Sol Palmeras

It was a great resort, would come back, good location, good food (for cuba), close to the mall. Could use a beach bar or an extra bar because line ups are long at the pool bar. [Details]

We had a great time at this resort. The beach was amazing but the staff really made the stay the best. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Many food options in the buffet, a la cartes, and during the day for lunch. The bars has lots of options. Plenty of loungers on the beach and pool deck so it wasn't difficult to get a seat. There was plenty of entertainment throughout the day and lots for kids to do at this resort. The evening entertainment was great inside the resort as well as outside by the pool. The WIFI was very good, could use it all over the resort and even at the beach.
Plenty of bottled water left in the room each day. We stayed in the Sol Room and it was nicely updated, cute little deck with lounger chairs, AC, mini fridge, TV with plenty of channels.
Would definitely recommend this resort for people traveling with kids. I would definitely stay here again! [Details]

It was satisfying. [Details]

No power shortages. No food shortages. No towel shortages. No hot water shortages. This is our second visit and will return again. Beaches still amazing. Food was plentiful yet monotonous. Internet could be reached even to the beach. Staff was great! [Details]

Charming cottage accomodations, well trained, friendly , courteous staff.
Good food in the cafeterias and restaurants. [Details]

My last time here was in July of 2022 after the pandemic declaration. With great relief, I discovered a sanctuary of normalcy and joy far away from the irrational public fears virtually everywhere else in the world. Sanity reined. Guest masking was voluntary and the 400 odd visitors, most from Russia and parts of Europe, carried on unfazed, few wore masks. Of course, we arrived with negative PCR test results in hand, however meaningful that was. At the time, people were wise enough not travel if they had flu like symptoms. What I soon learned too was that the hotel never did shut down during the pandemic. Good news I thought, and it struck me as ironic that capitalist North America was "closed for business" while here in socialist Cuba, business went on as usual! Staff did wear masks and by then, had their own Cuban vaccine shots - natural attenuated shots not guinea pig, experimental gene altering ones - so this may have eased any anxiety about mingling, staff or otherwise but my pre-vacation research revealed the hotel never suffered any corona virus or other flu outbreaks the whole time. With my own natural immunity acquired in early 2020, I went maskless the whole time and socialized with people like usual. How great it was!

As one of the first hotels built in Varadero backed by a foreign company in 1990 (Sol by Melia of Spain), the first thing I still notice is the comfort and grandeur of this hotel's marble laden, horseshoe shaped, two level lobby bar and lounge area. Its awesome. Decked out with loads of comfortable furniture including large leather couches, large cushioned chairs alongside plenty of tables and chairs that are great for laptops, drinks and card games, it's a magnificent setup. The partially covered outdoor patio area with couches, tables and chairs is also very welcoming and great for lighting up your favourite Cuban cigar or enjoying cigarettes with your drinks. Ahh, lovely, Es Cuba! With proper ashtrays too. Guests from Canada, the U.K., Eastern Europe and so on, love this about Cuba. I know we wouldn't be here if they didn't have areas for smoking and a laid back attitude toward guests who do.

On my latest visit I was pleased as well as it appears the well lite, indoor lobby bar lounge area is back as lightly air conditioned offering a break from the heat and humidity. The bright, cheerful tone was just as I remember it. The icing on the cake still is its wall-to-wall plate glass window facing the palm trees and swimming pool that seamlessly opens up your world to the tropical oasis just outside.

In short, I'm still dazzled by the size and grandeur of the place - it's large two level bar and lounge area, furnishings galore, marbled floors, cleanliness, palm tree property and beautiful stretch of white sand beach. The word magnificent comes to mind.

Yet the peaceful daytime tranquility belies the hotel's nighttime atmosphere. It can get loud. Partly because of the size of the place but also because the entertainment is often amped up music and kids entertainment evoking parents and kids in a sing-along -- not your traditional Cuban band playing Cuban music. Call it Palmera's "split personality," one that alternates between adult folks hoping for the quintessential Cuban experience and families hoping to keep the kids entertained.

