Sol Palmeras

PROS

-Sol Palmeras hotel is paradise itself, the beach is beautiful and quiet, the ocean water was crystal clear.

-I enjoyed the common area both interior and exterior a lot.

-Food was above our expectations due to we were a bit skeptical looking at the current situation where the country is. Only the sweets and fruits did not have much variety.

-The Lobby Mojito Bar and Coffee Bar deserve a shout out. The best mojito's I've ever had and the most delicious frappe's!

-A la carte restaurant Chinese and Italian great food.

-The bartenders are very friendly, you can spend hours talking with them, they will always make you laugh.

-The staff are excellent - very helpful and most speak very good English.

-The entertainment team are definitely the best.

-A lot of activities with sports at the pool and the beach, there is always something to do.

-Enjoyed the volleyball/basketball court, beach volleyball and ping pong.
-Free catamarans, water cycles and kayak.

-All the grounds here are gorgeous, you can tell the gardeners take a lot of pride in what they do.

-The Private romantic dinner at the beach was a dream come true.

CONS

-Rooms showed wear and tear and their age.

-Our room offered a beautiful view, but the air blowing from the AC was pretty stinky. That's why we always bring Travel Air Filters to clear the air flow from AC. It really worked wonders!

-People often leave their towels on the chairs and go eat, grab drinks, etc. After noon it is not likely to find a beach chair.

-At the moment there is no Bar in the beach, you have to walk almost to the pool to get a drink.

We enjoyed our holiday experience here. If you are looking for the stunning beaches and good service - you are more than welcome to this resort. [Details]

This resort was amazing when we arrived we had problem with our room. Next morning our room was changed the staff is amazing. The entertainment was amazing at the beach and pool. The food at the buffet was good great choices lots of choices and the beach BBQ food was great. A la carte restaurant chinese and Italian great foodMy husband and I will be returning to this resort [Details]

I'm going to start off by saying the beach area was great except for lack of beverage service on beach. Resort lobby was great and dinning experiences were satisfactory. Rooms showed a lot of wear and tear and showed their age. Staff was all friendly but bar service lacked energy even though always had more than one server on at a time. Always had to wait in a line for service. Only would serve from one area of bar [Details]

My partner and I have been traveling to Cuba for 20 plus years and have stayed in Varadero countless of times.
We have been to over 10 resorts on the Varadero strip, from the mid range resorts to the high end resorts. (mostly staying at the top rated 3 or 4 resorts)
Things have changed quite a bit since Covid, but 1 resort has stood out to us over the past number of years and this place never fails to be the TOP of ALL resorts in Varadero, SOL PALMARAS!
First of all the grounds here are gorgeous, you can tell the gardeners take a lot of pride in what they do, they are always very friendly when you pass them by, one really hard working gardener that we befriended (Jose Antonio) a few years ago at the Sol is still working there and it is so nice to chat with him whether we are staying at the resort or just back for a quick visit to see and talk to all the SUPER staff members we have come to know throughout the years.

The A la cart restaurants are great as well, our two favorite are the Chinese and the Latino, the staff at both of these were tremendous. I didn't get our servers name the the Chinese, but she was amazing. At the Latino, look for Arora (I hope I spelled that correctly) she was so attentive to us, made sure we had everything we needed at every moment.
The buffet for all 3 meals is great as well stocked from the start to the end of every meal. The servers and chefs are the BEST of all the resorts, smiling, attentive, very Freindy, TOP notch!
Look for Jesus at the pool bar, he is so friendly and always making sure you have a fresh drink!
Our 3 amigos at the beach bar are just fun loving sweet guys. Gorge, Efrain and Yosdany, always laughing and joking and up for a chat, and the tunes are great as well!
The bar tenders at the lobby bar, are always busy, but they are so efficient, the lineups don't last long.
The entire staff at this resort are so amazing, it is almost like they are 1 BIG happy family.
It would be wrong if I didn't mention the front desk staff and the concierge staff, best on the strip.
The person that has stood out to us year after year after year is Juanita in sales and reception. Juanita is SUPERWOMAN, she has made every stay at the SOL so memorable, it is her and her BIG resort FAMILY that has us returning year after year and has us rating this Resort as #1, head over heals in all departments above their closest competitor.
This is our home away from home,
SOL PALMARAS, they ALL make you feel that you are part of their BIG family. [Details]

