Starfish Varadero: More than expected

We went 4 of us to this resort, with our 15 and 17 year old. We were very impressed with the overall resort. Our room was updated, clean, comfortable and had all the amenities needed. Next time we would choose a room closer as our room was a little far, good exercise though. The buffet was amazing! We were very impressed with the variety. They had every kind of fish, meat, cheese, deli, breads, pasta station and egg station in the morning. The only suggestion I would have is to have a better [... read more] cooling system for the cheeses and milk, a little iffy on eating them as they looked like they were sitting out for a while. The Sunwing special dinner was amazing, steak, lobster and shrimp cocktail. Very tasty! My girls loved the hot dogs! For Cuba the food was very good and they had food everywhere! Good sandwiches! Sizzlers had the best ham fried rice. The service was very good and there were alot of things always going on to be entertained. I would definitely go again to this resort. They have done a lot of work and still working. It is Cuba, everything is done in Cuba time!

Roc Barlovento: Great safe fun.

This is not a new hotel but very well kept. The location is perfect, the beach is perfect. The pools are clean. The staff and entertainment crew are great. The food and selection are excellent. Highly recommend

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Better than we expected!

It was our first visit of this country and many people (our friends, reviews on websites) said, don't expect any luxurious hotels, clean rooms, good food, nice staff etc... So we were a little bit sceptic before we went there. But now after we came back, I have to say we were pleasantly surprised. Laguna Azul is really nice resort, with nice, smiling and helpful staff. Our room maid was very creative and always surprised us, how perfect prepared our room and she really play with blankets and to [... read more]wels on the bed. Food was really good and there were lots of variants, so everybody can choose to eat, what he really like and doesn't matter if it was breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have just one night food poison, this was after dinner in Italian restaurant a la carte. These two guys on the morning shift in lobby bar were so funny and they did nice tricks when they prepared drinks for guest, so this was our first way in the morning there :) Animators were also really good, aspiring and making fun. Beach was beautiful, not crowded and no line up on beach bar. Plus you can go for a long walk on the beach to the one side or the other. Our best part of this vacation was probably catamaran trip on the small lovely island and during this trip we stop for snorkeling but above all, we could swim with dolphins, which was our best experience at all! We really enjoy one week at this resort and we would definitely recommend it to all of our friends and everyone who want to go to Cuba Varadero. Hopefully we'll be back soon. Thank you Laguna Azul.

Blau Varadero: Yes

I was happy with most services except had lots of problems with door key getting in.had to change key many times. I noticed all washrooms used flimsy toilet paper to wipe hands and instead of soap there was shampoo to wash hands; disappointing for such an up and up beautiful hotel. But if these conditions change for better would certainly recommend this hotel and have already done so. I myself would love to return to Blau. My husband loves this hotel and refuses to try any other hotel. I myself [... read more] was very pleased otherwise; excellent meals and entertainment. 😇😎

Hotel Los Cactus: Very disappointing

We have been going to this resort for the last 20 years. The last two trips have been a big disappointment. Since the resort sold and is no longer a Breezes it has gone down hill. The resort is very dated. Not kept up. There food was terrible. Same food at lunch and supper every day. Very little entertainment. Some of the staff were friendly however we will not be returning to this resort.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Well

The hotel was at best a 2*, one thing I can say is the people were amazing. The resort was rundown and the room smelt of mold and mold was visible. Place needs some serious upgrades if I were to return

Starfish Varadero: Okay, but won’t be returning

Went here for a week in January on a friends recommendation. I wasn’t expecting much as people have told me not to with Cuba. I see so much potential could happen with this place if the effort was put in to upkeep. Our room was okay, but nothing to write home about. It was a superior room, but nothing about it seemed superior. It was cleaned daily, toilet paper semi replenished, but water wasn’t kept up. We had to go the bar for refills a lot. Staff did seem annoyed the majority of the tim [... read more]e if you asked them anything or even said hello. This was at the front desk, and lobby bar and some cleaning staff. Found the Cabana bar staff and buffet staff very polite though. Food was good, but I did get ill from something I ate. Found all the cheese tasted sour/rotten. We didn’t get a chance to try the a la carte Outdoor lounge off the lobby bar is very nice at night. They had live music. We didn’t make any shows on the stage during the night. Found daytime entertainment lacking. They seem to be trying but doesn’t feel like they enjoy doing it at all. The septic smell was unfreaking believable!! They really need to get that under control. Walking outside it was like waking into a brick wall of gross. Bathrooms were very dirty or malfunctioning. Some construction was gong on. Painting, and courtyard repair. Nothing major. Would have loved to see the man made river working as it would add appeal to the grounds. We won’t be back as we’ve seen, enjoyed, but want to try somewhere more to our liking. I say they need to really overhaul the place and get it running to a way I am sure it used to be. Thanks for the stay. Good luck in the future! Oh and don’t bother mentioning a special occasion if you want it recognized. It won’t be.

