Always great

This was our seventh year going to this resort and as always it was great. The front counter staff is very helpful , the rooms are cleaned every day. You can always find something to eat and the beach is just fabulous. Live entertainment every night there is always something to do on or off the resort. I can hardly wait to go back next year. Most of the dinning staff remember you from the previous year,it's like haveing a second family.

Perfect resort

This is a non - smoking resort which I never read in any of the reviews. Wonderful surprise to us as we both are x smokers. You can smoke in the outside lobby, your balconies and anywhere outside. The grounds, rooms and the entire hotel are very clean. The staff and all the workers do a awesome job in every capacity. The reviews from tourists have good and bad opinions. Don't pay attention to the bad ones, not worth wasting your time reading and looking at photos of rusty pipes. Why these neg [... read more]ative travellers go to Cuba in the first place, because it's cheaper and then they trash the resort. The food at Bella Costa was the best I have eaten in my 10 times in Cuba. This resort is smaller than some so if you have issues with walking stay here!! We had a villa right beside the pool and yes the liner in the pool is not great. Looks like it was not laid properly and presented no issues swimming. It's not deep enough for adults but it's very refreshing. There is a real nice gift shop downstairs and is a good size. They take credit cards and you are charged in American currency. You will be shocked at the exchange rate as we were. $1.67 Ca for 1 Cuban peso. Our dollar is worth .33 cents. I stayed at Bella Costa 20 years ago and they have added many upgrades. We loved it and will go back sooner than later.

Great family vacation!!

Everyone and everything was on point .... the only suggestions we have would to have the nightly shows a little earlier and more selection of food in the buffet. The villa room we stayed in was amazing and the perfect location to everything !

Great bang for your buck

Although Bella Costa is in need of TLC our room was kept clean and well stocked. The staff is helpful and very friendly. Jimmy's restaurant offers such a variety of food that it should satisfy even fussier eaters. The beach is also beautiful, and a great place for smaller kids to build their sand castle. Alicia's little restaurant catered to the pizza lover. Hamburgers, hot dogs and fries also served during the entire afternoon and after 10pm to 6am There could be more garbage cans. (don [... read more]'t know if people would use them) Also the public washrooms could be stocked better.

Amazing Bella Costa

This was my third visit to this beautiful resort, I can't say enough good things about it, food was wonderful, maid was fantastic entertainment was top notch, and although I know they have no control over it, the weather was also outstanding, there is and anywhere else in Varadero I would like to stay 👍

More than what I expected.

I usually don't expect much from Cuba. I read all the reviews about this hotel before going there. The hotel is better than the pictures. and more than what i expected. The food was good. Usually the salad bar dose not include lettuce and its part of the decoration but I had salad every day with lettuce and there is always something that you can mix or create yourself. You won't stay hungry. The beach was amazing, the staff were very helpful. I know that there were better rooms than ours but I [... read more] was quite satisfied with mine. I loved the live band in the lobby at night. I went for 4 days and will do it again. If I want Las Vegas quality, I will go to Las Vegas. I will recommend this hotel

Very very very basic

The rooms in this hotel are pretty horrible. I'd even say a little nasty. But after a couple days you get used to it and go with the flow. People working there are extremely nice. So if you don't mind rooms that lights and toilets don't work, Dirty towels daily, birds in dinning area eating the same food as you, this is the place to go! The " a la carts" were booked solid the moment we got there, so we didnt get to try those. Horrible as it sounds it does grow on you. May take 2/3 days tho lol

We had a great time here!

