Palma Real

Charmant hôtel. Situé de l'autre de la rue de la plage.Personnel courtois.Chambre propre et tout ce qu'il faut.Buffet très correct. [Details]

Where does one start!
Day one; arrived and yup it's Cuba, I have never been so there was some culture shock so decided to leave an open mind and not let the fear get the best of me. The whole ambience was very dark, not a lot of lights, streets lights, walk way lights, are none existent... I get to the elevator and realize we also don't need light in there either! So my dark ride up to my room with two highly intoxicated guests was an experience I don't think I will ever forget.
Upon arriving to my floor I was greeted my a rather large cockroach, which for a Canadian is not the welcome wagon, but I keep reminding myself stay cool, it's Cuba, they're normal!
My door frame was busted up and a swift push let me into my room, there is a lock inside so ok I guess I'm safe. My bed was not made, my shampoos were open and tipped over and a lot of mold on the walls and around the air conditioner. I went downstairs and I formed the desk that they must have forgotten my room, she assured me they maid would be called. Perfect! Time for a drink while I wait.
The bar was great, people were friendly, even if the lobby is loud, and full one got used to the smoke and party atmosphere quite fast.
A few hours later I go up to my room and the maid had in fact been there... but only to scare the shampoo cap back on: my bed remained unmade.
I locked my door, put my own blanket on the bed and decided to battle it out in the morning.
For being a party place the nights are quiet and had a good sleep.
The next day still no maid, which remained about the same motto all week. Thank god for brinigng your own bedding!

Now to the food!! Or lack there of! If you come to this resort to lose some pounds you're in the right place!! Out of 8 days I ate the food once, and that was a dinner bun! Absolutely the worst food I have ever seen. I know cuba isn't known for the food but even the staff said it's not safe. Wieners cut up in a grey water morning noon and night, the chicken was literally chicken bones in a warmer, some mass of round meat that looked like a mash up between Purina dog food and spam.
And the stench!!! Not for light tummies.
On a positive note it's very central to the main strip, which means food is easy to access, beach is close by and everything else you need.
The staff are amazingly friendly and will go out of their way to accommodate your stay.
There is a beach snack/drink bar that has food and drinks that are free for guests and very good food there. Sadly only open certain hours. So my tip is to fill up there.
The pool is very clean and the pool bar has limited drink options.
Evening shows are fun, and also have a quiet pool if the main one is to crazy for you.

If you don't mind paying for your own food, and only need a bed to sleep then this would be a good option.... just keep your standards very low! And bring a flashlight. [Details]

I am afraid that the hotel security was substandard in my opinion. Every time I came back to the resort after going out on a day excursion I was hassled by security for my passport and identification to get back in the resort. I am a black man originally from Somalia and have been a Canadian citizen for two decades.
The whole experience made me fell somewhat insecure about my safety in Cuba. At this time I am not sure whether or not I will ever return. [Details]

It was a decent resort staff at buffet were good but the food on the other hand was no good at all and for some reason every day come dinner time there would be crowd of people and locals fighting to get in the buffet for food...
If you stay at this resort i would highly recommend bringing an extra 1000$-1500 to eat off the resort and enjoy your trip like we did (tipping is not mandatory so dont let a maid blocking you from using the washrooms) [Details]

If Barcelo actually took the time to renovate the rooms they could have a better review! They've done some renos since my visit in April 2018, but not enough.

Also Cuba in general needs to change the food on all of the resorts. Resort food always sucks, but rest assured you will find something to eat! Bring your own condiments and spices!

The location of this resort is prime!! Walking distance to the Beatles Bar, Calle 62 and La Comparsita. Plus many delicious restaurants.

This isn't a luxury resort, it's a party resort. Please don't take your young kids, or your old parents. This resort is more suited for 18-50 yr olds, or those who like to party.

