Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Disappointed but made the best of it

Working with Jennifer was great this is our 5th time booking with tripcentral and it has always been a great experience an we will continue. This was our first time flying with sun wing we were a bit skeptic at first cause some reviews we read were not good but it was a good experience for us. The hotel. when we first arrived our room was not ready understandable check in is at 4pm however later on in the review it will explain why this was frustrating. The grounds were very nice the garde [... read more]ner was the best. The room was clean however we did notice when we checked in that we were given ground level and we then saw a older couple one of them in a wheelchair having to go up stairs to their room which we found not acceptable. It is a very big resort however i think it lacks in management.For the size of the resort the buffet restaurant is very small and some of the people who serve you are not very accomadating a few mornings we waited half an hour for coffee and water and then when asking for certain things we were advised there was no more. The lobby was small in size as well and there again you needed to wait at least half an hour to be served. We traveled with our daughter who's room key would not work 3 different times to get into the room at one point we called and the lady hung up on us then when we called back no one answered. I walked up. To the lobby and the girl at the front desk advised me that it was our faul the key did not work. The events that were put on at night were never on time supposed to start at 9 and started between 930 and 10. They had a outside restaurant that we visited a few times and were always told that half the items on the list they were out of. In certain areas of the resort they ran out of white wine. The restaurants we had to make reservations in were good and most of the staff was pleasant however in major areas there was a language barrier. The beach was pleasant and you always had someone asking you if you needed a chair the pool areas was very busy and you always had to look for a seat or ask for one as people claimed the seats very early in the morning by putting their towels on the chairs All and all we made the best of our vacation however it was not what we had read about we are glad we did not take the room with the hot tub as a lot of people were saying they did not work. Our fridge rarely got filled up we had to call and ask certain days coffee was left but no sugar and vice versa. The day we left we vacated the room at noon and as we were standing waiting for the bell boy the maid was going into our room to clean it that is why i cannot understand why they make people wait until 4pm to check in. Our tour guide on the way back to the airport could not speak English. The airport was great we had no issues at all.We will go back and visit cuba however not at this resort The best thing about this resort was the landscaping and the gardener. I think they need to look into there management and the ways it it run. We ran into a older gentlemen who said he has been going there for 7 years and in the last 2 years it really went downhill they should have a customer reiview card when you leave so you can give them feed back on what they can do to make their resort number one. I know this is not trip central fault however i hope you take this feed back into consideration if any other potential clients ask about this resort. Thank you Christie Steadman

Melia Marina Varadero: Book the Level to upgrade your experience!

We really enjoyed our five night stay as Level guests at Melia Marina. The staff were the best part- very friendly, hardworking and helpful. They were always smiling. I went to Cuba with low expectations about the food, and came away pleasantly surprised, though I think the experience would have been different if we had not upgraded to the Level. As Level guests, all meals could be eaten at the exclusive Level restaurant, and ordered from a menu. We never had to eat brave the buffet. The menu [... read more] didn't change, but the food was for the most part very good and always beautifully presented. In particular we enjoyed the "coffee with milk", Eggs Benedict, Fish & chips, all fish dishes, and the Latin A la cart was our favourite. Oscar & Juliet booked us immediately for an A la cart each night. The Level restaurant overlooked the Marina, on the open balcony it felt as if we were on a cruise ship in port. We always enjoyed watching the marina activity. The room was very clean and tastefully decorated. I didn't give it full marks for sleep because some nights the air conditioning was too much! What a funny thing to complain about in a warm country. The pools were beautiful and clean, and we always found a lounge chair. We spent our days by the pool as the beach was too windy for us, but the beach did look beautiful. The walk to and from the beach was very short across a foot bridge. Those who needed a lift could be driven to the beach by Bosch in the 6 person golf cart. Entertainment we enjoyed: morning stretching at the beach, poolside games, outdoor chess, and evening bands in the lobby. Wi-fi was complimentary with our Level room. It was good service in the Level restaurant and hotel lobby, but patchy in our room. If not Level guests, I believe they were charging 1 cuc per hour of Wi-Fi. Though I really enjoyed my stay, there were two things that could be improved upon. Hot beverage service in the a la carte (aside from the Level) was non-existent, and often menu items were not available. I always felt sorry for the staff who had to tell me "its broken" or "there is no hot water here for tea", etc. The second is a feeling of the place heading towards slow disrepair- I had heard the resort is five years old. All wall mounted objects in our bathroom were loose. One ladies toilet on the pool level actually almost tipped over on me. These two small things reflect on management not the wonderful staff working day in and out serving the guests. Not knowing Spanish, we struggled a minor amount. Menus and information were written in Spanish, English and French. The staff tried their best to communicate with us, and some of them were multilingual - koodos to them!!

