Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Excellent in all ways

The grounds were beautiful. The rooms great. The people very friendly and helpful and a pleasure to deal with. The meals were fine, you could always find something to eat. The service by the wait staff and the people who prepared the food was wonderful. We had a great vacation. The bus ride was just right and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. We met and correspond with Jondi and Dani from the blau resort.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Great resort

Great resort,the beach is good with snorkelling right off the beach. Lots of shade on the beach, bar right on the beach. The rooms were clean and the staff was friendly. The food was excellent with some of the best Italian food I have ever eaten. This is our second time here and would like to go back .

Punta Peninsula Varadero: We had an excellent stay, no issues at all.

Staff were very helpful and friendly at all times. Food was good, especially a la cartes. The weather was spectacular. The beach was beautiful. The pools were clean. We plan to return same place, same time next year.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: amazing resort!!

I loved the Blair plus rooms. The rooms were very clean and spacious. The service was excellent. Everyone is very friendly and accomodating. I have been at this hotel eight times and have had an excellent experience each time.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Great Family Resort

This hotel is very family oriented not good for young singles. The grounds are well maintained. We stayed on the Plus side and the room was very standard. The food is basic but found they use a large amount of oil in most dishes. Did not enjoy the red win at all, however the Spanish coffee was very good. The beach is very rocky, and you will need water shoes, bring snorkeling gear as it very good in this area. I also found that the hotel did not have a list of any activities for the week. We fou [... read more]nd things out on the last day that we would have attended. The entertainment in the evening was for children. Overall I would rate this resort as a 3, and would only recommend it to families who are on a strict budget. We spent most nights in our room by 9 because it was very boring.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Great for kids and adults

We had a great time and so did our 2 year old. We stayed across from the main pool which was a perfect distance for our young one. The people were very nice and the food was great. Very relaxing! Great

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: my new home away from home

I loved it. The beach was beautiful. Our room amazing. The grounds so pretty. The BrandyAlexaders spectacular. But most of all love the staff Hugs to Alex and gang at Lobby bar, Mabel at the lunch beach service, and all the other wonderful staff that treated my friend and I like gold. See you next year. PS have pumpkin I missed it this year

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Relaxing atmosphere

We are not fussy travellers so for us the hotel was great. The room was basic but clean and close to centre. We usually stay at small hotels that are few steps to restaurant and beach so this hotel was large for us with a bit more walking than we are used to but the grounds were beautiful and beach was amazing with tons of snorkelling. Service was a bit slow as it was a large resort-they could have used more workers at basr and restaurants. Excursions were offered and prompt and everyone was fri [... read more]endly. It was a mix of young and old travellers. I loved most of the night shows. Game centre could have used more games for kids (there was 1 air hockey table,1 pool table and 1 ping pong and it was almost impossible to play) Overall it was a beautiful resort and best bang for your buck! I would go back but I love Cuba...

Muthu Colonial Hotel: Very good!We definitely keeps on coming back

Just the washroom tiles or walls needs to be polished coz looks old n dirty n also the sink..suggestion please make the sink n tiles white n clean....kids pool must be kept clean n have proper sign coz people after coming from the beach they soak their sandy feet in the kids pool which supposed not...put proper sign or imposed security to this.coz the kids pool is sandy and dirty most of our stay. We overall like the ambiance and CHurros! Like the place. It is a 3.5 star but feels like 4.5. We l [... read more]oved it!

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Don't go to Cuba

Never again!! I loved the beach, the warm water, and the weather. Now for the bad part, the resort was way over rated. When we checked in the had not enough pillows, not enough towels and no sheets for one of the beds. Plus there was no soap,. We brought a lot of stuff ourselves in case we had issues. The bugs were bad, no how water, the food was ok if you are on a diet. Plus my wife an son both got sick from the food. The alcohol you are lucky to get 1/2 ounce shots and the rum tasted like bug  [... read more]spray if you asked for it on the rocks. They want you to have a sugar drink with it son you cant tell how bad it is. I had boiled eggs and coffee every morning just to be safe. The wine in the restaurant is like a bad box wine which is much better than they serve you at the front bar, omg I just couldn't drink it. If you weren't tipping you got very bad service. They say all inclusive but want you to tip constantly. I did not have high expectations when I went and it was worth than I expected. Not to mention our tour guide spent more time driving us to places where "he knows a guy" to sell us over priced cigars and junk. Plus they even try to take you to restaurants that are triple the going rate because they get a kick-back. I always wanted to go to Havana but in reality there is nothing there. At least when I went to Chile I got excellent service and the old downtown was very cool. All the resort staff wanted to tell you how poor they were and why you should tip them.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: We were disgusted

