Club Kawama: Another good vacation

This is a great budget vacation spot. Rooms are usually pretty good. Grounds are well kept, pools and beaches are excellent. And the food is overall pretty decent but I’m not picky. Good stay for the price.

Starfish Jibacoa: Very basic resort

Roomy and clean villas with working fridge and safe. Beach is quiet, plenty of shade and chairs, sandy. Reefs nice to snorkel, and diving was fine. Great coffee in the lobby bar, unavailable elsewhere while we were there. Breakfast serves eggs, a variety of breads yogurt and cereals, good. Staff is quasi friendly. Lunch by the pool is slim picking, and dinner pretty bad and not too hygienic. 3 restaurants off property all to be recommended, favorite was Cacique as it come with a beverage and pla [... read more]te of fresh fruit. All charge 15 cuc per person. No wifi cards were available, and the resort next door refused to sell to non guests. I recommend if required get a "roam like home " plan with your carrier. Go to people, Anne Marie Air Transat rep, she is knowledgable and pleasant. Juan Carlos runs the massage, he himself is definitely worth the visit. Nancy is at the pool restaurant very pleasant. The front office staff was unhelpful and stand of fish and those in the boutique were unpleasant. Close to Havana, worth the visit. January and February is the time for Portuguese man o wars, I counted 140 just on one day. That puts a major damper on swimming, this is apparently throughout the north coast, so check winds and weather. I enjoyed the good days on the beach and would go back but I would eat off premises and bring snacks once there I would shop for fruit as the resort offers little. Quiet with little entertainment. Not quite a 3 star in my opinion. by the way you carry your own luggage and you do a lot of walking on uneven surfaces so not good if you require assistance, you can use a motorized wheel chair but carefully, and you would not have access to the beach. Scenery is lovely.

Hotel Los Cactus: Awesome Beach, Great Staff

The grounds were clean, the staff was super friendly, and the beach was gorgeous & very close to the rooms. There were some AC and toilet issues in the rooms, but if you're doing it right you're not spending too much time in there anyway Plan your trip to hit up Lobster Night on Friday.

Sol Varadero Beach: Bring Patience above all

Pros: -Natural foods, no additives, not too many issues in the "bloated" area -Medium sized resort, small enough to know everyone but big enough to explore -Good sized private beach for resort only, no persistent vendors trying to sell you -All in one shop, resort had majority of needs on hand, no need to leave if desired -Nice staff -Clean Hotel, -Multiple Pools -Entertainment nightly -Snackbar 24 hours (alcohol until 2am) -***Cuban Dancing lady at the lobby bar needs a raise. she w [... read more]as amazing the whole trip!!!*** Cons: -Hurry up and wait, wait, wait for everything

Hotel Los Cactus: Very Pretty Resort

We were booked to stay at this resort but as it was over booked we were moved to another nearby resort. We were disappointed to not be staying here but were given the opportunity to use the resort for everything except for sleeping there. It is a very pretty resort to walk around. There are so many trees, shrubs and bushes and we really enjoyed the relaxed feel of this resort. The main buffet is close to the beach and was very open and very comfortable. We found the food tasty and lots to choos [... read more]e from. The wonderful staff at this resort made us feel so welcomed and comfortable. They work so hard and stay so pleasant which must not always be easy as some guest can be very demanding and impatient. The waiters would go out of their way to be helpful and make sure our needs were met. The beach is beautiful and clean. As we were spending time at this resort and also the one we were moved to we did not get to see everything this resort has to offer but we really liked what we did see of it and look forward to staying here in the future.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Never again!