Rounding out the hotel's offerings, is its "all inclusive" nature, gym, shop, free water-sport rentals, ping pong table, basketball court, beach volleyball, mini golf course ($), animation team, ice cream parlour, daytime grill, TV in the 24 hour lobby bar, "fun pub" (disco), pool bar with seating, kid's pool and large swimming pool with plenty of space, some sun beds and lounge chairs. Website reports of the shuttle train service at the resort are out of date.

You can also expect a good clientele featuring a smattering of Canadians and Russians but mostly lots of Europeans, so if you only speak English, don't count on having much conversation with guests. Composition of visitors will depend on the time of the year of course. Cubans appear in the summer months when it can get very crowded esp at the pool and pool bar. Families and couples make up the bulk of visitors but I did meet two single women and single men.

FRONT DESK SERVICE, PUBLIC RELATIONS STAFF (5 Stars)

Check in was efficient with info on restaurant hours written down for you and an e-Brochure that follows. I also had no problem changing rooms the next day, and by 2 P.M., which was great - often, this takes far too long! Thanks to Alicia and everyone for looking after me once again. From the wake up calls to calling taxis or arranging for a porter to help with a quick trip down to the Asian restaurant or nearby Plaza America, front desk staff and porters are excellent. As usual, they and Dayana helped the three of us from check in right thru to checkout and bus pickup. Lastly, good repeat customers are usually treated to a free lobster dinner.

ACCOMODATIONS (4 Stars)

Melia was the first foreign company to sign on to joint ventures and hotel management contracts with Cuba when the government decided to boost tourism and make it one of the country's main sources of income. It employed a "go big" burst of activity building 200 bungalows spread out across the massive property, the 4-storey main building, and 408 rooms now spanning a wide range of room categories that include balconies or terraces. My room on the 3000 level, one above the main lobby floor, was within WIFI service. Most places in the main building are but not all.

Main building renovations began in 2002 with the remodeling of 164 rooms followed by another 136 rooms in 2024, according to Sol by Melia. The three rooms we got, we're all redone.

Our rooms were well appointed and clean. Mine featured a decent sized flat screen TV with satellite TV (a few English movie channels and CNN), mini fridge, clothes closet with a dozen hangers, two drawers, umbrella, iron/ironing board, clothes hook in the hallway,vanity mirror, free safe, a small chair and footstool, two flop chairs and a plastic table and ashtray on the balcony. The bathroom had a shower with one half glass partition (water on floor an issue), good lighting, a hairdryer, toiletries, fresh towels by request, plenty of toilet paper, and no shortage of hot water albeit the shower setup, a rainfall overhead fixture and hand held hose, is tricky; adjusting the temperature in particular. Topping out the superior room was the view of the pool bar and palm trees- excellent! My only wish was for regular chairs on the balcony and a higher table for work and comfort. In short, the hotel has done a good job updating rooms. In the years since, Melia has grown dramatically in Cuba, with 31 properties in Varadero, Holguin, Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa Maria, Havana, Cienfuegos, Camaguey, and the latest in Trinidad de Cuba, according to Travel Courier and Melia officials. Nice. With Melia, its management and standards, you can usually lay your worries to bed and have a good time.

ELEVATORS

The two main building elevators are modern and appear in good condition. During our two week period, there were no breakdowns. If you prefer not riding lifts you can always use the stairs. Mind you ground floor rooms are available if you prefer avoiding lifts and stairs altogether. Wheelchair access is in place at most places too.

PUBLIC WASHROOMS AND CLEANLINESS (5 Star)

You can always judge a hotel by its washrooms. Here, Sol P gets top marks! Regularly cleaned, well stocked with liquid soap, toilet paper and equipped with a electric hand dryer and a paper towel dispenser, one can't ask for more. Overall, cleanliness is a top priority. We didn't see a single critter the whole two weeks and the bathrooms were mosquito free, which can be a problem at resorts.

