LOOK BEOFRE YOU BOOK @ www.youtube.com/@resortwalkthroughs BEACH=The beach here has a gentle decline into the sandy white turquoise ocean. ROOMS=I switched 3 suites before I was happy with mine. They were very accommodating, but my friend saw 2 cock roaches in his 2nd floor room (right above the 1st floor that is condemned) NONO!!! It took him 3 days to get the free upgrade to the top floor ocean view. MOST DEFINITELY DO NOT STAY ANYWHERE ON THE 1st floor, and try not to stay on the 2nd floor either. Get a bungalow suite= worth the money. The bungalow villa is fantastic!! NOTE* The difference between the bungalow and the bungalow suite is the bungalow suite has TWO floors with stairs and the bungalow does not. FOOD/DRINKS= we both loved the food and drinks here & NEVER went hungry! LOCATION= 10 minute walk to the Beatles Bar ( They play old rock n roll and metal here) NOT my style and the club called La Comparsita... Now we're talking!!! (Both downtown Varadero, a very short walk away ) HIT THIS CLUB UP ON A FRI OR SAT NIGHT ONLY. It's dead any other night. Also only pay $20 US and alcohol is all inclusive here that's right! Drink your ass off & get white girl wasted. (and they close late, with VIP upstairs for after hours. This club is octagon shaped with NO ROOF, with stage/live performers for part of the eve then DJ the latest hits (English and Spanish music combo)! Dance all night under the heat of the Cuban stars or dance in the warm rain...either way this club is a win 1000% ♥ SHOPPING= Do NOT bring debit cards or mastercards to the artisans vendors. They accept CAD$ US$ and Cuban pesos ONLY. You can take the hop on hop off bus that stops at each resort and through out the Varadero strip. It is $5 US but your bill must be new (they will NO accept any damaged/ripped/pieces missing money) You can ride this from morning till round 5:00 pm. ENJOY! Just got back from 11 days. Packed chocolate and nuts in my carry on. Brought a lil blanket and my own pillow. The blankets at this resort are the old brown scratchy ones... ICK. Go & enjoy, ask for what you need & want. Be assertive. This is YOUR trip you are paying them. Remember that.

The resort was very clean and the staff were wonderful the food was amazing and the "beach beautiful" my only complaint was there was very little entertainment, I have been to Cuba 16 times and this was very disappointing all the other times I have been there was always something to do on the beach in the discos and at the resort the only constant was bingo everyday :( the other problem was if there was something going no one knew where and when something was happening no announcements

Or at least that’s what the Sunwing agent tried to explain to me at the resort because there were no toilet seats in the main building washrooms ( in the men’s washrooms) I booked my trip through trip Central as always I looked at the pictures and trusted their 4 Star rating. I’ve been to Cuba well over 10 times so I know what to expect or what can be expected while I’m there. I go for the beaches, the weather and for the Cuban people. That said, I have never experienced such a. disappointing holiday in all of my travels to Cuba. We could not get my door to the room to close properly and the safe in my room wasn’t working. I lost the whole first late afternoon and evening., having to stay in my room while they worked on the safe which they were unable to fix . I lost numerous hours over the next two days having to wait in my room while they worked on my safe we’re having to travel to the lobby and wait on staff to come to my room with a key that would open my safe.. There was no water, hot or cold in my room on the first day or night, which happens in Cuba. However, they sent me to a hospitality room to have a shower and it was disgusting. There was no soap or shampoo, no towel and the room and shower hadn’t been cleaned in weeks. I asked my Sunwing rep for assistance i.e. moving to another room or another resort preferably. She told me that this was the new Cuba. That they can’t get toilet seats and things have changed a lot since Covid. I don’t think that she knew that I’d mean to Cuba five or six times post Covid and every resort had toilet seats, and had staffed that would clean rooms and provide towels, etc. She told me that if I was switching resorts, it would be my responsibility to cover the cost of transportation and differences in resource pricing. She was constantly looking over and agreeing with the hotel relations officer, and not supporting me at all. I’m travelling to Cayo Coco at the end of the month with a group of friends … it will be interesting to see what the conditions of the resort are there. The Solymar should be rated as a 3 - 3.5 at best. If you are recommending this trip, your client should be made aware of the conditions there

I'll start off by saying all the staff were great aseral is amazing guy who brought me to my room but all the front staff and security were great not big on the food but I ate out at restaurants mostly and I do understand it's tough for Cuba for things so very understandable .I'll be back again soon

The staff were great. The pools were also great. The beach and location were amazing. 2 min it's walk to the beach and 10 minutes walk to the best part of town. The food is not bad. The rooms are a little dated but worth the value.

Firstly the beach was wonderful and the staff was very friendly. The hotel itself was very clean. On the downside, like many resorts in Cuba, the food was not great. Tasteless and lacking in variety. They have five elevators. Only one was working and that was hit and miss. The desk chair in our room was broken. We reported it three times and nothing was ever done. The toilet did not flush properly. Overall, we had fun, but I don't think I would ever want to repeat the experience.

I don't know where to begin, worst hotel ever ,first we had the 4th floor room washroom was disgusting the shower had a bathtub with rust,they changed our room to a bungalow we had creepy centipede's crawled into our room even in our bed and ant nest , dirty towel stinky beach towels only 2 bath towels per room bring your own toilet paper the lobby bathrooms have np paper and no toilet seats, ack of food and terrible food, drinks hilarious no fancy drinks all watered down pita Canada was the only drink that was close to normal, staff was very friendly except the cigar bar tender very rude ,if I asked for a fancy drink he laughed at me!!! Good luck booking this place is garentee you will hate it here!!! Don't waist your money

Hotel :Barcelo SolyMar - Varadero Update :End of May/2025 Stay: 7 days Room: Upgraded Ocean View My feedback is not about what Pictures show: the Beach,how Close to shopping or Entertaiments is an opinion about the Resort itself. For such a large list of conveniences ,no locations are provided on arrival,instead Discover at own time. Reception was approached 4 consecutives days for : Room Service: Private Ocean View Balcony: Heavy Sliding Door with no Exterior handle making it very hard to operate . Minibar: No existance Mini Fridge: for storage of Fresh daily bottle of water provided. Flatscreen TV: Poor Quality images if any. Just 1 Bottle of Water Housekeeping : Bed Sheets:Don't get replaced same for Toilet Paper unless you ask often. Faucets partially blocked providing minimum water pressure. Facilities: Elevators Stoped working mecanically for 3 out of 7 days.The use of Stairs denoted "loose" glass-metal railings,unsafe to lean .They were aware of this too but un-resolved Service: for " A la Carte" Meal reservation , only 1 hr per day provided to make reservations,if you miss out ,choice for Buffet : Here is were Services stand out: for 3 days we did not know of other places but the one across from Reception ( no others were disclosed to us) we hardly found kindness and quality of basic services,unless.... you Tiped ! Once seated with food on the table: delayed Utensils,Napkins, Water or Juice ;Wines & Drinks are diluted too. Not a pleasant experience,since Management didn't acknowledge our concers and Act on them. Does it really Feels they care ?? Name withheld.

This hotel is very large. There were very few canadian tourists when I was there. Lots of Russians and cubans. Several people including myself got food poisoning from the buffet food. When I pointed this out to the assistant manager Christian he blamed me saying I drank too much. And seem to care little. At one point he mention that he had a mild case of diarrhea and it must be something in the air. Idiot.

We had an excellent trip The hotel is a little dated The villas were very helpful when you have most of your family with you very spacious while we are there, they were working on the hotel, which was good to see trying to make things up-to-date the people were amazing they made you feel very welcome we had no issues with the food. beach was beautiful. All in all the hotel was comfortable I would definitely go back.

