Melia Internacional: Extremely Disappointing. Do not recommend.

We had an extremely disappointing and frustrating experience during our one-week stay at the Melia Internacional. We made our concerns known to the staff, but the issues persisted, and we were ultimately unable to enjoy our vacation. This was not the "modern resort with premium amenities" advertised. Our recommendation to anyone considering staying at this hotel would be to consider another option. Check-in - My husband and I travelled with our adult son. I have a medical condition and use a  [... read more]rollator because I tire easily when walking and experience balance issues. I explained this during check-in and requested a centrally located room (given the large size of the resort) and asked that our room be close to our son's room (so he could assist us as needed). We were given a room at one of the furthest ends of the resort, with a tub I could not safely get into. Our son's room was located all the way on the other side of the resort (and had a walk-in shower). After making several calls and going back and forth to the front desk, we were finally told we could stay in our son's room, and our son was assigned a room a few doors away from us. It was a long, frustrating and physically exhausting process, which took so much time away from our first day. Room - The condition and cleanliness of our room was disgusting. The hotel claims to follow "very strict programs of hygiene and quality . . . ", but we can honestly say we witnessed a huge shortcoming by the hotel in meeting those standards. We have photos we'd like to share with you. - dirty, damaged mattress pad - dirty telephone cord on bed night table - bird poop on lamp shade - disgusting stains on door frame to toilet room - disgusting stain on door handle to toilet room - disgusting stains on throw carpet beside bed - dirty sheets - dirty glass door to toilet room - residue and scum on shower floor, with musty odor - stains on floor, especially in toilet room - rusted, damaged furniture and bathroom mirror In addition, the door to our room did not close properly and the air conditioning in our son's room did not work for the first two days. The "modern" light switches didn't always work and we found ourselves having to contend with pink neon lights (even in the bathroom). There were a lot of ants and our son had to put his sneakers on the table after finding many ants in them. Towels - We had two bath towels and two hand towels in our room on the first day of our stay. We included our hand towels with the bath towels to be replaced with clean ones, but they never replenished our hand towels again. We repeatedly asked for hand towels and we were told someone would be bringing some to our room, but they never did. When we asked why, we were told the hotel had run out of hand towels. Most of the towels were not in great condition and had stains on them. Food and Drinks - the food at the buffet is limited and repetitive. The food at the snack bar left a lot to be desired - there were four options and none of them were good. No french fries! The pizza never seemed to be available and the wait time could vary from 20 minutes to "later", even over lunch hours - we came across a few rude staff members, who refused to make eye contact or acknowledge our questions. We found ourselves ordering several drinks at a time because they often would not come back to the table, no matter how long we were there - drinks at the pool and beach area bars come in small plastic cups, requiring several trips to get a decent amount to drink. Options were very limited because there seemed to be shortages of ingredients and mostly rum based. Vodka and tequila were not available. - the resort's "ice cream shop" had only one flavour of ice cream available (chocolate)! - the mini bar in the room was empty and there were was a coffee machine, but no coffee Wi-Fi - Getting on the Wi-Fi could take many many many attempts, sometimes with no success. The connectivity was very poor and it would regularly kick you off your connected device for no apparent reason. Hotel - We read that this hotel was built in 2018, but we experienced issues that one would expect in an older hotel. I found it especially frustrating that I could not get in and out of the elevator without having to lift my rollator over the transition in and out of the elevator. The main buffet had several chairs with broken arm rests and tables with damaged, stained surfaces. Some of the walkway concrete was damaged, as were the stairs from the lobby to the ground floor. Room Upgrade - We paid to upgrade both our rooms to "Classic Room Oceanview". Our room had the ocean view shown in the website's room description. However, our son's room had only a partial sea view, which is considered a Classic Room. The fee our son paid for his upgrade needs to be refunded please. We understand things are challenging, but our experience at this hotel was unacceptable. We hope to enjoy the beautiful beach in Varadero again one day, but it will never be at a Melia hotel.

Barcelo Solymar: Excellent Staff!

