We loved our stay here during our first trip to Cuba. The staff were very friendly and eager to help. Amazing beach and we never had trouble finding a chair. The pool was very quiet possibly because the beach conditions we so good during our visit. The food was decent despite the horror stories some people might tell you but I think they might have exaggerated a little. Some choices were limited such as fruits and vegetables. There was tons of guava and pineapple but nothing else fruit wise. There were lots of vegetables were limited to canned corn, cabbage, canned peas, canned baby corn and a few other choices that came and went. Pork and fish were plentiful and there was chicken legs one day. No beef. There's always food available even if the buffet is closed, just go to the sit down restaurant/bar off the lobby and you can order a sandwich or hamburger. There was plenty to drink especially if you like rum. I recommend Havana Especial, pineapple juice and a splash of coconut rum. Don't expect a large variety of pop, they only had Cuban cola (no sugar free options) and a lemon pop that was like lemon concentrate mixed with sugar and carbonated water. We were in a basic room which was great. AC was loud but didn't bother us. The only complaint about the room was that it seemed damp but the room may have been unoccupied for with no AC for days before we got there in that humid climate. The room was the first in the hall which meant the furthest from the end/ocean/view. If you have the option when checking in ask for a room at the end of the hall if you want a nicer view. There is a open top, hop on/hop off double decker bus that stops and the neighbouring Plaza de Americas. For $5USD you can use it for the day to get to Varadero or do a loop of the whole peninsula. It comes about every 40 minutes. Please tip the staff, the Cubans are wonderful people in a tough situation.

This resort exceeded our expectations. The grounds and superstructure are beautifully manintained. The room was renovated, clean and quiet. The mattress was new and very comfortable resulting in excellent sleep quality. We were on the 4th floor and had an ocean view even though we paid for a standard room. The way the resort is constructed and situated, I believe all rooms that were high enough had such a view. Staff were engaging, very friendly and hard working. The beach and pool were highlights with plenty of loungers available at any time of the day and zero beach vendors. The week we were there (11-18 Dec) mosquitos were a non-issue and the weather was perfect ... 25-27 degrees during the day and 20-22 at night with no humidity. We didn't even need the a/c at night! There were absolutely NO SHORTAGES. Lots of food including fresh vegtables and proteins, no electricity issues whatsoever, and the beer, wine, and spirits were readily available. There is room for improvement, however, as the food is somewhat repetitive and food temperature at the buffet was inconsistent. The gym also needs to be updated as the equipment is old and lacking. I can't recommended this resort enough, especially given the price point. Star ratings are highly subjective but this is one of the nicest resorts we have been to in the 4 star range in the Caribbean, including Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

My daughter and I spent a week at this hotel from Nov 30 to Dec 8. This hotel is beautiful and clean. Our room was definitely was well used as we spread out. We slept well in comfortable beds with feather pillows. The food was so good. We tried a few different restaurants including Japanese which we decided was our thing. The buffet definitely has something for everyone. Everything was fresh and the bread selection omgosh! Our favourite place to be was at the 24hr cafe. We had breakfast and coffee most mornings here. Best hotdogs and ham and cheese sandwiches. Beach is amazing. It is kept very clean and there are plenty of activities going on all the time. The best part are the cuban people, friendly and fun and very hard working people. Overall this place deserves all the 5 stars ratings it gets.

One of the better hotels in Varadero. Staff was for the most part friendly and accomodating. The grounds are clean and attractive and one of the reasons I choose this resort. No problems with my room--- the plumbing worked fine, lots of hot water. There were no power outages or water shortages while I was there (Dec 4th to 9th). The cafeteria served typical resort buffet food that grows repetitive after a few days but there's something for most tastes. I liked that there was always lots of cutlery on all the tables (unlike many Cuban resorts) and there was always available seating. The waiters were quite attentive. Overall my stay was pleasant.

Our stay was most enjoyable. Friendly staff. Good service. Good entertainment and a wide variety of food. The served meals in the International Room and Tex-Mex room were beautifully presented and very tasty. We plan to return!

The beaches, the service from the concierges and others, and the views are amazing. The Cuban people are awesome! When you get a chance to meet the locals, take it. They are incredibly friendly, resilient and resourceful. Be prepared to travel off the resort for incredible dining opportunities!

I will go back to this resort again.............................................................................................................................................................................

Staff are very friendly, large hotel with many areas to eat, order a drink, relax and rarely felt overcrowded. A bus outside the hotel brings you to downtown Varadero where there's lots to do and a great nightlife with a mix of locals and tourists. Extremely safe to walk around Varadero and there's a fantastic public beach there as well. Highly recommend.

The worst food in all the resorts I have been. Very low quantity of food and don’t taste good I had to fight every day for bottles of water. The beach was amazing. I loved it. The people were nice.

The hotel was great, food, booze, entertainment beaches staff number one. 10 plus. Third time staying. Great resort will return Highly recommend !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beach - This was the best part. Cuba has one of the best beaches in the world, White sand and crystal-clear water. Beach was a 7 mins walk from the hotel. They have a buggy service too for pick up and drop off Rooms - I had got the room on the 2nd floor where the main lobby is. Room was fully functional, comfortable and spacious, it had the marina view. The only issue was hot water, sometimes it's hot or else bath with cold water. I had slow wifi connection in the room, enough to run my whatsapp. Service - Cleaning staff, bar tenders, buffet chefs and waiters all of them were smiling, friendly and happy to help. You tip them and will give you top notch service. Food - Being a Vegetarian, things were different for me. We would always get fruits, salads, live counters for pizza, pastas and fried rice with vegetable. You would never go hungry. But the food becomes monotonous after 3-4 days. Sp Thanks to Chef Elisio Reis who made good vegetarian dishes for us. Excursions - I would recommend taking the Catamaran tour with dolphins, it was amazing. You could touch and hug the dolphin. Dolphin also takes you for a ride with an extra tip. Definitely worth it. For the cost, it was really worth it. I would definitely visit again.

Hotel is struggling! Shortage of food and what was there was limited. Same food everyday. Asked for butter for toast, advised none left. It was 9 a.m. no syrup for pancakes. No salad fixings. No toilet paper. Needed to ask for clean towels. Dark hallways where the hotel is not being used. Definitely not a five star! Not many guests either.

Before we booked, we were not recommend to go to Cuba and also not to this hotel. Our expectations were little. But we were surprised to not experienced what we heard. We had food, coffee, nice pastry selection and good bread in the morning. And the beach is awesome. This hotel isn’t a new one. It is big but not many clients for the size. I felt sorry we always missed the best music that played during supper time ( acoustic ) at 9:30 pm or at the pool or the beach , the music was too loud for me. After a week of hearing it is too much.but I guess it is the same elsewhere. Cuban are having a difficult economic time and we can feel it on the employees even if they don’t talk about it. So when we show kindness to them their face changes . All included doesn’t mean no sense to me. When we see people striving to live we just cannot be passive. They live on tips.all included doesn’t include tips in my opinion.

No choices of food,coffee was only twice while stay 10 Days ,No toilet papier /need to give Tips to get toilet paper.Not enough towels /only one towel per person,not hand towel,face clothes/ Everywhere were bugs we have some bites.Never ever again go to this resort.Staff don’t speak English.Our representative was late ,No info at resort about departure .This resort doesn’t meet Our needs. Never again go to CUBA

We had a few deficiencies to deal with upon arrival. We had "The Level" privilege package but with elevators being out it was 6 flights of stairs for every meal with a bum leg. The resort was nice, needed more attention though. Learned that this was last resort to reopen post covid so all the other resorts hired the best people. Melia Marina got what was left but they tried hard. A couple stood out, Joanna and Vladimir, our concierges. upon checkout, our bus ride to the airport was a no show and cost us USD $50 for a cab to the airport. Who is going to reimburse us for that? All in all we made the best of our time at Maria Melina but it was a bit of a let down.

