Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: "NOT bad, NOT great, but has the potential to be something more!"

My girlfriend and I visited the resort from Toronto the week of June 26th - July 3rd. Before I begin my review please keep in mind of the following before you go to Cuba. 1. Cuba is still a communist country. LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS. The government controls everything and sometimes the resorts do run out of simple things we take for granted such as food, condiments, and toiletries. If you're from the United States, Canada, U.K. Australia, Germany etc. DO NOT go there having the same expect [... read more]ations you have in your home country. - YOU DON'T GO TO CUBA FOR THE FOOD! At least I hope that's not why you go. Sun, heat, crystal clear blue waters, perfect beaches and amazing culture and history is why I'd go to Cuba. Be warned and be prepared. I'm sure you've heard many times before the food in Cuba is not the greatest; the short answer to this is once again, don't expect to get what you're accustomed to at home. (I'll elaborate more on this further on in the review). - R.E.S.P.E.C.T. You get what you put in, and you get back what you give out. DO NOT expect to get premium service, or even decent service if you are rude or disrespectful to the people that are serving you. Believe it or not common sense isn't that common anymore and people seem to forget that something as simple as saying "please" or "Thank you" goes a long way. Also, don't be upset if someone you're trying to communicate with does not speak English, you're in THEIR COUNTRY. RECEPTION / CHECK-IN: 9/10 Not much to say here other than our check in was flawless and surprisingly quick. Reception was friendly, attentive and explained the layout of the hotel without any issues. From what we saw many of the reception people spoke English which was a plus for us since we knew a limited amount of Spanish. ROOMS: 8/10 The rooms are exactly as shown in the photos; modern and clean. We were on a 2nd level room. One thing that could have been better was the comfort of the beds, which were very hard and uncomfortable in certain areas (Seemed like some springs were loose). Not a major deal for us, but definitely something we noticed pretty quickly. The water pressure in the shower was not bad, kind of low at times but again not a big deal, higher water pressure would be better. The water flow was consistent just enough to get a proper shower. One problem with the shower was no hot water, or at least not consistently. One thing to note, the sliding door going out the balcony seemed a little flimsy and the locking mechanism seemed damaged. Just something to be aware of if you're in a similar room. GROUNDS: 10/10 Not much to say here other than the grounds were very well maintained and they get a 10/10. The landscaping staff work very hard and do a great job, they don't get enough credit for the work that they do. These staff members were also some of the friendliest on the resort. If you pass by them don't ignore them, just say hello! FOOD: 4.5/10 As I said earlier you don't go to Cuba for the food. With that being said, there are certain SIMPLE THINGS the resort can do to improve the food quality, if they want to. This was definitely a MAJOR issue for a lot of guests and the complaints could be heard loud and clear in the buffet and a la cartes. It was almost as if people were dreading the walk to the buffet to eat, wondering what type of "friend" they were going to catch that would put them down for the rest of their vacation. It was visible on almost everyones faces. (Buffet) BREAKFAST. Trust me when I tell you breakfast will probably be the best meal at the buffet. If you are not a breakfast person I recommend you become one for the duration of your trip. If you are a breakfast person GET THERE EARLY. Don't get to the buffet between 11am -11:59am and then complain when you get to the buffet that there's no food left, or the food that remains is cold. Keep in mind that lunch is right around the corner at about 1:30pm. The staff needs time to prep and transition the food out for lunch. The earlier you go the more choices you will have. Its great that they have a fresh omelette section, the best thing you can do for yourself is stick to the sections where the food is made FRESH right before your eyes. One thing which didn't seem to make sense to me... the olives which were an option for the omelette were not sliced and STILL HAD THE PITT IN IT. They were just tossed into the eggs and mixed together. We only realized this when we bit into the omelette and almost broke our teeth because of this. THIS MADE NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. DON'T PUT OLIVES AS AN OPTION IN YOUR OMELETTES IF THE PITT IS STILL IN THEM. Another pet peeve with the breakfast. scrambled eggs floating in water in a metal