Would NOT recommend this hotel. Ran out of towels. And toilet paper. It’s old and needs renovation. Ran out of rum and whisky every night. Including mojito mint for drinks. Was only at 40% capacity. Rooms were super old beds very uncomfortable would NOT recommend

Great location, walking distance to downtown varadero, the food shortages in Cuba really shows at this resort not a lot of options but it was fine, I suggest hitting some of the great restaurants downtown much better quality, older hotel but clean, service was fantastic, beds very comfortable, beach is great as well, it was pretty quiet for march as a lot of people are reluctant to go to Cuba due to the shortages but things are fine there! Good relaxing vacation

Should have listen to reviews and stayed home. Worst vacation ever in 20 years. Stay away and safe your money. We are not fussy but this was the worst of the worst. Nothing to eat, no bars at beach, no entertainment….on and on and on

Terril & Ken we there at the barcelo solymar Jan. 21 to Feb. 4, 2025. This is our third time at the resort. All the staff is friendly & very helpful they try their best all the time. We had a wonderful time met lots of fun nice people. We stayed in the bungalows very nice spot very quiet beautiful hedge with red flowers leading to your spot. All the gardens we immaculate the staff work so hard every day to make this happen. We always found something great to eat & all the special restaurants to book were all great too. We walked on the beautiful beach everyday. We had great weather. We enjoyed our vacation there & will definitely come back.

Hî everything was good ´for the hotel just with sun wing i take upgrade for seat elite plus and it’s worst service I have ´I pay 140.00 for service and I pay for no service thsnks norm 514 895 6185 and they sell seat for 30.00 on the plane si I been screwed

Remember it’s Cuba and you need to know that befaure you go lol. In saying this our hotel was very nice rooms were clean staff friendly food plentifull the beach is amazing. But Cuba is by not a country with everything were us to there you can’t just go out to the store and buy apples oranges bone steaks you get what’s available but it’s good and you won’t go hungry. If you go for a walk into Varadero do bring toilet paper with you as there probably won’t be any in public washrooms oh and no toilet seats either not kidding but it’s funny lol

Thanks for requesting our review for the Barcelo Sokymar hotel at Varadero. We are not happy at all with this hotel. Our room (1128) was invaded by cockroaches. The food quality and variety was very poor. They were short of sugar, and veggies. No lettuce, no tomatoes, carrots, etc. The only vegetable for salads in the buffet was cogombers and raw pumpkin. We got sick with diarrea 4 of our 7 days in the hotel. Same apply for the drinks. As juice the use to serve a mix of a little bit of juice with water and honey. We were expecting 4* quality on the food. The towels were dirty ans short. Finally, the pools where not clean and use to smell bad, so we did not use them at all.

I have been to the resort a few times and it has never been up to the standards it used to have. It is only the staff( which I have become close friends with) that there is a reason to go there. The pool had to be closed one day because the water was green and cloudy and had to be cleaned. Buffet was below standard as was expected ( ate off resort most days).I was in a bungalow which was fine but heard the main hotel rooms were pretty bad. This was my 25th trip to Varadero so I knew what to expect.

It was my 6th time going to that resort and I love it. Love the people, love the beach and the food was ok. It was my second time this year going and I will definitely go back. I just wish that they would do more activities at the beach! But overall I love it!!!!

The hotel is in need of some major renovations, our room had paint peeling off the ceiling, dressers that wouldn't open, rust or black mold around the tub,maid service that didn't change towels or sheets all week,(had to request towels when we got there and no beach towels while others had them ) elevators out of service, Not impressed.

Hotel was nice elevator not working at times Food same every day,pool nice . Service in restaurant could improve .Staff was friendly and polite entertainment at night needs improvement The restaurant should be better organized you sit at your table no one comes to ask you if u need anything.aThere was shortage of pop and poor selection of drinks location is close to down town

Food not good. I ate out almost every day. Same food for lunch and dinner every day. Pork in everything . I don’t eat pork. Even vegetables had pork. No snack bar. Rooms not clean and hard to get towels. Staff in restuarant on cell phone. Hard to get service even after tip

First room was with mold stinks like hell changed next day, had to beg for beach towels for 2 days, no hot water, had to beg to fix it, the lock got broken, had to enter through the balcony, spent half day to fix it. The cheery on top - when transfer bus came to pick up we had to wait for someone to open the storage room with our luggage. I kind of expect any of these happened but not ALL of it in one week. Stay away if you value your vacation time! Food was ok though. I lost 5 pounds)))

Food was absolutely disgusting and should not be consumed! No bread, milk, eggs, potato’s, juice, water, soda, vodka etc. Dirty dishes. Horrible wait staff who stand around and do not take your drink order even when tipped. Mouse poop in our bungalow all over and in the fridge. Fridge, safe, and door to the room broken (we had to exchange our door key cards three times in the five days we were there). Some staff were nice, others not friendly at all. Floor of the pool is all coming apart with fragments coming off the floor of the pool. Potholes in all paths on the resort making it a bad trip hazard for all. The only two things we enjoyed on the resort was the Italian a la carte (wonderful, friendly staff, and an okay meal!), and the beach. If you’ve been to Cuba before (myself 11 times now) you always come for the beach and the people! The people are not friendly like they were prior to COVID and I feel horrible for the conditions they have to deal with.

The hotel was fairly decent. Could use some work but it’s clear there are limited supplies. Food wasn’t bad. They could use more snacks available between buffet hours. Staff was incredible. They did their best. Towels for the beach were difficult but they came through. Bungalow suite was perfect, again could use some maintenance but overall we were happy. Beach was incredible. Non motorized water sport are not included which was disappointing. Clean beautiful lobby.

Between Solymar and Occidental I"ve been there 7 or more times to this resort.It has changed a lot but there always good food and nice people,Big THANKS to Jorge at Ranchon -beach service.Lazaro was great barman at the same place.We went to Calle 62 and Beatles had a good time .Weather was beautiful, Staff gave us ssurvey on third day we were there,they should give it to before we leave .It was a good vacation

Nice and clean hotel food ok sometime no bread or eggs but over all there was always something to eat 5 elevator but sometimes all broken Staff were excellent good services hard and devoted worker Jorgue server on the beach 5 star he would run to serve you deerve an award

Hotel is old. Food is below average. But best of all is the bed bugs that's leaving the itching that topped it off. Please take it off the trip central destination list. Some of the staff are great. Front desk upgraded our first disgusting room for an extra 180 dollars and we ended with a nicer bungalow that had the bed bugs. Thanks a lot