Villa Tortuga: VILLA TORTUGA, UTMOST HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE

FELICIA This is my second time in Cuba, my first was Cayo coco. For this time, I thought choosing Varadero, would be a good opportunity to see Havana. However, here what happened: When we got at villa Tortuga, they tried to shovel at us a stinky room, which had: 1)ceiling was coming apart, including leaking 2)AC broken 3)back door broken, not closing 4)beds dirty 5)door to room, barely opened 6)lights not working 7)mould smell Here is the thing, when we got into the room, my daug [... read more]hters, already knowing how the hotel we stayed in Cayo Coco was, looked at me with the utmost frustration face, refusing to sleep in those beds which were dirty. Not even telling, how much complaint, I had to hear from them for next few minutes… I immediately complaint with front desk. They said would send someone right way to fix the AC, and the door. But given another room was impossible because the hotel was full. Actually, the service man, show up right away, went to bedroom with us, stuck a screw driver into the AC, which started working, but at temperature of 24 degrees, which obviously wouldn’t work since 24 still hot. I asked him to lower the temp, he said he didn’t have any way to do so. For the remaining, not even took a look. I went down again and complaint, then suddenly, surprise…a room was available, ….which was what I was expecting. They also charge to use the safe, better saying, to lend the key to use the safe, which previously I didn’t have to pay anything at Playa Coco. Just absurd… At the same time, other guests, who just arrived, also came down to complaint. 3 of them I spoke, they told me, even parts of wall inside the washroom was missing. I feel frustrated/cheated/missleaded with not only TRIP CENTRAL but also with AIR TRANSAT, which are offering “DEALS”, to what, should be a relaxed and enjoyable vacation, but in truth, this almost became a real nightmare for myself and my daughters. Not only TRIP CENTRAL but also AIR TRANSAT, should take care at the point to advise customers what kind of conditions we should expect, or tell these types of hotels, that, we are not animals and we are expecting, at minimum of decency for any room they offer. Once we are already in foreign soil, how TRIP CENTRAL AND OR AIR TRANSAT, expect any customer to complaint and go around this situation? I paid this trip 45 days prior of departure, not knowing what, or having any advice for any of these parties, which kind of hotel villa Tortuga was, which clearly isn’t a good one, ever!!! Moreover, every hotel in Cuba, provides beach towels. At villa Tortuga, I asked the pool house, every single day, in the morning, the answer was always the same: “not available”, however, I found out, they were using the beach towels, for regular rooms, since, I saw myself, some guests, who came later than us, using, long and good beach towels, the same as any other hotel provides. The food unfortunately did not have as much variety as Playa Coco hotel had, or at least tasty as I experimented before, although, we had to eat what was there. No beach bar with curb appeal, no attractions for kids, like we’ve seen before…anyways…overall, no good. And the last thing is only about Air Transat. I registered my kids to kids club, supposedly they were about to get some perks, including passes, which all other kids in the same flight had, but for my kids, the package only arrived after we left to Cuba…wow !, what efficiency!... That Felicia, was my experience in Villa Tortuga…

Hotel Tuxpan: Not what it was.

