Amazing staff!

We enjoyed our stay at VPB but we found the resort too large (sprawled out) for our liking. That and the 2h bus ride. But we made the best of our 2 week stay. We enjoyed the sun and met some wonderful people (staff and tourists alike). Our room was situated close to the lobby (Block 29 - Room 2901) and the party pool. Loungers around the party pool were minimal during our stay. We found it easier to find a lounger at the Relax pool. And there were no extra loungers on the beach other than [... read more] the ones under the palapas that people would reserve early each morning but are not supposed to - signs everywhere too. Plain ignorance. And there was not an extra stack of loungers to draw from on the beach so people were laying on their towels on the sand. That didn't impress us at all as I am a huge beach person. We never spent one day at the beach which was incredibly disappointing. Food at the buffet was not good and this was our 12th time to Cuba so we didn't have high expectations. Sadly Cuba (not just this resort) is in a flour shortage so bread was hit and miss. Ketchup was hit and miss. One day the tables would all be supplied with ketchup, salt, pepper, sometimes mustard. The next day we would go to the same snack bar and they would have no ketchup at all. We found areas of the resort somewhat understaffed and the staff were lacking basic supplies to get through the day. i.e., no spoons; the lobby bar [staff were amazing!!!] would constantly run out of glasses so staff had to frequently take off to find some more even though other workers were bringing them clean ones when they could. A heads up too because they use many glasses there are pieces of broken glass throughout the resort/walkways so don't walk around barefoot. They have small, squishy plastic cups at the swim up bars (but they often run out of plastic too). No they don't serve glass in the pools. Your best bet is to bring your own thermal mug. They did run out of beer-on-tap a few times and served cans. They also ran out of liquors too. They have to wait for supplies to be brought in to refresh their stock. There is a VERY small shop at the resort in the lobby (the size of a closet) so don't expect to do much shopping there. They have liquor, cigars, trinkets, and things out of site that you may possibly need (i.e., disposable BIC razors). If you are in a pinch for something, just ask as they could have it tucked away. We did not venture off resort to any markets but understand there are 2 near by. We did the Sunset/Romantic cruise. Loved it but wish the boat ride was longer. Dolphin show was nice but the lobster/chicken dinner afterwards wasn't impressive. Both were VERY tough so not enjoyable. I am spoiled by our Atlantic lobster. Our room was always cleaned when we wanted it done (we didn't want it done daily). Fridge was well stocked with whatever we requested by Yosmey (spelling?). He took very good care of us and was such a pleasure! We were sad to see him move to another block towards the end of our stay. Beach towels were in our rooms when we arrived and we didn't have a problem changing them at the towel huts (one at each pool). Just don't wait until the end of the day to try to get a clean towel. Their laundry is done off-site, in another town far away. We came home 3 days before the tornado hit the Santa Clara airport so we were very thankful we left when we did. Otherwise we would have been facing a much longer drive to another airport to return home. Just remember, it is Cuba and the staff do their absolute best to work with what they are given. Beaches are gorgeous, people are adorable! We LOVE Cuba and will always return but probably not to this part of the island due to it's distance from the airport.

Disappointed!!!

Love the beach, beside that not a place I would ever go back too. They are rated 4 stars!!! HOW who rate this?? We went for 7 day May 4- May 11. Wasn't a happy camper at all. We skip breakfeast and lunch most day nothing to eat, no bread no eggs just shortage of something. No have that's what the response was from the workers. Never ever I would pay what I did to go and starve and be short on anything. Yes I know Cuba isn't a place for Food but still never like this. I wont recommend this place  [... read more]to anyone.

A bad resort.This is not 4.5 stars ,but a maximum of 2.5-3 stars

I do not recommend to choose Valentin Perla Blanca for rest. Rested there from 12 to 26 April 2016.This is not 4.5 stars ,but a maximum of 3. The local phone in the rooms does not work. The computer doesn't work. It is not always possible to connect to the Internet via the card. Restaurant and kitchen for so many people are small and always full of people. There is no shop and pharmacy.The beach is very dirty. Sun loungers on the beach is not enough, although full in stock. Almost one gangway to [... read more] the beach and those are broken.

Not what I was expecting!!!

