Punta Peninsula Varadero: TIERD

This resort is the last resort on the peninsula an outstanding area and in the day this resort must have been amazing but now is very tired. We went to the buffet every evening could always find something to eat never went hungry. The alcohol was not watered downed and service at all bars were good. The beach was beautiful but one pool was not working and instead of closing it they allowed us to use it without telling us. We were out of our rooms by 7 every morning and our rooms still were not c [... read more]leaned when we came back around 5. We would just be getting showered and ready for the evening when they would knock on the door we would tell them to come back tomorrow and the same thing would happen. The housekeeping staff was very friendly but very understaffed I felt bad for them. They didn't always have clean towels to give us and heard others complain as well. There is a Melia across the road which is new and looks amazing I think my next trip will be there.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: okay resort

This resort is rated 4.5 or 5 star depending where you look. I personally would rate it 3.5 or 4. The housekeeper was not great. She didn't replace the popeer everyday, forgot to leave water and towels. The room was a good size. The food was okay but nothing fancy...certainly not 5star dining.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: NICE AND COMFORTABLE

very nice and good food the best I have had in Cuba the new area is very modern and well maintained they should have the transport carts going constantly it is very difficult to get a ride back to your area at times I cant believe how good the food was for Cuban standards. over all good hotel.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Blau!!! How ya like me now?!?!?!

The resort was everything I expected as I read the online reviews. The beach is beautiful. There is a lot to see and do on the grounds itself. Yes, our room was a little damp, but nothing I could not tolerate. There was a lack of beach towels available, but again.. as I read that before hand I was sure to bring my own.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Great resort!

We stayed in the plus section. Very nice rooms always hot water. The room was spotless! The cleaning maid was very friendly. The pools were always clean. The plus section pool could use a few more sun shades as it very sunny with no trees. The beach was very rocky, but we read about it and brought our water shoes. Snorkeling was amazing!! The food was good. Lobster dinner was wonderful!! The plus section bar served amazing drinks. Good wine and great Spanish coffee's. The only thing was that the [... read more] resort was very busy. Long line ups for the buffet and always had to get up early to get a lawn chair at the beach. Certainly not the resorts fault as it was February high season. I would definitely go back!!

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Beautiful resort

This was my first time all-inclusive, and I was quite impressed. It would definitely recommend the Plus option, as the pool was quieter and there were more a la Carte dinners. The grounds were well maintained, and our room was clean with a nice balcony to enjoy the view. The beach was a little rocky, but beautiful sand. The grounds were well maintained and lush, and the food was pretty good. They seemed to be a little under staffed at times. Check-in was a little slow, and the a la Carte dinners [... read more] seemed to drag on with minimal wait staff. They were very friendly though, and always happy to serve.

Muthu Colonial Hotel: Unbeleivable!

The only reason for the one star rating is that something must be checked off. I cannot imagine how this resort is allowed to remain open. Space would not permit a list of even a portion of the personal safety issues such as rotted out handrails, decks and supports; broken concrete and tile walkways; exposed electrical wiring on the grounds and the rooms; open holes and vaults on the grounds; trip hazards galore. In one week the resort was without water three times and individual rooms many more [... read more]..toilets everywhere were full and smelled awful. This event was apparently not uncommon. When asked about hand-washing and showers the staff suggested the pools were a good alternative. Since guests were not allowed in the food prep area, one can only imagine how food could be prepared and dishes washed without water. Dishes available after these episodes, clearly had not been cleaned properly Cross-contamination at grill stations was obvious, raw beef, pork and chicken all handled with the same one utensil and then the cooked items were handled again with the same one utensil. I witnessed irrigation water being used to wash fruit....Dirty dishes were gathered and clean utensils dispersed in one operation by the same person. The same wipe cloth was used for surfaces and food equipment. The beach is beautiful and clean...the only beach shower for rinsing was filthy....so where did people have to rinse? (see above) Tissue in the washrooms was generally not available (volumes could be read into this) I and others were ill at this resort... the cause was clear. The staff is generally attentive and warm. I feel that the issues at this hotel are related to leadership and greed. Manage the operation properly. Close the facility, do what is needed and "then" invite guests. I feel that I received extremely poor value for my time and money and I shouldn't have to feel that for taking a holiday.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: fun in the sun