My partner, and in-laws just came back from our recent trip to Barcelo Solymar, Varadero Cuba. Let me start by saying our travel agent Jim O'Neil was wonderful, if I had a question he was an email or a phone call away with the answer. Now- Onto the review of the trip. We went to Cuba Tuesday January 23rd - Tuesday January 30th 2024. We arrived at the resort and got checked in in no time. The staff were for the most part friendly at arrival. My partner and I were put into room 1148 and my in-laws were put into 1144. We walked into the room to our surprise the rooms were AWFUL. The sheets looked like they were just remade from the last vacationers, someone else's hair was on the pillows, the sheets were covered in stains, the floor looked disgusting. I walked into the bathroom to check that area out - all around the shower was covered in black mold, and inside the shower looked absolutely disgusting. Our safe didn't work, and the light's didn't turn on. I checked on my in-laws and their room wasn't to far off from ours. So of course I went to the front counter and complained about how the room was. Now- I am fully understanding I am going to another country that does not have the luxuries we do, so I wasn't expecting perfect, but I was expecting the sheets to be freshly cleaned at least.. After complaining about the room- My in-laws, partner and myself were upgraded to a private villa suite closer to the ocean, which turned out to be beautiful. I was very happy they accommodated us to be together. So- The first night, they ran out of soda drinks, Vodka, and white rum. They only had dark rum left the very first night we were there. It took 3 days to receive a beach towel because the laundry machine was down, which meant the sheets in the room never got changed either during the entire stay. Housekeeping cleaned the room every single day, but don't expect anything except 1 big bottle of water left in your room. We were only provided 1 bath towel each for the entire stay. Some days the bath towels we're exchanged for new towels but we had to make it known we wanted fresh towels. We asked for a few extra towels but didn't receive any. The food.. let me tell you- I travelled to Holguin last year around the same time as this trip this year, and we had more variety last year for food than we did this year. This year we did have Chicken, pork and beef every single day- but it was every single day, every single meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). they did have eggs in the morning, but no bacon, the bread was used from the dinner before and placed out the next morning. The chicken, beef and pork were provided for breakfast as well, just re-heated from dinner the night before. We had to choose our 2 a-la-cartes right away, so we chose Italian and Mexican, Italian was awful to say the least. The food was cold, very small portions, overall it was disgusting. Mexican on the other hand, was delicious!!. As the week went on, the drinks didn't get any better, we had 2 days of Vodka, and white rum- the rest of the week was dark rum only, as they ran out of everything else. They do not have Slushie drinks, so anyone wanting a slushie drink forget it, because they don't have anything slushie at all. Pina Coladas are powder, so they were thick and gross. They didn't have coffee in the buffet, bring butter if you're wanting butter because they only had butter for 2 days. The resort, don't get me wrong, is beautiful, well maintained compared to the Occidental Arenas Blancas that we were connected to. That I wouldn't pay even $700 for. Their pool was algae filled, the food was even worse and lacked then our resort. I felt bad for the people that were staying at that resort, infact alot of them came over to Barcelo Solymar to eat our food, which meant very long lines for anything coming off the grill. As stated above, Barcelo Solymar does have a beautiful resort, the beach was absolutely beautiful, the ocean was amazing, the pool was wonderful, but without any of those- this trip would have been by far one of the worst. We made the best of it, but I will not return to this resort or Cuba infact for a long time until things change there. Again, I am aware I am going to a country that is far different from where I live, so I don't expect perfect- I am the last to look at everything in a negative way, I try to see the positive and remember that Covid made Cuba take a very hard hit, there-fore I feel bad for Cubans because I know they could have beautiful places with more to offer, but they are badly suffering. I really would not spend the money for this resort. This resort is easily a 3 star resort, and I wouldn't pay over $900 for it for what you receive while you're there.

It was our first time staying at the Solymar, I would stay again if the price was right. There are a few things I wanted to mention, hopefully this will help with you trip. Front desk staff- were just ok, they really need to communicate a little better. When we checked in, only 1 other person was at the desk, so they weren't busy. The front desk staff never gave us a safe key, never told us about were to get beach towels, or were to book the specialty dinners. Safe key did not work, it took an entire day to resolve. You will have to ask a lot of questions after you arrive, it takes a couple days to figure things out. Superior room- Our room was on the first floor, room 1116. It was fine and looked a little worn, that didn't bother us. The beds were very comfortable, sheets changes everother day, 2 bath towels, no hand or face clothes. AC worked, TV worked (no remote), 1 large bottle of water is place in your fridge each day. You can fill up water bottles in the buffet restaurant. Housekeep- Did a great job, they work very long days, and that's 6 days a week. Our room was clean and in good order everyday. The house keeper for your room is who you get your beach towels from, they also change them out for you. IF you don't see your housekeeper, go to the front desk and request they get put in your room. I think they have a limited supply and have to registered to your room. If you loose a beach towel, it's just over $30 USD to replace. TIP your house keeper everyday! Bars- Great staff, and work 6 days a week as well. The staff were very friendly. PLEASE tip your bartenders, they will take care of you! Limited pop at the bars, only Sprite and Orange Fanta. They have draft beef, rum, tequila and sometimes vodka. Our drink of choice is vodka, we bought 2 bottles at Duty free on the way down, that really saved us. Buffet Restaurants- 3 buffets at day breakfast from 7-10, lunch from 12:30-3 and dinner from 7-10. The food was pretty basic, a lot of it wasn't to my liking, but I always found something to eat. Omelets in the morning!! TIP your omelet person! The service staff were great, and after a couple days they recognized us and brought our drinks or coffee to the table. Of course we tipped every meal, it was so disgusting to see how many people didn't tip. Beach- Was amazing! I love this beach so much. I would suggest IF you want a palapa you will need to put your towels on the chairs by 10am, otherwise you will be out of luck that day. Specialty restaurants- There was Italian in the lobby of the hotel, it was not good. Seafood down by the beach, we had lobster, excellent. A couple Spanish restaurants, by the beach towards Areas Blanca, Excellent, and a Mexican in the lobby of the Areas Blanca, not bad. Booking Specialty restaurants- This is done in the lobby office to the left of the elevators basically from 9-11 daily. Be there early, the line forms very fast. Try to book as many as you can, the buffet gets tried after a while. TIP the lady, we did $5 CAD, it really helped. The resort has a "STARS" dinner once twice a week, It does cost $15 USD by Credit car only, it was totally worth it. The service was like fine dinning and the 4 course dinner was amazing! Most people tried to dress up for dinner, bring some nice shirts and a nice pair of pants. Tank tops, day/beachwear is not allowed in the restaurants. Lobby and cleaning staff- The lobby is beautiful and very well maintained. The cleaning staff were working constantly, and kept it is tip top shape. What to bring- A refillable bottle of drinks, creams, suntan lotion, Benadryl or allergy medication. I got some bits from sand fleas on my legs, Benadryl and creams really helped. REMEBER , the electrical is 220v there, bring an adaptor to pug stuff in. Excursions and tour buses- ALL are paid for on credit car now, cash will not be accepted. The double decker tour bus that stops in front of the hotel, cost $5 USD, you pay when you enter the bus. The tour is about 2 hours long and you can hop off or get on all day with that $5 pass. Varadero downtown- we went a couple times, the 2 hotels you have access to are literally starts across the street. It was fine, but general expensive. Everything is in USD, beer cost $5 US each. ALSO if you every need to go the bathroom, good luck. It costs $1 USD or 200 pesos. If you don't pay you can't go in, there sometimes locked. The cleaning lady stands out front with the toilet paper, you get 2 squares...LOL Sometimes no toilet see, we felt we were being extorted and we were eating in the place, it was a turn off. Money and CC- Bring Canadian for some tipping, not $1/$2 try can't do anything with it. The Cubans want USD, bring singles, $5's, 10's. 20,s. You will need CC if you want to do any excursions, notify your bank before you go! You can exchange money on the bus to the hotel to get you started, don't buy too much. The lobby bar in the hotel will convert your money to pesos. Generally speaking $10 USD gets you 2400 pesos. We changed about $100 USD over the course of our 2 weeks. Tipping is generally about 200-300 pesos for each meal at the buffet, 400-500 pesos for housekeeping, Bartenders 200 pesos per 2 drinks. General composition of guest- When we were there it was 40% Russian, 30% Quebecois, and 30% Spanish/English and everyone else. The number of Russians really suppressed me, I guess they can go too many places anymore, so there is CUBA. Well that's it, if you get good price, try it out. This a 3-3.5 star, the price has to make sense for me to go back.

We did not have a pleasant experience with the hotel, the room smelled moldy and the bed sheets were very old and stained, they provided only two towels for showers, no hand or face towels at all, this hotel is in very good location with beautiful beaches that needs renovation badly, the food also was bad, plates were not clean , low quality service, not following hygiene, no fruits or choice of drinks. as other guest said I also will not travel Cuba again. Very poor condition all over after Covid.