tray. Just don't do it to yourself. Pankcakes are good, juices are good and seem fresh, stick to the fresh made eggs made in front of you. If you have any fruits, stick to the fruits with a thicker skin. Its just safer that way. (Lunch/Dinner) DECENT. once again, go earlier, stick to anything fresh made in front of you. STAY AWAY from any cold meat. It might not be wise to keep 2 large legs of what appears to be real, salted beef, or pork legs right above the veggies. Maybe these were sculptures, maybe there were real. Either way it was not a welcomed sight. (A La Carte) We tried the Brazilian, the Asian, and the Italian. The best of the 3 was the Asian. The food was similar to what we would find back home after a late night out on the town. (Anyone that goes out late at night knows this type of food is great when you're having a good time and intoxicated). Not so much once your're sober... nevertheless it was the better of the 3 we tried. One thing we noticed is there was pasta in the Asian a la carte. They clearly didn't do their research or just didn't care... Unfortunately the portions were ridiculously small. Brazilian. I've had REAL Brazilian food before and I get there may be certain variations depending what region of the world you're in or country, but this was definitely NOT Brazilian. It was something else entirely. Italian. DECENT enough to barely pass as Italian. The Lasagna was not bad, except it was swimming in tomato sauce. The prosciutto I ordered looked like semi frozen uncooked slivers of beef which I had to send back. The bread was the same regular bread we got for breakfast at the buffet. Maybe garlic bread instead would have been a better option for Italian. (Snack Bar) Where do I begin with this? The snack bar really is a toss of the coin. The time day you go also matters. Realistically, if you're going to the snack bar its probably because you missed both the buffet and a la cartes. The snack bar is open almost 24/7 but closes around 5am for a few hours. The food is regular bar food. Fries, hot dogs, burgers, pizza. The quality of food you get seems to depend on the times. between 11:30pm - 3:30am its risky. The food is either cold, or sloppily prepared. Generally speaking the food was decent enough at the snack bar. POOL: 5/10 The pool is clean and well maintained, but for some reason the pool is extremely hot, almost like a hot tub... it was like SOUP WATER... It was WAY cooler in the ocean, definitely something to keep in mind if you're switching between 1 or the other. Also, the pool is shallow in every spot. Unfortunately there is no deep end or even 1 end that is deeper than the rest of the pool. This was not a major issue for us since most of our time was spent on the beach, but it is something to be aware of. There was almost no activities in the pool until closer to the end of the week (Thursday - Saturday). Again, not an issue for us, but definitely something we noticed, if it was not for these simple activities the pool would be completely dead. The pool activities are a great way to engage the guests of all ages to mingle, have some fun and let loose. It was refreshing and seemed like it was something that was needed the whole week, but for some reason only came out for a few days at the end of the week. Keep in mind both the pool bar and beach bar close at 6pm. They need to extend these hours. BEACH: FLAWLESS. 10/10 The beach was great. The beach was clean, no seaweed or sticks or anything to interrupt a leisurely walk, or run. Surprisingly not many vendors or people were on the beach trying to sell you stuff which was great, barely anyone harassing you. Beach chairs at times were difficult to come by. Seems that people grab them early and hold on to them which makes sense. Getting to the beach earlier helps, think 11am-12pm as a decent time earlier in the week. 9am-11am later in the week. The beach and the resort seemed to get busier from Wednesday going forward. ENTERTAINMENT: 4/10 The best entertainment on this resort was the shows that happened around 9:30pm at the theatre. The dancers did an amazing job and got everyone involved. Starting from dancing in the lobby, to getting people to get up out of their chairs and follow them around the resort gathering more as they went along and brining them to the show. Definitely a good time and a highlight of the entertainment here. The beach entertainment was good. Staff had big speakers on the beach with a variety of music, getting people in the ocean to participate in dancing and water activities. The only issue was it wasn't long enough. WAY too short and repetative. At least a transition from that to another activity would be great. It almost felt like they got everyone involved just enough then everything halted immediately mid way through. The disco, just god awful... horrible! Walked into the diso one night and the "DJ" was playing