Barcelo Solymar: Great Spot

I really enjoyed this place. They gave me a wonderful room almost on the beachfront, with a gorgeous ocean view and even a Jacuzzi (I booked the Bungalow package). The maid service was great, the bartenders friendly and quick and pouring them strong, and the place clean and well kept. The beach was amazing, the pools clean and the restaurants not too bad (given the overall quality of food in Cuba generally being so-so, it seems) and there was always something fun going on, with the staff lea [... read more]ding it enthusiastic and friendly. It is also a 5 minute walk away from Varadero, and 10 minutes from the Beatles Bar there: a great spot if you like classic rock and a good party. Will definitely visit here again. Thanks for a great stay. It was just what I needed.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Amazing resort /Amazing staff

First off, Maria Harris of Tripcentral helped me book the flight to Cuba with Sunwing. She was absolutely fantastic and helpful in every way! We loved our first trip to Cuba! My daughter and I were there from March 3rd to March 10th 2017. The resort was wonderful. The staff were all fantastic! The grounds, pool area and beach were absolutely beautiful. Our room was on the 5th floor and was always very clean. We always had fresh towels, hot water and a clean bathroom. We were always asked if ever [... read more]ything was okay. Breakfast was very good. The BBQ at lunch was always great and dinner was always very good as well. Our waiter always had a table waiting for us and was always fantastic! The band TrabaSon was fantastic and always played at 8 every night. They had a amazing MC that spoke many languages and always had great entertainment (games) lined up. The different themed show at 10 every night was always great and very entertaining! The coffee bar in the lobby was absolutely amazing...best coffee ever! My daughter and I had a fabulous time and will definitely go back to this resort!

Palma Real: Acceptable in the past ....Disgusting Now..!!

This time was the third stay in this hotel.! In the past it was somehow acceptable..!..In my past review i have mentioned about tens of dogs on the hotels beach ....But many of them are still there .. Is a real DANGER of contaminating the beach...At this time: No towels for the beach and limit of two for the bath (Sorry ...The Laundry is broken) They say. At the Lobby Bar: If you don't offer higher tip than 1 CUC....You have to wait longer to be served, and served in plastic cups ...Beer al [... read more]cohol or Coffee( Disgusting) In the Restaurant Buffet: They are asking you to offer them: expensive perfume or other staff ....Same with the Maids....If you forgot to live daily gift on the bed ....You will see a dirtier room after cleaning than you left.Every night drunk people are coming to the rooms at 3 or 4 in the morning with a big noise,fighting or smashing doors...I have complained many times ...But next night was the same ....What else to do if you are not a heavy drinker....Than stop going to this Hotel..!!

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Good and Bad

The Grounds are well kept. Some patches of pathways had no lighting. But are neat and tidy. The food was better than I expected. I was not impressed with the room. It was old style like from 1970s. Beds were too hard. We had asked for queen size but got two single size beds. Not comfortable at all. Entertainment was okay, but nothing to write home about. PR was not great either. Beach was nice enough but not as clean as I would have hoped. Overall its one of those places that you can say 'Been  [... read more]there, Done that!!. But once is enough. The hotel is rated as 5 star but is really no more than 3 star. Overall rating is 3/5.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Great time

The grounds were beautiful. The beach was amazing, and surprisingly the food was really good. The only complaint is the wait staff in the buffet are not to eager to wait on you for drinks. But all in all it was a beautiful resort and I would return

Hotel Bella Costa: We had a great time here!

Our room was rather tired and the bathroom could have done with a makeover but it was spotlessly clean as were all the bed linens. All the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. We got the same friendly approach tip or no tip but staff always thanked you if you did tip. The beach was amazing, well groomed and lots of loungers available. The beach was so good we never tried the pool but it looked as equally inviting. We were very impressed by the quality and quantity of the food  [... read more]at the hotel. Fantastic choice of fresh bread and rolls available as well as the pasta and eggs stations. Very bemused by the previous comments about the standard and choices of food available. The lunch time pizza service was very slow but boy were they tasty! Also tried the lunch time barbecue and again was very impressed by the choice available over the week. The spit roast pig was especially impressive. Loved having coffee at the Piano Bar, Cafe Bella Costa became a firm favourite as did Cappachino in the mornings. I also took advantage of the 'free' golf at the Varadero Golf Club which is right next door to the Bella Costa. Club and Cart hire was $55 per round. Booked two rounds at the reception and a golf cart is waiting to take you to the club house and return you to the hotel at the end of the round. We also booked the Catamaran and Havana trips through the SunWing rep. Very windy day on the catamaran trip and found the Dolphin show a bit of a sad spectacle but that is very much a personal view as the dolphins did appear to be in good condition and well cared for. The trip to Havana was amazing. Havana has been on my bucket list to visit for a long time and it didn't disappoint. Next time though I will hire a private car and go with an english speaking tour guide. Time in Havana was limited and we were rushed from place to place and only left with an hour to explore on our own. The tour guide had a personal amplifier system but due to crowds and background noise, was often impossible to hear. This was a shame as he had an amazing knowledge of Havana and it's history. The lunch on this trip was excellent, rice, black beans, roasted chicken and delicious ice cream to finish with. Coffee and 1 drink was also included. The only downside to this trip was the constant reminders about tipping. Bella Costa is rated a 3.5 star hotel but the room and fixtures do need updating. Litmus test is would we visit again and the answer is yes. For what we paid for the holiday we felt it was excellent value, especially after reading many of the negative comments about hotels in Cuba. We also wondered how much of the 'food poisoning' is due to excess alcohol and exposure to the sun as we saw many 'lobsters' during our stay!

