Ocean Riviera Paradise: Ocean Riviera Paradise

Well overall it is a nice resort. 5 large pools, night including the swim ups. Food was very good, in all of the restaurants. My biggest complaint, being asked over and over for time share. Also, if you are thinking of a massage, head down to the beach. There are several therapists offering an hour for 20-30 USD., we got shocked in full the spa ($260 USD for a couples massage -80 min.)

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Incredible Resort!

This hotel blew us away, the grounds, rooms, features, food, ALL spectacular. We visited over Easter so it was certainly very busy and full and a LOT of children. The room was so clean and so new, the housekeeping supplied us with everything we needed and more. My mom loved the food and drink, so happy to see such a range of selection. Will definitely come back to this resort, can't wait!

Playa Vista Azul: 4 star at best

Booked the Privilege Ocean Front category. Not worth it! I think we are at a little bit if a disadvantage because our previous stays at Ocean El Patriarca where a privilege guest had a perks such as a private adults only pool and such. There was times at Vista Azul where we couldn’t even find pool side loungers. There was no control at the pools with people still in them hours after the 6 oclock closing, bringing glass drink containers in and such. The food was ok but not great. Not sure what  [... read more]the bathroom was all about but the shower seemed to be an after thought when they put it next to the bathtub with the drain in the main bath floor, kind weird. Definitely not 5 star, i would say 3.5-4 at best. If you are going to go, i would save money and not go privilege. The only difference is you can’t make reservations at restaurants and might have to wait for a table. I contacted the resort before travel to enquire about some flowers for my wife for our anniversary. Was told there was some special things the do for anniversaries such as a special dinner with a special menu and possible upgrades, nothing happened. They wanted a copy of our marriage certificate which i provided. We checked in late at night so i visited the privilege office the next morning and was told they were going to do something really special in our room, nothing happened. On a positive note, the privilege loungs was very nice with great staff.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Good Resort, Rocky Beach

Overall we had a pleasant stay here. Our room was always clean and it was very comfortable with a good view. The food was really good and the ice cream store on premises is a huge bonus. One down fall was the beach it was very short and rocky in the water.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Nice spot

Check in when we arrived was fast and really nice staff at the front desk. We didn't arrive until late so there wasn't much open. They do have a snack bar that is open until 7am. The grounds are really well maintained and the ground keepers are always working hard and very friendly. The food was good. We only ate ate at the buffet once as we are never a fan of it. They have 3 lacarts that' we went to and you don't have to book. The rooms are clean and a good size. The rooms are like bungalows wh [... read more]ich was really nice. The Beach was really nice . We have been to Cuba 26 times now and love it . Over all great vacation already planning our trip for next year.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Excellent Service

This resort had by far the best service I have encountered in Cuba. The buffet was excellent, always had a great assortment of food and the workers bent over backwards to ensure you were happy. A-La-Cartes were all great as well. Rooms were clean and well serviced as well, beach was fantastic. The night band featuring a fiddle player and guitar player was awesome, have never seen this in 10 trips to Cuba. Only complaint really was that it was hard to get small change without going to the bank re [... read more]gularly (which was fairly quick and easy).

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Perfect week!

Just returned from ocean casa Del mar. Travelled with my husband and 15 year old daughter. We had a room close to the pool and close to the walkway to the beach. Staff was wonderful the whole stay. Buffett was good lots of selection out and the staff were very attentive. Would definitely go back!

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: OK RESORT

HI, ROOMS WERE RUN DOWN, SERVICE WAS FANTASTIC, A FEW REPAIR PROBLEMS WERE QUICKLY FIXED, NEVER GOT THE ROOM I REQUESTED BUT THEY WERE WILLING TO CHANGE ME THE NEXT DAY. FOOD OK - DO NOT ORDER BEEF/STEAK, TOUGH!! STAFF VERY FRIENDLY & KNOWLEGIBLE - ATTENDED WEDDING THERE & THE WEDDING CO-ORDINATOR WAS FANTASTIC, GREAT FOOD, CAKE D.J. FLOWERS ETC. ENJOYED OUR STAY.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Great Getaway

Drive from airport was quick. We were the first to be dropped off at hotel. Check in was quick and upgraded to the Privilege Rooms. Unlimited supplies of bottled water for your room. We were only there for 4 nights so had dinner at Sakura, Italian and Mexican. All were very good. We went to both buffets for breakfast. Food was very good and large selection. We did the beach restaurant for lunches. It was good as well. We stayed at pool by our room which was great. Lots of umbrellas. We also went [... read more] to beach in the mornings and lots of hits there as well. Need to get there early and leave your towels. You need water shoes as beach in rocky getting in. Air Canada vacation staff at hotel were excellent .

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Good girl's trip.

