Occidental Arenas Blancas: Gorgeous beach, very close to downtown

The hotel itself is very worn down. 3.5 stars at best. There were more Cuban visitors than i have ever seen before, few Canadians. Food options were very limited if they weren’t sold out. Beer ran out fast, meats except ham were sold out at the 24hr snack place. At the pool bar, if you don’t speak their language, you won’t get served as fast.. need to be pushy & aggressive. It was also my birthday & i was hoping to be entertained but everything closed before midnight? Even the pool  [... read more]table closes by 5pm 🤷🏽‍♂️ We didn’t realize parties continued downtown at the locals bar until last couple days! A positive was the excursion to Havana, which has changed & reminded me a bit of Montreal. This resort also gives you access to the resort next door. The service is a bit better along with the food👍

Melia Las Dunas: Great Family Vacation

Beautiful resort, good food, comfortable rooms with an amazing beach. The staff, in true Cuban fashion are warm, friendly and hospitable to a "T". The resort is still not operating at 100% as they are only opening as much as they can to keep the cleaning standards maxed out. 3 a-la carte options plus a 24 snack venue, plus the buffet and bbq area are open. Food is plentiful and fresh, but you may not get all of the options you wish simply due to heightened import restrictions. Bottom line,  [... read more]this is a resort I would recommend you look at. Great people, relaxing atmosphere, a break from the daily routine to be very sure.

Hotel Atlantico: Disappointing resort

The room was clean, no mini bar, no coffee maker, only one shampoo and two soaps. No elevator to 2nd floor or 3rd. Gym was not usable. Beach was dirty and shared with ppl from outside the hotel. Food options were limited and food quality below the average. Where something was done on the food table they would leave it empty or would take them ages to fill it up. Bar was so restricted to only one type beer. Don't expect cocktails, except rum and liquor drinks with ice. Only good part was coffee. [... read more] I paid $1650 from Vancouver to here and from Toronto my friend came here for less than $1000.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Nice little resort

It is a little resort that means everything is near.Drinks could be better and food was okay ,always the same thing in the buffet entertainment was good but always same songs for the bad but nice cuba rythm beach is always nice and it was that reason we went at this resort was our second visit at the resort and our room was the best great view what we wanted staff very friendly but because of covid they had a limit of supplies they didn't have can beers or cola in the room like we usually do but [... read more] we got a bottle of water every day, beer was on tap coffee,eggs,shrimp,rice,chicken and hamburger was good would I go back and I would say yes for sure but depends on price

Club Kawama: Kawama Hotel review

I ll grade by points! Grounds 7 Beach 9 Beach bartender 8 Staff 8 Rooms 5 Food 5.5 Pool 7 Baseball 8 Out of 10 Would recommend if rooms are renovated ! Old and run down! Delayed flight by SunWing!!

Paradisus Rio De Oro: FIXER UPPER

Lots of room for improvement. Repairs are needed. ie Cottages are falling apart. Signs are illegible . Walkways are dangerous. Entertainment is high school caliber. Price point should be 800 per person.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Wonderful experience

Hotel & villas super clean! Genuinely nice staff...great pools & beaches. A la cartes were awesome and even the buffet had tons of options for even a picky eater. They do need some cosmetic updates...a good paint job would help! But I would definitely go back and definitely recommend!! And I was very impressed with using trip central to book my vacation!

Gran Muthu Imperial: Newer Resort, Great Staff!

This is a fairly recently built resort, that’s well kept and in great condition. Location is beautiful, with infinity pool overlooking a scenic view. (additional pool behind) Very nice beach to left of the resort (not included in view from pools) The layout is convenient with everything close and easily accessible. The staff is what really makes this resort great for Cuba. They care about making your trip enjoyable, go above and beyond to help wherever possible. Can’t say enough good things  [... read more]about the team we met! Entertainment staff work to keep you involved and aware of all activities throughout your stay! (S/O Miguel #wakeywakey)

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Best Resort In All Of Cuba

The room was immaculate and everything was brand new. Our swim up room was lovely and the service was excellent. Our pool attendant would come over and move our umbrella to maximize the shade on our deck for us. The a la carte restaurants were great and the buffet had a small but great selection. The wine wasn't great at the start of the week but they got a new shipment midweek and it was significantly better. The grounds were very clean and safe. The snack bar had hand made pizzas to order that [... read more] were great. The staff were friendly and helpful. The only two things I would say negative about our experience is that the resort is an a hour and fifteen minutes from the airport and there is nothing around it and it might be helpful to download google translate or know some basic Spanish as most staff spoke very little English so it made it more difficult to communicate. The beach had beautiful white sand and brilliant turquoise water. We really enjoyed our stay. Jason the chef at the beach BBQ was amazing it was a nice touch so you did not have to walk up to the resort for lunch.

