Resonance Blu Varadero: Mixed review

Pluses: buffet food better than expected, staff helpful and friendly, grounds well maintained; beach is beautiful Negatives: the rooms are run down and things are falling apart; shower is designed to leak everywhedre; it's a long way from the lobby to the beach; it was cold part of the time we were there and the outdoor jacuzzi is cold water; some of the a la carte restaurants are extremely stuffy and service slow, and food mediocre

Grand Memories Varadero: not terrible

It's a good location with a nice beach. Rooms were clean enough although lacked certain amenities. Cleaning staff were sweet and exceptional. Food was ok... not exceptional, the specialty restaurants are not worthwhile.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Good Value - incredible beach

Large resort - Main buffet was in the lobby (at the entrance) and beach was at the other end, depending on where you stay, this can be quite a walk. We had a beachview suite, facing the ocean, very close to beach chairs, beach buffet & beach BBQ area, worked very well for us (only had to walk to lobby for supper buffet & any other requirements). Too large for us, but if you like a lot of activity & a laid back atitude it's great, or if you're bringing teenagers, or young adults, they will enjoy  [... read more]it. The grounds were clean & the effort was there, but it wasn't as attractive as other places we've stayed. There were a lot of things that were in a state of disrepair, but you could see they were trying to make do. Staff were friendly & helpful. The beach was the winning attribute for us, clean, water was amazing, lots of chairs & papala's. You could walk forever & never be approached by vendors. Food was adequate, large buffet was way too overwhelming for me, but this was in line with the price we paid-comparitive to other resorts. A la cart (Cuban) was pretty bad, the servers were lovely, the Japanese was the best food we ate all week. Liked the smaller buffet at the beach, wish they served supper there as well. Coffee BARS in lobby & beach buffet were great.

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Nice resort but needs updating

We stayed at the Arenas Blancas from the 26th February to the 5th of March. The resort was nice but definitely needs some updating. The room that we stayed in was a superior room that needed a facelift. Specially the washroom. The control for the air conditioning was missing but it did work throughout our entire stay. The grounds of the hotel was well maintained and clean. Most of the staff were friendly and were very accommodating. Specially Lazaro from the dining room who always took care of  [... read more]us at breakfast was a pleasure to speak with every morning. Yadiel from the beach bar was very friendly and professional and made one of the best mojitos and finally Maria, our maid always ensured that the room was clean every day. The variety of food was a bit disappointing, how ever when we walked over to the Barceló next door the variety was a lot better. We dined at 3 of the A-la carte restaurants. Among them the Spanish and Sea food restaurant were by far the best. The food and service were both good at these restaurants. The beach area was well maintained and there was always free chairs even if you ended up going later in the afternoon. One of the best things about the resort was its proximity to the town. It was just a 5 minute walk to get to the bars, clubs and restaurants. I would definitely go back.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Just under 3 star at best

Grounds were run down, paint and upkeep required, service was poor at best, food was ok. A lot of uncooked food. Hotel was very busy(for some reason?) and it was clear they were overwhelmed. Staff was unfriendly, almost seemed like a sense of entitlement.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Beautiful getaway!

The resort was clean and well laid out, and the staff were very friendly! We really enjoyed the beach and pool area during the day and the shows at night were fun! The food exceeded our expectations...quite the variety! I have recommended this resort to many people and I hope to return again soon!

Barcelo Solymar: Barcelo party!

Stayed in the villas, maids were very nice kept out rooms clean and stocked up with beer and essentials. The A la carte restaurants are your best bet, we personally didn't enjoy the buffet food it all tastes the same :S Not a whole lot of entertainment during the day, but the disco was pretty busy at night. The booze was a steady flow but they tend to run out of vodka:( All the staff was very friendly, and helpful! It was a huge party all week, we went during spring break so there was lots of yo [... read more]unger people! Over we had a great time :)