The first thing we have reached resort at night 10pm and dinner time was over so they said only snacks is open we said that's fine also wifi is terrible except the level room. We were 5 people with 2 year old daughter they mention it's family resort but nothing kids facilities works, kids pool kids day care were closed. Also at the reception the 2 girls who claimed they are receptionists but they don't know anything about the resort, whenever you asked for something they will straight out say no except trying to find out what we were asking for. Food as we expected as it's Cuba they are having some issue with food. Also in rooms there were not flush working in both rooms at all we have to walk all the way to lobby to use washroom every single time. I am pregnant 6 months and I had to use washroom every hour and I had to walk to lobby. They don't do housekeeping by asking 2-3 times in a day. After requesting them to sort out as I was having hard time they have upgraded to level room service with room on lobby floor as their lift was out of services since 2 weeks. I had to go on 7th floor for breakfast, lunch and dinner 3 times in a day as pregnant women. Thanks to that lady who was manager at the level room services she have seen me I was having issue and she supported throughout our stay and also all the servents at the level room were excellent specially valdimer(putin) he was used to come from 7th floor to lobby for our services so we don't need to do up and down. Food is good for Cuban people for sure but for Indians you will get hard time to survive with there food. There is one indian restaurant in Havana food was good. Regarding resort they put 5 star but they are hardly 2 star. If you fo 2 star than you expect this kind ot service but after charging for 5 star and get this services not good at all. Also you need to give tip all the time to get basic services. At the pool they have snack bar, If you don't give them tip they will not Give you food ?. If you book please book level room services otherwise it's worst experience. I can give 5 star to level room servent and services only.

The resort itself has some shortcomings due to age, but the staff was great and they kept the place neat and clean. The food obviously is not the best, but it is okay. The grounds, the pool and the beach are spectacular. The excursion to Habana was really well done complete with old cars and a nice lunch and dinner at the old fort and downtown. The Daiquiri bar in old Habana where Ernest Hemingway used to hang out, is a hotspot and worth the time. We had a great vacation!

I have a long list of disappointments during our stay in Jan/2024: we had arrived at 10pm and on my ask for a cocktail at the bar I was offered coffee or beer, they don't make cocktails after I'm not sure what hour. The elevator didn't work all the time, no mattress protection, bedding wasn't changed, toilet tank was running, it was not properly flushing even after service was called, we had to use garbage can to flush after ourselves. No variety for food, some days it was no milk for coffee in the morning. I had to request bottled water every day at the reception desk, they had to place a service call for the water being delivered to the room. Once on my question when it will be delivered, the answer was "when he wants to deliver". Only two small bottles were provided for a day. I was able to change beach towel only once during my stay, they never had clean towels in the morning or close to evening hours. It was our first and last vacation in Cuba.

The location is absolutely superb. The room are spacious and have balcony facing the sea or the pool. The food was spectacular and the staff are very friendly. The hotel is under minor renovations and elevator was not working . However overall we give this hotel a four star .

This resort is suck a scam. We arrived at 1pm after a long flight, been up since 8am, when we are at the hotel, they told us we had to wait til 4pm to check in to the room since they have no rooms available, food was trash, flies are everywhere, hotel management was very rude, lots of rude staff, they were trying to harassing me, just because I bought a friend with me, she came to visit me in my room, however, they refused to let her come visit me, even though I already paid for the room, they want me to pay another extra 900usd to just have her staying in my room. I refused to pay that, and they harass me and my friend until she pays, they breach the hotel privacy rules, sending 3-4 guys standing in front of my door, trying to break in, one of the guy was constantly leaning on my hotel door, trying to listen to the conversations we had inside the room. After this, they pretend that there’s something wrong with the light in the room and sent two security guards inside and try to drag my friend out, We are two foreign girls who just arrived in a brand new country and they are treating us like criminals.

Let me start with the good part. The room was bright and spacious and overlooked the pool and sea! Great! Food was OK. But... there were quite a few shortcomings which I will list here with the hope that the management will improve sooner rather than later considering a hotel of this calibre. First - the toilet roll holder was broken when we checked in and never replaced. The toilet roll (cheapest quality) was placed on the trash can or on the flush tank. The bathroom door was splitting open at the bottom and not fixed. Most hotels, of lower rating, that we'd visited over the years had a kettle and coffee/tea in the room. Nothing here. The mini-bar fridge only had one beer - no soft drinks (pop) at all anywhere in the hotel. Management and standards should be improved. I do understand that the economy is bad and tourism scarce, but with so many hotels along the coast one has to do better to entice tourists now that the peak season is starting. Also, most staff do not speak English. How do you expect tourists to be taken care of properly? Thank God for Google Translate! Housekeeping and restaurant staff were pretty nice.

The front entrance is renovated. The bar area has very old chairs. Can be improved, among 4 elevators only 2 works. It was not busy season but they could open more elevators. People at reception are nice and friendly They tried to help. The waiters are friendly as well.

First I want to say, this is not my first time to Cuba. This was my third time, and after this vacation I will not be going to Cuba ever again. The hotel lacked in food, I mean shortage and sometimes ran out of liquor so I couldn't get drinks. The wifi needed to be refeshed ever 5 hour at the lobby. They ran out of beach towel and limited food at the snack bar, I mean they mostly had bun and cheese. This was one of my worest experiences I had.

Except food all are good. People of Cuba are so nice and friendly behavior. Nice transportation. Beach are so good. Delphine right are excellent Entertainment are so nice. Location of the Hotel very good for communication. Travel to other city very nice with in two hour which is cooperating by the management staff to enjoy other destination.

The resort was dirty and service non existent. Went to same resort in 2019 but this time it was awful. Pool was hot and dirty and had nothing at the bar but rum. Beer was always running out and pool bars had barely enough food and beer. Will not book Veradaro again.

My bestfriend and I took this trip and were pleasantly surprised it exceeded our expectations. There was some small hiccups but overall it was great value for the price - the beach was beautiful with clean white sand!

Everything was great except for the food and mosquitoes. Food in the restaurants was the same as in the buffet with less options to choose. Line to get to the buffet was an bummer in the heat. Also, they might think about more entertainment options.

I am not sure where they have the 5 star title from, but it is barely a 3 star hotel. Not sure where to start from but to say if you want to be disappointed definitely go to this hotel. Rooms were nit cleaned, sand on floor and baby bed upon arrival. All buffet and a la cart restraunts were sauna as no AC and had to eat sweating. All restaurants were full of mosquitoes and flies on the food. No small spoons in the entire hotel for a baby's mouth or desert. Had to line up for baby chairs as not enough. Had to line up for buffet several times. No clean tables without cutlery or napkins, service was terrible all around except the pool or lobby bar. Food warmers in the buffet restaurant not working so cold food was being served. Buffet floors were slippery saw few people fall from the grease. Public bathrooms had no toilet paper and no hand soap. Beach was never cleaned it was full of seaweed. Pool water was green and chunks of bleach everywhere including pool bar counter, not safe for kids. Pool bar was closed due flooding and pool bar had no beer had to walk to snack bar to get beer. At check out we got courtesy room due our flight was in the evening, this courtesy room was super dirty eithout toilt paper, also had no soap, no towels. We asked for towels at front desk, and we were told that in the whole hotel they didnt have any clean towels, if we wanted we couod fo back to our old room to use our own dirty towels, so we ended up dying ourselves with our own old clothes. In general this hotel is not well maintained and service is terrible so don't waste your money.

There were reviews that I saw about the flies in the buffet but obviously not has been done about it. So many going all over the food and people really not sanitary and gross. Overall service was ok but customer service not available over the phone. Beach staff were doing their best to create fun and interesting atmosphere. Food not good, no chicken, fish or sea food.

Resort definitely needs a lot of renovation and improvement. Water pressure and water temperature at the room was inconsistent. Elevator knobs are broken and out of 4 elevators, only 1 or 2 are working. Room door won’t close. A lot of flies in the buffet which was disgusting. Mosquitos are so bad. You can’t even stay at lobby / bar area because of it since you’ll end up having a lot of bites. Not much food variety. Same everyday. Never had chicken nor beef. Fish only one time. Mostly pork. Had soda after 2 days. First day there was 2 big water bottle at the room. Succeeding days they only give you 2 small bottles. They don’t change your towels at the room daily. Room had a good view and staff were friendly. Beach was awesome though! Resort is definitely not 5 star!

