Melia Las Antillas: Great Stay

Perfect vacation. Lots of good food. Beach was great and night shows were good. Service was excellent. The grounds were beautiful. Lots of lounge chairs around the pool and the beach so didn't have to get up early to get one.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: OK stay - first and last visit

Positives - the people. DC Butlers like Omar, Leo, and Laura will do their best to care for you, but some things are just out of their control. Omar & Betty were always available, asking if we needed anything. Their efforts were appreciated. They looked after all the al a carte bookings (we ate al a carte almost every night, for 2 weeks), and helped us book excursions (golf & Havana) Raul at the buffet (outside on the patio) is friendly & polite. Jessica, the maid, was attentive and kind. The ro [... read more]om was fine. Some things broken or very tired. The room had a decent shower (hot water & pressure) and a reasonable bed. It was all we needed in a room. The unfortunate thing about our room was that we were in a building with mostly smokers, who would sit on their patios and light up. Meaning we were driven inside, which was too bad. It would be great if non-smoking buildings were an option. The best highlight (other than the staff) was the beach. The water is warm and clean. Beware of glass as you walk the beach…we picked up a fair amount of it. Now the disappointments, there are several, and some are beyond the control of the staff. Buffets and A la carte restaurants would run out of food menu items or drinks. One night whiskey sours were not available, next night no white wine. One morning there was no bread. The Italian restaurant has 5 options for main courses, one night we were there 2 of them weren’t available. You have to just roll with it, and make the best of the situation. We never went hungry. We needed water one evening and all the bar could offer was two small glasses (maybe 8 ounces total). My wife was sick in bed….that wasn’t going to cut it. A visit to the diamond club lounge and Omar saved the day. It took some effort but he came through with 2 precious bottles of water. We were grateful. There is no milk…just powdered milk. Coffee therefore is awful. Bar service is generally very slow, including the beach bar. We did venture into Varadero and Havana. Note to anyone who plans to do so….bring lots of US or CDN cash. 3 times we dealt with vendors who basically did not accept their own pesos as currency. We had lunch in Havana and the bill came to $85USD. They did not accept credit cards, and if we were to pay in (the current) Cuban pesos they were going to charge us 3 times the price, so an equivalent to $240usd. That’s Nuts! Our worst ‘hangover’ is the bugs. We’ve been back now for a few days and we’re still scratching! We were eaten alive by something. Mosquitoes were ever present, but I’ve also read some reviews that mentioned sand fleas. Not sure what got us, but we are covered in bites! There’s more I can say, but you get the idea. The pandemic, US embargo, and current economic issues have significantly and negatively impacted Cuba, on and off the resort. You feel for the Cuban people!

Los Delfines: Great Trip!

Great hotel, great location and great employees. Out the front door you are in the middle of town on the main drag, out the back door you are on the beach. Only shortage I was aware of was vodka. But you could get it down the street in the American store. Food was ok, ate out 3-4 times. My plane was delayed 5 hours coming home, they extended my checkout time to 11pm.

Melia Las Antillas: Not a 4 star hotel

My partner and I decided last minute to find a resort with a beautiful beach and the Melia Las Antilles did not disappoint. It was one of the most beautiful beaches we have spent time on. As for the property itself the overall quality and experience was disappointing. Our room was underwhelming, very tired, and required a great deal of work. The tub and shower was unbelievably small and rusted , it needed a paint job and the musty smell was a continual issue. Our room key did not work on 7 separ [... read more]ate occasions which required a trip to the front desk lobby. The staff at the front desk were not always friendly and accommodating. We know not to expect much from the food in Cuba but the lineups for breakfast to get eggs was unacceptable and poorly organized and laid out. Roberto the restaurant manager who greeted people every day was lovely, approachable and very apologetic. As for the drink selection… over the week we were at our all inclusive, on the first day they ran out of vodka, second day white wine and third day champagne to be followed with a day of no dark rum. This was extremely disappointing and does not reflect what one would expect from an all inclusive. One redeeming factor was the lobby bar which consistently offered us fabulous service and fabulous cappuccinos. Another redeeming quality was the entertainment. They made a conscious effort to provide variety and engaging entertainment. Although the beach was amazing for the many reasons listed above we will not be returning to this resort.

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Huge Resort - the price is right

The grounds are huge. Expect to do a lot of walking. That's good exercise, but it takes time to get between your room and the beach and the dinning room. Most of the pathway lights are out of order, so walking a night is tricky. Bar service is walk up. There are no bar stools, and there is no table service. Supplies run short. You need to be versatile and enjoy what ever Beveridge is in stock. The rooms are big and spacious and clean. There was no phone in the room, just a sign that read call 77 [... read more]7 for service, but no phone. The closet doors jammed. The toilet ran. The lighting was very dim at night. The AC worked well and was adjustable. There is no coffee machine in the room. You need to walk about 500 M to get a cup of coffee. The snack bar often ran out of buns for hotdogs or hamburgers. Bring your own packets of ketchup, mustard, and relish. The price was right. You get what you pay for.

