Not Happy

To be fair in this review we had one day of good weather the second was a torrential rainstorm and cold weather the rest of our week. 2pm in the afternoon was the only time I could don a bathing suit. The rest of the time I wore pants and the thick sweatshirt I flew down in. Early December is not the time to go to Cuba. Now the resort : We have been to Cuba 6 times and have always loved it but this was the worst. Food was terrible, bread dried out hot food chef was young inexperienced [... read more] and couldn't care less. The hotel is sadly in need of updating. We stayed in 2602. Nice large room but right above the main stage which is placed right at the centre of the hotel so everyone hears the night show whether you want to or not. Front desk people were kind and we changed our room 3 times finally upgrading to the main hotel for 85.00 Cdn which was good since we stayed in the room to keep warm every night. No heat in the room so we turned on all the lights and tv and volume to heat the room. Drinks tasted like sweet water with alcohol added. All in all the worst experience in Cuba ever

Be live Experience Varadero

I think this is a hotel where you really get value for your dollar. The room (in the hotel) was great, clean and a wonderful view from the balcony. The food was good. The pool was great and the ocean in walking distance. The beach was clean. The staff was great and helpful. The resort was clean. That is why it was the 4th time I have been to this hotel. Regards, Nicole W.

Awesome experience!!!

Firstly I'd like to thank Janet Merrill at Tripcentral for hooking us up with a great deal for our first time in Cuba :-) . I highly recommend the Be Live Varadero Experience for a stay in Varadero . The staff wen't above and beyond to make our stay memorable and enjoyable . The food was absolutely delicious and the music was uplifting . The beach is a dream !!! I'm already planning to take my wife and kids there for Christmas 2017 and so is my friend who went with me on this last trip. Than [... read more]ks again Janet , we'll be chatting soon.

Wonderful peoples but...

This hotel is 19 years old and in desperate need of love. The employees are very nice and will do a lot to accommodate you. The food is not the best but was very decent. This hotel should be a 2 stars in my opinion, i had to change rooms 3 times to find a correct one. The last room had everything working but one of the 2 beds was totally worned out. The shows at night are good and diversified the animation team are doing a good job. The beach is Varadero beach so they are superb :)

Love this resort!!

I have been going to Be Live Experience Varadero since 2011 and I've never had issues there. The staff are very friendly and the resort is clean. One of the nicest beach I've ever seen. The food at the a la carte restaurant was amazing, the buffet was oky. The food at the buffet is good just repetitive. Will go back again and again.

Nice and sweet

Hotel was small. Room was decent but there were cockroaches and the drain system was terrible. The bath tub took forever to drain. And our toilet got clogged twice. Which was very disgusting. Food was 4/10.

Never going back to this resort again!

I will never book to go to this resort ever again. I travel to Cuba yearly in different resorts over the past 7 years, this place had us very disappointed in the lack of entertainment and staff friendliness. When we landed in Cuba and went to get on the shuttle bus to take us to the resort, the driver had no room for us because our names were not even on the list, they did accommodate us only because we put up a fuss and didnt want to get left behind. so 3 seats (which belonged to the staff [... read more]) where given up to us. Our air Transat rep didn’t even show up the next day (as the given times, and we waited 3 hrs) so we could book our excursions. and we could not book one as I didn’t even see Air Transat rep all week, we were very upset over this because apparently other reps can not help..so we have been informed.. The staff (except the waitresses in the restaurant) were very unpleasant. Almost like we are a bother to them! At one point the chef that was making our pancakes in the morning, made me feel so very uncomfortable, like I did something wrong by asking him where the maple syrup was; he gave back a very aggressive and ignorant answer " I said we look!!" myself and another traveler that was standing beside me both walked away and said we would wait for lunch. That was so rude!! The other chefs (all but one happy lady) seemed like they really didn’t want to be there, and they made it quite obvious they were unhappy. The Bar staff was the same. Our first 2 nights we asked for mojitos at the “Mojito Bar” and the response we got was just this “ No, No Mojito’s” finally we seen others have them so we got some. But every time we went to the bar we got served, but not without being made feeling like we owed them something. The entertainment was far to almost none. So Disappointing we got so bored that most nights we went back to the room and called it a night. It was honestly like staying at a retirement home for the week. The Grounds I will say were very well kept up, very beautiful. Snack bar open all day, and was better than the buffet. The beach was beautiful as always on Veradero beach. Our room was always kept clean, with clean towels daily. new AC so it was always a nice temp in the room. no complaints there. the beds were brand new mattresses, we watched them come in with new mattresses almost daily. Food Well lets face it.. we don't go to Cuba for the food, so I cant complain there; but what I can complain about is the fact it was just about the same things every day! like changing it up a bit wouldn't hurt..or even add a thing or two new daily. you get tired of seeing the same things day after day. Front desk staff were helpful and very kind. seemed to be willing to make their guests happy I will say that was pleasant. And at the end of our trip..we had no idea our flight was delayed so we sat in the lobby for hours waiting for a shuttle bus to take us to the airport, getting worried maybe we missed it by miss communication or something. but nope!! we were not getting picked up until late that night due to a flight delay in which not one person informed us of.. I had to call to find out myself. The front security person says to me " oh it right here on paper" NICE!!!! you see us sitting there for hours with our luggage and decide to then tell us WTH?? Overall Cuba is a beautiful place to vacation, I have always loved it and always enjoyed my resorts" all but this one!" we made the best of it and I will keep going back yearly, but will not be going back to this resort ever again. I will go where I know the staff is friendly, and they have things to do for us for entertainment.