BEVERAGES (4 Star)

The main lobby bar was well stocked with an assortment of international drinks. I saw vodka, gin, whiskey, Havana Club rums, tequila, good dry white wine and sparkling wine (from Spain), a selection of liquors, and good ole Crystal beer! Some Bucanero as well. The Mojitos and Pina Coladas were good at the main bar (but not near the grill bar), and fruit juices (except pineapple juice) and soft drinks were available as mix. At night, they also offer a specific Mojito bar service.

One thing I didn't much like was my morning cappuccino. The coffee used was Brazilian, it didn't taste good while the guy taking my order never did give me the extra whipped milk I asked for. The lady was better. It was like American coffee or weak hot chocolate. Some people joked that "the machines put out better cappuccinos." Credit though for having two well stocked machines available at all hours and the pleasant seating area and TVs there featuring music and hotel related videos at a decent volume.

ENTERTAINMENT (needs a rethink)

Kid friendly and loud, it's now on the main floor outside the buffet restaurant. As in the past, it was disappointing there were no Cuban bands to give you that Cuban feel. Ones like "Sol y Corazon" (that play Cuatro Palmas) or "Espacio Six" (lead by Charon that plays Plaza America and has original material including "Varadero" and "Distancia") would be great to have upstairs on the lobby bar stage. "Cache" (that plays Las Morlas) would be great on the main floor given their electric hookups and bigger band sound. All these bands are guaranteed to get the adults up dancing like they do at other more intimate resorts that have the old traditional Cuban music groups of musicians.

SERVICE (3 - 4 Star)

GOOD including at the lobby and pool bar but where it lags is on the patio at night. I tipped a staffer and asked him to check on me that week, saying I would tip him for service but never saw him again, nor anyone else. Problem is they may only have one guy tasked with visiting tables who focuses on the inside. For me, this was a problem when I was by myself; I don't want to leave things unattended (somebody swiped my tablet last year at another resort. A first mind you). Adding more service staff would help. Finally, a shout out to Francisco and the boys who welcome you without fail each time you step up to the bar! That's not necessarily something you get everywhere else.

Getting the mini train going again - say on a fixed schedule of 10 A.M, 2 P.M. and 7 P.M. running down past the bungalow area, Asian restaurant and snack bar enroute to and from Plaza America - would be GREAT given the size of the resort and spread out bungalows. It would also be a nice novelty for the kids and shopping excursion for the adults

PROPERTY AND LANDSCAPING

Well tended to mature palm trees and bushes dot the landscape. Beautiful. The property itself with it's sprawling bungalow area, will likely remain Varadero's largest hotel property.

SWIMMING POOL AND POOL BAR

Kept clean, it's large, has sun beds, plenty of lounge chairs and and great pool bar that dissects the meandering pool and offers an alternative to the main lobby bar during the day. What's more, tables and chairs ring the bar offering you the choice of dodging the sun or tanning at your will. You can smoke there too which is good. Cocktails, beer on tap and refreshments are on hand.

BEACH AND BEACH BAR

The beach, like most along the Punta Hicacos peninsula - the largest commercial beach in the world - is very nice. Free of seaweed and rocks, it eases ever so gently into deeper water. You'II find plenty of loungers in good condition equipped with parasols. Life guard duty provides a look out and monitoring of conditions. Unfortunately, there was no longer a beach bar there so those wanting beer and drinks had to hike back up to the resort's pool bar or main building. No word on when that will be rectified or if it will be.

SNACKS/SNACK BARS (Needs improvement)

It's a weak point. The late night snacks at the lobby bar are bland ham or ham and cheese sandwiches, nothing more (sadly, no pizza). On the other hand, the bungalow area snack bar has good grilled tuna and chicken banquette sandwiches burgers, hot dogs and even french fries but it only runs from ~ 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. and it's a hike from the main building. Ketchup and mustard was on hand.

