Club Kawama: Run Down Resort

The beach was beautiful, the pool was beautiful, most of the service was good but some of the front desk staff were nasty and rude. A couple of front desk staff were so condescending and made it very hard to ask any questions. The service at the front desk needs to be better. The hotel is completely run down as are the grounds. Some of the rooms are so far away from the main pool and the lobby that it would take 10 minutes just to walk to your room. A lot of broken sidewalks and uncared-for Gree [... read more]nery. The food was pretty bad in the main restaurant. Some days it was okay othe. Tgre was very little variety. It was the same most days. The Italian restaurant was pretty good. I would not stay at this Resort again. The rooms were old and dilapidated. Our bathtub would fill with water and wouldn't drain. There were times when the toilet wouldn't flush. There was peeling paint on the ceilings and water damage in lots of the areas. Furniture is old and falling apart. Very uncomfortable beds. Really needs a facelift.

Starfish Jibacoa: Location, Location, Location

We usually choose a well known resort chain and decided on the Villas Jibacoa spur of the moment after hearing about it from friends. It is a little gem, set on the best beach we have been to with a backdrop of forested hills. There are coral reefs just in the shallows but still accessable areas to safely swim. We are not snorklers but it was a popular past time for many and we did see shoals of fish from a little paddle boat. The sailing is great. Lots of natural shade on the beach, many  [... read more]of the trees were uprooted from the hurricane but putting down new roots and made for very interesting landscaping. The resort is immaculately kept although the accommodations are basic. The beds give a good nights sleep despite first impressions. Mosquitoes are fierce, beware early morning and evening. Used lots of Off and it helped. The staff are incredible even on Cuban standards. I believe it is a locally owned and ran resort and there is a real family feel and welcome. Plenty of food, freshly cooked. We dined off resort twice on recommendtions and enjoyed wonderful meals for 15.00CUC which included transporation and wine. The tower is well worth a visit for dinner at sunset. Very relaxing and quiet vacation.

Playa Vista Azul: Will not be returning

Although the resort was clean, the food and bar service was horrible. Entire cows (head, feet, tail) were on the grill all day and when finished, they stayed uncovered on the grill outside all day. Blood pudding sausage balls, entire fish (with head, tail) and awful poached eggs. Restaurants were not open when they were supposed to be and their "Italian Restaurant" was not Italian. People around us were equally disgusted. Shrimp was served with "all the parts" attached. With regards to th [... read more]e bar, unless you were a "privilege" member you couldn't access certain drinks. Who brings their own liquor to an "all-inclusive"? Thank goodness for our day trip to Havanna. Was supposed to be a 10 day stay, landed on Thursday and returned home on Sunday. Room staff was excellent - other than that - not impressed. Will not return.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Can't wait to go back, but for 2 weeks next time!!!!

I was going with the expectation that it was Cuba. So gorgeous beach ok room, and hopefully edible food. WOW!!!! Gorgeous wavy beach, Great rooms, we had an ocean view. The food was as good or better than we've had in Mexico and Punta Cana. We went to the buffet every night because it was so good. We heard the Japanese a la carte was very good. The only bad thing was the comfy chairs are around the kid's pool. If you want to go to bed early (we didn't) don't get an ocean view the nightlife is r [... read more]ight beneath you! The staff is amazing they all speak English and try very hard to help with anything you need. I loved this place. I've traveled a lot and so far it's my favorite. Transat, on the other hand, was a big let down!! They let someone get through all checkpoints before the last one with an expired passport and we all sat 2 hours on the plane until they could get their luggage off. You would think they would at least offer something(even a bottle of water). Nope first thing they said was how much everything cost. This even on Christmas day, shame on you Air Transat it was clearly your mistake. You should take a look at your customer service.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Let down for an Iberostar

The beaches are pristine and gorgeous. The food was ok ...actually better than expectation! One has to realize it’s Cuba and they work with the resources they have . The service was great...the staff was one of the most warm and friendly I have ever seen . Now coming to the resort itself ...we booked because of the Iberostar name but were really disappointed....the property grounds are clean but the rooms are a different story.....completely dated furniture,the beds were awful we used to wak [... read more]e up to aching backs ....we talked to other guests and they had the same issue . Also common use washrooms near beach were not maintained...The management needs to seriously update the rooms until then I would not go back to this resort ! For having spent that much one needs a proper nights sleep

