Punta Peninsula Varadero: Very Nice

We were given a beautiful room with a great view of the ocean. Our air conditioner didn't work and we had two double beds pulled together, instead of a king size. The mattress was well worn out. The beaches of Varadero are beautiful. The food isn't exactly great, but it is all you can eat and you can soon find out what you like. Our Cuban hosts were absolutely the best! Entertainment every night. A marina with several stores were right across the street from our resort. The weather wasn't great  [... read more]for the last four days of our trip, but we enjoyed the tropicl heat. We went on a Jeep Safari one day when it was raining. There is lots to do if the weather is unkind, however these cost extra. We were dissapointed with the CUC peso exchange rate. They consider their CUC peso at par with the American dollar. Our Canadian dollar was only worth $.68 for one CUC. Can you say, ripoff? However it is their country, and for great service with a Cuban smile as well as safety, there is non better. We did have to wait three days to get a beach towel as well.

Grand Memories Varadero: Poor Management

Example: What did you think about  this hotel? (grounds, public areas, rooms, dining, features, etc.) This part of the hotel was very nice grounds,rooms ect. and clean. But everyday we were always missing bread,butter,eggs,coffee,wine on and on. No toilet paper in any of the public areas. Staff not happy, no eye contact. Food was just horrible.

Starfish Jibacoa: Our Favourite resort, but.......?

After visiting many the Cuban resorts over 15 years we came to love Villas Jibacoa. The beautiful location, the uncrowded layout of the bungalows, the great snorkeling and SCUBA diving right off the beach and, most of all, the warm and friendly staff have brought us back repeatedly. We never visit Jibacoa for the food, but in the past usually we could find something tasty to eat. This visit the food selection has slipped with limited choice and erratic supply. The tired Toaster has under perform [... read more]ed for years but on our last 2 visits the toaster doesn't toast at all, merely warming the bread. For heavens sake, Jibacoa, FIX THE TOASTER!! My wife felt that the bungalow rooms, although spacious with plenty of hot water and good air conditioning, were looking beat up. Some of Goodwill's surplus furniture would improve things. I know, Cuba is not rich like Canada, but it's these small things that reduce the star rating and make it difficult to recommend Villas Jibacoa to others. However, personally, we love Jibacoa and can overlook the deficiencies and will continue to support this Cuban enigma. Post Script : This trip was via Havana rather than the usual Varadero. Big mistake! Air Transat used one bus pickup to service 2 flights, one from Toronto and a second one from Montreal, "scheduled" to land 30 minutes later. Havana is a chaotic airport. Planes land and are parked until a gate is available to deplane passengers. Delays are inevitable. We waited 1 hour for our luggage to arrive at the carousel and than sat on the bus for 3 more hours until the poor Montreal passengers joined us on the bus to Jibacoa No refreshments or explanation were given to us as we waited in the bus without benefit of air conditioning. Total of 4 hours waiting at airport to go to the hotel was completely unacceptable! DO NOT TAKE AN AIR TRANSIT PACKAGE TO JIBACOA WHICH USES HAVANA AIRPORT. They are doomed to delays!! Air Transat bean counters are running an improbable schedule which ignores passenger welfare in an attempt to squeeze a little more profit.

Melia Las Americas: Great resort

Everything was great but some of the serving staff staff were very unfriendly which put a downer on some of the dinners. The GM was very out going and helpful if we had any issues. Rooms were excellent.

Memories Jibacoa: Memories Jibacoa - good

Resort was clean. Grounds well maintained. Units spacious and well kept. Lots of hot water, good water pressure. Housekeeping did an excellent job. lots of stairs in main building to access buffet, lobby, piano bar, everything else was easily accessible. Front desk staff need some people skills. All the other staff were friendly, helpful and welcoming. Food and mixed drinks were ok. Not the top of the line but still good. Menus did not change a lot day to day. 1 hr from Havana. 1 hr from Varader [... read more]o airport . Location was more country, which we liked. Pool was huge, only 1 pool - weather was not good so I can't say if pool gets crowded. Beach was good. Again weather prevented us from snorkelling or swimming in ocean. Access to ocean was rocky. Need water shoes. Piano bar great. Evening entertainment good if outside, weather moved it indoors which I did not enjoy.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Good holilday - unplanned hotel renovations

We love this resort but were disappointed that they started renovations while we were there. The lobby café/bar shut down for renovations for 5/7 days of our vacation, leaving a tiny cigar shop as the main place for specialty coffee drinks. Hot water was off - totally for the first 2 days, but we had warm water for the remainder of the week. The staff at the resort worked around the renovations as well as could be expected. We enjoy their light heartedness and had lots of fun with them. Overa [... read more]ll a good holiday, great staff, but renovations were a problem.

