Paradisus Princesa Del Mar

We had the most amazing seven days at this resort! The staff were superb! Hector working the front desk was exceptional with his customer service and Carlos and the entire entertainment crew were simply amazing!
The hotel was clean, well maintained and the service was the best I have ever experienced at an all inclusive resort! We were a family of 6 from age 23-65 and we all agree this was an incredible experience. [Details]

Have stayed here many times bur this time we have seen mamy improvements. New boardwalk, better food selections just to mention a couple.
These upgrades are from the new GM, which is really good for Princesa del Mar.
But the staff is excellent. Just a few names to mention. Leo, Evelio, Yuan, Yusmila, Nayvi, Odalys, Yas, Yardley, Anisley, Mayelin, Mary, Danilys, Lianet. There are so many others.
This is not our last visit and we look forward to our next visit. [Details]

Cuba is well known for their beaches, and having returned three times already , the country is beautiful as well as the people. Paradisus is a beautiful resort, and the staff, too many to mention, are the most helpful and enthusiastic. Anisley, is the best, she is determined to make your vacation the best it can be, always smiling and there when you need anything. Besides the shortfalls , this is the most beautiful destination for a vacation, we stayed for nine days and wished we could have stayed longer. Looking forward to our next visit to Cuba and to Paradisus and to see all the friends we have made . [Details]

Where to Start we are a Group of 14 people and can be a hand full.
Beach : Amazing what else can i say.
People: Again amazing Friendly and very helpful but i must praise a few people directly and they should get a commendation ( Award) they go obove and beyond

1. Dayllen at the rock house , she works her ass off
2 Belgis and Nurian at the royal Buffet
3 Tony at the Royal Buffet
4 Mayelin of the entertainment staff , made or stay fun.
5 LILY at the beach resturant
saving the best for last is
6: ANISLEY , at the reception office , I cant stress enough how amazing this woman is and how she turned our stay into a vacation we will never forget and will bring us back again.
Food: its Cuba you know what you're getting when you go . your not going to starve and the food is good.
yes there was eggs and bacon yes pasta, chicken, pork, steak, lots of veggies
Rock bar is a gem in the rough , 24 hrs drinks and basic food , hotdogs ham and cheese on a bun , burgers, soup and more.
Rooms: Clean, beds are a bit hard but thats my personal opinion . i had toilet paper and lots of water but fridge was empty .
they do have a kettle so we brought instant coffee , but there was no sugar or whitner so bring some.
about money: i will make it simple Bring American , yes they take Canadian but American is better for them.
Over all .
Great trip will go again to this resort becouse of the staff. [Details]

Amazing. The grounds and the beach are spectacular. Many pools to enjoy. You can join the crowd or find privacy with ease! [Details]

My wife and I experienced a pleasant wonderful vacation at this resort with its clean facilities, impeccable pools with swim-up bar and with good access to food and drink. The overall food quality we rated was at about 7 stars out of ten.
The daily room make-up service was very good. However on our arrival we found there were no towels in the bathroom and toilet paper appeared to be very scarce. We had to remind the maid to ensure to leave sufficient supply.
Also couldn't phone the office to make these corrections as it was inoperative. i.e. no dial tone. This is a definite priority item for guest and hotel safety and should have been repaired expediently. The front desk was informed several times, but it still was not corrected on our last day when we checked out.
Another safety item is the fact that many laneway lighting posts were not working with some very poorly to none maintained, some which showed live wiring protruding along the sides into the ground.
All in all, the staff everywhere including maintenance people, waitresses and other were very pleasant and accommodating. [Details]

The hotel was nice, service was good, rooms were clean. There were some shortages for sure. If you are booking this resort please bring toilet paper and your own coffee. A la carte restaurants were very good but there was no fish anywhere on the resort to be eaten during this week and the coffee was horrid. So if you are looking forward to dine on fish and good coffee don't go to this resort. There is a Isabella Cafe at the marina near by you can get a delicious cappaccino for $2.50 canadian funds. 10 minute walk from the Paradisus Princese Del Mar. [Details]

