Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful resort

The resort and rooms were very clean. The grounds keepers worked very hard to keep the trees and gardens well kept. We spent most of our time at the beach which had plenty of beach loungers and access to 2 beach bars. The staff was very friendly in every area. We were unable to get into the ala-carte since they seems to fill up quick. The out door BBQ was great. The food was good but I wish they had a bit more variety. The omlette was really good along with the rice.

Melia Costa Rey: Always Welcoming

The resort location has great ocean views and is on a beautiful walkable beach. Clean, basic decor, coffee maker may or may not work. Main lobby bar area is hub of activity any time of day and night. Entertainment staff are energetic, talented and friendly. All staff are pleasant and welcoming and will assist you as best they can...be kind and patient with them. Love the little farm with goats, chickens, roosters, turkeys, rabbits. Food and beverages are plentiful but there may not be exac [... read more]tly what you want...enjoy an alternative. Food is fair to good depending on what you have...seafood, chicken, rice, veggies, breakfast options all good, desserts and bread very good.

Melia Internacional: Good resort overall but could use some improvements

Melia International Varadero has great amenities, the rooms are spacious and sufficiently furnished and it's in a good location that is within walking distance to the town of Varadero. There is free Wi-Fi but it is not fully available in many areas of the hotel grounds and it can be frustrating as it drops off often and requires frequent log-ins. During check-in no information is provided regarding hotel amenities, restaurant operating hours, how to book A La Carte restaurants, etc. You are told [... read more] that you will receive an email with all the necessary information. When you do finally receive the email (a couple of hours in our case), the information is short on details and contains old or incorrect information. Additionally, the information provided on the room TV is not that useful as it is more of a fancy hotel advertisement. The front desk staff and the restaurant servers could be more attentive to guest needs and requests. As well, housekeeping staff could be more thorough in their room cleaning duties. A mini-bar is available in the room but it is mostly for decoration. It was empty when we checked in and never restocked unless you got on the phone and made a request, in our case, water. In a separate hotel survey, I have provided hotel management with detailed information regarding guest service issues. In terms of Covid-19 preventative measures, I saw no evidence of any preventative processes at the hotel. This does not necessarily mean that there are no procedures in place, I just didn't see any. At a very minimum, hand sanitizing stations should of been available at all restaurant entrances. Although there are a few areas that could use improvement, they are by no means a reason not to stay at this resort. With a little extra effort in the area of customer service, this hotel can truly become a top-rated, 5-star Cuba destination.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Amazing stay at Paradisus Princesa Del Mar

This was our second stay at the resort and we will never go somewhere else when going to Cuba. Our butter Leo made sure we felt like we were in paradise. The staff is amazing like our little family, food, beach, room, entertainment- all was great. We can’t wait to be back again!!! Thank you Paradisus Princesa Del Mar.

Playa Vista Azul: Fantastic resort

The public area and the bar has lots of room for guests to sit. I absolutely loved the seating area by the infinity pool. The view was amazing during day and at sunset. We got to stay in the four room villas with the ocean view. Absolutely perfect. The room was very clean and modern with big bathroom. Buffet had lots of food options and I loved all those fresh fruits every day. Beaches to the left and right of the resort were stunning, lots of things to do there. Lots of beach chairs ava [... read more]ilable and the stuff there was always eager to help you with them. All the stuff people were super friendly and helpful. I will recommend this resort anytime and will come back there next time I’ll be traveling to Cuba.

Melia Las Americas: Really nice resort

Ive been at Las Americas before Covid 3 years ago and loved it then. There were 5 of us ladies, 2 in one room and 3 in another. I found the food acceptable, given the circumstances in Cuba at the present time. The grounds are beautiful, the beach amazing, and the staff at Las Americas very helpful and accommodating. I have no complaints, our rooms were very clean and there was a big bottle of fresh water every day .. The recreation team are amazing, Jordy, Ankis, Eteanne, kept us bush with Aq [... read more]ua Arobics and Dance lessons each day

Starfish Cuatro Palmas: Totally happy!

