Hotel Bella Costa: Good resort

Grounds such as flower beds were not done.. Entrance and lounges were very nice. Dining had lots of variety. Fruit quality was poor.Staff was attentive ,freindly, well dressed. Good variety of entertainment. Rooms were clean but old.

Grand Memories Varadero: Disappointed resort

The resort was run down a little. The cafeteria cleaningness was disappointed. Beach was fantastic other than having to fight for a long chair. Bars were great and service overall was good. Didn t qualify as a 4.5 stars.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Fantastic even the second time

Once again we were greeted with smiles at the iberostar Laguna azul. Our room was fantastic all that we wanted with a view of the main pool and the ocean on the horizon. The only change for the room would be a new bed but other than that is was always super clean. Our Chamber maid always kept the room super clean and everyday more fantastic towel art. The buffet was good with a lot of selection with my favorite being the station where they cook up small pieces of beef and chicken while you wait. [... read more]..so good. The à la carte restaurants need to be made more accessible with more people taking the booking requests we only managed to book two out of three after standing in line for almost an hour and they were both for 9pm sittings. The foam party gets everyone going and is so much fun in the main pool. All in all, this is a great resort with great people in Cuba

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Lovely small resort

Resort was kept very neat and tidy, everything clean. Everyone we encountered was very polite, friendly, and helpful. Food was far better than expected and experienced before in Cuba. Would definitely NOT book privileged class as the extra charge not worth what you get. We had no problem getting into the restaurants. Entertainment in evening would be the only low rating.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: fantastic resort

this was the resort i have been waiting for! when i arrived at the entrance i was impressed and also when dealing with the hotel staff they always had a smile. the rooms were very nice and well furnished and the food was excellent! when we were there we ate langouste every day with no extra charge and let me just say there was plenty of activities at this hotel! this is a excellent choice for vacation and i will surely return 😎

Resonance Blu Varadero: Best overall resort

The resort was perfect. Drinks were great, rooms were good, and the food was good. They know what they're doing, I didn't get a hangover once. Rooms had air conditiong, a mini fridge, and two spacious beds. Room service was done every morning and we were not afraid at all with leaving our belongings. The lady that tidied our room up was very nice and we had complete trust in her. The food was great in Cuban standards. I had the fish almost daily, freshly cooked right in front of my eyes. We als [... read more]o checked out the restaurants; Japanese and Cuban. They were both delicious and the Portion in the Cuban restaurant is enough to feed a family. The staff were very friendly, the boss is very genuine. We were very outgoing, we made friends with almost everyone in every age bracket. The staff was amazing, really took care of us and we talked to them like we were Cubans. We made friends from the upper management all the way to the nightly security guards. Honestly great people, treat them with respect. Their jokes make you have an ab workout. The people you meet down there is from every part of the globe; Russian, France, UK, Canada, US. Great people all around. However we outdrinked all of them. Genuine fun loving people! Overall the resort is great! It's big, tons of stuff to do, snack bar is open 24/7 with selected choices. The beach is just captivating, you can see the stars in clear view anywhere. I will make a trip back soon PS: make sure to leave the resort and enjoy Cuba to its fullest extent. I went during a university break and it's not overcrowded.

Sol Varadero Beach: Good place

Its a good 3 1/2 stars hotel. Amazing Entertainment! Evenings show was beyond our expectation. The beach is just simply the best. This is why we coming back to Cuba. Food and service is average. Hotel needs renovation and updates of beds and bedding.

Club Kawama: Pleasantly surprised

Resort was lovely, superior room was great, food was good, pool and beach wonderful. Some tweeking needed in all areas, and priced accordingly. Would recommend. Nice to getaway from the snow and cold for a week.