Restful Vacation

We have stayed at this hotel many time. We enjoy the people and the close proximity to the town. Since it has been taken over by a different group renovations have started and many things have improved. It is not perfect but exactly what we are looking for

To "Be Lieve" or to "Be Alive"

Turns out it's neither. Cuba has chosen to Be Live as anything else would simply be fake. This is a simple yet huge resort. The hotel rooms are a lot nicer than the villas so Be Smart when booking. You will get variety with food but Be Aware it only applies to the location of the food. Be Generous with the staff and you will get more bang for your buck. Be tactful when walking over to the beach mini mines are abound. Be thoughtful and don't feed the cats. Be patient as things run on Cuba ti [... read more]me. Be amazed at the fun you will have.

Enjoyable place.

The two reservable restaurants counterbalanced the main dining room very well. An excellent place all in all. I would easily return for another vacation here. The name is a bit wonky, however, but what's in a name?

Worst Stay EVER!

The staff was rude , they locked us out of our room after we asked for a late check out and threaten myself and my husband, about keeping our passports and worst the room was full of bed bugs which we have photo proof of. I would like to speak to someone further about this as it was a VERY bad experience and I wouldn't suggest this place to ANYONE.

Great resort

This was my very first time ever booking an all inclusive trip. Let alone it was my first time to Cuba. I can say for sure I will definitely do it all again. The staff was great and the service was as well. On our second day at the resort my girlfriend and I asked to switch from the Villa house we were in to a hotel room itself. Not only did the staff do this free of charge but they met all our requests and gave us a third floor room overlooking the pool and ocean. I would definitely recommend t [... read more]his resort and location to any and all who are interested. For my first ever all inclusive trip, I can guarantee I will be booking with you guys again. The best part about this trip was the price. For the price we paid everything is worth it from the food at the resort to the restaurants as well as the service and cleanliness of the entire resort.

Nice last minute vacation at Be Live Experience Varadero

We booked a last minute vacation to Be Live Experience Varadero (formerly Villa Cuba) through Trip Central. I often book on-line but ended up calling and talking to agent Anne Bovingdon. She was great and the service through Trip Central was impressive. They were in frequent contact via e-mail prior to our visit and called the day after we returned to make sure everything was good with the flight and hotel. We arrived at the hotel early, around 11 am, so I knew we wouldn't be checking in to o [... read more]ur room right away. We stored our luggage and got a coffee then lunch. The fellow who helps with luggage was great and suggested we check back around 1:30. We did and he checked on the room and we were able to get in early, it was much appreciated. The beach is beautiful in Varadero. We usually were able to find a spot under a palapa or in the shade. It was usually more difficult in the mornings as people tended to reserve places by getting up early and placing their towels on chairs under palapas. We could usually find a place someone had reserved but was not using that was close enough to the palapa to offer shade. In the afternoon it was easier to find an empty palapa. We sat around the pool when the wind at the beach was so strong it was blowing the sand like waves. There was generally places available around the pool. We were in room 2627 and had a view of the water on the other side of the beach area. The room was newly decorated. Air conditioner worked fine. The maid Nery kept it clean and was a sweetie. We always had hot water, perhaps this had something to do with the time of day when we showered or that we generally had sunny weather. The only problems with the room was the water pressure wasn't the best and we ran out of soap and shampoo early on in the week. Buffet was fine, better than some and not as good as others. We always found something to eat and gained weight on the trip. The staff was great Roly was outstanding and we always sat in his section when he was working. We went to both a la carte restaurants. Book them on the second (I think) floor around 1:30. We had no problem booking them. Arletis, at Public Relations is who you book the a la carte restaurants through. She was great and seemed to be everywhere at the resort. We liked the Mariposa the best of the a la cartes. We ate most lunches at the Beach restaurant, La Sita. Juan Carlos Valdez was a great waiter there. It was relaxing to order off a menu, good food and if you were there at the right time, a good band. We also treated ourselves to a massage from Niurka. It was 20 CUC for 30 minutes and well worth it. Her co-worker Carlos runs the gym. Together they keep the area clean and inviting. This is also where the sauna is. We made two visits to the sauna. One was on our last day and offered a great place for a shower before our flight home. The staff at this hotel are special. We tipped but not excessive amounts. I found all the staff friendly and helpful at this resort, even the front desk, who are not always credited with being helpful or friendly. Tips: Bring your own soap and shampoo, it was a good thing I had my Lush shampoo bar to use as both. Also, if you like to read English books, bring two. I finished my book after a few days and assumed I would be able to exchange it for another book at the library by the Club House/Towel exchange. There was lots of books there, but none of them were English. I did manage to get one after a day or two. We will be back. Thank you for a great week. Room Tip: We liked the hotel rooms on the side away from the pool and beach. See more room tips

