Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Not a 4.5 Star.

Trip Central agent said the Paridisus del Mar was comparable to the Royalton Hicocos. This couldn’t be further from the truth. First the good.....the service and staff were good. No complaints. The entertainment at night was surprisingly good. Wifi signal was actually strong around the lobby and pool. The bad....The food at the buffet was bland and boring. No creativity. Same meals everyday.the lineups were also frustrating. Not enough experienced food servers were present. The restaurant [... read more]s were good. Not great. The after hours snack bar was freaking terrible. I know Cuban food on resorts is not the greatest but the snack bar was so amateur and offered little. The grounds were really nice to look at but upon further review it was in decay. The main fountain in the square was dry and falling apart. The basketball net was apparently broken. The disco was flooded almost a year ago which is a shame but no work was being done on it. So no disco. There is only one gift shop. If you run out of suntan lotion then the resort will charge you 20$ for a small bottle. The lineups for money exchange were also frustrating. And the resort ripped you off royally with the exchange. I could go on but the overlying theme here is the details that make a 4 or 5 Star we’re not cared about. If you can get this place for 1000$ Canadian for a week then you’ll be happy. Anything more and regret will fill your soul. Lol. Just a side note - if you see great reviews or even good reviews for this place then they surely were by paid review writers. Yes. That actually is a job.

Hotel Bella Costa: wonderful resort

Bella Costa was terrific. I travel alone & was there two weeks ( jan 20-feb. 3) The weather was cooler 1st week. The Grounds were nice..5cucs to get the bus all day. Beatles bar downtown Varadero was great. Rented kool scooters 25cucs 3 hrs. When I was there I had a health scare...The staff, Nurse & Dr were amazing and took great care of me ...(I was travelling alone) The food was wonderful fresh & sooo much to choose from. The rooms needed some updateing. Thank You Tammy at Tripcentral 😎

Resonance Blu Varadero: Great time

Wonderful time at this resort! Everything was just perfect! Looking forward to returning. Villa 39 is by the activity pool and close walk to the beach. My family had just a great time. Highly recommend.

Palma Real: Wanted to leave the day we arrived....

The only thing that was good about this resort is the location since its close to the main street in Varadero. I've travelled quite a bit in Cuba, Dominican, Mexico and I'm not the type to complain but this hotel was BAD. The food was disgusting and everyone on the resort got sick. The beds and pillows are stained with pee and blood. Guests that were leaving were running at their airport shuttle screaming "hell is finally over". One guy had a bed that was broken in half all week and the maid jus [... read more]t kept making it up. He ended up stuffing drawers under it for support.

Villa Tortuga: Villa Tortuga

Nice resort ..friendly staff..had a hot water issue..mention problems they do take care of them right away...no bottled water but they will refill for you...pool was cold...a la cart was excellent..the grounds are kept clean

Club Kawama: A resort that never let's us down.

Club Kawama is the oldest resort in varadaro...the architecture of some of the buildings is amazing..the pools are big and clean. The food is typically Cuban. There is not a great variety but you will always find something good to eat..the special attribute of Kawama is the staff...always helpful and always a big smile. This was our fourth trip to Kawama. It is our comfort zone..very safe. Will be going for a lot of years to come.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Don’t stay here unless it’s Royal Service

We absolutely regret not staying in the Royal Service section. It was like two different worlds. The buffet, service, literally everything was far superior in the Royal Service section and the rest of the resort was severely lacking. Definitely NOT a five star and far inferior to other four stars in Varadero. Food was the worst I’ve ever had in Cuba, and having been to the island before we knew what the food was like. Very dissappointed with the resort and service, but enjoying time off the re [... read more]sort was our saving grace and made this trip memorable.

