You get what you pay for

Decent place for what you pay. If you're not laid-back though pay extra to stay somewhere else. The phone in our room and safe didn't work, the food was mediocore (much nicer off of the resort), and there were two days when the water didn't work for about 5 hours. The rooms are spacious and clean though, the beach is gorgeous, and the price was low enough that we didn't feel bad staying in Havana for a few nights.

Could use improvements

Beds were awful, buffet lacked originality, service was average, many people had no toilet seat and had to flush their toilet with a bucket of water. Many local visitors during our stay. Beach was very nice but beach chair guy was quick at taking the chairs away at 5 pm. There were not bathrooms or food at the beach.

Wonderful little hotel very close to downtown

close to everything,wonderful staff but no washrooms @ beach bar/ie beach. 4 minutes to hotel to beach and gorgeous beach.decent food bit bland ,brekkie excelent,close to flea market-right nxet door,helpful staff satelite tv and a/c and lots of hot water.stayed feb 6 to 13 2015,wonderful night time shows 3/4 hr +- street side +- noisy a bit for some people. Very Cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not So Bad

This resort was a budget resort. I totally enjoyed myself there. The place was very clean, not too much variety of food but enough to fill anyone. I met a lot of people there and had an amazing vacation. Loved the location - 2 minute walk to the large outdoor market and lots along the way. Room was really large and clean with 2 balconies. Had a problem 1 day with the toilet not flushing but they immediately fixed it. Gave me a late check out for $10 CUCs. Only complaint was the beach chairs were [... read more] taken away at 5 pm and not put out till 10 am. Beach hut has only liquor and pop...No snacks or washroom. Other than that it was a great place for a budget traveller!!!! I would definitely go back there if the price was right.

Very Very Very Poor

Showers heads did not work, pored bucket to showering, had to use buckets of water to flush toilet, no water in the entire hotel for almost 24 hrs. Had to use a garbage can with a bag as a toilet. Cross contamination of utensils when serving the food, 24hrs snack was only at certain time. Using a bucket for bathroom was really the last straw of this hotel.

Clean Hotel

It is old Hotel, Needs some maintenance, toilet seats are broken or missing, the tub is rusty, broken tile some places, no cockroaches or ants, beds clean and comfy, The food is edible not that great, the location is good, 500 feet to shore and sandy beach, when you are in Cuba, you should not expect much, like here in Toronto,so do not compare,

Lovely Staff

I think I arrived at this hotel expecting more than I should have. It is a lovely property and the staff are amazing. It's right in downtown Varadero, and walking distance to everything you need. Right across form the beach too! The rooms are very basic but clean. The shower in my room did not drain very well, but it was taken care of.

Friendly and Homey

Though by no means a glamorous resort, Hotel Acuazul offers a homey comfort with friendly staff. This was my first stay at this resort and would reccomend it to all. Located right downtown the resort is close to everything you need to experience the heart of Cuba. With numerous 'Tiendas' and the beach right across the road makes this place ideal for those looking for a getaway with a chance to explore (without paying out for excursions). The staff at Hotel Acuazul are friendly and welcoming to a [... read more]ll who enter the doors and provide a comforting sense of home. The rooms are small but perfect for those who need very little. We had some minor problems with the shower drain clogging and low water pressure but those we easily fixed and adjusted before the end of our first day. There were also two lights that did not work in our room but were not needed anyway as each room comes with a balcony and drawing the curtains provides a wonderful wash of sunlight throughout the room. We were located over the pool on the first floor and though slightly loud at night from the entertainment, was the perfect spot for my friend and I. The nightly entertainment shows are fun and energetic, filled with brightly dressed dancers and singers, each night was something different and a new experience each time. Our major 'complaint' (if it can even be called that) was the food. Be prepared for the same selection daily (rice, fish, beans, greens, fruit) and very bland taste. The eggs in the morning made to order were my favourite and the chef who prepares them always seemed to remember my order. Although the food intimidated us at first, by the end of the week we had adjusted and found our 'go to' meals. There is also many restaurants located right around the resort so the option to branch out and try other food is definitely accessible. In short, Hotel Acuazul offers an affordable getaway for those who are not looking for glamour, but looking to experience Cuba and it's people.

Reliable hotel

This is a no frills hotel that delivers the basics on a constant basis for Cuba. Adequate entertainment on occasions. Good downtown location with access to many venues. Lots of recurring clients giving it a feel home plaçe. Don't expect luxuries.

