Starfish Varadero: Resort that needs lots of TLC

To make this review as honest as possible and concise I would seriously not recommend at this time this hotel. The Starfish hotel is an old hotel built in 1998 and was just bought last august 2016 from a new Cuban administration. It seems to be in a transition much improvement and renovation is needed. Seems to have been neglected for some time. If we were to score the hotel out of 10 and being fair to our week stay we would give a score of 2/10 if we would have had to stay in the room we w [... read more]ere given upon arrival. We were sent to what seemed an abandon section of the hotel. There was no adequate lighting in the hallways, Hallways where cluttered with all sorts of debris all over the floor. Our room did not smell good and was filthy and had important mold issues in the area of the bathroom. Furniture was outdated and dirty, Patio door and window rail was very dirty. Beds where very uncomfortable, walls badly stained and very dirty. Walls needed fresh painting. Next morning we asked to see our Air Canada guide ( Miguel) and the manager of the resort to explain that we were not satisfied and wanted to be upgraded to another section with better rooms and well-lighted hallways. We explained that this was not acceptable for a 3 star hotel. The manager at first refused and stated that we were at a 3-star hotel and this is what we can expect from a 3 star. I then showed the manager pictures I took of the room and outside hallway and broken tiles here in there which was dangerous for foot injuries. The manager after an hour came back after seeing all the pictures and said that they were going to upgrade us to a bungalow (condo like) outside the resort close to the beach at no cost under the condition that we signed a formal document that we would delete all pictures taken of the room in order not to put them on the web which we complied too. (STILL HAVE SOME OF THE PICTURE). Public restroom alongside of the snack bar had no lighting at night and flooring tiles where broken and dangerous. The faucets in most public restroom were broken or missing. No paper toilet holders in public restrooms and most of the time there was any available. Men's washroom in the main lobby had 1 urinal working out of 3. Some toilet seats where simply missing and unclean to use. Stall doors most of them had no locks or broken both in men and women restroom. We are not too fussy when it comes to food so we rate the food as good and plentiful good variety of fruits and vegetable. Fish and meat present all week and deserts simply good and abundant. You will see no fancy presentation very simple lighting at the buffet. Nice warm lighting or table candles would make such a difference. Buffet windows and railings very dirty and needs cleaning. Birds always present in buffet area. Not to good when eating and seeing bird droppings. Animation was fine and adequate at all times. The vegetation of the resort is really nice and mature but buildings around the resort needs renovation and upgrades. Staff is very polite and try to accommodate guest the best they can. In all, once we were relocated we rate our stay at a 6 or 7 /10 and I give this rating because of the fantastic weather we had at the beach all week otherwise, if had to stay more often at the resort because of bad weather we would rate our stay differently. During the week we talked to other Canadians staying at the hotel and heard that many complained of the facility in general and of their rooms. Many asked to be relocated who were located in the same wing we were when we first arrived and some had to pay for an upgrade to be relocated. Staff and supervisor during the week prior too many complaints were going around and taking surveys of guests. They were asking what they most liked and disliked during their stay. We were told the survey came because of numerous complaints and management wanted to improve their service and offer a memorable stay at the resort. This resort should not rent any rooms in the left wing of the hotel in our opinion. It’s needs serious renovations and gives a bad reputation to the hotel.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Don't go

I have never been so disgusted. This was suppose to be a trip in memory of my parents that have passed away, I used my inheritance to share a trip with my children and grandchildren, which was their grandchildren and great grandchildren. For a trip that cost almost $10,000.00 very very upset, a place that says its a 4-5 star what is told about resort not true, I would say it's a 1 star. To start off with there was over $400.00 price drop for each person which the price drop was included in our  [... read more]package, we are only getting $220.00 back each. Now this is what happened on our trip - when we 1st got there we got wrong room for My husband and I, we had diamond club and got a room with 3 beds in it, so we had to get a new room - diamond club what a joke wasn't treat any different - My son and his girlfriends 1st room was full of bugs, 2nd room bathroom full of mold, so on their way to 3rd room maid accused them of stealing a beach towel, their 3rd room bed springs coming threw - treated like shit when they went and and complained, would ask for bottled water and was told they never had any, she has IBS so she needed it - Daughter and her husbands bed was like a board, they only had towels for 2 people and there was 4 in their room, twice they never even got towels after they cleaned their rooms - My husband and I had 3 days of the maid only making our bed because there was still sand in between the sheets -food was beyond terrible, the hot food was ALL cold at all meals even the a la carts, only the Japanese was hot and that's only because they cook in front of you, the pancakes were so cold I put them in the toaster and would still come out cold - very rude staff in all, except at the a la carts -My husband and I never got any more special treatment in our rooms for being diamond club -Son and girlfriend had their room missed twice for cleaning - Toopy and Beno only their 1 day and that was scheduled, which was suppose to be twice that day, and that ended up up only being once, Bernstein bears not even there (they were to be there all the time on website) -luggage got oil on it from plane - my luggage the hard plastic for it on inside was all broken -lunch by 2pm was pretty much taken away if you could eat it -snack bar wouldn't serve us at 4:10pm, sign said 10:00am-4:30pm -resort ran out of beer on Sunday for a little while -everyone got the diarrhea, 3 of us got diarrhea and even took Dukoral -good thing we took lots of snacks cause that's pretty much what we ate, my poor grandchildren had to eat bread and bananas for a week -would be told no bananas go back up and there would be some -My son and his girlfriend was suppose to have something for their birthdays never got anything - toilet wouldn't flush out poop, not good when you have Diarrhea -My daughter and her husband had cigarette butts coming up their bathroom sink drain, they don't smoke -2 of the rooms never had fridge stocked Extremely Disappointed on this trip, and what a terrible experience for my son and his girlfriend this was their first ever trip. I will never return or recommend this resort.