A very clean and friendly resort

Although you can see some deterioration in the villas, they are kept reasonably clean. I missed having a hair dryer but survived for a week. The food was good with quite a variety. The staff in all areas were friendly and helpful. If there was ever an issue, the staff tried to resolve it as soon as possible.

Great resort

Resort was great, was very big and had a good variety of food over all had a great time and would definently recommend this resort,it was close to markets and right on the beach, staff were very helpful and friendly

Be Live, Varadero - good experience

I was happy with the Be Live Resort. The villa rooms were not a spacious as I would have expected (but saw the villa room of another guest and it was very good on space). I was alone in a two bed room and that was OK but for two or more people tit would have been cramped. All the other resort amenities (pools, food, bars, beach, activities) were great. Would stay there again.

A very nice resort, very clean.

The resort is very clean and well looked after, some parts needing repair. Bathroom fixtures needing replacement in our room. Resturant's were very good, food was fresh and varied. All staff very friendly and helpful.

Resort of "Tomorrow"

This hotel needs to be renovated. I've heard that some suites already are, but the one we had was not. The ceiling was coming down in parts, the bathroom was quite dirty, and there was some type of ant infestation. When my wife and I asked for a different room, they responded with the word "manana" which means "tomorrow". The staff would continue this indefinitely unless you decide to get upset. They also gave us a room with two single beds even though they could clearly see that we were a coupl [... read more]e. When we requested a double, they responded with the usual "manana", or "joo come bak tomorrow, unkay?" The staff at many times can get very rude- for instance, in the cafeteria, there is a worker that cooks a few different types of meat for the customers. I witnessed the chef literally cook a piece of chicken for about 10 seconds on either side. The fellow who wanted it asked if the chef could please cook it longer, and the chef completely wigged out. He was yelling, swearing, pointing and was basically frothing at the mouth. Unprofessional behaviour, and everyone was shocked. I also had a few Cuban National Pesos that I tried to give to a barista at the coffee bar, and he basically threw it back in my face as it said that it was "nothing". I didn't see anybody else tip him, so I thought he would have appreciated it. I was wrong. Do not leave any items unattended, they will disappear really fast...And I mean fast, like "gone in 60 seconds". I brought my own hot sauce and it disappeared. The chef in the buffet tried convincing me that they threw it away, but I find that hard to believe. My wife's water bottle also mysteriously disappeared when she left for 2 minutes to go to the bathroom. The buffet food was absolutely atrocious! You will not see anybody in the dining room with a smiling face while eating this food. It gave me explosive diarrhea for about 3 days. There was so much water coming out of my behind that my wife thought that I was repeatedly flushing the toilet, but I wasn't! I was constantly bloated and very gassy. So gassy in fact, that it was impossible to hold in. My sphincter didn't have the strength to hold in so much compressed gas. After about 5 PSI, she gave way, and I found myself elevated off my chair by a few inches. A few days later, my wife got food poisoning and had diarrhea and vomiting concurrently, where she had to sit on the toilet and vomit into the garbage can. I met a about 5 other people at the resort, and they had a similar experience. The only good thing about the poor quality of the food is that you can meet tons of people at the buffet line because everyone was commenting about it. For instance, there was a dish there that was corn and beans that was impregnated into strawberry jello and sliced up. I met some Quebecois fellow that was brave enough to try it. He nicely reported back by stating that it was "very weird". The hours of the buffet are rather strange. Supper starts at 6:30 pm and ends around 9:30 or 10 pm. We were used to buffets being open all the time as people have schedules. Despite this, the beach bar was open, and served some basic snacks and rudimentary desserts. Be very careful about booking private tours to Havana. I asked our tour guide to take us to an authentic restaurant were Cubans eat. Instead, she took us to