Occidental Arenas Blancas: Not really a 4-star but still lots of fun

We had a great time at Arenas Blancas, though I wouldn't call this a 4-star. It was a little rough around the edges (needed a coat of paint and some plaster and some basic repairs). We had one of the newly renovated rooms and although the bathroom needed a little TLC and there was sometimes no hot water (just luke warm), the room itself was spacious, clean, comfortable and very nice. The mini bar was stocked every day. The maid service was great, though they ran out of towels a few times. C'est  [... read more]la vie. The grounds are beautiful; lots of pretty landscaping with flowers and palm trees. The pools are clean and well maintained. The entertainment was of excellent quality (that was a surprise; usually the entertainment at all-inclusives is hokey but the entertainment at the Arenas Blancas was professional and very well done). The food was terrible, but we had been warned that you don't go to Cuba for the food. A lot of it was absolutely gag-worthy and some of it had no taste at all; just texture. It became a source of entertainment after a while. The drinks were great; they don't scrimp on the alcohol. The location couldn't be beat; right at the end of the strip next to the town of Varadero so it was easy to walk to bars, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops, and watch all the gorgeous old American cars drive by. The beach is unbelievable: white sand like baby powder, turquoise waves. There were plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas. It was lovely. Because the Arenas Blancas and the Solymar (resort next door) are both owned by the same company, you have full use of the facilities at both hotels, which means loads of great places to sunbathe, more pools, bars & restaurants, a club house with ping pong and pool, a gym, sand volleyball, etc. The food is better on the Solymar side. Overall we had a great time but I thought it should have been a little less expensive given the slightly run-down condition of the hotel. Nonetheless, it's pretty difficult to have a bad time in such a beautiful location. I'm not actually sure if I would recommend this hotel to a friend but I'm going to say yes. I'd recommend it, but I'd make sure they understood some of the pitfalls.

Club Kawama: ENJOYABLE RESORT

Comfortable yet not elegant rooms, good food, beautiful beach, nice big pool, very hospitable staff, close to commercial district of Varadero, lots of history and overall an enjoyable relaxing holiday for the price !

Grand Memories Varadero: Far from a 5 star resort

On arrival the room was full of mosquitoes , air conditioner was not working. This was looked after the next day. Received beach towels 1 day, no facecloths ( I did bring my own) received fresh towels 2 days and had to request these. most washrooms had no locks on the doors. The grounds and rooms were clean and well kept. The pools were awesome as was beach area. Very friendly staff. They were always out of something, whether it be french fries, ketchup, pizza, towels, ice. This was my first tim [... read more]e at a resort and not what I expected from a 5 Star. I would recommend this resort but not as a 5 Star

Club Kawama: Awesome Vacation-except for "upgrade scam"

Our only issue was when we got to Kawama they charged us an EXTRA $370 for the room we had requested but apparently wasn't avail when we booked, but was now avail. This also happened to the 3 guests behind us a Check-in. We paid for it because it was exactly what we wanted. Other than that Kawama is located at the quiet end, close to town, and the market. The beach is fantastic. The Jeep Safari through Hola Sun was AMAZING! and worth every penny($240) you have to drive standard. Our friends book [... read more]ed through Sunwing and it was a totally different tour and they were disappointed! Staff is friendly, and resort is full of repeat vacationers and is one of the reasons I picked Kawama. We did 10 days and our overall vacation was amazing.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Good value for money

Definately recommend getting diamond service. Grounds well kept ,beach great lots of chairs although you had to reserve early to get one. Only went to the pool with the slide and found it it to lots of fun. Best restaurants : Mexican and Japanese .Rooms nice although the showers could be renovated. Overall fnd the resort to be too large for our liking. Staff here all friendly except in the main lobby store where we were totally ignored while waiting to pay. Diamond club concierge was the best. H [... read more]ave been to Cuba 7 time and found the food here not that great.

Melia Las Antillas: nice place to stay

Its Cuba..i didn't expect fabulous food, I certainly didn't starve. Didn't use the pool, as it was cold and pools aren't heated. People there are nice and we were treated well. Could use some updating but overall a nice clean place to stay.

Melia Varadero: The Melia of Melia's

The Melia Veradero is uniquely situated just steps from it's pristine private beach and beside the DuPont mansion. With a luxurious interior, it is one of the nicest hotels on the peninsula and without a doubt of one our favourite places to stay in Cuba. This is was our third visit. The staff are courteous and friendly, and the accommodations clean and wonderfully managed. Definite must stay!

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: needs a few upgrades

the hotel staff were all great. nice dispositions, smiles, sincere that you spent your money visiting Cuba. Could not ask for nicer, friendlier people. The grounds were well-kept, manicured etc. The buffet closest to the beach however seemed to have an inordinate amount of flies circulating over the salad bar. The resort rooms need to be upgraded. The bathroom is dated. I mean who actually uses a tub these days? The mattress on my bed was springy, not conducive to a pleasant night's sleep. The p [... read more]illows are about 30% the size of a pillow you would have on your bed and there was only one on my bed. I tried to use the pillows off the couch, but they smelled bad. Eating in the a la carte restaurants was pretty good but the buffet restaurant was hit & miss. Have your eggs prepared at the grill. I know it could be a wait there but if you choose the scrambled eggs which are already set to self serve from a tray, you will end up having a cold breakfast. I went to the buffet when they had just opened their doors. Rather than wait for the grille, I scooped up some scrambled eggs, bacon & sausages and sat down to enjoy a nice breakfast. All COLD! What's up with that? And their yogurt is like soup. They don't heat anything or keep any food hot. I have to say I really enjoyed the pasta served at the grill...made to your specs. Delicious! And the service in the buffet restaurant....exceptional. The beaches are phenomenal, beautiful turquoise colored water, very clear and you can find shells on the beach. The only drawback to either the pool or beach bars is they serve their beer in mini glasses. And, by the way, the towels in the room were terrible. We ended up using the beach towels we got instead. I wouldn't use those room towels in my house.

