The first time I visited Cuba, I stayed at Arenas Blancas. I must say the entertainment team was better for a crowd my age (20-25).
However, the Barcelo Solymar had amazing rooms, edible food (but I'm very picky), a wonderful beach and amazing guests. We made lots of friends here.
They also had about four bars - and one was always open. The chicken baguettes from the bar by the pool were a gift from God. The fries weren't too bad, either.
The rooms were kept tidy, the fridge was refilled daily, and there were no bugs. The towels looked dull and old, so I recommend you bringing your own. Also, make sure to leave a tip for the maid each day if you wish to be treated well.
This vacation was more than I could have asked for. There were minor problems, like one of the elevators not working. However, who really cares? The beach is great, there is plenty of alcohol 24/7, and the company is great.
3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
This hotel has serious failings. The only good thing to be said about it is that the rooms are clean, and the pool areas are well designed.
It suffers from a serious mosquito problem, which makes evening entertainment in the main bar unpleasant. Dining in the Piazza restaurant is impossible: the mosquitos will eat diners alive before the first course is delivered.
Why would the hotel operator allow this? Because the guests have paid up front for all-inclusive, and the hotel would prefer them to consume as little as possible.
The staff is extremely unfriendly, and direct constant verbal abuse at guests, as anyone with a knowledge of Spanish will know. This is the worst of 70s Spanish costas fare in a different guise. The hotel's beach is small and overcrowded, and is the worst in the area.
9 users found this review helpful. 9 found this review unhelpful.
This was our second trip to Cuba. We stayed at the same resort - as we enjoyed this resort so much the first visit.
Overall, the second time around was not as exciting. Maybe it was because we knew somewhat of what to expect, and we came across a few things we did not expect. That was not Cuba's fault, but our travel agent never advised us of the currency change.
Also, the elevators were scary at times. The staff (some) appeared to not be as friendly. That may have been because of the changes taking place in that country.
The shining light was the staff in the restaurant. Our server, Yandy, was very interesting and caring, and our maid took very good care of our room for us. Tips were a big plus, but we did not mind if the service was good - considering their low salaries. Also, I brought some gifts from the dollar stores for the girl who looked after our room.
5 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful.
I found this hotel to be just full of annoying, drunk Canadian kids and rude staff who would only seem to serve you if you handed over a wad of cash up-front.
7 users found this review helpful. 37 found this review unhelpful.
The hotel itself was a nice large building. The pools were good. The beach was amazing, with plenty of choices of bars and places to sunbathe. There was a good variety of restaurants, too. In addition, the rooms were basic, but very clean.
However, the food was terrible! I never thought I'd say that about a hotel, but it really was. The buffet had some very strange choices - lots of fish, but generally with bones and head attached. Practically all the meat was on the bone. It was not very English friendly is all I can say.
The breakfast omeletes were good, as was the pizza! The desserts were generally good, but the main meal choices weren't.
There were restaurants other than the buffet, however. The snack bar and the snack bar at the beach had limited choices, but were nice.
The Chinese restaurant was a bit hit and miss - my advice is you can't go wrong with soup and chicken curry. At the Italian restaurant, don't expect pizza like you get here - but, again, it is edible if you're struggling at the buffet. The pasta was nice, but it was just pasta and a sauce - no meat. There were lots of cheap restaurants off the complex, though.
I wouldn't recommend staying in for the entertainment, either. It was generally rather "cringe worthy" and a half hearted attempt on a night. Other than watching sychronized swimming practice, I never found any entertainment around the pool during the day either.
However, I would go back to Varadero. I would just stay in a different hotel. The area itself was amazing. It's a shame the hotel let itself down with the food and entertainment.
16 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful.
This was an absolutely fabulous beachfront propertyVisited: April 2007
Posted by westerly44
I thoroughly enjoyed the Solymar Resort. The beaches were the number one attraction. I also enjoyed the pool and the pool bar/snack bar.
It's true that some of the front desk staff need to be educated on treating paying guests respectfully. The restaurant staff was exceptionally friendly and professional, though.
Too bad about not being able to use my own currency. I didn't tip that much this time as I did last time when I was at the Iberostar Tainos in 2000 because of having to use the Cuban Peso. The 10% fee for currency conversion is highway robbery.
I would definitely return for another stay!
33 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful.
When I first arrived, I thought it was going to be very boring. The beach was hard to find, but when I got there, it was brilliant!
The food wasn't great, but it was all we had, so we couldn't be choosy. The staff was so pleasant, and they made me feel at home and welcomed in their country.
There were a lot of things to do here - swimming with dolphins, a trip to Havana, etc.
I'm planning on coming back to this hotel this year because I met some great people, and the entertainment was good.
15 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful.
I went to Cuba and stayed at this resort with a couple of my best girflriends. We weren't sure what it would be like - seeing as it was late August when we decided to go. We had a blast!
The food was crappy, but those bartenders weren't cheap on the booze! The "animacion" staff was great fun. All you single ladies -watch out!
8 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful.
I stayed at the Palma Real for two weeks. The room was basic, but adequate.
A let down was that the room's floor wasn't cleaned properly. My flipflops tended to collect the hairs/dust on the floor to the point that stringy trails gathered around the edges. Apart from this, the bed linens, bathroom, and room in general were well-maintained on a daily basis. Alarm clocks weren't provided in the rooms, so make sure you bring your own if you intend to go on excursions.
