Amazing Resort

We stayed on the Royal Service Side of this resort. I have not one complaint. Food was amazing, service was excellent. If you don't like crowds, this is the side to be on. Chairs at the pool or beach not a problem. Our suite was beautiful and had a wonderful Ocean view. The restaurants were good, we enjoyed a la carte dining every night. The private transportation to and from the airport was nice. Wonderful place to come if you just want some down time. We did lots of RELAXING & long walks on th [... read more]e beach. Just the vacation we needed !!!

Beautiful adults only resort

This is a beautiful, clean, well maintained, quiet resort with friendly, attentive and helpful staff. We have stayed on the regular side as well as Royal Service and been happy with both. Royal Service side is fairly new with less developed gardens and trees and is very quiet, but the food at breakfast and lunch buffet is excellent; a la carte supper not so great, as with all a la carte restaurants; oceanfront room was spacious and beautiful with a wall of windows and a huge Jacuzzi tub with vie [... read more]w of ocean; service was extremely attentive with follow-up calls to all requests to make sure they had been fulfilled and we were happy. Lots of cots on beach at all hours. Beautiful long beach for walking; great swimming. Because Royal side was quiet we often spent time at regular side pool for colour, music and activity. Previous visits to regular side provided bright clean rooms and friendly staff. Food at main dining room varies from year to year from quite good to okay - always lots of fresh grilled fish and meats, salads and good cheeses and breads and desserts. Great Cuban coffee in lovely open air main lobby and bar. Use bug spray in evenings for mosquitos!

EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY

there SHOULD BE A RATING HIGHER THEN 5 FOR THIS RESORT. It is exceptional in grandeur, cleanliness, genuinely friendly and helpful staff. The beach is spectacular. The buffet restaurant is outstanding. It far outpaced my expectations. Champagne is offered at breakfast and otherwise. That sums it up....definitely a champagne experience. The only thing I would have preferred would be deeper swimming pools.

Resort was fantastic

Beautifull resort, immaculate, so friendly. The grounds are beautifull and well kepted. We were so impressed and will want to go back. The food was good. So many choices from Buffet to a la carte. Perfect Ambience. The beach wow! And it is right there, one minute away. We are so happy with the whole trip. There is even a Rep. in the main lobby every day if needed. Felt very safe. It is so clean and everyone are the friendliest people and a very happy place to stay. We can't say enough, could go  [... read more]on and on. Thank You Laura.

Nice Resort

Nice and clean resort. communicating with staff in english was problematic. especially when trying to explain food allergies. but we were able to find someone who wrote down our concerns on a note and we would show the note to the chef's, cooks etc. overall, nice average place.

Great Holiday!

Overall good service, friendly staff, well-kept grounds and fabulous beach area. Any concerns were dealt with promptly and efficiently by management. A la carte restaurants , especially the Japanese and French were good.

