Memories Jibacoa: Beautiful and Peaceful!

A beautiful resort with a mountain in the background and an amazing coral reef in the front. Food was plentiful with lots of choice. Rooms were clean although outdated. Quiet resort and never seemed too busy. Just what was needed for some R&R.

Hotel Bella Costa: Great family resort

The beach was fantastic and not overly crowded. Food was decent. We stayed with our two young children in the villas which were lovely and quieter than the main hotel. Staff are friendly. The kids enjoyed the evening entertainment. Great value.

Starfish Varadero: Great Value for the money!

Although the hotel is dated and can use an upgrade, the hotel and staff made an effort trying to keep all grounds clean and well maintained. We stayed in a bungalow 6 of 7 nights, near the beach which was perfect as we spent almost all our time, the hotel pool was average. Stay in a bungalow if you have the chance as it is newer than the main hotel. First night we had a room in the hotel which had older electrical and we did not bring a converter, so no sleep apnea machine or chargers. Enjoyed t [... read more]he Lobby bar and live music nightly. The beach was fantastic! Staff did not seem to engaged with the activities and getting participants. Volleyball was fun when a good group played.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Exception Staff

Negatives Limit hot water in our room Limited supply of clean beach towels The room had two single bed and we had to pay for an upgrade to get one king bed. Positives Our hotel room was clean. Exceptional Staff Great drinks No line ups for food or drinks 24 hr snack bar. A la carte reservations were easy to get. Ample seating poolside and beachside.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great value

Beaches and room were fantastic. Guest services were also very good. Only complaint was the cigar bar and the area where the shows were held where the bar service was very slow and the bartender always made the wrong drink. The Japanese restaurant was awesome! Great meal and great staff!

Melia Marina Varadero: Melia peninsula Veredaro

Nice people, 3star room, food was ok but wife got sick. I started to feel uncomfortable due to hearing of too many people getting sick. But all in all we made good memories and had fun. But would not return to Melia.

Gran Caribe Sun Beach: No Frills but A Great Time was Had

We are a family of 4 with 2 children - boy 7, girl 16. They don't allow more than 3 people per room so we had to get 2 rooms. We all stayed in the same room and used the second for extra showering, bathroom, napping, sleeping etc. Don't expect a 4 star because you will be disappointed. We went with low expectations and although we were surprised by how run down the place was, our rooms were clean and that is the most important thing to me. Yes the rooms are dated and the furniture old and ricke [... read more]ty, the bathrooms we had were renovated and very nice. Ask for an even number room if you want a balcony, there is always so much to watch outside. We were facing the street at the end of the entrance and got to watch guys playing stick ball every night. We went for long walks and felt totally safe, do make sure and do the orientation because Kenia has very good information and can answer any questions. People who say the food is no good, that is just their opinion. I found the food to be fine, some of it very good (chicken skewers, fried rice, plantain chips etc.). The good thing about the buffet is that each meal they offer something new. Be warned that because there are 2 grills in the buffet, you will be sweating. If you don't like to try new things there is something for everyone even bland plain white rice, salad, fish etc. Be prepared to wait in lines most of the time and you are waiting "Cuban Time". There are 4 bars, lobby, pool, snack bar and beach all of which you can wait in a line or get there at the right time and not have to wait, there are ebbs and flows to it all. The beach is a short short way across the street and there are lots of lizards in the grass off the path and on the rock walls. They were a treat for all of us. I hate public washrooms and never used these because my husband said the mens was disgusting. Don't be surprised if there is no toilet seat (at all) in your room we had one in the room we stayed in and non in the other. I was most impressed with the nightly shows. The dancers were great, the costumes colorful, the music upbeat etc. On 2 different nights we played a game where the announcer asks "Name the song, name the singer?". It was so much fun! If you got it wrong you had to give up your sandal. I won't give away anything else but the whole family played and we had a ball. There are snacks at the snack bar, ham & cheese grilled sandwiches, pizza, hots & hams. They often run out and you will wait a long time to get your food. They have one person cooking in front of you and they only make 1 thing at a time on demand. I found that most of the employees don't speak English very well, so they may get your orders wrong or misunderstand you. We met so many nice people who work there, Raul (buffet), Ariel, Lazaron, Luis, Leandro (bartenders etc.) Everyone was so nice. The beach was beautiful! The water clear and we didn't even need our water shoes because there was no coral there just soft sand. We were able to take out the paddle boats and kayak with no wait any time we wanted. There were always enough lounge chairs on the beach. Another story at the hotel, there were so few and people would go down early in the morning and put their towel on them, then you wouldn't see them all day. Good thing I brought an umbrella or I would have roasted because there is very little shade at the pool. The pool is ok and not too deep for children, there is a basketball net and you have to ask at the entertainment hut for the volleyball in order to play, you have to sign it out. There are tv screens in the lobby, pool bar and snack bar. People were really into the soccer games. There are a bunch of little things that most people complain about, table in the room was old and falling apart, tv didn't work, door got stuck etc. We also had issues but we made the best of it. Our A/C leaked onto the balcony so we ended up with a pool as soon as you stepped out the second day, we simply took one of the garbage cans and put it on the balcony, wiped up all the water with a few towels and voila! We had to empty the garbage can everyday but the low price we paid for a family of 4 it was worth the money. I couldn't go to the Best Western here for 5 nights for the price we paid per person for 7 days. Yes, it was run down and old looking in areas but it's right in the heart of the city and the flea market is literally next door, you can buy any souvenir you could possibly think of for great prices. We walked all over and again I thank my umbrella, or I wouldn't have survived the scorching sun. There are cats/kittens in the hotel, stray dogs walking everywhere even on the beach but they are friendly and not scrawny looking. There are chickens and roosters walking freely about and horse drawn carriages everywhere. Do take one of the coco taxi/3 wheeled scooter, they are fast and fun, plus it was so cool with the breeze blowing on you. The banks offer a better exchange rate than the hotel but they are a 20 minute walk in either direction which is worth it because you also get to see where the restaurants are. You can eat for very cheap if you don't want to go to the buffet. Keep in mind that the bank experience is not like here, enough said. There are pelicans on the beach, people catching crabs in the canal, people fishing etc. This place is perfectly fine and it IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT! We had a blast and would definitely go there again for that price. We ate, swam, danced, laughed, rested, ate some more and slept little. All in all, we had a great time!