Melia Marina Varadero: Great value excellent management

This is the third time we go to this resort, It keeps getting better. cannot understand the negative reviews , this resort has all you need for a great vacation clean rooms nice buffet great service and lovely beach and pool . Will be back many more times

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Perfect location - would recommend this hotel again

I recently went by myself to this resort as a last minute gift to myself. I booked 12hrs before taking off :) I was on a restricted budget but knew I wanted a 4 star resort. I really enjoyed my stay here. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The pool is big and cleaned every morning. The beach was great and groomed as well... The rooms are dated but totally functional and I appreciated having English TV in my room and a patio overlooking the ocean. I got used to the rooster wak [... read more]ing me up in the morning after a few days lol... What I appreciated the most was that I felt safe there - as a woman travelling alone, I was never treated inappropriately by any of the staff, and I soon befriended the waiter working on the beach who always made sure I had a drink (or two) in my hand :) The food is good - I enjoyed my meals there even with the limited selection. I always went to the grill for fresh meat, fish and good egg omelets in the morning. One of the definite perks is in its location in Varadero. The weather was not great during my visit but being able to walk around Varadero definitely helped me get through the rainy overcast days. The city is friendly and once again, I never felt unsafe being alone. I would definitely would go back to this resort and would recommend it.

Paradisus Varadero: I won’t be back!

We have stayed at this hotel at least 4 times over the last 10 years and were always very satisfied. This year, we even brought friends. Well, the whole thing was an embarrassment! The worst part was the food: 5 of 7 nights the main dish was roast pork, which in itself is not so bad (2 years ago the pork tasted very good); but, the preparation and presentation was absolutely awful. The meat was totally overdone and not edible. The other two nights turkey was on offer; and that was even worse (th [... read more]e meat was like straw). Other foods were uninteresting—why would I want to eat pasta with tomato sauce in a “5-star” facility—and usually cold (the soup was room temperature because there were no heaters!). We tried the buffet in the “Family Concierge” area and the beef offered was again inedible! The restaurants were very difficult to reserve and then, to get a tasty meal, we were expected to pay at least $20 extra. Our room was nice because it had been recently refurbished. But, the hot water did not work (it took 2 hours to get it somewhat warm) and there were some bugs in the room. We left this place with the decision that we will not come back and certainly will not recommend to anyone else. Going through the Cuba ‘hassle’ (endless lineups at airport, outrageous exchange rate, limited WiFi, etc.) is bad enough; but, then to have to deal with a hotel that pretends to be 5-star but in reality operates as a 3-star (food at 2-star) is totally infuriating.

Palma Real: Disappointing Resort

12 in the group 2 rooms too moldy for people to stay in Rarely had hot water and one morning no water at all No coffee in the dining room after lunch or dinner Food was ok but often cold Smokers everywhere, lobby often too smokey to sit in Pools were too cold for swimming

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Excellent resort

Very clean, grounds and pools were well maintained. No reef for snorkelling. A la Carte were terrible other than Brasília gourmet. Excellent piano bar band. Entertainment above average. Didn’t like the fact you had to pay if you wanted to use the hot tub.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Very good value!

MGM - Muthu. If you can get this resort at a good price (700-800) for a week, it is a very good value. The entire facility is well kept. All the staff were friendly and helpful. Entertainment was very good. Food was on par for Cuba. I would recommend this resort (at the right price) Also our Air Transat rep was fantastic. Thank you Maria at Trip Central for making this a smooth running vacation. Thank you , Tim Sanlon

Palma Real: Nightmare

I travelled a lot around the world visited many poor countries and Poor accomodations but this place was a nightmare. The reception was rude no smile bad service. Lack of employees everywhere. If you have the chance to get a room on the first floor or second floor it’s not so bad but don’t take a room on the block 4 it’s disgusting . If you want to drink all day and evening and go eat outside the resort it’s maybe a place for you . The pools very bad conditions filters not working and wa [... read more]tch where you walk many holes and missing tiles . Give a lot of tips all the time if you want service. At least the maids are very nice and clean the room properly. I’ll never never never go back . Definitely not a 3 stars I would say a poor 1 star.