They need to have faster accommodation service when guests arrive earlier than check in at 4. Felt very insecure about leaving our luggage just by the entrance.
They required us to leave our passports at the desk for 4 hrs prior to our check-in stating it would make getting our rooms quicker. It is against the law for them to hold on to our passports. I didn't like that at all. Unfortunately it did not help quicken the check in process. Some waited til 8 pm to get their rooms. We also asked for first floor accommodations and we were put on the 3rd floor. My friend has a medical condition which made this very difficult. We asked to move but they said we had to wait yet again.
The change in accepting Canadian currency should be stipulated clearer on booking. I've been coming there for many years and always used Canadian. Now you want US currency. I was not made aware of this and it was a very big inconvenience.
Trips were great. Food was ok. Not the best but very good. [Details]

This was an exceptional resort and in these challenging times this is a very difficult to maintain the high standard that is expected by the guests.
Our trip started by us reaching out to Laura Pla Perez, Jefe de Ventas/ Sales Manager to get a beautiful birthday supper prearranged, and she made it happen seamlessly. Thank you very much Laura Pla Perez
International Entertainers
This group of people in all reality made our trip 10 fold more enjoyable than it would've been without them, they knew now how to work the crowd interact with a crowd and keep the guest interested in what is happening. However, within every group there's always one that stands out and within this group
Carlos M is an exceptional professional. He displays a true enjoyment of his job, and make sure that the guests of the resort are having the most fun they can have outstanding job rabbit. Carlos has the ability to almost make you feel like you are the most important people on the resort, but still interacts with everybody amazing. It is a special talent to know exactly how long to stay with one group before you have to split and go to another group Carlos has this mastered.
Daniel at reception, when we arrived, helped us greatly, and throughout the entire trip was very quick to acknowledge if you approach the counter.
Borja the main chef, if anybody has an eating concern, such as lactose intolerant, celiac, or any other type of eating specialty this gentleman takes his job very seriously and make sure that everything is made to your individual need, Thank you very much goes out to him. With this being said, the Miramar restaurant is an à la cart in the evening, and they also were outstanding with individual requirements.
Another one of the entertainers that's stood out was Mayelin, she has an uncanny ability of finding somebody in the crowd who will work with her and energize the crowd well done Mayelin.
Rand one of the servers at evening, outside cigar and piano bar he knows how to flow through the crowd interact with one table, without interfering with another, has a true gift of professionalism.
Maday was the beach bartender she was very good very quickly could remember your face and what you're drinking always made them to taste not just because they're at an all inclusive.
Leo Danys, on our final day we had a Canada celebration down at the Port Royal Beach restaurant Leo demonstrated his outstanding managerial abilities organizing the event, and helping to control the excited guest to allow his staff time to prepare.
Nacho, is the one in charge of the Port Royale Beach Grill he appears to be a sober faced individual however, once approached, he opens up and shows a special person inside extremely friendly and professional about his job well done Nacho. [Details]

The resort was awesome and the beach was amazing. The catamaran snorkeling off the beach is highly recommended and worth the price. It is better then the seatour excursions snorkeling. The staff at the resort are very friendly and welcoming. Leo the front lobby manager to the gardeners maintaining the resort always smiled and said hello while keeping the resort beautiful. The amenities in Cuba are lacking but the resort always had what we wanted for food and drink. If they didn't have cappuccino in the cigar bar then we would go to the lobby for one. If they weren't serving Ron Punch at the rock bar the piano bar would have some. We had absolutely no complaints about this resort at all! We will definitely be back! [Details]

Staff is excellent, friendly & always cordial: short of bath & pool towels at times: Should be rated as 4 star not 5. [Details]

The first thing I must say is the people of Cuba are the kindest people I have met in all my travels. The resort was def not a 5 star. It is in need of upgrades. We paid for royal service due to long wait times for a room. Royal service is not worth the extra. They do not “spoil” you the way they promote it. The food is good. The entertainment was good. They do a very good job of “trying” again, the people are wonderful. The beach needs to be cleaned but it is beautiful. [Details]

We were extremely disappointed with this resort. The price we paid did not reflect a 5* rating. The bathrooms were dirty and never had TP at night when everyone was out and about. We had to beg for TP in our rooms and dirty wet towels left on the floor to replace were simply hung back up. They were so threadbare and disgusting. They advertised as having international drinks but never had white wine and the one hour they did, they only offered one cheap wine. The food in the buffet was always cold and tasteless no matter if you came as soon as it opened. Never an explanation or apology for no wine, no eggs, no beef, no potatoes, no TP, no towels. The list just seemed to go on and on. And no umbrellas around the pool which is necessary in a tropical climate. I supposed I would not have anything to complain about if I had paid half the price and had no expectations. I used to love coming to Cuba but after this experience, I will not be back. And I strongly suggest something is done or this country will go bankrupt. We were not the only ones who felt this way about this resort and others in the area. [Details]