Vacation Date Nov. 25th to Dec. 2/23. Changed rooms 3 times in the main bldg. Had 1 beach towel (received 3rd day) and 1 bath towel slightly larger than a hand towel for the whole week. Laundry problem. Had 1 sheet on the bed that did not fit properly and had to take the sheet off the 2nd bed for a top sheet that I used for the entire week. I killed 3 large cockroaches I found in the bathroom area. There was no hot water for a shower the last 2 days. Toiletries are scarce so please bring everything with you including extra kleenex and toilet paper. Food is basic but everyone knows this. The beach is beautiful and location is good for going into town. Issued formal complaint to the hotel, Sunwing rep. and TripCentral.

busted light bulbs ,black grime on bathtub . limited food no drinks no wine no pop. dirty pools closed restaurants. for the last 25 years I have been traveling to cuba 3 times a year and this has got to be the worse experience yet. I will not recommend this place to my worst enemies. very sad😪

Beach and sun are a given, the BEST anywhere. Hotel in great need of repair. Main lobby only ONE toilet functioning, and 2 toilets no locks on doors, one out of service and they are at the end of the building. The toilets by the bar, haven’t been is service for years. Of all the elevators there, after 14 days, Two worked, then one, and on the day of departure no elevator functioning. We changed rooms a few times to find a bungalow with everything working. Food….. poor selections no bacon ever at breakfast, no fresh salads, coffee shortages, often they ran out, no wine only at Specialty, , and even then rationed. Very disappointed…..we’ve overlooked many things over the years, but this year was the worst. No real repairs done in years, the waitresses did their best, working staff in the buffets worked hard… I’m sorry to be so honest as most of us always overlook what’s happening, just to keep the staff working.

Great staff,happy and grateful. 1 of 5 elevators working for over a week. Check out day, no elevators working for guests: One toilet on the entire main floor with a door That locked ! My room 1362 had no working room phone , No remote for tv; no working fridge: I stayed here twice before in a bungalow with better working amenaties:

Great staff,happy and grateful. 1 of 5 elevators working for over a week. Check out day, no elevators working for guests: One toilet on the entire main floor with a door That locked ! My room 1362 had no working room phone , No remote for tv; no working fridge: I stayed here twice before in a bungalow with better working amenaties:

The staff were very welcoming and helpful. I had trouble walking and the staff helped me with my dinner plates and servings. Wish there were more choices for Dinning in the hotel. Not happy with Buffett. Food was average but tasty. No bacon lots of pork servings. Fish was served with bones and that is a big turn off. The main Lobby still haven’t fixed the bathroom and this has been since 2020. Last day all Elevators were down. Beautiful surrounding and location close to the beach. All hotel had problems with elevators due to parts hard to come by in Cuba!

I have been to this resort before. This time there were alot of steady shortages. Sometimes no eggs in the morning or ham. Rarely had coffee, cappuccino machine broken. 4 out of 11 days they ran out of beer at the bars. Usually they had more by afternoon. I was aware of the shortages so it didn’t bother me. There was always something to eat, but don’t expect a Mexico all inclusive breakfast lunch and dinner. The benefit is, you will lose weight! Pool is always great, beach is paradise. The room was good enough for someone who doesn’t spend much time in there. The AC worked great! Am going back in March!

I realize CUBAN food at any resort is rather bland...BUT... SERIOUSLY...no bacon all week...chicken legs.. potatoes as a choice first thing in morning...server dropping basket of buns..picking up back in basket and out back on table PASTA..PASTA..PASTA. 4 star resort...1 elevator of 3 working...1 washroom on ground floor been shut down for last month. Wrong time of year to go...low season...90% of vacationers from CUBA also bring their family...no manners or respect..,#1.. litter pool area with empty plastic cups..#2.. breakfast and supper , head up with empty plates filling up with buns, mini cakes taking back to table after breakfast and taking to pool area and rooms. 2 star resort ..not a 4

I want to start by saying I love Cuba and the people. I have visited over a dozen times and have never experienced these issues. This last visit was very disappointing and has discourage me from ever going back. From the time we got to the resort it have been nothing but upsetting. The rooms were dirty, no towels were available until the 4th day. I kept getting the run around from staff. We had to change rooms three times due to issues. As for the food, I was aware of the food shortages and I'm not a picky person when it comes to food but this trip the food was the lowest quality i have experienced. It forced us to eat off resort for the whole week. I wish my experience was different.

Spring for the updated bungalows. The food is decent, the pools are kept as clean as chlorine availability allows, and you can use three resorts for the price of one. Beach is beautiful, of course, it is Varadero. The proximity to town is great and it's nice to walk around during the day and possibly go to the nearby bars and clubs at night. Cuba is having issues with everything, so please don't go if you are expecting it to be like Mexico, Dominican, Jamaica, or even like Cuba of 2-3 years ago, it is not, nor will it be close as long as their trading partners are at war.

Pools were dirty, food was so bad my husband and I got sick with diarrhea, barely any food only ham and bread sandwiches rooms keys constantly break, no activities nothing to do. And was super expensive Maybe if this place was a lot cheaper it’d be worth the price But this was not the best experience Only good thing is this place was by the town where the food was much better and the beaches.

Well kept . Maid sevice very good. Staff very nice and helpful. Everyone was very friendly. Alfredo was very attentive to our needs and made us feel at home. Will definitely stay there when i take my next trip to cuba

Well kept . Maid sevice very good. Staff very nice and helpful. Everyone was very friendly. Alfredo was very attentive to our needs and made us feel at home. Will definitely stay there when i take my next trip to cuba

Stuff were lovely and very pleasant. We had no running conditioning for one day but it was fixed the next day. We had no water for one day but no issues for the rest of the stay. Toilet would not flush for almost a day and we had a reoccurring problem the next day. Towels were very difficult to obtain. We had four beach towels for the five of us for the entire seven day stay. Mattress was comfortable. Showers had some mild in it. There was a laundry facility emergency and so we also had to continue to ask for clean bath towels. We were always short on those but the cleaning lady did her best to provide them as soon as they became available. Big swimming pool turned green one day and it took it two days to be able to use again. We had other swimming pools to our disposal. Food was ok but could be better. Repetitive. Had to ask for spoons for ice cream. I did see some roaches on the floor and on the deli meet in the restaurant (on one occasion). The buffet had very few options to drink available for the kids and would often run out of alcohol for grown ups. The bars had alcohol no problem. There was one snack bar available which only had sandwiches but they were very tasty. No body got sick. Again, the stuff were always pleasant. The beach was spectacular. Swimming pools were great. Entertainment was fun but a bit too late for small kids to stay and enjoy (it would start at 9:30).

To be honest I would never go back or to Cuba...I would spend extra money and go to the Dominican or Costa rica..How Cuba can operate the way they are now is mind boggling worst vacation ever Sorry for being Honest.

Resort was good, bonus was we were allowed to use the Resort nxt door. Food was adequate at the buffet and very good at all 4 A la Carte restaurants. Rooms were clean but basic, staff here were excellent everywhere.

Hotel is not what it used to be. Under staff food is worse no working ac or hot water in our room. They were uder stocked of juices alcohol and food. I would never go back there again unfortunately because i do love cuba.

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 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.

Varadero Cuba is my favourite place in the whole world. This resort was made up of 3 different hotels and I paid extra for a Suite Bungalow at Barcelo Solymar. We had no A/C for the first 4 nights when we were finally moved to a new unit. Supplies were hit and miss, and the staff did little to keep us informed. I will not stay there again.

The hotel has a lot to offer and grounds are very well maintained. All the staff right from the front desk to the gardeners are always pleasant. Spent a week in a bungalow and was not disappointed at all. The location is a few minute walk to the boulevard and a ten minute walk to the best piñcolada bar!!!

