Melia Las Dunas: Melia Las Dunas - New Year's Eve horrible experience

Overall, the resort was good as it was big and well maintained. Our room was always nice and clean thanks to Betty! However, the resort was busy and doesn't seem to be well-staffed during the holiday season. As the price was obviously a premium, you would expect to have a very enjoyable experience. Every single meal we had to wait at least 20 minutes in line to get our food either at the buffet or beach house. Had to wait an hour to get our towel on the first day (Dec 27). Exchangin [... read more]g the towels also was hard as sometimes you didn't have any left. Getting drinks at the bar also required waiting about 10-15 minutes. Worse experience was New Year's Eve. Found out last minute that we had to book a reservation for the Buffet restaurant. Got a 9PM reservation and got there 20 min before so pretty much at the start of the line. People started coming and started to butt-in. The scene was like in a black friday sale where people tried to push each other and with me having two young kids 7 and 9 years old was a very traumatic experience. The buffet restaurant only opened one door which also delayed the process. They also never checked the reservation and was just letting people in because of the chaos. As soon as we got in, you still had to wait in line to get your food from the grill. Definitely, not worth paying a premium for the service we got.

Brisas Santa Lucia: Not as Advertised / Under Renovation

My husband and I went to Brisas for Christmas 2019. Accommodations - The front desk is understaffed and not prepared to handle large busloads of guests who are checking in. Much of the check-in process is manual, so expect to wait in line for a good while to get your room. Because the resort is under renovation, many rooms are not ready upon arrival... unless you are one of the "regulars". In That case, you will be allowed to bypass the line and will be immediately shown to your room.  [... read more] - Although the Sunwing website states that the resort has 400 rooms, about 1/3 of the resort is under renovation... including the disco. The Sunwing rep spoke about the disco in the orientation however when we asked at the front desk where it was, we were told that it was under renovation ... so frustrating. - We requested an upper level room with a king sized bed. We got a lower level room with 3 twin beds (????). We ended up pushing 2 of the twin beds together, however one was higher than the other which made for a slightly uncomfortable sleep. - There is a safe in the room, however there is a daily charge to use it. - The rooms have no iron board or clock radio. You can ask the front desk to give you a wake up call, however there is a 50/50 chance that you will actually receive one. - The open air patios are nice, but half of them are closed which forces everyone to sit in one area. Many guests smoke which make it uncomfortable for those who do not smoke. Food - The food is ok. If you have been to Cuba before, you will know what to expect. The issue with the dining = the guests. During our visit there were large groups who like to eat "Family Style" and take 2-3 platefuls of each item, leaving minimal amounts for the rest of us. On our first day, we arrived in time for lunch which ended at 2 pm, however there wasn't much to eat other than rice and some fruit. The next 2 days it felt like there was a mad dash to get food each day in the main dining hall. Fortunately we found the snack bar by the beach. They don't have a whole lot of selection, however the volume of food served to satisfy our appetites. - The a la carte meals are much better than the buffet HOWEVER only one of the 3 a la carte restaurants is actually open.... the rest are under renovation (also NOT on the Sunwing website). Services - The beach towel bar was not open for the first 3 days. - They gym opened late and the medical centre never opened, (despite guests waiting outside). You can go to the front desk to inquire, but no one there knows what is going on. The Beach - The beach was not as nice as other beaches I have been to before ... lots of plastic garbage. There was also lots of seaweed. Although there was staff trying to rake it up, their effort was futile. Final Thoughts It was great to get away for the holidays, however this resort was not as advertised. The Sunwing site misrepresented the amenities of this resort. It is listed as a 4 star when in truth it is barely a 1. Considering all that I have listed above plus the 90 minute ride from the airport, we will not be returning to this resort again.

Melia Marina Varadero: Great Experience

The resort has almost all the facilities you want. But I have to say; you have to ask about everything. The space is so spread-out that you won't know just about everything. beach area can be a distance depending on where you're staying. Other than that, food is good, but not if you're expecting fast food; this is not a fast food place and there're so many options even for vegetarians. I personally like the food, enjoyed it every day.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Wonderful Time!

Our first time to this hotel and I would definitely recommend it. I went with my adult daughter and made some wonderful memories. The staff from this resort make you feel so welcoming and were very helpful. Lots of people from different age groups. The beach was absolutely gorgeous! The pool and room were good as well. The food was good but the beach grill was number one especially the chefs and Pedro who took care of us every day...I would recommend it 100%.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Poor Management and customer service

We travel to Cuba frequently and our recent trip was the worst experience we ever had. Resort was rated to be 5 Star but it's not. First thing we experienced after checking in and heading to our room was broken and missing floor tiles in the hallways and even in the elevators through the resort. Linen in the room had moldy smell. When we go to Cuba we keep our mind open when it comes to food but never experienced cockroaches running around on the food in buffet restaurant. Third day at the resor [... read more]t around noon I slipped on the wet floor and fell. This resulted in an injury on my forehead and eyebrow I was bleeding really bad. After dressing my wound a little bit the staff got us in a cab and told us to go to the clinic. No one from the resort bother to ride with us to the clinic. My wife was really panicking and luckily these was a very nice couple from Toronto that we had met earlier, they offered to come with us. Doctors and staff at the clinic were very nice they took care of me right away. After getting around ten stitches we came back to the resort. A couple of days later my stitches start bleeding badly early in the morning. We went to the reception and we were told to take a cab to the clinic. The Resort should have looked after their guests better especially when they got injured at their facility. Surprisingly a Five Star resort did not have customer service any better than 2 Star. Long story short it was the worst trip ever to Cuba.

