Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Been here several times. Love it.

We went for 2 weeks for the first time, and had a wonderful time. We heard there were several food shortages due to covid, but didn't find this to be the case. The food was the same as usual, just not much fish this time. Feb.14th was a fantastic lobster dinner. The Luna side is still closed for renovations, but the Mares side has been all updated and is beautiful. All new bathrooms, huge shower stall instead of tub, sinks with plugs, etc. Really impressive! The staff was wonderful as usual, and [... read more] we renewed several acquaintances. Internet was free. Just go to reception and get a login password. I didn't know this, and didn't bring a phone or tablet as their internet was not very reliable or free in the past. Hydro went out more than usual, but we were told it was country wide. Not very many people on the beach, as Luna is still closed, so no problem getting lounge chairs. Beach restaurant has been re-furbished/renovated and there are now flush toilets at the beach. Covid has brought a lot of changes, with so many resorts closed for 3 years. Their store is about 1/4 of the size, mostly liquor, very few souvenirs, and the vendors don't come to the resort anymore. We didn't know this had changed. My husband went to Guardalavaca Market and it was much smaller than usual.Possibly the vendors have had to find other employment with resorts being closed so long. There are no cigars due to an extended drought. I understand the rice rations have been severely cut for the Cubans. I have no patience with people who complain about the food when the locals are going hungry. The resort employees are better off, but even they haven't worked in 2 1/2 years. We were unable to bring a second suitcase even if we paid extra. We usually bring one bag of clothes and toiletries to give away. I took fewer clothes than usual so I could bring some to give away. It's fine to tip with cash, but if the shelves are bare, it doesn't matter how much money you have. Russia's war with Ukraine has impacted Cuba adversely, and covid and the dry weather have not helped. This is the first time there haven't been tons of cigars available. No one at Trip Central seemed to know what currency to bring. They take Canadian dollars for everything, but it is based on US dollars.Things in the store are priced in USD, then converted to Canadian money and that's what you pay. (I suggest bringing more small bills like $5s and $10s rather than $50s) You generally pay for excursions with credit cards, and they won't take any which are affiliated with American banks. You don't have to bring USD or convert to pesos. You can exchange Canadian bills for loonies and toonies for tips, but the staff have to change it back to bills before they can use it. Their banks will not take American bills, so don't waste time buying American money or tipping with it. The entertainment was good, but not spectacular, and the activities staff tried really hard to engage the guests. Everyone loves Jose the waiter at the Lobby Bar. He's worth his weight in gold for this resort. There's a 24 hour snack bar with a limited menu, and maybe not as many "a la cartes", but that was often the same food as the buffet, just served by waiters, with smaller portions. Other years we used to go to the buffet for a top up. Lots of pork, spaghetti, great omelettes, bread, great soup, rice pudding, etc. We expected food shortages, but it was about the same as usual. Buffet has been renovated also, very clean, didn't see any bugs. Every year I take yarn with me and make scrunchies for the female staff. These go over very well. This year I also made earrings for gifts. They really appreciate anything you give them. Can't wait to go back next year.

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Wouldn’t Stay Again

My friends and I stayed here for a girls trip. We enjoyed the beach and pools, and the resort itself was beautiful. However, the food was atrocious. We were not expecting anything great as we knew going into it that the food in Cuba is subpar. The issue was that the buffet actually didn’t have a lot to offer, forget about taste. Some days there wasn’t even bread, or rice. They often ran out of fish too, so a member of our group who was vegetarian had a really hard time. We had two rooms betw [... read more]een us, one room on the first floor and one on the third floor. The room on the first floor didn’t lock properly and the room on the third floor was a mess. The AC didn’t work properly, the balcony door didn’t close and there was an infestation of ants. By the last nights there were ants in the beds. The staff were lovely and tried their best, but the service was lacking. Ultimately, we had a great time but we wouldn’t come back to this resort again.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Amazing beach and waterfront

Overall, We spent a fantastic week. There were some amazing areas that we enjoyed. The staff are friendly and amazing. However, there are many services to improve. The resort is a bit outdated and to get the superior rooms, they ridiculously charge you per person per night significant US dollars. The food was of limited quality and repeated every day with the same choices! The beach service for food and breakfast is very basic and limited and not a 5-star hotel. A discriminatory service calle [... read more]d DIAMOND is just very annoying for where they treat few people (Presumably paying more) differently and they got priority in restaurants, seating ...etc as if the rest of the resort are economy class!!

