Blau Varadero

Cuban hotels get a bad reputation for food quality so let me address that first. Not at this hotel. It might not be five star food standard, but the quality is good. You will never go hungry for lack of quality or taste.

The hotel - beautiful
Elevator - needs updating. Very slow and small so it gets really hot and stuffy.
Staff - great and friendly
Entertainment - not so great. They could do some more English content. I know its nice to stick to the culture but diversity helps.
Daily activities - Its by the pool and with the hot sun it was not for me.
Proximity to beach - a nice little walk even though property is by the beach. Beautiful beach.
Proximity to shopping - close by by bus or taxi. You can haggle with the classic car drivers who operate as taxi.

Though this is an adult only property you will find a few adults who act like children. They will cut the line while you have been waiting for awhile and the worst I have seen and had to address is someone actually squeezing the dinner rolls with their bare hands.

My overall experience was amazing and I would highly recommend this hotel. No regrets. Second time. [Details]

I was with my wife at the Blau Varadero middle of July. I confess the resort exceeded my expectations in terms of excellent environment, entertainment, food and amenities. There is a management by walking around style: constant approach to visitors to make sure there are no short comings, especially at the restaurant, every few minutes staff makes sure there are refills, and that visitors have everything they need. The rotating bar shifts are great, the friendly staff put a smile on your face. The rooms are very comfortable, cleaned very well. There are no shortages in terms of food all day, I just wish the pool would stay open longer than 7 pm. I am going to be a repeat visitor to the Blau Varadero in the years to come. [Details]

We booked the select room - select room states that it comes with a private check-in, this was not true had to wait for over an hour in line. Says there is a server on the beach, not true, there is a beach at and when everyone is at lunch and no one is at the bar is when they decide to make their rounds. So all in all saw them at most 4 times. Says select gets unlimited restaurant reservations, also not true - received 3 reservations

Food - horrible!!! Absolutely horrible!!! Everyday it is the exact same. Was very difficult to try and find something to eat

Mosquitos everywhere in the lobby so makes it difficult to watch the shows they put on as you're vigorously attacked by mosquitos

Honestly this hotel and stay was so horrible - we will never stay here again [Details]

I'm a repeat guest at The Blau and love this hotel especially that it's an Adults only resort. The customer service we receive is always so welcoming and warm. I always take the Superior Ocean View room and it does not disappoint. I've been going to Cuba for over 20 years now and this is the only time I am complaining about the food. I just don't understand how they never had fish, we're in the middle of the ocean but no fish. BUT, I will definitely be going back to the Blau Varadero, I Love Cuba and don't really care about the food, I go for the people and the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. Thank you Blau [Details]

This was our second time to Blau Varadero, last time was a year ago. The check in was very quick and efficient, the room was clean and spacious, we purchased the upgrade to ocean view which was fabulous. Always had hot water, great water pressure, tub, shower with 2 shower heads.
The staff are just amazing and hardworking.
The beach is one of the best we've ever visited, and we've been to, and we've been to many. No seaweed, just a few pebbles and small sea shells on edge of water, perfect for long walks in either direction. Always felt very safe, no one hassled or harassed anyone on the beach. This is the number one reason for returning to Varadero.
There are shortages, worsened at the moment. No eggs two days, no problem for us and everyone was kind and understanding, there were lots of other things, like ham, cheese, croissants, and other breads, lots of papaya, guava, pineapple. There was even chicken and vegetable, always sweet potatoes, sausages, even liver in gravy. Anyone going to Cuba will have read about these shortages and should make their decision with no expectations. Lunch and dinner, had lots of braised meats, salads, tomatoes, cucumbers etc
Small selection of desserts, home style squares and cookies. Some food is over cooked, the grilled beef is very chewy and they don't have a lot of spices, but always found choices we liked. And their ice cream is delicious. Also, grilled hamburgers, chicken and fish, by the pool. Next time we will bring our own oil & vinegar for salad. Also, no ketchup, mayo or mustard if it's your thing, we don't use it.
The drinks we had were good. Pina coladas were the best at the piano bar. One day there was no coke, also not a problem for us.
Any tips are so greatly appreciated by the staff. We tipped one us$ when we were served our drinks, and in the morning at the beach for beach chair setup.And $5 Canadian daily for room cleaning lady. We did not buy any pesos, as we didn't buy anything there, and they accept US$, just have the correct amount. There is a hop on hop off bus that takes you to Varadero.
We took some used, good condition T-shirts and other clothing, bandaids, nail polish and hair elastic and asked one of the servers if she could use it. She was thrilled, and said they will accept anything and would share with the people in her village.
Also take any meds you think you might need, they have shortages in the pharmacies too.
We are already planning our next visit next year. [Details]