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: 5 star services

Oh, the beach, pool, music, dance, people...love Patriarca! My advice for purchasing souvenirs is in Varadero, not in the resort or the airport. Take advantage of the $5 pesos per day for unlimited trips to Varadero. Outside the resort you will encounter a washroom lady at the front for a fee to use the washroom. I realized later to get quarter coins for washroom use, or it will be too expensive to pee ( I paid a dollar at first). A quarter is a lot already for the locals to appreciate. Back [... read more] in the resort, unlimited drinks, wine, coffee, anywhere. Don't bother to bring a thermos as wherever you are there's a bar (lobby bar, piano bar, music bar, snack bar, pool bar, beach bar). One night my husband stayed at the lobby bar until it was closed at midnight. He came back complimenting the bartender on professional serving to the last minute, not showing any tiredness. The servers appreciated so much any tips received. One of them said "Sir, you are so kind!" when we tipped him specifically besides leaving an amount on the table. I wish to go back tell everyone that what makes me feel impressed is their services! BTW, we lost an article of luggage and the front desk knew how concerned we were, so when the phone rang st 11:50 pm the second night, we were so excited to learn that the luggage was located and delivered to the resort! We were there for the New Years Eve celebration. They offered their best foods besides decorating the buffet restaurant making us literally so touched as we saw how little the local Cuban had. Thank you, my friends in Cuba! Wish you all a better year 2018.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Lovely resort

Enjoyed the grounds, flowers, trees and shrubs and proximity to the beach. The resort was clean, staff friendly and helpful and food was pretty good for the most part in the buffet. The a la cart restaurants were less tasty-the only fault. Excursions were excellent, learned lots as tour guides were very informative.

Melia Las Antillas: great hotel/ great staff

my fifth time in the same hotel not fan of Cuban food but love Cuba and beach and people.. if you are not high maintenance and would like sun and beach and clean place worth it 100000 times enjoy and have fun cheers

Brisas Del Caribe: Nightmare Resort

We thought we had a great deal for Brisas Del Caribe for Christmas.. Beware of such a price- -Our room had to be changed 4 times- we got sent to a room which was occupied, then another had a huge hole in the mattress, another holes in the wall, another filled with mould in the bathroom and in and around the a/c vent. -Food, the line ups for fresh cooked food was a minimum 1/2 hr long with rude locals pushing in front of you in line.The hot tables had no heat, thus we had cold eggs out of th [... read more]e fridge, recook food from the night before, always running out of food. Burgers, mystery meat like rubber, We both had issues with the food it was hard to eat properly we had to pick and choose carefully. -Drinks, ran out of beer daily, Rum!! the worst cheapest alcohol we couldn't drink it. I have been to Cuba many times I like it but this place needs an over haul, filthy and rude.When we tried to tell the people there they just would walk away. I can't recommend this resort to anyone. Pools- Filthy broken tiles and dirt around the inside looks like it was not washed for months. Beach, broken dirty chairs and not enough.

Grand Memories Varadero: Excellent hotel

Service was excellent Food was quite good at grand memories but we upgrade our stay for two days at Sanctuary of this hotel. That was super, food, service, bar and activities. The swimming pool at Sanctuary was a dream and bar service around the pool as well. Marvellous beach and animations (volley ball, zumba) were good

Melia Marina Varadero: Great resort!

Food was really good for Cuba, European plan has the option of all-inclusive day passes which is nice. Staff was very nice. The promenade was very nice in the evenings. The circus show was amazing! We would certainly go back. A good choice if you don't necessarily want to just sit on the beach and drink.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Another great time at your resort

This was my second time at your resort, great room, amazing staff and truly a great trip...The hotel is not too big or small, perfect fit for me, I arrived Christmas Day, the resort was about half full and as the week progressed it filled up and leaving New Year's eve it was completely booked, but my service was still the same, not waiting. Thanks so much to the staff.