Our stay from start to finish was a great experience. The staff was exceptional. The food was better than we expected. The rooms were outdated but satisfactory. The white sand beach was wonderful. We paid for a number of excursions and very much enjoyed ourselves. We were lucky to have great weather. The wifi was not poor but we made due. There was entertainment every afternoon and evening. The spa was wonderful. [Details]

Loved our time at this resort. Always something to do if you wanted and plenty of places to just sit and relax. Entertainment crew were very interactive and full of energy getting the visitors involved. Shoutout to Carlos (looks after the entertainment), Leo (looks after the lobby), Mayday (bartender at the beach bar). We would definitely return to this resort. [Details]

Bus transfer included 7 hotel stops before arriving at our hotel…arrived 1 1/2 hours after leaving the airport. Pickup at the end of our stay was the same in reverse…first on and 7 pickups again. The resort was laid out nicely among pretty garden paths and lots of 3 story buildings. The beach was great with lots of loungers so always had a place to sit. Our junior suite was a nice size, albeit somewhat rundown. The biggest disappointment was with the food…on a daily basis we heard “no”; no eggs, no white wine, no red wine, no butter, and so on. The buffet restaurant served exactly the same food daily with no variety. The layout could have been improved to eliminate the long lineups as well. Finding a table became an Olympic sport! [Details]

We had a wonderful time
The staff is fabulous and friendly
We recommend wholeheartedly. The shortage of some items, pales in comparison for the heartwarming service and fabulous beaches,
We have spend 2 weeks in Paradise. [Details]

What a Beauty! Paradisus Princesa Del Mar Resort & Spa has it all! My wife and I spent 7 wonderful days in late January here and we are still talking about our great time at Paradisus. All our vacation objectives were met! We came from a very cold Canadian weather, and we're met with the warmth of the Cuban climate and resort staff. We left a home where we did all our own cooking and household chores and at this resort, we were continuously pampered. We experienced great customer service, lively entertainment and varieties of food and beverages. We were aware of the country's economic crisis, and we were flexible with our expectations.

The grand entrance way was a curb appeal at its best. The large outdoor fountain out front was especially appealing at night when it's lit up at night beckoning you to your home in Varadero. Well-kept orange flowering hedges and lawns grace the trimmed lawns along the driveway. A lofty colonial styled covered drop off and entrance walkway leads one into the vey airy and lofty lobby. Your luggage can be brought to the spacious reception counter area. Here we were further greeted by very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful front desk staff Daniel. He accommodated our request for an ocean view room, and he explained in detail the lay out of the resort. Alex and few other front desk staff looked after our inquiries during the daytime.

On the right side was a sprawling piano bar with different groupings of seating arrangements and a classic dark wooden long bar area. The bar staff were smiling, friendly and attentive to our beverage desires from a tasty cappuccino to a classic Cuban rum drink. All around the lobby were spacious openings allowing in sunlight and ocean breezes. Our favorite bar tender was Mario Luis, who was quick to smile, laugh, converse and made tasty beverage recommendations. We were free to request a song to the pianist or other music groups. Of course, tipping as we went. At the far end of the lobby was the eye appealing grand view of the very well laid out vacation property reached by a very wide staircase. There was a palm tree colonnade with a fountain in the middle. Beyond the colonnade were various shaped swimming pools, sunbathing areas, walkways, bars, decorative ponds, palm trees and manicured hedges. The amenities were well supervised and maintained.

Anisley Alvarez Aranda the Restaurant Reservation Officer was accommodating. She made sure that we will have a great time at the restaurants she reserved for us especially during my birthday. David, the Excursion Representative had an enticing variety of trips, activities, and events to experience. There was a liquor store, currency exchanger and cigar bar selling classic Cuban cigars. There was a large courtyard for a meet up place during the day and a colorful disco during the night.

Themed restaurants that were uniquely designed and decorated to reflect their ethnic origins. The Japanese restaurant had group seating tables with a large grill in the middle of each table. A chef dressed in a black smock and a bandana would very skillfully, entertainingly and energetically grill up a very tasty meal. He did this while juggling utensils, joking around, and making flames at times to further the entertainment and cooking. I had the shocking and fun privilege of pouring rum on some of the food to create the flames.

