Brisas Del Caribe: Nice Resort

The Hotel was older, but clean with nice, clean grounds. Dining area was quite big and easy to manipulate. Our room was dated, but clean. I would go back there again as the service was excellent, the beach was tremendous and the grounds were very clean with excellent pools.

Palma Real: Great staff!

The resort itself is very old and needs work. Our first rooms weren’t good, doors didn’t close properly, holes in walls etc. But we were upgraded to a suite which was great and had zero problems. The staff is amazing and always ready to help make the stay great. The food was much better this time than when I went two years ago. 10/10 would visit again

Melia Varadero: Good resort

Needs a lot of renovation. Needs wheelchair access to the beach especially. Food not so good . Grounds was well manicure. Bed bugs in room and was bitten. Workers were helpful and polite. The maids was very helpful. Needs to have a plan for people who have to check out at 11:00 am and flight is 10:00 p.m. no where to shower and change.

Memories Jibacoa: Friendly, Small Jibacoa

This was our first visit and we enjoyed our stay.The resort is not large, with only about 200 rooms and nicely laid out. There are 18 two-floor units, all within easy walking distance to the pool, beach and restaurants. The crowd tends to be older, mostly couples in the 55+ group. Pros: Friendly, helpful staff, all of whom spoke excellent English. Very good snorkelling right off the beach. Lots of beach chairs, palupas and shade, if needed. No need to rush down early to 'reserve' a spo [... read more]t. Like all resorts, this is frowned upon anyway. A la Carte restaurants excellent and not that busy, which surprised us. Buffet is above average for Cuba. Excellent location - you can actually get off the resort, unlike some all-inclusives. Hike up the hill behind the resort for a great view (offered every day at 9 am), visit a local farm or nearby restaurant for an authentic Cuban meal (only 15 pesos CUC). Havana is only one hour away. Hire a vintage cab for the day (90 pesos CUC) or a guided tour thru the hotel or Sunwing at 45 CUC pp. Wonderful entertainment - traditional Cuban acoustic (Buena Vista style) in the lobby before dinner and Tropicana style shows by the pool at night. Smoking, while allowed in designated areas, is minimal. We've been to other resorts in Cuba & Mexico where you can't escape the smell of cigarettes. No problems exchanging $$ at the front desk. Sunwing rep Marina is a joy. Cons: As often posted, rooms are dated and a bit 'beat up', but clean. Very poor water pressure - don't expect a good shower. Fitness club really tired - very old weight machines (likely from the Soviet era) were mostly broken. One of the two treadmills was out of service. Wished there was more yoga offered - only one class at 9am when breakfast was being served. The ocean and beach were plagued with jellyfish during our stay. Lifeguards would whistle everyone out for large portions of the day (we saw one elderly woman get stung, to much distress). Not sure if this is an ongoing problem at this beach or a random/seasonal occurrence. The beach and entrance to the water is a bit rocky. While great for snorkelling this is not one of those smooth, soft sand beaches for long, leisurely walks (it's hard to have it all).

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Good value

Beach was beautiful. Hotel was very clean. Grounds were well maintained. Staff were excellent especially at the beach bar and lobby bar. We loved the coffee shop as well. The resort was not crowded at all. The only complaint we have is the snack bar. Service was slow, beer was warm and they ran out of lots of menu items on our last day there.

Club Kawama: You must try this resort!

