Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Amazing Resort Pristine Beaches - Hola! Cuba

We had a great time at the resort. Amazing price we got from trip Central and then it was followed up by a perfectly planned and executed trip. Thanks to trip Central sunwing and Nexus stores and a bigger thanks to Robin, our trip Central rep who helped us to book this vacation package at the last moment. The whole experience from booking right after checking in and checking out was smooth and we were kept well informed by all the travel partners.

Playa Luxury Cayo Guillermo: Somewhat of a disappointment

Grounds, pools, and beach all very nice and kept immaculate. Problem was distance to our room from lobby was quite a walk and up hill. Walk to beach from our room was way too far, would have been nice to have a shuttle take us there. Unfortunately we were eaten alive by no seem-ums at beach. The a la carte meals were awesome, the buffet less than adequate. Big communication problem at buffet when trying to have a simple omelet cooked. Most of the cooking staff and waiters need better English tra [... read more]ining. I would not book here again as we both feel cost was high in respect to what we expected.

Sol Palmeras: Amazing resort-2nd home

My fourth visit this year. 13th visit with a total of 15 weeks over the years. Always welcomed by the staff that treat us as family. Many have invited us into their homes to meet their families. Mario will welcome you with his huge smile and assist with your luggage. Odarmis at reservation’s is a big part of family, even came to Canada to visit us. She makes sure that we have everything to make our stay the best. Caridad and Julio have also invited us to visit their family and entertain us away  [... read more]from the hotel.. They go out of their way to always make sure we have everything we need. They make the best drinks, pina colado’s.Make sure you have Nivaldo at the coffee bar make you the best cappuccino or Frappuccino. Idelmis and Asear, Vladimir along with many others are always happy to make your time in the buffet the best. The food in the buffet is plentiful with a wide variety. You’ll never go hungry even if you’re a picky eater. The alacarts are a great change. My favourites are the Latino or Tex Mex where you get to enjoy the service of Yahimy. She and her staff also go out of their way to make sure you a fantastic experience. The pool is a great place to relax and enjoy the activities provided by Mariam, Reneil, and Isaac throughout the day. The beach is one of the best and longest. Activities are also ongoing. There is evening entertainment in the lobby and also nightly entertainment to enjoy. Our favourite accommodations are in the bungalows because we prefer the feel of home and have a morning or evening coffee on our patio. This hotel is very clean and consistent with food and drinks. Very few shortages. This should be your first and only choice to stay.

Starfish Varadero: Don't go.....

The food was all right but the same every day. they ran out of plates and wine. your choice of drinks was wine[bad] rum vodka or beer. Your choice of mix was fanta or sprite. this wasmy 4th year in a row going to Cuba, this was the worst place I have stayed.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Dream Vacation

We booked for our anniversary and had a dream vacation. Swim up pool room is a must and Iberostar Coral Esmeralda will be our forever resort ! The staff from back of house to the front were amazing!! The food was great and the resort is very clean, quiet and felt like we were family! Trip central helped us long the way and we will book with them from now on! Thank you !!!

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Amazing Cuba vacation

We had a wonderful week at this resort. It was sparking clean and the food was good and plentiful. The deserts were really tasty. The pools were clean and welcoming, the beach was beautiful (even with the seaweed) and the people who work there warm and helpful. We will for sure go back to this resort.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Good Value!