First time ever going to Cuba. Was a bit worried with people saying there was food shortages. We had absolutely no shortages there. The hotel and staff was amazing. Food was amazing ! Drinks were fabulous! We will ne back ! [Details]

Beautiful resort [Details]

Very nice modern facility, tall open atrium full of hanging plants, open air feel and live plants everywhere. Well kept grounds and interior. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Facilities were always stocked as were the bars and buffets. Room was cleaned and restocked daily and cleaned well. Entertainment staff were very good and very engaging. Beach was amazing. [Details]

Excellent value for the price. Food was much better than expected. The rooms were very clean and well appointed. Staff went above and beyond and provided excellent service. The hotel itself is beautiful with a fabulous interior garden and beautifulgrounds and pool. The beach was perfect. Highly recommended. [Details]

V.S and my wife K.S from Toronto Canada. We had the opportunity to go on vacation to Cuba. We liked everything about Blau Varadero Hotel, everything is very clean and organized. The hotel staff took great care of us and all of them are friendly. Our rooms were spotless, the gardens are clean, the night entertainment programs were very well organized and as an overall experience, you are made to feel very special at this hotel.

When I return to Canada, I will definitely share this holiday experience with my friends and highly recommend Blau Varadero if they consider a holiday to Cuba. My wife and I would look forward to choosing Blau Varadero again in the future.

I would like to thank all the employees that made this a wonderful vacation experience. [Details]

Good but lacking in food [Details]

It was a long 5 years since we have been to the Blau, and we were very happy to get back to it after Covid delays. We have been to Cuba 10 times, 5 to the Blau. We always compared the other hotels to the Blau and have decided that future trips will be only to the Blau. It is always the staff that makes the biggest difference. It is a very nice and clean hotel, the bars and restaurants are top notch (considering the current shortages they are doing a great job) and the pool area and beach are fantastic. As I said before, it is the staff that make it #1 in our opinion. From the kitchen, the grounds keepers, reception, customer relations, housekeeping, bar tenders and wait staff, they make it feel like coming home. Many have been there since it opened, and we have known them since our first visit there in 2010. We are already planning our next trip in 2024. [Details]

The 100 foot ceiling with the hanging plants is amazing. Food is Great by Cuban resort standards. Grand pianos in lobby and restaurant. Very friendly staff regardless of tipping. [Details]

It is like living in a dream at Blau Varadero. We had a tenth floor ocean view select room. A few things were not as advertised, but likely because the hotels were not very full. Food was incredible, staff warm, beach couldn't be nicer, lovely music, fun activities, clean rooms great beds, very enjoyable entertainment. [Details]

The hotel was nice and clean. The staff for the most part were very friendly and polite. There were always “managers” walking around, which I think put some of them on edge. We were told that the hotel was only at 45% capacity- which was nice as there was always loungers available at the pool and beach. All of the staff members were pleasant & friendly- cleaners, bar tenders & wait staff! For being at less than half capacity they seemed “busy”, the main bar had 3 staff on in the evenings and still seemed slightly over whelmed.
The food was VERY limited (more than usual) things like orange juice and potatoes were not
available and hardly any cheese. We noticed they really catered to the European guests with pastries and meats though.
The animation crew was really hit and miss, but when playing their games they were very friendly and engaging.
The one elevator was out of commission for a day as well as the air conditioning for definitely a part of, if not all of the rooms. But was fixed by the time we went to bed that night.
We had an ocean view room but it wasn't the beach side of the hotel- it over looked the parking lot. If the hotel was only half full, it would have been nice to get a “better” room. [Details]

