Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: 1 week is never enough!

Our 6th time to this resort and it won't be our last. The repeat customer upgrades are awesome and all the Royal Service staff is great! William, Virginia and Mary Carmen made this another memorable week. All resort staff are very friendly and work hard to keep the customers happy. Royal pool bar has the best coffee and the Royal lobby bar has the best "iced" margaritas, and always has Buccanero. There is always a good variety of food for even "MOST" of the picky eaters. The Japanese restaur [... read more]ant is a must, and if you take a trip to Varadero and like lobster, go to El Rancho! This was our first trip in February so was more$, and first time here with Air Transat out of Saskatoon. Way better flight times than AC and Sunwing, and Options Plus made trip even better. One negative this trip was mosquitos. Tiny, painless and fast when you see them. Bites are very itchy the next day, but there is an aloe vera plant straight across the sidewalk North of "The Rockhouse Grill". It stinks but it works. They did fog every evening but can't kill 'em all!

Melia Marina Varadero: Very nice facility, food and staff need a major overhaul

Very small beach with about half comfortable chairs and half old style plastic, get to the beach early if you want a good chair. The pool and entertainment are great! Food is very slow to be replaced in the buffet and was not good, I had heard Cuba lacked spices so the food is bland, That was not the problem, it was often under or overcooked and swimming in oil. The pizza station is solid if you talk to "the pizza guy" he will whip you up something edible for a reasonable tip. Buffet staff seem [... read more]ed disinterested in helping most days. Bars were solid and were not shy with the booze. The beds are ROCK hard. I would recommend Cuba if you like killer beaches but would find somewhere else to stay

Melia Marina Varadero: Beautiful Resort

Just arrived from this Resort. Beautiful grounds, pools, and the beach is great. Plenty of chairs for everyone which is great. My room was on "The Level" floor, which includes Private check in, restaurant for Level customers which was awesome since we had to leave at 7:30 am and it was the only restaurant opened at that time. Breakfast food was great but could use a bit more food choices for the A la Carte Restaurants. The only thing I would like to mention to housekeeping is to concentrate  [... read more]more on the cleanliness of the rooms i.e. in our room the counters of the washrooms were not washed when we took the room and they never washed it during the 3 days we were there. The thermostat was very dirty and same thing with the telephone and the remote control. I always leave a tip for the Housekeeping people, I would like them to concentrate more on the cleaning than coming back to my room and finding Swans made with my bedspread. All the staff I dealt with were very gracious and helpful. I will definitely go back to this resort.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great Resort, good value

Resort is a little out dated, but the beach is gorgeous, food at general buffet was ok, nothing special, but al-la carte restaurants were amazing! Not much night life on the resort, but lots to do off the resort in Varadero!

Melia Jardines del Rey: GREAT BEACH ....FUN ENTERTAINMENT

This was our second visit to Melia Jardines Del Ray. Beach is fantastic, animation team was great, and we loved the bands and the night that the dancers interacted with guests. Shows were the same old thing... There needs to be a HUGE improvement of the food and cleanliness of the public areas. The food at many times was cold , and overcooked or undercooked. Ran out of a lot of items quickly and not replenished, so do not show up too late. They definitely need more toasters, and more gr [... read more]illing station ( you could see the frustration of the guests) Service was hit and miss , some staff very hardworking, and I think the management needs to be replaced as I believe that the staff is not trained properly , or they are just lazy!!! BRING BEACH TOWELS - You may never see one, or spend 1/2 hours each day waiting , and still they may not show up BRING BUBBA - Thermal refillable cup BRING MISQUITO REPELLANT - Use a lot and often , even before bed as misquitoes get into your room I do not think we will return or even recommend this resort Location is Fantastic - 15 minutes from airport

Melia Las Antillas: Both plus and minus experience

The hotel is a bit old and in need of repairs here and there. The staff are very thoughtful and respectful and decent. I especially like the staff who let their personalities shine through alongside the need to maintain their professional demeanor. Good to know real people. Food was similar to all varadero hotels Not enough chairs on the beach and I really recommend a system whereby people dont monopolize beach lounge chairs while leaving them empty all day. That really sucks I fo [... read more]und it relaxing and got what I needed. I also love all the cute cats roaming around. It was ok ! Grounds were beautiful and noise levels low and allow for lots of rest. Love that it is adults only.

Melia Cayo Coco: top shelf resort

simply awesome time at melia cayo coco.....everything went smoothly from amanda booking for us to our limo back home....the cuban people are the most hospitable and welcoming people i have ever met...........

