Playa Vista Azul: Great Time

This was my 4th or 5th time to Cuba but my 1st time at Ocean Vista Azul. The resort was clean, the rooms were clean, the staff very friendly, the grounds are well maintained everyday. The restaurants had great food and the buffet was good. I have always said "if you are a picky eater you may not like Cuba". The swim up bar staff were amazing and the entertainment staff were great! We had met people that had been to this resort a couple of times, to me that is a good sign. I would go back t [... read more]o Ocean Vista Azul!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: nice resort

resort was good...everything was clean and staff was friendly...........................................................................................................................................

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great resort

The hotel was nice. The tables in the dining room were not cleaned very often and were dirty. Beach was beautiful. Food was good for Cuba. Rooms were nice. The staff was friendly. The entertainment at the pool was great.

Playa Vista Azul: Ocean Vista Azul

We stayed here from Feb 28, 2018 – Mar 7, 2018. Although Ocean Vista Azul is rated a 5 star and is a beautiful resort is does not come without some cons and I would have to say it is shy of 5 stars. With that being said, the Pros certainly outweigh to Cons. We booked with the Privilege upgrade and sometimes questioned if it was worth it but decided if we hadn’t booked the Privilege we may not have enjoyed this stay as much as we did. The staff at the Privilege Lounge (Maikel and Milai [... read more]nie (Lala)) and (Jovan and Andenada ??) and the staff at the Privilege restaurant- Neptune (Maite and Katia) you made the Privilege upgrade so very worth it and should be recognized for your excellence in service. However, that is where the cost of the Privilege ends. Our appointed Privilege Service guy/butler, Yadil left a lot to be desired. Upon arrival, one of our keycards did not work and he was going to get us another one but never did. We eventually got it ourselves later in the week. One day I called down to speak to Yadil and he wasn’t at his desk but I left a message to call us. When I finally went down to speak to him he said I just called you 3 seconds ago…not realizing that my wife was still in the room….he lied and had never called. Guest services and especially Privilege guest services need to take lessons from the staff in their Privilege Lounge and Privilege Restaurant. I can not say enough about how great of service we received from Maikel, Milainie, Jovan, Andenada, Maite & Kaitia....Thank you again! The rooms are very modern, clean and spacious but as for paying Privilege and getting a room that looked out over a construction zone AND continued construction well past sundown (10:30 PM one night) not to mention the constant traffic in and out of the resort beginning early and continued into the night, this is not what I consider a Privilege room but thank goodness for earplugs. Our room was also very well attended by Yanerris! She was not only a great towel sculpture maker but her cleaning was superb and she is very friendly too. Thank you Yanerris for you outstanding service!!! Her bright smile and greetings made you feel special. The infinity pool was amazing. It is such a beautiful place to be during the day even though it was a bit cold to swim in. Generally there was scattered seating at the infinity pool until about 10. The beaches, although very beautiful were a bit of a hike to get to. The smaller beach which is closer has a restaurant near it and quieter. The larger beach was a bit far but that is where all the “Beach” activities and sports takes place. The main pool was a very nice pool set up to please both adults and young. One end had the swim up bar and also the pool restaurant that served hamburgers, hotdogs and fries etc. Good food but very busy. The side set up for the kids has an inflatable slide that we also saw a few adults taking part in the fun. There is also a gift shop near the pool....but good luck shopping there as it is the favorite place for the "Lifeguards" to hang and never mind them while you are trying to look at what the shop has to offer because they are not moving out of your way! The evening entertainment in the lobby was good but very low keyed entertainment and after dinner brought on a slumber feeling when waiting for the shows to start. Maybe introduce some upbeat entertainment like the 3 violin players….they were VERY good! Your human statues are also quite entertaining!! For those interested in taking a day trip into Varadero you will need to walk to the bus stop off of the property and down the road a bit or there is always a plentiful selection of cabs to take and some being your beautiful vintage cars. Also, for those interested in going to Havana for the day….look outside of your Tour Bus group tours and go for the Private Tours instead. We took a Private tour with I Love Cuba Photo tour with Yosel and it was the best tour ever. You can provide them with a SD card and they will photograph you whole day. Best Tour Ever....Thanks again Yosel!! Overall, a very pleasant stay at a beautiful resort. All things considered, yes, we would visit this resort again and now know the things to take into consideration when staying.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Amazing resort

Beautiful resort with awesome water park and great food. Staff friendly and helpful. Rooms are amazing. Privlege upgrade with two story roof top ocean view Georgous and the butler service a nice touch.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Beautiful resort!

Great hotel, fabulous food, the grounds were well kept. For the most part staff was very good to excellent with the exception of the main desk which at times was difficult to communicate with due to language barrier.

