Memories Jibacoa: Friendly and small

Comfortable rooms, housekeeping great, most of the staff were fabulous, entertainment mediocre, bar drinks satisfactory but nothing special as fruit is very limited. The beach was clean with a good snorkeling reef if the relentless wind diminishes. Food is very disappointing, bland, and limited at times. Overall, very safe and clean but we would rate it as a three star resort.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Nice grounds but there are some problems. I rank it 3 star.

The soviet mindset is still entrenched here. We arrived tired, thirsty and hungry. There were only 2 people at the front desk. They were overwhelmed by all the arrivals it appeared. We waited nearly an hour to have our room key given to us. No one offered us a drink or even gave us any special welcome. We had 3 days with no hot water to shower. When I mentioned it to the front desk they simply looked at me and did not respond. Even though I am a generous tipper the service in the cafeteri [... read more]a (buffet) was lack luster and no one approached you to refill a drink. The service at the beach bar was better. One of the restaurants served us under cooked pork. It was served raw inside. We sent it back and they did not say a word just brought back a very well overdone piece of pork. Some days there was no basic things at breakfast like yogurt or fresh milk. The vegetables all come frozen and the meat is imported and not aged. Nothing is cooked with any spices. The first day there was fresh fish grilled. The rest of the week the fish was frozen tilapia. Every meal comes with rice and frozen vegetables. Salads are tomatoes, shredded cabbage and no dressing in site anywhere. The resort is in itself well kept and pretty. The beach looks nice. They don't seem like a happy group of servers or entertainers. Perhaps they are going through a transition.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Wonderful vaccation

Hotel does not look like 5 star. Food is Ok, but have to line up for a while until you get a table at buffet. Restaurants are too small and I managed to get only three reservations for dinner while staying for 7 days. Long wait on line for reservations. Room smelled terrible when we first entered in. Smelt like never opened for several months. Coffee maker was not working. Couldn't get it fixed or replaced until we leave. Wi-Fi available only at the lobby. You have to walk into lobby every time  [... read more]you need to connect to internet. Still you have to pay for it. Services from Sunwing was good as promised. All services on time and friendly staff made it pleasant vacation for us. I would use tripcentral and sunwing again for sure, but never visit Paradius Princesa Del Mar again.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Amazing time

Me and my significant other had a great time, the facilities are very nice, the workers are all very helpful. With the help of trip central we had a great time! We would recommend it to anyone looking to go to Cuba.

Playa Vista Azul: 2nd time around, not so amazing...

We stayed at this hotel in May 2016 and loved it so much that we returned January 2017. They have made some initial improvements since were last there i.e. not having to make reservations for the restaurants. However, for a hotel, or chain of hotels that classify themselves as 4+ star resorts...they should never have bathroom stalls without toilet paper and this happened more than once. Unacceptable at any level. The cleanliness of the hotel has definitely gone down. The clearing and cl [... read more]eaning up of tables in the main lobby and outside patio by the infinity pool, was extremely poor. Hours would go by with dirty cups everywhere and ashtrays were hard to find so cigarettes were being put out everywhere including your coffee cups. It didn't seem busier to us in terms of guests and so the fact that they were saying it's the start of their high season...to us implied and felt more like they were either understaffed or didn't have the same wonderful staff they had before when we visited in May. The room we got was facing the back of the resort where all the workers started construction work on the pavement every morning before or by 9am, loud trucks - if you know you're doing construction then disclose that or don't book those rooms out. They were concerned about music/noise at 9pm for the rooms above the lobby yet not about the rooms they were disturbing at 9am. They have a ping pong table and fuse ball table yet when my husband asked for the balls at the bar no one ever knew if they even had one. But when a woman scantily dressed with cleavage asked, miraculously they found a ball. Surprising especially for Cuba who tend to be respectful towards women. Never felt this before but their turn over of great staff has left them lacking in the service department. Also if you're going to have a hot tub...then it should be hot, regardless of the weather and it would have made a huge difference with the cold front that came in for the guests that week. As for their beaches...neither side is sufficient space for their vacationing guests especially once the other hotel opens up. And tonnes of sand flies biting...we couldn't stay on the beach for very long. I can see the ratings for this hotel go down very quickly. I would also add for such a large resort their gift/smoke convenience shop is pathetically small! It's so small that at any given time two people in there are too many...give me a break, your bank/money exchange room is bigger. Have a bigger store - even if you don't want to sell a lot of product can more than two people get in there without getting hit by the door. I would still recommend it to a friend but only because there are a lot worse hotels in Cuba, however, this time with some reservations and warnings. And so just to be clear, in case anyone was wondering...my husband and I are generous tippers...money didn't make a difference...and it's not cheap to stay at this resort either.

