Starfish Cuatro Palmas: Advocate for yourself.

I am very aware that supply is short in Cuba and you have to take it in stride. I always go with a full carry on of Canadian supplies to leave. Medical supplies, toiletries, school supplies, kids toys ect. But I have a real problem when I am not provided a basic need of life. I even brought my own toilet paper but I should not have to provide my own water. We were given two 1l bottles in our room on arrival. Then nothing. The lobby bar wouldn't even give out water. So we resorted to buying at th [... read more]e store next to the lobby. Until they stopped taking cash and would only accept credit cards. After day 2 of no water I expressed my concern to the ladies in the store and all of a sudden....they took cash! I love Cuba, have been many times. But if I cannot drink the water from the tap and I'm paying thousands of dollars to go there, I expect water to be supplied.

Valentin Cayo Cruz: Nice Resort

Overall, we will give them a 8 out of 10. Weather caused some seaweed on beach but was cleaned up and the beach was great. The only pool we used was the large one with the swim up bar. Using Canadian money including loonies and twoonies was surprisingly great. The help just ask that you change their Canadian coin for bills and this made for easier tipping including the swim up bar with Canadian coins. The Cuban food is what it is. You will not starve but some of the restaurants outside of  [... read more]the buffet needed to be looked at. The Italian was great but the Seafood had 18 people leave disappointed with what they call the lobster and crab dish only to find us all at the buffet. We also went off sight to the Japanese restaurant for an additional $25.00 American and was also disappointed in their presentation and the cooking of their fish. The servers were great, the entertainment was good 4 of the 5 nights we were there. They need to have better control over their mosquito fogger as it entered the restaurants three times while we were eating and it stinks. Jesus was very hospitable and he ran the entertainment part of our stay. Other than the number of mosquitoes in April, we would recommend going back to Cuba and stay here. The elevator was broke down the whole week so watching the people with canes struggle getting up and down the stairs was hard to watch.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Stay Away (from cuba)

A struggle to get water and toilette paper, rude staff, food tastes dirty, everyone I travelled with got sick, no mixes for drinks, All water except for your water in your room (which you only get one bottle of) tastes like dirt and may not be safe to drink (tap water), No pop/soft drinks, meat made me sick. Minimal shady areas by the pool. Power goes out in room at least once a day. If you ask for water they dismiss you, I needed toilette paper in the gym and they dismissed me and said "No to [... read more]ilette paper". Country lacks resources to run an all inclusive resort. Off resort locals won't serve you. Resort is new which is a plus but everything else trumps this.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Beautiful resort

This hhotel was beautiful the grounds were impecably kept and the rooms were very large. It was very clean. All the staff were very friendly, helpful and willing to do whatever they could to make your stay a special one. Sadly the food was a big disappointment.. What you saw for lunch is what you got for dinner. Many times there was no milk. The servers did their best to accommodate us as best as they could. The mosquitoes were unbearable and you couldn't sit outside for being swarmed. [... read more] Not sure if the hotel sprayed but it was very uncomfortable. If the food and mosquitoes could be itaken care of it would be a wonderful place for a holiday.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Awesome Resort

In my opinion this is the best resort in Cuba, the beach is absolutely breath taking it is just gorgeous. The resort it beautiful very clean the people working there are always nice and respectful, (the guests should remember themselves to be as respectful to them as they are to us) Food was good I am not food driven so I found plenty to eat all the time. I am 100% going back to Iberostar Selection Varadero that is my place now. It will be hard to beat that beach!! See you next time :)

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: LOVED THIS RESORT

This hotel was so clean and beautiful - the pool area is the nicest one I have ever been to with plenty of chairs - cabanas for shade and built in lounge chairs in the pool. The rooms are very big - with a walk in closet - so impressed

Valentin Cayo Cruz: Amazing resort

Wonderful. Entertainment, food, service. I recommend this hotel! Clean & welcoming. Good card games. Great friends. We would return. Thanks. A few days not enough wine. But understandable. The chefs were good. Italian restaurant recommended.