I enjoyed my time at this resort and felt nothing but welcomed by the staff who were extremely courteous, friendly and a joy to deal with. People have complained about the food but given the situation within Cuba, I had nothing to complain about in that regards. We had a BBQ lunch every day at the Beach Bar and it was great. Dinner at the restaurants we went to were equally as good - was the pizza like the pizza I normally eat at home - no, but I didn't expect it to either. I was in Cuba for the [... read more] beach and the sun which did not disappoint. Overall I liked this resort mainly because of the staff which made my first time in Cuba very memorable.

Iberostar Origin Playa Alameda: Tired resort

Pros-beach and pool were great;most staff were friendly and helpful; the grounds were clean and well maintained Cons-buildings are tired looking and in need of upgrades; constantly running out of supplies (towels, water, butter, beer, liquor (other than rum), hot water, very little change to the offerings at the buffet Definitely not a 5 star any more!!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Clearly Old and Tired Resort

Our main concern is that things were advertised by Sunwing literature about the "Sanctuary Deluxe Junior Suite All Inclusive stay", that they could not, or did not provide. If they were not advertised, we would not have "expected" them. When staff at property were approached, there were lots of promises, but no follow through. Clearly this resort is "old and tired" - from leaky showers to broken locks or no locks, not enough lounge chairs or broken ones, it was disappointing. Our pool view ro [... read more]om looked over the maintenance building behind the pool. Definitely not as advertised. When we choose a holiday, we rely on the accuracy of the description of the amenities provided. We choose a destination, and spend our hard earned money, to get the services promised. Overall upsetting and disheartening. Won't return.

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Beautiful grounds! Amazing beach!

The girls at customer service are awesome and the grounds are beautiful. It is a clean resort, but a little outdated. The food was horrible except for breakfasts! The grill station is only open between 12pm and 6 pm. The resort has a stunning beach!

Starfish Varadero: Amazing resort!

Beautiful hotel, nice and clean beach, friendly staff. Good entertainment, good outdoor disco on Cuban square. Professional customer service team, nice outdoor diner with lobster, wine and more for Sunwing customers.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Not Quite What it Use to Be

We were at this resort 13 years ago & can honestly say we were very disappointed this time around. The Embargo & supply chain issues have negatively affected the resorts general maintenance . While the staff were great, the resort is showing it’s age. As travellers, we were not expecting the entire country to be suffering from a food shortage.

Grand Memories Varadero: Dirty and disgusting!

I was at this exact hotel 12 years ago and it was nice. Unfortunately we were Mislead by whoever was paid to give good reviews. I am not a high maintenance person, I have travelled 7 countries all across south east Asia with a back pack and stayed at Hostels for 8 dollars a night Canadian. This hotel was disgusting, bugs, cockroaches, at the buffet people were using one small server for 8 different items, causing cross contamination of food. The tables lacked napkins, forks, knifes and mostly sp [... read more]oons, as I was there 11 days and never saw a spoon. They served ice cream for the kids who had to use a fork. The buffet was always dirty and lots of flies, and we had to wait for plates numerous times. Water was served warm, no ice, the coffee, drinks and wine were all watered down. The maids were lazy, rude and not helpful, three days it took to get a clean towel, and rarely came to make bed or clean as they claim they could get into the rooms, locks were not functioning. I heard about the toilet paper , but some guest had problems getting that, so I brought my own. All areas had at least a mens or womens bathroom screwed shut and not able to use. I arrived 1st day and noticed debris and dirt and a unique broken piece of plastic on the floor of the hall leading to our room. It was still there 11 days later. I had a massage and was told that I could pay at check out in Canadian funds. Because of the lack of communication from sunwing, our flight was delayed and we stayed in our room until instructions from sunwing. Nobody from Sunwing advised or told us what was going on, at 6 pm we attended at Lobby to pay for the massage and were told we owed for late checkout 120.00 American. I was very disappointed and agreed to pay for massage only, however things escalated and I was forciblely confined to a private area, and was not allowed to leave, and a security guard prevented me by standing inches away from me to go to lobby to get my partner and wait for manager. They tried to intimidate me and threaten to call immigration.I then told them to call police and they refused to call them. The manager ended up coming and he agreed that there was no communication and we were allowed to pay for the massage only. There were not enough lounge chairs at pool or beach. The beach was full of cigarette butts and plastic cups! Trust me this is not over, I am contemplating getting a hold of the media to let Canadians know what has happened since Covid.. every Canadian at the hotel was complaining as well. This hotel was a 4.5 .. es at fa…..rip-off ! It was a 2 at best! The rooms have mould and heavy smell of mildew and caused my breathing and throat to go horse! The Sunwing rep confidentiality stated he would never go to that hotel, they also had nerve to charged American money at the money exchange and gave us it in peso equivalent to Canadian funds. You may see a lot of complaints! My sister and her husband had a flight just before us and her rum, perfume, cologne, and nail clippers were stolen from her bag. I will never fly too Cuba again, sad as I have been there almost 15 times.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Beautiful beach and resort

