Playa Costa Verde: PCV home away from home

We have been at PCV before and we could see that some upgrades were done during the covid shut-down period. The bungalow blocks were freshly painted, steps going to the second story were replaced in many bungalows, the lobby and cigar lounge have been updated. The beach was beautiful all always, water was crystal clear and its great snorkeling right out from the hotel, if you go a bit further out into the bay. All staff was friendly, helpful, and personal. The food at the buffet is as good as it [... read more] can get with what gets supplied to the resort. The cooks manage to create several different dishes, yet with same ingredients. There was enough fresh cabbage, salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers to create a variety on our dinner plates. The bread was better than a couple of years ago. There are enough scooters for rent, but very few are actually in good working condition, so you might have to wait a couple of days, if you want to rent a scooter. Reading some of the bad reviews on Tripcentral about this resort must have been written by tourists who came to Cuba with wrong expectations in the first place. We have not seen any rude/negative behaviour from any Cubans (staff or guests), yet it is not difficult to find fellow Canadians behave rude, careless, and disgusting; leaving plastic cups everywhere around the pool area, filling half filled cups with cigarette butts, etc. What is most disappointing is to see guests leave plates filled with food as they leave the buffet area, which will then have to be thrown into the garbage, while the cuban people outside of the resort have no food to speak of. Shame on those tourists! The resort PCV is dated, but kept clean. Its the staff that makes this resort stand out from the other resorts in the area of playa Pesquero.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Amazing Resort

just returned from Gran Muthu Almirante, it was amazing. The resort is spotless. Our room was Oceanview and we had a beautiful view. I believe the quality of food was 5 star quality we were able to have seafood, chicken, cheese, bread, butter etc at every meal. They had cleaning staff always cleaning for fingers prints. As much as the resort was full it never felt crowd. The lobby bar has entertainment and great service 24 hrs a day. The beach is beautiful and the beach bar has great servi [... read more]ce even though they are very busy. There are 5 pools. One being a kiddy pool with a pirate ship . But they are never busy but still beautiful. 24 hr beach restaurant is really nice as well. It's a very family resort. The buffet is great. The restaurants are super. Everyone is so friendly and helpful I recommend it highly and can not wait to go back

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: I wanted to like it...

