It is a nice resort. Found room cleanliness not as good as before. The food was okay better selection then last time' but you don't go to Cuba for the food. My only complaint really was the evening lobby entertainment. You get tired of the violin 4 out of 7 evenings' especially when a couple were not very good.

Lots of amenities; excellent beach. Ok staff, not too friendly. Ok bars, pool and drinks. My room did not have toilet paper regularly. My room did not have power or light on some days. My room did not have a tv remote and it took 2 days for staff to get a different TV.

I have been to this resort again and again. All of the staff are amazing and friendly, the management system is top notch, the food is always the best no matter which season I have been there. Rooms are clean and functioning. Safe and quality people attending. It's very close to Santa Marta, can walk there in 20 min for culture And just. 10 min tour bus ride to Varadero. All in all 5* My agent Ali Mohammad went above and beyond and I would not book with anyone else! Thanks for everything!

Pros: Newer resort with modern features Comfortable beds and pillows Excellent selection of drinks Washrooms clean with toilet paper Friendly staff and bartenders Extra large beach towel Very good buffet selection Very clean pool Clean beach Cons: It’s a $20 taxi ride to the Beatles Bar À la cartes are no better than buffet Beach is lower quality than Varadero Elevators sometimes didn’t work Ran out of drink ingredients often Cappuccino bar staff are slow Always loud music 9-10pm

Nice resort, large clean rooms. Attentive and friendly staff. Poolside activities were ok. Nightly entertainment was ok. Food quality and selection is limited. Questionable food preparation for some food items ie cooking raw chicken and beef with the same utensil. The resort itself is very nice. The food quality and selection is a drawback.

If you are a beach person this is not the resort for you. Beach is very short and rocky. Everything else is 4 stars. Music can be a little to loud at times. Food at the buffets can be repetitive but still very good.

The grounds were very nice. The hotel is exceptionally clean. The food was great especially the al-a-cartes. The ocean view rooms was really nice and the wifi worked throughout the resort. The beach was nice. Any seaweed was picked up daily.

Hotel itself is new and modern. Some minor glitches with our bathroom door but minor. Facilities modern very clean and accessible. Staff kind, patient and gracious. Buffet had good variety and was very clean. Snack bar had wonderful staff good variety of items any time I went. Beach entry and exit can be challenging to those with mobility issues as there is a big drop at the water and the sand changes to egg size stones at the waters edge. I was there Feb 2-6 unfortunately very cold but the staff did the best they could with our sad faces waiting for sun.

The hotel was a quick ride from the airport. It is the first stop which was great. The hotel itself was well situated. There were gardens through the walkways and everything was in the same building. Our room was nice and modern. Provided nice plush bathrobes and an umbrella. The bathroom was large with a great walk in shower. Our ocean view was absolutely perfect! There was never much of a wait for any type of drink/coffee which was nice. The staff were friendly. The front staff struggled to communicate with staff and were not overly helpful. The Sunwing rep was available for the majority of the day to answer questions. We tried two of the A la Cartes. We really enjoyed the Japanese restaurant / the food was awesome! The snack bar was always open and buffet had lots of options. The pool was large with lots of seats. The entertainment staff were okay. Unfortunately, the weather was bad during our stay so we weren’t able to enjoy the pool or ocean.

The lobby & room services are nice.Especial bar services are very nice. The WIFI is too bad. We cannot use it in room. The foods are same as day and day. No chang in one week! We want stay here in next time ,but make more progresses.

The hotel was good for Cuban standards but the food was not great, there were shortages and the conditions were quite unsanitary you just need to watch what you eat and wait in line to eat the fresh food. Entertainment was lacking except for the magic show. The beach was not as nice as the other resorts and there are thieves that’s steal your things when unattended

I travelled alone to the Grand Aston Varadero from Dec 25/25-Jan1/26. i found both good and bad during my stay at the Grand Aston. Beach- not so great- you have to climb up and down a hill of sand to get to the water, and there were several rocky areas. I only spent one beach day there, and the weather the last 2 days did not allow for beach swimming so that was it for the beach for me. The pool area was nice and the chairs were in much better shape than at the beach. Food/dining- They could not manage to keep the food in the buffet hot (air conditioning was part of the problem, maybe-it was always very cold in there. Lots of repetition- I never once saw bacon, and I was there every morning for breakfast. Omelettes were good. New Year's Eve dinner was quite good with turkey, pork, beef and lots of lobster! Service was close to terrible in the buffet. The kicker was on the first night. The young girl serving me was inattentive and she went as far as to hang out in the back corner, chatting with a co-worker, while she cleaned her fingernails. I found this disgusting and I went over and told her just that. A la cartes- I went to only two-the Japanese, where I ordered a curried pasta, which did not taste like curry at all. We waited about 30 minutes for dessert; it never came, so we left without leaving a tip. I worked 30 years in the service industry, and I tip well, but I just saw no justification for a tip for such poor food and service. And I have been to Cuba 14 times, so I know what to expect-this was unacceptable. The Cuban a la carte was much better. I found the sports bar at the end of my stay--they had amazing pizza and snacks; (you pay extra for it-but so worth it). Staff- Most of the other staff were friendly and accommodating. My chamber maid (Regla), was excellent and she went out of her way to make me comfortable, brought me extra hangers, and my room was always very clean. She really appreciated the gifts I left her each day, and wrote me a little note every day. The ladies at the coffee bar were also very good, very attentive no matter how busy they were. All in all, I would rate this resort as a 3-star. The hotel and grounds are kept beautifully; most of the staff are friendly; the location is okay. I was looking for a quiet vacation and it was quiet. I think the Selectum next door might be a better choice---I heard it was much better than the Grand Aston. I guess it depends on what you're looking for, so I hesitate to recommend most resorts. I, myself would not return to this resort.

The Hotel was nice, its fairly new. The staff were friendly. The bars are good, not much for a wait for a drink. The entertainment in the lobby was nice. The food was good, not hard to find stuff to eat…. The beach was nice…a bit rocky bring sand or water shoes and you are fine. The room was nice and kept clean. The wifi is okay… great in the lobby. The pool is nice. The weather was nice. Downtown varadero was nice. Altogether I would say this trip was…..Nice! Lol

Was great for me. Clean and modern. Courteous staff. Food was good. Super value. Pool could be cleaner. Should be vacuumed well and cleaned nightly. Pedicure was great. Entertainment could be less Cuban. More gendres of music. Younger staff could learn more English as majority of us were Canadian. I would definitely go back to unwind. Day trips into town with local busses was easy and economical.

The beach was ok on the left side of the hotel near the vip section, the right side has rocks when u walk in , most benches at the pool and beach were wrecked and uncomfortable, for the price it’s the best hotel you can get in Varadero Cuba

Resort was nice and it was clean. The food because of food shortages in Cuba was very basic. The specialty restaurants all had pretty much the same menus. All in all though it was a nice resort with a great beach area.

The elevator was out of service for many dates, I try to talk to the front desk and she gave me dirty look, I don’t know what’s wrong with them. Food , of course is bad.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxcxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Great resort. We stayed over Christmas 2025. It was a pleasant stay. The staff are lovely. The food was good by Cuban standards. Pretty much same almost every day but it was decent. Bring hot sauce with you if you like a little stronger flavour. The room service was excellent. We never had to call to ask for anything. Our ocean view room was very clean and huge. The beach was ok. The water is pretty rough around there. It was windy when we were there so it was even rougher. The lounge chair were a little gross. They should be replaced.

Public washrooms are often missing toilet paper (so take your own). Food was reasonable given its Cuba. They have some strict rules around beach towels so need to safe guard those. You are charged if both are not returned and it seems their staff tends to remove the towels often if left unattended by the pool. Other than that, rooms seemed clean and views were great.