This resort was the perfect size, not too large nor too small, the staff were amazing, very friendly. The beach was incredible as was the pool area. Food is always hit and miss in Cuba as a rule so expected. Lobby bar was fantastic. My only one complaint is that they should have designated smoking areas, my room neighbours all smoked so I was surrounded by it even in the hallways, sadly I couldn’t even sit on my patio as the smoking was making me feel ill, obvious I’m a none smoker I would w [... read more]ake up with my room wreaking of it and I was there for two weeks. My suggestion would have certain room blocks just for smokers, it really was unbearable but other than that I loved this resort. Thank you

Iberostar Origin Tainos: Friendliness, Kindness, and Great Dancing

I was grateful to return to Iberostar Tainos for a week in the sun. First of all, the staff is amazing. Everyone is friendly, helpful, and at all times professional. The manager, Jania, has an infectious smile - and beautiful singing voice. She sang along with our choir at times and bent over backwards to make our stay agreeable. She's a load of fun. Several improvements have been made in the past few years: the food is more varied and attractively arranged, the amenities work better (though not [... read more] always), the fans really cool down your room...The grounds also look cleaner and well maintained. It was pleasant to walk around and examine the beautiful trees and flowering plants. And the beach was immaculate, the sand perfect, the water incredibly blue. There were enough places to lie in the shade. It truly is a wonderful part of the world. As for activities, there were many right at the resort. Much thanks goes to Hugh (Hugo) and his wonderful dancers who led us in salsa dancing night after night in the outdoor piazza. Hugh and his crew are all gifted artists (your daughter, Tamara, is a lucky girl, Hugh!) and we had such fun dancing to the live music and then watching live performances in the theatre. What was also clear was how much people have been (and still are) affected by the past few years of Covid (as well as the storms). Donations (e.g. children's medication, school supplies, clothes, reading glasses) continue to be welcomed and can be dropped off at the church in Varadaro - just a short bus/taxi ride away. Tip the staff generously; they (and their families) more than deserve it!

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: It was ok. We have stayed at better, in Cuba.

The palm trees, blue skies and Island grounds were lovely. Beach was beautiful. The Resort was spread out so no crowded feeling.There was a good variety of food items. They had various entertainment, most nights, in the Main Lobby which was great. The Disco from 10pm to 1am, every night, was too loud and kept many guests awake, who were trying to sleep. Not enough lounge chairs at the pool but they are ordered and haven't arrived yet. We used wicker, straight-up chairs from the Pool Bar for four [... read more] days until we complained to a Female Rep and demanded to see the Resort Manager. The Female Rep handled it and obtained chairs as the Resort Manager was never 'available'. We gave her a large tip and some Womens Make-up items that we intentionally took there to give to deserving workers. We also gave a tip to the Pool Attendant who kindly saved the chairs for us. The rooms were adequate for holiday needs. We had no 'hot' water but usually warm or cool-to-warm. We are so blessed in our own country! It was nice to get away from the snow. The country is struggling after Covid and doing its best. Let's all be grateful and not grumpy.