We have been to Varadero many times, staying at deferent resorts. This resort is located at the end of the Varadero peninsula, overlooking the catamaran marina. We were a group of 6, 2 couples chose the Level package and 1 Standard. The Level package allowed us to access to roof top Level restaurant for any meal and the food was good …. Not busy this time of year. Expectations of 5-star restaurants in Cuba is unrealistic, but this resort had really good A la carte meals in the evening. As always, there were shortages of certain types of foods. Comparing this resort to others, they were above average. We always had water, beer, and clean beach towels in our rooms. The staff tries hard to please guests with requests. The beach was a short walk over a bridge, you could also get a ride on the extended golf cart if you waited. Not really an issue. The two pools were large and warm. The highlight of any Varadero trip would be,” The Beatles Bar”. Live Rock and Roll music from 9-12. All 6 of us piled into a convertible for $30 US and headed into town for dinner and drinks at El Rancho, across form the bar. Overall, it was a good stay and we enjoyed ourselves

Hotel had a nice view of Marina. This Hotel is not on the beach, it is across the street. Our room safe didn't fully lock and 110$ went missing. It was reported to staff, no report was taken. Staff not concerned. Hotel elevator hardly worked, we were on 5th floor, lots of stairs to walk. Food was rice, beans, cooked pumpkin, lots of cabbage. Its Cuba, we don't expect gourmet food. View was nice from our room, hotel room was clean. They prefer American $$ and credit cards, you are billed in ||USA funds on your card. |The airport does not accept Cuba currency to purchase anything, so if you have any left over, it's a souvenir.

Hotel had a nice view of Marina. This Hotel is not on the beach, it is across the street. Our room safe didn't fully lock and 110$ went missing. It was reported to staff, no report was taken. Staff not concerned. Hotel elevator hardly worked, we were on 5th floor, lots of stairs to walk. Food was rice, beans, cooked pumpkin, lots of cabbage. Its Cuba, we don't expect gourmet food.

I suspect this was once a good resort but not now. The chairs in lobby were ripped and stained, no umbrellas around the pool, food and alcohol very limited. Beach restaurant not open. The beach, however, was beautiful. We had a room with a Marina view which was nice. Would not recommend.

Stay Apr 15-22 This resort definitely not a 5 star as advised. The food and service were horrible, breakfast, lunch and dinner were the same in the buffet, the over cooked chicken wings, pumpkin, cabbage and the white beans. I never ate this much pumpkin and cabbage in my life, though there were grilled fish for 3 nights, and grilled chicken breast nightly, I'm not a white meat fan, so never tried the grilled chicken, the fish was good, this is the only food I like, but long line up. There also a pasta place so you can order pasta. One think I don't understand is why we cannot carry a purse or backpack in the buffet, they afraid we will steal the food in the bag? This place need lots of maintenance, one night was raining, I was waiting for the pasta, and water was leaking from the ceiling, I was complaining loud to myself that I can't believe it this is a 5 star resort, then a lady over heard me and started to complain her room no hot water, toilet paper, and the water is not draining. luckily our toilet was broken only once, and got fixed, but the phone was not working, we reported, but never got fixed. It was a hassle that we had to walk to the front desk to reset the wifi every time when it exceeded the 5 hours limit. The so call mini bar had 2 cokes and a big bottle of water. One morning we were still sleeping, the guy knocked on the door to drop off the cokes and water, he didn't wait for our permission to allow him to enter and he just walked in. I was so mad and complaint at the front desk, then never received the water and cokes again. There was 1 a la carte restaurant every night, but you cannot booked in advance, you need to book in the morning and only 40 seats available. The front desk said they starting to take order at 8, and everybody was waiting and the person didn't show up after 9. If you come late, you're out of luck. It was a terrible experience in the restaurant, we didn't get served for 1/2 hour after we got seated, not even a water and manual. We were looking at them walking by without an acknowledgement. I was running out of patience and shouted out loud for service, then got their attention. After we ordered, another 1/2 hour for the food, and it came so slow between the appetizer, entree, and dessert. The food was so bad, all I can taste is salty, I just had 1 bite, didn't wait for the dessert and left. This is my first time in Cuba, and do not have high expectation for the food, but kind of surprised to receive this lousy service, tips cannot motivate them. Basically everyone we met no one is satisfied with this resort. We will not return to this resort ever again. They offered free drinks at the beach, and the beach was gorgeous, that's the only think I like about Cuba.

Terribly run, which exacerbates the problems innate to Cuba. They supposedly run out of food all the time but in reality are too lazy to resupply from the kitchen/storage. Staff dont care about guests, entertainment staff were rude. Room broke repeatedly. Drinks were good. Beach is excellent. But definitely not worth the experience. It was so stressful that we were thinking of leaving early the first few days

Cuba has few if any 5 star resorts and this one isn't one. Melia Marina Varadeo is 3 star at best. Room was good. Beach was excellent. Staff was competent. Property is unimaginative, mostly concrete with very little shade or natural features such as flowers, coconut trees, shrubs, etc. Unless you're a sun freak don't go here. Resort is based at a huge marina with dozens of catamarans and cabin cruisers going out everyday so it's not surprising that activities for landlubbers were scarce. Going at end of season is not good since the resources seem to be spent, i.e. food was lacking in variety, taste, and quantity. We will not be returning to this resort or Varadero as we prefer small more natural resorts.

We hadn't been back to Cuba in about 12 years because of the food, no improvement here. There were shortages of menu items and even Coke due to covid. The hotel itself was very nice, the rooms were as nice as any we've stayed in (4+ * in DR or Cancun). The beach was less than expected compared to Cayo Santa Maria. The service was pretty good but the hotel was only about 25% filled. The location is interesting with an empty marina and condos surrounding the property. Other issues WIFI not great, we had no hot water for 3 days, it rained heavily 3 straight nights and there was a smell of sewage from the marina and swim up bar. We had a clogged drain in our room but it was attended to immediately. Beyond that better beer and rum than DR or Mexico. Basically was all we were expecting from post covid Cuba.

Varadero is a good place and we expected a lot from the hotel as it was our first trip to Cuba, but we got both sweet and sour taste. Talking about the resort ,its a good resort located on the other side of the beach with a walking distance of 100-200 metres, with full on bar service. If you are an alcohol lover you are truly going to like the tastes of cocktails specially pina colada, the swimming area is good and well maintained, 24 hours snack bar is a good place to hangout. The resort has a 24hours bar to chill with some authentic dance performances on few days. But the food of the resort is horrible.We stayed for a week and it was the same food all the days with just few add-ons/changes. The rooms didn't have sound proof glasses and we could hear all the noise inside the room. The inbuilt AC and the mini bar fridge created a lot of sound which was very annoying at night. Overall staff was cooperative but the food was a thing which led us down.

- Free WiFi did NOT work - toilet paper not delivered to room when requested - key card locked me out of room on second last day. - towel rack fell off wall - out of most foods - food has improved over previous 3 years. - beautiful view, pleasant pool, and steps to gorgeous beach - grossly overpriced!! @ almost $2000 - was rushed over the telephone by tripcentral agent stating his wife wanted to go shopping!!

We had an amazing family vacation! The hotel is wonderful and staff are super friendly. We went when the hotel was only half capacity so some things took longer than usual to get but other than that we have no regrets!

I was not empressed with the advertising its literally not a 5 star Hotel.Not a recommended resort to anybody very disappointing.We got bed bug,toilets making wild noise every time you flush.Booked for a restaurant the same food they serve you in a buffet

It’s a building close to the port with beautiful view, but I don’t think it’s a 5 star hotel. The room toilet couldn’t be flushed properly, towel holder is broken. Sometimes out of toilet paper. Food is clean, there were many nice salads. Never felt any stomach uncomfortable or diarrhea. Desert type is less than I expected. Sometimes no coffee or water in the whole hotel, which I couldn’t believe. There was no stage in the hotel. The night show wasn’t attractive.

The resort itself is beautiful. However some of the outdoor fountains were dry. The staff were mostly friendly and professional however barely spoke English. The bars indoor and outside always ran out of certain alcohol or cups. The cockroaches were terrible, they were in the rooms, dining room, lobby bathroom. The resort never had change, therefore we didn't tip as much as we would have liked to.

