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Explore Cuba |
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| Melia Las Américas |
Melia Las Américas: Hotel Reviews |
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By Trip Type... |
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| Based on 31 reviews |
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| You can do much better |
| Hotel Melia Las Américas |
User Rating:
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Dylan >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Feb, 2010 | Leisure | Family
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Changing Canuck bucks into Cuban tourist Monopoly money (called CUC) is a scam so try to change enough just once to get you through the entire stay. This is easily done because there is not much to buy on the beach, in the shops or at the markets.
We stayed at the Melia Las Americas hotel in Varadero, Cuba for one week in January 2010 on a WestJet all-inclusive vacation. It promotes itself as a 5-star hotel but turns out to be a 3-star. Built in the early 1990s, it is clean enough but has low wattage lighting in public areas. Many steps to the lobby, to the beach, to the restaurants, to the golf club – great exercise but not handicap-friendly if that’s important to you. Only two small elevators in the main hotel but, again, you can take the stairs. |
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| Your Arrival |
When we arrived at the Veradero Airport on January 17/10 we were met by maintenance staff, customs and security staff all wearing masks over their mouths and noses. So, the question is: protection from their germs or ours? Or, is this a hold-up? Given the Cuban attitude that tourists are cash cows (tourism is their largest government money maker far ahead of sisal, sugar, rum, cigars and oil), probably the latter. Our photos were taken, we passed thru security scanning on the way INTO the country, our tourist paper handed out on the plane was stamped but, not a mark appeared on our passports. The bus trip from the airport to hotel drop-offs went smoothly narrated by a Tourist Guide who told us how lucky we were to be in Cuba and how tipping vastly improved service. Yea, capitalism lives!
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| Rooms |
| Rooms are basic two single beds pushed together, TV with CNN, CTV, French, German and Spanish channels, views of the golf course or the pools and ocean. Bathroom is all-beige fake marble and you get a packet of soap, shampoo and bath gel that lasts for one week. Bring your own face cloth. Electric power is 220V. The in-room fridge gets four soft drinks and two beers per day. The maid changes the bed linen if you put the reguest card on the bed (a tip helps). |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| Hotel food is acceptable and plentiful. The open-air La Robleza restaurant by the pool is pleasant but opened later every day we were there – 12:00 Noon, became 12:30 PM then 1:00 PM. And stick with the luncheon meals – our paella took an hour to prepare but was a disappointing heap of rice, turmeric, one shrimp, one small chicken chunk and a piece of shellfish. The imported wine and domestic beer are good. The resort musicians all have CDs for sale ($10-$20 equivalent) and there are theatre shows every night. |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| The Varadero Golf Club is wrapped around two sides of the Las Americas Hotel. The beach is small and hemmed in at one end by the expropriated Dupont House (Xanadu) converted into a restaurant and clubhouse on a cliff and the Melia Varadero Hotel at the other end. The anal-retentive Cuban tourist police make sure you do not use any other beach than the one for the hotel where you are staying. Got the wrong colour wrist band? Go back! Forget any long walks along the beaches unless you stay on a property that includes a long beach. This confinement of tourists is not for any safety reason but so the Communist government can keep track of people. The public Las Americas Shopping Mall is a short walk away. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
Take the Hop-on, Hop-off bus ($5 equivalent for 9:00AM-9:00PM) to see the tip of the sand spit (but watch those private hotel/beach police!) and back to downtown Veradero and its flea markets to buy junky souvenirs and T-shirts plastered with Che Guevara’s mug shot.
Break up your stay in Varadero by taking a day tour to Havana. Have an over-priced Mojito at the bar frequented by Ernest Hemmingway. The Spanish colonial architecture is crumbling in Havana, the old-style 1950s cars are kept to amuse the tourists (most have replacement Hyundai or Kia motors) and, the government-run cultural tourist gift warehouse is full of white sales cubicles and computer-generated ‘art’ (there are a few, but very few, original artists). This will round out your excursion day.
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| Other Comments |
On departure, our 11:00 AM hotel bus pick-up to the airport was prompt and contained another Tourist Guide who explained the final tourist tax grab – the $25 CUC per person “Tasa Aeroportuaria” that translates as “Airport Tax”. Can’t get home without paying it. CUC cash only! Two sour-faced Security Department guards in military uniforms stood at the entry to the WestJet plane to collect the boarding card stubs showing each of us had paid our head tax and could depart. We will never return.
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| Old Reviews - Melia Las Américas |
| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Pierre and Elisabeth
Montreal
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| November 2008 |
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We travelled from october 25th to november 2nd.
We flew with Air Canada Vacations to Santa Clara airport. From there we were transported by bus to the Melia Las Dunas.This part went smoothly.
After 1 1/2 hour drive we arrived at the hotel.
The hotels's ground is very big and there is a lot of walk. People with knee problems should refrein.
The staff is very friendly and nice and can manage in French and English.
Rooms and public toilets are very clean.
The big disaster is the food.
For the meals, we were a group of 6 and it was always a problem to have a table fixed for us.
Breakfast is the same daily without any variety for the whole week.
Lunch and salad are repeated daily, hardly any lettuce except twice a week.
The ccok for the grill were sometimes students and does not know how the grill the fish or the meat or the chicken breast.
As for supper the beef is very hard to chew on. When there a was a piece of meat for carving there was never enough, for example one night we had a nice big grouper fish but there were only 2, the same as for a leg of lamb, as for the turkey there was only one for everybody.Vegetables are over cooked and sauted in heavy butter or oil.
The fruits that we had for the whole week were: papaya, pineapple, oranges or tangerines, grapefruit.
We never had any lobster on the buffet like the people said for Friday, and never saw any seafood.
the only time we had the lobster was at the seafood restaurant and it was a half one small size ( 1/2 pound) in a surf and turf dish.
The a la carte restaurant are not open daily but every other day and they limit the numbers of guest.
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Rosie
Ottawa, Ontario
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| November 2008 |
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Flight was with Sunwing Travel – everything was good, staff were very pleasant and helpful no complaints other than I would not get a flight so late in the evening as it spoils The arrival and tires you out for your first full day. We arrived at the hotel at 2 am – which is ridiculous, bus picked everyone from the flight up and took each to their respective hotels this added to the travel time – my advise just get a cab and go straight to your hotel. On arrival at the hotel we checked in, we were the only 2 so it took no time at all. The place was deserted HOWEVER after check in at reception we went for a beer before going to our room…….had to be done after all we were on holiday
Rooms - There was a musty smell at frist HOWEVER, when the humidity had gone so did the smell – its just one of those things. Room was very nice – we had 2 floors, as you walked in the room bathroom on the right – little bar area to make coffee, fridge with cold drinks in, then some stairs to mid level with TV sofa and table-sliding doors to balcony then upstairs to the bedroom, king-size bed(which we requested) and bathroom. (The shower is to die for really powerful – once I got in I never wanted to get out). Overall a nice room-no complaints
Restaurants - Ahhhh – well my HONEST opinion, if you’re going on holiday just for food – don’t. The buffet was absolutely fine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was the special restaurants I was a “little” disappointed with the International, very elegant, excellent presentation, food could have been better (they may tell you these restaurants are full and you are too late to book HOWEVER every time we went to a special restaurant they were over half empty) The Italian VERY NICE (but how can you go wrong) again excellent presentation and it TASTED GOOD TOO – The Japanese Not my fav however other liked it so its just a matter of taste.
Bars - the one just off the main lobby great and the staff are very helpful and friendly, one buy the pool (as it was just before season started it was only open certain times) but very good – the beach bar – small not as much variety but good all the same and the piano bar – we never went in. One comment I would like to make – if you want BRAND drinks ie Bacardi, Jameson or well know brands you have to pay for them very few are free – however their local rum is ok I was disappointed as I thought all international drinks were included – however not a big deal, we had a blast.
Beach and Pools - Beach is fantastic and the water is warm, pools are very clean and again just fabulous
Grounds - Well kept and very clean
Activities and Entertainment - Again we were there before the start of the season however there were activities every evening and during the day on the beach – the entertainments staff were the best they really tried hard to get as many people involved as possible – I am sure in high season it would be fantastic.
Tours – day trip to Havana, booked it through sunwing rep – our tour guide was exceptional gave great information and always ready to answer questions. Stopped part way for a Pina Colada or something similar at a road side bar – it will be the BEST drink you have (I drank mine so fast I got brain freeze – if you can believe that from a blonde) ha ha went to cigar factory (not for the tour) but to purchase – Do not purchase cigars in down town varadero as they are more expensive. Either Havana or the American plaza outside the hotel. The market was not as big in Havana as I expected and you do get a lot of people asking for money or Canadian candy – but I bought a few things – one day trip was enough for me in Havana.
Departure and Check - Out Not my favourite – you are supposed to check out of your room by 12:30 lunchtime – our flight was not until 3.30am the next day – if you wanted to extend your room you had to pay 25 convertible pesos or use the complimentary room.
I was unwell the day before we left and on the day of leaving, customer services told us to stay in our room till 4.30 and even brought extra water to the room for me and didn’ charge. We ended up using the comp room later at night to change for our flight and it was just fine.
Conclusion -
Overall a very nice relaxing holiday – if you want to join in activities you can if not there is no pressure. I adored the beach and pool, even though my comments about the food were not GREAT I still managed to put weight on. It was a great holiday. . I will certainly go back
and we met some fabulous people too |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
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The trip that was suppose to be very relaxing was not. We arrived late at nite and got checked into what we thought would be an excellant resort. Unfortunately we got a room with 2 singles pushed together and no balcony. This was not acceptable, as we had specified a king bed from the beginning....we were told that they were overbooked. Early the next morning I went to speak to the front desk and was fortunate in getting a jr. suite, which had a king bed. As I listened to other checking in the previous nite and in the morning, I realized that they played the same game with everyone, even repeat customers. The service at the bar was terrible, they did not have enough staff on and considering that it is rated as 5 star, the resort furniture looked very tired. We tried to get a map of the resort but to no avail and on our last day we found the pool bar. Too bad, we would have enjoyed that.
We went to the buffet a few times and would not recommend it for anything except breakfast, which never changes. We ate in the buffet for dinner twice and I would not recommend it. On one of the occasions we arrived at 6:45pm with it opened at 6:30pm to find that they were serving roast beef. It looked very good but to my surprise when we were having dessert we noticed that they ran out of roast beef and put something that resembled canned ham in its place ....you can imagine the looks of the patrons. I was deeply disappointed in their service in general and felt that they should only be a 4 star resort. The outside of the building looks tired and needs to be painted, as well as the furniture,in some cases need repair work.
Housekeeping was excellant and we had a lovely lady - who took excellant care of us.
The Italian restaurant was great and would definitely recommend it for not only dinner but for lunch as well. We frequented it often and had Rosa as our server and could not have been looked after any better that if we were at home. When we arrived, she knew what drinks we wanted and the arrived very quickly, as well as she knew that our husbands had a sweet tooth and would let them know what the dessert was for the day. In addition to this restaurant, we tried the International, which again was excellant - the service, the food and the music was great and you could not ask for any better and for lunch we tried the beach restaurant, which was also great, but did not want to try the buffet for lunch.
The resort was filled with golfers, who were repeat customers and they found that the service was also not as good as it once had been.
We went to the Los Americanas Plaza and tried to get the double decker bus, but they told us to go to one corner and it left from another and we missed it.
All in all, we booked 2 excursions - an all day to Havana and the Catameran.......we only saw the Sunquest person once to book our excursions and never saw him again. We did find another rep to confirm our flights though.
I would not go back again to Varedaro, given that it is rated a 5 star and the price of the trip but would go again to Cayo Coco, as I found both the service and the resort to be much better. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
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We went on our first all-inclusive holiday to Varadero, Cuba, March 22-29.
I am 27 years old and my husband is 32. I travelled extensively in Asia as a child but rarely so as an adult; and my husband had never left Canada/US until this trip. We both work for a University, on holidays we prefer slow-paced relaxation versus intensive activities. My friends describe me as "particular" (they mean picky), and my husband is one of the easiest-going people I've ever known. I hope that gives you some context as to our point of view.
Booking:
We booked approximately 36 hours before departure on selloffvacations.com (I was waiting for my passport for WEEKS!). However, I had been stalking the website and the price we ended up booking at was the absolute lowest (out of curiosity I checked the morning after we booked, about 24 hours prior to departure and it was the same price). So it appears that procrastinating endlessly helped =). I called the 1800 number for selloffvacations morning of departure to confirm all was okay; turns out I should have received e-tickets for printing but didn't. He arranged for me to pick them up at the counter at the airport instead; no big deal. I was really impressed with the service since I've heard one of the cons of booking online is not dealing with a "real person". Not the case for us. I'd book through them again for sure.
Flight:
I wonder why they ask you to be airport 2-3 hours ahead of time... they were not that busy and everyone sat for at least one full hour before boarding. The charter was through Skyservice; I now know what people mean when they refer to it as Squishservice. I got my 6 foot 2 husband a seat in the emergency exit aisle and me across the way; thank goodness or he would have had to sit sideways and I'd have had to sit on his lap. Next time I'd prefer a Westjet charter... but that's just pickiness on my part. The mystery burrito (I still can't figure out if there was meat in it or not hahaha) was strangely delicious, like corndogs from 7-11.
Oh yeah, they're very strict about the size of your carry-on (couple of kids were freaking out cause they couldn't take their suitcase...). Seriously though, you don't need that much stuff in flight! And it's so squishy there really would be no room to put it. Travel light! I just take gravol and sleep. It'd be good for everyone!