a westernized place that was extremely overpriced- around $30 USD or CUC per entree. There may be a cut for the people that bring you there, as my tour guide got very upset that we didn't eat there, even though we told her we didn't want to. You may want to stick to the bus that Sunwing provides. Also there is a fellow on the beach that will try to get you to go to the restaurant across the road- it's called Don Quixote. Very expensive and the person that recommends you will get a cut of this (he'll make you take a card with his number on it). It would be nice to be left alone on the beach so you can enjoy your day. All in all, we weren't impressed by the least. I stayed in Varadero 17 years ago, and since, then it appears to have gone downhill. It seems that they don't appreciate tourists and the money they bring into the country. We will be trying some place different next time. If you decide to book this hotel despite this review, then here are a few tips for you: 1. Take your own beach towel. If you lose theirs, they will charge you 15 CUC or $15 USD even though it may be at the resort. 2. Even though you have to declare it, take two way radios so you can communicate with people you travel with. We found this incredibly useful. 3. Rent a scooter from the resort next door, so you can drive around with some freedom. It's nice to get food from real Cuban restaurants in Santa Marta and Cardenas (not Varadero) so driving there is pretty neat. Costs $35 per 24 hours. 4. Book a Casa if you need 110 Volt electricity. All of the rooms in the resort are 220 Volt, so if you need to charge your ipad, phone, etc, it will be painful if you don't have 120 V. I needed my CPAP and it was a pain to get a transformer from the staff, and they always responded by saying "manana". 5. Exchange money at the Cadeca or Bank, not at the hotel. There are both in Varadero. You can get there by bus or rent a scooter. The hotel will only give you $13 CUC for $20 CAD. And if you want to change back, they will only give you the $13 CAD back (1 for 1 exchange rate). 6. The A La Carte restaurant booking people show up at about 1:30 pm. So they ruin your day. And sometimes they are late or don't show up at all. I waiting for the first day, and then they told me it was a holiday. Then on Tuesday, I went again, and then the hotel staff said the same thing. I finally ended up getting the booking for Wednesday, but had to wait in a huge line that went down the stairs all the way to the balcony. Great way to spend the afternoon! 7. Sunwing says that it is an 8 day trip, but I guess they count the time that you take off. So for instance, we left Canada on Saturday night, and left the following Saturday, but the flight left at 3 in the morning. So technically 8 days, but not really. And I had to check out on Saturday and spent 12 hours without a hotel room! Everyone was in the same boat and was hanging around the lobby with all their luggage. 8. The internet is a pain. There are only a few spots in the lobby that have Wi-Fi and you have to buy internet cards. If you need internet that is constant and dependable, then this isn't the place for you. 9. Bring insect repellent. The mosquitoes are very small and you won't even notice that you're getting bitten until your ankles start burning. 10. If you rent out a scooter, check out Santa Marta and Cardenas. We purchased excellent food in Cardenas at a restaurant called La Perla del Norte. Also Santa Marta has a sugar cane juice and churro stand that are basically free. For the juice, which is fresh, it is 2 Cuban Pesos and the Churros are 5 Cuban Pesos (not the CUCs). We went there every day. 11. Be careful of buying cigars on the beach. Many of them can be fake, so do your research before you go (the internet is a hard to get on at this resort). You can probably still get some real ones from the store in the hotel.

Very relaxing

Stayed one week and had no issues at all. Friendly staff and nice rooms. The food was good for Cuba too. Not complaints. Entertainment staff was very good and the beach is amazing. No problems getting loungers. Drinks are not included at the disco. And the 9th floor bar is nice and high up so you can see for miles. Love Cuba and can't wait to go back

It's our return place twice per year

I've been going to this resort for the past 3 1/2 years, as much as I possibly can. In that short time I have been witness to many new improvements in the resort. The staff were always amazing, the food is Getting better, but remember it is Cuba, I recommend bringing spices, hot sauce, and chocolate!!!