Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Outstanding resort for anybody over 18 including invalids

This was my first time in this hotel but I travelled to many hotels in Mexico and Dominican Republic and Varadero. It is spacious but cozy and homy at the same time . Hotel is full but you never feel there is too many people. staff is efficient but you do not have a feeling they are in rush or pushy or breathless as in both Mexico and Dominican. I feel hotel employs right number of people so although they are busy they are always there for you. Staff is kind in a particular Cuban way only they [... read more] know. It is also partially because Cubans are excellently educated so general level of staff is better than elsewhere,but again this hotel in particular has a good HR department. Many couples we met kept returning to this resort and I personally met two copies being there 7th time. That speaks for itself. Food was excellent for healthy food style... Fish, meet and raw and cooked vegetables in abandance. Non gluten pasta with vegetables and pesto with touch of garlic was out of this world. Regular flour crepe available at both lunch and supper. Deserts were exceptionally good considering that Cuba is not famous for sweets. Honey was available for those who prefer it with tea and coffee. Grill next to the pool has best healthy salads next to the roast and hamburgers. Absolute silance through day and night in area of rooms. Amazing. What stands out as absolutely impressive and above any expectation is entertainment. From yoga and aqua fit to valley ball on both grass and sand to afternoon and evening music that is memorable. First class musitions are brought in with world class performance skills that leave you to stop talking and feel as if on concert all the time. Opera singers from Havana sang for an hour well known arias from famous operas and we all sang with them in the audience. Entertainment this hotel offers one does not get in any other country or resort. And even if you think you are not a talent for Latin dance Veronica will turn those two left feet into a dancer by the end of the week and your significant other wil be very happy . Guests are such fine people that one would think hotel chose them and not vice versa. One is at ease to start chatting with anybody. No drunken or aggressive loud people out of control. There is a lot of loud laughter but not unpleasant. Probably the class of hotels service encourages only people with refine taste to go there. No need to mention that Varadero beach is spectacular. People with invalidity of any kind are rolled is special beach strollers to the water for a swim. Snorkeling in local reef is only kilometar away from the beach and it is arranged by sailing boats at the resort. Effortless and beautiful activity. One has to be patient with waiting for the bus for our of hotel activities. Buses are always late as they collect passengers from many resorts and it is guests who are not there on time makung the whole bus be late for the last hotel. If you like Cuban music do not miss Buena Vista Social Club concert in Varadero. It is worth waiting for a bus 40 minutes for only ten minutes ride to the Hall. Three musicians from old gang are still performing. There is not one insect in the room but two or three mosquitoes are there at night. I will be back to the resort with pleasure.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Really good resort

The hotel was in a good condition and very clean. The staff was friendly . All the al a cart restaurants were good . Very good beach .and nice pools . There are lots of activities to do at the resort .the shows at the theatre were really good .

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Great vacation

This resort has everything required for a fantastic holiday. Lovely grounds, comfortable rooms, stunning beach, fun pool,yummy food at the buffet and a la cartes. (My favourite was the lasagna at the Italian), hard working entertainment crew and staff who make you feel at home

Grand Memories Varadero: Ok resort

Hotel was ok. Grounds nice. Beds were not great. When I sat down to use toilet the seat flew off. Pools nice. Pool area entertainment very weak. Beach area nice. Ocean awesome. Very disappointed with the alacarte restaurants. And only allowed 2 a week. Buffet was awful. Line ups all the time. Food cold. Same thing every day. Overall services weak. Night we got there at 4 AM they gave me my room keys. Got to room it was not clean. They hadn’t cleaned it from last guests yet. Couldn’t get he [... read more]lp with luggage. Drug my luggage back to lobby. Got keys for new room. No help with luggage. Had to drag it back to different building. In morning asked if room was cleaned so I could move back to other building to be close to family. They said building is full. Whole vacation I was in different building than family I came with. Overall I would not recommend resort. Will never go back there again.

Sol Varadero Beach: Nice Resort

The grounds were beautiful. BBQ lunches and dinner the best and breakfast omelets tastety. Rooms very clean. Waitresses very friendly especially Elisa. The only complaint would be out of the 9 days we had a bottle of water only two times. We had to beg for water which was very upseting. Talked with Customer service twice and said problem would be solved. Well she went to the office and gave a bottle after I had to demand it. We had to demand water prior to talking to her. This should NOT happ [... read more]en. Talked with three other people at the resort and said they received water daily.