A great home base

We booked in from Feb 16-26th 2015. My travel friend and I booked this resort to be a home base while in Cuba and it was perfect for what we wanted. We actually only spent 5 days there as we spent the other nights in Remedios, Elguea and Havana. We read that this was a budget hotel and it is exactly that. The lobby, bars, restaurant and pool are "nice" but nothing fancy. It's authentic Cuba and I liked that. The staff is super friendly if you engage them, try to speak some Spanish to them and ju [... read more]st be courteous and friendly. Cubans are very polite just like Canadians and their social etiquette is quite close. Tipping is not necessary but appreciated of course. You can tip in Pesos or little gifts... ANYTHING is really appreciated! Money: GO to the bank at the airport BEFORE you get to your transfer bus or taxi. They will not leave without you! Make sure you do this!!! I cannot stress this enough. The International bank is only open certain hours and once we went early in the morning to beat the 2 hour line and still were left in a 45 min line. There are other banks but some days they accept foreign currency and some days they don't. It's a pain and super frustrating. Bring money to exchange; you will have a very hard time getting money out of your account. They have a cash machine but have low withdrawal limits ($200) and one guy we saw had his card eaten by the machine. He was devastated as he hadn't brought cash and then didn't have a way to get any. CUC is the tourist peso, and the exchange to a Cuban peso is about 1-24. If you go off the Veradero strip or eat at "locals" places ask if prices listed are in CUC or Cuban peso! We got these huge yummy meat and cheese filled pizzas at the market for 1 CUC where others thought they were expensive because they thought they were listed in CUC when the posted prices were in local pesos! When in doubt, ask a local! Make a friend and they can get you beer, pops, food etc at THEIR prices. The Cuban people are just so happy to help if you are polite, friendly, genuinely kind and ASK! Transportation: It is $5 CUC per person for the double decker bus for the entire day (9am-8pm) You can get anywhere in Veradero.. Go to all the markets, see the sites, very cheap! $5 CUC will get a cab from one end of the strip to the other - don't let them charge you more and discuss price before you get in! Old classic cars are $5-$10 depending on how far you go. They have to charge more because they are gas guzzlers and lastly horse and buggy. $5-$20 from a few minutes to the entire shopping strip. We went all the way to Don Quixote for $20 CUC and felt it was a fair price. Rooms: after reading other reviews and recommendations we asked for a corner room on the pool side when we checked in and were given just that. It was a very spacious room with good water pressure, hot water, quiet at night etc. It was on the second floor and unfortunately the elevator cannot be called to that floor so we did a lot of running down the stairs but the one working elevator took us up okay. The beds are typical for Cuba, hard and the pillows are flat but personally I am perfectly okay with that. BRING YOUR OWN TOILETRIES and a cloth! The balconies were small but great for going out to check the weather and applying sunscreen. The maid service was great - Cecelia was friendly and took very good care of our room. I felt our belongings were safe and secure and our room had a good safe. Food/drinks: My friend won't explore Cuban food or other options but Breakfast and Lunch and the snack-bar were great for her. Tons of fresh bread, Pizza, hamburgers, pastas with sauces and ice-cream kept her happy. For breakfast there was always fresh eggs, omelets, some hard pancakes and french toast. ALWAYS fresh fruit. I am much more adventurous with my palate and really enjoyed the rice and beans, fresh fish, beef, chicken etc as well as croquettes, fried plantains, sliced meats and cheeses for breakfast. The Cuban salad is always a hit on my plate too. By the last day (we only actually ate there 5 days) we had figured out making egg, ham, cheese sandwiches on the panini press for breakfast.. they were so so good! We also brought our own condiments so we were quite comfortable. We never made it to the dinner buffet as we always went out on the strip. We found some lovely little gems out there in Veradero and that was our plan when we booked this hotel. We did not drink a lot at the hotel. I am a beer drinker and there was a free flowing tap at the pool bar which I appreciated. The beer tasted good, cold and was not watered down. They had a good selection of booze at the main lobby bar but would give you cane rum if you didn't specify which one you wanted. Drinks were not watered down. I was quite shocked at that but thought it was great. Beach: Down the road there is a lovely beach but there is a lot of sharp little shell bits so keep your shoes on til you're close to the water. Someone had wrote in another review they found drinks. We didn't see where but didn't spend much time looking. The water is absolutely breathtaking and people were kite surfing. It looked like a fun active beach that stretched on as far as you could see either way. Beautiful. Location: Location Location Location. This hotel has it! I had friends to visit in Santa Marta and it was across the bridge in walking distance. There are restaurants in either direction in walking distance. A great handcraft market is one block over perfect for souvenirs or just meeting some locals. People are friendly and little gifts from home - from a towel to a pair of cleats to vitamins and tylenol go a long way! Bring anything and everything from your donations clothes closet and junk drawer, they appreciate it more than you can imagine. I do NOT hand out things to beggars but I do like to throw some items in a good haggle. I don't try to "sell" them my items but just ask for a few dollars off (which they would give anyway) for some stuff from Canada! It is appreciated and goes a long way. Remember - they only make 15-20 CUC per month plus tips. There are some dance clubs on the strip but we did not check them out so I cannot elaborate. Tip: There is a guy at the market beside the hotel that speaks incredible English. He is at the farther back set of shops before the drink stand. It is a little leather shop right in the middle of the shops. His name is Henry - ask for him, everyone knows him. He loves ANYTHING Canadian and has a huge family he supports (older people, little kids etc). If you can spare anything, please do and stop for a chat. For presents, gifts, clothes, toiletries etc. he will help you around with the vendors and show you how to haggle and eat some amazing food for only $1 CUC!!! Ask about the Pizza and Croquette sandwiches! Our leftover household items, electronics, sports gear etc mean so very much to them and go so very far! Do not stay at your hotel! GO OUT, EXPLORE! Cuba is safe and the Cuban people are friendly! The hotel catered to a very broad group of travelers from an array of countries so you could meet people from all over - but me personally - I was there to meet Cubans and I did! If you need to travel to another city, don't bother trying to book a taxi at your hotel.. go to the bus station on Calle 36 and check bus prices then haggle with the taxi drivers after checking. You can get to Santa Clara for $80 early morning or $70 later in the day, Havana for $50 early morning or $40 later in the day. Don't be afraid to haggle with the taxi drivers, you can haggle/trade for old cell phones or good used electronics, good sports gear or even brand name clothes and shoes. Of course you will still pay a fare but you can pay a lot less. I would assume if you are staying at a budget hotel you are a budget traveler and these are some ways we found to get around a little cheaper. Feel free to contact me if you have specific questions and have fun!! Cuba is amazing!

