Melia Internacional: Perfection!

The Melia Internacional Varadero is a newish property. Rooms are modern bright and spotlessly clean.Our room bar fridge was stocked daily with beer, cola, bottled water and even cava at our request. The staff are impeccably trained and all are friendly and lovely.Please tip these hardworking people generously. We felt extremely safe everywhere. The pools are meticulously kept. There are several pools to choose from with the main pool hosting a daily activity program- it's fun but loud. A quieter [... read more] pool was separated for 18+ level guests.. The beach is simply stunning with lots of loungers. There are 3 levels of service at this hotel and we booked the highest- "The level 18+ adults". It had its own section of beach with Bali beds and drink service on the beach. There was concierge available 24hrs for The Level guests- they took care of every reservation. They say you don't go to Cuba for the food and there are indeed supply chain issues however there is a noticeable difference between the buffet restaurants and food available to Level 18+ guests. We are one breakfast at the buffet just "to see". It was just ok. We were able to book all nights in the a la carte restaurants based on our booking level however it was limited to 3 nights for regular guests. Quality of the a la carte higher than the buffet but the menu choices are limited. The restaurant in the adults only building was outstanding. Sit down service in a quiet space beside the pool with a delicious menu. Alcohol availability also varies by what bar you were in. Rum readily available everywhere but tequila could only be found at the adult only roof top bar. The roof top spa is outstanding. We had facials and massages. This gives you access to the thermal plunge pools, sauna and steam room- not to be missed. The property is within walking distance to "downtown" Varadero if you're inclined to walk in to putter about.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Good resort, but..

We stayed 15 days in February. The room is very nice and spacious. We moved from building 5 to 7 due to a noise that was right in front of our balcony ( show time), too hard to fall asleep. Room in building 7 -TV had only 5 channels ( others had 48), a technician couldn't fix it- no signal he said. Too strange and odd to have a string for drying the swimming clothes in the shower stall- too humid there for that - better to have it on the balcony. The food in the buffet was OK, no co [... read more]mplaints. A-la cart restaurants were not very impressive. We visited 2- Cuban and Asian ( Italian didn't work). It would be nice to have hand sanitizers everywhere in the public areas- I didn't see any. Also there were no tissues in the rooms, no coffee makers. The plates in the buffet looked as they were not properly cleaned. THE HOTEL HAS TO DO SOMETHING WITH FLIES IN THE BUFFET! They are everywhere- on the food, in the glasses. There are not enough lounge chairs on the beach- that's why people have to go early in the morning at 6.30 and reserve them. The neighbour hotel has hundreds of chairs on their beach. Comparing to Grenada's hotel- we could change the beach towels any time on the beach, here we had to leave them in the room so the maid would have left us the new ones- not very convenient. Hotel's marina was closed all the time- we had to go to Valentine to book a hoby cat. The guy made for us only 15 min along the beach, though the other boats were in the sea way longer. May be, because we didn't belong to Valentine? No bicycles for rent, it would be nice to have them. There is a grand piano in the lobby- nobody ever played it. I think, the hotel is OK, though there are some issues there, that can be solved. Cuban people are nice and hard working. My complaints are for the management.

Grand Memories Varadero: Amazing Resirt

I found the grounds to be so beautiful. The staff is beyond helpful and friendly The pools and beach were perfect and easily accessed. The nightly sows were also very entertaining. Rooms were very clean and everything worked perfectly. I would have liked regular schedules for the carts but there were alot of benches for resting

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Nice resort

As far as the hotel is concerned, it was beautiful. The rooms are beautiful. The facilities were also nice. The beach was great, the wait staff very warm and accommodating. As far as the food is concerned it was terrible. There was a tremendous lack of items. Many times, no meats except for pork. Rarely did we have chicken or beef, or even turkey. The buffet was lacking in cheese, butter and a few times eggs. Basic Western foods were almost nonexistent, like pancakes, waffles If you are a veget [... read more]arian, there is unlimited salads. Nothing was marked so often times we didn't know what we were eating. When an item ran out, there wasn't enough. Considering that we were at a coastal resort there was never any shrimp, and the fish was very poor quality. The hotel advertised 9 restaurants but only 5 were operating and frankly speaking nothing outstanding. No on-sight convenience store. You have to take a 30-minute bus ride to any kind of shopping. Personally, to pay 5-star prices and get 2-star quality is not what I expected. This hotel has a long way to go before they reach 5-star level.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Has potential

We arrived on Feb 18 2023 and the hotel was dead. Hardly any restaurants open and they only allowed 2 a la carts, but had no other food available so you had to wait till 8 to get food at the one restaurant open. Booked 3 ocean view rooms- wound up all ground level garden view and they refused to change it. The hotel was dead- it was eerie considering it is supposed to be busy season. I know you don’t go to Cuba for the food , however with the shortages there it was really bad. I was sick for 3 [... read more] days. The staff are friendly, the beach was beautiful.