This was our 3rd stay at the MMV since 2017. We were upgraded to a two bedroom suite in the Condominium buildings overlooking the marina which was absolutely beautiful. Everything worked in our room except the patio door lock which wasn't an issue as we weren't on the ground floor. We had refills on water and beer daily. No issues with unwanted bugs! We stayed in Condo building 4 which is the furthest away from the hotel and beach. When we didn't feel like walking, we simply called for a golf cart to pick us up. The lounge chairs at the beach were the white plastics ones. Most of the loungers were cracked down the middle. If your back gets tender sitting on a hard surface, bring a blow up cushion. It wasn't an issue to get a palapa (thatched roof for shade) early in the morning. The beach bartenders were quick and friendly. No beach service this year (cut backs?). The beach restaurant is open from 12:30 to 4:00. They changed from being able to order from a menu to a buffet style of veggies and a meat grill. The main hotel pool is plenty big with lots of shade. Bartenders were excellent at the pool bar. The service at the snack bar was very slow and the options for food was measly. We only went there once for lunch. Buffet food was repetitive but that's the norm at every resort. The food quality improved at the a la carte restaurants which was the only place to get served red wine in your all inclusive package. Yes, that right! The resort no longer serves red wine at the buffet or the lobby bar...lots of white wine though. You can only get red wine in an a la carte or if you want to pay for it in the new Tapas lounge. We typically book Melia resorts which in our opinion have really scaled down on the nice things. Because of the cut backs, we'll be booking other branded resorts in the future. Our agent, Carol Webber, took good care of us as usual. Thanks Carol.

The hotel exceeded our expectation. The hotel was in excellent condition, its staff was very pleasant, foot was first class, including service. The beach was good, and so was the swimming pool. We highly recommend this resort.

The room was very modest, but still was OK. It's more a question of slow/non-existent service, lack of availability and poor food. - There was no juice or milk on the resort, even at the restaurants. They had only Fanta; which is just sugar and water. We have two kids and they drank water the whole time. There was mango juice at the buffet the last two days. - The lobby bar, the beach bar and the snack bar all ran out of Cola for three full days... really?! We're in Cuba. A Cuba Libre (rhum & coke) without cola is just rhum. - The pre-prepared food at the buffet was cold at all the meals, not sure it was very safe. - The service was exceptionally slow (and we were tipping, so we had much better service than most travelers there who weren't tipping) and pride of service was lacking (except for a few people who provided good service) - The resort labels itself as the Melia Marina, but as soon as you step outside on the Marina side, nothing there is included in your stay. We quickly found out when we sat down for an ice-cream and had to pay out of pocket, it would have been nice for the hotel to state this when we checked-in or mention it in the booking. - We also had a few episodes of some staff members trying to make money off of us with their sad stories, only to find out the next day that these stories were rehearsed and they used the same thing again with us the next day (not remembering they had approached us the prior day). Our flight ended-up being delayed severely and we were given a room at the Melia Peninsula for one night, that resort was much more impressive. The staff at check in was fast and helpful, while we were at the buffet, the manager came to introduce himself and ask if everything was enjoyable; we had no towels in our room as our stay was last minute, he made a quick call in front of us and within 5 min, we had towels in our rooms. The bar tenders were extremely productive and you didn't wait much. I would not stay at the Melia Marina again, and it made me reconsider ever going back to cuba at all. But our short experience at the Melia Peninsula is making me reconsider as I could consider trying it for a longer stay.

The people at the hotel were welcoming from the first moment from our arrival. The room was very clean and the room service was very fast and we get back a phone call to reassure that we got what we want. The buffet we had lots of variety everyday and the waiters were very polite and friendly. The beach was so clean and many activity there and another buffet close by for the people on the beach. The night show was so beautiful and entertaining. There was no disco for the people who are looking for that kind of entertainment.

The hotel was nice, clean, with efficient helpful staff which made the stay highly enjoyable. It was my son’s first all inclusive resort and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. He cannot wait to go back!! The food was average to good, however there was always an abundance of options and the staff was efficient at accommodating special requests and ensuring the meal was cooked to the wellness desired. We both loved the restaurant overlooking the Ocean and were present for lunch opening every day. The cold pasta salads were especially good! How can you beat the views?

We are bringing back the beach with us. How wonderful to see your toes in the water up to your shoulders. Aqua water with white sand. ❤️❤️❤️ The food is ok but over expect. The staff is excellent don’t forget to tip 😉

Hotel met our expectations, food and drinks were so good, pools and beach is absolutely amazing. Except for the overly late waiting for our room, we will still recommend this property to all our friends, families and colleagues.

Everything was in poor condition. Cracked tiles on grounds. Food didn't seem to be replenished during meals when they were empty. Specialty restaurants had very slow service. A lot of things on the menu were not available. Seemed to have run out of wine late in the week. Coffee in room was only replaced once and there was no sugar or milk. I have been to Cuba a number of times and this was the worst resort I have stayed at.

Firstly, I will say that the hotel was OK for the price we paid. That said, there were many basics lacking, and I don’t know if they were a result of Cuba embargoes or the hotel management. For example, the buffet never had enough dishes, cutlery, fruit or even water to serve the guests. The staff seem to be in a mad scramble to find clean cups to bring guests. Water was very hard to come by, and if you wanted to be served a drink at the buffet - good luck! There were also never enough clean towels - either at the pool or even in room service. The staff were friendly enough, but was clear they did not have the tools needed to do their job. Food was decent (for Cuba), but lacking in variety. (Buffet has the same offerings every day for lunch AND dinner). I would recommend only if you are looking for an affordable getaway with great beach... but not if looking for an exceptional experience.

I don’t even know where to begin with this review. No towels, no cups, raw chicken served to us, service was horrible, staff were so rude, the beach wasn’t maintained, hotel managers avoided you like the plague, wifi only in the lobby which you need to pay for. Honestly everything that could have went wrong went wrong. Please do not go here. I’ve never been so dissatisfied with a vacation. By day two all 5 of us wanted to come home.

As this was our first trip to Cuba, the service at the resort needed work and the proximity and accessibility to the Beach was disappointing. The condo was wonderful and the service improved as the week progressed; however, they had a significant amount of trainees and often times language barriers.

We had a one week Sunday to Sunday trip booked in Feb at the Melia Marina Varadero hotel. We also decided to travel and stay in Havana Tuesday to Thursday. Upon arriving at the hotel, check in was easy, although our room was not ready for another hour since we were early for check in. We stored our bags and were able to grab a sandwich from the snack bar by the pool. The hotel is large and clean. Everyone was courteous and attentive. It is at the very end of the peninsula so you will be the last ones to get dropped off, and first ones to get picked up on any shuttles. Our room was large and although somewhat dated, was maintained clean. The bed and pillows were really not comfortable but you get used to it. Our toilet ran, which meant you had to flush it twice (I only mention this because others complained about it...) Between Sunday to Tuesday we felt that the hotel was actually quite empty, with an older Canadian crowd. When we came back from Havana, the hotel was full of Cuban families and couples and the vibe was much more lively. Turns out they had a promotion for Valentine’s day. Because of this, there were some lines to eat at the buffet, which we were able to skip by making reservations for the Hotel restaurants. The food at the buffet had enough variety to keep us happy. Our favourite was the snack bar by the beach for lunch as they had great vegetable options and a charcoal BBQ. The Hotel restaurants were okay, the service was great, but I think I prefer the options at the buffet. The process to book the restaurants was easy, and could be done in advance – I booked on Tuesday for Thursday, and on the same day for Valentine’s day. The pools are huge, and even when the hotel was full, were never crowded. There are aquafit classes and Zumba classes throughout the day, that after a few drinks are quite fun to participate in. The bars can get crowded but all the bartenders do a great job at multi-tasking. The drinks are generous pours and delicious. White wine sometimes ran out but you could always get more for $2 CUC at the tapas bar under the main staircase. The beach is a short walk away, as the hotel is on the marina side, with a convenient shuttle that takes you back and forth if you need it. We never struggled to find chairs on the beach (although many were broken). There is some seaweed, but really the beach is quite magical. The only con I really had was with fellow Canadians who were not on their best behaviour, and I am not talking about kids on spring break. We heard complaints about food not being made fast enough (it is literally being bbq'd in front of you), about not all staff being fluent in English (you would never expect the same if someone travelled to Canada), and just an overall level of arrogance and impatience that was really embarrassing! Yes, you are on vacation! In someone else's home country! Take a chill pill and relax,have a mojito and enjoy the beach. I would stay again and recommend it to my friends and family

