Melia Marina Varadero: Great getaway!!

This Hotel was amazing - service was top notch - the pool by the apartments were the best - Dounia was simply the sweetest most loving lady we met! She took amazing care of us and always had a smile,- even cut fruit for us. Just her alone would bring us back to this resort!! Joel the cart driver was a pleasant man - always asking how our day was and always being there to take us back and forth from the lobby to our rooms. We have no complaints at all about this resort. Thanks for a great time!!!

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Perfect holiday

Just returned this morning. Perfect place to relax and enjoy beach. Staff excellent and surprisingly no pressure felt to tip. They seem to enjoy their work and are grateful to have the opportunity to be employed. Entertainment good thanks to Albert and the crew. Rooms need renovating but common places are well maintained. Congrats to gardeners the landscape is impeccable, it's not easy working outdoors in the heat and these are people who we tend to forget to tip.

Melia Las Dunas: Finally a week of summer

Had a great time , price was amazing ! Beach gorgeous , food good , rooms clean,pools fabulous and no people around ,. About 120 chairs at the pool and only 10 people , my kind of peace . Came home well rested and tanned

Paradisus Rio De Oro: paradisus rio de oro

grounds very beautiful, staff very helpful. food fantastic, pool clean and lots of areas to sit with friends or just by yourself. rooms very spacious and out door shower was the best, only downfall was the air conditions in the rooms not cool enough. and could you ceiling fans in areas.

Sol Palmeras: Sol Palmeras

All i can say is check before you book this hotel as there is some refurbishment work going on until next year, but do not let this put you off as you can get away from it during the day by going on the beach or trips out, Cuba is an unspoilt country!

Melia Nassau Beach Resort: Great time

We had a great time, rooms were nice. The food was really nice except there was only one restaurant open as the other was under renovation. The staff was super friendly & the beach was clean & with super soft powdery sand. Would definately go back!!

Paradisus Rio De Oro: rest and relaxation

The hotel personnel were extremely helpful and friendly. The amount of people that were at the site at this time was lower then usual so some of the restaurants were closed on some days. The food was acceptable. the Japanese restaurant was great. The private beaches are private for guests only, but they are PUBLIC beaches for people living in cuba, they cant use your beach material but the beaches are open to them. For 115v electricity outlet , there is only one in the hair dryer in the bathroom [... read more] all the rest is 220. so bring a converter or be prepares to use the one outlet Be prepared to walk or take the cars which come very quickly. In my opinion the best of the rooms is the master suite with ocean view DO not limit yourself to what is on the menu, ask for pancakes, eggs, anything you may want, but ask, even if it is NOT on the menu. Travel from the airport to the hotel is about 1.5 hours, but you get a flavor of the life in Cuba Exchange to cuban currency can be done at 2 places either at the bank or at the concierge (with a premium) note: if you fly sunwing and you are offerred the VIP lounge on your way home. do not be fooled by the picture of what is served in the lounge. it is nicely air conditioned and drinks are available but the food is just some coldcuts, some rolls and some other side additions, The alcohol on the way home is very cheap, so take note of brands that you want to get and the local price before you go Cuban cigars can be purchased at the hotel, relatively inexpensive

Tryp Cayo Coco: Bad......

