Sadly not a good repr sensation of Cuba!

Let me put it in point: This was not close to a two star hotel. Our balcony door fell off and was never fixed. The water in the toilet overflowed. The smell of sewer several days made me vomit Twice there arose a bad smell of petrol. The 7 cats, 3 dogs and countless chickens trotting about were something.... The mould on the closet wall ( that door was off its hinges the whole week too) was bad. The beds were old, hard and grubby., and you could watch tv through the sheets as they were so thin.  [... read more]The staff seemed as though they didn't really care or bother. ( so different from past experiences) The food was pretty bad ( beef heart? Bird mincemeat? Fish casserole with fins sticking out?) Cockroaches are a natural thing, but I hate to see them on the food tables where the dinners are being prepared. The sign out front said this was a five star hotel... Maybe in 1984. It is run (RUN) down. After asking twice a day, we got a tv remote on day three. We had no hot water for three of the seven days there. The water in the pool was too cold to get in. The beach was wonderful though. And finally, we got up from bed as water was pouring from the ceiling ( air conditioning unit). That took a trip to the desk and stern words to get resolved. I have photos of some of this, as I am sure no one would believe me. We've been to Cuba several times and this by far was the worst. I felt bad for the folks we met who'd never been before to this country, as several said, "never again!"

2 star at best

First of all this hotel is not called BE LIVE EXPERIENCE. We found this out after riding for over an hour on the bus and not making it to our resort...the hotel changed names years ago and is now called Villa Cuba. We upgraded to a Villa which just fit 2 twin size beds and an old tv. The shower head was not attached and we had to use it as a hand held shower. The resort itself has very friendly staff. The food was not good but have heard that it's all the same in all of the resorts.

Loved the resort

Food was great.service was great. Much better than the last resort we were at in nov.rooms were just okay but didnt spend much time there anyway. The airplane wasnt very full so actually had rom to stretch.

So so.

Very basic resort. Room was leaking water in spots for the whole trip. Talked with other travelers it was the same in their rooms. Location was good very close to the airport and town. Food was basic. Usually get tired of it after a few days. No variety. Best food onsite was a restaurant called bamboo. 2nd time staying at this resort because they changed the name as of 2016 New Years. I couldn't find pics or info from it anywhere otherwise I wouldn't have gone back.

Travel Experience

Reasonably good hotel. Pools were nice, food was plentiful and of acceptable quality. Room was nice and room service was excellent but bed was uncomfortable. Checkout experience was terrible. Immediately as we arrived at the desk the chamber maid arrived saying that the bathtub mat was missing and if we didn't return it she would have to pay three times the cost. We opened our bags to prove that we didn't have them but we were told by the Public Relations lady that the maid would still be penali [... read more]zed and have to pay three times the cost from her own pocket. That is unacceptable.

DONT BOOK HOLA SUN

Flight was 2 hours delayed outbound no big deal arrived at hotel at 12 AM home flight was scheduled to leave at 10 45 PM However to save money Hola sun moves everyones flight to 11AM Guests now leave hotel at 7 am meaning 6 beach days Not 7 as wanted

Great Stay! A solid 3 1/2 stars.

The extra half star is for the service. The hotel is dated but the staff were great. We had a room in the second building which is closer to the beach, and we had a partial ocean view from our 2nd floor balcony. The 2 a-la-cart restaurants were ok.( you don't go to Cuba for the food).

Declining quality year after year..

--great pool, great beach, rooms needed improvement (we were in a villa and the rooms in the hotel were MUCH better, locations was great (ten minute walk to varadero, the food was quite gross (I could only eat a select few things per day)

Amazing

the hotel is big and it is located right on the beach, they have clean towels and water sports are nice! Workers are very friendly. The air conditioner is too loud. The drinks are nice. Food is good. You can see stars at night on the beach which is amazing! Love this place! It's my first time to Cuba! Great memories!

Would definitely go back

Very old hotel, but clean. Employees are amazing. WONDERFUL waiters and bartenders: Corzo, Libia, Jorge, Angela, Carlos -Umberto and Alex, just to name a few. Beach is fantastic! Lifeguards and security are the best! Don't listen to negative comments, tourists are just miserable. Can't wait to go back.

Completely Underrated

Apart from the weather I absolutely loved our trip to Villa Cuba. This resort may have a few years on it but what is inspiring is that they keep doing maintenance on it to make sure people enjoy their stay. The service at the resort was fantastic and the food quality was one of the best I have ever experienced. When I travel to a resort the one thing I am very picky about is the beach and this one didn't disappoint. The hotel staff is incredibly welcoming and accommodating. The room was in decen [... read more]t shape and always clean thanks to the staff. I loved my trip and I would definitely recommend this place.

Time travel

Arriving at this hotel was like going back in time. (1970's) Not up to US standards, but then this was not the US. This holiday is what you make of it, hotel run down but beach is perfect and sea clear.

Excellent value for the money!

Was absolutely surprised by the tasty dishes we had. I expected bland food as we're used to in previous experiences (resorts in Cayo Largo, Cayo Santa Maria & Brisas del Caribe also in Varadero). This one had ketchup, mayo, mustard (missing in some resorts). I had low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised by everything. Of course, it's not a brand new resort, you do see some signs of wear and tear and there is a repugnant smell that emanates from the hotel complex on your way to your room [... read more] from the elevator, but it doesn't last very long. There is no swim up bar but the pool bar is literally next to the pool so what's 5-10 steps to get a drink, right? There is no beach bar on the beach so you do have to walk about a minute or two to go to their "beach" bar which also serves bbq lunches (love the grilled meats and sides). Overall, it was a great experience. Calm beach on the first few days then we got some waves toward the end of our trip. It was awesome! Great weather too Mar 23-27 (after March Break).

