Description: Probably the most luxurious all-inclusive hotel in Varadero, the Paradisus Varadero offers spectacular buffets, an entertaining staff and a wide range of water sports.
One scuba-diving session included in price!
Are you the owner of this property? The link to your website could stand here. Please, contact Debbie.
This is our 3rd trip in 2 years and we were lucky enough to experience the Paradisus Varadero’s brand new Royal Service. I reviewed the main resort previously; this review is largely specific to the new Royal Service.
Butler service
The PV has chosen their most experienced, charming and multi-lingual staff for the Royal Service. They bent over backward to make our stay great. Extensive room service is available 24 hours a day.
Your Arrival
Once again, the best staff have been assigned to Royal Service. Check in, check out, questions, etc. were all handled very quickly and easily.
The entire reception, lobby, etc. is air conditioned and therefore mosquito-free if that’s a concern for you. We didn’t encounter many mosquitos this trip but have on trips in the summer. There's a nice little lounge area with a decent pool table for a lazy end to a long, hot day!
Rooms
Most of the villas have 2 suites upstairs and 2 downstairs. Ours was downstairs and had a private patio with table, chairs and a lounge/sofa. The bedroom-sitting area is attractive and large, and has a couch, 2 armchairs and a coffee table, flat screen TV, built-in bar fridge (fully stocked) and picture windows/doors out onto the patio. Full water view. The king-size bed is more comfortable than the usual PV beds; still not luxurious but a definite improvement. There is a pillow menu, from which you can choose various shapes and fills. We tried several – lots of fun! Large walk-in closet with lots of hanging and drawer space and a safe.
Bathroom – yes, it rates its own review!
The bathroom is as wide as the bedroom, with a large spa-bath. There are various aromatherapy products for the bath and your butler will actually come and draw your personally-selected bath for you. I didn’t avail myself of this, but if you’re into that kind of service, have a blast! There are “his” and “hers” counters, each with a sink, large mirror, lots of counter space. Between the 2 counters is the door to your private Roman courtyard with a latticed roof for semi-shade and privacy, little palm tree, gardens and a path down the middle to the outdoor shower in the tiled wall. WOW! Gorgeous! I couldn’t get enough of standing in the warm Cuban air while showering. It was a very clean vacation!
Restaurants and Bars
Pool bar
Has its own mint patch for freshly-made mojitos! Really great service unless there is a large group of guests on hand, in which case they need more backup.
Private restaurant
Excellent food, excellent service for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is the closest to really fine dining that we have encountered in Cuba - we have always enjoyed the food in the main resort but this is a step up! There are lots of choices of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, as well as soups, desserts, etc.
Lobby bar
Air conditioned and therefore mosquito-free if that’s a concern for you. We didn’t encounter many mosquitos this trip but have on trips later in the summer. The 24-hour lobby bar is small and not many people used it – but we enjoyed getting an early morning tea or a drink after the show. If you’re looking for more action, head over to the main resort’s lobby or disco. You can always ask for a ride in one of the little guest transports.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The lovely private pool is surrounded by lots of those big, square palapas with mattresses, bolsters and room for 2 or more. Curtains tie up for sun or hang down for shade. Also very comfortable lounge chairs. It was marvelous to have the option of this (usually) quiet pool in the Royal Service, or the bigger pools with more going on in the main resort.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Spa and gym: A gorgeous, full-service 5* spa and fully-equipped gym are now available.
Other Comments
The rest of the resort: Well, we wouldn’t be back again if we didn’t love the place! Check out the newer reviews for more info on the fabulous beach, lovely grounds, great restaurants, big pools and friendly staff!
Was this review helpful? YesThank you for giving us your opinion.
The beach is the best one I have ever been to
Paradisus Varadero
User Rating:
Erica from Mississauga, Ontario >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jun, 2009
1 people found this review helpful
Arrival: June 25 - July 02
This was a beautiful resort. The people in Cuba are very welcoming to Canadians and were very pleasant. Air conditioning is only in your room and the restaurants. It was very very very hot and humid but we stayed at the beach most of the day.
Rooms:
Rooms were very spacious.
Restaurants and Bars:
Great restaurants especially Italian and Japanesse. Make sure air conditioning is working though it can get very hot at this time of the year.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is the best one I have ever been too. White sand , clear, turquoise water. This beach is absolutely beautiful.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Didn't want to go on any tours because we were only there one week and we loved the beach too much too leave it. But we did speak to others who went to Havana, swimming with the dolphins and said they were great tours.