Shania Twain from what looked like an ipod.. just disappointing. Great if you are a fan of Shania Twain, I personally love her and think shes a great artist. BUT, she is definitely NOT what I want to hear at the disco late at night in a Caribbean country. Play some Salsa, meringue, Bachata, reggaeton, reggae, Soca, Hip-Hop, R&B. Music is UNIVERSAL, and there is absolutely NO excuse for this. We left the disco can came back some hours later and Shania Twain was still playing, the exact same song "I feel Like A Woman". ugh... on top of that every night the disco was completely EMPTY, just DEAD. That definitely might have been why. Its a shame since the disco it self was a nice looking cozy spot. SERVICE: 4/10 Where do I begin... when you go to the buffet the attitudes there are UNWELCOMING and borderline RUDE. After taking our seats nobody would tend to us to see if we wanted anything to drink or see how we were. We almost felt like we were a plague to them and not wanted there. We almost daily had to ask for water at the buffet and when we got water it smelled and tasted like tap water and not the bottled water we were getting all week. Every time we were at the table forks and knives were missing. And the workers seemed careless to do their job. It was like a big game of show and tell where employees almost seemed like they were competing with each other to see who could look the best or most attractive without doing any work. The a la carte service was decent but slow. Nobody seemed to have a sense of urgency. Waiting an hour for an appetizer anywhere is just unacceptable. Communication is key. If there is a delay or issue beyond your control VOCALIZE THAT to your guests. Something as simple as this goes a long way. The maids that clean the room seem to only do their job once you pay them. Every day we left little gifts (high end beauty products, supplies and accessories) and money for our maids and it seemed like the service got worse daily. You have to Constantly ask for a bottle of water. Just annoying. All the bars on this resort had bartenders that were very stingy with the drinks and how they poured what they poured you. If I am paying like everyone else, and specifically ask for HAVANA CLUB RUM either dark or white. GIVE ME HAVANA CLUB. THIS IS INCLUDED. THIS IS WHAT I ASKED FOR. POUR IT. We're not idiots. I can see you weaseling your way to grab the cheap sorry excuse for a rum at the back of the bar only to still pour that in to my cup. Ok... first couple times maybe that was a mistake. I can deal with that. But everyone at every bar was doing this. It got to point where I had to cover the cup and tell them again I wanted Havana Club rum. Only to have them look at me with a dumbfounded look on their face. For those that may be unaware, the no name version or less desirable rum seems to have no effect and almost makes you feel sick when drinking. Stick to the better stuff. The service at the snack bar was by far the worst. There was 1 gentleman by the name of Henry who was the best and definitely deserves a promotion. His level of service was outstanding! However, there was a bartender who took over for a few nights that was very rude and borderline confrontational. He was a Pitbull (the artist) look alike. After getting 1 Drink from him he would rub his fingers together demanding in English "where's my tip" extremely rude and unacceptable. It wasn't just us, this was something he did to other group of individuals at the bars. Eventually everybody just walked away shaking their head as he continued to aggressively slide drinks towards people. We treated every employee with respect and dignity while we were there (we tipped quite a bit) and to receive that type of treatment left a bad taste in our mouths. Tipping or no tipping, it's just wrong. OVERALL: 5/10 The resort overall was DECENT enough. If you're looking for a simple quick inexpensive get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, this will do. The resort looks great, is well kept and has its own style that makes it a little unique from the other resorts in Varadero. Unfortunately, if you're a young professional/young adult looking for some fun and excitement (Drinking, meeting interesting and fun people, possibly partying or at the bare minimum something to do every night), this resort is NOT for you. The resort is more for seniors or middle aged couples looking to relax and do nothing but read a book under an umbrella, have 1 drink, go to dinner at 6pm, then go to bed at 9pm. Are there families? Most definitely, but there were not a lot of families with young children. These things are not issues, but just things to keep in mind depending on the vibe you want and style of vacation you want. This was not for us. We would come back here with a group of like minded people only.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Great Resort!

