Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Horrible experience

Before I begin, I'd just like to note that this was my third trip to Cuba, so I am aware that Cuba isn't up to par with other destination locations. Just returned from this nightmare of a "vacation". When we first arrived, there was no formal greetings, or drinks in hand welcoming us to the resort... we stood in what we thought was a line to be served at the reception desk, only to watch other people just walk up to the desk and be served ahead of us. Once we finally got to the desk, our dis [... read more]appointment continued, only to find out that our room wasn't ready, so they pointed us in the general direction and told us to go to the snack bar. It ended up taking us about 20 minutes to find this snack bar, as the direction they sent us had 6 buildings and about 6 different restaurants (all closed) and we finally found it after asking 4 different staff members. The Racquet Club (snack bar) was one of the better places to eat and the day staff were mostly attentive. On to day two, we went to a mostly useless orientation presentation through our travel group, that unless you've never traveled anywhere before, is mainly attempting to get you to purchase excursions. The buffet restaurant was one of the worst I've had in my life.... most nights there were some items better than others, but mostly it was just plain bad. The one time I actually had a beef burger, it was (under) cooked medium rare and after the first bite, I couldn't eat more. The staff there is hit and miss, as some of them were great and other times you were half done your meal before they came to ask if you'd like something to drink, all the while you've watched them serve 4 tables around you to people who barely sat down. All the restaurants/bars were constantly running out of everything - from hot dogs, sausages, long pasta (spaghetti), jam, beer, wine and everything in between.... It started to feel like the old skit from SNL - "cheeseburger, cheeseburger, No Coke, Pepsi!". To top everything off, my wife got sick from either the food, the water or the ice, completely unsure. Needless to say, that her pretty much being stuck on the toilet for 4 days and me for 2 put a big damper on the vacation. I also must say that I witnessed on more than one occasion, staff reaching their hands into the ice maker to grab ice... (thank you for contaminating all the ice). I found the entire resort to be poorly signed, and quite chaotic. There was constant trucks and golf carts speeding up and down the pathways, forcing the vacationers to step off the pathway and onto the grass. The trucks and golf carts would park directly in front of entrances, again making the visitors have to walk around them.... And at night, most of them didn't even had lights! There were 2 or 3 nights that a truck drove around spraying, for what I can only guess was mosquitoes, but it was loud and smelled aweful! So, in my final opinion, this resort should not get anything better 3 stars. At the moment, I'm not sure if I will return to Cuba, but I can say with 100% accuracy that I will NEVER return to this resort.

Mar Del Sur: very nice resort

I had a renovated room,it was fine except I did not have a phone or safety deposit box.The food was ok.I liked the beach very much,the water was warm,the sand was clean. The walk from the hotel to the beach was close,5 minutes.The entertainment in the evening was varied, it was ok.The people working there were very kind and helpful. I would go back to this resort again sometime.

Hotel Bella Costa: We will be coming back

True, the resort needs a little updating, but it had everything you needed. The rooms were always cleaned and staff was nice and friendly. The beach was nice and close and the pool, although rather small, was clean. The food was a lot better then what we were expecting and we loved the location of the resort to downtown Varadero.

Club Karey: Wasn't sure what to expect, exceeded my expectations...

Stayed from Jan 11-15. My room was in the 'older' building at the end of the resort. It was fine, the shower and toilet worked fine, had a big king size bed, and functioning AC. There was no safe, however. There is one buffet restaurant, and one pool. I had no issues with the food, always had fresh and delicious fruit at breakfast and dinner. Pancakes, French toast, scrambled and hard boiled eggs were my breakfast, and dinner was usually rice, veggies (brussel sprouts!) and beef stew.  [... read more]The desserts were three or 4 different cakes, and ice cream. Never sat at the pool, but it looked clean and looked after. The sitting area around the pool area (with bar) was never busy, we sat with cappuccino over looking the ocean several times a day. There ocean is close to where ever you are, buffet, lobby, pool bar etc. Beautiful views, and fun to watch the birds diving in the ocean for food. Some times there was no milk for coffee, but that was the only thing that we wanted that was missed on occasion. The front desk ladies were fantastic. One in particular, but I cant remember her name. Very friendly and accommodating. Would I stay here again. Absolutely.

Playa Vista Azul: Alright Resorts

The resort itself was nice, by really understaffed. The food wasn't very good. The beach was nice once it got cleaned up. The rooms were clean and the most of the staff was nice, there was a few rude ones.

Memories Jibacoa: A great time.

First time to Memories Jibacoa. I would recommend it. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Friends we travelled with have returned many times. There is a great hike close by, a trip into Havana by car is a must, and the jeep tour is a blast visiting the countryside. The a la carte restaurants are great ( I recommend the tuna) and the entertainment staff outstanding. DO NOT lose your beach towel though! I paid 20 pesos on check out. The pool was too cold to swim in, and the wind was too [... read more] high to be on the beach some days, but that is weather, there were some hot sunny hours in each day.