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Amazing Vacation

This is our second time at this resort although it was a different name and we love it there. Everyone is so friendly. The first time was in 2020 right before Covid. A lot has changed since then. The resort was very empty. We stay in the beach club because it’s quieter there but we were disappointed to find out that they are no longer using the buffet there and we had to walk all the way down to the main one. The grounds were very clean and well kept. Every day the gardener would give me a flo [... read more]wer when we were going for breakfast. The rooms were clean although twice we didn’t get water and once our towels weren’t changed. The bed was very comfortable. The pool bar was our favourite and we loved Tsunami. She always made us feel welcome and often would see us leave our room and throw us kisses. We spent time before and after supper at the Cohiba bar and the staff was great. It was the only place to get pina coladas but that was ok because we met lots of people there. The food was typical of Cuba and our own ketchup made it tastier but I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have any pasta. We completely understand that it may be hard for them to get so we always found other things to eat since there was a good variety. We loved this resort so much that we plan to go there again next year! Nothing to do with this resort but it would have been nice to have the heads up about what currency is accepted. Some places took only American or credit card, some took Canadian and others pesos. Even the hop on, hop off bus was inconsistent. One day it took only pesos and the next day it took Canadian. Some people we met said they had to pay by American and others said they had to pay by credit card. It’s very confusing.

Hotel Los Cactus: Great Relaxed, Pleasant Resort

This was my 3rd time to this resort -- I found it was very typical to have repeat guests here. Amazing people and beach. The other guests were all very happy, friendly and easy to talk to. The food was on par with other Cuban resorts -- healthy and fine by us but limited to what Cuba can offer. I look forward to returning next year.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Beautiful hotel

We found the hotel, the rooms, the grounds just gorgeous and beautifully kept. The only issue was the break down of the elevators. The beach gorgeous the staff outstanding BUT I think the entire Cuba is suffering with a food shortage !! Repetitive day in and day out little assortment! The 24 hour restaurant never had anything you wanted! The hotel needs better wifi and definitely a few stores.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Fun with my 4 year old

I wanted to write a review of this resort and focus on 2 things - stuff to bring and coming here with a young child. The rest I'm sure is covered in other posts... I highly recommend bringing the following items if you are travelling with young kids: - canned or powdered milk - their formula - their favorite juice (somehow) - ketchup (however we had French fries only once) - peanut butter/jam - mustard, BBQ sauce, hot sauce - salad dressing (!) - lots of potato chips (they are nowhe [... read more]re to be found around here) - Crackers - candy (they have some chocolate and cookies in the shops) - water/pool toys and beach toys (they have some floaties like inner tubes at the Kids club) - lots of sun coverage - finding shade can be a challenge - umbrellas get scooped up really quickly - wet wipes - movies/TV downloaded onto your devices - the wifi does not work well - 1 or more large travel mugs for cold and hot drinks from the bar Bringing kids: I came here alone with my 4 year old son. I had read there was a Waterpark which was why I booked it. There really isn't a "waterpark" although there is a cute kids pool with some things that spout water so maybe that's what they meant. We had an Aqua Fun room which just meant that it was right next to the Kid's Pool and Kid's Club. The ladies who work at the Kid's Club were great. They watched my son anytime between 10am and 5pm. He loved playing there. They had toys, play-doh and coloring books. They also have a little shallow baby pool (in addition to the kids pool) and a little swing set. In addition to the regular kids club hours, they would have "mini discos" at night some evenings for half an hour. They would dress up and play kids music and they had lights and would all dance to silly songs. My son loved it. Another night they played a kids movie in the lobby and put mats and pillows on the floor. Another night they had a "pirates dinner" and everyone got a pirate hat to wear. One very fun night they had a pjama party with games and lots of kids came out for this. I was a bit frustrated by the food situation there. For example, the lack of real juice, not having French fries, etc. The food was not very child friendly, although they had pizza one night. Of course my son didn't seem to notice. They always had ice cream and some yummy deserts. I'm glad I brought toddler formula along. We paid for 8 x 2L bottles of water because we went through it quickly and it was annoying to keep asking for more. There is no bath tub and my son hates showers so he only had one forced shower the whole week. Overall, it was a pretty, modern place with good staff. I'm so grateful that the Kid's Club staff were so willing to watch him so I could have a break. For Canadians: Please bring cash for tips in US $1 bills and some $5. They don't want our loonies and toonies, their banks do not accept them. If you're looking for a nightlife, this is probably not the place for you. But for a week sitting by the pool and reading it worked well for us. I didn't love the beach simply because of lack of chairs and shade. Maybe if we walked further along the beach we would have had better luck but it's hard to do that with a small kid.