2.5-3 star is correct, but with renovations they could upgrade it! [Details]

This hotel was the worst place I have stayed in Varadero. The place was dirty. My room smelled like sewer every day until around 5pm. We had money stolen from the room while we were in the pool. The food was ok, just very bland and there was always something missing such as bread at breakfast. Certain personnel were rude but others were great. The music at the pool is identical every day, all day long. After a week of hearing the same music, I was going crazy. [Details]

Overall we had a good time at the Allegro Palma Real. They offer a lot at the price we paid. The staff is very friendly and they try to accommodate wherever possible. The food is decent and in particular the restaurant at the beach was very good! We would recommend the fish with rice and chips! The rooms are tired but clean. The beds are not comfortable at all and definitely need to be replaced. Even with that said we'd still go back there! The location is awesome and they offer a lot at a reasonable price. [Details]

I guess that you get what you pay for , but after spending 5 days showering in cold water most people would be as upset as I am . I made formal complaints on a daily basis.... they just didn't care ! [Details]

Service 4/5
Food 3/5
Room 2.5/5
Beach Bar Restaurant 4.5/5
Return Guest Meal 3.5/5
Italian Restaurant 4/5 [Details]

We arrived as a group of 5 from Ottawa Canada and 3 From Montreal Canada. The 3 from Montreal arrived on the 12 of November 2018 and we 5 arrived on the 15 Nov 2018. My best friend from Montreal had been many times to this resort and said we should try it. Ho My God that's when it all started.
First of all the rooms are soooo bad its not even possible, the mole is everywhere , the rooms are dirty, smelly and on top of that the wood from the door frames and the patio door are coming out of the wall from water damage and mole accumulation. I purchase a bug killer for roaches and other insects spray all over, the next morning cockroaches half dead because i sprayed, can you image if I did not do it( so disgusting) Toilet paper is like gold there bring your own. The ground are dirty the pool doesn't have enough water in the pool to even have the filter cleaning it, Garbage everywhere even when you walk to the beach you can see garbage all over.
The beach itself was breath taking, the water is so nice turquoise and different kind of bleus, there is enough chair for everyone. For the beach towels you will wait pass 9 am to get them cause there is never a staff person there in time. The beach bar very limited in what you can drink, No wine or drink that makes sense accept for draft beer. The sandwich there Holy run away DONT EAT THAT.
The buffet, Ho My God, Its soooooooooo bad the chicken not cook and ham smells like its been dead for months, cockroaches in the bread and the counter were the toaster is, you see them right in front of you.
The dessert are the same but just added powder sugar so you don't see how old they are. Ho I almost forgot SALT AND PEPPER is none existing not on your table you have to ask for it, it was crazy how you can miss little thing like salt and pepper but believe me you need it for this kind of food.
We all got sick except for my Husband, We took Dukural and Twinrex and steel got sick, the food and the excessive of the mole in the rooms are sooooo bad to make you sick like crazy cause its in your air conditioner as well and all over your room but also all over the grounds' of this hotel resort . 3 of my friends are steel sick. We did go out to eat at Barbacoa it was really good also the fondue place and the Pizza place I think Lily's or something like that. We will never return or send are friends there until they change all of these conditions that makes people extremely sick [Details]

Beware don't go to this hotel. It is a dump. Cockroaches in the lobby, the walls are dirty and unpainted. There is mold all over the place, on bedroom walls and bathroom ceilings. The pool is full of mold. The staff is not friendly and argumentative. The refrigerators don't work and the elevators don't work. We got moved to another hotel the next morning. [Details]

Horrible food quality. I found worms in my rice and got sick eating spoiled fish. Actually, this hotel is dangerous because of the food quality and should be removed from your list. Elevators were out of order for the whole week. I was on the 3rd floor. Elders and families with young kids, babies, toddlers and baby strollers had to take the stairs and some of them to the 4th floor.
The big adults pool was closed for repairs but they alerted us only 3 days before the trip so we could not change hotels. The water from the other pools was dirty. We had 2 power outages, the first one lasted several hours and so, we had no hot water to take a shower. In my room, some lights were missing, I alerted the lobby, they told me they would send someone but nothing happened. The air conditioner in the dining room was not working properly, so we were sweating while trying to get something "eatable" out of that food. The only meal of the day that was fine, was the breakfast. They had no tea spoons in the hotel! I could make a long list but my experience was extremely disappointing. [Details]