The resort was very clean and rooms were spacious and comfortable. The housekeepers were extremely friendly and helpful. There were times some foods or drinks ran out but there was always plenty of options and the food tasted good so it was never an issue for us or the kids. The pool chairs were extremely uncomfortable but there was always availability and the pool and pool bar were awesome. The beach had a very rocky area but we figured out quickly which part to walk into to avoid it. Weather was fantastic and the trip was amazing overall!

This was an amazing resort to stay at. It was always clean, the staff were extremely kind, the food was delicious, and the beach was beautiful. I fully recommend to go to Grand Aston in Varadero if you're thinking about going to cuba!!

Nice resort, pools were good, beach was average, food was average Nice resort, pools were good, beach was average, food was average Nice resort, pools were good, beach was average, food was average

Really enjoyed our stay at this hotel- clean rooms, good food, best staff especially the Beach Bar. Reviews about beach being horrible is not accurate - it may not be equivalent to beaches further down the strip but still beautiful.

Sorry this is going to be a roses and thorns review. I’ll start with the roses… Hotel itself is beautiful, one of the nicest rooms I’ve stayed in during 15+ trips. Could use some deep cleaning ie doors dirty around knobs from people touching etc…..but overall very nice. Staff were amazing in all restaurants, dining rooms, bars etc. my friend had a VIP room and his concierge Jenny was amazing. Most guest were over 50 I would say, so not a real party resort but didn’t really cater to older guest either. Now the thorns… there are no water activities offered - no paddle boats, catamarans etc…… Beach chairs are nasty. Best way to sit on them is resting your butt btwn the crack of the back and seat. Been back 4 days and my back still hurts after just a few days on them. Most were broken and you needed work around to get them to sit up. Beach is pretty rocky - not much they can do about that but there is also garbage at the beach area. Guest were cleaning some up but The entertainment team during the day offer water aerobics and occasionally pool games which mainly consist of dance contest. Suggest they visit some other resorts to see the level and variety of activities. Very little shade areas at the pool. Maybe, since crowd is older a small book exchange, maybe bingo at the pool in the afternoon. This was my friends first time to Cuba and he was very disappointed. Thankfully we had brought some small games with us and they were our main entertainment. Suggest you pass on the night time shows. We attended three nights and two were audience participation which consist of dance contest. The host seem to have little idea of what to do next and relied on audience suggestions. Some entertainment at lobby bar at night - violin / sax they were both worth the watch during pre dinner drink. While you don’t go to Cuba for the food…..it was very bland and most meat was over cooked. The grill at the sports bar opened for lunch at 1 and were out of food by 1:10. There is no source of food down by the beach so you have to go to main building. Would be great if they moved bbq down to the area adjacent to the beach bar. Restaurants - Skip the Japanese, Cuban was ok, 1887- wasn’t worth cost, Italian was edible. I love Cuba and will definitely go back but not to Grand Aston. Nice rooms don’t make up for all the things they need to work on at the resort.

Had an amazing time at this resort. Staff were friendly & helpful. Stay was good, hotel was clean and had lots to offer. Large variety for food & drinks. Swim up bar on one side & dry bar on the other side. The only downside was the elevators being slow & one of the 3 were out of commission. Looking forward to seeing them again!

Friendly staff, good dance sessions, and new and clean rooms, good food menu choices, lobster dinner was great, deluxe oceanview was fantastic, room cleaning service did a good job, need improvement on how to manage flies in the buffet area

It was beautiful and updated. Servicecwas great. Food was great. The pool and the beach were great. We would definitely go again. We would recommend this resort to anyone. I heard while we were there you should upgrade to vip.

The room was nice, the pool and beach were nice. But like all of Cuba the humidity is hard on everything and a deep clean would do wonders. I understand that they do not have access to everything we take for granted in Canada. The price could not be beat. There was fresh eggs for breakfast, a pasta station and grill at lunch and dinner. As always the Cuban people are wonderful.

Nice modern hotel with great staff , clean grounds , big pool and beach is better than I expected . Food was ok but we don’t go to Cuba for the food and this is one of my fave resorts after being to Cuba 8 times . Would love to return

The food was terrible. What you had for lunch you get for dinner. No onions,tomatoes, lettuce, or bananas. Lots of delicious bread ! You had to ask for salt. Better to take your own salt, peanut butter ect. I know there is a food shortage for them but this is the worst we ever had.

Loved this resort. The beach was granular and not very good for walking but still very nice. Richard and Mani at beach bar were excellent! Friendly and informative! Nice pool. The lobby was lovely. Bartenders nice and friendly. The food was good- you could always find something to eat even if picky eater. Would definitely go back

It’s a lovely place to unwind and enjoy the sun. If you go with an open mind and remember you’re in Cuba, you’ll have a great experience. I’d definitely come back and recommend it to anyone looking for a clean, modern resort with amazing views and good vibes.

I had a really nice stay at the Grand Aston Varadero! The resort is modern, beautiful, and very clean. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, with great views and a relaxing atmosphere. The pool area is gorgeous, and the beach while a little rocky in some spots is still stunning and perfect for relaxing.

Beautiful resort, courteous and professional staff, food was surprisingly good. The Club check in needs help, we opted for Club, but didn't really get the club experience on the first few days, we found out more of what was included mid way through our vacation. Rey at the Club designated breakfast and lunch restaurant was amazing! Beach - I believe it is man made, a bit of a trek to get to the water, water was amazing! Overall - we always have a great time in Cuba!

Pros: This hotel is one of the newest in the Varadero strip, the food was enough, and the choices was more that you get at other hotels in the area, the hospitality in the buffet area was amazing. There was a separate customer service person to help you with your needs are the resort, therefore you did not need to go to the front desk and wait in lines. The room was decent, minor problems, but quickly addressed. The beach was nice, small rocks and a bit rough but good to pass the time. Cons: Tipping is crazy at this place! *The beach attendants did not clean the sand nor the beach chairs for guest but always asking for money. *The specialized restaurants was the worst place to book if you wanted to get food in a normal timely manner ( 35 minutes just to take the order). After 2 hours you can leave half full and run to the buffet before it closes. * If you are new to the resort, please turn on your TV, because neither the front desk nor the air canada rep tells you were any thing is located, apparently if you turn on your Tv you'll see some information. * I'm not sure why some guests get welcome drinks at check in and Canadians did not get welcome drinks. * Let not forget birthdays, 2 days before the birthday, the hotel was informed, they said the different options they offered, we picked 1 and was told they would deliver on the date of the birthday. Because they forget, we were told two day later, right before check out, they only deliver after someone's birthday. Now I write this because this was my experience, please go and draw your own conclusions.

My stay at the Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort was very disappointing. From the moment I entered the room, the poor ventilation was apparent. The moisture was trapped inside, making the towels and bed feel damp, and even the floor was slick with water. The room itself had a musty smell, which made it difficult to relax. The bathroom was in need of serious attention. The floor was dirty, with visible mildew on the shower tiles. To make matters worse, the bathroom floor had a strong , unpleasant smell of urine that lingered throughout our stay. The food was a major letdown. It lacked flavour and everything had a rubbery texture , making meals feel more like a chore than an enjoyable part of the day. Even the gazebo bed covering was not spared, as it had visible mildew stains on it. I decided to go for a dip in the ocean and discovered rocks beneath my feet that was not pleasant to walk on. This was a huge letdown for a beachside resort. On the plus side, the pool was quite nice and provided a decent spot to relax. Overall, the experience was far from what I expected, and I would not recommend this hotel to others.