Starfish Jibacoa: Love this place

It was my third visit, as with so many people they go back over and over because it's so amazing. The staff truly make the place, they're all so kind. The snorkeling and diving off the beach are fantastic, the beach is beautiful, grounds are immaculate. The food is honestly very good for Cuba. I never lacked for options of delicious food. At a dinner held weekly for repeat guests, we were told the resort was at full capacity of 300. 211 were filled by Canadians, and 98 were repeat guests. That s [... read more]hould tell you anything you need to know about how great this place is.

Palma Real: Great spot!

Had an excellent stay at this resort! Was clean, great location, beach was beautiful, people were helpful and nice. Rooms were upkept everyday. Lots of stuff was going on. Food wasn’t great but it was bad either. Would definitely go again!!!

Grand Memories Varadero: Very Large Resort

Grand Memories is an older resort and needs to be updated, for example our TV likely came over on the Ark. It was very old and did not work for the first 4 days we were there. Our toilet leaked all over the floor every time we flushed it , that took 2 days to repair. Grand Memories is very large and spread out, this did not work well for my Husband & I as he is 90 and I am 78 and walking is for the most part very hard for both of us. We were very close to the pool which was excellent but about [... read more] 4 to 5 blocks from most other places. Not really a fault of the resort ,just too big a resort for us. Other than that the food was okay and our room was comfortable

Starfish Jibacoa: Beautiful family resort

This was our second trip to villa Jibacoa , March 2018 & March 2019 we stayed for 7 nights in the bungalow both trips. We love the beautiful natural surrounding, excellent snorkeling and swimming, very friendly staff and service. We loved every day of the trip and hope to stay longer than 7 nights next time.

Club Tropical: Mixed Emotions

Beach was beautiful, food was edible (people always say you don't go for the food). We had a beach front apartment. It was nice of the staff to put all travelers together instead of separate rooms. Staff was very kind! The male staff were very flirty (sometimes too flirty). I did appreciate the flowers I could place in my hair and the coconut drinks - that was a nice friendly gesture (be ready to tip). There were two bars located on the property. It would have been great if they both s [... read more]erved the same drinks 24/7. At least is the day bar/snack bar could have had longer hours. There was a BIG issue with bugs in all of the rooms. Mainly ants, some guests wouldn't use the washroom in their room, they used the lobby washroom. We found cockroaches in and around our room. They offered to switch rooms, but the bugs were a problem everywhere. Did not have an issue with sand fleas (we did use bug spray just in case). Entertainment/music ended by 11 pm. I think this was a resort more for locals and an older crowd. It was in a great location, downtown, walking distance to the markets, banks, and other shops. Great pizzeria (Honey House) close by. Wifi is not including in your stay. You can walk a couple blocks to purchase a wifi card (1 peso for 1 hour). The first few days the resort did not have money to exchange, we had to walk to bank (remember to bring your ID if you go to the bank). Pillows were flat. Wasn't the most comfortable sleep. Bathroom towels were very small and you don't get enough. Swim towels have to be rented for 10 peso each, you give the deposit and get you money back at the end BUT be very careful to read the paper you sign! Make sure it has YOUR name on it. They had use sign a paper with an incorrect name and we have to show driver's license in order to prove that was our deposit in order for us to get our money back. I would not stay here again.

Brisas Del Caribe: What a great place!

We have been here 3 times and the service from the staff is the best. The dancers at night are amazing, the staff at the coffee bar and all the indoor bars are awesome! The beach is very close to the hotel and there's a daily bbq with a bar right behind it! Our room cleaner Lydia always made our room spotless and left cool towel arrangements on our bed everyday which was a nice touch. The front entrance staff and the bell hops are very helpful.

Barcelo Solymar: The not so sure resort

First the good stuff it was really easy access for wheel chairs on the grounds of the hotel and very clean in the outside the beach was super. Inside was a night mare dirty no toilet seat in the bathroom dirty towels daily dirty sheets 2weeks never changed the sheets once what a mess never again but I will return to Cuba but not where we stayed that's for sure

Muthu Playa Varadero: Loved it!