There was also a grill station by the beach that offered sausages (pork) and burgers alongside a salad station. Among the three of us, nobody tried the greasy food albeit people were people eating there. There's also the option of paying for grilled lobster. Problem was the ones left out on DISPLAY on the table in the sun, left me feeling more uneasy than hungry for lobster.

A LA CARTE DINING - THREE AND HALF STARS

Having been to dozens and dozens of Cuban resorts, I can say the a la carte dining here above average and an enjoyable experience. You feel like it's a night out back home. Service is good, the wine good (if punily dispensed, I loathe having to ask for more), and the food decent to good. The choice of Italian, Asian (Chinese) and Tex Mex seems a good mix although I never tried the latter. You must reserve ahead. I confess to missing those deep fried ice cream balls at the Asian restaurant though! Book reservations and remember to tip your servers.

BUFFET DINING - THREE STARS

Buffet food is buffet food. You will not go hungry but you may not get what you want or what you want how you like it.

Shortcomings included food not warm enough (pre-cooked pasta), watery food (the frozen vegetables), and missing in action stuff like stewed chicken, black bean rice, cooked white beans in tomato sauce that Cubans do so well, chicken (I had a bit twice in four sittings), and scrambled or boiled eggs some mornings. In addition to beef and fish, there was liver that was cooked well and tasted good but missing the cooked onions and mushrooms. That they always had grated parmesan was nice and mushrooms (canned) are good for adding to your omelette (or liver).

There are also two grill stations for morning omelettes, pork, beef and fish in the evenings but on my four visits, I didn't see grilled chicken. Some days it seems they choose not to offer scrambled or boiled eggs. Better they do as many folks prefer not to have to line up and wait for eggs.

As for juices, I missed my mango and pineapple juice [Details]

PROS

-Sol Palmeras hotel is paradise itself, the beach is beautiful and quiet, the ocean water was crystal clear.

-I enjoyed the common area both interior and exterior a lot.

-Food was above our expectations due to we were a bit skeptical looking at the current situation where the country is. Only the sweets and fruits did not have much variety.

-The Lobby Mojito Bar and Coffee Bar deserve a shout out. The best mojito's I've ever had and the most delicious frappe's!

-A la carte restaurant Chinese and Italian great food.

-The bartenders are very friendly, you can spend hours talking with them, they will always make you laugh.

-The staff are excellent - very helpful and most speak very good English.

-The entertainment team are definitely the best.

-A lot of activities with sports at the pool and the beach, there is always something to do.

-Enjoyed the volleyball/basketball court, beach volleyball and ping pong.
-Free catamarans, water cycles and kayak.

-All the grounds here are gorgeous, you can tell the gardeners take a lot of pride in what they do.

-The Private romantic dinner at the beach was a dream come true.

CONS

-Rooms showed wear and tear and their age.

-Our room offered a beautiful view, but the air blowing from the AC was pretty stinky. That's why we always bring Travel Air Filters to clear the air flow from AC. It really worked wonders!

-People often leave their towels on the chairs and go eat, grab drinks, etc. After noon it is not likely to find a beach chair.

-At the moment there is no Bar in the beach, you have to walk almost to the pool to get a drink.

We enjoyed our holiday experience here. If you are looking for the stunning beaches and good service - you are more than welcome to this resort. [Details]

This resort was amazing when we arrived we had problem with our room. Next morning our room was changed the staff is amazing. The entertainment was amazing at the beach and pool. The food at the buffet was good great choices lots of choices and the beach BBQ food was great. A la carte restaurant chinese and Italian great foodMy husband and I will be returning to this resort [Details]

I'm going to start off by saying the beach area was great except for lack of beverage service on beach. Resort lobby was great and dinning experiences were satisfactory. Rooms showed a lot of wear and tear and showed their age. Staff was all friendly but bar service lacked energy even though always had more than one server on at a time. Always had to wait in a line for service. Only would serve from one area of bar [Details]