Club Kawama: Club Kawama

The grounds were great well maintain, the Staff are incredible very friendly.... The reservations to Restaurants was amazing. My room was alright but would of preferred nicer one. Love the beach 🏖.

Starfish Jibacoa: Great Christmas Vacay

I can understand the mixed reviews about this resort but for us it was great. The rooms are dated but clean and the sprawling grounds make up for any issues you might have. The food is just okay, I didn't go hungry but didn't really enjoy any good meals there. Except the a la carte restaurant. The bar staff, the room staff, the activity staff and the rep for Transat were all amazing. The beach was beautitufl and uncrowded which is what we were looking for. Never a problem finding chairs o [... read more]r even shady spots. There were jellyfish that closed the beach a few days but that is no fault of the hotel. Pool was beautiful and never busy and plenty of chairs there as well. We felt totally safe there and would go back.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Nice Resort - Adequate

The resort was overall nice. Beach was nice, saw a lot of jellyfish and gar-type fish in the water. The pool is beautiful. The buffet hours are not convenient. The 24/7 snack bar has very limited items and pizza only at weird times. Buffet was ok but not great. Rooms had ants. My friends room had a cockroach. The bottom floor seemed to have more critters. But I did have ants on the 3rd floor. Overall not a bad resort, but I have been to better in Cuba.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: OK Resort with a visit from a 2 inch cockroach

Pools on the resort are great, except for the swim-up bar pool; it was closed and it did not smell good in that area. Pizza snack bar opens only from 1pm to 2pm; pizza available only on 2 of the 7 nights! Lots of ants in the room and on one of the nights, a big 2 inch black cockroach just laying there beside my toothbrush. Food, well it's Cuba. Snack bar has good deep fried hot dogs and fries. Buffet, well again, it's Cuba. I always bring a squeeze bottle of Heinz Ketchup and Miracle Whip (salad [... read more] dressing) - great for the fries and hotdogs; and a jar of Jamaican Jerk spice for rice at the buffet. After 11 times in Cuba (Santa Maria, Cayo Coco, Varadero) - it's time to go elsewhere. I always find it odd that "they" think their currency is worth more than our Canadian dollar. On Dec 31, $100CA was equal to 74CUC.

Melia Las Dunas: Do not recommend

I travel twice a year from montreal. We just came back yesterday from this hotel. Worst trip ever and worst travel company. 12h to get there and 12h to come back. This trip should take 5h if you include the flight and the bus to the hotel.

Gran Muthu Imperial: Great resort, very mediocre service

Beach, accommodations, pool, etc were all fantastic! All new and kept in great shape. The service on the resort was very sub par. There was an expectation of tips for any type of service (ie. taking your order at the snack bar, dusting off a beach chair, etc.) Food is as expected in Cuba, not great but still good variety at the buffet.

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful beach!

I’ll keep this review relatively short. The room was very large, enough to fit a king size bed, a double bed, and a crib comfortably. The cleaning staff is amazing, but the room is dated and had lots of ants each day in the bathroom. Gardening staff was always ready to cut open a coconut to either drink or eat, and made 2 grasshoppers out of palm leaves to my sons’ delight! Nightly entertainment was great, especially the kid’s show at 8:30pm where all the kids in the audience get to danc [... read more]e on stage. Pool is very large and the beach is incredibly beautiful. The ice cream parlour was open every day and the restaurants were very good. The buffet was lacking in options, and the lineups were long (Dec 2019) All in all, a great trip!

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Nice resort

Flight Travelled with Air Transat and flight was changed from 6 am to noon so we got to the hotel late at night. Sunwing same flight time and day kept their flight. Misleading when buying a package. Restaurants It’s three restaurants that they prearrange for you and it’s the same food. Food is hit or miss. There is a pool restaurant open 24hrs that serves minimal items. No buffets. Beach Beach was ice. Some days had jelly fish and the hotel posts warnings. Thoughtless people reser [... read more]ve cabanas and never show up or show up later in the day. Rooms We’re clean although we found a roach in ours and millipedes were seen daily. They load the mini fridge with two beers, soda and water. They do always provide water. Entertainment Most nights it was singers in the lobby. For New Years and the next night there was a water show with dancers, very good. Lots of mosquitoes! New Years We went for New Years and staff seemed more preoccupied with helping themselves to the party favours and serving management. There was a huge buffet that night but waiting at each station meant your food was cold by the time you returned to your table. There was Champaign served.

