noliDUO Havana Varadero: Two hotels with Iberostar: Havana & Varadero

We stayed three nights at the Iberostar Parque Centrale. First off, there are two. New and old. We were dropped at the old building and were informed that we needed to check in at the new building which was a block away. Bellman trolleyed our bags over for us. The hotel is in good shape with great accommodations. The included breakfast was good with made to order eggs if required and plenty of fruit. I did notice in both Havana and Varadero no yogurt? We loved the roof top swimming pool and outd [... read more]oor restaurant. Staff walk by regularly while we were at the pool to see if we wanted anything. All staff were very friendly and helpful with a good grasp of English (except the maid but she knew a few basic words like towel, soap, etc.) I would recommend you bring your own Kleenex (they ran out while we were there) as well as shampoo and conditioner. The hotel shampoo is like a detergent! Also, bring ear plugs as Havana is very noisy - they love their horns and beep continually until the wee hours of the morning. We spent 4 nights at Iberostar Laguna Azul in Varadero. A beautiful facility, the grounds are lovely but the hotel is tired. Lots of dings, dents and cracks. Drawer pulls in my room were falling off, the grout in the tub/shower was grey. Water pressure in the shower was meh. Two hallway lights were burnt out and not replaced in the 4 days we were there. And my telephone didn't work. Having said that the lobby area and outside patio are beautiful. At night they have a pianist playing. Staff once again very helpful and can speak English quite well. The beach, of course, is the highlight, lovely sand and warm water. It was busy as we went during March break but you can always find a lounge chair and a bit of shade. The poolside was also gorgeous. On the downside the buffet was incredibly noisy and cavernous and you could only eat a la carte two times in during a four day stay. You had to line up early to reserve a spot at one of the four a la carte dining rooms and even then you might not get the restaurant you wanted. We had lunch near the beach at a small restaurant serving buffet style and it was quite nice. Food over all was better than I expected.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Met our expectations

Memories Varadero is a large resort, very typical of any 3-4 star Cuban all-inclusive. Staff were friendly, and any issues we had were dealt with quickly. For such a large resort, the variety of food was lacking - the one large buffet restaurant served virtually the identical menu every night. Pools were nicely laid out, with one lounder "party" pool with water slide and spring break activities and one quieter pool, both with swim up bars. Beach was fantastic, as is usually the case with Cub [... read more]a. No complaints, we basically got exactly what we were expecting. One thing to note is that this is a large resort, on a very large grounds, so a lot of walking is involved - probably a 10 minute walk from lobby to beach.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: great resort

The resort room was clean, a little tired. the service was very good, staff happy and helpful. The food was ok, many options to pick from at all meals, if you are fussy then bring a snack but for a week you can make it ! the weather was beautiful every day, March 4 -12.

Melia Marina Varadero: Practical & safe

I stayed in the apartments, a few minutes walk away from the main hotel. I would recommend this hotel if you don't mind walking around a bit to get to the beach, shops, & restaurants. It'a a great way to save money as you can buy an all inclusive day pass here and there, but not necessarily the whole trip!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great Resort - Some Issues

The resort was beautiful and clean; however, some issues were noticible. The resort itself was clean and cleaning staff very friendly. The beach had quite a bit of seaweed and was not cleaned up all week. Sometimes there was quite a wait for service at the lobby bar and the entertainment area. Food in the a la carte restaurants was good, but the buffet was adequate (we had been informed of thie and so not surprised about this). Had some issues with excursions. For example, we were told [... read more] there were two shopping malls within close distance, one of which was within walking distance at a sister resort of Papadisus (Melia resort). We walked to the mall and made one purchases and was about to make another purchase when we were informed by security guards that only people staying at this resort could shop there and asked everyone who were not staying at the resort to leave. We returned to our resort informed our Sunwing representative and were told a story that we simply were in the wrong area of the resort. However, there were other people who were browsing at other stores and we were all told to leave. Sunwing reps should be aware of this. Another issue involved an excursion to Havana. We were told to take our own toilet paper because the washrooms didn't have toilet paper. This is not unusual at many places however, it didn't help to bring toilet paper because at each place there were people guarding the washrooms and we had to pay in order to use. Although we are familiar with this practice, we were not informed of this and to tell us to bring our own toilet paper was not helpful at all because once we paid, the attendant gave us toilet paper as we entered the washrooms. The tipping on the excursion was very aggressive and although we expected this when we were on our own, the Sunwing representative should have advised us how aggressive this practice was going to be. For example at our lunch, which was part of the excursion, after the musicians finished their set, they came to each table to either sell their CD or give a tip - the basket was passed to each person directly and after this, the wait staff came with a notice for each patron asking for a tip (not complaining about the tip, just how aggressive it was and the dual tip expectation). At the museum, which was another part of the tour, the museum attendants were extremely agressive. We had been warned in advance by our bus driver that if they took our picture or anything, they would expect a tip, however, the attendants immediately approached us and kept insisting they take our picture. I said no problem and then gave the attendant a tip - amazingly she then wanted more - said it wasn't enough. There was also another young couple with us and the attendant actually chased them around asking them for more money. It appears that Cuba is changing significantly. Overall, other than the fact that beach was not cleaned up all week, the resort was very good. The room attendants are amazing and are very friendly, as were the severs at the restaurants. I believe the issues we experienced could have been minimized if our Sunwing representatives had been up front about what to expect. Also, the matter of being asked to leave the sister resort by security guards was very upsetting.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Not at 5 star!!!

