Paradisus Varadero Resort & Spa

“excellent customer service”

Gugenio Gancia and Glenda Geilin provided excellent service and were very attentive to our needs. clearly very hard working!!

“Amazing experience on all fronts. Highly recommend.”

Our whole family went here for a week in late April 2024 and we all loved it. I'll write a complete review below but for those the want it short and sweet, the resort, the staff, the beach and even the food was all excellent. I have zero complaints, thoroughly enjoyed my stay and will absolutely ... more

Our whole family went here for a week in late April 2024 and we all loved it. I'll write a complete review below but for those the want it short and sweet, the resort, the staff, the beach and even the food was all excellent. I have zero complaints, thoroughly enjoyed my stay and will absolutely be back again. Although I was apprehensive about Cuba generally and this resort in particular based on other reviews I've since come to realize that many of the poor reviews revolved around subjective rather than objective complaints. It's a shame that some people will complain about "terrible food" when it is in fact excellent, just not to their taste. As others a echoed I feel bad for the miserable people that somehow find a way to complain about absolutely everything. Please disregard their reviews. Anyhow, on with the review Accomodation: We all stayed in juniors suites on the "regular" side of the resort, and aside from a small hiccup with bed configuration on a couple of the rooms when we checked in (which was resolved quickly and satisfactorily), we were all very happy with the accomodation. Standard hotel room equipment, TV, mini fridge (with a freezer, I'll bring icecube trays next time), small sitting area both indoors and on the balcony, a convertible couch, a king bed that could be pushed apart into two singles, a bathroom with seperate shower/toilet area that even includes a bidet. I mean let's face it, when you have such beautiful surroundings, have so many activities to participate in and so much entertainment to enjoy, are you really spending any more time than us necessary to sleep and shower in your room? I know we didn't. The rooms were well kept, stocked daily with supplies and expertly maintained by the wonderful housekeeping staff. Little things like towels and bedding folded into ornate sculptures complete with fresh flowers really show the level of dedication and care by housekeeping, I made it a point to make my way back to the room while the staff were at work so I could personally thank them and tip them for their hard work. To address some of the complaints and questions I've read on here I'll add that our room had its own dedicated WiFi access point so coverage and bandwidth was not an issue at all. You are supplied with an individual login for each guest at check-in and I did find I needed to re-login daily but that may have been because I was using a VPN. The power outlets are 220V but use a special combination outlet that will accept both European and North American style plugs (picture attached). Contrary to a lot of the misinformation on here nearly all the North American devices you'll want to plug in will work just fine on 220V without any adapters, basically anything that converts from AC to DC will accept a wide range of voltages and work without issue, phone chargers, laptop chargers, etc. Just have a look at the information label on the device to ensure that it accepts 100-220V 50/60Hz before you plug it in. Sorry ladies, North American curling irons, flat irons, hair dryers, etc, will NOT work despite the plug fitting in the receptacle. We did have a brief power outage in our building that I believe was the result of misuse of the power in another room. Resort facilities: The design and layout of the resort is ideal in my opinion. Maybe a little less so for the reserve and royal guests as that area seems to have been a later addition so I would actually recommend the regular rooms when it comes to location and convenience. Nothing is more than a 3-4 minute walk from the accommodations and there is usually staff on a golf cart to transport you if you were to have mobility issues. The lobby and main bar are beautiful open air areas with lots of room to move about, expansive seating areas, water features and fountains that collect rain water through open skylights that make the whole area feel as close to being outside while still being protected from the elements in a downpour. The bar was restocked daily with a never ending supply of beer, wine and spirits however some more popular drinks would be unavailable due to a lack of mix or other ingredients later in the night on particularly busy evenings. Kind of hard to complain about not being able to get a mojito at 1:00am when you (and everyone else apparently) had been drinking them since lunchtime. Supply issues were always resolved the following morning. I was pleased to find the main bar equipped with an espresso machine, so if you enjoy coffee you are in luck. The pool is large enough that it never felt crowded with ample amounts of deck chairs and cabanas to catch some shade. A second rectangular pool is also available if you wanted to get in some early morning laps along with a wading pool for the little kiddos. The swim up pool bar is located on the west side of the pool ideally located to offer afternoon shade as you sip on a cocktail on one of the dozen or so stools located along its periphery. The east side pool area is where the snack shack is located, I didn't spend a whole lot of time here, along with the generally busy and loud nature of the area, it's location wasn't ideal for finding reprise from the afternoon heat with the majority of the seating in direct sunlight, the odd time I'd grab a sandwich I'd usually scurry off to the lobby bar for some peace and quiet and a bit of shade, but of course to each their own, others in my group enjoyed the convenience. The far south end of the resort is where the tennis, volleyball, beach volleyball, and watercraft facilities are located. Due to high winds the watercraft were unavailable for the majority of my stay but small catamaran, kayaks and paddle boats are available. Food and dining: Contrary to what you may have heard the food is actually very good, at least at Pardisus. It may not appeal to those that want deep fried American style fare, you know who you are, but otherwise it was a tasty, plentiful and refreshingly healthy change from a typical Noth American style buffet. The main buffet is a large open area similar in design to the main lobby and we never had any issue finding a table to accomodate our large group. The buffet always had an ample selection of fresh fruit and juice, salads and freshly baked bread regardless of meal time. For breakfast (7:00-10:00am) there was almost always a large bacon style pork belly, an omelette station, a great selection of pastries, cereal and milk, pancakes and even some lunch and dinner style foods for those not wanting breakfast. Lunch (1:00-4:00pm) and dinner (7:00-10:00pm) were similar enough there is no need to distinguish. There was a great selection of cold salads, charcuterie, hot dishes in Cuban style including rice, grilled veggies, chicken, pork, beans etc. along with a feature dish like a carved to order roast pork leg or ham. Given the general lack of availability we found it excusable that the main dish on some nights was a simple paella. There is also a grill station with various seafood, chicken and pork grilled to order and a pasta station with prepared to order pasta dishes. The deserts were I highlight for me personally, the pastries, cakes and tarts were top notch and despite dinner being delicious I always found myself purposefully restraining so as to leave room for dessert. The restaurants are nice for having a quiet, private meal. I can see their appeal if you just want to have a relaxing dinner with friends where conversation over a glass of wine is the main focus. However I will say that they don't offer a selection outside of what is available at the expansive buffet. If you have children with you I'd probably skip the restaurants as you won't be missing out on any unique food experiences and may even find yourself limited in selection for the kids. The wait staff were attentive and accommodating, refilling water, fetching drinks and clearing tables promptly, always with a smile. It really stood out how they treated the children, on a few occasions where the kids were seated alone they were treated the same as the adults. My daughter (who is very shy) absolutely loved the lady at the dessert station and would always have a good chat with her when she went to get ice cream. The crowd favorite was Hansel, the kids would always look for him in the dining room so they could say hello and would get excited if they came across him elsewhere on the resort.... Seems most of the women liked seeing him too. The beach: What else can I say, the beach is one of the very best in the world. It is the reason the resort and likely the entire surrounding economical area even exists. Pictures don't do justice. Just literal steps away from the main lobby (or the ocean view suites) is one of the most beautiful, soft, white sand beaches I have ever laid my eyes upon. This isn't coming from a person that lives in the prairies or a desert, I'm surrounded by water where I live and am spoiled for choice when it comes to beaches at home, but WOW, just amazing. The beach is dotted with palm trees, cabanas, and palm frond umbrellas for shade and well equipped with more than enough loungers for everyone to comfortably find a place to relax. The beach bar is perfectly located and the staff there are excellent as elsewhere on the resort. The sand extends in gentle slope about 100m to the waters edge where it continues until the water is well above standing depth. To the south it extends as far as the eye can see bringing you past almost all the other Veradero resorts, if you like long walks on the beach you'll find no better place. To the north the beach curves out to a rocky outcrop that creates a natural breakwater, a foothold for coral and thusly a habitat for a wide range of sea life. While it isn't as impressive as the large coral reefs south of Veradero it is really amazing to be able to throw on a snorkel and mask and go see colourful tropical fish and large shoals of schooling fish just a few meters from the resort. The water is shallow and warm providing good visibility for hours of snorkeling enjoyment. The staff: As I've alluded to the staff were probably the best part of this this trip for us. From the moment we arrived until the day we left every employee we interacted with was kind, helpful, generally wonderful. While some stood out as exceptional, all were incredibly respectful and genuinely appreciative to have us. While the resort staff are likely some of the lucky ones in Cuba that have found a good job to support their families, it is perfectly clear that their own good fortune is not lost on them. To all the staff, thank you. Your genuine smiles, upbeat attitudes, care and dedication are inspiring. Footnote: To anyone complaining about the facilities, food or just about anything else for that matter, please leave the resort for a day. Rent a car or take the jeep safari through some of the rural areas. I guarantee you will return to the resort with a new appreciation for the excess and privilege imparted to you as a guest on this beautiful island. It impacted me greatly. It wasn't just what we witnessed ourselves, we knew what to expect to some degree, what hit me the hardest (and is making me tear up just writing this) was the change I saw in our children (9-12). There was a marked shift in their behaviour, they stopped wasting food, started interacting with the staff differently, stopped asking for anything from us outside of some money for tips for their favorite employees. It makes the sight of employees dancing behind the bar, the sound of a housekeeper singing while they work, even a simple nod and a wink from a groundskeeper all the more inspiring. Maybe some of the grown adults acting like children could learn a thing or two.

