Hotel Turquesa

My boyfriend and I had a good time here! Small resort with lovely staff, great beach, decent food, and an awesome mojito bar. Downside was the horrible amount of smoking. I have trouble being around cigarette smoke so I had a very difficult time. I could watch any evening shows because people all around me were smoking. Gross. As much as I had a decent time here I won't be returning because of the awful smoking. [Details]

After visiting quite a few times, Torquesa seems to be lowering its standards and not living up to the great place it used to be. There is no air conditioning in the restaurant and buffet area, only in the room. Lack of sanitation in kitchen, (cockroaches in dining area and kitchen). Food variety and abundance has been more limited each year, but still plentiful. Alcohol variety has also become poor, only spirit still available is cheap rum.
Service has also gone down hill, unless you tip well the service leaves a lot to wish for. Store is almost empty with poor supplies. [Details]

Definitely not a 4 star. This resort lacks a little more life, for a place to be called Be Live Experience... there isn't much of an experience. Animation is not that animated. This resort is mainly for an older crowd (45 ). There isn't much action after 10pm. They offer a show at night but that's about it.

You are not next to the downtown area, you will need to take the bus or grab a taxi

If you're traveling as a family (parents older kids) I recommend you do the Jeep Safari, you get to see the real Cuba and you get to drive around the city of Matanzas in a rented car and go to a more rural area to do some snorkelling, horse back riding (literally for 10 mins) but you're on a farm and you learn a little bit of history of Cuba and get to taste real fruit and you can also purchase sugar cane, speed boat (speed is relative) but you get to go on a river and learn about indigenous people from Cuba and lastly you get to swim in a cave with fresh water.

Pros
Beach is beautiful
Evening front desk very pleasant

Cons
Room could use more towels and face cloths
Beach towels are almost never available, we were only able to get a beach towel on day 4 (we stayed for 7 days)
Food is... well it's Cuban resort food. I highly recommend you become friends with locals that work at the hotel so they can show you REAL Cuban food or plan at least a few evenings out because you will be fed up with what they have to offer.
A la carte restaurant is a joke, you have to fight with other guests to get a spot. They work on a first come first serve basis but there is no set-up for a civilized line. Either way, you're still in the same resort so it isn't that much better.
They always have a problem with their phones. [Details]

The staff was warm and welcoming every single day. They made sure all of my needs were taken care of from the maids, bar staff and waitresses. [Details]

Had a good vacation with my adult kids but my overall experience with the hotel was not that great. [Details]

Bad food, drink, customer service, facility maintanence and availibility.
Never get what you want from there. Don't ever consider this place!! [Details]

I was there was seven days total. Very close to the Varadero strip where you can purchase souvenirs and see several old cars. Through the hotel you can get a taxi on certain days to go to Havana, I recommend going there to learn the culture! [Details]

Very cozy place to stay, especially for retired people.
Friendly and polite staff. Very poor vegetables selection.
Clean and tidy rooms. [Details]

We don't recommend this resort for any one looking for comfort , quality ,and respect . For the following reason .
Front desk staff impolite and ignored .
Hygiene in this resort is 0/10 .
No hand soap in any of the public washroom .
Phone in the didn't work .
Shower curtain dropped on my head not secured .
Room front door will not close or open properly.
Food 2/10
Property in total 3/10
Honestly over all we were disappointed
Especially we were celebrating our 45 years anniversary . [Details]

Just came back from a week there with 4 of my girlfriends. I loved the small size of this resort. Very quiet. The beach is amazing. Staff are very nice except maybe the store lady and a few at the reception. My room was dated but my bed was newer and very comfy. I wish they would have smoking section instead of everywhere. The buffet is almost always the same. Food is good but not very warm. You must try the crepe...they are delicious and the lady doing them is awesome. Tips is optional but a small amount (1cuc) sur make a big difference. The A La Carte reservation is not as bad as ppl say. Uts always in the theater area. Need to be there before 9:30 to get in line. Didnt bother me. Overall I had a good experience. [Details]