Club Tropical: First and Last Time

This Hotel is a smokers paradise,smoke anywhere you want,Everywhere you go ,you have the smell of ciggarettes,the rooms,in the bedding, on the towels,in the bar the dinning area etc.Came home with a horrific synus infection First three days there,no hot water.The shower drain was plugged with hair and overflowed.Just not acceptable Met a number of people from other parts of the country who travelled further than I and paid alot less than I,even though our method and time of booking were the sa [... read more]me. I know you get what you pay for but,No way this was a thousand dollar booking, On the plus side ,direct beach access,no snow

Club Kawama: Club Kawana

We just got back from Cuba having stayed at the Club Kawana for 1 week. We went with help fro Rick Lockhart from TripAdvisor which I recommend. We went with no expectations and were pleasantly surprised with our room. We did not ask for an upgrade and the room was clean with a good bed and no balcony. The food was acceptable and the bartenders and staff were friendly. The beach is the best I have seen and great to walk on. The town is close by either foot or bus. I would go back and recom [... read more]mend this to someone who is not expecting 5 star accommodation. Go for the food and sun. Beats the snow and cold. Tom and Debbie

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great Resort

We were very pleased with all aspects of the resort. We had a lovely clean room, the food was decent and the staff was friendly and helpful. The local bus into Varedero made for an interesting little excursion. Overall, we would highly recommend this resort.

Melia Las Antillas: Nice Adults Only Resort

I will start off with location great, grounds clean and well kept. Our room on 5th floor kept clean well stocked and great view. Concierge very helpful and go above and beyond.(Thank you Maylyn) The a la carte restuarants are fabulous. The buffet is good but repetitive. The beach is beautiful endless miles of white sand. Few local vendors selling wears but just say no and they leave you alone. The service is top notch the staff is there for you (they seem to be short of it in certain areas)They [... read more] are friendly and accommodating. We had no issues. The pool was not one of the highlights for us but we are not pool people. The bars are well stocked and pour freely just a little understaffed. The staff is stretched thin. We had a few nice days at beginning of the trip but had a cold front come in so we had less than stellar days to windy to swim in the ocean(which is what we enjoy). We found the resort a little quite but had a great trip. We were in 25 plus ( cold for the Cubans) but better than being in -25 here. LOL

Resonance Blu Varadero: Terrible resort

This resort is very nicewhenyou walk into lobby, as long as the lights are on because power goes out about 20 times a day! When you walk in their are several ladies behind the desk, none of which acknowledge you until you say something to them (one time was literally 10 minutes while they chatted and laughed amongst each other looking at us) Once out into resort pools are, nice walkways are nice but garbage cans and light fixtures are smashed and laying on their sides. Washrooms are disgusting [... read more] doors broken off toilet stall. Always urnals out of order, one urnal ran the entire trip. Rooms were moldy and falling apart, no hot water after three days. Staff were nice besides the ladies at the front desk. Food was very hit and miss, mostly miss. Clenliness was nothing when it came too dishware and silverware, if something wasn't used at your table they would just replace what was used. A glass was broken in the lounge one night, next night the glass was still their. Overall we made the best of this trip and met alot of really great people but would never go back to this resort.

Sol Palmeras: Great Resort!!!

We thoroughly enjoyed this resort. It was clean, well maintained. Since my husband has a disability it was suitable and not to big. We stayed in the main building on the 4th floor, not in the bungalows. Lots of things going on poolside or at the beach. Beach bar and restaurant was nice to have. Lots of water activities. Live music most nights in the lobby. Several shows in the evening, however we were usually in our room before they started. Our maid (Naybine) was amazing!!!, Frank in  [... read more]the buffet was great, Fidel in the steakhouse was also wonderful. Robert our server in the Lobby bar was awesome to. The steak house and Chinese restaurants were our favorites. We didn't eat in the Mexican or seafood one so not sure how they were. The buffet food was generally ok. As with any resort you get tired of it near the end of the vacation. Food overall was pretty good, it could use some improvements. The drinks were plentiful, with the exception of the red wine could be a little better. Check in was extremely slow, however we were told they had just started a new system so I am sure it will improve. We would definately return to this resort.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Best location

It was our second time visiting Blau Marina. We were happy with almost everything and really no complaints. The usual things that can go wrong in Cuba sometimes go wrong here but less so. We had more than enough of everything we needed or could possibly want - Service was good and friendly - our safe battery died, they sent someone within an hour to fix it, we left notes with requests for the maid and they were fulfilled daily (ie. if we wanted water or beer etc) - Lots of Europeans were th [... read more]ere this week, they are friendly and relaxed, but they tend to smoke more! yuck, I wish they weren't allowed to smoke indoors (even though it's a "breezeway" with open windows all along) - the entertainment was surprisingly amazing! The kids loved every single day of activities, they had a massive bouncy castle and a big water slide and a fun pool, and a kiddy area with playground, the kids were never bored for one single moment and liked it more than disneyworld. - the beach here is huge and private and amazing and the reason we returned, they have by far the best location on the peninsula with over a kilometer of quiet beach to walk and snorkeling too! They rake up the seaweed every weekday so it's nice soft white sand. - rooms are fine, and big enough for kids, but we don't' spend any time there... always outdoors - they were out of beach towels and we had to wait a day to get more (we had 2 for 4 people but it was 30+ the whole week so who needs a towel?) Lots of complaints from other guests about this. People need to relax a little, it's supposed to be a vacation. - food is good, standard Cuba food, but lots of choices.... lineups for fresh made to order food, but worth the waits... we had a party of 13 and no one had travelers illness - the place is clean but could be cleaner and needs a few repairs (ie. one boardwalk to the beach was broken). We felt they could us about 100 more staff (the resort is HUGE) to fix up some of the older, rundown bits and the resort could use a few more maintenance people and carpenters. It is getting older, but still could be amazing with a bit of a fixup. Maybe materials are difficult to come by?? - Really impressed with Air Transat overall, especially at the Ottawa airport, the service was amazing and fast, with no lineup... I was so glad NOT to be in a mile-long sunwing line. Go Air Transat!!!!! Air Transat also got us the best rooms at the resort, and oceanview. Hooray for Air Transat taking care of the most annoying, horrible exit tax too!! Thank you!! - Our only complaint was the mosquitoes, they were horrible this time (Early January)! Last time we went late February and don't remember any at all. Bring bug spray just in case as you can't buy it there. Bring pants and socks too.