Hello

May 8th
Been to the Blau over 10 times through out the years.
Made many, many friends and treated like family. you can tell though that there are shortages of certain things. But again...its Cuba but you will never go hungry the burgers and fries are good.
Bring them some razors, meds,used shoes and you will have friends for life. I have been going to Cuba since 1992 and the Blau service is great.
Orestas (wait staff) , Myra (Animation), and Ridell is the best Pina colada maker at the beach bar.
Norberto makes the best mojitos right on the beach.
Beach was clean, lots of shade umbrellas, Credit card is only accepted at the government stores in the resorts. The best way to exchange you money is through workers at the resort. 1 can dollar is only 20 pesos at the lobby. Ask a worker for best rate you can get 70 pesos for 1 Canadian dollar. this is a good opportunity for the locals to make some real money as there peso is useless. they use the Canadian dollar to buy things online which they can do now. I just used pesos for tips so dont go exchanging all your money. this is some good information.
So for me the Blau service, beach,friendliness, room , pool was great Ala cart I have some lobster in my spaghetti seafood. Was surprised.
You may be too...oh yes ..FREE wifi for 10 hours a day. Not much lag but resort was not completely full. All Blau staff wore there masks all the time. [Details]

Fair
Will stick with Royalton next time [Details]

Stayed at the BLAU for two weeks.
Very impressed with everything from the building, facilities, beach access to the food and staff (had room service offered twice every day).
Rooms were spotless and maintained to a high standard. Staff were extremely warm, down to the grounds keeper.
Only complaint would be that after the first week, breakfast was no longer offered inside the hotel restaurant, but on the pool-side dining area where the selection was not as good. Enjoyed mostly the seafood dishes offered. Variety was excellent. [Details]

We had a very nice time there. The resort was beautiful and the staff were very accommodating , we will go back again [Details]

all was fantastic. beautiful resort. friendly people , good food. [Details]

This was a great find I think the only reason its not listed as 5 stars is because the hotel is a little dated but very clean. The staff was super friendly, you could tell they like working there just by the way they greeted each other. It had been a while since we choses Cuba as our winter getaway and we had heard that the food was not up to par. Not at this place the food was great between the hot and cold buffet and the only 2 A La Cart where top notch. The beach is in the best spot on that strip further down was rocky. If you visits bring a converter as the electrical plugs are 220vlt [Details]

Been at Blau Varadero the 8-th time starting from 2008. Good location, nice people, the hotel getting old and need more maintenance. The quality of the food need improvement. [Details]

Clean hotel, delicious food, charming stuff [Details]

