Meliá Península Varadero

The grounds are spacious, with pleasant pools and areas for families. Friendly entertainment staff kept the lively atmosphere going through the day and night. It’s right on the beach, with direct access to one of Cuba’s best stretches of sand, perfect for relaxing by the sea and enjoying the warm Caribbean water.

The beach was beautiful, though chairs were hard to find and Wi-Fi there was spotty. Wi-Fi at the resort was good enough for FaceTime, YouTube and Netflix, but it disconnected whenever I turned off my phone. At night the resort was pitch black, so we used our flashlights to walk from our room to dinner. The pool was advertised as open 24 hours, but there were no lights, so swimming at night wasn’t possible. We found out the hard way that the nice photos are misleading. At check-in, the front desk ladies were dismissive and rude. We paid $11 USD each for early check-in, but that only got us access to the resort amenities, not our room. The room was outdated, with stained sheets, cracked tiles and walls, and a safe that didn’t work. The fridge was rusty and didn’t have the beer or pop that was advertised. The patio door only had a sliding latch, no lock. During our week there, the towels and sheets weren’t changed. Beach towels were scarce, and I didn’t get one until day four despite asking repeatedly. Housekeeping did the bare minimum, just making the bed. The shower still had sand, the counter wasn’t wiped, and they folded our dirty towels to make them look fresh. We got only two rolls of toilet paper for the whole stay and had to ask for more. The bathroom door was see-through, slid poorly and had no ventilation, so there was no privacy. I would have run out of toilet paper if I hadn’t brought my own. The buffet was repetitive and limited. Breakfast was deli meat, pastries and an egg station, usually with a long line for eggs and protein that had little taste. Birds were everywhere in the buffet, pecking at fruit and leftovers. The restaurants were nice, and the service workers clearly tried hard to give guests a good experience. All the servers were kind and polite. Make reservations for the Italian, bistro and Japanese restaurants before they fill up. The 24-hour snack bar ran out of alcohol toward nighttime. All in all, I wouldn’t come back. There are better resorts in Varadero, so don’t be fooled just because this one is part of the Melia chain.

The people at Melia Peninsula were so warm and ready to help, from room service to the restaurants, snack bar and bars, even in the scorching heat. We loved the people in Cuba and at this hotel. Our room was always clean, and the beach was clean and awesome too. There was a good variety of food, though some of it was bland. My family and I loved our stay. Thank you, Melia Peninsula xoxo

Melia Peninsula Varadero is an old, run-down and outdated resort, barely a 1-star place in my view. One of the biggest things we noticed was staff hustling for tips. Not all of them, but most seemed to expect them.