Melia Marina Varadero: Nothing special

Rather bland and institutional resort buildings. Buffet better than others by Cuban standards. Pool nice but disappointing very narrow and crowded beach. Little entertainment and no children activities at all despite it being spring break.

Melia Varadero: good for Cuba standards

The grounds were very nice and well kept, the staff was friendly. The pool wasn't heated but the beach was very nice with no vendors to bother you. The buffet had plenty to choose from although selection never changed. The food was nothing to write home about.

Melia Marina Varadero: Great vacation!

We just got back from a 7 day stay at the Melia Marina Varadero and we had a fabulous vacation. The hotel was very nice, a few area's are beginning to run down but overall a very nice clean hotel with fantastic service. The food at this resort was good compared to the previous experience we had in Cuba. The staff was very helpful and we had great service the entire week. We spent most of the week at the beach which is gorgeous the pool area is nice but small. We preferred the beach. We did a da [... read more]y trip into Havana through a private tour company (Trip compass) with Yeriel as our tour guide. We were very happy we went with the tour company. He was so knowledgeable and it was a very nice day. We would definitely return to this hotel and cant wait to book next years trip!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Unrealized potential

For context this was my third visit to Varadero, having visited two other properties, and my first to this particular property; We were disappointed by our resort experience on this recent occasion. The hotel itself, in terms of architecture and condition is adequate and typical of other properties in the area, however, the layout of the property itself was for us less than ideal; the only pool available to non-"royal plus" guests is at the foot of the lobby, surrounded by the properties  [... read more]primary dining complex and a spa, and several hundred metres away from the beach. Further, while nicely landscaped, the property was haphazardly littered with beach chairs throughout the gardens well beyond proximity to the pool, significantly diminishing the tranquility and aesthetic. The pool itself is shallow and offers a nice break from the heat, but the loud music and daily dance classes further diminish the ambience. There is a serene, quiet pool on the property but it is only available to "plus" guests. The beach itself is like most along the Varadero coast, a wide swath of sand void of any tropical vegetation fronted by beautiful turquois waters, although the sand is slightly more coarse with shell debris. If you're new to the area, note that because of the lack of vegetation the beach area can be quite windy. The rooms are extremely basic in design, décor and finishing and the bedding (at least ours) was well past it's usefulness with collapsed side supports and pressure depressions in the center and should have been thrown out years ago. Additionally, we had the misfortune of having bed bugs and the resultant tell tale bites literally from scalp to toe. The dining consists like virtually all area hotels, and most all inclusive resorts of a buffet and several reservation only internationally themed a la carte restaurants. Having stayed at tropical resorts from very high end (Bora Bora, Ladera in St. Lucia.....) and numerous mid-range and all inclusive resorts, the food wasn't frankly all that different. That is to say, it was what one should expect of an island resort with limited resources, different training, preparations and standards and was in that context was quite good (although proteins are greatly overcooked, but better safe than sorry on holiday). The a la carte dining includes Japanese, French, Italian, Cuban, all of which was fine; the only real criticism is that the buffet offered very little variety day to day for any of the meal times. Customer service was extraordinarily inefficient, e.g., four bartenders all serving only one side of pool bar which offers three counters for service, and much slower than you may be accustomed. Also, service was with only a few exceptions largely joyless in delivery whether you tip or not. There is a not uncommon noon check out policy, although their execution of the policy defies logic. We requested a later check out to accommodate our late flight and were first told that we could not keep our room and would have to leave our luggage in a safe room by the lobby and use an assigned courtesy room to change; then we were told we could keep our room as the assigned courtesy suite if we paid 10 peso per hour, but that we would still have to move our luggage to the safe room at noon (???); our simple request was finally accommodated after reasoning through the logic of their policy and pointing out that maid service hadn't visited our room once all week before 330pm anyway. Overall, the change of routine and scenery offered the break we needed, but the hotel can do much better at improving the service and ambiance of the property. If you're looking for an affordable getaway, you don't mind loud music and the clientele that may attract, average food and customer service, than this may be the property for you, otherwise you may wish to consider one of the other many properties sharing the same beautiful strip of ocean front.