Other Comments:
The only compaint would be the mosquitoes. They would hover around your door first thing in the morning and come out again at night. Many of the guests were bitten on legs and arms and they became very itchy. There would be mosquitoes in your room at night and it became hard to sleep as they buzzed in your ear. They were quite annoying. Not sure if this would be a problem in the winter months though. So if you travel in summer bring spray and after bite. Make sure to bring items such as soap, hats, t-shirts, clothing(for men,woman and children) ,toys, etc. the Cuban people appreciate everything and we wish we had brought more for them. So please if you go bring what you can. It was certainly a great feeling to see how happy they were to receive our gifts. Bring medications from home i.e. advil, pepto-bismol etc. the store does not carry too many drug store items so bring what you need !!!!
Was this review helpful? YesThank you for giving us your opinion.
I can't think of a single problem we had at this resort
Paradisus Varadero
User Rating:
Milan from Calgary, Alberta >
1 contribution(s) Canada
May, 2009
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival: May 17-24
We booked with Air Canada Vacations, and flew directly from Calgary to Varadero. Bus waited for us at the airport, and after about 30 min we where at the resort. Checking in was within a couple of minutes, and shortly after, our luggage was transferred to our room. Everything went smoothly.
Rooms:
The resort has 28 bungalows with 8 rooms each. It really doesn't matter in which bungalow you are, as everything is within 5 minutes of walking distance. Our room was very clean and comfortable. What we really liked is the central air-conditioning system, as opposed to a window type at some other hotels, which was very efficient and noiseless. Furniture shows some ageing, but nothing of a serious concern. I've read some reviews, where people complained about mattresses being too hard to sleep on, but we didn't find it to be true. They are firm, but not overly. Room service was excellent, and whatever you ask, you get. The only missing thing in the room was an alarm clock, so don't forget to bring one along, if you need it.
Restaurants and Bars:
We really didn't come here for food or drinks, but we were truly amazed with food. There are 4 al a carte restaurants (reservation required), main buffet restaurant, pool restaurant, and beach restaurant. They are all first class restaurants even by western standards. Variety of food was unbelievable, and it's quality very good to excellent. Although, everything was within short distance, the best part was daily barbeque at the beach, with no need to leave the beach, or step out from your swimwear. There are bars everywhere. Beach, lobby, pool, swim-up. Drinks flow in rivers, alcoholic, or non alcoholic. We were told that the water from bar machines is purified, and even ice is made from it. We did not experience any health problems, neither with food nor water.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach, resort grounds and pool is something what truly makes this resort stand up to it's name Paradisus. There are dense and fully grown coconut palm trees on the spacious beach with numerous palapas, both proving plenty of shade. White powdery sand, turquoise crystal clear waters, and palm trees look exactly the same as you would find in best advertising brochures. The beach was very clean, and maintained. No glass or garbage to be seen anywhere. Right from the beach you step into the resort grounds, beautiful lush tropical forest, extremely well maintained. Wherever you walk, you are in the shade, surrounded by dense vegetation. Same in the pool area. You can even find shaded areas in the pool, while swimming. The pool is huge and irregular in shape, with swim-up bar, and with different depths suitable for all ages. Me and my wife are mostly beach people, but our 8 year old kid really enjoyed the pool. No battle for beach chairs, neither at the beach nor at the pool, at any time of the day, as this resort is capacity wise designed not to be crowded.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There was plenty of entertainment. At the beach, pool, restaurants, lobby, with live music, dancing, shows, etc. Some excellent, some OK, but none of them too loud to be irritating. We also appreciated their Kids Club, where they (the staff) took our kid for a tour of an ecological reserve adjacent to the resort. There are also other kids activities. Very thoughtful of the staff, giving parents to enjoy some time of their own. Considering our short stay here (1 week), and our preference toward beach, we did not take any lengthy excursions. Outside of the resort we only visited the near-by Dolphinarium. The dolphins show was one of the best I ever seen and our daughter got a chance to swim with dolphins (for about $100 fee), which made here really excited and happy. It was well worth the money.
Other Comments:
The resort staff was extremely friendly, and forthcoming. I can't think of a single problem we had at this resort. We tipped, not much, but often. One peso or two (equivalent to one US$) left in the room's fridge, at the restaurant table, bar tender, or beach boy, goes miles long. And don't forget the gardener. Clothes and other things you don't need are very appreciated too, so don't hesitate to bring them along. To summarize, this resort is very well worth every penny we paid for, and would highly recommend it to anyone, especially to families with kids. We would definitely go back again.
Was this review helpful? YesThank you for giving us your opinion.
The refurbished rooms look lovely
Paradisus Varadero
User Rating:
"From our house" from Ottawa family of 4 >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Dec, 2008
1 people found this review helpful
We were perplexed by the highly contradictory reviews of the resort that appear on both this website and other fora, so we hope this information helps anyone else who is considering going. We visited the Paradisus for the first time 7 years ago, and in spite of the several negative recent reviews we read, our family of 4 packed up our hopes and went again for one week at Christmas time. At the time of our first visit, it was rated as a 5+ and we absolutely loved it; back then, the resort was only 2 years old and everything was pristine except for a relatively small patch of the pool bottom lining that had disintegrated (but was repaired shortly after our first visit). Now that the resort is 9 years old, it is decidedly shabby in spots and the rooms desperately need renovating. Room renovations appear to have begun just recently and the refurbished rooms look lovely (!!), although not many are available yet. The updated hairdryers will be a bonus for people like me who have trouble with their hair when visiting the Caribbean – the old hair dryers are akin to a tube of vacuum hose awkwardly sticking out of the wall.