Blau Varadero: Worth a Visit

I hadn't planned on vacationing yet given what these Countries have suffered the last 3 years but I'm so glad I had a change of heart. We flew Sunwing the day after a big storm and through no fault of their own, were delayed 6 hours! Pearson wouldn't give them a runway to get to Waterloo Regional. Frustrating to say the least given this took away from our first day by arriving at Blau at midnight as opposed to 3:30 p.m. The flight was uneventful. The resort is stunning. They have vines hangin [... read more]g from the top of the building (14 floors) to the bottom ending in an indoor garden of sorts with plenty of greenery and small palms. The lobby bar is very unique as well. PROS: Spacious main floor with different sections for different preferences. You can sit in quiet and play a game or sit and listen to live piano or otherwise calming music or sit in a place with louder upbeat Caribbean music. They have a games space as well. Not huge but there's a ping pong table & pool table. Outdoors is beautifully maintained. Everything is close by or small 5 minute walk away. The beach is clear and breathtaking with loungers awaiting any guest at any given time of day. They have beds as well but some are in need of levelling. NOTE: take travel toilet paper... washrooms outside your room seldom have any. The a-la-cart is as good as any high end restaurant you'll dine in at home. I'm very cautious about eating meat when I travel but our dinner was fabulous and I finished my plate. The rooms are very spacious and cheerfully decorated. Very comfortable beds (soft mattress) with plenty of pillows. Ample storage space for clothes NOTE: Take a plug adapter.... you'll need it! The nightly shows were very entertaining. Our favorite was the water ballet one evening. CONS: Obviously the food. I generally live on pasta the whole week and Juan made my dinner to perfection every night. Only issue, it was only spaghetti noodles available. My husband enjoyed the selection at the buffet though. The snack bar leaves much to be desired. It's closest to the beach. Most the time, your option was a ham & cheese sandwich. Seldom they had pastries or fruit. Main restaurant wouldn't use the coffee machine at breakfast. We're coffee drinkers and having a good cup of coffee is appreciated but we had to walk to the snack bar and bring one back most mornings because the pool bar wasn't open yet. I will definitely pay this resort another visit. If you go to Cuba, you MUST remember, you're not at home. Things here aren't as easy to come by as you're used to. If you want all the comforts and conveniences of home, then you're best to stay there. These people work with what they have and work hard to make your experience a joyful one.

Hotel Bella Costa: Beautiful pleasurable vacation

This was my 9th stay at this resort. Last was December 2022. Many upgrades since last stay February 2020. Rooms were very clean, as well as grounds, pools and entertainment areas. Some were masked. The employees responsible for visible food prep and serving were masked and gloved. It’s the guests that are the concern in the cafeteria areas. Herd mentality, as if there was not enough, which was not the case.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Amazing Beach

The Beach is great, and the buildings are very nice. Located almost across from the Marina, it gives another option for food, shopping and entertainment. The Varadero Bus stop is in front outside of the hotel.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: What a letdown

Our trip started on a sour note. We had booked in late October, flying out of North Bay to Varadero. Sunwing cancelled the flight, and we were contacted by Tripcentral, and told that we would have to rebook for an alternate departure location, and Sunwing would not honor the original trip cost, and wanted an additional $ 3000 to rebook at the current price in effect for the Royalton out of Toronto . We found out from acquaintances that had booked their trips through CAA and Mayne Travel of No [... read more]rth Bay that they were being allowed to just reschedule out of Toronto for travel on the same day at no cost difference than their original booking. After three days and many hours of disputing this with Tripcentral, they finally agreed to allow us to reschedule out of Toronto at the same price. It seemed as if Tripcentral was actually working for Sunwing's best interest rather than ours. Very disappointed with tripccentral, who we booked through yearly for over a decade. We have travelled to Cuba several times in the past, and since we were going for two weeks, selected the Royalton as an upscale place based on reviews that we read. The resort itself was fine, the beach was fantastic, but the food was not great. Always the same bland variety. The Covid and sanitary precautions were non existent. Glasses at the bar would receive a quick rinse before being reused. They washed the dishes and cutlery one morning for the beach restaurant in the foot wash area (cold water) down at the beach. It was evident, based on prior visits to Cuba, that the country has not recovered yet from the pandemic. We have visited the Dominican and Mexico as well in the past year, and they were fantastic in comparison.

