Nice resort

Food Beach and service was great. Rooms wasn't what you expect from Cuban resorts. Everything was working and in good condition. Staff was friendly and most of them yang people with smile on their faces. Best guys in the kitchen are Eduardo and Milena.

The Roc Arenas Doradas was ok

When I read that an all inclusive vacation is listed I tend to think that the offer is all inclusive.Truthfully I have experienced the "all inclusive " rarely.This vacation was a continual dip in the pocket but in a nickel and dime fashion. From the elite plus seating Sunwing flight where 2 bags of chips cost seven dollars to paying fifteen dollars for a 5 day rental of the safe at the resort.Cubans have really become "tip expectant".However the Hotel was exceptionally clean although dated.The  [... read more]food was a 2 star and sometimes of a questionable origin.The people were sweet and warm but management mostly unseen or in the shadows..The beaches were beautiful and the water crystal blue .The trip was worth getting away ,albeit for only 5 days just to sit on the beach and shed our winter clothes.

Good value for the price, terrible service from staff.

Beach and pool very nice, you could always find shade and chairs. Food was fine. Everything in our room worked except the last few days had cool showers. Our maid Yackeline was excellent and Eduardo in the buffet was exceptional. Unfortunately the rest of the buffet wait staff gave the appearance that this was the last place on earth they wanted to be. A very unfriendly crew. Also the lobby bartenders were pretty sullen, a smile probably wouldn't have killed them. The staff at the coffee  [... read more]shop were also very friendly and always pleasant. A few times the lobby bar said they ran out of wine, although there were many bottles at the buffet! One day when Air Transat reps came to inspect the resort things were much better such as extra staff at the buffet and everyone got silverware, things got painted, flowers in the lobby bathroom, etc. The very next day when the reps were gone, everything went back to the way it was before. Obviously this hotel does not care about their guests as much as trying to make a good impression on the travel agencies.

Mediocre at best

The hotel grounds were well kept however service was rude, the key cards failed repeatedly to the point where we just started using the patio door. Food was horrendous. Bars and activities at pool side was very acceptable hotel seemed to be highly recommended and was a disappointment.

FIrst time to Cuba

The hotel grounds were beautiful , the hotel rooms Were good, the key card suck big time . We had to get them re done practically everyday , had the kids go through the patio doors sometimes cause we were sick off getting the keys fixed. The food we Didn’t like but we stuck to the basics and got through it. The bartenders are amazing and the grounds people were very nice and friendly Every morning . Maid service too was great. Our bathroom did start to leak in the ceiling the day before we [... read more] left cause there was a Bad patch job but none the less we didn’t stay Much in our room Except to sleep. Would we return yes but we would go into town to eat and o my snack on little stuff at the hotel

Resort needs to be updated

Cosy resort that needs to be updated Food was ok nothing special Beaches in varadero are beautiful Itailian restaurant was actually very nice and the food was good Mattress pillows and bedding in our room was terrible Stained sheets and very old uncomfortable mattress No washrooms close to the beach Main lobby bar was not equipped with sufficient amount of alcohol. By 9:00pm there were not serving moijitos or they were out off dark rum. This was the one and only bar opened in the [... read more] evenings. Management of this resort needs to be changed They are rude and simply don’t care. We had three days of cold and rain during our stay. People were bored There were no activities/games inside One cuc currency = $1.42 Canadian ☹️ I would not recommend this resort to anyone. One last important thing. Absolutely no drinks in the refrigerator in the rooms. There is a coffee maker but no coffee provided. Limited to only one bottle of water a day. If you need more you have to buy it at the store inside the resort. Safety deposit box 2 cuc per day. This is not a 4 star resort at advertised Tips are expected !!!

Fantastic Resort

I truly enjoyed everything about this resort. The staff are very friendly and always helpful. Also, the staff is always smiling. Some days it took a while for them to get to our room and clean it but when it was done it was great. Really enjoyed my favorite waiter Amauri - if he serves you he is wonderful and very friendly, also Maria A at the coffee bar.