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Do not go to this hole of a hotel

just keep looking. consider dominican republic or perhaps communist china before this hotel. food is crap, service is a dirty word, buildings are in disrepair, and the employees could not give a shit.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Perfect beach

The resort layout and exterior appearance were very nice. . Rooms were very clean, but just needed a bit of updating. Especially the door locks, safes, and bathroom fixtures needed updating. Staff were friendly, but were very busy and it seemed like they needed a bit more training. The beach was the best part of being at this resort.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Good resort but noisy at midnight

Room and cleaning:5 star Landscape: 5 star Meat :4 star Restaurant:3 star Snack bar and cleaning:1 star Swimming pool:5 star Elevator:5 star Day intertainment:2 star Night show:3 star Staff behavior:4 star Intertainment staff need training to have more communication with guests and much more competition and fun with adult guests. snack bar need more meal and washing glasses not only with water by hand.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Cuba Resort

The resort is definitely not a 4.5 star more like 3. The rooms were not that great they need upgrading. We had no water for one day, the WIFI was so bad it kept going down. The food was the same every day. No fruit or not may drinks that were on their list. The worse of it all was the escorts (whatever you want to call them) with old men and there were many and many children around. It was actually disgusting Would i go back to that resort? No i am afraid not.

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Gone downhill

The staff on the beach, at bars, and in restaurants and buffet were awesome. I was disappointed in cleaning services and the lack of variety of food choices. The rooms looked tired. I have stayed here a few times. Might need to look elsewhere for next year.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Great resort .

Beautiful beach , crystal clear ocean water to swim in , very nice pool area , although we never spent any time there , always at the beach . Food was so so , but we didn't go there for the food . Service was a bit slow , long line ups at the bars , but workers worked very hard to please the guests .

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Supply Chain Issues

I would have liked to have visited this resort pre-covid, as I think it would have been a much different experience. We experienced significant shortages in food and alcohol, such as; vodka, whiskey, gin, butter, potatoes, pasta, red meat, bacon and seafood. There wasn't a lot of variety in food, due to shortages. We expected some of this going in, as we have been to Cuba before, but it was much more significant that we expected, where there were several days where butter was a rare find. It  [... read more]seemed the only thing that was readily available was rice, cabbage, eggs and a lot of vegetable dishes. Most of the drinks were rum drinks, as whiskey, vodka and gin were non-existent, and the rum drinks didn't seem as strong as previous visits to Cuba. The resort is beautiful and spacious (though seems care and routine maintenance has slipped recently), and the staff was wonderful, friendly and welcoming, as is often the case in Cuba. The only other negative experience was the sand fleas on the beach. Numerous people around the resort, my wife included, has a significant number of bites on their legs, and many were walking around with red, swollen, extremely itchy legs. Make sure you take bug spray if you intend to visit the beach.

Grand Memories Varadero: Things have changed

I stayed at this resort about 10 years ago when it was a Rui Resort and loved it. I'm sure many of the issues are due to COVID, but it was a bit disappointing. The first room was a bit run down (building 14) (balcony door wouldn't open, no towels, etc.) and it is located a long way from the beach so I paid to upgrade to building 22 which is closer to the beach. The room was much better, but the safe didn't work. It took 4 days of going to the front desk twice a day to get this fixed - a bit frus [... read more]trating since I had to carry all of our important stuff with us (passports, cash). The front desk staff didn't seem very interested in getting this fixed. The service was lacking, but I'm sure that that the employees are under a lot of stress since so many people seemed so angry and unhappy. I've been to Cuba many times, so I was very prepared for the food, but supplies seem to be in short supply so the options at the buffet were less than the last time, but still able to find something to eat. I was there with my daughter and being a teenager, she is much pickier than I am so she struggled with the food issues more than I did. There seemed to be other shortages as well - pina colada mix, daiquiri mix, towels, napkins. I hope with time, the supply issues get better and with that, hopefully the service along with it. The beach and the pool were amazing and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Resort

Rooms dead bolt not working,no hot water for 2 days,a lot of bulbs needs to be replaced on entrances and side walks,lighting to dim in rooms..some patio doors broken cannot lock,I came on Thursday and as of Tuesday no clean towels.false advertising on website.had to book a la carts.website said a la carts all day.did not like the food.no face clothes I will come back to cuba but not to this resort. They need to update there website

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Enjoyed our stay

We enjoyed our stay, it was our first time in Cuba and didn't know what to expect, the food was average as they do have issues with supplies and it's their winter so the fruit selection wasn't the best. But there was always something to have, really enjoyed the buffet in the morning with freshly made omelets a wonderful array of breads, they even had fresh donuts being prepared. The staff at the buffet were the most attentive, one person stood out and made our stay that much more enjoyable h [... read more]er name was Katrina ( I believe her last name was Jenkins), her customer service was over and beyond. Highly recommend taking a horse and buggy ride, going to the market in an old 1950's car and taking gifts as the people highly appreciated this. Especially the children in the areas outside of the resort. If we returned to this resort, we would upgrade to the coral ( the upgrade was recommended from other guests) as we tried to during our stay but unfortunately were not able to.

Playa Costa Verde: Home Away from Home

i always enjoy my stays at PCV. I have been going for 18 years excluding covid years. the rooms are always excellent. the staff is awesome. they are courteous and hard working. always return here. this year food was not as usual but still could find enough to eat.

