Varadero

I rate it a 3 star. Building and atrium looks cool however it's definitely showing its age. Certain things aren't working well like elevator buttons or room doors. I had an incident where my wife got locked in bathroom and couldn't escape. I had a Spanish guy come to my room asking the problem so I told him and assumed he was a worker. He told me to break door down so I did. Then I was told he's not actually a worker and I owe them $250 American for a cardboard door. Washrooms in main areas were always gross and filled with urine and feces with soap closer to water than soap and hand dryers broken with no paper towel. Food was pretty gross. I also paid for a king bed ocean view. I got 2 doubles with bay view. Staff at bars and pool were friendly, Staff at counters pretty bland and rude. The beach was really nice. But where isn't it in varadero. It's my 3rd time being to Cuba at different resorts and I will definitely be trying somewhere else next time. It wasn't bad but there are cheaper hotels that were nicer in my experience.

This is easily one of, or the best, resorts in Varadero. We've stayed at the Royalton in Santa Maria, so we had high expectations, and this resort met every one of them. A truly 5 star experience for Cuba. Having said that, I would not recommend upgrading to the Diamond Club. Resorts in Cuba are rarely even half full, so there was no need to have a butler make reservations for a la carte restaurants. We just walked in and were seated. The resort is adults only, so having a separate beach area (where it would be quieter) was not really an advantage. Especially because the restrooms, showers and restaurant are all in the general beach area anyways. And the private lounge was small, and felt like a waiting room. We spent no time there. I'd say it's just not worth the money to upgrade. If you're allergic to cigarette smoke, it may be challenging to be at the bar because there's smoking pretty much everywhere, although again, there are so many places to lounge and relax you can always find a nice place to sit and be served. But a designated area around the pools or even at the main bar would be much better. It's not really bad, but it's good to know that smoking is not prohibited anywhere except the restaurants. The toiletries in the room are kind of useless, unless you like shampoo that smells like cheap aftershave. Bring your own!! Otherwise, the rooms are big, and very comfortable. The entertainment changed every night, and was actually quite good. We went to every show and enjoyed them all. The staff are all friendly and really amazing. We did one day trip- the Jeep Safari- and boy you get alot for your money on that excursion! Highy recommend it. Going into "town" is not worth your time for what little shopping there is. Honestly, buy souvenirs from the resort's shop or even at the airport- the prices are the same as in town. The food. Everyone asks about food in Cuba. This resort had excellent food! Many things in the buffet were made to order- crepes, french toast, omelets, pizzas, grilled meats, pasta dishes...there was something for everyone. Also, the desserts are crazy good! As are the lattes and capps you can order. The Tex Mex restaurant was our favorite. Don't be afraid to order double portions, because they are small. I can't complain about anything really. But the beach, pools, grounds, food and people are vtruly outstanding.

This was the 2nd time we stayed at the Sol Varadero in 2025 and had an amazing time as we did the 1st time. The resort is very clean and the staff are all friendly and provide amazing customer service. The food was good and we walked miles on the beach and the beach at this resort was the best of them all. We will be going back in 2026 for sure.

We had a bad experience visiting Cayos on Cuba in March of 2024. We were very hesitant to return, but we heard some very positive feedback from friends and family about Melia Internacional at Varadero. We've been at that hotel 3 times previously, but in the earlier years. I'm happy to report that the experience was phenomenal: the food, the organization, the facilities, the activities and content for everyone - but most important, the BEACH remained magical and best value for money in the Caribbean. We've been to Mexico, Jamaica, Aruba, St. Maarten's - this beach wins everything, hands down. Of especial note is how quick and responsive the staff is. You may have heard of the "Island Time" or a "Cuban Minute". This staff does not run on that time. Rather, they run like a Swiss clock - fast and efficient. We were very impressed by this. We're definitely going to return, as long as things stay like this time!

Beautiful beach kids love the place. Good food,very relaxing, I recommend this place for family with kids . They treat you good in the playa vista azul

We had a fantastic stay at Sol Palmeras in Varadero. The resort is beautiful, well maintained, and offers an overall excellent experience. The staff truly stand out — always happy, cheerful, and welcoming, which creates such a warm atmosphere throughout the resort. The rooms were very clean and comfortable, and housekeeping did a great job every day. The beach is absolutely stunning — wide, pristine, and with that perfect turquoise water Varadero is famous for. One of the highlights of our stay. The food was very good, with plenty of variety, and we honestly have no complaints. We also really enjoyed the evening shows, which offered great variety and entertainment each night — well organized and enjoyable. The only small suggestion for improvement is regarding pricing and currency. Some items felt a little pricey in USD, and as Canadians — who are frequent guests in Cuba — it would be great to see CAD more widely accepted or offered at better value. Overall, a wonderful resort with great service, beautiful surroundings, and a lively yet relaxing atmosphere. We would definitely return and recommend Sol Palmeras to others.

Beautiful, established grounds. Wonderful staff. Located within waking distance of the Marina.

The main hotel lobby and grounds are lovely. Beaches and pools are great as well as the staff are friendly. no toilet paper in main hotel bathrooms most of the time. The rooms are showing age and need some updating. Air conditioner in roof was leaking on floor, wet towel soaking up water on floor not changed by staff. Patio door very hard to move, wheels worn out, towel hanger loose on wall, dirty towels changed only once the whole week. Couldn't get clean pool towels all week. Bathroom mirror needs replacing as all rusty, shower drain clogged as almost overflowed. Phone not working in room, so couldn't call for ride to buffet, long walk for those with issues. but ok for us. Ocean views are great, though we thought we were staying in main hotel, but put in smaller building quite far away on grounds, so don't know how the main hotel rooms were. Food was very nicely prepared, but very repetitive (no beef) and lacking flavour. The drinks were mostly less than good, artificial flavours, not fresh lemons or limes, they put in artificial juices like tang or something similiar. I personally would not go back, heard from others that other hotels had better food an drink, but somehow I doubt it, as Cuba doesn't have access to a lot of things we enjoy normally in Canada. I was told not to expect much, and enjoyed the time there inspite of what I mentioned.

It is the perfect vacation when looking for quiet and relaxation. Entertainment was awesome, we really enjoyed the Canada afternoon. The beach bar and grill had excellent food and drinks. The pool bar also had excellent drinks. The lounge bar was a great place to hang out when it was too windy and wet for the beach.

Overall I would say its decent, not overly impressed by the hotel amenities. but the beach blow me away. So good that if I will just make a recommendation for the beach I will give it at 100%! worth it!