Meliá Varadero

Anónimo, CA, 2007-06-20  
First of all, you have to realize /understand that Cuba is not to the same standard as let's say North America nor Europe. They still have a lot to learn about tourism. All in all though this was a great Hotel and I'm being very fair. The only criticism I would have is that the you are very likely to be ignored if you don't know any spanish and /or you don't tip. The staff did not speak enough english, you were actually much better off if you knew spanish. On the other hand if you were a good tipper, you got even better service. One peso will get you a long way though. We tipped on peso per meal, per day and they kept us on a pedestool throughout the whole trip. The bartenders and other staff, got to recognize and remember us.

The beach/hotel - What can I say: A breathtaking setting! The water is gorgeous although the sand is not white at all and it's not as clean as we thought. Some idiots smoke,drink and eat on the beach and then they leave their garbage around which ruins the whole setting. The color of the sand is actually cream to light taupe, but it is as fine as flour.

Our room was a standard double room. It was always clean however we never received any 'gifts' or fancy sheet/blanket work like I've read from other reviews.....
Our room had everything we needed and more - a hairdryer that worked better than my own, an iron and ironing board, 3 kinds of mirrors in the bathroom, a tub and shower had amazing water pressure. We also had a small basin to wash your feet.
We had sattelite TV which was pretty good. We would have wanted a better view of the ocean but you don't need it because the closer you are, the more you can hear the waves from your room and that can be distracting when you're trying to get some sleep. I found it relaxing, but my husband didn't.
Also the whole hotel is decorated with Cuban motifs and plays cuban music around the clock wich really makes you feel like you're in....Cuba! and not some commercialized/americanized resort.

The shows/nightly entertainment are o.k - just enough to not keep you bored. I don't recommend the Karaoke/Disco Tenerife - it's kinda dull. The Santiago bar was not happening at all when we were there, not sure what was going on there. The piano bar is o.k, Guantanamera cafe serves the lamest fast food although when you're hungry, anything goes.
Would highly recommend the buffet dining room - La Habana. We ate their everyday for breakfast,lunch and dinner.
We did not eat at the Steak House A la Carte because there was no room but the Trinidad A La carte is o.k - had a funny smell though and it let people in who weren't dressed appropriately which I didn't find fair. HIGHLY recommend Fuertaventura A La Carte.
We didn't try the Chinese food because that's the last thing we wanted to eat while in Cuba!
Other criticisms - I couldn't get a bloody mary for the whole time we were there because they didn't import Tomato Juice which is kinda ridiculous. I'm still craving one!
Also, did not like the fact that some bartenders/servers are really rude - they give off this vibe that you're being too much of a nuisance if you ask for something - It's as if they deliberatly want to make you uncomfortable and leave.
The hotel in itself is beautiful - stunning! and the resort is just as well.
The pools were kinda dirty - had bugs and other crap, also there is no jacuzzi /whirlpool or hot tub, I don't know why I thought there would have been one but for a five star, there should be one. I guess that's why our brochure gave it 4+.
Would not recommend the beach grill as it has awful food and no variety. Also, there are cats circling the tables waiting for food and birds will fly in and go from table to table picking up crumbs - kinda made me uneasy. The Rincon Paella serves great Paella but again, the waiter is an ass.

Would I go back to this hotel, probably yes but next time I'd like to go to the Cayo's where I hear the beach has baby powder-like white sand and the water is just as stunning.

I'll be adding pictures shortly.

Anónimo, CA, 2005-04-19
I've just returned from a fabulous week at the Melia Varadero. I was VERY worried after reading some of the reviews but I have to say they were totally off base! The staff were friendly (contrary to other reviews I read) and the service was top notch. I certainly didn't see or experience a lack of service at either the beach bar or the pool bar.... in fact the bartenders got to know us so well, they were pouring our drinks when they caught sight of us. No problems booking the à la carte restaurants however you do need to book as soon as you arrive. The rooms are clean and very well maintained. The property itself is also clean. The beach does have a strip of coral however if you walk down towards the golf course, it is absolutely fabulous! I would highly recommend this property for a great vacation. I know people tend to complain about the food in Cuba but I have to say the Italian restaurant was very good and the Trinidad restaurant during the day serves a great steak! Even the buffet was very tolerable - most nights they offered a fresh pasta bar which was very good! All in all a great time had by all!!

