Hotel Bella Costa: Beautiful pleasurable vacation

This was my 9th stay at this resort. Last was December 2022. Many upgrades since last stay February 2020. Rooms were very clean, as well as grounds, pools and entertainment areas. Some were masked. The employees responsible for visible food prep and serving were masked and gloved. It’s the guests that are the concern in the cafeteria areas. Herd mentality, as if there was not enough, which was not the case.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Amazing Beach

The Beach is great, and the buildings are very nice. Located almost across from the Marina, it gives another option for food, shopping and entertainment. The Varadero Bus stop is in front outside of the hotel.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Fantastic resort

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Royalton Cayo Santa Maria Feb/Mar 2023. All in all a wonderful stay and it deserves the 5 star review. Just a couple things for future guests. As a Canadian our smallest bill denomination is 5 dollars. We have one and two dollar coins which you can use for a tip, but it's harder for staff to exchange. We did not bring coins and they did not have a money exchange. So when we tipped it was 5 dollars minimum. That added up quick so we tipped every few drinks or so. [... read more] It appeared that the service was worse when we did that so in order to get the "best" service from staff we had to tip 5 dollars for everything pretty much every time. We saw people using American one dollar bills and moving forward that's what we would do. We spoke to the check in staff and there was no money exchange at the resort. According to her. It is an adults only resort and from front lobby to the beach was a two minute walk. Very small which we loved. All in all we loved our stay. I had been to Cayo Santa Maria previously and was able to exchange my Canadian money to Convertible Pesos on the resort but again that is NOT an option. So my suggestion would be to bring lots of Canadian 5s and American ones. Use the American cash for drink tips and 5s for meals and maid service. Other than that we loved our stay. Food and service was 5 star. Facility was 5 star. Beach was beautiful and I would give it 6 out of 5 stars. So beautiful.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: What a letdown

Our trip started on a sour note. We had booked in late October, flying out of North Bay to Varadero. Sunwing cancelled the flight, and we were contacted by Tripcentral, and told that we would have to rebook for an alternate departure location, and Sunwing would not honor the original trip cost, and wanted an additional $ 3000 to rebook at the current price in effect for the Royalton out of Toronto . We found out from acquaintances that had booked their trips through CAA and Mayne Travel of No [... read more]rth Bay that they were being allowed to just reschedule out of Toronto for travel on the same day at no cost difference than their original booking. After three days and many hours of disputing this with Tripcentral, they finally agreed to allow us to reschedule out of Toronto at the same price. It seemed as if Tripcentral was actually working for Sunwing's best interest rather than ours. Very disappointed with tripccentral, who we booked through yearly for over a decade. We have travelled to Cuba several times in the past, and since we were going for two weeks, selected the Royalton as an upscale place based on reviews that we read. The resort itself was fine, the beach was fantastic, but the food was not great. Always the same bland variety. The Covid and sanitary precautions were non existent. Glasses at the bar would receive a quick rinse before being reused. They washed the dishes and cutlery one morning for the beach restaurant in the foot wash area (cold water) down at the beach. It was evident, based on prior visits to Cuba, that the country has not recovered yet from the pandemic. We have visited the Dominican and Mexico as well in the past year, and they were fantastic in comparison.

Grand Memories Varadero: Grand Memories Varadero

This resort from the entrance looks beautiful, once you check-in is where you start to see how poorly maintained, understaffed, and dilapidated the hotel is...Rooms; musky smell, missing toilet seats, mold, vents poorly maintained and moldy, ac units dripping water, safes not working, no water or toilet paper in-room upon check in, bath tubs so high, I can only imagine how difficult it is for the seniors that were there. Overall rooms were not good at all... Grounds; need to be better mainta [... read more]ined, as you can see the age and deterioration on the grounds, tiles broken by pool areas, wood on bridges broken or severe tripping hazards, and very poor lighting throughout the resort, some areas that should have water, were empty and disgusting... Beach; beautiful, however, not enough chairs to facilitate the amount of guests at the hotel...waking up at 6am to bring ur towels to get a chair is not my idea of being on vacation... Entertainment at beach was amazing....better bar facilities also needed. Alcohol was literally beer and rum only...no other options avail. Food: I understand the supply issue, but alot of other hotels were not experiencing the issues this hotel was.. Food in buffet was horrible, and ridiculous line up for anything grilled... Al la cart: this was problematic bc again, alot of space was not being utilized because of lack of staff, therefore getting a time slot for the days you were there was frustrating. This hotel should never be rated as a 4 or 4.5 star. This hotel is nothing more than 2.5. Entertainment was mediocre. Management with the exception of one, were absolutely useless... It appears staff is overworked and exhausted at this hotel.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: isolated paradise with an amazing beach

