Relaxing Stay

Quiet resort with beautiful beach and pool. Room was spacious but a little out dated. Huge king size bed and large balcony. Restaurants were good but portions were small however you could order seconds if you wanted. Japanese restaurant was shut down which was disappointing. A lot of the menu items were not available which was also disappointing. The buffet was large but everything seemed to be room temperature unless they prepared it fresh in front of you. The staff were very polite and treat y [... read more]ou well. Wait staff were great and deserved their tips. Tours were cheap and well worth the money spent. You’re the last to be dropped off the bus and the first to be picked up so plan for a long day. The entertainment was excellent. Wish they had more beer selections and all the usual liquor for any drink. No amaretto, all week. May and June is there rainy season so I would not go at this time. First 2 days were wash out plus pools were closed until mid week. La cart was disappointing based on the selections being offered, they seem to run out of a lot dinner and lunch selections. Plus after 10 pm there is zero night life.

Beautiful resort

This was a very beautiful resort. We had the royal treatment ... The grounds were so pretty and well taken care of .the rooms were large and comfortable and very clean . The food was pretty good. I still craved what I couldn’t get though haha .burgers and fries at the snack bar by the tennis courts were amazing . Night time Shows were pure talent . Staff so friendly and helpful especially yasnivy our butler. This is more pricy than I could normally afford but thanks to airmiles vouchers  [... read more]we enjoyed the royal treatment for our 25 th anniversary . I would stay on the regular side and try that . beach was fantastic quiet and that’s what we prefer.best lime daiquiri was at beachside bar on royal side ..pool was beautiful too we brought comfy floats and relaxed a lot in there ...would love to return ....

Amazing Holiday!!

We went back to the Paradisus Del Mar in Varadero April 11-21st. This time we were in the Royal Service Section, and I have to say it was just unbelievable. From the the trolley drivers Juan, and Jorge, to the Royal service front desk girls, our butler Pedro, our housekeepers, then our bartender Eledis,and so many other staff members on the Royal service side, can’t remember there names sorry, but they were all amazing! So very helpful.We had our own butler named Pedro he arranged all of our [... read more] dinner reservations, anything we needed we just call him. You also get free internet access for the time you are there, which can be used in the lobby, or around the pool just located outside the lobby.We had a suite which had 2 bathrooms, and the main bathroom had a separate shower, double sinks, and a whirlpool bath! King size bed that was turned down every evening, housecoats, and slippers were provided. Also a dining room table, fridge that was filled everyday with beer, water, and pop! A coffee maker,which use pods now, but we liked the old glass coffee pot better! Balcony had 2 lounge chairs, also a small table, and 2 chairs. We had a private beach area which was great because you never needed to be down saving chairs early in the morning. The beach itself was great. We have been to this hotel 4 times over the last few years, have always enjoyed it. It is not a big resort which we like, the food was not too bad. We went to all the restaurants, they have 6 in total, the only one we really didn’t like at all was the Miramar! But the Marsellie,and the bamboo was our favourite. Done the buffet a couple of nights,and it was okay. We never go to Cuba for the food, but it has been quite good. The entertainment was good, always something to do. The hop on hop off bus that takes you into Varadero is just outside the resort and you can go into town for $5.00 each, or get a taxi that costs you 20 CUC. All in all if you can I recommend you go Royal Service, so different from being on the other side. I would also like to say a very big thank you to Ekaterina she was wonderful. All of the staff was fantastic ! And hopefully we can return to the Paradisus Princesa Del Mar next year.

Better than expected!

Food - Surprisingly enough, it was decent. Sakura and Hilltop were our favorites. Drinks were fantastic. Cold and consistent everywhere. The coffee was epic. Rooms - Dated, sorry. Standard, a bit musty. Bed was hard. Room needed repairs. The room definitely was the worse part of our trip. Pool - Very nice. Warm, clean, inviting. Pool bar was great. Beach - Amazing. Overall - 8.0 Room sucked, and better customer service would jump it to a 9.0

VERY GOOD ADULT RESORT

THIS WAS OUR FIFTH TIME AT THIS RESORT AND OUR FIRST TIME IN THE ROYAL SERVICE,YOU GO TO VARADERO CUBA FOR THE BEACHES MILES OF SAND AND A PRETTY CAM SEA,S. AS THIS IS A SMALL RESORT AND NO WAITING FOR ELEVATORS EVERYTHING IS WITHIN A SIX TO SEVEN MINUTES FROM YOUR ROOM ITS AN ADULT RESORT AND EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER THERE IS ENTERTAINMENT EVERY NIGHT AND THE TOWN OF VARADERO IS CLOSE BY FOR OTHER NIGHT LIFE. THE MEALS ARE GETTING BETTER EACH YEAR WE GO BACK ALTHOUG [... read more]H THEY ARE NOT 5 STAR ITS WORTH A TRY

Not 5 star resort

Werry god enerteiment Food ok nathing specjal Beach werry hard to walk in sand no path wooded. To beach.Only Royal section has nice access to beach. I have complain twice on buffet restaurant no respond from management Werry disappoint .I was in Cuba 20 times this was the worst experiens

Wonderful Resort!!!

