Did not meet expectations

Went as a couple for the first time to this hotel. Our experience left us feeling that many changes need to be made for this resort to be rated any higher than three star. Although the rooms and linens were clean there was, for lack of abetter description, an infestation of some small unidentified insect that enjoyed anything left on the night stands and tables. Ran out of clean plates at buffet during supper. Took 20 min to get them. Ran out of butter at breakfast, took about 10 min to get that [... read more] and it was large chunks of butter and no tongs to pick it up so people were picking up with their fingers. Dirty coffee cups left on table and being refilled for new people sitting down. Some very rude staff. Tipping requirements were extreme. Restaraunts are first come first serve and people would skip the line offering a tip to the waiter and he would take it and sit them. The juice is heavily watered down no juice taste at all. Drinks at the bar and the coffee varied greatly in the quality dependant on the staff. Entertainment was very repetitive and when we had a good night at the disco they shut it down an hour early at 1:00am. The tour staff were less than helpful and made us feel like they were being bothered by our inquiries. It seemed as though nobody care if we ever came back. Unfortunately, if you are someone who has no problem over tipping to get some attention this place may work for you. We gave out over 400cuc, add 27% for CDN exchange rate for the week in tips

Overall great experience!

The great: the beautiful lobby, friendly staff, amazing beach, availability of loungers by the pool and beach, the delicious rum and the weather. The not-so-great: the food, the shortage of beach towels. We had an incredible trip - the front desk was great with accommodating our onsite request for a King bed instead of two doubles. A lady next to us at the counter was making the same request quite rudely and did not get the same accommodation...perhaps in Cuba, as everywhere else, you catch mor [... read more]e flies with honey. A couple little quirks, like the lock on our terrace door being a little finicky, were noticed but didn't impact our trip. And the food, while not great, is to be expected in Cuba. This was my fourth trip and it's the same everywhere. Absolutely would return to this resort, it was great value and totally enjoyable :)

A beautiful resort ! Would highly recommend.

This resort in Cuba was amazing!!! The staff was very friendly and approachable. Nightly entertainment was enjoyable, beautiful beach and grounds. My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves and would go back again.

10 days of Bliss

We stayed from Jan 12 to Jan 22/2015 and had a great time. Marco brought us drinks when we arrived for check-in and over the next few days he served us in the lobby. He was very friendly. Our room was great and more than we expected. Our room maid, Tatiana, kept the room cleaned as well us talking and laughing with us. The mini bar was stocked every day. Everything worked and the building was in great condition. I am an above the knee amputee and was concerned about slips, uneven areas or broken [... read more] concrete or tiles. I found the whole resort well kept, neat and safe. In the buffet, lobby area and washrooms there always seemed to be staff who were keeping the floor clean and dry. Thanks ladies. We sat in the same area of the buffet every day and our servers were fantastic. We got to know Madyori, Leidis, Yamilka, Anthony and Chabley. I like a morning coffee and they kept my cup full. They were friendly and ready to serve. The buffet was fair. I don't eat any type of meat and some days the selection was limited. For example one day the beans would have meat in it and the next day just beans. However it would always be labeled beans. I would suggest better labels on the buffet choices and say 'Beans and Meat' if that's what in the tray. Sometimes the trays of food were hot and other times cold. The fruit bar was great and the juice excellent. The pasta cookers saved the day for me as I could get a delicious plate of food from them with a guarantee of no meat in it and it was hot. We went to all 3 restaurants. The staff were great but for a vegetarian the menu is limited. My wife did like the meat dishes. The beach is beautiful. Plenty of beach chairs. The beach was clean and the water clear. The pool area was very nice with lots of chairs. The staff in these areas were great. They entertained us, got us involved in activities and were very friendly. I rate the staff and accommodations as five star. The food was below expectations. This was our six trip to Cuba and we have had more choices and warmer food in most of the other resorts.

Excellent resort!

