Punta Peninsula Varadero: Great resort

I really love this resort, the rooms are large and clean, pools are great, beaches were beautiful, food was very good, The staff was absolutely wonderful great to their customers. Would definitely recommend this resort family and friends

Sol Varadero Beach: great resort

staff are amazing and the rooms were very good. asked fo an oceanview top floor corner room and that's exactly what we got. food was ok , but the pool and the beach we top rated. went to havana for the day from a private tour guide and that was perfect.

Club Tropical: Accomodations not up to Par

Hotel itself was not presentable. Rooms in dire need of maintenance/upgrades. Hot water not working for the first two days. Thank God the weather was good because I would not want to spend much time in the room. Public washrooms not kept clean. Customer service very poor. On a positive note......the food was fairly good. The beach was awesome.

Punta Peninsula Varadero: Great Resort

This is a sprawling almost 2 km long resort with some great pools, landscaping, lighthouse, tennis court, indoor games clubroom, kids club, waterslide, disco, gym, entertainment hall , restaurants and buffet hall, Overall we would rate it as hugely satisfying being our first trip to Cuba. We did read previous reviews both positive and negative before going to the resort. Now after the experience we think we definitely got our money's worth. What they lack in some updating to the rooms and minor  [... read more]issues, is more than compensated with the friendly staff and the efforts to provide a great experience to the guests. We travelled as a family with three children. We got to live in Block 12 ocean view ground level. First floor room view is better for ocean view but ground floor rooms avoid having to climb the stairs. Pool facing rooms are also pretty good. This block is very convenient to access the Beach, the Pool, the buffet hall and la carte restaurants, front reception lobby and bar, entertainment hall. The afternoons have some good music and dance parties by the poolside also equipped with a bar as well as on beach and lobby area. There is great energy and the Beach is the incredible highlight of the place without a doubt. Trip to Havana is good for those who like to explore and learn about the culture and history. Children would surely like the trip to see the dolphins and the trip to the island and snorkelling. Trip to Varadero downtown in the open double decker bus which comes to the resort is good. I also heard the Jeep Safari is good too. The Buffet definitely is good for those who like to eat healthy. Lot of fruit and choices for meats and bread. Junk food and spicy food lovers may not find it that interesting. There are electric carts to take you around the resort so don't have to worry about how to get around the resort specially if u want to use the Gym or the Disco. The entertainment some days is okay but can be spectacular on some days like the Michael Jackson show done by a local look-alike. They also have a magic and animal show for the kids which is good fun. I loved the Cuban music and dance lessons on the beach and the poolside. This resort is certainly not a disappointment. Take bug spray to avoid the mosquitos as much as possible. Certainly recommend the resort to everyone and if possible carry items like creams, lotions, stationery to tip which can be more useful to the locals as they are expensive in Cuba and not as easily available as in Canada.

Sol Varadero Beach: Great location and good resort

The grounds were beautiful and friendly staff. I had no complaints about the hotel as it was what I expected for this developing country and the research I had done. Actually I found the staff quite patient for what they dealt with daily, drunk and belligerent guests. I found many guests rude and with a sense of entitlement to the point I was embarrassed to be one. The attitude of smokers on the beach is a tragedy of butts everywhere from their narcissism.

Hotel Villa Cuba: very nice resort

the part 1000 is repaired and nice and quiet ,,,,but dont stay in the villa its very old not nice ,,so go in the block 1000 very nice ,,,its clean no bugs and we love iit i will go back anythimes ,,food is ok

Roc Arenas Doradas: Roc Areras Doradas for the 2nd time!

Hi! We returned to Roc Arenas Doradas for the 2nd time in December (15-25). The hotel hasn't changed much from last year. Rooms are comfortable and very clean, the shows were terrific, the beach is one of the best I've ever seen and the Cuban workers were all amazing, doing their best to please you. The only thing that was not 100% satisfying was the buffet and the meals in general... but you have to expect this in Cuba with the American embargo, etc. Will I go again, well maybe, if the price is [... read more] right, for all the above reasons. And what I enjoy most about this resort is that it is small, so we're close to everything, and a bus takes us free to Varadero's centre, which is worth it.