Hotel was extremely clean...food was great (loved those mangos) ... a la cart restaurants were extremely good...pool was clean..entertainment was entertaining... If you do not like local drinks, I would recommend you bring your own single malt scotch. I would definitely go back !

I enjoyed my stay with my daughter it was clean and the pool was great. The ocean was scary for me as I am not a great swimmer! But it was very nice. The food was acceptable we were happy to find that they had hamburgers and ketchup!!

I was very disappointed, when we checked out at 12pm, on June 01,2025 We had to leave our unlocked luggages in the room next to the reception counter with 2 security men while waiting for the bus to the airport at 6:40 ,when the bus arrived ,we went to get our unlocked luggages ,then got into the bus to the airport ,once we got to the airport,we open one of our carry on to get our jackets ,but surprisingly our jackets disappeared,no trace of it ,we were sure it got stollen at the Grand Aston hotel

We just came back from a great stay at an awesome place. The staff at the Grand Aston Varadero were so much fun and helpful. The room was kept very clean and the grounds are beautifully maintained. I just cannot wait until we can go back and enjoy it again.

My Take on This Resort, after staying here I have pros and cons Pros: Rooms are spacious, water pressure and hot water was no problem. The Hotel in itself is modern and inside kept clean. The drinks in the sports bar are the best on the resort, and Air Conditioned. The Cappuccinos, coffee and Frappuccino delicious. The cons: on this place were do I begin....The grounds are in need of upkeep, the swim - up pool was gross and had an algae problem. Never really seen the Animation Team except aqua fit. The bartenders pick and chose who they are going to serve( yes I tip ) The beach lacks shade and a bar. They do not serve around pool so you need to get your own drinks. They run out of liquor and pop. Only 1 bottle of water in your room. The food was awful.....you had to wait 20 minutes for an omelette or pasta at night, everything else was terrible. No potato, no pasta salad or salad, no condiments or even salt or pepper. The flies were terrible and everywhere, even in your food. The bathrooms lacked toilet paper and paper towels, I will not be returning...

Room clean but bed sheets not changed every day beach towel are so dirty. Food so poor one day even breads runouts . All in all good location but grass and plants are drying need attention , some hotel staff’s are not polite and friendly also expect something from you, coffee mostly cold . Generally new building but again not managed hotel needs good service.

I thought the resort was a great value, and the only negative was the beach, which will mature and improve with time. There were no apparent shortages and the staff took pride in their positions. I would return.

The resort is still in new condition and the location is great. I was very disappointed because the air conditioning in my room didn’t work at all, But I didn’t let AC situation ruin my vacation. Other one is the beds weren’t clean I had to request them to be changed for clean sheets. Overall I like it I would go back if the place gets a real manager.

What a great time we had. This hotel reminded me of Mexico the way it's laid out. Small resort with a big heart. Not a lot of walking, elevators for people that need them Rooms are very clean, nice comfy beds, clean towels daily. The maids did a fantastic job daily Food was exceptional for Cuba Omelettes every day Chicken, fish and beef daily Rice dishes, fresh vegetables Fruit was a treat, fresh mangos, pineapple and papayas Bread and butter, yummy Not shortage on those We did not have pasta or French fries but we didn't miss them Staff for the most part were beautiful (there are a few that didn't want to make cappuccino for us every morning) so maybe move them to a job they prefer The music in the lobby was amazing we truly enjoyed every evening in the lobby The beach is fantastic yes the waves are fun, if you are looking for no waves go else where. The pool is big There isn't a lot going on again if you are looking for a party place move on We will absolutely return to This resort

The hotel was impressively clean and all the staff friendly and attentive. The food was surprisingly good but was tired after two weeks of it even though they would add new things to the buffet at times. Pools were clean, entertainment every night and staff/guest participation of fun during the day by the pool. Bars were well stocked and the espressos were excellent!

Food was great for Coba. Room was fine. But toilet did not flush for two days. Air never worked. But in general pool was loads of fun. Ocean a bit wavey for snorkeling or swimming. I will return in the fall do overall the hotel is clean and new. A great place to visit

The hotel itself, grounds and rooms were nice. The public areas of the hotel were well maintained and clean. Buffet food - served the same food everyday and shortage of food was very noticeable. Service at the buffet was non existing. You couldn’t get clean spoons, cups and sometimes even drinks. Buffet servers and waiters are not friendly at all. Our room was not cleaned until around 4 pm everyday and on some days we couldn’t get clean towels at all and had to ask for toilet paper. Most days there was no toilet paper available in public washrooms in the resort. Front reception staff are not very friendly and if you gave a complaint, you have to wait in line to speak to someone from guest services as to t desk staff won’t help you. Entertainment was excellent and waiters in the lobby were good and friendly. Swimming pool floor is very slippery and need to be careful when walking so not to fall.

The hotel was clean, pool and daily activities were great. The overall vibe at the hotel was wonderful as something was always happening to keep guests entertained. The service from the wait staff was mediocre at best ..no smiles, and in the dining lounge we often had to flag someone down to get a soda with our meal. What was very disheartening was the bars where many a time if not most of the time, there was only one bartender trying to serve 10-15 people. That is very irritating for guests as many were very dissatisfied, with having to wait 20-30 minutes to get a drink. With all the staff in the dining lounge it’s hard to believe that management can’t train at least 3-4 bartenders per bar at least during busy times. Overall though, having been to at least 30 hotels in Veradero over the years, I was happy with my stay at Grand Aston

I recently stayed at the Grand Aston Varadero, a beautiful and modern hotel with great potential—but a few hiccups worth mentioning for future travelers. While the property itself is stunning, the guest experience fell short in several areas. Some of the front desk staff were quite rude and dismissive when I asked questions, especially when using a translator app due to the language barrier. Being looked at and walked away from felt incredibly disrespectful—especially when you're trying your best to communicate in a new country. A major concern was the strong mold smell in the rooms. As someone allergic to mold, this made the stay uncomfortable. The ventilation seemed poor, which didn’t help the issue. On a positive note, the housekeeping staff were absolutely wonderful—friendly, efficient, and communicated well despite the language gap. Bar and entertainment staff were also personable and helpful, adding some brightness to our stay. However, the check-in process was frustrating. We weren’t allowed to check in until after 4 PM, meaning we lost a full day just sitting around in travel clothes. Our rooms were also mixed up and assigned facing garbage areas, which the staff didn’t handle well when we tried to resolve it. Food service was another issue. Breakfast ends promptly at 10 AM—come at 10:05 and you’ll miss out entirely. The snack bar only offered hot dogs or burgers until the full menu began again at 12:30, leaving very limited options. Lastly, I feel the hotel would benefit greatly from a proper orientation or welcome briefing. Many guests seemed unsure of how things worked and what was available. Overall, while the Grand Aston Varadero is visually beautiful, there are some service and communication improvements needed to make it truly enjoyable. With a few adjustments, it could be a fantastic place to vacation.

1, the food quality and option is a huge problem, even I knew there is a lack of food, but not think it is that bad. 2, the service is not acceptable, to replace the towel need me talk to the guess service 4 times 3, we lost some money in the room, I know it it my fault, I did not lock the code case well. 4， there are so many flys sharing the food. 5, only good thing is free wifi.

The only 5* is the ground. Well kept and manicured. Entertainment was quite good too. 4* Food, although plentiful, was very repetitive. Bread was not available for at least the week I was there. I think the hotel could have bought some at a store? Some guests did exactly that. Squeaky and very old bed. You just sank in. Service is where I am confused. They look like they are still in high school. But you can see they have been trained. Let's hope for the future. I did meet some amazing people though and will go back to Cuba.