Rooms - clean, spacious, close to amenities, very comfortable Grounds - clean and easy to navigate Service - always with a smile Coffee shop - awesome coffee! A la carte restaurants - ok but not great. Service super...food not great Buffet - favourite night was Cuban night. Food was delicious! Wish every night was Cuban night! Evening show - only took in one as family too tired to stay up past 9:30 (Michael Jackson themed - awesome! Incredible talent!) Flights - both ways delayed by hours. Day t [... read more]rip to Havana - disappointing. Would not recommend. Do not feel that I really got to see the city (ex. Taken to Chinese restaurant for lunch? Why not Cuban food?). Next time I find someone local to take us there and back Pool and beach - fantastic! Money's worth - absolutely

Great resort, both for families and couples!

Beautiful, well-kept resort; clean rooms and public areas. Food better than I expected, lots to choose from. Great evening entertainment and lots of daytime activities. Could find quiet spots for reading also. Loved my vacation!

Beautiful resort

Our first time in Cuba, the resort was well appointed, the staff is very friendly and accomodating, any issues were dealt with quickly!Beautiful beach! Very much enjoyed visiting Varadero and Havana! Would have enjoyed breakfast at the beach buffet though.

Great beach and pool!

We enjoyed a relaxing time here from Dec. 13 to Dec. 22. We were a family of 3 (mom, dad and a 16-month old). We stayed in Block 22 which was close to the lobby, Mike's cafe and the restaurants. This is a quieter block. The rooms are nicely appointed and spacious. The bathroom has a separate rain shower and a separate deep tub. We spent most days at the beach and enjoyed lunches at the beach restaurant. In the mornings, the entertainment crew are at the beach and in the afternoons, they go to th [... read more]e pool so we followed them there and spent our afternoons by the pool. The buffet always has something for everyone and we loved the omelette station in the mornings and the pasta and seafood grilling stations in the evenings. We tried out all three a la carte restaurants and they were nice. There are shows every night and a great kids program/ club. We highly recommend this resort.

Wonderful resort

We stayed in the privilege section of the resort which is well worth the extra it cost. The staff at this resort are just amazing and they take very good care of you. This was our second visit to the resort and will likely visit again.

Great Place for R&R...that's about it

This was our second visit to AI in Cuba, we've been to Jamaica twice and Mexico 10 times all AI. The facilities here are well kept, the rooms are spacious and the restaurants are not usually full and look nice....there is a huge buffet with lots of choices most things have very little taste or worse all taste the same! I feel I have a good perspective of what an all inclusive can provide for food and this one is def not great. We survived and didn't go hungry but only once in the week did we aft [... read more]er eating say "that tasted good" that was the Italian al a carte. The beach and pool area were wonderful and great for families with small kids. We remember Cubans as friendly and kind people, the staff at this resort were less so but we weren't looking for long term relationships, we wanted a quiet week away to celebrate the holidays and we definitely got that. There is no night life at all...dust bunnies could blow through the lobby by 11pm.

Nice resort

flight arrived early, got through customs and immigration rather quickly. The transfer from the airport to hotel was a lengthy wait due to a few passengers being slow to board the bus. Guide on the bus was full of good information about the area and possible tour choices. Once at the hotel, quickly checked -in and taken to 0ur room, which was located exactly where requested. room was clean, but small in size. Food was acceptable, found the best food was in the a la carte's, breakfast in the buff [... read more]et was great, as you have any egg meal prepared fresh. Found most of the food in any of the buffets, warm at best in temperature. All the staff, except at reception seemed eager to please and were very friendly. Every contact with reception staff was met by an unsmiling person. Activities seemed geared young families and the 30 somethings, so found that there was much to do during the day. Evening shows all began at 930 which some evenings we found to be a bit late. Had a massage at the spa, which was wonderful. The hotel needs to market the spa area, as 1 spa appointment, permits access to the whirlpool and steam room for yourself and spouse for your entire stay. Normally this costs $30 per day.

Great spot!