Muthu Playa Varadero: Cuba

To start, my Transat rep was amazing both the booking agent and the resource at the resort. The repost was ok. Just ok. I knew not to expect much and I got below my lowest expectations. Hot water was on and off. We went through 6 keys throughout the week. I was sick three times from the food. There was mould in the room including on the lamp shades and the air conditioner. The pool and beach was well maintained. The rum flowed freely. Overall, I wanted a cheap get away and that is what I got. Wo [... read more]uld I go back? Probably not anytime soon.

Sol Varadero Beach: Not what I expected

I hesitated writing this review because I realize Cuba is a whole different world but having been to Cuba twice before I knew what to expect. Let me just say that this was definitely not what I expected. After arriving late at night (10:30 pm) we were taken to our resort - Sol Sirenas Coral in Varadero. When we attempted to get off the bus we were ushered back on and taken to the sister resort Sol Sirenas because the Coral was "full" even though we had booked at the Coral. When we arrived at the [... read more] Sol Sirenas I was extremely disappointed and very frustrated. The resort itselt was very dark and dingy, the rooms were filthy, the ceiling was falling in and the room smelled very mouldy. Let me say that we were not the only ones taken to this resort - in total there were about a dozen of us. When we went back to the front desk to ask to be moved to the Coral they told us that it was not possible and it was all the same resort.....perhaps in name only but definitely not in quality. We went back and forth with the staff and at no time did they even attempt to help. As a matter of fact they were extremely rude to all of us. They kept saying it was not possible to move and theirs was the better resort. Again absolutely not true! Finally my travelling partner and I decided to walk to the Coral and speak to them directly. By this time it was 2 am and we were all tired and frustrated. The front desk at the Coral were very helpful and said they would definitely have a room for us the next day so we walked back to the Sol Sirenas and asked to be moved to another room for the night. After much banter back and forth they eventually moved us. However this room was no better than the last (filthy, pieces of the room falling in) but by this time is was almost 3 am and all we wanted to do was sleep. We did tell the other guests who were in the same predicament as us about being moved the next day and eventually everyone was moved over. However they had to do it themselves. The Sol Sirenas did absolutely nothing to help! The Sol Sirenas Coral was a much better resort at least from the lobby and pool perspective. The rooms were definitely better but again I didn't find them very clean and the bathroom constantly smelled of urine. And I was very disappointed with the lack of friendliness of the staff. With the exception of a few they didn't appear to care at all and there was no interaction between staff and guests. However the beach was superb and the pool was great as well. As stated I have been to Cuba twice before and knew what to expect and what not to expect. I am not a fussy person and realize "you get what you pay for" however I would at least like to have what I booked and paid for without having to haggle to get it. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I can honestly say that I would not recommend this resort to anyone. I struggled as to whether to rate it as fair or average and decided on average because in my mind it was average for a 3 star in Cuba. It was definitely not a 3 & 1/2 as advertised and the Sol Sirenas should be rated as a 1 & 1/2 star.