It was a 4 Day, Girls Trip to Barcelo Solymar, Cuba. However, half of this resort was under renovations. We made used of its Sister Hotel, Occidental Arenas Blancs. We had everything we needed between these two hotels. This trip was very exciting, since the hotels were situated across the street from Downtown, Cuba, where, the Famous Calle 62, still is....Live Cuban Music and Dancing. The Havana Club is, still just down the street from Calle 62. There was Disco Music for Dancing, from 11 pm to 3 am. Also, the Famous Beatles Bar, was also in this Downtown Area. It has nightly a vast selection of Live Music from 8 pm, free of charge. The location of Barcelo Solymar was perfect in every way. We stayed at the beautiful bungalows....and the food was Cuban Style. Since we had a choice of two hotels, to be entertained, to eat and to explore, I feel this is the best choice for Downtown Varadero Hotels, which met our needs in everyway.

The main Hotel it's closed the other room they were given to us are worse the footage worse the food is bad p a process the ticket because of the main Hotel renovated but that was close ,?????????????¿

I've stayed at Barcelo Mexico in the past, which is why I chose this resort over the others. The beach is amazing - white sand, and the water is clear and pretty calm. Most of the shore didn't have rough rocks/boulders like I've experienced in the past, so it was pleasant entering and exiting the ocean. the boardwalk to the ocean is falling apart. The location is great. You are able to use the facilities of the resort next door. If you walk through the other resort's lobby, downtown Varadero is a 2-5 minute walk. Not too far from the airport, so the bus ride is pretty short. When we did the catamaran trip to Cayo Blanco the bus ride was only 5-10 minutes. The spa inside the resort was closed. I'm not sure if it is permanent or because they had a huge leak. The leak was in front of where the gym is located. The gym is dingy and humid. I did not see anyone use it during my stay. The resort looked a bit rundown in general. The decorative fountains are turned off. Make sure you bring any toiletries and clothes you may need. I have more appreciation for how accessible basic things are here in Canada. The resort has a couple tiny stores that probably won't have what you need. The only sunscreen they had was 50ml for $20 CAD. My boyfriend lost his sunglasses and couldn't find a single pair in Varadero (finally found some at the airport) The resort does host games like bingo, bowling, and mini put a couple times a day. There is a schedule on the wall in the resort. Always a bottle of Havana Club for the winner. The bar kept running out of mint, so they couldn't always make mojitos. They don't have the stuff available for Mimosas either. There was no bar in the pool - technically the rules on the wall state no drinks even allowed in the pool. The pools are very shallow and there is barely any shade. There are no longer any canopies for the lounge chairs. The structures are still there but there are no tops. For a pool with some depth you have to go over the other resort. After spending time there, the photos I see on tripadvisor must be from when they first opened because the buildings are no longer colourful as shown. Also, the pool by the lobby looks way larger in the photos but they've definitely reduced the size. The ceiling in the bathroom of the room leaked and when we first arrived there was no hot water which took a day to fix. The room itself it pretty basic but the mini fridge is only stocked with water. No sodas, tea, or coffee... despite there being a coffee machine available. Half the outlets didn't work. I had to use the outlet beside the bed for my flatiron, which was annoying because there was no mirror there. The pillows are basically two body polyester pillows so I found it awkward with two people trying to use the same pillows. The food is terrible. Often the same food for lunch and dinner. Either very bland or too much vinegar and often over cooked. Seen a roach crawling on the wall a couple times in the cooking area. I ate very little. There were only three a la carte options - Italian, Cuban, and ex-seafood. It's ex-seafood because the restaurant use to be a seafood place but it isn't anymore. Not sure what they served there because we didn't choose it. I found the servers either were awesome or a little rude. A couple times we sat down, ate, and left without the server ever coming over to even say hi. However, the good servers are great. Once we figured out who were the awesome ones we pretty much always sat in their areas so are experience with servers improved as our time there passed. Overall, I didn't enjoy the experience and I was ready to go home half way through the vacation - which I've never felt as such on a vacation before.

everyone in the hotel knew about my allergy to shellfish and a week ago in this hotel at the italian restaurant (snack bar) I had an allergy and ended up in the hospital because they did cross contamination, the hotel food was horrible, you can't eat any food outside from the snack bar and you have to be dry and eat your food sitting in the restaurant you can't take the food out they only have chicken sandwich most of the time they often put chlorine in the pool at 10am when people are in the pool , at night the hotel is very dark it has very little light , the rooms have ants , the hot water takes time to arrive , my safe did not work , I do not recommend this hotel and less to people with allergies

I have been to varadero many times in my life. I have experienced many resorts from memories caribe to Melia continental. This resort is fairly basic compared to the other 2 mentioned. The bad, the pool at barcello has very limited shade with no swim up bar. My room flooded with the rain, but it was not a huge issue as I didn’t have anything on the ground. There was supposed to be 3 resorts included with your stay, but one of them is closed. The map is very confusing and hard to follow. I did not find things until later in my stay. The food was severely lacking which was expected for Cuba. Be warned, It was a lot worse than normal. Cucumbers were rare and cabbage, carrots, and potatoes were the only non meat items. Bananas did not exist and only local fruit. The 24 hour restaurant only serves ham sandwiches and maybe an unappetizing hamburger. They did not have many activities besides beach volleyball. Not even a net in the pool. The good. The stay does get inclusion to the occidental. The pool there is better and it is livelier. The grounds were immaculate with hedges and gardens everywhere. The dining room was very pretty and the bars were plenty. The beach is a very short walk over protected forest and is stunning. This is an amazing resort for a basic resort. It is dated and requires some renovations. Recommendations For those that just want the beach and some sun, this is a great place. For those that want a spa, activities, shopping, or just a bit of fluff, I would search elsewhere. I enjoyed my stay as I just wanted to sleep on the beach.

The rooms had bugs! Water leaked from the ceiling. You only get 1 bottle of water a day. Limited booze and food sucked. Beach is beautiful and people and staff are friendly but definitely not going back. Entertainment consists of bingo...

The property is well maintained, staffs are really really friendly and helpful. Food was not that great but given the countries overall situation it was more than acceptable. The resort is only walking distance from the entertainment area/downtown.

Having been to Cuba over 9 times I must say this was by far the worst experience. Starting with the check-in, upon walking to the room the safe was completely broken and we had to go back and forth to the lobby and waited over 2 hours for it to get fixed causing us to miss dinner ( what a start). Woke up for breakfast super hungry since we had not eaten all night but the food was absolutely not fit to be eaten. That trend continued the whole week, the buffet is the same every single day weather you are having breakfast, lunch or dinner. The a la carte restaurant ( only 3 ) were serving the same food as the buffet but even worst. Italian a la carte did not even serve pasta and served the same pizza you found in the buffet again not at all fit to be eaten. Folks there is 1 and I repeat 1 salt shaker in the whole resort! They would pass it around the tables if you asked for salt like whaaat!!! Imagine going to an all inclusive to be forced to eat out every day what is even the point??? Now to the service, you would find the staff all bundled up at a bar chit chatting and on their phones while they serve you and not even make eye contact! Half the time they did not even have simple drinks. They constantly ask you for money and I am not talking about tipping just out of nowhere they come to you asking for money and clothes like where am I?? I understand its a third world country but the staff asking me for money while I am walking to go to my room? Harassing me for clothes while I am lying at the pool??? Room service, the lady came to our room twice in 7 days, we had to keep the same towels because there was not enough in the resort?? At least they didn't pass the towels around like the salt shaker ( at least I hope). Wifi is a disaster it will disconnect and reconnect at will and front reception will just tell you ''ahh not today sorry'' . Made us check out at 12 when flight was leaving at 8 knowing that resort had a 20% occupancy so why make us leave the room so early have a little decency com-on. I was sick for 3 days from the food and lack of hygiene. Everything in the resort is overpriced and you constantly feel like they are trying to rip you off. We had staff in the resort offering us drugs knowing it is completely illegal in Cuba and a criminal offence to do so ( felt like a plot to trick us). You would see locals during the day with no bracelet having food and drinks but would suddenly disappear at night. All in all DO NOT I repeat DO NOT book this place I will be making a formal complaint against the resort and keep in mind this is my 9th time in Cuba and it is the first time I am even taking the time to write a review because I feel it is so important to save my fellow travellers from having to go through this misery again.

