffet at all (typical) However.... We decided to try the beach buffet. They do an outdoor bbq.... OMG! Best food in Cuba  [... read more]to date. Not sure why they don't move that to the main buffet. Lots of flavor. Also don't bother ordering coffee from the buffet. Terrible. But there is a great coffee bar just downstairs. We definitely tipped these guys. Great coffee. We had heard a few people complain about their rooms not being cleaned properly but ours was perfectly fine. The pool would have been a lot cleaner if people picked up their plastic drink cups instead of letting them blow into the pool; but that is no fault of the resort. The one thing that we found was that the resort is extremely small but from what we can tell this was a bonus for the older couples as they did not have far to walk. We met a few couples who were super nice to talk to. One couple had been to this resort 16 times. This is the first time I will say this about Cuba... I will be back to this resort. Hope this helps anyone. Oh.. PS they do have coffee machines in the rooms now. Apparently this is a recent upgrade. When we checked online the resort stated they did not have them. Otherwise we would have brought our own coffee.

Sol Varadero Beach: Deceiving Pics of Hotel grounds and rooms!

April 1st 2019 trip I was initially excited to book at the Sol Sirenas Coral from seeing really nice pics of the hotel, grounds and rooms. Our flight was an early morning flight and we arrived at the hotel around 11:30am.From the moment we checked in I was disappointed and frustrated as we couldn't get settled into a room until 4:00pm. We had to hang out by the snack bar near the front lobby in our winter clothes and carry on bags. Our first food experience was at the snack bar where we waite [... read more]d for a room. Food there was not great, they served us a burger with french fries which were deep fried potato chips dripping in oil. Pretty grose! Close to the time to get our room, I had asked the front check-in lady to please try and give us either the first or second floor level as my partner can not go up stairs due to health issues. They immediately shut me down and said it has to be on the third floor. They do have elevators however they often stop working. The front desk personnel simply didn't have a care in the world of our situation. When we got to our room I was disappointed once again...the room was very old run down extremely old mattress, washroom doors didn't even close properly, all very dated. The only good thing from the room was the view from balcony overseeing the pool area and 3 hot showers with pressure for our 1 week stay. The pool area very nice from afar and probably the highlight of this hotel as it is surrounded by beautiful coconut and palm trees. Once walking through property you see that it was once a very nice hotel but unfortunately it is run down all over. One thing we couldn't understand was the food locations for the day. Breakfast was at the buffet by the lobby and lunch and dinner at beach bar/restaurant. I understand if lunch is there because it makes sense everyone is at the beach or pool but to walk back there for dinner close to the beach didn't makes sense. They should of made dinner at the buffet by the lobby.There is no point in dressing up for dinner as you will probably get dirty with sand again! Flip flops it is! And they can't use excuse of being understaffed as the staff for dinner was different then the one for breakfast and lunch. Everyday for a week it was the exact menu for all three meals, lunch and dinner chicken, pork, no fish, white rice, pasta, pasta, pasta and some veggies or salads same pastries and ice-cream fruits not too great. Breakfast eggs pancakes no fruits...No bananas!! On the upside beach was beautiful as always in Varadero and had great time spending the day there. I have been traveling to Cuba for the past 20 years and I love the Cuban people and history and I also speak the language so I get by easier, but on the last couple of trips but specially this one I found all staff from front desk personnel to waiters and housekeeping to be very nonchalant about everything and didn't seem they even wanted to be there working.... We took a tour to Habana and it was truly amazing experience, $100.00CAD p/person and 12Pesos p/person for a ride in a vintage 1950 to 1965 car, it's an hour car ride in Habana (part of the tour, they will mention it once your in the bus on the way there) I recommend it to anyone going to Varadero. And on your way to Habana make sure you stop at the Pina Colada Hut for the Best one in the world. It REALLY IS THE BEST!! Over all no high expectations for this hotel, I wish I had spend a couple hundred dollars more for us on a better hotel in Varadero. Safe travels!!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Amazing vacation!