So, this has been my 6th ( and very likely) LAST trip to the Tryp Cayo Coco. I understand that 'it's Cuba' so, my expectations of a vacation here are lower than they would be in other Caribbean destinations. The beach is beautiful but almost every other aspect of this resort leaves a LOT to be desired. The food quality has gone dramatically down-hill, the availability of food and drink items has decreased and the service has become almost non existent. There is very little entertainment - an [... read more]d what little entertainment there was, was terrible. The resort is dirty beyond the simple mould caused by being in a damp climate. It seems like they have stopped spraying for mosquitoes, the mosquitoes were terrible. In the week I was just there, my room wasn't actually cleaned, the towels were only replaced once, the coffee cups/ glasses were left where I left them and never cleaned or replaced - I do clean up after myself to prevent attracting bugs, but beyond that, the maid service basically only made the bed daily. The dishes, cutlery and glassware at the buffet were filthy, tables were rarely wiped down and there was often food spilled on the floor that wasn't attended to. The buffet was worse that it has ever been before, the 'speciality' restaurants were little better. Unfortunately, more often than not, if you asked for something from the menu, the response was, 'no, sorry, we don't have'. Other than omelettes or a smoothie, at breakfast, there were a few mystery meat or greasy deep fried balls of dough - that you could try - keep in mind though, anything in the buffet trays has been sitting there for a while collecting flies. One morning, I was looking for tomatoes, the 'executive chef' was walking around so I asked him, he rudely suggested that I didn't look for them and then he looked, realized there weren't any and walked away. He did return a few minutes later with some tomatoes for me but the whole experience was a little rude & baffling. The beach is now a public beach, and the resort seems to have become a very popular destination for the locals to spend their vacations at. Also, it seemed like everyone had their hand out, from the gardeners trying to 'sell you things' from the bushes, to only getting service when you tip. I generally tip at the end of a vacation for good service but it seemed that you had to tip to get any service this time around. The Melia chain should be embarrassed about how this hotel is managed after having talked to several repeat visitors during my week there, I know that I'm not the only one who won't be returning.

Melia Las Americas: Amazing Vacation.... Great Resort

What a great place to vacation! The people are great! The service was amazing. The food was delicious! The rooms were very well kept and maintained! The beach was beautiful! This hotel is at the end of the peninsula. It's not on the 20 km stretch of beach, but it's on a beautiful beach shared by only 3 hotels. Truly a Cuban 5 star! :-)

Melia Cayo Coco: 100%

The hotel is beautiful from every angle that you look. It is clean and very well cared for. The food and buffet was very well stocked and very good quality. We never went hungry. The chefs take pride in their work. Our room was huge, centrally located with a great air conditioner and kept perfectly clean. The beach was lovely with loads of chairs and cabanas available. The lobby was very nice to have a few drinks in after dinner. the animation team was good, not pushy. If you are looking for a r [... read more]elaxing holiday we can highly recommend the Melia Cayo Coco where the staff really want to make your holiday a memorable one.

Melia Marina Varadero: Beautiful resort and beach

The hotel was clean and staff were friendly and helpful. There was always something going on at the beach or pool or after dinner entertainment! The food was plentiful but a little plain. Great massage at the spa! The lobby was a great place to gather later in the evening. There was usually a group of musicians playing...quite enjoyable.

Memories Cayo Largo: went with very little expectations to have amazing

With great company, amazing beach, great unlimited drinks and smiling faces around the hotel, clean room --- what can you ask for cheapest vacation all inclusive for a week? If there were no other places on my list, I would come back! Actually, we booked another Cuba vacation for January because of this experience. Please do not go there if you want five star restaurants and amazing room. We went for the WHITE sand, sun (in September) and we got it!, wave at the hotel beach, but pool was beautif [... read more]ul (used it in the eves for a short time); but shuttle took us every morning to Playa Paraiso and Sirenas (free) with lunch box (from hotel booked night before) and thermoses filled with "spiked" triple drinks and we got palapa and chairs NO problem. Most special: FREEDOM on the beaches! clothing optional, enjoy staying in the water, let the fish swim around you, take pics of the star fish in a shallow water... walk for miles and may run into another person or not... but let your partner pinch you to check if this is for REAL... we may have to go back to verify :) I got few bites (not sure what it was), so bring some stuff in the rainy season. Don't let the rain scare you away, for us it poured for few minutes after late dinners and one night bad storm, but it was amazing to watch through large balcony doors/glass wall.... too cold to run in the rain at the beach, but we tried. Be a kid and forget fancy table cloth and cutlery and dressing up... enjoy nature and local hospitality. Shows was very good and not too long. Not a place for singles, or party animals, unless you bring your own party. We loved it the way it was. Thank you TripCentral for the offer on the net. Direct flight, 10 min bus ride to hotel and room was waiting at 11am for us :) On the way back, we stopped for 1 hr at Santiago de Cuba and that became long trip, but crew from CanJet was great.