This was my first trip anywhere and couldn't have been more pleased. Was a little nervous setting up everything and going on my own but Maria and tripcental were great. Thanks to all of the staff at Mutha Playa and I will certainly be going back!

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Peaceful Paradise

This hotel is on a pristine piece of white sand beach, with relatively calm waters (we were there in March, which is a bit windier, so the waves were a little stronger, but lots of fun!). The hotel was well maintained and all of the staff that we dealt with were friendly and efficient. We initially had a problem with a slight musty odour and poorly functioning AC system in our room, and they accommodated us immediately with a room change and a dehumidifier. The rooms do show a little wear and [... read more] tear here and there, but the resort is a former Sandals, and we were pleased overall. Really, how much time are you spending in your rooms anyway? While food is generally not the high point of a resort in Cuba, we found the food here to be quite good! In particular, the Italian restaurant and the El Carribe restaurant were outstanding, and were among some of the best meals I have ordered in our travels! The buffet was quite extensive and if you can't find something you like to eat at each buffet meal, you're too damned picky and should probably stay home and cook for yourself! The best part of this resort was the quiet. There was no constant "oompa, oompa, oompa" of music on the beach or around the pool for the majority of the day. Occasionally, there was music from an aerobics class or dance class, but it wasn't outrageous. The beach was ALWAYS quiet; things kicked into a noisier gear about 4pm by the pool, as the happy hour was reached. At that point, if you don't like it, go back to the beach where it's pretty much silent or go get changed for supper. We had no problems getting the drinks we wanted (even premium stuff was widely available) and I can honestly say that there is no real need to purchase the diamond club extensions here. It gives you a few extra brands of booze, and a couple of separate areas on the beach and around the pool, but those areas are literally right beside the common areas...it changes nothing about your experiences in those two places. Sure you have a separate lounge and restaurant to eat your breakfast....but isn't half of the fun meeting others? This was an adults only hotel, and I truly enjoyed not worrying about little kids running around while we were drinking/relaxing. If it had children, diamond club would have been a more important consideration. Topless bathing was permitted, but there were only a few people doing this and it didn't seem to be a problem at all. Overall, there was only about 400 rooms spread across about 30 (?) separate bungalows, so it's super quiet there. We were in one of the farthest buildings after our room switch, and I didn't find it outrageous at all. You can easily walk everywhere on the resort/to the beach in under 5 minutes - even from where we were located on the far side.

Paradisus Varadero: Pretty but that's all

This hotel was very nice as far as rooms, pool, beach area and food in buffet a little above the usual Cuban fair. The customer service was extremely poor. Spent a whole day asking for water (3 visits to reception-manager the next day...). It was like asking for gold. The drinks were very poor. The beach waiter said it best. I asked what was good. "Beer". No margarita, no daiquiris, no specialty coffees. No red wine on Sunday night.....The workers all seemed very discontent no smiles there... [... read more]anyway you get the jest of it. I thought it may be related to the fact that I took the basic rate and not Royalty Rate but those people were even worst off service just as bad and they had no beach on their area and had further to go for anything they were even more disappointed. Cuba is too windy too many red flag days on the beach for me. I'm done.

Club Tropical: club tropical veradero

we had a great agent and flawless booking procedure. however, the room we got when we arrived was not what we booked. we booked 2 garden rooms with terrace for the 4 of us . 2 adults 2 teenagers. we received a "2 bedroom apt over looking the beach" the view was lovely. the room had a kitchen full of ants, the 1 bathroom in the boys room shower did not work and the ants were coming up from the drain and all over the window. the one bed that was against the window had constant flow of ants on the  [... read more]wall that made it impossible for him to sleep there. we reported everything. the hall way had a leak coming straight down from the A/C unit in the above apt that made it impossible to keep a dry floor and we needed to keep a towel on the floor to prevent anyone from slipping. we needed a can of bug spray for the unit from the hotel. we had a welcoming cockroach that again made it very difficult to sleep for feeling as though it would be back on our beds. it was not till wed. that we were offered 2 other rooms, but given the comments of other guests who had the same issue there was no point in moving . my eldest son slept only 2 nights with us for the week we spent on our long awaited holiday. he found alternate accommodations. tried to get my 20 CUC back to return the towels and they had my name attached to someone elses room and i had to prove thru signature on the cards that they had made an error to get my money back. sadly the money I spent on a budget hotel on a single parent salary to give us a long awaited little holiday away to give us a nice time away was not the best experience at this hotel at all. I would never go back there and I would certainly never recommend that a t/a recommend it. sadly the online views are never what you get when you go to cuba. we wanted something close to town for the boys to have somewhere to go . the next time I can afford to go I would book an all inclusive that you would have no reason to need to leave for . an all inclusive with amenities and games for the boys. broken darts for the board, only 1 pool cue for the pool table of which there was 2 but you could never play together. not a great experience sorry to say.

