Gran Caribe Club Kawama Resort All Inclusive

We've been here 12 times now, mainly because of the staff and the beautiful beach. The location is great, and the market is an easy walk away. We've made lots of Cuban friends, along with other Canadians from across the country.

The beach was beautiful, and our ocean-view room looked lovely, though the patio door was extremely hard to open. The kayak was free. Beyond that, there were a lot of problems. The hot tub didn't work, the pool shut at 7, there were no beach towels, and our room had no alarm clock or phone. No free internet, and snorkeling gear was only available on a paid tour. The lobby bar had no ice, and no strawberry daiquiris. The piña coladas weren't frozen, and there were no frozen drinks. Drinks from the pop machine were often just water; when pop was available, it was only 7up and Coke. No normal milk for cereal or coffee, which was just unusual for me. There was only tap water free at the bar, and when I asked for a bottle of water it took two days to get one. The bar had no butter for the bread, which was burnt or stale. There was no toilet paper in most stalls. The snack bar only had a hamburger or ham and cheese sandwich, and the sandwich was gross. Food overall was tasteless, and the watermelon was white. Breakfast was just leftovers from the night before. “Free” entertainment kept asking for tips, including a man shaking a maraca in my friend's face and chanting “Tip! Tip! Tip!” when we first walked into the restaurant, before we'd had any service. There wasn't much music otherwise. The restaurants they advertise aren't on the resort. You need to reserve ahead, but can't call to book, so you have to walk or take a taxi over to ask. Locals can use the resort and seemed to hoard the good food, stuffing it into bags, so you have to rush to get food when it opens. Our room flooded whenever it rained because the bottom of the door wasn't sealed. There was also a hole in the lobby ceiling, so the lobby got soaked and slippery in the rain. Stray cats and dogs were all around the resort. Outside the resort, we ran into constant scams in Cuba generally. A guy at the market wanted a dollar for me to use the washroom, and there was a meat shortage. At a taco shop in the market, all they had for tacos was cheese and lettuce.

Staff were amazing, and the food was okay. There wasn't a huge variety, but we liked it. The beach was stunning, the hotel had a nice antique feel, and the location made it easy to walk to downtown Varadero in about 20 minutes. There were plenty of souvenir shops nearby, with affordable leather goods. We loved the local cats, and the kids enjoyed them too. We took our own paddle boards, which were a hit in that beautiful water. We also went to Havana with one of their antique cab drivers, which was amazing. I'd highly recommend that trip.

This was my first vacation, and the staff made it such a good one. Dulce, who looked after my room, was a lovely person and kept it clean. Everyone was sweet. I'm a picky eater, but I could always find enough to eat and feel full. I arrived two days late, and they still accommodated me. I felt safer here than walking around back home in the city. I'd really love to come back to the same room. If something wasn't right during your visit, you should have said so, because they would have fixed it while you were there. I've stayed in worse hotels in Canada!