Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Needs TLC

Nice staff and huge land . The resort is very big and spacious. The beach is very long, great for walks. There is very little algea. However, there is lots of garbage laying around , broken chairs along the whole beach . Nobody seems To be cleaning up. The rooms are simple and clean. The eating area is fine. The food selection is very simple and missing breakfast items. Bread was stale and fruit loops was only choice of cereal. Not good for adults or children. I am lactose intolerant  [... read more]and cannot eat gluten , and there were no other choices or substitute. At buffet, we had very similar choices for breakfast, lunch and supper. Lacked variety. À la carte restaurant were good. Ambiance was decent. Not too loud making it a quiet vacation. Be aware of deffective / demagnetized room cards. We had to go To reception 3 times To get new cards.

Gran Muthu Imperial: Amazing resort

we had a great time at this resort. The entertainment team were fun, they kept us involved in activities & shows. All the staff were very pleasant, we would go back to this adults only resort. made friends there as well.

Playa Costa Verde: Amazing vacation,

I have absolutely nothing but goodness to say about this resort and the people who run it...from the moment I arrived until the day I left, I have never felt so appreciated and respected anywhere I have ever been. These people are so genuinely happy and excited to see us have the best time.

Roc Barlovento: Home away from home

Unlike other Varadero hotels we've stayed at, Roc Barlovento has remained comfortable and consistent over the past four years that we have stayed there. The rooms are always clean, and things usually work (ie toilet, shower, tv, ac). Food choices were a little lackluster this past trip, but there is always something worth eating. I appreciate the quietness, and beauty of the grounds and beach. The staff is usually in a good mood and eager to help. Great value for the money!

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: 2nd time and still fantastic

Dhawa Resort is truly amazing. I have to thank the following people, Jarod, Miquel Angel, both Carlos' (buffet and 24 hour snack bar), Rafael, Elisabet and finally Lachie (absolutely the best) were all so very beautiful, kind and loving employees who made sure my trip was extra special as I travelled solo and they ensured I had a great time. The grounds and rooms are absolutely fantastic, the buffet had a lot of selection for Cuba. I have decided that Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria is my go to Cuban  [... read more]resort. I'm already planning my return trip in May 2020. Thank you to Tripcentral and Shauna L. for becoming my travel agent and always being there when I have a ton of questions. If you're interested in excursions definitely check out swimming with the dolphins! The pools are great and the beach is so beautiful

Brisas Guardalavaca: marvelous trip as always.Will be back soon.

Lovely hotel with impeccable grounds. The friendliest and most helpful staff you will ever meet.Gorgeous beach with lots of sunbeds.Rooms are spacious and well kept.Good variety of food .Book the a la cart restaurants as they are excellent.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Decent resort

the hotel was well maintained....there were times with no or little hot water but have had this happen in Canada. bed definitely not the most comfortable could feel all the springs, employees very friendly...not a huge assorted food daily but sufficient to find something to eat. beach was very nice and cleaned daily of sea weed and had few people selling on the beach

Gran Muthu Imperial: A Disappointing Let Down for a “Five Star” Resort

The biggest disappointment was the fact that the beach was extremely filthy, not only was the beach covered with seaweed but was also littered with trash. Ruining the beach experience and in extension the vacation. The staff did nothing to clean the beach, garbage remained on the shore for several consecutive days. As for the room; the bathroom was not adequately maintained. Throughout our stay, hair remained in the shower drain for the entire duration. Food at this resort did not provide a grea [... read more]t selection and was at best average quality for Cuban resort standards. However, the ocean view was great and coffee was very good at the bar. Bar staff were also friendly and very nice. In addition, the pool was adequate and pool staff were also friendly.

Hotel Villa Cuba: Good Value Vacation

Good value for the money we paid. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Beach is nice. Food a bit repetitive but you can get buy. Lots of French Canadian and Russians. Smoking is allowed in public areas. Overall a nice vacation.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Great resort Great price

The hotel is a large resort with nice beach and fantastic pool layout. Rooms are large and fairly comfortable. All the staff was fantastic Food was not bad a lot of variety but pretty much the same thing everyday. The specialty restaurants were pretty good also. if you are looking for a cheap getaway this one works. .

