Decent Resort

The resort grounds were very nice, clean, well maintained. The pool was nice and spacous but not ideal for swimming. The food was probably the second worst part of the resort, just after it's service. We waited for almost an hour before having our order taken and this was after we tried flagging down the server multiple times. The beach was nice but as this was an adults only resort it was annoying to find kids on the beach. Turns out the beach is shared with the nearby kid friendly resorts. Ove [... read more]rall we did have a relaxing time but if you choose to go to their 24hour snack bar which has some of the best food on the resort, be prepared to wait as the seating is limited and the service often slow.

Great Resort

The Princes Paradisus Del mar Varadero is located a short distance from the Airport on the Beach. The facility is excellent value for your dollar. The staff is courteous and from the time you arrive until you leave they ready . to deal with all your needs. The food is good and many choices to satisfy your appetite 24hrs a day if you so desire. The bars cater to any alcoholic drink you wish to satisfy your taste buds. THE CART SERVICE TO GET YOU AROUND THE GROUNDS IS JUST A PHONE CALL [... read more] .AWAY ANY TIME DAY OR NIGHT. The swimming pool and beach are second to none .Plenty of poolside and beach lounges are available and if you cannot find a lounge the staff is ready to provide you with one . This my second year at this facility and if I return to Cuba this is where I will stay. The other great convenience is you can fly direct from Hamilton airport.I would recommend this facility to any of my friends. Trip central handled my booking and all went well.

Resort was nice but, service left alot to be desired.

This was our 3 trip to Cuba and after praising up the Cubans and their beautiful beaches over the years we were very disappointed in this trip. The service was terrible. Even though we tipped (& we should not have to at a 5 star all inclusive), servers took forever to bring beverages. Several times at breakfast we would order coffee and tea and be almost finished our meal before it was even brought to the table. At dinner and the bars it was similar. We would wait forever to be served. We  [... read more]would finish our drinks and wait again forever with empty glasses in front of us. The buffet at this resort was one of the smallest we have ever seen. There was not a large selection of food. Some of the staff we also found to be very bold. One staff member asked my husband for the shirt he was wearing. Another staff member was eyeing a ball cap I was holding. He called me over to where he was and told me how nice the cap was. He wanted me to give it to him. We have never seen Cubans behave this way in the past. The beach was also another disappointment. We were unable to swim in the ocean because the "Portuguese Man O War" were washed up all along the shore line. I know the resort staff have no control over nature but, there was absolutely no attempt by them to even clean up the mess on the beach. For the price we paid, I was very surprised at how bold and lazy so many of the resort staff were. I would not classify this place as a 5 star.

It’s a very nice resort to visit

I give everything a 100% it was an amazing place that visited we would definitely go there again. Overall very satisfied with this resort!! I definitely recommend this place to anybody. Also I should say that trip central is best site to book it from.

Resort Lacking

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar ; Resort was lacking in service. Lineups at buffet dining area were excessive due to slow moving staff & not utilizing 2nd grill. Food was OK. The grounds & public areas were generally well kept although the odor from washroom urinals was unpleasant to say the least. Obtaining a drink from any of the bars took an excessive amount of time which often resulted in not being able to get a second drink because they were now "out" of that beverage. The room w [... read more]as OK . Beach was covered with Portuguese Man O War. Pool was large & clean. Bus was 45 mins late picking us up at the resort for our departure flight.(As well as others from other resorts) No SunWing agents available. We made the flight but it was concerning at the time.

A Disappointment

This was our fifth trip to Cuba (our third to Varadero), and the worst one. The resort was advertised as a five-star, but it was not even a four-star one. The grounds are beautiful, and well maintained. But it was difficult to find an empty chair by the pool. The staff were mostly friendly, but the wait at the front desk (to even ask a simple question) was long. Cafeteria was always very busy and the food quality was poor. And the serving dishes were small so that they were empty a few m [... read more]inutes after they were brought out.