By the time we arrived at our resort, everything was closed and we had no other choice but to go to the 24 hour snack bar. Only to learn that it was hamburger or hotdogs and that there was no bread available. I requested some french fries and was told that they weren’t available either. I was so hungry they served me a hamburger patty smaller than a McDonald’s hamburger patty on a plate. there was nothing about it that was appetizing even as hungry as I was. Not to mention we ended up moving rooms three times and never settled in till after 1 AM. The first room had no AC the second room the safe didn’t work. They continued to have no bread throughout the week, which meant no pancakes because there was no flour. I don’t eat Cuban meat and I was confident that going to this resort I could survive as I have many other times in Cuba on Pizza. None of which was available. The à la carte restaurants were pretty much the same food that was in the buffets just made to look fancy. Nothing like the pictures Shown on their website. The so-called mini bars consisted of a bottle of water. Even upon our request for soft drinks and beer we were told that was only available for VIP guests.I would give this a three star at best. We didn’t have maid service for two days and I ended up using a towel to wipe up some spilled coffee. Only to have them try and tell me I needed to pay them for a towel! It was a long week and I couldn’t wait to get back home!

The grand Aston was just what we were looking for in a resort. It was clean, we could get anywhere on the resort within five minutes, the food was good and lots of it. We have a son that is a picky eater and he ate most everything and tried some new things. The restaurants where good and it wasn't hard to get reservations. Pools were great and the beach was really nice. Wish i would have bought my snorkeling gear lots of underwater plants and fish to look at while swimming. Before we choose a trip we read some reviews and people were picking this place apart, if you had a bad experience at this spot you are probaly one of those people that are super picky and expect the world. When we go back to Cuba this is where we will go, oh the drinks and coffee bar was an added bonus.

Room was fantastic. Resort, pool and beach fantastic. 2 complaints: 1) Apparent so-called bread at buffet was inedible. No real bread for eggs. No buns for cold cuts. No buns for hot dogs or hamburgers at snack bar. Need to grease the right palms to get proper flour as very frustrating. 2) Entertainment should always be on stage and not in the lobby and a little amateurish. Other than that totally recommend this resort!! Gracious.

This resort is very beautiful. The staff were very friendly. The rooms were wonderful and we paid extra for an ocean view which was well worth it. I liked the fact that the balcony was in the shade.

IT WAS A GREAT PLACE, AMAZING PEOPLE AND STAFF STAFF.WERE WONDERFUL GREAT ATMOSPHERE GREAT ENTERTAINMENT. WE WERE A GROUP OF 19 PEOPLE THEY ACCOMODATE US IN THE RESTAURANTS. PEOPLE THERE ARE VERY NICE AND HELPFUL, I HAD MY ADULT SON WHO USES A WALKER , MOST OF THE THINGS WERE ACCECCABLE ( EXCEPT THE SANDY BEACH I WILL GO BACK THERE EVERY YEAR! IT HELPS TO BRING SMALL GIFTS TO GIVE AS TIPS ,IT IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED.

Grand Aston Varadero is a really beautiful resort where I've built great memories with friends and met amazing friendly staff. The food, the beach, the activities keep you entertained all day and night. The only negative comment I have is that the room service is not very sufficient. For example, the towels are never changed during the whole week and the washroom is not well maintained. But the beds are made and floors mopped.

This hotel was beyond our expectations. Our room had such an amazing view of the pools and the beach. It was clean and large in size. The food was amazing with such a great variety at the buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The staff are THE BEST! The Cuban people really are the nicest people. They have a great coffee bar - and pastries at every corner - LOL . The entertainment crew were so hospitable and always keeping the guests entertained. I highly recommend this resort. You will NOT be disappointed at all. WE WILL BE BACK FOR SURE :)

Great food, coffee, great atmosphere. The beach chairs were awful. The beach could be cleaned or grated. Very small area where there were'nt any rocks in the water. House cleaning good be better. The stairwell was very dirty. Eventhough, we would go back.

Beautiful Hotel. Service great. Grounds well kept and plenty of space by the pool.Food excellent and as always, friendly service. Patchy at the gym always helpful. Sports Bar, and entertainment amazing. Look forward to our next stay at The Grand Aston,

This resort is so clean and friendly. Not to mention the first stop from the Airport when you get there. Food - Was great every morning there were baskets of fresh eggs and they cook them to your liking. Never ran out of eggs or bread and one morning they even had fried bologna which us once from the Maritimes love. Staff - Excellent and friendly, go out of their way to see a smile on your face. Speak very well in English so it was easy to communicate when ordering or getting directions etc. Grounds - It is not a small resort but it's not the biggest either so the pools, bars and restaurants on the facility are all close in walking. The pool is a great size for the size of the resort and beach has two accesses one on east and one from the central area of the resort. They also have a Tiki bar between the pool and the beach with a Tiki bar on the beach as well. Yes of course the pool has a swim up bar. Facility - Clean, comfortable, easy to follow map in the main lobby that will direct you to any number of restaurants that cover food from all over the world. You can relax in a spa or workout in the gym. Non stop activities. Entertainment - Music and dance shows every night of the week.

Soooo, this is what everyone has been talking about. THE BEACH. When it's wavy because of the drop off which levels back out in a few meters, the waves pumble you into the rocks right at/under the shore line and have a VERY difficult time getting out. DO NOT ENTER WHEN RED FLAG IS UP ON BEACH. When it is not wavy, this beach is just fine. BUT BE VERY CAREFUL of the 2 peers on each side of this beach. IT IS FULL OF SLIME AND VERY DANGEROUS TO WALK ON. On the left side peer, there are gorgeous waves hitting for film and photos, of course when the waves are angry. lol There are a lot of gorgeous sea shells to be found on the right side peer. GO! have fun!!!♥ FOOD=Excellent ROOMS=Excellent CHARLIE VIP CONCIERGE=Excellent BEACH=Depends on weather LOBBY/POOL/DINNING ENTERTAINMENT= A bit repetitive but great quality TRANSFER=Short bus ride (10 mins) DRINKS=AMAZING (Catalana and sex on the beach= MUST HAVES) POOLS/SWIM UP BAR=meah PARTIES=Lacking #LOOKBEOFREYOUBOOK @ www.youtube.com/@resortwalkthroughs

We arrived December 31, 2024 and were excited to get into our room and join the New Year's celebration. Unfortunately it didn't go well. The room we got was a basic room, overlooking a parking lot. We paid an upgrade for Ocean View Deluxe. I returned to the front desk and the lady tells me they are full, she cannot move me. I persist and she asks me to show my confirmation. Thank goodness I had an email with the full details. She goes to talk to the manager and gives me a new room. We take off again to the new room, however when we get there, it smells, I notice stains on the bed quilt and I go to take a shower, no towels. Then I notice how dirty the bathroom is. When I got to sit on bed to call front desk, I notice no pillow cases, stains on pillows, and no bed sheets, just the quilt on the bed. Now I am absolutely grossed out and really upset. We head back to the front desk and she tells me, sorry, she cannot move me and expects me to take this dirty room. This is a 5 Star resort?? I start crying, cannot believe this. I am single mom, travelling with my 12 year old daughter and she can't do anything for me. Standing there crying my eyes out, she gets the Customer Service agent to come over and take me away from the counter and there are a bunch more checking in and I'm sure it doesn't look good for their reputation. Customer Service tells me to go eat. They will see what they can do and come see her after. After.... she lets me know, they found another room and it is being cleaned. The doorman comes with me to help move my luggage from the dirty room to my new room. I show him the stains and how disgusting this is. He dismisses it and says, let's go! My new room (at this point is room number 3 now) is better till I pull the sheets back later in the evening and see more blood stains. I am too tired to complain at this point and sleep on other side of the bed, my daughter sleeps on pull out bed. The next day I see the room cleaner, I show her the sheets and she says ok no problem, she'll remove this sheet. She literally removes the sheet and doesn't replace it. So at night, I now have one sheet on the bed and nothing on top. I call the front desk again several times, 20x or more. They kept hanging up on me. Transferring me to Customer Service where no one was even there. It took 3hrs to get a sheet delivered to my room. The front desk are rude and refuse to help you with anything. We noticed a line up every day with people complaining about their room. The rooms are modern, but sheets and bedding have stains, toilet paper is hard to come by. No daily water unless you tip and request it. Other than that, the food was great. The staff, chefs, cooks at the grills, everyone really friendly and doing their part. The pools are VERY cold. Could not swim whole vacation. The ocean was really rough, so it wasn't a great holiday for swimming. Beach was nice. No one could use the pools except for a few who braved it, but their dip in the pool quickly ended after a couple minutes as they couldn't take it anymore. The photos of the resort look great, but it's definately NOT a 5 star hotel. I would say 3 star at best. Great price! But, Sadly I'll never go back. Not worth it.