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“Amazing honeymoon ”

Such a beautiful place. We recommend this hotel 100%. The staff is really nice and welcoming. I love that if you feel hungry there's a snack area with pizza and hot dogs anytime. The food at the restaurant is so good. After a long day visiting the island you can go and relax in the spa. We reall... more

Such a beautiful place. We recommend this hotel 100%. The staff is really nice and welcoming. I love that if you feel hungry there's a snack area with pizza and hot dogs anytime. The food at the restaurant is so good. After a long day visiting the island you can go and relax in the spa. We really enjoyed our honeymoon there and we'll definitely come stay here again.

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“Beautiful getaway”

My partner and I had a wonderful stay. We arrived and were greeted by friendly and accommodating staff who helped in great detail with everything we asked for. First impression of our room was super clean, and the presentation was lovely. The buffet was delicious, they had plenty of options a... more

My partner and I had a wonderful stay. We arrived and were greeted by friendly and accommodating staff who helped in great detail with everything we asked for. First impression of our room was super clean, and the presentation was lovely. The buffet was delicious, they had plenty of options and would change the menu each day so we ate a variety of foods. The resort is right on the beach, it was marvellous to be able to go from sitting at the nice pool with a cocktail, and then a short walk to the crystal clear water of the beach. We were both sad to leave as we were enjoying our time so much there, we will definitely be back!

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