Enjoyed our stay

We traveled with a group of 6 staying for a week starting on February 14, 2015. We were excited after landing and boarding the bus after the fairly long entry process to get though immigration. Be patient as you will soon learn that the pace in Cuba can be somewhat slow and easy compared to the hectic pace you left behind. Isn't that why you came? Aboard the new modern coach bus you have the option to purchase ice cold beer for a few pesos or dollars each. A nice touch for the 40 minute or so tr [... read more]ip to the resort. A tour guide aboard gives some pointers about money exchange, sights to see and some other interesting facts. Upon arrival to Princess Del Mar we were impressed with the looks of the resort. Booking in went smoothly and we were told we had a few hours to kill as our room would not be ready until after three or so. No problem as we had expected that because of our early morning arrival time. Luckily lunch was being served and we headed over to the buffet for food. The pool area is impressive with plenty of chairs available, a swim up bar, small palm trees for limited shade and also several cabana type lounging beds scattered around. Be sure to claim a spot with your beach towel before 8:30am or so because the choice spots are taken by the early risers. The pool is unheated and the water was very cold. If your brave enough to get in it does become tolerable after you numb up a bit, especially if you sit down at the pool bar and drink plenty of alcohol! There are several restaurants on the premises where you can book ahead for dinner reservations to take a break from the crowds at the buffet restaurants where no reservations are necessary. The food is not bad with some restaurants favored over others. No one ever got sick or had problems with the water which is all bottled. I'm not getting into a debate over food quality because everyone's tastes and expectations are different. We found everything acceptable. One of our favorite morning coffee stops and evening drinking holes was the Racquet Club. A special thanks go to the crew here. Yacquelin definitely made the best pina colada mixed with as much rum as you want. She is friendly and warm and it was a pleasure meeting her. Barby helped in the kitchen here and was also a delight to get to know. We shared many stories back and forth with the two of them and viewed pictures of their family and children. Ignacio made the best cappuccinos I had at the resort and would start making them even before I ordered as he saw me approach in the morning. What a friendly and pleasant man. Be sure to check out this bar and restaurant for a bite in the morning and a nibble at lunch. Another favorite was the Sakura Japanese Restaurant where food is prepared on a hot skillet in front of you while your entertained by both the chef and server. Good food and a nice experience. At lunch time, avoid the crowds at the buffet and feel free to explore the other restaurants for meals. You will soon also have your favorites. The beach is an endless stretch of white soft sand with ample chairs and the ocean was warmer than the pool. There is also a beach bar close by for drinks. If you find the sun too extreme there are many shaded stands which you can sit under. If you need to exchange money do it while everyone is eating to avoid lineups. Remember that no one is in a rush here so patience is a great attribute. Our rooms were spacious, clean and everything was in working order. The king sized bed was comfortable (on the hard side which I prefer) and sheets were clean. We were in room 3304 and our friends in 3319 and 3321. All the rooms were very acceptable and had balconies with outdoor table and chairs. Don't nit pick small stuff like areas that may need new paint or calcium on the taps etc. Your in Cuba, enjoy yourself. The staff at the resort were for the most part very warm and friendly and the Cuban people are definitely are wonderful people and a joy to meet. Please don't cheap out and feel happy tipping for things. Be prepared to spread the wealth as most Cubans are in need of more money. Your generous tips will trickle down through the economy and help a country that has been on a 50 year embargo with the United States. I would definitely stay here again and recommend it to my friends.

Fair

For a 5 star hotel it was pretty average. The food was bland and not enough of a selection. The staff was friendly except for the staff at the main lobby who ignored your requests. Some of them didn't even make eye contact. The bartender at the racquet ball bar was the worst. She should not be working in a position dealing with the public. She is rude and is another staff member that does not make eye contact. The maids in building 4 are so nice and very accommodating. Always smiling and happy.  [... read more]The 2 hour wait for the sunwing bus to go to the airport was unacceptable. The staff could have come out with sandwiches because we missed our evening meal. I don't think I will ever go back to Cuba again. They need some restructuring at the airport. The three hours through customs was horrific. Is it necessary to photograph each individual traveller coming into and again when departing cuba. INSANITY!!!!!

Not a 5 star!

Always wanted to go to a Paradisus as I have been to Cuba 17 times always staying at the Melias, had the impression that Paradisus was one step higher in regards to amenities and service, expected some extras. This was not the case here, resort itself is beautiful. Day one, resort ran out of orange juice in the buffet, ran out of straws for two days, service in all restaurants were very slow due to understaffing, we were suppose to receive rum and sparkling wine in the room, never got them, thre [... read more]e days in a row no bottled water or beer. Disappointed to say the least. I have been a Melia member for 10 years and expected a little more. Will not be returning to this Paradisus.

Beautiful resort & grounds but under staffed

The resort is the nicest in Cuba but as usual under staffed. Which means slow service Replenishing supplies like paper towels in the bathroom or straws at the restaurants and bars was hit & miss. Otherwise a beautiful resort but run a little poorly.