Starfish Jibacoa: Peaceful and quiet resort

Before my trip I have red some reviews and was a bit skeptical, but this resort has exceeded my expectations. also I learned that there were some recent changes in the resort and things improved. The trips between airport and resort is already planed, one less thing to worry about. The beach is big and beautiful. Great place for snorkeling (just wear extra clothes so you do not burn while snorkeling). There is plenty of room on the beach if you want privacy, sun loungers always available.  [... read more] The whole resort is a few min walk between bungalows, lobby area, eating restaurant and pool area with another restaurant and mini bar. There is always plenty and good quality food to choose from. Vegetables and fruits available for every meal, eggs, salami, breads, rice, potato, fish, chicken, beef, pork...you can have some food already prepared or you can choose the piece of meat and have it bbq right there in front of you. Meal times are scheduled and there is enough time to have every meal if you want. As in breakfast is from 7am to 10am. Good enough for early risers and late sleepers. It's buffet food, but at every station there is resort employee that will put on your plate what you choose. I liked that, especially now after covid; Lots of drinks available at all times. There was shortage of draft beer for a few hours, but people survived. Weather you want early morning coffee and watch sunrise or stay late and have drinks with your friends, bar in the lobby is always open. The hiking trail is good thing to explore, there is organized guide, If you want trip to Havana (one hour drive) or some neighborhood place you may arrange it in the lobby. My room was very decent, cleaned every day, The washrooms in the lobby or pool area may be out of toilet paper or soap at times. But there is a person at each cleaning constantly and replenishing. The thing I liked the most in this resort is that I as solo traveler was never alone or lonely. Stuff is very friendly, and the other guests as well. Most of them are repeaters and have become a little family which I was proud to be a part of. Please tip stuff.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Good resort… Nasty bugs!

The Good: - The friendliest staff I ever encountered! Everyone is doing their best to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Most staff are proficient in English and/or French. Unlike other resorts, no one is pressing you for tips, and although it’s generally recommended to tip, you’ll get a great service regardless of whether you tip or not. A+ to all hotel staff! - The beach is amazing. It’s honestly the best part of this hotel. It stretches long enough for a nice walk. There are ple [... read more]nty of beach bed and umbrellas. - The hotel area is well-maintained with plenty of vegetation. The So-So: - The hotel area is sparse, so a bit of walking is required, especially to get to the beach. With that said, it’s no more than 15-20 mins from the lobby, which is the farthest from the beach - The rooms are shabby and in need of redecorating. Bed sheets have stains and cigarette marks; same goes for the towels. - Dues to the current situation on Cuba, some things are worse than they used to be pre COVID-19. For example, towels do not get replaced, including the beach towels. Many amenities, such as gym, spa, etc., are closed for service. - The food is very monotonous. You will NOT starve, but you’ll end up eating the same food every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. - On a few occasions the drinks we got were watered. The Very Bad - Throughout our entire stay, the buffet was INFESTED with flies and cockroaches. I’m not talking about big Madagascar cockroach, but those nasty roaches. They were crawling everywhere: on walls, on ceiling, on floor – and on food. I think the hotel tried to do something about it but to no avail. Frankly, that place should be shut down entirely until the pest situation is fully under control. Conclusion: The bugs situation is a real shame. Despite some minor issues, this hotel could have been a great resort for a budget vacation. Unfortunately, not recommending due to sanitary hazard.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Beautiful resort & location

Nice smaller size resort, very close to the water with beautiful beaches. The staff was amazing. Always had a smile on their faces. Typical Cuba food but with lots of variety and we always found something good to eat, especially pizzas at the snack bar and hamburgers at the beach snack bar. Beds are very comfortable, and there are two very nice pools to enjoy. This resort is not for a big party people. There is a nice amount of entertainment, but not raging into the late hours of the night.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Amazing resort

Grounds and public areas: very neat and clean Rooms: Clean, needs better pillows, toilet seat needs repair Staff: very friendly and courteous Beach: beautiful - ample reclining outdoor beach beds Fishing: good fishing at extended pier. Pier is lighted up at night. Restaurant: compared to our previous stay, shortage of staff, tables were not cleared quickly enough; there is a shortage of butter, bring butter and peanut butter

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Superbad but not like the movie

Everything was awful besides the people, beach and pool. There was no water running for a day, even though I got the ocean view room. The bed was. Dirty when I got there. Around evening the entire resort smelt like sewage, mosquitoes were everywhere. Including the room, assuming the service staff left the door open too long. The steak house had no steak. The food was awful. AND INSTEAD OF SUNWING ON THE WAY BACK, WE WERE ALL LIED TO AND THERE SOME OTHER SKETCHY FLIGHT WE HAD TO GET ON WHICH WAS  [... read more]INFESTED WITH MOSQUITOES!!!!!!!!!! 5 HOURS IN THE PLANE GETTING BIT……. NO FREE SNACKS……….. I FORGET WHAT AIRLINE THAT WAS, BUT MY WORST.

Palma Real: Great location

Cuba has always been my favorite place to visit, but after this trip I think in done. Cuba's food was never the best but always a great selection. Not this time. Always same food day in and day out. Everything else was amazing no complaints.

Melia Las Dunas: Awesome Lobby Bar!