Beautiful resort however they need to improve on customer service, i.e service with a smile, would have given more tips…the resort should have more to do in the evening very boring Jennifer was the best server in the lounge area

My wife and I travel to Cuba frequently. We know and understand the troubles of the country... politics aside, Cuba needs a lot of work. In the meantime, let's not forget we don't go there for the food, or the quality of anything... we go there, because it fits our budget!!! That said, a lot of attention to detail is missing, a lot of staff training is required, service industry etiquette needs a ton of work; BUT... Cuban resort workers are just beautiful people and deserve better working conditions, supplies, materials, and all they lack to make our stay better. Just pay attention to detail, please!!! Great round of applause to Chef Santiago [man, you work hard!], the ladies at the Sports Bar and the Cuban Restaurant. Thank you Ismary for making us laugh all the time. The Chef at Cuban Restaurant is just a magician. THANK YOU all!

Service was non-existent... Wasn't even able to acquire bottles of water. Had been asking for days. Bars have no menus and servers can be rude. Beach was possibly the worst in Varadero. The hotel itself was beautiful. New and modern. The food was surprisingly not too bad. The A la carte options are great. Night entertainment was a hit and miss

The resort was amazing. The vibe was good. The service was good. The only thing I don't really enjoy was the food out of 10 I'll give it a six. The varadero area. It's pretty good. Just watch out for people on the street. Trying to sell you cigars.

The hotel and service were great. But I would not recommend taking a tour to habana. I felt like I went shopping just to buy cigars and rum instead of taking a tour. The lunch was not good either. Don’t waste 150 USD for worthless tour to Habana. Stay at the hotel…

Good freshly new hotel, nice facilities, good restaurants and very good food choices. Nice rooms. Good management, top notch entertainment. Staff not as happy and joyfull as other locations but great services overall. Piano bar and pool service extraordinary. Coffee station one of the best. Best cuban restaurant, highly recommend. Beach rocky and weedy, many jelly fish.

This was one of the best resorts I have been too in Cuba the resort itself was amazing, rooms beautiful, Had all amenities plus some, like bath robes in rooms along with Beach towels. Food was plentiful and Delish. Nice sports bar that made amazing drinks more than the normal at the Reg bar. The beach was just ok. I prefer a long beach I can walk but I would still go back to this resort!

The hotel is new (11 months old at the time of our visit in November 2024), stylish, and in great condition. Our expectations were exceeded in almost every aspect of the trip, especially when considering the price of the trip compared to other destinations. The hotel is luxurious while simultaneously taking great pride in Cuban culture and hospitality; we thought this was a perfect combination. I'm not sure if it is typical or not, but the hotel was not busy at all during our visit - it was glorious to not have to worry about crowds! There were nice little extras appearing out of nowhere throughout our stay - e.g. one day there would be a pop-up fruit smoothie stand, the next day you might come across a silver ice bucket filled with 3 different types of sparkling wine surrounded by champagne flutes, another time there would be a man with a charcoal grill making pulled pork sandwiches, once there was a giant tub of ice by the pool with many different beers inside, another time there was a man with a giant mechanical contraption making rum drinks from fresh sugar cane, there was a live band playing at breakfast, etc. It seemed like there was always something special going on and they are really putting in a lot of genuine effort. Rooms: The rooms are spacious, clean, and nicely decorated. Everything looked exactly like the photos on the Grand Aston website. The beds are comfortable. The A/C is modern, quiet, and very effective. It has an energy saving feature where the A/C shuts off when the patio doors are open, so be sure to perfectly close the doors (this requirement is not obvious). The curtains are good and block out light effectively. There is a mini fridge in the room. There were no insects of any type. About 90% of the time, there was endless super-hot water in the giant shower. There is a TV with 50 spanish channels and 6 english channels, but we did not use it. There is an electronic password safe in the room for your passports and cash. The plugs in the hotel are 220 volts but there are also USB charging ports built in next to the beds. We were on the ocean-view side of the hotel, which is good because it faces north so the room doesn't bake in the sun. You do hear the pool and nightly entertainment if you are on this side of the hotel, but it all ends by 10:30PM. We had plenty of towels, toilet paper, etc. and there were no power outages. Wifi was adequate and covered the hotel and pool area, but be aware that lots of websites seem to block Cuba (not the fault of this hotel). E.g. we could email / whatsapp / google without problems, but we couldn't do online banking, or make online purchases. You have to sign in to the wifi again whenever you change location in the hotel (e.g. if you go from your room to the pool). Food: There was an overwhelming abundance of good quality Cuban-themed food, no issues with shortages during our stay. There is a buffet and also 5 restaurants. The restaurants have beautiful decor and atmosphere (way nicer than most restaurants we go to in Canada). The restaurant food was slightly more fancy than the buffet, but at the same time, it was not substantially different from the buffet - for that reason, we usually preferred to eat at the buffet out of convenience. We ate 42 meals at the buffet, which sounds as though it would be repetitive, but we really enjoyed it and looked forward to each meal. They have a very professional baking staff who make tons of beautiful breads and pastries every day. There was top-quality butter and cheese. Lots of local healthy vegetables (squash, beans, yucca, plantain), fish/mussels, pork, and chicken. The secret to buffet success is to embrace the Cuban-ness of the cuisine, always try new things, and combine items. E.g. mashed plantain on its own is boring, but mashed plantain with picadillo on top is tasty. Or maybe you grab some prosciutto and fancy cheese from the buffet and have the egg lady cook them into an omelet for you. At first glance, the food may look similar every day, but on closer inspection it is not, and you can change things up to keep it interesting. They had anything we could want, but we did sometimes have to look for things (e.g. they have USA-style ketchup but it's at the salad area, croissants were at the coffee bar rather than with the rest of the pastries, hot sauce was at the snack bar, etc.). The people who we overheard speaking negatively about the food may have had unreasonable expectations. It's not logical to go to Cuba expecting to have the best Japanese food of your life - that's what a trip to Japan is for. The pasta won't be just like the dish you always get at your favorite chain restaurant in Canada. Don't expect "just like home" but with a beach. You're in Cuba, so relax and take the opportunity to embrace the good Cuban things and you will be content. They keep the restaurant very clean, we never saw any insects or pests aside from a few random houseflies - nothing to be concerned about. We were 100% healthy the whole time, all of the food agreed with us. Drinks: They seem to have a lot of options and are willing to make whatever concoction you request. There is no posted cocktail menu so you have to do a bit of guessing or asking "what did you just make for that lady", etc. If you are particular about your wines or specific brands of alcohol, you will have to let that go while you are here. The sports bar was less busy than the main lobby bar, but still had the same inventory of ingredients, so it was sometimes quicker to get drinks from there. Beach: During our stay, there were not a lot of people at the beach - it was fantastic! At any point of the day, you could just walk up and have your choice of location and get as many chairs as you wanted. On the absolute busiest day, I counted 12 people swimming in the ocean - usually it was only 4 or 5 people. The sand is beautiful and the beach was clean. The beach here is separated from the main Varadero beach by a canal; there were zero vendors, beach dogs, or random people passing by - it was entirely hotel guests and staff. It was very safe, we often left our belongings unattended while we went in the ocean. Ocean: The ocean was warm and clean. During our 14 day trip, there were big waves about 3 days (i.e. no swimming), medium waves for 9 days, and total calmness for 2 days. It's best to enter the ocean on the west half of the beach to avoid some rocks that are under the water on the east end - this was not a problem and we quickly figured out where to go; the swimmable area is large. The water is about 4-8 feet deep for quite a long distance out into the sea. Pool: It was giant, clean, and people would sit by it but hardly anyone went in. Lots of room to swim for exercise if that's your thing. During our stay the pool was a bit on the cool side, but the weather was stormy for a few weeks prior to our arrival so that might be the reason. No problem getting a chair - at most maybe 1/2 the lounge chairs were occupied. None of that 'reserve a chair with your towel at 6am' nonsense here. People were regularly coming around offering you drinks at the pool and the beach. People: The staff at the hotel were all so genuinely kind and friendly. It was very sincere and felt different than the service in Canada. Everyone speaks some basic English, but be prepared to practice some basic Spanish yourself as well - load the Google Translate app onto your phone and download the spanish translation file so you have it handy without relying on wifi. We saw 2 or 3 tourists whose favourite vacation pastime was being rude to the staff. Life is difficult for the people of Cuba, so please be compassionate. Bring a stack of US $1 bills for tips (maybe budget $8 per day, depending on how much service you require). Nobody at the resort ever made us feel even the slightest bit obligated to tip, we just did it out of appreciation. We tried to spread it around rather than exclusively focusing on the bartenders, since they seemed to be getting the bulk of the tips. We never needed to use Cuban currency, Canadian currency, or our credit cards. Entertainment: Honestly, we aren't typically interested in this sort of thing and we planned to skip it. But to our surprise, the hotel had some really talented and professional people! There was often live music in the lobby bar or restaurant, and the musicians were very good. If I had any constructive feedback on this, it would be that they like everything loud in Cuba - if there's an amplifier involved, it's pretty much a guarantee that the volume will be too high. We solved this problem by enjoying it from a distance. The Michael Jackson impersonator had shockingly good dance moves! Overall: This hotel completely exceeded our expectations. There was a pleasant surprise everywhere we looked. The hotel goes out of its way to make your trip a good one. Important: If you are going, please consider buying a cheap extra suitcase at Goodwill and bringing down some items for the Cuban people. Avoid trinkets or junk, and bring necessities of daily life like medications, adult or kids clothes, food, hygiene supplies, etc. Life is very, very difficult outside the resort and anything you can offer will help and be greatly appreciated. It will cost you $35 for the extra bag, but it's worth it. Also, don't wait until the last day to give away your gifts. We made this mistake and some of the people we wanted to see weren't scheduled to work that day.