Bought tickets on tripcentral to Melia marina Varadero for Valentines weekend 13-17 Feb 2020 at a pretty hefty price.Arrived there close to midnight instead of 8:30 pm due to a late Sunwing departure from Toronto Checked in room 4103 which was a quite nice apartment style with a nice king size bed,two full bathrooms,full kitchen and a nice marina view balcony.So far all good rested well and was looking forward for a nice coming Valentine day Went to breakfast and was very disappointing with the poor variety of food and most important the poor service and cleaning less of the buffet room No juices or whatever they had were warm Asked for orange juice at 9;00 am and was told they're out of it Finally after a looooong walk to the beach got to see a decent beach with nice sand and good water to swim Decided to go for lunch at the snack bar by the beach Got there and was wondering where all the snack food would be Found out it was around the corner on the grill Well grill was empty and there was some grilled full fish in a tray that was 50% burned and dry They had some veggies and no fries or potatoes whatsoever had 2 fish and waited one hour for two chicken legs For dinner we decided to go to Don Ernesto restaurant and try our luck since we didn't have a reservation made:) We got lucky and they accepted us to have dinner ( which we enjoyed.)... otherwise we probably wouldn't be able to have anything to eat due to the overbooked hotel with the local people At the buffet restaurant was a line up of people waiting a minimum of 1 1/2 hrs to get in Unacceptable!!!! Absolutely nothing related to Valentine,s day around the whole resort Beer was OK but all other drinks including wine white or red were disgusting gross tasting No sparkling wine unless you buy your own Coffee at main lobby was good As for food next day was a carbon copy of first day Loooong line up and the snack bar with absolutely no food variety other than grilled chicken and veggies that took over one hour to get All the staff was sitting by the bar counter having a chat and ignoring all the messy tables and all their valuable customers They seem to forget that is because of us that they have a job and that we work as hard to be able to go keep them in business Third day we decided to go on a catamaran trip which proved to be the best choice to get out of that mess and ignorance at the resort We went snorkelling then to an island were they had a nice bar and buffet with all kinds of seafood and a large variety of great food all included in 69$ us per person !! A special treat... we loved it and thanks to Pedro the animation guy on the catamaran we had a great time during this trip We arrived back to the resort around 4:30 pm and because the weather was great we decided to stop by the beautiful swimming pool they have and go to the in water pool bar for a drink While we were in the water someone had stolen my girlfriend's little Coach pouch in which she had $40 Canadian 30 cuc and her Iphone 7 ....That was a bad experience and ruined the night for us Her especially Well for dinner we went to Don Pepperoni and had another a la carte dinner which was enjoyable Next morning we left the resort to go back home , checked in to the Varadero airport My girlfriend had locked her luggage.... I didn't and sure enough when i got back home to Cambridge my 2 perfumes i had with me were gone Someone at Varadero airport had helped themselves Just my luck :( Anyways....overall it was a trip we want to forget asap and delete of our future destinations Sorry!!

The resort was not new. Needs alot of work. Not a 5 star. TV only got Spanish channels when it worked which was only 1 day. The staff was friendly and the beach was amazing. The food was good for Cuba.

Not a 5 stars definitely Personal very lazy Short of everything food alcohol No brandy no whiskey open late Close early We been in Cuba many times Varadero its worst Sorry to say that Varadero 5 stars anywhere else in Cuba 4

Hello, just sending an email about the horrible experience we had at our stay at the Melia Marina Varadero. We arrived on Feb 7 late at night due to the flight being delayed. When we woke up the next morning to go for breakfast it was terrible there were a bunch of servers standing around not one individual approached us to ask if we wanted a drink or anything so we left and went out to get our own drink outside. So we attempted the lunch hour and dinner hour in the buffet area the same thing no approach by anyone for a drink I think its completely wrong that we pay for an all inclusive resort and get this kind of customer service. Very disappointed with every night with the same kind of experience. The rooms weren't cleaned properly we had no clean towels no water replenished in the room had to go down to the customer service area and ask for clean towels and water in the room. We had issues with the room card went to customer service things weren't handled properly we got sent back to the room and had to wait for someone to come and fix the door for us we waited about 25 minutes for someone to come and open the door. My boyfriend had gone downstairs to complain to the front and asked to speak to a manager because we were both fed up at this point with how things were handled and they literally did nothing for us we even told them we would pack up our stuff and go to a different hotel as how they handle situations. Alot of other people were complaining and the way they spoke and handled situations were disgusting. My boyfriend was offered from them a bottle of rum to the room the next day we had nothing. The room Stuart wasn't on top of the room cleanliness. Over all the WORSE experience definitely not a 5 star hotel. On the night before we were leaving we figured we would enjoy and make the best of what was left, we had gone for dinner no service once again, we had gone to the piano bar for drinks the line up was so long and the wait was long. We sat outside to have drinks and watch the entertainment not a single sever approached us I had to go get my own drinks in which i had to waste half the time just standing at the bar waiting to be served almost half and hour waited for drinks, they screwed up on all the drinks had people in behind the bar that had no clue what they were doing and didn't speak a word of English. The entertainment guy had come outside and sat with a couple ladies and had full service while we were sitting there and not getting any drinks. I want a reimbursement for this terrible experience and I will never go back to this resort ever again and wont recommend it to anyone to go. Very terrible service and not the rating that they say it is. If someone can please email me back with a compromise or something. I hadn't been to cuba since 2009 and this was the worse to the point I don't think I would go back there ever again. Also want to add we went to the buffet where they had made the chicken in front of you and when we took it to the table it was red blood coming out that was so discussing to see it turned us away from it and we wouldn’t touch any meat. As well as they gave us a complementary room to use after we had checked out of the hotel on Feb 14 the room was so dirty piss all over the toilet there were used towels all over the floor I had to go back to the front desk and ask them for fresh towels for the room and not to mention we only had a half an hour to use the room and we had to wait for them to bring us towels as time was wasting. I don’t think I’d ever go back to this resort after all this terrible experience. They may want to reconsider there star rating as well.

Over all it's a good experience, this is our 2nd time at the same resort, there was little glitch at checking in time where the toilet seat cover was broken, when I asked for to be replaced, surprisingly I was told that isn't possible? no explanation why, then I was offered a room instead of the studio which I paid for, of course I refused. the house keeping manager Lucia after telling her that we are a repeated guest, she offered us complimentary upgrade to a 1 bedroom apartment. Food is bit better than last year, entertainment was very good, the only thing I noticed the cleaning I mean the house keeping last year was bit better as pillow covers were smelly because of the pillows themselves weren't clean. We asked for replacement. One thing we didn't like at all also some other guests we spoke with had similar complain is the mattress, it was awful, broken springs impossible to sleep on, we slept on the couch in the living room which was somehow better. This would be the reason if I don't go to this resort again.

A dream vacation on a pristine resort. First class food, perfect pools and a beauty beach make for a quality experience. The rooms were tastefully decorated and very comfortable, thanks Tripcentral and Melia Marina!!

Melia’s Marina Varadero is at the extreme outer end of the Hicacos Peninsula. It is regarded as the “Florida zone” by locals because of its large collection of modern, upscale and multi-functional resorts. At the end of one of world’s best, longest and most accessible beaches, you will find Amelia Marina Varadero, located within Cuba’s most modern marina with adjoining boutiques, restaurants, bars and an excellent music hall. Inside you will find a 5 star resort, spotlessly clean and served by a wonderful friendly staff. The hallways are open to the see and still reflect some damage from recent hurricanes, but the rooms are good, the pools are perfect and the service is superb ... all for thousands (yes thousands) less than comparable resorts and levels of service elsewhere in the Caribbean. While modern car rentals and electric scooters are available, the resort is served by all 3 major bus and tour services, including Varadero’s joy-filled, hop on/ hop off, open top double deckers! Food is wholesome and Cuban, great pork, ubiquitous chicken and lots of fish followed by marvellous desserts and world famous ice cream! Of course, Cuban rum and international bars add pleasure to every visit,. Book the Havana Premium tour for a truly unforgettable day that both delights and informs.

The resort itself is very modern and the grounds are huge. There is a shuttle cart that comes around regularly if you want a ride to the beach. Beach was really nice. Staff pleasant and room maid great. The food was terrible except for the egg station in the morning. There were so many basic things missing every day such as sliced bread, condiments (mustard, ketchup, salad dressings, oil & vinegar). Last half of the week there was no cheese, only blue cheese everywhere. I'm glad we got a Black Friday Deal because I would've have been really upset paying full price. Hola Sun good and Air Transat a great airline thats on time. Would not return to this resort as I have been to lower star resorts in Varadero with better food and entertainment.

