Hotel Los Cactus: my favorite place to vacation.

This resort is mainly full of repeaters.....some over 40 times, for one good reason. The staff here is amazing, and make this place a warm and inviting place to spend vacation, enjoying one of the best beaches in the world! The grounds are very clean and beautiful and very well taken care of. It is beautiful. The water is pristine and turquoise clear water with a soft sandy beach and all of your troubles disappear when you are relaxing here in the many chaise loungers and palapas and beac [... read more]h beds. I have only been back a couple of days and am already planning my next trip back to see all of my friends again. I LOVE LOS CACTUS :)

Paradisus Varadero: The good and the bad

We stayed here 6 years ago and were excited to return. The beach is amazing with no one selling products on the beach and it is in a lovely cove. The views, the water and the beach were stunning. Our room was clean and we were taken care of daily by a lovely lady. Staff was great for the most part with the exception of a few who were pushy for tips even though we always tipped. Some even asked for items. We had a few favorite waitresses who were so friendly but not intrusive or pushy.The food wa [... read more]s terrible when we arrived but we noticed each day there were improvements, such as cold meats on ice, nicer displays, carvings, more choices, variety, table clothes. At times it appeared a new manager had stepped in mid week. We heard someone had spoken to someone from the Melia Group!There were 5 a la carts in the info but only 3 were open the entire week. The facility was showing neglect with big and small things that needed attention. We found out on day 5 they are closing for renovations in May, however still having guests they should not just let things go. We enjoy Cuba however this resort is not what it was!

Grand Memories Varadero: Good size resort.

The resort is a nice size, it is long, I was in building #14, this building is quite far from the beach, so if you love walking then you will not mind being in buildings 14, 12 & 11. I must say we had a fabulous pool in front of these rooms, rooms in the 20 numbers is closer to the beach, lobby, buffet and party pool. I had no issues with my room, just missing a phone, told my Sunwing rep and she ordered one for the room, and they put the phone in the washroom. The grounds are very clean, the be [... read more]ach is beautiful goes on forever, but if you want a lounger in the shade get there early by 9am towels are on all of them. What I liked is the bank for money exchange is open 24 hours, just closes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so if there is a lineup go later, oh yes make sure that your Canadian bills are not torn, as they will not accept them. The only real issue I had with this resort is the crowds, lineup in the buffet can get really bad, if you go after 8pm you will find it way too busy and you may not get in. I was here in March but told by returning guests it is like this all the time in March and April, so way too busy and loud. The food was ok, yes some foods are cold at the buffet but there is a microwave so just use it and you will have hot food, I did. The staff are great, my maid left me a nice note every day and wished me a nice trip back home, this was a nice touch. Oh yes, for those of you like me who haven’t been to Cuba for a few years, I found out you no longer need to pay that $25.00 CUC when you leave Cuba.

Playa Vista Azul: Big resort

This resort seemed to be new,about 3 yrs old, but lacks a lot! Since it is build on a huge rock, lacks a beachfront.... Shortages of beach chair and umbrella, not mentioning interesting sport activities/ facilities and entairtaiments😒