The first thing to remember is ... this is Cuba. Expectations should be managed accordingly. Exceeded expectations: The people. Absolutely marvelous. Friendly. Helpful. Smiling. Grateful. The live music. The band was incredible. Especially Claudia. Room size - HUGE. King bed, sitting area, big bathroom - spotlessly clean every day. Some of the food - pasta made-to-order, croissants, the Japanese Restaurant was THE BEST (show and food)! Met expectations: Food (in general). Decided lack of [... read more] fresh greens or fruit, but lots of variety with meat, rice, pasta and desserts. The Grounds - lovely in spite of some hurricane damage. The Pool - very nice, big, clean and warm. Beneath expectations: Problem solving was VERY slow. First day I was locked out of my room THREE times before they fixed it. A few days later I could not lock my room (and there was no deadbolt) and that also took far to long to correct. The light outside our rooms was out several times - very dark and very dangerous. No hot water (but just for a few hours and only once). Coffee - pretty horrible whether specialty of restaurant. Beach walk is a slog. Heavy sand, only about a mile in length and tons of work to walk it. Never enough beach loungers. Lots of bugs. All in all, this is a good resort for the money and I would highly recommend ... as long as you remember ... this is Cuba! Go for the sun and the people and the music!

Hotel Playa Coco: Good resort

Our room was an ocean view room but no screen so could not leave balcony door open. Water for showers was lukewarm. Grounds crew and all staff were very friendly. Always had chairs at pool and beach. Japanese restaurant was excellent! Nightly entertainment not great and didn’t start till 9:00.. too late

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: This is an amazing resort for a 2 1/2 star rating

This is an amazing resort for a 2 1/2 star rating. The staff are great they will try and do whatever it takes to make your stay pleasant, the rooms are old but nice. The food is ok, you will not starve again remember it's a 2 1/2 star resort. The beaches are fantastic, nice white soft sand and the ocean is beautiful and warm. We booked the trip with the help of Rick Lockhart, who did an excellent job.

Starfish Varadero: Not worth it.

Went to my first room discovered mold the doors didn't lock the toilet was broken and I left my bag on my bed and came back and discovered the cleaning lady rifled through everything. She was a big black lady did not understand English and I confronted her about it and her eyes told me the truth. Went to my next room the following day and it was disgusting. Water and s*** was leaking from the roof in the bathroom. They gave me a hard time for changing my room a third time. So I just endured it.  [... read more]The grounds and the beach were beautiful food was okay. I definitely would not recommend this hotel.

Melia Costa Rey: Fabulous Resort

Beautiful property, especially the Level, security was exceptional Food, atmosphere, employees the pools , bars. Grounds, all kept very well The bars were well stocked, plenty of choices for food every where on site The only place I will stay in Cuba at the moment Plan to return in the spring

Melia Costa Rey: Fabulous Resort

Beautiful property, especially the Level, security was exceptional Food, atmosphere, employees the pools , bars. Grounds, all kept very well The bars were well stocked, plenty of choices for food every where on site The only place I will stay in Cuba at the moment Plan to return in the spring

Memories Jibacoa: Calm relaxed vacay

The room I had was very quiet, suitable for relaxation, and there was no lack of hot water.. The food is good in the buffet, and the cuisine in 2 of the 3 "reserved restaurants is delicious. There are a good selection of drinks at the bars. All the staff of the resort are very helpful. The weatjer was not good during my stay because of FOUR(!) RED FLAG DAYS ..., the staff, although very efficient, seemed to be a bit rushed, maybe is the resort understaffed? Or too crowded? The drawback was [... read more] the beach, there were a lot of seaweeds and especially too many plastic bags and other debris on the beach and in the water.

Grand Memories Varadero: Grand Memories Varadero did not leave me with good memories