this resort is new built and has all the amenities we needed. We enjoyed the gym with good selection of cardio and weight equipment and onsite free personal trainer ready to help out. three or four pools and all beautiful and clean. the beach is breath taking and the best part of the journey. it looked like a cover of a magazine and it was really hard to leave....make sure u bring sun screen and bug spray. the staff are really kind and friendly and we had the best time. the food is what you get  [... read more]for Cuba and not what we went for so we expected average food. everything else is extra ordinary and wonderful. one of the best resorts we ever visited. highly recommend.

Melia Las Americas: Great Beach and clean hotel

Very spacious beautiful beach. Adults only, wide range in ages. Hotel was very clean with clean washrooms. Hotel is right at the Golf Course with green fees included. Cart is extra, For $5 you can store your clubs at the pro shop for the week. Also adjacent to the hotel is a shopping mall and the Xanadu Mansion. Food was good. 4 dinner a la cartes(international,Asian,Italian, BBQ/Cuban), 1 buffet, 1 24 hour snack bar. Buffet had a fresh cooked spaghetti station(choose your ingredients and sauces [... read more]) and a fresh fry chef(pork,beef,chicken,fish, shellfish, shrimp), also was a carvery(with either 1 of pork,chicken or fish). There was plenty of variety, but bring your own spices/hot sauce if you need. We did the Level room upgrade which gets you a private beach section, private pool with swim up bar, a very large(600+sqft) modern styled room, a concierge office that eagerly will help you with whatever you need onsite or offsite, and a dedicated a la carte for breakfast and lunch. Room had patio access off both the bedroom and living room and a large glass 2 entrance shower. Our room had one bathroom but some people got two bathrooms in their room. Hotel itself has a very grand spacious lobby, loads of design features(someone gave the architect free rein), a large patio off of the lobby has a stunning elevated view of the ocean and is where there is evening entertainment. A few nights a week there are beach parties or live entertainment on the beach. Staff were very friendly. Hotel is a $10U.S. Cab to centre of Varadero(about 8minutes i think) or there is a shuttle bus that goes to all the hotels, $5 for the whole day. $15cdn got us to Varadero in a 1950’s Chevy convertible. Hotel is about 30 minutes from the airport. This is one of the pricier hotels in Varadero, if you are looking at it I’d suggest going all in and getting the Level upgrade it is worth it.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Lovely resort

The location is beautiful with the grounds being very well maintained! The employees were very friendly and helpful and respectful for the most part. A few could use some more training in customer service. The beach was gorgeous!

Starfish Jibacoa: Jabacoa ,a hidden jewel, half way between Varadero and Havana.

The clean comfortable rooms housex in 4 plex cement cottages give solid privacy surrounded by open lawns sprinkled with an amazing selection of trees, probably some are at least 70 years old. The staff, from front deck, bartenders, wait staff, entertainers, and ground keepers are there to help you enjoy your worry free holiday.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Iberostar Playa Pilar Feb23, 2023

2nd time at this resort since March 2020 when Covid shut it down. We were 2 couples on vacation for a week and enjoyed the dining, a la carts, amazing beaches, entertainment, bars and staff. We were in the furthest bungalow #1 on the 3rd (top) floor. The walking and climbing stairs was fine but at night the stairs were very dark and we needed a flashlight. Our room was great but the mini fridge was empty and they told us that they do not stock the fridges. Well, they did in March 2020 so we  [... read more]were disappointed but what can you do. Otherwise a great week in the beautiful sun and turquoise waters of the Caribbean in Cayo Guillermo. We will definitely be back soon for a 3rd time.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Unforgettable Vacation!

