Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Good value

This was our third time at this resort. The resort consists of two parts - the Mares side with the main building where the majority of entertainment and other activities take place, and the more quiet Luna with several smaller buildings. We've always stayed on the Mares side, which is located somewhat higher up the hill and has a beautiful panoramic view of the ocean and the beach. The location is hard to beat - the resort is located right on Playa Esmeralda - the best beach in the region a [... read more]nd probably one of the best beaches in Cuba. Overall, we consider this to be a decent value for the money, although for the price one could expect more. The resort would benefit from better upkeep and maintenance, as most rooms are outdated if not run down (which is not untypical for Cuba). We noticed some ongoing renovation, which will hopefully help improve future guest experience. The resort grounds are well-kept. The service was mostly friendly and quick. The food is mostly good quality and has more natural taste to it compared to foods sold at an average food service location or supermarket in Canada. The food variety was decent, although by the end of our first week we've exhausted the buffet menu, so it became repetitive. Coffee at the coffee bar in the lobby is great. Again, the main attraction is the beach and the ocean, with excellent swimming and snorkeling opportunities right off the beach. All the other typical activities, such as short sail trips on a small catamaran, kayaks, beach volleyball, yoga and dance classes etc. are available at no cost. As far as the entertainment program, this year we found it to be quite poor, compared to the previous years. On top of this, for some strange reason most of the performances were held right in the lobby of the Mares side, as opposed to the theatre located between Mares and Luna. This made it horribly noisy on the Mares side - a major complaint this year. We stayed there as a party of seven, including four adults and three kids. Overall - still a good experience, with a few remarks.

Sol Palmeras: Great location for a 50th birthday

Have been in Cuba many times but mostly on the Santiago side. First time in Varadaro and at Sol Palmeros. Had a family junior suite which was awesome. The food was better than I was used to and some good selection as well. The beach was amazing. The resort did a great job with my birthday party. Recommend this resort for Cuba lovers. Would like to see more authentic Cuba music with instruments but the entertainment they had was outstanding. Thank you Sol Palmeras for a great birthday and [... read more] 20 of my friends.

Memories Cayo Largo: Same old SCL with new paint

When you want to really spoil something, send in a new manager who is into team-building and re-branding. Fortunately, the new management didn't get all their own way, so the old hotel doesn't feel too different. For 9 days the southern trade winds blew strongly, to all the beach was washed away in front of the hotel. But the much-advertised hotel renovation seems mostly just paint. They COULD be trying to compete with the Pelicano, which has one 120v AC outlet in every room, so we Canadians can [... read more] charge our gizmos.But the SCL continues to ignore this issue, so you still need to bring a heavy-duty voltage converter. Factor that into your 50 lb luggage limit. Some of the paint is gratuitous, just to see that something has been done. Why paint heavy battleship grey all over the front of the El Cayito bar, covering up all the nicely-painted designs? The joke of the SolAzul pool bar is to first ascertain whet the kitchen does NOT have, and then make your order accordingly. At the buffet, there were sun-dried tomatoes, for 2 whole days. All of a sudden (never seen them at the SCL in 10 years) there were churros at the breakfast buffet. Mario, best bartender in Cuba, is now a head-waiter, and the El Cayito bartenders are back to their old tricks of overloading your drink with cheap rot-gut booze. .

Melia Cayo Coco: Fabulous vacation!!

The entire resort was always in tip top shape. Not a piece of trash to be found anywhere. The food was consistently great and the chefs worked diligently to make the custom orders to the vacationers liking. The staff in the buffet dining room were top notch. They remembered your order and it was waiting on the table when you came back from getting your food. The a la Carte restaurants were very tasty with exemplary service. 5 star indeed! Our room was comfortable and always made up and pleasant [... read more].

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Fun resort with lots of natural beauty

The resort is beautiful, well maintained and very comfortable. Beach is sandy, water is blue/green, no weeds like in other places and perfect for long walks. Great for snorkelling, catamaran rides, swimming, sunbathing,... Food was good and typical of Cuba. The gym was well equipped and one of the best I’ve seen. Lots to do. I would recommend to others

Melia Jardines del Rey: My Favourite

Surprised when I saw the beautiful suites I stayed in.The People ,the food,service, the beaches ,the pools ,the supper invitations...beach and sun with umbrella refreshments... .....I could go on and on... Looking forward to returning for another two weeks. It will be trip #4

Hotel Camino del Mar: Fantastic Place!