Memories Jibacoa: Great, quiet resort in a beautiful setting

We chose this resort mainly due to its proximity to Havana, however after spending a week there it was obvious it has much more to offer than just location. The setting is gorgeous, sandwiched between beautiful green mountains and crystal blue sea. We aren't the type to sit on the beach all day everyday so having the option of going on hikes, snorkelling (there's a coral reef about 5-10 metres off shore and long walks along the mostly unspoiled beach were a huge plus. Now everyone knows the food [... read more] in Cuba, particularly on all-inclusive resorts can be hit or miss, but the food at this resort was a pleasant surprise. There was always something good at the buffet and the à la carte restaurants were also quite good. The only down side was that some of the drinks (piña coladas) weren't quite on par with other places we e been. There is however a small restaurant about a 5 minute walk from the resort with excellent piña coladas at a very reasonable price. The resort is quiet and never seemed too packed, even when it rained and the service was good. We will definitely be returning to Memories Jibacoa.

Hotel Bella Costa: Better than expected

If you are going to travel to Cuba and enjoy yourself, you have to lower your expectations. Visiting Cuba is quite different than a holiday in North America. We did enjoy our stay at the Bella Costa resort. We had an ocean view room in the villa part. The room was very dated and needs work but we had no major complaints regarding our stay there. We had excellent maid service. Judy was our maid. Electricity in Cuban resorts is 220 volts. So take an adapter along if you plan to recharge electroni [... read more]c items. The room had a working fridge, hair dryer and TV (poor though). Two or three English channels are available on TV (CNN, CTV Montreal and a Chinese channel). The beds were okay. The patio doors required you and Arnold Schwarzenegger together to open and close. Very difficult to move either way. The food was actually not bad at all. Lots of variety. We found the omelettes to be a good choice for breakfast. Fried and boiled eggs were available too. For the evening meal we enjoyed the pasta. They have excellent pasta cooks. We did dine at 3 restaurants. The Italian one was excellent. The entertainment at night was excellent. Terrific dancers. The beach is well above average. You can walk for many kilometers on awesome fine sand. There is no problem getting a lounge chair on the beach if you just want to relax and people watch or listen to the waves pounding. But you should go in the water and enjoy the rolling waves give you a nice lift and ride. Much fun. The staff at Bella Costa is very good. If we had any requests, they were dealt with promptly. The swimming pool area is quite nice. We spent a lot of time there visiting with other Canadians and enjoying a drink. In the afternoon, they have games near the pool bar and anyone can participate and have a chance to win a bottle of rum. Of course the entire resort could use a major overhaul but it isn't going to happen. I would have to say that 2 of the downsides to going to Cuba are these. First, you have to buy their stupid tourist currency (the CUC). The exchange rate is brutal, near around 58%. It will cost you about $158 to buy 100 CUC at the hotel. You might do a bit better at a bank in Varadero. You can not buy CUC in Canada. CUC are a ripoff. The second issue is that use of credit cards in Cuba is very limited. NONE of the stores or flea market stands that I visited took credit cards. This is an old and tired resort. But that does not mean you can not have a good experience here. We did. If you are going to Cuba, I think you will have a good experience at the Bella Costa resort if you do an upgrade room choice. We paid an extra $60 each for the ocean view villa room and it was worth the money. Changes will come slowly to Cuba with the lifting of the US embargo. The ways of doing things there will not change quickly. The system is locked in the past and of course it is hampered by the Communist control and thinking. The impact of the changes will be both good and bad. I suspect that the resorts will resist the Americanization and Canadianization of their businesses. They have a good thing going right now. They are busy places and the workers enjoy a standard of living (due to tips) that is well above that of the average Cuban.

Resonance Blu Varadero: very tired property

Appears this 'used' to be a good resort, change of ownership seems to have allowed the lack of upkeep. Stains on ceiling and walls from rain damage was explained during a down pour as we were swimming in a flooded room. Nexus Tours were excellent in trying to resolve an answer to problem.. However. due to lack of hot water in bathrooms they had no rooms avail. so told us to take a taxi to the Grand Memories Hotel. The exchange office was out of service, so unable to exchange $s to CU. ... so spe [... read more]nt the day packing up and eventually moving . FYI To fill the plane Sunwing changed the return flight details 3 times..Eventually bringing the POP flight via Cuba - much to the anger of the POP passengers, and subsequently the WG 625 became the WG 685 then WG 411..we flew south to the Dominican then north to Toronto..Is making money the only goal of Sunwing? Shame on them for such a horrendous journey for so many families with young children..The very grumpy in flight crew announced only water could be served due to length of flight??? Mr. Hunter should try travelling with such a sham, and then see if the Champagne service is value?

Melia Las Americas: Beautiful

Very clean, beautiful location, great beach, very nice golf course The manager was always available to speak to and was very helpful and friendly! The only bad thing was the weather was bad and the pool bar near our bungalows and was only open a couple times because of that.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Great Place to stay!!