This hotel/resort has come under new ownership and is promoting heavily in Europe and Russia. Only one of the elevators works about 10% of the time. We were out numbered by Russians..like 3 to 1. The Russians take a lot of food..like all the food. So, as a result the rest of us didn't get any...and I mean no food. Black beans and rice were the main stay. They served a quasi beef stew with brussel sprouts for all three meals for three days in a row. Some buns..no bread until the last day.  [... read more] We spent a good amount of time hungry. The tuck shop was closed when it shouldn't have been. When it was open sold $7 cans of pringles.. Burgers were the main stay..and they were usually undercooked. not happy at all..the pool and beach area are great...as is the staff..but lots and lots of things are lacking. We won't be back.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Amazing resort!

The hotel is awesome. It has good a la carte restaurants, and a huge array of food at the buffet location. Great entertainment and a large variety of activities available! It is kept impeccably clean. The grounds are fabulously maintained. The staff are friendly, helpful, and very professional. The Guest Service staff are incredible. They will help out with any problem you may have, and make excellent recommendations for touring the area.

Grand Memories Varadero: Fun Trip

The staff are what make the place fun. Exception is to Roberto in lobby who has zero people skills. It was “impossible” for him to help me get internet. Food had great variety but buffet was always cold. Not enough power in Cuba I believe. Activities were excellent and fun. Hated the smoking people did in the common areas. So backward and offensive. Room was not the best. At least we had hot water. Bed after switching rooms 3 times was still bad (broken). Fridge had to be changed, AC didn’ [... read more]t work, coffee maker had no coffee and cream/sugar. It was cleaned satisfactory everyday. Building is in rough shape. We really overlooked this part. The whole resort is just too big - too many people for staff to cater to. Too many lineups, waiting to get service at meal times and anywhere pretty much. Some staff go out of their way and aim to please. Tipping seemed like an obligation. Some even asked for tips. Overall we had a wonderful time. Met lots of great people and weather was great. Lots to do. As for value, I’m a little disappointed that some people seemed to get either a much better deal or better service. Their seems to be unfairness. Won’t be back mostly cause we want to explore another area. Create a different vacation.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: A Paradise Palace Resort

I would highly recommend Iberostar Laguna Azula Resort & Spa. The grounds at this resort are meticulously groomed. There are a variety of pools catering to all age groups. The service was excellent & the staff was very personable, helpful, polite, and most entertaining with there laughter & jokes. The buffets were also excellent. There was a large variety of choices in the International restaurant. We most enjoyed a meal at the Japanese Teppanyaki Table, the Italian pavilion & the Cuban [... read more] pavilion restaurants. The food was excellent. The evening entertainment was also most enjoyable at the theatre. This resort has an awesome beach which you can go for long walks. Our room was very clean and the staff was very caring & genuinely sincere.The resort is very safe for tourists. Terrific Experience ! A home away from home.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Best Resort In Cuba!!!!!!!

Everything about this resort was first class. The food was amazing (better than home). Tons of variety (steak, chicken, fish, pork). Iris was the best Cuban sandwich maker in the world. Very lovely lady! The rooms were immaculate, clean, large. Housekeeping came by TWICE a day to clean!! Grounds were beautiful. Groundskeeper was so friendly. Always giving gifts to people. Ioanni (waiter) was the best! The Kids Club was amazing. Always something to keep the kids busy. Lia and Yuni are lovely ladi [... read more]es and kept the kids busy, entertained and happy! This is by far the best resort. I have travelled all over the world and NOTHING compares to the Iberostar Varadero!!!! Special thanks to concierge guest manager Arnaldo for being so accommodating! Love this place!!!!

Melia Marina Varadero: Great stay!

Loved the lobby bar..great cappuccinos, entertainment and view of the marina. Staff were very friendly, beautiful beach. Pool was a little chilly. Not too crowded at this resort but not too quiet. Highly recommend seeing Havana, about 2 hour drive, either bus or car rental. Food was edible but not the best. They really need some hot sauce!!

