Let down for the first time...may not go back if Cuban resorts go down this path

Starfish Varadero was the first hotel in the many times I've been to Cuba that has completely let me down. I understand Cuba has limited resources but this time it wasn't the resources so much that let me down to the extent of considering not going back to Cuba, it was the way the staff and management in particular, treat their guests. First, the hotel management/new owners don't even have the decency of changing all the signage to indicate the new name of the Hotel from Aguas Azules to now ST [... read more]ARFISH, that`s cheap. Secondly, the price the hotel charges for upgrades and daily stays is outrageous as it is as high as $300 Canadian dollars per night which it doesn't reflect the cleanliness and service that price should include. I initially stayed in the hotel and had another reservation for a second room for someone else who travelled with me, however right from check in, the receptionist couldn't locate the second reservation even after I had already communicated with the Hotel manager a week prior to the trip and he had acknowledged having it. Then the state of the room which was supposed to be on the main floor was pathetic with broken night tables that didn`t even have drawers. Upon booking my trip and checking in I had asked for the room to be on the ground level due to mobility issues and I was told that there were no rooms on the main floor as they all started from the next level up, I told the check in person that I had heard the elevators broke constantly and she told me the elevators never brake down. Well it just so happened that the elevator was broken and we were stuck using what appeared to be a service elevator that was filthy and smelled like bugs had been living in it. The staff that often used it didn`t care that guests needed to go to their rooms so they`d just get into it without any care to let the guests take it. The food in the buffet was always covered by flies, and the staff who was there cutting things like meat for the guests never bothered to even swat one fly away. Sometimes, they`d just stand there chatting amongst themselves watching the guests swat them away or take a peak at what was going on with the food. Some of the servers never even bothered to look at the guests in the eye when they were bringing a drink to the wrong table. The pool in the bungalow area appeared to be a nice clear colour when I arrived but about 3 days later it started to change to a greenish colour and I noticed that the next day it appeared to have a strong bleach odour instead of having it cleaned. The a la carte meals were pathetic were the menu offered a few choices and then the server would tell us that the night we arrived, they only had one choice instead of what was on the menu. Also, the servers lie when told that something isn`t right as I had ordered red wine but it was served warm instead of cold to me; the server had the nerve to tell me that red wine is meant to be served room temperature (no AC in the restaurant) when I asked if they had chilled red wine. The bungalow appeared nice, however at night, cockroaches would be noticed crawling around from any wooden surface and no screens were on the doors to let the breeze in without letting the mosquitos in. The bungalow I was given after I upgraded from the hotel had a sliding door that one side made out of wood instead a glass, it had broken before. The broken glass had been left in the rail where the actual glass door had been and obviously never cleaned. Finally, management and reception aren`t insterested in making the guests get their money`s worth on their vacation as our fridge broke in the bungalow and it warmed whatever was in it instead of keeping it cold. I was told that in Cuba fridges only keep things cool but I pointed out the fact that it wasn`t even doing this and instead it was making the contents warm. It took 3 days to get the staff to change our fridge. Then one night we had a drunken man knock on our front and back door numerous times at 2am and when we tried to contact reception, we realized that the phone in the room didn`t work. When we brought this up to reception the next day, we were told that the phones don`t work all the way in the bungalows. That was a disgrace as anything can happen to someone in a bungalow with a drunken person trying to break in when confused. In our case I took a chance and just turned the light on inside the bedroom to show the drunk man that he was in the wrong bungalow so he`d leave. I later heard him banging on another person`s bungalow door and felt sorry for whoever that other person was. Needless to say, I will not ever be coming back to this resort and I am currently rethinking going back to Cuba in the future. It only takes 1 bad experience to make a loyal customer change their mind about where to make her hard earned money`s worth. By the way, I paid full price for this vacation package when I purchased it February so it was most definately not worth it compared to other times I`ve travelled to Cuba.

Great resort!

Overall the resort was great for three stars. The food was great, it just needed a bit more variety in my opinion. The rooms were clean and all the staff were nice. The entertainment was great and ended at a decent hour.

Fun times in the sand!

Our time at the Starfish Varadero was very good. The hotel was well maintained, the grounds were very well kept, there were many staff on duty which was great! The beach was wonderful and the food good!

Beautiful resort in need of repair

This is an older classic resort with many features and buildings that need a lot of repairs and maintenance. The staff are mostly friendly and helpful and the rooms are comfortable yet somewhat dated as the resort was built by the Americans before 1959. Since you are getting such a great deal on the all-inclusive package, you will have a great time exploring, relaxing, and enjoying the all you can eat food and beverages (food is good and healthy but not memorable). The beach is so beautiful t [... read more]hat you will think that you are dreaming when you see it for the first time! And make sure that you check out the excursions which are offered at the Hotel (or beforehand) by Sunwing's Nexus tour partner.

Okay Resort

We asked to be closer to downtown Varadero and we ended up at a different starfish resort so we were disappointed and every other resort was booked .So we made the best of our vacation .We will make sure next time that we are at the right location .Our travel guide was awesome and we will book with her again .We always deal with trip central and will continue to do so .