Arrival:
Flight arrived 40 minutes early! Getting through customs was fast; waiting for luggage a bit longer. I was disappointed they didn't stamp my passport (I wasn't sure if they'd think I was strange if I asked for it, but next time, I will!) If you're a mosquito magnet like me, be warned there were a few in the airport, since they keep the doors open all day. Took about 1 hour from landing for Sunquest to get everyone on bus and on our way to the resorts. The guide there was hilariously funny (jokes about the "friendly" neighbor to the north, locals wanting to marry you so they can move to Canada, etc etc). As was our experience with everyone we encountered working at the resort and in tourism in Cuba, spoke perfect english (by perfect I don't mean accent-free; if you want accent-free english, don't leave home).
Resort and room:
The resort is beautiful. The lobby is all marble, with a koi pond and everything. Check-in was immediate even though we arrived around 1030/11 pm; we were given a room just off the lobby (105). At first I thought that's way too close to all the activity, but that actually turned out to be real nice since it was so easy to run back to the room for whatever. I think I would have enjoyed an ocean view, but that would have been less convenient. We were happy that it was big (I think it was a junior suite, it had an upstairs part with the main bathroom and bed, and the downstairs had the sitting area, tv, kitchen nook with fridge, and a half bath. It was real nice not to have to compete for the facilities (for some reason my husband and I always seem to need them at the same time). Occasionally we'd get a mosquito or two in the room, but I think that was because my husband kept going in and out of the patio doors. If mosquitos really bother you, bring something to spray or maybe a citronella candle for bedside.
Beach and pool:
The beach is accessed through the back of the lobby; through a gorgeous archway with wooden steps that led down to the sand. (Pic available at my photo album). The sand is soft and powdery, with a bit of shell/coral debrie closer to the resort but like 10 steps closer to the water it's almost pure sand. They seem to rake it or something with a big tractor every morning. A bit of seaweed would come in throughout the day but didn't bother me. What was annoying was other people leaving their drinking glasses all over, straws, other garbage. There always seemed to be staff picking up after them, but how can you keep up wtih that kind of slobbiness! Be good to others, pick up after yourself. Anyways, the beach was beautiful; if you walk to the west it's that big mansion place, if you walk to the east a ways you get to Melia Varadero, the other resort on the property. That one has kids, so we weren't interested in venturing that way; very few people seem to mingle going other direction.
There was no issue getting chairs/palapas; in fact, we were often the first ones on the beach, arriving between 730 and 830 (I guess we were early risers). There didn't seem to be much chair saving going on. They provide chair cushions that they bring out; you can flag the guy by the bar as you pick your place. We went to the same spot every day and after the second day we wouldn't even have to flag anyone down they'd just come right over. We'd leave our towels there for lunch and come back; mostly that was the only kind of chair saving people did. You could go to the beach any time of day and find a chair and palapa.
The water was a bit on the rough side; always waves coming in. We'd only go in when we got hot, jump a few waves, go back to our chairs. There was a red flag for a couple of the days we were there; but you can still wade in; the lifeguard just whistles you in if you go past like, waist deep. I think it was yellow flag for most of our week there; the weather was windy (but not unpleasantly so), between 24-30 degrees or so during the day. It was sunny the entire week we were there other than 15 minutes of rain our last morning, which was refreshing and brought out these adorable yellow crabs all over the beach that would scuttle around!
The pool, while nice, is a bit small for the size of the resort. Someone else who reviewed here said it was "frigidly cold", I wouldn't have called it that-- it wasn't heated, but plenty of people used it, and its temperature (which is on the cool side, for sure) was refreshing. People tended to go there in the heat of the afternoon, around 2-3 pm it'd get busy. The loungers there were harder to come by, and there was some annoying chair savers there (I don't think it's right to hold a chair for 3 hours if you're not going to use it!). You can use the lounger cushions as floating pads in the pool.
Food:
A lot of people "warned" us about food in Cuba... I really have no clue what they are talking about. After Day 1 I was scared I'd go home 10 pounds heavier! The resort had four A La Cartes: BBQ, Italian, International, and Japanese. There's no limits on how often you eat at any of them for dinner, you just have to make reservations which are open at 9 am every day and you can book 48 hours ahead; so we tried them all-- Italian and International has LOBSTER! I adore lobster and had it at both places. Ask for extra whatever if you want, they are very accommodating! The Japanese place wasn't very Japanesy, but the food was still good-- but be warned, eating there takes the longest as they bring out the multiple courses and does teppanyaki (cook on big metal grill thing in front of you). There is also the Lobby Bar for all meals, that's open 24 hours. Try the Spinach Croquettes (stupid me didn't try these until our very last meal there before departure, had i tried them when we arrived I would have had some every day!).
The buffet wasn't bad either; for breakfast it's the same stuff over and over; you can ask for eggs however you like at the omelet station (the scrambled is a bit runny for our tastes). Make sure you try the fried nugget-bread things and the cheese balls! For lunch we preferred the pool bar (this is the BBQ at night). Live music at the pool bar frequently, and and all but the japanese restaurant at dinner.
Drinks:
We're not heavy drinkers... in fact, I think we had more non-alcoholic stuff and coffee than drink drinks. I think they water down their rum a bit, but they pour pretty heavily (especially for my big boy of a husband, his drinks were always stronger than mine haha). Every bartender mixed stuff differently, so try them all before you pick a favorite. We usually went to the pool bar during the day, and would grab coffees at the lobby bar at night. I liked many of the mocktails, I'm a girly drink kinda person. The cappucinos were excellent if you like your coffee strong (by strong I mean you can stand a spoon up in it, yum!). Highly recommend bringing a thermal mug; we had a pair of big ones and it made everything so much more convenient (in-house glasses were very small; our mugs held at least 2x as much stuff). Every evening we'd have double cappucinos in them and have someone ask us how we knew to bring mugs... it's mostly because people on this website and others told me to! When we left I gave our mugs to a bartender.
Havana:
We only did one excursion (since all we wanted out of this holiday was to sit and relax), and it was the Havana Cigars tour... a tour of the city plus cigar factory tour. I am glad I went but I would not go again; the itinerary is a bit rushed. The best part was the cigar factory, and the extensive knowledge of the city and Cuba's history by the tour guide: she gave us a nutshell summary of Cuban history from the revolution to present day in about 10 minutes (if social studies teachers were like her, it'd be every kid's favorite subject). I would have liked to stop at the huge cemetary, but we only drove by that and didn't go inside. If I went to Havana again I'd try to arrange for a private excursion somehow, spend some time doing photography at the cemetary.
People:
We did not have a single bad experience with anyone in Cuba. (There was a waiter that was a bit eccentric, but meeting different people is part of the travel adventure!) Everyone was super nice; I'd especially liked to mention Maria, our maid, who was so sweet and left us towel art every day (she even made a swan and put my bikini top on it, totally made my day!), and Gladys, our tour guide for Havana. We tipped everywhere (that's just our choice, I just feel that when someone does stuff for you it should be acknowledged, and it's not like it cost us a lot-- maybe 100 CUC's total). We'd tip 1 CUC every time we got drinks, 1 for the chair cushion guy, towel person, 2 CUC's for waiters/servers at meals, 1 or 2 when we exchanged cash, 2 everyday for maid (I have a tendency to let my hotel rooms get ridiculously cluttered, and she would fold my clothes that I've left all over the place... and make towel art, of course).
We also met some of the other tourists; a lot of Canadians there, probably 60-70%; the rest European I think. We're not very child-friendly people so I am glad we went with an adults-only resort. Toplessness was not uncommon; maybe 20% of women would take their top off (for me that was enough to feel like I wouldn't be alone, so that was good for me). Didn't really feel like anyone had a problem with it.
Final Thoughts:
We had a wonderful time and would absolutely go back again. I think what you get out of Cuba is 90% based on your attitude, so I guess we went with the right one! This is a great resort for those who want a relaxing vacation without children around. My only regret is that I wish we brought home more Cohiba cigarettes as my husband misses them terribly. If you're going and isn't a smoker yourself, email me! Cigarettes are counted separately from your cigar count for duty-free allowances!! I am also happy to answer any questions that I haven't addressed here if you're about to head off to this resort.
Oh yeah, make sure you take a ride in a Coco Taxi! Cutest form of travel I've ever seen.
See my pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/McGooby |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Kathryn
Toronto (aka Redhead)
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| April 2007 |
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We stayed at the Melia Las Americas in Varadero from April 8-15th and had a fantastic time. We are 2 single ladies who wanted a relaxing beach vacation and golf. We chose this resort mainly due to the 4 rounds of golf included by Sunquest and we love Cuba (have been 4 times previously) especially the Varadero Beach. This resort is adults only and right next door to the Clubhouse (a short walk) which made it very convenient. We flew with Canjet and there was no extra charge for your golf clubs (even though their website says otherwise).
Check in/ Out & Room
Check in was very quick although we were at the front of the line. They had an envelope with our room information ready, but we didn’t know you had to get the key for your safe at the concierge desk next door (we came back down for it – no problem). Our room was very nice on the 3rd floor with an ocean view. The décor was a bit dated but the room was clean and bathroom very big. We were greeted with a bottle of rum and fruit plate upon entry.
We had a mini fridge which had pop, beer and water every day and all week our maid was fantastic and only on her day off did we not have towels which was easily remedied.
Since we had a late departure time – we asked for a late checkout. We had to wait for the morning of our departure and we used our MAS card (Melia Award card it’s free on the Melia website) and there was no charge (usually $25CUC) for late checkout of 3pm (instead of noon). We also allowed our maid to change the bedding and anything else she could so she didn’t have to wait until after our late checkout to do everything which she appreciated (and allowed us a bit more time).
Golf
This was one our main reasons for staying at this resort and it definitely exceeded our expectations. The golf course is absolutely gorgeous right beside the ocean with fantastic views. It is very well kept and the staff are friendly and easy going.
You can book your tee times but many just show up and they try to accommodate everyone. I do recommend booking to be fair to other golfers if you want to golf in the morning as it is busiest at 8am. In the afternoon it is not busy and you can just show up. You do have to rent a cart ($33 CUC per cart) and you can rent clubs or bring your own. We brought our own and they stored them for us for the week – no charge. To get your golf voucher you need to go to the PR desk at Melia Las Americas and they will fill it out for you to take over to the golf course. The PR desk is open from 7am-7pm so easily accessible. Bring lots of balls as the course has many water holes and while not really narrow – it is easy to lose them and the clubhouse charges over $14CUC per sleeve. There is a beer/drinks cart on the course and the beer is cheaper than water. They have a few snacks but not much.
Beach
The MLA shares it’s beach with the Melia Varadero and is not on the long part of Varadero beach. That being said there is soft white sand and crystal clear water. You can walk up and down in about 10 mins. There were always loungers available in the morning and lounge pads, by afternoon the pads are usually gone. You don’t have to reserve the loungers at 7am like other resorts. There is beach volleyball, a beach bar and a walkup to the Italian restaurant and BBQ restaurant easily from the beach for lunch. Towel service is only near the Beach bar. If you ask nicely they may give you a couple extra towels as they just record them on your card so you return them.
Pool
There are 2 main pools at this resort. The first one is out and to the right of the lobby. The 2nd pool is a little harder to find. It is in the bungalow area and you have to walk past the Japanese or behind the Theatre and keep following the paths and you will stumble upon it. This has a swim up bar which also serves the best lunch. This is by far the best place for relaxing by the pool and not everyone finds it. You can take your lounge pad into the pool and float on it.
Food/Restaurants
We had breakfast in the main buffet which opens at 7am. We were almost first in line every morning. I loved the omelets they would make while you wait along with the fresh fruit, pastries, juices and breads. This was great before we went golfing and the waitresses would give you a large bottle of water to take with you if you asked. Some golfers also made a little sandwich and took it with them in plastic bags to eat later on the golf course. Lunch was also available in the buffet but we only did that once just because the others were closer. We had lunch most often by the swim up pool bar. The service is quick and you could even order while in the pool and eat right there. Dinner at the buffet was good and they would grill whatever fresh meat they had available which usually included shrimp, chicken, fish and thin slices of beef. They also had a pasta bar which they would make fresh for you and a banana flambé for desert. Dinners at the a la carte’s could be booked at the Concierge 2 days in advance and there didn’t seem to be restrictions on how many times you could go, you just had to be lucky with availability.
Italian – for lunch (no need to book for lunch) and dinner it has an antipasto bar and you can also order pizzas for lunch. Dinner had Lobster which was very good along with of course different pasta dishes – lobster was the best.
BBQ – we only went to this restaurant for lunch one day and it was OK. Others raved about it so perhaps we didn’t order the right thing. It is an outdoor restaurant with a live band that plays at lunch and dinner.
Japanese – this was lots of fun. They cook everything right in front of you and it was very good and lots of food. They kept your drinks and plates full at all times.
International – this is the smallest restaurant but the most “formal”. Food was excellent especially the shrimp and the lobster. And they had live music which added to the ambience.
Bars and other common areas
The main lobby is very big with lots of cushy sofas to relax in (again they are a bit dated but comfy). The lobby bar is usually the busiest and you can order some food as well as snacks there. Note that you are on Cuban time and sometimes it seems that there is only 1 bartender there. They just take their time and if you catch their eye order! They do have waiters late afternoon that are excellent. Be sure to try the Mojitos at this bar – they were the best.
