Nice Resort

This was out first visit to Valentin El Patriarca Veradero. We reserved the Privilege package and enjoyed the upgrade. Our room was beautiful and very clean. The resort did very well keeping all areas clean. Tables were wiped frequently in the common areas and the buffet required masks where you were served by the staff instead of everyone touching all the utensils. The staff were amazing throughout the resort. All very helpful and friendly. Our room attendant Tatianna was incredible. She was so [... read more] pleasant to talk too did an amazing job. The grounds are beautiful and so well manicured. We chatted daily with one of the grounds keepers. Raul I think was his name. He was so welcoming and went out of his way to greet us with a wave and a smile. The reception / common areas were comfortable and I noticed were cleaned often. The privilege office was quick to respond to questions or requests. Zuri made his rounds daily and chatted with everyone. We felt very comfortable and welcomed at this resort. I had no fears of covid requirements and even the medical staff made us feel comfortable about the covid tests. Fantastic week we are so glad we booked and will be back.

Worst place I've been to in Cuba

Airport transfers went well. There's always that one person holding up the bus though. We were not asked for proof of Vax. A rapid test was given right after check in with the good doc, not your standard 15min rapid test, he said we were good after less than 2 or 3 mins. We bought a privilege pkg and it wasn't acknowledged as we were given standard yellow band and attempted to enter a privilege section and were denied. Easily corrected tho plus they changed our room. We were not given a lobste [... read more]r dinner but instead a special dinner ... They are different. However, I don't know one person who goes to Cuba for the food. The fruit was tasteless. Always always always lower your expectations when it comes to Cuba and you shouldn't be disappointed. The main dining room had cockroaches everywhere plus a killed a couple in the a la carte which is in the same building. Didn't see roaches or bugs in our room but my cot def saw better days. I didn't want to lift the sheets. Our AC worked but could def use a tune up. Our ground floor balcony door locked sometimes. The complimentary 20 min massage, have fun booking that or availability of time when wanting to upgrade and pay for spa services. Seems like all their resources went to the complimentary massage. They would.not refer me to a spa off site either. So basically stay somewhere else.

Patriarca- friendliest place ever

The resort was beautiful and the food was good (there is different choices in menu so if you’re not particularly fond of something you can just order something else). The hotel was clean. What made our stay particularly amazing was the staff. Each add every person was so friendly and helpful! We were always greeted with smiles and accommodated amazingly! I would definitely go back again!

Awful experience

The beach and ocean were splendid and perfect, nothing to complain about. The room had a rat/rats living there. We switched rooms no problem, but the next one had no working A/C. There was not much food to eat, rarely any proteins or fruits and vegetables. A lot of COVID tests to do but that is expected if you are to travel these days. if you want to travel comfortably, bring euros with you because that’s the main currency accepted nowadays.

Well priced resort with great staff

Went early December. Flight, entry into Cuba all good. I enjoyed my stay at the hotel for the following reasons: the staff was wonderful, the level of cleanliness was adequate, given that it was Cuba with its limited cleaning supplies, the beach area was clean, grounds well tended, the bars relatively well stocked. I felt safe at the resort - the staff all adhered to Covid protocols - wore masks and shield inside and out. There was an adequate number of hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere, gues [... read more]ts were served their buffet items, which was great. Tables were spaced apart in dining areas. The cons- no hot water first day in our room - however fixed quickly - Lock on our door was faulty and had to be serviced twice - which was annoying - however - it was dealt with quickly. Towels clean but always had that musty smell which was a real turnoff - music drove is crazy in the lobby - because the same music was played by the DJ every night of our one week stay - everyone was complaining- easy fix! Now for the food - except for a few meals - I found the food to be terrible - I am used to terrible food in Cuba and understand the food shortage problem - but nonetheless the food was bad. Generally the food was recycled, the fish was overcooked, the beef tough, and there were no fresh veggies to speak off - except occasional green tomatoes and cucs. Plus the food was extremely salty - as is the norm in Cuba it seems. I did acquire a bad stomach problem for 2 days - was it the food? water? and had to spend one day in bed! A quick survey of other guests suggested to me that whatever this was affected a number of the guests randomly throughout the resort - including Cuban guests.