Great getaway for first time to Cuba

The resort seemed more Cuban in style than others nearby, with the lobby and cigar bars especially adding to the feel. The buffet was very good, despite many people warning us of bland Cuban food! However, the other restaurants (besides the Cuban beach one) are nothing like the foods they try to be. Cubans do Cuban food well and don't quite have enough info as to other cultures cuisines, not that you cam blame them. We took a bus tour to Havana for the Hemingway tour and had a brilliant full edu [... read more]cational day. The rooms are not much in terms of ambience but the bed was very comfortable and there are plenty of other places to hang out besides your room. We will definitely visit Cuba again!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Definately worth it for a 5 star resort, parents really enjoyed this trip, staff were very nice, rooms were very basic, beach was nice and clean, I can't wait to go again! The club was nice, too bad the weather was very cold this month of January, because we could barely get in the water :(

Not a 5*

This hotel was very dissapointing. The food was ok.The drinks were not good. The staff were not very friendly. The entertainement was non existent during the day. Beach was beautiful. Not a 5* resort.

Enjoyed Varadero....

I enjoyed the hotel but mostly the friendliness of the Cuban people. The beach in Varadero is beautiful. The amenities within the resort were adequate. Unfortunately, our experience with Sunwing was not as pleasant. Hopefully, my concerns with Sunwing will be addressed.

Relaxing vacation

The resort was beautiful and clean! Enough food selection for a fairly picky eater. The staff were friendly, especially the pool staff - they come around and take drink orders, so no need to get up! Plenty of beach loungers on a lovely beach. There were kayaks, pedal boats and HobieCats for use (included). Lots of beautiful shells to hunt for and bring home. Only issue with the pool-side loungers was people leaving towels on them all day, never to return. We just ended up taking what we needed,  [... read more]no issue. Not a heck of a lot going on at this resort - so if you're looking for a place with a party vibe, this is probably not your resort. That being said, we danced one night until 1 am in the square (there is no "disco" room). Most nights after dinner we would head to the Piano Bar. A good place to chill and have drinks - ask for The Special :) I wish the piano player would have started earlier in the night. I understand she doesn't start until 10:30 pm, consequently we never actually saw her. There was also some kind of Canada appreciation day at the outdoor restaurant by the beach entrance. They had an awesome rock band that afternoon. Would have liked to see more of them! One minor note, I would have liked to see more engagement from the activities staff. The yoga lady didn't make us feel too welcome and there was never a kind of "buzz" about what would be happening and where (during the day and night). It was really up to you to figure that stuff out.

Disappointing!

As we boarded the plane an hour late and with only one Sunwing ticket taker we arrived in Cuba at Varadero airport only to be an hour late leaving to go to the resort. Also an unscheduled stop to let a passenger use the washroom caused another delay. The moment we arrived we were asked for our passports and were told to go into a room. Some of us stayed behind to watch our passports. The others were only told where we could get a meal at 11:30 at night. Why we asked? Unfortunately the weather wa [... read more]s very cool for the first couple of days which was not the resort's fault (Polar Vortex) however, we did not have hot water. When an inquiry was made the lobby said the problem had been fixed. Nope! Even to the last day when we used the Spa before leaving and there was still cold water! One of the advertised restaurants (Italian) was no longer open and the others did not appeal to us so it was Buffet the entire time. Same options all the time. The grounds were well kept, the rooms, although outdated, were clean and the beach was wonderful. Considering this was rated at almost a 4 star we were disappointed and will not go back.

Great Stay

Thus far this is my favorite resort in Cuba. Nice set up, pretty beach, kind staff, regular and varied activities I had also read that the food was good (for cuba!) and it was actually true! I would definitely go back without hésitation.

It's ok, but it definitely is not a 5*

This resort is ok, but it does not qualify as a 5 star resort. It needs some TLC, repainting would do a huge improvement. Food selection is very basic - nothing special. If one goes to this resort hoping to get a wonderful selection and a variety of tropical fruits - one will be very disappointed. The service is friendly but not overly eager to please, except one tips right at the beginning. Starting right at the beginning with front desk, cleaning lady, pool service and restaurants etc.. Then [... read more] you get amazing service - money and chocolate did the trick 😊😊 Unfortunately we had horrible weather - we had only one day of sun. All the other days it was very windy, cloudy, rainy and very cold. But this has nothing to do with the resort - no one can give a guarantee on weather. Next holidays I'll be prepared to always bring some warm cloth.

