Sol Palmeras: Blue skies and blue water

An amazing holiday. The Sol Palmeras staff were so friendly and very accommodating. The rooms were nice and clean. Would recommend this resort to friends and family. As it was recommended to us. Thank-you

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Above average resort for Valadero standards

Buffet food was re-served in a number of dishes Never enough toilet paper in the main and pool area bathrooms Beach had huge dips that were hard to step up Grounds were kept very neat and clean Staff very polite and accommodating Excellent show and food on Christmas Eve Pool was not heated but very clean

Melia Marina Varadero: Fabulous resort.

EVERYTHING is fine in this hotel. The food is only problem. Not that great. All the people are super friendly. Easy to exchange money with a reasonable price. Nice tour to Havana. Room service is good and quick.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Not what I expected

This hotel is not a 5 star hotel as it claims to be. I was very disappointed from day 1. I have several issues with how the hotel and the grounds are kept up. 1. The area's around the pool and bar needs a new paint job. A lot of the old paint is peeling off and very dirty in some areas. 2. The bridge crossing the pool to get to the bar on the other side is not usable. The boards are lifted up and falling apart. The bridge is blocked off. 3. The fountains or ponds at the front of  [... read more]the hotel and behind the lobby are empty. The sides are dirty with algae and has rain water at the bottom. 4. There is 1 fountain at the front with some fish. The water is COMPLETELY GREEN with algae and smells fishy. 5. I was told I get 7 hrs of free WIFI. I was only able to connect once in 7 days. Not a big deal since I am on vacation and wasn't planning on using the internet. 6. My room wasn't that great. Shower doors didn't close properly. Water ended up on the floor. Lighting was very dim. Had to wait for bulbs to heat up. Closet had only 1 working bulb. Lighting outside of room didn't work. Air conditioner worked great. 7. Bathrooms!!! 2 public bathrooms (men's/women's) by the restaurants didn't have toilet paper, hand soap, and broken hand drier. When we complained we were given shampoo to wash our hands. Men's washroom in the lobby had no hand soap in the handicap stall but had a sink. 8. Beach was great and the water was warm and beautiful. Lots of chairs with someone helping us to get the chairs. 9. Food wasn't that bad. Lots of variety. There was a sign in the front lobby claiming the hotel was 5 stars. Far from it. More like 3 or 3.5. When I pay for a 5 star I expect the best.

Playa Vista Azul: Catlinggrand

We were travelling with our son and his family over Christmas. We asked to switch rooms because their disco entertainment at night is outside and it happened to be right beside our bank of rooms. If you don’t mind being up until 2 am I suggest not staying pool side.

Playa Vista Azul: Beautiful Views

Infinity pool was awesome, beaches were sandy and warm. Staff was great and Mikes coffee bar was amazing. We travelled at Christmas time, so Christmas Eve was a big deal in Cuba. Resort is close enough to grab a cab into Varadero.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: A 4 Star Resort with some work to do.

If you spend less than 1000 dollars for 1 week away then this is a great value resort. The drinks were tasty and food was of decent quality (Nobody in my party got sick!). By far the best part of the resort was the beach, it was what you'd expect to see on a postcard with turquoise water and white sands. The public bathrooms are in need of some refreshing (which they've started and look really great) and the infrastructure would be good when the hotel is NOT at capacity. When we attended the  [... read more]week before Christmas 2019, the resort was at/over capacity per the waiters we spoke with so lineups at the buffet for fresh hot food like fish/meat/pizza were 45 minutes to 1 hour long. The snack bar was only ever staffed by 1 cook (per our waiters who brought drinks at lightning speed) which meant waiting 1 hour for what normally would take 5 minutes for a tortilla pizza. The chairs at the main pool and the beach filled up quick unless you were there early (i.e. 7-8AM). The hotel staff/waiters were very polite and respectful, no complaints there. The late night beach party put on by the resort was a nice and welcomed change from the normal all inclusive you would find in Cuba. Overall we were not disappointed by the resort (we'd consider it a 3.5-4 star) as we needed R&R and understood we needed some patience to get things like food at the buffet. We saw lots of young families who seemed to be having a fun time which is a good thing. We did get a few days of rain, which sent the resort/animation team into a bit of a panic given the large number of people there - my suggestion is bring playing cards just in case. If you are used to a 4.5/5 star experience in somewhere more lavish like Mexico or Dominican Republic then I would suggest you stay away from this place.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: A hit and miss

