I stayed here for the week of April 11-17, 2024. I have been to many all-inclusives all over Cuba. This was one of best.
1. The Beach: absolutely perfect. Cuban beaches are my favorite. It was windy the week I was there and the life guards kept a close eye on guests who swam out too far. We didn't have any trouble getting loungers. We would get to the beach around 830-9. They had dancing lessons and yoga on the beach every day. You can walk a long way in either direction on the beach. There isn't much to see for snorkeling.
2. Room: our room was clean and very comfortable. We had a garden view room. The beds and pillows were very comfortable. The sheets were clean. Our fridge and hair dryer did not work on the first day. We mentioned this to our maid, Nancy, and both were fixed on the first day. The air-condition worked great. There is a trick to turning it on. You have to hold the power button for a few seconds before it will turn on. We always had hot water. the water pressure was ok, i have thick hair and it took a while to wash my hair. There is no shower door and the water will leak onto the floor. We asked our maid for an extra towel and she gave us a shower mat. We never ran out of toilet paper. We got a new bottle of water each day. We were on the 3rd floor, but there is an elevator.
3. Pool - the pool was clean. we didn't spend much time in the pool. It wasn't over crowded. The swim up bar is open until 6 pm each night. One night we stayed in the pool until after 7 and no one told us to leave. There are shallow areas, but there is a small section that is deeper.
4. buffet: there are 2 buffets. One is close to the beach and is only available for breakfast and lunch. The main buffet is open for all 3 meals. Both were excellent. Very good presentation. We always had something good to eat. The fish is delicious. Ice cream was very popular. In the main buffet, there is an omelet station for breakfast and a pasta station at lunch. Most mornings had fresh donuts too. There was lots of eggs and bread all week. And lots of butter. We never had an issue with selection. Lots to choose from.
5. A-la-carte: we had 2 a-la-carte. There are 4 to choose from. Cuban, International, Mexican and Italian. The meal at the Italian was 6 courses. Make sure you arrive hungry. The service and food were both great. The mexican restaurant was good, but you didn't get as much food as the Italian.
6. 24 hour snack bar was great. You can get burgers etc. any time. The only condiment they had was mustard. The potato chips were delicious. You need to place your order at the bar. There is a QR code to scan to see the menu.
7. Bars: all the main bars have an espresso machine. There was lots of wine, champagne, rum, vodka, mojitos and tequila. The main lobby and 24 hour snack bar also had slushy machines. We were always able to get our water jugs refilled at any bar.
8. tipping and gifts: Staff are always appreciative of any tip or gift. They accept Canadian bills, American bills and Cuban pesos. Canadian coins are useless to them. Please leave your coins at home. They cannot exchange Canadian coins at their bank. Bring extra Canadian bills if you can. We were approached many times by staff if we could change their loonies and toonies for bills. I came home with lots of Canadian coin. They appreciated the exchange. And it's easy to change the coin back to bills once you get home. No loss on our end. The staff work long hours and if you tip them a $5 bill for your first drink, you won't have to tip each time. They will remember who gave them a tip and will gladly keep serving you. We brought all sorts of gifts. We gave the grounds keepers garden gloves, zip ties, small tools, duct tape. They don't have hardware stores so any small tools you can bring is helpful. We also brought toiletries like, tooth brushes, creams, children's Tylenol, hair clips, razor kits, nail polish etc. They also need shoes (children and adults), clothes (children and adults). Bicycle repair kits are also in need.
9. Staff: the staff were amazing. We never encountered a rude staff person. Everyone was always very helpful and friendly. One day, there was a staff person who looked upset, come to find out, their child was sick at home. These people work long days and weeks. I'm sure all of us have had bad days at work. But a smile can go a long way. A special shout out to Nancy our maid. She always greeted us with a smile and asked if we needed anything. She always left us nice towel/blanket art.
10. Entertainment: There was always some sort of entertainment happening. Evening shows start at 930 and are poolside. Most nights there was live music by the main lobby in the early evenings. The entertainment can get very loud and last until 1 or 2 am. If you have a room facing the pool area, you may need earplugs.
11. Overall: Please remember you are coming to a 3d world country. If you are looking for a culinary experience, Cuba isn't a good choice. If you are looking for great weather, great people and fun times, Cubs is a must. The resort did have a lot of French Canadians, but I was never pushed aside for service. We were told staff who are learning French like to work at this resort.
I would definitely go back to Sol Varadero Beach!
Kimluc2024-04-23
