Very nice resort

My husband and I just came back from a wonderful vacation at the Blau Varadero. We had a very good time and no complaints. The staff and the food are excellent. I even receive a small birthday cake, what a nice touch would go back anytime

One of the best resorts in Varadero

Excellent beach area which is cleaned and raked each morning. Lots of huts for shade. Staff will set up and brush sand off loungers for you. Fairly calm waters unless there is a storm passing. We came after a storm, so there were waves the first day, then calm green flag waters the rest of the week. Free catamaran rides. You can pay to go snorkeling. We found 100s of beautiful shells in waist deep water near shore. Rooms clean, but basic. Make sure you shut your balcony door and put your room ca [... read more]rd in the slot near the door to turn the air con on. We put an old Starbucks card in the slot to keep the air on when we were at dinner so the room would be cool for sleeping when we returned. I felt our AC was weak but my sister's room was good. Beds are hard. Food is plentiful. Some stuff delicious, some not to our taste, but we ate well. You can pay for better wine than house if you want. Top notch musicians every night! Classically trained opera singers, violinists, cellists, etc. I have never experienced this level of excellence without paying top prices to attend the opera in Toronto before. It was a nice surprise. A few locals on the beach asked us if we could leave our clothes and toiletries for them when we leave. They never asked for money and insisted on giving us shells to thank us when we did. Service from staff was excellent when tipped or not. Elevators are small and slow when they have to stop at every floor but we were lucky to get the 4th floor so we walked up and down. We went for dinner at 6:30pm so never had to line up during the Christmas break. We ate delicious lobster on Christmas Eve at the buffet. Unusually weak coffee. The currency exchange is brutal. We got 13 CUC for $20 Canadian and 17CUC for $20 US. The hotel was not able to give me 1CUC notes for tipping. They gave me 3CUC notes which add up to a lot of money quickly. Staff obviously accepted Canadian or American notes. High effort from staff. You see management monitoring everything constantly. Ocean view rooms cost extra. We had lots of hot water in the shower. We asked for a light to be fixed in the bathroom but they were unable to for some reason. Returning guests told us this was one of the best resorts they had been to in Varadero and we believe it. They fumigate but I came back with lots of bites, hoping they are sand fleas as opposed to bed bugs, which is probably more common in Toronto than at the Blau. My room mate did not get bitten at all. Lots of entertainment for the kids near the pool-animal shows, dancing, games. Clean and beautiful pool area. Hammocks available in an area between the pool and the beach.

Lovely resort

This hotel will most of your needs. The food selection is excellent by Cuba standards, lots of variety and something for everyone. They even have a smoothie station where someone will blend up a smoothie with the fruit you have selected. The coffee in the food court is not very good but thankfully there is a barista at poolside bar who will whip you up a great latte or cappuccino. I didn't participate in the poolside activities but there were certainly a lot listed to keep all members of your fa [... read more]mily busy. There is a decent tennis court too. Our rooms were very clean with working air conditioning. They were also very quiet. We had a huge bed that could easily have slept 3 adults! My friends had a double with 2 double beds. The staff were very polite and very helpful.

Fun in the Sun & Sea

A one week getaway at a 4 star all-inclusive. Excellent hotel service from arrival to departure. The rooms are tired but were air-conditioned & clean. Each has a private balcony. Recommend requesting an ocean view (pool side) room & if possible, the 5th floor or above. Only the rooms, buffet restaurant, international restaurant, exercise room, games room, & the few shops had AC. Wifi is available only in the lobby & piano bar-2 peso/hr. Our package included two dinners-we ate at the Mexican & In [... read more]ternational restaurants. The food at the buffet was abundant, fresh but predictable.The pool area is lovely with grounds that are very well maintained. Food & drinks are available at poolside. A very short walk on a boardwalk to the sea and an incredible sandy beach that stretches miles. Adequate lounges and umbrellas for shade. A small restaurant at the beach provides food & drinks-24hours a day. I would highly recommend a day trip to Havana-about a 2 hr drive each way. A few comments on currency. The official currency - 1 peso(CUC) = $1 USD. The peso (CUC) is effectively the only one used everywhere. You can change money at the airport or hotel or any bank. This hotel has a very good rate. Bring Canadian dollars (NOT US dollars-13% charge to covert USD). Only change what you need at the front desk, since you are unable to change back into foreign currency at the hotel -ONLY at the airport (with passport) when you are leaving-and you don't get a great rate. Although we were told by travel agents that you can use either VISA or Mastercard (only if not issued by an American Bank)-reality is CASH is preferred everywhere, only some tourist shops accept VISA and charge a 3% fee. The only small problem we encountered was the rising request for tips-from airport transfer buses, excursions, & musicians in Havana restaurants. This did not happen in the hotel; however, most people choose to leave a few pesos a day with restaurant waiters, at the bar, and for the maids.