Was at Sol Palmeras mid March 2024. We were 6 of us, ranging in age from 25 to 60. This was our 3rd time at this hotel and we were not disappointed. The staff, rooms and facilities were awesome. Stayed at 2 other hotels in the area in Jan and Feb and this is hotel is by far the best. I've been going to varadero over 20 years and have stayed at hotels like The Royalton, The Blau Varadero and this hotel is our absolute favorite. The reason I love it so much is the Sol has a lot of activities with sports at the pool and the beach, there is always something to do. We love the food at the Cuban restaurant and Oshin, the soup at every restaurant is amazing. There's also lots to pick from at the buffet. We often enjoyed breakfast at the restaurant near the beach. Juanita from reception area went out of her way to help us with all of our needs. I can't say enough good things about Juanita. This will definitely be our go to hotel for many years to come. [Details]

We've traveled a lot and I don't think I've left a negative review but ima power through this.
Good portion of the food seemed to be… mishandled, and unsanitary. Our room didn't have a working safe and had cockroaches. The Wi-Fi and phones did not work at all in the rooms.
Beach was great. [Details]

Pros: Friendly people, beautiful beach, lots of chairs and shade, not overly busy, good entertainment, food was good for about 4 or 5 days, then tired of it, room was adequate. Enjoyed the volleyball/basketball court, beach volleyball and ping pong.
Cons: got tired of the food, not enough variety from day to day, limited fruit availabile, what was wasn't very good, limited Alcohol and pop. Only beer, and rum most of the time, only 7up and Fanta most times, occasionally cola, no fresh limes, mojitos were made with shelf stable lime syrup, not good, pool was cold and we had cooler weather, our bathroom needed a good scrub on the grout, it was gross, towel rack had been pulled out of the wall and was hanging, some grout missing along the tub and rusty along it, bathroom needed a paint job, counter top finish had been damaged or really worn and made it look dirty. The grounds in general along the villas need some more attention.
I realize that Cuba is still struggling after the pandemic and I from talking to people who were at other resorts, this one delivered a better experience. However, compared to previous vacations, this one definitely felt like it was lacking a few things. Also came home with sick tummies that lasted at least a week. [Details]

I enjoyed the common area both interior and exterior a lot and the beach.
This time I stayed in bungalow. it was a very nice accommodation but too far from the hotel eating and entertainment area. about 10 min walk. Far from the beach as well. I liked the different sitting areas at the hotel. The first time I came the outdoors international café was my favorite to come for a nice cup of coffee and a bite to eat and enjoy the ambiance of tropical paradise. it is no longer used, very sad. Hotel wing was under construction. [Details]

Very nice hotel, amazing beach!
Room is clean, but outdated. Buffet is good, good choice of food: fish, pork , chicken, beef, but not much of fresh vegetables. A lot of fruits and juices!
Definitely recommend and comeback! [Details]

It was our second time staying at Sol Palmeras in 2 months. Our vacation started with a great smile and welcome at the reception. I want to recognize Juana,Yamile,Yesenia,Loren,Felix, Dania for great service. The hotel is beautiful , we had a wonderful week and Cuban day was amazing. The buffet had good variety of food choices, as well a big thank you to Barbarito, Jaqueline and Asseor for taking good care of us. Hope to come back soon. [Details]

Nice resort, beautiful beach, clean and comfortable beds, great daily entertainment, food & drinks were good, especially at the lobby bar. Good family/couples resort, not so good for solo travelers.
My only complaint was the 90% Russian tourists, they were rude and demanding. [Details]

Clean room, friendly staff, entertainment, Beach,
Variety of snacks, Wifi, Internet access, [Details]

We had a great stay at Sol Palmeras. The staff are excellent - very helpful and most speak very good English. The rooms are nice and our room had a new mattress which was great for sleeping. The Italian a la carte is fabulous. The beach is the best part. Beautiful white sand and turquoise coloured water. We would go back. [Details]

We stayed in the 2 bedroom bungalow. It was well past our expectations, not new but clean, comfortable and equipped. All staff were friendly and helpful. We did not run out of any supplies, nor booze. :)
we would stay here again and again if possible. [Details]