4th time at Palma Real things have changed a lot staff are the best food is good but a very boring place to be lack entertainment everywhere at the mojito bar no signing or music and the pool nothing like before we were four of us and had to go out of the resort to hear Cuban music won't be returning to that hotel. [Details]

This was my second time in Cuba. My friend and I chose this hotel for it's reasonable price point and prime location. Our main spots for nightlife were Snack bar Calle 62 and La Comparsita club and after hours. I had read reviews before hand and was very skeptical but was hoping it wouldn't so bad. Next time, I'll know to go with my gut instinct.
From the moment we registered at front desk, we were looked down upon, given attitude and never greeted with a welcoming hello or a smile. We were given only one key for our room and had to asked for a second and they seemed surprised. We were originally I'll accept in bldg one with broken down elevators, dim if not any lighting in the hallways and our door would not lock. We immediately requested to change rooms which we were told we could not do so until the next day at 2 pm which was the same time as our tour guide meeting. We had to lug our luggage back and forth without any assistance. We missed our meeting and we're not told that we could attend another at a different day and time (until our last day!) They moved us to bldg 3 with a pool view. Smoke would often enter our vents which caused us to cough throughout our stay and some. We were missing a glass, toilet papers and towels. I went to the front desk to request for those items and was given an eye roll. Took hours if not til the next day to get what we asked for we did not pay for the safe as I had a lock on my luggage and felt safer licking up belongings in it. One night, we had a gecko enter our room then went to tell the front desk and a receptinonsir laughed at us saying it's nothing. They eventually sent a security guard but could not find the little bugger but found out later it was hiding above the sliding door. Our rooms cards were always inactive even though we didn't keep them close to our phone and the door was stuff and hard to open. Which brings me to our last day. The worse above all. We were told that our shuttle would leave at 5 am on the Thursday. We stayed out until 4 am, returned to our room and sure enough, our cards didn't work. We had left our packed and ready to go luggage in our rooms because we didn't trust leaving them elsewhere. We went to the front desk to have them reactivated and still they didn't work. A helpful made tried and was unsuccessful. They claimed they called security but when I ran back, two of them were chatting away. I told them to hurry as our bus was leaving soon. It was about 4:45 and were told we were given another 10 minutes. A maintenance guy came as well and miraculously, we tried a card again and the door open. We grabbed our luggage and hulled it to the front only to find that the bus had left us. We immediately thought ok it will come back for us. We ask the nighttime receptionist, who by the way, refused to give me her name, and she said it left and that we should have been on time when she was very well aware of our situation. I asked if there is anything she can do for us, she said no. Then continued talking badly about us to the men in the lobby saying how we were out and how other people have been waiting since 4 am. What business is that of hers? If our room key worked, we would have been on that bus!! Luckily, I am somewhat knowledgeable in Spanish so I used it to my advantage. We argued for over an hour. I told her that we've been treated poorly since the day we got there by almost every staff member with the exception of 3-4. I told her that as the erson in charge of the front desk she should have better manners and customer service. She raised her voice at me then continued talking to the security guard disregarding our feelings and the given situation. My friend and I are two single ladies in our early 30's and felt as though we were treated like teenagers. I've never been so disrespected in my life. I've bit my tongue the other days when they were either out of money to exchange or wifi cards or clean towels, the list goes on. But at that time I drew a line and Gabe her a price of my mind. I had her write the name and phone number of the hotel manager. I've written a few other reviews and will try to get reimbursed for the $50 CAN taxi ride to the airport. Save yourselves the trouble and spend a little more for better quality service. If not, be prepared for tasteless food, rudeness, attitude, unclealingness, lines at the hotel and snack bar, no wifi cards, malfunctioning room cards, bugs, mold, smoke, missing floor tiles and lighting, lack of staff and security and so on and so forth. Consider yourselves warned!! Do not stay at hotel Allegro Palma real. [Details]