Tryp Cayo Coco: Major Disappointment

I was at the Tryp from September 3-10, 2014. Check-in was quick upon arrival. As we were walking to our room, we couldn't believe the state of the resort. It is very old, mouldy and needs major renovations. I felt as though I was at a road side motel. We asked to be changed rooms twice due to mould. Being that I am pregnant and was travelling with a 20 month old, being in an environment with mould is not good for me or my babies. Every room we looked at had mould, very tired and dirty looking.  [... read more]There were stains on the sheets, tiles were cracking, paint was chipping off the walls. I honestly cried and wanted to go home after being there for less than hour. it was so bad, we were considering calling our travel agent to be transferred to another resort but after speaking to other people and being told that this resort was the nicest of all of the others on the island, we decided to make the best of it. The staff was great. I honestly think the reason for repeat guest is due to the staff. They make you feel welcomed. They are so kind and very personable. You feel like you know them and at the end of your stay, you leave having made several new friends. We especially enjoyed our conversations with the gardeners, particularly Roy, Leo and Wilbert. The food is okay but very repetitive. We always did the fresh stations in the buffet where they cooked the food in front of you. We often had a waiter named Yubley who was so nice and attentive. The beach grill was very nice for lunch. The beach was beautiful. we spent a lot of time at the beach. the tide is very high in the mornings and then again around dinner time. The best time to go to the beach was around noon up until 4pm. I should also warn people travelling to the TRYP, do not leave your towels unattended past 5pm. Security walks around and collects EVERYTHING left behind and it is impossible to get back. you will be stuck having to pay 50-60$ Canadian. I personally think this is one of their scams to make money off towels. A couple we met left their towels and crocs on the beach to take a nice walk together and when they returned everything was gone. Our towels were also taken and when we approached Jorge in guest services he was not helpful at all. In fact, he was very rude. He told us to check back every night around 7pm to see if the towels were returned and of course they were not. When telling him someone at the resort saw security pick them up he said he would call them to see if they had them and of course they did not. every time we went to check guest services to see if they returned, he said he didn't have any at that time but its possible someone else came to collect them as a lot of people have their towels go missing. SO BEWARE OF THIER SCAM. Would I go here again!? Only if they gutted the rooms and replaced everything inside and pressure washed the exterior of the building. Until then, I will not be returning. They are building a new resort on the island that will apparently be a 7 star, yes, you read that right, a 7 star. I would probably go there before I go to any other resort on the island..

Melia Las Americas: Fabulous resort

This resort was absolutely beautiful. It is clean, the staff is amazing and very friendly, beautiful beach, workout room, numerous pools. The food was catered to Canadians, salad bar, fresh fish everyday, fresh fruit. Would definitely recommend this place.

Melia Las Americas: really enjoyable vacation

Astonishing view on sea from lobby hotel,and patio with coffee tables just to see this amazing view...very nice staff, excellent food and a la care restaurants. Every night in lobby pianists play nice music ,show in theater,and string quartet music in a la carte restaurants.

Sol Varadero Beach: Good Resort. Not great, but good.

Only real complaint was that the buffet food was iffy at best, the pools were not very deep, and there was no free wifi, which was pretty huge for me. however the staff were helpful, the room was clean, and the TV had HBO!

Tryp Cayo Coco: great resort

Simply a great place to vacation.This place is good for singles or family.The staff is unbelievable.The entertainment is great.I would definitely go back .The advantage to go to this resort is that the airport is only 10mins away .Even the bus ride was great.Even though Cuba is not known for its food the restaurants on site are great.Loved the oriental one.As for the beach,it is simply great.