Swim up bar – only 2 servers but once you get to know them – they are like family. We had a big group after golf and we just kept the pina colada’s coming.
Piano bar – this was quiet some nights and hopping other nights. It has a couple of pool tables too.
Beach bar – we didn’t go here much – but there is one.
BBQ bar – at the BBQ restaurant and just downstairs from the pool. Again we didn’t go here much.
General
We never did go to any of the shows as we had late dinners or just enjoyed chatting with the people we met. There were many golfers there. It is not a young crowd and not much to do there in the evening. They have excursions you can book although we didn’t as we have been to Havana and Varadero in the past. There is some shopping beside the resort which you can take the blue train (free) which comes every 20 minutes or walk down the beach to it as it is between the 2 resorts.
Service overall was excellent and we love going to Cuba for the beaches and for the service and people as they are so genuine. We bring gifts for everyone instead of tipping with money all of the time and it seemed to be much appreciated especially by the waitresses and maids. We had a fantastic vacation and met so many great people and had lots of fun golfing especially at the “Cuba Cup” Golf tournament we organized with all of our new friends. I would definitely recommend this resort if you are looking for golf or just for a relaxing vacation in Cuba! |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Teresa aka........ratherbeonabeach
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| April 2007 |
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Booking / Operator
We stayed at the Melia Las Americas in December 2006 for two weeks. We booked through an on-line agency (itravel2000) and our tour operator was Sunquest.
A little info on us
My husband and I have been to Varadero three times; twice at Breezes, once at the MLA. We wanted to try a different property after being somewhat disappointed our last stay at Breezes in 2004 and for the same price, decided on this resort as it was Adult Only, walking distance to the golf course and golf included in our package. We traveled this trip specifically for golfing, the beach, R&R and our anniversary, therefore did not book any excursions as we have done that on the two previous trips. Other than the resort being clean, we went with no pre-conceived expectations of this property and were pleasantly surprised by the little extra’s we experienced.
Check-In / Room
Check in was fast and efficient. We were in our room (#4204 in the hotel) within 10 minutes. We booked an oceanview room and although on the small side, it was certainly adequate for us and very clean. Our maid service was consistent (10:30am every day) for the two weeks we were there. We had a mini-fridge which was stocked every day with water, beer and pop. Lots of drawers and closet space for your clothes, room equipped with safe, umbrella, iron & board. The electrical outlets in our room were 220V and I did not bring a converter so borrowed one (LOL) from the hotel – it was the size of a car battery and weighed about the same, but served its purpose.
Sunquest
I attended the “Welcome Briefing” the day after we arrived only because we had never been to this property and I wanted more information. Our Sunquest Rep was professional, friendly, frank and very informative. She was transferred to another area within a few days and her replacement was just as competent. He was on-site almost everyday for a few hours and always available to answer questions or help, if needed. Can’t say enough about the Sunquest people (in Varadero)!
The Resort
The hotel lobby is massive! Seating everywhere, marble floors, high ceilings, a little stream which runs through it……the pictures I took and others I have seen do not do the lobby justice. Located on this main floor is the Front Desk, Concierge, the buffet, internet area, shopping, the International ala carte, La Cascada bar, two public washrooms, tour operator area, the public relations desk, the 24hr Lobby Bar and conference rooms. When you walk out the back door of the Lobby, there is a beautiful sitting area which overlooks the ocean and is a nice place to sit and chill. Walk straight ahead, down the stairs and you are on the beach! Turning left will take you to the Mansion and golf course and turning right to the main pool area/pool bar/Italian Restaurant, gym, massage area and the Japanese Rest. Further down the beach (to the right) is where the bungalows are located.
Other Guests & Stuff
During the time we were there, the average age group was about 45ish. There was a mix of Canadians, Europeans, UK peeps, a group from Russia, a few Aussies, a few from South America and one American. Overall, a good group of people. This is not a “party” resort and was fairly low key, which is fine with us. After dinner, we normally watched and “hung out” with the band at the Pool Bar (open 10am – 11pm), mingled at the Lobby Bar (open 24 hrs.) and listened to the piano player and singer then went to the La Cascada (open 7pm – 1am) to catch the evening entertainment (intermittent at best) and chit chat with fellow travelers. I suspect the few younger people there, unless they went to a club in town, were quite bored in the evening.
Golf Course
My husband brought his golf clubs and stored them at the pro shop for about $2CUC per day. The course staff were very helpful, friendly and we enjoyed it very much – the course was in great condition and well worth playing – even to view it – quite beautiful! Cart rental was $33 CUC. Make sure to bring enough golf balls as they are quite pricey at the pro shop - $19 CUC for three. Never booked a tee time and had no problems getting on (time of year perhaps?). A must though……..have a drink in the Xanadu Mansion bar – a definite WOW factor! I also took a tour through the mansion for $2 CUC – it really is an architectural delight!
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Overall Resort Service
We found the service throughout the hotel and other areas of the resort good to excellent. I did find however, that after they started to “know” us, the service just got better! There are always certain staff members that seem to “shine” and we always make a point of spending time to get to know them.
Food / Restaurants
The food…………well, we are not picky eaters and have never had issues with resort food in Cuba. I made reservations at the three ala carte restaurants (Japanese, Italian & International) the day after arriving and had no problems whatsoever. There didn’t seem to be a limit on how many times we could dine at any of them. We enjoyed the Japanese and Italian the best. Service at all three was excellent. Only issue I had with these restaurants is the large quantity of the portions they serve. A total waste, IMO. We ate at the buffet every morning for breakfast and I think only 2 or 3 times for dinner. Very efficient staff in the buffet as well - lots of “shiners” in there! I especially enjoyed the duo who performed and the champagne every morning – a really nice touch – the reason I hauled my butt out of bed every morning! We also ate in the bungalow area and at the pool bar restaurant on several occasions and enjoyed both.
Beach Stuff
The beach is breathtaking! The length of the beach is short compared to the length of the area where Breezes is located as it is between the Mansion and the Melia Varadero and although small, I loved it just the same. There were the odd vendors, setting up “shop” on the beach, but as always, they never approached anyone. The beach is extremely clean with the exception of the “tourons” who can’t be bothered to pick up after themselves. I do bring an insulated mug, but only used it for my water at the beach. The drinks at the beach bar (open 12pm – 5pm) are served in hard plastic cups, not the disposable kind – cuts down on the garbage being scattered around, service plentiful and again great!. I did not notice any “towel, chair saving” games here (thank god) – there were always lots of chairs and cushions available. Only used the pool once and although cool, was very refreshing! In addition to the beach bar, the towel service and washrooms are here as well as a ping pong table and a few dart boards. This is also where the entertainment staff carry out their daily beach activities; volleyball, dance & Spanish lessons. Most days it was very quiet and not much activity going on. On one of our good weather days, we took out the paddle boat and did the ½ hour catamaran trip which is always enjoyable. Also available is snorkeling equipment and diving info.
Depending on weather conditions, on Thursday nite (10pm) the entertainment staff throw a “Beach Party” with dancing, dance contests, open bar (of course) which is worth attending.
Other Services
I did have a massage and with nothing to compare it to, loved it. There is a “Massage Menu” listing the different massages and pricing. I paid $35 CUC (plus tip). The massage and sauna is open 9am – 5pm. The gym is open 24hrs as per their brochure.
There is an internet area (open 9am – 9pm) in the Lobby with two computer stations which I used on several occasions. If I recall, it was approx $6 CUC for 30 minutes. Just past the Lobby area (by the elevator) there is a gift shop which sells souvenirs, t-shirts, beach stuff, cigarettes/cigars, etc. On the mezzanine floor are several souvenir shops, a small art gallery, car rentals and a Cadeca (currency exchange). Also listed in their brochure it states they have a Unisex Beauty Parlor – didn’t see it, but didn’t go looking for it either.
There is a small train which stops by the resort entrance every 20 minutes that will take you to the two other Melia properties (Melia Varadero and the Sol Palmeras) as well as the Las Americas mall.
Outside the Resort
We did do the usual Varadero “touristy” stuff like the Las Americas mall, hopped the double decker bus, walked all of downtown Varadero, did the craft market, took the horse and buggy ride, the rum store, cigar store, hung out at a beach bar and drank ice cold Cristal’s and listened to a fabulous local band. We also stopped at Breezes to visit some staff members and had a nice afternoon with them.
Summary
In summary, we had a great vacation - beautiful (clean) hotel and grounds, exquisite beach, good food, met some fun people and had ALOT of laughs, fabulous live entertainment (bands/duo’s), great golf and most of all - the most sincere, caring and friendly people we have ever met! Our objective of “traveled this trip specifically for golfing, the beach, R&R and our anniversary” was met. We will be returning in 2007.
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Richmond Hill
Canada
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| September 2006 |
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My friend and I stayed at the Melia Las Americasl for a week from Sep 15 till Sep 22, 2006. Fall is cheaper to get a good golf-package but I highly recommend "hurricane insurance" from the tour operator (we payed $30 Cdn each). Even if the hurricane is not on you, it can screw up the weather for days. Our entire all-inclusive cost was $688+ $205 tax, which we thought was well worth it.
The golf course is a 5 minute walk from the back door and it is a decent course, though the greens needed some work. We were told that the Vardero golf course is a 365 day course and the repair work is done in Sept to get it ready for the peak Dec - Feb snowbird season. There are a couple of spectacular signature holes (9th and 18th) and you would definitely want a camera in your bag. E Overall, this place is quiet, relaxing and perfect for honeymooners and couples, not so much if you are single or single at heart. The hotel is where 80% of the flight crews servicing Varadero stays, so there are a lot of groups who know each other and cliques. The beach and the pools were amazing, the bartenders friendly and the food tolerable. Do not miss the pizza at the Italian restaurant or the lobster in the Arcada. Although this is a
5 star hotel and the adjacent Melia Varadero and Sol Palmeros are 4 star & in the same family of hotels, you are allowed to go visit but you cannot eat or drink. We found however that swiching around the armband would work as would tipping the security guy. The managers are the more obnoxious souls.
Melia las Americas is still building a japanese restaurant and a nightclub on the premises. The evenings were dull for us as most of the people chose to retire early. We found other hotels, especially the other Melias had a lot more life. But try out the discotecas in
varadero: La Rumba on Sat, La Comparasita on Thursdays, Castillito on Thursdays and Horsone Park on fridays. You will find a lot of locals in some of these places and there were really friendly and most of them could dance your socks off!
Make sure you get to spend a day in Havana. We did not bite on the hotel excursion tour ( $67 to havana and back), but instead took a coco taxi to the Viazul bus station (cost = $4) and boarded the bus to Havana (cost = $10). There are 3 tourist buses daily: 8.00 am/11.40 am/6.00 pm and you can find the schedule at http://www.viazul.com. The buses are very comfortable and cater to tourists and extremely safe (mostly used by tourists as $10 is the monthly wage for most locals). In 2.5 hrs the bus will drop you in Old Havana and you can wander the streets for the day, use your map and take a cab to the Viazul station in the evening when you are done. Knowing Spanish helps, but we were able to navigate our way through our Lonely Planet guide and phrasebook. Also, when you get the cab, make sure they put the meter on, we got scammed for $7 for what would have been a $3.00 cab ride.
If you need a box of cigars, talk dicreetly to the bartender and someone will get back to you. A box of 25 Cohiba Esplendido's will cost you $300 at the official store. You can pick up a box for $35-$45 in the hotel. It won't be real as the Cuban cigar factories are like gulags, but for most people they are still pretty good cigars and good for handing out. If you are totally into cigars, pick up a humidor at the varadero feria (open market) on 14th street for $20. We were told a lot of stories about how Cuban immigration would check for original receipts if you carrying in excess of 3 boxes of cigars, all HOGWASH..nobody even bothered to ask. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Windsor On. sunseeker
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| March 2006 |
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I stayed at the "Melia las Americas" in Varadero from Feb. 10 to 17/06. This is hotel is rated 5 * but I would not agree. Although the hotel was clean and the rooms were very nice, I was disappointed in the amenities.
None of the pools were heated and during that week not one person was ever seen to enter the pools. The pool water was frigid. The lighting was very dim all through the hotel. While I was there a woman fell down the stairs and broke her arm and elbow. I also fell from an uneven level that was not well lit and not marked that there was a small drop.
I also got stuck on the elevator for over a half hour in total darkness. There was an other couple in the elevator thank God. The man kept prying the doors open a crack so we could get some air. We did a lot of screaming for help and finally another guest heard us and went for help. The alarm bell did not work. This couple told me they were at this resort last year and there were problems with elevators at that time. I spoke to the hotel manager and he told me the elevators were on order from Germany, he also admitted there was a problem with lighting. some people were quite upset that they had to walk up 4 flights of stairs with their golf bags.
The animation staff were almost non existent. the entertainment was not good either. The bar staff didn't know how to make the most basic drinks. Some things that were advertised in the Sunquest catalogue description of this resort were not available. Of course there were no scuba lessons in the pool because of the water temperature. They advertised Aqua Bikes but they didn't have any.
I have been to Varadero before at a 3* plus and it was a better experience. I think this resort got their 5* rating because they are on a golf course. We are vegetarians and had a difficult time finding food that didn't contain meat or fish. The food items on the buffet were not labeled as to what a dish consisted of, this is also a big problem for people with allergies. No way to know if dish contained some type of sea food or cooked in fish sauce.