Palma Real: The Perfect Blend

This was our first trip to Cuba and our first stay at an all inclusive. We were told, 'travel to Cuba for the people and the beaches but not for fancy rooms or dining'. From the moment we landed the hospitality of the Cuban people was outstanding. They were warm, personable, and helpful. The hotel staff, Cuban shop owners and anyone we passed on the street was genuine in their desire to ensure we enjoyed their Cuba. The water was clear, the beaches clean and never over crowed. We were impr [... read more]essed with the level of respect shown to the beach and other beach goers. A book or pair of glasses placed on a lounge chair was enough to show it was occupied. Personal music and conversations were kept appropriate and within a group. The space was made for all to enjoy. An impressive accomplishment given the variety of cultures, age groups and personalities that were in attendance. As for the hotel and food. The 'warning' we were issued for friends and visitors was moderately accurate. The state of the hotel as not pristine and the food not extraordinary. But the entire hotel was clean, our room comfortable with air conditioning, hot water and a tv with English speaking channels. There was a wide variety of food for both those who wanted to be adventurous and those who wanted to play it safe. There was casual dining and quieter more intimate options. We were never hungry. The layout of the hotel was excellent. There were two pool areas. One that offered games and music the other, on the other side of the resort, allowed for quiet readying or resting. This is a family resort so the pools were closed at 6pm which seems early but guests either lounged in the main lobby or walked into town. We never heard a complaint about it. We were also surprised that despite the 24 hour bar the atmosphere remained family friendly. Our only struggle on the whole trip was with the flights, delayed both directions. The fight out of Toronto boarded on time, pulled from the gate but during checks found that a battery needed to be replaced. The crew was apologetic and prompt in the repair. As someone who does not enjoy flying I did not mind the delay as I figure the best time to discover a faulty part is on the tarmac prior to take off. The return flight was also delayed but the reason was not disclosed. On the whole we will defiantly be returning to Cuba, and Hotel Palma Real many times in the future.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Disappointing

This being our 7th time visiting a resort in Cuba (the first for this one), the two areas we were disappointed with most at this resort the food and the service. Both were not in line with would be considered "5 star" even by Cuba's standards. The staff overall seemed less helpful, happy, and friendly than what I have experienced previously. Food was questionable (canned vegetables at the buffet as one example) and ordered food was not what you expect (a margherita pizza was a cheese pizza with  [... read more]dried herbs sprinted on it and and order of bourbon was more like whiskey). The restaurants were good (especially the French one and the Japanese). We took a trip over to see the Royal Service side and it was like a whole different resort!! We did the Miramar and the food there, while good, what in very small portions.

Hotel Los Cactus: Great resort

Fourth time at this resort and in spite of the transition to new management it is as good as ever. Beautiful grounds and beach. Rooms are comfortable, if a bit dated and the food is good. Staff are friendly and helpful. Clients reflect a good mix of age groups. I see a fifth visit in my future.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Beautiful Resort

Rooms and grounds were clean. Lots of options at the buffet. Easy access to the beach. 3 pool options. Most staff very friendly and helpful although the feel of the resort was not as upbeat as our stay 3 years ago. Nevertheless we will quite likely return there again

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Paradise!

Excellent resort. Clean, friendly staff, good food. I am returning later this month! Renos are almost done and they are very discreet with the construction. Rooms are beautiful. No complaints whatsoever. Best resort I've been to in Cuba.

Grand Memories Varadero: nice place

the grounds are well kempt. The pools(2)are beautiful though only 4 ft deep at the deepest. finding loungers was no problem , finding a shady spot a bit difficult at times. My room was nicely located about a minutes walk from the pool , over looking adjacent hotel buildind across, the pool to my far left and tennis courts to my right. I am pleased with my room, although I really don't have much experience with hotel rooms. Climate control, I think , was exceptional: the room adjusted temp very q [... read more]uickly. Very nice bathroom, lots of very hot water in a huge tub with supplied bubble bath. Nice towels, a bar of soap that lasted my entire stay(no waste),and nice sink on large counter. they had a 120 volt plug in for the hair dryer - suitable for charging devices vrs a 240 volt adapter.The washroom was kept clean as was the room -my maid was quite attentive although having my fridge and bar stocked was most easily done by myself relatively cheaply at the resort store eg: $3 for a bottle of rum, $1 for a can of beer. The food was better than expected , wide variety, well cooked, no unpleasantries after. The coffee was quite good to.A good practice is to stay near a washroom for an hour after eating or coffee. Sit down, relax, enjoy Service was spotty:very good and not so good. Tipping helped, tho not always The excursions were quite remarkable ( coming from a novice) and were also very good value before the exchange rate. People are friendly and mostly sociable. Tour Guides and Vacation Reps are well suited to their jobs and are very helpful and pleasant. The resort beach was very nice, tho I heard loungers and shade were hard to find earlier in the day- mid morning. I would arrive about 3pm and be able to use 2 loungers -1 in the sun, 1 in the shade. Be careful and be sure the lounger you select is not broken and will hold you weight. Entertainment nightly and thruout the resort although I mostly did not participate as I would be in bed early due to an eventful day or a venue the next.I guess you could say I enjoyed a quiet stay.