Resort was wonderful. Only issue was check-in 6 am flight from Toronto to Valadero Check in was supposed to be at 3 pm We did not get into our room until after 5:30 pm Exhausting first day!! Room was nice....however....floors seemed gritty constantly. Grounds were fabulous. Food has greatly improved. Would recommend

Amazing weather, amazing people...but

We've stayed at a number of different 4+ star resorts in Cuba. Sanctuary at Grand Memories is by far our favorite. Princessa Del Mar is supposed to be a 5 star resort, but when it comes to their food -- and we're not picky people at all -- we'd rate it a 3. For an easy read, here are the pros and cons: PROS: - Rooms/balconies are a good size and kept very clean. Beds are comfortable. Rooms are somewhat dated, but that didn't bother us. - The beach is absolutely beautiful. Lots of palapas [... read more] and chairs for everyone. - Housekeeping services were fabulous. We had room 3321. Leave tips and bring gifts for these people. They deserve it and appreciate it immensely. - Beach bar service was great. - We're beach people, but the pool looked nice. Lots of people were there. - Staff, for the most part, are very friendly CONS: - The buffet is the worse we've ever had. Restaurants are better but still far from a 5 star. - The person manning the grill at the beach grill could care less how many people were in line and, often, chicken was not cooked (still pink). - The walkways are not meant for high heels; much of it is cobblestone. Walk slowly, ladies. On our 2nd to last day, many of us had a traumatic experience. A man -- seemed to be around 60 years old -- was pulled out of the water. Not sure if he had a heart attack or drowned, but they worked hard on him -- CPR, mouth to mouth. With the amount of water coming out of him, I thought he would have survived but he died. There is no finger pointing here -- it was a terrible situation for his wife, people working on him and everyone else that witnessed this event. I would question, however, how well staff are trained in these situations. This man was getting CPR while his head was leaning downward toward the water. I would think it best if he had been level or his head on the upward angle. Otherwise, it seems it would be difficult on the heart.

Beautiful Resort with a Great Beach

The resort is very nice and has a great beach. There is great landscaping and lots of different areas of the resort so it doesn't feel too crowded. When you are on the beach you can see a lot of other resorts which is nice. This resort is no right on the road and there are decent views from the rooms. The location and layout of the resort is one of the best things about this resort. The food was much better than I expected. They make an effort to have some variety. They have a lot of coo [... read more]king stations which results in a lot of long lines. This was frustrating at times. Generally the service was good. I had a lot of issues with the 24 hour snack bar. They had horrible service. I tired it 3 times and refused to go back to the snack bar for the rest of the trip. The swim up pool bar also had very bad service The best drinks come from the lobby bar. They were good at helping you to pick out drinks. The rooms were nice. Besides the light on our balcony not working I was happy with the room.

Good location, very quiet (adult only)

Very clean, well-maintained grounds. The room had no washcloths, the bathroom sink did not have a strainer (almost lost an earring), the AC was too noisy to leave on at night so discomfort. Perhaps they should think of having screens for their patio doors. The pillows were too thin. The food in restaurants was acceptable except for the Mediterranean one (Miramar); the food at the buffet did not have enough variety or appeal, the pasta line was too long, desserts were good.

Good time had by all in our group!

Enjoyed this Cuba resort. It was smaller than the ones we've been to, but big enough not to feel cramped. We were able to find chairs for 6 at the beach and somewhere around the pool ever day. Beach was beautiful, pool was beautiful, rooms were good just a bit outdated but clean and comfortable and beds were comfy. Staff was friendly and fun to joke around with. Can walk just down the road from the resort to a marina that had shops to look through which was nice and no high pressure sales tac [... read more]tics. Just really nice people. Other than the resort being out of french fries the week we were there and getting a some bug bites on my lower legs (I believe at night while sitting at our table at the snack bar) all was as expected and good! Lots of things going on around the resort for entertainment which was also nice. Music at the beach & pool which we liked too. Hard to get small change at the currency exchange though all week so it was hard to give tips of less than 3 pesos, but could get 50 cent pieces.

Excellent place as usual

Our visit to our second home could not be any better. As usual it was an excellent visit to our home away from home. Best part was being updated to a suite which was absolutely wonderful. It was like an apartment which we could have lived in. We absolutely can't wait foe our next trip back k to our family away from home. Each and everyone greets us with a smile and hugs wonderful. Let the year go by fast so we can return home.