Our room was rather tired and the bathroom could have done with a makeover but it was spotlessly clean as were all the bed linens. All the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. We got the same friendly approach tip or no tip but staff always thanked you if you did tip. The beach was amazing, well groomed and lots of loungers available. The beach was so good we never tried the pool but it looked as equally inviting. We were very impressed by the quality and quantity of the food  [... read more]at the hotel. Fantastic choice of fresh bread and rolls available as well as the pasta and eggs stations. Very bemused by the previous comments about the standard and choices of food available. The lunch time pizza service was very slow but boy were they tasty! Also tried the lunch time barbecue and again was very impressed by the choice available over the week. The spit roast pig was especially impressive. Loved having coffee at the Piano Bar, Cafe Bella Costa became a firm favourite as did Cappachino in the mornings. I also took advantage of the 'free' golf at the Varadero Golf Club which is right next door to the Bella Costa. Club and Cart hire was $55 per round. Booked two rounds at the reception and a golf cart is waiting to take you to the club house and return you to the hotel at the end of the round. We also booked the Catamaran and Havana trips through the SunWing rep. Very windy day on the catamaran trip and found the Dolphin show a bit of a sad spectacle but that is very much a personal view as the dolphins did appear to be in good condition and well cared for. The trip to Havana was amazing. Havana has been on my bucket list to visit for a long time and it didn't disappoint. Next time though I will hire a private car and go with an english speaking tour guide. Time in Havana was limited and we were rushed from place to place and only left with an hour to explore on our own. The tour guide had a personal amplifier system but due to crowds and background noise, was often impossible to hear. This was a shame as he had an amazing knowledge of Havana and it's history. The lunch on this trip was excellent, rice, black beans, roasted chicken and delicious ice cream to finish with. Coffee and 1 drink was also included. The only downside to this trip was the constant reminders about tipping. Bella Costa is rated a 3.5 star hotel but the room and fixtures do need updating. Litmus test is would we visit again and the answer is yes. For what we paid for the holiday we felt it was excellent value, especially after reading many of the negative comments about hotels in Cuba. We also wondered how much of the 'food poisoning' is due to excess alcohol and exposure to the sun as we saw many 'lobsters' during our stay!

Family fun

The perfect spot to travel with children. It is not a huge sprawling resort and all you need is close by. The poolside grill is great for lunch as is the pizzarea. Kids love the hotdogs hamburgers and papa fritas. The staff are generally friendly and remember you if you go several times as with the omelette ladies or grilled sandwich person. Amazing beach with lots of seashells for collectors. The pool is not great and needs serious repairs. It could be bigger for adults with aqua form class [... read more]es. The rooms are dated and the plastic lining on the beds super uncomfortable. Our room was upgraded and okay except the mold and ants. The lobby bar and evening entertainment was super easy and overall it was a terrific vacation. I met a lot of repeat clients and would consider returning a third time especially if the pool is improved. Thank you to the patient kind staff.

Better than expected

Been to Cuba 5 times now, so know what to expect. I thought this time at Bella Costa might be a slight downgrade, but was quite pleased. Great front desk, very good with a golf package, because service between hotel and course is great. Course has a cart pick you up by the hotel. Food is getting better each time I go. Great for meat lovers, (except for beef), good for overall variety, but disappointing for fresh fruit. Clean and tidy. Lots of children. Plenty of quiet spaces if you wan [... read more]t. Nice people.

Great Family Vacation Spot

We enjoyed our week at Hotel Bella Costa. The beach was fantastic, and the pools and pool bar were nearby. Buffet lunch in the restaurant beside the beach was always enjoyed. The food was quite good, with lots of variety. We also enjoyed the three a la carte meals. The live music in the lobby bar was great each evening. We were a larger family group and stayed in the hotel, which worked well for us. Golfers in our group enjoyed the nearby golf course. We had a wonderful relaxing holiday and v [... read more]isits with family members. While the rooms were dated and could use some maintenance, they were clean and comfortable. We have no serious complaints about this resort and would gladly return.

Beautiful Beach

Loved the beach and the weather. Hotel is dated and in need of serious upgrades. Food at the buffets was below average but enjoyed our meals at the Japanese and Cuban a la carte restaurants. Beds were hard and not comfortable.

Paradise Resort :)