My partner and I have been traveling to Cuba for 20 plus years and have stayed in Varadero countless of times.
We have been to over 10 resorts on the Varadero strip, from the mid range resorts to the high end resorts. (mostly staying at the top rated 3 or 4 resorts)
Things have changed quite a bit since Covid, but 1 resort has stood out to us over the past number of years and this place never fails to be the TOP of ALL resorts in Varadero, SOL PALMARAS!
First of all the grounds here are gorgeous, you can tell the gardeners take a lot of pride in what they do, they are always very friendly when you pass them by, one really hard working gardener that we befriended (Jose Antonio) a few years ago at the Sol is still working there and it is so nice to chat with him whether we are staying at the resort or just back for a quick visit to see and talk to all the SUPER staff members we have come to know throughout the years.

The A la cart restaurants are great as well, our two favorite are the Chinese and the Latino, the staff at both of these were tremendous. I didn't get our servers name the the Chinese, but she was amazing. At the Latino, look for Arora (I hope I spelled that correctly) she was so attentive to us, made sure we had everything we needed at every moment.
The buffet for all 3 meals is great as well stocked from the start to the end of every meal. The servers and chefs are the BEST of all the resorts, smiling, attentive, very Freindy, TOP notch!
Look for Jesus at the pool bar, he is so friendly and always making sure you have a fresh drink!
Our 3 amigos at the beach bar are just fun loving sweet guys. Gorge, Efrain and Yosdany, always laughing and joking and up for a chat, and the tunes are great as well!
The bar tenders at the lobby bar, are always busy, but they are so efficient, the lineups don't last long.
The entire staff at this resort are so amazing, it is almost like they are 1 BIG happy family.
It would be wrong if I didn't mention the front desk staff and the concierge staff, best on the strip.
The person that has stood out to us year after year after year is Juanita in sales and reception. Juanita is SUPERWOMAN, she has made every stay at the SOL so memorable, it is her and her BIG resort FAMILY that has us returning year after year and has us rating this Resort as #1, head over heals in all departments above their closest competitor.
This is our home away from home,
SOL PALMARAS, they ALL make you feel that you are part of their BIG family. [Details]

Was at Sol Palmeras mid March 2024. We were 6 of us, ranging in age from 25 to 60. This was our 3rd time at this hotel and we were not disappointed. The staff, rooms and facilities were awesome. Stayed at 2 other hotels in the area in Jan and Feb and this is hotel is by far the best. I've been going to varadero over 20 years and have stayed at hotels like The Royalton, The Blau Varadero and this hotel is our absolute favorite. The reason I love it so much is the Sol has a lot of activities with sports at the pool and the beach, there is always something to do. We love the food at the Cuban restaurant and Oshin, the soup at every restaurant is amazing. There's also lots to pick from at the buffet. We often enjoyed breakfast at the restaurant near the beach. Juanita from reception area went out of her way to help us with all of our needs. I can't say enough good things about Juanita. This will definitely be our go to hotel for many years to come. [Details]

We've traveled a lot and I don't think I've left a negative review but ima power through this.
Good portion of the food seemed to be… mishandled, and unsanitary. Our room didn't have a working safe and had cockroaches. The Wi-Fi and phones did not work at all in the rooms.
Beach was great. [Details]

Pros: Friendly people, beautiful beach, lots of chairs and shade, not overly busy, good entertainment, food was good for about 4 or 5 days, then tired of it, room was adequate. Enjoyed the volleyball/basketball court, beach volleyball and ping pong.
Cons: got tired of the food, not enough variety from day to day, limited fruit availabile, what was wasn't very good, limited Alcohol and pop. Only beer, and rum most of the time, only 7up and Fanta most times, occasionally cola, no fresh limes, mojitos were made with shelf stable lime syrup, not good, pool was cold and we had cooler weather, our bathroom needed a good scrub on the grout, it was gross, towel rack had been pulled out of the wall and was hanging, some grout missing along the tub and rusty along it, bathroom needed a paint job, counter top finish had been damaged or really worn and made it look dirty. The grounds in general along the villas need some more attention.
I realize that Cuba is still struggling after the pandemic and I from talking to people who were at other resorts, this one delivered a better experience. However, compared to previous vacations, this one definitely felt like it was lacking a few things. Also came home with sick tummies that lasted at least a week. [Details]