Awesome couples resort

Arrived only a few short months after the big hurricane. Very surprised at how quickly they have recovered from that major disaster. The daily entertainment was well beyond expectation. There is ample types of food that most would be able to find something enjoyable - except french fries. No french fries anywhere during the entire week. But more tequila & rum then any university gang could handle . . . Excellent expresso everywhere.

Do not consider this hotel to be 5Star, at best 3Star. I much preferred Paradisus Varadero!

The grounds were quite attractive but poolside was over-crowded and seating difficult to get as most areas were "towelled" by 8.00am every morning!. Main restaurant (buffet) was good only for breakfast and even then quality left a lot to be desired. Special restaurants were better but not great. The beach area was excellent with good service. Room was comfortable and clean as was the well-stocked bathroom. However the furnishings are "very tired" and showing a lot of wear and tear.

Great Resort!

Friendly and helpful staff, beautifully landscaped grounds. Food was great. No oil smell in buffet like at many resorts. Lots of lounge chairs at beach and pool considering the number of people staying there and service was quick at restaurants and bars. Rooms were clean, comfortable and well maintained.

Very Pleased with Resort Overall

First time in Cuba and was pleasantly surprised with our hotel, the beach/pools, the service and the food. We have vacationed many times in Mexico and have found the food wonderful at the all-inclusives there, so we were hesitant to try Cuba with all the reviews complaining about food. The beef in Cuba and in Mexico is not the same as home so we chose to eat seafood, chicken and pork instead. I was worried about lack of fresh vegetables and fruit as those are my favorites. It was plentiful so  [... read more]I was happy. There were many dishes that needed added salt and pepper, but all you have to do is sprinkle it on. If you need extra spice, they supplied bottled hot sauces for spicing it up to your taste. Staff were very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the entertainment. Dinner in French Restaurant was very nice although I heard one couple who order something off the menu that they did not enjoy. We ate at the Gran Terrazo Buffet for all other meals. We loved the variety and could always find something that was delicious. I would suggest you choose eggs, pancakes and meat that are grilled in front of you to make sure, it is still hot. My favorite lunch was pork with handmade marmalade (since no applesauce) with various vegetables and fruit. One thing that was a problem but eventually solved was that the hotel did not have a converter available to allow us to plug in to charge our laptop/phones for the first three days. The built-in 110 V eletrical plug in the hairblower was not working. Learned a lesson - Bring your own; they do not have enough converters to supply everyone. We were able to borrow one from our neighbour so it was not a disaster. Another negative was that Wifi was only available in the lobby and a patio bar so was quite inconvenient. So if you need to do business during your vacation, be prepared to be back and forth to wifi zone.

Go somewhere else

I knew going to Cuba I would have to lower my expectations and be did. As pilot I traveled much of America’s the Caribbean and Europe. I never had to wait till 6 pm to get my room. I felt I was rationed throughout my stay. Like not being able to change beach towels for days they were either out or saying comeback later we are doing laundry. The linens were worn out with holes and the towels in the room were see trough with fringes like the ones in your garage. The food was just ok, but some ho [... read more]w if you pay 45 pesos per person wich I did you get a great meal well cooked and served. The drinks were un drinkable. Only at the main lobby they were using a blender but still the drinks were terrible. First time i was actually de hidrated in an all inclusive resort. I make a point of being very polite and tipping everyone, this was very difficult on this resort as no one will give you change and after waiting over an hour to get pedos on the resorts bank I was not going back. The hot tubs were out of services and the premium room I had reserve was just a premium in price that’s a scam. After waiting 30 min, 3 times to get our à la carte dîners, I was told one evening that they had no reservation until I walked back to my room and got a proof of the reservation which really pissed me off. I would never go back to this resort even if it were free.

A very relaxing spot

Gorgeous resort. Extremely well maintained grounds in the Royal Service section. The dinning room staff provided excellent service. Thankyou Ida. You served excellent cappuccino. Well attended beach. Excellent service with smile by Mila. Thank you all. Limited menu in the French restaurant. French food was just ok. Service was slow too. Was our 3rd trip. Might come again. 👏

Fantastic Resort!

Resort was great! Staff were very friendly and helpful! Food was not bad not a big selection to choose from same selection everyday. Beach was amazing as well as swim up pool on the Royal service side food was a lot better. Fitness Centre was good however was not very big and was very busy especially early in the morning.

Definitely not a 5 Star

The hotel is tired and nothing suggesting the 5 star rating implied. The food was classic Cuban food with little variety from day to day. Foods were not marked well and made it very difficult for us as we both have food allergies. Service at the buffet was hit and miss depending on where you sat and whether you tipped. Activity staff was non engaging and it was very difficult to figure out what was going on daily. The room was kept clean, air conditioning was inconsistent, back door did not [... read more] lock. Bar fridge was sparingly filled some days. The beach was nice but the wind and sand fleas kept us at the pool. Overall we would give this resort a 3 Star at most and will not return! We have been to much nicer resorts in Cuba for less money