Ocean Blue and Sand: Can't wait to go back!!

Our family of 3 really enjoyed this resort. This was our first visit to this resort and our second to Punta Cana. The lobby area was grand with lots of comfortable seating and lively evenings. The grounds are well kept and very clean. We had a pool view room in building 9. The room was clean and well stocked with toiletries and mini bar. The pools were huge with lots of loungers just be sure to mark your chairs early in the day. The beach is paradise....soft sand and crystal blue water. There wa [... read more]s no seaweed. The food was good. We really liked the Italian and Japanese restaurants. The steakhouse was ok also. We did not enjoy the sports bar food. The buffet was great with lots of choices. We enjoyed the entertainment. The beach party on Wednesday night was awesome and the foam party on Saturday afternoon was a highlight. The amazing entertainment staff go out of their way to make sure everyone has fun! Overall, I would absolutely recommend this resort. It offered great value and amazing memories.

Playa Vista Azul: Very nice resort

The staff was amazing. The hotel room had no working hairdryer but I had brought my own-so no big deal We had quite the time trying to get the correct water temperature in the shower but we figured that out eventually lol so we have a very funny memory for sure! Blonde moments lol The pool was great and swim up bar areas were fabulous- despite the down time due to something breaking and needed fixing the hotel did an amazing job of going to plan B. Really great food and servers. Entertaining eve [... read more]nings and afternoon music with lots of really great musicians. All smiles everyday all day...great beaches and views. The People of Cuba are proud people and I felt privileged to see and share their home.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Exceeded our Expectations

We don't expect much when we go to Cuba. We go for the rest, relaxation, and beautiful beaches. The food at the a la carte restaurants, though, was surprisingly good. Thank you to Leo at the buffet, our maid Milexi, Jose at the Hobie Cats, and Dayana at the Blue Moon restaurant who made our stay more personable and memorable.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Amazing Beach, Pool ans staff

Picture perfect beach, extra long and totally private, with cleanest water and sand you will ever get, and 3 rustic bars (east, centre and west) serving BBQ and sandwiches at noon + (east only) freshly made paella every day. No motorized crafts, therefore no water/noise pollution. Lots of lounge chairs and shaded seating, you will not have to fight for a place or wake up early to reserve one. Very kind beach attendants will set you up in your chosen spot. Best beach we have ever seen after many  [... read more]5-star trips to Mexico and Dominican. Only (minor) drawback: ugly sand covered lagoon area to cross before reaching the beach, quite a distance to walk if nature calls (no washrooms in the beach area). Hotel is spread on sizeable grounds with big and super clean pools for young and adult, generous seating, non-crowded in-water bars and indoor/outdoor snack bars. Excellent pool/beach towels replaced at will. Rooms: large, fully equipped, very clean, sound proof, with spacious bathrooms (careful: it's either shower or tub), and nice balconies to enjoy. Excellent housekeeping but no Do Not Disturb signs. On 3 floors, but no elevator. Food: one central indoor/outdoor buffet restaurant, huge with good variety, but long lineups at cooking stands. Warm buffet needs to be kept ... warm and replenished, and cold buffet needs more selection, with better salads. Beware: not cosher, not halal. Morning selection is ok, but bread toasters not good enough and whole wheat bread non existent. Crowded omelette and pancake stands. Served coffee below par and always lukewarm, isolated Nescafe machines almost always empty. Staff is eager to please. Upfront tipping helps a lot. Live music every day. Fine dining: Booking system not appropriate (lineup every day starting at 5 pm for dining that day only). Food is very average. Central cafe/bar: outstanding! With high-quality live music every day. Alcoholic drinks are generous and well prepared everywhere. Specialized coffee at Mike's well worth it. Wi-Fi in the central building only, with 1$ cards for Id/password that can last up to 1 hour. Good speed. Cozy and generous seating in the lobby to check your email and share your pictures. Entertainment every night will exceed your expectations, considering the remoteness of the place. Local dance group with some very good dancers. Very nice amphitheatre. Staff: overall VERY nice and obliging (including Pedro at the Tennis Courts). Well, with one exception: front desk staff cranky. If you report an issue, don't expect a quick resolution. Local money exchange office: can be slow with lineups. Excursion offering is average. Nearby shopping mall (Estrellas) not worth the 24 bus wait or 20$ taxi (maybe if there is entertainment at night). Our arrival and departure were on a Thursday. Checking in and out at the airport was very smooth (compared to Varadero) and 1.5 hour commute to hotel punctual and pleasant. Finally: Maidely of Transat: a wonderful person. Inconclusion: much above expectation for the discounted price we paid!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Good Value

A good value for money at this resort. The food was pretty good for Cuba, albeit the buffet was the best of all of them. The beach is great and the pool was nice. We had a little incident with one of our children stepping on a piece of glass in the pool, but the resort cannot control everything. We would have liked to have seen a little more urgency in the response, but everything worked out OK. Overall, a good resort that I would have no problem recommending to the value conscious travelle [... read more]r.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Ocean Casa Del Mar

Fantastic resort on an amazing beach. Best week in the sun. The staff was friendly and helpful. Our room was clean and very comfortable. We will definitely go back to this resort. Next time we will stay 2 weeks !!!

