Selectum Family Resort Varadero

Gisselle was especially kind and helpful, checking in on us and making sure we were happy. The staff clearly work hard, and we came with an open mind, which helped us enjoy a wonderful family stay. We’d absolutely return to Selectum Family Resort Varadero. The property is beautiful. We were a family of four, with two adults and children aged 14 and 11. We arrived just before lunch, but our rooms weren’t ready until the usual 4:00 pm check-in. Afterward we had adjoining rooms, one with a king bed and one with two doubles, which worked perfectly. They were clean, modern and well kept, with flat-screen Samsung TVs. The Wi-Fi was good enough for me to mirror my phone to the TV and watch Netflix. Our maid Yaned cleaned beautifully each day and made lovely towel and blanket designs. The mini fridge had cola and Cristal beer on arrival, though the soft drinks weren’t replenished. We did get fresh water every day and coffee pods for the Nespresso machine. We loved the pool bar’s piña coladas and made daily trips for cappuccinos at the café. The food was good by Cuban standards. Some items repeated, and there were occasional shortages like cola. Pizza was only at the Italian à la carte, while fries were available at the snack bar at certain times and sometimes ran out. We just stayed flexible and chose something else. We only tried the Italian à la carte, and it was excellent. Canadian Night at Plaza Oasis was a highlight, with a fun atmosphere and delicious food. It was busy and could overwhelm families with younger kids, but we were close enough to walk there and come and go. The beach was a little rocky, though the water was beautiful near the pier. The pools felt chilly at first but were enjoyable once we got in. We had two adjoining rooms as a family of four, and overall, the stay exceeded our expectations. Any small issues were things we’ve also encountered at resorts in Ontario. Thanks to the staff for making the vacation memorable.

The friendly, hospitable staff were the one good part, which somehow made the bleak setting feel even stranger. Everything else felt like being institutionalized for a vacation. The hotel was so lifeless and sterile, like it had survived a nuclear war or the end of the world and never bothered to redecorate. The food was awful, and I don’t have especially high expectations. Breakfast’s papaya juice deserves a warning label. One sip had me questioning my life choices. At night, a mysterious chirping would start while I slept. I dreamed there was a cricket in the room, woke up to check, and the sound vanished every time I went into the bathroom. It felt like a psychological thriller. I never found the source, but I’m convinced it was sentient. Memorable for all the wrong reasons. I really don’t recommend it unless you’re preparing for post-apocalyptic survival or like being gaslit by phantom noises.

For the price, the whole stay was excellent. We had a lovely ocean view, friendly and attentive service, a clean, pleasantly warm pool, and a stunning beach. There were plenty of food choices too, more than I expected. I got back from Selectum Family Varadero about ten days ago, and those seven days went by so fast because I was having such a great time. I’d happily go back.

At Christmas dinner, our family had a 6 PM reservation but still waited outside in a queue until 7 before we could eat. What was the point of reserving? The room only had one bottle of water for four of us, including our child. When we asked staff for another, each department sent us to the front desk, where they said they had no water either. Is a hotel this large really unwilling to provide one extra bottle? We also had a long wait for towels. We called at 3 PM when none had been replaced, waited more than three hours, then someone knocked at 3 AM to bring them. What hotel provides room service at 3 AM? On our first day, we found the mattress cover and pillows filthy, with blood and urine stains. They hadn’t been changed in over six months, as far as we could tell, and we went back and forth to the front desk to complain. The internet was very hard to connect to and often unavailable. The management here is incredibly chaotic.