Sol Palmeras: Amazing Beach and Staff

Overall we enjoyed this all inclusive resort. It was our first time booking the Sol Palmeras and will probably return. The beach was gorgeous. The staff were very friendly and for the most part, could speak very good English. Our bungalow room was always very clean and quiet. Would highly recommend booking a bungalow however you'll want to request to be placed in a building close to the hotel and beach which would be zones 1 and 2. If you love to walk, you'll be OK in zones 3, 4 and 5. We were i [... read more]n zone 2 in room 234 which we found to be a good distance from the noise at the hotel and close to our beach path. From our deck/room, we could see a little bit of the water over the top of the dunes. There weren't enough beach loungers or palapas (sun shade). Management seriously needs to supply more of both as people would invade saved palapas all the time which was intrusive and cause a few spats between guests. The majority of the palapas were closer to the hotel section. When you see pictures of the beach that have 3 to 4 palapas deep, those are near the hotel paths and are within the noisy area where the entertainment staff are playing games and playing loud music most of the day. If you want a quieter beach day, you'll have to walk towards the left hand side of the beach which would be nearer to the bungalow rooms. Due to the lack of loungers and shade, we had to set our alarm every morning for 6:00am....yes, we had to get up at STUPID O'CLOCK on our vacation!!! This was the only way to ensure that we had shade. We did a lot of walking which burned off most of our food and beverages...not a bad thing. The food at the El Morino was decent. I would recommend the grilled or Kentucky Fried Chicken which comes with fries and/or cabbage salad. If you're ordering a hamburger and don't want any raw meat in the center, order it well done. Our favorite server was Javier. He typically worked the right hand side of the outdoor restaurant and always wore a white dress shirt. Perhaps he was a supervisor? He was always pleasant and quick to serve us. Please tip your servers if you've received good service. There was a daily BBQ of chicken, ribs and sausage with sides near the El Morino. We ate from the BBQ our first day and that was it. We found the food to be dry and hard to chew. The buffet is repetitive just like it is at most all inclusives in Cuba or Mexico. The lobby has 3 bars. The small bar La Plaza which is just off of the main bar near the Italian restaurant has the BEST Mojitos and the BEST bartender we've ever had. Her name is Caridad and she's known as "Chico Mojito". The bartenders don't cheap out on the alcohol. Some reviews say that they water down their drinks however my husband and I can attest to the fact that they don't. The red wine isn't anything to write home about, however, we preferred the brand Palacio De Anglona which is from Spain. Guests can purchase their own wine, alcohol or cigars from a booth setup between the disco and the buffet on the main lobby level. The lobby can get very loud in the evenings which is typical with such a large open space. We were very disappointed that we were only given two cans of Cristal (beer) in our room fridge on our first day. This was our 9th time booking a Melia resort in Cuba and the first time we've been told that an all inclusive doesn't restock Cristal throughout your stay. For the price we paid (two weeks), we should have had two cans every day or at least another two cans when we started our 2nd week. We don't know if this was the resort's choice or did Melia cut back on these little perks. They also no longer provide body moisturizer which Melia has always provided in the past. There didn't seem to be any limit to the amount of a la cartes you could book however you had to book 2 days in advance. The a la carte reservation desk is between the main reception and the main bar along the same wall as the main bar. I think the a la carte desk was open from 7:30 to 3:30. Our favorite was the International which is the El Morino restaurant by day. The Oshin is the Chinese restaurant which is located in the bungalow area. We went twice. The food is tasty but very salty due to the amount of soy sauce that they cook the food in. The quality of the red wine served in the a la cartes is better than in the bars. There's a gift shop which seemed to have reasonable prices and a little food/alcohol store. They also have a few post card vendors. It was only .75 to mail ourselves a post card from Cuba to Canada. There's a train (motorized vehicle) that leaves for the Plaza America mall every hour on the hour. They pick you up on the hour every hour. If you don't want to wait the entire time, head towards the statue of the chef near the restaurant and take the stairs down. Head to the beach entrance and walk to the right. You'll need to walk through the Melia Varadero resort and then you'll be on the Sol Palmeras beach. The walk from the mall to the Sol was approx. 5 mins. There's a grocery store on the main level of the mall which has alcohol and general items. We were impressed that there were so many up to date clothing stores. Pack a light sweatshirt as we had a cold front for a few days and were grateful to have warmer clothes with us. When the wind is calm, there are plenty of pelicans as they follow the local fishermen. At one point, there were 25 pelicans on the shore and in the water. Made for really nice pictures. We can't comment on the pools as we always stayed at the beach.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Nice resort

Playa Alameda is a really comfortable, pleasant quiet resort. Service is good. The buffet includes a wide variety of food. The rooms are clean. The beach is beautiful. Activities are available throughout the day. You can relax by the pool or on the beach and if you wish take part of activities offered both by the pool or on the beach.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Nice Location

This hotel is located right on a very beautiful beach and just one block from the town of Varadero which is awesome. I also liked the large pool. The beach and pool were always busy but we could always find a couple of deck chairs too. The amenities were not the greatest as the hotel is a bit older and it has not been maintained as well as it could be. I hated that the air conditioner would not adjust its aim and I had to move the bed around to avoid being pounded all night long; but it was  [... read more]good that the air conditioning worked! The food was just ok, especially difficult for me as a vegetarian; the specialty restaurants were definitely nothing special. The best day was when we hired a private driver (Angel 52586667) to go to Mantanzas, checked out the real Cuba lifestyle, then had lunch at a lovely private (vs government) owned restaurant called Litoral Matancero, after which we did the deep cave tour (biggest cave I've been in), and finished with a dip in the fresh water at the base of a small cave near the airport in Varadero on our way back. Awe, good times!