Melia Las Americas: Very Quiet

There were hammocks and covered beds by the pool which were very nice to chill out. The food was better than most hotels in Cuba, but that isn't saying much.The vast majority of the guests were over 60 couples from Ontario and bed time was 11pm for the vast majority. Very quiet resort, if you want some night life this is not the place to be. The bar food is terrible, so if you arrive late, a cardboard ham sandwich is your only option.

Melia Cayo Coco: Nice resort but serious water problems

The hotel was very clean, food was decent and staff overall was very friendly and the beach was AMAZING. However, we had major issues with our shower and getting our bottled water. Most days the shower had a very weak spray and was super hard to regulate. It was either scalding hot or cold; spent a lot of time trying to regulate it and when you finally did, the pressure was almost gone and down to a dribble. You had to remove it from the wall and lower it almost to the bottom of the tub so [... read more] gravity could help get some water flowing. Absolutely no way you could have washed and rinsed your hair, had to use the sink several times for this. We asked to have it fixed 4 times and the repair man would come in, turn on the shower and if water came out, he did nothing else. I even took a video to show customer service, she apologized but nothing changed. We were supposed to get bottled water every day but that didn't happen and we were almost out. I would have gladly picked it up myself but that wasn't an option. We called Customer service and asked at the main lobby desk and nothing. We spoke with a maid the next day and she had someone at our room within an hour. We paid a lot of money to stay at this resort and honestly didn't feel it was money well spent

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: good

Every thing about the resort was good, service was excellent,beach was perfect and all bars were good. But lack of ketchup,wine,bread and vodka. All these item could be purchase at the marina store outside the resort only a five minute walk this tells me there is no shortage on the island,it is an ownership problem. The pool turned green the second week of our stay.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: very nice resort

the staff were so friendly and efficient and our room was always clean and fresh. The grounds were kept immaculate and although we didn't have a great variety of food there was plenty for people to choose from. there was no facecloths so suggest you bring your own....I loved my holiday in the sun on the beautiful beaches in Cuba. They were very cautious concerning Covid and we all felt very safe. Would definitely recommend this vacation resort!

Melia Cayo Coco: Beautiful resort

Had a wonderful stay at this resort. Staff so very friendly. Food was great. The Cuban food was amazing. Only little downfall , our room card would not work. They came to fix it in good time. Had trouble with it on and off for the week. We managed. As for Covid protocol, they did everything very well. Masking while at the buffet. All staff wore mask at all times.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: The resort was nice

We like the hotel, some of the El la carte needed to improve. It was an okay vacation everything went up in price there. Also I was sexually harassed by the life guard employee there on site. So I wasn’t impressed. I spoke with the hotel manager Martin, basically all he did was fire his employee. There was nothing offered for our troubles, the maid barley cleaned the room. I went for a massage at the spa I requested 60 minutes they did 80 minutes and I was charged more money. There are a lot o [... read more]f improvements they need to do for a very expensive 5 star resort. Air Canada rep never showed for the meetings and I couldn’t find them until the last day of our trip. I had to book the Catamaran though the sun swing rep. I wasn’t impressed. I have been to Cuba many times and never had an issue and was never disappointed as much as I was in this trip. So all and all my trip was about 2/5. I most likely will not be returning. I never had issue staying at the Bella Vista in Varadero, the Royalton in Cayo Santa Maria, any of the Amelia hotels in Holguín or kale cocoa or even Santa Maria. I was so disappointed with the entire vacation.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Nice Resort, just a few issues

The grounds were beautiful and well kept. The resort was very clean and staff were friendly. The food was okay, typical for Cuba. I saw a few cockroaches in the buffet which I didn't like. There was not much in the line of entertainment at night and there really were no quiet spots or sitting areas if you wanted to get away from the noise but that really didn't bother me. They did their best in regards to COVID but not all guests complied and had to be told to put on a mask. The one thing t [... read more]hat really bothered me was the night we arrived before midnight there was no one to help with our luggage which was okay but were just told what block our room was. We had no idea where we were going and it was totally in darkness, all the lamps on the walk ways were off and the big lights on the buildings were off. It was so dark we were getting disoriented.We finally found our room after roaming around for at least an half hour, we lugged our luggage up four flights of steps and the hallway where our room was also dark. I'm not usually one to complain and I'm sure there must be shortages of staff due to COVID but the no lights the night of arrival was very upsetting. Regards, Brenda

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Don't be fooled by the rating