The swimming pool was beautiful. The Italian food (a la carte) was yummy! The buffet had lots of options! The maid did an excellent job of making our sheets and cleaning the room! The staff were very friendly. Thank YOu!

Muthu Playa Varadero: We got very sick on our trip!

This was our first visit to Cuba (but not our first all-inclusive). Not sure if we will be heading back any time soon based on our experience, summarized below: Good: - The beach was absolutely beautiful, one of the best we've been to. - Some staff were nice and friendly. - Weather was good (not a lot of rain, we went late June) Bad: - We got very sick eating the food at the resort. They should try to cover up the food (from flies and also from birds picking at the food). We were ta [... read more]king turns in the bathroom, starting from the 2nd day of our 7 day stay. For the last 2 days, we did not eat any food from the resort, and did not drink their water, it was not pleasant at all. It should be noted that: we did not get any new water bottles during our stay, we used the original water bottle they gave us and were asked to fill up at the bar; when we went on day trips and ate at the outside restaurant, we did not have any stomach problems. - Bars at the resort did not offer certain drinks: we were asked to walk back to the lobby from the beach most of the time. - We also found some staff or guides there to be rude (to us and we witnessed towards others).

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: less than what we expected

... the common remark that my wife and I shared during our 5 days at Paradisus Del Mar was " thank goodness for royal service " otherwise the time spent would have been a disaster. Even with royal service, certainly things could be improved upon, but for what we needed the time for which was R&R, it was ok. The rooms need some upgrading, but thats minor, the explanation upon arrival needs to be thorough (my wife is fluent in Spanish). From what we could see the resort was at about 60% occupancy, [... read more] which kept it fairly quiet. I, on the other hand, can't say anything positive about the main part of the resort. The main lobby lacks feel and ambiance, with a feeling of a resort where nobody cares about how it looks. Tired and outdated grounds where grassy areas resemble picnics at the local park, lounges dragged by guests creates a vision of confusion and show a lack of order in this process. The pathways at night are poorly lit, and during the day its obvious that only half of the mismatched lights are working..its too bad because the resort is getting long in the tooth, and with newer facilities coming in, this one I believe will fall by the wayside unless Melia starts to spend some maintenance money. If you go, only consider Royal Service, but even still, we never had a WOW moment..

Iberostar Selection Varadero: Great time, very accomodating

Gorgeous five star in Cuba, with activities throughout the day, and good food. Room is massive, including a huge balcony and the staff are very accommodating to every need. Maid spoke English perfectly and was helpful to every request. Lobby bar is great place to grab a coffee in the morning, gym is a decent size with aged but functional equipment and after a gym session be sure to ask the gardner to crack open a freshing coconut for you! Enjoy

Paradisus Varadero: Travellers with kids be aware

I stayed at this resort with my husband, sister in law and travelled with 6 kids ranging from 2-19 years old. I want to start off by saying the good things. The resort grounds, beach, pool and people are wonderful. As many of you have heard that Cuba has a terrible rep for having disgusting food on the resort. This is sad but true even at this 5 star hotel. I don't want to get into the food too much but just know even if u go to 5 star don't expect good food. The first night I arrived to [... read more] the hotel by 9:30pm. The first hiccup was they had my family (9 of us) in different parts of the resort. They had one room in the new side of the resort and the other two rooms in the old side of the resort. I requested in advance from my travel agent and even emailed the hotel requesting to please make sure we were all very close to each other (all 3 rooms). I never received an email back from the resort about my request. Please note that all the pictures people post and the way the hotel advertise the hotel rooms all up u see is this beautiful brand new hotel rooms. This may not be exactly what you get. Two of the kids 2 I travelled with have asthma. The rooms in the old resort have a high sense of mold smell in the room it triggered my daughter asthma and she got so bad that I had to see the doctor at the hotel so that she could be treated. We had move 3 different rooms until I lost it on these people and finally they moved us to the newer side of the resort. The new side is so beautiful but what cause my trip to come to an end is that one of my kids medication that I had stored in a money pouch went missing from the room. We are so careful with her medication as it's a medication she can't miss a dose and we spent a total of 4 hours searching high and low moving every piece of furniture in the hotel room looking for her meds. My daughter had a Nike hat go missing and one of my daughters googles went missing as well. I did lock a lot of things up in the safe but something's I left out because the safe was so full. I spent a day and a half struggling to figure out how to get my daughter medication in Cuba. In the end we found out through hotel doctor that it's not a medication that they have in Cuba. I argued with the hotel and ask them to get me on the next flight back home in which they were able to get me and my entire family. The resort staff was attentive to my emergencies but I spend everyday in stress because of everything I had to sort out from changing rooms 3 times, fighting to get a cleaner room and figuring out how to get my daughters medication to changing my flight last minute. I was relieved to be back home as this trip was a disaster. If food is not an issue for u then I do recommend this resort because beach and grounds are beautiful but make sure u lock up anything valuable even medication. Also make sure you stay in the family concierge side as this is the newer side of the resort. I believe who ever stoled the medication thought they were stealing money as it was in a money pouch and the wallet felt thick as if there was bills in it. Lesson to be learned for me.

Playa Vista Azul: Great Resort!