Very disappointing for a 5 star resort

This was my 4th trip to Cuba & unfortunately not one of the better ones! The lobby is quite nice, but too small to accommodate guests for the evening entertainment. Our room was run down. The screen door was broken, the drapes were hanging off the rod. The bedspread was stained. (That came off the bed immediately & stayed on the floor until we left) there was a large ball of hair on the shower floor. The el a carts were embarrassing & a waste of time. The Italian restaurant didn’t offer Italia [... read more]n food. The Chinese was a little better, but only had 1 Chinese dish.... however it did offer shrimp & chicken pasta. The gourmet restaurant was everything but Gourmet!! The beach was terrible. There was only a small amount of umbrellas crammed together. The beach wasn’t groomed. Part of a great stay in Cuba is the beach & this beach was terrible!! The pool is nice, but not enough shade. You can have a tattered plastic umbrella if you pay the pool boy. The only pool daytime activities were from 2-3:30 and then nothing. There was only one night of entertainment in the theatre & that was very amateurish. I always brag about the Cuban people being friendly & welcoming..... not at this resort..... the staff was very robotic. No one tried to engage in conversation or tried to earn tips.... I would not recommend this resort!!

A little disappointing

Took more than a day to get hot water. Very difficult to get towels. No 110 converter. Why wants to be going going to guest services every day on your holiday. Order the same thing on the menu but get a different version of it. Fries was the one thing that everyone knew to be the same but they were rearely brought out.

Very good for the money

this was a great place clean and friendly room was very clean and comfordable food is what you expect all an all I would give it 8 out of10 tour to Havana was not worth the fee Canadian money is excepted at us rate of exchange

Great place, great food, great music!

We stayed here 7 years ago and loved it then. We were a bit nervous going back after so much time, but we’re not disappointed. We decided to upgrade to the privilege section and it was worth it. The grounds were well kept, the rooms were clean, friendly staff, great food, especially in the privilege lounge. Live music in the lobby and piano bar every night! Also, direct flight from Ottawa to Varadero and a short bus ride to the resort.

Great resort

We upgraded to Privilege when we arrived and it was definately worth it. The breakfasts and dinners at the privileged lounge were great. Cuba resorts are well know for their bland, bad food. This was definately not the case here.

Good resort!

The landscape on this resort was beautiful. People working hard on it every day. The resort is nice and the food was super tasty! The beach was incredible. Very clean and crystal clear. The rooms are small and out dated but they were clean. Remember, this is a third world country so do not expect the elegant room you would find in Canada or the U.S. We had a great time and seems to be one of the nicer resorts.

Great Experience

It was my fiancé’s first time visiting Cuba and this resort impressed us with their food, (especially the Italian a la carte), nightly entertainment and live music. Would recommend for families and retired couples.

Beautiful resort.

The first time I went to this resort, it was a year old. It was a fresh beautiful resort but after 3 visits the resort rooms need to be updated. The grounds are still as beautiful as it was or more... Public bathrooms are impressively clean. The staff, are the most kind. The cleaning of the rooms should step up a bit...they never mopped up the floor for 7 days. The towel system is bad, you have to wait for the cleaning person to change your towels and that usually happens late morning. T [... read more]he walkway tiles around the lobby, restaurants and ect.. need to be changed to a rough type of titles because I've experienced and seen people slip after it rained. In several occasions, I went to the front desk to ask them to put a sign at the entrance. The beach is beautiful! But I think it should be swept daily, not every 2or3 days. The entertainment is really poor compared to the early years. Overall this resort is beautiful and I'd go back in a heartbeat. 4+

Nice resort with some downfalls.

The resort grounds are very nice and well kept by the friendly Garden staff. The building is also very nice and clean for the most part but is showing signs of wear and tear in the rooms such as dirty areas on doors and trim, a bit of mold in the bathtub corners and tile grout, broken patio door lock and patio furniture etc. They sometimes have issues with laundry and towels and run into shortages here and there. The a la carte restaurants are Oriental, Italian and Gourmet. The food at all thre [... read more]e was pretty good. There is also a Privilege restaurant which was good. The main buffet was OK. Lots of selection but lackluster in taste. The cakes and desserts all look so delicious but very bland. The pasta bar is a good option and made for you at time of request with three types of pasta to choose from, three sauces and a variety of ingredients to add. I only saw ketchup and mustard as far as condiments go. No steak sauce or BBQ etc. The restaurant by the beach is also very decent. The snack bar at the main pool had a long wait for our food and it was so-so. Don't be fooled when the menu says french fries as 90% of the time they don't actually have any. As far as getting their CUC currency you can get it at the airport or the hotel. The hotel rarely had small change making it hard for us to tip the maids and wait staff at meals. We ended up withdrawing money from the bank in Havana for small change for tipping as the resort was unreliable. If you purchase cigars make sure to do so from a legitimate store and not an employee at the resort as you will most likely be sold fake Cohibas because they think you won't know any better. The staff overall is very friendly and the Butlers in the privilege section are fantastic and very attentive. The Privilege pool is private, quiet and not crowded at all. We preferred this to the main pool that was crowded and noisy. The beach is nice but not the greatest. Lots of loungers and shade access but the Privilege section has big rocks and makes it dangerous for swimming in that area. The regular section has no rocks but a lot of seashells washed up making it not ideal for walking barefoot at risk of being cut on the sharp shells. Overall is was a decent stay with a few hiccups here and there.