Melia Jardines del Rey: Beautiful Beach

This resort was not one of my favourites. Compared to other Cuban resorts, the entertainment team was not as involved, there were too many line ups for food, it was hard to get into the a la carte restaurants and my friend had bed bugs in her room. The beach was beautiful which was the highlight of the resort. I will not return to this resort.

Melia Varadero: Going back home!

This was our second time at the Melia Varadero and it will not be the last. It is clean, spacious and most of all the staff give their 150%. The food is good, the atmosphere is magical. What a place!

Melia Las Dunas: Good food, Good Resort!

The beach sand was clean and shallow clear water, mostly well cared for grounds (some areas under renos), friendly staff, great entertainment, the 2 hr bus ride is like a tour with info about Cuba. I had a Great time!

Hotel Camino del Mar: Fantastic vacation

The hotel has a lot of great things going for it: wonderful staff, lovely grounds, good food, a gorgeous beach and that turquoise ocean... Yes, it's an older property and in need of a lot of fixes and painting. Our room was clean and nicely cared for during our stay. The bathroom was desperately in need of an overhaul - it was very dark, the toilet ran continuously and the sink plug wouldn't stay up so we had to remove it all together. Other than that, the gardens, pool and beach areas, bars [... read more] and restaurants are all well taken care of. The food was generally good - anything made-to-order was the best, and there were lots of options. Drinks were good too, except the wine. What really made our vacation were the people. We became friends with the animation staff and some of the servers and bartenders - they're all wonderful people and really made the vacation a great one. If you're not an overly picky person, and if you view the room as just a place to sleep and store your things as we do, you'll like this place. Take the time to talk to and get to know the staff as those friendships will be what you take with you when you leave.

Memories Cayo Largo: Wonderful Holiday!

Returned a couple of days ago from the Sol Cayo Largo after a fabulous week's holiday! I am missing the sun, sand and surf already!! We chose the Sol based on the many great reviews it received and took into account that there were some not so great reviews as well - all with a grain of salt. We couldn't have chosen a lovelier resort for our time away. The Sol Cayo Largo is not huge so there is not a lot of walking great distances to get to anything. The grounds are beautiful and kept up so t [... read more]hat they remain natural and tidy at the same time. The resort itself is the nicest I have been to in Cuba. It is clean and has charm - a great combination. Cayo Largo has its own airport so you are five minutes away from your hotel after you get on the bus. Check-In was great - efficient and quick and then off to your room. The rooms are large, I was really surprised how large! We had rooms in building 18 right by the walkway down to the beach. We couldn't have picked a better spot - lovely and peaceful and the sunrise each morning was glorious from the balcony. Hearing the surf all the time was an added bonus. The rooms are kept very clean and they may be a bit outdated for some but I really couldn't find anything to complain about. Nothing fancy but the beds were comfy and the shower worked all the time. The TV worked but I only had it on to check the weather, which was perfect every day! The food in the buffet restaurant was really good - there was something for everyone so you won't starve if you go there. The pasta station was always very popular but the main buffet had some nice choices. There was fresh fruit and veggies all week so we were very happy. The snack bar (outdoor restaurant by the pool) was terrific and you could get a burger or a pizza or pasta. The beer was cold and the service was great so again, no complaints. We didn't try the a la carte restaurants as we were happy with the choices at the buffet. Service in general was really wonderful - these people work very hard and always have a smile to share with you. Customer service is never an easy job but everyone was more than happy to help out and get you what you wanted. Beach - simply perfect! The nicest beach on that stretch by far. There were always plenty of lounge chairs and you had lots of choice for sun or shade. The water was a bit rough but we managed to get in and play around in the surf regardless.There are people who go topless - if you don't like it, don't look! Pool - we were in it once for about an hour and it was nice. We are more beach people but those around the pool were having a good time and there were no shortage of chairs there. Other beaches - the two other beaches on the other side of the island (under 10 minutes by taxi or shuttle bus) are spectacular and the water is very calm. We spent three days at Playa Sirenis and it was just heavenly. Again, lots of room so you weren't feeling over-crowded. So, the taxi is 2 CUC each way per person and the lounge chairs are 2 CUC for the day. Drinks are cheap and there is a restaurant there as well. The Sol will make you a lunch to take with you if you tell the front desk the day before you go. Pretty basic lunch - meat on a bun and some rolls and a pop. Exchange rate - the exchange rate at the hotel isn't great but if you fly in after the airport exchange closes you are stuck - no banks on the island. Not a huge deal but a bit annoying. We didn't watch the shows in the evening so I can't comment but we saw some rehearsals and it all looked good to me. Other We took bug spray but didn't need it at all. Still, a good idea to take it with you Wifi is about $2 for an hour's worth and you need to be in the lobby to use it - I didn't get my full hour (or even close to it but no big deal) So, if you are looking for peace and quiet, sun, sand, surf and friendly people - this is the place for you! We're already planning our return trip!