Amazing vacation

I'm well impressed, already planning to go back. It is a large hotel & the amenities are good.It is situated on a large property and the is lot to do do in the garden as well as the fantastic beach. The food was excellent and the service at the fine dining was five star.

Amazing resort

we enjoyed our stay very much, very clean beautiful resort. Only complaint no air conditioning in lobby, hallways and elevator....more reason to head to the beach though!!, and some lounge saving for big tippers I guess!

Better the second time around

This was our second time to the Blau Varadero We really enjoy coming here as the staff really do make the place to what it is The hotel grounds are really great and there's always some staff wanting to see if they can offer you anything.We found the food to be good as there always seem to be plenty to eat Yes some days there were repetitive items in the buffet but you could find food any time of the day in other spots on the resort I am even looking at booking for Apr of 2016

3rd time this year!

My husband and I just got back from our 3rd vacation this year at Blau Varadero. EXCELLENT HOTEL EXCELLENT SERVICE EXCELLENT PROFESSIONALISM There are a lot of people to thank for our great stay. Management I will have to start with Jose Maria, Rolando, Mario and Lourdes, in all my years of travelling I had never seen Management like at Blau Varadero. You actually see the managers all over the hotel 24 hours a day it's amazing the detail and treatment to the clients, anytime you have a question  [... read more]you can approach any of them and they are more than willing to assist you personally. Entertainment These people work very hard to keep the clients involved in the daily and night activities, thank you to Adolfo, Jorgito, Roberto, Orlando and Sislay. Reception Always with a smile on their faces and they go out of their way to help you. Palma Real A very special thanks to the Chef and staff at this 5 Star Plus restaurant. Amazing food and service. The repeat guest dinner hosted by Jose Maria was top notch.

Wonderful vacation!

The resort was clean and well-kept, food was better than most in Cuba, and the resort employees were amazing. This was our first time staying at the Blau Varadero, but we would definitely go back. Only negative was we didn't enjoy the International a la Carte.

Lovely resort!!

our time at the resort. The room was very comfortable, clean and had a nice view over the sea, beach and pool was nice and clean, food is good, international restaurant “à la carte” is a must to visit, the best we've seen in Cuba, and this is our 7th time in Cuba. We also liked the coffee in the pool area. Friendly staff made a wonderful stay at Blau Varadero, we will definitely go back. A big thank to the staff and management. Stayed July 2015, travelled as a couple

Nice resort

The Blau Varadero is a hotel not a bungalow-type of resort. Rooms were clean and spacious, but tired. Could always find something to eat (hit the carver first). The elevators were excruciatingly slow.

Just ok

this resort is just ok , the staff is wonderful , beaches are amazing , very clean resort , food is horrible 4 people in our group got sick two of them need to see a doctor on the resort , I think it is the water they don't is bottle water in the resturants .

A little taste of Varadero

The experience was definitely one to remember. Had the opportunity to enjoy the adventures with a small group of close friends where we had a wide range of activities to explore from. Some of these extras included Snorkeling (cheap excursion), Beach Volleyball, Kayaking, Windsurfing, Shooting Range, Archery and lots more! The water and weather were both relaxing and hits you with the reality that you are on vacation. The food as well was relatively good, no complaints from any of us, and we even [... read more] came prepared with spices as recommended from colleagues. This is a great hotel to escape with a good price tag, you are definitely getting your money's worth with a trip to Blau.

A FaBLAUous Time

Wonderful stay...no real complaints...hotel rooms are simple but nothing bad...food was good, always found a choice...wished bars made drinks using blenders rather than direct ice mixes...also beach bar was not in service due to staff shortage (was told that from staff)...beach beautiful...did encounter situation with lounge chairs bring reserved very early in morning (6am)...wished towel place was open later...animation staff friendly...Overall superb Lots of smokers :((

Still very good

The Blau is still a very good resort and the lobby bar staff would put most Canadian bar staffs to shame. They work extraordinarly hard. I would be curious see the count of how many drinks are served each evening. The ambience of the 14 storey atrium hotel is very impressive. But if you're looking for Cuban ambience you won't get it. It's much more like a North American hotel. Overall a very good place to vacation but it's troubling to see some very key members of the staff leaving. Including t [... read more]wo major players on the guest relations staff. And a couple of key customer service bartenders. And there seems to be no plans to expand from the only 2 Ala cartes. It's as if senior Blau management feel since they operate at 95 per cent capacity there is no need to improve.