Reasonably sized resort. Rooms were clean and functional. Food was what I would expect in Cuba, always able to find something to eat, but nothing exceptional. Mike's coffee bar was great. Beach and water were lovely. I had read previous reviews about having to get up early for palapas, and this was true. However while we were there, staff were building and adding palapas. Was a good value for what we payed.

Ocean El Faro: Awesome Vacation

The resort is very nice and the food is delicious with lots of variety. The beach is huge and the pools are wonderful, never an issue with securing a chair. The workers are very friendly and happy. Great vacation resort.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: We ended up staying at the Valentin Perla Blanca and it wasn't as good as last year

All of the public washrooms on the resort including the a la carte restaurants were disgusting and they only had 1 buffet opened and there were always line ups. The food was a hit and miss and they were running out of some food items. No security to be found when drunken ignorant Quebecers wanted to fight the tourist and harass young girls. Did not feel safe at this resort at night in the main lobby. They had a non smoking section but it was taken over by the smokers. The management/staff n [... read more]eed to enforce it as the non smokers have their rights too. We stayed at this resort last year and it was sooooo much better. Apparently they changed management so that explains why this resort is going downhill. We've met other people that went to this resort last year and said the same thing that they were disappointed this year and definitely we all will not be returning back to the Valentin Perla Blanca. We've stayed at various hotels in Cayo Santa Maria, and this was the worse that we've had at a resort. We will definitely be going back to Negril Jamaica or the Mayan Riveria or the Dominican and pay the extra money to go there as it is so worth it.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Beautiful resort!!!

Well let’s say that this resort has 5 stars for a reason! Beautiful grounds, friendly staff, food was amazing and their beach is white sand and beautiful waters. The privilege upgrade is well worth the money spent.

Ocean El Faro: High-ish end, with high pressure tactics

Our time there with family was great and memorable. Our room was fantastic, probably one of the best rooms we've ever had. The service staff were wonderful, friendly and attentive. The buffet was very good, the a la-carts were surprisingly poorly executed. However, the real negatives were mostly centered around the staff attempting to push you to use other pay services, take expeditions, and the insistent harassment to sit down and get a high-pressure sales pitch to become a member of H10 / W [... read more]orld vacations (whatever it was). Ocean El Faro promotes themselves as a 5-star experience (the stars are even in their logo)... however, this experience spoiled much of our "relaxation" as you couldn't sit still without someone approaching you - and they weren't taking NO as an answer. OH - and they are constantly wanting you to drink your face off! Most likely so you'll bend on the hard sell stuff. As we said to all these people - "we know where you are, and we will find you if we want X". In short - we had a great time, but would never return. Also, I wouldn't even expect this level of harassment at a 3-star... so they need to correct that if they want to convey themselves as a professional operation. The news of the casino scam that same week in the same area, with the same game at what was called a casino here (which we played for all of a few minutes a night before) really got our backs up too. Although, I'm not saying they were hustling - but it felt possible. Weird vibe. One last thing - I had attempted to contact our Tripcentral agent a number of times leading up to our departure (over the course of a couple months), attempting to pay for a surprise add-on for my Wife as we were celebrating her 50th while there... I was very surprised none of my email messages were returned. Maybe someone can address why this was the case? It's like the agent wasn't getting them - but yet it was her direct email address. Thank you.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Great vacation

My husband and I took our 2 kids (4 and 3) and we had a great time. It had something every night for our kids to do like face painting, bouncy castles , animal balloons, shows, dancing and so much more. The resort was kept very clean. Our house keeper made animals out of the towels each day for our kids and they just loved it😀 The only complaints We had were the parents couldn’t enjoy the water slides with our kids as it was kids only. That was upsetting as my kids really looked [... read more] forward to us going down with them. We also found things in the shops to be pretty pricey. However they weren’t deal breakers and were already planning on going back in August for our sons 5 th birthday 😀 Honestly we had a great experience and it was the best trips we’ve been on as a family. We would totally recommend this hotel.

Ocean El Faro: Meh

Traveled here with my husband and 2 kids (6 & 8) mid April 2019. The resort MAY be a 5 star in a year or so but it isn't there yet. There is a lot that is yet to be finished and it is obvious some of the construction was rushed. Our shower is just one example of this. The water didn't drain quickly enough, even for a quick shower, and since the lip of he shower wasn't high enough it flooded the bathroom! Every time we showered! We put a rolled up hand towel in front of the door to slow it down b [... read more]ut there was no stopping it. The workers they have work hard, but they don't have enough people on staff yet. The servers at the buffet and snack bar are run off their feet but can't keep up. Plates pile up on the table and drinks don't get refilled. This is not due to lack of effort by the employees, but the lack of sufficient employees. Also if you are a beach person don't even consider this place. The beach is awful - and is not something they will be able to fix. I would say pass on this resort this year and check the reviews again next year. It could be a great resort by then.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Very fun resort !