Tryp Cayo Coco: Updating is coming! Resort is great!

Over all the resort is great. This was our second visit to Tryp Cayo Coco. The people who work there can't do enough for you. The grounds are constantly kept upand there is always someone working on something. They are in the midst of preparing to redo 190 rooms beginning in May. The rooms are tired and need to be upgraded which is great to see them do. There is an issue with mosquitos and a stench around the stale water that runs through the resort is likely the issue. If they could get [... read more] that cleaned up that resort would be perfect.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Good & not so good...

This was a perfectly typical Cuban experience.... The physical plant as a unit was impressive. The buildings and grounds were well kept....but the devil was in the details. Our unit [21] had outdoor stairs. The main lights in the stairwells remained unlit for the entire week, being illuminated [thankfully] by emergency lights. I reported this asap and upon encountering a group of maintenance people on scene....I pointed...yelled and did everything I could to communicate the situation with no  [... read more]results. Our room was spacious and clean with a minimum number of bugs...however! We couldn't turn on the heat. The room was quite chilly overnight. Big drawback was the beach itself. It was bisected by a steep bank which ran the entire length. Not a problem for the young and agile but we are not young and agile.We spent most of our 'sunning' time by a very nice swimming pool. There was no washroom readily available. We ended up peeing in the ocean! I'm sure we weren't the only ones! Staff were attentive and friendly. They get an 'A'. We tipped a ton and were happy to do it. The food gets a B. A final [minor] issue. Beach towels were not always available and management told us if we didn't return them they would grab our passports! Duh! Would we book again? No....the big issue being the beach. Next year....the big island! Cathy & David.....

Tryp Cayo Coco: Amazing Resort

The beaches are amazing and at this resort they were working on picking up sea weed by 6:15 am every morning. Very clean resort. Dated but they are working on it!! No shortage of food. You will always find something you like even if you are a picky eater. The staff work hard to put on evening entertainment. THE BEST entertainment was Alex in the Azul Restaurant. As the evening show finishes Alex will perform in the window for all to see. He was our highlight of the evening.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Melia Cayo Santa Maria

Maids done excellent job in rooms. General maintenance in public areas ( wash rooms) was poor,needs better program.Food could have been served hot. For most part,We had a good vacation, would probably consider returning. Pool was excellent, water was clean and clear. Beach was really beautiful, clean and clear water.

Tryp Cayo Coco: Great place

Very nice place, friendly staff and good entertainment with lots of activities and outings available, snorkling, places to visit, tours, fishing etc. Good place to relax and wind down.................

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Could have done better!

This was our second stay at this facility. The in-room coffeemakers have not worked in two years in four different rooms. The A/C on the West side of building 5 did not work despite requests for 4 days to fix it. Everything in our room was damp and stank of mold/mildew. We were invited to the Royal Service section for dinner. The dinner ended up overshadowed by the 1.5 inch cockroach in the washroom. Forget getting decent liquor. The Lobby Bar, Corona Bar and Piano Lounge were consistently out o [... read more]f Bailey's. Crown Royal was only available in the Royal section. The beds are hard and the pillows way too soft. The employees are really nice for the most part.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Run down

This is the first time I have written a bad review. No water for part of two days. Water had to run 20-25 min before hot water came and then only as a trickle. Ants in the room. Towel bar falling off. No clean beach towels for three days. Cold food at the buffet. Resort signs faded and not readable. Many things in desperate need of repair. Staff, although friendly, remained unmoved by our concerns.

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Average Resort

This was my first time in Cuba but I had been told what to expect. Having been to the Dominican and Jamaica, I knew to expect slightly lower standards here and i'm glad I did. The resort is undergoing some renovations which are definitely necessary. The hotel is dated in most areas. I'd give it a 3/5. We had no hot water and had to switch rooms and once we did it was a little better... but still not what you would expect from a supposed 4 star resort. The food was lacking also. T [... read more]here were some ok things about the food... pasta and omelette stations, but overall I'd only give food a 3/5. Not a lot of variety from day to day at the buffet, and the two a la cartes we tried were average. The pool was well maintained so no complaints there. And the beach was beautiful. Probably the best part of the resort in my opinion. Overall we MAY try Cuba again but definitely pay for a 5 star as I think that would be more comparable to what we are used to in other countries.