Melia Las Antillas: Absolutely AWESOME Resort and Great Trip

Everything was just perfect, Awesome Service and I had so much fun Playing My Rollout Piano sitting on the beautiful patio. The Staff was incredible and always smiling and helpful. To see more of this amazing resort check out FUN ADVENTURES WITH CRAIG on YouTube

Barcelo Solymar: Good resort

Nice and clean hotel food ok sometime no bread or eggs but over all there was always something to eat 5 elevator but sometimes all broken Staff were excellent good services hard and devoted worker Jorgue server on the beach 5 star he would run to serve you deerve an award

Club Kawama: Very run down, state of disrepair

People were great but the hotel is in very bad shape. Every thing is broken and patched together. The surface of things would be clean, as an example the table top would be clean but there was an inch of dirt on the legs. Sheets are clean but mold on the walls. If you found a toilet with a locking door, a toilet seat, and toilet paper you struck gold. Great people, great beach, and incredible sun rises and sun sets.

Sol Palmeras: Awesome vacation!

Sol Palmeras was a great experience. A wide variety of food and plenty of it. Bottled water was plentiful and alcohol too. Staying in a bungalow was even better. The beach was great with plenty to do or hop on a bus and visit Varadero. The staff were just great - friendly, courteous, helpful!

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Royalton

In bad need of upgrade.diamond club a complete rip off. BUTLERS do nothing for you. Food terrible. Staff not as friendly as I have experienced elsewhere in Cuba. Access to restaurants not easy and the same awful food everywhere

Hotel Blau Las Morlas Varadero Beach: Amazing resort

Rooms are clean and comfortable the grounds are well kept food is good the staff are great friendly ,helpful they really make you feel at home we love this resort its not too big everything is in reasonable distance we have been there many tes and always look forward to going back ?

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Awful

The hotel was ok to look at. A bit run down in room. Food was awful. Staff were racist to black people. Felt like I wasted my money. Never going back. The check-in was really bad. They didnt give us the wifi info. AC stopped working 2 days in. No white towels. Had to ask for clean towels and water 5 days in

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Trio Feb 29 to March 7th

Cuba getting worst resort wasn't bad what made it worst was the shortages of beer and drinks they only had rum food was same everyday shortage of eggs and same for toilet paper yet cleaning ladys in lobby holding out wait on tips for toilet paper disgusting i told Director of resort I'd rather use sleve of shirt to wipe ass rather then tip bad all around not same cuba.

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Poor service

The resort itself was nice. Grounds And rooms nice as well. We did however experience poor service… The bathroom sinks & counter tops never cleaned. Our request for toilet paper was ignored. Finally had to find it myself. Short toilet paper 2 days. & our beds not made /cleaning missed one day… completely ignored. They tell you they are going to send someone but no one shows up. Shortages of beverages No eggs or potatoes which I could live with but a short of napkins at buffet ridic [... read more]ulous. Also spotted dirty plates in the clean pile…disgusting! Entertainment was poor most nights. Lots of dancing with audience. We also experienced sleepless nights. Too much noice outside as we were facing front of hotel. And the fumes from the buses & cabs were creeping into our room. I usually look forward to the Cuban coffee but this time it was horrible. This is my 8th time to Cuba & I don’t except perfection & except some food shortages but this time was different. Too many strikes! The food was the same everyday. No beach towels for 4 days. Short buffet staff. Tables dirty & some plates dirty in clean pile. I will definitely not be back to this resort.

Club Kawama: Good and Bad

The grounds were awesome and well kept ...the staff were amazing friendly and accommodating ...the rooms well another matter we moved 3 times there were cockroaches in the second room sheets were not changed from whomever was before us... poop in the toilet ...third room was good good till last day then a sewer back up and not just us there was always people complaining about the rooms ...Overall vacation was good we met some amazing fellow travellers but no I would not return

Melia Varadero: Great Experience

The hotel was well maintained and in overall good condition. The service was excellent and the staff were all friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed the layout of the property and the beach was very nice.. in my opinion much better than the pool area, but thats probably a personal preference more than anything. Only tried one ala carte restaurant and didn’t find the food difference sufficient to warrant another reservation at one. Buffet was large and had lots of food options. Quality a [... read more]nd availability of some items was hit and miss but exceeded my expectations. Overall it was a great trip and I would return to this property again!