Anónimo, CA, 2005-04-03
My wife and I spent the week of March 20-27 at this Melia hotel and found it be much more than we had been expecting given some negative reviews.
We have have travelled to the Caribbean numerous times from 3 star to 5 star hotels. The majority of the hotels we have stayed in reflect the old adage, " you get what you pay for". The Melia Varadero was no exception.

Most reports rate this hotel ratings place this at a 4.5 star while the hotel gives itself a 5 star rating. We felt we had paid for and received services, food, scenery and entertainment that would equate to a 4.5 rated hotel/resort.

Food: Having read that you should book immediately for the specialty retaurants, we did so and thoroughly enjoyed the meals and service. Sure the buffet was repetitive and there were some things we didn't care for but I have found found the same thing wherever I may choose to dine, including in our home country. If I had one negative comment here which was not true of the specialty restaurants, was that in the buffet at times, some items were not kept as hot as we would have liked.

Beach and Pools: What can we say. The beach was fantastic and for us, I can relate them best to the wonderful beach at Cancun without the undertow or consistent waves. If you like rougher water, I would suggest Cancun. Both are great though for appearance and cleanliness.
The pools were excellent except as someone mentioned the lack of a swim up bar. This was the one hotel in all our trips that we didn't have to play the "save the beach or pool chair game". No having to get up at 5:30 am to throw your towel on the chair and leave it "saved for 6 hours while you went to town (pet peeve).

Language: We found that the staff spoke fairly good English. It can never hurt to try and learn some key words and phrases in Spanish, after all, it is you who is travelling to their country. We found it amusing that we would try to order food and drinks in Spanish, and they would smile and answer us in English. We always carry a small pocket book to help us with Spanish words, phrases, and pronounciations.

Tipping: Another refreshing part of our trip was the excellent Sunquest rep we worked with. She spoke fluent English, having studied in Canada. Her tipping advise seemed to work well for us. As previously mentioned by someone, the tip is after the service and not to facilitate good service. The fact you tip ( but it is all inclusive?)will make your stay more enjoyable if you are the type of person who is always worrying if you should tip or not tip. The Sunquest rep put it to us this way. If you you very receive good service a tip is not out of line. A peso (convertable) or 2 would be well received at a specialty restaurant a 5 peso tip would be considered almost extravagant for 2 people. At the pool bar every couple of days if we had been there regularly (hic), it doesn't hurt to give the guys a couple of pesos. You can also tip if you felt it was deserved, with a Canadian $5.00 bill, 25% less valued than a convertable peso. Any way I think you get the drift. Hey it worked for us and we had a great time. If you happen to get to the Melia, say hi to Andres and Fernando from Rick (Ricardo) and Donna (Dohna).

Anónimo, CA, 2005-03-24
We (3 adults between 36 and 69) travelled to Cuba from February 28th to March 7th. It was simply a wonderful vacation. I had been visiting TripAdvisor prior to our vacation and became concerned. Reviews of the hotel were all over the place! None of us had travelled to Cuba and were concerned we had made a poor choice.

After a wonderful week of sun, surf, food and fun, I am pleased to say that it was well worth what we paid. I found little fault in the resort and certainly wouldn't give the place any less than 4 stars.

Read of line-ups for drinks? Never had to wait for more than a minute or two (as I would in Canada). Read that the beach was poor with lots of coral to walk across? The beach was amazing and the coral stretch for about 10 feet, maximum.

