Grand Memories Varadero: not impressed

have stayed at a lot of all inclusives and heard good things about the RIU resorts,this was in no way a 4-5 star resort,we even paid extra for the deluxe section,this was at best a 3 star,the beds were of poor quality,unfriendly staff, cold food all the time at the buffet,had to ask 2 days in a row for water for our room , the maid would clean our room and re hang and fld the same wet towels for days instead of replaceing them with new ones,i could go on and on,not worth the money at all.

Resonance Blu Varadero: A memorable experience

Last week, my boyfriend and I attended memories varadero beach resort. We truly loved everything about our trip. The people, the environment and the surroundings were unforgetable. It was an amazing experience and a trip we will never forget!

Playa Caleta: Fabulous Resort , way underted

I was very hesitant to go to Cuba let alone The Puntarena in Veredero as my travel agent said the last four clients had complaints about the Calata , (sister hotel next door being closed) Let me say I feel sad for those people who complain about the little things that don't matter. I went with my 12 year old ( kids stay and eat free here!!) and we thought we were at the wrong hotel as we were so surprised at how nice it was! The food was good and always plentiful , the Beach huge and amazing, wa [... read more]ter clear , no fighting over lounge chairs, pools beautiful, room on beach side - very nice fabulous view, good nightly entertainment, fabulous coffee bar with live music everyday (violin ,grande piano, sax player) . The people and all staff at hotel were so friendly . Chichitoo at coffee bar and Noel the bar tender and Sweetie our waitress were so friendly!!!!!!!! This is a great place to go and would go back in a heartbeat. Weather was perfect everyday!

Punta Peninsula Varadero: amazing property, nicely manicured gardens.

Vacationed at Blau in February 2014. Enjoyed Our stay and returned in March 2015 and brought daughter & family (4) with us. Wonderful play/activities for the kids. They would go back as well. Great buffet! Good beach.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Beautiful beach and pools BUT

This resort has an amazing beach and the pools were beautiful. The grounds were well kept and the entertainment was second to none and very professional. The Cuban, Spanish and Italian Resturants were a special treat but the buffett was less than impressive. My husband was able to eat most of the offerings on the buffet but I was not able to find much. There was a terrible septic/sewer smell in front of the resturant area and needless to say it did do much to enhance one's appetite! The rooms we [... read more]re not that clean and there was damp mold on the walls. I did leave substantial tips and small gifts for the cleaning staff and did receive better treatment (ie towels) than other people I talked to. Some people mentioned that they did not get any towels for two days. We did enjoy the beach and the pool and it was nice to get warm.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Great resort

Great beach, enjoyed snorkelling trip from beach house. Room/bathroom a perfect 10 out of 10. Butlers are handy. Staff were mostly all friendly. Lots of variety of food. Bread was wonderful. I wish they had real juice rather then tang like juice.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: fun in the sun

Nice beach. Excellent staff. Food ok. No adverse reactions to food or water. Reservations hard to complete due to length of time desk was available and lineups. Bring your own toilet paper and small packs of kleenex to carry with you.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Average hotel, great beach

We were looking for somewhere in Varadero that was reasonably priced, but an ok hotel. This place was fine for what we paid, but don't expect a beautiful hotel. Large facility, and food was much better than expected.

Blau Varadero: Beautiful Resort

We stayed in this resort mid March 2015. This is a beautiful resort, the grounds and the beach are stunning. The food and service were great. The room was simple but very clean and the beds were comfortable. Would recommend this resort to my friends.

Melia Las Americas: Great Resort!

We traveled to Melia Las Americas the week of March 23-30th 2015 upon a friend's recommendation and there were four of us. Resort was kept very clean. It was small and easy to get around and the grounds were amazing!. For those who want action there was a theater to entertain guests in the evening. We had paid for ocean view room and upon our arrival we were disappointed with the size and location of our room on the second floor facing roof tops. We brought to the front desk attention and had to [... read more] wait until 4:30pm to get another room. As our flight was early and had no sleep the night before, it made this very tiring. Our second room was worth it however, as it was on the fourth floor and had a great view. Rooms were kept clean and beds changed daily. I found the mattresses quite firm, but bearable.The resort is trying to accommodate all guests, but there were a lot of people-some being there more then once-so it must be challenging to please all. The weather was great the first five days and then we got a thunderstorm at night, therefore there was a lot of wind and we were not allowed to swim in the ocean. The food was amazing and we all loved it!

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Sadly disappointed.

1. understaffed- from reception staff to serving staff 2. had to complain the first day regarding unwashed, smelly, and stained towels and bed linens. 3. shortage of beach towels, and towels that were provided were worn and had holes. 4. exchange rate on C$ started at 25%, and was 30% by midweek!! I thought Canadians were their bread and butter? 5. rooms were dirty (dustballs along baseboards and under the bed and furniture), shower stalls were badly installed, leaking onto floor, pooling aroung [... read more] the toilet. 6. toilet flush valve broke twice- saving grace was that the service person was very efficient 7. plumbing fixtures and faucets were worn and dated, shower heads came off in my hand, and fixture drains backed up at all times- didn't bother calling this in to the receptionist 8. ceramic tiles, hand railings needed repairs 9. buffet facilities dishes were badly chipped, tables were not cleaned properly 10. supplies for bar drinks were often out of stock, bottles of water were not available, as they suggested that you bring the empty bottle to the bar staff for refilling. 11. stairwell lighting to our room did not work, and remained like that, although we relayed this to the staff. The extras that were included with the Elegance option were not available when we arrived, they made it up to us by treating us to a lobster with the bbq dinner. This was our 4th trip to Cuba, with our previous trips being a very positive experience, but this will probably be our last trip. 12. I noticed more garbage on the beach at this resort than the previous resorts that we stayed at. The positives; the weather, beach, and ocean waters.