Snorkeling right off the beach what more could you ask for..staff works very hard at service and entertaining you! I would recommend to others. I went for sun and relaxing and got my moneys worth. Thanks to all the hard working staff

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Incredible Beach

We had a good time with friends and family here. First off, the staff that greeted and took us to our room were excellent. They went out of their way to make sure we had what we wanted. This was one of the nicest beaches we've seen, the layout, the access to the water and the ability to stand up while looking at the fish swim through the coral sections. Food was good, especially the roasted pig. No trouble getting a drink and it is worth the upgrade to get access to the VIP bar (the best selecti [... read more]on and taste of any bar we've been to so far).

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Very happy with the resort.

Very happy with the resort. Only complaint is that the golf cart transport is a little unreliable. Nice beach and the food was OK. Staff are great, very friendly and helpful.Will return if visiting Cuba again.

Muthu Colonial Hotel: Nice trip to Colonial

We arrived at midnight at the hotel, two employees were there for the check in. We received the document to fill in before getting in the bus, so it made check in efficient. We booked an oceanview room, it was perfect for our family of 3. The room was spacious enough and very clean. We took a walk on the site, some buildings near the river needed some improvement, but they were working on it. A la carte restaurants were all very good. We ate only two nights at the buffet, the variety was not imp [... read more]ressive, but we were able to eat well. We were having breakfast and lunch at the snacks and at the international restaurant which were not crowdy at all. The salted water pool was very big and quiet. The other pool had more activities. I would recommend this hotel without hesitation, I suggest oceaview or poolview rooms.

Muthu Colonial Hotel: Great resort

Stayed February 2015, and had a great time! The food was delicious and always had good options at the buffet. Went to 2 of the restaurants on the resort and enjoyed the Italian the most! Service could be a bit slow at meals but understandable due to the amount of people and full tables. Our rooms were clean and always straightened up by housekeeping promptly every morning. Towels for the beach were a bit on the tired side but it was never a big issue for us. Loved the churro stand that doubled a [... read more]s the fresh orange juice stand in the morning. Overall our stay at Hotel Colonial, Cayo Coco was amazing! Definetly a great place to stay.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Great Time !

We went with a large group of people (mostly couples) this is just my opinion of the different aspects of the resort. ROOMS: we did not pay extra for the plus section, there really is no need to. The older blocks are close to everything, i would recommend block 1 - it was close enough but far enough to not hear the disco and other people partying til early am. I feel like the other older blocks 2-6 you'd be able to hear everything. I thought the beds were great! I've never had a better sleep at [... read more] a resort. The water pressure was great in the shower and sink and the rooms had 220V so it worked for all of our Canadian electronics FOOD: buffet was good, as a vegetarian i ate mostly pasta, eggs, chick peas, lentils, vegies, and beans. Did not get sick of it. People say there is a line, yes, but your on vacation go sit and have a drink first or something until it gets less busy, the lines go very quickly. Book your al le carte dinners early! we tried to book the third day we were there and they did not have an available spot until we were gone. This was disappointing we heard they were good. The italian restaurant is delicious for lunch! You have to wait to be seated and order from a menu but we ate there every lunch - sooo good. The snack bar was good, sandwiches and fries, some nights they had a buffet style for snacks BEACH/POOL: beach was beautiful, always could find a spot! There are rocks, you just have to swim over them til you get to the sandy part (really not a big deal) or bring water shoes. Can snorkel right on the resort beach - pretty cool but bring your own, the snorkel gear is almost always rented out. As we did not upgrade to plus we had only access to 1 pool. It was a good pool with a swim up bar. Not very busy (i think most people were at the beach). - this pool was also close to the main bar area, lobby, and buffet ENTERTAINMENT: personally i did not find the night time shows that entertaining. We only watched the syncro one (which was very good). The night shows were mostly dancing and singing. Day time entertainment was scarce. We went with a big group so we weren't bored but there wasn't a ton of games and competitions by the pool/beach like i've seen at other resorts. STAFF: the staff was very friendly! 2 couples in our group got placed in a different block and they were able to switch rooms the first day to be with the rest of the group. No problems