We just returned from Club Kawama and agree that this was one of the best resorts we have stayed at in Cuba. Pros - within walking distance to the hop-on-hop-off bus. The ticket is 5 CUC for the entire day. excellent pricing for vacation food excellent. Always fruit and raw veggies during the whole meal. In most resorts you need to go when the buffet opens in order to get any raw fruit or veggies. meat and maybe even fish seems to be marinated-yum! blood sausa [... read more]ge excellent!- we have never seen in any other resort. desserts as good as homemade and of great variety. Ice cream like you will never taste in Canada! homemade fresh bread daily. butter at breakfast. cats are not allowed into the buffet area. electrical outlets for Canadian hair straighteners, cellphone chargers, etc. front desk ladies are very nice and always smiling. Josone Park in the town makes the BEST pina coladas! 3 CUC each. you can feed the chickens, roosters and ducks with your pineapple that they put on the rim of your glass. Scooter rental to rent within walking distance - 25 CUC/day horseback riding available at a price off resort. paragliding, jet skiing available but not on resort. dolphin show worth watching. Do not buy from resort. It is 15 CUC each on site. Just rent a scooter or take the hop-on-hop-off bus. Find out when the shows are and take the bus or scooter. beach massive and clean 3 pools, so you will never be without a poolside lounge chair. It is not a party resort, which is what we like. There is always somewhere that you can sit and read that is quiet. So if you’re looking for a young person’s party resort, this is not it. Go to Barcelo Solymar. At lunch, there is a place that grills fish or meat for you on the spot, along with a rice dish that is served in a styrofoam container so you can take it anywhere! Awesome idea!!! Cons - first room(standard room) was mouldy smelling so we upgraded to a superior room. $20/night for upgrade. Worth it though. One superior room was mouldy smelling-in the old but very quaint building opposite the pool. front desk gave us 61 CUC for $100 but the Cadeca just outside of the resort gave us 68 CUC for $100. front desk charges $2 for internet card - Internet kiosk just outside of the resort charges $1. lobby bar makes the WORST pina colada no rum that we have tasted in Cuba! Overall, the pros outweigh the cons. A very friendly resort. Do not be fooled by the bad reviews. We decided to try it, and were very pleased with our vacation overall.

Barcelo Solymar: 6th time here!!

We love this hotel. Will never stay anywhere else. Food is fantastic, staff are all great and the bungalows are awesome!!! The pools are clean, drinks are great and we love the beach!! Can’t wait for our next visit already booked for April!!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Very Quaint and Relaxing Resort!!

the Hotels charm was the Staff and the Eaze of learning the ins /outs .. We had a Fab Time ! Small , but very good . you got to know much of the Staff .. we only went for 5 Days , but long enough to provide a Great Time !! Close to Varadero and Havana Tour was Awesome!!

Palma Real: A resort that needs repair

We had been there 7 years ago and it was very good. Not luxurious but very good for a downtown hotel. This hotel has clearly lacked input over the years. There is dirt and moldings everywhere. It is very damaged and it clearly lacks maintenance. The pool is very damaged too. It is a shame because it was a very nice hotel many years ago.

Playa Caleta: 2nd chance

This was my wife's and my 2nd stay at Playa Calente. Nothing much has changed since 2018. Keep your expectations low for a low budget all inclusive hotel. The Cuban people working there ( especially Reinier ) and the beaches are the best. Will we go back to Veradaro but not to this hotel unless it is renovated.

Melia Marina Varadero: Beautiful Resort

The hotel and staff are wonderful, a lot of the staff have left to go to the new Melia International but the new staff is just as nice and friendly. I would like to take a special shout out to Galia & her staff at the oriental restaurant, Maikel & Janett the Concige's on the level, Arasay the Manager of the level thank you for all your help . Sol,Ossgeel, and all the bar staff in the lobby bar, thank you for your great service. Thank you to Joanna in Customer Service it was great seeing you aga [... read more]in and thank your help also. the only disappointments were there was no entertainment in the lobby in the evenings and there always was before, also when i checked in there was mix up about my reservation and the girl at the front desk wasn't very nice she was very adamant that i wasn't on the level even though my reservation said so.Looking forward to seeing you again in May when Anne & i return to your beautiful hotel for the 10th time.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Great family resort

The hotel was visually very attractive.Our rooms were spacious with a beautiful ocean view. The large tub was tricky to get into and took some care to manoeuvre a safe entry and exit. Cleaning service was excellent everyday. The kiddie pools were lovely and great for our 2 year old grandson. The Olympic pools were enjoyed also. Now for food.That was a little disappointing. The main buffet was held up at different stations with people lining up to get omelettes, stir fries and toast.Not enough p [... read more]eople on board to handle the demand for fresh cooked food. None of the food was labelled. For myself, with lactose and gluten allergies, it was particularly difficult to choose something to eat that would be safe for me. Buffet personnel had no clue what gluten was. There seemed to be no itinerary in sight for the day’s activities.Booking specialty restaurants was really time consuming as one lady was doing all the bookings for that big hotel all by herself.Sometimes people would wait 1 1/2 or more hours to get a booking.Those restaurants were great and worth the wait.Lastly, the elevators did not work properly the whole week.Only one ever worked. Once again, you had to wait 5-10 mins to get it to do down to the ground floor. It was difficult for people with walkers, canes and suitcases. Overall, the weather made the visit worthwhile. I probably will not return to Cuba.I prefer a cruise. Thanks, Barbara Gail Walker