The hotel - the personnel is good. Food is good (am I am very picky). The rooms would need a bit of love, but its fine, its Cuba! Weather was amazing too. The resort is quiet. If you want to party, its definitely not the place! Beach is clean, pool is nice too but some tiles missing (its cleaned everyday). You need to pay for the wifi and there is only wifi in the hall. Overall, the hotel is very nice and i would go back!

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Royalton Hicacacos - too good to miss.

Back for the 4th time to this Adults Only Resort. There is a good reason for that - the rooms are excellent, the grounds are beautifully kept up, the beach is hard to beat, the choice for meals is very good, the facilities are excellent and the staff go out of their way to make your visit memorable. All in all - very good value for the money. Be prepared to tip well (allow for 10 - 15 pesos/day) as tipping is expected, is needed, and is well earned.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Disappointment, Not a 4 Star Hotel

Stayed at Main Resort, not Royal Service Area. Room was clean, but very "tired". Bead spread looked like it has probably been there since the resort was built. Used hockey tape to plug holes at top of sliding door. That seemed to keep the mosquitos out of the room. No water delivered to room on two occasions. Calls to the front desk did not help. Left two bath towels in tub for exchange, one was finally replaced two days later after another call to the front desk. Always long line-ups fo [... read more]r sub-standard (even by Cuba standards) food in main dining area. The folks at the Snack Bar did the best they could with the limited supplies available to them (ran out of beer twice). For some reason, there were never Single Pesos available at the money exchange. The grounds were very well groomed, and the beach itself was excellent. However, if you weren't at the beach reserving a chair by 7:00 AM, you wouldn't necessarily get a good spot or a lounger that wasn't more of a hammock than a lounger. General attitude of staff was one of indifference. Did not feel overly welcome at any of the bars or serving areas. Have been to various other resorts in Cuba over the last 12 years, and this was by far my worst experience. For the money, it definitely was not worth it.

Club Tropical: Easy access

This is the 5th time I have stayed at this hotel for its atmosphere, very friendly staff, directly on the street, beautiful beach and easy access. 30 minutes from the airport. I will return next year!

Gran Caribe Sun Beach: You get what you pay for, not bad!

My review is based on the hotels 2 star rating - I didn't expect more than that on arrival! I was there for a short time, April 5th to the 8th. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful, the lady at the front desk was cheerful and patient every time I saw her. The hotel and rooms are clean, very clean! I have been to higher rated hotels in Cuba that are not as clean. The food was not bad, it does get tiring after a couple of days as a vegetarian (Beans, Rice, Salad and Yams - repeat) [... read more] but as a meat eater, my boyfriend enjoyed the food! Each meal was something different (Fish, Shrimp, Ham, Steak) at the grill! There was a different fish every day and quite an assortment of Salsa, hot sauces and salad dressings. The Snack Bar had only ham and cheese sandwiches, but you could always switch it up with a ham sandwich, or a cheese sandwich (lol). No fries or burgers. There is no 24 hours bar and each bar closes at certain times of the day. You'll have to walk to one of the 3 bars on the resort. The lobby bar will serve coffee and water all day, but alcoholic beverages only part of the day. The pool was beautiful and clean. It wasn't highly chlorinated either. The beach is just across the street of the resort, a 5 minute walk away. The sand was clean and there are no rocks. It was quite shallow for a way and there are sand banks about 20 meters out from the shore. At certain times of the day, fish nip at your feet! It was a trip, because you can't see their white scales against the white sand! The resort is located in the middle of town, there is a flea market on the right and a variety store on the left, just before the beach. If you walk farther down, you will find restaurants, bars and shopping, though we didn't go that far. Overall, I would recommend this hotel to the thrifty vacationer or someone who would like to experience Cuba. It was a good experience for me - though all I care about is a beach, some rum and a snack!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Went to Grand Memories - Santa Maria

Everything was as expected, beautiful beach - mediocre food. The only real complaint is the not clean washroom & really bad smell in the washroom area in the main restaurant. Pretty sure no one really wants that job but it gets a lot of use and it ended up we would go up to our room to use the washroom. The staff are fantastic, really friendly & nice. Absolutely lovely.