Los Delfines: Stunning Resort

This was a really nice resort to stay in. It is a 3 star resort and stands above that standard. You are located right in town being able to go off the resort and explore the city. The food was not the greatest however was better than my expectations held. The little restaurants around the resort where amazing. Pizza, fries and beer for $4 CUC. If I went back I would definitely pick this resort again. The people working were also amazing.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Amazing Resort

We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary at Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero - and we loved it. We traveled in December, so as expected our flight was delayed, we were suppose to arrive at the Resort at 2:00 PM, however due to the delay we didn't get to the Resort until 3:00 AM. We were greeted by friendly smiles and extremely accommodating staff. Everyone who works at this Resort is truly amazing. Our room was huge and very well maintained. The food was delicious and a plenty - whether  [... read more]we ate at the a la carte restaurants or at the buffet. We loved the 24 hour snack/bar facility and room service was very much appreciated. We stayed at the Sanctuary, but took advantage of the pool bar. The grounds were well kept and beautifully manicured. The pool and beach were clean and there were plenty of lounge chairs available. The ocean water was a little too cool for my liking - understandably, we were there in December. We would definitely return to this Resort.

Roc Barlovento: Great Resort

This is our 3rd time there. We enjoy the size and also the location of this resort. Easy walking distance to flee markets and the beach is close and well kept. The gardens are well maintained and so are the pools. The staff in all areas are very courteous and most helpful. Our maid was very good seeing to whatever needs we required. I would certainly stay here again just for the homey feeling of the resort👍

Sol Varadero Beach: Beautifully integrated resort, right on the beach!

This was my very first all-inclusive hotel experience! I arrived after dark in the evening, so in the morning, I was amazed to see the well-integrated palm trees and lush vegetation extending all the way to the beach. My room itself (in the Sirenas complex) was functional and clean, but a little bit too rustic. I didn't mind because I have an adventurous spirit, but there were marker stains on the bed covers and one of the hinges fell out of my door at the end of my stay. In addition to the fa [... read more]ct that exterior hallway lighting only went on at a certain time (much after dark), there were also some lightbulbs missing in the exterior hallway leading to the rooms where mine was located. I really liked the buffet and à la carte evening meal options on the resort. I also enjoyed the special Christmas Eve dinner and animal show for children (on Christmas Day). The dining room staff was excellent, especially Mana! ¡Muchas gracias! In conclusion, I strongly feel that an overall upgrading of the rooms would enhance the experience on this particular resort.