The people at the hotel are lovely and helpful. The A la carte restaurants were great. I would recommend for all meals as the buffet was lacking variety. Mixed drinks were not great. Beer was good. The coffee bars had good coffee selection of hot drinks. The hotel is becoming dated and worn. There are a number of things that need fixing such as sidewalks, electrical, benches. The beach is stunning! The area is close to downtown which is why I chose this hotel. The main strip has been built up with a variety of new restaurants and night clubs. The Beatles bar was disappointing as they did not serve beer or wine only cocktails that I did not enjoy.

I understand the situation in Cuba, and that a 3.5 star hotel there would not be the same as a 3.5 star in Canada but I never could have imagined the condition of this hotel. The hotel is leaking, and the ceiling is falling down in many places. Railings are dangerously loose and puddles/ spills go hours without being mopped up. I slipped many times and found the hotel to be generally unsafe. We had to switch rooms because of a severe leak in our ceiling that was dripping through a light fixture. Our original room also looked as though the bathroom had not been cleaned before we got there. Our second room was full of mold from the curtains to the lamp shades. There was evidence of termites, and we saw cockroachs on the property as well. Food cleanliness was not a thing here. The buffet was inedible. It went beyond missing a few items as we normally would expect in Cuba. This food was disgusting. It was covered in bugs, uncooked meat was kept out in the open and chefs used the same utensils for the uncooked meat as the other food. Glasses came dirty and with lipstick on them. There was very little I felt comfortable eating. There were 5 al le carte restaurants on site, but only 3 were open. The food in these restaurants was the same that was served at the buffet. The buffet was also only open certain hours of the day, and there was no where to eat outside of these hours. Although this was all inclusive, they made it very hard to get a drink. The only options were Rum, one type of draft beer, two types of wine, and three other spirits. Drinks were served in small paper cups that held about three sips and quickly fell apart. No matter what you ordered you would usually get rum. Online it states that the mini fridge in our room would have water, snacks and beers. This was not true. You got one bottle of water in your mini fridge, replaced every two days. When ours was replaced it was half full, making it appear that it had been refilled from the tap. We were not comfortable drinking Cuban tap water. This practice was also evident in the al le carte restaurants, where our water was poured from one of these bottles that was noticeably yellowed and worn. You had to pay for additional bottled water to drink and the price changed every day. On top of all this the staff throughout the hotel were very rude. Unless you spoke to them in Spanish they brushed you off or did not help you. There were many locals at this hotel, and not many foreigners or other Canadians. We got the feeling we were not wanted there. When we turned away glasses with lipstick on them the waiters would give us dirty looks and shook their heads at us. The only thing nice was the beach. We ended up paying extra money to leave early with a different air line.

Beautiful beach and great view. 80% locals in resort hogging the food and leaving messes everywhere. I will Not return to Cuba. Was my 6th time. Food shortages and way too much change for me. Mexico next time.

We booked the Barcelo Solymar hotel, when we got there they put us in the Arenas Blancas which is a cheaper hotel and we still got charged the full price for the Barcelo Solymar. The food was always the same every day they made everyone put their bags at the door where it could easily be stolen, so while eating always worried that it would go missing. Not very impressed, at the time of our booking i’m sure they knew it was closed due to renovations it took for ever to be able to book to start off and i had already stayed at the Arenas Blancas twice before so i wanted a change and the buffet is bigger at the Barcelo solymar and a bar pool and a bigger lobby bar. This review is for the Arenas Blancas not for Barcelo solymar it was closed for renovations and we were not advised about it and we paid more for this hotel, i paid for 2 weeks plus a land person for 2 weeks. Denise from Moncton NB

I had booked the Barcelo Solymar and to my surprise, when I arrived, the hotel was closed so I stayed at the Arenas Blancas next door. The Arenas was clean, very spatious, excellent beach, great pool size but no swim up bar like the Barcelo had. The food was ok as the selection in Cuba was not a choice. the staff were really nice as well. The animation didn't have there usual games and stuff which I found boring but great evening shows as usual. because was 98% cuban families, the screaming children, especially on the beach was getting too much...

One thing is for sure.. book the bungalow do not stay in the building! Absolute mess and moldy musty smell. Couldnt breath. Finally I asked to change rooms after 3 days. At first it wasnt too bad but overtime it felt like it was getting worse so I upgraded. Work with the front desk for a deal to the bungalow. It is definitely worth it! The Cuban people are absolutely beautiful in every way, they really took care of me. Treat them as a true Canadian, with a smile and mos definitely tips. The food... no. Food is meh A la cart seafood was my best meal all week. Book it. If you want a real nice meal go into Varedero or a hidden Gem in Santa Maria called La Fiesta Del Carbon jst a little outside Varedero. Worth it trust me. $10 cab to get there. This place I would reccomend for 20-40. Def a party spot as it is about a 5 min walk to the clubs in town. But I think it lacked women. Lol, too many dudes when I went but I think people jst reccomend this resort because of the young crowd so all guys go there and the ratio from men to woman is very dominant to the men side in my opinion during the time I went. Family's dont bother trust me, not so good for kids as it can be noisy during all times. Overall great experience, the beach of course is beauty and the whole stay at one play at 2 resorts was cool but I would prob not return to this resort only because I never go back to a resort I've already been to. If anything maybe I go back with friends only because of the staff. Your call dont overthink it but definitely get the bungalow!

We have stayed at the Barcelo Solymer 3 times now and love it, hotel is a bit dated, but they continue to do upgrades. the staff is amazing. anytime we had any issues they were dealt with immediately. we will be going back again

It was a good resort. We encountered some problems. There was no water at all for the most part of one day throughout the entire hotel. We only had cold showers for the other 6 days. It did not get to 50 degrees at all, more like 40 degrees. There was no hot water. The people were great, the hospitality was top notch. Huge resort and they were keeping up with the up grades. So huge that there was a lot of walking being done to go throughout the entire resort. I had no problems with this. 3 ⭐️’s

Positives: location is right downtown, within walking distance of the local markets, rum store, clinic, local restaurants and live entertainment (Calle 62, Beatles Club), Dance Clubs (La Comprisita, Havana Club). Beach is awesome, food is average (always something to eat), A la Carte Restaurants are above average (Seafood, Spanish, and Mexican restaurant). Drinks are delicious! Hotel is clean, service is decent, staff are nice. We also had full access to the resort next door, Occidental Arenas Blancas. We were there often as well. Negatives: our room: bathroom sink leaked for the first 5 days; hot water was luke warm at best (50 degr, not higher). No water for whole hotel for 3/4 of the 6th day due to repairs; Our safe was defective and needed repairs. I called the Service Desk multiple times for the sink leak to be fixed, but the mechanic never showed. They said to stay in the room and wait, but we were on vacation, and could only wait for so long..

From the moment we drove up I was slightly optimistic with the bright exterior colors. My party vacationed from feb 17-24,2020 We arrived late due to flight delay. Once we checked in staff was not that friendly but tired... which we later found out the entire staff is older and exhausted. Entertainment was minimal and I’d rate it a 1 star for rooms in hotel 2 star for Bungalow rooms 5 Pool 2 fountain broke, lights not working, no music and pool bar below service level was the pits . Resort had no wine for sangria drinks. During the week the hotel Was repainted as it went under new management!!! If your looking for a 2 star hotel close to downtown then it’s your place. If you really want service and resort feel you will have to go up the strip towards the marina if you really want a good experience. Previous trips to varadero was to the hotels up the strip and were always happy happy times. This resort was a huge let down and recommended if you like young kids wanting to drink n party with no concern for looks and friendliness. Food was like being at a camp :( again so sad to see everything exhausted including staff.