Huge Resort....

This is a beautiful large resort with a lot of amenities. Unfortunately it is very run down in places especially walkways, ramps & tiled outside areas that when wet are very slippery. I only mention this because I walk with a cane & experienced some close calls. The hotel staff were A+++ & the food was good, plentiful & lots of variety. The beach was fantastic but too far to walk for me. It would be a good place for families & young people but for seniors especially ones with mobility issu [... read more]es I would not reccommend!

Great resort

This hotel has recently changed to a Starfish. I loved this resort. We had such a great time. The staff is friendly and very helpful. The food was good something different every day. The Trinidad bar had some really good food as well. The rooms were nice, a little out dated but was very comfortable. The grounds were kept clean. I would suggest this resort to anybody who is looking for a good time.

Simply a fantastic fun Resort!!

when we arrived and went into the resort at nite singers were in the front door to greet us,we were takin to our room witch was nice and then went to see this huge paradise. lots of bars ,restuarants and grills ,live entertainment at all bars,lots of pools and the beach with bar and grill awsome and turquiose waters ,white sand! some renovations were in one wing of the resort where some vacationers were put in rooms when they complained they were upgraded fast .this resort is big and is all you [... read more] need ,so much goes on here you wont be disappointed we give it a 4.5 star the staff are so freindly we are going back to this resort next year !

Okay resort

We are experienced travelers to Cuba so we know what to expect and don't set our expectations too high when it comes to the accommodation and food. In the past what makes up for that is the friendly staff and great beach and pool. I would say starfish varadero resort the staff were the least friendly we have experienced. Nothing bad but just so so. The accommodation was what we expected and food was acceptable. I would say our rep at trip central was great. Very helpful in getting our tr [... read more]ip booked and answering all my questions in a timely manner. I would highly recommend trip central for booking your trip.

Nice place

I thought my stay was good overall. It was a big layout, between one place and the other. It was clean, people and staff very friendly. Good variety of food was available. If I had one complaint it would be that the internet connection was a bit slow. The only other complaint would be a lack of shade on the beach, people cabbage onto those spots by placing towels and what not and walking away only to return at their leisure. But that's not the fault of the resort, that's the fault of inconsidera [... read more]te individuals. I bought lots of gifts for the staff working there, If I had known then, as I do now, I would have booked my flight with a different carrier, as they allow an extra checked baggage for humanitarian aid. I could have brought a lot more with me then what is allowed 50 lbs. with the carrier I went with.

Good Food , Good Fun ... Beautiful landscaped property and beach... lots of character ...

We really enjoyed our stay at Starfish....firstly... try to get beyond the insignificant updates needed to the rooms. They are clean. Who wants to stay in their room anyway when its so beautiful, the grounds are so wonderful, there is so much to do. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just enjoy your vacation. I had heard scary things about food. Again I was pleasantly surprised. Make sure to ask for no ice in drinks, be wary of buffet tables, as food may not be kept warm, so arrive early  [... read more]for each meal, but the food is good and plentiful. there are bbqs on the beach and Vinale Grill, and the snack bars have some good tasty selections. This is my first trip to Cuba, and I enjoyed this resort. Its a little noisy at times, lots of fun entertainment choices, and live music. Probably better for a younger or younger at heart crowd. 20-55. My main complaint has to do with communication issues between sunwing and the hotel. We had asked for consideration for our room to be near a working elevator, or to have few stairs and we had a long walk with lots of stairs, until I complained and the reception was good to find us a more suitable alternative close to a working elevator. Bungalows are nice, but our room was fine.