Second stay at the Palma Real, nothing fancy but it's good value for what you pay. Note: if you are planning tours and want to meet with a rep, they say lobby but they mean the lobby in Building #1, not the main lobby, nobody tells you this. This hotel is spread out so expect to walk a lot just getting to your room. [Details]

this is a very old resort... the pool area is extremely rough with broken and missing tiles. The rooms and their furnishings are very old - but clean. The staff works hard and they have very nice clean white towels. It is very smoky as there is smoking in all areas except the restaurant and buffet. The food is fair, there just doesn't seem to be enough of it as it's a very large resort and only one buffet. You get 2 dinners in the restaurants which there are two of. I highly recommend the Pizzas Italian restaurant. So in all I would rate it a low 2/3... You are right where the action is and can walk to many places or catch a bus. [Details]

By far the worst experience I have ever had at a resort hotel! Admittedly, I travel quite a bit but this hotel is NOT anywhere near a 3 nor 3.5 star as published by tour operators. The hotel was in shambles. Where do I start? The hotel was dirty, elevators were not working, the grounds were covered with plastic cups, broken and missing outdoor lights, pools needed significant work with cracked and missing tiles and the beach chairs had no covers. There were broken handles on doors, the main entrance and the gym had missing glass and the entire door missing. The gym itself had about 6 pieces of equipment and half were broken. It got worse as I entered my room: there was no shower curtain, missing light bulbs, mold on the walls and a lingering sewer smell from the washroom where I was forced to request another room on my second day there. In the hallways you would find holes in the walls, cracked glass on stairwell banisters, drywall coming apart on ceilings and paint peeling everywhere The food less then mediocre (as expected for Cuba) but at this hotel the buffet was just about the same food from breakfast to dinner and horrible. Just horrible! We found a cockroach crawling across cold cuts at the buffet table. They did not even have coffee cups or mugs and they used small soup bowls as a substitute. We ate mostly at local restaurants in downtown Varadero for the duration of the trip. As for the guests, expect a boisterous and heavy drinking crowd where noise and loud music goes on late on most nights. This hotel is also advertised as a family fun resort that is equipped with a dedicated children's pool and a supervised club with kid-friendly activities. NO! This is not a place for children. I could go on but I am confident that anyone reading this will get the message. DO NOT stay at this hotel. Trust me, you will regret it. [Details]

good show, good location. [Details]

The worse experience I ever had in Cuba. Must of the stuff complity clueless of customer service. The sides restaurants are very disorganized and stuff are rude and careless of your needs..
I even witness a bar stuff scream to a guess. And using bad words in Spanish. Complity unprofessional.... One of the pools was closed, gym was closed. Elevator out of services. Complitly chaos. [Details]

Myself and my group were not happy. Garbage and food laying all over the place. Bugs infested the rooms. Mold in the rooms. Staff were not friendly unless you spoke spanish. Pool stunk like urine and sour milk. [Details]

I think this is the best place in Varadero to stay your close to everything the staff is great and the food is good and if I say that you better believe it as I am very fussy, I stayed in resorts with more stars that are from from town and the life finish at 9 pm here it starts at that time. [Details]

Local ppl call it a 2 star hotel, as they never change or wash bed sheets; exchange money or inquiring wifi service, the front desk staffs were very unfriendly. The good side : the best location. The very first one to local bars and shops ( but there is not much to do in Varadero);food was already, but there were lots of flies in the buffet. [Details]

Was not a stellar experience. [Details]

The quick and dirty:

I am well travelled, this was my third visit to Cuba and I speak Spanish. It is a 3 star hotel in every sense. You won't go hungry or thirsty but everything is low quality. When considering the price we paid - $790 per person for a week it was acceptable.