Club Karey: Resort needs work.

Our first time to Cuba. This resort is in urgent need of updating. Our room was ok as all things worked including toilet. Some people reported toilets not working in their rooms. No bed bugs in our room but again we heard people complaining of them. Our air conditioner worked well and was very quiet. Washrooms around resort had toilets not working and/or sinks not working and never had toilet paper or toilet seats. Beach was very nice but ocean is causing erosion badly. End of our building was f [... read more]alling into beach area and beach was mostly gone in that area. Many of the buildings are close to the edge of the erosion so are in danger of damage. Many exposed electrical conduits and wiring so that should be a consideration with small children. We have seen similar in Mexico. The food was ok but we did not think cleanliness was good enough. Table cloths in dining room were almost always dirty and stained. However we did not get sick at all so that was good. Many wild cats in resort which we think is common in this area of Cuba but at times were bothersome wanting to be fed scraps and they are not discrete reproduction-wise which was not great in outside eating area. Staff were very good and mostly all very friendly. Many spoke good English which was nice as we do not speak Spanish very well. Drinks were easy to get but some like Pinacolada did not taste great. Staff worked hard to clean up resort after storm. We would not recommend this resort until updated and beach restored. Overall this resort is probably rated correctly at 2 stars so just don't expect more and you will be happy.

Sol Varadero Beach: Ok Resort

Resort was clean there was a bit of disrepair. Over all a 3 out of 5. Food was bad not impressed with wait staff at all room was cleaned every day good service there location was good there was construction close by but not to noisy overall

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: First Time to Cuba - Paradisus Princesa Del Mar

This is our first trip to Cuba. Previously, we had been to Puerto Vallarta Mexico and Mayan Riviera Mexico (both times 4.5 stars) To compare, Mexico had better accommodations: bigger, in-suite premium drinks, better maintained, more swimming pools. PPDM had better entertainment and the bartenders did not water down the drinks. Food was good and we even had lobster on 3 nights. A la carte's were nice Japanese for entertainment but not the food and French was the best. They changed up the [... read more] buffet and lots of stations: Meats, Omelette, Fish, Pasta so things can be cooked to your task. Lots of sauces and condiments so no need to bring with you. The beds had no support and 1 day we had no hot water and the next day the repair was under way so the water was a trickle This is an Adult All Inclusive so people were older and courteous all around. If you have a late check out, recommend getting a courtesy suite. We took the bus around Varadero and this is one of the nicer resorts. Heard horror stories about some of the other resorts but this resort is great overall...just little things that will make it more like a Mexico 5.0 star vs Mexico 4.5 star.

Starfish Jibacoa: Home away from Home!

Amazing resort! I have been here multiple times. The staff go above and beyond to make your stay enjoyable.The bungalows are set in a park-like setting. It is nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains. If you are looking for a 4 or 5 star, don't come here. Rooms are a little dated, although there are new flat screen televisions.... The food is adequate, you won't starve, but I always bring extra food with me....It's the location and the awesome staff that make this my "go to" ho [... read more]me away from home".....

Memories Jibacoa: Best staffed resort!

This was my 6th trip to the resort, first as Memories. Small, comfortable and intimate, the staff are always available and eager to please their clients. If you enjoy snorkeling, the reef just off the beach is wonderful.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Nice

Not a 4.5/5 Nice hotel clean good food and good service grounds meticulously kept A lot of stuff under repair spa hot tub bridges Rooms good size Towelservice had issues and hot water Weather was cold n rainy which always makes a difference Staff friendly

Palma Real: No French fries!!!

I want this to review to be helpful and not a complaint session so hope it helps!!! The weather our week was very poor which negatively influenced our vacation but is not the hotel's fault so I will do my best to be objective!! Rooms: amazing and huge. Very clean, the women cleaning the rooms were awesome and a large balcony. Always had hot water and water pressure wasn't bad!! Hotel: needed work....broken lights, ripped awnings and the beach chairs were old and many broken. Poor service in  [... read more]the dining room, long waits to have plates cleared and drinks refilled. Often toilet paper was not refilled and they ran out of towels both room and pool towels, they said the laundry was down. It appeared they were understaffed which may have impacted this but the staff who were there were kind. They had started to fix things on our last day. Food: I have been to cuba before so was ready for the food. Not a lot of choices,less fresh fruit then I was used to, no French fries!! Really small buffet for the number of people , long lines often. A la cartes: Italian was awesome, International was average and Cuban was awful both for food and decor. Snack bar: great burgers and hot dogs. Beach snack bar: also great food, even had French fries for one lunch!!! Bars: again understaffed so line ups but booze is booze!! The pool bar staff seemed unhappy and very unengaging!! Pools were cold but again this may have been influenced by the crappy weather. Beach: awesome and warmer then the pool!! I would return to Cuba but not to this hotel they did the best they could but it was not enough!!