Hotel Mojito: Exactly what we were looking for

Nice little resort, perfect for relaxing vacation, not so much a party place. There is just a right amount of everything. Great people, great service, decent accommodation, beautiful beach, clean pools, decent selection of beverages….. If you are looking for a big place with a lot of people partying 24/7, than this is not your place. If you are looking for a place to have a nice and relaxing vacation with fantastic service by the fantastic people, a place where you will feel like at home  [... read more]away from home, than this is the right place for you. We found our place and we will be coming back to Mojito, hopefully for many more years to come.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Amazing as always

Returning to Brisas after a 3 year break. Amazing as always. Staff are nice and the beach is clean. Plenty of shade on the beach area. There's always food in the restaurants with some shortages here and there. Hotel personal will make sure that visitors are happy and content. Will return soon.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Good resort

The beach and the pool were beautiful and well maintained at this resort! Most staff were friendly however some were not attentive at all and would forget to brung your drink order unfortunately. Food was not great but this is expected in Cuba. Alcohol was mostly stocked, would run out of specific at some bars. Lobby bar was often overcrowded in the evenings and would take 30+ minutes to get served. The entertainment and night life was good for the first couple of days however we found it got ve [... read more]ry repetitive with the same playlists and dancing from the staff. Rooms were clean and no issues with anything, jist had to ask for extra towels and water bottles. We enjoyed our stay and would recommend!

Roc Arenas Doradas: Amazing time

Leaving tomorrow. Enjoyed everything this hotel had to offer. Roc plus rooms had great showers and plenty of hot water. Bring snacks and condiments. Pool and beach amazing. The staff was super friendly and very appreciative of gifts we brought. Varadaro is close by and has a ton of markets. Took the bus from here and came back in a lemon car for $15. Bring American for tips and canadian for everything else. Excursions take credit card only same with gift shoppe in hotel. Bring lot [... read more]s of sunscreen its hot hot hot and you can't buy it here. Aaa batteries, essentials (soap, shampoo, shoes, clothing, tampons are appreciated. All in all fabulous spot to vacation and we will be returning.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Clean resort

Very clean. No hot water in my room....did not move me to a different room, even though I did complain, used friends shower, food was hit and miss...but it is Cuba...condiments hard to find, butter hard to find, no labels on food so you never know what the dish is, lots of rum but mix would run out every day....always cola on hand....not today....maybe tomorrow type of hotel...need more staff ....cleaning staff friendly.......again...it is Cuba....decent place

Gran Muthu Imperial: Nice size resort!

The size of the resort was not too big and not too small. We stayed in building 7 which was more or less in the middle of everything. Our room was clean and bright! We had an ocean view room and enjoyed the view from the balcony. There is only one main buffet and 3 a la carte restaurants. The restaurants were listed as Cuban, Mexican & Chinese but when we got there this was not the case. Cuba is struggling and they based the menu on what was available. We did eat at all 3 restaurants and the foo [... read more]d was better than the buffet but it also depends on what you order. We liked the Mediterranean menu best. In the buffet, there was no butter all week. There was no beef for the first half of the week and then no chicken for the second half. There was no peanut butter or syrup, salad dressings or oil & vinegar to make your own. The food was okay but I didn't expect much. I lost 2 pounds and usually, I would gain a few pounds. The ice cream was the best part and we had that as dessert for lunch & dinner. I found the food was mislabeled a lot and the same utensils were used for multiple items. There was always pork. If you are picky or have allergies I would not recommend Cuba. I was fine as I eat pretty much everything and have no allergies. The pools were nice and a bit cool but once you were in it was fine. The whole resort wasn't being used, there were buildings that were empty. I heard some buildings had issues with the plumbing and guests had to be moved, we did not have any issues all week. Our shower did take a bit of time to drain but we turned the water off in between shampooing our hair, etc. I did not find it that busy but if the whole resort was full it would have been harder to get chairs, etc. I felt like the hotel was rationing items such as water bottles and toilet paper. The toilet paper in the rooms was fine but in the washrooms in the lobby, etc, it was more like paper towels and it would run out. Everywhere we went I made sure to bring kleenex, wipes and hand sanitizer. There were no hand or face cloths but I understand that is common in Cuba. I brought my own Norwex facecloths and my own beach towel. The beach was nice but part of it was rocky and you had to walk further down to get sand. We took the bus to Playa Pilar and the beach was beautiful there! All sand and beautiful blue waters. The bus was $5.00 and that includes your way back but pay attention to the times. You can also take a cab and I believe the price was the same. The chairs were $5.00 as well. We used Canadian cash for the whole week, it was nice to have Canadian dollars accepted at par. I brought some USD but I didn't end up using it.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Beautiful resort and beach but that's where it stops