Good price, nice staff, but services lacking

This is the second time we stayed at ROC Arenas Doradas. We again got a good price and enjoyed our stay. Most of the staff were very nice. However, we did not have a working TV and nor a working phone from our late Saturday arrival until mid-Wednesday when we were finally moved to a new room. We were subsequently told all the units in our complex (12 rooms or so) had problems with their TV. Did they not know this when we first complained on Saturday? Thankfully, we had befriended a senior m [... read more]ember of the staff who finally escalated our concerns. Still, since TV is not that important on a Cuba vacation, we still had a good time and were treated quite well. The nightly entertainment was good although the same dance troupe did 3 of the 5 shows we saw. The beach was great and perfect weather made it even better. Buffet restaurant was ok. I'm a picky eater and found things too different from my Canadian palate so tended to have the same "safe" foods (ie. pasta, buns, ice cream) over and over again. My wife is less picky so she thought the buffet was fine. There were also 4 a la carte restaurant options which you could reserve on 2 occasions. I enjoyed this more but my wife preferred the wider options in the buffet. Recreational events were provided but we did not make much use of them. We went on a couple of cost-based excursions (Havana and a tour of some caves) which we enjoyed. If we go back, there were other cost-based options (sailing, horse-back riding) which we might try. All in all, we had a good time and would go there again. That being said, after 2 trips to the same location, its more likely that we will try another location in Cuba outside of Veradero.

Great resort

This was my second time to this resort and I was pleased again. The resort is not too large and is very clean. It seemed like they had put a fresh paint of coat on most things so it looked nice and refreshed. My friends and I thought the food was good both at the snack bar and the buffet. We also ate at the Italian restaurant and we enjoyed that as well. The other restaurants were booked so we couldn’t try them. The gym has a few cardio machines and a universal pull up and dip machine. It was  [... read more]very clean and well air conditioned. I would definitely return and my friends said they would as well.

Nice hotel, friendly staff..

This hotel is very nice, friendly staff, a lot of Food and drink options. There is a free bus into town and back everyday. It is very clean, they give you a big bottle of water everyday. Nice pool and beach. First time in Cuba was a good experience.

Amazing

Food good.returner week was great.free catamaran ride.could get a chair and umbrella anytime of the day. The beach was perfect....................................................................................... .

Good choice in a post-Irma Cuba

We just returned from two weeks at Arenas Dorades (AD). While we were there we walked down the beach and visited some of the neighbouring resorts to see they had considerably more damage then AD. In fact, except for losing the beach-side bar and some thatched-roofing, AD has done a great job and bringing their grounds back to a nice level. The weather thefirst week was 29-30 degrees so it was OK the AD pool was "chilly". However, by the 2nd week, the weather had cooled to 26-27 degrees and i [... read more]t was no longer comfortable to use the pool. We opted for the beach and the ocean - which was warmer than the pool. I would hesitate to book a winter vacation here until I knew they were going to turn the pool up. Two weeks of eating at the AD cafeteria grew thin. In fact I would engourage Sunwing to do soething about their partner's food. Sunwing is promoting their " new on-board menu inspired by Celebrity Chef Lynn Crawford". Well, send Lynn Crawford down to your partrner hotels and inspire some edible food. The quaility of the food in Cuba has long been a weakness - its time to fix it. Overall, we had a very affordable two-week vacation at a nice resort that is working hard to recover from Irma. I would go back to AD but I would eat out at Veradero a few more nights.

Awesome as always!

My husband and I have been to this resort every year since 2012 and last year twice. Every year we come they have made some kind of improvement, whether it be that they are updating the guest rooms or they have improved their menus. This year unfortunately hurricane Irma threw a wrench in our travel plans and we had to reschedule for the week after originally booked and they put us at a different resort.Well one night there and I was on a mission to get to our beloved Arenas Doradas. Our Air Can [... read more]ada rep in Cuba, Osvaldo was wonderful at helping us get everything switched from the original resort to Arenas Doradas. We love all of our friends there and they get so excited to see us too. All though the resort did suffer some damage they all work as a team to get things guest ready and we did not want for anything,all the a'la'cartes were receiving guests where the original resort was not. The beach bar was damaged so they got a temperary one ready until the new one is built , and by the time we left it was half done.This resort is our cuban home we love our people there.

Great beach fun time

Just returned from the roc. Stayed Aug 12 to 19 in two rooms building 8 lower floor,. Pretty nice place with an amazing beach. No, real fighting for beach chairs but, get a blue one. The water is crazy warm could sit in it all day. This place has never heard of a shot glass, they pour until they see the whites of your eyes. Do yourself a favour and bring your own bubby cups. Pool bar has the best drinks Towels seem to be at a perium, so bring your own just in case mid doesn't leave an [... read more]y. That happened twice to us The food is slightly disappointing,, beef is a little tough, but ever chicken dish was excellent. You will always find something. The oddest thing is that their is no air conditioning in main buffet ....breakfast was real good They people who work there try really hard and are very nice. So all in all, I would give the roc a sold 3.7...I would just watch what you should pay 900 off season maybe 1400 high season.....we would go back

Really an amazing resort!