I liked this hotel alot. Never felt crowded anywhere, (pool, bar, restaurants) All the a la carte restaurants offered both great food and service. Staff was excellent (loved Tania in the piano bar) Coffee was out of this world and available everywhere. Only negative was on an excursion to Cayo Blanco, as we got some dodgy food and got very sick from it. The shows were pretty good and the Aqua show blew my mind, it was outstanding! Disco was alright, music was good. I liked the size of this resor [... read more]t, it never took long to get anywhere. Worth the visit.

Wow! What an Amazing resort

Would recoment this resort. Everybody working on this resort put their 100% effort. Would return in a heartbeat. The ground was very nice and the beach was breathtaking and beautiful. People don't hesitate to book it's and amazing resort.

Absolutely Beautiful!

We stayed for a week from Nov. 10th to Nov. 17th. I must say that I am very impressed with the resort. The goal of our trip was some rest and relaxation with an excursion or 2 and some shopping. We flew out of Calfary with AirTransat and had a few delays to start. The flight started in Edmonton and picked us up in Calgary. Delay at Edmonton because of bad weather for an hour or so, and, another 2 hours in Calgary because of some frozen equipment that loads the luggage. To say the least, it was  [... read more]annoying. Because of the delays, we arrived very late at the resort. There was only one desk clerk to register us so it was another hour before we got to our room. This was the only down-side of the resort. It would have been nice if packages were ready for us when we arrived and taken to one of the business meeting rooms to take care of all of us at once. Other resorts have done this for us and it works well. Tha accommodations were fantastic. The rooms were very clean and modern. Our maid service was excellent. Thank you Ketty! She was very friendly and did a fantastic job on our room. We were in the 1300 block (Room 1312). It was close to the disco, so you could hear it everynight. We had asked for a room closer to the beach but the resort was packed. There is a priviledge area if you want to pay the additional funds. The food was excellent. There was a large variety to choose from. There are 3 station where you can have one of the chefs cook you some pasta, meat or fish to your liking. Otherwise, lots of choices at the buffet. We are vegatarians and we gained a bunch of weight while we were here. We even went to the gym to workout. Good food. Great vacation. The snack bar by the pool makes great pizza. The snacl bar by the beach has a ton of choices too. We ate our lunch there most of the time. Excellent service too. I need to say thank you to Liety for putting up with us at the buffet. She was always friendly and had a smile on her face when we were practicing our Spanish. Thanks Liety for your excellent service! The beach is amazing. Miles and miles of beautiful sand beaches. Everyday, my wife and I walked for a few miles in the morning. If you like the beach, this is the place to go. I also need to say thank you to Damays and Jonsh at the beach bar. They were always smiling and made us feel very welcome to Cuba. Damarys made us a few specials cocktails as well. Thanks Damarys and Jonsh! We did go shopping in Varadero and toured around the city as well. Make sure you go to the La Bodeguita del Medio. We had an amazing lobster meal with a mojito for 20 CUC. Well worth the price. I must compliment the local Cubans for putting up with our limited ability to try and speak Spanish. We always make an effort to communicate in the native language. They are very appreciate. Gracias! Los Cubanos son muy amables. We enjoyed the catamaran excursion. Once again, beautiful beach and fantastic food. The ride on the ocean is awesome. Bring your own snorkeling equipment if you have some. The ones they have aren't the best. Make sure you do the jeep safari trip as well. Get a real flavor of Cuban life. We didn't get a chance to go to Havana. We decided to stay and enjoy the beach. Next time! :) Once again, thank you to everyone at the El Patriarca. It was impressive. I would absolutely return.

Smile!

We had a most amazing time at Ocean Varadero. The facilities were clean,the beach was always stunning and the staff were always polite and accomodating. The Michael Jackson show was free but we would have paid money to see it. Mikes coffee bar was a great way to start off the day and the a la carte restaurants were first rate. We had a great time making friends with fellow travellors and the staff at the Lobby Bar; Justo had goosto, Nestor smiled magnificently and Jerry pitched ice cubes like a  [... read more]pro. Special mentions to the other lobby bar staff, Anisleidy,Rosana,Karina,Josia,Julaimi, Dariarri Dany and Katerine. Our glasses were always filled and they all knew how to make a flaming Sambuca! Great times and Great Memories. Thanks for a special time.