The resort was great ,only issue was only 2 hangers per suite needs to add at least 6 to 8 hangers for 2 people . Nice pool and great staff all around the resort. Servers in all restaurants were helpful and friendly

I recently had the pleasure of staying at a truly remarkable resort where the hospitality was second to none. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warmth and genuine friendliness. Ada Lagra and Dairon stood out with their exceptional service, making us feel right at home. Their attentiveness and personal touches were truly impressive. Jenifer Joaquin added a special touch to our experience, always available to assist with a smile and making sure our needs were met. The entire staff, including Listett, contributed to a seamless and enjoyable stay, ensuring that every detail was perfect. The resort itself was beautiful, with stunning amenities and an inviting atmosphere that encouraged relaxation. The combination of excellent service and a lovely environment has guaranteed that we will be returning for another visit. If you're looking for a place where you'll be treated like family, this resort is definitely the one to choose.

Very clean hotel, housekeeping clean room and change the towels every day, staff was very friendly and helpful, joleo from customer service was very nice and helpful he managed to give us late check out which was very good especially with our flight was at 10:40pm.

Great service. Nice rooms. Pool is good. Manager was great to upgrade us when we told her it was our anniversary. Food quality and selection needs improvement. Sports team and activities could improve. Beach is nice - kinda windy when we were there. Bartender Richard and the girls were great. Had a nice anniversary few days there. …

As far as the room quality air conditioning service location and unit 5 star. But not so much the food and hygiene. The food is really repetitive of average quality too much salt and most important not hygienic they do not fumigate the dining area so the entire area is full of lies and mosquitoes they sit on the buffet on the food and it is very dangerous you don't feel like eating the food so this is my worst rating as far as the food quality and hygiene is concerned Hope the hotel looks at it before somebody falls sick because of these flies and mosquitoes hovering around and sitting on the food you cannot even enjoy the food you have to keep moving your hand to keep the mosquitoes away and also the flies away. The mosquito bites left my skin very sore for days after coming back from the trip in spite of putting mosquito repellent

Excelente Hotel, fui con mi esposo a celebrar su cumpleaños, nos encantaron todas las instalaciones,muy moderno y muy bonito!! El servicio súper bueno, la piscina preciosa y el servicio de los camareros en la piscina buenisimo. Las bebidas en todos los bares muy buenas. Los shows de la noche muy profesionales!! La habitación muy cómoda y moderna, todo funcionó a la perfección! Lo que más nos gusto fue la playa, el agua cristalina, el agua tranquila, la arena súper linda y lo mejor que siempre encontramos donde recostarnos a descansar y disfrutar de la tranquilidad y de la vista. Definitivamente volveremos lo recomendamos 100%!!

We really enjoyed our stay at the resort. We had a great corner room with an amazing balcony where we could enjoy both the sunrise and sunset as it went around both sides. The food was good, everywhere was clean, staff were friendly and helpful. Lots of hot water and water pressure. Short trip from airport, we were the first dropped off and last picked up. (App 25 mins ride) Would definitely return if going to varadero again.

The hotel is beautiful. Rooms are very nice, beds comfortable. Our room was facing the highway traffic was quite loud in the mornings. Our friends were upgraded to oceanview and it was spectacular. Buffet and a la cartes were very good. I understand what to expect from Cuba in regards to food and this was the best I have had while visiting this beautiful country. Pool is lovely and nice temperature. Beach is nice but a bit rough with the current. I found management need to provide better customer service, front desk management and staff not very friendly. Being first point of contact is very important when arriving at your destination. Overall I had a good time at this resort.

The resort only opened in December 2023. The rooms, grounds and beach are beautiful. Food was good for Cuba, never went hungry. The staff needs to step it up. The front desk staff are very rude and barely speak English. The entertainment staff needs better guidance on how to entertain the vacationers. It was a very quiet resort. I would definitely go back once the employees are better at their jobs.

All is perfect! Hotel super clean, nice Staff, good service, entertainment sufficient not too much! Food is good if you compare to other Cuban hotels. Not too far away from dowtown Varadero, about 10 minutes by car.