Hotel Rancho Luna: Good Place

I have been to Rancho Luna 6 times. The resort is quite basic but clean. There is always something you can find to eat. Most of the staff are very good and I know most of them by their first names. They are always happy to see us and it is not just about the tips. The one thing I find disturbing and likely fatal is some Cubans butt into line and expect to get served before the other people waiting in line for coffee or beer at the lobby bar, the pool bar and the grill bar. Some bartenders do [... read more] not allow them to butt in and serve people in order - other bartenders do allow Cubans to butt in. Twice when I was at the lobby bar for coffee on one wait Cubans butted in and were served before me - twice - very annoying. If the management allows this butting in by Cubans the tourism business in Cuba will crash faster than a 737 Max. No one likes arrogance and elitism. I will go back one more time and if it is still the same it will be my last. There are lots of places where all people are treated with dignity and respect.

Roc Barlovento: Great Beach and Location!

Hotel is small and older, rooms very dated but clean, 2 pools ( not enough shade at pools) but great beach, always enough shade and chairs, 5 min walk to everything....lots of room for improvement but good enough! Lots of older guests, not many young partying....Loved that it was small and intimate, old style Cuba!

Occidental Arenas Blancas: You get what you pay for

Our beds were like sleeping on wooden pallets, the lobby bar and bathroom smelled like vomit. Speaking of vomit, I spent day 3 in bed and over a toilet vomiting all the horrendous food they served at late hours snack bar. Otherwise the staff tried hard and the beach was phenomenal. Again you get what you pay for!

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Fiesta Americana Costa Verde, Holguin, Cuba, Hotel Review

All in all, it was a fantastic experience for our group of 6 people !! The staff was amazing, from the top down ---we even got to know, on a personal basis, the Director-General (Julian), the Operations-Director (Jorge), and the Restaurants and Bars Manager (Samuel) ------ Samuel even volunteered to personally make sandwiches/lunches for all of us for the plane trip back to Montreal ----- what a gentleman !! The beach was great (except for the sand-flies at times). The entertainment was fine. T [... read more]he fitness activities on land (such as, the Fitness Room, the Table Games Area, the Basketball Courts and the Tennis Court) need a little upgrading equipment-wise, but the water-activities were great !! The transportation vehicles were also great !! I, on behalf of my group, will HIGHLY RECOMMEND this vacation hotel to anyone !! (On the other hand, I would NOT recommend getting there with AIRTRANSAT, as we experienced a lot of problems getting to Cuba, but not on the way back home ---- such as, the 40 -- 50-something-years-old stewardess working on the Right-side, in the Economy-class, who was always surly, and refused to supply us with Immigration Forms for Cuba in English, as well as in other minor things !!!)

Barcelo Solymar: Interesting experience for a first timer

As a newbie to both all-inclusives and Cuba, I was wondering what to expect, so of course I turned to Google. Reading the reviews had me a bit nervous. So much of what I read turned out to be true, so I don't want to repeat the obvious truths - the food is no bueno, to be sure, and complaints about days of no hot water, leaking plumbing, no air conditioning in the MAIN building were rampant. However, I stayed in the bungalows, and my stay there was pleasant. What I hadn't read about was the  [... read more]public bathrooms (ladies, anyway). In the lobby, the toilet had no seat! Around the pool lounges, most stall doors didn't lock and the lights were never on. When I did find a door that locked, it didn't really matter, as the stall door was so short anyone over 5' tall would be able to see that the stall was occupied. Last comment about the public bathrooms, don't expect the sinks to be securely fastened to the wall, or to have running water for that matter. Finally, don't do what I failed to do. Take Ducoral. Do it. I spent the last four days in Cuba near my room, unable to eat, and that carried on for another three days once getting home. It made for a very unpleasant trip home... And I tell you, I was extremely vigilant about what I ate and drank. Well, at least I learned a few things and got a great tan :)

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Fantastic Resort!