This was our second time here - and this is our absolute favorite resort in Varadero. The location is absolutely wonderful! The food was very good. The chocolate ice cream was wonderful! We make sure to not book the eco rooms - as these rooms are removed from the main part of the resort. This is an older resort which is not artsy fartsy- but affordable and in a great location. The beds were very comfortable.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Exceeded expectations

Very clean resort; pools, beach and grounds were cleaned constantly. Rooms were dated; they really need to be upgraded (there was noticeable rust on bathroom fixtures, for example). However, they were kept pretty clean, and any small issues with the room were addressed quickly. The beautiful beach was the star of the show; pure white sand, turquoise water, lots of palapas, bar service on the beach (a server would come by to take your drink orders and return with them). Service throughout was  [... read more]outstanding. Despite signs by the hotel indicating that "reserving" bali beds and loungers was not permitted, and that items would be removed, there was strong evidence of "towel wars" at this resort. However, guests are getting fed up with this practice, and I witnessed several people reclaiming "reserved" beds/loungers after they hadn't been occupied for hours. I'm glad to see there is starting to be some push-back on that. RE: Covid. We had completed our Cuban government health form on-line prior to departure (which included information about our our vaccination status). Upon arrival at the airport, our phone with the QR code we were sent was scanned and we breezed through customs. Travelers who had not completed the form online had to complete the form in hard copy at the airport before they could leave customs. We had been advised in advance that there was random Covid testing at the airport (both RAT and PCR), but we did not see anyone get tested. Staff at the airport were, for the most part, wearing masks. Although we wore masks on the plane, in the airport and on the transfer bus, we were in the distinct minority. Most travelers were not masked. At the resort, guests were not masked and neither were most of the staff. Staff who were masked were noticeably sick (with a cough), but there were not many. Guests had the option to eat outside at both a la carte restaurants. Both restaurants inside had high ceilings, good ventilation, and tables not set too closely together. This was much appreciated.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: perfect beach, bad service

Stayed Jan 18-26. Positive: great beach and ability to walk both directions for few km. Negative: - very first impression is during check in: only 1 person available, and although full bus comes at same time for check in,- having laughs and personal conversation with other staff, totally disregarding long line of tourists and not even acknowledging the guests. -more staff should be present for check ins (taking their lunch around the tourists time) -Arrived to resort before 2 pm, not  [... read more]able to check in till 4 pm. really bad and inconvenient-all you want to do after flight is check in/change clothes and start your vacation -2 days the whole resort didnt have ANY water-meaning no wash up and /or bathrooms are available for use. Customer service is absent (away on lunch?) instead of addressing issues. No announcements are made for any update. Long line to reception to get ANY info about water. At best-keep lying "in 20 minutes" water will be available. (Please dont lie, just say you dont have any info and will keep everyone updated) -THE WORST part: long lines and wait for ANY meal of the day:breakfast, lunch and dinner. WE`ve been many times to Cuba and dont expect much, to be honest, but NEVER had to wait in line for 20-30 min to enter restaurant ! On top of it-half of the time the doors to restaurant open 10-20 min late ! Again- no customer service or management available. -Management just not present or visible. Only on one occasion saw the management when one of the guests escalated the issue and demanded to see manager (who looked like he was annoyed to be called and was totally unhelpful) -Stayed in building 10 (rm 10115). On the very first day reported broken phone and safe-both to reception AND customer service. And the stolen portable radio from our room (unfortunately , on the very first day). Nobody for the whole week addressed the issue OR tried to do/fix anything. -While cleaning staff and gardeners are working hard-at same time nobody picks up garbage scattered in the garden OR dirty dishes sitting in front of building with pieces of old food for several days! At the restaurant waiting staff will walk past dirty dishes on a table, not collecting it. Witnessed during every meal 4-5 different staff will walk past dirty plates and doesnt occur to them to collect it. Poor training. Conclusion: will definitely return to Cayo Coco for the beach, but never again to Playa Paraiso. _

Starfish Jibacoa: Relaxing Vacation

Quiet resort with everything we wanted. Small buffet but plenty of food. Far improved from last year where there was no wine, no dairy, no blender! This year it's back on track and the weather was beautiful.