Grand Memories Varadero: Save your money go elsewhere

Beach was good, however the rest needs improvement. Been to Cuba three times and Varadero before, however building we stayed at had no hot water whole week. Had to corner the cleaner on fifth day to get clean towels ( only hand towels available). Washrooms almost never have toilet paper, seats, and only one of five sinks works, and no paper to wipe hands (hand dryer never works) Much open wiring everywhere you look, as things break, they don't get fixed. Bar service good, reception service at n [... read more]ight rude after flight was cancelled had to stay extra night. Given card keys that wouldn't work, had to keep walking back in rain 3 times to reception to tell them cards not working, finally they called maintenance guy who got us into the temporary room around 3:00am, spent next hour trying to sleep with all the mosquitos in the room. Left next day, only to find that the bed was infested with Bed Bugs, now trying to exterminate them from the house, probably have to call a professional as they are extremely difficult to get rid of. Beach was nice. Food the usual Cuban food that has little flavour, wine is acidic - don't bother drinking it. Stay at a different resort, this one is too big and has too many problems that are not getting fixed, just like Havana which is literally crumbling to the ground - too bad. Don't normally complain, but it was just one thing after another at this resort.

Club Tropical: My Return-to Choice

This was our second stay at Club Tropical (Feb 2016 and Feb 2017) We love the small size (no lineups) and being "right on the beach". We were in 3302 (the main building) The beds were comfortable, the bathroom was restocked every day (toilet tissue and towels) Every toilet I used had a toilet seat. On our 3rd day we moved to one of the apartments as the other couple with us had mobility/health issues and the 3rd floor was too much for them. We were in 3109 and 3110. We had stayed in an apar [... read more]tment last year and knew they were in greater need of a renovation. The beds were not as comfortable and the AC was too loud to use. Our fridge was not working well either. None of these things were big issues as we were right on the beach (5 feet away) and we spent most of our time outdoors. The food was fine- I usually went for the same menu items- boiled egg, toast and fruit, chicken, salad and rice, and fish, salad and rice. I don't find any flavor in the pasteries - they look good, but always a disappointment when bitten into. I have found this to be the same all over Cuba. There was always ice cream. There are always choices. The cleaning maid (Mercedes) was always appreciative of the various gifts left on the bed. She had not seen a potato masher before. Staff and other guests remembered us as we did they. Some folks have been coming there for 2 decades. We had only one issue. At times when the bar staff were asked to change a 3CUC or a 5CUC we would receive only 2 or 3 CUC in return. I won't name names....just watch what you get. It is your choics as to when and how much you tip. The location is great - the bus stops right across from Tropical. We walked down in the direction of Kawarma and saw that the bus makes few trips down that way. I was there for the beach, water and sunshine. There was an abundance of all 3. I got more than my money's worth!

Sol Palmeras: Pleasant Surprise!

Our party of 5 spent a week. My third time to Cuba, first in Varadero. This was by far the best. Resort, pool and beach are outstanding. The a la carte menus were quite good. Most staff very accommodating and grateful for any tips or gifts. I wish I had taken more basics to pass on. Toothpaste, floss, toothbrushes, disposable razors, deodorant.....you name it, anything we take for granted is a luxury for these folks, so be sure to pack extra! We took two trips outside the resort. Day trip to Hav [... read more]ana was a long haul but our tour guide Reuben was outstanding. I learned a tonne that day and am eager to research more. Worth it! We took a cab into Varadero to an open air market, also worth it, less pressure to buy souvenirs than at the Havana flea market (yikes!!). Rooms were very clean, larger than expected, only complaint were rather hard beds. Weather was the best, don't hesitate to stay at Sol Palmeras. One caution, if you have mobility issues be sure you are booked appropriately. We had a 10-15 minute walk from our bungalow to the pool/main resort area. I quite enjoyed it but it can be a hoof, for little ones or older folks.

Melia Las Antillas: Beautiful resort

We would rate the resort with four stars. The grounds were beautiful, the rooms comfortable with a great view to the pool and grounds area. The two level setup for the room was good but a railing to go down the two steps would have helped the elderly. Two of the three restaurants were good, the buffet reasonable. The personnel were amazing. We would go there again.

Melia Marina Varadero: Apartment or Hotel?

To our surprise, not realizing what was booked, we were shuttled one kilometre away from the Hotel to an apartment time share. After complaining to the manager he gave us a room on the main floor at the actual Hotel, after which we were pleasantly surprised. Food , entertainment, hotel staff and accommodations were all 5 star. We had a blast! Great choice!!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: do not used the a/c full of mould

I got sick from the mould on my second day there, went to the doctor & had to pay cash of 400.00, I only had 2 days to enjoy myself first & last, our maid was great, food was all right, we had plenty of hot water, toilet paper & towels,