Hotel Los Cactus: March Break 2019

This was our fourth trip to Los Cactus in the last five years. We were there from March 9 - 16, 2019 and always travel at this time of year. Room: We stayed in a gardenview suite. They are much nicer than the junior suites which are in the larger building (near the disco.) The room was simple but clean. Bedding is clean. King size bed - not two beds pushed together. Towels and bathroom was clean. We had hot water every day. Lights in bathroom were bright but the lights in the main r [... read more]oom could have been a little brighter. A couple of very small lizards which must have slipped in under the door but no big deal. We did have a problem with our toilet seat but it was taken care of after a couple of days (unfortunately not sooner) - I think had we made a bigger fuss they would have dealt with it faster. The garden suites have a second room which is nice for changing etc. Our room faced the ocean but no view due to palm trees - we were on bottom floor. Our back deck/sitting area had sun at the end of the day which was nice. Beach: Amazing! Great for long walks. Nice sand on feet. No need for beach shoes. Lots of beach chairs and they are in great shape. Lots of sun shelters - some are fixed to the ground and there are umbrellas that you can have put into the sand depending on where you want your chairs (i.e closer to the water.) Fixed shelters were replaced since the hurricane damage from a few years ago. Volleyball every day at 11 am. Kayak, peddle boats, etc. available. The beaches at Varadero are fantastic and Los Cactus is no exception. Water was clear and beautiful! Food: Buffet was fine though fairly similar from day to day. Not too many spices so you might want to bring some. Typical for Cuba though I think. Usually had some meat freshly grilled to your liking. Salad bar had a good variety. Bread sweet. Service: The staff at Los Cactus are awesome. They work long hours but are nothing but friendly, courteous and professional. My hat's off to them! Flight/Airport: The airport in Varadero is annoying. Long and slow queues. Pick a line and hope for the best. Be patient.

Melia Las Americas: Wonderful........yet again.

We had a wonderful trip from beginning to end. The resort is lovely, this is our 5 th time and it continues to shine. The beach is spectacular, rooms are being renovated and we had an older one one the first floor of the main building, some noise from below that woke us daily which was somewhat annoying but the room was clean and well appointed. The restaurants were fabulous! The bars were great and there is entertainment around every corner. The people are freiendly, helpful and talented.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Excellent service from staff!

Very clean excellent butler named Odalyis. She took care of us by getting us al a carte reservations Don't remember every having to line up for a drink We arrived on the first night and two single beds had been put together and the lever for the air conditioning was broken and we were away from the Royal Service area. We were accomodated, immediately the next day with a room right across from the Royal Service lobby and pools, with an oceanview room and could pick up the free wifi from the  [... read more]outside balcony! Only one negative happened, I got sick during the week and I believe that it was at the main buffet, because the smoked salmon was not kept cold enough

Paradisus Varadero: Great Relaxing Getaway

Our stay was just what we needed. Staff were really friendly. A bit relaxed when it come to prompt service but made up for it with smile!! Rooms and grounds very clean. Lovely beach Would go again

Melia Las Americas: Solid but not great!

Great place with flaws. Patio bar ran out of wine on three different nights and the food at the buffet under the heat lamps was lukewarm at best. Other than that a beautiful resort. Golf course was in excellent condition but could use a few more beverage carts due to the heat… Amen

Resonance Blu Varadero: Love this resort!

Love this resort! It’s big so a lot of walking is being done but the whole resort is amazing ... staff very friendly... food is decent, and resort is picturesque! Service is a little slow but when I’m on vacation... I’m not in a big rush anyways! I will definitely return to this resort!