I'd read reviews on various web sites about the food at the Palma Real, the majority quite negative. Unfortunately, I found the negative reviews to be accurate. The main buffet restaurant offered some very uninspired bland food. I was only happy to eat breakfast there. I usually selected from the eggs, bacon, various selections of bread (which were very good), croissants, breakfast cereals, and fresh orange juice (which was also very good).
A partial relief from the bland food came in the form of the hotel snack bar which served hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and ham/cheese sandwiches. From my exchanges with other tourists and my own experience, uninspired bland food that's been cooked with no passion seems to be quite prevalent in Cuba.
After speaking with my holiday rep about tasting good Cuban cuisine, I ate at the La Campana restaurant in the Parque Josone - a beautiful park about seven-minute walk from the Palma Real. I had a flavorful, delicious steak meal.
If you want to taste good Cuban cuisine, you have to venture outside the Palma Real and go on a personal quest to find it. Even the many excursions I went on where a meal was included rarely gave good impressions. The meals tended to range from poor to average.
Nightly entertainment was laid on around 9:30 pm in the Palma Real lobby or on a stage at the rear of the hotel. Performances consisted of singing and dancing. However, the performances tended to be quite short.
The Havana Club was about a three-minute walk from the Palma Real. They played a broad selection of music, and cost 10 pesos to enter. Drinks were included in the entry price. The Club started to get busy/liven up around 12:30 am. It closed at 3:00am.
A beautiful beach was about a four-minute walk from the hotel across the main road. Apart from handicraft markets, shopping in Varadero was limited.
I took a five pesos taxi ride to the Plaza America shopping centre. There weren't a lot of shops there, but there was a useful supermarket. There was also a small fairground near the hotel which had a few clothes shops.
23 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful.
I thought this hotel was rubbish.Visited: June 2005
Posted by john10
I found this hotel to be shabby. It was a waste of my money. The rooms were dirty, and I would not let my children go on the floor without thier shoes on.
3 users found this review helpful. 13 found this review unhelpful.
We just spent a week at Barcelo Solymar for the second time (it was our third trip to Cuba). Last time, we were part of a party of six. This time, we were a party of nine. It was as wonderful as we had anticipated.
Everything spotlessly clean, the staff was friendly everywhere -except for one nasty public relations person we were unfortunate enough to ask a question of. We asked if we could see a "suite", as we intended to return again with even more family members. However, we were literally sneared at and belittled by her. So much for the suite vacation idea. I suggest they give some "people skills" training to the their public relations people - ironic, isn't it?
All in all, the stay was absolutely wonderful. That had great food, and the pools and beach were the best. Also, the rest of the staff members were absolutely the very, very best.
There was lots to do and see in the sorrounding area (Varadero within walking distance, lots of nightlife if you want it, and lots of shopping and day tours). Weather was the best yet. There were no bugs or humidity, either. Humidity was just starting the day we left, May 12, 2006.
Yendy, our favourite waiter, was wondeful to us this trip, too. Once again, I must emphasize the food was delicious. We will return again.
42 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful.
3 Casais Portugueses passamos 2 noites no hotel Deauville. A apresentação dos quartos chocou-nos. O Hotel é muito velho e a remodelação está muito mal acabada.
O menu do jantar só tinha 2 pratos e iguais nos 2 dias, qualquer deles mal confeccionado. O serviço muito mau. Não aconselho ninguém a pernoitar aqui.
Em Portugal seria considerado uma pensão de 2ª Categoria.
0 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful.
Barcelo Solymar Beach Resort is paradise on earth.Visited: November 2005
Posted by elliegil
We visited the Barcelo Solymar in December of 2005. It exceeded our expectations. First of all, the staff was wonderful, warm and caring. The hotel itself was immaculate, the pool was crystal clear, and the food was delicious. The bread and ice cream deserves special mention, they were unlike anything here in Canada.
The fact that the Barcelo Solymar was so close to Varadero made it that much more special. Needless to say, we loved this place and are returning in two weeks.
19 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful.
We visited the Barcelo Solymar, Varadero in December 2005 with a party of six. We found the resort to be amazing. It was spotlessly clean in every sense, and I am a clean freak.
The food was excellent. I can't believe people have had complaints about the food. What on earth are they used to...royal banquets or what? There was always something you can eat, regardless of your taste in food.
The grounds, pools, public areas, tennis courts, beach, games rooms, bars, etc. were all maticulously maintained - and the rooms likewise. The staff was absolutely wonderful to us.
We have been to Iberostar Cozumel, Grand Paradise DR, Tuxpan Varadero (don't go there!), and are returning to Barcelo Solymar again with a party of nine on May 5, 2006, mainly because of our wonderful experience the first time.
We can't wait to see our friend/waiter, Yendeys and our maid, Itsmary, again. See you guys in May!
22 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful.
We had a wonderful experience. The beaches were beautiful, but the food was awful.Visited: January 2006
Posted by m_vanitt
We stayed at Solymar for a week in the beginning of January. Our room was not immediately available, so we hung around the resort for a few hours. For those traveling here, keep your swimwear handy when you arrive.
We really enjoyed our stay. The beach was beautiful and very clean. We were impressed with the cleanliness in and around the hotel.
Our room was comfortable enough. We did not care for the food, though. We found that a lot of the food smelled and tasted like fish. At the end, we stuck to bread and a lot of bottled water. (Take granola bars with you!)
Anyway, we would return again, but not in the near future. Also, we took along second hand clothes and toys to hand out in the village there. They really appreciated that!
25 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful.
It was amazing. 
Palma Real is a disappointment. 
Our second trip was enjoyable. 
It was a mixed bag. 