Starfish Jibacoa: Phenomenal resort and vacation

Best Cuban Resort!!!??? We have been to Cuba over 10 times and this resort blew my husband and I away. Starfish Jibacoa is our new fave! We loved the bungalows. The room was clean,beds comfortable. The little patio facing the ocean was a great place to read or chill ,watch the sunset. We both loved the layout of the resort. Everything was near our room. Beach was right there...a short walk along the walkway. The trees and flora between us and the sand was just gorgeous. The grounds were well  [... read more]maintained and clean. We did not miss a la cartes! The buffet selection for us was incredible. Love the grilled chicken and beef, omelets, and the lobster night was delicious. Best we have had in Cuba yet! The resort had a thankyou toast for Sunwing guests which was so lovely. Yes, there are major shortages in Cuba currently. I really missed the incredible cappuccinos and my mojitos,however the espresso we enjoyed every morning and the creative drinks the bars concocted were fabulous. We ate,drank and were in vacation mode. The staff at this resort went above and beyond. Yanet talked to everyone, sat with us, made our stay extra special. Special mention to Niuka,who was so sweet. Michael and Luis at the Chill pool bar made the best drinks with what they had on hand. Grisel, and the snack bar and the buffet was always welcoming and her smile lit us up. Jonas the young entertainment guy was so sweet. Had a great game of bocce on the beach with him. Finally, the reef right off the beach is by far the best we've been to,aside from the Great Barrier Reef. We snorkeled 5 out of the 7 days,encountering new corals in different areas. The corals and fans were amazing, and the sea life we saw were phenomenal. Yes, there are sand fleas in the sand,and we got bites. We come prepared and the anti itch cream took care of them quickly. The palapas were lovely and there ere enough beach loungers for everyone! The pool area was clean and well maintained. The dogs on the resort pulled at my heartstrings, as we have 2 . Very quiet and chill resort. R & R heaven! We are already planning to book another vacation here for the same week next year! Thanks to all the staff at Starfish Jibacoa! You all rock!??

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Don’t believe the negativity!!

Just got Back March 6th and everything was Great!! Only shortage was coka cola one afternoon and no eggs for 2 days!! There is plenty of food, beach is great and rooms were very clean!! Definitely go back !!

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Beautiful resort with very poor service

The hotel grounds were absolutely amazing. The service was brutal from front desk, cleaning staff, servers and management. We addressed concerns with front desk, although they agreed, they never came thru with it. Cleaning staff only cleaned the room if there was a tip and we had to tell them to replace towels. Servers looked lost as we ordered drinks and they came back when we were ready to leave. The management don’t realize they have a real big issue as people will NOT want to go back to [... read more] this resort.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Much more than we expected!!!!

We were extremely pleased with the resort, the staff, the location and the food. Though the rooms were a bit tired looking especially the bathroom, they were kept clean, and were spacious and comfortable. No issues with bugs. A spider got in once and a few pesky flies that bit me (but not my husband) as we left the window in the bathroom open, and it had no screen. Nice sliding/screen door leading to a porch or patio if on the 2nd floor. Room service came daily to make the beds. Th [... read more]e bath towels were replaced once on our 10 day stay. The beach towels were huge and plush. We did not run out of toilet paper or bottled water in our room. The common washrooms occasionally ran out of tp but I always had tissue on me in case. On any day trips we took, we needed to bring tissues with us, and to pay the attendant for some toilet paper (they expect a tip either way for keeping the washroom clean). I had read up a lot before we went to Cuba on the food shortages and lack of tasty food. The food far exceeded what we expected. The a la carte restaurants were fabulous. I stuck to fish for most of my meals and it was extremely tasty. My husband had fish, chicken and beef. His only complaint about the food was that it was often cold. Some of the buffet food was not great but there were also some very good options. They had a few grilling stations which were very popular. The bread and cheese were so good and available at every buffet meal. It was open 3 times a day: 6am-10:30am. 1-3pm and 6-10:30pm. You need to sign up for your three a la cart meals starting Monday between 8am-12pm. The sign-up is available Mon-Fri but not many spots left after Mon. The snack bar by the pool was great. It was pretty much open 24 hrs. It offered simple meals: sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers etc... Ranchon was an amazing lunch restaurant near the beach that was open from 12:30-3pm daily. This restaurant offered an app, main course and dessert as did the all the a la cartes. Coffee was available at Mikes coffee bar, the main lobby bar and the snack bar. Mikes offered amazing coffee choice. The resort ran out of coffee grounds for a couple of days but offered an instant substitute that most people thought was good. There was plenty of beer, rum, tequila and whisky. Wine was hard to come by and vodka was only offered in the piano bar. The staff was amazing. They were helpful, cheerful, pleasant, positive etc... They appreciated all the extras were brought with us. The store shelves are pretty bare. We were glad that we brough a 50 lbs duffle bag full of items to give out to these wonderful people. We also left some of our personal items and all our remaining sunscreen, bug spray(a must) and medicine. The beach of course was amazing. To the left it was rocky (you need to have footwear for the first 10 mins if you go for a beach walk) but to the right it was the typical endless sandy beach. We had heard that beach and pool lounges were hard to come by. This is correct. If you want a lounge chair by the pool you need to be up by 7am and reserve with your towel. If you got the beach by 8:30am, you could usually find a few open lounges. The most annoying part is the guests who put towels on lounges and don't show up until the end of the day to retrieve their towels. Very selfish.