The Ocean Vista Azul is a real gem - great value - The staff are amazing and go out of their way to be helpful. The Infinity Pool is an added bonus. The grounds of the hotel are well kept and beautiful. The other pools and beach provide the perfect tropical vacation. The resort is also family friendly. The restaurants are good and offer a variety of menu items. I would definitely return. The Air Canada Representative was knowledgeable and able to recommend excursions that allowed for addi [... read more]tional vistas of Cuba.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Super Resort

This is my thirteenth time to Melia Peninsula ,I call it my home away from Home .I have made many friends over theyears.Love the Cuban people they are so friendly and polite. The grounds of the resort is stunning ,a joy just to walk around to see how well kept they are. The buffet food was Cuban food if you know what I mean no spice little salt but that is Cuba and better for the health.The Restaurants was a treat ,good ,enjoyable and nice. The manager walks around all day long ready and wi [... read more]lling to stop and chat if anyone desired to ask any information.We were impressed with him. The beach was a little forgotten but as soon as all the new people get used to the hotel the beach will pick up..I personally cannot say anything negative about the hotel and we do hope to go back for our 50th anniversary next year..Afdvice if you are in need just ask the correct people and enjoy your stay.They also made many new renovations this year,beautiful rooms and if you are lucky MALady might be your Maid.Enjoy !

Melia Varadero: Great vacation!

We just got back from a two week vacation at this hotel in Varadero. It was our first time in Varadero and we really enjoyed almost everything about the hotel. The staff was amazing, and we really, really appreciated all the help we got from Humberto at the beach!! He really takes care of every client at the beach. We upgraded to the Level, and it was really worth it. All the staff at the Level were really friendly and helpful. It's a very clean hotel and we enjoyed the food. On the down side, w [... read more]e didn't appreciate the loud music on the beach and by the pool. It was too loud and it was constant. Sometimes we couldn't go out on the balcony and enjoy the view because of the REALLY loud music by the pool. On the beach, even if we were on the Level section, we still could hear the music. The only restaurant we didn't enjoy at all, is the Fuerteventura. The steak was so hard we couldn't eat it!! And last comment, we didn't appreciate having to pay 20 CUC for two towels that we forgot on the beach chairs. It was our first day at the hotel, we were very tired and we didn't know that we had to bring back our towels. The manager downstairs told us that they would try to find the towels, but if not, we would have to pay 10CUC for each towel. If you go there, always bring back your towels with you!!!!

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Best vacation!

The hotel is very clean. I went in not knowing what to expect and was surprised. Staff are very friendly. The food options are good. Only issues I faced were being a vegetarian. One restaurant accidently mixed meat with my entrée. The water is amazing. They have good wifi connection when using the card. Unfortunately, night live is not there. There is a nice club lounge inside the resort but as most the tourists were elders, the club was not really being used. Keep in mind that this is an only  [... read more]adults resort which might not always be what you think. It's a good place to go with husband and wife or older family members and just relax.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Beautiful resort

This is one of the best resorts I have had a chance to visit. The rooms are very comfortable and clean with great decor. I was surprised how modern was the bathroom, with a separate rain shower. A couple of things to improve: the ceiling was peeling in the shower, it should be repaired; the TV is not the best quality and I had troubles with its remote. The beach was stunning, but that is whole Varadero. I think that there are not enough of huts on the beach and they should definitely  [... read more]get more. The pool area is huge, the water is crystal clean and warm, but I preferred to spend time at the beach and swim in the ocean. As for the food - this is Cuba. Much better then the most of places in Cuba, but probably not to the standards of people who expect delicacies or high end cuisine. There was always something for my palates and I never left the table dissatisfied. They have a decent array of choices, plus freshly grilled fish and meat. A couple of times I felt ignored by the staff, I ordered my wine and water, but they never re-appeared. And this is not a high season, I think the hotel was only half-full. Otherwise, I don't have major complaints. This is one of the places I would like to come back.

Starfish Jibacoa: Villas Jibacoa

was there 10 nights in April, good weather, new pools [2] and deck all redone in 2016, one has walk in steps. Grounds well kept, also well lit at night, as is lobby bar for game/card players. Meals very limited choices all meals,, no variety, same every day at each meal a lot of guests said opened too late for breakfast and lunch, I agree. Beach ok, cleaned, waves stronger than usual for this time of year said staff and many repeat guests who come for snorkeling ,Staff good in all areas, for me [... read more] was Nidia in buffet, Jordey in entertainment, and :Obe" in public relations . Had a bungalow, worth the extra, going again in Nov for two weeks.9 to 23. requested bungalow 36

Melia Marina Varadero: Unexcpexted amazong vacation!

When I booked the hotel i was expecting something to go wrong! But the food was good, stilledible, the room was clean service really good, animation day and night very entertaining! The workers are really nice!