I would not recommend this hotel even as a 4*. I paid over 2000, $ for what I thought would be luxury.
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
George & Jean
Ottawa, Canada
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| March 2006 |
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My girlfriend and I (in our 40s) spend the first week in February at this resort. We had never been to Cuba before, but have been to many other islands and South America. We chose this hotel because of the good food reviews, golf course and good hotel reviews. We booked this through Sunquest and flew direct from Ottawa.
When we arrived in Cuba, our golf clubs made it, but our bag did not. For some reason (which we never found out), 16 bags were left behind. Not a big deal as we always pack some essentials in our carry on. Our bag was delivered to the hotel the next morning.
It is a 30 min drive from the airport to the hotel. Check in was slow, as they have you fill out some forms, and photo copy your passport and tourist card. Just your first introduction to Cuban time! The hotel is beautiful. Large, high lobby with a lobby bar and several restaurants. We got room 4105, which overlooks the golf course and Caribbean Sea. The room was very clean and had a balcony to sit out on an enjoy the view. The rooms have a small fridge that has some pop, beer and bottled water in. It had two 3/4 beds pushed together (I understand it is a European thing). They were comfortable. The air conditioning worked well, and we left it off except for at night.
This hotel had excellent food - just a little different than many North American people are used to (you do travel to have different experiences!). We ate most meals at the buffet. Always had excellent fresh salads and bread with every meal. Pretty much like most all inclusives I have been to. If your ideal of an excellent meal is a thick steak and baked potato, you may be disappointed. On different nights we did have beef and pork roast, lobster, crab and large shrimp. There were 2 restaurants (one by the pool and one off the lobby), you could eat lunch at the pool one anytime, but needed a reservation for the one off the lobby. Both had good food. Also be sure to check out the restaurant next door in the Dupont Mansion. The hotel will give you a 40 peso voucher (you have to pay for the drinks. Cash only). The view for the tables on the patio is not to be missed. Overall I would give the food a 4 out of 5. If food is key to your holiday, go on a cruise.
The weather was good most days. It was in the mid 20s everyday. It rained twice. Luckily for us, the day we went to Havana it rained on the way there, but stopped when we got to Havana. The other day it rained was the day we left. I would take a sweater, or a long sleeve shirt. Two days there was a very strong wind off the Atlantic (which is where the beach is). On these two days, the red flag was up and you could not go swimming in the ocean. Overall, the weather was very good.
The beach is beautiful. The two Melia's properties share a long white beach. There is lots of umbrellas & loungers on the beach to use. I was not approached once on the beach to buy anything. A refreshing change. There were usually some waves, but the water is a gorgeous blue. You could walk up and down the beach at night --- it was very safe. We walked up to the Meilas Veradero, and had a few drinks. You technically do not have rights at the other hotel, but everyone has the same color wristband, and no one checks very close.
If you are a golfer, take your clubs for sure. The course was fairly busy in the morning, but by mid afternoon it was deserted. We just went over at 3:00, and did not even bother booking a tee off time. With Sunquest, we got 3 free rounds. N. The course was in good shape and some really nice views of the ocean from many holes. Make sure you take enough balls. I noticed in the Pro Shop they were about $7 CDN each. Ideal hotel for golfers, it is a few minute walk to the course.
If you go here, you must see Havana. It is just like the pictures. It is stuck in time in the 60's. Lots of old American cars. Amazing buildings all through the city. Very safe to walk around on your own. We just took the day trip which got back to the hotel around 6:00 PM. There was also some other options to see the Tropicana at night. It is about a 2 hour drive from Veradero to Havana. You get to see the country side and hear some of the history, from the Cuban point of view. Very different from the American view. The tour stops at a rum and cigar store on the way back. The guide recommended one of the rums, as the best Cuban Rum. I later learned I could buy it for the half the price in the hotel store!
Tipping seems to be the norm in Cuba. We tipped in the dining room, bar, our housekeeper and the tour guide. It did get us better service in the dining room, but I did not see any real changes in the other areas. Outside of the resort, to use most washrooms you also need to tip.
This is a good resort to pick if you are going to Cuba. Bring your clubs and take the trip to Havana. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Charlene and Harold
Nova Scotia
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| February 2006 |
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We spent from 12-19 February 2006 at Melia Las Americas. Travel arrangements were made through Canadian Automobile Association for a Sunquest vacation, as we have a membership. The trip went just as scheduled. On arrival in Cuba be sure to have passport, tourist card and airline ticket stub as the check in at customs is "strict". You can exchange your money at the Airport or at the hotel. I used both and they were very good. I had to pay a service charge, 2%, for a travellers cheque. A bus was there to pick us up at the Varadero Airport and we were offered drinks, I had one, and then was asked to pay at a later time. My first lesson on asking first, the drink was good and worth the 2 pesos. I used the safety deposit box in my room and it worked extremely well and eliminates worries of losing anything. The hotel was excellent, very clean, well laid out and its location and views are spectacular. The view from either side of the hotel is spectacular so to me being on the ocean or golf course side was mute. The staff were exceptional to very good and very personable and talkative so that when you were waiting for you food to be cooked you mostly chatted about Canada or Cuba or the food. The bar tenders at the two bars are so busy you have to make yourself visible or others will get served before you. The layout of the hotel and its facilities I considered to be extremely well thought out and in my humble opinion excellent. The beach was very good, the towel service is right at the beach, the pool areas are immediately above the towel service area. The restaurants were all excellent. The Terraza was the main restaurant and it was always very clean, lots of food and the staff were tremendous and could not do enough for you during our whole stay. There was live music every morning and did the music and tempo ever help start the day off on an up beat tempo, great. The restaurant, La Caleta, on the beach was great and we had pizza or pasta there on several occasions. The warm air, beach environment, food and drinks just added to the relaxation mode. There was also a ice-cream bar cooler there that you could use anytime to have an ice cream sandwich. It was great to see no one complaining or reluctant to give anything but their best. Excellent Employees. The Arcada is a fine dining restaurant within the hotel, we had a coupon for one dinner, and it was exceptional and reservations 24 hours in advance is almost a must. The dinner music by a bass player and two voilinist was great. The violinist will play at your table if you request, I tipped. The Robleza restaurant was another excellent eating place. We had a coupon for dinner and I had a lobster, whole, dinner that was superb. There was music at the noon meal and at dinner. The hotel lobby had entertainment every night, a saxaphone and piano player in the early evening amd frequently there was dancing in the lobby by amorous couples. The entertainment bar was very much used with cuban dancers in attendance and we attended five of the seven nights. Superb and energetic entertainers who put on a first class show each night and on two of the nights the evening closed off with the dancers and hotel guests dancing and learning to dance on the stage. The beach is very nice and we spent much time in the sun and in the water. The pools are very nice, very clean and the chairs and pads, which double as floating mats, made a day in the sun with a drink or several a very pleasant tanning experience. There is a plaza next to the hotel, a three minute stroll and the most interesting part was the cuban venders throughout. There was no pressure to buy and there were lots of nice and different crafts. We rented a mob-ped with driver, I will call coconut cab, for a tour of Varadero. It cost 15 pesos and a tip for a 30-40 minute trip. It was well worth the drive, a visit to the park, some pictures, and a tour of the main street and then the driver returned via some back streets and it was good to see the areas away from the main street.
The lobby is very comfortable and we frequently had drinks there and met some people in the process.
There are very nice mattresses in a gezabo like setting by the pool. A great place to relax with a glass of champagne that was available on a table just beside the area.
Smoking is permitted all over Cuba so be prepared if you are a non-smoker.
The Varadero golf club is literally next door, 500 feet from the hotel and the package included 4 games of golf for myself and wife, The cart is extra and you must rent clubs if you didn't bring your own. If you plan to play 3 or more games of golf it is worth your while to take you own clubs with you.
To Melia Las America: the concierges were excellent, Julie who took care of our room on the third floor was exceptional and the bellboy, Alexis was always extremely pleasant and a credit to your organization.
We will return again with our family within the next two years. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
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| ust back from week at melia las americas varadero.great golf and holiday.resort very good, food in main buffet style dining room excellent,avoid beach restaurant *for dinner.acadia o.k.
staff golf etc great. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Mark and Michelle
Windsor, Ontario
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| January 2006 |
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My wife and I (late 30's) stayed at the Melia Las Americas Varadero from Dec 23-30. When talking to people from home about Cuba the first question they always ask is the same: "How was the food?" Quite frankly, the food wasn't good, but it really wasn't bad either. Yes it's fairly bland but the only way that the quality of the food is going to ruin my trip is if it makes me sick, which it did not. I will say that there was not much of a selection of different foods for dinner. Also, as a suggestion, they could place little cards in front of each tray at the buffet so that you actually know what is being served. Clearly the best meal of the day was at the beach bar where they served pizza and pasta. They were both awesome and completely unexpected.
The next major question that comes up is regarding the service. Tipping is something that is forbidden in 5 star resorts in Jamaica for example, but is encouraged here. The problem is, it doesn't seem to get you better service, at least not at the bar. I noticed that the bartenders will take someone's order and complete the task with their head down, probably so that no one else will ask them for something while they are busy. Because of this they don't have a concept of who has been standing at the bar the longest and it can get frustrating. I find this to be more true than the old story that they move at a slower pace than we expect. They are actually working quite hard and quickly too, they just don't keep track of who's next!
If it sounds like I'm being negative, the truth is that those are the only things that bothered me on our trip and I do consider them to be minor. The resort itself is beautiful, with a man made river running through the lobby and outside with tropical fish in it. The rooms are nice and kept clean with no musty smell that accompanies most Carribean resorts. The beach is quite nice although it could stand to be raked once in a while just to clear up some of the seaweed that rolls up. Again, that is a very minor detail. The pools area also beautiful although at this time of year, they were empty because they were quite cold. If you book through Sunquest, 4 rounds of golf are included and I took advantage of that twice. The course is nice with two holes in particular that are Pebble Beach-like, meaning they are right along the ocean. As a tip, the cart rental is not included with that package and if you play by yourself, they charge you 30 pesos for the cart, so make sure you go with a partner to split the cost.
The entertainment at the resort was amazing. Normally when you go to all inclusive resorts, the animation team doubles as the nightly entertainment, which can be a bit of a train wreck. This was not the case here. I don't know if they brought in different people because it was during Christmas but the nightly entertainment was way beyond anything I have seen at an all-inclusive resort. These people were professionals! On Christams eve there were opera singers that were unbelievable. Aside from that, every day at breakfast and dinner, there was a three piece band that entertained us and these were great musicians. This was a very pleasant surprise.
I was expecting Cuba to be somewhat like Jamaica in terms of walking the streets and having people harass you. This wasn't the case. We took a day trip to Havana (which I would recommend) and weren't bothered at all. If you stay at this resort, there was a man named Gustavo who took care of the watersports on the beach who took us into Havana for a price. I would recommend speaking to him to set up something on a small scale versus the big tours through Sunquest.
All in all, yes! Go to the Melia Las Americas. If you want a true 5 star experience, this isn't it but it's real close. I would say 4 1/2 anyway. But if service and food are what will make or break you trip, go to Jamaica (for a fair bit more money too!)
Lastly, check out the song the three guys are playing at the gate in the airport when you are boarding the plane to come home. Very funny!
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Barrie & Debbie
Kamloops, BC
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| January 2006 |
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We went to Melia Las Americas, Dec 5 - 12, 2005. We are in our early 50's and just wanted to go to a hot place to relax and enjoy the sun, the sand, the beer and the beach! And that we did!
We arrived at Melia and were greeted by Cari, Sussine, and Meglen (forgive me if the spelling isn't correct) at the front desk. These ladies were very friendly and helpful throughout the whole week. They always had a smile for us. We were fortunate enough to be upgraded to a suite. Since we didn't get there until later in the evening we didn't really know where we were. But in the morning ...WOW!! We had the pool and pool bar just out our front door and the beach was just minutes away. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Helga, our maid, kept the place spotless.
Each morning we would go for a walk on the beach. Now Melia's beach isn't that long (last year we stayed at Breezes and they have a very long beach), so we just walked back and forth and made it a good little workout! You don't need miles and miles of beach, you just adapt to what you have. A couple times we actually crossed over the golf course to the Breezes beach and walked halfway to Varadero.
Then we would go to the buffet for breakfast... check out Osbel's omelettes!! There was always LOTS to eat.
Next was time for the beach... we would lay on the beach and just relax. That's what we went for.. and that's what we did. When it was time for lunch we would go to the pool bar. Alex made sure we always had a cold Crystal in our hands. Rebecca was always smiling and willing to get us whatever we wanted, and Packard would make us something great for lunch each day. "Surprise us" we'd say, and between Rebecca and Packard they come up with something that was very good. We certainly never went away hungry, and if we did it would have been our own fault.
Then we spent the afternoon floating in the pool on the floaters. Talk about relaxing!
Dinner was usually in the buffet. Damarys, Olbert and Castro were always there to see that we were well fed. If there was anything that we needed, they were there to get it for us.
We didn't spend much time at the lobby bar, but the time we were there we did get to know Cutting and Yamil. They were always friendly and willing to get us whatever we needed.
We went to Cuba to relax and have fun. We did just that and were treated with respect at all times. We will definitely go back to Cuba again, and would go back to Melia Las Americas again too. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Doug and Debbie
Hamilton, Ont.
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| December 2005 |
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We travelled, Saturday November 19th to Melia Las Americas.
First of all everything planned through Sunquest went off without a hitch.