Club Kawama: Horrible resort

Rooms, beds, service, and food stuck. Beach is alright but that is the only redeeming factor. You couldn't pay me to go back. There are basic requirements I expect from a resort such as toilet paper in the bathrooms, functional toilets, functional sinks, easily accessible food, doors that have door handles and doors that you dont have to slam into with all your weight to get open. Unfortunately I was horribly disappointed. Waiting 30-60 minutes everytime I wanted to eat got old fast. Being treat [... read more]ed like a second class citizen because I didn't speak Spanish got old even faster. I thought tipping heavily would help but it did not. The service was horrible, with staff going out of their way not to help you. We talked to people who had been to this resort 5, 10, 20 times and I was shocked that someone would ever come back there. I couldn't lower my standards low enough. Just things like having toilet paper in the bathroom, such a simple thing, and inexpensive even in Cuba I imagine but they didn't have it. You had to stockpile it and carry it with you wherever you went, just in case. Super annoying. And when we would complain about to vacationers that had been there before they said thats Cuba, what are you going to do. Sorry but that's not cool in my book. Our toilet in our room didn't work, we told the front desk but nothing was done until our last day 20 minutes before we checked out. Our door couldn't be opened by our children because they couldn't push hard enough. Our bed was about appeared to 30 to 40 years old and within days I had back and hip pain. The wasn't good but it wasn't bad but I was ok with that as I had been to Cuba before and I was expecting that. What I wasn't expecting was a wait every where I went for food. This is the only vacation that I gone hungry on as I just didn't feel like waiting for food. And if you did wait and I Spanish person came they could cut the line and take the food that was being prepared for you and now you would have to wait longer. Super fustrating. I could complain about more stuff but if you have read this far you'll get the point.

Club Kawama: Disappointing

A this price point, I had lowered my expectations substantially but I had not lowered them far enough. I had expected old buildings, bland food and bad beds but this was way worse. This resort is a serious state of disrepair.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Nice Resort

The hotel is nice. A few hiccups. Not all the elevators work. Requires a little maintenance for a new property. Food was good. Grounds are clean. Rooms are clean. Comfortable beds. Loved the coffee place ( star cafe). Staff are friendly. The beach is gorgeous. Clear water. Had to fight for shade. As there are not a lot of umbrella for the amount of people the resort holds. Pools area is large.

Barcelo Solymar: Loved the location!

There was six of us that went on this trip. Great Hotel and location. I have now been to Varadero several times and I have to say that this was my favorite spot. It was a good sized resort and always lots of room to find a place to sit and relax. Never huge line ups at dinner or the bars. I loved the grounds, pool area and food was good too! Most of all The beach in Varadero is one of the most beautiful beaches you will ever experience. The staff was always so accomidating to help us out [... read more] in any way they can. I would definitely stay here again.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Nice Resort

The staff were all very friendly and helpful. We had a problem with the A/C in our room and it took several days and a complaint to our Air Transat Rep before someone that knew what they were doing came to look at it. Limited WiFi areas and you have to buy time in one hour blocks. The beach was awesome! Hardly any rocks and very little sea weed. It was more of a sea grass and it didn't start until further out where the water was above my head. We did have issues with the food but that  [... read more]is more of a Cuba thing as opposed to a resort thing but if you enjoy fish or cabbage you'll be fine. Lol!

Hotel Villa Cuba: Tranquil

This was one of my favorite trips to Varadero. The resort was lovely, our room was clean and close to everything and the service was outstanding. I really liked how close it was to downtown. We went on many adventures on the hop on hop off bus and enjoyed the relaxed feel to this resort. Beds were comfy and air conditioning worked great. We never had problems with water pressure and always had lots of hot water for showers. The pools were beautiful and always clean....we were pleased that  [... read more]you could use pools till 7pm....alot of resorts close their pools earlier. We would definitely return to this resort.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: average

In general nice hotel,grounds are clean and well take care of,public and dinning areas are clean and spacious.First room we were offered stinky and not clean.The next day we got a nice,clean room in renovated building.There is something wrong with last day for people living hotel at 11:45pm. you are in title to lunch and dinner but you can stay in the room till noon only. We pay additional $ 95 to be able to stay till 6:00pm not even 5 minutes longer. I am hopping for refund!!!!! In order to k [... read more]ill last 6 hours you walk,sit on different chairs in different areas,after that you have 1 hour drive 3 hours at the airport and 6 hours on the plane .As a result all you gain in the week of holiday you lose on the last day. there are not mosquito screens towels were white in the past !!!!!!!!!!!