Grand Memories Varadero: The worst hotel I 've ever seen on vacation. ( Feb 27 - March 5 - 2024)

The check- in was late, definitely past 4 pm. We were booking our trip together with our friends and we paid the same price, 1035$ per adult. Nevertheless, the reception guy gave us a room that was 1 km away from the ocean. At the same time our friends were given a place at the other side of the resort. The receptionist explained us, that we booked a standard room, when our friends ordered a premium one. ( for the same 1035 $ per adult). The receptionist recommended us to contact our agent what [... read more] we did. And what was the agent's response? She messaged -" Talk to receptionist". Good start. Finally, we gave a receptionist 140$ CAN cash under the table and got a "premium" room next door to our friends. There were no blankets on the beds, and only 2 pillows for 2 adults and 2 kids. The bar fridge had only 2 bottles of plain water in it. The balcony door lock was broken, and when I attempted to open a wardrobe sliding door - it just fell on the floor. They had troubles with supplies all the week - no sugar for tea and coffee, one or two days they didn't supply disposable cups. Towel service doesn't exist there - we used the same towels all the week, same for pool towels. The floor in the room was so dirty - they don't clean it properly. If you leave the balcony door open - the room is full of biting mosquitoes. A/C was working the first day ok, but when we tried to shut it off - it didn't start again. After fixing the thermostat on/off button never worked again - so we stayed with working a/c till the end. All the room equipment was old and devastated, but there was a shower with hot and cold water and the pressure was good. There was no pressure in the toilet flush - so we borrowed a kid's toy bucket to flush the toilet. Our friend's safe and entrance door locks were broken every other day, they couldn't open the door with the card. Food was OK, no one had any stomach problems, guava and papaya were good. No shrimps, no potatoes, no eggs. Egg powder compound is not a good replacement for the omelet. The menu was the same all days, no varieties - but it is normal for Cuba. The pool was OK, the entrance to the ocean beach is not fit for a baby stroller. Overall it is not worth 1035$. Varadero is a good place to stay for those who want to visit Havana. The hotel is not 4 stars , even not 3. If you find a deal there for 700 - 750$ - book it. I hope the agent will refund me my 140$, spent for "premium" upgrade.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Cuba has seen better days

Had to move rooms 3 times (bloody sheets, broken faucet, balony door would not close). Bad wifi connection. Limited food selection. Elevator did work and part of pool was closed. On positive side beaches are still wonderful.

Melia Internacional: Great Resort

We came to this hotel 4 years ago when it first opened and it is still as wonderful as it was then. The hotel is modern and very well kept. No mosquitos or bugs - at all. We were the Level and had no problems with the rooms or the food. The only thing that could have improved was the smoothies in the morning and the towels in the bathrooms. We could have used some large bath towels, but managed with the smaller ones. Also, I didn't know that you need an adaptor for the electricity, so  [... read more]bring an adapter with you. The beach was fantastic. The water was clear and shallow - great for kids. Yiovani (not sure if I'm spelling it right-sorry), is an amazing person on the beach. He helped us every day and made sure that our chairs and umbrellas were ready for us. My husband has issues with his knees and can't use the lounge chair, so Yiovani made sure he had a sitting chair for him every day. I rarely go twice to the same resort, but would not hesitate to go again to the Melia Internacional.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Wonderful Resort

Melia Peninsula was amazing… Rooms were spacious and clean. Staff was wonderful and personable. The beach was amazingly clean…lounge chairs always available. Only down side which is unavoidable no matter where you go in Cuba is food shortages and variety…but what was available there was plenty… Bring condiments and snacks and enjoy the Cuban culture

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Over Rated

The pictures on line are very old and deceiving, the outside water fountains had either no water in them or had 6 inches of green water in them.The food overall was good, the La Cart restaurants were great, staff ( with the exception of our room maid) were very friendly and helpful. Had some shortages on Cola and white wine. Would not recommend, and would not go back. Another downside is the villa layouts, you are either close to pool and beach and have a long walk for bars and food or versa.

Melia Internacional: great resort

its a beautiful hotel very clean, very accessable to everything , long beautiful beaches ,great for walks, food very good at the restourants that were reserved, buffet was limited not a great selection , over all a great place and i would deffenetily would go back.

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Our 7 days at Grand Aston

This resort is first stop from the airport about 20 minutes drive. It’s new and quite big. We got a room with 2 double beds and beautiful view of the pool and beach. Our rooms were cleaned daily and towels were changed once during our stay. Some kitchen staff were not attending to our table to ask if we needed water or coffee/tea. They were not prepared for the crowd that showed up that week. Some tourists were super loud especially at night when people were trying to sleep. What I found worse [... read more] were that people would go at 4 am to put their towels on the lounge chairs by the pool and by 8 am we couldn’t find any empty chairs to lie down and tan. The beach area was the same. WiFi was a hit and miss. I was disappointed with the lack of fresh seasonal fruits. Drinks weren’t available all the time… as they would run out of rum. I only had pina colada once and each time I asked for a margarita they didn’t have any tequila. I will not go back to this resort again. Weather was perfect and the wind made it bareable.