Playa Vista Azul: Great Resort

Kim Hartlen at tripcentral was fantastic! Our hotel room was clean and spacious, the grounds were well kept and the beaches very nice. The pool was very nice as well. The food was not as good as we expected but we were prepared for that. The servers at the main dining hall were friendly and nice especially Yamilet Batista and the bar servers especially Jimmy were excellent. The servers at Mike's made excellent expresso's. The attractions at the theatre were quite good as were the evening  [... read more]musicians in the hotel lobby. All in all Cuba and this resort was a good experience.

Grand Memories Varadero: Horrible Resort

We paid extra for early flight and had to change rooms 3 times, one of the buildings did not have hot water and only noticed when our friends asked us if we were showering before dinner , they said "no hot water", Glad I was not in the shower. Staff was aware of this because the solar panel was down and knew we would complain. 2 days , no maid service. Towels always came between 430 and 600pm. Some food at the buffet was luke warm. Bars kept running out of things, orange juice, can't make rum pu [... read more]nch with orange pop, or no Grenadine. Our card did not work in the lock and have had to go down 4 times in 1week , maintenance person told us lock was defective and customer service kept blaming us saying it was in my cell phone case (specially for credit cars) or I must have it too close to my monies. My husband had his in his shorts not close to his money and it did not work. The teller/bank would only give me $10 pesos max when changing money, most time it was only $5, was a waste of time having to go down on a daily basis and wait in line, each of our party of 5 were sick at least one day. I saw the pool bar using tap water to mix the pinacaloda mix. The restaurant at the pool bar was shut down and so was the women's washroom, had to go all the way close to the buffet to go to the bathroom. The change towel place near the quiet pool was shut down and had to go all the way to the noisy pool. Staff spent too much time on personal cell phones than ensuring you had a good vacation. Complained many times to the customer service area (closed room with all glass) don't know if it was sound Proof as many unhappy patrins . Gave us 2 bottles of rum after arguing with them for our troubles, 2 cheap bottles of rum will never replace the money spend on our so called vacation. Best time was going on the catamaran . well worth the price. 10th time in Veradero and 3rd time at this hotel, 2 timers under RIU and will never go back my husband stayed 5 extra days because he is retired. Tried to contact him 16 times when I got back and reception only picked up the phone 2 time of which one of the calls was disconnected while I was taking to him,. Managed to get an email address for the manager at Grand Memories and it took 2 days to get the message to my husbands room. I would hate to think what would happen if there was an actual emergency.. Our friends had to wait 5 days for a remote control for their TV and our phone in the first room did not work.6 out of 10 people we spoke to would never come back again. I wish I can re-do my vacation all over again.

Hotel Bella Costa: Family fun

The perfect spot to travel with children. It is not a huge sprawling resort and all you need is close by. The poolside grill is great for lunch as is the pizzarea. Kids love the hotdogs hamburgers and papa fritas. The staff are generally friendly and remember you if you go several times as with the omelette ladies or grilled sandwich person. Amazing beach with lots of seashells for collectors. The pool is not great and needs serious repairs. It could be bigger for adults with aqua form class [... read more]es. The rooms are dated and the plastic lining on the beds super uncomfortable. Our room was upgraded and okay except the mold and ants. The lobby bar and evening entertainment was super easy and overall it was a terrific vacation. I met a lot of repeat clients and would consider returning a third time especially if the pool is improved. Thank you to the patient kind staff.