The food was so so except the snack bar food. Activities on resort were ok Pool was nice The room was good The services were perfect We had a great time. Beautiful beach Good drinks and staff I'll give it a 4/5

After reading some of the reviews before flying out I was a little sceptical. I’m not sure why some of the reviews were posted. It was a spectacular resort. Lots of food to select at the buffet. The a la carts were delicious and each bar served different drinks. We never went out to save a chair. Each afternoon when we were ready to go to the beach, pool or both we were able to get chairs. The beds were comfy and someone was always running around to pick up or clean up after the guests and left their glasses or cigarette butts. They had a performance each evening. I enjoyed the vocalist and the violinist, amazing performances from each.

What I looked forward to was the thought of going to a new modern resort, hotel style, nice furnishings etc. overall looking nice may have been the only big positive for us other than most of the staff were very friendly. I am going to simplify by only speaking about my major concern. We were given our room immediately which was great but when the door opened the stench was so bad we had to cover our nose. The bellboy indicated that is was from the ventilation system which really made me cautious. He called front desk & to our dismay no other rooms were available so we had to stay there one night. It was horrible. We even kept patio door open & slept with blankets over our face. They gave us another room which was okay otherwise we couldn’t have stayed at this resort. We made the best of it with our friends but it still concerns me about the whole ventilation system. What were we breathing in & does it affect the whole resort. I did try to talk to customer service & after several attempts no one showed up. Briefly the beach was fine , food & shortages were as expected , perhaps a bit worse . Workmanship of resort not great. In my personal opinion I would not rate this a 5* not even close. Hopefully problems will be corrected but I would not go back .

Overall, the sun and warm temps were amazing. The hotel itself was pretty but dirty. Tables barely wiped at night and never between guests in the buffet. ( I blame not enough staff) More often than not, used utensils left on table. The shortages in food were evident, but the rice is delicious and there is something for everyone -even picky eaters. Fish on a few days was good. I only had fresh eggs once upon leaving -but I didn’t pass that up! Some odd combos for breakfast-chicken nuggets and cabbage- lol but surprisingly good!!! Snack bar had good food, great staff. A la Carte-Italian, Japanese and Cuban all good food! So many people smoking inside. I asked manager and he did make a few put them out. Ladies sitting at pool ashing their cigs in the grates of the pool water and putting their butts out in them. What????? What country is that customary to???? Smh. They definitely need a section for smokers outdoors, with an etiquette list. (It’s 2024 folks!!!) So many entitled guests who are just rude! Honestly we never saw that in Holguin -I guess more of them travel to Varadero. Just gross! Like couples taking a cabana AND 2 umbrellas when there isn’t enough umbrellas for 1/4 of the people ? Tisk Tisk. I hope you enjoyed being able to stay at the pool for 9 hours coming and going as you please. Room 2405 - Now, the rooms. Arrived before noon, and knew it would be a wait for a room given check in is 4, though possibly sooner if it was cleaned. Checked at 2, 3,4 and 4:30, 4:45…. Still not ready then girl at desk made some calls and all of a sudden given a room which was not the room originally on our card. I think there is likely a block of 8 rooms that are the worst there in terms of location. We booked this trip the first week they opened, so very disappointed. Our room was dirty, hair and stains of spills on floor. Hair on bed, grime finger prints up and down patio doors. I had lysol wipes with me, and cleaned all switches, tables, doorknobs and remote-very very dirty. The white door-I’m certain-has not been wiped in the 4 months the place has been open. Nonetheless-a room. The kicker was the balcony overlooking the garbage bins and staff entrance. Our first evening we had the patio open and our room filled with cat pee/spray and we were confused and grossed out-but staff was rinsing the walls and ground and bins and the smell filled our room until the next day. Our view would be staff coming in by bus/car having their bags looked through and then the same at end of shift every day. And garbage bins. Our days would begin with motors of trucks and all the Exhaust fumes coming even through the closed patio. It was clear they liked to keep the bins clean as they would rinse them each day, but the diesel ( or whatever the exhaust was, was nauseating) We wrote a note to our cleaning staff, and she took great care of us and it was not her who left our room in that state. We got whatever we requested, and left her great tips and gifts daily. She cleaned everything perfectly ! We did a bus tour- swimming in the cave, valley lunch and speed boat was fun. Well worth it. Beach- very very rough. Most days red flags ? which was disappointing-but you can’t control that. It was beautiful-but dirty with litter. The drop off in the water was significant. Not the best beach in Varadero or Cuba by far. Staff-mostly amazing. People-amazing Guests- be more courteous (not all) *****Please build a cover for the rooms over the garbage bins and staff entrance. Still had fun, it’s Cuba- but I definitely won’t be back to this resort. First Time booking through Tripcentral though and they are great!!!

Room: we had standard room and no ocean view. Our room had NO wifi connection which was really inconvenient. Had to use wifi in lobby. The oceanview rooms has sustainable wifi. Room had no wash rag but had shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. The elevators on our side that were close to 1117 were  out of service for our entire stay. We used the stairs since it was only 1 floor. The stairwell was never cleaned either. Our room had minimal storage for clothes. Only had ONE hanger. Some days hotel could not provide clean towels. One day we left our dirty towels on the floor so that they could replace them. We came back to the same dirty towels folded neatly on our bed. The rooms are very damp at times. When I climbed into my bed at night, the sheets felt moist and was quite an uncomfortable feeling. Beach: beautiful but rocky. Bring water shoes or walk carefully. There is a much nicer beach 10 minutes away. Playa Blanca. No rocks. White sand. Water is calm and stunning. There's a bus $10 there and back that you can take it to get there. It goes into downtown Varadero where you can explore and shop. Could even get decent tasting food there too. Entertainment: mediocre. Some day activities and night shows. We would have appreciated a disco club. Tip for the hotel-The desk that is under the TV has empty space. Most resorts that I've been to use that space to include 6 to 8 drawers. That would have been helpful. Another tip for the hotel- educate your staff on the food menu. I asked 2 staff if the breakfast meat that was labeled 'hot dog' contained pork. They assured me it was not pork and told me it was chicken. They also kept repeating that it was hot dog, which indicated to me they didn't  have a clear understanding of hot dogs. Hot dogs can be pork, beef, chicken or all 3. I do not eat pork so it was important for me to know what was inside them. Sure enough when my friend tried it, she confirmed it was pork. Luckily I don't have a food allergy to pork, but this is concerning especially to someone whom has a food allergy or avoids eating pork for religious reasons. At the very least each food item should be clearly labeled. If it's a meat, it should indicate what type of meat. For late checkouts: resort offers late checkout for an extra $17US/ hour. We thought that was excellent. OR you can book a room for an hour for changing and showering before you leave. Rooms is based on availability. You will need to request early in the am. Overall the staff at the Grand Aston is friendly and helpful. The resort grounds is gorgeous. Rooms are clean but lacks basic necessities. The beach is not the best in Varadero. Drinks are just ok. The Pina colada by the beach bar is the best Pina colada on the resort. It's made differently at other bars and taste sweeter. Although I would not return to this resort, my party and I had a lot of fun.

The Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort is beyond exceptional. The layout of the building and the locations of pools, restaurants, fitness center, spa, bars and beach make it easy to get anywhere. What makes this resort beyond exceptional is the amazing staff. Always with smiles, willing to help and do everything within their power to see you have absolutely nothing to worry about but relaxing. Another great point is the "hop on hop off" bus comes right up to the resort entrance doors. There is no need to walk 3 blocks in the heat to wait for the bus. Not to mention the resort is the very first stop from the airport which lets you start vacationing first of all the arrivals. Thank you tripcentral.ca for taking care of every detail of our trip. We look forward to booking through you again to vacation at the Grand Aston in the future.