I booked this vacation to travel with my toddler to Varadero mid November 2025. In general, I go to Cuba with realistic expectations given the circumstances surrounding Cuba.I don’t go to Cuba for the hotel or food but for the people and the beautiful beaches. However, I was disappointed overall with this trip for numerous reasons due to my experience and the hotel. Hotel - overall the hotel was nice, the hotel rooms/buildings, beaches and pool area were decently laid out and pretty. The beach [... read more] was beautiful with soft sand and enough beach chairs for everyone. Same goes for the pool area. The hotel itself is run down and needs maintenance and upgrades. Cleanliness - the hotel is dirty and grimy, cleanliness doesn’t seem to be a high priority for the management or employees. From the main common areas to the rooms, there was a certain level of dirtiness that I was not expecting. Our housekeeper did not really clean our room on a daily basis, not sure what she was doing in our room given the floors still seemed unswept, except for taking a small blanket and turning it into a swan. The room was dusty, had cockroaches (which fair I know is a tropical country), and the tables/floors /surfaces were sticky. Staff - I met some friendly and nice staff, however, I was approached by many female employees asking for kids clothing and even my stroller since they could see I was a mom travelling on her own with her toddler girl. I felt uncomfortable being asked for things on a daily basis. I realize the circumstances are different and there’s a level of need by the people of Cuba, but to be asked for my daughters things multiple times a day by multiple people started to become exhausting. Especially our housekeeper who acted like the was entitled to my belongings. She was aggressive and pushy and kept asking for my stroller. At one point I complained about the hot water in our room and she stood by my door while I was coming up the stairs, grabbed my key card and asked multiple times if I’m changing rooms. She went into my room and turned on the sink and bath tub water to prove the water is hot and kept demanding if I’ll change rooms, and went as far as to say you shouldn’t have a problem with the room water since I see you in the pool which is colder. It was just an odd and uncomfortable experience having this person as our room housekeeper. Another couple in the same building complained that this housekeeper and another one who were going through their things and demanded their stuff like their daughters clothes and beach toys, etc. They wouldn’t leave and the hotel guest felt obliged to give them each $20 for them to leave. I did give away some of my things to some nice staff I met but this shouldn’t be expected or requested by the staff. Hygiene - I saw many female staff members going into the washroom and not washing their hands. This was just gross to see, especially for the staff who work in the kitchen and handle our food and cutlery. Overall service - two things to note about overall service of hotel. The first night that we got to the hotel, I got no help. It was midnight, I had an exhausted toddler on my hands and luggage. There was no porter or guest services to help, except for the one for Sanctuary (adults only side) who herded his guests and left. I had to move my child and luggage’s to the check in on my own. Once I checked if, I waited 20 minutes to get assistance with luggage once I requested it. The worse part is that they put me in a room on the third floor. Why would you put someone with a toddler and stroller in room with multiple stairs? We made do since they had no other rooms but my booking was clear I was a single mom with a toddler and would have expected some common sense when assigning rooms. They also put my friend on the third floor who also had toddler. My only saving grace was the last day, as I was lugging my stuff and kid to the front desk, a kind porter from the Sanctuary side saw me and grabbed everything and helped without saying a thing. Gave that kind gentleman a big fat tip because he could see I was struggling and this was a service I was hoping for and expecting throughout the trip. Again, I want to reiterate I don’t expect the first class service or food or new hotels when I go to Cuba. But I do expect cleanliness, decent service and feeling comfortable and I didn’t get much of that on this trip. I’m also not a cheap guest, I leave a decent tip to the housekeeper and tip everyone that get service from, but by the end of the trip was I felt like I was some cash cow for them and couldn’t wait to leave.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Will return in a heartbeat

After waiting for five years to venture back and missing the beautiful beaches of Cuba, we decided to give it a try, with even lower expectations. This was one of our best vacations. We stayed in the Club section and it was totally worth it. We were expecting power outages, no hot water and standard Cuban food. There were no power outages, we had hot water for 5 of 7 days. The cold water was bearable. The food for the most part was tasty, the chefs are creative with what they have and have [... read more] come a far way. The breads and cheeses were delicious. Don’t expect that everything on the menu will be available. Bacon might not be available everyday and they may run out of pizza. There was a general lack of fresh vegetables and variety of fruits. Most of the vegetables and fruits were from cans. We tried all of the a la carte restaurants and with the exception of the Italian, they were enjoyable. The Cubans are in survival mode. Be generous and kind. They work long hours and travel long distances to get to work. They were especially thankful for rechargeable lights, solar lights, toothbrushes and toothpaste, glue and supplies to repair things.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: Good Value, but Not for Quiet Seekers and Beach Lovers