Blau Varadero Cuba Review:

HOTEL PROS • Rated 4 star (Tripadvisor rating 4.2/5) • 10 min from town of Varadero • 30 min from Airport (if direct) • lobby is large allows good seating when waiting for transfers/pickups • lot’s to do day and night throughout hotel. Lot’s of activities for guests. Even have two tennis courts and a general court. Good energetic shows at night even though stage is small. There were also some good Aquatic shows at the pool. • lot’s of Bar’s with ample seating and musical ente [... read more]rtainment. • an amazing musical show (standing ovcation) at the piano bar one night with a group of talented ladies playing classical music CONS • It actually took us over 45 min after drop-off at hotels with Air Transat transfers. • Nolitour advertises separate check-in, did not appear to be the case as we had long line-up to check-in. • Trip did not start off so great, as Air Transat trxfrs got us in around 2:30pm and the room was not ready. (Yes they state room check-in is 4pm however I’m a seasoned traveler and I’ve always been checked in earlier.) They told us to try again in an hour The lunch buffet closes at 3pm so we left all our luggage with bellman, ate quickly, came back around 3:20pm still not ready. After a few more inquiries finally ready by 3:55pm! • Nolitour advertises snacks and bottle of rum in room on check-in. This was not the case. I had to report to Nolitour rep who indicated that it should come by 2nd day. It did not. I had to follow-up several times with hotel customer service myself before it finally came after the 3rd day. Disappointed that the rum was a small 350ml whereas other resorts I have attended gave 700ml. • Elevators were very slow as documented by others. They are small and poor narrow design and can really hold about 6 adults. HOTEL ROOM PROS • large clean room, lot’s of seating • large clean balcony, with retracting drying rack was very handy/useful • include, 2 shampoo, 1 bar soap, body gel, 2 small rolls of toilet paper, hairdryer, 1 shower cap all week. • fridge nice and cold as my bottle water was often icing up even at the lowest setting • lots of hot water all day, never encountered shortage like another Cuban hotel I stayed at last year • safe in the room, but my safe had been previously drilled out where English instructions were so had to call front desk. Turns out they need to enter code with the room key inserted first, not a personal magnetic card (ie credit card) • toilet was dual flush and worked well which is important! • has a bidet • Majority of outlets are 220V but do allow 2 prong North American plugs. Make sure your appliance has dual voltage. In the washroom and adapter is useful for your own curling iron. CONS • Was given 1 bar of soap all week even though tipped maid daily • Tipping the bar fridge guy did not gain more than the normal 1 bottle of water , 2 cans of beer and 2 cola • no body lotion so bring your own • no hair conditioner • no iron available • no clocks in the room, but can phone for wake up call • closet doors were the sliding type and were always getting stuck, very frustrating when trying to get to your clothes daily. Reported to front desk and they tried to fix by shaving the doors tracks, but not very effective. • not enough closet hangers, best to bring some of your own. Actually not a lot of closet space or shelves for the size of the room. • A/C too powerful and cold even on lowest fan and cold settings. Was cold the first night and did not sleep at all. Had to dig out the blanket! • Sliding door was not aligned correctly and had gap at top causing whistling/howling sounds at night. Called front desk to fix, they showed up when we were out of room for the day. They did not fix issue but left the door wide open all day (security and bug access issue!). I ended up having to use “McGivering” a solution by using my airline luggage stickers to tape up the gap so we could sleep. • Shower curtain smells really mouldy • Shower head even though fully tightened keeps dropping spraying water everywhere • last day it was humid in the morning. This seemed to have brought out ants by the sliding door which we did not see all week fortunately! • got two sheets of writing paper but no pen BEACH PROS • Amazing beach. Wide, clean no weeds, no jellyfish, calm and clear water. Calm beach during the morning. By late afternoon wind picks up and you get a few waves which is great. • 24 hr beach bar for food and drink • AI includes kayak’s paddleboats and sailboat rides • However you can actually turn right and walk to the end of the beach for about 30 minutes and snorkel by the rocks. Take bread. CONS • plastic cups for drinks too small, guess that’s ok to prevent wastage? • allow guests to bring personal mugs to be filled by bartenders. Watched bartenders put the un-rinsed lips of customer mugs against the dispensing beer spout. Also saw bartenders use muddler to crush Mojito mint right in these customer mugs then use for another customer. Not too hygienic! • beach not good for snorkeling, but beach guys will take you out in the sailboat to the reef for $20CUC pp. Entire snorkeling excursion about 1.5hr they said. • People still reserving palapas early by putting their towels on the beach chairs. If you don’t get to beach by 10ish you would be lucky to get one. FOOD PROS • variety of salads and cold cuts, never ran out • great fruit selection daily if you are into Caribbean type fruits. • fairly good variety of protein daily and was well stocked and hot. • food and service very good at Mexican restaurant • food and service and entertainment very good at Palma Real restaurant • variety of sweet buns in morning, never ran out • variety of breads daily, never ran out • had a Cuban night with delicious roast pig BBQ CONS • no oranges or apples probably due to availability • sliced potatoes for B/F always cold for some reason. • birds flying in/out of main buffet due to windows being left open as no Air conditioning was turned on. Do they even have A/C in buffet? • during the dining @ Mexican specialty restaurant, bitten while sitting inside by mosquito’s as the windows were large mesh. Also birds flying in/out via the open entrance to the restaurant. Raw cabbage was served as part of the salad, not very desirable. During dessert no coffee available. Was told coffee machine broken! • As you enter the Palma Real restaurant you start to smell something like sewage. Could be due to the stagnant pond water surrounding the building. This smell unfortunately creeps in through cracks as we sat by the window. Other patrons in our area complained about the smell. That was the only negative for that entire dining experience. It was not a pleasant smell! WEATHER • We were there April 12-19/15, the weather was fantastic (sunny and 32+) even though weather channel predicted rain all week before we left. Weather channel also said Havana would be around 26-27 C but actual we found it was also 32+. Mid April still not rainy season yet which starts in May. OTHER comments PROS • I never encountered any men’s washroom stalls w/o toilet paper that includes the pool, beach or w/r by the entertainment stage. All men’s w/r were clean. • Wife said the women’s washroom were clean and had toilet paper. • Overall service excellent from everyone we encountered except one morning for breakfast so tipped accordingly CONS • Not sure why they use toilet paper to dry hands vs. paper towels in both the men’s and women w/r’s. Perhaps paper towel n/a? Found the toilet paper falls apart and sticks to hands when your hands are wet.