I enjoyed the common area both interior and exterior a lot and the beach.
This time I stayed in bungalow. it was a very nice accommodation but too far from the hotel eating and entertainment area. about 10 min walk. Far from the beach as well. I liked the different sitting areas at the hotel. The first time I came the outdoors international café was my favorite to come for a nice cup of coffee and a bite to eat and enjoy the ambiance of tropical paradise. it is no longer used, very sad. Hotel wing was under construction. [Details]

Very nice hotel, amazing beach!
Room is clean, but outdated. Buffet is good, good choice of food: fish, pork , chicken, beef, but not much of fresh vegetables. A lot of fruits and juices!
Definitely recommend and comeback! [Details]

It was our second time staying at Sol Palmeras in 2 months. Our vacation started with a great smile and welcome at the reception. I want to recognize Juana,Yamile,Yesenia,Loren,Felix, Dania for great service. The hotel is beautiful , we had a wonderful week and Cuban day was amazing. The buffet had good variety of food choices, as well a big thank you to Barbarito, Jaqueline and Asseor for taking good care of us. Hope to come back soon. [Details]

Nice resort, beautiful beach, clean and comfortable beds, great daily entertainment, food & drinks were good, especially at the lobby bar. Good family/couples resort, not so good for solo travelers.
My only complaint was the 90% Russian tourists, they were rude and demanding. [Details]

Clean room, friendly staff, entertainment, Beach,
Variety of snacks, Wifi, Internet access, [Details]

We had a great stay at Sol Palmeras. The staff are excellent - very helpful and most speak very good English. The rooms are nice and our room had a new mattress which was great for sleeping. The Italian a la carte is fabulous. The beach is the best part. Beautiful white sand and turquoise coloured water. We would go back. [Details]

We stayed in the 2 bedroom bungalow. It was well past our expectations, not new but clean, comfortable and equipped. All staff were friendly and helpful. We did not run out of any supplies, nor booze. :)
we would stay here again and again if possible. [Details]

We had a great holiday at Sol Palmeras Resort. Everything was clean and all the staff were pleasant and helpful. There were lots of choices of food for breakfast, lunch and supper and the a la carte suppers were very good. The snack food shack filled the gap. I would return to this resort in the future. [Details]

Overall a very good experience at Sol Palmeras in Varadero. We were happy to have chosen this resort for our vacation. It was an all inclusive package we booked. The staff and crew were helpful and friendly. The restaurants and food was better then good no issues with us. The drinks were endless for whatever you wanted. To me overall it was about a 3.75 star hotel out of 5. And yes possibly would go back and stay there one day! [Details]

Hotel well managed, enjoyed the stay with my husband and son. Great pool for kids and good service. Restaurants are ok, good price-quality. Variety of activities at night nearby the lobby. Hotel well located, very near to the Americas Center, good place for shooping souvenirs and explore. Beach superb! Quite waters. Lovely room! We will return, for sure! [Details]

The hotel needs more updates [Details]

Gaint resort with friend staff. Had zero problems with my room and other visitors. [Details]

Overall very good. Poor start as we arrived at 400am and told the junior suite we paid for was not available and we were to stay in the bungalows. The bungalows are rundown, uncomfortable and a long walk to the resort area. We had to really fight with front desk to get junior suite we paid for the next day [Details]

Second time at Sol Palmeras and my life is simpler now - I will never need to spend any time thinking about where to go for a break again. This place is everything you could want in a Cuban resort - incredibly friendly staff, excellent dinning options and food quality, an amazing beach and a well kept and maintained property. It really is that good. [Details]

This was our first visit to any beach resort and we are so happy we made the decision to stay in this resort. Very much a 5 star for a Cuban standard. Very open, clean and well maintained. We stayed in 2 bedroom bungalows and it provided enough space to our family with 2 teen kids and it was right on beach so always waking up to the sound of ocean and beautiful view. Rooms and washrooms seem a little bit dated but they were always very clean. And we always found a swan or a heart made out of the blankets to make us happy at the end of the day.