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: The best resort in Cuba

This hotel was great. Good service, Food and fantastic beach with no rocks just sand. Padel boats free as well sail ride. Great room maids. Clean hotel. Great for kids. Great pool bar. Beware the purple Spagetti

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Value for the price

Not knowing what to expect as I had never been to Cuba before, I had no expectations. The Naviti staff were very professional and helpful. Our arrival flight was delayed in Toronto due to weather , so it was after 1am when I arrived at the resort. It was an efficient registration & the pool side bar is open all night for drink & a limited menu and the hamburger & ham sandwich were great. The beach is fantastic, entertainment in evening was great, dining room food is based on local  [... read more]menu which was great for the food adventure. The garden view room at the front of the hotel on 4th floor still gave me an ocean view and the rooms as with the grounds and hotel areas were always in impeccable condition. The day trip I took was sugar, cigar & rum tour and what a time , great way to see the Varadero area . The tour bus stop located outside the hotel provides service into Varadero for only 5 pesos all day as much as you want. The bars were all well stocked & tips were not required but certainly appreciated by the staff in my opinion. For the value it was excellent & would return again

Roc Arenas Doradas: Best week of my life

Very friendly staff, beautiful beach, exciting events on and off the resort. Plenty of transportation into varadero. Both the buffet and the specialty restaurants are good quality food with very friendly and quick service. Overall amazing experience.

Starfish Varadero: Great stay...

I seriously enjoyed my stay and plan to go back soon. staff,cleanliness,beach,pool,food, etc etc were great for the price............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Palma Real: Palma Real

The hotel was not bad but the food was terrible. everyday the menu was exactly the same.A few more choices would have been nice.Half the hotel was closed due to low occupancy.. The staff were very nice. Unfortunately the beach is across a busy road.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Great value for the price with minor improvable negatives

Well equipped, really decent all inclusive resort. If you want a low cost relaxing place to stay in Cuba, you can't go wrong with this resort. It has some little minor issues, but the good so far outweighs the flaws, you would seem very petty to complain. Cuba has it's own "standard" and one can't really compare everything to "western" standards. You will wind up liking things, and also being frustrated with other things. The highs : Decent gym, multiple well stocked restaurants with with dif [... read more]ferent themes, beautiful beach, nonstop drinks and food, beautiful pool area, lots of entertainment, souvenir, medical, mini stores - right on the premises. My negatives : Staff is 98% very friendly. My one staff complaint really is the front desk people, really have "attitudes" and could use some customer communication skills updates. The front desk is the first contact and "face" of the resort. You get a poor first impression asking for any help, or air cards, money exchanges etc. I can't understand when the cook behind the egg cooking station (or any wait staff) has better communication skills, far friendlier, and better English comprehension than the front desk staff. A number of guests I spoke with, complained about insect bites that originated from in their rooms. Something that may need to be addressed. If you have never been to Cuba, get ready and be open to a lot of things you are unaccustomed to in NA. Constant aggressive (to the point of rudeness) requests for tips. Little tricks to corner you into tipping for tasks you would expect are not requiring one. Money exchange BS - your ripped off constantly for a currency that has no relative true value to our dollar. Sketchy internet. Make sure if you organize a tour and you be there an hour early waiting for your bus and you need to be aggressively proactive or you may miss your bus. There is no one to say, "this is your bus", and you literally have 60 seconds to get on it before they all rush out of there. Your just sort of expected to know magically when 4 or 5 buses all show up in succession at the front entrance which yours is. Be prepared to hear the tour guides proudly tell you things like there are no homeless people in Cuba, pretty well as your passing, what looks to be many a burned out abandoned looking building with clothes drying on a line in what appears to be apartments with no roof or windows... There is a lot to take in as a first time visitor. most good, some a little a weird. There is a big disconnect at times from what your told and your eyes actually see.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: tranquil side of Grand Memories

The hotel grounds, rooms and amenities are good. The snack bar is convenient for those who like to stay by the pool. Food is okay. The restaurant is quite nicely decorated although it did not have any air conditioning (Temperatures soared to 32 during my vacation, which is great outside, but not indoors ) Food was again, okay. The bar and lounge was great! Nice and cool, great place to sit and watch the TV, or connect on the WIFI. The hard working staff is what makes the difference here. They  [... read more]are great! I ensured to tip them always!! The beach is amazing. Lounging area at the sanctuary side is quite small, although we found comfortable lounge chairs and shade in the morning. ( keep in mind June is low season) be sure to buy the delicious pineapple drink in the actual pineapple from the beach vendor! There is a small bar in the middle of the forest path to the beach. Great for mojitos, beers and soda pop. Overall, it is the staff that make this a great resort!