Melia Marina Varadero: Lovely Resort

Resort was beautiful , Staff were pleasant and helpful . Food was plentiful, some things better than others but you could always find something to enjoy. The dining rooms again some were better than others . Our favorite was the French . The pool was very nice. The grounds were lovely.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: First time but definitely not the last time

Our trip was amazing. It was a whole package ( beautiful and clean hotel, warm, friendly and fun staff, lot's of entertainment, Cuban music which makes your hips move even without realizing it, all the food to keep you full, the amazing beach and of course all the pina coladas with grenadine you can drink which was my favorite ). You and your kids can not be bored just not enough time to take advantage of it all. We will definitively do this again. I wonder why we did not do it sooner.

Melia Marina Varadero: Wonderful hotel and staff

I really enjoyed staying at this resort. I was in the studio apartments (not the main building) and had access to another pool as well. I found that all the staff was pleasant and friendly, from the restaurants to the entertainers. The beach was gorgeous and not far at all. I would certainly recommend this resort. My mom and I only had one issue with our room and the problem was quickly remedied. Only downside is this resort is the furthest away from the airport and the town of Varadero. But it' [... read more]s worth it!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Great Vacation

The hotel was good. Had the basic amenities, was clean, the property was always being cleaned by the staff, the entertainers were great and the people were friendly. The food was not good, only the Japanese restaurant was good. But if you go with the mind set knowing that the food isn't great, you'll be fine. We went on the Havana excursion, which was great but we felt rushed and the Cataraman excursion which is basically a day on the boat. You need to tip alot which was kinda annoying since you [... read more]'ve already paid for your vacation. At every point, you have to have your tips ready. The drinks were good. I carried a bag full of clothes to give to the lady who cleaned our room and she was super happy. Overall, we had a great vacation because we had had read up on the place and did not let little things such as the quality of the mattress or the force of the shower ruin our vacation.

Starfish Jibacoa: Acceptable resort

Front desk staff nice but very non-communicative. For example, they could tell guests about meal times, location of buffet restaurant. It appears they expected guests to know where such things are because I met wuite a few repeat visitors who were kind enough to show me where things were located. The beach though was lovely and I liked the "quiet" atmosphere; but I was not amused by the slow trickle down shower and the gaping hole under the entrance door to my room that allowed a parade of vario [... read more]us insects into the room.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Average resort

Food: there is an abundance of food in the main cafeteria, however, most meats are overcook (hence very tough) and flavorless. Your best bet for decent meat is to wait in line for one of the grill where they will cook what you want, the way you want. There is a very good choice of fresh bread that you cut yourself. The choice of fresh fruit is fairly limited, with bananas usually present, sometimes pineapple, mango, and melon. Restaurants: only went to the French restaurant, which was fairly goo [... read more]d but I would not say it was authentic French cuisine, but the steak was Fresh if not overdone (we should have expected that). Pools: only 2 pools, a quiet one and an animated one. On the animated one, there is a waterslide about 2 stories high where there is usually only a short lineup so you can go until you are tired. Beach: sand was clean, large amount of seashells if your kid is into that stuff. Water was a bit cold as it is December after all. There is a bar and a mini cafeteria fairly close. Bars: bars are placed in strategic locations but many of them close early. Top shelf whiskey available for extra, otherwise everything is bottom shelf. Bring you own drinking mug if you plan to drink beer as their plastic cup are tiny (about 1/3 to 1/2 beer, so you need 2-3 to say you had 1 bottle). Internet: this is Cuba, so the speed is slower than a dial-up modem (seriously). If you go in the evening, you will probably not be able to connect as there will be too many people for the connection. Early morning is probably the best time. Lobby: big, with lots of seating if you want to have a drink there or sit with your computer for Internet. There is a fresh Pina Colada station there in the morning. Front desk personnel: very helpful and responsive, always smiling. Excursion agent: the lady there was fantastic, helpful and smiling. This is where you want to book daily excursions such as a private car and tour guide for Havana or for diving. We did 2 dives: the first in Coral Beach, about 20 minute drive from resort. Location was ok, lunch not included. Second dive was in the Bay if Pigs, about 2 1/2 h drive on the other side of the island. Location was slightly better, equipment was more recent as well. I would suggest you bring long sleeved compression pants and shirt as there is a large amount of jelly fish some times. There was a shipwreck we visited on the 2nd dive (outside only as we are Open Water divers). After our 2 dives in the Bay, we headed for lunch (included) before heading back to the resort. This was by far THE BEST MEAL we had. Tiny place, we we only 8 people including our driver and our instructor. We had great soup (I am not a soup fan), then we had duck, fish, deer, alligator, and shrimp, along with rice and sweet potatoes. We also had freshly squeezed guava juice which was delicious (there was some at the resort as well, but it was tasteless). We went to Havana with a private driver named Oscar Moronta, as well as a tour guide whose name we forgot but was very good and spoke perfect English. Oscar's car was one of the best maintained we have seen, both inside and out. Lots of people took pictures of it. I would recommend him. Kids club: we dropped our son (6 yo) there when we went diving. He did not want to go, but when we picked him up at the end of the day, he did not want to leave which I guess is a good sign. Rooms: size was ok but they look dated a bit. Cleaning was done every day but floor always seemed dirty. Toilets are not that great there, but everything was functional. You just need to have moderate expectations as this is Cuba.

