Staff at Sol Palmeras

My stay at Sol Palmeras 2 weeks ago was absolutely amazing! The staff are wonderful,caring people that make you feel so special. The food is very good and the Buffet Restaurant is beautiful...the renovation was completed by the time I arrived. I was lucky enough to meet a lovely lady who has been to Sol Palmeras over 20 times in the last 10 years...it was plain to see that everyone considers her”family” . I would like to thank Maria for her kindness and professionalism... you are a wonderf [... read more]ul lady. Thanks to Maydelin, Alexis, Marleen, Sandra,and the rest of the staff I had the privilege to meet during my stay. You are all awesome and I will be back. Also thanks to the train man Jesus ...Gisele and I appreciated the trip to Place America... Sincerely T Cloutier

Good choice

Good choice for a relaxing getaway! The staff was really friendly and accommodating. The food was tasty and fresh. The beach was really clean and secure. I hope that everyone can go and visit this beautiful piece of Cuba.

Amazing Resort

We stayed at Sol Palmeras for a week (August 31 - September 7, 2017) in one bedroom bungalow, The resort was amazing, great and so relaxing for our family. The buffet was bland but you could always find something to eat and enjoy, the restaurants food was more favor full. The room was clean and comfortable for our family, there is a lot of bungalow zone and before booking I did read another review stating the distance, so given that my mother in law was traveling with us, and requested a  [... read more]closer bungalow to the hotel amenities because it would be a easier walk distance for my mother in law. I contacted the hotel and María Ofelia Díaz Prendes responded and agreed to make that request happen and we did get close bungalow (room 121) - Thank you. The hotel/resort area and beaches are decently kept and clean, ocean view is excellent, which does have restaurant/bar close by. Overall, our family (myself, husband, mother in law, child - 2.5yrs old) had a great time, kids area/pool, extremely friendly staff ... We would and will be returning to Sol Palmeras.

Overall very satisfied with this resort!

We were very happy to see that the lobby area was smoke-free and was air conditioned. The grounds were kept very well. I'm not sure if the room was cleaned daily and we must stress that the mattress was very old and uncomfortable. We asked customer service to see if there was another room with a newer mattress, but it was worse. They accommodated us by adding extra blankets for comfort which helped somewhat; however, to get a comfortable room, we would have to upgraded with a cost of 25 peso [... read more]s each! The food was very good at the specialty restaurants, esp. the Italian and Mexican restaurants. We loved the ambiance at the beach with the animators playing games, zumba and aerobics and great music. The beach and ocean were divine and there were always enough chairs. We were also very happy there were no bugs and insects in the hotel and on the grounds. We had a lot of fun and would definitely return.

Great First Visit!!

This was my first vacation to Cuba and to an all-inclusive. I had been told the food was not good in Cuba however was very surprised at the quality, taste and the selection. The large buffet restaurant at this resort had so much to choose from and in addition there were 5 other specialty restaurants. The beach was by far the best I have been to with the exception of the Grand Cayman Islands. The water was gorgeous and the beach was clean and staff were always on duty picking up plastic cups and [... read more] garbage. The room was clean and beds very comfortable. The only negative would be that the room was in need of some repair and the hallways and lobby had little to no air conditioning which made it uncomfortable. The staff however was so friendly, helpful and willing to do whatever they could to make your stay enjoyable. I would go back to this resort again!

Beautiful Beach

Beautiful beach, lovely well-kept clean grounds, clean rooms. I did not like the food, but I didn't travel south for the food. I would have liked an outdoor space for meals and snacks. Especially for breakfast when it isn't too hot yet.

Amazing resort!