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: GREAT VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY

AWESOME BEACH AREAS, GREAT SERVERS IN BUFFET AREA, SUPER FRIENDLY PEOPLE ALL ROUND!! ROOMS ALWAYS KEPT CLEAN AND STOCKED. DON'T BE AFFRAID TO VENTURE OFF THE HOTEL GROUNDS WHETHER IT'S BY TAXI OR HORSE AND CARRIAGE; YOU'LL BE AMAZED!!

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Blau Costa Verde Spring Break Trip

I stayed at Blau Costa Verde for Spring Break, February 13th to February 20th, 2015 with a group of 14 people. We did not sign up for the Blau plus option. Overall, I had a wonderful time at Blau and would recommend the resort. CHECK IN Check in was a little rough to start. After the rest of our group had gotten the keys to their rooms, my boyfriend and I were left behind without a room. We kept asking the front desk when and if our room was ready, and the man behind the desk just kept saying " [... read more]5 minutes" over and over again while calling somebody on the phone. We sat down thinking he would address us when he figured out why our room was not ready, but never did. After 20 minutes we went back up to the desk and he ignored us. We ended up going to another lady at the front desk to try and figure out what was going on, and she ended up just giving us another room (not the one we were originally booked in) right away. ROOMS We stayed in Block 2, which was perfect - not in the main lobby but close enough to the pool, beach and restaurants. The view of the ocean from our room was really nice! The room we were given was very basic. It was just a standard resort room (as in, not beautiful) but it was nice and very clean. We had a king size bed in the room, but other couples in our group were unfortunately only given two twin sized beds. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to ask for a king sized bed at checkin, otherwise you may get stuck with two twins or doubles. Housekeeping was wonderful and the fridge was restocked once a day. Note: you only get one bottle of water per day, so save the bottle and fill it up at the bar or buffet. POOL/BEACH No complaints about either of these areas! They were both gorgeous and well-kept. You could always find chairs, and at the beach they had a piles of them you could grab (or tip the guy to bring you) to set up. Yes, the beach has a lot of coral but you get past it pretty quickly. If you're worried, just bring water shoes. The snorkelling was amazing! You were able to snorkel right off the beach because of the coral areas. I suggest bringing your own gear though - the desk by the beach was always rented out of snorkel equipment. You can also rent sailboats and paddleboats, but make sure to book a time early. FOOD AND BARS Food was decent, tipping on the edge of pretty good. You will always find edible options at each meal. I particularly enjoyed the omelette bar in the morning and the meat bar in the afternoon/evening, where they cook your food to order. The staff was always so friendly and accommodating at the buffet. The Italian a-la-carte opens for lunch so we went there almost every day. Try their thin crust pizza, it was delicious. There are tons of bars around Blau, so you are never far away from a drink. They had a variety of options and the bartenders were great. Bring a big mug to put drinks in to avoid multiple trips up to the bar... I brought my Bubba mug and it served me well the entire week. We spent a lot of time at the bar by the pool, which gets pretty lively at night. ENTERTAINMENT/ACTIVITIES In my opinion, the entertainment was a let-down. I have been to other resorts in Cuba with fantastic entertainment, and Blau did not compare. The nightly entertainment was just dancing, which gets really boring. I wish they had done silly shows to get the audience involved or put on some musical acts people recognized. The entertainment during the day was minimal as well. I expected more activities to be happening by the pool. If you were looking for some activities to do, I suggest walking or taking a horse drawn carriage to the little market down the road. They had some decent souvenir type things and an ice cream shop. We also did a really cool horseback riding trip to a cave, which was set up by one of the resort's staff members named Leo. Shoutout to Leo, he remembered all our names and was always great fun! Overall, Blau Costa Verde was a great resort. It is definitely deserving of its four star rating. I would definitely go back to this resort during my next visit to Cuba.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Great resort for a holiday!