Over all we had a good stay. If you want a quite place to stay this is it. The pool was never busy and we always got a shady place on the beach. The bar staff work hard to get everyone there drinks as quickly as possible. I wish the fountain was working in the pool it would add to the atmosphere of the pool.Getting a dinner reservation is a nightmare. You have to be there before 9:30 to hopefully get a spot. The people come out at 9:30 and it's a rush to get a place in line because they set up their sign up sheet in random spots. They only have 2 seating per restaurant (about 25 people in total). It's not really a 4 Star more a 3 Star. If you have been to Cuba before you already know the food is not the greatest but we came for the warm weather and the beach. [Details]

It was our first time in Cuba and it's beautiful! I was concerned about the resort before going. I was told it has mixed reviews. I was pleasantly surprised! I loved the little complexes compared to a hotel feel. The beaches were wonderful! Loved playing in the waves. Overall it was a great vacation!! [Details]

We stayed there for 5 nights and didn't want to come back. Our son (almost 2) enjoyed a lot. He loved the swimming pool. We liked how every night there were events organized for us. Food was good too. But for us, as we are Muslim, there were not a lot of choices but we were expecting that so that was not a big issue for us and we were never hungry. The timing was great and the staff was very friendly. Overall, a great trip. We booked premium seating and I liked the service in the aircraft and ample leg space and the services we got. [Details]

Disappointed with room, noisy location and maid could not clean room unless I was there to open door which was difficult. Staff was polite but found checkout time too early and need to pay extra to extend our stay by a few hours even though room was not occupied. [Details]

Overall our experience here was very good. The grounds of the resort are immaculately kept. The single pool was large enough for everyone to use. Lots of loungers.

The beach was fantastic with enough palapas and loungers for everyone.

This was our first time in Cuba and contrary to what we had been told, the food was surprisingly good.

They only have a single buffet but the fish, pork, pasta and breakfast options were plentiful and very tasty. The only issue was with their beef which was stringy and sub-par and their "hamburgers" tasted strange compared to North American fare.

The food in the a la carte restaurants was amazing especially the Italian one with the Mexican one coming in a close 2nd.

There were a few negatives...

1> We arrived late at night and received very slow service even though there were only 2 couples checking in at that time. The resort was full and the room we were taken to was obviously the last and worst room in the hotel. There was no bottled water, the beds were awful and there was no food at the all night snack bar.

Thankfully, after talking to the manager in the morning, we were given a better room which made the rest of the trip enjoyable.

2> The rooms themselves needed some major upgrades and maintenance. Tiles need to be replaced, caulking was missing in many areas and the toilets often times needed a 2nd flush to ensure everything went down.

3> The process for reserving a spot in the a la carte restaurants was onerous with you having to line up at 9:30 to hopefully get a spot when they opened up the reservation counter at 10:00.

4> Internet service is slow so don't expect to be able to Facetime your friends or family

BUT all that being said, the trip was enjoyable and we received very good value for what we paid for this resort. [Details]

I found the overall atmosphere too restrictive and exacting. You couldn't get more than 1 towel, for instance, and you had to present a ticket to receive one. Normally you are able to use as many towels as you want at a resort. Plus there was no flexibility in when you could book to go to the special Italian or Cuban restaurants. It had to be at exactly 10:00 am and then you had to wait in a line. By the time it got to us the place we wanted to go was full even though we got in the line early. I wouldn't come back. Also not much activities or events were available. [Details]

Overall we had a good time, it was quiet and clean. [Details]

The Turquesa Hotel complex is well laid out and all facilities are within a short walking distance. October is of course off season and the number of guests was well below capacity and we enjoyed ready access and ampel spaced in the restaurants as well as the beach. The food was good at the buffet and the Italian Restaurant and both venues had A/C.I noticed an absence of tomatoes and green salad. Most of the salad bar was from cans.The Cuban Restaurant was totally forgettable in every way. Surprisingly we encountered no Mosquitos . There were still a few buildings undergoing repairs and our room showed a few scars from last years hurricane. Striking was the number of Russian and German Guests simply because they smoke where allowed. The cocktails were mostly made from ready to mix ingredient and tasteless. [Details]