Starfish Jibacoa: Don't go rushing there. I want it all to myself :)

Lovely little cosy place. Great beach for snorkeling, diving. Very pleasant and friendly staff. Clean spacious rooms. pretty grounds. If you're picky about food and variety, go somewhere else. If u get annoyed that there isn't enough shampoo or shower gel or soap, go somewhere else. If you care about snorkling, diving, meeting lovely people, having a relatively tranquil holiday, being close to Havana, come here. Will go back :)

Roc Arenas Doradas: Decent resort - good value

Just came back after spending 10 days at this resort, family vacation with 2 kids, 4 and 13. Had a great time. The beach is beautiful. The resort is small enough that you can get to the beach even from the main restaurant in about 5 minutes. Very nice feature when you have kids who want some independence yet you want to be able to find them fairly quickly. Great entertainment team, with games and volleyball taking place from 10 am until 5 pm, so the kids always have something to do should they g [... read more]et bored swimming in beautiful water. The restaurant stuff is hit and miss, yet we were lucky to meet a couple of amazing servers, who always had a table set for us, and were looking after all of our needs. Our maid was also going above and beyond - I just mentioned that our faucet was not not working well, and the door lock was very tight. Before I had a chance to go to customer service, she took it upon herself to inform the front desk and bring the service guy to my room even before we returned from the beach that day! Needless to say - tip these people! A couple of pesos here and there will not break your bank, but will definitely encourage consistent friendly service. Food was OK - breakfast always great, with lots of choices.Lunch and dinner always had a pasta and grill stations with lots of fresh fish/meat/pasta to chose from. However, some days the line was way too long, and when the kids are hungry no one wants to stay in line for 20 minutes. The choices at the hot table were very similar every day, so you have to be creative to make a different meal :) However, everything was fresh. Overall, we always could find food to make a normal healthy meal for everyone. The room however, needs to be updated - everything worked, including the AC. However, bathroom tiles are old and mouldy, mattresses and pillows need to be changed. The hotel needs a renovation, that is for sure. However we spent minimal time in the room, and the maid ensured that it was spotless every day. I would go back

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Amazing stay!

Great and clean landscaping, very friendly and helpful staff, excellent beach. Variety of daily programs and nightly entertainment. The food exceeded our expectation from what we were led to beleive for Cuba, there were lots of variety with good taste! We recommend that you pack bug repellent, as the beach fleas left us with nasty bites. We didn't have a convertor for charging our electrical devises, and the one in the washroom was not working. We were thankful to be given one! Uppon arrival che [... read more]ck if your fridge is stocked with water, as you can't drink tab water there, and we were dissapointed at night when we found our fridge empty, and no bottled water was available on the resort!

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Nice Resort

The resort itself was beautiful with friendly staff. The rooms were clean but uncomfortable beds. The food was okay. The hotel public washrooms need more tending to - you shouldn't have to take your own toilet paper to a hotel washroom. Requests a few items to the room never arrived.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Friendly Staff

Our stay over Christmas 2014 was pleasant. The staff were very helpful. Room was very spacious but the cleaning staff was poor. Bed linen had not been changed for 3 days. Finally I pulled the sheets off. Also there was a day that no one came to clean the room. Entertainment was poor.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Clean and friendly

very nice resort. Upgraded to diamond club and enjoyed the extra perks for a nominal fee. the beach is second to none. can walk for miles. resort needs more lights on pathways at night because it is very dark and intimidating. good food. Japanese is entertaining and delicious. skip the Italian. Memories dinner good too but no dinner show.

Hotel Los Cactus: Breezes Varadero

Great beach, food was not the best. Staff were friendly, especially when appreciated with a tip. Greatcoffee bar. Location is dated but rooms were clean and well kept. No interweb. Get a receipt when you exchange money at the front desk.