I wanted to like Paradisus Princessa Del Mar, truly - but I cannot recommend going to the resort over others in Cuba for a few reasons. I will however highlight the pros: The beach, absolutely beautiful, clean (even in the water), and an easily accessible bar with lots of activities going on every hour in the morning into early afternoon (aquafit, dancing, etc.) - very easy to find loungers and usually they were in pairs under umbrellas. Very relaxing. The pool as well, it's shallower but  [... read more]beautiful, well maintained & clean - all the fountains too were functioning and looked great, except for the courtyard fountain wasn't on but was clean & freshly painted. Again, loungers and personal cabanas were in abundance. Few people ever seemed to be in the pool vs. the ocean, except for the swim up bar area. We arrived late to the hotel (thanks WestJet for changing our flight... /s) and the front desk man was very pleasant and fast in getting us checked in. We were driven straight to our room and shown some of the resorts amenities on the golf cart ride. The room left more to desired. It felt like I was breathing in mold, I couldn't see it but it was very damp feeling even inside the sheets of the bed! Speaking of, there was only a thin sheet on there but thankfully extra blankets in the closet. There was a safe that was very old, circa 1980s looking and it didn't work & no instructions were there anyways - just gave an error code when trying to use it. It didn't feel great leaving anything in the room like a passport/cash. There was a nice little welcome package of 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner and some body wash - no face towels, but some hand towels and 2 body towels & 2 beach towels. No toilet paper, which I know usually you bring your own to Cuba when in public, but we had to wait until the next day for the cleaner to bring 1 roll for us. There was bottled water, an interesting carbonated drink I can only describe as "heavy iced tea" and a few cerveza cans. The mini fridge was restocked daily with these. The rest of the room was fine, the sliding patio door was a bit broken around the lock (there was the door lock, a chain lock and a door guard bar), the curtains were clean but stuck in their tracks constantly, and the furniture/couches looked faded and definitely not comfortable. The food was... bad, even for Cuban standards. I've been to resorts in Cuba that had access to food even throughout COVID and this was interesting in how bad it could get. They had the raw ingredients to make great food but they didn't. They had bell peppers, rice, chicken but couldn't make fried rice or some stir fry for example - instead they'd steam some plaintains, basic rice, and maybe some fried eggplant then separately cook some bell peppers in oil in a pan. There were potatoes but you could easily make mashed or fried potatoes, but instead they were constantly cold/just cooked with some sauce. If you wanted something cooked like beef/chicken/pork there was 1 chef doing this throughout the meal time so normally you'd be waiting behind 4-8 people but also the lines were in front of food people were trying to get to. A note to the resort on food, if you're just cooking pork/beef/chicken to put on someones plate, just do a bunch of it and then have it in hot dishes so people can get what they want! It would save so much time and make people happier. Every morning you'd have to line up for eggs to get cooked - to the resort, just have scrambled eggs and fried eggs available in hot dishes too and you'd save a lot of time and effort there too. If you're worried about waste, just don't replenish in the last hour of the meal and then have people come up/line up to get what they want. I didn't need amazing food, but I needed edible/warm food. 6 different types of rice and some cold cuts doesn't make a meal. The bread was good, as were the small desserts but it felt like there was something missing constantly - perhaps low amounts of sugar/butter. The saving grace for the food were the restaurants such as Sakura which I do 110% recommend for the experience and food quality vs. the buffet. Speaking with other travelers during our trips we learned they had great access to food, no idea why this resort isn't able to get the same level of food quality and/or chefs. I weighed myself before/after the trip and I lost 4lbs even after drinking/eating at least 1 plate of food per meal because it wasn't filling/calorie. The beer was great, the alcohol availability at all the smaller bars was limited to basically rum and some mixers (no name brand things like Coca-Cola/Sprite but offbrand that didn't taste great, the embargo I think however does apply here.) The main bar by the check-in desk (piano bar) is the only bar where you could get something with crushed ice or even a bit nicer than a mixed drink in a paper cup. The staff were friendly & helpful but some of the dining room staff consistently ignored us, even if we tipped - and it was hard to flag them down as they seemed to keep themselves behind the servers areas or didn't walk around. I would maybe get 1 beer/drink per meal even if I was there for 45 min to an hour. To the resort - your dining room glasses are small, for items like beer there needs to be larger 16 or 20 oz pint glasses. I won't be returning unfortunately, I'll come back to Cuba but not to this resort. The location was one of the farthest resorts also! So, be warned you'll usually be the last people on the bus getting dropped off, and first ones picked up for any trips (meaning early morning + at least 40-60 minutes of turning into other resorts to grab people)

Club Kawama: Home away from home!

Beautiful beach, catamaran, drinks, cappuccinos, bingo, excursions, variety of food and lots of it! Totally enjoyed the always welcoming staff and all the new friends i made at this resort! Will definitely be returning to Club Kawama

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Not as expected

I was really looking forward to this trip after reading the reviews but this was a rough, not so pleasant trip! To start off they are extremely short staffed. Check in took much longer than expected, getting a drink was tough since only 1 person was working. They know the amount of people checking in they should be better staffed. The 24 hour snack bar food was horrible!!! Cartilage in the burger, no condiments only mustard and ketchup if your lucky and no fries! Fries are the cheapest easiest  [... read more]thing and there were none, only got fries day 1. Then they started making banana fries, but if you ordered more they would NEVER bring it to you and would avoid you. The room was okay but not close to looking new, it has been well used. I was on the main floor not sure if the higher levels are in better shape. There were no new towels when housekeeping came. They dried the used towels that were on the floor, on the balcony!!! Gross!!! I had to get pool towels to ensure I had clean towels to dry myself off with. The selection at the buffet was just reused food from breakfast or lunch. So unappealing. The napkins were cut in half and hard to come by…. The washrooms never had toilet paper, you had to be sure to carry a roll with you. This is the first time tipping at the resort felt unappreciated by the staff. To end things off the drinks were DISGUSTING!!! No consistency and the coffee machine needs a cleaning so the coffee doesn’t taste like dirt!!! I am beyond disappointed, if the weather wasn’t as good as it was this trip would have been absolutely dreadful!! Save your money and don’t travel at this time to this hotel.

