Blau Marina Varadero Resort

The resort itself was very nice, though our rooms were a long way from the main lobby. The beach was beautiful, but the bug bites were nasty. Food didn’t impress me, and the bartending could’ve been much better. The staff were friendly and helpful. There’s room for improvement, and I hope it gets better because it’s a beautiful place.

We took a trip into town, rode in a horse-pulled buggy, visited shops and markets, and had a great day. It was our first time in Cuba, and we’re already looking forward to returning. I’d recommend this location. The beach was spectacular, and there were five pools to choose from. We could always find chairs and shade, with food and drinks just steps away. The resort was really nice, and the staff were very accommodating when we asked for a pullout bed. Our room was always cleaned, with towel animals on the beds that amused the children, and the in-room bar fridge was always stocked. There was plenty of food. Considering the sanctions on the country, I thought it was very good.

The beach is nice but could use a cleaning. They serve beer at the beach bar from a water bottle, which I guess they fill at the lobby bar. The coffee bar was one of my favorite places, and the mattress was okay. There were several problems with the room and service: no top sheets for the first two days, and the room needs a big facelift. The fridge wasn’t stocked, and there was a coffee machine but no coffee. Service was very poor, and they made us pay a deposit for beach towels. That’s just a few of the issues.

The people were great, and so were the pools and beaches. Food was okay, and I think I enjoyed it more than the rest of my family. The theater area had an awful sewage smell on five of our seven days. Arrival night was horrible. We had two rooms and couldn’t get into either. The next day we got different rooms, but the door cards still didn’t work properly, and we heard plenty of similar complaints from other guests. One room had perfect air conditioning, while the other was very damp, almost wet, and the A/C wasn’t as good.