The Italian restaurant had part of a wall painted with a mural design of an old Italian city. My wife and I enjoyed a pasta dinner that had sauce with tender chunks of beef. It was so delicious that I asked for a little more and I was happily surprised to get another full plate.

A real treat was having my birthday dinner in the Hill Top restaurant which was really for those who are part of the Royal service class. The restaurant was classy in décor and atmosphere. The sounds of the grand piano coming from the lobby of the restaurant throughout really made things special and romantic. We both savoured a tasty king lobster dinner and smooth white and red wine. As Happy birthday played on the piano, we were served a rum flaming cheesecake and a fruit flange. We were so happy and impressed that we tipped everyone involved real well including the pianist and the washroom attendant.

At lunch time we always had fun going to the Port Royal restaurant aka Cuban restaurant (I call it the Inside Outside restaurant) located at the beach entrance. Everyday it had a different ethnic theme played out in the food, flags and musical entertainment. Yes, they even had a Canada Day theme Eh! We always enjoyed the variety of food at every meal. For breakfast we always enjoyed a full deluxe omelet. A couple of times the breakfast room kitchen ran out of eggs, but the chefs replaced the omelets with tasty stuffed crepes. Another morning they had no coffee available, and we we're offered tea. We were directed as well to enjoy a delicious cappuccino in the lobby bar after. Also, there was fresh cut fruit, cereals and baked goods including chocolate dipped donuts. Our favorite beverage servers Danays, Lily and Cristian made our dining experience fun.

I will say that it's important to tip well to all the staff including the gardeners as they depend on this especially as the country is facing an economic crisis. I would also recommend bringing and giving gifts to the staff as well such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, medicine, shampoo, clothing, pencil crayons, colouring books, swimming goggles, cookies, candies etc. Even if the people have money the stores can be out of many products.

On the right side of the pool area was a yoga room, spa and a well stocked spacious gym. Going beyond the pool area towards the beach were well laid out 3 storey guest accommodation buildings. Throughout the very well maintained and clean grounds are numerous coconut trees, palm trees, shrubs, hedges, benches, lawns, and wide pathways. Be sure to ask a gardener for a fresh coconut. He will chop a hole in it so you can drink the juice directly from it. After drinking he will then chop an end off so you can scoop the flesh out with a spoon. We found the young coconuts were very tasty. This is also worth a good tip.

The buildings inside were spacious with wide airy hallways and stairways. We enjoyed an ocean view room on the third floor. Every day our room was cleaned well, including a wet mopping by our attentive Housekeeper Yaima. Our room smelled good. Toiletries were restocked as needed like toilet paper, soap, and shampoo. We never ran out of toilet paper. Our shower towels were replenished the day we requested them. Extra beach towels were available at the swimming pool area. Our bed linens were changed as requested. The shower always gave us warm to hot water. Daily our room was restocked with bottles of water and beer by the beverage attendant. You can also get teabags and sugar if you request. The air-conditioning always worked well. The phone didn't work but they supplied one in the hallway.

The beach experience was amazing. There is endless private white sandy beach to enjoy with swimming, tanning, walking, and viewing the turquoise blue ocean scape. No shortage of reclining chairs and umbrella tables. Lots of very fun and enthusiastic Cuban musical groups would show up in different venues of the resort like restaurants, bars and pool areas. Every evening weather permitting we enjoyed an outdoor disco that sometimes involved special dance groups.

This whole experience exceeded our expectations! We give this resort Five Stars Plus! We plan to come back this year to celebrate my wife's birthday and we will bring family.

Thanks again.

Henry and Alma [Details]

Was in Cuba 10 yrs ago and I really won't return I don't care how nice the beach is.im well aware you font go to Cuba for the food but this absolutely the worse resort I've been too . [Details]

We had a very nice week, the first two days the weather was beautiful so we really enjoyed kayaking, went out with the katamaran! The room was spacious and clean, the food was plentiful, the entertainment was great! We were entertained while having lunch at the Port Royal! Had fun dancing! Will come back! [Details]

Having such a wonderful time so far at Paradisus Princesa del Mar Resort & Spa! From the pools and multiple activities to participate in, to the spa, the bars, the beach and best of all the entertainment. We've met so many wonderful staff as well that truly make this spot even more special. Highly recommend taking a trip here if you're looking for a fun getaway with friends, with your partner, siblings, parents or even just on your own! You'll always meet people and the staff will be sure you're having the best time! I will miss some great staff, Alejandro at reception, Mary, Ridel and Naivi from entertainment who all truly did SUCH an incredible job! I hope to write more at the end of my stay but wanted to share some photos and fun updates so far! [Details]