Nice peaceful resort

The room was large, clean, had a safe, bath robes, ironing board, iron and hair blower. Very good amenities . They provided a package of larger containers of soap, lotion, shower gel that lasted the whole week. Fridge contained large bottle of water, soft drinks and beer that was replenished daily. Bed comfortable as were pillows. We were glad to have a warm blanket in the closet as we did catch a cold spell. Our room was on the third floor which gave us a lovely view of the sea. We initial [... read more]ly had a room on the ground floor that was pretty run down and I had requested a room higher up so they changed the room for us without question. The staff were so kind and courteous. Our maid even gave us a little wooden souvenir box. Thank you Yaima. We had very good service in all of the restaurants. There was skyways plenty to eat and a good variety to suit all pallets. One of our waitresses - Yena, gave my husband and I a cute key chain each. We brought a lot of little gift items for maids and a couple of waitresses. Some were sweet treats or toiletries etc. fill your suitcase with as many extras as you can fit in. Resort was very peaceful as there were no nightclubs. Nights were nice and quiet. Beach was lovely and plenty of chairs. Pool area as nice but sadly people hogged the pool bed and chairs for the whole day by leaving their towels and some personal effects even when they weren't using them. This shouldn't be allowed. One negative was that the pools weren't deep enough to really swim. Only good for standing in. Had some entertainment on the grounds, beach and lobby throughout the day. We got to experience the Cuban healthcare system. The medical staff were very kind, competent and professional and the customs service representative called to make sure my husband was Ok and to see if there was anything else they could do for us. Thank you Diletes (sorry if I got your name wrong) for your kindness too. The hotel doctor was very helpful and we had good aftercare. Staff were so kind afterwards with a special thank you to Prado for his kind words. I would highly recommend this hotel if you are looking for a quiet getaway where you can really relax. You can see that all the staff work very hard to ensure we all have a good experience.

Breathtaking!

I absolutely loved this place but most of all I loved the staff. The most friendly and happy people Ive met. They really took care of us and went above and beyond our expectations. The white sand beac is in walking distance. the hotel has several different cuisines to choose from which was a highlight. The architecture is beautiful. I do wish the hot tubs were available.. The hotel also always had entertainment going on every night!

Great week!

We were very impressed with the hotel. The facilities and staff were great. Using the voucher program we had our room upgraded to an ocean view for $20(total). They were replacing all the matresses the week we were there, so got a brand new mattress. We didnt think ‘Royal Service’ was worth the extra cost it would have been $800 or so to upgrade for a week. Food was excellent and they do have bottled sauces available.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar in Varadero

We stayed at Paradisus Princesa Del Mar in Varadero 7 days and we had a wonderful time. Beautiful hotel, very clean, rooms are big, excellent food and of course I should say that Cuban people are the most friendly people in the world, they are warm and I believe that CUBA is one the safe place. They have the best beaches. I also have to thanks Angela for her services ( Travel Agent).

Beautiful Resort!!!

The grounds of the resort were exceptionally well kept...bathrooms were spotless.. the beach was huge!! The service was fantastic at all the bars.. the restaurants were amazingly delicious..especially the Japanese!! We had some terrific servers... Fernando at Marseile.. Rigo in the main buffet.. the best was the lady who made our omlettes in the main buffet!! Leo who helped with everything!!

Nice Resort

This resort once was Sandals. We have been there 5 times nad generally enjoy: the beaches, accommodation and service. Cuban people are very nice, but lacking training and experience. Since Melia (50/50 Cuba and Spanish) corporation took over(2-3 years ago) the whole resort is going down. Walkways are dirty and not cleaned. Beaches the same, the dirt is accumulated in one spot and left there with wild dogs running on beach and inside resort. Food is very poor. Restaurants (except Japanese), are  [... read more]3-rd class serving very little food and menus are very limited- poor meat and fish. Arriving we have got vouchers for 500 cup (Cuban peso) exchange is 1.25 Can for 1 peso. Nevertheless voucher's are big scam. You have 4x50 vouchers for special diner, but if you wish to have Lobster you must pay on top $30 Can. cash. Other restaurants practise the same, any better dinner, not accepting vouchers only cash. Vouchers for massage you have to pay on top $40 Can cash, but booking is available in 2 weeks.(WE were 9 days). There are vouchers for "Special drinks" except they do not serve special drinks since they are not available. As it comes to entertainment it is 3-rd class, wasting time to se it. In summary we are disappointed because we remember this resort as first class "Sandals" now should be rated max. 3* never 5 or 4. Even "Sunwing" flight was not on time, dep. and return delayed 1 hr. Resort "Princesa Del Mar) is very nice, and weather was sunny but WE hope that entertainment and food will improve, then WE may go again.