Fantastic

First time travelling alone. What a beautiful resort, and even more so the people from front desk to maids to bartenders and servers. Everyone was so accommodating. Clean room with a nice pool view. The beach was obviously gorgeous. Food was ok ( I’m not a picky eater) so I always found something I liked All and all amazing trip, walking distance to market and downtown. Will be back in August!!!

Very eventful resort

The resort was very beautiful. The food was good, and there was lots of entertainment. Be prepared for a lot of people partying. Most definitely one of the best beaches in the world. Lots of things to do in the town of Varadero as well

Great resort

Resort was awesome, no shortage of entertainment throughout the day. Food was good even for a fussy eater like myself. The rooms were all you needed and were always clean. The grounds were in good shape and the drinks were nice and stiff!

2 resorts in one how awesome! Ask may have changed recently.

Barceló Solymar/Occidental Arenas Blanca - lots of ground to cover which is nice if you like to walk. Our room was in the Barceló, first time didn't have to change rooms had pool view and great maid service! Nice lobby area with bar and lots of place to sit. Buffet had lots of food to choose from even if you're fussy. The beach at Arenas was more entertaining with music and activities though the bar opened at 11:00am, but have someone taking orders on the beach. Tried 2 al la carte restaura [... read more]nts Mexican and Spanish were very good! Being close to downtown Varadero is a plus as you can walk safely and see the popular spots. People at both resorts were very friendly and leaving a peso every once in a while is so rewarding. The beach was extraordinary, we all know you go to Cuba for the beach!

Good resort

This was a quiet resort with good but older rooms. Day one we had to change room because of construction all night long with a new resort being built directly out our balconies the charged cost us 260 CAD. Upgraded rooms were nicer and within sight of pool. Beach was clean an spacious. Entertainment at resort was small and little of it. Good food. Good staff. Clean resort.

Pretty Decent Resort

Barcelo Solymar was a pretty good resort for the price we paid. It is known for being a party place. However, we learned that from Jan to March it is more of a family season. So there were way less young folks this time around. Food was pretty good, we had outdoor bbq everyday. We also got a complimentary bottle of rum from the manager and a complimentary dinner for being repeat customers. Also, Barcelo visitors can use the facilities of Arenas Blancas, which had a couple of good features. Gonna [... read more] mentio a couple of issues - they were not changing towels for the first couple of days but then they started giving us small towels instead of bathing ones. This is beause they are having difficulty with their laundry company. Im sure it will be resolved soon. Also the hotel is worn out, you could see it needs a bit of maintenance. Other than that the everything was great. Staff were great. Access to the beach was convinient. Barcelo is also close to the city.

Resort to return to

The food was of good quality and extensive selection. There was. O la k of musical entertainment. Staff were all very pleasant. I have travelled to Varadero seven times and this was my third stay at this resort.I would go back again. Rooms are dated and bathroom need some serious updating, but they were clean and functual. If you are looking for a good value for your money this is it

Average resort

The hotel is rated 4 stars probably by Cuban standards. I would give it 2 1/2. The staff are friendly especially the ones at the Buffet. Our cleaning person, Judith, did a great job in making sure our room was cleaned properly every day. We were aware of the food before we went to Cuba so there were no surprises. The Hotel seems to cater to a younger crowd which we don't object to them enjoying themselves but running and yelling in the hall at 2:30 in the morning is a little much. The noise car [... read more]ries and I'm sure that the front desk would be aware but security seemed non existent. Our orientation with the Sunwing rep the day after our arrival was more about the tours and nothing about the amenities at the resort. It took us a few days to find out about activities and entertainment, etc. We took a day tour to Havana weren't that impressed with that particular tour and were rushed to get us back to the resort without any break.

Great Atmosphere!

This hotel was very clean. I think in the last 10 visits to Cuba it was the first time we didn't have to change rooms because of bad odors or awful room. Reception was full of smiles and accommodating. Food was OK, I am not a fish eater so it was hard to find something I liked. The pork and chicken were cooked right. Pasta sucked big time, can someone show them how simple it is to make a good pizza dough and toppings. Over cooked pasta every day. To much tipping was expected from us. The exchang [... read more]e rate was horrible, on th ebus ride over they said it was gonna be .73 cents per dollar, but at the hotel it was .66 cents per dollar and at a closer bank it was .70 Cents. If i would walk a little further to the city bank it would be .73cents. How the heck is their dollar better than ours? The beach and sun was fantastic. CUBA is a beautiful place to visit. I never expect to eat well when we go so I am not missing anything. We go for the sun and beach.