The resort has beautiful pools and beaches, staff were friendly and helpful. The food was better than expected. The a la cartes were great and we liked that we could pick one almost every night. The 24hr “snack bar” is not really a snack bar, they have a couple food options usually leftovers from the night before's buffet. Unfortunately the rooms and buildings need a lot of repairs, they are in rough shape with broken, furniture and fixtures, holes in walls, mold, doors that don't close. Bathrooms around the resort were very run down and missing toilet seats and fixtures. Cabana's are falling apart. We only had hot water two afternoons during the entire week. I was told from people who stayed in the Royal suites that it was the same there as well. Rooms/ buildings are not 5 star quality. [Details]

We had an awesome experience from beginning to end. The resort was a little tired but clean and very beautiful, the staff were very attentive and friendly, food was good with a large variety to choose from, Beach was amazing and the entertainment was also good. over all we loved our vacation and we would definitely return. [Details]

We have been to Cuba 5 times before and Paradisus Princesa Del Mar is our new favourite. The staff are super friendly right from our maid down to the guy who keeps the grounds maintained. No complaints of the food. It's was always fresh and plenty of selections. Our vacation started off on the right foot thanks to Ekaterina from their sales team. If spreading time at the pool get to know Ramese. He was always checking on our needs and a great person to chat with. When you go down to their large clean beach definitely look for Isela or Mela for they will give you an incredible foot massage. I really can't find anything to complain about so Paradisus Princsa Del Mar will be our resort when we visit Cuba. [Details]

The hotel was very nice. Several a la carte restaurants, nice private beach and great staff. [Details]

The resort has so much potential. A few sections were dated and no longer in use. Main areas, buffet and the one "a la carte" we were able to book were great. The 24-hr snack bar was also good. [Details]

We had a wondeful time, wheather wss good, People so Nice and the room perfect.
One thing for sure we want to go back, because it was besutiful , and the tour of havane, Mataza, Valadero was fun , éducative and beautiful.The staff are very Nice and polite and the show wow it was very good. The bartender kety was very Nice to us, mode somme good drink . We want to go back . [Details]

Rooms are run down, lawn chairs need replacing and there are not enough of them. Serving staff in the dining room are busy pouring coffee instead of turning over tables so the line up of guests out the door can eat. Overall 3 * [Details]

The hotel was wonderful, everything you need for a great vacation. Beach is beautiful, pool is gorgeous but wish it could be warmer more people would be in it, food is good as well, you have a lot of restaurants to choose from. 5 al la carts, we tried all 5 , fabulous. Entertainment every night was ranked very high from other hotels we have been at. Cannot beat the price we paid for our stay with everything included period. Thanks for a great time. The tall Spanish guy was on the ball we will assume he is the manager just wish he would smile every once and a while lol . The staff was incredible very happy to help and smiling and happy all the time. Great people that should be rewarded for their great service. Thanks to all of them from the pool bar , restaurants, lobby, cleaning lady was such a nice woman. I could go on and on just a great experience for us and we will return. Thanks again [Details]

We spent a week at Paradisus Princesa del Mar in January of 2023. We (my wife and I) have been to Cuba a total of seven times and have wanted to try this resort as it looks like one of the nicer ones in Varadero. We had Royal Service with a Junior Suite overlooking the pool as it wasn't too much more money and most people said it was worth it in the reviews we read. We gave the resort a 4/5 star rating based on Cuban standards in the present global situation. If we were comparing it to resorts in Mexico or other similar holiday spots it would be a 3/5. We feel that how one feels about PPDM has a lot to do with the expectations you have. If you have high expectations and think this will be like a five star in Mexico or the Caribbean you will be very disappointed. If you realize that this is Cuba and not everything is going to be shiny, modern and perfect, then you will be less disappointed.

We arrived at 7:30 pm and were instructed to stand in line at the main lobby desk. They took everyone's passport and started checking people in. After about 30 minutes someone came and took the Royal Service people back out of the main lobby and put us on a golf cart and took us to the Royal Service lobby which is about a two minute ride or a ten minute walk. They then started the check in procedure over again. We were offered a drink at this point which was very welcome. Check in from here was fairly smooth but everyone was frustrated that we stood in line at the main lobby for so long for no reason. We were told that our butler had made dinner reservations for us but ours expired two hours ago so we would have to find food elsewhere. We ended up at the main buffet near closing time and the food was bad. That was disappointing. It would have been nice if we just could have ate at the RS restaurant when we got checked in. We also got our internet cards at this time. Overall check in was much too long and could have been streamlined.