Had one incident with the waitress that refused to provide us with a clean table to sit at for breakfast. There was not a lot of people left at the time but for whatever reason it was none of the tables were cleaned for us to sit at. We asked one waitress (Gracie) to please clean table while we go to the buffet to grab our breakfast. After a 20-25 minute wait to get just some omelets (with no veggie available to put in only ham and sausage) made we come back to find that the table has not bee [... read more]n touched. So we proceeded to sit at the only table now that was clean but it of course was the PRIVELGE ONLY table. She quickly came to inform us that we could NOT sit there but we refused to move. Then when one of the other waiters came to offer juice and coffee, she yelled over at them and order them not to serve us. So we were denied all service. After that we never ate at the buffet. They were out of a lot of things periodically (bread, juices, hamburgers, rice)(no face clothes even). Wi-fi was very poor, always cutting out. The location of the resort is very isolated. The resort was nothing that we were expecting. Most of the people are very friendly and accommodating.

A great time

It is what you make it .... don’t have high expectations on the food and all will be good ! Lovely staff and people on Resort - I enjoyed my stay ! The weather was fantastic and met some great friends . Traveled alone for the first time and I felt very safe ! And would do it again , in a heartbeat

Cuba’s finest gem

Hotel has very friendly staff. The beach was clean, two pools offer activities and relaxation. Hotel clean. Food was typical Cuba food. Entertainment had a good variety for everyone. Very close to many tourist attractions, however long bus ride to airport.

Nice resort

The grounds were beautiful. Pool was clean. Staff was friendly. Not enough interaction with the guest. Food isnt the best. But its Cuba. The rooms were clean but we didnt always get towels. The housekeeper didnt clean the floors as often as he should have. The sheet were not changed for the entire week spent there.

Exceeded Expectations

Prior to travelling, my husband and I were growing concerned about the abundance of negative reviews regarding this resort that were on the Trip Advisor website. We are not at all fussy travellers, so we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best, with the mind set of "make the best out of it" while boarding our flight. We travelled from 26-April to 3-May, and I'm honestly not sure what resort the negative commentors were staying at, but it could not have been the same place we were at. The g [... read more]rounds were beautiful and clean, always toilet paper in the public washrooms, which were also always very clean. The buffet wasnt great, but we definitely didn't go hungry. Always something to eat, even if it's just fresh fruit, pasta and bread. A la carte resturants were great, Spanish was amazing! The staff were fantastic, always friendly and very appreciative of anything you offer. The beach was gorgeous, although quite a bit of seaweed. Entertainment was fantastic. Honestly, the only complaint I would have had was a four hour bus ride to Cayo Coco to get home after a storm destroyed the Santa Maria Airport while we were there, however... the tour guide on that bus was amazing, and we were able to see many small towns that would normally be missed. So, that was no longer a complaint. Worst part about the trip, was the flights... man Air Transat has small seats! Hahaha!

Terrible Resort

I found this resort one of the dirtiest resorts I have ever been too, pool area was stinky, water was cloudy. Most of the staff are crabby, service was terrible. The food was cold and tables were dirty.

You get what you pay for!

Beautiful resort and beaches. But the food is what you would expect from a Cuban resort. For the price you pay, I highly recommend this resort to have a good time. Staff is so friendly and caring, I will miss them!

Great stay

The resort's pools and beach are amazing. The staff is always nice and very hardworking. The hotel lacks a few entertainment things such as a movie theater, or a game room, bike rentals, etc. But overall great resort.

Wonderful resort!

This is a very large hotel that offers just about anything to a wide range of people and activities. There is always something going on in every spot within the resort to occupy you. The beach is by far the best beach I have ever seen before. One thing that really impressed me was that there was never any pestering of any sort to buy time-shares or local goods. No locals wandering the beach asking you to buy things. Even at the local market there was never any pressure to buy things, just respec [... read more]tful vendors ready to offer any explanations of their wares. The service at this resort was commendable! Someone always ready to get you anything you need and always checking if you needed anything, drinks, etc. We had a lovely lady named Mercedes who served us first at an A La carte restaurant and then every night she served drinks in the theater. She was a wonderful caring lady who we looked forward to seeing and talking to every night.The resort is so large but does offer rides on the little carts to farther away spots within the resort for people who need it. The young adults had nightlife all night long at the pool areas and special events and seemed to have an awesome time! Oh I wish I had been young again to enjoy with them but after long hot days would often go to bed by 11. The room was only fair in my opinion though. The beds are not very comfortable and lack of good pillows and padding on bed made it a less comfortable sleep. The patio door handle was broken but did offer a good locking mechanism just the same which made me feel safe. All in all, we loved the resort and plan to return with our young adult children in the near future so they can enjoy as well.

