Islazul Los Delfines

The gardens were beautiful, and as a professional landscaper I was really impressed by them. I was also surprised by the accommodations: everything was clean, attractive, and working. I'd read some online reviews before arriving, so I was pleasantly surprised. The staff were friendly and helpful, as Cubans typically are. The food was plentiful and delicious, as long as you don't expect American food. Remember, Cuba has nothing open. That's also one reason to visit, since your holiday dollars can be spent in a morally good way. American credit cards don't work, but American dollars and Cuban pesos do. In Varadero, you can drink the tap water. The beach is long and exceptional. There are amazing restaurants nearby, including some with the best lobster I've ever had, along with great parks and ecological reserves. There's excellent snorkeling about half an hour west. I chose the hotel because of the price, and I'm getting excellent value for my dollar.

It's nicely located downtown, the staff do the best they can, and we were happy with the food. Our room is clean, the beds seem fairly new, and we have enough towels and hot water. But if you want peace and quiet, this isn't the place. There's loud music by the pool even when only five people are there, so napping or unwinding is impossible. The pool is in the middle of the hotel, and the noise carries into the rooms. Then there's more blaring music in the lobby at night. It's noisy everywhere.

I've visited Los DELFINES many times over the last 10 years. It's a jewel downtown, with impeccable service and location. I like that Cuban food isn't processed, though if you're expecting first-class Canadian or American cuisine, look elsewhere. With more Cuban tourists coming to the hotel, keep an eye on your belongings. This happened today at the beach. I moved my chair closer to the middle, near security, and went back to my book. I was absorbed in reading when I noticed a beautiful brunette lying in a chair a few feet away. I couldn't help staring, she was stunning. Then her boyfriend came over. Obviously she had one, and I'm not cool enough to have a woman like that lying beside me. I went back to my book. Her boyfriend went to watch the kite surfers, and she rolled over to sunbathe. Beautiful! I put on my goggles and went swimming. The water was cool, the sun warm. From the water, I thought I saw a commotion near my chair, but figured the goggles were playing tricks on me. After about 15 minutes I came back, and the couple were gone. I went to the bar to chat with my friends from Canada and get a drink, then returned to collect my things and sit with them. When I reached into my bag, my phone was missing. I rushed to the beach and asked security if anyone had found a phone. He pulled my cellphone out from under a mat and said he'd found it in the sand. Phew! For some reason, the security guard covered the trail for whoever might have tried to steal it. I didn't see that couple for the next 24 hours, and I would have confronted them. One of the Canadians told me they'd seen them board a bus for Havana. Watch out, folks!

In all my years traveling, this is the worst place I've stayed. Public bathrooms were dirty and had no soap or toilet paper. The buffet was mostly spaghetti, hot or cold, with very little meat and only papaya for fruit. Rooms are extremely dated, not very clean, infested with ants, and have no hot water.