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: “Best Cuba Vacation Ever”

I never wrote a review before, because I usually didn't have anything to add to what was already said. This time I have to, because the people working at this hotel definitely deserve a prise! What a great experience!!! This hotel is rated 3 ½ stars in travel brochures but it has 5+ service! We were a group of seven and stayed at the Sol Rio for one week in August, and that was the only negative about this vacation – it was to short. We have been in Cuba before, stayed in different hotels in  [... read more]Varadero and this time we decided to go to Guardalavaca for the first time. This hotel was recommended to us but, it was still a very plesent surprise. It exceeded our expectations. We will definitely be back!!! We arrived quite late in the evening, the hotel is about an hour ride from airport. Thanks to reading some reviews, we bought some cold beer at the airport, that made the trip pass fairly fast! Once at the hotel, we were greeted by a very kind lady that made the check in go smoothly. We got our room in the Luna part (as requested by e-mail) , only we were a little disappointed because it was on the ground floor. We went back to reception to ask for a different floor, and the new room was promised for the next day (it was 3 of us sharing one room, that’s why they couldn't do it the same night). Next day we got the second floor room with a million dollar ocean view! The room was huge, very comfy and clean. One king sized bed and two double beds. AC worked great, beds are comfortable and water bottles are replenished daily. We were in block 5 as per other travellers suggestions and it was a nice and quiet place, yet close to everything. This hotel has a very nice: area, lay-out , surroundings, views…. Very clean, it shows its age but the management and employees are doing their best. We noticed that they are doing some improvements and renovations, very discretely must I add, not to disturb any guests. Food was excellent! We stayed at the five stars hotel before, their buffet was bigger, but not better. Food was very tasty and nicely presented. If you can’t find anything to eat, look for the problem in yourself! Service was top notch, we never waited for a table, they were very fast to reset the tables. They would even go to the lobby bar if you asked for a drink they didn't have. We went to the French and Mexican restaurant, French being our favourite. Fine dining experience, excellent food and service. I read that some people complained about locals being on the beach. Locals were there everyday, not only on weekends.But what wonderful people they were! They would arrive in large groups, family and friends together. They would occupy shade under the trees and enjoy the beach and ocean. They NEVER begged for anything, they never talk to you unless you start the conversation. They just give you a beautiful smile for no reason at all. We all should learn from them, smiles don't cost anything and is a wonderful gift that can make someone's day. It made mine. It was very nice to observe how they had fun spending the day together. We always bring some stuff for the locals, they are very appreciative. We had each a carry on for us, and a big suitcase of stuff to give away. We made a few families happy, they were very surprised that we had something for them. At the end of the day we made new friends, exchanged addresses and hugs. So I don’t understand anybody complaining about the locals. It is their country and they are sharing it with us. Thank you! Anyway,what is point of travelling if you are not going to meet people and learn about their culture and their way of living? The best is saved for the end. To all personnel of Sol Rio Luna y Mares :Thank you for a best Cuba vacation ever. As somebody said before: yours smiles, hospitality and quality of service are so far unmatched. You are doing it right. Great service first, and tips are coming after. This is the first time in Cuba that we got a 100% service without tipping in advance. To my fellow travellers: Please tip. All inclusive package doesn't include tips! Show them appreciation for the great service! Ernesto it was very nice talking to you. It is nice talking to someone who is actually listening. You and your entertainment team are doing great job. We really enjoyed the young band that played Cuban music. Every night was special. I apologize for not remembering the name of young trainee at the reception, she was very professional, fast and nice…a great addition to your team. I hope she will be with you next time we visit. And last, but not least two bartenders that are true jems at Sol Rio: Jose Anthonio (Mare Lobby Bar) and Ivan Jose (La Niña beach Bar). Jose Anthonio is a superb bartender and entertainer in one! Thank you all for a great vacation. Viktorija and Tiho

Tryp Cayo Coco: Beautiful Beach. Great for Swimming.

The white sandy beaches did not disappoint. The hotel on the other hand did. It is not a 4 star. Rooms are old and shabby along with the lounge areas. Had to change room due to toilet not functioning but could not change until next day as resort was full. It was not pleasant to stay 30 hrs in a room with a non functioning toilet. Food was pretty good for Cuba.

Melia Cayo Coco: very nice resort clean ,service was good&average

nice resort if you like adult only. i enjoyed MELIA' family resorts much more.we stayed at melia varadero earlier and found it to be not as boring.it was our choice type of resort .I would not hesitate to book a melia resort again .but not adult only