Hotel Villa Cuba: 3 star that should be a 2 star

I’ve visited Cuba several times, my second stay at this resort. Very run down. Elevators don’t work. My senior parents had to endure a lot of stairs. They broke their toilet seat first day, was replaced last day. Although sunwing rep got involved still took two more days to get a room toilet seat. Their room door only opened half way due to floor budging. My kids had to change rooms twice, once for shower leaking all over floor, hole in shower stall wall. Second time for bugs. The vent full of b [... read more]ugs and every time a/c came on the bugs filled the main room. Third room had no shower head holder, had to hold head to shower. My room was in working order but very dirty. There are no daily towels, maid just says “none today”. Out of the three rooms we had spread out over resort nobody’s toilets cleaned or beds changed. Coffee bar cleans cups in sink with old rag and no soap, just rinse and reuse. Pool bar same. Main buffet same food everyday. Chinese a la carte good. La Bistro is Buffett food. Staff unfriendly. Reception not helpful. Manager doesn’t speak English. Pool so gross, not cleaned. Beach bar and beach snack shack never open as per posted sign hours. Beach lovely but 3-4 staff there won’t get lounge chairs for anyone. They just sit in the back doing nothing. I offered one of them 5$ to get me chairs, he refused. Overall staff lazy and resort dirty. Sewer smell lower floors.no entertainment squad, no sport’s equipment, no dancing or beach aerobics, no music until later in evening. No Cuban atmosphere.

Blau Varadero: Great Time

Everything was great about this resort except one big thing Hotel, pool, beach, staff,our room entertainment was at a very enjoyable level, made for a great vacation The one glaring flaw in the whole trip was the food, it was terrible No variety No bacon sausage hash browns home fries oranges grapefruit bananas watermelon lettuce Sometimes No butter Hot items off grill lunch and dinner for all 7 days fish or pork chop

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Beautiful place

The grounds were very well kept .The rooms were clean, could use a little updating but pretty good. The food was great for Cuba. Lots of alcohol, but ran out of different mixes everyday. The pool was well kept. Internet worked well and was free. The beach was nice. Entertainment was good. Staff were great. For the price you should not complain.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Worst trip ever

Sheets and blankets were dirty and blood stained room was dirty . Food was horrible. Staff was rude and unhelpful.shower handle broken and on the floor . Toilet seat didnt fit . Poolside view to a closed pool

Paradisus Varadero: Lots of unforced errors and shortages made trip not that enjoyable

Had problems with some staff not getting some problems fixed with our room. We spoke to our porter multiple times about no working TV and it never did get fixed. We also had a leaking toilet that caused issues most of the week. Lots of food and drink shortages were also a massive problem and spoiled the trip. For breakfast there was no bacon at all all week. There was also no maple syrup for pancakes and half the week there was no butter either. For Omelettes, early in the week th [... read more]ere was green peppers, onions, cheese, ham etc as ingredients. For the last few days there was nothing but eggs. There was no orange juice all week either. Bring your own Ketchup and Mustard, as their version of it is awful. I ordered a steak one night and it was supposed to be beef, but came out as pork. There was no beef except one specialty restaurant had it one night and we thought it was poor tasting. There was also no french fries all week, no potatoes of any kind actually, no regular hamburgers, although they did make a pork burger that they passed off as a hamburger and my wife liked it. There was also no Cristal Beer, which is the Cuban beer people usually drink and like. We like Strawberry and Banana Dacquiri's. They did not have them, with no supply on the mix for them. In your room fridge, at other resorts you would almost certainly get beer, pop and water in your fridge to drink. We had two kids drinking boxes and were told they didn't have enough beer or pop to supply the rooms. To me that is the most very basic things that you should be supplied with. At one point, pop on the resort was only down to Fanta orange and no cola or anything else. They do have some excellent staff, from the bartenders at the bars, to the restaurant staff and the golf cart drivers are all helpful and very attentive to your needs. We just felt at the end of the day, we did not get anywhere close to the value that we should have had for the price we paid. We feel for the staff having to deal with these issues constantly. If you are thinking of this resort, make sure others are saying these issues have been dealt with before booking. We cannot recommend.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Well designed place

Unfortunately, this Cuban place is plaqued like the other resorts with who i refer to as a Mr ShoutyPants whose job is to use loudspeakers to deafen guests in poolside activities most retired folks don't want to be bothered with

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Good resort but no longer a 5 star

Check in was a joke, At least 20 people came in on same plane and arrived at 1, all told at Front desk that check in was at 4 and collected all passports. When everyone came back at 4 pm only one person checking in everyone and was obvious no pre work done. Took 10 minutes a couple to check in. First day no towels in room, took 2 trips to get towels. Requested distilled water and while front desk said it would be in room never brought the whole week. Some bar staffs English is lacking so order [... read more]ing of drinks was a spin of the wheel. Bartenders in Piano bar, cigar bar and down at beach were excellent. Cleaning and maintenance of washroom nearest beach was non existent all week. Rarely was there toilet paper in the public wash rooms. You did not want to know what you were stepping into every time you went in. 2 out of 4 people in group had signs of food poisoning. Bar fridge left empty all week. Doors missing off the closet. This was my 4th time at this resort. My rating have gone from original Paradisus delivers on first visit to now this is a 3.5 star at best. As a side note it was very annoying to find out that other guests who came in after 1 pm were given rooms well before 4 pm. First impressions count and how Melia manages this resort has negatively impacted how I view this brand. I recognize Cuba has issues with supplies but most of the issues in this resort appear to be around personnel management, maintenance and food prep.