Excellent resort with great Ala Carts. Bungalow rooms are worth the upgrade. Service was good as there was always a waiter / waitress there to take drink orders... even at the busiest times they were very prompt. Entertainment was excellent as there was always something going on through the day and evening

Very Central, Compact, Clean Resort

The Resort was very compact with 5 restaurants, very good food at each restaurant. Rooms clean, but if you request King bed you get 2twins pushed together. Our 1st room was on ground floor across from pool. They have a bar there that stays open till 12 midnight. 1st night they had a beach party that went around the pool a few times with a loud drum and crowd. There were also a set of glass doors in hallway that people crashed into, and were very loud when they shut. We told our Hola Sun Rep. t [... read more]he next day when we were talking to her. She arranged to have us moved up to third floor which was sooo much better. So we would say, as long as you aren't near those doors or pool Bar it was fine for a quiet relaxing holiday.

Perfect Family Resort

We had 15 family members (4 children 11 adults) for 1 week. We rented 3 bungalows for ourselves and 2 families with kids, and the rest stayed in the main hotel. I would highly recommend the bungalows in the 516 series. We had our own bar & grill, 5 or 6 cabanas, 2 hot tubs and a message table to schedule a masseuse. It was quiet and relaxing. We enjoyed the food at both the buffet and the a-la-carte restaurants. The Pool attendants were great with the kids activities (our granddaughters [... read more] were 9, 6, 6 & 5). Even our adult children had fun in the pool. The Beach was great with lots of beach chairs and shaded areas.

Pleasant Surprise!

Our party of 5 spent a week. My third time to Cuba, first in Varadero. This was by far the best. Resort, pool and beach are outstanding. The a la carte menus were quite good. Most staff very accommodating and grateful for any tips or gifts. I wish I had taken more basics to pass on. Toothpaste, floss, toothbrushes, disposable razors, deodorant.....you name it, anything we take for granted is a luxury for these folks, so be sure to pack extra! We took two trips outside the resort. Day trip to Hav [... read more]ana was a long haul but our tour guide Reuben was outstanding. I learned a tonne that day and am eager to research more. Worth it! We took a cab into Varadero to an open air market, also worth it, less pressure to buy souvenirs than at the Havana flea market (yikes!!). Rooms were very clean, larger than expected, only complaint were rather hard beds. Weather was the best, don't hesitate to stay at Sol Palmeras. One caution, if you have mobility issues be sure you are booked appropriately. We had a 10-15 minute walk from our bungalow to the pool/main resort area. I quite enjoyed it but it can be a hoof, for little ones or older folks.

Nice Resort!

This Resort was very Nice! This was my 4th time to Cuba and the Sol Palmeras was by far the best resort I have stayed at so far in Cuba. It was very clean, even the bathrooms. The buffet had a great variety and for the most part the food was hot. Fresh Omelet bars at breakfast and Fresh Meat Cooked to your liking at Lunch and Dinner. I do have one complaint with the main Buffet the hours they were open were not the greatest, breakfast was from 8-10 however I did notice they were usually open [... read more]ed by 7:30. lunch was from 1 - 3 pm, Dinner starts at 6:30 and was open till 10. They did not have a 24 hour restaurant. We arrived after 10pm and wanted to get something to eat and had to wait until 1130 at which time they had sandwiches at the lobby bar but were not very good. The evening shows that we took in were good, however most shows do not start until about 9:30 which we found a little late after spending longs days at the beach, pool and site seeing. They also have entertainment in the lobby that starts before the shows and continues on while the shows are going on. Every night there is something new! The staff is very friendly and helpful. There was stuff going on at the pool and beach everyday. However if you only speak English it is sometimes difficult to understand what is going on as some staff did not know English as well as others did, and when announcing Activities and shows it was pretty much just in Spanish. Other resorts we have visited used English as well when announcing activities. Roland who I believe is the new Entertainment Manager is good and bringing in some English and he really tries to get people involved. The first part of the week we were there it was a little quiet. As the week went on it seem to get better. We found it very difficult to get smaller change ie 1 dollar peso's to tip with. You could get 3 and 5 peso's but 1's were hard to get. We stayed in one of the 2 storey Bungalows in zone 1 it was close to everything. The exchange rate is not very good for the Canadian dollar, it was at.73 cents. US was .87 cents but there's not much you can do about just thought twice about spending money

Beautiful beach!!