Hotel Los Cactus: great resort

The hotel's staff is great, grounds are beautiful and food is good. The hotel does need repairs as it is older. They did take until the day before we left to replace our shower nozzle, because there was hardly any water coming out of ours.

Mar Del Sur: Great place great people

It was clean the food was good fun games great location and the employees were awesome no complaints. This place was one of the best resorts I've been at.They had differ foods every day i was surprised when one dinner i saw that they had porketta the rooms were cleaned every day . We were greaded with a friendly face kindness by the staff every day.

Playa Caleta: great resort

location is good，and service is great。the room is not that good，since there is no water provided，however you can get free water、drinks、beer and even cocktail from the bar. the only problem I don't like is one of woman waitress whose service level needs to be improved

Blau Varadero: Excellent service, Great environment

Excellent service, great environment and good hardware equipment, except for the slow and tight elevator space. We had a great time there. Hope that we could spend more 7 days there, as we spent two days going out to Havana and the cave.

Starfish Jibacoa: Have been there15 times at least.love the people,a

Love it,will be going back.needs some more improving on the grounds such as sidewalks and sewers.get rid of the alacart.too long and food is cold.get rid of cats and dogsimprove on the snacks at the pool side

Playa Caleta: Nice weather, nice trip

It's not 5 star, but it was good for a get away! Pool was nice, ocean beautiful, food you won't starve, drinks, plenty of rum! For a very affordable trip this reaort does the trick! Rooms are not perfect but we only slept there! Some workers were nice some not so nice but you make it what you can for a trip!

Memories Jibacoa: amazing resort for the most part

loved the location of this resort with the mountains in background ..loved the pool , loved the beach,loved exploring the reef , loved all the entertainment provided especially the nightly shows and wandering musical groups playing their fabulous Cuban music during the day ..resort is well maintained... rooms clean but only adequate and could use a sprucing up ..food was good for Cuba ...staff friendly ..maid surprised us each day with her towel artistry ..would for sure book this resort again . [... read more]....oh...main thing we loved is that it did not seem packed with people even though booked solid ..

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Good Resort

This is the second time staying at this resort. The grounds are well kept as are the public area. At out stay this time we could not get fresh towels for the beach, so in seven days we have fresh towels once!!. We were missing our toilet seat and the AC wasn't working well. There were less staff and the service slower than before. One morning I sat at the buffet for 25 mins and not a single person came to offer coffee. I ended up leaving with no coffee. Features are ok, same as before.

Villa Tortuga: Cheap resort

The food seems to be the same day after day, don't get me wrong it's good food just would be better if they could change it up. The hotel it's self is a nice resort however the pool has been changed from the photos & I think it looked better before. I found we made some amazing friends with some of the staff who made you feel special. This wasn't my first trip to Cuba but it was my girlfriend's first time and by the time we had to leave she was looking forward to our next trip back to Cuba.

Club Kawama: bad 7 days

first room was awful, no AC, no Hot Water, music till 3 am, had to pay 120 pesos to get a better room. have been to cuba many times since 1995 and never had such a bad reception. the only good thing was the pool and the beach.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Terrible

Downgraded a lot Pools were murky and smelly Cave bar had a sewage smell in it Public bathrooms disgusting Only so many were opened at a time No toilet paper in alot of the bathrooms We spent most of time at beach A/C didn't work days in our rooms Would never go back