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: The Good, the Bad & General Advice

The Good -Awesome staff in the restaurants, buffet, and bars (avoid the main lobby bar though) -Hotel was nice, nice pool, and always something going on (poolside entertainment, evening musicians in the lobby, shows in the theatre) -Food – not as bad as I thought; enough selection and seasoned well; fresh fruit/veg (without stomach issues) -Wifi – the fact that we got some free wifi (4 hrs I think total) was great as we didn’t expect any and it was reasonably fast -There’s a tiny  [... read more]private beach right near the pool (through some trees), which was nice and quite with a few chairs and some decent snorkeling (bring your own gear) -Snack bar – it always had food and drinks available and friendly staff; the ham and cheese sandwich (a panini) was a good go-to; the fries were also pretty tasty (although most of the time served cold and ketchup was a hot commodity) The Bad -Not the cleanest – if you’re irked by unclean sheets, probably not the place for you. The blanket had a lot of stains on it and the deco pillows looked to have remnants of ‘fun’ (we avoided touching any of it) -They didn’t change the towels at all (even though some were clearly dirty), our housekeeper didn’t seem to care much unless we left money out (I thought you tipped after a good job, not before?) -Everyone smokes! As a non smoker this was annoying, even sitting at the beach, there didn’t seem to be much fresh air anywhere -The hotel still seems to be running at 75% capacity with a few areas shut down (we didn’t mind too much as the hotel seemed to be at 50% capacity guest-wise ,which was nice as it wasn’t so full) -The first 3 days we didn’t have any hot water in our shower (they apologized for having an issue at the time and delivered a bottle of rum to each of the rooms, not sure if that was a welcome gift or an apology gift, but hot water eventually returned, so it was okay) -Towels – towels were seldom available; get them and keep them for the duration of your stay (or do like we did and bring travel towels as backup which came in handy) -Availability of drinks was hit or miss; sometimes they’d have it sometimes they wouldn’t (different bars had different things and not always – even basic things like tea and pina coladas) General Advice -We seemed to be the only ones who didn’t get the memo to bring your own thermos/mug – everyone had insulated mugs (great for keeping your beverage cold, reducing waste, and getting a decent portion rather than having to go back to refill the tiny takeout cups) -We wish we brought Canadian (seems to be preferred over USD) -We tipped $1USD/drink and $2+USD/meal/pp which seemed on the high end compared to others (but I wouldn’t have changed that) -Cuba has had it rough over Covid (imagine most of the country’s economy and employment completely halted for several years); Inflation is way worse than in Canada and even if people have the money, stores are often bare, so consider bringing toiletries, medicine, toys, etc. as ‘tips’ for the people who really make your stay special

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Lovely Resort!

The grounds were beautiful - lots of palms and well-tended beds of hibiscus, azaleas and other colourful flowers. The buildings were laid out so that all rooms were close to one of the 2 pools and snack bars. The main buffet was central, with many washrooms available around the property. One pool had fun activities for those who wanted to participate; the other pool was quiet; plenty of lounges and canopied beds in sun and shade. The beach was wide with many more lounges. The sand was not groome [... read more]d so I would recommend water shoes for walking on the sand and for swimming. But wonderful for finding sea shells. American money is preferred for tips but Canadian was also accepted, even our toonies and loonies.

Hotel Playa Coco: WE LOVE THIS RESORT!!!

Larry and I have been to Hotel Playa Coco 9 time and are palning our 10 trip for the end of March. People who complain, are people who think Cuba is like Canada, it's NOT!! The beach is the best we have ever been to. The staff at the resort are the best you will ever have anywere!! The staff go out of their way to please you. If the airline you fly with looses you luggage or your airline delays your flight, DON'T BLAME THE HOTEL or STAFF!!!!