So glad we upgraded to the Level when we booked. Anyone thinking about going to this resort should spend the extra money and upgrade to the Level. Jorge and Mikael (the concierges in the Level) were fantastic and resolved all our issues very quickly. If we were not in the Level, I don't think they would have been resolved so quickly. There were 4 travelling together and we were suppose to have rooms side by side, which we did not have when we arrived, and in addition to this, we were not even on the floor for Level guests. Jorge had that fixed the next day. We had rooms next to each other, and we even ended up with Marina view rooms at no additional cost. The food in the a la cart restaurants were terrible. We walked out at the Asian restaurant. (and we are not picky eaters) The buffet was much better. (if you don't mind how loud and busy it is there), as well as the extremely rude guests. The staff were fantastic, it's the guests that don't know how to wait their turn. The atmosphere, service and the food/drinks in the VIP lounge were great. All the restaurants were constantly running out of food. I know it is not the resorts fault, I understand it is all due to the embargo with Venezuela. So be prepared. There was still a lot of food, but maybe not what you wanted that day. There were no waiters around the pool, and nothing on the beach to do (no watersports such as paddle boats, catamarans, snorkeling, etc) It's fine if you just want to relax by the pool or beach. But if you are looking for activities, there really was nothing. I've been to Cayo Santa Maria a couple of times, and there was so much more to do there. The resort is only 6 years old, but is already due for a facelift. The staff really try very hard with what they have to work with. So just be prepared. It is rated a 5 star, but even for Cuba, it really should not be a 5 star. Maybe a 3 1/2 for Cuba.

The hotel is looking pretty run down for a less than 8 yr old resort. The Level Rooms on the 6th floor were in good condition freshly painted or perhaps better maintained. Our first room was on the 5th floor and we were told it was a Level overflow type room. It was awful. Mould in the shower, cracked tiles dark hallways to the room, smelly room and so on. The view poolside was great and it was nice and quiet compared to our 6th Marina View room which was very noisy at night. With guests in the lobby and entertainment marina side Service at the Level bar and restaurant was fabulous. The atmosphere quiet. The food pretty good. Often resort is running out of things. Lobster, burgers,wine, bread, pizza, vodka, ice, cheese something different everyday. Al la Carte restaurants are hit and miss and not even close to theme - no pizza or Italian food at Don Pepperonis ( described as pizza and Italian restraint ). No Asian at the oriental. ( says sushi and oriental Food ) it was stir fry frozen veggies. Pad thai made from Spaghetti noodles and Indian food that really was horrid. Buffet food was good. Pasta bar always a good option. But it’s loud and disorganized and often lacks glass wear or cutlery but staff is trying their best to keep up. The Level Upgrade well worth it - if the buffet was too busy or the lobby bar to difficult to get a drink we just went up to the 7th floor bar and restaurant. Always quiet there.

This is my fourth trip to Cuba. This resort has potential but didn't meet my expectations. Food was very good but they constantly ran out of plates, glasses, spoons. Lineups were long. It was difficult to get water or coffee at the buffet. Staff were very busy - perhaps more staff is needed. The lobby bar frequently did not have wine and other items. Very few servers and the lobby bar was several people deep. The grounds appear to have adequate lighting standards/poles but the lights are burned out making walking in the evening dangerous. Some staff are wonderful, others dismissive. We attended one ala carte. It was good. Unable to book any others as they were full. We attempted to book them on our second day. The beach is quite a distance away from the far end of the resort. A Trolley is available for rides around the resort but during some periods there is only one trolley for the whole resort. It was necessary to call maintenance to the room on a couple occasions. They came very quickly. We couldn't get the room cleaning sorted out. Occasionally they missed our room, it appears that the towels are only replaced if left on the floor. We observe the cleaner one day - she worked hard but did not appear to have any disinfectant or soap. She used only water.

We booked the Melia Marina View Room, The level Our package included a private dining room/bar and 7 a la carte restaurants. The dining room meals were good, however, the drinks that were available in the bar were limited, far less than appeared on the drink menu. We went to the Chinese restaurant and it was the worst meal we have ever had The entire meal was precooked, and very small portions. For desert they served us ice cream, 70% melted on the plate. The swimming pool water was extremely cold, very few swimmers, not enough seating and most of the lounges were broken. The pool are was very dirty. It needed a good pressure washer spray. To buy the Cuban dollar (CUC), your cost is the same as buying a US dollar. Our room was overlooking the marina, however it was also over the nightclub below, and immediately behind our room, at ground level were 6 industrial size air conditioners. We were moved to the pool side which was much better. We asked and were moved again to another Melia resort, The Hotel Paradisus Princesa del Mar, Junior suite, Royal Service, no kids, very nice at no additional cost.

Well maintained and the food was good for being in Cuba. I've been to Cuba a few times and the food is normally lacking in taste. However this resort found to be good. The staff and beach make this our favorite vacation to Cuba so far!

The room is very large, clean, beautiful and great view. The beach is good and most of chairs are broken, few of them is very bad should throw away. Many sea weeds on the beach on windy days but no one clean up (probably clean up next day). The food is OK but some very bad such as finger claim was smelly and uneatable. Kidney beans and hot dogs were sour probably from left over from previous day. It is OK to serve the left over foods if they are still good to eat (the chef should taste them first). The services are good in most areas but the receptionists are not very helpful. WIFI only available in the main lobby and very slow and hard to login. It is not a good place for people want to have a working vacation (using your PC). The swimming pool is not well organize, many chairs are taken for entire day but see no one using then for 4-5 hours, therefore not enough chairs for others. Coffee in buffet restaurant is not very good compare to others in Cuba with same stars.

We had to wait hours for our room, and pool snack bar always ran out of food. My room door didn’t lock probably and I had them come fix it and it still didn’t lock probably the maid left my room unlock the whole day. On a positive note they were clean and the chicken was a amazing other the front desk staff everyone else were very nice!