I love villa cuba

I really enjoy staying in the villas. You have your own space as well as your own yard complete with pool. Also when we go with family we can all stay in the same villa and enjoy the use of the living and dining rooms for socializing or games. Each villa has 4-6 rooms so grab your friends and book one today! Additionally they have a sky bar where we go for the best pina coladas before dinner to watch the sun set through its 360 view.

Nothing spectacular

We just spent a week at this hotel. Having been to Cuba 5 times we knew what to expect and not to expect. During other trips we drive by this hotel and from the outside I always thought it must be a neat hotel. We booked last minute and got a great deal which was a bonus. Had I paid full price I would have been extremely disappointed. Service was all over the map. Some were great while other staff was down right rude and ignorant. I found front desk to be not helpful. We had a CAsa room which wa [... read more]s nothing fancy. We originally had problems with our rooms which we complained about and they actually fixed them right away. The resort is Very Very dark at night on the grounds, going to your CAsa rooms and even in stair ways in hotel. They have lamp posts throughout ground but only seen one turn on. Pool is very clean. Pool bar drinks were too strong. Beer was fine. It was always busy so sometimes was a wait. But they had staff constantly cleaning up the area. Beach is amazing. It was windy a few days and closed for swimming but still a great spot. Volleyball in the morning was fun and busy. Lots of shade under the huts. Buffet was small for size of resort but I found the food pretty decent ( it's cuba you don't go for food). I actually found it more flavourful than other resorts. Pasta line took forever but was good. Decent selection of food every meal. I found there was a lot of walking for being a medium sized resort and there were a lot of 55+ there during our stay. Some repeat visitors I spoke to said it seems to be common to see many seniors here. Evening entertainment was a variety and I enjoyed their shows at night. I recommend this hotel ONLY if you have lower standards and are going only for the beach and sun. If you get a good price go ! If your paying more than $900 all in pick another resort. I have been to other 3-4.5 star resorts and this one would be the lowest I've been to yet. We are pretty easy going and made the best of it. Once they fixed our room we declined an upgrade as we know cuba standards are different than at home. We never went hungry and didn't drink too much and when we did we drank mostly beer. We swam in pool and beach. Met some great people - other Canadians mainly as the others were not great English speaking. We overall had a great vacation making the best of what we had. If I ever came back here it would have to be an exceptional deal and I come expecting nothing fancy.

Not a good first impression

We arrived at Villa Cuba just before 10 p.m.. They took us to our Villa near the beach which was a huge disappointment. The room fit only 2 beds with a tiny bistro type table and a very tiny bathroom. There was no dresser to place your clothes and a closet big enough to hang your coats. We requested a change in rooms which they did accommodate us 2 days later to a much nicer part in the resort. Due to spending 2 days in the very damp room my sisters white slacks had black mold on them. Once we s [... read more]ettled in to our new room our vacation was quite nice. The staff were very friendly and most spoke English. The pool area was great as well as the entertainment each night. The beach was also beautiful. It is a large resort but mostly for adults. There is nothing there for children other than the pool. Even though the food was Cuban style you could always find something that suited you, variety was wholesome.

Great Place to visit

We had a very large room with a bidet, go figure, and I loved it. Our bath towels were very small, as small as my hand towels in my bathroom. We loved our bed but the covers could use a good wash. The grounds were very clean, the pool was great but a wee bit cold. The food was poor, they need to train their chef to be a little more creative with the foods they have, but you will not go hungry. The drinks were good but I am not a great drinker, service was a 10, no complaints there, the staff alw [... read more]ays smiling and ready to help. I have kept the best for last. What a beach. I will return to Villa Cuba any day for the most beautiful Beach!!!!!!! Our stay was most enjoyable, next time I will take my own bed covers and bath towels. One can only get what they paid for and I think we got our money's worth. Overall, a great experience and I would recommend and return to Villa Cuba again. The best bang for your bucks.

A Great Budget Vacation

A good three star hotel for those who are not obsessed with perfection. The rooms were clean, the food was good, and the staff were wonderful. Villa Cuba has a clean, large white sand beach with plenty of shade and shallow swimming.

Villa Cuba

This is a beautiful resort, inside and out. The staff are friendly and accommodating. This was our 2nd time here. Only a few things we would like to see improved. In the buffet restaurant, the set up needs to be better: plates in a separate area and meat in a separate station. Trying to get into the a la carte restaurants was ridiculous. Why offer a la carte if you can't get a reservation? Lastly, control your guests! Many guests, mostly youth, were loud, rude, not properly dressed, eating and d [... read more]rinking in the pool and using profanity. They were noisy till 2 and 3a.m. Enforce the rules and show the rest of your guests respect.

Average hotel near Varadero.

Pretty happy with this hotel. Buffets and restaurant were average, but not disappointing. Reservation system is still lacking and you may be disappointed if you do not stand in line. Beaches and pool are awesome. No troubles with getting a lounge chair. Hotels rooms are falling behind in maintenance and are needing upgrading. Lots of ants. Staff are great and are helpful. Internet cards and availability is sketchy. Villa Cuba ran out of cards for four-six days (lost track) and eventually receive [... read more]d cards for internet access. Overall, Villa Cuba is an older hotel and starting to show, but the staff and the location were good for us. Weather, beach and food were all good.