The resort itself, clean, and the staff generally cooperative.
My only question upon arrival?
If you know Canadian jets are landing, friday saturday and sunday, why wouldn't you have more front desk staff, than two people on a saturday evening, dealing with check in?
It wasn't onerous, but I saw more staff at slower times.
We having travelled to Cuba two years ago, had no great expectations about the food, and this resort lived up to those expectations. Do not expect the best. Just expect after some sampling, something that you like and can live with.
Frankly the best food we found was at the pool bar and restaurant, and the smaller swim up bar at the far end of the resort.
When we travelled to Cayo Guillermo our only trip off the resort was to the small provincial capital of Moron. Havana is very different.
We were not hassled in Moron.
In Havana, the begging reminds one of Jamaica.
Secondly but most importantly, watch your money.
Somehow since the conversion to Cuban Convertible dollars instead of U.S. dollars, the Cubans no matter where you are, don't think you can count or give a crap about what you're handed back.
At the airport which one would suspect is an official government exchange, to the front desk at the hotel, to the bank located in the hotel, every time we went to exchange money we were shortchanged.
My wife who counts everything and in this case for good reason, was persistent in telling the clerks who like to play dumb, that not enough Cuban was being given back for our Canadian.
Folks, count your money. Know the exact exchange rate, and do not be shy about waiting out the teller. Then eventually will give you what you rightly deserve.
Other than the beggars in Havana who are beyond persistent, and the money exchangers who try for anywhere from 1 to ten Cuban dollars if you're not paying attention, we thoroughly enjoyed our resort and our stay, and our transportation links through Sunquest.
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Keith & Jude
England
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| June 2005 |
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This is a brief review as I am back in England working hard, after returning from a 2 week holiday last Saturday.
I just wanted to say to anyone travelling to this excellent hotel (with lush beach, great swimming pools, nice rooms with friendly staff), that our holiday was enhanced by Osberto and Raul from the Lobby Bar. The 2 guys are really friendly, make great drinks and are totally trust worthy. Like the chap from Canada at the bottom of this review page – Osberto and Raul accompanied myself and my girlfriend, along with a Canadian Friend, to Havana, on their day off. They both speak great English and have an excellent knowledge of their countries history, which made for an enjoyable trip. Their service and friendship through-out the holiday really differentiated the holiday, and is the reason we will be returning to the hotel.
In response to some of the negative comments on this site, it is true that the night-time entertainment is limited, however, criticisms of the staff I feel are unfair as service is very much based on how you treat the staff in terms of respectfulness and politeness, rather than how much you tip. The only people I spoke to in the hotel that received poor service in the bars and restaurants were those, that quite frankly, were rude.
Other Highlights- golf course (awesome- I’m a keen golfer and this course is excellent, although don’t play on a damp afternoon as you will be bitten by millions of mosquitoes); swimming pools and beach; cocktails.
Negatives – golf is quite expensive with hidden costs for club hire, carts etc – check the deal you have with your package company- I thought I had 4 free rounds but apparently I didn’t); limited night time entertainment (the disco’s in Varadero are also pretty lame – not a nightlife kinda holiday). |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Dom & Donna
Toronto
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| June 2005 |
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Having traveled to Varadero twice before, we had a great understanding of
what is to be expected from both the resort and its staff. The key word in
that sentence is 'had'.
Before arriving, I emailed the Hotel in an effort to secure a good room and
expedite the check-in process. My fiancé and I were celebrating our
engagement and wanted to avoid any unnecessary distractions. Unfortunately,
the Hotel did not adhere to my request. We arrived at Melia Las Americas at
12:00pm. After waiting in a 30min line, we were told to return at 1pm to
obtain the keys to our room. We waited patiently for an hour and upon
returning to the front desk, we were told to come back in 30mins. The staff
at the front desk were extremely inconsiderate and rude. The representatives
made phone calls to determine when our room would be ready and asked us to
return in 30mins. We were asked to come back in 30mins a total of 6 times.
The management was no where to be seen as they were working hard to impress
the visiting Chinese delegation. Without exaggeration, the check-n at this
hotel was a complete disaster. Unfortunately, we were not alone and others
including the guests checking out were experiencing similar problems.
We finally received the keys to our room. However, by this time it was 4pm
and we were extremely frustrated. While we waiting in the lobby, not a
single staff member approached us. Anyone visiting this resort under an all
inclusive package will experience a sense of isolation. The green band seems
to act like bug repellant but on staff (bartenders and waiters).
When we arrived at our room, it had no balcony and the view was terrible. We
called the front desk and requested our room be changed and they obliged but
we had to be inconvenienced the next day in the process. However, the room
we received the next day was much better. The room was always spotless
thanks to our chamber maid. She was polite, professional and very courteous.
We reported a problem to her (water leak) and it was corrected within the
hour.
The currency exchange located on the 2nd level was open between the hours of
10am and 9pm. Canadian travelers: do not bring US dollars as the rates set
will result in a .3 difference. During our stay the buy rate remained around
the .71 for CDN while the US was .81.
We spent the vast majority of our time at the beach. We had taken almost all
of the tours available over the course of 2 years and wanted to relax. The
beach was great. Chairs are available everywhere. Unfortunately, don't
expect the cushions/mattresses to be as readily available. Not unless you
come prepared with some $$$. Out of nowhere a staff member would pop out and
ask whether we were interested in a mattress. Upon returning with our
mattresses, the old hand was out and it wasn't out for a hand shake. I have
absolutely no problem tipping but when you feel like you're held hostage,
the experience becomes unnecessarily stressful.
Our tour operator, SUNQUEST included tennis in the description for this
resort. When I approached the doormen regarding the tennis courts, not one
could provide me with any directions. When I approached the front desk, I
was told tennis is available at a cost of 5 CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso) per
hour. This was not part of SUNQUEST's description. When I brought this to
the attention of our SUNQUEST rep, she arranged something with another
resort at no cost. Unfortunately the tennis courts at this other resort
looked like bombs were dropped everywhere and seemed to be used for storing
large pieces of metal which left rust type stains throughout the courts. No
more tennis for us. We went back to enjoying to beautiful beach.
The food was average for Cuba. I've stayed at Arenas Blancas and Barcelo
Solymar and all of them seemed to be on par with one another. The buffet
restaurant was not a clean as I would expect. The cooks were extremely
unprofessional. I witnessed a few cooks scratch themselves and go straight
to serving or cooking food. If you order a beer, you may notice that the
waiter will pour 2/3 into your glass and walk away with the remaining
portion (to be consumed during his trip back to his area). The entire week,
only one waiter demonstrated a professional and courteous approach. If you
happen to see Costillo, ask for a Grande Cervesa. He'll make your experience
much more tolerable.
The Casada A La Carte Restaurant was the absolute best in Varadero. The food
was delicious and prepared to our liking. Unfortunately, the staff proved
that the product can be undermined by the service. The waiter laughed out
loud when we ordered our drinks. Apparently, unless you drink wine the staff
will see great humor in your preference.
The Pizza/Italian restaurant located on the beach has a great deal of
potential. The food was actually quite delicious. However, the service was
deplorable. We waited 15mins before receiving menus. Another 10mins before
having our order taken. The next time we went to the restaurant, our
experience got even worse. My fiancé was so frustrated with the service and
the staff's complete disregard for its guests that she went up to the
waiters area, took 2 menus and took our order to the cooks herself. While
this was happening, I heard the waiters refer to us as Americanas which is
like calling them Mexicans. Another example of what you can expect if things
remain the same. I believe the main problem with Melia is their lack of
female staff. Especially in the restaurants. All but a few A La Cartes had a
strictly all male staff which resulted in a locker room type environment.
The bars located throughout the resort had the exact same problem. Poor
service and no female representation. I witnessed a Dutch Representative
wait 10mins before being served. This rep was catering to the Dutch visitors
and was compromised by the bartenders poor timing and enthusiasm. It seemed
like anytime you were about to get served, someone would go on break.
The pools were great. The gym was the best I've seen in Varadero. All the
machines worked and the facility was very clean. The only problem I had with
the gym was the mosquito bites. The gym is surrounded by water which is a
breeding ground for the little buggers and when the windows are open, its
only natural they make their way into the gym.
The check-out was even more exciting than the check-in. We called the night
before to confirm when we had to be downstairs. The staff asked us about of
flight details and called back promptly with the information we requested.
Unfortunately, the information was WRONG. They recommended we be downstairs
at 8am (no later). Fortunately, we wanted to get out of Cuba ASAP and I
recommended that we be downstairs at 7am. We got downstairs at 7:15am only
to see our bus preparing to depart to the airport. The rep called out
whether we were with Sunquest and upon the confirmation asked us to run
because the bus was leaving. We did not even check-out. Had I approached the
front desk to submit the key cards and take care of the paperwork, we would
have been stuck with a $100+ taxi tab to the airport.
The resort in general has the potential to be Varadero’s finest but not
unless the management address the poor service and overall attitude of those
working. To put things in perspective, I spent over $250 US in tips on each
of my previous trips. This time, I tipped a total of $100 CDN and over $50
went to the maid. Our advice to anyone looking at Melia Las Americas is wait
a few more months till the management hires more staff and keep your fingers
crossed. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Jen & Shawn
Canada
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| May 2005 |
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We have travelled to the Carribean quite a bit in the past 12 years and never stay at a resort less than 4 1/2 stars. Our experience at the Melia Los Americas was wonderful.
Rooms: The rooms are spacious, we had an ocean view with a love seat, coffee table and a rocking chair. We had a balcony with a nice view of the ocean. The bathroom was nice, it was all marble, and you will need an adapter for the outlet. They use 220 v verses our 120v.
Hotel: The hotel was very lovely. There was just a few steps and you were right on the beach. The lobby was really nice with sofa's and chairs, 2 shops, money exchange, and a piano-which was played nightly.
Activities: The activities staff really good. They seemed to get alot of participation from the guests both on the beach and during the nightly shows. The nightly shows were fun. One night they had water ballet and it was beautiful.
Restaurants: The restaurants were beautiful and the food was excellent. The morning buffet was great with lots of choice, great omlettes, bacon, waffles, pastries, cold cuts, cheese, delicious breads and much, much more. In all restaurants there was live music, even at breakfast, it was great. The food was really good at all restaurants and given that it was off season they let us go to the a la cartes a couple of extra times.
Beach: The beach was beautiful, lots of chairs and shaded areas. Ask for the chair pads they are great.
Pools: The pools have really nice chairs, with floatable pads. There are also tables and chairs all around the pools. The pools are not big, but, being a beach person they were fine.
You are right next to the shopping mall, the Dupont Mansion and the golf course. We golfed as 4 rounds were included in our package. We took advantage of the free club storage and found the golf course to be in great shape. We went into Varadero on the double decker bus but found the shopping at the shopping mall to be better. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Bill and Janet
Canada
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| April 2005 |
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My husband and I just returned from a beautiful week (April 3-10) at Melia Las Americas, Varadero. This was our first trip to the Caribbean and so we have no previous experiences to compare it to. We arrived at the hotel near noon and the check in process was quick and easy. Around 20 of us arrived at the same time. We were quickly escorted to our room on the third floor. I had emailed the resort a couple weeks earlier and requested a 2nd or 3rd floor room and had a reply within 24 hours. The room was beautiful and overlooking the ocean.. The write up had said that all rooms had either a balcony or terrace and our AI package did not include the ocean view. We found ourselves in a corner room that did not have a balcony but an expanse of windows—one or two which opened. It was a beautiful room but coming from snow and ice, we really wanted our balcony! My husband went to the desk and was told to come back the next day at 2:00 pm and they would see what they could do. . The next day, at two, we were moved to a room on the same floor and overlooking Dupont Mansion, golf course, and ocean. The room was great—the beds (2 twin) were very comfortable and there were extra pillows and blankets. The air conditioner worked well. There was lots of clothing storage—2 large drawers in the closet and 4 not quite as large drawers in the dresser and a double closet with mirror doors.. Our TV worked well and got HBO, CNN, some Spanish stations and cartoons. The bar fridge was empty and we mentioned that to the maid when we saw her. Two large bottles of water were left every day but no pop or beer. We didn’t realize you had to tell them at the desk what to refill it with. . There was a steam iron and coffee maker in the room but no clock radio as advertised. I mention the clock radio, as we needed to get up for the Habana trip and for our airport departure. If you need a wake up call, go to the staff sitting at the small desk to the left of the Front desk and near to the elevator and stairs. Both wake up calls were punctual. There was a locked safe with a refundable 25 CUC deposit. The hotel held an orientation session at 4 PM the day of our arrival and we skipped it but it might have answered some of our questions.
The bathroom was large and very nice with very good lighting, two-sided make up mirror, and lots of hot water and good water pressure. There was a hair dryer that worked well, lots of big fluffy towels, Kleenex, toilet paper, and the bathroom itself was spotless with no mildew. There were no face cloths. The last thing I expected to see was a set a bathroom scales! That is not what you want to see on your first day of vacation but in the end were great for weighing our luggage.
This resort is beautiful and laid back and you never felt it was crowded or frantic. There were no line-ups! The landscaping is mature and lush.. The lobby is large with greenery, pools with fish and large overstuffed and comfortable couches and chairs placed in various settings. When you go out the back doors you go down the steps to the beach or you can sit in the large wicker chairs and enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of this place. You can do a lot of walking at this resort and there are many steps and levels but I did notice that there are also ramps beside many of the staircases.