Starfish Jibacoa: Enjoyed our stay

Very clean rooms. Great beach. Friendly and helpful staff. Food adequate. Nice pool area right by the beach. Great price for a two week stay. Some uneven walkways so not great for those with walking challenges.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Good value and amazing staff

The staff in all areas were always cheerful, polite and friendly. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of food in the buffet which surpassed that in the “à la carte” restaurants. There appeared to be a shortage of staff though as the Seafood Restaurant and the beautiful outdoor eating area was closed. There was a shortage of serving utensils and paper napkins at the buffet. Not a major issue for me but the choice of drinks was quite limited at the beach and pool bars. On [... read more]e could only get a piña colado at the separate Havana Bar in the lobby area which opened late in the afternoon. The gardens are beautiful and well maintained and make for a lovely short walk to the great sandy beach where chairs were always plentiful. It is a good medium sized resort. The rooms are large and comfortable with screened doors and outdoor balconies. Be sure to take and use bug spray regularly as bug bites were common. Overall good value for money.

Playa Vista Azul: Playa Vista Azul

Wonderful stay at Hotel Playa Vista Azul. Beautiful views of the ocean from lobby infinity pool and look out deck. Very clean well maintained hotel. Service was great very friendly staff along with the grounds keepers, everyone is smiling and willing to help or have conversation. A la carte restaurants although very hard to get into without being "premium" members the food was great. Buffet was always clean and stocked, variety was okay it feeds you for 7 days. Pools we clean not enough lounger [... read more]s unless reserving them with your towels at 7am, jacuzzi was cold, jets functioned but if it were heated we would have spent more time relaxing there after busy days of walking downtown varadero. Beaches were also very well maintained plenty of loungers here but little tiki huts are too close together and vert short making it confined to your neighbor loungers and hazards for eyes and head. The beach entertainment was fun and well entertaining. The night entertainment was great as well. Over all would most definitely be back to this hotel

Gran Muthu Imperial: value

Been to Cuba many times and this was one of our best trips. The price was 1/3 compared to other destinations was worth every penny. Rooms were clean beds were very comfortable. no issues. Beach was very nice with better options next door at the Muthu Cayo Guillermo or down the road at Playa Pillar. Grounds were very nice and service excellent. Food is Cuba standard fare not a lot of options but enough each day. Drinks were very watered down almost to a joke level so we stayed with beer that w [... read more]as fine. Excellent coffee available from all the bars cappuccinos, expresso's etc. I would definitely return to this hotel just keep in mind that your not going there for the food its the beach and Cuban service/people that make the vacation.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: excellent resort

Very easy layout, food was very good for Cuba resort was well maintained. The staff seemed distanced but efficient. the rooms where kept sort of clean except I would of liked the floor swept at least once during our stay. Over all not a bad resort and I would recommend this resort to my friends

Playa Vista Azul: Wonderful vaca

We went for relaxation and that we found!!! The hotel is very clean and spacious, the gardeners are working very hard all the time. Our room was cleaned immaculately daily…lots of water and toilette paper. The beach is amazing, right beach very large and lots of chairs and palapas, bbq daily mmmm very good (smoked ribs, wings etc). Wow Thé staff - thank you to some very incredible people - Johnny (beach) Yamila (beach bar), javier (beach bar), Ibisbel, Pedro, Yunier (beach recreation), thé [... read more] many many wait staff in the buffet, with a special shoutout to 3 wonderful souls - Solanch, Anay, Aile. So many very special people here to make our trip,incredible!!!

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful resort

Gorgeous resort, the people are very sweet. The entertainment is awesome. If you want to party, this is the place to be! The cleaning of the main hallways could be better. The food was good, but lacking fried foods like chicken and fries/ burgers.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Fantastic staff

When booking I had requested a wheelchair accessible room. Apon arrival found out they do not have wheelchair accessible rooms in this part of hotel but rather needed to go up 3 steps to get into the suite. The staff was amazing and made a ramp for us and offered to help with anything we may need. The resort was beutiful. The food was mediocre but had something for everyone. The suite was amazing loved the jacuzzi and beach chairs on the balcony. I highly recommend the resort

Iberostar Selection Varadero: The best sunny destination

This trip was our first trip to Cuba, so we did a lot of research and narrowed down to this resort, Iberostar Selection Varadero. The flight was delayed due to weather, so we arrived close to midnight. However, the hotel is prepared for those late arrivals, and staffs were very accommodating. When we woke up the next morning, we found everything was beautiful and well organized. The beach was amazing along with blue sky and clean air. We got of the sail boat for the first time in ou [... read more]r lives and really enjoyed the experience. We also used the tandem kayak twice. Both were included in the package. Everyone we encountered in the resort were very friendly. I am sure we will stay in the same hotel when we go back to Cuba in future.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Great weather friendly staff

Great weather friendly staff we choose this resort based on the price point and we haven’t been disappointed reach our expectation completely. taking in consideration of the hardship that country is going through we are very happy, abundance of food and drinks even important drinks have been available