Sol Varadero Beach: Spend a little more...

We are not huge complainers, or picky travelers but this was by far the worst vacation we've undertaken. We just want a bed to pass out in a clean bed after fun days at the beach, by the pool or simply out and about. This was none of that, the maid changed out the bedding twice. After the second day, our only two long towels disappeared, so we had to use facecloths to dry ourselves. The pillow's undersides had some woman's makeup on them, and one of the larger pillows smelled so bad of ur [... read more]ine we had to keep it in the other room. Speaking with other vacationers, it seems our tepid, *read cold, water was as good as it comes, with most people having a trickle coming from the shower head at best. Bar tenders, although very nice and friendly, are inattentive at best. I was warned about the food in Cuba. The food tasted good, but make sure you bring baby wipes and creams/ointments if you plan to eat any proteins on resort. The people we met made our trip, and none of the people we spoke to would recommend this hotel or stay there again.

Playa Caleta: 2nd time but last time i will go here!

we were there last year in April and just got back this week, This resort has gone way down hill. it is a 2 star at best. It is cheap and that is the draw for us, we paid 535.00 per person out of Hamilton for 3 in a room. The ceilings are leaking =water all over floors, my husband actually fell one morning and was lucky he didn't hit his head. The elevators sometimes work. the food was cold due to the stations not working half the time. The 2 resorts now have to use one Buffet and 4 a la carte's [... read more] so it makes for long lines or no tables. The resort is 80% Russia and 20% Canadian. The Russian people are very rude, and fight or bud in line and take all the food so no one else has a chance, sad they take 8 boiled eggs on a plate for example and walk out of buffet and leave 5 to throw away, just so no one else can take. Waiting a Half hour for shuttle they come 5 mins before and bud in front and get on shuttle, when you call them on it they act like they don't understand. same at bar. People please just wait your turn your on vacation we have all day. Bar was limited for drinks, no frozen stuff, which was ok for us, but a few others were disappointed. No wifi for the first 4 days as they didn't have any to buy. the best part of the food is eating at the Italian a la carte and seeing Katia she makes the trip worth it, she is just the nicest one there. Pool was green on our side, but swimmable. the swim up bar on other side was closed and disgusting... They did have a few bbq going with snapper on them each day from noon till 2 to try to feed people. the entertainment most nights was not running, was posted that they had some but when we went was running, so not sure why. Workers were ok to deal with most of them, the good bar is on the other resort, both were running up and downstairs. Beach was ok, but too Windy to go in ocean. Air Transat rep was useless really, never tried to sell us outings, which was ok for us, but others wanted more information. Trip central rep was great as always. It was our 5th trip to Cuba with them and as always great service, Thanks Anne! All and all if I go back to Cuba I think I will pay a lot more and go to a better resort. Done with lower ones.

Playa Vista Azul: Rooms 5 Grounds 4 Food 3

Mixed feeling about this place. It is only a couple of years old so most of the facilities are in perfect shape. Stayed on the ground floor (poolside/jungle) in building 6.No musty smell and not a single bug of any type in the room. The showers were excellent. Hot water in an instant at any time of day.Room cleaning was pretty good but no attention to detail. Long hairs left on floors for days and bathroom countertops left with ring marks and soap spills.Bed was too hard for the wife but OK for  [... read more]me. The sidewalks are EXTREMELY dangerous when wet. No texture on the surface. The wife slipped and caught herself before falling but put her back out. That spoiled most activities for the rest of the week. The Jacuzzi pool had warnings about the high temperature but it was the same 65°F as the pool. The infinity pool looks fabulous. I have had better food at most 3 and 4 star resorts, limited selection and very repetitive. Peanut butter and catsup still in bowls but jam in mini jars.Didn't see bacon till the 4th day. A stir fry section would be good. Most of the staff was good, some excellent, a few servers in the buffet should not be working there. Completely scatterbrained. We always tip the dinner servers but quality of service varied. Our favorite buffet server was Gnetter Marie. She was exceptional. She seems to anticipate our needs and was always pleasant and helpful. We usually seek out staff like this and and always give them some extra gifts we bring along.The equipment in the buffet was modern with electronic temperature displays to show hot and cold. Still at 1 minute after opening the hot food in the trays is cold. There is a microwave there to warm up your cold food. There seemed to be no managers on the floor to see things done properly. No staff briefings before the doors open as in other resorts. They need to entice some good managers away from other resorts and they could make this place a true 5 star. Anet and William at the lobby bar were always happy and fun.Drink selection was great.Entertainment staff were great bringing drinks to us in our lounge chairs by the pool. Yanelis recognized us from another resort from last year.Keep the Bug fogger cart away from the lobby driveway. They buzzed the lobby twice one night sending a choking blue fog you couldn't see through billowing in. I jumped up and ran out the other side of the lobby and still had a headache from it. Idling buses and other diesel vehicles out front are not pleasant either. I would recommend this place with reservations. If you want a place that new and clean and doesn't suffer from everything broken down syndrome, then this place is OK. I always say if you see Airline crews staying at a place you know it's good.One showed up on the last day there. We booked last minute and got a good price but still feel we did not get as good a value for our money as we have had at other 4 stars. We probably won't return.