Went to this hotel 5years ago, and was great. Decided to go again this year in February and I made BIG mistake. Hotel is worn out, rooms need to be upgraded,old beds, old mattresses, tiles failing from walls in washrooms, rusted buth tabs. Hallways in the hotel had bad odor stinks like washrooms. Food for breakfast no complain, but to get omelet or scrambled egs wait is 15 min. in line. Lunch and diner they served the same food or what ever is left over from lunch they put back for dinner.They wore doing surveys every week from the guest in the hotel and I thin they got very negative feedback. The only good thing for this is hotel is the beach and the location, center of Varadero close to all the bars, restaurants, clubs, stores and fleamrket, all waking distance.The hotel definitely is not 4 stars as advertised on some web sites.

I think the hotel has potential, but the bathroom is falling apart. It would be nice a little more entertainment at the beach was no wine, this was a huge turn-off. no towels in the bathroom. no too many choices in the restaurants

The resort was good all around Food was a lot better in the à la carte then buffet but the buffet offered lots of different options. Room was clean. Resort was cleaned every morning. Always staff to help.excursions where we’ll planed and the staff on excursions where very professional.

When you stay at Barcelo Solymar you actually get access to 3 connected resorts. The grounds for all 3 are absolutely beautiful. The beach the resort borders is perfect and was one of the least busy that we've seen on the Veradero strip. You can take your time after eating breakfast and still manage to get a spot under a cabana. There are several nice pools on the resort and all the poolside bars are comfortably out of the water. For hygienic reasons this was actually pretty nice. The location of the resort is one of its biggest positives. The resort is just within walking distance of downtown Veradero but far enough away that there aren't any of the negative aspects. The food wasn't the best but I've been told you don't go to Cuba for the food. The rooms are clean and adequate enough as I imagine most guests won't spend much time in their rooms. One thing to note is that there weren't many other Canadian tourists at this particular resort in our experience. Lots of guests from Spain, Italy, France, and Russia. We've definitely met our share of rude guests and a lot of littering. Some tourists would throw their plastic cups on the ground when garbage cans were easily in reach. Lots of tourists would smoke cigarettes on the beach and litter it with their butts.

My experience at Barcelo Solymar was beyond words. The night colors and friendly staff were so welcoming and made my stay feel safe and happy. I will definently be back again! There was always so much to do, especially with downtown just a fee feet away from the hotel. A must stay place for your vacation!! Highly recommended :)

I loved having a bungalow and the view we had from there was awesome. kept very clean. The ground area well taken care of. The services was wonderful. Great food. Loved the beach. Loved the breeze off the ocean and all the trips you could take. First time to Cuba loved ever minute of it.

We were a group of 14 people visiting for 1 week at Barcelo Solymar. For my 50th birthday. Ages 9 to 65 years old. We all loved the resort. There was something for everyone. There maybe could have been more for the 9 year old. The grounds were beautiful. There was alot of painting going on, all the buildings seem to be getting a fresh coat. All of the staff were fantastic. Our room was lovely. We were pleased with the service. The first time I showered the water was cold. We discovered if you ran the water for a bit the hot water came on. After that the water was always hot. The main building is for party people. We were in bungalow 27. Far away from the party yet close enough that we could join the party when we wanted. The walk to Varedero was 10 minutes and that was fantastic for night life and daytime shopping. The beach was stunning and well kept. The food was excellent. I was happy to see salt and pepper on the tables. There was no peanutbutter or jam. We liked the Mexican al a carte and the seafood. The Italian left a little to be desired as the pasta was overcooked. We liked being able to enjoy both resorts for food and entertainment. We will definitely return but wonder if the prices will be higher in the future due to the renovations, it is going to be beautiful and look very 5 starfish. We did the premier jeep excursion. It was not jeeps but all wheel SUV style vehicles. A great day, a fantastic way to see Cuba and partake in snorkeling, swimming in the caverns, boating, Omar's farm and what seemed like a provincial park for lunch. We hired Eyewitness Cuba for a trip to Havanna, they where very knowledgeable and gave us a great day. They can be found on Facebook and TripAdvisor. We are planning to try to return for all the big birthday's in our group!

This was the most god awful resort I’ve ever been to. Every single bar does not have something, whether it’s pop or a type of liquor, so be prepared to walk to another one. There’s a disco that no one uses and is shit down at 12am. We had ice cold water for a week straight, front desk told us a mechanic was coming to our room and had us wait there for three hours, only to find out it is a hotel wide issue and no one was coming. We switched room four times due to cockroach infestation in two different rooms. When we tried to contact the sunwing rep late at night, he did not answer. The manager at the front desk would not call for us, and told us we would be charged for calling from our room. The entertainment team does the least possible. We asked for music at the pool other than Russian jazz and were told we need to wait until 2:30pm every day. I highly recommend not going to this resort.

food no good couldn't digest nothing (im well aware of the food in cuba been there had better) , elevator wasn't working half the time, ac was barely working like almost asking me for help, patio door impossible to open unless you bench 200lbs daily, room was humid?, got a superior room and no king size bed only 2 double...great deal?, barely any chair at the beach... exchange rate at the hotel was a total rip off (usual but not by tthat much).. all and all I would go somewhere else. I was with friends so I had fun at least!!

Public areas of the hotel were very clean. Staff were always cleaning floors and sweeping outside areas. Maids did a good job of making up the room daily. Maintenance responded quickly when we reported an issue with our balcony door.

We enjoyed everything about our vacation. We stayed in a bungalow superior. The room was clean and comfortable. Housekeeping staff were efficient and pleasant. Pool towels were provided in room which we had no problem exchanging when required. We could always find something enjoyable at the buffet. Our only complaint would be that other than food served off the grill it was not very hot. The staff in the restaurants and throughout the resort were friendly and courteous to everyone. We attended some of the evening shows which were very entertaining. The beach is gorgeous and of course is the main attraction. We enjoyed the location of the hotel which allows for easy walking throughout the town. We are repeat guests and will definitely be planning a return visit.

We'd been at Barceló Solymar a few times along the past ten years but decided this was the last. Even with a renovated buffet restaurant and reception desk, the rest of the hotel is screaming for repairs. So many things don't work. The hotel has five elevators but only two work. Some days the maid couldn't leave clean towels and toilet paper! At many times during the day you can't have a hot water shower. In our room the shower glass door was broken so it was hard to take a shower without soaking the entire bathroom. With regards to the food, I noticed a decrease in quality from previous trips. The hotel staff are usually polite but they talk to each other loudly from one corner to the other as if they're alone.The beaches are beautiful, but I'd say if you want to enjoy them, try a better hotel.

Came to this resort 10 years ago and it was amazing! Everyone was happy and it was a lot of fun! Maybe I’ve grown up a little however the people were not happy at all! Every bar was always busy and the drinks were not good! All the bartenders were mad if you asked for anything besides a beer! The gift shop charges 25$ just to use VISA so for some Pringle’s and a couple red bull it was almost $50 American, so like 65 Canadian! The food was not as bad as everyone was saying, however there was frequent trips to the washroom after every meal! Would not recommend this resort to any avid travelers! First timers maybe! However the hotel location is great only a two beer walk into town to checkout all the little shops and the Beatles bar which was fun! All and all not horrible but not even close to being a great hotel! Shout out to the bartender JORGE!!! He made the trip worth while

Disappointing with all. From service to rooms. Yes rooms I had to change 3 times. First room no ac and no handle at the balcony door. Second no hot water. Third bearable. Not clean and with a strange smell. Avoid at all cost

As a newbie to both all-inclusives and Cuba, I was wondering what to expect, so of course I turned to Google. Reading the reviews had me a bit nervous. So much of what I read turned out to be true, so I don't want to repeat the obvious truths - the food is no bueno, to be sure, and complaints about days of no hot water, leaking plumbing, no air conditioning in the MAIN building were rampant. However, I stayed in the bungalows, and my stay there was pleasant. What I hadn't read about was the public bathrooms (ladies, anyway). In the lobby, the toilet had no seat! Around the pool lounges, most stall doors didn't lock and the lights were never on. When I did find a door that locked, it didn't really matter, as the stall door was so short anyone over 5' tall would be able to see that the stall was occupied. Last comment about the public bathrooms, don't expect the sinks to be securely fastened to the wall, or to have running water for that matter. Finally, don't do what I failed to do. Take Ducoral. Do it. I spent the last four days in Cuba near my room, unable to eat, and that carried on for another three days once getting home. It made for a very unpleasant trip home... And I tell you, I was extremely vigilant about what I ate and drank. Well, at least I learned a few things and got a great tan :)

I came with my sister, ages 26 and 21 and this is definitely a party resort. So close to walk into town, about a 2 beer walk to the beetles bar and calle 62 if you cut through arenas blancas. Beaches are beautiful and clean, staff are great, food isn’t that good we ate in town most nights. Do NOT lose your towel they will give you a very hard time but overall- if you’re looking for a good time and to party this is the place to go. Definitely had wild nights here.