Club Tropical: NIce resort down town Varadero

Everything was clean, nice and well kept. Would go there again cause there is so much to see in town, everything is close. The beach is so nice the best I've ever seen in all my travel. The staff is really friendly.

Palma Real: Good basic beach trip

This resort was in a perfect location. Short walk to the gorgeous beach, right in the Varadero pub/restaurant area. Walk to everything. The food, room and service were very basic. Like Motel 6. That was fine for me for the price we paid, but If your into luxury, this isn't the one for you. If you're in for a good time, at a low price, then this is for you.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Perfect vacation

Everything was great. No complaints at all. Beautiful grounds, beach with amazing staff. Great nighly entertainment and daily activities. This was our second time at this resort and would go again. Thanks

Barcelo Solymar: The best resort!

This was my first time to Cuba. I was very happy with the cleanliness of the resort. The staff is what made it the best though! They are polite and friendly. I saw other resorts in the area and they did not compare to this one. Barcelo Resort is top!

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Great staff!

Liked that it was not too large and spread out. Beach was awesome, no water shoes needed here! All the staff was great, special shout out to 'Jenny from the block', part of the Anamacion crew, really made our stay memorable down at the beach each day, and Justo, lobby bar, best morning capuccinos. First place I've been that there were plenty of beach/pool chairs. Piano bar and evening shows very entertaining. Disco was fun to end the night with. Rooms clean and comfortable. Overall, would go bac [... read more]k again.

Hotel Villa Cuba: Nothing spectacular

We just spent a week at this hotel. Having been to Cuba 5 times we knew what to expect and not to expect. During other trips we drive by this hotel and from the outside I always thought it must be a neat hotel. We booked last minute and got a great deal which was a bonus. Had I paid full price I would have been extremely disappointed. Service was all over the map. Some were great while other staff was down right rude and ignorant. I found front desk to be not helpful. We had a CAsa room which wa [... read more]s nothing fancy. We originally had problems with our rooms which we complained about and they actually fixed them right away. The resort is Very Very dark at night on the grounds, going to your CAsa rooms and even in stair ways in hotel. They have lamp posts throughout ground but only seen one turn on. Pool is very clean. Pool bar drinks were too strong. Beer was fine. It was always busy so sometimes was a wait. But they had staff constantly cleaning up the area. Beach is amazing. It was windy a few days and closed for swimming but still a great spot. Volleyball in the morning was fun and busy. Lots of shade under the huts. Buffet was small for size of resort but I found the food pretty decent ( it's cuba you don't go for food). I actually found it more flavourful than other resorts. Pasta line took forever but was good. Decent selection of food every meal. I found there was a lot of walking for being a medium sized resort and there were a lot of 55+ there during our stay. Some repeat visitors I spoke to said it seems to be common to see many seniors here. Evening entertainment was a variety and I enjoyed their shows at night. I recommend this hotel ONLY if you have lower standards and are going only for the beach and sun. If you get a good price go ! If your paying more than $900 all in pick another resort. I have been to other 3-4.5 star resorts and this one would be the lowest I've been to yet. We are pretty easy going and made the best of it. Once they fixed our room we declined an upgrade as we know cuba standards are different than at home. We never went hungry and didn't drink too much and when we did we drank mostly beer. We swam in pool and beach. Met some great people - other Canadians mainly as the others were not great English speaking. We overall had a great vacation making the best of what we had. If I ever came back here it would have to be an exceptional deal and I come expecting nothing fancy.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Average Resort

This was my second time at this resort. Overall we had a decent stay. The food has improved over the past 6 years since I was there last. The staff was very friendly and the entertainment was good. Having said that, the resort itself needs some work. Understanding that a lot of people go throught this resort every year so it tends to get weathered. Rooms needs some TLC, outside showers coming from the beach do not work for the most part. Public washrooms were clean but also need some work. I wou [... read more]ld not go back to this resort for the 3rd time.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Not Disappointed

We had visited this resort two years ago when it was a Sandals. Since the take over by Royalton you can see changes and upgrades that have been made and those that will be done in the future. If all the changes happen, the resort will be beautiful. The food was great, staff were polite and eager to please. The beach was beautiful and from walking on the beach, the Royalton section of beach was the best by far. We would not hesitate to recommend this resort to anyone and will definitely visit aga [... read more]in.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: It was ok

Good room. Great beach. Was not impressed with the lack of English the staff spoke. Most staff seemed bothered to help any guests. No coffee till 7 am. Don't ask to open up dining a second before it's time.