Melia Marina Varadero: Terrible

Do not upgrade to the level. COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY. On top of that we were accused of being thieves with the threat of security being called because of a missing towel...oh not just any towel though... a yellow towel! Once they called security, security had apparently found one and it was met with a "oh okay, nevermind" Everything is a cash grab...as to be expected however they will blantantly lie to sell you on the excusions and pander you every step of the way for more. Stay away.

Club Tropical: Was disappointed with the Resort

I will start with the positive, it was clean, the food was decent, the reception personal and bar and restaurant people were friendly. My room balcony did not lock, they had no key for the safe in my room, the maids would not do my room nice, unless l left a tip each day. Huge concern not having a safe, and sleeping at night with a patio door that does not lock, in addition l have the Garden View Room, and my room balcony faced a busy street. They schedule evening entertainment, and most of [... read more] the time it was cancelled and did not advise on the board, we waited and only found out after 9:30 pm, that was a huge irritating thing, as we sat and waited, just to find out it was not happening. It is unfortunate as this resort can be so much more then they offer. For the shows, they could have just put music on by the pool, and let people dance, the effort was just not there. They had no pool bar, but had a beach bar that was not ever open. They had nothing interesting around the pool in the day. I am planning to go back to Cuba in April, and would have loved to go back to the same resort, as l met so many people, but the effort for them to make our vacation something memorable was not present at all. I could not even find a manager to talk to, the reception were nice, but not helpful at all. Brenda Melo at Tripcentral was awesome, and while on vacation, l did refer many to book with Tripcentral as l had a seamless experience and very hands on.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: It is what it is!

From a first impression standpoint, our trip seemed tarnished right from the start. Staff made it seem as though we were an inconvenience being there. As time went on, they warmed up and became friendlier, however this still left a bad taste in our mouths. The resort itself was well kept, beautiful grounds. The beach was not as nice as we expected in varadero, but we can blame that on the weather which was also hit or (mostly) miss. Some staff spoke half decent English, however many could [... read more] not understand, or at least played it off like they did not understand what we were saying. It was a weird vibe right from the start and it was hard to shake off for the remainder of the trip. A lot of bartenders seemed to cater more to the guests that spoke Spanish, and would serve them quicker and better than they would us. There were even times where we were blantantly ignored while resort staff were being served before us. The pool staff were great. Jorge and Lexniar the bartenders and the entertainment crew were a ton of fun. Meilin and Yaimara in the lobby were great, as were Hanney and Pavel. And the staff in the Italian restaurant were amazing. Unfortunately many of the other staff were unapproachable and evasive no matter how hard we tried to engage with them. Might as well not have a beach bar or beach restaurant, as every order was replied with a sigh from the often rude staff. Still, we had a great trip despite the issues. Would probably try a different resort next time, maybe a different location in Cuba as well.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Great Resort....great value

I really liked the resort. The grounds were beautiful. Lots going on. Lots of entertainment, very lively. People at the resort were awesome. Some of the best food I have had in Cuba. Rooms are a bit dated. We have an awesome Ocean view.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Nice resort

Well run resort. The resort is under Canadian management, it seems that the Canadian management has a mission of improving the Cuban standard. Karl with solid international experience is brought in oversea to run the Sanctuary restaurant. He is dedicated and seems to have a impact on the staff.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Problems

We just returned from melia peninsula yesterday. We arrived late at night of course our plane was delayed so our only options was the snack bar, the staff are very friendly we were the first ones to order so we are waiting for our food and more people arrive and order we are sitting there waiting for our food and everyone received their food before us 5 tables to be exact. I went up to see what the problem was and found out they left it in the oven and burnt it and forgot about us. not impressed [... read more]. That was only the beginning we finally got to our room it was very clean but faced a construction sight and also the bed was so hard you couldnt sleep on it. So we moved to another room and the bed the same thing, they brought in another mattress but it didnt help so I took the cushions from the love seat and put them on the bed. We had to wait a couple of days for another room but only had 2 days left, I didnt feel like packing up my belongings again so I put up for the discomfort. I think I spent most of my time at customer service, they too were very friendly. We also had to shut off the air conditioner because of the sewage smell coming from it, but every time the maid came in she would turn it on the smell was unbearable. My husband caught some kind of virus as well as many other guests. A lot of people coughing. On a good note the ladies at the pool bar were so friendly and fantastic and the ladies at the buffet as well. I really recommend going to the Italian restaurant it was pretty good. If you go to the lobby bar it gets pretty busy when you order your drink order double it takes a while to get another.