The Beach was great, the best for walks, sunbathing and fishing on the pier. The staff at the pool bar was warm and attentive, they did a great job making you feel welcome and cared for. I did have one mechanics issue, it was quickly remedied when reported to the customer service desk. I always had plenty of fresh food choices, the beach restaurant never disappointed, nor did the buffet. A little tuning in the a la carte needed still fun times. The pool might be warmer and I wish the disco wa [... read more]s open, dancing in the lobby bar was fun but not long enough! I wish I could have stayed longer.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Definitely not a 5 star! 😪

We were not at all happy with this resort for the following reasons: - we lined up for an hour and a half to book specialty restaurants but were not able to get all the ones we wanted - it’s an all-inclusive resort but there were 2 days they ran out of wine - there were several occasions we went to a bar for a drink but they had no glasses - we went to the pizza snack bar but they had no cheese so they couldn’t make pizza - although the room was spacious, it was dated and not clean - i [... read more]t was very hard to get a chair at the pool or on the beach as they were all “reserved” - towels or books on them but nobody on them - while we weren’t expecting great food, it was mediocre at best - cappuccino machine wasn’t working when we went for coffee - machines were out of order in the gym - the water in the pool was too cold to swim in All in all, the resort is quite tired and rundown.

Hotel Camino del Mar: melia cayo coco guillermo

its average at best, its old ,the AC was leaking , the toilets weren't the greatest. The buffet was a bit redundant at times , The safe wasnt working and neither was the telephone, We had asked them to fix the safe but they never did

Melia Internacional: Amazing resort!

Brand new, very modern and stylish resort with its own beach. Really good service, friendly and very accommodating stuff, big-hearted dance & entertainment team. They became friends with our kids, taught them how to dance and showed how truly amazing Cubans are! Grounds are perfect, well situated and convenient to use, huge territory and lots of space to wonder around. Beach is clean, lots of umbrellas and chairs, great service there - they just run to you and with your wishes. 2 beach bars and  [... read more]their waiters are always at your service. Food really surprised as a good one having in mind it’s Cuba and it’s nowadays. Perhaps, vegans wouldn’t find the biggest variety of food options for them, but it’s really doable. Lots of meat, fish, pasta, rice, local seasonal only fruits and pastry. Veggies are the most expensive food in Cuba, so their selection is limited, but still is :) Bars are working just fine. Live music is with you from the morning to the late evening, at least few kinds of activities to choose from, evening entertainment is of few kinds and really enjoyable. It seems like they got the best bands, singers, gymnasts & dancers there! Way to go guys, you did everything above and beyond so we could really enjoyed our first trip ever to Varadero, Cuba! Definitely coming back!!

Melia Las Dunas: Nice Resort

The staff here were knowledgeable and were quick to clean up any mess. Grounds very clean. Very nice beach. Main buffet needs to have a variety to the menu. I have seen better nightly entertainment shows at other resorts.

Melia Internacional: Probably the best resort in Cuba

I had a fun and relaxing time at the Melia Internacional with my buds. We found the bus at the airport pretty easily and there was beer available for the ride to the resort. This was my first resort experience and I'm told the resort itself is about a year old and it sure was extravagant, new and clean. The room was very clean, spacious, comfortable, with good lighting, and had a balcony with a pretty nice view of the water on both sides of the peninsula, as well as the service entrance to th [... read more]e resort. Rooms on the other side with the better view are probably out of my price range. The mini fridge had a couple beers and sodas in it which were restocked each day. The resort had many different bars, indoor or outdoor, with different ambiance, so we could always find a nice place to hang out where it was as quiet or loud as we wanted it to be. The drinks were usually good though they could be more consistent between the different bars. I had at least 4 very different pina coladas. There were a few great live music performances, and DJs later if you want to dance (not my scene). The buffet pleased me 90% of the time. Though most of the food was pretty basic, that's how I like to eat, especially when I know it's all grown on the island. I was happy to make a plate of rice, a bunch of different vegetables, fresh tropical fruit, and some meat or fish. Custom omelettes were a staple breakfast for me, but there were lots of choices at every meal. It's not super fancy but I felt nourished and didn't have any *digestive issues*, unlike my friends. I will note that the food was usually warm at best, but that might have been because I was usually late for the meals. Also some things were under or overcooked. Avoid the pizza. Servers were pretty attentive, keeping the water, wine, or coffee flowing with a smile. We also checked out a couple of the restaurants which you need to reserve a seat at, and I enjoyed my selections. The pools were huge and we never had trouble finding a space to sit near the poolside bar. You can drink in the pool -- how novel for me! And there was usually music though it was hit or miss for my tastes. The beach was spectacular. We had a day with huge waves which was a blast and I felt like a kid playing in them. The lifeguards were trying to herd swimmers into designated areas by whistling constantly, which was kind of annoying. Occasionally there were volleyball games, dance competitions, and other activities that I didn't care to participate in. On the nice days it was a bit challenging to get a place to sit with an umbrella, but we made it happen. They could have had more servers taking drink orders on the beach, but lets be honest, its not a big deal to walk to the bar. It kind of made me cringe to use so many plastic cups so if you care you could bring a reusable mug. Overall, this is probably one of the nicer resorts in Cuba, and 4 nights didn't feel like enough. However, you're not actually seeing Cuba if you stay at a resort in Varadero. If I go back, I would find a more low-key place to stay in Havana or another less touristy city. Which reminds me, we took a day trip to Havana and it's definitely a city to see. The tour was a bit too rigid for my liking, in hindsight I would rather just wander the streets where my feet take me, and maybe learn about historical buildings or events on my own. But it was an interesting tour with a meal included and a knowledgeable and friendly guide, and we saw a number of sights around the city. Check out the ecological reserve if it's not beach weather and you want to kill a few hours looking at strange plants and caves. Enough ranting from me.

