Cuba- Varadero- Ocean Varadero El Patriarca

Arrival at night by taxi- 5* - Desk personnel, very helpful, quick and knowledgeable, friendly, patient. Golf cart type ride to rooms - 5* service Requested adjacent rooms - 5* granted Room – 3.5* - large room, king bed, couch (not comfy), VERY dark, need more lights, patio doors Grounds –4* Amazing! VERY dark at night. Not safe to walk Pools - 3.5* 1 large + 2 kids pools, bottom was a bit slimy. Otherwise very nice Food – 3.5* not a lot of variety as expected. Dinning - 3.5* g [... read more]ood but not fantastic. No reservations required Tips – Were expected everywhere. Has to be added to your budget Beach – 4.5* amazing – clean – chairs were “reserved” early in the morning. SAND FLEA WERE BITTING. 2 decker bus to town - 4.5 Recommended- hop on hop off for 5 pesos HOLA SUN TOUR OP. – 2* - NOT AT AIRPORT AND unreachable all week. Would recommend them. Tripcentral.ca – Wendy was very helpful and patient and knowledgeable. BOOK WITH HER. SHE IS AMAZING Overall 4*

I loved it

The food was great loved the pool,beach, and fantastic entertainment. Maid could do a better job but l will definitely go back. I also loved the coffee shop piano bar and entertainment in lobby bar.?????????????????????????????????

Beautiful place

Loved it but the maids need to have there work checked. I would go back but they need to do there job. Surprise checks on there work. The food was good and the pool and beach amazing. Never restocked bar only 2 sofa left in 1 week. The coffee shop is great. Would l.go back Yes would give it another chance.

Nice resort

We traveled with Air Canada Vacations, 2 adults and one kid in Nov 2019. This was our first time in Varadero. The resort grounds and pools are nice, well maintained. The beach is ok, although there are lots of palapas on the beach, the only way to claim one would have been to get there at 7 AM. In terms of food, it is the typical cuban experience. The only difference compared to the other resorts we have been in Cayo Coco or Holguin, is that the for 3 a la carte restaurants you don't requ [... read more]ire reservation, it's first came first served. The entertainment was good. Bring a mug or a reusable cup, as they might ran out of plastic cups. For those who are used with the ocean at Cayo Coco or Holguin, be aware that it is rough especially when it's windy. Overall the resort was good, it served our purpose of getting warm and visiting Havana.

Amazing resort

This resort was a tad dated, but beautiful. The room was spacious and had a waterfall shower. The mini bar was always stocked. Mikes coffee bar was one of my favourite places to be during the mid afternoon heat, with great drinks and snacks.The staff on the resort was always friendly and greeted you with a smile.

Festive and lively resort

We loved this resort for so many reasons! There were amazing bands playing almost every evening near the reception area and as well as in a private room near by. Also, at the beach and the pool area there were a lot of activities like games and dance classes animated by the staff. The food was ok, we preferred the food in the city of havana. But the price that we paid was absolutely worth it. There is also a snack bar near the pool that opens at night which is awesome when you get hungry. For th [... read more]e restaurants, you don’t have to reserve and that simplifies things so much! In most resorts you have to reserve in advance and sometimes you even have a limit to how many times you can go! The staff are super friendly and smile when you say hi. The rooms were fine too, they were clean and that’s what we hoped for. This is the first resort I’ve been to in cuba and I would definitely recommend this one if you’ve never been to cuba yet!!!

Cuba: Francophone meeting location

Typical Cuba: really nice and awesome beach, food is the big issue: only one buffet location, 3 restaurants a la carte and they are not fantastic, drinks: couldn't get any good cocktails, I would stick with beers and wine. Missing vegetables & fruits some days, orange juice was nowhere to be found, it is sad. Rooms were okay and clean. Miele café was popular and good place to grab a good cold or hot coffee. Resort is lacking of fun entertainment. Employees aren't as nice/friendly nor grateful f [... read more]or tips. Suggestion: go out to explore the city and perhaps eat out for at least one good meal during your stay! Lots of Quebec francophone tourists, even the Cubain speaks French everywhere.

Amazing resort

The hotel experience was great. The staff is friendly and helpful. We stayed at the privilege area and the food was delightful. Overall, the hotel is very clean and tidy and there were many activities to play everyday.