We booked by Sunquest/Skyservice. Bought the "premier package" which included advanced seat selection, earphones, 4 free drinks and a variety of other coupons. It was worth it, if only for the advanced seat selection!

Melia Varadero is marvellous. The lobby, with the open-air tropical garden is amazing and a perfect place for afternoon or evening drinks. Most evenings there was entertainment to add to the atmosphere. The outside is well maintained and a pleasure to walk around. The Melia was built in 1991, so it is beginning to show its age. Renovations are underway, but you would be hard-pressed to notice during your stay. There are several pictures already posted on TripAdvisor that give a good representation of what Melia Varadero has to offer.

The rooms were more than adequate, but not luxurious. Clean and big, with the amenities you need (except a face cloth). We all had rooms on the 1st floor (as requested). Faced the pool where it would get a little noisy when shows were on, but over by 9'ish. As the hotel seems to draw the over 35 crowd, I wouldn't recommend it for people looking to "party". We went for peace and quiet, and got it.

With several restaurants (requiring reservations) as well as buffet restaurant and a 24-hour café on site, it is impossible to go hungry at the Melia. There are "regular" restaurants across the street at the Plaza and in Varadero. I found the restaurants in the Melia not worth the effort. Almost everything being served in them is served in the buffet restaurant, just under another name. The "Italian Restaurant" is actually located IN THE BUFFET RESTAURANT? The only difference is you are being served rather than serving yourself. The Buffet is as good as it gets, and it is good, although a bit "tired" after a week. Crowed too, but they are constructing patios so things will improve.

Service was an issue. The staff approach to service is much different than North American standards. Yes, the coffee in Cuba is marvellous, ... but try getting a cup!!! Yes, staff are quite friendly and helpful, ... but a great many are not. To make your stay more enjoyable, remember where you sat and who served you. Go to them again if it was good, avoid if it was not.

We took 2 tours while we where in Cuba, both booked through the Sunquest representative at the Melia. "Guama, Trains and History" and "Havana Special". We recommend both.

While staying at the Melia, you are only a couple of minutes from Varadero. Only a $6 cab ride. Give the city a try, but don't expect much. Bear in mind that the sidewalks are in HORRIBLE condition. Deep holes everywhere! When you arrive in Melia, you may notice folks with new casts on their legs and arms. They are people who have been to the city and taken a tumble on the sidewalk. No kidding, ... don't get too distracted or you will get hurt badly.

We all took a considerable amount of "stuff" with us as gifts for staff at the Melia. We recommend that you don't. They have enough pens and paper. Shopping for the stuff prior to going was a chore, packing the items was difficult, and distributing them daily to the maid a bit of a hassle. I recommend that if you feel you must tip the maid (you will know her name as it is in a card displayed in your suite), leave money. She can decide how best it be spent.

We left the Melia feeling that tipping has gotten out of hand. There are poor in Cuba, which will become very obvious to you. There are no poor working at the Melia Varadero, which will become obvious to you as well. The same common sense you use when tipping in Canada is appropriate at the Melia. Tips are earned by meeting (and exceeding) expected standards in service.

I could go on for quite some time regarding both the Melia Varadero and our trip. Basically, I recommend the resort (or the other two resorts associated with it - Melia Las Americas or Sol Palmas) and am certain you would enjoy your stay.

Anónimo, CA, 2005-03-23
Just returned from 14 days in Cuba, 4 days at the Melia Cohiba (which was fantastic) and 10 days at the Melia Varadero.

The Melia Varadero is a nice hotel, but didn't live up to the 5-star rating that the Sol Melia chain gives it.

Negative points: (1) we had a room facing the courtyard, and had to listen to buses idling and dogs barking ALL night long; (2) both my wife and I got food poisoning from the buffet on 2 separate occasions (3) huge hotel, lots of kids out-of-control, etc (which is fine if you have kids) (4) al la carte restaurant food was mediocre at best.

Good points: great beach, friendly people, resort is well maintained, rooms are modern and clean.

Hope that helps.