First of all, this hotel is rated as a 5 star and sunwing markets it as a 5 star but it is at most a 4 star. If you want a 5 star resort then do not expect it from this resort. I'll comment in order of star ratings below: Beach/Pools - the beach is nice and there is a long stretch that you can walk but it is not as nice as Punta Cana in Dominican. Lots of shells that hurt the feet when walking and rough water often.There more than enough chairs and huts on the beach at the resort thou [... read more]gh, never an issue getting one. The one pool was nice and kept clean however not always easy to find shade especially at the bar there was no shade at all. Service - This was hit or miss. There were terrible servers and then there were great servers. If you have prepared to give big tips then you will likely get average or slightly above service, if not then don't expect much. Food - below average. The buffet was ok but the same almost everyday, food prep and meat handling very poor. Usually flies in the main buffet room that drove you crazy while eating. I could usually find something to eat all meals but my spouse could not always and would end up eating bread and/or pizza. The a la cartes were a huge disappointment. One of the benefits we thought of the resort was unlimited a la cartes. When we went to book there were few opening because you could book the entire week at a time so all good times were taken, in addition, we were only given 4 options of a la cartes when there was at least 5 restaurants. We went to the Japanese restaurant first, the food was ok but the show was the worst I've been to in the Caribbean (been to numerous previous - Punta Cana 4 times, Jamaica - 1, Varadro - 1). Next night was the Italian and it was terrible. The service wasn't good and the food awful. The reusable place mats were stained and filthy and the restaurant was dirty. After this we decided to not go to the remaining a la cartes and instead suffered at the buffet. Room - the room was ok but dated (as the rest of the resort). There bugs in the bathroom which is not uncommon. The room needed some cosmetic repairs (tile grout missing and Paint). We did get used towels a couple days and one day the mini bar was not restocked and had to call front desk, after which It was promptly restocked. Value - this is poor value for the money. We paid for and expected a 5 star resort but received at best a 4 star, my spouse says a 3.5 star. Location - It is a touristy area like all resorts in Caribbean however I felt a little more comfortable off the resort as compared to Dominican and Jamaica. About 30 min drive to the airport. Overall rating is between 3.5 and 4 star.

Grand Memories Varadero: Quite enjoyable

Overall, our experience at this location was quite enjoyable. Rooms: -Our room was in Building building 24, 3rd floor- with first impressions in mind, efforts could have been placed to make it cleaner upon entrance. -The new lock boxes in each room are amazing! The digital platform means that we did not have to worry about keeping keys on us. - At times, only warm water was available ( getting hot water was sometimes difficult) Overall facility: - Beautiful large property - I f [... read more]ound the food decent and offered great variety. - Overall, the staff and entertainment provided a great atmosphere Entertainment: - In terms of the evening shows, they were very good but too short I found - The entertainers on site, those playing music, were very nice - The disco was never open which was a definite disappointment Side note: The Sunwing tour was very well organized!

Starfish Jibacoa: Harmony, Beauty and Peace in Jibacoa Beach Blessed Paradise...

We Love this beautiful place and its people. There is an magical aura of warmth with affection flowing from staff, surroundings and also around the well kept mature immaculate grounds beneath spectacular mountains high above the gorgeous sweep of beaches and turquoise ocean. Many improvements have been made in recent years to this intimate sized 115 guest resort. This was my seventh visit and we came away almost in tears to leave the staff who have become such sweet friends. We cannot wait to  [... read more]go back again. Truly smaller is better at beautiful Villas Jibacoa (Villas Tropico). This place has everything. Fabulous snorkeling, sailing, friendly folks to meet from everywhere. Food is delicious and varied; old tropical charm is here, cottages are squeaky clean. Fine entertainers, musicians, especially world class singer/balladeer Raolld, are reasons why this resort is so special and why we return.

Melia Marina Varadero: Wonderful Vacation

This hotel had all the amenities to make our stay comfortable and relaxing. The hotel and the room were clean and there was a fantastic selection of food. We upgraded to the level which gave us access to a private restaurant where we had made to order breakfast each morning (eggs, bacon, hash browns as well as a buffet with fruit, yogurt and an assortment of breads and pastries). We visited the 5 alacarte restaurants and were pleased with the quality of food. Our favourite was the Italian. We ar [... read more]e beach people and enjoyed our time on the beach. There are plenty of chairs and shaded areas and we never had any problems getting one, however we are early risers. Overall we had a fantastic vacation and would definitely go back to the Melia Marina.