Melia Varadero: Going back home!

This was our second time at the Melia Varadero and it will not be the last. It is clean, spacious and most of all the staff give their 150%. The food is good, the atmosphere is magical. What a place!

Grand Memories Varadero: Grand Memories Varadero:

This resort is being promoted and sold to customers by travel agencies alike as being a 4.5 Star. Very untrue.These resorts should be inspected periodically for example."every 2 years" prior to travel agents selling them to the general public so they are priced based a true star ratings. This resort does not barely make a 3 star at best. This wasn't just my opinion. There were many patriots that also was at the same resort that shared the very same opinion. Large volume of dissatisfied customers [... read more]. Here are just a few examples: 1.No hot water for entire stay. 2.No face cloths for entire stay. 3.With out bath towels at times. 4.Septic odor continuously while A/C running in our room. 5.Room safe not anchored for theft. 6.Supposingly hot meals cold almost daily. 7.Main swimming pool had no water circulation for entire stay. 8.Main pool had buckets of crystal chlorine dumped in the pool by workers rather than put into proper chlorine dispensers for gradual dissolving. 9.Cats and dogs roaming inside and outside coffee shops etc.

Brisas Del Caribe: Fifth time a charm

I have been coming to this resort since 2011. It never ceases to amaze me, especially given the minimal trade agreements Cuba has with the United States this country still is able to ensure its visitors have a great vacation. My daughter and I stayed at Brisas del Caribe February 4 to February 9, 2017. We both celebrated our birthdays there. We had an amazing suite 405 which had 1 1/2 bathrooms a living room and a beautiful jacuzzi in our bedroom. Our maid Mily was amazing. Always smiling wh [... read more]en we saw her she kept our room spotless. We loved our towel art everyday. The food was the best it's every been. In the morning you could get omelettes in two different areas one in the dining room and one outside in the outside seating area. I loved going to Jorge in the dining room because his singing while making the eggs made me smile. We had fruit smoothies and enjoyed different cheeses and lots of different breads, rolls and buns. Lunch was wonderful with the outdoor grill cooking shrimp and differed fish. I loved the basa and cod in the grill as well as the shrimp. It was lovely. What wasn't lovely was the greedy Russians that demanded numerous plates of shrimp and weren't satisfied with the regular portions the chef was giving out. However the chef accommodated the Russians because they aim to please. It caused the line to take a long time to move. Vincent was our waiter and he was attentive and polite. We really loved him and tried to always sit in his area. He brought a birthday cake for my daughter on her birthday. His service is top notch and we will always seek him out when we go to the buffet. Cathy at the Seafood al a carte was really good as well. The food at the Seafood Restaurant was really good and we were able to eat there twice during our stay. Cathy took care of us both times. We both had massages. I wanted Emilia to do my massage this time but when I went to approach her she was quite unpleasant and unsmiling so I booked my massage with Mayelin. I had my massage in the gardens and found Mayelin really knew what she was doing. She made me feel fantastic and I loved the face massage I got at the end of my massage. I liked the smell of the lotion she used on my face. Her hands were strong and she made my body feel really good. I think she is a new masseuse at Brisas and she is a definite asset to the Brisas team. My daughter had a male masseuse I think his name was Rahid. She had the massage at the gym and she loved the ambience with the music and the soothing sounds. My daughter said Rahid did a great job and made her feel fantastic. The cost was 25 CUC for 30 minutes or 45 CUC for 60 minutes. What truly made our vacation was the Anamacion team. Bebe to me is the biggest asset Brisas del Caribe has. She ensures every guest has a great time at Brisas. You can tell Bebe loves her job. Her happy non stop smile is contagious and makes you want to participate. Her dance lessons were one of the highlights to our daily activities and we also enjoyed the music trivia, bingo and Spanish lessons. The dance lessons were so much fun. I learned so much. Yasniel and Yenli were new staff to us however when we left they were like old friends. I loved their non stop enthusiasm and desire to ensure the guests were enjoying themselves. Margarita is so good with the children and I watched her children's fashion show that really made the children proud of themselves in their really great outfits. The magic show for the kids was fun for the children too. You can tell Margarita loves her job and loves the kids. Yenli was helping Margarita and I also saw how much she enjoyed being around the children. One Anamacion staff was not really pleasant. He made fun of one if the guests over the microphone while the man was playing one of the games. He called the guest an idiot or said he was dumb. I never saw this staff member smiling and I know he doesn't like his job. His name is DiDi - Diosdado. I was unimpressed with him. Juan Miguel took care of us at the pool bar. His service was impeccable. One issue..the pool bathrooms get dirty during the day and run out if soap and toilet paper. Staff needs to be diligent in cleaning the bathrooms during the day numerous times. Staff have so little in life they make what most of us make in an hour in a month working 6 days per week. 18 CUC isn't a lot. If you are happy with the service give them a tip. Most staff aren't looking for a tip but appreciate it so much. Would I return to Brisas del Caribe? Yes in a heartbeat. I've been all over the world but I still love coming to Brisas. This was my daughters first visit here and I think she is hooked. She's already asked when we are booking again. Thank you Brisas for this very amazing vacation.