This is our second visit to this resort and it will definitely be our last. We don't expect GREAT food when we come to Cuba, but we do expect EDIBLE food. The food was terrible! The fruit was barely ripe, most of the tomatoes were green, where there were any available. Salad fixings were always hit or miss. The meat was overcooked and tasteless. We went to 4 of the a la carte restaurants thinking that the food there might be better than the buffet. It was actually worse - only someone served it  [... read more]to you at a nice table. Ordering drinks from the wandering wait staff was an exercise in patience. It could be 15-20 minutes to get a drink, if they even came back at all. After tired of waiting at one point I went to the bar myself only to find that the guy that had taken my order was now behind the bar making drinks and not serving at all. When you did get a drink, it was questionable if there was any alcohol in it. We found out after a few days that if you wanted rum in your pina colada you had to ask specifically for rum. The same drink served 3 times would be completely different each time. Very bizarre! After a couple of days at this resort we were trying to find a way home early.So long Cuba! Never again.

Starfish Jibacoa: Never Again!

Where to begin....The best thing about this resort was The Weather!!!I booked because of the reviews...even though it was a 3 star! Rave reviews....I am not sure why...The resort is in dire need of repair and updating and the food was just plain horrible! We have been to Cuba many times and we love The Cubans...not here...they fall all over repeat customers...I am not sure why they keep coming back???My hubby and I made the best of it...we ate off resort at I believe it was Mario's snd it was a [... read more]wesome!!! Havana was also awesome...we had Yavi as a guide he was Super!!! Our Air Transat rep. ANNE MARIE was great also....It was a week ...we had a good laugh about it all...but will not return to Villas Jibacoa or Villas Topical( it went by these 2 names!)The weather was perfecto....Hallelujah!!!!☺☹

Starfish Jibacoa: Don't go in February or March if you want to snorkel!

The property itself is quite beautiful, however if you chose this resort because of the possibility of snorkeling off the beach, don't go in February or March, due to high winds the Portuguese Man of War jelly fish are blown in by the hundreds. Out of the 10 days we stayed at this resort we were able to go in the water only 2 and 1/2 days. The rooms are very basic, but clean, the food is atrocious, the hood over the grill in the buffet never worked so the buffet room is full of choking smoke, th [... read more]e meat to be put on the grill is left raw on the side for hours, full of flies, a lot of people got bad cases of diarrhea while we were there. We ended up going off site to eat for dinner on most days.The water went out for a whole day, no flushing, no shower, can't even wash your hands. Our room keys stopped working every second day, which required going to the front desk to have it reprogrammed on the regular basis, and depending on who was working there you were either believed that your key was not working, or given a hard time. I would never return to this resort in the future, and would not recommend it to anyone I know.

Starfish Jibacoa: Basic resort

Beautiful setting and beach, with swim-to reef. High onshore winds brought many Portuguese man o’ war, so no swimming or snorkeling. Lovely grounds. Very basic, but clean accommodations, and friendly staff (except front desk). Food extraordinarily forgettable.

Barcelo Solymar: Great Resort

Overall this resort is great value for the money. Its close to the main strip. Staff are great and my place was excellent; being a newly renovated bungalows. Grounds are well kept. The food is so so. But I've had a lot worse with my own or wife's cooking. I wish they had a better fruit selection. Those who opt for the 5 stars at the end of the peninsula are dead just like all the non existent activities there. I'll be back.

Playa Caleta: Large - Resort - Beautiful Scenery

Visited this particular hotel approximately 20 years ago. Strange ..the elevators were still a problem. Not functioning at times. Had to use the outside steps on occasion. not good for anyone with a handicap. Felt sorry for the servers in the dining room as they seemed overwhelmed by rude / untipping European guests (won't mention the nationality but they sure liked to eat- waste food ..drink and fight - with one spending a few days in the Havana jail) Our room was "okay" , Certainly  [... read more]nothing special. Curtains hanging here and there but clean. NO Pina Colodas?? WTH Chrystal Beer which is better than their Buckaneero and really NO fancy drinks available. Lack of chairs poolside and beach side. Had to get up at the crack of dawn to get one reserved. Food was normal Cuban food. Can always find fresh fruit..make a sub sandwich and of course the chicken and rice as all the islands. Didn't starve. A La cartes were good. We got a great sell off for ten days and totally enjoyed the beach and weather. Would I go back there? IF the price was as good as we got it for...Yes...BUT would not if a similar price elsewhere. Have spent over 40 years in Cuba and this hotel was certainly not the worst..but not the best for the price either...