Varadero beaches are spectacular and the location of the hotel is excellent for those who like to go off resort. The main turnoff of this resort is the unfriendly staff. This resort which accommodates about 900 guests on any given week in high season is severely understaffed and the bartenders, reception desk staff and much of the wait staff are unfriendly and disinterested in providing any level of quality customer service. Be prepared to line up and wait for everything. Their poor attitudes affect the ambience. One of the things I've always loved about Cuba was the vibrant, kind, friendly people. The culture was not well represented at Palma Real.

I would spend a bit extra next time to go to a resort with pleasant staff who are happy and know how to have fun and show off the best of Cuban culture.

For an extensive review read below.

Room:
The day of our arrival at 11:30am we had to wait for a room until 4pm which is not uncommon. After familiarizing ourselves with the resort we requested a poolside room which was vacant but they refused to let us have it. Apparently only the boss, whose office is conveniently located somewhere offsite, has the power to authorize room changes. We offered to pay extra but we're refused nonetheless. Many people were able to change rooms we later learned.

We were in 21 block at the end of a hallway and had hot water everyday except the first.

The two corridor doors at the end of our hallway blew in the wind and the banging startled us awake many times each night.
Rooms all have a nice flat screen TV and remote.

AC didn't work for 3.5 of our 7 days although everyday they said it would be repaired that day. Once it worked it was very effective.

Mice living in the drywall behind our headboard kept us up at night and feasted on our Pringles and cashews during the day entering via the holes for the cables. We had to put all food in our fridge to be safe.

Our towels were changed daily except on the last day as the laundromat dryers broke. Don't expect big fluffy white towels. These are old, tattletale grey with rust stains and holes but they smelled clean.

Room has hair dryer but it is tricky to use as you have to hold button entire time and cord is rather short.

We read reviews about bugs but never experienced any issues.

We didn't rent the safe.

The staff:

As previously mentioned, the resort hosting 900 guests in high season is severely understaffed. The pool and beach bar each only have one bartender. The main lobby bar had up to 4 bartenders at a time but sometimes only 2.

The blonde bartender (see photo) at the main pool was beyond unfriendly. She was downright rude, gave dirty looks, hates her job and even refused to serve people who she got tired of. It put a serious damper on the pool that should be fun. This bar needs a bartender with personality or at the very least smiles.

The beach bar is better in that while there is only one barmaid she does smile. The bar is rather depressing for a beach bar. Here again it could use some music and someone with a bit more personality.

The fellow who makes the eggs and omelettes in the morning is the exception to the rule and smiles for hours while he efficiently cooks up 1500 eggs a day under a broken hood vent!

Our chambermaid, Yanis, was a sweetheart and left us adorable notes, towel art with fresh flowers and cleaned our room wonderfully. A couple of the days I just asked her to switch out our towels and replenish bottled water to give her a break.

I tried to get a massage at the beach but the first two times it was closed. The third time the two ladies seemed completely put off that I would have the gall to disturb their conversation. At 35 CUC ($58 CAD) for an hour massage and their less than welcoming manner I declined.

Very difficult to book a la carte restaurants as you must line up in a huge line between 10 am and noon each day as you cannot book in advance.

On our last day, I approached the public relations desk to speak to her about the lack of friendly service and mice. She was very defensive and wanted me to fill out a report. She vehemently denied that there were any mice in the resort or that anybody ever complained about the staff to her or on trip advisor. She went on to tell me I must have a poor attitude. When I asked for her name she refused to give it to me and just slammed down her 'public relations' sign.

When we tried to get a bellhop to assist with our luggage at checkout it took about 10 calls to get through to reception and then we were informed that he did not start until 9am (it was 8:30). A security guard was kind enough to help us and we tipped him with a bag full of goodies.

Exchange rates from CAD to CUC .73 at airport; .71 at bank and .68 at hotel

Comparsita on Calle 60 ( just 4 blocks away) is a very cool night club amphitheater with no roof. 10 CUC cover charge includes all your drinks. They have dance shows Thurs through Sun. Opens at 11pm.