Food:
We really enjoyed the food at the Buffet although I have to admit it took me a day to get used to the different food, smells, etc. The buffet service was very good. Sunday and Wednesday night they serve lobster and Tuesday and Thursday they serve large Cray fish claws. There was a pasta bar, lots of salads, cheeses, breads, roast turkey or beef, or chicken, pork chops, etc that the chef would cook for you. There were lots of sweets for desserts as well as ice cream and fresh fruit. We had no problem getting a clean and set table but were usually there early. Coffee is not served with supper but the Lobby Bar has excellent coffee and Espresso. Forgot all about Tim’s!! Breakfasts were my favorite and there was live music. We had 3 tickets for reservations at the two A La Cartes but only used one at La Robleza as we left off reserving till the end of the week, not wanting to tie ourselves down to being there at a certain time. We had one free lobster meal each, which we used at La Robleza. The meal was delicious but it was here, for the second time (first time at noon of arrival) that we found the service to be frustrating. Our meal started good but we waited over half an hour for the dessert menu and in that one place, I did not really feel welcomed i.e.-no smile, drinks (water, etc) not refreshed. If you follow the walkway through the pool areas and into the bungalow area you will come to the swim up bar and another small snack area open from 12 to 5. They served paella and light lunch/snack foods. The service was quick and very friendly and the food very good. We didn’t find that place till the end of the week or we would have been back!
Beach:
The white, sandy beach extends from the outcropping of rock at Dupont Mansion to the outcropping at Melia Varadero. It is a nice walk but for anyone looking for long walks it might be disappointing. There were always lots of Palapas and chairs with pads, which the pool staff would bring. We would go to the beach at around 9:30 and could pick where we wanted to settle in. There are a number of large hammocks and a cabana with a bed. There is a beach bar, centrally located, which also provided pizza and pasta from noon till 5:00 PM. We ate there 3 times and really enjoyed the Mexican Pizza. Drinks are not served on the beach, which might be an issue for some. The beach bathrooms are clean with lots of tissue and liquid soap and air dryer. We had 2 red flag days due to wind but were in the water a lot the rest of our stay. The water was warm and clear and one day was even calm! We only used the pool one windy day. There were lots of chairs with pads and no need to reserve with the towels. The pool areas never appeared crowded and the pool water was not quite as warm as the ocean.
Bars:
As for the bars—service was good in all of them but we enjoyed the Lobby/Piano bar the best. The bartenders provided quick service at the bar itself, and were friendly and for the most part took great pride in their creations! You could also get snack foods there. This area could get busy after supper and was the only place we could get some juice before leaving for our 6:30 AM pick up to the airport.
Activities:
I cannot comment on the animation staff—we would see them at the beach in the morning. There was a schedule of daily activities posted by the steps leading to the beach. Our stay was short and daytime weather good so we opted for relaxing at the beach and swimming. If the weather had been bad, I think I could have found lots to entertain me—salsa lessons, Spanish lessons, aerobics, etc. There is a beautiful gym on site but this was my week off! The hotel has two computers for guests. I believe I paid 4 CUC for 30 min.
There were nightly shows at 10. We enjoyed the dancing, singing, costumes but found it hard to see, as we were at the back of the room. The Plaza Americas Shopping Mall is a 10 minute walk away or you can take the “train”. I would suggest you do your math before you make a purchase as the numbers on the cash registers do not always add up—learned that the hard way!!
This resort is not perfect but I would definitely recommend it and would definitely go back. Some of the staff could probably benefit from more training in hospitality but most work very hard. For us it was the perfect place for rest and relaxation and my biggest complaint would be that the stay was way too short! My rating would be a 4 ½ out of 5 with service being the weakness. Value for what we paid—Excellent.
Excursions
We were only there for a week so we decided on the Bus trip to Habana through our Sunquest rep. It was interesting but as others have suggested it might be better to go in a small group with a local guide. It is hard to hear the Tour guide on the street tours with all the activity going on. Our guide was very informative and approachable.. Seeing Habana, one way or the other, I would consider a must.
The only other thing we did was taking the tour on the double decker bus around Varadero. The bus stop is on the connector road between Plaza Americas and the 4-lane highway and the bus runs hourly. For 5 CUC each we could get on and off and see what we wanted to see downtown. I preferred the Market at Calle 44 to that in Habana. We sat in the top of the bus and I have to warn you that the trip back toward the resorts is very windy. The upper deck seats can be very hot and watch for overhanging trees! This is a good way to check out the exteriors of all the other resorts.
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Penny
Nova Scotia
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| March 2005 |
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My husband and I just returned from a weeks stay at Melia Las Americas.We picked this resort because of it's close proximity to the golf course(a 3 minute walk) and our package with Sunquest included 4 rounds of golf/person and free cub storage.The golf course is beautiful and in great shape.Our tee times were between 7.30- 8A.M. which I would recommend as you beat most of the heat.The buffet opens at 7 for breakfast so there was enough time to have breakfast and still make your tee time.
The resort is beautiful and the beach is the best I've seen.The water in the many pools was very warm and there were always lots of chairs at the pools and beach to use.
The rooms were very nice with lots of drawer space and a very large bathroom.Our balcony overlooked the golf course.
The food was great.There were 2 a la carte restaurants open for dinner--both very good.At lunch you had your choice of the buffet or a great Italian a la carte on the beach or the BBQ restaurant by the pool.
There is a lobby bar where you can get snacks 24 hours a day and great drinks and coffee.Also there are bars on the beach and by the pools.The service for the most part was very good.
There was entertainment nightly in the bar off the lobby and Friday night they have a barbeque and party on the beach which was lots of fun.
Exchanging money for Cuban pesos was never a problem.The money exchange on the 2nd floor was open 9-9.
The hotel is a 5 minute walk from the shopping mall or a $6 taxi ride from the market in Varadero .
If you are going to Cuba to golf ,this would be a great resort for you.We will definitely return to this resort next year. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
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If you are expecting the service you would receive at any four or five star resort in Mexico this is not the hotel for you. We just returned from one week (March 5-12).
We checked in at 230am into a room that was not what we booked (no balcony) only to be told come back tomorrow after 2pm and we'll try to accommodate you. Which was done with some complaining the next day.
Service at the bars themselves was generally good, exceptionally good in the lobby bar. You will NEVER get a drink brought to you on the beach or by the Pool (no matter what you tip).
The hotel itself is beautiful, it has four outdoor beds, one on the beach and late afternoon a champagne fountain is set up.
The food we felt was very good, not bland like people said. You could get lobster for dinner or lunch and grilled prawns in the buffet restaurant. Very good for a third country I'd say.
The bar serves premium liquor be sure to ask for it though (Jack D, Smirnoff, Beefeater, Bombay, Johnny Walker, etc).
The beach is awesome, and yes there are always chairs available.
The one thing I must complain about again is SERVICE. We had to call the front desk 4 times one night because no one answered the phone, in order to get a wake up call. Upon check out since we were not leaving until midnight, the hotel would not accomodate anyone with a late check out, and for about 15 people that were leaving that night, they only provided 2 courtesy rooms, in which you had to wait 45 minutes to get clean towels.
Again I repeat, if you expect five star service you will be lucky if you get you get 1 star. (except for the lobby bar and swim up bar). Even lunch in the a la carte restaurant takes an hour to get the food you ordered.
This hotel definetly has the potential to be a five star hotel, they just have to get rid of ALL THE FRONT DESK STAFF), maybe the bartenders should teach them a thing or two.
Beside the service, it was a great trip, saw Havana (but don't book with a tour operator) for $40/pp you can get your own driver for an 8 hour day who takes you on the same tour and lets you decide how long you want to stay at each attraction. (talk to OBERT the bar tender in the lobby bar to set you up, I think everyone we spoke to including ourselves went through him with no complaints - we had a new air conditioned toyota corolla.)
Definitely take the catermaran tour to Cayo Blanco (includes snorkelling, lobster lunch and swiming with dolphins) $75/pp with sunquest.
There are only 2 a la carte restaurants (Italian and Seafood) and one buffet restaurant for dinner, so do not expect a great selection. Some websites were claiming there were 5 restaurants. For lunch you have the option of the buffet, pizzia, bbq grill or a la carte. Lunch was generally better than dinner, especially the calamari at the bbq and great service of the adjacent swim up bar.
Have a great trip - and if you can try to stay at Sandals, Sol Palmeras or Barcelo Solymar, people at those hotels did not seem to have the same service problems we did! |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Unhappy Traveller
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| January 2005 |
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| We recently have returned from a 2 week hoilday at the Melia Las Americas in Varedaro Cuba.The resort itself was very nice But the people were not very friendly or helpful.The bartenders would stand aroud and talk sometimes it would take up to ten minutes for a drink.The food was not great a lot of repitition. The pools wwere so cold no one could swim in them. There was no entertainment in the evenings other than a few fashion shows. All in all this is not what we expected from a 5 star resort. We will not return . |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Ken and Cathy
Ontario Canada
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| January 2005 |
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This was our second trip to Cuba, stayed at the Sol Melia Santa Maria in January 2004. We flew Skyservice and the trip was uneventful.
Airport in Varadaro: No problems at the airport, other than waiting for luggage to be unloaded. Seems as if our two bags never get loaded or unloaded together. There was a line up at the money exchange and we were asked to load onto our buses prior to getting any pesos, so we had to tip the porters in US dollars. There are lots of shops in the departure area to purchase cigars and rum while waiting for the trip home.
Hotel Registration: After a 30 minute bus ride we were met at the lobby and handed a registration form to fill out. This procedure could use some refinement. Trying to write sitting on the furniture in the lobby was not the most comfortable way to do this.We are members of the MaS programme for the Melia Hotels and this was to get us prioity check in. It did seem to help is some respects, but since our arrival was about noon, rooms were not available and everyone was asked to return in about 2-3 hours for room assignments.
Money Exchange: Last year everything was in US dollars, but this year we had to buy Cuban pesos. The exchange rate was based on the US dollar, and Canadian currency could be exchanged at the front desk..the rate varied during the week, getting anywhere from 76.8 to 78 Cuban pesos for $100 Canadian. We were advised not to take Traveller's cheques as they charge a commision to cash them. Candian currency seemed to be the easist way to get pesos. The Las Americas Shopping Mall which was nearby had a bank, but they allowed only one person in at a time and took for hours to exchange money. Most of the stores, with the exception of the vendors in the halls, were government run and accepted Canadian dollars. While we didn't have enough pesos at the end of the week to worry about, we understood that they could be exchanged back to Canadian currency at the airport.
The Hotel: The Melia Las Americas is a fairly large hotel. The views from the hotel are either the Atlantic Ocean or the Varadaro Golf Course. People who were in the hotel rooms seemed to be pleased with the accomodations. The other form of accomodation is in the two story buildings located throughout the grounds. Our ground floor unit had a living room with a tv, dining area and a small kitchen with a mini fridge and sink, coffee maker, a large bedroom with two 3/4 beds, a tv and a full bathroom, tub and shower. We were located beside 3 swimming pools and the swim up bar and garden grill restaurant. We could see the ocean from our balcony. Take a electric converter as the power is 220 and I was unable to plug in my razor.
Food: We found that the food was very good. The buffet had plenty of choice. Breakfast choices were many, from cereals to omlettes prepared as you liked them. There were always lots of variety in breads and rolls. Lunches could be eaten in the buffet, or at one of the many other resaurants, the pizza bar was recommended by many, the beach grill had excellent kabobs, the pool grill had very good fish, the evening meals also had lots of choice. Everyone can sign up for 3 meals in the a la carte dining rooms and everyone gets a coupon for lobster.. We suggest you sign up on days other than Sunday or Wednesday if you are a lobster lover, as the buffet has lobster, stone crab and other seafood on these days.
Beach: While we were there, the weather was cool, due to a cold front in Florida, but there were plenty of lounges on the beach and around the pools, there did not seem to be a need to get up early to reserve your spot.
Golf: 4 rounds of golf were included in our package. While I only golfed once, the course is great. You must rent a cart, but no caddy is required. I rented clubs and they were Taylor Mades, with a 540 driver. Course is only A 4 minute walk from the hotel lobby. While not a long course, the proximity to the ocean and the winds makes it very challenging.
General: We would recommend this resort to anyone who has no mobility problems. There are a lot of stairs due to the many levels in the resort. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Joan and Jim in Ontario
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| January 2005 |
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Update: January 22
We received a follow up e-mail from the Quality Service Manager who thanked us for comments made on their questionnaire after our visit to Meliá Las Américas Hotel. The wanted us to know that they have taken the necessary measures from our comments and that they appreciated our opinions because they assist in the improvement of services.
The fact that they took the time to follow up shows that they do indeed mean to serve all their clients with quality service, which reassured us that we will have a repeat visit to the hotel.
We arrived at the Melia Las Americas with our bus load of Sunquest vacationers from Toronto on January 9th. We had heard of problems lately on recent reviews pertaining to bad service to "All inclusive" clients, since the hotel changed to a partial All inclusive, and had written to management who assured us these were being dealt with and would not occur in future. The hotel is in a really good position. Central location, with access through the lobby directly to the beach, and if you golf, a short walk on the path from the lobby will take you to the club house....perfect for golfers, as you save on taxi costs, time, etc. My husband had breakfast before eight, walked to the club house, and was finished his golf in time for a nice lunch and afternoons free. He booked tee times ahead of going, and a message was waiting for us in our package with tee times approved.