Playa Vista Azul: Por and cons

This is an awsome hotel for Cuba. It is well diversify as you have 2 beaches and 2 pools far from each other. They were a lot of choice at the buffet and the servers make it even more better then the restaurant à la carte. They were really attentive to all our needs and make sure we were happy. And the staff all around the resort is amazing. The room was always clean and the lady was always checking on us if we needed anything. For the Restaurant à la carte, this is a different story. What  [... read more]we were eating seems to come from the buffet but with a touch of artistery. We have no choice than laugh at it. And the bed are really hard to sleep on. But, overall, this was an awsome trip. Easy to get around and the staff attention make it even more charming.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Great place to vlst

Great resort staff great friendly ground clean amazing grooned beachs great aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh llllllllooooooooollllllwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwbbbbbbbbbbbhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyykkkkkkkkkkkkk

Occidental Arenas Blancas: This hotel needs attention

We arrived late on Sat. night (1130 pm) and the lobby was open, but it was lifeless and badly lit giving off an institutional vibe. We were escorted to our room promptly by the bellboy but found it was more like a college dorm room than a hotel room in a tropical resort. There were no room towels and not enough beach towels for the three of us. The double bed mattresses were so tired my body rested on the boxspring and my husband woke with a spring poking in his back. Pool tiles were all mis [... read more]sing around the edges on the bottom and sides of the pool and the water was cloudy. Only two elevators worked, one of which broke down. The late night snack bar had the feeling of being a prison cafeteria line-up. There was always an interminable line-up for the most popular item, be it coffee, snacks, pasta chef, pancake chef, the bar, there were never enough staff to support the busy times around the resort. No one smiled, there were no maps available for guests to use, and the guest services person who demanded that all issues be presented to him, deferred every single query that we presented to him. We arrived Saturday night and couldn't book an a la carte until Tuesday and weren't successful getting a booking without firstly trekking over to Barcelo, then back again to Arenas Blancas, and finally escalating the issue - first to guest services, who was useless, and then to the Sunwing rep who took pity on us and found us a couple of bookings. This process occupied over half a day of our vacation. Then on Thursday Corporate office reps appeared out of nowhere and distributed satisfaction surveys, and suddenly the animation reps were doing their jobs and putting on the pool and beach activities, there was a buffet maid walking around cleaning the buffet stations and making sure there were plates and cups, there were chefs and bartenders everywhere, it was like night and day seeing the staff suddenly smiling and willing to help and serve you. I could go on and on... The resort needs to better equip and support their staff. The resort has good bones but maintenance has fallen off their radar. I do NOT recommend this resort the way it is. The beach is amazing but just find another hotel

Grand Memories Varadero: Nice Resort ... but

The rooms were nice, food was very good and entertainment was excellent. The grounds, beach, and pools were also good; however, there were some serious problems. There was NO toilet paper in most of the public bathrooms most of the time. Our safe was locked by previous roomers and it took staff three days to come and open it, meaning we had to keep our passports, money, etc. on us at all times until the end of the third day. Towels were replaced with bath mats on several occasions and the r [... read more]oom didn't appear to be swept as it was very gritty by the end of our stay. The bars were out of many liquors multiple times during our stay, including mint for Mojito's which the island claims is their number 1 drink. The advertised golf carts to assist people around the grounds were unreliable, at times waiting up to an hour to be picked up. All of the above left a poor impression and left us dealing with multiple problems on a daily basis.