Melia Marina Varadero: very nice resort

THE FOOD AT A LA CARTE RESTAURENT, WAS VERY GOOD AND VERY WLL PRESENTED. AT THE BUFFET SOME NIGHT YOU HAVE TO BE SELECTIF WHAT YOU WANTED TO EAT ( SOME DISH DID NOT HAVE TAG ) THE BEACH WAS DISAPPONTING BECAUSE WE ARE BEACH PEOPLE. THE POOL COULD USE A SCRUBBING IN THE JOINT MOTAR ,YOU SEE GREEN MOLD . THE APPLIANCE ( COFFE MACHINE DID NOT WORK GOOD , TOOK A LONG TIME TO BREW THE COFFEE ). THE INTERNET DID NOT WORK MOST OF THE TIME . BUT THE STAFF VERY NICE AND FRENDLY.

Starfish Jibacoa: Friendly Staff

Although this resort is not new and is in need of repairs, the bar, waitresses and waiters, housekeeping and entertainment staff are super friendly and make the hotel seem like a big family. I did however find most of the front desk women not as friendly as the rest of the staff and at times kind of rude. The food needs a bit of improvement but the a la carte restaurant is good. My room was always clean, the water was hot and the showers had good pressure. I will go back again!

Punta Peninsula Varadero: A great resort to relax and have fun at.

The rooms were clean and good service from the cleaning staff with our lady folding the towels into animal ears etc. The food was good and plenty of variety. The beach great especially for kids and shade for those who wanted that. Fresh pineapple with a straw was delicious. The pools were good especially because they were not too deep for the kids and the water slide was a hit. WiFi not great but a good time to be off-line for a week. Washrooms clean as well.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Good resort

I would rate this resort as a 3.5 star. The grounds were nice and clean. The pools could use a cleaning but weren't too bad. However, if you don't get down early to put your towel on one you are not getting a chair, that goes for the beach too. The beach was beautiful but full of cigarette butts. Which is the patrons fault not the resorts. The beach was also super congested at all times. The staff were all kind and helpful. The rooms were big but in need of some TLC. Last but not least th [... read more]e food, breakfast was decent its worth the wait in the omlet line to have fresh eggs. As for lunch and supper they had a huge selection but nothing had any actual flavour. I would bring your own salt and pepper! We did try three of the restaurants and they were all ok. The Japanese was by far the best and the mist flavourful.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: outstanding resort

As usual everything was extremely in wonderful experience. It always a pleasure going to Princess Paradis Del Mar. We both consider it a home away from home. Everybody who works there treat us like there own and go out of there way to please us and make sure that everything is up to par. From the time we grt off the bus to the minute we leave. The one thing that we notice is how they remember us right down to what we drink. We don't even have to ask they know exactly what we want. This is j [... read more]ust wonderful . Can't wait for the year to go by so we can all meet our new found friends who we ourselves consider to be our family.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Nice resort

Some concerns: there was poor cleaning in the rooms and we had to ask several times for more soap and more toilet paper. However, the staff and food were great. The only other thing that I did not like was that if you did not tip for the first drink, the server would not come back and one of our group would have to go up to the bar for service.

Starfish Varadero: Okay resort

We are experienced travelers to Cuba so we know what to expect and don't set our expectations too high when it comes to the accommodation and food. In the past what makes up for that is the friendly staff and great beach and pool. I would say starfish varadero resort the staff were the least friendly we have experienced. Nothing bad but just so so. The accommodation was what we expected and food was acceptable. I would say our rep at trip central was great. Very helpful in getting our tr [... read more]ip booked and answering all my questions in a timely manner. I would highly recommend trip central for booking your trip.

Sol Palmeras: Perfect Family Resort

We had 15 family members (4 children 11 adults) for 1 week. We rented 3 bungalows for ourselves and 2 families with kids, and the rest stayed in the main hotel. I would highly recommend the bungalows in the 516 series. We had our own bar & grill, 5 or 6 cabanas, 2 hot tubs and a message table to schedule a masseuse. It was quiet and relaxing. We enjoyed the food at both the buffet and the a-la-carte restaurants. The Pool attendants were great with the kids activities (our granddaughters [... read more] were 9, 6, 6 & 5). Even our adult children had fun in the pool. The Beach was great with lots of beach chairs and shaded areas.

Hotel Bella Costa: Very very very basic

The rooms in this hotel are pretty horrible. I'd even say a little nasty. But after a couple days you get used to it and go with the flow. People working there are extremely nice. So if you don't mind rooms that lights and toilets don't work, Dirty towels daily, birds in dinning area eating the same food as you, this is the place to go! The " a la carts" were booked solid the moment we got there, so we didnt get to try those. Horrible as it sounds it does grow on you. May take 2/3 days tho lol

Grand Memories Varadero: Super busy resort

Extra bed for my 10 year old was very uncomfortable, food was ok, there was no water in resort for an entire day, overall ok resort, I will not recommended this my friends . This is really a three star resort.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Nice resort

It's really a good 4 stars hotel for vacation in Cuba based on my personal experiences. Especially amazing for its public areas, beach. We enjoyed them every day durig our vacation. Also, all of its bars and cafe are good and easy to get what you wants. By the way, a litthe suggestion is that the room's cleaning is needed some of improvement by my personal idea. Hope to spend more time with my familly in there again!