Beautiful Resort!

Completely above our expectations, this resort was clean and beautiful. Considering Cuba is not known for their food, our meals were fantastic and the chefs work so hard. Lovely people working at the resort all round, the entertainment was fantastic too with some extremely talented musicians serenading you during dinner and lunch times. Our room was lovely with good working air conditioning, the beach is soft white sand extending out for a long way in the water so great for swimming or just simp [... read more]ly floating under the sun. The drinks were fantastic too. We would go again to Blau for sure! :)

Lovely Resort.

The hotel was beautiful, staff were accommodating and polite. The grounds were very well maintained and looked fabulous all the time and the beach was gorgeous . Lots of choices for food and entertainment, a little more variety would be nice, eg. Cereal, oatmeal and toast for breakfast. It would also be nice to have a shop on site to pick up snacks to take to your to your room, eg. Muffins, sandwiches etc. I was alone for a lot of meals and there were a number of times that I wanted to take a li [... read more]ght lunch or snack to my room as opposed to eating in the restaurant. I also wish that there were clocks in the rooms. All and all, a very well run resort with lots to offer.

Amazing resort

I have been to the Blau 6 times it is great the food is amazing the hotel is so clean and very well maintained and the staff and management are always helpful it just feels like home!!! We are returning in September

Great Vacation

My husband and I really enjoyed our week at the Blau Varadero. The pool is very nice as well as the beach, the only issue with both and it's not the Blau's fault is the fact that people "reserve" loungers even though the hotel has posted not to do so. The other little issue was the fact that the elevators were constantly not working for one reason or another which makes the trip up to the higher floors very challenging at times. The staff were all very nice and always greeted us with a smile and [... read more] a "Hola"! We would have liked to stay a little bit longer - maybe next time! Thank you