We had a great holiday at Sol Palmeras Resort. Everything was clean and all the staff were pleasant and helpful. There were lots of choices of food for breakfast, lunch and supper and the a la carte suppers were very good. The snack food shack filled the gap. I would return to this resort in the future. [Details]

Overall a very good experience at Sol Palmeras in Varadero. We were happy to have chosen this resort for our vacation. It was an all inclusive package we booked. The staff and crew were helpful and friendly. The restaurants and food was better then good no issues with us. The drinks were endless for whatever you wanted. To me overall it was about a 3.75 star hotel out of 5. And yes possibly would go back and stay there one day! [Details]

Hotel well managed, enjoyed the stay with my husband and son. Great pool for kids and good service. Restaurants are ok, good price-quality. Variety of activities at night nearby the lobby. Hotel well located, very near to the Americas Center, good place for shooping souvenirs and explore. Beach superb! Quite waters. Lovely room! We will return, for sure! [Details]

The hotel needs more updates [Details]

Gaint resort with friend staff. Had zero problems with my room and other visitors. [Details]

Overall very good. Poor start as we arrived at 400am and told the junior suite we paid for was not available and we were to stay in the bungalows. The bungalows are rundown, uncomfortable and a long walk to the resort area. We had to really fight with front desk to get junior suite we paid for the next day [Details]

Second time at Sol Palmeras and my life is simpler now - I will never need to spend any time thinking about where to go for a break again. This place is everything you could want in a Cuban resort - incredibly friendly staff, excellent dinning options and food quality, an amazing beach and a well kept and maintained property. It really is that good. [Details]

This was our first visit to any beach resort and we are so happy we made the decision to stay in this resort. Very much a 5 star for a Cuban standard. Very open, clean and well maintained. We stayed in 2 bedroom bungalows and it provided enough space to our family with 2 teen kids and it was right on beach so always waking up to the sound of ocean and beautiful view. Rooms and washrooms seem a little bit dated but they were always very clean. And we always found a swan or a heart made out of the blankets to make us happy at the end of the day.

Tons of food variety, there was no shortage of any kind of food. We are all vegetarian but still found ample food to enjoy, esp desserts. So many different variety of desserts each day with every meal that our kids had them for bfast too(lol). They make fresh pizza and pasta for each meal which was bonus and on top of many other varieties of food. Lot of varieties of meat, cheese, salads, bread, rice, fruits, juices, yogurt and so much more. The only little issue i had was that they did not have much protein options for vegetarian people. They make beans almost every day but all of them has some kind of meat. I had chickpeas once with no meat. So even though i was never hungry but i would have appreciated if they consider more options for vegetarians. For bfast the chef makes choice of eggs- scrambled, omelette etc. Loved their coffee and they have variety of wines to offer too at both lunch and dinner. The bar service is super, one of the bar makes fresh pizza each night after 11:30 pm so we were nvr hungry even after a whole day outing you come back to have your drink and kids to enjoy pizza and hamburgers. The fresh fruit bar has amazing varieties of fresh juices, ice cream parlour was good esp their caramel and coconut ice cream. Remember their cheese and salad dressing may taste different from what we are used to here but they are still decent.

Pool side bar is amazing to be at in the evening. Pool area is big and adequate space for everyone to sun bathe or enjoy the pool. Resort is right on the beach and not even more than 5 min walk from wherever your room or bungalow may be. Bar on the beach has a number of alcoholic drinks too. My fav was Pina` Colada served at the main bldg at their terrace, this space is designed for smokers. Daily entertainment was great esp the Friday beach party and the magic and dance show at outdoor theater. We were able to book 2 restaurants from many, Tex Mex and Asian and they were amazing. I'm sure others would be equally amazing too. Need reservations for these and they need to be booked 2 days in advance and you can only be guaranteed space if you book them early morning. And i do not want to forget the servers- all of them are amazing with great service and hospitality. I want to name one especially- Edith at International Buffet restaurant, she is amazing and very warm person. And lastly i must say its very safe- our kids used to out by themselves even after midnight and i was nvr worried about them. Security guys are always out walking around and has enough lights everywhere.
I will visit Cuba again and will stay in the same hotel, don't even want to try other resorts. [Details]

This was our first time to Cuba and we went with the understanding that food may be lacking and that we are dealing with a 3rd world country.
I was told I'll either love it or hate it.