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Very nice and clean!

As soon as we entered into the lobby there was a good vibe. Everything was clean lots of seating and very comfortable. The room was quite spacious. Had a little trouble with locking and unlocking the safe but I think it was due to batteries needing to be changed. It was great to have the option for room service as my granddaughter used it often for ordering from the snack bar. Drinks were good. I enjoyed the food. Even though there was plenty to choose from, for me it was quicker to have salads [... read more] and already prepared food rather than wait in line for meat, chicken or fish to be cooked fresh in front of you. The grounds were well cared for and all staff were very friendly and hard working. The beach was absolutely amazing. I have travelled quite a bit over Asia, US, Caribbean, Jamaica, DR and this was my first trip to Cuba and I found the beach with its clear and turquoise water was absolutely stunning. I didn’t attend most of the events because my granddaughter only wanted to do the beach and we loved the beach. Lots of loungers and shade if you wanted shade or full sun if you wanted full sun. I will definitely return to Iberostar for a future visit. Thank you Glynis and Natalia S.

Blau Varadero: Perfect Holiday

First time in Cuba & this resort was as nice as any we’ve stayed at elsewhere (Mexico, DR). Spacious, clean rooms. Meticulously kept grounds. Very lovely natural areas on the property (not all concrete). Resorts are not on top of each other & very few beach vendors. Numerous beach chairs available & many permanent thatched umbrellas. The beach is very wide with fine sand. The water is beautiful and you can walk out a good distance before the water gets deep. No waiters on the beach but th [... read more]ere is a bar on the beach. The beach restaurant is amazing, you can also order paninis which are delicious. Pool side bar & restaurant are quite enjoyable. The main buffet has great breakfasts - eggs & omelettes & French toast & pancakes & smoothies made while you wait. There was a shortage of chicken, beef & fruit (and vodka & gin) but plenty of other food & drink that it didn’t matter at all. The coffee in the buffet is weak but the coffee bar is amazing (latte, cappuccino, Irish coffee, Americano..). The employees are so sweet & accommodating. We made use of the tennis & pickle ball courts, the badminton & ping pong and the volleyball net on the beach. There were other activities that we just didn’t have time for! The lobby is beautiful with natural vines. There are many lawn chairs around the pool. The nightly entertainment is very good and ends by 10:30/11:00. The wifi connection doesn’t last long without reconnecting (but not the end of the world). We did bring a few supplies (pita, peanut butter, Costco snacks such as trail mix & peanuts, S&P, hot sauce, cup of soup, Kleenex). I would bring canned tuna, face cloths, conditioner, cereal next time. Transportation from airport is an hour max (depends on drop offs). No one suffered from Gastro ailments but we did bring meds just in case.

Sol Palmeras: A home away from home

We absolutely loved SOL Palmeras! The entire staff were beyond our expectations, from the check in to the waiters and waitresses at the Buffett to the bartenders and above all the animation/entertainment crew. Dailo, Alexis and the crew made our week so memorable! We had such an awesome time with them, singing, dancing, playing fun games through the day, basketball, volleyball, beach parties and all the night shows. We cannot thank you all enough for the amazing experience we had while in Cuba.  [... read more]The food was great, never a lack of anything when it came to food or beverages. So many places to eat all the time and such a huge selection. We will definitely be heading back next winter. Cannot wait to see you all ??

Iberostar Origin Bella Vista Varadero: Amazing resort

Amazing resort BUT !!!!!!!!!!!!! Terrible service you wait for simple cappuccino and glass of water for 15 minutes or more special for kids for glass of juice Terrible service!!!!!!Batroom only one open and no paper towels onside hotel or by the pool !!!!!!!

Roc Arenas Doradas: Ok resort but not 4 stars

Very good location and beach. Grounds are very nice and kept clean all the time with lot of trees and greenery. Rooms has nice balcony's or patios but in usual condition for Cuba and few times during the day you will be missing water pressure or no water in the tap at all. Very week entertainment team and 2 star night shows comparing to all resort we visit in the past 10 years with very old and run down theater , which may explain level of entertainment. Food was good but Cuba still straggle [... read more] with past covid times but you can always find food you like. Excellent and quick service at all bars but no service by the tables at the lobby area or coffee shop even after staff received tips from customers. After all of that we had good time and coming back to Varadero but will try find another resort.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Quality Resort

Our room was very comfortable, quiet and clean. The grounds were immaculately maintained and the staff were, warm, friendly and energetic. The nine thirty show was consistently entertaining. The resort is a great place for couples to relax and have fun but it is a civilized place, not a crazy party place.