Melia Las Dunas: Amazing Resort

We travelled to the Melia Las Dunas 08-15NOV 2014. We were awe struck at first site. It's beautiful. The lobby is very pristine and the staff are all very welcoming. The check in was quick and easy, and we had a resort shuttle waiting to take us to our room. The room was inviting. Very clean, and well kept! Our bar was stocked with water, pop and beer. The buffet had lots to offer. Food was good and staff very friendly. The a l cartes were the same! Lovely restaurants and people. Food was never  [... read more]a dissappointment. The grounds were always well kept. We saw the gardeners working hard each and every day. The pool is huge. Pool bar staff friendly. Lots of activities Around pool with music playing! Pool was always clean, and plenty of pool chairs to choose from. The sports centre had a big variety of things for the kids. Basketball, fooseball, batminton, bochi, archery, tennis, soccer, and huge chess game. The beaches are beautiful. We had a fantastic week at the Melia Las Dunas and would highly recommend!

Sol Palmeras: Wonderful resort!

This was our first time in Cuba and all-inclusive resort and our experience exceeded our expectations! We stayed in Sol Palmeras from October 29 to November 8 and it's an amazing hotel! It is very clean and well maintained. The area around the building is beautiful and the beach is just about 100 meters away. The resort is quite big, including 5 zones of bungalows, but mostly along the sea shore. We stayed in a main building and we prefer that, because everything (restaurants, customer service,  [... read more]bars) is close and yet, no noise from the lobby or bars could be heard in the rooms. Our hotel room was excellent! It was very clean, spacious, with all necessities inside (iron, blow dryer, A/C, etc.). Everything was functional. The balcony was huge with a set of chairs and side table. We were amazed with how maids were maintaining it. If you wish, they would come in everyday, to replace the sheets (they don't do that in Canada) and towels and clean it. The nice touch is swans and other patterns they make out of towels. The beach is paradise: beautiful white sand, warm sea, not deep, which is great because we went with a six-year-old. It's kept clean and there were always available beach loungers and sun umbrellas. Food was excellent! There are 6 different restaurants in this resort, plus the bar on the beach, where we had great hamburgers, fries and salads. One restaurant is a buffet with more than plenty of choices for every meal and five are à la carte featuring: Italian, Mexican, sea food, steak house and Chinese. We tried them all and they're all good, but we liked the Italian restaurant the best (personal choice). I know that many people complaint about food in Cuba, but I cannot give an explanation for that. I would just like to say that their meat: chicken, beef, pork, lamb, no matter how prepared, is the best meat I've ever eaten (I'm very picky when it comes to meat). It tastes natural and I'm quite sure it's all organic. Kudos to all chefs! WiFi is available in designated area and it costs 4.5 CUC per hour, which is $6 CAD. It is very fast and efficient. There's lots of entertainment in the resort, for everybody. There is a Mini Club for children, where you can leave them for hour and a half in the morning and afternoon. They do all sorts of activities with them, mostly around the pool. Last but not least, nay probably the most important and valuable asset Cuba has is people! Cubans are so nice, warm and welcoming that it left a great impression on us. Staff at Sol Palmeras really impressed us! We felt like we were good friends, visiting regularly. I am sorry I can't remember all the names (I should've written down), but I will mention those whose names are still in my mind. Our maid Yuleidy is the sweetest lady we've ever met. She kept our room impeccable. Staff at the buffet restaurant are all so nice, smiling and welcoming; we loved going there and chatting with them. They keep a good care of their guests and I would like to mention our regular servers: Humberto, Yuleidis and Rosita. Ariadne from the Mini Club is another wonderful soul. Right from the first contact with her I felt like I've known her for my whole life. She is doing a great job with kids and is very caring and gentle. Madeline (an ice cream lady) and Alexis (beach tower rentals) were super friendly and wonderful! Osvaldo (from the beach) and Manueal (the gardener) were also doing a great job! Receptionist Yani gave us an excellent room on the second floor, facing the pool and didn't let us wait to check in as we were very tired. I would also like to praise all lobby bar personnel who were making us coffee and the best cocktails in the world! Thank you all guys! Big thanks to all the wonderful Sol Palmeras staff who made our stay there nicer and better than we could imagine! We had an incredible time at Sol Palmeras and certainly hope to go back many times. We would highly recommend this resort to everyone!

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Out of this world resort

Accommodation 10+ Royal Service staff are a credit to the resort. From the bartenders to the maids to reception desk couldn't ask for more. Grounds / Gardens are absolutely amazing. Gardeners very friendly. You want a resort that has everything. Go Paradisis Rio De Oro!

Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa: Wonderful getaway!