As this was my first vacation ever.. I really didn't know what to expect nor do I have an experience to compare it to, but my greeting when I arrived was very friendly :) My room was clean and had everything I needed and overlooked the pool area with view of the ocean.. although I did expect "ocean view" to be a little better view of the ocean. Still I was pleased with my room. We left notes for the cleaning lady with anything we may be needing along with with little treats for her and her chil [... read more]dren :) the only thing she was not able to leave was face cloths as they do not supply any there ( which i thought was odd) but now I know and will take my own nxt time. She also left a nice thank you note each day and a cutely folded towel :) I wasn't sure what to expect for food and I am usually a fussy eater, but I always found something I liked and def didn't starve while I was there lol I found the employees where quite friendly, maybe little hard to understand at times as we speak different languages so it is to be expected. Maybe once or twice we had someone not so friendly when we were trying to find something out.. but everyone has those days! I literally saw only one dead cockroach while I was there.. which was impressive that I did not see any other bugs or rodents the whole time ..cause when I talked to ppl from the other resorts they said there were geckos and lizards everywhere.. I seen none! The walk to the beach was nice and the place was well maintained as ppl were constantly cleaning, sweeping sand, cutting dead branches..picking garbage. The only issue I had was with my wifi.. as my friends always worked... mine wouldn't .. which I guess I was just meant to have a real vacation and be unplugged from Canada :) So over all being my first experience at traveling I was very pleased with my stay at the Bella Costa ... and would recommend it if asked :)

Tired but Livable

The resort has been around for a few years & needs some upkeep. If you are just going for a week it's manageable. The A/C dripped on the floor, some lights didn't work & the beds were poor. The hotel seemed to be understaffed and, to quote another guest, "the hardest all-inclusive to get drunk at in Cuba", referring to the very slow bar service. The al-la-carte meals didn't really resemble the nationalities they were supposed to represent, in particular the Japanese food. The layout of the food  [... read more]in both buffet style restaurants was not conducive to people getting food quickly - line-ups blocking dishes, dishes behind doors only accessible by one person at a time, etc. At the end you get what you pay for and the quality was mostly inline with what was paid. A few simple changes at the hotel and it would easily be much better.

Good resort

Grounds such as flower beds were not done.. Entrance and lounges were very nice. Dining had lots of variety. Fruit quality was poor.Staff was attentive ,freindly, well dressed. Good variety of entertainment. Rooms were clean but old.

Resort needs improvement

The hotel location is great however the hotel needs some major renovations. Looking old and worn. Beach was beautiful and the hotel staff were very friendly and welcoming. Thank you to Osmaira who looked after our room. We loved the towel figures. The restaurant food needs a great deal of improvement. There was no jams jellies for breakfast. No coffee or tea for dinner.

Great resort

The food was great. The room was clean. Beach was beautiful. Since this was my friend's 7th return visit back to the same resort - they should return to previous policy of extra perks for returning guests: golf passes, etc. More chairs needed in the outside lobby area.

A good resort for the money

This is a small resort which I liked.A short distance to the beach, dinning rooms, lobby, 3-4 min.each. The resort is old, adequately maintained. Friendly staff, mostly. It consists of 3-4 stories main building and a few villas. My accommodation was in the villa, a very nice room, AC not very efficient, could not regulate, very noisy,the lock to the patio door,( a ground floor) broken, not repaired, plumbing worked. Have not seen a room in the main building, have heard many complaints, r [... read more]e non functioning plumbing. People were changing rooms. The beach is great, weather was excellent the whole week, one can survive a few inconveniences. It was worth the money.

Still the Best!

This is a very small and intimate resort where the staff get to know you and treat you like family. I just completed my 5th trip to Bella Costa and even though it is in need of some tender loving care, I'll go back. The hotel rooms are large, the villas are like mini condos - but many need to be updated. The beach is amazing and it is cleaned of seaweed everyday. The pool is spotless but the line needs to be changed. Food at the buffet is quite good and you can always find something yo [... read more]u like. The A la Carte restaurants are excellent, however the Japanese one does serve small portions. They have a snack bar that is open until 6:00 a.m. serving hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and pizza. Bars have the friendliest bar tenders who will make your drink to your liking. Entertainment staff are awesome and ensure you have fun. Reception staff will go beyond to ensure you get checked in/out as quickly as possible. If you should have any problems or concerns with your accommodations, just speak to them and they will do whatever they can to make things right. Because this resort is small everything is close by: pool, beach, hotel, villa, restaurants, etc. One trip to Bella Costa is never enough!

Great Time going again!

The Bella Costa staff was great and friendly. Food lots to pick from and the Special Restaurants at night were great. Must make reservations. The beaches were amazing! Did lots of traveling - Varadero markets great shopping, Catamaran great and the beach and lunch were amazing, Havana for the day was great, although too much to see in a day, got to go and stay a couple of days. Weather was great when I was there. All around a great vacation!!