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Ok but would not return

Second time to Cuba and third hot holiday. Everyone agreed the food was worse then exspected. The rooms were not nearly as nice as they looked online. Staff was not very nice or welcoming. The service for bars was very slow and hard to get the bartenders attention. We went days with out water or beer being restocked even after leaving notes with larger tips. I would recommend Iberostar veradero greatly over this resort. Usually people in Cuba are very polite but this resort they had a rude demea [... read more]nor. Nice beaches although most days too many jellyfish to go in the water. Nightly shows and entertainment is not in the same league as Iberostar veradero.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Wonderful week at Playa Alameda!

This was our second time at this resort and we loved it just as much the second time as we did the first. Great beach and lots of beach chairs. Loved the buffet restaurant, we had a great variety of foods and the servers were wonderful, always attentive and ready with water, wine or whatever we needed at the table.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Paradisus Princesa Del Mar Resort

We thought the resort was wonderful! The service was very good and it being an all inclusive, they were not light on the liquids or the food. The buffet, am and pm, had a wonderful selection but the food could get cold before we sat down to eat. The omelettes and toasted sandwiches were the way to go. By the end of the week, we found our choice of foods that satisfied us. The beaches were lovely with clean, soft, white sand. The beach bars were very accommodating but could run out of one of  [... read more]the rum or vodka before the end of the day. Forgivable, since they were the most popular alcohols.

Barcelo Solymar: Barcelo Solymar

We (my daughter & I) had read some bad reviews but our experience was much different. Our room 1452 was on the top floor with beautiful views of the pool &ocean water .The Beds were ok pillows were awesome . Our room was Cleaned everyday and had fresh towels too. Our housekeeper Tania made sure our stay was fantastic, extra water and towels and even little notes " Have a great day" The pools were cleaned everyday, lots of chairs at the beautiful beach. The food at our buffet was actually  [... read more]really good. Roasted chicken and potatoes were my staple but there was a variety of seafood available too. Bread ,butter ,sauces all abundant. It was quiet after the dinner hour but close to the main strip for nightlife. We felt very safe walking the streets and were not harrassed by anyone. Needs improvement- no beach bar - minor repairs needed throughout the resort.

Hotel Bella Costa: A great vacation spot!

As repeat visitors to the island (13 trips between us), we'll preface our comments that this is essentially a still-developing 2nd-3rd world country. First time visitors should check their first-world problems at the airport and manage their expectations properly- this is not the Bahamas or Turks & Caicos. The Cuban people are always friendly & eager to ensure you have a great stay. Varadero's beach coastline is world-class beautiful & the water is crystal clear hundreds of yards out from sho [... read more]re - what more does one need to forget about winter for a week or two? ***** Bella Costa's renovations didn't interfere with our stay at all. All restaurants, pools, bars and jacuzzis were in full operation and staff were as friendly as we'd remembered from our stay in 2015. Perhaps the renos are keeping potential guests away as we learned that the hotel was only 25% full (we suspected one wing was completely closed for renos). This had its benefits as the pool & beach loungers were always available, and even the poolside cabanas - no need to reserve spots before 8am! It also showed at the restaurants where waits weren't long and there was ample staff on hand to attend every need. Anaisibis (sp?), our usual waitress at the buffet was always smiling & eager to speak with our 4 yr-old son, as were the rest of the employees. **** Upon arrival we were greeted with smiles & efficiency (and cocktails) and had our room upgraded without even asking. Our 5th floor gardenview room was in the main hotel, and we were happy with the accommodations & housekeeping (thanks Ydira(?)). Afterall, we only sleep & shower there anyway. Gardenview, btw, is also the more quiet side of the hotel if you wish to avoid all-day pool music & any outdoor evening entertainment noise. **** Many people comment after visiting Cuba that they weren't impressed with the food. We've never been disappointed and Bella Costa is at or near the top of our list for food quality (right with the 5 & 6 stars we've stayed at). The morning omelettes were delicious. Sandro at the evening buffet pasta station is an entertainer & an artiste. We were almost disappointed we couldn't order from him when we dined at the à la carte restaurants. Italian fare at Martino's was excellent and the pork ribs, beef tournedos and chicken/shrimp brochettes at the International were outstanding! Desserts everywhere were tasty. There's always something good to eat wherever we were. The bars? Generous pours at all of them, and mohitos were almost always available. ***** Bella Costa has seen better years but Iberostar is investing in better maintenance, improvements & upgrades throughout to rejuvenate it. We'll be booking again and will be anxious to see the many changes on our next visit. Muchas gracias Bella Costa! ****