Bottom line: this could be a great resort, but too bad that the shortcuts the management takes and the fact that they tolerate bad service can ruin your vacation. The good: - excellent front desk support - good and clean rooms. - nice beach - relatively good food (for Cuba) - good service at the buffet and at some a la carte restaurants - excellent bar service at the beach, Juan and Victor, always busy but always having a great attitude. The indifferent: - compact resort; everythin [... read more]g is close - grounds ok for a relatively new resort - buffet layout results in crowded food area The bad: - very rude bartenders in the evening shift at the lobby bar; they make so much tip that they no longer care about the service they are supposed to provide to you. For context, this was my 10th + time in Cuba, and this was the worst bar service I had (I do tip well for good services). The worst behaving bartender did not even bother to wear a name tag like any other employee, so complaints could not be specifically made. After complaining, we were wondering if our drinks were what they are supposed to be (a cappuccino coffee had 3 expressos purred in, as a pay back!). - the lobby bar officially closes at 11pm; of course, that is when the bartenders have the willingness to stay that long; most of the time they close when they want, before 11, and the management is turning a closed eye - the level of rudeness at the lobby bar was so high one evening that we complained to the customer service rep (their table is next to the lobby bar), only to see that the rep has no authority whatsoever; we escalated to the manager. He did his PR routine, like "he understands", "he is so sorry", etc. from 10.55 to 11:05 (I am a patient person), then I told him that everything is cool, just help us with that glass of wine we wanted at 10:50. The funny part was when he responded that he is sorry, but the bar closed at 11 and now is 11:05. He was not kidding... Too bad, that would have been a good joke. So I had to listen to his non-sense explanations for 5 more minutes. - I know Cuba and the Cuban service, and when I am on vacation I am not looking at the empty half of the glass; rather, I want to relax and avoid negative energy. If something bothered me that bad that I need to mention to the customer service, that problem would be solved at other resorts. Not at GMG. After a couple of days I noticed that my fridge has not been replenished with the 2 beers we were supposed to have in the fridge for the 2 adults in the room. Not a big deal, but I mentioned it to the manager when he "apologized" for the bad lobby bar service, and to the customer service rep, with no success: there was no beer in my fridge for many days after. I saw resort employees enjoying some of those Bucanero cans between the buildings... good for them, but was that the beer I was supposed to have in the fridge?! - Sea food restaurant: good food, but the deplorable service we got from the restaurant boss right from the beginning, made the entire evening a write-off. - there is a parallel business everywhere there is shortage of something: the beach buffet/restaurant (not really on the beach or with view of the beach) serves pizza by the order; good luck waiting for it unless you paid someone at the restaurant to hold it for you ahead of time; you can imagine the frustration of folks seeing someone who just came in getting their pizza, when the other guys were there for more than an hour. Kids or teens alone were completely ignored for hours (our kids were there from 1pm, when it opened, and were served at 2:50 only after we complained for them) – well, we know that they tend to not tip... - night shows are ok, but the performers waiting at the exit at the end of the shows asking for tips is something I saw for the first time; I guess there is a first for everything. - after 11pm, there is nothing open other than the snack bar, which is nothing to write home about. No disco, no dancing place, no music in the background anywhere, not even a drink in the lobby while enjoying a chat with your friends. It feels like MGM is offering the minimum they can get by with, which is substandard for a 4+ or 5 star hotel they claim they are. - you need to deposit 15 CUC per beach towel, which you get back when you return the towel at the end of your stay. You exchange your money (45 CAD for 30 CUC), but if you don't have time to spend the CUC at the end, you will get less than 40 CUC back at the airport exchange. Be aware, you are no longer allowed to cross the border control in Cuba with CUC, and at the airport you cannot buy anything with your CUC, so you need to exchange them at a loss. If I were to trust the management's desire for improvement at GM, I would suggest them to accept other currencies for towel deposits (give CAD, Euro etc for deposit, get them back at the end), but, based on what I have seen, I am afraid I am wasting my time...