Gran Muthu Rainbow Cayo Guillermo: 4th trip to Rainbow doesn’t disappoint

This was our fourth trip to the Rainbow and, we wouldn’t consider going anywhere else in Cuba. It’s like coming home… the staff remembers us and greets us like family. As returning guests were invited to a special dinner at the Indian a la Carre restaurant. For first timers wondering if this resort might be for them: 1. This is a gay resort. This means the guest vibe will be fun - almost all the couples we met were friendly and outgoing. 2. The rooms are superior - each is a mini  [... read more]suite- modern and well appointed. This is a small resort something like 230 rooms. It operates at about 40% capacity ( COVID and post COVID). Rainbow was built in 2019 - so it is pretty much new. 3. The pool is huge - a bit cool but January is the coldest month in Cuba . We never ever have to get up early to go reserve a lounger like almost every other resort. 4. There are 2 beaches - the one in front of the resort is not for swimming - although there is a place to enter if you bring your own snorkel gear. The main beach is between the Rainbow and the MGM Imperial - about a kilometre of white sand. 5. Sailing is good if you like Hobie Cats - but you won’t be allowed to sail solo - mostly because they don’t have a motor boat to go get you if something happens 6. The food is improving since 2021/2022. typical Cuban fare in the buffet and we are now able to serve ourselves again. I always take a bottle of hot sauce . Do not expect gourmet cuisine or Canadian food. you can get fries and cheeseburgers at the snack bar anytime. You will not go hungry - the old Maxim holds true “ you don’t go to Cuba for the food”… 7. The drinks are basic - and they really don’t have premium brands of anything but rum. You can get Havana Club 5 year old at the lobby bar but you have to ask. Cuba Libres are white rum and colas. A Cubata is a dark rum and cola . The Spanish coffees are good - available at the lobby bar and the snack bar at the far end of the pool. Don’t expect top shelf whisky/ gin/vodka/ 8. Tips and currency… Do Not buy CUP under any circumstances. The staff need CAD and the CUP(pesos) have become devalued in the post CUC era. You don’t need to tip for every meal/drink, but many do. Bring loonies and toonies and fives. Once you get to know the staff they will be happy to trade their CAD coins for CAD paper money. 9. Off resort activities …. We booked a cab and driver for the day and drove into Moron. You don’t need to book the offered excursions. But you will need a local guide. The bellmen (Andy or Eris) can help you with this - they are very trustworthy. Expect to pay about 160 CAD for full day with a driver in a modern Taxi. Note - you will need CUP in Moron if you go. Sugar cane factory and alligator farm are destinations. There are few restaurants in Moron to choose from. Don’t get exchange at hotel or a Cadeca ( bank). 10. Highly recommend COCO scuba diving. It is located about a 7 minute drive away in the Gran Caribe resort. They will arrange pick up and drop off at no charge. The front desk or customer service staff (Kitty or Jordan) will call for you. Prices are very good and it’s a safe operation and they provide gear in the price. 45USD for 1st dive if you are certified.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Great resort

The hotel was great ,service and staff were great, my family and I had a great experience. Definitely coming back again. Daily intertainment . The location is good. The staff tries their level best to accommodate the guests. Many thanks .

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful all inclusive resort

The hotel covered acres of lush tropical landscape leading to a wide pristine beach. Rooms overlooking the ocean were spacious, clean and well equipped with daily maid service. Food was diverse and plentiful with friendly staff at every corner. Pools were well maintained and easily accessible complete with bar. Overall a great place for r and r. Very safe and definitely worth repeated visits. Given the circumstances related to the corrosive effects of the past pandemic, the management and staff  [... read more]have done incredibly well.

Muthu Colonial Hotel: Nice friendly resort

We spend 2 weeks beginning January this year and we were very pleased with our choice. Good services at all levels : reception, housekeeping, restaurants, bars, beach. Staff is attentive excellent client service and client oriented. We loved the Cuban party on Friday. Many thanks to Public relations staff how make sure every day that all is working well. We were impressed with the high manager how is very present every were Will definitely be back Danielle

Memories Cayo Largo: Nice resort

Maria and I were pleasantly surprised. Our room was great, the bed was comfy, lots of hot water in our nice bathroom. The food was good plus all the staff were very helpful. George runs a tight ship and do not forget to ask for a mega Dunya coffee. Oh yes let’s not forget the beautiful beaches, and the train ride. Thank you.