Nice resort

My wife and I and 6 friends stayed here 2 years ago. We thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the resort and so returned the first week of December this year. We were disappointed that the resort had not maintained the same level of excellence we had enjoyed before. From the appearance of the grounds, condition of the rooms and level the level of quality of the Al la Cartes, many things have " slipped". The biggest drop in quality was seen at the Buffett. The buffet offered little or no variety from [... read more] night to night.

Great ambiance!

The complex of small buildings with 12 units in each made for a nice ambiance. It was like a little village amongst lots of greenery instead of a massive, impersonal hotel. We had a first floor unit with a king bed. It was comfy except for 2 issues. (1) there were little bugs/ants around the bathroom window and on the bathroom floor. However we sprayed around these areas with our insect repellent which killed them and no more came in for the rest of our stay. (2) the shower floor was grimy. The  [... read more]grout was very dirty. Recommend wearing your flip flops in the shower. The beach was pleasant with lots of lounge chairs and shade umbrellas. The buffet had a great selection of food and you will definitely find something you like there. There were 2 grill stations where you could get food cooked to order. At breakfast, there was omelets at one station and eggs to order at the other. At lunch it was seafood at one station and other meats at the other. Dinner was similar to lunch. There was always lots of fruit. There were also sauces, and condiments. Don't listen to the naysayers who tell you to bring your own spices and sauces because they think the food will be bland. There are many sauces and condiments there to choose from. All of the staff, no matter what position, was cheery and helpful. We did not feel that more or less service was provided based on tipping. All in all it was a good experience.

Awesome Resort

We stayed here for a week in November with our family. The minute u arrive is breathtaking. The rooms are amazing and the decor is phenomenal. The beach .Wow is all I can say. The food was just okay. Its Cuba if you are going for the food you will be dissapointed. The staff are excellent too.

Terrific stay at El Patriarca!

Hola - First time in Cuba for my wife and I are we were not disappointed. We knew the food was not going to be great and it was not nearly as bad as lots of people have commented on. There are plenty of options to choose from and you will eventually find something that works for you. The Gourmet and Italian restaurants are nice but get there at least by 6:10 to get a seat for 6:30. We were upgraded to the Privilege section and had a second floor unit overlooking the pool. The room was contempor [... read more]ary and always kept clean. No ants to speak of. Very close to the beach which was very nice but get there early (by 7 am) to reserve a spot and then go to breakfast. The Privilege and Main pools were crystal clear and immaculate. As were the entire grounds and beach. No garbage anywhere. No mosquitoes. Staff were always friendly and smiling. Very hardworking and tipping is a nice gesture at times but not always necessary as you will not find anyone asking or gesturing for it. We felt very safe throughout our trip both at the resort and in Varadero where we visited for 2 days. We also took the opportunity to swim with the dolphins which I would highly recommend. We chose this over going into Havana as 4 hours in a car versus 4 hours on a catamaran was a "no brainer" for us. Overall an excellent experience and we are already planning our next trip to Cuba. Where else can you go to a warm destination that you feel safe, can get an inexpensive all-inclusive trip, and a 3 hour flight from Toronto. This all points to a return for us.

Beautiful Resort/Amazing Staff

Stayed in the Privledged Section of the resort in a Junior Suite. Accomodations were great, overlooking the privledge pool with the sound of the waterfall. Very peaceful . Jay out butler was absolutely amazing, came to check in with us about 3 times a day to make sure our stay was everything we wanted. Ate at the a la cartes and they were pretty good, enjoyed Mike's coffee amazing special coffee's, Piano Bar was a highlight with the 3 piece entertainment., Beach was nice but the privledge could  [... read more]be a wee bit nicer. Enjoyed the privledge lounge and restaurant. Only complaint was WiFi was awful and we had to pay for it. Could not facetime my children back home so that was disappoingting. All in all this resort was well worth the price point and Privledge is the way to go. You are treated like royality