This resort was fantastic! Grounds were in immaculate condition. Staff were super friendly and accommodating! Food was good. The beach and pools were beautiful. Restaurants were very clean. Kids club was always in pristine condition.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Sanctuary at Grand Memories

The resort was very nice!! Groundskeepers and cleaning staff were working hard every day keeping everything pristine. All the staff at the resort and the country of Cuba are very nice and friendly and will do anything to make your vacation the best experience you’ve ever had!! We had a wonderful time in Cuba and can’t wait to go again. The people of Cuba love Canadians to death and do whatever it takes for you to enjoy your stay in their country!! As for the food, I enjoyed it, some things  [... read more]were a little blah but I didn’t go to Cuba to eat myself silly!!

Iberostar Selection Holguin: New, Modern Hotel with Good Service, Good Food and Lively Entertainment

We travelled as a group of 7 – my husband and I, our 11yr old daughter, and 4 seniors. We’ve been to Cuba and the Costa Verde/Playa Pasquero area multiple times, but first time to Iberostar Selection Holguin. First off, I’d like to thank Eliana and Leandro for answering my countless questions, even prior to booking the trip! You both made the decision to book and the planning process for our group easy! Speaking of customer service, I’d been told that when the hotel opened, they on [... read more]ly hired experienced staff and it really shows. Everyone knows what they’re doing and a solid 95% have excellent English language skills. We also saw many familiar faces from previous trips to other hotels in the area! Check In: We arrived a bit late after some weather in Toronto caused a delay, but were greeted by all the entertainers and even “Starky” as we got off the bus. Check in itself went smoothly, even after needing to change one of our room assignments. Shuttles were ready and waiting, and we were in our room in no time. Upon arrival, our maid Yelenis came and introduced herself then gave us the extra towel for the new room (3 of us). Rooms: We stayed in room 25201 – just to the side of pool and kids area. A bit far from the main lobby and most restaurants, but not a bad walk if you cut through the pool. The room itself was fresh and modern. Careful in the shower – the floor tray is very shallow and it’s easy to flood the bathroom. TV stations are limited and seemed to change partway through the week. Just a heads up for parents - my daughter was watching Disney channel the first couple days while getting ready for bed…but then the next day (and then after) it had changed to a Spanish feed and we lost all but Showtime (had HBO earlier) and CNN for English channels. Around the Resort: This place is huge… all the buildings are very spread out so there is a lot of walking or calling the shuttle. Shuttles usually come quickly when called – we only had a couple times that they didn’t come within 5min. As others have mentioned, there are mosquitoes and other biting bugs – now, I’m not talking about swarms of them like you’re camping in the Muskoka wilderness, but the resort surrounded by natural brush and there are some naturalized areas in the middle of the resort as well so there are definitely going to be mosquitoes in the morning while it’s cool, and evening when the sun goes down. While we were there, they were mowing the overgrown lawn (was a good 1.5-2ft tall grass in some areas) so I would expect that will help, but I would recommend a dusting of bug spray before you head out at night for sure. By no means is this a ‘vacation spoiler’…just be aware, know that’ll you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors, and simply come prepared. Restaurants: The main buffet was good as expected... as I’ve said before, we don't expect 5 star gourmet selections, we are realistic. There was a good variety of food every day along with the ‘usual’ items so you can always find something. Every meal there are fresh cooking station – omelets, pancakes, French toast for breakfast, then lunch and dinner had meats and seafood, pasta and pizza. I was also nice to see Yanet (formerly of Blau/Fiesta Americana Costa Verde) on the omelet station in the morning! One word of caution… the coffee at breakfast is STRONG! I usually love the Cuban coffee at breakfast, but it was far too strong for me this time. My husband liked it, but the rest of us had Americano or lattes instead for breakfast. 24hr Snack Bar – Small menu, but definitely hits the spot for lunch or midnight snack. “Chicken Delights” aka fried chicken strips were a fan favourite with our group. I also enjoyed the pizza. Japanese – Dinner and a show! The chefs are great with the crowd. I enjoyed the vegetable tempura and teppanyaki selection. While not as flavorful as other teppan restaurants I’ve been to, was quite good. Steakhouse – like many have said, they don’t actually have steak on the menu. I had the pork and my daughter had the veal, which looked pretty much like steak anyway! Both were really good. One of our group had the “XL Hamburger”…not sure what the regular sized one looked like, but this one definitely wasn’t XL.. was just like you’d get at the snack bar, so skip that one. Gourmet – I would say this one was my favourite. I had the sirloin here, and even though they cautioned that it ‘wasn’t the best cut of meat’ it was actually really good! They also had a chocolate mousse for dessert that I highly recommend if you’re a fan of sweets Café – First Cuban resort that actually had iced tea on the menu! You can also get blended iced coffees in a variety of flavours and lots of other specialty coffees you’d find at certain major fancy coffee chains. Room service – we had to try it! Was easy to order and they came quickly (within about 25min). Food was fresh and a decent temperature as well. The driver brought it right in to our room table for us – proper plates and cutlery too. Fun and Entertainment: The entertainment staff – there are so many of them and there’s almost always something going on. My daughter loves taking part in all the activities around the pool, so we always take this into consideration when looking at places to go. The magic carpet is hilarious to watch and the kids love it! Special thanks to: Sol and Katy every morning at stretching and aqua Zumba. Charly, Lianetsy, Felix, Franklyn, Nairobis, Leonardo…and SO many more for all their energy with dancing lessons and various activities, day and night. …and a big shout out to Andreas – thank you for spending so much time playing ping pong and pool in the evenings! Beach party on Saturday night was fun – the only downside is the foam came out near the end and a lot of the little ones who would have really liked it had gone to bed already. My suggestion would be to have a kids foam party during the day, or have it earlier in the evening. We missed the bulk of Cuban Day while off the resort that day, but Friday they made the paella again by the pool! Massage Therapists: Rahillio and Yamila are both great, caring and professional – thanks for all your help in taking care of our family and making the trip much more comfortable, especially for one of our family members who would otherwise be in pain due to travelling and all the walking at the resort! I recommend taking the ‘promotional sample massage’ – you won’t be disappointed! Pools: We stayed at the main pool. Very rarely did I see anyone at all in the activity pool. Water temperature was a bit cool, but quite comfortable once you’re in on a sunny day. We spent most of our time around the pool during the day. Check out Giovanni’s juggling at the bar! Beach: I thought I would love the small beach at the hotel since it’s so shallow, but unfortunately we were only there for about 10 min when my daughter had her back covered in sand fleas. If you’re planning on being in the water, you have nothing to worry about… but unless you douse your kids in the saltwater first, be prepared for bites as they play in the sand :( We mentioned this to one of the hotel staff and they said they knew it was a problem, especially in the morning. We had no major bug issues in the evening at the beach. On the other hand… while a bit far, if you take the shuttle over to Pasquero Beach, it’s fantastic. Beautiful clear water, no seaweed, no bugs and soft sand. Now that’s a beach! Overall we had a great family getaway and will be back!