We stayed at the Blau Marina Varadero resort in Cuba between March 25, 2015 and April 1, 2015. This was our second time visiting this resort. Our first was in 2010 when it was a Barcelo Princess Marina. That vacation and experience was far superior to the latest under Blau management. Overall it is disappointing to see the difference between this resort from 5 years ago. It is evident that the new ownership only cares about the main pool and buildings around that area. The biggest issue with o [... read more]ur stay was the lack of water. A water line had broken which took 3 days to repair. Our room in Block 21 •rooms keys worked half the time, had reprogrammed 4 times and reception area kept blaming me for keeping the key by electronics (which never happened) •blood, lipstick, and nail polish stains on sheets •large blood stains on the couch •no water in our room for 3 days •pail of water in our room to pour in toilet (still wouldn't flush) •we were unable to attend our a la carte dinners as couldn't shower •what looked like roaches all over the wall of the block in the mornings, not in room from what I could tell •large wood headboard almost fell onto us as is free standing behind the bed against the wall The resort •sewage back up on main walkway with toilet paper and sewage on top of grass. Smelled horrible to walk to the main lobby •clearly not enough staff - same plates of food were sitting beside block 19 for the whole week with bugs all over it, plastic cups all over the resort and at the pools •washrooms by the pools were disgusting. Ants crawling all over what toilet paper was available, non-existent or broken toilet seats, no paper towels to dry hands •no ice at the pool bar by our building for 3 days •the beach area is clearly not maintained The Buffet •not enough staff •unable to get any beverage, water with meal was almost non-existent •smelled of sewage by the omelette grill •white bugs crawling on the lettuce at salad station in corner •hard to find a glass for juice •plates were in short supply The chefs at the omelette and pasta areas were amazing, the lobby bar by far had the best service and amazing staff and our room maid did the best with what she had. We always had towels and the mini bar was always stocked with water, pop and beer. We believe in tipping and even though the resort has issues, I don't believe the staff are responsible for them. We still left $400 Canadian in tips over the 7 days

Punta Peninsula Varadero: A nice place to stay in Varadero!

The food is good. Room is old, but clean and neat. Close to the pool, a little bit noisy during the day. Room service is ok, a free bottle of rum, but missing free cigar. Gave the lady 5 cuc tips after leaving.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Great Resort

The resort meet all my expectations. The food was excellent. The beach was nice but not the nicest that I have seen. Snorqueling was awesome. Beds were the biggest downfall very hard. Overall this was a great resort. Everything was close by except the beach a short walk which I didn't mind.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: best resort by far!

Hotel was very clean,staff was friendly,a smaller resort in what we like.great family resort,ages were from infants to 80 years,just a great place.Pools and beaches were right there,no walking any distances,at your finger tips.Shopping was 5 minutes away,meals were everything you would want,always a seletion ,if not more.Housekeepers were great,very friendly,and there every day.I would greatly give this resort a 10 or more.was the 2nd time at the same resort and just loved it!

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Great Resort -

The friendly people more than compensated for the minor inconveniences/glitches. Upon arrival we were assigned a handicap room but the next day upon our request our rooms were changed and we were provided with an ocean view room . Beautiful. We were two days without beach towels however we had brought our own so we were okay .. others though were not prepared for this and very frustrated. We did not always receive new towels in our rooms but again we were prepared so not an issue.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Good value for your Money!

Just returned from Blau Coste Verde April 7th. There was a good selection of food, and most of the entertainment was good. I would get rid of the guitar player or limit his time before the pool show. Went on and on.. Should look into expanding wi fi services, free wi fi. Took 3 teenagers, and they missed wi fi. Bought cards so they could keep in touch. Catamaran and dolphin trip needs to have more traction mats, and up to date first aid kit. My husband slipped, and cut his head. They didn't have [... read more] the basic supplies, gauze etc. Would look into this excursion more with representative. Very slippery deck floors, but dolphin excursion was a highlight. A real thrill for the 5 of us. There was a animation intern Jondi (had a gold tooth) very pleasant, high energy young man. Needs a job as has a pregnant wife. I would recommend him as he was great with children and adults, and aqua fit.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: This is fine if your expectations are in line