Memories Jibacoa: Memories Jibacoa

Taste of Paradise We arrived at Jibacoa at midnight, but didn’t not see what was awaiting us until the next morning. What a site for winterized eyes to see! From our balcony to the left was the blue Caribbean sea and to the right was a large structure to be explored. It didn’t take long before we explored our new vacation site. What a discovery – a swimming pool the size of football field- a stage for entertainment- a games room—shops for souvenirs or spirits- a main dining room steps f [... read more]rom the inviting lobby and bar- the high ceiling gave us a sense space. On the way to the dining room was the activities board which kept us up to date on things to do from 9 to 4:30: Walking club, swimming and aqua fitness, Spanish lessons, dance lessons etc. All yours to choose or ignore. The grounds were so well planned and groomed with many Bougainvillaea bushes in full bloom. The clean and sandy beach was a delight as was the nearby open-air restaurant where we feasted occasionally, the Piano Bar and other restaurants kept us on the go day and night. We were pleased with the size of our room and bathroom. From the first day to the two weeks that followed we were in a dream setting, working out in the gym, snorkeling in the sea, dancing every night to Cuban and Pop and Jazz music. Loved the Aqua show, the Opera and more. All of these events were supported by warm and caring Cubans. Meals offered a range of choices: breakfast menu included croissants with fruit and fabulous omelets created by a six- handed chef who managed to keep three burners going at once. Other meals were presented with much variety such as cheeses, spreads, juices including papaya and yogurt drink just to name a few. Main dishes such as chicken, turkey, ham, and beef stews and even rabbit were served. Veggies as well as soups were plentiful. For dessert the tastiest chocolate ice cream and numerous pastries. We appreciated the many restaurants and were entertained by talented musicians. We were delighted with Memories Jibacoa and hope to return at a future date. Naturally not all was perfect in Paradise. The air condition was too noisy and did not always give cool air (preventing a restful night). The balcony patio doors had no screens (no problem in the daytime, but at night mosquitos were a worry). Screens would help on cool nights and would save on electricity costs. All considered, we came home packed with wonderful Memories of Jibacoa.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great resort

Our week at this resort was not only relaxing but fully enjoyable from the facilities to the staff we will return and recommend it highly. The grounds are very clean and very well maintained, the beach was clean and raked daily, the drinks were good and bartenders always had a friendly smile on their face and a warm greeting..

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: A very nice relaxing vacation resort. We had a great week.

The resort is fairly small, which was ok with us. Regardless of where your room is, it's just a short walk to the beach. This was our first time in Cuba and we found that we enjoyed the resort and the country very much. The staff that we met and spoke with were all very friendly, and you get the feeling that they all really like the Canadian tourists and genuinely appreciate that we have chosen Cuba as our vacation destination. The buffet food was good, and there was good choice & variety ,but [... read more] of course some food items were there at every meal, but I think you get that to a certain extent at all of the all-inclusives. We tried out the French, Italian, Cuban and Japanese restaurants. All were very good and we enjoyed the food in each. The restaurant staff were excellent. The property itself is very nice. We did notice that some things do need upgrading, and minor repairs. Nothing major, or anything that upset us, but some of the walkways need repair, lights on the pathways need to be replaced, plaster on the buildings need repair & paint in some spots. The room we stayed in was just fine & comfortable for the week, although I wouldn't call it luxurious. You would normally see some better quality furniture in a 5 star resort, and it had a few scrapes & scratches but again, it didn't bother us at all. We were there to enjoy the beach / weather and country, not to stare at the furniture. The patio door and screen door didn't function well, but who knows where they sourced them from. Beautiful beach, and a beach bar nice and close were both enjoyable features. Excellent entertainment. It seemed as if there was a live Cuban band or a show of some sort at every meal! And they are all very good performers, and have some lovely harmonies. We really enjoyed the music & shows.

Hotel Los Cactus: Really Enjoyed it!

This resort was a wonderful experience! We met and had a blast with people from all over the staff were absolutely helpful and gracious to my husband and I friends included! Met a couple that have returned to this resort for 20 years We loved the shows as well I would recommend it to all our friends 😍 thanks Kathy Stone

Resonance Blu Varadero: Nice resort but not worth what we paid.

As expected the beach was beautiful. Never had any issues finding a decent spot. The beach bar however closed down at 4pm and started running out of stock fairly early. The pools were decent but like the beach bar it also closed early, around 6:00. We found it strange that the adult outdoor entertainment(live music and dancing) began at 7-8 followed by kids entertainment 8-9. Shouldn't it be the other way around. Theater entertainment was average and nothing much going on after that. Food was b [... read more]etter than expected with good variety. Overall it was a relaxing resort but if you're looking for night life entertainment you may want to look elsewhere. This place seems to aim more towards younger families.

Starfish Jibacoa: Wonderful Week at Jibacoa

It was our second trip to Villas Jibacoa and our sixth trip to Cuba. Room was good, housekeeping did a fantastic job. Grounds were well taken care of with beautiful flowering bushes. Pool area was great with the beautiful palm trees and hill in the background. Always lounge chairs available. Good burgers at the snack bar. Enjoyed snorkeling and hiking right at the resort. Buffet was adequate.

Barcelo Solymar: Wonderful Resort

This was our first trip to Cuba, It took me quite awhile before I had decided on a resort to stay in, The Barceló Solymar was everything the pictures said it was. The resort is a little dated, but the staff more than makes up for it. We met some amazing people while we were there. Everything was clean and well kept. The staff from the gardener to the front desk were great. cant wait to go back and see some of the people that we met.