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Beautiful pools

The resort has beautiful pools. The actual buildings are run down. They do not do maintain them. There were several leaks. All they would do is put a bucket down. The ceiling in the main dining room has leaks. They just moved the tables so they didn’t get wet and put a mat on the floor to catch the drippings.the leaks were from the rooms above not from rain. The leaks could of been toilet or shower water. The foods in the a la cart was much fresher then the buffet. Cuban food is not for me. We [... read more] went with a group of 15. The buffet would accommodate us but the a la carte would not. They either split the tables into two different tables,or sometimes into three separate tables. The group we went with made this resort feel like a three star. If we wouldn’t of had so much fun together I would say it would get a rating of a 1star. Thanks Kelly B from Canada

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Very nice family resort

It’s a brand new resort with young energetic people working. Lots of open space between living and activity buildings and golf carts are always available to take you there if you find walking challenging. There are two beaches; the closest to resort has shallow water also some people were bitten by sand flies. But the further beach is quite nice. Cafeteria and specialty restaurants quite good for Cuba. Entertainment staff always kept my granddaughter quite busy. Wish they had a Canadian TV sta [... read more]tion given that there were three Chinese stations and no tourist from China. I would like to take this opportunity to warn potential traveler when booking Air Transat package through Tripcentral.ca. On Tripcentral.ca website this package was advertised for one price per person. But on second page it was summed up for two people. After agreeing to purchase the package I noticed the price being higher per person then advertised. When I brought this to Tripcentral.ca attention they informed me that the price is at the point of sale and cannot be changed or canceled. Misleading advertisement remained on their website even after being informed.