Paradisus Princess is Fabulous

This was my first all inclusive resort vacation and now I have been spoiled! The Paradisus Princess Del Mar was beautiful. We took the advice of other reviewers and booked the Royal Service and it is worth every extra cent. The private bar, restaurant and beaches are great; but the best is the butler service eliminating the hassle of having to book anything on your own

Amazing resort

the hotel was at my expectations, Food is fairly good, staff really friendly, visit to Havana was a little too much walk for old peoples. The show were great. Learn a lot about Cuba as it was my first experience with it. ready to go back at anytime. Next time will bring mosquitos repellent because they are bad at night.

A most beautiful resort, Wonderful Holiday.

Very accommodating hotel with clean, spacious rooms and excellent service. Magnificent grounds with lots and lots of beautiful palm trees right next to most beautiful beach with more than enough space for everyone. Lots and lots of chairs and sun huts, music and bar. And the food !!! Excellent with more choice than one can imagine. All you can eat and drink, anytime anywhere including a Grand Buffet with live dinner music and smaller specialized restaurants giving guests a wide array of dining c [... read more]hoices. All commodities are available such as money exchange, souvenir shops, computer room, telephones and friendly staff with 24-hour room service. .

A truly Beautiful Resort

Everything was wonderful. The food was a little bland but great variety. The staff were amazing. Very sweet and helpful. Loved the daybeds around the pool. This is a great place for adults. The singer in the Piano Bar was beautiful and her voice incredible. Would definitely return.

Nice resort

This resort had a beautiful beach with newer clean buildings, but the service was awful. For example, at restaurants including buffet it was difficult to get water with meal which should never be an issue.

Beautiful Resort, Good Food, Nice Rooms

Overall our stay here was very good. We were in the Royal Service section, and it is definitely worth the $$. The restaurants and pool were great. The resort is beautiful, our room was amazing (giant jacuzzi tub) and it was always clean. You often hear about the food not being great in Cuba - we really enjoyed the food here - lots of fresh fish and meat on the grill and breakfast made-to-order. The only complaint I had was about the service. Despite tons of staff, the service at the Lobby Bar  [... read more]in the Royal Service and all of the restaurants was lacking. We usually had to wait forever to get drink orders and unless we flagged them down we were rarely offered refills. At the Lobby bar we'd end up waiting 5 minutes when we were the only people at the bar. We tipped regularly, but that seemed to make no difference in the service. We also tried to order room service - the first time it just never showed up (we waited 2 hours then went out to eat). The second time it came promptly.

Five Asterisk Resort

The resort is gorgeous, and the beach is the best. The staff are friendly, and we enjoyed our time there. However, I really don't like flies on my food, and they were ALL OVER THE FOOD all the time, and the sand fleas ate me alive. So, overall, it was good, but not great.

Very low value for price paid. Disappointing

Grounds fairly well kept. Not enough lighting on pathways. Room very shabby and grubby even though supposed to be 'premium junior suite' and updated. Only good feature of room were the nice towels and the patio. No bottled water in the room until the second day and after 2 phone calls to the front desk. Restaurants were pleasant with good service but food very mediocre and bland. Entertainment was very good. Unfortunately smoking was allowed everywhere except in closed restaurants and made the l [... read more]obby bar very unpleasant even though it was semi open. A very high number of smokers here. No hot tubs working. WiFi, which cost 4.50/hr out the majority of time. All staff was pleasant. Spa good but do not take credit cards only cash.

As close to perfection as one can expect

Resort = Beautiful and laid out brilliantly. It's not a large resort, but there is plenty of space (and we were there during a near-sold-out week). Food = average to good (to be expected for Cuba) Service = fine, but slow The upgrade to Royal Service is totally worth it. The rooms are super, the pool is lovely, and the private beach area always has plenty of chairs, including chairs in the shade.

Friendly Staff

Our stay over Christmas 2014 was pleasant. The staff were very helpful. Room was very spacious but the cleaning staff was poor. Bed linen had not been changed for 3 days. Finally I pulled the sheets off. Also there was a day that no one came to clean the room. Entertainment was poor.