Very dirty rooms

I stayed at Ocean El Patriarca arriving Sept.8, 2019 and departing Sept. 18. Firstly, the grounds are as usual beautifully well maintained and clean. The staff goes way beyond to make you happy. The concierges try their best. Our room in the privilege section was quite dirty. The walls were stained. The bathrooms were minimally cleaned the entire stay. There was mould outside the shower. We had to call maintenance to repair a leak from the shower head which would flood the bathroom flo [... read more]or. The towels in Cuba in general always have a nasty odour to them which is left on your body after you wash. The sink, tub and toilet were never cleaned. The same stains were there day after day. We used glasses to drink upon arrival and they stayed dirty until departure. I kept killing little black bugs in the room. Our fridge was not restocked daily and we had to chase water bottles almost on a daily basis as the person delivering water would only leave a bottle of water and no beer or soft drinks. We left a note asking for 2 bottles of water because we drink a lot of water and still quite often we only received 1 bottle. Our furniture had stuck on drips on the sides from previous clients covered in dust and mop remains.

Nice resort

Second time at this resort and again, had a good time. I travelled with my elderly mother and I felt it was a good choice as the hotel is quite comfortable for Cuban standards. The beach is beautiful and access to it is easy for people with mobility issues. Most of the staff were pleasant and helpful with only a few exceptions. The entertainment is good and I was lucky to have met some amazing fellow travellers from many different countries. I would go back and would recommend this hotel to oth [... read more]er travellers.

Not Impressed

Pros: Great Evening Entertainment Cons: Rooms adequate, not enough room towels for a family of six including 2 kids. First 2 days being there no beach towels. Complained 3 times, then Sunwing representative helped us. When we booked the 2 rooms was told that there would be in-room service, but the phones were not on. Food was not that good, seen bugs on the buffet counters! Horrible. Some of the staff were not friendly and some rude. We thought that this resort was 4 to 5 stars [... read more], but it's more like a 2 stars hotel. We've been to Cuba 8 times before and never was so dissatisfied. I wish that the Travel Agent didn't recommend this resort to us!

Satisfactory

The hotel was in decent shape with a very nice beach area, lots of energy from the event staff. Was not so impressed with the wait staff in the Buffett and very slow service in the snack bar and lower restaurant. Alacarts where fantastic with great food and great staff. Housekeeping was atrocious and our towels were not changed in 6 days even after multiple conversations with maids. I would not go there again in my opinion.

Varadero Holiday!

The hotel was well maintained and clean. However, the men’s toilet by the pool was out of order for the entire holiday and I suspect some time before that. The ladies toilet by the pool was disrepair with the stall doors unable to close. The bungalows were more than adequate, spacious and the housekeeping service was reliable and did a great job. The cleaning staff were attentive to our needs and pleasant and friendly. The bar staff were efficient but not always the friendliest. However, Marlo [... read more]n at the beach bar was AWESOME! Check-in was quick and we were made to feel welcome. We checked in at 2 pm and both rooms were ready! (Yay) Yaima at the front desk was AMAZING! She went above and beyond for us everyday and we truly appreciated it. The food on a whole was pretty average. However, I didn’t have to cook it or clean up afterwards so no complaints. The breakfast was good- fresh eggs, omelets made to order. What’s not to like? Kudos to the egg guy and the pasta ladies! Bread and desserts were pretty yum too. Buffet wait staff were not so great except for a few, but unfortunately I can only remember Jorge - he was so attentive and obviously loved waiting on his guests- he was a legend! We did eat at a la cart restaurant (Italian) and the service was excellent and the food was good. Shout out to the gals at Mike’s coffee. All four of those gals were EXCELLENT. The beach was incredible. White sand and crystal waters. Lovely! We did not participate in activities or entertainment. We did enjoy some lobby entertainment in the evenings. The A/C at Mike’s coffee was a good escape from the heat and the coffee was so good. The pool was a bit shallow and far too warm (air temperature was brutally hot so I don’t blame the resort). Bottled water and soft drinks delivered to our room everyday. All in all, our experience was a good one. The resort itself was fine, but the buffet food did let it down, but we never went hungry and always found something to fill our bellies. It was a quiet resort with no obnoxious guests or drunken sailors. Success! (Oh, if you are an internet junkie- the wifi ($1 per hour) is pretty unreliable.