Hotel Bella Costa: 3 star resort on a 5 star beach

Fantastic location. Beautiful beach. Lots of umbrellas and chairs available during high season. Winter is dry season, so we had 7 days of excellent weather. Staff are extremely hard-working and friendly, but hotel is understaffed and seemingly underfunded since being sold by Breezes, evidenced by the wait for clean dishes and food refills in the buffet (at least at high season) and the long list of repairs/deficiencies everyone seemed to be trying to manage with limited or minimal resources.  [... read more] For example - our sliding door to the balcony was stuck in the open position when we arrived. This resulted in many mosquitoes in our room and multiple bites every night throughout the week. Maintenance came and managed to close the door with a lot of effort, but then we had no access to the balcony for the rest of the week because the door was now jammed in the closed position. (I'm assuming we paid more for a balcony since there were rooms available without a balcony that were less expensive when we booked this trip.) He had no time to make the door functional, but added our room to a long list of rooms with other deficiencies. We also reported our hair dryer not working and our TV not working all week.The AC did not have a working temperature control - either on very cold or off. We put it on during the night and slept in our warm clothes from the plane. The hotel needs updating badly. Our rooms had moldy chairs and blankets that did not seem to have ever been washed. I had blood on my sheets from killing mosquitoes from the first night and slept on the same blood-stained sheets all week. I asked for a flatter pillow and was told by reception that there were no more pillows available in the whole hotel, so I switched with my sister. They told me that my pillow was so high because it was new and the foam had not been compacted yet, but when I changed the pillowcase to give the pillow to my sister, it was horribly stained, so if that was a new one, I shudder to think about the state of the older ones. The enamel on our tub was significantly peeling off in big chunks and there was a lot of black mildew in the bathrooms. We had a hole in the ceiling panels of the bathroom, covered with a spider's web, which we were hoping had a spider that was eating some of the mosquitoes. I made the mistake of trying to kill a mosquito on the bedside lamp and we were engulfed in a thick cloud of dust that came off the lampshade. There were repairs going on due to the hurricane damage, so the beach bar and the beach buffet were not available to us, but will be beautiful once finished. The maid was wonderful and did what she could to clean up but this is not even a basic 3 star hotel...it is a 3 star hotel that needs much more than TLC. We mentioned to the Air Transat rep on site (who lives in this hotel) that Tripcentral had rated this hotel a 4 star and she was shocked. She said it was definitely a 3 star hotel and rated so in the Air Transat brochure. She recommended that we stay in the bungalows because they were in significantly better shape than the hotel rooms. This was confirmed by several other guests that we spoke to who rated the hotel rooms as 2 star with many maintenance issues. She spoke to her manager and Air Transat sent over a bottle of champagne and gave us $75 to spend on the plane because they felt bad that their package deal had been misrepresented by Tripcentral. I acknowledge that this is not entirely Tripcentral's fault as many of the reviews are rating this hotel highly. But if Air Transat is rating it as a 3 and Tripadvisor is rating it as a 3, maybe Tripcentral should take that into consderation to avoid unhappy customers like me, who now feel that Tripcentral's rating system is not credible. There is lots of evidence that staff and management are trying to update this hotel slowly, starting with the public areas like the beach and lobby. If they ever get around to the rooms, maybe this will be a nice hotel again, but folks rating it a 5 star hotel because they feel a connection to the people here or are sensitive to their plight, are doing travelers a disservice and are also making it harder for the staff who have to deal with disgruntled customers. When travelers expecting a 5 star hotel come here, they are very disappointed and many people we spoke to expressed this to management via the survey given at the end of the week. People who came with low expectations did not have many complaints, so it's important and considerate for all for reviewers to give the truest representation of the hotel. There will always be people who will choose this hotel and love it, but we will not return again (we were at this same hotel 20 years ago also), despite having a good experience with the staff and the manager of public relations who is a consummate professional and genuinely lovely person with the best intentions. We only have so much vacation and we would rather pay more and get a hotel that is not so run-down. We suggest Blau Varadero, where we went 2 years ago which exceeded our expectations for Cuba.

Hotel Bella Costa: Unimpressed

My family and I were very disappointed during our vacation at Bella Costa. The hotel was rundown and the building looked like it was about to crumble at the seams. Our rooms were covered in mold and dirt, beds included. The food was inconsistent, with the best meal coming on Christmas Eve. The two saving graces of this hotel were the beach and the excellent hard-working staff. I would never come back unless serious changes were made to Bella Costa. I am also very upset that the representatives a [... read more]t Trip Central misrepresented the hotel as they rated it a 4 star hotel when in reality, it is barely a 3. Not happy with one rep in particular who told us to “just enjoy it” when we asked to switch hotel. This trip put a damper on the good weather and fantastic scenery of Varadero, thanks in large part to the incompetence of Trip Central.

Starfish Varadero: Awesome time. They are working on a lot of things to make Star Fish better

The grounds are nice they are doing a lot to upgrade this resort. Rooms clean ,staff friendly food was good with lots of options. The beach was awesome to bad tourists don't appreciate leaving garbage on it. Every morning staff had numerous bags left of garbage , kodos to them for working hard. I would go back to this resort

Hotel Bella Costa: Beautiful beach, beautiful staff...but...

We just returned from Bella Costa last week and had mixed feelings about the whole experience. The beach and staff are amazing and the food and drinks ranged from great to mediocre, depending on the day and the availability. Unfortunately despite the very hard working staff, the hotel itself is in need of much updating and repair. The rooms needed some freshening up in terms of beds, pillows, furniture, towels, TV's etc. Management tried hard to remedy whatever they could and it was much appreci [... read more]ated that the Air Transat rep and the hotel management sent letters of apology for what we complained about regarding our stay...all in all an up and down experience but not sure we would return unless there was some significant updating of the basics...again cannot say enough about how great the staff was and how they worked tirelessly to cater to all the tourists...Beach was gorgeous too and when we were there they had just finished repairing outdoor eating area which also looked amazing. Rooms are the main concern and if they freshened them up and did some basic repairs then we may consider returing to Bella Costa again.