Nice 3 Star Hotel. Nice place, large complex, but NOT a 5 star, maybe 25 years ago. I have stayed at a Cuban 5 star before and this is not even close. Place is dated, but they are updating rooms from what I hear. The food, well it's Cuba. You won't gain weight here. Lots of amenities here and everyone is a beach chair hog. You need to towel wrap your chair by 9AM or you will not be in the pool area. The beach is gorgeous with lots of covered seating. My bed has a cushion top over the  [... read more]old mattress. The worst mattress I have slept in. The center sinks about 2-3 inches. The best thing they did here was no reservations for the a-la-cart restaurants. Just walk in. The beach towels are provided in your room which is a great idea. Apparently there is also a Nightclub at the resort. It was closed all week. The snack bar. If you like a single slice of ham and slice of cheese in your sandwich, this is the place at that time thats all they had but the family who ordered after me got a hamburgers? Where did they find it? They love to fill you up on breads. There is also an ice cream shop and on a good day they might have 2 flavors. Usually only 1. Also, no French fries, you get potato chips instead at this resort. Everyone working here is after the tips and I get it, they struggled with covid, but if you don't leave a decent tip, you're going to get slower service. Meanwhile the place is at 50% compacity. You would think the staff would have been more gratefull about getting tourists back, but they make it seem like its mandatory to leave a tip, and not based on service. It's about 80% Canadians at the resort. Do not exchange your money to the Cuban Peso. Bring lots of American one dollar bills for tips and everyone working here will offer you 70 Cuban pesos on the side, compared to 24 Cuban pesos given to you at the exchange kiosk. Again, don't convert your funds to the peso. The Cubans don't want their own currency as tips. It's almost useless to them in comparison to U.S., Canadian or Euros. Check-in is relatively quick. Very easy to get lost in your first day. Looking at the photos that others submitted, I noticed hey also have a lazy river. But there is no water in the lazy river...weird. They are following covid restrictions and the staff will serve you from the buffet. If you're looking for something closer to a 5 star, try Ansagna in Cayo Coco. It easily outbeats this place, and its a 4 1/2 star but much smaller in size. I was asked by 3 different employees at the resort if I could place a 5 star google review and mention thier names. I would rather be honest. Sunwing needs to change the rating on this place to 3.5 star at best and stop misleading the public and having people pay for a 5 Star, then disappointment sets in when you get there. You're stealing people's hard earned money. Just look at the most recent reviews (last 6 months) Many issues here...

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Paradise

We just got back from a 1 week stay at the Royalton. Rooms: clean and fresh smelling, furniture was a bit tired but you don't stay in there too long. Bed was hard, would love softer beds or a mattress cover to help with the hard mattress. Fridge was stocked daily with water. Showers: Big tub with shower, hot water every day Pool: Clean and entertainment daily which was great Food: Fresh eggs every morning, Buffet was the same every day, all of the al a Carte restaurants were open.  [... read more] Because of trading issues and Covid, supply wasn't as great as in years before but that is totally understandable. COVID: protocols stricter than Canada, Cubans have to wear their masks inside and outside. 90% of them are vaccinated including children 2 years +. You can't grab your own food at buffet, they serve you to minimize exposure. You can remove your mask outside but indoors, you must wear a mask and at dinner, you can remove it to eat when you are seated. Felt very safe Service: Amazing! They work their butts off and always with a smile Beach: Cleaned daily, plenty of palapas and ocean was amazing

Starfish Jibacoa: Great resort!

We like the bungalows, grounds, beach and the snorkeling. The staff are great too. We were uninformed about the money changing and use of credit cards. One cannot use credit cards at this resort. You can get 45 pesos for a Canadian dollar from a resort waitress or a lifeguard but not knowing this, when we got there we only got 18 pesos for a dollar at the front desk of the hotel. Also the resort was occupied mainly by Cuban families which caused problems at the restaurant with line ups and peopl [... read more]e butting into the line to join their family of up to 20 people. But we learned how to get around these problems with help from the staff.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Keep Expectations In Check

The lobby is a great place to have a drink or coffee. The pool area is very pretty and relaxing. They could use umbrellas as more shade is needed. Loved that music was playing around the pool and at the beach. We picked this 5 star adult resort because of the 3 storey buildings. The hotel room was large and the bed was firm and comfortable. The furniture was dated and the drawers were difficult to open and close. The bathroom is also large with good water pressure. The buffet food was  [... read more]repetitive and not hot. Flies on the food was disgusting. Thank goodness for the specialty restaurants for some variety. The Port Royal was our favorite spot for a drink in the afternoon. Staff worked very hard there and made the best pina colada. All the restaurant staff were very friendly and the entertainment team was amazing! Lots of activity on the beach and around the pool. Nice to have a bar at the beach. We enjoyed the water as it was shallow enough to play.