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: AMAZING

The resort exceeded our expectations. Being a Diamond Club member was the best idea we made. This allowed us to have access to the private dinning rooms. All employees, being right from the Butler, Concierge, house keeping, bartenders, hostesses, EVERYONE was plesent and english wasnt that bad eather. Our room was spectacular looking over their beautiful gardens.

Barcelo Solymar: Good resort

Overall the resort is good, the location is excellent - centrally located within walking distance to Varadero downtown and markets. Most of the resort staff were good, courteous and friendly. The buffet food selection was also good - I especially liked the Cuban foods selection and enjoyed the local Cuban food together with international (western) food selection. The alcohol selection is also very good with some international brands including scotch. The beach is excellent and so is the ki [... read more]ds supervised activity/play center - this gave us (parents) a much needed 2 hours alone time away from the kids to just sit and relax on the beach. The resort could do a little bit better on the room amenities. In our room the shower had only half side door and as a result the bathroom floor would have lot of water after a shower and slippery (have to be careful especially with kids). The resort could fix these small things. Plus I saw in some people's room the ceiling was leaking water (probably from the aircon). These are not a big negative - just minor things the resort could improve upon. Overall, I enjoyed my stay and would recommend this resort to my friends and would stay here again.

Paradisus Varadero: Paradisus

Greeting fellow Travelers, I thought it would be fair to share our experience in Cuba at Paradisus in Cuba. We had the lucky break of being upgraded to a very nice suite in the Family Concierge section - we have our Daughter's family join us with our 9 month old grandson. So nice start indeed. The weather was absolutely perfect - the beach is very pleasant to walk and had the luxury on our early morning walk to share some dolphins strolling the beach - rather cool. The food in C [... read more]uba (our 4th time) is always going to be a little sketchy - I would suggest the Buffet as your strongest bet - the Japanese was fair - bland but the Salmon was fairy generous, the restaurant on the Ocean was our worst meal - my god it was terrible - I hate being critical but that was just plain awful - headed to the Buffet right after :)))) Bana was decent too - but again - you won't leave there saying - is that Ramsey in the kitchen??? The lunch spots were decent - chicken, sausages and some fish - so all in all - you won't starve. What was odd at times they ran out fries (how dare they) one day and Calamari - and sometimes even ketchup!!! Breakfast was solid - must admit!!! We stayed at the Royalton - Royal Hicacos the last 2 years and the service seemed superior to Paradisus - but saying that - a few good ones that were great to us and were very pleasant - so really no major complaints there. Our room was an issue - they didn't resupply our coffee, I asked for a few extra beers - 2 different folks and both times - nada - seemed odd to us as we upgraded and it's a simple request. We're pretty easy going but then we also noticed they we paid for turn in service - I hope I got that right - another little visit to ensure your room is tidy and ready to go midday and it was never done. So not major issues but it built up then our daughter room had a bug infestation issue under her sink - that was a tad scary - bugs are bugs and these guys had girth on them - luckily or unluckily they showed up the last day- so of course after all of us jumping on the bed to save our lives - we said eh - they were confined and reported it and it can happen but still alarming. The grounds were pleasant but the walk for some - to and back from the family concierge unit is a walk - luckily I don't mind the walk but some might think it's a pain. They have shuttle service. The Internet cards are funny - 1 hour but you have to scratch the code to use them - the hotel key seemed the only way to work - little tip :) it was spotty but not bad overall. So wrapping up the trip we talked to the General Manager (David) and he was very appreciative of our honesty and our lack of service at times, meal and of course the issue in the room. He gave us a nice bottle of rum - which was a nice gesture and we said our good byes and off we went back to snowy Canada. So all in all 6/10 - little things that can be so easily fixed but for a family excursion I'd say it's not the worst spot by any stretch - Happy travelling!!!