Grand Memories Varadero: Grand Memories Varadero

This resort from the entrance looks beautiful, once you check-in is where you start to see how poorly maintained, understaffed, and dilapidated the hotel is...Rooms; musky smell, missing toilet seats, mold, vents poorly maintained and moldy, ac units dripping water, safes not working, no water or toilet paper in-room upon check in, bath tubs so high, I can only imagine how difficult it is for the seniors that were there. Overall rooms were not good at all... Grounds; need to be better mainta [... read more]ined, as you can see the age and deterioration on the grounds, tiles broken by pool areas, wood on bridges broken or severe tripping hazards, and very poor lighting throughout the resort, some areas that should have water, were empty and disgusting... Beach; beautiful, however, not enough chairs to facilitate the amount of guests at the hotel...waking up at 6am to bring ur towels to get a chair is not my idea of being on vacation... Entertainment at beach was amazing....better bar facilities also needed. Alcohol was literally beer and rum only...no other options avail. Food: I understand the supply issue, but alot of other hotels were not experiencing the issues this hotel was.. Food in buffet was horrible, and ridiculous line up for anything grilled... Al la cart: this was problematic bc again, alot of space was not being utilized because of lack of staff, therefore getting a time slot for the days you were there was frustrating. This hotel should never be rated as a 4 or 4.5 star. This hotel is nothing more than 2.5. Entertainment was mediocre. Management with the exception of one, were absolutely useless... It appears staff is overworked and exhausted at this hotel.

Melia Las Americas: Great Beach and clean hotel

Very spacious beautiful beach. Adults only, wide range in ages. Hotel was very clean with clean washrooms. Hotel is right at the Golf Course with green fees included. Cart is extra, For $5 you can store your clubs at the pro shop for the week. Also adjacent to the hotel is a shopping mall and the Xanadu Mansion. Food was good. 4 dinner a la cartes(international,Asian,Italian, BBQ/Cuban), 1 buffet, 1 24 hour snack bar. Buffet had a fresh cooked spaghetti station(choose your ingredients and sauces [... read more]) and a fresh fry chef(pork,beef,chicken,fish, shellfish, shrimp), also was a carvery(with either 1 of pork,chicken or fish). There was plenty of variety, but bring your own spices/hot sauce if you need. We did the Level room upgrade which gets you a private beach section, private pool with swim up bar, a very large(600+sqft) modern styled room, a concierge office that eagerly will help you with whatever you need onsite or offsite, and a dedicated a la carte for breakfast and lunch. Room had patio access off both the bedroom and living room and a large glass 2 entrance shower. Our room had one bathroom but some people got two bathrooms in their room. Hotel itself has a very grand spacious lobby, loads of design features(someone gave the architect free rein), a large patio off of the lobby has a stunning elevated view of the ocean and is where there is evening entertainment. A few nights a week there are beach parties or live entertainment on the beach. Staff were very friendly. Hotel is a $10U.S. Cab to centre of Varadero(about 8minutes i think) or there is a shuttle bus that goes to all the hotels, $5 for the whole day. $15cdn got us to Varadero in a 1950’s Chevy convertible. Hotel is about 30 minutes from the airport. This is one of the pricier hotels in Varadero, if you are looking at it I’d suggest going all in and getting the Level upgrade it is worth it.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Lovely resort

The location is beautiful with the grounds being very well maintained! The employees were very friendly and helpful and respectful for the most part. A few could use some more training in customer service. The beach was gorgeous!

Starfish Jibacoa: Jabacoa ,a hidden jewel, half way between Varadero and Havana.

The clean comfortable rooms housex in 4 plex cement cottages give solid privacy surrounded by open lawns sprinkled with an amazing selection of trees, probably some are at least 70 years old. The staff, from front deck, bartenders, wait staff, entertainers, and ground keepers are there to help you enjoy your worry free holiday.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great beach

The beach was amazing as always. The resort has really deteriorated over the years, I don’t think it should be rated a five star. The staff are doing amazing with what limited resources they have. They are always smiling and very courteous and welcoming. The food was well prepared and nicely presented, The cooks are very innovative with the limited food options making amazing plate presentations!!