Wonderful memories

we found this to be a wonderful resort...very NICE ATMOSPHERE ,WELCOMING,HELPFUL STAFF..food was so so,entertainment was amazing...I would go back in a heartbeat ..we loved Santa Maria...did not enjoy a 2 hour bus ride to and from we were not advised of this by our agent

Cuban Discovery in a Warm Resort

The personnel more than make up for the few shortcomings in amenities; and even those are acceptable given the location and climate; many will fear the availability and quality of the food; but after a few days you come to know where to find what; and the result is absolutely wonderful for personal relationships; I suggest you travel with your friends, there is more fun by the numbers; bring your dancing feet as the music will send you to the floor assuredly; the evening shows right in the main  [... read more]lodge are of top quality but the beaches, clear as your running water, free of weeds with soothing waves will overwhelm you. But it's the warmth of the cuban employees that will compel you to return year after year; seeing them embrace each other at the start of each day is a sure sign you will have a wonderful day yourself....

Mediocre

This resort is mediocre. Would I stay there again.....probably not. I wasn’t impressed when someone stole my brand new bathing suit off my balcony. I wasn’t the only person to have stuff stolen. From electronics to someone’s whole carry on gone missing with no resolution or investigation what so ever. Extremely disappointing and won’t be back.

Loved it

Enjoyed the beach n ocean the most. The entertainment in evenings was surprising first rate. Loved them all. Some staff were exceptional. At times some food ran out, n other times lacking. But overall great time.

Beautiful Resort!

It was Beautiful! Clean and well kept. I've been to Cuba twice before and stayed in 2 different resorts in Varadero. This Resort was the best resort we stayed at! The food in the buffet was a hit and miss. The warmers don't keep the food warm and gets cold fast. We purchased the "privilege" package and we thought it was well worth the a la cartes! The food was much better! The room was very clean, comfortable and the air conditioner worked perfectly! A few problems came up but were take [... read more]n care of quickly. We found that the lady who registered us at check in at the privilege lounge did not inform us of all that package included. The last day I found out that 1 hour internet service per day was included. I paid for the service as I wasn't aware. We loved the resort but found the mosquitoes are very bad at this resort despite that they fogged it. There were always chairs available when we would go to the pool or beach but found that despite the fact there was a sign posted not to "reserve" chairs, guests were doing it anyway.

Excellent Vacation spot!!

My husband , daughter and soon to be son in law really enjoyed your resort!!! We thought the grounds and staff were on point!! We really enjoyed the A la carte restaurants but must admit the Spanish one was our favorite! Would recommend this resort

Great beach...but not much else

This could be a good resort, but it’s understaffed, poorly maintained, poorly managed and suffers chronic shortages of basic food, drinks (including beer and wine), spoons!, towels, toilet paper and other items. Staff blamed US sanctions for these problems. We took the “privilege” package to have additional services, a better room etc. Nevertheless, we had to pay numerous tips to get these privileges. Not recommended.

Beautiful beach, water and staff

First off, the drive from the airport is long. The beach and water are breathtaking..I’ve never seen such blue water. The staff are amazing, they can’t do enough for you. The resort...I would give it a 7/10. The rooms are ok...the beds are hard but comfortable, they don’t change the sheets. We did get clean bath towels everyday. We got water everyday, 1 beer and 1 coke. We only got 1 beach towel for the week but it dried overnight. The washroom was ok. We never ran out of hot water, [... read more] and the shower did have a rain shower which was nice and toilet worked. The room itself was ok...something was missing like needed a fresh coat of paint. Oh and we were on the 2nd floor, in the quiet area, 37 area, which I would recommend if you want a more quiet room and pool. Pool was amazing. The food...well personally I was expecting the worse...it was ok...don’t expect any vegetables like carrots, etc...it only had cold peas and corn. Apparently they only cook vegetables that I’ve never eaten before lol. The al la carte’s were ok, the staff made it special. There was no proper salad, it was basically only cabbage. So as for the vegetables and salad, I really missed that. We ran out of beer one day, ran out of white wine and bread but there is always other drinks to have. Now, would I go back, yes I would. The one thing that would stop me would be the travelling time to the resort. Other then that, it was a pretty good trip.