Melia Las Dunas: Older resort but clean

The resort is older but it’s clean, the staff are very hard workers and very friendly. The beach was nice and again the staff were super helpful. The separate restaurants were great with good food, the buffet had quite a variety of food to choose from and I would recommend this resort.

Melia Las Americas: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

BEACH- needs to be cleaned every day Front counter service - poor Manager- poor customer service POOLS- The:" LEVEL" pools are UNDER CONSTRUCTION. There are no pools there. Main Pools are well maintained The beach bar and the games room area are a disgrace for a 4-5 star resort. LEVEL BUNGALOES- Great suite, Great job by Mari Snorkeling- Lester great job- Masks leak. Entertainment rating- very poor CONSTRUCTION NOISE - Annoying Limingello and Roblexa restaurants good service a [... read more]nd good food ARCADA RESTAURANT- Under-whelming- service poor. Asian rest. good food

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Stay Away!!

Spent $1400+ to ensure a good trip at a 5 star resort. This place is at best at 2.5. The buffet was awful and most of the food offered would have made you sick and it did for some people. I just ate bread, cold cuts and some cheese. All of the hot food in trays was cold and the line ups at the grills to get some food cooked properly were always 10+ deep. They could of had two cooks at each grill, but they had one. Booking the restaurants took an hour and the Japanese was the only decent one. Th [... read more]e soup at one restaurant had to have come out of a can and if you were booked for the last session of the evening, your choices were limited because they had run out of everything. The room was quite nice with a walk-in glass shower, but it was infested with mosquitoes. We both went home with at least 30 bites. I did not sleep a wink most nights because I was too worried about being bitten. And no sleep leads to a sore throat. I only checked out the beach once and it wasn't groomed and all of the crap brought in by the tide sat in piles. Needless to say, I did not return. And if you think Cuba is a cheap destination, think again. This place is a $57 Can. cab ride to the city strip there and back. You can ride the Double Decker bus all day for $7 Can. if you can find one that isn't full. The exchange rate is $1.43, that is worse than buying US$ and taking a trip to Florida. I could go on, but I am running out of space.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Fantastic Resort

The resort is a low style layout with most room accommodations being only two stories high.The walk from the lobby area to the room is along well manicured walkways which are lush with shrubs, palm trees and island flowering bushes.The lobby area and public areas are very clean and pristine,not a cigarette butt or piece of garbage to be seen anywhere.The rooms are clean and well maintained with your bar fridge restocked daily with water, beer and pop.The employees are all very friendly and upbea [... read more]t.The pool area is located at the far end of the resort providing you with a short relaxing walk through the absolutely well manicured grounds.We were very impressed overall.

Hotel Camino del Mar: Cayo Guillermo

The grounds were well maintained. The rooms were not. What bothered me most was that their septic system was gross. Toilets did not flush if you used toilet paper. I was told I had to put the paper in the trash can. The showers were iffy. Worked sometimes, not other times. Beach was good. Food was typical for Cuba. My roommate was happy with the fishing wharf. You might consider me a fussy person, but I was not the only one not happy.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Definitely suffice

I just returned from a solo trip at Meliá Jardines del Rey, I enjoyed my stay. I always found something to eat. A la carts were okay. The staff was friendly and helpful at every level from reception to the beach. My room was clean but slightly dated. Many activities to choose from, plus a 2 minute walk from the disco and shopping. Beach was very beautiful clean and not rocky. Non motorized activities were nice. The bartenders were good and a good selection of drinks were available. Wifi was spo [... read more]tty some days but worked in specific areas. Close proximity to the airport. Many excursions. I feel the value for what I paid was good.

Melia Las Dunas: Lovely resort

The resort was always clean, busy gardeners and room staff. It's quite a large resort so lots of walking. Hotel staff were always polite and friendly. Food and bar selections were somewhat limited but ok considering its Cuba. The beach was awesome.

Melia Las Americas: Our vacation

our room was clean / spacious/ daily maid service / the grounds and hotel was clean / many staff there to help with our personal needs / great entertainment nighty / my fiancé and I are musical and the piano was readily available to us to entertain as a couple and with their extremely talented entertainers / ur travel agent Tammy did a great job ensuring all went well / it’s our first time to this hotel but have been to Cuba many times / we are planning to return again to this hotel in a few [... read more] weeks !!!