I travel to Cuba three times a year but hadn't been to varadero for at least five. Beautiful beach as I remembered !! The hotel was nice. Room was dated but clean. They could use new beds but I did manage to sleep. I found the staff was very friendly and service was great. Did four al cart and food was awesome!!The Steak house was my favourite and service from Fidal was excellent!! The buffet I found to be the usual ... Pool is in need of repair ..missing tiles but was cleaned daily!! N [... read more]ever a problem for lounge chairs at the beach or pool. No issues with towels. Nightly entertainment in lobby was good. The only think that stops me from returning is the bed. If you don't mind a rock bed then you won't have any issues. I was in the main hotel on second floor. Great location. I did ask to see the bungalows in case I decided to return but I found them to be dated and also in need of repair. To sum it up... Very friendly staff Great al carts Beautiful beach Good service Clean Air conditioning in room worked great Repairs needed in some areas Beds horrible

Wonderful Relaxing Resort

For a place that is 27 years old, it is very well maintained and VERY clean. The food was really good and bar and restaurant options are fabulous. The layout of the property makes it easy and quick to get to the pool, ocean or restaurants in a matter of 2 or 3 minutes. I would not hesitate to go back..

Beautiful beaches and lots of fun! Thank you!!!

Great service, perfect location, amazing beaches & lovely staff. Great value for the money!!!!!!!! Beds need a little upgrade, but other than this, rooms are very clean and comfortable. Will be sure to recommend this resort to friends and more important, I will be returning to visit again. Much thanks to our new friends at Sol Palmera

Awesome Hotel

Sol Palmeras is a hidden secret, the grounds, rooms, staff, the buffet and ala carte restaurants were amazing. The resort is clean and comfortable. The proximity to the stunning beach and pools are a 4 minute walk from your rooms. Would highly recommend this resort.

Amazing holiaday

Wonderful place ,everyone was do help ,kind ,caring ,just like a big family .great food and lots of things to do .entertentment was outstanding ,best trip and holiday ever !!! The staff were so helpful ,rooms very clean ,everywhere was very clean .the food was outstanding too.a real treat not to have cook or clean ,just have fun !!! The beach was very clean ,water so blue and clean also.the pool had lots of activities going all day long .I sway best holiaday anyone could ask for ,!!

Slightly lacking

Unfortunately there were things about this hotel that made it distinctly un-Cuban. The room bar fridge was only stocked with water. Even after asking for pop and cerveza we were told "no". They also didn't mention that all of the rooms were non-smoking. We were allowed to smoke on our balconies but heaven forbid the smell made it into the room, they would charge you $200 for extra cleaning. There was a small area set aside from the main lobby for smoking, but it was usually filled to capacity. T [... read more]hey also needed more than one bell-hop at 4:00 a.m. when our bus pulled in. The poor man was run off his feet and as a customer who just wanted to lay down, waiting was unbearable.

Sol Palmeras

We just got back from 12 glorious days at the Sol Palmeras. Other than a slow check in the trip and hotel were top notch.The hotel was clean and the service excellent. The lobby has been tastefully updated with a dedicated outdoor smoking area. Non smokers paradise.The rooms are modest but clean and all have balconies or patios.The staff were warm and attentive. If you stay there and complain then stay home! This is my 20th trip to Cuba and by far the best. The beach is short so we did  [... read more]laps and had a refreshing drink at the beach bar each way. All of the details were well thought out from pour your own ice cold water at the bars to personal service in the main lobby to linens on the tables for meals. Food was very good with lots of variety. Lots of fresh fruit, veggies , cheeses, cold cuts. Always a fresh leg of pork or roast beef and you can have fish made to order as well as eggs to your liking in the morning Try the ice cream stand( coconut with coconut and pineapple liquor) or the juice hut where you can personalize your own drink. There is lots to do from beach volleyball, basketball, ping pong, Yoga, dance lessons and Bingo if that's your thing:) We will be back next year and have never said that about anywhere else we have stayed in Cuba. Did I mention we had perfect weather in the mid 80's for the entire time? Great location about 30 minutes from the airport in a clean air conditioned coach. Excellent value