Great party resort

Food wasn't the greatest but your not coming here for the food. Don't come here during spring break if your not ready to party with a bunch of drunk college kids. Maids only leave a 1.5L water bottle in the room each morning so use it wisely. Good crowd and close enough to walk to the city

Very good resort

Grounds - beautiful, pool excellent, beach to die for. The dining room and meals were excellent. A la carte meals were a disappointment. The room was clean, however it was very noisy at night because the room was over the service entrance for supplies. Also the new hotel next door was worked on all night. However we enjoyed our whole experience at the Barcelo Solymar.

This hotel should not be promoted as a four star hotel. It should come with a warning.

The Hotel is very run down and in serious disrepair. It needs major work. Rooms are comfortable in size, but furniture is so old... it looks like the furniture used by my grandmother in her honeymoon! I cannot even talk about the bathrooms. The mattresses are moldy and so old!!!

Nice place

Great place. Get access to 2 resorts. Excellent beach! Very cloae ro downtown Varadero. Free acces to palma real to go to the havana club and party all night with lots of people. Close to the Beatles bar and Cali 62. Cheers!

6th time here!!

We love this hotel. Will never stay anywhere else. Food is fantastic, staff are all great and the bungalows are awesome!!! The pools are clean, drinks are great and we love the beach!! Can’t wait for our next visit already booked for April!!

Barcelo Solymar

We (my daughter & I) had read some bad reviews but our experience was much different. Our room 1452 was on the top floor with beautiful views of the pool &ocean water .The Beds were ok pillows were awesome . Our room was Cleaned everyday and had fresh towels too. Our housekeeper Tania made sure our stay was fantastic, extra water and towels and even little notes " Have a great day" The pools were cleaned everyday, lots of chairs at the beautiful beach. The food at our buffet was actually  [... read more]really good. Roasted chicken and potatoes were my staple but there was a variety of seafood available too. Bread ,butter ,sauces all abundant. It was quiet after the dinner hour but close to the main strip for nightlife. We felt very safe walking the streets and were not harrassed by anyone. Needs improvement- no beach bar - minor repairs needed throughout the resort.

Good resort

Overall the resort is good, the location is excellent - centrally located within walking distance to Varadero downtown and markets. Most of the resort staff were good, courteous and friendly. The buffet food selection was also good - I especially liked the Cuban foods selection and enjoyed the local Cuban food together with international (western) food selection. The alcohol selection is also very good with some international brands including scotch. The beach is excellent and so is the ki [... read more]ds supervised activity/play center - this gave us (parents) a much needed 2 hours alone time away from the kids to just sit and relax on the beach. The resort could do a little bit better on the room amenities. In our room the shower had only half side door and as a result the bathroom floor would have lot of water after a shower and slippery (have to be careful especially with kids). The resort could fix these small things. Plus I saw in some people's room the ceiling was leaking water (probably from the aircon). These are not a big negative - just minor things the resort could improve upon. Overall, I enjoyed my stay and would recommend this resort to my friends and would stay here again.

Great depending on your expectations

Resort was well kept. Staff were friendly. Our room was run down but kept clean. Ceilings were leaking from the AC units. Beaches were beautiful. The food is what you would expect in Cuba. Would go back if the price was right. Nothing I wasn't expecting.

Rooms need updates

We had 2 phones in our room- neither one worked. We had maintenance in our room 3 days in a row to fix the toilet as it would not flush. The patio door on to the balcony was so hard to close you had to push with both hands

Needs upgrades

Grounds were well looked after. Buffet waitress and cooks were great Food good But the resort needs alot of general maintainance.But for $1055 i guess it was worth the money.I would say it should be a 3 star.

Amazing resort

Hotel was very clean and the waiter/waitress / all staff treated us like we were the only ones there , would definitely recommend this resort , , the beach was breath taking , the pool was also good , I can’t say enough good stuff about this resort , Barcelo Solymar you are the best , I will be returning