The resort itself is divided into two distinct areas: the Royal Service area and the rest of the resort. If you pay for RS you have access to the entire resort but if not then you have to stay in your area. The entire resort is very nice looking and the groundskeepers do a good job. If you look closer you will see some signs of wear and tear but not too bad. I noticed some rotten boards with nails sticking out by the RS beach bar and some of the day beds looked pretty rough around the RS pool as examples. Mostly though the resort looks really nice.

The advantages of Royal Service make it a good choice in our opinion. With RS you have access to two additional restaurants, a grill, a large beach area with bar, a lobby bar, a pool area with bar as well as a'la carte reservations every night. The food in the a'la cartes is for the most part superior to the buffets. The pool area is very nice and usually has enough chairs. Umbrellas are a bit harder to get but if you ask you will usually receive. You have a butler (not private but shared with a number of other people in RS) who will help you should you have any issues. Our butler was Ernesto. He said William was also our butler and they are there every other day. We never talked to William. He also makes all of your reservations for you which is nice. We saw Ernesto a few times but never really needed to use him. He checked in once or twice with us while we were there.

The internet in Cuba is still not up to North American standards but it is much better than pre-covid. You get ten hours per person when you check in and you can get more for free. Every time you want to use it you have to log in so I would recommend putting the username somewhere on your phone where you can copy and paste it every time and memorize the password. Be sure to shut off your Wi-Fi when not using it or you will drain it. For the most part it worked pretty well but I think it is primarily just for checking email or sending messages. I wouldn't want to count on it for work.

The TV in the rooms is pretty bad. Ours had a picture lag that was annoying and the channel selection was terrible for English. Download some movies on your phone if you like the watch TV. It wasn't a big deal though as I don't really go on a vacation like this to sit in the room and watch TV. It's just nice once in a while to watch a show at the end of the day or if the weather is bad.

Our second floor room overlooked the pool. There are about eight or ten buildings in the RS area and they all surround the RS pool. Some buildings have balconies that face the pool and the others face the ocean. The pool facing top floors have a nice view of the pool area. Botton suites have a day bed and good access to the pool. Ocean view buildings don't have much on the ground floor except some trees to look at and a day bed. Probably private and quiet though. Our room was spacious and clean. Almost everything was good in our room and worked well except the drains in the shower and sink. They were partially plugged. There was only one USB plug and it didn't work so be sure to bring your phone charging cube or an adapter. Cuba uses 220v so some things don't plug in. There are large bottles of shampoo and body gel but my wife ended up buying some conditioner in the store. We don't check bags so we can't bring that type of thing easily from home. The king sized bed was pretty comfortable and the pillows were good. Housecleaning came every day and did a great job. A couple of beers and water were left every day if you drank what was there. I overheard some people who had issues with their rooms but I think they were looked after.

The RS beach is beautiful and there are lots of chairs with palapas fairly close to the water. The water is crystal clear and easy to walk in. It doesn't get deep for quite a ways out so swimming is safe. There is very little seaweed or litter. The RS beach bar is good except for some of the floor boards have rotted. Access to the RS beach is easy to find and not very far from the main area.

Money is a bit tricky in Cuba. If you stay on resort you really don't need money for anything except tipping or if you want to buy stuff in the store. If you go off resort you should have, according to our bus driver, three ways to pay: credit card, your home currency and pesos. You can get pesos from the currency exchange by the main lobby. They do not have the CUC anymore. Some places will only take one type of payment. The airport does not take pesos so get rid of them before you get there. Cigars seemed cheaper at the airport but you can only take 50 back with you to Canada and some come in packs of 100 so be advised. Tipping is highly recommended, IMO, as the Cuban people work very hard and don't get much of a wage. Inflation is huge in Cuba and your tips are very much appreciated by them. Tip what you want and in whatever currency you want. It is important to note though that they cannot accept coins so if you are using Canadian money your lowest tip is $5. We would tip $5 for a meal, daily maid service or something special. $20 a few times for something very special like a musician or group. For individual drinks we would give 50 or 100 pesos. Roughly 100 pesos is one US dollar.