Now Sapphire was terrific. The resort itself was beautiful and We felt safe at all times. The staff was very well trained - from check in to concierge to bar tenders to cleaning staff. You heard "It is my pleasure" all the time. The food was amazing - 5 star from buffet to any of the restaurants. A small resort but that is what we loved about it. We upgraded to an ocean view room and worth every penny! And only a 20 minute ride from the airport! We would go back in a heartbeat!

Melia Las Dunas: Great place

The resort was great although huge. Lots of walking that I didn't mind. Nice beaches and very friendly people. The food was excellent. The only complain I have is that security guards from neighbouring resort Melia Cayo Santa Maria were trying to push us back to our place although we were told by our travel agent ant Air Canada agent that we may use both Melias facilities. Overall excellent place.

Melia Marina Varadero: Nice resort!

This was first time going to Cuba so I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by how nice the hotel was when we arrived. The hotel was very clean and well maintained with a modern design, which we liked. The room was nice. The only thing I didn't like was the beachy, damp smell in our room. Otherwise, the staff was great! No luck with getting water or any fridge items replenished in the room even after calling the front desk and being promised numerous times that someone was on  [... read more]the way with the items we requested. The buffet items got a little repetitive, but the a la carte restaurants offered some variety. Overall, can't complain too much. Definitely one of the better looking hotels in Varadero.

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: Gem of the Island..

Returned last weekend after spending 12 nights here at the Sol and can honestly say you wont find better value in Cuba than this! I made it a point to see every hotel on the Island either by foot or bus and although you will see new Resorts looking modern I can rest easy by saying you will never find staff in all areas even close to the Sol !! Being smaller and obviously well managed adds up the the best service you can get. From food to rooms all was very nice. Beach also wonderfull.. So will e [... read more]nd by saying thank you everyone at the Sol for a great Holiday... See you all Soon !!!!

Sol Varadero Beach: Average at best

This hotel had average food selection with decent serving areas and attendants. Beautiful beach with one beach bar open till 5 pm . Small coffee serving area very busy In mornings, They will cook you a great burger at two in the morning at the north pool bar but they won't serve you a cervesa past 2 am

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: 4th Time's a Charm!!

I have been to Sol Cayo, Santa Maria 4 times now (just got back on Monday) and absolutely love the Resort. The staff are friendly and always remember you, the rooms are clean and large and the food just keeps getting better - AND, THE BEACH IS SPECTACULAR!!. I have travelled all over the Caribbean (and Cuba) and it is truly one of the most pristine. I'm going back in January 2015!

Starfish Cayo Largo: EXCELLENT BEACHES

Excellent beaches ( short transfer by tram), food OK , staff nice-over friendly, room OK, no bananas in restaurants whole week , no coffee available after lunch in Rancheon restaurant ! Good value for the money.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Another superb week!