Tons of food variety, there was no shortage of any kind of food. We are all vegetarian but still found ample food to enjoy, esp desserts. So many different variety of desserts each day with every meal that our kids had them for bfast too(lol). They make fresh pizza and pasta for each meal which was bonus and on top of many other varieties of food. Lot of varieties of meat, cheese, salads, bread, rice, fruits, juices, yogurt and so much more. The only little issue i had was that they did not have much protein options for vegetarian people. They make beans almost every day but all of them has some kind of meat. I had chickpeas once with no meat. So even though i was never hungry but i would have appreciated if they consider more options for vegetarians. For bfast the chef makes choice of eggs- scrambled, omelette etc. Loved their coffee and they have variety of wines to offer too at both lunch and dinner. The bar service is super, one of the bar makes fresh pizza each night after 11:30 pm so we were nvr hungry even after a whole day outing you come back to have your drink and kids to enjoy pizza and hamburgers. The fresh fruit bar has amazing varieties of fresh juices, ice cream parlour was good esp their caramel and coconut ice cream. Remember their cheese and salad dressing may taste different from what we are used to here but they are still decent.

Pool side bar is amazing to be at in the evening. Pool area is big and adequate space for everyone to sun bathe or enjoy the pool. Resort is right on the beach and not even more than 5 min walk from wherever your room or bungalow may be. Bar on the beach has a number of alcoholic drinks too. My fav was Pina` Colada served at the main bldg at their terrace, this space is designed for smokers. Daily entertainment was great esp the Friday beach party and the magic and dance show at outdoor theater. We were able to book 2 restaurants from many, Tex Mex and Asian and they were amazing. I'm sure others would be equally amazing too. Need reservations for these and they need to be booked 2 days in advance and you can only be guaranteed space if you book them early morning. And i do not want to forget the servers- all of them are amazing with great service and hospitality. I want to name one especially- Edith at International Buffet restaurant, she is amazing and very warm person. And lastly i must say its very safe- our kids used to out by themselves even after midnight and i was nvr worried about them. Security guys are always out walking around and has enough lights everywhere.
I will visit Cuba again and will stay in the same hotel, don't even want to try other resorts. [Details]

This was our first time to Cuba and we went with the understanding that food may be lacking and that we are dealing with a 3rd world country.
I was told I'll either love it or hate it.

I also wasn't expecting a top of the line room. Our room was “refreshed” not renovated but it served its purpose. The fridge was old but worked, the shower head was a bit low and the bathroom door stuck a bit but not enough to upset me in anyway! The beach makes up for it all! The bed was decent and the staff were friendly! The air conditioning kept the room cool and for the time I actually spent in my room, none of this had an effect on me.

It peeling paint and cracked sidewalk blocks offend you, don't go to Cuba.

The Latino and Tex mex restaurant did not disappoint! Our waiter Fidel was the best part! The Chinese was good too! The Buffett has a little bit for everyone, we found out favorite and had the same thing daily for breakfast. Waffles and fruit with eggs.

We fell in love with Cuba and will be back.
The ground were beautiful and well maintained. We found a couple plastic cups in the pool but blame that on ignorant guests who don't clean up after themselves. [Details]

Hotel has recently been renovated and looks great. 4th time staying at this hotel and wouldn't go anywhere else. Always clean, can always find something good to eat, very pleasant staff. 5 star for me!!!! [Details]