Memories Jibacoa: Memories Jibacoa

Resort was ok. It was well kept and nicer than other resorts I’ve stayed at in Cuba. If I had a choice I would go to other Caribbean islands instead. The food was not great but that is to be expected in Cuba. The staff were friendly and always willing to help.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Another great vacation!

Our third stay and it’s still a good place to go. It’s worth the money you pay for. The beach, of course, is the absolute best! Beach chairs are usually always available. Noticed the new beach chairs by the pool...from what we’ve heard, some new ones will be available for the beach. Front desk service was always friendly and courteous. The bar staff (Dennis, Emiel, Lozzaro and Roberto) are forever on their toes serving up whatever it is you want and the bestest ! The buffet restaura [... read more]nt staff are as well friendly and ready to seat you and at your service. Can’t forget the cooks, although I didn’t get their names, my pasta buddy was always serving up a friendly smile! Also the “egg cooker”...you got what you wanted and always that smile as soon as I was spotted in the lineup! You don’t have to tip anybody but that dollar you give now and then goes a long way... I also brought bags of goodies (Christmas ornaments, toothbrushes and paste, dental pics, lotions, soap, clothing no longer wearing, pens, recyclable bags, mini candy canes, even maple leaf cookies) to give away...most of these went to the resort’s cleaning staff and grounds maintenance and beach boys...they are the ones that work hard and don’t get the recognition that the other do....and they are sooo happy when they receive something gotta love the entertainment staff as well (I can only remember Dano’s name though. The food is what it is. Everybody says the same thing.....bland, not spicy, blah blah...we are I their country and that’s what they got...you eat it and it’s all good...for a change? Don’t eat everything that’s available at a given meal....one day say you’ll eat chicken, the next take the pork or fish or pasta....just because it’s all available at any meal, doesn’t mean you have to eat all of what’s there. Also, you can bring your own spices if you want. This year, the resort did have hot sauce and even fresh garlic on most days.

Melia Las Dunas: Great vacation

We traveled to the las dunas from Dec 26-Jan2 . We had been to the resort in March and noticed some changes. The food seemed better. The blue train that was free to take you to and from the markets no longer runs . Service is excellent. Towels were a issue for some people... sometimes they had clean towels sometimes they were out... NOT a big deal. Other than that it was a fantastic vacation with something to do in the lobby everynight. New years buffet feast was unbelievable!! We will be back

Playa Pesquero: Wonderful time!

The resort was wonderful. Beach was gorgeous with excellent swimming and snorkeling right there. Everything was clean and the staff were great. Very helpful. Helped us get a few a la carte dinners when all seemed hopeless. Trying to accommodate 9 people can be tricky. All 4 of our rooms were nice and clean. They even made sure that we were all together in the same building. Food was good and again the staff were great. Lines in buffet could be a little long if you arrived early when the dining [... read more] room opened, but the staff worked hard.

Brisas Del Caribe: Won’t go back.

This was probably our worst experience in Cuba to date. It was our eighth trip and typically are satisfied with our expectations. This trip was very different. The hotel was overbooked so they had people in rooms that weren’t fit fur animals. The desk staff didn’t care. They would stand talking to each other and ignore the people at the desk. We were to have VIP privileges and that DID NOT exist. Very disappointed. This resort is no longer “Canadian” visitors. Many people from Russia  [... read more]and VERY rude to others and staff.

Playa Pesquero: Absolutely great resort!!

The resort itself is incredible,very well kept and clean ,the gardens are big and lush,with alleys that are great for a walk . The rooms are big ,clean and everything is working condition. The resort is like a small beach village, with bars , restaurants,souvenir shops all over ,even an ice cream bar. The a la carte restaurants are also amazing ,especially if you are into seafood. The main buffet is great ,very spacious, with lots of grills and not only. The food...well ,it's Cuba ..th [... read more]e staff is trying hard though to compensate and do the best they can with what's available. One other aspect that can improve at this resort is the entertainment, maybe not the best choices all the time. In conclusion, the only regret we had is leaving this great resort,but we will come back!! Great job Playa Pesquero, and thank you!

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Disappointing start to the new year

The hotel has the potential to be quite nice. It was obvious that the entire place needed an overhaul. From a distance it looks nice but you quickly realize that most buildings are in need of repair, the pools and common areas all have broken potentially dangerous aspects that need repair. Staff are clearly over worked and more staff were needed to just run the place decently. We were there a few days before and after new years. Our room was filthy, the phone and TV did not work, the patio door  [... read more]didnt lock on our ground floor room. The food overall was not great and many items were always "out". The hotel we were told was over booked and yet they continued to only have open the 1 buffet and 2 a la carte restaurants, which made meal times sheer chaos. At one point tables were hard to come by and you had to stand around in the buffet eating as you leaned against the wall.