We did enjoy our week there, and would go back again, but yes, there are still problems, which we could overlook simply because the hotel suited our lifestyle and age group. We like quieter hotels, close to a golf course, especially a hotel with the bonus of a package of four rounds of golf. We actually enjoy places which don’t cater as much to children, because we enjoy the peace of not having as many children around the pool and beach. This is not meant as an insult to those with kids, but we’ve done the kids bit, and so we now prefer a place where you are not hassled to join in pool games, or have your peace interrupted by music blaring around the pool and beach so that we can’t hear the surf that we came to far to enjoy. This hotel has that nice peaceful environment with the amenities we like attached. There is a nice spot on the beach for games, and dance lessons, but it’s not intrusive. It’s not a hotel for children really, at least I would not have brought them if I had young kids who could not amuse themselves for a week at a time (and who has kids like that these days) and it’s not a resort with masses of entertainment. Nor would I say it is suitable for anyone in a wheelchair, or who has to push strollers around all the time. Not too many ramps, and lots of stairs. It has a lovely stretch of beach, with room enough for privacy with people not packed like sardines in a can on the sand, unlike a neighbour hotel, where the beach is a noticeable comparison as they jockey for their small space. But if the weather turns bad, you have to make your own entertainment for the most part. The hotel does have a games staff, and on bad days will provide games, but there is no real children’s club, and at night, a piano bar, fashion show, and so on, but no big “Show number” reviews that you get at resort type places.
So, regardless of my saying we would go again willingly, I can still provide a “no holds barred” review from our prospective. Some are small things, which most people can easily get over, some need improvement if the hotel wishes to keep their high rating, but from me you are getting the whole enchalada. Here goes:
When we had pulled in, and got our luggage, most of us lined up at the reception to check in. It was a bit of a chaos. After it got a bit more chaotic we were asked to sit in the lobby at any of the sofas, and wait. People were scattered, and as they came in, signage was lacking and no real direction occurred and it would have defused a few people had there been a welcome drink, as we’d travelled long and hard since early morning. There was no welcome drink, and as we’d not been checked in, we could not get one till we had a room number. We could not even purchase a drink, as there was no Cuban money available for any exchange until later that day. Sunday it is difficult to get exchange money, as the banks are not open.
Eventually, the reservation staff came round and handed us packages, which did save us time as they contained room keys and information on what you were entitled to. In addition, the customer service lady gave us a brief overview of all the package contained and a warm welcome. So, we all had our registrations done already and rooms allocated. It was just that there wasn’t enough staff to hand them out and deal with us all on our initial entry. As is usual in Cuba, they took our passports, and said we could pick them up later.
With an apology, it was explained that this kind of problem with check in was unusual, as there were many people to process and this was their busy time. But, it was the first impression of the resort, and people who want a vacation, and are tired from travelling, don’t want to hear about their hotel’s problems the first time they enter the doors. I made a later suggestion to avoid this by meeting the bus, announcing to the passengers where to sit, and having welcome trays of drinks ready, or even some signage in the lobby.
The hotel itself is a lovely hotel, with a nice foyer, and although aging shows in some ways, it’s still a lovely spot. The grounds are landscape well, dotted with clay sculptures, and quiet areas. However, some of the pathways, and stairs are worn in spots, so you have to be careful. Our room was large, with a huge bathroom, good beds, good lighting, and an oceanview. Clean and with a welcome note from the maid, it contained coffee maker and a multi speed hairdryer (don’t bring a curling iron, it will take forever to warm up to anything like a decent temperature), much drawer space, a mini
fridge, and large sliding closet. But the one thing we both noticed right
away was a stale musty smell, so we opened the balcony doors wide and loved the view and the sound of the surf. We have experienced this humidity and musty problem often in similar climates - humidity will also sometimes make linens and bedding feel damp, even when fresh from the laundry.
I noticed when I opened the drawers the smell was much stronger, same with closets and even the mini fridge cupboard. Having vacationed in many similar places, I carry with me a small travel spray bottle with Febreeze in it. This climatic problem is not the hotels fault, but they could consider things to eliminate it like clean air conditioning filters more often,(as it sometimes smelled stronger when the air was first put on) put odour eaters in rooms, etc. I spray drawers, and also use fabric sheets to line them to eliminate musty smells that wicker and wood unfortunately gather and never lose. Unlike linens, they can’t be laundered. Also, Cuba has no non smoking rules, (there is one section in the buffet restaurant) and it is something to consider if you have a real aversion to smoking, because smoke also gets in wicker, air conditioning vents and filters....which I also use Febreeze in. Fabric softener sheets also are hated by mosquitos. My husband always wears one tucked in his belt when on the golf course.
Unpacking we started to hang our clothes in the closets. Here’s one small thing that is frustrating. They really need to upgrade their hangers, at least they did in our room, and their hanger connectors on the rail, as half the clothes constantly fall off most of the time, or when you move the closet doors. I wished I had brought with me a few of those wire dry cleaning hangers.
We met our maid, who was a lovely lady, called Julia, such a sweet person, and willing to help all she could and she did through the entire week.
We had requested a king size bed, but the room had two singles together. Told that king size were mostly on the lower floor, which may not have balcony, so we preferred where we were. We heard the sea at night, but bear in mind we also overlooked the pool, so if there was entertainment and you were bothered by noise, you would be best to consider a golf course view. Bungalows also have some king beds, but they are on two levels, with the bed above up stairs, so perhaps not your choice with small kids, or the infirm. The bungalows are also further from the main hotel and its amenities.
So, being pleased with our room, we decided to venture out and check out the restaurants.
We decided on the buffet the first lunchtime, for quickness and to see the choice and were surprised. Big roasted turkey on the carving spot, and we had that with salad, cheeses, and the lovely nutty grainy bread. On average, over our visits during our week, the food really was very good, if compared to other “All inclusive” spots, which sometimes churn out endless
same buffets. The advantage at this hotel is that you also have other
choices. The lobby bar has a menu with snacks and sandwiches, which you can get any time. Hamburgers are made with chopped ham, and are good, as are the cheese and ham sandwiches. Italian restaurant on the beach is open for lunch, and their pizzas and pasta are really good, and it’s in the open air on the beach. We ate there most days, and they soon got used to making me my special drink of a strawberry daiquiri, mixed with ice cream in the blender. Try it also with banana daiquiri. Nice staff members at the pizza place were Olbert and Arians(sp). Pizza was different but everyone raved about it, and we enjoyed it at least three lunchtimes. La Robleza is the BBQ restaurant which is open for lunch and dinner, and near the pool bar. Menu at lunch seemed to be better, I should saym more varied than dinner, which did not change the twice we went. I found that menu a bit lacking in other choices for dinner if you didn’t like fish and seafood, especially as it didn’t change and you can go there twice for dinner. Only other choices were one beef dish, and a vegetarian scrambled eggs or omelete dish. There is also a pool bar at the other pool at the Bungalow end of the grounds, which we never ate at ourselves, but it seemed to have similar to the lobby
bar menu. La Arcada is the bit more upscale place, and it’s better, with
better presentation, better wine, and meal more gourmet style. We enjoyed our meal there.
With the package from Sunquest, we also could get a voucher if you wished to take advantage of it, for 20 CUC towards a meal at the Dupont Mansion, near the golf club house, which is a gourmet style historic restaurant. It’s not owned by the hotel, but they have this voucher exchange, so your bill does get reduced. We ate there on the last night, and had Chateaubriand, at a hefty cost of 30 CUC for each of us, just for that main dish, but it was
tasty. So, you have a choice of eating spots, and on the whole we enjoyed
them and found most times things to enjoy eating and we didn’t starve. The wines we were served varied to some real good, and even those not so good were an improvement on some we have tasted on all inclusive packages. In addition to the open restaurants, there is room service 24 hours.
As for the service at both the restaurants and bars well we did notice they still have problems, and it was something that bothered us more as the week went on, and which I marked on the comment sheet. All service industries in all countries can have certain staff who don’t perform as well as their fellow workers do. However, at this hotel I understand before hiring staff they would give tests, staffing and psychology tests, to ensure they had the right type of character in their service jobs but I fear from some observations by the end of the week that some could benefit from a refresher course. When I first noticed someone avoiding my eye or avoiding serving me, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I considered perhaps they were serving another, had duplicate duties ongoing, were understaffed, or simply having a bad day, and I gave them a second chance. In truth there are only a small ratio who in the course of the week I noticed continued this ignoring service practice. There are many others in the restaurants and bars who are considerate, obliging and give service with a smile. But there are a few who, when the supervisors are not around, seemed deliberately to be avoiding serving those with a blue wrist band. They would continue avoiding serving, whether it be a drink, coffee, or refilling coffee, even if you had asked for a coffee at your table, while you chose food from the buffet. Yet, if they saw money come out and extended to them, their reaction was quicker than the conjurer who did magic tricks on the entertainment staff. In fact the money was removed so quickly, their slight of hand was on a par with the conjurer. Those are the few that are giving the place a bad reputation, and unfortunately the good servers will be grouped with them. In addition, clients will then also end up going to the good staff members, of which there are many, and so those staff get more than their share of the work simply because they are more accommodating. There are times when the staff are busy and overextended to cover the areas such as the lobby bar, and that is something management need to be dealing with, and which I noted on the comment sheet. On dull windy days people are inside more, or at night times, and on days new clients arrive. The hotel was full at one point, and for a few days at that time the staff did increase to cover the much needed service in the lobby area.
So service staff still needs improvement, and also reception at times. There is no line up policy in reception, so you all stand where you can. If you get ignored, you wait longer. Naturally clients who can interrupt and shout to get noticed (in the national language) will do so, and you still wait till the stressed staff try and sort things out. This could be eliminated with a line, a simple roped line, where each client is dealt with fairly. Also, you can line up for one thing, and be told the person dealing with it is at the other end, and then have to line up again. I did that only once, to be told by the second person I was mistaken and had to go back to the first person. Public relations knows about such problems and is trying to ensure they diminish. But, they still need to know, which is why
they have the comment sheet that you will find in your room. If there is
not one in your chosen language, ask Public Relations. This is the only recourse you have to give feedback directly to the hotel, or like reviews such as this. You can also speak to Public Relations, who are more than willing to listen. I also suggested that the exchange side of reception put up a sign when no cash is in/ or when cash is going to be available, so that people don’t have to wait at reception for ages to find that they have waited in vain.
We had one problem, which unfortunately involved a hotel guest, and also the towels. Towels, as well as beach lounger mats are included (although there are not enough lounge mats when the hotel is full but they sure are great on the body on those plastic loungers). You get a card in your package to take to the towel hut, and you get towels. When you end your vacation, you return the towels, and you are credited with the return. Failure to do so means paying for the towels. Each morning for the first four days my husband would golf, and I would wait for him on the beach in a certain spot, so he’d know where to find me. There was always this group of four people close to my location who placed towels and mats on their chosen loungers early in the morning. I would see them after I had breakfast, and go to the
pool mat man, get my mat and settle down with my book. One morning I
arrived, settled down, and about ½ hour later a friend arrived to join their group. This friend sat on the end of one of their loungers and chatted. I moved to the lobby for a bathroom break, and met a friend, chatted in the lobby for about ten minutes total, and returned to find not just my mat missing, but the towel as well. I looked over and lo and behold the new group member had a lounger complete with mat and towel. I approached and signed that my mat and towel was missing. I did not accuse anyone of taking it, for after all it may not have been their responsibility. They signed that they spoke no English. So, I went to the security man at the Pool Bar. I started to tell him my lounger mat was missing, and he immediately directed me to the pool man and walked off. I realised after he’d gone that he thought I wanted a lounger pad, not that I was reporting one taken. So, I reported it to Public Relations twice to see if it could be handled. They told me that if security handed it in I would not have to pay. They did not hand it in so we went on our last night to hand in our one towel. The lady in towels pointed out that we were only giving her one towel, and my husband said “one was stolen” and she said “not possible” and kept the card. I think she misunderstood that we meant it had been taken that day and would keep the card until security checked if one was handed in. We already knew different, but she kept the card. So, I’d reported it twice to Public Relations, and once to the towel girl. On check out last morning at 7 am, the receptionist told us our bill was zero, and being honest, we said we thought we had to pay for the missing towel. She asked for the towel card, and we told her the girl had kept it. The man there then said to me I’d have to pay for two towels, and I said “no way” and explained the whole story again, and that I had spoken twice with PR, who were going to speak to the General Manager and also security. Meanwhile we had only 15 mins to try and settle this and get some breakfast. So, I told him I was getting a coffee and I would return to see his solution. He wasn’t there on return, but the girl told me I had to write a letter of total explanation if I wanted to pay for only one towel. I did, but after explaining it three times to three different people, in different departments, thought it a bit disorganized. Needless to say, with my luck, I’m probably the only person that week with such a problem, and it did kind of sour me of how it was dealt with, but the initial problem was, unfortunately caused by an inconsiderate guest.