Blau Marina is fine. It wasn't great but it wasn't terrible. I think you need to approach this with the right expectations (we paid $1100pp for 7 days, so what do you really want for that amount of money including flights... I would have liked the toilet to work, but everything else I can kind of let it go). The good: - The beaches here are the nicest beaches I have ever seen. The Blau beach goes all the way up to the tip of the peninsula and there are 3-4 different areas of chairs and shade. I [... read more]t is busy at the 2 beach areas near pool 1 and the main lobby building, but as you walk further away (200-300 meters) there are 2 more areas (by block 20 and then by the private resort area) that are empty. No need to rush out and save yourself a seat in the morning. There were no kids in these areas, it was very quiet. - The lobby is really nice; lots of seats with tables that are open on one side to the beach. We sat in the lobby a few nights just hanging out and it was great. Wear long pants, this is where we got the most mosquito bites. We really enjoyed this area more than I would have thought - we played cards or board games on several evenings. - Nothing here was too busy. We generally stayed away from Pool 1 where it seemed like most of the families were spending their time and it was very quiet and relaxing past the lighthouse. - The staff in the bars were great. They free pour the drinks and will happily pour half a bottle of liquor into your bubba if that's what you really want. - There is a fitness centre that has some free weights including a bar, but no rack. There is a smith machine, some treadmills, a GHD, a big weight machine with lat pulldowns and bench, some curl bars, a flat and an incline bench and a water machine. NOTE WATER SOURCE. (water is scarce at this resort). We worked out there and it was fine. The bad: - Our room had no water for most of 2 of the days we were there. No toilets. No shower. No sink. It would be on for 1-2 hours in the morning and 1-2 hours at night, then off again. We asked for another room several times and the guy said everyone has asked for another room and he doesn't have any. We showered in the sauna area and it was okay, but it really left a bad impression that they just didn't really care about this/didn't feel it was an issue. - Our room was not clean and the maid constantly asked us for gifts. We left some gifts on the first day and by the end of the week (since we hadn't been leaving gifts daily), she no longer filled our fridge or gave us new towels. She didn't even make the bed the last day, and when she saw us return to our rooms mid-afternoon she came in (like barged in) and asked if she could have my shoes and the electric razor. - The food is bad. The italian restaurant had the best food but it was full of roaches. Climbing up the walls right behind you. Fancy! - If you have a food allergy, you cannot eat here. They use the same spoons for everything and they reuse the food all day and for multiple days. The food was unacceptably bad and gross. The best bet is to stand in line at the pasta or meat station where they cook the food in front of you and you can ask for no salt. - The towels situation described in other reviews is accurate, they don't really have towels. Go at 0900 and then they seem to get more at 1530-1600. My towel had blood stains. - The public toilets are disgusting. Like trainspotting-toilet-scene disgusting. The WORST toilets are at lighthouse - DO NOT enter them (even in case of dire emergency). until 7pm there are okay toilets at the sauna, just walk over there. To the Blau Staff: this is something that costs very little for you to improve, and would make a big difference to north american visitors. Make sure all the toilets have locks and seats in the ladies room, and clean the bathrooms many times per day, refilling papers and soaps. In the public areas where it is very busy, you need to clean the toilets every hour during the day. Overall, I really had a nice vacation here consisting mostly of drinking and swimming. Set the appropriate expectations (that the food is for fuel, not for enjoyment - and that your room will be disgusting and you just have to keep your shoes on) and you will also enjoy yourself at blau marina. I will never stay here again, but I will definitely use this beach if I ever go to Varadero again (probably not). tl;dr: general tips: - bring your own beach towel - expect bad food - use beaches at block 20 or private area - bring a bubba/insulated mug because the empty beach areas aren't close to bars - consider bringing your own sheets, we didn't get a top sheet until day 2 - best activity: sunset swims in pool 2 at 1930 - no one cares if you use the pools after they're closed and we had the BEST time hanging out in this beautiful pool watching the sunset - have low expectations and you'll be fine!

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Excellent stay over March break

We were a family of four (kids 10 and 14) vacationing over March break. We were very pleased with our stay at the Blau Marina Varadero. The grounds and beach were lovely - we never had an issue finding lounge chairs either at the beach or the pool. In fact, on many occasions we had the pool to ourselves! We weren't sure how busy the resort would be given the time of year (and were expressly looking for a resort away from the spring-break partiers). Although the hotel was at capacity, there seeme [... read more]d to always be places to go that were quiet. We did stay away from the swim-up bars, which were a bit more party-like (but seemed to be very family-friendly - lots of kids etc). The food was pretty good (not 5-star, but for my family totally acceptable) - we were able to find veggies but had to be a bit selective to find things we liked. We certainly didn't go hungry! We had two rooms - one was very musty smelling, but that did air out a bit over the week. The hotel offered to change the rooms, but we loved our location so just put up with it. We weren't in the rooms all that much anyway. We had a great time - I'd recommend this resort.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Fantastic resort

This resort was recommended to us by a friend at work and he was right. The food was really great,friendly staff the best beach and snorkling Anywhere in Cuba and great bars everywhere you go.Stay in the plus side as the rooms are only two years old.

Muthu Colonial Hotel: Good value for the price

I purchased oceanview but was given regular room when I checked in. After complaining, they gave me an oceanview room with a beautiful view. During checkout, the guy behind the desk, accused me of using towel tickets. I insisted I did not even use one towel. But he was so adamant and also told me the room number which was wrong but would not believe me. Finally, he got the written towel ticket out to show me, right away I told him. the ticket had someone else's name. Take your own towels. If you [... read more] like tasty food, you might have to carry your own seasoning.