We went to the Melia Marina Varadero with the highest of hopes from January 6-16, 2020. My husband and I are not overly picky people. We know it is Cuba and our expectations were in check from the get go. I had previously gone to Cuba with my girlfriends three years prior and fell in love with Cuba, the people and even really enjoyed the food at our resort. My friends and I only paid $975 tax included for that lovely 7 day trip. The resort was called the Ocean Del Mar and was located in Cayo Santa Maria. It was roughly 1 year old. My husband and I certainly expected more when we opted for a 10 day stay at the Melia Marina Varadero and upgraded to a special floor called "The LEVEL". It was an extra $250 per person but we wanted an extra special stay and were looking forward to being well taken care of. This trip cost us $4800 :( I will start with the pros of this resort to be fair: 1. The LEVEL usually made really good flavourful soup at supper 2. On the second day we had delicious Pina Coladas 3. One night I had a good shrimp pasta with lobster tail (I paid $16.00 for the lobster tail. The pasta was included) 4. The rooms were clean and kept up by housekeeping daily 5. The LEVEL had a nice scenic atmosphere 6. At the LEVEL, if you went up to the bar, you could get a drink without waiting long I honestly can't think of anything else nice to say, so let me get to the cons: 1. It took 15-20 minutes to get a drink at the bars 2. We tried twice to go to the buffet and the line-up was so long, we left 3. Almost all of the pool and beach chairs were broken to some degree 4. The beach chairs were VERY scarce. No small tables to put a drink on. 5. The beach while scenic was INFESTED with sand fleas. We went 2 times only because we were bitten so many times we looked like we had a disease. I lost count on my husbands legs after 50 bites (which bled by the way). Keep in mind, we only went 2 TIMES!!! Imagine if we had gone every day! And we sprayed bug spray! A LOT of bug spray! 6. Back at the one and ONLY pool for over (we estimated 800 rooms) it was a drunken, obnoxious free for all most of the time. Never enough chairs and almost always a long line to wait for a drink at the pool. You couldn't even get away from people because again, no other pools at this resort. 7. I went to the restaurant by the pool to use the washroom. HUGE mistake! The washrooms were filthy, there were no locks on the door and when I went to sit on the toilet it began to rock back and forth. Before I knew it, it almost tipped over and that is when I realized it was not bolted to the ground!! 8. Not once was there any paper towels in the bathroom, wherever we went. 9. We decided to have lunch at the beach restaurant and this was bloody unbelievable. We waited about 40 minutes to get a seat, which I have never run into before at a resort but that's not even the kicker. After waiting for the 40 minutes, there was yet ANOTHER line-up to get something from the BBQ. I decided to have some rice only, as I did not want to wait in the line but my husband being a big meat eater decided to wait. I went and got my rice and sat down. He waited in this line up at the BBQ for over an hour before it almost being his turn. I then saw him turn around empty handed and angrily said, the chef had left the BBQ unattended, that the resort customers had taken over barbequing and that there was no food left!!!! Can you friggin imagine!!! And please remember, this was not a 2 or 3 star resort, it is supposed to be a 4.5 stars! And we paid $4800 for this crap!!! 10. The Cuban people at this resort seemed overworked and sad. Not at all like the happy people I had encountered in Cayo Santa Maria. It didn't seem to matter how much you tipped either, they just seemed exhausted. 11. On the way to the resort in the WestJet bus, we were not offered a drink of any kind. I have never experienced this and I have been away to several resorts in Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican, and that Cuba trip I was talking about with my girlfriends (again, only $975 tax in). 12. We spoke with several VERY unhappy guests. In fact, the first day we were there, we overheard 2 different couples saying that they had been "upgraded" for the night to The LEVEL because their experiences were so awful and they complained. The problem for us was that we were already "upgraded" to the LEVEL so we had no one to complain to about all of the nasty issues. Another couple who had been to the resort about 6 years earlier, said the difference in service and overall experience was night and day. They were so angry they left early. All the guests seemed angry and complaints were heard EVERYWHERE. 13. The LEVEL had a nice scenic atmosphere (which is a good thing because we spent most of our trip trapped up there because everywhere else was so awful!!!!) 14. The LEVEL while scenic and the ONLY peaceful place at the resort had very slow service. I'm talking 15-20 minutes if you sat down at a table and waited to be served a drink. Again, if you went up to the bar, you would be served right away. 15. The LEVEL, NEVER had a day in the 9 days we were there, where everything was available on the already limited menu. The waiter would tell us at least 2-3 things that were not available every night! 16. We only ventured to one a la carte restaurant outside of The LEVEL restaurant and for good reason. We decided to try the Japanese restaurant one evening. We were told by the waiter that we could only choose one appetizer one main dish and one dessert each. I have never heard of limiting food like this. So cheap!!!!. Anyways, we ordered and all I can say is it wouldn't feed a 4 year old. The portions were so tiny, which in this case was a good thing because it was GROSS! We of course, tried to finish enough on our plates not to seem rude and then headed upstairs, to THE LEVEL to actually eat. After that night, we only ate at The LEVEL. Again....trapped upstairs. We will NEVER return to Varadero. It is a completely over saturated part of Cuba and has little charm left. I bet if whoever gave this resort a 4.5 stars returned, it would only pass as a 3 star at best. This trip has left us with such a bad taste in our mouths, that I don't think we will be travelling anywhere for a while which makes me truly sad. We unfortunately, took the advice of our TripCentral travel agent who said she has never received a complaint about this resort. If that is a fact, then the people who went there were so pissed they didn't want to write a review, are totally unaware of their surroundings or live under a rock.

Well, first off, when we first got there was were given a room that really required attention. The bathroom was dirty as was the pull out couch. It was absolutely disgusting. We immediately went back to the front desk and demanded a new room. The second room was much better. The grounds were amazing. Lots of shopping, great restaurants etc. The buffet left a lot to be desired. It was the same food night after night which got very boring. Thank God for the a la carte restaurants. These provided a little variety to our meals at the buffet. We loved the tours, they were well worth the money.

To much complains, but most of them to Cuba itself. Food not tasty at all, and you need “to hunt” for it. Stuff corrupted. One time experience-is Ok. But really don’t understand why people come back here?

Pick a different 5 star resort! This 5star was comparable to a 3star I stayed at in Santiago. Eat freshly cooked food THATS made in front of u, don’t settle for the stuff that’s been left out for hours. Beach was average. Rooms were spacious. Service was poor. Freshly cooked Food was ok.

Our experience to Melia Marina in Varadero Cuba was our worst trip ever. 9 out of 10 travelers that we've meet will never returned. Services was poor, you felt you were bothering them when ask for some small service like cleaning a table so other can used it, or when requesting some coffee or water it's was a burthen. Some of the server says they will get it but never returned. Hotel is not well maintain and its falling apart. All pillows from the lobby or rooms were all filthy. Pool and beach chairs where damage and not enough to accommodate all the guess. Gym is a joke, 7 out of 8 exercise equipment where damage and the weight room was extremely small and limited of weights equipment. Bad service at the buffet, guess service and bar. Staff aren't happy at all. Only one Bar with one bartender and it take at least 15 to 20 min to get one drink if not longer. So we avoid the bar. Most of the guess during our stay were all looking forward to go back home. Always out of stock, wine red or white is only limited and often out of stock, fruit is only pineapple and water melon. Eggs and coffee for breakfast was a challenge to have and every morning I was getting upset with the services and that is not a way to start my day in the south. We've waste a week of vacation plus money to go to Cuba.

Wifi didn’t work. Our shower didn’t work. Our toilet didn’t work. They were constantly “out of stuff” and the service was very mediocre. Overall the resort needs improvement. Disappointed with my stay.

There are some pluses and minuses for this resort. 1) check in great! 2) room was dated but ok. Rusty plumbing fixtures but functional 3) food, worst we have ever experienced. Same meal every day for 7 days, cold or lukewarm at best. Horrible fruit selection, you name it, it was bad. I know Cuba doesn't have a reputation for good food but this was ridiculous. We have been to Cuba before and this resort wins for worst food ever. 4) staff was minimal, uninterested and aloof. We can not recommend this to anyone looking for a 5 star experience. At most a 3 star.

Not a bad resort but not 5-star worthy. I would give it a 3-3.5 star rating. Food was okay but usually the same all over Cuba so I wasn’t too concerned about that. The staff were friendly and never had an issue with them. The rooms could’ve been cleaner and we found a couple cockroaches. Overall not a bad experience but have been to better.

Terrible service and terrible room Every single day had a problem with toilet and ugly customer service. It was 1 star hotel not 4. Waste my money and time. Impolite waitress. Dirty and noisy elevators.dirty kitchen and many negative things.

The resort has almost all the facilities you want. But I have to say; you have to ask about everything. The space is so spread-out that you won't know just about everything. beach area can be a distance depending on where you're staying. Other than that, food is good, but not if you're expecting fast food; this is not a fast food place and there're so many options even for vegetarians. I personally like the food, enjoyed it every day.

EVERYTHING is fine in this hotel. The food is only problem. Not that great. All the people are super friendly. Easy to exchange money with a reasonable price. Nice tour to Havana. Room service is good and quick.

The hotel food was not so great. Hotel is outdated. So I upgraded to Level.the guy name Maykel? He said no charge for child but he came and found me in the line up for the buffet to come see him. He said I needed to pay 50%. So I paid. He said internet was free if I upgraded I felt uncomfortable asking him for more hours. He didnt greet us after few days despite the fact I tipped him 3cuc. He wouldnt give me more hours while waiting for my shuttle at 6pm. I needed 2 more hours but he said until 4pm. It felt like he was talking bad about us to his colleague in spanish. I felt offended. The restaurant people working are so generous. I waited for my shuttle an hour longer because my guide said 5:15pm but it was 6:15pm. I will never go back here. Not worth the money. Buffet on christmas was good with seafood but other days always the same. Went for 5 days weather was cold.. hot tub was broken.it was the worst experience ever.

Not well organized, rooms in the main building are not maintained, poor entartainmant, apartment building rooms are better quality but quite a distance from the restorans, pool, and beach, the only thing which was prity good is a lovely beach and pool area, the star rating for this hotel is not more than 3 stars

Being welcomed by genuine people makes for a great adventure. Maria and Yankiel at the snack bar always smiled from their eyes and their genuine attention made the snack bar our second home at any hour of the night (shout out to Yosmany on shift change, another rockstar), Jula and Yunior on animation never missed a beat in welcoming you into the activities and created connections among the vacationers, Deynelys, and Josee at the pool bar made the experience a special one by connecting vacationers in conversation and creating a sense of comradery that made the pool bar a "must visit" every day. Jenny was a superstar maid who made sure we felt her special touch when she cleaned our room, her attention to detail was noticed daily and made us feel looked after. Laso was ever ready with a smile as he offered rides to and from the beach in a modified golf cart (carrito). The last day was epic when the coconut /Landscaper guy made me a palm hat with a palm grasshopper on top for only a tip, this hat was the best souvenir I got in Cuba. I highly recommend this vacation for anyone who wants to relax in a safe and friendly environment with real value for your money.