Sol Varadero Beach: false information

Food was good Staff is friendly Resort is not well maintained requires major refurbishing Cleanliness is a real issue towels, linen and dishes Superior Hotel room does not includes replenishment of mini bar or coo fee maker

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Unfortunately disappointing experience

As we all know when researching & reading reviews on Cuba the food isn't great, it's actually Horrible especially when you pay for an upgrade at the hotel! The staff have no care or time for customers especially if you don't speak Spanish. Disappointing experience at this hotel, we had numerous issues with our rooms in fact we moved in total 4times then ending up paying for the upgrade! The room is much better in the adults only section. Unfortunately Blau Marina is not on my list to stay at aga [... read more]in!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Not a good place to stay

The resort is dated and feels claustrophobic all over resort from the pool to the reception area. Rooms are dark and dingy, especially the bathrooms. The rooms (we had 2) had a smell. The beach is on a hill, ocean is rocky. The buffet where food is feels like your in a basement. This resort is rated 4+ but is no where close to that.

Playa Vista Azul: great resort

The starting point was not good because the AGENCY (Victoria Sullivan) DID NOT MENTION THAT THE resort do not HAVE DOUBLE BEDS to accommodate families like mine (2 adults 2 kids) The solution (once in Cuba) was that 2 adults and 1 kid sleep in a KING bed, and the other in a small sofa bed. That is not supposed to be a good vacation if you have to share your bed with a kid (not smal...9 years old) Because i was so upset, and taking into account we paid 6770 CAD to have a good holiday, not [... read more] a mediocre one that i can have in some cheap resort in miami.....I complain...and in that sense, they were very helpful and give us an unexpected upgrade. I acknowledge that the conditions I received (after paying) said 2 DOUBLE BEDS (NOT GUARANTEED) were there...but it would have been much helpful TO KNOW IT IN ADVANCE, SO I DONT HAVE THE SURPRISE BEING ALREADY IN CUBA. Besides that, and because only of the well predisposition of the resort, we had an excellent time. My appreciation to OCEAN VISTA AZUL. tks

Resonance Blu Varadero: Memories

The grounds the ocean the people the entertainment was fantastic The food and our beds were terrible Such an important part of a holiday We couldn't exchange money long line ups and than when u get there they run out The internet is down at all times The hydro goes out thus again no coffee available No more red wine No more It's too bad Cuba is a beautiful country and I always wanted to go but I must say I will not be returning I went there with my family and was expectin [... read more]g good food and good sleep I enjoy traveling but I will not be going back to Cuba I have seen it and enjoyed the country

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Amazing resort . Not the best bed!

This was by far the most friendliest resort my husband and I have ever stayed at. And with a 2 year old daughter , we've never felt more respected and taken care of by staff. We did not have the most comfortable bed, it was actually awful. But that being said the room was really nice and always super clean . Such nice cleaning staff and the front staff ( ie. Waiters reception) treated us like gold . Everyone really loved my little daughter and always has our table set up at the buffet before we  [... read more]even got there. I have never encountered friendlier people and this was our sixth time in Cuba first time at this resort. I just was blown away by how nice everyone was. The resort itself was so nice lots of entertainment all day and night ( ie. Synchronized swimmers in main pool, a circus show with show dogs ponies alligators) the main kids pool was so fun lots of different little areas to swim, a big water slide and a swim up bar. And then there was other parts of the resort a beautiful amazing lighthouse you can go up take pictures of the marina and sunsets. More pools further along resort and the nicest beach so quiet and lots of room for everyone. Just an all around amazing place if you don't mind not having the best beds :) would DEFINALTY RECCOMEND !

Melia Marina Varadero: trip got canceled

Unfortunately the airline canceled our trip and we could not re book as dates did not suit us. Very sad and we did not know that airlines could do that to people as we have traveled a lot and it never happened before. We were 4 families so no other seats in next 24 hours.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: We enjoyed the Resort!

Liked the size( not too big) we were with a good sized group & never lost each other. Meals were good, & service was good. Staff were friendly & made friends with some. Weather was awesome & loved the beach, we used the pool very little & enjoyed the foam party. The events staff was a lot of fun!