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Disappointed for Christmas

Review of Paradisus Princessa del Mar in Varadero Cuba This hotel was rated a 5 star, but beware it is far from that. THE FOOD: in a word, AWFUL. Even by Cuban standards, the quality was terrible along with the selection. Very little shrimp on any menus and you had to pay extra to have lobster. I actuallly lost wight on this vacation. THE ROOM: large room with a garden view. The headboard of our king size bed actually had sperm stains on it. The shower head was not installed properly and lea [... read more]ked. We had to ask every day for face cloths. THE STAFF: front desk and reception people not very warm and friendly, same thing for most of the bar tenders. Waitresses and our maid were very nice and friendly. THE PROPERTY: is a beautiful property but sadly not well maintained. Many of the restaurants and the lobby have sustained damage from storms in the last year or two and have yet to be repaired. Mostly holes in ceilings. The beach is not cleaned of seaweed regularly enough, only after we complained about it they decided to do a clean up. To top it off, we had lousy weather over Christmas so we never had the chance to enjoy the pools or the ocean. But happily enough my wife and I manged to have fun regardless of the situation because after all we were on vacation.

Grand Memories Cayo Largo: It is what it is

Been there many times. Love the resort staff and that’s the main reason for going back other than the sun and beach near by. Hotel is in need of repairs and touch ups pool wasn’t blue, no fresh fruits

Melia Cayo Coco: Great resort

Nice room. Great pool. Good food selection at the buffet but limited at the à-la-carte restaurants. The food quality and service were good in all of them, especially the buffet. The weather was nice most of the time, with the exception of some rain and high winds (the reception roof leaked in a few spots). The beach was OK but just a few people got into the water. Sea weeds were all over the beach. In general, the experience was great, and the people were friendly and helpful.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Great Overall Experience

Our room was well maintained by cleaning staff. The food varies depending on if it's the buffet or an a la carte restaurant (mostly okay-good). The staff is friendly and helpful. If English is your only language you will be fine, most either speak English or have a good grasp on it. Highly recommend excursions to Matanzas and Havana if you can. It's good to get away from the resort as I don't think this is a resort that can entertain you at all times. Though they do have resort events like beach [... read more] parties, it's just not going to be frequent enough to limit yourself to just the resort.

Playa Vista Azul: Great resort, beautiful beach, good pool

Room: We stayed in a deluxe room which had a large king bed, fridge, table and two chairs and a small sofa. Plenty of space for storage etc. 1 large bottle of water and 2 pops were provided each day. There's a coffee maker but only with tea bags. The walk in shower was very nice although hot water wasn't always available. Toilet area also fine. We found the rooms a little damp but it had been raining for a few days when we arrived which may be why. Our pool view room also had a (distant) ocean  [... read more]view from the balcony. Eating: buffet has a good selection (not amazing for vegetarians but you'd manage) and food quality was ok. Italian restaurant on site very good but small portions and long wait. We didn't try the other 2 restaurants, menu didn't seem too different from what you could get at the buffet. Sports bar was our favourite for billiards and drinks, best coffee is at the lobby. You can get hot dogs and sometimes pizza between meals. There's also a bar near the beach and one by the pool as well as a coffee house. Plenty of good drinks available. Entertainment most nights eg magic show, singing etc were pretty good. Beach: on site and beautiful. Sand is perfect, water is pristine. Plenty of beach chairs for all, some in shade. Pool: a huge figure of 8 shape, hard to describe but it's cleverly designed. There's an infinity pool by the lobby with a gorgeous view to the ocean. Service: staff were courteous and helpful. Overall: our first stay in Cuba so I can't compare to other Varadero resorts, but we (family of 4 with teens) enjoyed our stay and would consider going back to this hotel. Best part was the beach, least favourite part was food quality.