It’s a long drive from the airport to the hotel, (approx 2 hrs by the time you drop off others at various hotels) but the resort grounds are absolutely beautiful and nicely manicured. The lobby bar is excellent and a large gathering spot where there is always entertainment, including violinists, sax players, singers etc. the food is not bad for Cuba and essentially plentiful when we were there the week of Apr21. Some minor shortages like milk a day or two. Not all restaurants were open. The a [... read more]la Cartes were ok but nothing special. The beach and pools are awesome. Virtually no sargassum. It’s a place where you go for the beach and pool with little close by activities. Hotels have Catamarans, paddle boats ands kayaks but that’s all. Overall, we would go back for the beach and relaxation.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Amazing

Very clean food was good, beach beautiful, room clean staff amazing, would go again, families welcome, entertainment very good, grounds clean, pool small, beach staff, bar tenders, maid service, dated property but clean

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Great Resort

The hotel was clean, the rooms were always clean. The beach was nice and the pools were nice. The rooftop bar was nice, you have to pay for drinks but worth it for the beautiful sunset. The food was ok.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Too "Canadian", no authentic culture

Pros- Most staff were kind, friendly and wonderful. The grounds were clean, well kept and well designed. The pool and beaches were stunning. There was plenty of food, no one would go hungry at all. Cons- The resort is "white washed". No Cuban authenticity. The food was catered to Canadians and that's not what we travel for. Not once did we see black beans and rice- a Cuban staple. Not once did we see croquettes, yukka and there was a distinct lack of tropical fruits. Not one banana nor mang [... read more]o all week. Wild life is almost non existent, which is so bizarre. Lizards, tree frogs were missing. Dogs/cats shooed away. Every other resort we've been to, this has not been the case. The lack of follow up for any "rules" they list. Excessively drunk people constantly -both foreign and local guests. There was one local guest who was so sloppy drunk there was a puddle around her and she demanded the bar play her music during the busy evening time. Just obnoxious. They should be cut off. Period. The "saving" of lounge beds and seats at the beach, only to see no one show up for them to use is infuriating. Speaking of- the many many rude guests. Just because you can smoke in Cuba, doesn't mean you leave your manners at the door. The smokers were so rude, lighting up wherever, whenever. The amount of parents who dragged their infants and toddlers to this resort is enough to never return again. Why are you bringing small children who get absolutely nothing out of these types of trips with you? Or parents who bring their screaming kids to the A La Carte restaurants. Good lord. How about we talk about the many guests who were blaring music in the rooms with no regard for other guests who paid just as much as them. The check in was atrocious. The day we arrived on a large flight from Toronto, apparently a flight from Cuba to Halifax was cancelled. The room upgrade we paid for wasn't ready and wouldn't be for hours- at 3pm- the check in time. Why? They allowed the Halifax people to return to their rooms vs pleasing the new group that would be there an entire week (or more). Made no sense. We finally agreed to the standard room just to get somewhere to rest. Missing pop and drink mixes on certain days, never had any cheese all week (other than parmesan) and a lack of seafood... in Cuba. While I understand there are shortages and times are rough, after speaking to other guests from other resorts (while on an excursion) they didn't experience these same lack of products. While not within the resorts control, but the removal of the CUC was a very dumb decision by Prez Miguel. The fact that all items are in USD is just silliness. All in all I won't return as there was nothing Cuban about this resort. Just catered to wealthy white people from mostly Quebec. I'll stick to 2 and 3 star resorts. This 4-5 star is not my style. Lesson learned.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Great time at this resort

Extended family of 7 stayed the first week of April at Iberostar Selection Varadero, then just my wife and I for a second week. I'm an experienced traveler, I've been to 20 different resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean, but this was the first time in Cuba.The beach was probably the best I've ever seen, just wonderful to swim in, and it was calm enough in the mornings for my grandchildren 5 and 7 to splash around and swim. Later in the day it usually got a little rougher but not so rough that I w [... read more]ouldn't still go in but maybe not young children. The pool was fine, the small water park was great fun for the grandkids.The kids club had nightly entertainment and would put on a little show, my grandkids loved participating in this. The rooms were nice and clean. The staff and their service was probably the best I've ever encountered. Everyone who worked there was nice, pleasant, helpful, I can't say enough good things about the staff. For trips, I would recommend the double decker bus to Varadero. Also my wife and I had a fantastic trip to Havana in a 51 Chevy.with a driver and English speaking guide.We booked it through the hotel for $190. for 10 hr. worth every cent. Our driver Miguel and guide George made the trip fun and informative, they were the best. I highly, highly recommend this trip. Now for the food, the a la carte's were quite good. It pains me to say this because the buffet staff were all so nice and would go above and beyond to make you feel welcome, but the food was average. I'm a bit of a picky eater and I could always fine something I liked but the buffet was just not as good as ones I've enjoyed in Mexico or other Caribbean Islands. The nightly entertainment was top notch, much better than most resorts. Overall I would recommend this resort especially for families.

Barcelo Solymar: Awesome resort

Well kept . Maid sevice very good. Staff very nice and helpful. Everyone was very friendly. Alfredo was very attentive to our needs and made us feel at home. Will definitely stay there when i take my next trip to cuba

Barcelo Solymar: Awesome resort

Well kept . Maid sevice very good. Staff very nice and helpful. Everyone was very friendly. Alfredo was very attentive to our needs and made us feel at home. Will definitely stay there when i take my next trip to cuba