Hotel Villa Cuba: Cuba Dream

We had an excellent vacation at the Be Live Experience Varadero Cuba. The resort was small which was a plus. There was no line up at the Buffet or the Pool Bar. Plenty of beach chairs and Palapas to use for shade on the beach. Very clean and well kept. The only complaint is the line up in order to book an Al la Carte restaurant. You could only book for 1 hour each morning with incredible line ups. The Buffet was our choice as we could not book the others. The food was good and plentiful i [... read more]n the Buffet. 2 restaurants behind pool bar and an all night restaurant open at 11 p.m Both outdoor restaurants serving hamburgers and hot dogs as well as grilled ham and cheese. Clean beach as well

Hotel Los Cactus: Great Resort

The Hotel was very wheelchair friendly the room was large and very accommodating with a walk in shower.The beaches were amazing and the grounds and pool are beautiful.But most of all the staff were wonderful and are there to help.Being disabled I found it very easy to get all around they even helped me get on the beach.

Playa Caleta: Great staff, poor maintenance

This hotel looks beautiful but many areas poorly maintained. For 5 of the 7 days, only one elevator was working. Public washroom almost never had toilet paper. The food at best was luke warm unless you got your meat from the grill (which was great). Their serving trays didn't have hot water in them so food didn't stay warm. I managed to have a warm shower twice, the rest was cold water. On the positive side, the ocean was great to for swimming (which is why I went), great coffee and mera [... read more]nges for breakfast. The staff were friendly and doing the best they could. This is definitely only a 2 star at best

Muthu Playa Varadero: Wonderful Resort

Everything good, food good, nice country, nice fly, I’m and my family enjoy everything, thanks, my family enjoy everything included trip to the city Varadero, beautiful beach. Perfect all, thanks thanks thanks see you next year for sure

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Beautiful resort but needs improvements

We have been to Cuba many, many times and found this resort to be a beautiful property. It was well laid out, the rooms were typical Cuban but they are renovating the bathrooms which is a nice improvement and found the beds were comfortable. Not sure what happened to the lampshades as there were none. The grounds were very well kept by the diligent gardeners who were all very kind. The food was a very big disappointment and we feel the management knew this as we did 4 surveys while there, we thi [... read more]nk with each survey they were hoping the reviews would get better? Not sure. We also did our own suggestions [because they have a suggestion box in the lobby], only to help them succeed as there is so much potential for this resort. It became an adult only as of November 2018 and WE NEED ADULT ONLY RESORTS that are reasonably priced, such as this one. What gives us hope at this resort is when suggestions were made they took the suggestions and implemented them [well some of them] like the next day! So they are listening, which makes us think they are open to suggestion BUT they need to keep it up! The buffet was so much of the same, everyday and it wasn't good. Yes, we read the reviews before we went and we are used to Cuban cooking and always have found something to eat as long as there was a pasta station to fill in between "not so good nights", but by the time we left I was pretty tired of pasta. One of the biggest problems were the washrooms especially the men's washroom closest to the lobby, very well used you would think it would be very maintained. The whole 2 weeks we were there the urinals were not functioning, had signs "not to use". There were only 2 urinals and 2 toilets in this washroom and the next closest washroom was way down by the pool! There is no paper and a pitiful dryer and the door to the men's washroom was propped open leaving the men exposed doing their business, at the urinal, so when the women came out of their washroom there the men were, their back to the open doorway. The pool washrooms MANY times had NO paper for toilets OR hands, you found that out of course AFTER. After 5 days of this problem I went on a hunt for a manager of sorts, I found one and explained what the problem was and stressed how unacceptable this was for a resort of this caliber, from that day to the time we left there was paper in the pool washrooms, still nothing for the hands. We felt sorry for all the workers that had to take the brunt of the complaints. On a more positive note, we loved all the servers Zuly you were our favorite, Donnie and Ca yile and Cookie, we miss you and our Ron Collins & gin and tonic drinks, the animation group and yes Charlie is a sweetheart, all the reception, Mildrey in guest services who is dear to my heart, they were all wonderful to us and enjoyed them all. TO the MANAGER: you are very fortunate to have all the wonderful employees at your resort, they made our trip and its the people of Cuba that keeps us coming back year after year. Just for your information our room was 1812 and you did hear from us at the suggestion box, we were there from Jan 8-Jan 22. We want this resort to succeed as there is so much potential and we did see you listened to suggestions but it needs to be ongoing and the food has to improve! At this point we would not recommend this resort because of the problems. But we are going to watch the reviews to see how you improve.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: very nice resort