We brought some little gifts for the maid and she said several times how much she appreciated them. Things like over the counter pain medications, small toys, hygiene products, nylons and reading glasses to name a few. She really liked the reading glasses.

Be sure to bring sun screen, medicines of all kinds, bug spray and afterbite. There are some nasty little bugs here. Some are mosquitos and some live in the sand. They tend to affect the women more than the men; especially on the legs. The bug spray won't stop them but it helps. I overheard a lady who got bitten up so much say they gave her a shot of antihistamine. Be prepared or the bugs can really put a damper on your trip.

The staff here is excellent for the most part. They work really hard and are very friendly. Sometimes service can be a bit slow but that is often due to being a little short staffed at times. The staff who deserve mention are Yusmila at the RS lobby bar. So friendly and always smiling. She genuinely seems happy to see you each day. Lily at the RS beach bar was always happy and ready to chat. Marlene at the RS pool bar works very hard and always remembers your drink. If she has a second she will take a tour around the pool to see if anyone needs anything. Micheal and Blasario (sorry about spelling, pool attendants don't wear name tags) were super friendly and quick to get you an umbrella if you asked. Meidal at the Port Royal was excellent and would bring another drink before you know you needed it. My kind of guy. Finally the two ladies who kept us entertained around the pool with exercise classes and rum tasting. Marialys and Isela. I only did the rum tasting but it was not only yummy but very educational. They were excellent hosts and fun to talk to. Thanks to all of you for helping to make our trip enjoyable.

There are definite shortages of many common spirits on resort. Our pool bar did not have vodka, gin, whisky or tequila. You could sometimes find these in other places but not always. Rum, scotch and beer are plentiful and are your best bets. I basically drank rum punch and beer the whole week and my wife drank mojitos or rum Collins. There is also wine. I was pleasantly surprised by the red wine. The wine all comes from Spain and it was good. Pre-covid the a'la cartes we have gone to always had a wine list for purchase but now it's just whatever they have. I never had one I didn't like though. There was also white, rose and sparkling. Drinks were usually poured well with an appropriate amount of alcohol to mix.

The food is probably the most disappointing thing about our holiday. We know Cuba is not known for great food but before covid we were pretty happy with what we got. There are obvious shortages of some common foods. We never once saw chicken or potatoes, including French fries. We saw bacon twice but it was very little. Lots of eggs for omelets. Buffets are okay and if you're not too picky you can usually find something but a lot of it is just the same ingredients presented differently. Our grill had hamburgers once and they were pretty sketchy. I had pork ribs once at our grill and they were good. Hot dogs are okay. The a'la cartes had better food than the buffets typically. Desserts, however, were pretty good. They know how to do chocolate. Pork and seafood are your most common supper dishes. On Thursdays go to the Port Royal for lunch. It is Cuba days and they roast a pig and the food was probably the best we had there. The lunchtime entertainment is also fantastic there. The Japanese a'la carte was the best. I don't want to belabor the point or sound like a food snob though as I know that whatever we were being served was the best they had and probably a feast compared to what the Cuban people were eating at home. It is really important to understand however that if you are a picky eater or like a lot of food, you may be disappointed.

Some general tips and random stuff. Bring a Yeti cup or similar. Their cups are small and don't get recycled. Dress code is pretty lax in the a'la cartes. I don't care personally but don't have a rule about long pants and collars if you're not going to enforce it. Leave your Bluetooth speakers in your room or at home. Get some ear buds if you don't like the pool music. At one point we could hear three different songs blasting from three different directions. Hard to relax with 80s rock, Celine Dion and Johnny Cash all playing at once. It would be nice if there was a quiet area or pool. I don't love the new beer from Spain in the smaller cans. Stick with Cristal, it's awesome. There is a book exchange on the table by the towel exchange. Great idea. Cubans can only accept the paper money from other countries and it cannot have any rips or holes. Not even tiny ones.

Overall we had a good trip but not great. I wouldn't say we are foodies but when all you want is a good cheeseburger and fries and you can't get it, that's an issue for us. We have pretty good stomachs but we struggled the entire week with tummy troubles. As one fellow we talked to put it, “As far as the people and the beach go excellent, everything else problematic.” As much as we love the Cuban people and want to support them with our holiday dollars, we will likely not return to Cuba anytime soon as we assume all the resorts there struggle with the same issues. [Details]