This was our 6th stay at the Blau Varadero and it was as excellent as our five previous stays. My spouse and I returned for 14 nights at the Blau Varadero from April 28th to May 12th, 2019. We arrived around 21:30 hrs., the check in was quick and efficient, our room was ready. An employee assisted us with our suitcases to our room. Our room (8th floor) was nice & clean. The washroom layout is nice. Bidet, toilet, sink, magnifying mirror for makeup, good lighting and a tub with shower. We had 2 options for the shower: a hand held shower head or the rainfall type. The water pressure and hot water were always available. In the vanity area there is an electrical outlet that you can switch from 220 to 110 volts. I used it (110 volts) and it worked fine for our night light , charging my razor and tablet. All other electrical outlets were 220 volts. The wardrobe has a code lock safe (no charge), shelves and hangers (14). There are 2 bathrobes, 2 blankets, a large umbrella and an iron/ironing board in the closet. The TV has many channels to select from: a few English (CTV, CNN, etc…), 2 French (TVA, TV5) and many Spanish with some having the translation to English at the bottom. The patio door curtains are very opaque. The balcony is private (angled wall on both sides) clear glass railing which does not obstruct your view, 2 chairs small table and an extendable wall rack to dry your clothing. There are light switches on both sides of the bed and adjustable reading lights which were handy when getting up at night. We had a king size bed that we found very comfortable. Our maid service was excellent & we had our fridge (2 beer, 2 soft drinks & 1.5 liter of water) & bathroom towels/items... replenished when needed. Our maid created different towel and/or curtain ornaments on a daily basis. The food was very good at all the locations we ate: Buffet (wide variety of meats, fish, pastas, breads, cheeses, fruits/vegetables, jams, ice cream, deserts, condiments, syrups, etc...) , lunch restaurant near pool hot dog/hamburger/chicken nuggets /fries stand next to pool & at Beach bar (smaller buffet). We went to the International restaurant & the Italian restaurant and enjoyed both of them. The Int. restaurant has AC. Since we were repeat visitors, we were invited and attended a dinner hosted by the Hotel Manager *David* (at the International restaurant) with many other returning visitors. It was nice to mingle with the others & David. We went to the BBQ night (Saturday) which was held at the Italian restaurant next to the pool. We enjoyed the variety of grilled items given. The service at all the bars was excellent even the vacationers who did not tip received their service with a smile. The pool was kept clean and the water was very clear throughout the whole day. Next to the pool bar (new location this year), there is a very friendly woman (MarisLeidy) who serves many different fruits (pineapple, mango, watermelon, papaya, meme,…) on a wood skewer from approx.. 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. These fruits were freshly cut and were all delicious. We really appreciated the locations of all the washrooms. The one near the pool was used by many pool users.... The washroom at the beach was also well located and appreciated. All washrooms were monitored and kept clean. There did not seem to be any problems for anyone to obtain a sun umbrella/long chairs at the beach. We usually arrived early after our breakfast (08:30 hrs.) and always had a sun umbrella /long chairs. The long chairs have a very comfortable blue fabric with armrests (not all hard plastic like some hotels). The location of the Blau Varadero is ideal for beach walkers. You can walk either way (East/West) for very long distances. The Beach is amazing. We appreciated not having salespersons walking the beach and speaking loud to attract your attention. It was quiet at the beach and many times during the day we observed policemen patrolling. We bought Wi-Fi access @ 1.00 CUC for 1 hour. Most of the time it worked fine (we found we had better reception near the lobby/piano bar areas). We did not attend any night shows. The guests are mostly from Europe and Canada. The hotel is quiet, no loud music/noise at night. The gym is small but there is a good variety of exercise equipment. I spoke to a few persons training and everyone agreed that If the AC could be cooler in the gym area it would be appreciated. I had a few 50 min. body massage at the Spa and they were very relaxing (40 CUC). Many employees recognized us and were grateful of our return. The hard working hotel personnel are ALL wonderful, friendly & always give you an excellent service with a smile. To only name a few: we really enjoyed the smile, positive attitude & attention of *Ernesto, Ismary, Mirlayne, Evelio (Buffet areas), Janice (Int'l restaurant), Joel and Jorge (Piano bar)*, Betty (the morning smoothie/ lunch pizza lady) , * MarisLeidy* the fruit lady & Luis at the beach .We also appreciated *Rosie* of the Client Service & our conversations with*David* the Hotel Manager. On many occasions we observed the Hotel Manager (David) walking the grounds to ascertain everything was always perfect. My spouse and I will definitely return to the Blau Varadero as we had another excellent vacation at this resort. [Details]

This is a great hotel for a restful break over the March school break. The adults only policy meant that my wife did not have to encounter any children on her break from teaching. The beach is fantastic and not at all crowded. The staff is very friendly and eager to help in everyway possible. The food Is quite good and variable. This fish and duck are highly recommended. The architecture is inspiring and relaxing. We could not have asked for a better holiday. [Details]

Just got back from one week at the Blau Varadero (Oct 6-13). I have been going to different hotels in Cuba for over 25 years. I can honestly say this was my best experience yet. The service was the best I ever got, the food was good, the room was large, modern and lovely. All the rooms are ocean view. On one side you get the pool view as well (more lively). On the other side, you get the hotel entrance and small marina ocean view (more relaxing). The negatives: beds could be softer and more comfy. Although my room was freshly painted, the smell the first few days was strong. Since I loved by 12th floor view of the hotel entrance (great sun rise views over the ocean), I did not request a change. Can't wait to go back! [Details]

we really enjoyed our week stay, [Details]