Melia Las Dunas: Post Covid, a reason for mediocracy

Love the layout of the resort, and of course, the beach is amazing. We returned here with friends based an awesome experience in 2018. Although the rooms were clean, they are in great need of renovations. Only half the guest room phones are working (ours wasn't). Stocked guest room fridges is no longer, despite being advertised; only response was "sorry". Was informed upon arrival that half the resort was closed, and then found out that the wonderful little shopping piazza was closed too; ver [... read more]y disappointing. The bar offered limited domestic beverages only; a few international items added 2-3 days before our departure. The food is what we expected; nothing great. I applaud the effort, but think they would be better off to featuring their own specialty items only; eg. ketchup garnish on a caprese salad does not work. The staff are very friendly and accommodating; they made the trip! The doctor's on site, especially Nurse Carlos and Dr. Miguel were amazing!! They were extremely attentive; cannot thank them enough. Thanks to all the hard working staff trying to make the best out of a difficult recovery.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Great time

Awesome time at the resort. Beautiful beach and water. You can go for long walk. Amazing food. Very close drive from the airport. Pretty decent pool. Great bars and people. Always super friendly. Fantastic Spanish coffee.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Great resort

Overall, we had a great stay at this resort. The beach is absolutely amazing. The water is so blue. You can walk for miles in either direction. The beach section of the resort is also very large so its not difficult to find a chair. We also loved how there was lots of cabanas for shade. We did not spend any time at the pool as we are beach people, but the pool always did look busy with activities. The food was good, there was always lots of options and we never went hungry. That being said,  [... read more]we are not picky. There was always ample bread and cold cuts, lots of fish and veggies. Coffee was obviously amazing. The a la carte options were good as well but the line up to book them was crazy busy and by the time we got there there weren't many options left which was unfortunate. We opted for the diamond club which gave us access to the diamond club restaurant which was great for breakfast and lunch. Sadly we were only able to book their once for dinner as it required a reservation and it was full for the week when we tried to book. The resort itself is huge, we were in building number 6 which wasn't too far from the lobby but if you were in building number 10 you would have to walk a bit further. The rooms were pretty dated and the bathroom was a bit run down. But the beds were very comfortable and the AC was working great. Staff was always very friendly and kind. One criticism we did have was the lobby bar was always super busy during the evening and for such a big resort it was quite small. Sometimes you would have to wait over 20 minutes for a drink, and the bar tenders would often serve people in a random order. Overall, I would recommend this resort and would likely rebook again.

Brisas Guardalavaca: The resort was OK

we liked the Hotel, the only thing we didn’t like was the noice at night on the stage, our Balcony was was Facing the pool and Stage, the first two night it was so noisy at the stage the young people were dancing and the music was so loud all we could was Boom boom boom until 1 A M in the morning, so the next morning my Husband went in the office and complained, and told them about it, and told them it is Ok till 11pm they have to remember there are older people there too The food wa [... read more]s OK but every lunch and supper was the same food no complaints about Sandra the lady who looked after our room she was great and very friendly, and the people in the Dinning room they were also great no complaints about the Service and they all were very friendly The only thing what we didn’t like was the bad wind we had almost every day we would never go to Cuba in January and February again people told us it is your Winter time, we would recommend the Hotel to friends but never when it is your Wintertime But then again a lot of people go at that time and don’t mind the strong wind Sincerely Anni & Dick Wynen

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Very disappointed

Unfortunately this property is billed as a 5 start when it isn’t. Don’t be fooled by the pictures that are clearly from years ago. The resort is run down. Patio doors don’t lock properly. AC didn’t work in first room and not much better in the second. Hot water was not consistent and from one day to the next not sure what towels we should get. Not sure why we paid for Royal service. Butler wasn’t seen unless we went looking for him. Not once did he ask how things were going.  [... read more] Food was very disappointing. I know it’s Cuba but the buffet was heavily lopsided with Rice. No labels on anything. Plates were always in short supply. A la cart meals were better but very limited. Don’t even need menus because you really had only 2 choices at every meal. Pork or chicken. The Italian restaurant had one pasta dish. And almost raw pizza. Breakfast was the best meal. But can’t live on omelette for a week. Bar service was essentially beer and rum. Whatever drink you ordered it was substituted with Rum. Staff do their best with that they have. But for what everyone pays it’s time to be honest and downgrade this resort to a 3 star and let customers decide to go knowing what they’re going to get. From the rooms to the limited drinks and food to the resort being generally run down this resort needs to make some significant investments in the property and their staff. They are quick to help and many of them bent over backwards. But the constant requests for money, earphones and even cell phones is telling. They are paying poverty wages but taking 5 star revenues. My advice is go somewhere else.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Great Resort!

Our experience was amazing! We had no complaints other than the building itself being a little run down. The staff was great and the food was decent for Cuba. If you like rum, meat and potatoes then I would highly recommend this resort.