Playa Vista Azul: Fantastic Experience

A lovely, inviting hotel with great service and entertainment. The privilege lounge/bar was one of our favourite after dinner hangouts! The restaurants were great and they happily accommodated my son's peanut allergy. Our family would happily return!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: The resort was amazing...No complaints what so ever...

Loved it !! Showers were a bit if a problem...Would never stop me from going back there AT all..Staff amazing.. very helpful ..Prestigue section well worth the money.. Beautiful Resort..❤️❤️❤️ Beach was amazing,Butler on beach very friendly.. Was spoiled with the service.. Nit used to that!,

Ocean Riviera Paradise: March break family Vacay

Had a great time. I have 3 kids aged 9,6 and 2. They all had a great time and the resort staff made them feel very included. The pools were great and the food was good. Entertainment team was fun and full of energy. The resort was very clean. Would I book again?? Absolutely!!!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Two star hotel

Very disappointed with this resort.As a resort with 5 stars I was expecting much more.It was wors then others I have been with 3 stars. Food is disgusting,same every day .Only thing I did like was a beach.

Ocean Riviera Paradise: Good family destination

This resort is a half hour bus ride from the airport and a 15 minute cab ride ($18.00 US) north of Playa Del Carmen. The resort itself is well laid out with all shopping, entertainment venues and restaurants at one end; pools and beach on the other end. All are accessed by a cement "road" that runs through the center of the property and is serviced by a hop on - hop off shuttle on a frequent basis. The property is very clean, however there is limited vegetation and with all the cement and gla [... read more]ss of the new buildings and the cement "road", it feels like walking through a mall instead of a tropical paradise. The rooms were very spacious with more than enough closet /drawer space. The bathrooms, also very spacious had a super walk -in rain shower area. We were on the ground floor in the Daisy section with the garden view and in addition to a large covered patio with 2 wicker chairs + table and hanging basket chair, we had a large private grass area with a double lounger. The kids loved the garden view as they could see monkeys and "mexican raccoons" all day long. The biggest disappointment here is the beach. Do not enter the water without water shoes. With the exception of a small sliver of water next to the roped off area for jet skis, there are rocks everywhere and every day people were cutting their feet. Although not the fault of the resort, the entire Mayan coast is currently being plagued by excessive amounts of seaweed. The staff, collecting it in huge piles and burying it in the sand, was unable to keep up with the sheer volume. There is no lack of good food or drinks at any time of the day and accessible all over the resort. A common complaint however was how the resort handled reservations for the specialty restaurants. A favorite destination was the Japanese restaurant, which required you to line up on the day of your reservation, between 11:00 and 1:00 to reserve. We tried 3 times (getting in line by 10:30) and found that by 11:20 all the time slots were taken. We actually got into the Steak House one night - lined up at 6:30, were given a buzzer and sat by the neighboring pool patio for 1 1/2 hours until our buzzer went off and we were ushered in. (FYI - not a great steak and there were several tables available). All in all, this resort is a 4 star and I would recommend it to anyone that does not have the budget for some of the massive 5 star resorts throughout the Mayan.

Playa Vista Azul: Good quality resort

I can only say positive things about my stay at Ocean Vista. The food was good, it was clean, the staff were friendly and accomadating. The beach was beautiful. I would recommend this resort to my friends and family.

Ocean Maya Royale: Every thing we needed was readily accessible

My 3rd time going to this resort. Love it because it’s a smaller resort and no matter where you are on the resort everything is near by. Food lodging and shows were fantastic. I will go back next year. The staff are cannot do enough for you. The only negative I have is that our room was not made up from when we came back from the pool or beach. After I contacted the front desk, everything was rectified. Also sad that we could not swim at the beach, but pools were great.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: super trip!

Would certainly return! Great spot for a family vacation. Lots to do at the resort and easy day trips: including catamaran, deep sea fishing, Havana tour. Resort was well appointed and clean, with super friendly staff. Loved the coffee shop, snack bar and main lobby. Food was good but bring your own hot sauce!