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Amazing hotel

My husband and I went for first time to this hotel and we just loved it.Food was great.Very clean and excellent service.We really enjoyed our time staying at this hotel and looking forward to come back again .

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Friendly staff, lovely pools, modern rooms

The resort was lovely. The staff were friendly and helpful. The rooms were pretty and clean, with a nice view of the ocean. The beach was nice white sand, but it could have been groomed regularly. The restaurants were fine. French, Mediterranean and Steakhouse all had mostly the same menu items cooked the same way so that was funny. Also it was a long drive from the airport.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: All in all it was good 🙂

All in all it was good 🙂 There were some issues, but that is expected when travelling to Cuba... Room not ready on time, toilet and plumbing issues, a few things that were broken and needing repair (e.g. soap dispensers, locks on bathroom doors, paper towel dispensers...) But the staff is lovely! They are helpful and courteous and friendly. Love she espressos and lattes. The food was fine for us. We felt that there was enough variety, especially in the early morning at the breakfast buffet. [... read more] The lines for the restaurant were long though, so I wonder if they could improve on setup or logistics in the restaurant? The pools are wonderful and very prettily situated right in the ocean. We spent the entire day either at the beach or the pool. Our room was adequate (a bit in need of freshening up). Our maid, Yamilla, was wonderful and helpful. We also really appreciated the service of Suleidy at the Front Desk who went out if her way to resolve some issues with our room and my friend's room. We felt that it was good value for the price and would likely go back. One thing I suggest: the beach is difficult to access for people with mobility issues..my friend traveling with us has a wheelchair/walker and could not make it...is it possible to extend the boardwalk so that it is easier access for people with mobility issues?

Playa Vista Azul: I would go again

Initially upset because our room was not stocked with any towels or drinking water, we had to ask. They are skimpy with the toilet paper but did usually get one roll per day which was enough as we were not in the room much. Check public bathrooms for toilet paper before you sit down! Don't go to the waffle/ pancake bar as the guy is supper slow. The restaurant staff and bar tenders were friendly and efficient. One night though at the romantic restaurant we waited 1.5 hours for the meal and it wa [... read more]s cold and supper salty. The 1st time we ate there it was fantastic. All in all though...we enjoyed this resort and the service. I would go there again.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Very clean resort

All areas were clean and very well maintained, always scrubbing the floors in common areas and walkways. Beach is about a five minute walk from the main buildings and pool areas. It is an absolutely amazing beach for walking. A few rocks in the shallow waters but you’re able to get around them easily and safely. The infinity pools are immaculately kept but there are no steps to enter or exit the pools only ladders. The buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinners had great choices, always found so [... read more]mething on my gluten-free diet although there is very much a language barrier with the staff so I don’t really know whether there were hidden glutens in my food. Always fresh though. The a la carte nights were a bit problematic as we needed to sign up with our rep early in morning, this wasn’t made clear to us and we missed out on at least one meal as they aren’t open each night and you couldn’t prebook even though the resort was only about an eighth full. I’m thinking it would be a great place in five years. The rooms did have a few problems, sent a technician to clear a noisy a/c unit and a main hall door that wouldn’t lock which took hours out of our day waiting on them. The rooms themselves were great, newly remodelled and clean.

Playa Vista Azul: better than expected

playa Vista Azul was way better than what we expected after reading some of the reviews The grounds were always cleaned even after everyone would throw there cig buts every where rooms were good always cleaned there was no shortage of food and a good selection service was excellent beach was amazing would return anytime and recommend

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Good Resort

Overall this resort was quite good. There were a few issues, which were resolved after mentioning to the PR person. There was no hot water upon arrival and the bathroom sink was leaking from the top. Also, there were no lights on at night in front of our building. The light situation was never resolved.