I have been to Barcelo resorts 2 times in the past. My review is based on my experience in relation to this past visit. - We ordered an upgraded oceanview room, checked in at 7pm, no room for us available. Had to stay in on a lower level of bungalow and awoke to find bugs in the room. Moved to our oceanview room the next day, AC not working properly. - Less food options and restricted to specific times. Resort ran out of Mint for Mojito's - Less activities to do and lack of signing out volleyballs, soccer balls, etc. - Not as clean (broken glasses served to me, damage to rooms & lobbies, smell of urine from bathrooms, had to bring to resort attention that there was blood on the floor from the elevator to the doors leading to outdoor pool, beach needs to be cleaned a little as I found broken glass and garbage in some areas) - Lack of sufficient light at night in the hotel as many lightbulbs were out, hard to see turning the corner from elevator. - Resort should have an ATM in the lobby, had to walk half an hour into town to use ATM. The list goes on, however all these minor items do start to add up and create frustration, something I shouldn't experience on vacation. I am being told there is food strikes, power strikes, and a power struggle between Cuban Government and Owners of Barcelo. Had I known there was this commotion going on I may have decided to vacation somewhere else. Cuba is very lovely, safe, and a great place to vacation. Highly recommend visiting Havana.However the overall service at Barcelo has gone downhill and should be looked into asap. Once again, my vacations before at Barcelo were much better.

This resort was awesome. It was clean and the food was pretty good. The landscape, trees and flowers were beautiful. It is a quiet resort. The people are so friendly. The a la carte restaurant are very good. Beach beautiful.

The resort needs more care from the management regarding some small details which make sometimes the differences between a great lace and a horrible one Because the good is already forgotten (great location and gorgeous beach) I will remember only the bad things. The smell in the kitchen, the cockroaches, the lack of food management (you should run at the first hour otherwise the risk to find only leftovers is big) the lack of towels. We need to tip hard the maid, otherwise, she just won:t change em. We are ok with tips (its Cuba) but we should tip for good service after not before. The beach towel was left from the previous guests and we did not know. After 3 day was a horrible smell on them. Nobody changes it. Very inconvenient and disgusting After the western guest left, the new wave was Russians and Latino, the overall quality drop. I guess is the lack of knowledge of what mean a 4-star hotel and people get used to being offered bad quality services. Anyhow the management stuff is super great, they will help if asked, and the general impression is ok (for the price), the nightly show is of 5-star international level - we will come back but with lower expectations.

If you plan on spending a lot of time in your hotel room then..this resort is not for you. The room's are not the greatest and could use some upgrading. This resort is fun for drinking by the pool side, meeting new people, the beach and walking the strip off the resort to clubs & restaurants. Make sure to bring money to exchange for Cuban pesos for your money's worth and vacation experience. Tipping always looks good while spending your vacation in Cuba as it can give you priority service. I've been to Cuba more than 3 times and this resort would be my top choice.

the resort it self was amazing! food was great although could have changed the foods once in a while, beaches were amazing , our room got an upgrade to a bungalow due to renos, which was fine. minutes from town shopping and amazing staff. pools and bars were amazing, will be comming back soon:)

I came back very sick ( until now ). Bacteria in the water and food. There is no hot water in resort . Food every day the same . In cafeteria no ac that is why bacteria in food. When I buying calling card ( wifi ) for one person one $ 1 us dollar for someone else $3 us dollars. Everyone have different prices for the same thing, There is no disco or entertainment in resort . Stop lying on your website about disco or drinks international 24 hrs. doesn't exist. there is only beer after 22.00pm . only and only nice about this vacation was the beach and sand. for that money never ever will go again, We should be discounted for that vacation, worse vacation ever.

Reviews look very mixed online, but in reality, it was a great trip! Food was good (for Cuba standards), hotel was good, activities were good, everyone was so friendly! Great location - close to Varadero town and 2 hours from Havana. Would definitely go to this resort again!

There is no doubt that we would’ve had a better stay in Varadero. The resort was beautiful with the beach just a few steps away and the food and drinks were always well put together. The staff was always so welcoming and made sure we were satisfied. We cant wait for our next trip back in the near future.

The resort itself is not bad, but it wasn't as clean as it could've been, and it had a weird funky smell inside. Some things are falling apart in the resort grounds and in the rooms. There was hardly any entertainment. The bars in the resort wouldn't offer certain drinks, and you'd have to go to the other one... if it was still open..they'd close early. The pool was nice and the beach was amazing... although, I wish the beach chairs also had tables to put your drinks on.

I have been to this resort 5 times but not in the past 10 years. It used to be well maintained but it was a dump this time. The air conditioning units in the huge lobby area were leaking all throughout the resort, the floors were slippery and there was mold and areas ready to cave in on the ceilings. There was no hot water the entire 9 days we were there plus our room was horrible, the furniture and mattress was so old and worn out, what a shame it was that the balcony doors handles were removed and the patio doors screwed shut so we couldn’t even use the ocean view balcony we paid extra to have.The worst part of the room was the black mold in the one corner which was disgusting. The food was really good and the staff were excellent, however they would not change our room to have working patio doors and a mold free ceiling.

bad service bad food rooms leaking a/c not working bugs in the houses puke in the hallways not cleaned for more then 18 hours no water in the rooms locals get treated better even though they dont tip. do yourself a favor and pay the extra few bucks and go somewhere better

Booked an Oceanview, when I got there apparently no record of it so I had to prove it with my paperwork. Switched rooms twice into finally settling into an Oceanview with barely working AC and no water pressure in the shower, also cold water only apparently. Tried to exchange money at the front desk, they tried to say it was 40 instead of the 100 I was changing, I made a scene and after they checked the cameras they made it right with a half ass apology..

Stayed at Barcelo from July 12-18 Worst experience ive had that I could remember. Got really sick thinking it was food posing. Rooms were all run down, mould on the walls, beds worn out, hotel in total shambles would not recommend and wont go back. Only good thing about the resort was the beach and the staff was pleasant, too bad i cant say the same about the conditions of the resort

The gardens were well maintained but I’m afraid the room was a disappointment to say the least. The only good thing was that the mattress was firm and comfortable. The food was very repetitive and it made me very sick for two whole days enough that I had to go to the clinic. I will not return to this hotel. Also I called reception a couple of times and when the girl on the desk couldn’t understand what I was saying, she simply hung up on me....very rude. Other than that the staff was pretty nice.

I enjoyed everything about this resort. The grounds were nicely kept ,the pools were great and my room was huge.I can't complain about the maid service as I didn't ask for much service as I went alone. The buffet had a good variety so you could always find something you liked. Also we had access to Arenas Blancas to use the facilities. Staff weren't pushy but if you needed their help they were willing. I would definitely go back.