Our 4th visit here and just keeps getting better. Being welcomed with sincere pleasure by the staff here makes one feel so warm and comfortable. I was happy to see the pool and lobby washrooms are being maintained at a higher level than last year, and buildings and rooms are getting a facelift. I still wish the tree in the lobby hadn't been painted. Our 4th visit here and just keeps getting better. Being welcomed with sincere pleasure by the staff here makes one feel so warm and comfortable. I w [... read more]as happy to see the pool and lobby washrooms are being maintained at a higher level than last year, and buildings and rooms are getting a facelift. I still wish the tree in the lobby hadn't been painted. Before flying with Transat again, I will be more attentive of the size of aircraft and the amenities offered. The seats are now even smaller than before, there is only food available for purchase. I felt like a sardine, and I am a smaller person, Couldn't even cross my legs, or assume the 'emergency landing position'- my head would hit the seat in front before I could bend forward. I rang for a flight attendant to clarify a question on the visitor card. They came by in 10 minutes, turned the light off and walked away without acknowledging us at all. This happened twice more. When we finally got someone to ask the question to, not only did they not know the answer, did not even check if anyone else did. It was not in the least a pleasant experience. The nightly shows were very entertaining, and some terrific musicians in the lobby bar during the dinner hours. It was unfortunate that a 'cold' front moved in the 2nd & 3rd day we were there,(It must have followed us from Canada) and the winds were strong during our stay, which caused red flagged beach days until the day of our departure. This did not deter our enjoyment of other activities available. We just used the cooler days to travel to le Estrella down the road for a wander through the venders. Our usual room and building were undergoing renovations, so we were placed next door in building 17. The room was kept spotless by the attentive room attendants with towel art on the bed each day. We always look forward to what will be on the bed when we return from the pool. It's like getting a present each day! The food at the beach grill was terrific. The BBQ was filled with choices of sausages, chicken, pork chops, paella, grilled pineapple and fish. You can also order from the lunch menu where each day they would have a special feature and a daily soup. There is also a buffet section with salads, pastas, fresh fruit in season and rices. 'Yummy mummy' (Yamilsky) and Rosabel at the pool grill are two outstanding servers. They are always smiling and welcoming with great senses of humour. Alain and the rest of the staff there make you feel right at home. Cappuccinos, coffee, drinks, hotdogs, hamburgs, fries, sandwiches and breakfast. It is open 24 hours for food and drink. Osbiel is the best pool bartender EVER!!!! Smart, conscientious, friendly and attentive. He will make the drinks for the patrons at the bar, walk around both pools to take orders and deliver the drinks out with precision and speed. If you are not sure what you want, he will make you something to try out. He is very adept at reading people and their tastes. Juan Carlos at the lobby bar is outstanding!! He literally floats around the lobby taking and fulfilling orders with such panache!! Always on alert for refills! The buffet meals were very good this year as well. Breakfast is a delight with Leiani (sp?) always gracious and smiling each morning to take care of you. You can choose from the buffet of sausages, bacon, beans, breads, pastries, ham and pancakes - or have your eggs made to order. Each morning, Danny will greet you with joy to create your perfect omelette or eggs; make fresh crepes or french toast; fry up some fresh ham or bacon. Danny loves to interact with you, and makes you feel awesome! The returning guests dinner was outstanding this year, held in the French restaurant. We were honoured to have Arel from the Animacion team join us at our table. It was a pleasure to get to know him better. Being in a smaller group, we were able to speak with some guest services management team members and are able to address concerns, listen to recommendations, or take note of the praise for staff members. Gracias Yoset, who is always attentive and at your service. We appreciate that you do your best to make our room location and all other requests come true. The Animacion Team: Where to begin? This group work hard and long to create activities and entertainment for us all. They greet you when you get off the bus, each day will chat with you, and are at the lobby to say goodbye and send you off. Tai Chi or archery with Ernesto (Namaste), beach volleyball, dancing lessons, aqua excercise, spanish lessons, salsa lessons, poolside games, water polo just to name a few of the day activities you can choose to participate in. In the evening, they are on hand at the shows, mingling with guests, and getting the party going! A tireless group that management should be proud to recognize! Our loves, Denis (genuine beauty inside and out), Lazaro, (hope mom is doing better and kisses for Maria Carla xxoo) Arel, Ernesto, Yunio (sp?) and Orlando (thank you for NOT drowning 'Cerrano' during water polo!) You rarely pass a staff member where a greeting is not given. From the maintenance staff, gardeners, staff, management and everyone in between. Who have I forgotten?? Yosef from the pool bar and pool grill; Yosef our terrific bellman/taxi driver, the ala carte reservation lady, Juan Carlos the Transat rep, all the students who were working what to us would be a co-op placement, the other guests who made our trip wonderful, (Sarah, Wayne, Hailey, 'fun Amanda', the guys from Hamilton; Roxanne and Gary.... etc...etc..) Until next time, our love and gratitude for everything!!

Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa: Am I itching to go back?

Concierge will try to sell u time shares Beach has tons of seaweed on shore and out into water, I have only 30 itchy sand Flea bites, that are still itchy after being back 1 week Main buffet small and only has 1 toaster Room only has 1 sink and AC I couldn't get to go less than 24C No reservations required for speciality restaurants Food very good and entertainment great Great coffee bar open at 6:00am free wifi everywhere

Melia Las Dunas: Good resort

The resort is wonderful. Good people. Did not get impression they are nice just to get tips. Wonderful beach. Food is OK. They prepare a lot of good quality food. For example fish, but taste could be better. I would recommend bringing a good cook from the West to teach them. Also would recommend planting trees on the beach. They spray mosquitoes often but still they bite in dark. Had a nice time there.

Hotel Vigia: could be better

Accommodations "tired". Needs paint, drawers of dresser did not close, towels and bath mats frayed. Staff were excellent!! New lobby bar great! Beach was nice once seaweed cleared away. Spraying for bugs when drinking around the outdoor bar area was not good!

Melia Las Dunas: Timing is everything

Stayed here from Nov 2 to Nov 9. Unfortunately for us it was bad timing for the beach. Apparently the beach is amazing however it was extremely windy whole we were there and piles of seaweed was washed up on shore and the water was too rough to enter. The last two days the water started to clear up but many jellyfish were present. We opted to stay by the pool which was kept quite clean. Another unfortunate timing event was the fact the adult side of the resort was closed. We had requested that s [... read more]ide, and were never informed it was closed. It was my first time to Cuba and everyone says nice beach, bad food. I would have to disagree with that. This hotel tried hard to make tasty food. I travelled with a vegetarian which made it slightly more of a challenge, however the staff made an effort to accommodate her the best they could. The staff was always happy and friendly giving us flowers daily, decorations made from garden leaves or even napkins. The hotel was 90 min from he airport which was a bit far, but something we knew ahead of time. Tips for staying here... bring bug spray, we were lucky we did! Overall was a great trip, can't wait for another vacation.