I went with my brother and a couple friends all around 24 years old. This was probably the funnest resort I’ve been to. We really liked how they had an adult pool so everyone 18 and up could get away from the kids, they always had entertainment at the pool and good music. There is always something fun going on somewhere on at the resort. The only thing I didn’t like was the beach was kinda dirty with sea weed. They didn’t clean it that often. But we mostly hung out at the adult pool and pa [... read more]rticipated in the activity’s there. At night on Saturdays they have beach parties which are really fun. There are guys that advertise coco bongo and will sell you tickets. It’s $100 and some (I forget the exact price) but it’s only for a general ticket. If I went again I’d probably just go online and buy a VIP ticket because when we got there we were standing the whole time and it was crazy busy. Everyone was shoulder to shoulder, if I was older I would’ve hated my life. But anyways I recommend coco bongo with VIP tickets.

Ocean El Faro: Lots of Positives, a few negatives

We recently stayed for 7 nights with extended family. Flights and transfers were flawless. The lobby is breathtaking- we’ve never seen anything like it! Main resort boulevard is charming and lined with restaurants. Food at buffets was incredible but not as much at a la Carte restaurants - go for service and ambiance only! Big thank you to steakhouse staff for arranging a birthday cake for my niece. They went above and beyond to make her birthday special. We loved the feeling of space and pri [... read more]vacy throughout the resort. Lots of different areas to relax, and the designer has done incredible job throughout. The trolley that wandered thru resort was awesome- convenient and great to get back to beach or lobby. Our room - wow! We had oceanfront in building 5. Absolutely 5 stars. Our housekeepers were top notch- Elena, you were wonderful! The negatives - H10 staff hounding you to attend timeshare meetings. This really disappointed us and we were surprised management was okay with these sales tactics - low class in our opinion. The other negative is how much servers pushed non-stop refills of alcoholic drinks- the bartenders looked at you strangely and made comments if you ordered non-alcoholic drinks. Again, a bit ‘classless’ in our humble opinion. We wondered why they seemed to want everyone inebriated...however, all other staff were amazing, very polite and professional. Beach was empty which was heaven. Very windy so not great for swimming. Overall we would recommend this resort but once is enough for us- H10 staff turned us off from returning again. I highly recommend any future visitors to firmly say no thanks or simply tip the guy to leave them alone!

Ocean El Faro: Great resort - still a few bugs to work on

The resort is beautiful. The main lobby is stunning. The food in the buffet, the snack bar and the beach restaurant is amazing! So much variety and great quality. The food in the restaurants was disappointing. For example I had the eggplant parmesan at the Italian restaurant and it didn't have parmesan on it! Despite the fact that the buffet had a full parmesan wheel! The pools are great and the lazy river is awesome. The staff are all friendly and helpful. The only negative is the hard sell to  [... read more]buy some stupid hotel pass or go on an off resort excursion. They don't take no for an answer until you get irritated or just walk away. We had a problem with our room, we reserved 2 beds and only got one. They moved us to a bigger room but the bathroom ceiling was leaking and smelled so we had to move again. They were really good about accommodating us but it did take a long time. All the rooms are really nice and we'll furnished. We had the only room in the whole resort that didn't have a swinging basket chair. The beach was not great but mostly because low tide was basically from 11am to 3pm so prime time. The beach itself was nice but for swimming there were lots of rocks in the water that you couldn't see because there was a constant wind and rough surf. There was also a lot of weeds washing up on shore but they were working all day every day trying to clean it up. By the end of the week they had got most of it but it was and endless battle. At high tide the swimming was great and the surf was fun. There is a lagoon to swim in that is sheltered and super calm and beautiful. Unfortunately it isn't set up yet so there are no chairs or umbrellas and no services. It was a bit of a walk so not lots of people which was nice. The snorkeling was ok but nothing too special. I was disappointed that they didn't have any masks and snorkels available even though they said they would. The lagoon was beautiful but looks onto all the construction. Overall we had a great vacation. Just need to fix a few things

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Very Nice Resort

The hotel is beautiful, nice and clean, and well kept. The staff is very nice especially Roberto and Rafael in the East snack Bar, they are always there with a smile and quick to get you another drink :) Say hi to these amazing guys, they will def take good care of you. The pools and swim up bars are def a good place to relax and also party if your into a good party with the entertainment staff. The beach is somewhat private to the resort which is nice and there is a market a short walk to the e [... read more]ast. lots of chairs and cabanas for people to lounge under. The rooms are very modern with a nice bathroom with full rainfall shower. We had a minor issue with our door cards not working a few times throughout the week but that could happen anywhere so def not anyone’s fault and the front desk staff were quick and happy to help. Overall a very nice resort, this was our second time going and we will def be going back. Well done Ocean team!!!