We stay at the Royalton Hicacos resort in Varadero From Jan 9 to the 16, 2016. We had no complaints besides the weather ( which the resort was not responsible for). All the staff was extreamly friendly no matter where you went on the resort, all the way from the front desk to the men that were cutting the grass. The food was great and lots of selection. The staff kept the resort as clean as possible and it looked neat and tidey all the time.

Playa Caleta: Never again

Rooms leaked..food sucked,Swim up closed,Rude front desk,No water in the rooms since we arrived when store was closed.Will never go back...Gritty sand with shells.Games somedays..not consistant!Cleaning lady was nice and appreciated my gifts..always did a good job!

Melia Marina Varadero: Fabulous Resort

Absolutly beautiful resort!!! The al-la-carte restaurants were the best I've ever been to in Cuba. They ambiance and food were superb. The room was large and comfortable with all necessary amenities. The drinks at the lobby bar were lovely and I loved the Pina coladas and Spanish coffee. The grounds were well maintained and the marina boardwalk was beautiful to walk in the evening. The beach was a 10-15 min walk but the resort had a shuttle that picked you up. If you want classy place with great [... read more] food and drinks and respectful people, go to Melia Marina Varadero

Memories Jibacoa: A Cuban Experience

A very quiet, smaller resort with a beach offering a good snorkelling experience. Nightly entertainment, spacious pool, clean rooms, sufficient lounge chairs, beautiful grounds & the helpful staff met our expectations. The food choice was monotonous, after a week's stay. Heavy rain caused flooding in some ground floor rooms, so definitely would suggest 2nd floor rooms. Diamond Club vacation perks didn't prove worthwhile...other than the excellent oceanfront room location. The close proximity to  [... read more]Havana allowed for a city tour & enjoyable Buena Vista Social Club concert. We noticed Havana is prosperous now and is flourishing with tourists! All rooms proved a short distance to pool, beach and dining options.

Playa Caleta: Good food!!

Great food, amazing people, entertainment very poor, rooms clean, friendly staff and pool and beach was clean. Need more public washrooms but overall we had a great experience, I will recommend this hotel.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: The beach was the best part of our holiday.

We'd never taken an all-inclusive vacation before, so it was a new experience for us, and probably one that we wouldn't repeat. The best we can say is that the beach was nice, the grounds were pleasant, neat and tidy, and the staff were really warm and friendly. It was a cheap vacation.

Hotel Los Cactus: Tired resort

The grounds are beautiful. The beach is absolutely gorgeous. The restaurants are good. However, the rooms need some major TLC. We were upgraded two days in and then it was better but the junior suites are horrible! The staff were very helpful.

Mar Del Sur: Will not return

I was very disapointed in this resort. We booked it as it was close to central downtown (which it was) and had a playground for our son (out of order). Definately not safe!! The ala cart restaraunt was not operational either. Front desk staff had a 'couldn't care less' attitude. And spent much of the time doing her nails. The Bartenders and wait staff were wonderful. The maid service only made our beds 2 days (the other 5 the blankets were folded at the foot of the bed. Our garbage did not get e [... read more]mptied until I put them in the middle of the room to be tripped over. I am aware that this was only a 2 1/2 star...but it wasn't even close. The grounds although maintained decently, had many cracks and uneven pathways. Many stray cats and dogs on this property. Bring tteats for them as most seemed friendly. The Lights in our complex were hit and miss making it difficult not only to navigate our way, but find where to put a key in to open the door. Only 1 key was given to my family of 3... upon arrival (11:30 pm) there was no where to get anything to eat and they don't exchange money at this resort so we couldnt even go get something Once my hungry husband began to complain were were tossed 2 stale sandwiches. The only day activites at the resort was a game of bingo at 330 in the afternoon. I will return to varadero, but never this establishment!

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Beautiful beach and well maintained resort

We travelled as a family (with teenage kids) to this resort in December 2015 and enjoyed our stay immensely. The resort was very well maintained, the staff were friendly and the beach was beautiful. However, beach towels were an issue and we weren't able to trade them in throughout our stay.

Brisas Del Caribe: Don't sweat the small things

Yes, there were some issues. With nine of us on a boys trip (seven in their 20s, plus two dads), we had four rooms. Water wasn't always hot in one room, toilet didn't work properly in another. Lack of toilet paper in the restrooms throughout the resort. Small things. But the fun factor has to count for something. So too does the resort staff. We had a terrific time in our vacation the first week of January. Met some amazing people from all over the world. Bartenders were awesome. For a change fr [... read more]om the buffet at lunch, try the grill, near the beach. Is the resort a five-star in quality? No. But the price is right. And, yes, I would go back.