Melia Buenavista: Prime Service

From the beautifully maintained grounds to the large suites, this is a simply amazing getaway! With such a small resort and the choice of three beaches there is always a lounge chair waiting for you! Snorkeling right from the beach is great. The restaurants are good and the staff is very attentive! People often complain about the food in Cuba, not so at this resort!

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: Best food in Cuba

This was my third visit in the last year. I just find it such a great place to spend a week. The food is good, the staff is excellent and the rooms are large and well maintained. The bus drive across the causeway is visually entertaining in itself.

Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa: Now Sapphire

Bus Ride from the Airport is very quick, 20-30 minutes. Room 106, Our room was bottom corner beach front privilege room right next to the pool and volleyball was fun if you want something to always watch from your deck. The size of the room is very similar to the grand sunset or grand Riviera closer to Cozumel. One big difference is they do not have the cutout in the wall from the bathroom and the Jacuzzi is only on the balcony. The soap, shampoo and conditioner are ok. I would bring my own cond [... read more]itioner. They also give a full size hair dryer that they put in the closet, so no need to carry your own. The room does need a bit of an update but was pretty clean, air conditioner and fridge worked fine. I would have liked a ceiling fan more than the decorative drape on the ceiling. I loved that I could lay in my bed drink my coffee and see the ocean from that position. I loved the beach front room. While there I gave construction the idea to add stairs down the grass hill to the sand, it would look much better and be safer. They were starting by laying out pavers to see if I used them, when they noticed I did they came back to tell me something was in the works now. YEA! The Beach It has a lot of seaweed in the water and on the beach. A tractor comes along to clean it up constantly, which is great if you take a walk down the beach and see the resorts that don’t and its gross. The sand is white and soft but the water is more like in PV. I did swim and still enjoyed myself. Volleyball Well there are a father and son who were at the court every day like I have read in other reviews. According to security they have a time share in the resort. They were aggressive players and that encouraged that type of game. It was intimidating for guests that may just want a little fun and only play once in a while to have a second net up for the fun crowd not the ones who think they are going out for the Olympics. The Food I am not going to go on about the food but we all enjoyed it. I am a vegetarian and the rest of them ate meat and we ate well. I thought the room service menu was excellent and would have had all my breakfast and snacks out of my room. I would have liked to see a snack at the preferred pool like they do at the Grand Sunset/Princess it’s very convenient. The lunch time bbq was very nice but would always like a fish option along with the meats. They did a great BBQ chicken according to my fiancé. I loved the pretzels at the coffee shop. Walk to Puerto Morales It takes about 40 minutes and I would recommend you wear runners because you will encounter area of a lot of sea weed. You will also encounter a resort right on the beach with nude bathers. If you have kids I thought you may want that warning. I didn’t find anything in the little town worth staying and would have rather went into Cancun to do the beach and lunch afternoon. The beach is so much nicer in Cancun or closer to Playa del Carmen. The Staff I found the staff wonderful, friendly and willing to help in all situations. A special shout out to Hugo who gave great service and did a favor by finding me scissors to deal with some hair knots, thanks Hugo. Elizabeth at the spa gave me a great Pedi cure while helping me expand my Spanish, thanks Elizabeth. The entertainment team is very hard workers and always had a friendly smile.

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: Vow Renewal

The hotel was great, staff were amazing! Rosa, our event coordinator was awesome. Grounds staff were excellent. Food was good for Cuba. The staff went above and beyond our expectations and I am very happy we chose this resort for our vow renewal. The only downfall was that we could not get to the beach at all during our stay as the wind was blowing too much and waves were too rough, but that has nothing to do with the resort or the staff. Thank you to Rosa whom made me feel like a princess the e [... read more]ntire week.

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: 2 1/2 Star

We had a VIP room, nice room, large and clean but very limited view of the ocean. The fridge and coffee were not always restocked but customer services was helpful and very nice. We have been traveling for 30 years and have been to Cuba on many occasions and I am sorry to have to say that the food at this resort is the worst we ever had. The buffet food was barely warm. My husband was sick on 2 occasions which has never happened before. The food at the a la carte restaurant, either the Italian  [... read more]or Cuban menu, was for the most part pitifull. I would have appreciated a disco at least a few times during the week. The piano bar is nice but not lively at all. Finally, service at the bars was excellent, even service on the beach at time. Very pleasant and always smiling.