This was our5th stay at the Blau Varadero and it was as excellent as our four previous stays. My spouse and I returned for 14 nights at the Blau Varadero from May 2nd to 16th, 2018. We arrived around noon, the check in was quick and efficient, our room was not ready so, we returned later in the afternoon. Our room (8th floor) was nice & clean. The washroom layout is nice. Bidet, toilet, sink, magnifying mirror for makeup, good lighting and a tub with shower. We had 2 options for the shower: a hand held shower head or the rainfall type. The water pressure and hot water were always available. In the vanity area there is an electrical outlet that you can switch from 220 to 110 volts. I used it (110 volts) and it worked fine for our night light and charging my razor. All other electrical outlets were 220 volts. The wardrobe facing the washroom has a code lock safe (no charge), shelves and hangers (14). There are 2 bathrobes, 2 blankets, a large umbrella and an iron/ironing board in the closet. The TV has many channels to select from: a few English (CTV, CNN, etc…), 2 French (TVA, TV5) and many Spanish with some having the translation to English at the bottom. The patio door curtains are very opaque. The balcony is private (angled wall on both sides) clear glass railing which does not obstruct your view, 2 chairs small table and an extendable wall rack to dry your clothing. There are light switches on both sides of the bed and adjustable reading lights which were handy when getting up at night. We had a king size bed that we found very comfortable. Our maid service was excellent & we had our fridge (2 beer, 2 soft drinks & 1.5 liter of water) & bathroom towels/items... replenished when needed. Our maid created different towel and/or curtain ornaments on a daily basis. The food was very good at all the locations we ate: Buffet (wide variety of meats, fish, pastas, breads, cheeses, fruits/vegetables, jams, ice cream, deserts, condiments, syrups, etc...) , lunch restaurant near pool & at Beach bar hot dog/hamburger/chicken nuggets /fries stand next to pool. We went to the International restaurant & the Italian restaurant and enjoyed them. We preferred the Int. restaurant for food offered and AC. Since we were repeat visitors, we were invited and attended a dinner hosted by the Hotel Manager *David* (at the International restaurant) with many other returning visitors. It was nice to mingle with the others & David. We went to the BBQ night (Saturday) which was held at the Italian restaurant next to the pool. We enjoyed the variety of grilled items given. The service at all the bars was excellent even the vacationers who did not tip received their service with a smile. The pool was kept clean and the water was very clear throughout the whole day. In the grass area near the pool, there is a very friendly woman (MarisLeidy) who serves many different fruits (pineapple, mango, watermelon, papaya, meme,…) on a wood skewer from approx.. 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. These fruits were freshly cut and were all delicious. We really appreciated the locations of all the washrooms. The one near the pool was used by many pool users.... The washroom at the beach was also well located and appreciated. All washrooms were monitored and kept clean. There did not seem to be any problems for anyone to obtain a sun umbrella/long chairs at the beach. We usually arrived early after our breakfast (08:45/09:00 hrs.) and always had a sun umbrella /long chairs. The long chairs have a very comfortable blue fabric with armrests (not all hard plastic like some hotels). The location of the Blau Varadero is ideal for beach walkers. You can walk either way (East/West) for very long distances. The Beach is amazing. We appreciated not having salespersons walking the beach and speaking loud to attract your attention. It was quiet at the beach and many times during the day we observed policemen patrolling. We bought Wi-Fi access @ 1.00 CUC for 1 hour. Most of the time it worked fine (we found we had better reception near the lobby/piano bar areas). We did not attend any night shows. The guests are mostly from Europe and Canada. The hotel is quiet, no loud music/noise at night. The gym is small but there is enough exercise equipment and all are functional. I spoke to a few persons training and everyone agreed that If the AC could be a little cooler in the gym area it would be appreciated. I had two 50 min. body massage at the Spa and they were very relaxing (40 CUC). Many employees recognized us and were grateful of our return. The hard working hotel personnel are ALL wonderful, friendly & always give you an excellent service with a smile. To only name a few: we really enjoyed the smile, positive attitude & attention of *Ernesto, Ismary, Mirlayne, Evelio and David* at breakfast/lunch and for dinner, also the morning smoothie/ lunch pizza lady (Betty) & the fruit lady * MarisLeidy*. We also appreciated *Rosie* and Aylen of the Guest Service & our conversations with*David* the Hotel Manager. On many occasions we observed the Hotel Manager (David) walking the grounds to ascertain everything was always perfect. My spouse and I will definitely return to the Blau Varadero as we had another excellent vacation at this resort. [Details]

We stayed as a couple April 9-16 and were very happy with Blau Varadero. The beach is amazing, staff super friendly, rooms are clean, beds comfortable, pool nice and clean and food was good too. [Details]

We stayed here as result of a last minute decision and did not regret one minute. Our room,(View and beds we would like to take home!) the service, the facilities and the beach left nothing to be desired. The buffet restaurants were adequate, breakfast the best, but not as good as other resorts we have visited. The International a la carte is a very pleasant space the music and serving staff were very good indeed but the food (10/12 plates that we ordered) was poor - overcooked and very salty. If we were certain that the quality of food had markedly improved we would love to stay here again. [Details]