Fantastic Time, but a few small flaws

First let me say this Resort has fantastic Food the food at this resort is amazing and if you disagree then I would suggest maybe stay home. There was so much to pick from to eat, we came home with extra pounds each, there was always a large choice of food to choose from, they are slowly getting more spices, so flavour is getting better, but if you really like a certain spice maybe take some down with you to use. the 3 a la cartes were very good. we choose the mexican, steakhouse and sea [... read more]food ones all very tasty. So we really have no complaints about the food at this resort. Beach Well the beaches in Cuba are beautiful and so was the one at this resort, so again no complaints. Resort The grounds are very beautiful and very well taken care of, very clean resort, they have now a designated smoking area at this resort and a no smoking policy inside the resort and rooms, which for us was fabulous as I have terrible allergies to smoke. so I didnt wheeze all week it was wonderful. The resort was over all very clean, we have only one real complaint about it and that is the rooms, although some what clean sort of just very dated and bathrooms could really use updating as well, also we found that our maid did not clean the floor as there was sand still on the floor from the previous day and we hadnt gone to the beach yet that day, so with that I didnt have the maid the rest of the week, I really only needed the floor cleaned as I made my own bed, we didnt spend much time in our room but still wasnt happy. dont like dragging sand in the bed that is stuck on the botom of your feet. Arrival and Rooms Upon arrival we were told our room was not ready, now there was only a half a dozen people checking in from our flight, so not sure why rooms werent ready till well after 5pm, we had asked for a oceanview room and took a package that upgraded us to get this but our first room faced the parking lot, although we should have kept that room as it was on the 3rd floor, well we should have just stayed put as we lost a second day trying to get another room, they said come at 9am and we can switch you, well we went at 9am and 12 noon and then 230pm then 3 pm and then 330 pm and finally at around 4pm they said we could have this room on ground floor facing kids pool. Originally we were told that we could have 1031 but then that person decided to stay so then they said we could have another room on the oppsite side of the pool ground floor number 1050 but then were told they decided to stay as well. Which we think is odd because our Sunwing rep. told us that you wouldnt be able to stay longer even if you wanted too, funny how these people both could! So finally getting this other room 1042 well let me tell you it was a nightmare, so noisey we were woken up several nights by people yelling in the hallway, then just outside our door were these silly little doors in the hallway that were not lined up with each other and banged and crashed and there was a floor divider that wasnt neccesary as it only caused everyones suitcases hitting them to make a loud banging noise going over it. So every night we wedged a piece of paper under the door to hold it open as to eleviate some of the crashing noises during the night time while we slept. So if you ever get room 1042 run, they really should remove thiose doors. So do to this we were not happy with the front desk, we found many people also complaided about there rooms and changed to another room. So much waisted time spent getting our rooms. The people of course working at the resort were very friendly as always. The resort had a lot of stuff going on everyday and night, so there was lots of entertainment going on. The resort also had some kitties keeping any rodents under control if there was any, we never saw any. Loved seeing the cats around the resort felt like home. We really love Cuba and have been 7 times in the past couple of years, we have stayed at different resorts each time as we like to see what they offer , so this is my honest opinion of this resort. Would we go back to this resort, more than likely but on a high floor and near the end of the hall, probably quieter for sleeping.

Amazing Resort

Highly recommended. Had a wonderful family vacation. Amazing food, amazing people would go again in a heart beat. I would recommend you stay on the 4th floor. The rooms have been newly renovated and are worth the extra money. Thank you to O'Neil Graham from tripcentral.ca for all his help