Melia Marina Varadero: Not as presented

Hotel is struggling! Shortage of food and what was there was limited. Same food everyday. Asked for butter for toast, advised none left. It was 9 a.m. no syrup for pancakes. No salad fixings. No toilet paper. Needed to ask for clean towels. Dark hallways where the hotel is not being used. Definitely not a five star! Not many guests either.

Roc Arenas Doradas: Be aware

If you decide to go to this resort be sure to choose Roc Plus or the upgraded room at time of booking in Canada. This is definitely a situation that requires a renovated/ superior/ upgraded room. Upgraded equals a painted room with a bathroom renovation. Unusual situation on site, indifferent staff regardless of tipping , makes no difference with the exception of one bartender- Daniel, one housekeeper, Annamarty? and one lady that makes milk shakes and sandwiches Martalys? Three staff that deliv [... read more]ered an enjoyable experience. This was my 4 th time visiting Cuba and compared to previous resorts I would not recommend choosing this particular resort.

Muthu Playa Varadero: You get what you paid for I guess

The resort overall is a beautiful place but I've never had such dirty rooms. The shelves were not dusted, my sister's room had mold all over a wall, my pillow case was not cleaned and smelled like someone's oily scalp. The beach is great but the food was the same every day. A week stay here is okay but I would not go longer. We played beach volleyball every day which was fun. There was a nightly show and discoteka. Some nights were amazing, and other nights not so great when they changed the DJ  [... read more]that did not play our requests. If you're looking for good snorkelling off the beach, all you're going to find here is sand. We did an excursion with tripcentral and they promised amazing snorkelling for 45 to 60 mins. The bus was late for pickup so we only got 30 mins and the snorkeling was mediocre. I would dive down to the bottom but for people who stayed up top, there was not much to see.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Unbeilivabe nosedive of a resort: story of a very unpleasant second experience at Laguna Azul

I am someone who doesn't fuss much about travel and tends to take things easy. This wasn't my first rodeo there; in fact, it was my second time returning to Laguna Azul. Sure, there were some hiccups last year, but nothing I couldn't handle. However, this time around, the experience took a nosedive into the realm of the unimaginably awful. Let's start with the food – or should I say, the stomach-churning nightmare it turned out to be. Even someone like me, with a stomach seemingly made of iron, [... read more] wasn't spared from the horrors of food poisoning. And it wasn't just the taste; actual cockroaches were making themselves at home in some of the dishes, particularly the sweets. It's not every day you find yourself fighting for your meal against insects, let alone having to inspect your food for unwanted guests. As if that wasn't enough, there was the issue of a malfunctioning wastewater pipe that was leaking wastewater right in the middle of the resort. Picture this: every time we ventured to our room or made our way to the pools or the beach, we had to navigate through a minefield of used toilet paper and, yes, actual human waste. Needless to say, the thought of taking a dip in the main pool, which was perilously close to this sewage leakage, was quickly dismissed. Then there was the matter of drinks – or rather, the lack thereof. Rum shortages in Cuba? really? Not having any at all on some days was beyond comprehension. And forget about a classic mojito even when rum was available because there was no mint around! Worse, no coke!! so not even a rum and coke. Even when rum was available, the staff seemed clueless about what to do with it, simply adding a bit of rum and some awful-tasting artificially flavoured liquid with water and calling it a cocktail. But that was not the only problem, even those drinks were often so diluted to the point where they might as well have been serving flavoured water. They were told not to pour more than one-third of a shot of alcohol in each drink. Even Red wines were diluted. All the stored red wines were already open and when drinking them it was as if you were drinking red water! Many people were buying a bottle of rum and a bottle of code or wine from the resort stores to drink something semi-decent. Speaking of the staff, their demeanour this year left much to be desired. Gone was the warmth and attentiveness I had come to expect; instead, there was a palpable sense of indifference. It wasn't just me noticing this shift – many of the other guests I spoke to shared similar sentiments. I am a very good tipper and even extra tips didn't help. I literally heard from another guy that he stopped tipping because it appeared it doesn't make any changes. It's hard to say what exactly was behind this change, but it certainly put a damper on the overall atmosphere of the resort. Even room service was off. For instance, they wouldn't change the towels if they seemed dry (we were seeing the same dirty towel with a certain mark on it being hung again and again!). They wouldn't even replace the filtered water bottles if they were half empty! And speaking of atmosphere, it was sorely lacking in the entertainment department. No music on the beach, no nighttime festivities on the beach – just a pervasive sense of coldness that seemed to seep into every corner of the resort. In conclusion, would I recommend this resort to anyone? No, absolutely not. Save yourself the trouble and seek out greener pastures elsewhere.