I also wasn't expecting a top of the line room. Our room was “refreshed” not renovated but it served its purpose. The fridge was old but worked, the shower head was a bit low and the bathroom door stuck a bit but not enough to upset me in anyway! The beach makes up for it all! The bed was decent and the staff were friendly! The air conditioning kept the room cool and for the time I actually spent in my room, none of this had an effect on me.

It peeling paint and cracked sidewalk blocks offend you, don't go to Cuba.

The Latino and Tex mex restaurant did not disappoint! Our waiter Fidel was the best part! The Chinese was good too! The Buffett has a little bit for everyone, we found out favorite and had the same thing daily for breakfast. Waffles and fruit with eggs.

We fell in love with Cuba and will be back.
The ground were beautiful and well maintained. We found a couple plastic cups in the pool but blame that on ignorant guests who don't clean up after themselves. [Details]

Hotel has recently been renovated and looks great. 4th time staying at this hotel and wouldn't go anywhere else. Always clean, can always find something good to eat, very pleasant staff. 5 star for me!!!! [Details]

We stayed in two bungalows as a family of four would be tight in a regular room. The bungalows are close to the beach and spacious. However they are VERY dated and in somewhat poor condition. The maid did a great job keeping them clean though. Beach was great but be prepared to get up early to get shade and/or chair. I have been to Cuba and to other south destinations and have never been sick. Cooking staff rush to cook raw food (fish for me) and NO ONE wears gloves when handling fresh/raw or cooked food. That being said the staff were helpful and the resort property was relatively clean. I will definitely return again to Varadero but not this resort. [Details]

Good service, nice people, beautiful beach, clean hotel. Some TLC needed, but that did not ruin our impression and experience. [Details]

Always enjoy our visit to Sol Palmeras! The staff is wonderful and always so welcoming! [Details]

We enjoyed our stay here. Loved the cabana, lots of room, comfortable, terrace to sit out at, close to beach! We had an unrenovated cabana but it was super clean and we had no complaints about it. Lack of hot water one day was quickly fixed. The main buffet had an incredible amount of choice and the food was all pretty tasty. A la carte restaurants were easy to book, and had no restrictions. We enjoyed the TexMex the best, also liked the Italian and Chinese. Lots of bars and the beer was always cold, lots of frozen drink options. We enjoyed a few shows, good talent. Pool was clean and refreshing. Lots of chairs at the pool and beach. Nice beach, took a beating in a storm when we were there but still good. Water was clean and warm in the ocean. Paddle boats and kayaks in good shape and easy to use. All in all a solid 4 star hotel. [Details]

Overall good resort. Air-conditioned lobby and main buffet great asset. The main lobby is very nice, will be even nicer when the renovation is over.
The rooms in the main building are little dated, but clean. The beds are not too bad, although a new mattress would be nice, the sheets are clean and crisp, changed daily. Towels, although clean, don't have that soft feeling anymore. The food is tasty, Chinese restaurant definitely our favourite. The beach and the ocean absolutely beautiful, lots of new loungers, ideal place for sunbathing lovers, and for the beach walkers, never had problem with beach towels. Very friendly staff. Short ride to Varadero, speaking of which, beware of the horse and buggy ride prices the guys give you... The hourly price ($10 CUC) is per person not per buggy, also, rarely do they come back within one hour.. and a few minutes past an hour counts as a half on hour..so don't bather. it's not that good anyway..Hop on Hop of bus is a better option.
All in all good vacation.
The only negative things was, that the Sunwing rep. didn't post in the communication book that the plane was delayed 4 hours... [Details]

Reception was not very friendly or even helpful. We arrived at 11:30 didn't get into our room Until 4:30. No assistance with our luggage when we arrived we were left to fend for ourselves. I had to ask if there was somewhere we could store our luggage and possibly change into our swim wear. I was under the impression that we had ami I bar in our room. When I inquired at reception I was simply told no, not included then was dismissed. My daughter and I both felt that we did not receive as good as treatment as other guest because we were English speaking. Our room was at a great location, very close to pool and beach! Our maid was very friendly and efficient. Food was good for Cuba, very disappointed that there were no manosias at breakfast. Enjoyed spending time in the lobby in evenings. Great entertainment and the service was good. [Details]