Very clean, with friendly staff. This Resort has one of the longest beaches I have ever stayed at. We had beach access not far from our room. For the joggers, there was a great pathway that ran the length of the Resort. For walkers, it took about 45 minutes to walk the length of the Resort's beach.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Excellent vacations!

We've been since Feb 9 -Feb 15 2015 (2 adults and 2 kids). We are very satisfied with everything: rooms, services, medical services, food, animation. Now more details based on negative reviews I have read before our leaving (those reviews made me so upset that I want to provide my details): Room: It was clean and big, fresh sheets, no bed bugs ( but we have 2 pillows, I think if we asked for extra they would provide, but we did not need them). AC was working fine ( we even could set the temperat [... read more]ure on it). We had safety box in the room and clean towels ( but I prefer to bring my towels). Just hint: We sprayed our room with mosquito spray as a result no one mosquito bite that exceed my expectation ( We are very sensitive to the bites) Food: You can always find something to eat. Our menu: in the morning fresh made omelet and pancakes, lunch fresh made meat or hot dog in the snack bar, dinner fresh made shrimps, meat, fish. Not bad. You have option to visit 3 restaurants at night (we have visited Italian: it was good!). Service: The staff is very nice and friendly. Tips are optional! Almost all of them speak English ( no problems with it). I have read that a lot of people complained about toilet paper in the public washrooms (Yes, it is possible but at the end of the day, we just took Kleenex, so we did not have any problems at all). In the room we had the paper:) Beach towels: Had no problems to take fresh towels every day. One day the room was closed but I did not wait I just came next day in the morning and took the towels. Medical services: It happened with my daughter. They are perfect but you need to pay (then insurance will refund). Advil, tylenol (we brought with us) helped a lot, other medicine was prescribed. Bars: No complains! Tips can help but not necessary :) Animation:Shows for kids and adults every day. Some activities for kids during the day. Ping pong, billiard (old fashioned, need renovation on my opinion) but the kids were excited! If you want to play tennis bring your rackets. Pool: Clean! Kids have a lot of fun on the sliding! One complain: People are smoking everywhere! But I think it is common for all hotels! So have a wonderful vacations and be prepared: mosquito spray, sanitizer, and Kleenex will make your stay enjoyable. We took some medicine anti allergy, anti diarrhea that we did not use (but I suggest to bring them just in case). So have a nice vacation and do not be frustrated with negative reviews. Room hint: We loved blocks 15, 14, 11, 12 (around the pool) upper floor. Ocean view will be great!

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Enjoyed It

Friendly staff and good service including the front desk. Pools are good, beach a bit too busy and rocky in the water. Food was not bad. Always something good to choose. A la carts restaurants also quite good. Entertainment not great. Room was very good.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: OK for Cuba

This is our second time to Cuba. First time in Holguin. The last time we were in Cuba was in Cayo Coco. We liked Cayo Coco better. The Blau was OK. We wouldn't return again. We went with the Plus package. The food was great and our rooms were good. The Plus pool area was great too. Cuba has been known for their staff to bend over backwards for tourists. We didn't find this at the Blau. We were lucky to get a smile from them. We brought a suitcase full of gifts for the staff and ended up giving 8 [... read more]0% to some locals on the beach who were begging. It was our pleasure to help them. Ari the server at the Plus Buffet was very pleasant and so was the older woman every morning making omlettes with a smile.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Disappointed

The grounds were clean The workers definitely are over worked. Not enough staff. Not very friendly. Except maybe four workers. Nightly entertainment from what I saw was pretty cool and enjoyable. No toilet paper in common areas. some toilet seats missing. When we checked in about three bus loads. One person to check us in. Over an hour to get into our rooms.The beach was great. Towels were easy to change. Chair man was very helpful, he would drag your chair where u wanted it. Catamaran guys were [... read more] amazing. Especially when I lost my hat in the water. and he found it.!!!