So, although as you can see there were and still are ongoing things that could be improved, we left knowing the problems, and hoping that if we returned - and we do plan to because the hotel and its amenities suited us, that they will be resolved. And, I’m sure they will be, for a full hotel is a business must, and if it takes the all inclusive clients to fill it, the service staff will have to get used to them - after all more clients ensures more jobs, even if the tips may reduce. I should mention the following staff who were so nice, and deserved a mention. Mariana, an always happy person (sometimes in buffet, sometimes in lobby bar area, Emilio (the shorter Emilio of the two I knew on staff), who was in the non smoking section of the buffet the three times he served us with a smile and courtesy, Roberto the chef there, always helpful, Yossef, barman, Alexjandro, barman, mostly lobby bar, Lisset and Elizabeth, both in Public Relations, and the pool pad guy, who was always smiling and helpful to me, and the lady who sang with the small musical group at breakfast. For us the small things did not outweigh the good things we enjoyed during our stay there. We enjoyed our week there and hope to return. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Nadine
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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| January 2005 |
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Update from Nadine - January 20, 2005
I received a letter from the General Manager of the Melia Las Americas. He advised that now that the hotel has become all inclusive, they are working on training their entertainment staff including programs aimed at children.
Time of visit-
December 26, 2004- to Jan. 1, 2005
Winnipeg to Varadero
This was our first visit to Cuba- we are in our mid-30s/early 40s with 2 young children, 6 and 2 1/2 years old. We read a number of reviews and had a friend who recommended the Melia Las Americas.
Children
The reviews were good although one reviewer mentioned that it is not really a place for children. I do have to agree that it is not geared towards children. We did meet many couples with children and they were quite happy there. For families who are happy to be with their children in the sun and enjoying the weather, it is fine. If you are hoping to leave the kids with a kid's club and see them later, this is not the place. If we were to return with our children, we would want to stay in one of the bungalows. (Note, people say that the 2 storey bungalows are not appropriate for young children as the stairs are open.) We did leave our son (2 1/2 yr. Old) with the kid's club that was inside due to poor weather (inside the bar that become smoky later in the day.) The people were very nice and effectively put him to sleep for a nap. But there was not much going on and we never saw anything taking place on the beach. The staff were very attentive to the children and at times, we could leave our son for a few minutes with his fan club, members of the entertainment team. The staff were nice to the children in all the dining areas, I never felt that they were not welcome.
Food
This does seem to be the best hotel in the Varadero area for food. We must commend the hotel for its cooperation in assisting our special food needs. My husband and daughter both have celiac disease meaning they cannot eat products with gluten in them (wheat, rye, barley flour products.) We brought a loaf of gluten free (GF) bread with us (fresh from Lorenzo's in Winnipeg) that we left in the mini bar all week and bag of GF muffins. We toasted the bread in the mass toaster in the morning (although this is not perfect as it allows for contamination.). The kitchen in the buffet, La Terraza, cooked our corn pasta for us. The Pizza chef by the beach made us GF pizza when we brought our own GF all purpose flour (Bob's Red Mill brand.) It was the first time my husband has eaten pizza out in ages. The buffet was ok but the other restaurants were quite good. In the Las Americas bar, my husband and daughter often ate steak (good) without a bun (special request) with fries, sometimes grilled chicken breast, my son ate the hot dog and I liked their tuna baguette. In La Robleza, near the pool, my daughter would eat the beef brochette for lunch and then the steak for dinner. I had the snapper there for dinner, not bad, the roasted chicken at lunch was pretty good and the lobster tasted good but it may have upset my stomach a bit. (Not sure.) So, our major eating spots were Las Americas bar and La Robleza. The food at the fancy restaurant, La Arcada, the beef was good. I felt the snapper there should have been much better, it tasted frozen and was just boring. But the crepes suzette for dessert were excellent. Nice service, wonderful quartet. My husband also had the chicken paella at the other pool bar near the bungalows, he said it was excellent. (They serve all kinds of paella there and it's too bad I missed it.) We would drink cappuccinos all day in addition to trying out the Cuban cocktails.
Room
Room was quite nice, very nice bathroom. Not too many complaints except that with the marble floors, the sound can carry. Ok beds but as one reviewer said, try to get the King sized bed.
Entertainment
Dancers were very good and nice bunch. Not sure if the disco ever got too busy since we were not downstairs past midnight. The bars did get busy, lots of young people, Europeans in addition to Canadians. The New years Bash was great and if we did not have the kids with us, we are certain we would have partied much later.
Pools and Beach
As others have mentioned, the pools in Cuba are not heated. The weather on our trip was disappointing although it sounds as if it was an unusual cold front- it stayed windy and cool for the first 3 days, finally got hot on the Thursday to Saturday. So, when it is cold, you cannot go in the pool. And the hot tub I think is in the centre of the major pool- it should be off to the side so that you can dip in when the weather is not so hot. Cannot comment on water sports since the waves were too rough. Again, probably a bit of a fluke weatherise. The grounds are beautiful and my husband spent many afternoons reading in one of plentiful hammocks.
The sand on the beach is very nice but due to the weather, the waves were too rough for the little ones to go in. You will have to get a sense from reading other reviews about what the waves are normally like. It is a nice private beach area with lots of lounge chairs, huts for shade, etc.
Golf
We did not golf. As we took stuff for the kids, including stroller and due to the weight restrictions on the charter plane, we did not bring our clubs. The Club charges $33 to rent clubs and insists that you rent the cart, $33. So the free round would turn out to be over $100 per couple. We passed but the course is beautiful.
Excursions
We did not go on any of the organized excursions. We did go to Havana on our own. We wanted to book a car and had a driver lined up but there was a shortage of rental cars available. If you plan on going and want to rent a car, do it now for the rest of winter for 2005. We then planned to take a cab to Varadero and take the bus into Havana. (The bus has to be reserved, talk to the public relations person.) As we were getting into the cab at the hotel, a driver from Havanatur offered to take us to Havana for $40 (for all four of us). When we arrived, he agreed to come back and pick us up from a restaurant in Chinatown and agreed to a total of $75.00. Mind you, we were on our own (we were meeting a friend in Havana for lunch) and then we did the Bike taxi for about 45 minutes for $5.00. This may have been available to us just because it was a slow day- January 1st but it was a great solution for us. Havana is a very interesting city and worth visiting, as long as you realize it is dirty. But fascinating.
Summary:
If we were to go to Varadero again, I would return to Melia Las Americas and if we were to return to the children, we would want to be in one of the bungalows. The major detraction was the weather, so that if we were to go Cuba again, it would be later in the season, perhaps in February.
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
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We went to Melia Las Americas in November 2004. This resort had just changed into an all inclusive and they were not ready. This is not a resort for children.
First the good points: the hotel is beautiful, the beach is great and the food was very good, especially the italian restaurant by the beach for pizza and L'Arcata (a la carte) restaurant and L'Arcata (a la carte) restaurant. The golf course is right next door and a mall in walking distance.
The not so good: the beds are single, the bar service was slow, coffee was hard to get in the dining room, the daily activities were poorly organized and often did not happen, the nightly entertainment had good variety but they are not set up with a proper stage so finding a seat and getting a good view are challenges. Also, the tennis courts are at the Melia Varadero and there was some confusion as to whether we had access to them.
Finally, the week we were there the resort was mostly golfers and seniors, not that there is anything wrong with that. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Fred
Toronto, Ontario
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| December 2004 |
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Melia Las Americas is probably one of the best hotels in Varadero, if you are looking for a hotel and not a resort. Keep in mind that we traveled there in November, and not on March break so let’s start by saying this place is not for kids. There really is nothing much going on as far as entertainment during the day or evening. There are no ‘shows’, beach entertainment or junk food like fries and burgers. On the other hand if you are looking for a ‘top drawer’ hotel with good service, great ‘adult food’ (shrimp, lobster, beef, pork and chicken) great drinks (cappuccinos , a selection of good Spanish wine, international drinks) then this is the place.
We went strictly for the golf, which was included with our package with Sunquest out of Toronto. We had four rounds at the Varadero Golf Club included, everything except the cart (USD$30.00). It’s a great course, in good shape, a two minute walk from the hotel No need to take caddies as in other Caribbean resorts. They don’t even offer them. Our T-times were set for 8:00 am, just a half-hour too early since the sun only rises about 7:45 and breakfast was rushed but, we were done by 12:30 which left the rest of the day open. If you book the all-inclusive with golf, pick up your golf vouchers at the hotel before your first round.
The rooms are clean and the hotel is spotless. The food was quite good considering the lack of spices and flavourings that are available in Cuba. The only disappointing thing was that the main dining room was in an enclosed air-conditioned room, and when you’re down south it would be nice to eat outside. (one of the outside dinner restaurants is open in the evening and it was usually fairly empty every night). The same restaurant is open at lunch as is a great beach grill.
The Melia is a five minute walk from the mall and 10 minutes from the Melia Varadero which you can also use (we didn’t bother but this is where the beach games and party atmosphere is). Take any funds other than US dollars, no Amex (Visa, Master card is OK) change your money to a ‘convertible peso’ at the hotel or the bank at the mall and don’t forget to have $25.00 convertible pesos for the airport when you leave. Cuba is a safe place, with very nice people that usually speak about 4 languages.
If you are looking for a quiet vacation with good clean rooms, good food and a little golf, this place is really great value. One of the best reasons to travel to Cuba and this hotel specifically is that Americans are not allowed to.
Enjoy! |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Toronto, Canada
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| December 2004 |
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Just Ask For "Olbert" to Complete a Great Vacation
An excellent resort, on a perfect beach...travelled in late November 2004
Not much else needed to please me on vacation however, Melia had more. Nice variety of foods in the various restaurants, good selection of drinks (stocked mini bar a nice touch too), very playable golf course next door (not too challenging, but good condition).
Take advantage of your Cuban trip and go to Havana.
We rented a car from an agency in the hotel and had one of the bartenders/waiters drive us there and show us around, on his day off. The guy's name is "Olbert" and he is awesome. His English is excellent as is his knowledge of the city. Talk to him early in the week as he often takes guests there on his day off. He doesn't charge anything for his services, but a nice tip is appreciated.
Traveling with a local gives you an opportunity to get a great flavor of the country and the lifestyle. Tell Olbert that Robert (from Toronto) sent you. The staff rotates around the various restaurants but ask for him by name and someone will tell you where to find him. He can also negotiate unlimited km on the car rental deal as well (saving you approx. $80).
The golf is best done early in the morning or late in the afternoon because of the heat. The late rounds are quicker since nobody golfs after 2pm.
Beware that most rooms do not have Queen or King beds, instead they are two separate singles made up and then pushed together. Try to reserve a room with a king bed early. Also, most rooms have an ocean view or golf course view, mine had both, ask for one when you arrive to add a nice touch.
I have traveled to many resorts (NA and Caribbean) and I would definitely go back to Melia Las Americas next time I travel to Cuba. |
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| Melia Las Americas - Varadero |
Joel
North Bay, Ontario
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| January 2004 |
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| This hotel is not listed so far on your Cuba reviews but this is in my
opinion one of the best in Varadero. Air Canada Vacations lists it
as 4 1/2 *. My wife Kim and 1yr old daughter Ally loved it. We
have stayed at Superclub Breezes and Sol Palmeras in Varadero in
previous years and this was far superior. The main reason I
believe is that the resort is not all inclusive and therefore you are
not stuck like a sheep. I believe once they have your money there
is less incentive to provide good food etc. The food at Las
Americas is out of this world, I know that sounds impossible in
Cuba but it is true. You can have Grilled Lobster, awesome steak,
fresh fish every night if you want. All guests get buffet breakfast
included which is in my opinion the best meal of the day still not
taking anything away from lunch and supper. Basically you can get
anything for breakfast you can think of and its sooo good. Then
guests have the option of having lunch and supper included, or just
one of either lunch or supper. If you opt for the full meal plan you
are given two $20 US voutures per person per day that can be used
for food only and $15 US credit per person per day for drinks. If
you opt for the full plan then you get unlimited free golf at the
ajoining(5min walk) beautiful Varadero golf course. The vouchers
are also usable next door at the unbelievable beatiful Dupont
Mansion that has now been converted into a beautiful fine dining
experience(I recommend the Chateau Briand which is so tender it
melts in the mouth). I did the math when I got home and the cost
for the full plan just about equals the value of the vouchers and
drink credit so if you aren't really a golfer I would just get the
breakfast only and pay for meals on or off the resort. We met one
couple who said there were lots of great restaurants in Varadero
town. As for the resort grounds it is beautiful, the bungalows
spectacular with at least 5 or 6 pools. The bonus is the beach
which is the most beautiful and not crowded and we were there
over New Years.The New Years Gala dinner was included free and
absolutely blew us away it was so decadent(unlimited grilled lobster
among a zillion other choices, free champagne and wine). We
made a prearranged visit to Paradisus Varadero(the only 5* resort
in Varadero) made by the very helpful Osmany(public relations)
and were greeted very rudely by his counterpart Katia at the
Paradisus. Despite that we thought that the Paradisus was not
nearly as nice from both the pool and beach perspective and was it
crowded. I mean you would have to compete for turf on the beach.
As for the staff at Melia Las Americas I cannot say enough and
small tips go along way but were not expected. I do believe it is the
Cubans that keep Canadians coming back year after year.
Something about Cuba is that you never feel hasseled, you always
feel safe as penalties for crime are severe and the men don't stare
or ogle the women. Cubans adore children. The only negative I
can say about the resort is that in Cuba the word Jacuzzi does not
mean Hot Tub and just means Jets and I love hot water tubs which
do not appear to exist and the pools are not heated. We were lucky
and had pretty good weather in the mid to high 20's but Varadero is
probably safer for weather a little later in the year, Feb on. All in all
I give this resort an A+. Air Canada was great and if you have a
child under 2 yrs old do what we did and spend the extra$199CN
and get the wide 1st class seats, so worth it. Connecting flights
also very cheap, NBay to Toronto $60 return. |
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