Really good hotel

For the price paid it was the best choice, its close to everything, and the people at the hotel are ready to help with anithing!! In the time that i went there it was a little bit chilly, but still much better than winter in canada!!!

Find a better place

Pool was to cold to use. Food repetitive every day. Elevator could not be called for most floors so unless you like stairs stay away. Staff did not earn tips but expected them. Loud music every nite. The only good thing about it was location beach and rum.

Good budget option but too smokey!

Hotel Acuazul is a great budget option in Cuba. The hotel is clean and the staff are really friendly. The food is mediocre at best, but I am told it's like that at most resorts in Cuba. I would have enjoyed the common areas more but the lobby bar area gets way too smokey, so I spent more time in the room than I would have liked. It's a good location in town for going out to more exciting places, so I guess that makes up for it.

Good value for the money

OK, this was my 16th trip to Cuba, my 4th to Varadero. This is an old hotel and it is nearing the end of it's life. For the money paid, it's a deal, but don't expect a lot. It's about on a par for a Cuban 3 star.The staff are great, & the lobby area very nicely presented. Generally a very clean place. The room was OK, not great, but you don't spend much time there except to sleep anyway. The beds were comfortable enough, no phone in the room, no hair dryer, no fridge, a TV, but who watches it an [... read more]yway while on vacation. There are 2 elevators, one of which is permanently broken, so really only one, which tends to stop working periodically. The breakfast is great, with eggs made to request (pretty standard), however lunch & dinner are not quite so enticing. At times they have fresh fish grilled in font of you, delicious! We ate out quite a bit just to sample a few of the local restaurants & escape the generally bland offerings of the buffet. The plates are in the wrong spot (you'll see what I mean of you go), but apart from some extremely rude people from Quebec we encountered in line while trying to get plates, it's not much of a problem. The location is in a word, EXCELLENT! You're on top of a bus stop for the "hop on hop off" bus, a 5 pesos per person (for an all day bus pass) that will take you all the way down the peninsula & back. Cheaper than a taxi for sure. It's also right next door to one of the bigger local markets. Make sure to bargain! ;-) Overall, an excellent location, but a bit shabby around the edges.