This hotel does their best. The facility is clean but seems like there isn’t enough staff for the large and busy resort. The grounds are beautiful. Food is typical for Cuba, nothing special. Location is very close to the airport. Decent value for the money spent.

Breakfast was so poor, lunch and dinner was okay, but for five stars could be better. Drinks not much to choose, no salt and pepper on the table, I was eating unsalted food. Waiting always to long for waiters to come ask us for drinks. One young guy at the bar was a nice and really good worker. So, it’s a beautiful place, but needs more improvement.

Staff were very friendly, food and service was excellent! Hotel and cleanliness are just thumbs up!! Will definitely go back! Bad and room? Pools are warm and clean ? Drinks! Best pinacolada? Best coffee! ?? beach ???

While this is a new hotel, managment needs to make several improvements. Staff were very friendly, however, not well trained or given minimal options. Towels were never changed, toilet paper in both the rooms and the public washrooms were in short supply. Food was I guess what most people what to expect in Cuba, however, the variety this time was extremely limited. The beach is not your typical Veradero beach. The sand was more like crushed small stones, very difficult to walk on and getting in the ocean on the large incline with the rocks was challenging. Now not all bad....the pool was great as was the local entertainment, however, it they want to be a 5 star hotel there is work to be done.

Building is new and very clean but still some wrinkles to work out in staffing and supplies. Happy staff who say they enjoy working there. Special thanks to Abel, Cheylin, Cepero, Davie, Rey and Richard who all go above and beyond their duties Food is typical for the area. Extensive menu in the 24hr Snack Bar but only a few of the choices consistently available and long waits as multiple waitresses take orders for a single chef Plan to return again in hopes things will improve with experience

I have nothing but great memories now of my weeks long stay at Grand Aston Varadero. Room was absolutely fantastic with a beautiful ocean view, beach was excellent, pools were fun. We were always able to find loungers to relax on at poolside and on beach. Of course we were prepared for the meals part of our trip so this was ne surprise to us. We definitely did not starve. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. thanks

It was my first time, & quite possibly last time, in Cuba. Grand Aston was only 4 months old when we got there. First impression was that it was very nice. Lobby is lovely - lots of seating, a bar, a coffee bar & views of the people. Our room was spacious. However, double beds are not great for a week away. And there were only body pillows in our room - these are not great for sleeping. Are room was clean but like it had been done by my teenagers. The garbage can was not wiped down so gross looking (humidity daily on a stainless steal can needs to be wiped down). There were marks on the wall & the clean sheets mid week were stained. The pool & beach were clean enough. This garbage was from guests. One morning I fished 3 cups from the pool. They had been missed or blown in. The bathrooms were always being cleaned. Only twice in the 8 days was there not tiolet paper. However, there was often no hand soap. The stairwells were gross. The hand rail was disgusting & was not being wiped down at all. They smelled of urine - disgusting that guests do this, but resort needs to clean them better to get rid of smell. Buffet restaurants always had lots of food. Only 1 morning were there no eggs. The rest of the week we had omelets, smoked salmon, lots of meats, fish & seafood. Pastry were disappointing but ice cream was amazing. Staff in buffet was mediocre at best. Was hard to get a glass of water & rarely could we get tea/coffee/etc. with our meals. Water being refilled was unlikely too. A la cartes - only tried two. Left the Cuban one because the service was so bad. Japanese one we did twice. Service was amazing. Food was decent. From talking to others, Grand Aston is better than most resorts in the area. But given the price I wouldn't go back.

My friend and I travelled to Grand Aston Varadero in March 2024. We have been to Varadero in the past, and to Cuba before too. Our expectations for the food weren’t high. We did notice that the overall crowd at Grand Aston was an older crew, 55+ myself and friend being in our late 30’s we did fit in well and met some very friendly people. The beach was fairly wavy, a bit rocky but clean and still beautiful! We had no problems finding chairs both at the beach or pool each day. The pools were reallly clean and lovely to spend time in. The pool swim up bar was very convenient and fun! The food was alright. We always found some too big to eat. White fish, rice, squash, ice cream were staples. They did run out of buns for the hamburgers and hot dogs at the snack bar, but the party was still tasty! The hotel room we were in was beautiful! Clean and well renovated. We had tv channels, water pressure and towels. They didn’t change out our towels daily- however by the pool this was able to happen each day around 3pm. The staff were kind, I’ve seen friendlier people in our past trips, but we didn’t mind as we knew they were busy. The coffee/ cappuccino’s were fantastic! We experiences the Japanese and Cuban restaurants. Both were alright. One very nice thing about the location of this hotel is that after a 3/4hr flight, your bus drive to your hotel is 20-25 minutes away.

GREAT RESORT....FOOD NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED DRASTICALLY...GROUNDS ARE NICE & KEPT CLEAN. ROOMS ARE BEAUTIFUL & CLEAN. EXTREMELY SLOW SERVICE, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING AT THE BREAKFAST COUNTERS. NO EGGS (3) DAYS, NO BACON (NEVER), NO PANCAKE (3 DAYS) WAFFLES (NEVER) NO COKE (3) DAYS, NO VODKA (NEVER) NO TOMATO JUICE+CLAMATO JUICE (3) DAYS, NEED MORE STAFF TO IMPROVE SLOW SERVICE & FOOD SITUATION HAS TO BE IMPROVED IMMENSELY. IT IS WORTH IT FOR THE PRICE WE PAID......IF IT WERE MORE EXPENSIVE, WE WOULD DEFINATELY GO ELSEWHERE, BUT SINCE THE PRICE IS GREAT, IT IS THE REASON WHY WE PICKED THIS RESORT. GREAT PRICE!!!!

Good service and staff very helpful and fun they kept me entertained Beautiful rocky beach and lots of sun I drank water and slushy drinks no sickness Food was ok Near a gas/oil pipeline so you will smell Sulphur

My review and impressions are based on my many trips to Cuba and all the hotels I have stayed at in Varadero and Cayo Coco previously. I stayed at the Grand Aston for 10 days (from early March,2024) and the primary reason I booked my Cuba vacation here was that the hotel was only 4 months old, meaning all the building services were new and operating. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of my room and the beautiful king-size bed (I love a firm mattress). The bathroom and shower facilities were great. The bed linen was another matter which I will mention as a negative. I loved the beach but as many have already mentioned, be prepared to be up extra early if you want a chair. For this reason, I spent most of my time around the pool as there was always a chair (with an umbrella) you could find even around 9-10 am. Unfortunately, if you are looking to get one of the few gazebos by the pool, it is more difficult. The choice and quality of food were alright considering the current economic woes in the country. The restaurant staff (I presume many are still being trained) was attentive and helpful. I did find all the hotel bars (including the pool bar/deck) to have an understaffing situation where you would have to wait a considerable time to get your order. I have read of people having wifi issues within the hotel premises and even their rooms. While, there may be a sporadic signal dropout, acquiring a wifi connection takes but a few seconds and I do not consider this an issue at all. I used my phone very much watching sporting events and YT videos and did not have a data bandwidth limitation or speed degradation. There are many WiFi access points (AP's) throughout the hotel's indoor/outdoor areas. The location of this hotel is extremely close to the city and thus, it is easy to take a trip into Varadero. Be warned the cost of fuel in Cuba has taken a huge jump and cabs can get pricey, but there is always a $5-all-day bus ticket. Overall, my stay at the Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort was very pleasant and I will return to this place soon. I love Cuba and the Cuban people and its rich culture. Overall: 4.5/5

Hotel was nice big rooms beautiful beach is beautiful grounds and beautiful pool. Just a little complaint with the Internet very spotty and intermittent. No real issue with shortage of any type of alcohol. Food was as can be expected for Cuba never an issue with not having enough food available.