Hotel Los Cactus: Good Value for the Price

For the price we paid this was a pretty great value. The hotel grounds were spacious but not so big that it would take us a long time to get to where we needed to go. We LOVED the hot tubs by the pool, and that you could always find a lounge chair either at the pool or at the beach. There were never any long waits at the bars to get drinks which was a bonus! But the long lines at the buffet were very frustrating. The food was what you'd expect for Cuba but the hotel could really re-think the [... read more] layout of the buffet. It didn't make sense to have to wait in line behind people having their pasta made to get the meat grill, some evenings we were in line for up to 30 mins waiting to get food. A couple of mornings I had to wait for coffee in the lobby bar (which was the only place to get coffee before 7:30 am) which I found off putting. I'm not sure why there wouldn't be coffee ready to be made in the mornings. As coffee lovers we found that only the lobby (or coffee bar) had decent coffee, the coffee made at the pool bar or with meals at the buffet were not drinkable. Hot water with some steamed milk. A la carte's were great and a welcome change from the buffet food and waits we experience there!

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Good & not so good...

This was a perfectly typical Cuban experience.... The physical plant as a unit was impressive. The buildings and grounds were well kept....but the devil was in the details. Our unit [21] had outdoor stairs. The main lights in the stairwells remained unlit for the entire week, being illuminated [thankfully] by emergency lights. I reported this asap and upon encountering a group of maintenance people on scene....I pointed...yelled and did everything I could to communicate the situation with no  [... read more]results. Our room was spacious and clean with a minimum number of bugs...however! We couldn't turn on the heat. The room was quite chilly overnight. Big drawback was the beach itself. It was bisected by a steep bank which ran the entire length. Not a problem for the young and agile but we are not young and agile.We spent most of our 'sunning' time by a very nice swimming pool. There was no washroom readily available. We ended up peeing in the ocean! I'm sure we weren't the only ones! Staff were attentive and friendly. They get an 'A'. We tipped a ton and were happy to do it. The food gets a B. A final [minor] issue. Beach towels were not always available and management told us if we didn't return them they would grab our passports! Duh! Would we book again? No....the big issue being the beach. Next year....the big island! Cathy & David.....

Hotel Bella Costa: Great resort

The food was great. The room was clean. Beach was beautiful. Since this was my friend's 7th return visit back to the same resort - they should return to previous policy of extra perks for returning guests: golf passes, etc. More chairs needed in the outside lobby area.