Los Delfines: Great review

Hotel overall was great. Rooms were comfortable with two twin beds. Nice shower with hot water every day. There was always something good to eat at the buffet, I always left full. My only beef about our vacation was the rude French Canadians, they think that they don’t wait their turns at the buffet or the bars. I never once saw them tip anyone. Just rude people.

Gran Muthu Imperial: Great resort

The resort was amazing Christmas Eve the decorations and food was great The staff where very attentive Pools and pool area great but not much of a beach Cuban night great shows Best service in Lobby bar by The staff I would definitely go back

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Beautiful resort!

Amazing view of the sea from any angle in the pool! Beautiful beach and lovely staff. Clean rooms. Memorable! Big thanks to Oscar and his specialty drinks by the pool! And don’t miss Osmany at the lobby for the best lattés around!

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Tranquil Resort

Peaceful, Tranquil Adults Only Resort with beautiful gardens, clean rooms, very friendly staff, good food, great variety of cocktails to choose from & THE MOST AMAZING spectacular beach. Everything you could possibly want on your vacation and more.

Melia Las Antillas: Needs a very big Reno!!!

Food always cold, la cart restaurant alway served something not on the menu. Landed at night, no place to get food until 11:00pm, cook showed up Cuban time 11:30. Changed room 3 times and still had mild in the bathroom, with chips in the bath tub that were rusty. They did have SOME amazing staff. Listening to people on the bus, all felt that Cuba is going down hill. Not what it use to be Would NOT recommend!!!

Hotel Atlantico: A semi-average Cuban Resort

This was our 9th trip to Cuba, and the Atlantico Hotel is a 60 year old hotel that is showing its age. The pool should be emptied and repainted it is stained and faded. There are three or four dogs which wander around the hotel lobby and pool area, we happened to see two different dogs urinate against flower pots in the smoking area just off of the lobby. On the plus side there is hot water, but conversely no real water pressure, and if you happen to be in the shower and some one flus [... read more]hes the toilet look out! The staff is friendly and helpful, the lively entertainment staff do a good job to engage the guests in various games and if you participate, you might win a bottle or two of Cuban rum as my wife did. In the dining room, which is buffet style the food is bland, most of the vegetables like mashed potatoes, and cauliflower are cold. The pasta is served with a thin tasteless sauce. In two weeks we never saw a slice of bacon. There is butter available, but only at breakfast, with none at lunch or dinner in spite of lots of bread. No pepper at any meal and no red wine, the only wine is a not very good white. On Christmas Eve, the kitchen staff stepped up to the plate and had a fabulous spread ready for the quests, with an amazing display of pastries and breads, with roasted turkey, but no stuffing nor was there any gravy. The beach is lovely with plenty of beach lounge chairs available with umbrellas. Bring bug spray because there are lots of sand fleas to bite your legs and arms, plus a few tiny mosquitoes to taste your flesh.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Carefree

The resort was very nice. The grounds were spacious, well laid out and well kept. The buildings were new, rooms fairly spacious and the balconies had poolside or ocean views. The pools and lounge chairs had great unobstructed views of the ocean. The hotel's beach was off to the right side of the property and extended for kilometers towards the other hotels. The activities included: poolside games for kids & adults , tennis & basketball courts, sailing, windsurfing, and volley ball. The dr [... read more]inks and service at the bars were great. The food was buffet, snack bar or you could book full service at specialty restaurants. The selection was fresh; fruits, seafood and daily baked goods. The taste and preparation is what you would expect for Cuba. This was a group company family vacation of 13 adults, 2 teenagers and 3 kids. We all had a great time at the hotel/ beach and on our two- 1 day excursions. We went on a jeep safari and sailing on a 40ft catamaran. We drove jeeps over the causeway to a farm for horseback riding, to a local farm and had lunch at a lakeside restaurant. The sailing including snorkeling, swimming at the offshore beach shoals, swimming and pictures with dolphins and lobster lunch. On other days some of us went / learned Scuba diving, kite sailing lessons, swimming a the pool and at the beach. We bought lots of rum, cigars, honey and the souvenirs were hand made leather and jewelry items. We had a great time took lots of photos and would go back and recommend to friends.