Resort was ok

The hotel itself was nice. The people are super friendly and always smiling. Would rather of had a piece of cardboard to eat than the food. We were unable to get towels and clean bedding for a few days as there was issues with the laundry. Also was unable to get currency from reception if needed, the kept saying that the bank hasn't been yet. Personally I would not stay at this resort again

Good Value For Your Money

This hotel was fairly good for the price we paid. The pools and beach were clean with good sitting areas. The staff was friendly but reception was rarely helpful and we had a hard time getting bottled water the entire time. The food at the resort was better than expected which was a pleasant surprise. Overall I would definitely recommend the hotel to a friend :)

Great time!

The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Rooms are older and dated. Food was great but inconsistent. Only Red wine for 1 day of the trip which was disappointing but that's how it is in Cuba. Great snorkeling from the beach was awesome.

Pretty Good Overall

Nice resort, rooms were comfy except for the shower that leaked onto the bathroom floor had to use the tub instead. TV was adequate and clear pictures Lots of areas to walk around and well taken care of gardens. Food was much better than expected for cuba and they did a fantastic job on the valentines day spread. The beach was a bit dissapointing not a lot of sand area to spread out, everyone cramed in side by side on a hot day. Dissapointed there was no beach side buffet just a sitdown wait [... read more] to be served restaurant by the beach, not a beach friendly resort. Pool area was fairly big and they bring sunshades if you need one, 24hr snack bar which really isnt 24hrs more like 12 hour so if your a late arriver no place to catch a meal. We didnt see much music or activity around the pool untill late afternoon each day so bring your own entertainment. 30 minute bus ride into downtown varadero very safe and fun double decker bus only 5 cuc for the whole day, hop on hop off. Best prices at the market for souvenirs and liquor at the americas mall.

Fun time

We did have fun and staff was great. Suggest upgrading to privilege. Food in pricilage was amazing but buffet was awful and im not a picky eater. We did have issues with not having towels and not being able to get fresh beach towels. There is nowhere to exchange them on the grounds like other resorts. To get a new beach towel you have to leave your towel in your room and the maid would exchange them if there were enough. Privilege pool area was fantastic and our concierges Yuri and Yandy wer [... read more]e always so very helpful. Like i said had a great time and met some amazing people but would not return or recommend. This is a 5 star hotel and had better amenities and food at a 4 star

It's the people and service that make El Patriarca good

Review of Ocean Varadero El Patriarca It's amazing to find people so happy, helpful and kind. Everyone from the reservation clerks, chamber maids, ground keepers, waiters , bar tenders went out of their to make you comfortable. Our chamber maid, China, was a wealth of information. She took the time to guide you on trips and was willing to go the extra mile to make sure you are comfortable and happy with the service. Our room was kept pristine and with adequate supplies. If you need additional [... read more] stuff all you have to do is mentioned it to China. The ground keepers were polite and made little baskets and decorated flowers with coconut branches and offered to the ladies. Mike’s coffee house was always busy with a variety of coffee and pastries. They make an excellent café Patriarca laded with rum. The ladies were always at your service smiling and having conversation with the customers. The food was excellent with local delicacies such as cassava, fried plantains, beans and pork in different forms and many other dishes. It gives you the feel of the Caribbean. The beach restaurant is highly recommended for lunch. Excellent service, fantastic people and good choice. I enjoyed the catch of the day. Local musician from 7-9, Piano bar until 11, shows nightly and variety of drinks from the bar. Avoid sitting next to guests who are there only to get drunk. Date of stay: February 2020