We understood from staff and from the drawings displayed in the foyer that Sol Melia is expanding by adding on a very high-end spa resort facility where villa guests will have their own maids. For those who can afford it, it will undoubtedly be lovely.
To preface our next comments, we should mention that we’ve also stayed at two 4 ½ star resorts in Cuba (Cayo Coco and Holguin) and at a 4 ½ with a VIP/Elite package in the Dominican. During our trip this time, we found the Paradisus to be generally comparable to, yet shabbier than, the other 4 ½ star resorts we’ve visited. We also observed that the entrances and foyers at the other resorts along Varadero (where we stopped on our way to Havana and the airport) appeared more run down and not as well appointed as the Paradisus. We made the same observation as we walked along the beaches. In summary, the Paradisus is a 5 star in some respects and in some respects it isn’t; this may explain why the reviews are so varied, i.e. it depends what matters to you most.
What we love about the Paradisus:
* Size; at just over 400 rooms, there is an intimate feeling, no vast distances to cover and you can easily get to know the staff. (NB – we had a great walk down "memory lane" reconnecting with long-time staff members). * The resort layout is terrific. * The entrance, foyer, washrooms, theatre, a la carte restaurants and other public spaces are truly lovely. * The beach, pool design and grounds are gorgeous. * Pool is bromine, not chlorine. * There are about 3500 palm trees that are now very mature and the gardens are beautifully kept. * The bar and serving staff are very warm, friendly & helpful plus seemed to appreciate our efforts at speaking Spanish. * Japanese restaurant was great. Romantico and Italian restaurants are solid. * The entertainment was top notch (eg, the Cuban National Philharmonic Orchestra played one night; a daytime aquatic-synchro-dance show; a nightime aquatic ballet in the pool; poolside stilt and clown show; beach show involving actors and trained animals; always bands in the restaurants and lobby bar; nightly dance/stage shows). Animation at the beach and poolside everyday (how about a rum and cigar tutorial?) and Spanish lessons every day if you cared to avail yourself of them.
The food at the buffet is generally fine. If you happen to want bacon every morning for breakfast, you will be disappointed as it is fatty and in short supply. Lots of other fine and healthy food choices. We would recommend avoiding the Steakhouse— beef is not the Cubans’ forte. For our part, we don’t go to Cuba for the food—we love Cuba for the warmth, friendliness and heart of its people and for its music and culture (not to mention the rum, the mojitos and the cigars).
We should emphasize that our initial disappointment with the condition of the room soon gave way to better times lolling by the pool, body surfing at the beach, reminiscing with old employees and making the acquaintance of newer staff. As far as earlier references to shabbiness, we will list the things we experienced only so that others who go in the next few months (i.e. before the renovations are complete) won’t be surprised or disappointed. Here goes: our tub had 2 large patches where the enamel was missing; paint and tiles were chipped here and there; the lamp shades mysteriously disappeared halfway through our vacation for a few days; a wall sconce was hanging from the wall; and neither of the first story patio doors in our 2 rooms would lock. Our room key also was old/overused and stopped functioning and we had to get it recharged once and then eventually replaced.
The pool had several small and large patches throughout where the tile has come off. When we mentioned the state of repair of the pool to certain staff, they told us that in March 2009 the pool will be closed and the whole thing repaired. It wasn’t clear whether this would be a matter of a couple of weeks or the entire month (also bear in mind the concept of "Cuban time"). While we like to spend one or two days at the beach, mostly we’re pool people, so had we arrived to find the pool closed, we would have been greatly disappointed if not downright upset. We add this information as a caution strictly for pool lovers, and with the emphasis that we didn’t confirm the facts with the hotel management.
And finally, just in case it’s helpful, during this trip -versus our first trip to the Paradisus- we noticed there were fewer Canadians (an observation the staff echoed) and we were struck by the number of young couples with small children/babies. There were few families with children the same age as ours (14 and 12). At our last stay, the baby club/kids club was GREAT and some of the childcare staff are the same. The location has changed—it used to be situated in the beach restaurant but now they’re using a renovated hotel room which is brightly painted and well-equipped. Without a doubt, the level of care is as fantastic as it ever was.
Would we go back? We weren't sure we would return after the first time, but we did. We aren't sure we'll return again, but we might. That’s about all we can say. We hope the above is useful to you in some small measure, y buena suerte.
Was this review helpful? YesThank you for giving us your opinion.
| 