Melia Internacional: Amazing Resort

We have visited Cuba before but nothing compares to the wonders of the Melia International Recommend you stay in an oceanfront room. View is beautiful Food is very good. Alcoholic drink selection was the only weak point. Good beer but cheap rum and no fruity drinks.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Royal service misses the mark

My husband and I have been looking forward to our trip to the Paradisus Princess del Mar in Varadero Cuba for many years. 4 years to be exact. We have travelled to Cuba many times and have stayed in the Melia hotels. We selected the Paradisus hotel so that we could finally get a swim up room and live the royal service experience. First let me say the hotel, the swim up royal service rooms and the grounds are beautiful. The food and the drinks were good given the challenges facing the Cuban p [... read more]eople. The maids did a lovely job cleaning the room. Where things come short is on the royal service. This was very disappointing as I said we were so excited and we paid the extra for the royal service and the swim up room for this trip. The assigned butlers did not always attend to requests and when they did it was not timely. We spent days by the pool outside of our room and no one came by to ask if we need drinks- we went to get our own. These are small things I know, however they are part of the royal service promise. As I looked around there was not a lot of staff around to serve the guests. We often waited for drinks at dinner and at the bars. While food and drink and room repair quality are not always in the control of Cuban resorts due to shortages, how people are served is. And I don’t believe the staff levels were adequate to provide the royal service we were so looking forward to. This resort is missing the mark. Also for the first time we have ever seen the beautiful Varadero beach was not cleaned of the overnight seaweed and garbage that comes on shore, for the whole week!! The beach is the best feature in Cuba and the pride that goes into maintaining them was gone.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Fairly big not bad

Just got back. Grounds where kept neat. Lots of open wire along the paths.some part lit up. Need a flash light to see building number at night. Food no eggs just powder eggs.buffet was same every day.bread but no butter. First morning no Coffee. Next 6days coffee but very weak and cold at times . Beer some times.somtimes vodka. No mix for 7 days just some kind of juice. No fancy drinks just rum and juice. No shows. Just disco music for young adults. Same music at the beach at the pool then at th [... read more]e square from 9 to 1. That was the only intertament everyday. Cuba day nothing big .real hope things change back to the way they use to be. Until then I will not be back we didn't get drinking water for 5 days.if you didn't bring a to go cup with you, you could only get a cup of water from the bar

Grand Memories Varadero: GILLIGANS ISLAND

what I remembered most was the lactation wasat one end of beach(which I knew). Took a $29 USD taxi ride to go to VARADERO. The double decker bus option($5USD) was okay,but took bout 45 minutes to arrive downtownafter all hotel stops. Grounds were in great shape, big resort, lots of action, butreally missed the option of walking out door of resort and downtown across the street. Room...minor complaint, TV didn,t work all week, and phone to call front desk out of service for months what I was told [... read more].

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Ok resort

Poor room service. Food service was good. Sunwing cayo rooms should invest more into their rooms. For example our shower drain wasn’t draining. TV not working. Phone never worked. Head board is falling apart. Curtains were half ripped, dragging on the floor. Very poor internet. Hallway switch light wasn’t working. Very dark in closets, couldn’t see anything. Had to use my flashlight on my phone to be able to see. We don’t usually complain about our vacations but this one was over the top.

Melia Varadero: Large Resort

Approx 1500 people in resort. Modern, Food and drinks good. Sunwing flight times from Kitchener Suck. Arrived at Hotel after 11pm arrived home after 3am 10 minutes from Airport. Checked website at Kitchener airport parking $60 per week plus $8 for additional 2 hours . It came in at $128. Never again. I can get a limo to and from airport for $43 each way. I am 73 years old with low patience. For the first couple of days we would go down for breakfast at 9 to 9:30. The second day I waited 45 minu [... read more]tes in a line for an omelette. Gave up.By the end of the week we were going closer to 10 am when it was not so busy. Internet was non existant. Rooms were small unless you paid roughly $800 more for the Level 5th floor. I have been to Cuba over 40 times and love our friends at the Golf course. The staff is excellent and work very hard. Our old friend one day worked 18 hours straight. We knew 3 employees at the Hotel and they were very helpful. The beach is nice but with so many people chairs are scarce. The biggest problem I found was waiting in lines. Not my type of holiday. Don't bother with the Alacarte's . You have to book them daily at 7am with a 50 yard lineup. The female Sunwing rep on our first day tues. made us wait for an hour and then she said she would be another 1/2. hour asked the male Sunwing rep on Sat the 24th and he was very cooperative. I asked the lifeguards if one could help me move a chair about 50 feet and they said get the chair man. I went and got it myself and told him I would have given him $5. He said FU. They are 300 yards back from the beach. I don't know how they would save anyone with a beer and a cigarette. I have trouble with stairs and don't like elevators. There are about 30 stairs to the beach. If you like a nice burger on the beach the beach grill is nice if you want to wait for 45 minutes. We love the Cuban people but we went to a 3 star small resort and had a much more relaxing time. Everything is close. The people at tripcentral who we book with are the best. They have the best and simplest website. I would probably do better if we went back but I don't think so now. You know how Canadians talk about the food in Cuba. Don't worry there is no problem with food in this resort A1. Lots of Beef

Hotel Bella Costa: Fun in the Sun!