Playa Vista Azul: High end resort for Cuba

The grounds, rooms, restaurants and public washrooms were immaculate. The food was better than I expected for Cuba. Staff were friendly and accommodating. The only drawback we found was that there was only one closet sized store in the hotel, would of liked more selection. The small beach was rocky but one could navigate it, the large beach was a bit of a distance to walk to and had no washrooms which was a huge drawback. They did have a hut for drinks but again it was not in a convenient locati [... read more]on it could been closer to the beach. As well some people had coffee makers others didn't. This was a bit of an inconvenience for me as I am a early riser and would of liked a coffee first thing. Everyone complained about the pillows and those need to be replaced to a better quality and comfort level. Other than that things were very good.

Club Tropical: Located on ...Beautiful Beach!!!!!

This is a smaller hotel and is located in the downtown area of Varadero facing the main street, with excellent access to the beach, the grounds , pool area and the two lobby's are very nice and staff work hard to keep those areas clean. To compare I read some negative reviews from travellers who stayed at nicer 4 and 5 star rated hotels and was happy we chose to stay here I would be really upset if we spent twice what we paid and experience problems with food etc. You are in Cuba after all [... read more]!, I read the negative and positive reviews online before booking and we decided to give this place a chance, as one of our relatives recomended this hotel, we were looking to relax on the beach not to relax at a fancy resort, having said that, we kept our expectations low, when we arrived our bus dropped us off across the street so we had to cross the street with luggage and bags to hotel, no big deal, when we walked into lobby it was late past 11 pm, but we were told the main bar is opened 24 hrs and we could get drinks and a snack if we wanted, check-in was efficient some staff friendly, our room was clean and had a safe but no mini fridge, iron, or blow dryer it was very dated! The decor was awful but clean, the curtains did not fully close because some of the hooks were missing and they didn't hang properly but it was ok we still had privacy. Door to balcony worked once you figured out how to lock and unlock.There is a nice big closet lots of storage, flat screen satellite tv, noisy air conditioner 😂( But that was ok as it was cooler when we were there, but if it was hotter weather I would have turned on the AC during the day while we were out and then turn it low for comfy sleep,) the toilet and shower worked , but we had no hot water until the next day and we had no problems after that. We later discovered that the room had been renovated!! Hehehe! There is only one restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet style, check times it's closed after each meal, food was ok , there was always something to eat, there is another bar near pool area with pool tables ad tv, there you can get sandwiches until 6 pm so that was the other option for food.The entertainment At night was really good too, more than I expected. There are many shops, bars and restaurants nearby and for 5 CUC you can ride the hop on hop off bus until 8pm, just show ticket it is valid all day , the only negatives we couldn't control was the weather, the first few days it was windy and cool, we couldn't go to the beach, but that was ok we took bus and explored Varadero, we were only there 7 days and decided we would stay longer and take Havana tour next time. It can be a little noisy at night at pool/bar area many regulars have a good time it's always "happy hour" LOL!, in summary we had a great week, kept our expectations realistic and would come back to Cuba. Most of the people were polite, BUT tip at your discretion in our experience we didn't get better service when we left tips(in some cases even worse hehehe) so we stopped tipping and service was same! LOL!!.This is an older hotel and dated but a few cosmetic updates and it would be better I really can't say anything else about this hotel , if you are looking to relax , you will find comfortable lounge chairs that were always available , on a beach which is absolutely gorgeous even on cloudy days !,If you want good value and a cleanplace this fits the bill!! Travelled as a couple. Enjoy😀

Melia Marina Varadero: Terrible resort

Melia Marina Varadero NEVER AGAIN! CUBA.....MAYBE IN FEW YEARS! ....PROBABLY 5...... Service VERY poor! Very dirty...in the room and outside! Hygiene=0 Very expencive!!! VERY LOW QUALITY! Disappointed!

Palma Real: Very mediocre hotel.

Hotel needed a great deal of maintenance. Ceilings in halls appear to have mildew. Halls poorly painted with no cutting in. Glass railing cracked leaving a safety hazard. Service staff very friendly and helpful. Room was clean. All in all, hotel appeared very tired. Observed very few people maintaining the property.