Playa Vista Azul: Beautiful Clean Resort

The resort was extremely clean - which is always a good sign the staff were extremely hard working and the most friendly staff we have met in Cuba. They always shook your hand - remembered your drink - and made sure you had everything you needed in the bars. The buffet staff were sometimes quite slow to provide you with your water or coffee but once you did have the drinks you were good. The cooking staff were always happy to cook your omelets or pasta to your liking as well. The resort is v [... read more]ery well laid out with the main pool as the entertainment area and the beach area - which was quite small on the one side and quite crowded was kept clean and if you did not like the small area the larger beach was on the other side of the buffs - which was a very short walk away. All in all we had a most excellent stay at the resort with exceptional service and would definitely stay at the Ocean Vista Azul again.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Certainly not a 5 *.....

My mother and I stayed at the Paradisus Princesa Del Mar from January 26 to Feb 2, 2018 and we were both very very disappointed!!! The hotel is definitely not a 5* by any standards. They advertised International drinks but didn't have any of the drink either of us drink here at home. No good vodka, no Bailey's and none of the regular shooter type drinks we are accustomed to at home. They didn't even have frozen drinks such as Pina Coladas! Not only did they not have beverages that w [... read more]ould entice us to stay at the bars etc... any time we were at the 24 hour restaurant, they lacked half the food mentioned on the menu!!! No fries, No poutine, no pizza, no chicken wings....all things they clearly state are available 24 hours a day!! Our room service was provided by Lydia, who was sweet and friendly however, she missed doing our room on 2 days??? We would come back in the early evening only to find that nothing had been done :( As well, the service anywhere on the resort is SOOOOO SLOW!!!!!!! i understand this is Cuba and things are a bit more relaxed... I can handle that but when you are standing at a bar for over 20 minutes and the staff have not even glanced in your direction yet...it gets pretty frustrating..... I could go on and on about the lack of seating throughout the resort, the lack of beds by the pool, the bad service, the untidy washrooms etc... but i think most travelers are getting the idea. I would never go back there nor would i ever suggest this resort to anyone!!!! Stay away unless you want to be frustrated and ignored!!

Paradisus Varadero: Stay at 'Family Concierge' if you are going to this Resort!

We stayed in the "Family Concierge" section of this hotel which is newer and very clean. We talked to several people that upgraded to this section because of complaints about rooms, cleanliness and broken fixtures at Paradisus. The restaurants on this side were also much better. The food was fresh and the restaurants were modern and the service was excellent. On the days we chose to eat at The Paradisus side we always came back hungry and disappointed and ended up at our buffet. The poolside sn [... read more]ack bar at "Family Concierge' had the best calamari and chicken wings for "happy hour" snacking and the wait staff and bar staff were friendly and attentive. The butler service on the beach was also a plus. Jose was great!! I travelled with my young son and it was his birthday while we were there. Well!!!! Our concierge Arlene went above and beyond! They threw him a party with cake and a clown and all the kids joined in. It was amazing. The kids clubhouse and the pools were outstanding. There was always activities to keep my son entertained and happy! It was well worth the extra money to stay here. We are planning to return here with a large group, all with small children, in April!!

Melia Las Americas: Great golf trip

Hotel, beach, food, service, golf course.....everything was great. They could use some more staff at the bars to reduce wait times. REAL Coca-Cola would improve the quality of drinks as mix and get rid of the additional fees for premium liquors.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great resort

What a well kept and layed out resort! The staff is very friendly and attentive. We also liked the daily entertainment. The performers were amazing! The piano bar, however, should start having an actual piano player much sooner.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Beautiful resort

We had a wonderful time. The service was awesome, food was great. The specialty restaurants were nice but the food a little bland. The gardens were beautiful and the staff very friendly. The rooms were okay, they were clean but for a newer resort the room seemed a bit run down. The curtains were hanging off, the shelf in the showers was loose, chairs on balcony broken, minor details but noticeable. The main annoyance was the lock on door, the cards would work a few times and then we would [... read more] have to replace the card in the lobby, this happened four times. Other than that, it was a beautiful resort and lovely beach.