There are many issues with the resort. For starters they reuse plastic cups and don't properly wash them. They just rinse them under cold water and reuse them. Same with glassware at the terrace bar on the beach. After coming home I'm sick and can't help but wonder if that had something to do with it The food is lacking majorly. Only on our last day did we see a pasta station. And everybody got excited so the line was 40 people long. No meat grilling station. Only pork strips for a stir fry t [... read more]he entire week we were there. In many aspects I've had better food in three star resorts in Cuba. The service was lacking. They didn't care to make a decent coffee, and would constantly lie about mojito being "finish". The hotel itself, the grounds, and the beach are beautiful so it's a real shame that the management or rather the mismanagement of the hotel ruined our vacation. P.S. i had requested rooms close to each other for my 84 year old dad. They claim they didn't get a note about it so that one is on you trip central.

Melia Las Dunas: Perfect vacation

This is a lengthy review, but we returned to MLD in February of this year after a couple of years of absence, and we have been impressed. We've got a room in villa 24 which was under renovation couple of years ago. Everything was clean and in working condition. The bathroom was about half renovated, with some items being new and others just kept up. We would warmly suggest to have the bathtubs replaced with walking showers if possible with a future renovation. This would add more value to the [... read more] rooms and more comfort to the travelers. Our room maid Carlos genuinely cared for us to love our room and went beyond his duty to make it happen. The grounds were as well kept as always, with splendid vegetation and even a bit of passing wildlife to enjoy. It was nice to see the pop-up coconut stations were the gardeners would entice us with fresh cut coconut water every day. We are not necessarily restaurant people and between the buffet and grill, we've found all we wanted every day, and some more. We've heard from friends returning from recent trips to the Caribbean that they've missed either fruit, food, deserts, or even cutlery and cups. We have not experienced any of the above. There was plenty of seafood, meats, cheese, fruit, sweets and ice cream to choose from, no shortage indeed. A nice touch to see sushi offered a few times as well. Many thanks to our preferred breakfast egg station ladies (sorry for not asking their names) and our dinning room helpers, especially Suyen, for their attention and care that we are satisfied and the food is cooked to perfection. Another very nice surprise was to see that the wi-fi is included in the price and available in rooms, restaurants, bars, and the traditional lobby. Best way to spend an evening keeping in touch with dear ones at a glass of wine or cup of coffee. Amazing service at the lobby bar, nicely stocked, and bartenders open to creative ideas (coffee made "special"... haha). There was entertainment every night and we've enjoyed especially the Esencia music playing couple. Lucky enough, we've got to listen to them twice during our 10 days stay. The fashion shows were also fun to watch early in the evening. We were not travelling with kids, but could not stop to appreciate how much time and care it was invested in the little ones at the resort, even though the kids club was under renovation. The ladies were busy from morning to late evening, with unwavering energy and creativity to make the kids happy. And last but not least, the beach was as amazing as ever. We had good weather, a bit windy in the afternoon, but not enough to keep us and others away from the sand and water. Free fun watching the pelicans patrolling and the seagulls making friends with people. Cayo Santa Maria offers long beaches and we clocked over 20K steps every day, a good way to stay in shape while lazing for so many days. We were definitely spoiled and enjoyed every bit of it. Many thanks to all that worked to make our trip an enjoyable experience, and looking forward to going back as soon as possible.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Nice Resort

Great People. The lobby receptionists weren't as welcoming as we hoped, and didn't go out of their way to address concerns. Specifically keys that wouldn't work and getting maintenance to fix an air-conditioning issue. The grounds were well kept and clean. Rooms were cleaned every day with new bedding, night life was good, they had something for all ages. The Gym could use some work, one treadmill was down all week making it difficult to get on, some equipment was broken. Food was ok, lots of va [... read more]riety and the staff and cooks in the buffet areas were awesome.

Melia Costa Rey: Wonderful Resort!!

This hotel was beautiful! The location was stunning; there was always a spot on the beach and everything was always spotless. The staff were amazing and so kind always, they truly made the stay so enjoyable for me. The food was great at the a la cart restaurants but not fantastic at the buffet - you had to go right when the doors opened if you wanted a selection. Overall the stay was wonderful and I would certainly recommend it.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Okay

Pros: amazing beach and the best staff. Cons: resort needs some repairs, the rooms need to be cleaned and found many bugs in the bathroom, the resort sprays pesticides every morning and evening at 6. Not sure what it is, but smells like burnt diesel fuel. As far as the food, you should know there is not a buffet and choices are limited. I went because of the beach and staff