Resort that needs lots of TLC

To make this review as honest as possible and concise I would seriously not recommend at this time this hotel. The Starfish hotel is an old hotel built in 1998 and was just bought last august 2016 from a new Cuban administration. It seems to be in a transition much improvement and renovation is needed. Seems to have been neglected for some time. If we were to score the hotel out of 10 and being fair to our week stay we would give a score of 2/10 if we would have had to stay in the room we w [... read more]ere given upon arrival. We were sent to what seemed an abandon section of the hotel. There was no adequate lighting in the hallways, Hallways where cluttered with all sorts of debris all over the floor. Our room did not smell good and was filthy and had important mold issues in the area of the bathroom. Furniture was outdated and dirty, Patio door and window rail was very dirty. Beds where very uncomfortable, walls badly stained and very dirty. Walls needed fresh painting. Next morning we asked to see our Air Canada guide ( Miguel) and the manager of the resort to explain that we were not satisfied and wanted to be upgraded to another section with better rooms and well-lighted hallways. We explained that this was not acceptable for a 3 star hotel. The manager at first refused and stated that we were at a 3-star hotel and this is what we can expect from a 3 star. I then showed the manager pictures I took of the room and outside hallway and broken tiles here in there which was dangerous for foot injuries. The manager after an hour came back after seeing all the pictures and said that they were going to upgrade us to a bungalow (condo like) outside the resort close to the beach at no cost under the condition that we signed a formal document that we would delete all pictures taken of the room in order not to put them on the web which we complied too. (STILL HAVE SOME OF THE PICTURE). Public restroom alongside of the snack bar had no lighting at night and flooring tiles where broken and dangerous. The faucets in most public restroom were broken or missing. No paper toilet holders in public restrooms and most of the time there was any available. Men's washroom in the main lobby had 1 urinal working out of 3. Some toilet seats where simply missing and unclean to use. Stall doors most of them had no locks or broken both in men and women restroom. We are not too fussy when it comes to food so we rate the food as good and plentiful good variety of fruits and vegetable. Fish and meat present all week and deserts simply good and abundant. You will see no fancy presentation very simple lighting at the buffet. Nice warm lighting or table candles would make such a difference. Buffet windows and railings very dirty and needs cleaning. Birds always present in buffet area. Not to good when eating and seeing bird droppings. Animation was fine and adequate at all times. The vegetation of the resort is really nice and mature but buildings around the resort needs renovation and upgrades. Staff is very polite and try to accommodate guest the best they can. In all, once we were relocated we rate our stay at a 6 or 7 /10 and I give this rating because of the fantastic weather we had at the beach all week otherwise, if had to stay more often at the resort because of bad weather we would rate our stay differently. During the week we talked to other Canadians staying at the hotel and heard that many complained of the facility in general and of their rooms. Many asked to be relocated who were located in the same wing we were when we first arrived and some had to pay for an upgrade to be relocated. Staff and supervisor during the week prior too many complaints were going around and taking surveys of guests. They were asking what they most liked and disliked during their stay. We were told the survey came because of numerous complaints and management wanted to improve their service and offer a memorable stay at the resort. This resort should not rent any rooms in the left wing of the hotel in our opinion. It’s needs serious renovations and gives a bad reputation to the hotel.

We went for the beaches and the sunshine

And found great entertainment, live bands, jazz, salsa dancing, an amazing variety of top quality food, always places to eat open, and friendly bartenders. The room was very clean and large. Really appreciated the smiling staff who were happy to help with any request or emergency.

I loved it

The beach was fantastic. The staff and entertainment was great . I loved the dog show . Great food great music . I will go back .this is a three star but was amazing non the less. The real jem is cuba itself. The resort did come with the beach entertainment as a part of the all inclusive. I liked that too. The paddle boats were a blast

Has potential but staff need to some help.

We stayed as a family of 4 in the bungalows at this resort. Its a cute place with so much potential but most of the staff are horrendous. Towels are non existent and beach towels are hoarded by the staff. We as a family of 4 were only allowed 3 beach towels. The maids and servers are amazing and so friendly as were the bell boys. Bartenders free pour and pour a good stiff drink. Bless their souls Front desk and management need a complete attitude adjustment. Food was pretty normal for a Cuban v [... read more]acation. The best al carte was the seafood. The resort is going over a renovation, its needed but still good with out it. I mean it is Cuba. Its authentic Cuba.

Good time

We have been to Cuba many times but never at this Resort. the food was good.could have been warmer but quite a variety the beach was beautiful the pools clean and most of the staff were pleasant The rooms could use some updating for sure. The price was awesome for a three-and-a-half star Resort .

Get what you pay for

The resort is big and not well laid out They are trying to update / repair this resort .our stay there was ok and not much to complain about. No hot water first 2 days .but was working after that . Its one of those places that you have the best time you can while there ,but would not go back and not recommend to friend's

Resort with Growing Potential!

We were at this resort from Jan. 21st till the 28th. It is under new ownership and has been going through renovations and improvements. We liked that we kept getting asked our opinion and that management was taking our suggestions to improve the resort. We got a room in the main building and had to change only because of loud neighbours and one of the mattresses had broken springs. We upgraded to a bungalow which was much better and closer to the beach and pool. Small things still need to be fi [... read more]xed but overall we were satisfied. This resort is huge! We were very impressed with the entertainment team and the many activities available. There is always so much going on! (We loved the Cuban Day and the foam party at the beach with a BBQ lunch. The Evening shows were fantastic!). The food was by far, the best we have ever had in our many visits to Cuba. The buffet restaurant had many choices and the A la Cartes were delicious with friendly service (especially the Seafood restaurant). Wifi was slow. I could only connect in the early morning and later in the evening. Front desk staff were polite and helpful. One suggestion I would recommend is for the Coffee bar to have 2 servers working in the morning when everyone wants their coffee. The bartender at the beach was excellent, but would benefit from a second server in peak parts of the day. Would return and recommend this resort!

Nice and clean

The resort is clean and the food is good.the staff are very accomodating. The resort is huge lots of activities to do. Exercise, volleyball, salsa dance, and games. The bar is great they have lots of selection of drinks.

Great Resort!

Starfish Varadero offered great services and I would rate it 5 stars! Staff was very helpful, always happy, rooms were clean, food was amazing and very tasty. The manager was always observing all to make sure everyone is happy. Beach was clean and well kept. I am definitely coming back again:) See you soon Starfish Varadero :)