Ocean Varadero El Patriaca

So we just got back Saturday night, July 20th 2019 after 7 days a this resort. It was our first time and we stayed in the Privilege area. It was our 25th Anniversary. I had sent them an email giving them a heads up and again mentioned it to them during our check in. There was no emotion, no bottle of wine or flowers in our room. Nothing. I would think that this would be something that this would want to say thank you for choosing them for this special occasion. The grounds were absolu [... read more]tely beautiful and well taken care off. They decided to begin construction outside of our second floor balcony and remove the pillars, setup scaffolding and put our patio chairs inside of our room. Yes, inside of our room. With no notice. One call and 24hrs later, items were removed and a 26 bottle of rum for this inconvenience. El A Carts were fantastic!!!! Breakfast and Lunch buffet were very poor im afraid. Even for Cuban Standards. But we made do. Pool side bar service was ok. The kicker though was they closed the pool at 6 along with the bar. Bar I understand. Barely. But the pool itself with at least 3 hours of sun left was terrible. Why? That is when they schedule the chlorine. Other resorts are at night or early in the morning. Really sucked getting kicked out of the pool with lots of Sun and heat still there every single day. Toilet paper was rationed. When we ran out, well that was it. We started hiding the left over rolls so that we could get another one replaced. If we left a roll there with a few sheets left, we wouldn't get another one. No slippers or robes as promised being in Privilege. No plug in the tub until day 4. Beaches were beautiful!!! Mike's Café and the Girls behind the counter were fantastic!!!! Service was the best there and the coffee was the best on the resort. Wish they would stay open till 11 pm though instead of closing at 9 pm. El a Cart goes to 1030 pm and it would of been nice to have there coffee. We went to a restaurant outside of our resort for our anniversary. It was called Waco. Amazing. 5 star food and service. pricing was fantastic!!!! Taxi cost 15 CUC each way. Nice old Chrysler.

Good time

Overall taken care of, the gardeners work hard. The rooms could use an update and the maids could do a more detailed clean as in coboards and night stands. Wish the bedsheets were large enough to cover all the body.

Relaxing week at the Beach

The grounds are well groomed with beautiful flowers and tropical trees. The resort is mid-size and the lodgings are all in 8 room 2 story buildings. We stayed in building 22 which was very close to the main lobby and dining area and about 5 minute walk to the beach and to the pool. The beach is wonderful ...white sand and great for swimming. If you like Beach Volleyball, there is a good net setup for daily games. The entertainment team also runs various games, dancing, stretching and beach footb [... read more]all (soccer) each morning at the beach. The pool is on the small side but it does have a pool bar and volleyball net. The rooms are clean and have the basics. The AC is too loud at night though. The cleaning staff are very friendly and helpful. The evening entertainment in the lobby was wonderful ... great live music every night. There was also a very good magic show one evening in the auditorium. I am always impressed by the talented musicians and dancers in Cuba. As far as the food...I would recommend having an omelette for breakfast, find something simple for lunch and enjoy grilled fish, rice and vegetables for dinner. You don't go to Cuba for the food anyway:) Enjoy 'Mike's' coffee on-site when it's too hot in the afternoon and have a mojito or two in the evening as the music fills the air...enjoy.

What happened??

We previously stayed at this resort in February 2013. Our stay was great and we gave it a five star rating. Based on our previous experience, we returned and extended the invitation to family. There were a total of nine of us occupying four rooms in blocks 21 and 31. We stayed from June 15 to June 22. Our stay this time was extremely disappointing. We had numerous issues with all of the rooms. The facility was neglected and in need of serious serious repair. During our previous stay the food  [... read more]was quite good for Cuban standards. This time, for the first few days the food was sparse and unappealing. They were constantly running out of main staple items. By mid week the food selection and availability improved as the hotel occupancy increased as well as the presence of the manager due to an inspection. The pool was dirty. The beach chairs were old, dirty, torn and in some instances had evidence of mold. The lobby and all restaurants had the roof leaking during rain storms. The auditorium chairs were broken and ripped. Service was mediocre at best. The maid service was terrible with arguments over towels and letting us into rooms when our keys didn’t work On a daily basis at least one or more of the rooms had issues with keys deactivating requiring several visits to the lobby to obtain new keys. Overall, our experience this time was disappointing and we will not be returning to this hotel or the Varadero area.

Terrible resort & experience

- the lobby is so small and not rain protected. it was flooded most of the time and the floor was extremely slippery. same goes for buffet... slippery. Kids fell down a few times likely for us nothing major. if anything serious, that would have been dramatic as this resort is not equipped to provide first aid. - cockroaches where everywhere, buffet and restaurants. You see them. We were in the restaurant when the next table next to us got cockroach in soup. We walked out immediately. [... read more] - lobby service can be a bit more friendlier... to say the least. - rooms are decent

Terrible resort & experience

- the lobby is so small and not rain protected. it was flooded most of the time and the floor was extremely slippery. same goes for buffet... slippery. Kids fell down a few times likely for us nothing major. if anything serious, that would have been dramatic as this resort is not equipped to provide first aid. - cockroaches where everywhere, buffet and restaurants. You see them. We were in the restaurant when the next table next to us got cockroach in soup. We walked out immediately. [... read more] - lobby service can be a bit more friendlier... to say the least. - rooms are decent

Good resort

We've been to Cuba multiple times. The resort itself in comparison to other 4 and 1/2 stars is very modern. My only complaint would be that the type of Resort is cater to seniors as opposed to a younger group. The Disco there is not worth stepping into LOL. The food there was just okay after while it does get boring. The beach was terrible they did not take care of the sand and there's a lot of seaweed in that area.