Grand Memories Varadero: Sun wing terrible

Vacation started like this payed for pee boarding seat section. .extra 60 dollars then at airport asked I'd we wanted elite seating payed another 30 each for exactly dame seating sunwing should be ashamed of them sells. .grand memories hotel well let's say not good fought to get clean towels 3 people in room with one bottle of water one can of sign and one beer for three people no service at pool can't find staff this is not my first trip to cuba maybe my 12 love the people food culture will go  [... read more]again but not with sunwing

Grand Memories Varadero: Grand Memories Vacation

My hubby and I just got back Feb 19th and I must say I was afraid to read all other reviews that where bad about this hotel. First thing first : this is Cuba! be thankful you have sun and nice people around you. everyone is really nice at this hotel and always greeting you as walk the paths. My room had running hot water and the air conditioner worked perfect. The intertainment team was fantastic with always something to do. The beaches are clean and very nice. This hotel is big with lo [... read more]ts of pools and bars to see and drink at. The food was "ok" but that is not why we went to cuba for..Bring Salt and pepper with you and you will be fine. The weather was fantastic and the grounds kept clean. I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a good time. age group is more 20-45 due to lots of walking to get to different destinations. Havana was fantastic to see as well. Thumbs up to the staff at this hotel for sure!! Cheers. MJ

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Super Resort!

What a super resort in Cuba. The grounds were very well maintained (neat and clean). Staff were extremely friendly. The room itself was acceptable. The cleaning staff were beyond great. What was amazing... was the food (which I know is suppose to be uncommon in Cuba) - huge selection every day of not only North American food, but also I was able to taste lots of Cuban dishes - which I loved.

Hotel Los Cactus: great resort

The hotel was very good the ground were well maintains ground keepers friendly and worked hard. Our room was clean and all the staff helpful and friendly and very polite. The food was plentiful and a good variety.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Could have done better!

This was our second stay at this facility. The in-room coffeemakers have not worked in two years in four different rooms. The A/C on the West side of building 5 did not work despite requests for 4 days to fix it. Everything in our room was damp and stank of mold/mildew. We were invited to the Royal Service section for dinner. The dinner ended up overshadowed by the 1.5 inch cockroach in the washroom. Forget getting decent liquor. The Lobby Bar, Corona Bar and Piano Lounge were consistently out o [... read more]f Bailey's. Crown Royal was only available in the Royal section. The beds are hard and the pillows way too soft. The employees are really nice for the most part.

Hotel Los Cactus: Amazing trip with family

The resort can use some TLC. We had a amazing trip with family. I would suggest that if you need to use the restroom often this is not the best resort. No washrooms near the pool area with out going down some stairs. And they don't have any facecloth or hand towels in the rooms. Other then that I would go back to this resort.

Blau Varadero: Fantastic resort

Hotel was amazing. it is very clean and well maintained. It wasn't loud it was peaceful. Lots of things to do like shopping, snorkelling, sailing, swimming, bus tours. Food was great, we were told bad things about the food but were greatly surprised. The staff were friendly and always ready to serve. There was always activities going on every day. Rooms were beautiful and the cleaning staff were amazing.

Villa Tortuga: Good holiday

This is an older hotel and needs some repairs, our door was almost falling off its hinges and we had a problem with bugs. The grounds were very well kept and the beach was amazing! Most of the staff were very friendly except for one bartender and one of the women on the front desk. No issues with the food, plentiful and good. As always in Cuba there is a shortage of toilet paper so bring lots. Not likely to return to this resort but would go back to Cuba.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: good resort

I loved the food! The staff are very friendly and the rooms are good as well. My only complaint is the lack of bars! The last time I stayed at this resort there was also a bar out near the pool, which would be open later in the evening. This bar was closed, ( for renovations perhaps?) which left only one bar in the lobby, which closed too early. There were usually lineups there, and not enough waiters for the sitting areas, which were quite often full of guests, sipping their drinks.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Winter Warm Up

The hotel was old and on the verge of being well maintained. The lobby was very large and well maintained. Other areas like public walk ways and patio areas needed holes to be fixed and light bulbs to be replaced. Our room was large, very quiet, and VERY clean, however there were no lampshades on any of the light fixtures. The bathroom was remodeled and kept clean daily. The hallway going to the room was poorly lit at night (needed light bulbs changed) and needed a coat of paint. The gardens wer [... read more]e well kept and had a good variety of plants. The beach was amazing as we had four calm days for a good time in the surf. The food was hit and miss as we expected from previous visits to Cuba. The general feel of this property was that it is a four star status on the turning point of being a four and a half or five star resort.

Palma Real: Great Resort

Their staff are amazing. Nothing is too much to them. The lady at the beach bar remembers everyone's name. The front desk is available and polite with everyone. Because the resort is not right on the beach they make up in so many different ways. I'll keep going back.

Melia Las Americas: Great resort for golf and fun

Had a great time. It was our first time there and was quite surprised with all. It is older resort but gave us all we wanted. While we were there minor touch ups we're happening . Staff very nice,room clean. We plan to return to play some more golf. .