Gran Caribe Sun Beach: It was okay

When we 1st arrived we had to wait for our room..we had someone help us put our bags away while we waited and he was amazingly helpful. We past our time enjoying the property which was nice and comfortable. When the time came for our room to be ready we where told not yet. Again we went back at the said time and the woman at reception was getting ready to give us our room and the man stopped her and told us to wait again. So our 1st '2 to 3 hour' wait turned into almost 5 hours which was getting [... read more] annoying after long flights. The 2nd day we lost warm water and took a few days to get back. The majority of the staff where amazing and helpful. Now the bad part...many guests where tremendously rude and ignorant. Pushy and budging into us no respect towards other guests or the staff. It was hard to be witness sometimes. Would I go back to this hotel. Possibly. This being my 1st time in Cuba I can say I had a wonderful time and ejoyed myself as the vacation I needed!!!

Villa Tortuga: Totally run down resort - would not stay there again

We got there and they did not have our reservation. I had paid for a superior room with balcony and after a 4.5 hour wait, they put us in a really dirty old room with no balcony. I asked to be moved, so they put us in another older room, but this one had a balcony. There was no door on the safe so we could not lock up our money or passports. Everything was breaking. We ended up in a superior room after four days, and my complaining. That room was good. Food was not good at all - hardly edible [... read more], so we dined out every night. Beach chairs were broken and dirty. Staff was very nice though - they did what they could to help people. I heard a whole lot of other guests complaining about their rooms when at the front desk. Would not recommend and would not stay here again.

Club Kawama: Not good

The beach full of sand fleas and mosquitoes got lots of bites scratching for weeks all over my body . Beach was still beautiful. The hotel room had a broken air conditioning machine and had flooding floors they only fixed the plumbing was unbearable heat to sleep in. One of the staff was a cook and said they were sick I ate the food from snack bar he made and got sick vomit and diarrhea a whole day wasted !

Sol Varadero Beach: SHIT

large hotel, friendly enough staff, maids stole clothes out of our bags, my pandora bracelet was taken out of the safe as well as my friends phone was taken when she put it down at the bar one night at the resort

Muthu Playa Varadero: Beautiful beach

This is the second time I've stayed at this hotel in less then a year. It's smaller then most resorts but I'm there for the beach. I had no problem with the staff found them to be very friendly. The food isn't a plus but there is always something to eat.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Good resort

The food food for us. The beach is nice. Beautiful Varadero peninsula if taking double deck tour around . But there are too many mosquitos in the lobby and flies in cafeteria . The facilities are lack of maintenance. A la carte is not as good as we thought.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Beautiful Resort

Beautiful grounds, upgraded beds and umbrellas. Because of the way the resort is laid out it never seems crowded and there was never a problem getting a bed at the beach or pool. Love the bar area with indoor and outdoor seating. Very clean. Friendly staff. Food is just okay but you expect that in Cuba. We loved the fresh pasta and pizza bar. Delicious sandwiches and wraps on the BBQ near the bar. Buffet becomes a little boring by the end of the week.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Fabulous resort!

I thoroughly enjoyed my wonderful 9 nights at the Royalton Varadero. The grounds were sumptuous , beautiful landscaping, fabulous pools......especially loved the white tents around the pool, providing comfort, and shade .......the staff were attentive and friendly , giving a warm ambiance to the overall experience. I was thrilled with the food options, especially watching the chef grill fresh fish, and such choices! Mahi Mahi, tuna, salmon, perch, and more! The live music and entertainment were [... read more] excellent.........I look forward to my next visit.

Club Kawama: Unfortunately not the same

Unfortunately this place is changing. Being a returning guest you can see it first hand. The people are not as friendly as they have been prior. Guests are not taken care of as they use to be. Same typical issues are not being addressed ie toilet paper, "no sorry" Im sad to say after this trip I can not say I will be a returning guest again. I have brought numerous people with me on each occassion i visited, bring many new people. Sad it has come to this