Starfish Varadero: Awful and Disgusting nightmare

Truly at a loss for words on how terrible this place was. Room was infested with bugs, (cockroaches) the room looked like some sort of torcher chamber with scratches all over the walls mold on the walls in the bathroom, the food was gross as well, cockroaches also seen in the buffet area as well crawling around the bread area.. I'm extremely disappointed and upset that I followed the recommendation of the agency for this vacation.. I fee completely and utterly ripped off

Iberostar Origin Tainos: We would defnitely stay again at Iberostar Tainos in Varadero Cuba

This was our first stay at Tainos. We had previously stayed three times at a nearby 3 star resort, but wanted a step up this time. The Tainos resort was smaller than ones we stayed at before, and much more compact. Our regular room was quite nice, and the maid service excellent. The resort has many bars, all staffied by attentive courteous serving personnel. The meals were OK for Cuba standard. However the coffee at the breakfast buffet was dishwater. Each morning after breakfast we would rush  [... read more]back to the Lobby for our delicious cappuccinos. Really enjoyed the live music, although some of the evening shows appeared more amateur than what we saw at other resorts. Grounds and pools are very well kept. and the animation crew very lively. The beach of course was EXCELLENT. We are glad we stepped up to the Tainos.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Fun girls trip

If you can get a good price for this property and go with an open mind you will have fun. The staff is very friendly and hard working and the beach and pools are fantastic . The downside to this hotel is the food (first time i lost weight on a vacation) and the cleanliness of the women's washrooms were absolutely horrendous. Fun girls trip however would not take my family.

Roc Barlovento: Great location

The location, you can walk anyplace. Bus and taxi right out front. The beach is perfect for walking or swimming. Excellent food. Very clean, well kept pools and gardens.No kids. Highly recommended this hotel. Many return guests.

Grand Memories Varadero: You get what you pay for

We stayed a week here January 2019. You get what you pay for. We had a good deal on the all inclusive. The lobby staff is not very helpful. The food is average and buffet is the same every day. Italian restaurant was slow service and food cold. The Cuban restaurant had lobster which was good. The Chinese restaurant is adult only. No kids allowed. The rooms are problematic. Our first room had no phone working and ac not working. At our second room after changing, the toilet leaked and the shower  [... read more]bar was broken. Maids were nice but yell in the morning. No ‘do not disturb’ sign so they walked in as they knocked. Also no straws at bars. The drinks were ok. The restaurants were dirty around the windows. Food was cold in general ( there is a microwave to heat up). Overall, you just get what you pay for. We would not go back to this resort.

Los Delfines: Nice Little Resort In Town

This was my third stay at Los Delfines. Like many Cuban resorts in the 3 - star category it is a little rough around the edges, but it is small (about 100 rooms), and pleasant; nice pool, good beach. I find the food here quite good, but, I maintain reasonable expectations. Service at the restaurant and bars is spotty, sometimes good, sometimes not. Our room was in the building by the beach, over the "Lobby Bar", so a little noisy and smokey by times. I prefer rooms in the other buildings. All in [... read more] all, for the price you can find for this resort it's a great bargain, which is obvious, most of the clientele here are repeat customers.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Good but could be better

The hotel is really nice, one of the best in cuba but it falls short in a couple areas that could easily be fixed. The biggest issue we had was the pool is freezing. No one was in it, all week. When asked by a staff why we weren't in the pool we told them the water was too cold and they laughed and continued on. The food is cuba food, nothing exciting we lived on the pizza, pasta and fry diet all week. We were travelling with an infant and asked multiple times for a kettle. Like other reviews sa [... read more]id if you are asking for anything from the front desk it is a waste of time, we never received the kettle. The staff are great at this resort and really make it. Just watch where you step there are holes drilled in the concrete throughout the resort for what looked like umbrella bases but they are big and deep in tile and could easily cut someone. Overall nice resort and but simple things could make it great. We have been to cuba 6 times so have reasonable expectations.