Pros- staff are the best thing about this resort.....everyone works hard to make your vacation enjoyable -unlimited a la carted -the lobby bar is a popular gathering spot with good nightly entertainment -rooms very clean -nice boardwalk area with restaurants and shops next door at the marina Cons- we have travelled to Cuba on a number of occasions and have a realistic expectation regarding the food however this was our biggest disappointment.....many foods are the frozen variety and fresh items are scarce -the supply of beverages was also hit and miss in that they often ran out of items in various locations on the resort ie) wine

The resort is located at the eastern part of the peninsula. The beaches are the best I've ever been on. The area is beautiful with the marina right next to the resort. While the resort looks great at first glance, there are some maintenance issues. For example, door locks at washrooms at the restaurant by the beach were broken. Not all the faucets were working. Patio door lock had to be fixed. Pool water was cold. Even the hot tub had cold water. There were some staff members (waitstaff, bartenders, entertainers bell boys) who were amazing and friendly. However, there were others who just didn't seem to care. The bar staff at the pool and beach were great. But the bar service at the lobby was not. The staff there did not seem to want to serve customers who are not white. Lastly, the food was the worst I've had from an all inclusive resort - I've been travelling almost every year since 1998. The food was tasteless and cold, both at the buffet and the ala Carte restaurants. The food was the biggest disappointment. There was an awful stench in the enclosed area where waitstaff emptied plates of uneaten food at the buffet area. We luckily had perfect weather, and that with the beautiful beaches made the vacation worth while.

Resort is good and what you’d expect from Cuba. The staff is excellent for the most part. Recommend the Level as the restaurant included blows the buffet away. Food has gone way downhill since we were there in 2014. Beach is one of the best in the world. All in all would return.

Resort, marina, and beach are all beautiful. Would only recommend staying here with “The Level” package because of the private dining. The resort buffet was horrible and there is no way we could eat there for a whole week.

Hotel location and amenities: Very good and new Beach: Average as there was a lot of seaweed and not much of a sandy beach. Sea was not rough Swimming pool: Good with an excellent bar VIP Lounge ( Level Lounge): Fantastic Wifi: Just like any other place, accessible by wifi card, connection was good. Staff: excellent, went out of their way to make it a memorable stay. Resort had a very nice marina that provided very good sea excursions. Food: Just like all resorts in Cuba, it's a challenge as resources are limited due to sanctions. But it was manageable. Tip: Bring your own ketchup, sauce, sriracha etc Price: Value for money

Honestly the best resort I have ever stayed in cuba and I been there 6 times now. Great people. Great staff. Ok food. Great room. Great service. Great location. Great price Great drinks Great vip and level bonus. That says it all folks.

We arrived at the Melia Marina Varadero on October 22nd in the early afternoon. On the outside this is a very pretty hotel right on the Marina with great views. However, we quickly discovered there was no running water or air conditioning in the facility. We were told that the problem was being worked on but by the evening we had to request to be transferred to another hotel as there was still no water or a/c. We were sent across to the Melia Tryp Peninsula hotel in the evening and spent our first night at this resort. It was a substandard hotel and not the modern facility we had paid for at the Melia Marina Level section. We contacted the Sunwing rep that evening and the next day we were transferred to the Melia International. This hotel is the newest resort in Varadero and very upscale and to the standard we expected. Once settled at the Melia International, the rest of our vacation went beautifully. Special thanks to Hector at Sunwing who helped us get our vacation back on track and our onsite rep, Orlando. Would definitely return to the Melia International! It is a beautiful hotel with great service and very good food and wine by Cuba standards.

This was my fourth visit to Cuba, the last time being 10 years ago. I was excited to stay at what I thought would be the best resort I had booked with yet. This was not the case. I know that the star ratings in Cuba don’t relate to here in Canada but the first day was a total disappointment and the Melia Marina was not even close to the service or cleanliness of some of the other resorts I have stayed with. We arrived at noon and every hour they told us our room would be ready in an hour. As the hotel seemed fairly empty I am not sure what the hold up was. Once we finally received our room at 430 it was a disaster! The shower was black, the towels grey with unknown splatters, a dirty toilet, a couch covered in stains, the furniture looked like it had been beaten and the floor filthy. I went to reception and they had a hard time understanding my concerns but said they would try to find me another room in a couple hours. Sadly I am not proud of how I behaved but I demanded they fix it immediately. We got our second room in seconds unfortunately we walked into a room with the air conditioning grid hanging open and the filter in the bathtub. I snapped some pics and back down to reception we went. Finally our third room was acceptable, but not what I was expecting based on pictures and past reviews. I was finally able to change out of my travel clothes and shower by 7pm. The rest of the trip was lovely, the food was Cuban food. You really cannot complain because they are doing the best with the resources they have and I assume the lack of restaurants and entertainment had more to do with it being off season. Once again not the resorts fault we picked the first week of October to travel.

We were there from August 30- September 5, 2019 and there were cockroaches in our room. We were with an infant and a 7 years old. When I mentioned at the reception that there were cockroaches in our room, they took no action or gave us a room on higher floors (we were on the 4th floor). The food was bad and salty, but it was expected as this wasn't our first time in Cuba. Our flight was delayed and they gave us half hour courtesy room, but it was full of cigarette smoke. I wouldn't recommend taking kids to this hotel. I have been to other resorts in varadero and they were more cleaner than Melia Marina. The beach was great and the beach staffs and the bartenders were friendly. Nice view of the marina

It was very nice hotel the only thing is that they should have handles on the washroom the toilet is very low I am senior And the only thing is when you need golf cart and you want to go back to the hotel my Daughter and I waited for long time Golf cart the golf cart should be running every Five minute had great time and the people are very nice we mice them when we came back

It was good we enjoy your self the only thing we had to wait for golf cart to pick us up from the beach my mom is a senior and it was very hot for her they should have the golf cart running every 5 minutes to pick up people from the beach and take them back to the hotel that's the only problem everything was great the people are very nice and I got treated like royalty

The hotel was ok needs bit of TLC its modren tho, the mattresses were deep and need to be changed house keeping was very good altho I take my own bed linen and ask them to keep it on. Food was fresh every day good selection but exact same thing for seven days. Also Someone need to explain to the locals that occupied 95% of the resort to be respectful and stand in the line with the rest and stop bidding in front as you wait for your orders eg shrimps, grilled chicken, egg or at any station also they need to hire staff that speak english . The resturant manager is such a hard worker and organized everything and plays a fair game regardless if your cuban or tourist. Beach is very pristine and beautiful enough loungers around. Swimming pool needs to be updated all the tiles are broken and very slippery inside you could easily slip. But my only compliant was few of the resturant staff and beach bars were not doing their job to their potentials unless you tipped but its understanding too that their job isn't easy with so many orders especially the ppl in the swimming pool that swarm the bars with alcohol and the resort was full of kids which you could not even enjoy a moment of peace with one or two jumping over you in the pòol or jacuzzi.

Amazing staff at the kids club,friendly hotel staff,clean rooms,good variety of food,minutes from the Ocean,clean pool & definitely a place to come back to. Would recommend it any time and can't wait to go back.

The beach is nice, natural, clear warm water. Everything else is awful. Broken beach chairs Many Cubans privileged at restorante , where it is hard to find anything to eat. Dirty room doors, broken remote, broken tv, no botlle opener, 1 cup and glass for 3, people in the room. They never offer water or drink at the restorante It is hard to mention all bad things, unfortunately

Good location, very nice vegetation and garden, very clean hotel, good staff, nice lobby and lobby bar, good food with no much choices. The beach of this hotel is amazing, the sea is amazing too. Like a negative review, sometimes, the beach bar had no glasses for cocktails, water, beer, juices, which it was very disappointing while it was very hot outside. Another negative point, very bad and poor internet connection. It took us hours to try to connect to internet.