Grounds well taken care of, rooms are clean, food good, lots of variety. The Italian restaurant was very good also the International one. The washrooms at the beach need paper towels or hand dryers, none were visible. The staff is friendly and service oriented. All in all excellent value for the price!

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Sweet Resort

I flew out with my daughter on her 18th birthday to enjoy 10 days on a magnificent beach getaway. And that’s what we had! The hotel, room & grounds are well kept. The staff is so sweet, always smiling & helpful. Plenty of food for the non picky eaters & quite flavourful in some instances Thank you to Jose at the Japanese a la carte, Enrique at the lobby bar & so many more for making are trip sweet ;)

Muthu Playa Varadero: Great Resort

Had a great time there, the staff is very friendly and accommodating. Oh I would definitely go back!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Not what you expect for a 5 star resort

The resort was not what we expected for a 5 star hotel. I know it’s Cuba but I have stayed at 4 star resorts in Cuba that were better. The beach was nice the resort itself was nice. Unfortunately the service and food were both bad. The sunwing rep. Misinformed us on an excursion. We were disappointed.

Resonance Blu Varadero: somewhat disappointed

The ground floor rooms are not very desirable, run down, half renovated, insects, mattresses bad condition (can feel the springs digging into body), shower water just lukewarm, television very bad reception, wiped up some water on floor and cloth was black.|(makes you wonder how often they actually clean them. No facecloths. Hallways are rundown, need repairs. I asked for a different room, ended up on 3rd floor that was in much better condition.(not the mattress, or tv) though. The cleani [... read more]ng lady was very friendly and made the most unique arrangements out of towels etc on my bed. And did a pretty good job of cleaning. The food was not good. Except for breads (buns, rolls, doughnuts, pastries). They have to figure out that they have a huge grill to cook lots of chicken, pork, beef, eggs, but only use a very small portion of grill and cook maybe 8 pieces at a time, while there is a lineup of 20 people waiting all the time. And hygiene is terrible, the one is using same tongs for turning cooked chicken and raw chicken. Tables are cleaned in buffet room with one cloth cleaning placemats, table , chairs, (and to clean who knows how many table with same cloth. The service in buffet was slow, and would often go up and asked for something. You got ignored a lot unless you showed them you were tipping. They were constanting running out of plates also. Staff in lobby were always helpful...also most staff were friendly at the bars, restaurants, grounds,rooms, etc., willing to help if they could. The grounds look like someone cares, the layout of resort is good, pools good, entertainment at pools decent and upbeat. The shows in the evening were very good. The beach has beautiful white sand, also good exercise classes, dances classes at both pool and beach. They just have to renovate the buildings, clean better, change mattresses,(I heard from others that were pretty upset about condition of bldgs., rooms, hygiene in buffet, etc etc). They have to get that buffet organized better, taught hygiene in buffets, public washrooms etc. Change the menu in buffet once in a while, and at busy times use the whole grill for cooking meat, so guests don't have to stand in line for half hour. I could not figure that one out. And why a resort that has that many people coming and going everyday.....??? For me the most important is upkeep and cleanliness of rooms, a good mattress, and great food.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Great Resort

The resort itself was large and well maintained. The rooms were nice and the staff were friendly. The food was good, and while we were there, the resort allowed you to go to the "a la cartes" everyday and there was different entertainment every night. Overall, a very nice resort.