Overall we had a great experience, the staff very cordial the rooms very nice and clean. We would definitely return with the kids next time [Details]

It was an amazing vacation, quiet place, clean hotel fabulous beach and friendly staff
I love this hotel and I'll come back in my next vacation [Details]

Beautiful hotel.Beach was amazing.Everything was so clean and well kept.Small resort which we loved.Everything was so close and not a lot of walking.Food was awesome and the staff was amazing. [Details]

Overall the resort is good. Live music and entertainment was great. Cleanliness in the room and on the grounds was satisfying. If somebody wants to spend their time in a peaceful corner them i recommended that hotel.
Maintenance staff must pay more attention to especially in the kitchen, sanitation and pest control.
In conclusion it is a good little resort. [Details]

It was ok. The beach was beautiful and the beds were comfortable. Front desk staff was not overly friendly. Meal time hours in main restaurant were a bit odd. [Details]

My wife and I and another couple just got back from Varadero after staying at the Be Live Turquesa Hotel. The weather really cooperated and we never saw any rain. It was windy though everyday. Still had nice temperatures, mid 80's. A few complaints but very minor. No bacon available for breakfast and only a couple of days had orange juice. Sometimes had to wait for a table at supper. Learned not to show up at 7:00.
Caught two live concerts at the resort which was a pleasant surprise. First band call 5th Ave played beside the pool, classic rock and did an outstanding job. Didn't catch the other band's name on another night on the main stage. The mix wasn't the best on the floor and actually sounded better farther away. The drums were too loud. The played a jazzy Santana ish set with mostly instrumentals.
The beach was nice and wide. Not enough shady areas for most of the umbrellas were claimed early on. Didn't bother me as I like the sun but for the fairhaired crowd it was a bit of nuisance. I would highly recommend staying here for the price I paid. [Details]

Overall experience was good. The hotel staff was helpful and eager to please. Communication was not a problem. The hotel itself needs to do something with cigarette smoking. People are allowed to smoke in hotel lobby and pool sides. This was very disturbing to me. Money exchange rate at the lobby is over priced. The room definitely need to be upgraded. I expect more for a 4 star hotel. The spring coil on the bed mattress we had was very evident. We have back pain every morning from sleeping in that bed. Ground maintenance should be upgraded. Spent Light bulbs are not replaced. I definitely over paid for this vacation. [Details]

Very good. There is no reason to complain. [Details]

The hotel was good but no night club. Its good for couples but not for singles looking to mingle. [Details]

It wasn't bad but a little too far from varadareo. 10 or 15 paso's each way by cab. Only one of 3 ala cart restaurants were open but all in all it was good. Food was very good for cuba. [Details]

I love Cuba, and I love Cuban people. I have been 6 times over the past 15 years, and I know what to expect. Cuba is not Canada, so you have to be mindful that this is a poorer country, and things will not always be as they are at home. In fact, that is part of the charm, however my experience at BE LIVE EXPERIENCE TURQUESA was a real disappointment. The front lobby was nice enough, but the rooms are old and have seen much better days. Some ladies even said they didn't even have real beds... they were given a thin layer of foam to sleep on in their room. There are steps everywhere in the resort that you have to be careful not to trip on. and the railings are in disrepair with sharp metal sticking out... it just felt like everything was an accident waiting to happen. Then we spoke to some people who told us to be careful when using the public washrooms on site because strange men were following their wives into the washrooms. The food was okay, it is a small resort so there is less selection, but it was still okay food for Cuban resorts. (Resort food in Cuba tends to be iffy a lot of the time, so keep that in mind) I would have stayed there the week but the person I was with was very unhappy and wanted to switch to another resort. We spoke to the Sunwing Representative the next day, she was EXCELLENT and was able to accommodate our request. She sent us to Grand Memories Varadero, and the fee to switch to that resort was well worth the money. We ended up in a very nice place with a great staff, and well maintained facilities. It saved our vacation. [Details]

The staff were friendly and cooperatve.
The hotel should be reclassified as 3 star
or a 3.5 star [Details]