This is my third time at the Bella Costa. The resort just celebrated its 30th Anniversary, so yes, it is outdated. This was the first time I brought my mom to Cuba, I was a little disappointed with our bungalow as we looked out into a building with no view but my mom was content. There was plenty of water bottles, hot water to shower and clean towels daily. The bed was soft, bring a fitted sheet as there was none if it’s a necessity to you. We did not experience any food shortages and there wa [... read more]s plenty of food. The drinks were not fancy as it depended on the day and if there was mix available. The staff are very friendly and work very hard. Joanna will serve your cappuccino or coffee with a beautiful smile. Hanoi will make you a drink and do his best to make you smile. While visiting the most incredible beach in the world Omar (the gardener) will make you a cricket or hat from the leaves. And the entertainment crew is the best! It’s only a short ride on the hop on hop off bus into town. Enjoy! ☀️

Muthu Playa Varadero: Good weekend getaway

My husband and I went for a quick weekend trip. The resort is small and you can see it’s age. They do seem to be slowly renovating. The lobby and coffee bar area are fresh and clean. The rooms are in need of updating however we found our room clean and bright with good working AC. The beach is stunning as we expected with Varadero. We were disappointed there was no real bar on the beach and it was quite a hike to get to the nearest bar. The food was repetitive which was understandable with the c [... read more]urrent shortages but we were always able to find something.

Sol Palmeras: Great spot

Clean rooms, good service overall, food is okay. Beer at the outdoor bars is foamy with slow service. Good entertainment in the lobby, during the evening . The staff is very friendly, and will help whenever required.

Blau Varadero: Best Hotel !!!

The hotel is clean, great music and good atmosphere, piano, violin, sopranos, chelo and life band every night. The beach is amazing ?? , food is okay, always enough choices people are very nice and friendly. It was a wonderful week ? ?.

Muthu Playa Varadero: Just OK

Small hotel with moldy outdated rooms. I had to tye rip the head shower in order to take a shower. Some of my clothes was stolen, small buffet with same food every day. The restaurant was the same food from the buffet. One staff was unprofessional and flirty with my daughter. Good coffee, not too busy and nice beach

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Absolutely Phenomenal

So this was my very first trip to Cuba... And based on this hotel, I'd go back again and again. Hotel is brand new, staff were great and the food was good as well. I know there were some issues while I was there but nothing that wasn't 100% manageable. The staff are new and getting their groove.

Roc Barlovento: Give it a miss!

While the beach was absolutely amazing, the rest of the resort fell short. For the first few days they were out of coffee and eggs, the food was okay though we realize you don't go to Cuba for the food! The rooms fell short as well; from hard beds/pillows to a serious lack of water pressure - at times barely a trickle out of the tap and more often than not it was cold! There was a stench of sewer coming into our room via the bathroom vent that we covered with a plastic bag. There were bugs (mosq [... read more]uitos?) that were drawn to the smell as well. There were also bed bugs!!!! Only the buffet and the Mexican restaurant were open along with the snack bar. They are very militant about towels, so keep your eyes on yours at all times and don't lose one, heaven forbid! To top it all off, there is a refinery nearby that caused it to smell heavily of crude oil mostly throughout the night, even with the air conditioning turned off; it was so strong we woke up coughing! Rampant cats running wild with their excrement all over the place. Liquor was lower shelf, not great. Couple good things: the beach, as mentioned earlier, was amazing and the best part of the place. The Mexican restaurant was good as well.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Beautiful resort

It is very large and grounds spread out but beautiful. The first couple of days we were confused about the location of everything. Once you get to know your way around its fine, everyone was very friendly. The room was on ground floor and was damp and chemical smell the first night was bad, The floor was dirty the first day but once they came to wash floor we aired it out after a couple days it wasnt as bad and just got used to it. I ask to get another room but we didnt follow up and were t [... read more]old to come back in the morning. All in all we had a lovely time. There was work going on everywhere but it wasnt an issue for us, My main complaint was the room was cold and damp. And was a few crawley bugs but after they washed the floor with bleach I didnt see anymore bugs not cockroaches but centipede and soil bugs. For what we paid it was a beautiful resort, We were not sure where the beach entrance was but once you know you know. It would be nice to have a boardwalk to the beach as we got bitten by sand fleas. There were not enough chairs some days at the pools and beach. The new chairs look nice but are very hard and not adjustable. The lobby is beautiful and a great hang out place. Some lights missing bulbs not matching etc. beautiful table in middle missing glass. Would look beautiful with a centerpiece on it. Loved the beautiful blue comfy chairs to wait for golf cart back to room or beach. Couple massage was great. Food was fine not an issue. We had been to Cuba so knew what to expect and had a wonderful time. You can rent the old cars from the lobby and go into Varadera, the Beatles club music was amazing!!

Club Kawama: No food

Resort is nice people great no vodka no gin all week no food at all what was there was not good line up we’re long staff is only cooking small amounts of food at a time then running out after only one hour of service

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Fantastic Getaway

This hotel was pretty great. We stayed in the Cayo Section and loved the location of the beach and only a few steps to the swim-up bar pool. The beach was spectacular, the food was delicious and plentiful. The rooms were decent, could be a little more well kept but good enough to lay our heads at the end of the night. We had a 8 year old and a 16 year old and both had a great time here. We are planning to return!