We had a lovely vacation at Hotel Playa Paraiso for 2 weeks in February 2023. We would like to praise the staff for endless and exceptional service in the dining room, all bars and snack bar. Special thanks to the two amazing ladies in the main lobby bar: Ailen and Magyani! Very friendly, efficient and courteous; always happy and serving clients morning and lunch coffee and drinks. You made our stay pleasant and memorable. The weather an beach were picture perfect and we wouldn't hesitate to com [... read more]e back to this resort! Thank you. Wally and Alicja

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Better than we expected!

It was our first time in Cayo Santa Maria. It's a 90 minute drive from the airport. The surroundings were lush, the staff were helpful and charming. The food was great (we love Latin food) and the drinks were fantastic. Will definitely go back.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Valentin Perla Blanca

Excellent service ….staff is amazing , weather was excellent and resort was kept clean Best beaches in the world . Entertainment was really good and no shortage of food at this resort.. over all I give this a 4 out of 5

Melia Costa Rey: Just Okay

The elevator was dismantled out of order. If you have mobility issues or simply your baggage. If you have a stroller it has to be carried up to the lobby and main bar. I saw people carrying children in strollers down many stairs to get to their room. The resort is kept very clean. We Stayed in the collection side. Nice and quiet. In the gourmet restaurant the menu never changes for supper. Not a great menu to begin with and gets boring fast. No one goes hungry you can walk a mile to the resort s [... read more]ide to the buffet and have plenty to choose from. Alot of walking and stairs to the lobby bar if you stay in the collection adult only side it is the furthest away. Nice quiet and tranquil. The resort is so spread out. When we arrived late we were hungry and there was no information as to what was open and no map of our way around resort. When we got to our room it was dark and then power went out in the whole resort for 20 minutes. We eventually found our way around and food at a snack bar that was open 24-7 it was tasty. If all you want a beautiful beach this is beautiful!!!!Over all we had a okay time. We are going to go somewhere different then cuba next trip.

Playa Pesquero: Ok resort

The first two a la carte’s food choices were pretty much the same. Our third a la carte was the Romantico, I had asked when we booked it to have a cake. Before we went to dinner I double checked about the cake and was told everything was set up. The waitress came over and asked about our choice for dessert. I was sitting there looking at her like really. Then she went over to the hostess they were looking at each other like they had no clue. The hostess came over and told us that we were  [... read more]at the wrong table. Eventually a cake came out. But my husband was not surprised. I did let the know consiaire witch was a waste of time. I had also asked to have the maid do something special in our room, however our friends told her not to clean our room. So I asked her if she was asked to do something special for my husbands birthday and she said no. I also found it hard when speaking with the staff. The language bearer was difficult. As for the buffet there could be more choices. I found every time it was the same food. There need to be more choices especially for kids.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Love this resort

The grounds were amazing, staff were very friendly, rooms clean, a la carte restaurants open, clean beach with an employee always setting up beach chairs, lots of activities to do, for example, snorkelling, kayaking, paddle boats and catamaran

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great beach

The beach was amazing as always. The resort has really deteriorated over the years, I don’t think it should be rated a five star. The staff are doing amazing with what limited resources they have. They are always smiling and very courteous and welcoming. The food was well prepared and nicely presented, The cooks are very innovative with the limited food options making amazing plate presentations!!

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Nice resort.

This is our second time at this particular resort. The beach and protected bay are outstanding. Our room was ok, but starting to show signs of wear and tear. The buffet was good. No issues with any of the food. The staff are all amazing. Super helpful and friendly.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: A lovely getaway

Nice pool, nice beach, surprisingly good food (fresh fish everyday!) While there were a lot of repetitions with regards to rice and egg dishes, the chef attempted to introduce variety, especially in presentation, from day to day. The rooms were spacious, but could have benefited from more storage areas, especially shelves in the bathroom. There were some minor maintenance issues: lights that didn't work out, sliding doors that didn't slide, but overall cleanliness was good. The staff were  [... read more]friendly and helpful. the resort was operating under reduced capacity due to covid precautions. This meant limited theatre and not all the al a carte restaurants were open, but that was fine with us. We did NOT enjoy the rowdy Ontario university students who were there for reading week, but that isn't the fault of the hotel.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Not What We Expected…

Resort was run-down, a lot of plumbing issues, our patio door didn’t lock - same as many, the safe didn’t work. We only got 2 of 3 a la carts, food in buffet was not labelled. Bottled water was hard to get.