Barcelo Solymar: one of the best yet!!!

the check in was easy, we were late arrivals, given a room in the dark, and off to the town to calle 62 for the evening. the next morning, we were put on a list for an upgrade room , and received it by 200pm that day. the buffet was ample for us, as no need for a la carte. there was plenty of variety and we were spoiled by everyone. I would go back with an upgrade to a bungalow for sure . there is no need to comment on the beach, as in varadero you cannot go wrong with any of the resorts along t [... read more]he strip.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Decent Resort

Good value if you can find a deal - we enjoyed the food and entertainment, the rooms are average, beach is amazing. Beach barbecue is the place to be for lunch! Will probably stay somewhere fancier next time though.

Club Kawama: MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME

This is my 5th trip to Kawama, I love it. I do find that some people do not give it a fair chance. That should bother me, but Honestly those who do not like Kawama, I am happy to say should not return, there or maybe to Cuba. It makes better for those of us, and there are many multiple time returners, who LOVE it! I hear all the time how rude the front desk staff is, I also note how rude some people talk to them and they remain professional. If you are traveling anywhere in Cuba for the first t [... read more]ime let me tell you a few things you should know. #1 It is a THIRD world country, and poor. #2 The people are proud and friendly, they hug and kiss both cheeks of friends. #3. It Is A COMMUNIST country , they do not have the modern conveniences we in the spoiled North have, no multiple channels, or movie channels, no wifi everywhere, no phone calling to anywhere you want from your room or even from the Resort. The hotels are Govt. owned and run. They can`t get many medications there, like even Tylenol and over the counter drugs, we take for granted, so bring your own and be sure you have enough.!! The Health care is great, but some drugs are not available.! #4 the food is CUBAN, if you don`t want to venture out of your comfort zone, go to Dominican Republic, Jamaica, or any where else. #5 Tips of gifts,or only Cuban pesos, is much appreciated, but giving Canadian or other country money is not as appreciated. They cannot easily convert it and that is a problem. #6 Bring your own towels, if paying $10, refundable, is an issue, but remember if you spend a lot of time on the beach be prepared for sand fleas in your towel and room. #7 Kawama is handicap accessible, but it is not only for handicapped folks, I use a walker and so did my friend, we had no issues! I saw at least 2 wheelchairs and multiple strollers. If you cannot walk at all there are some obstacles that might limit you getting there, but you need to find that out prior to going ANYWHERE. I am writing this review as I have many times on Tripadvisor, I am honest, fair and Intolerant of people who visit once and have nothing but negative things to say. Research your trip, no matter where you go. If you are a picky person, hoity toity, or used to only the best, Cuba may not be for you, especially if it is your first tip to an Island. I however, believe every trip is what YOU make of it. Cuban beaches are beautiful, the water is clear, clean, and amazing colours. The sky is clear and blue, this tropical paradise is friendly and kind. I will be going back to Cuba and Kawama again and again, Why try the rest when you have found the best, FOR ME ANYWAY! I hope this helps some people understand Cuba a little. Enjoy all your adventures. Bea

Roc Arenas Doradas: Had a good time

We went here with 28 of our friends. We all enjoyed ourselves and came for the weather. The beach and thepool are beautiful. Food is very bland and rooms are outdated and basic. They are clean though.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Needs some TLC!

We stayed at the Laguna Azul in November, 2014. We got there at noon and did not get a room until 4 p.m. so the first day was wasted. This resort was built about six years ago and things are falling apart already. Light fixtures in the hallways were falling down and some lights bulbs were burned out all week. Some of the paper towel dispensers in the public washrooms didn't work all week. The buildings are beautiful and the grounds are well kept. Beach was great. Evening entertainment in the lob [... read more]by was wonderful. We found most of the staff there to be not very friendly. They didn't seem to like their job. The exception were the Star Friends. They were very good. Food at the buffet was barely warm and the buffet area was very crowded. Very poorly designed for so many people. Our room was cleaned daily but it was a quick job. Gritty sand on the floor all week. The soap dispenser in the shower was not refilled all week. It was empty on the 5th day. Bar fridge was not re-stocked every two days as it was supposed to be. The airport departure was a nightmare. It took us two hours to get from the airline check in point to get past security. They were definitely understaffed and didn't seem to care that people were in long lines waiting. Very disappointed in our stay. We won't go back to the Azul.