Tips:
If you like vodka and go to the beach, have them fill up your portable cup in the lobby bar as there is no vodka at the beach

To avoid long bar lineups walk over to lobby of building 4 where there is only one bartender but rarely a long wait

Put cheese on your plate before queuing for an omelette and the cook will add it for you as that is not one of the offerings at the egg station

Internet: Wifi is available in the main lobby for 2 CUC an hour. You can purchase the cards at reception. As with everything at this resort, expect to line up

Weather was fantastic 6 out of 7 days.

As always, our best day was the one spent on the catamaran excursion to Cayo Blanco with snorkeling and a lobster lunch. The boat crew are excellent but be prepared that they will be aggressive in asking for a minimum tip of 10 CUC. We paid 75 CUC each (no dolphins)and were able to pay with Visa although they tack on a 3% surcharge. Apparently there was a special on Friday for 60CUC but there was a rumour the weather wouldn't be the greatest (turned out to be false).

To bring:

A power converter from 220 to 110 volts. My friend fried his battery chargerwhen he plugged into 220V outlet

Large clothes pins to hold towel down on beach chairs

Your own towel and and thermal mug, face cloths if you want them. We weren't interested in paying a 20 CUC deposit for a beach towel.

More money than you would think. Things are more expensive than they were just a few years ago and the Canadian exchange rate is brutal.

Loads of Patience!

Gifts: feminine hygiene serviettes were most appreciated as they have shortages (tampons not widely used). Any under garments for men or women. Berry jams (no berries in Cuba).

I was surprised and uneasy when the flight staff sprayed down the cabin with aerosol Insecticide prior to our decent in Cuba.

Customs was quick and easy. We were not required to show proof of travel health insurance. [Details]

Staff were nice. Little organization within the hotel. Fairly slow service. Not a lot of selection within the buffet, seemed very similar day to day.

Our room a/c died the second day we were there and the room bar fridge barely worked.

The beach was beautiful but with barely any beach chair it was frustrating. Bar was further away with no directions of where to find it...

Definately got what you paid for, with no huge complaints. Until they were so over booked that they upgraded us to another hotel down the street and we had a fantastic last three days! Every thing was better, never had an issue finding a chair. [Details]

So my friends and I chose this resort for it's location and as far as that goes it was really great. So close to everything. That's where the good points begin and end.
This was not our first trip to Cuba nor will it be our last but there is no hope in hell that we would stay here again or suggest it to anyone over the age of 22.
In all fairness I will say that they are fixing the resort but as with everything in Cuba it will take it's own sweet time. But all the paint in the world will not fix the problems that this resort has.
Cuba is not known for it's good food but this resorts takes bad to a whole new level. So so so bad! And the staff does NOT care. I'm not picky but this was really bad! Just BAD
The reason I stated that this resort is good only for the young because they trash the place every night and the staff are left with vomit and half consumed glasses of booze and the ground used as an ashtray to clean up every morning. So it's no wonder that the staff is not happy.
We caught a lucky break because one of us celebrated our birthday while in Cuba and as a gift from the resort they upgraded us to another resort that was SO much better. The resort had actually double booked the rooms.
Allow me to suggest that ANY other resort in Varadero would be better by far than Palma Real. Enjoy Cuba, it's a wonderful place [Details]

We were not pleased with the attitude of front desk personnel and quality of resort in general. [Details]

my first trip to cuba and trust me when I say my last [Details]

Staff were very cordial and helpful, but the condition of the hotel poor, with elevators not working, rooms not repainted, hallways shabby and needing paint. Not enough beach chairs, some were broken or cracked. [Details]

I have been traveling for many years. I only go for the beach and ocean not food etc. At this Hotel the beach lounge chairs are all broken and the type that need a cushion. Of course they don't supply the cushion part so your time at the beach is very uncomfortable. The type of lounge they have is the white hard plastic. Most Hotels have the comfortable beach lounge chairs and I was so surprised to find these very uncomfortable type lounge chairs. About 99% are broken. If you like spending the day at the beach don't do to this Hotel.
Go where they have the fabric type beach lounge chairs. Sitting on hard plastic for a few hours is very uncomfortable. [Details]