I stayed here for one week in mid–late November. Personally, this isn’t a resort I would return to, but I can see it suiting many people depending on what you’re looking for. I was hoping for a very quiet, adults-only experience in the Sanctuary area, but the lines between the Sanctuary and the main resort are quite blurred. It is less noisy, but you can still hear the main-side party music, and kids do use what’s technically the Sanctuary portion of the beach. Rooms: Overall, the rooms were [... read more] good quality. I tried two different rooms because I requested a quieter location, and the staff accommodated that. Both rooms had working AC, though it didn’t feel very adjustable in either. The main differences were water and air quality: the ground-floor room had plentiful hot water, while the top-floor room had almost none. The top-floor room also had slightly musty air and a small mold spot in the bathroom. Other than that, both rooms were clean and generally well-maintained. There were no screens on the sliding doors (though upgraded rooms might have them). Bugs were present, especially at night, so depending on how well your AC works, not being able to open the door might matter to you. Food: The food was acceptable. Eggs were always available, and the cooking stations were reliable — tacos, pasta, meat, yogurt, crepes, etc. Fruits and vegetables were in shorter supply, but meat and starches were plentiful. Coffee was good, and the bars seemed to have all the usual staples. Beach and Pools: The beach was on the dirtier/rockier side, with some seaweed and sargassum. Still swimmable, but I was glad I brought water shoes. For Cuba, I’d consider it on the lower end, though you can still enjoy lounging in the sun. The pools appeared clean and well kept. Staff: The staff were mostly very kind and did make an effort to accommodate my request for a quieter room. The new area would have likely been quieter under normal circumstances, but there happened to be construction nearby during my stay. I chose not to move rooms again even though they did offer this to me (the process isn’t quick), so I spent more time at the beach and made the best of it. Entertainment: There wasn’t much in terms of live Cuban music or shows. It was mostly recorded music played through the sound system with people dancing. Wildlife: There is a large presence of wild cats on the property. I counted around 20, often in groups, including at the buffet where they meow for food (and many guests feed them). They also sit on chairs in the lobby and dining areas. Some people love this; others, especially those with allergies like me, may not. Overall: If you’re looking for a more affordable Cuban getaway, want sun, drinks, and a livelier atmosphere — and you don’t mind a noisier environment with lots of cats — you’ll probably be fine here. If you’re seeking more tranquility, a better beach, and some Cuban music in the evenings, I’d recommend looking elsewhere and just spending a bit more. For Holguin area, you might want to check out Paradisus Rio De Oro.

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: I'll be going back

Had an amazing time at this resort. Staff were friendly & helpful. Stay was good, hotel was clean and had lots to offer. Large variety for food & drinks. Swim up bar on one side & dry bar on the other side. The only downside was the elevators being slow & one of the 3 were out of commission. Looking forward to seeing them again!

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Love the resort

it was the third time we stayed at this resort. Hurrican Melissa did some damage to the roof at the Reception & Lobby bar,but it was repaired while we were there. The rooms and grounds were in good order.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Great resort

Its my first time at Grand Aston and I'm really impressed by this resort. Its bigger then I expected, but everything put together very well. Food is very good for Cuba ( and I go to Cuba a lot ).Rooms are great, comfortable beds ,pillows not so, but I always bring my with me because of sore neck. Hot water and pressure in a shower always good. I stayed in Building 5 ,close to everything. Beach is AMAZING, but same problem like at the most resorts - not enough chairs if you come after 11 am [... read more]. I would recommend this resort and its only 25 min from Airport. I will b back there

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Good Resort

This is my 2nd time at the resort in the same year.The food and drinks were just as good.Unfortunately the ocean was cold and a lot of seaweed because of the hurricane.They have more entertainment in the eve, a dance troupe also the pianist and singer.the rooms are really nice also the staff are very friendly.Would return.