I had a wonderful time in Arenas Doradas. The beach is fantastic, the food was rich, organic and very tasty, there was entertainment every evening, the staff was friendly and helpful. The gardens and parks are well maintained and beautiful.

Best week of my life

Very friendly staff, beautiful beach, exciting events on and off the resort. Plenty of transportation into varadero. Both the buffet and the specialty restaurants are good quality food with very friendly and quick service. Overall amazing experience.

We loved everything was perfect

we loved everything was perfect,we will come back again for sure.we have a good time.muito bommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

3rd time at ROC Arenas Doradas

Went back a 3rd time for the people & the beach and, I wasn't disappointed. Eduardo in the buffet, Jesus & Arelys at the snack bar & Yuya & Yuliere at the towal cabana truly made our trip. What wonderful people - polite, friendly, helpful with great smiles. They work hard and somehow are always smiling - even with those that are rude to them! The hotel and the rooms are showing its age...outdated. The food is ok (you wont starve). The a la carte restaurants use to be better...the new TEX MEX a  [... read more]la carte was NOT GOOD. The manager walked around the resort, always said hello with a pleasant smile. The yellow beach chairs need to go - they are old and not comfortable. The grounds are well kept. Entertainment was decent. Again, for a 3 stars, the beach and the people; you cant be the price.

Enjoyable vacation

The Arenas Doradas was a nice resort. It's Cuba. So yes the bed wasn't very comfortable, if you looked closely there is some cracks, dirt/mould in the ceilings etc. the sliding door had one handle missing so there was an open space to the outside (I just shoved the curtain into it to keep out bugs), the phone didn't work, my bar fridge didn't work until I unplugged the TV and plugged it into there so I chose having a fridge over the TV for the trip.. I'd put the bath towels into the tub to get  [... read more]washed and never got the larger towels again until about the last day.. so things weren't perfect. But the room was always clean, the AC was very good! It had a remote and was very handy for changing the temperature if you woke up hot or cold. I HAD towels they just weren't the larger ones but you air dry quickly in the heat anyways! The food is not good. I tried to get something from the grill in the main buffet as much as possible - having them make something fresh was best. The breads are good and I didn't starve. We brought our own peanut butter and some snacks for the room and that really helped. I found the food at the beach bar and the pool bar to be very disappointing. We stuck to the main buffet. I'd stayed somewhere else in the past that had good pizzas and nachos/cheese and I missed having that as an option for a snack/meal at the beach. We did the Italian and the Tex Mex a la cartes and they were very good. It was nice to have a change from the buffet. The beach is beautiful! The sand is gorgeous, the water was fantastic. There were always lounge chairs at the pool or the beach in the shade or the sun whenever we needed. We didn't need to go and save spots although we were usually down there by 9-930am.. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. Any issues were mainly due to ignorant people - the toilets were plugged a fair bit in the lobby or at the beach - but you shouldn't put paper down them there. There's garbage cans but people aren't used to doing that and it causes problems. Also, at the beach people leave cigarette butts or cups or coconuts everywhere instead of using the garbage cans. The staff maybe should've been cleaning that up a bit more but people should also take some care to clean up after themselves. We were in building number 2 and it was definitely noisy at night - you could hear the entertainment and the disco. We tried to move and weren't able to the first day and never tried again but i'd definitely recommend being a bit further away. The bathrooms at the beach weren't good at all so being in the building 6 or 7 near the beach would be better. The staff for the most part were very good. The maids were lovely and really appreciated the little gifts we left. We left gifts as tips in the buffet also and if you sit in the same area and do that you get good service. The front desk staff was quite rude. I didn't complain about any issues with my room but felt I maybe should've let them know to fix it for the next people but they were so unapproachable I didn't even bother.

Breath taking

I found this hotel and staff very welcoming and warm. They could not aid you enough. Very friendly, clean and accommodating. The food was very good at both the a la carte's as well as the buffet. The beach was very clean and the water was amazing. We had a great time with our friends. The coffee bar was amazing.