Rating:
"We found this resort one of the best we have been to in Cuba, staff are very very friendly and I would like to add that we didn't tip till the end of our vacation, that just show how great the staff are, they were there to make your stay the best it can be and nothing was too much trouble. Rooms were spotless and the entertainment excellent, manager always on duty making himself known to everyone, food was good for Cuba, would recommenced and will be looking forward to returning."
Reviewer: reviewer101
Date: Oct. 04, 2011

Rating:
"We arrived Sunday night quite late- around 1 AM Monday morning February 16/09, really. The hotel was fully prepared for us. We had excellent service from the staff throughout the week. While we emailed to reserve a Second floor walkup unit, sadly none were available until later in the week. We did manage to secure one mid week and were thrilled with it. It featured a King size bed (instead of 2 twins), a washroom facility with a separate room for toilet, bidet and shower, large L shaped balcony of the bedroom.... We moved rooms in 20 minutes.

The food at this resort was excellent. Quality, assortment , presentation all deserve high marks. We never left a sitting hungry. We had heard from other Canadian vacationers we encountered in Cuba that the food at their resorts lacked variety or good taste. None of that at the Tainos. The only downside to the restaurants were the limited seating capacity at the "Cuban" and "Japanese"
themed "a la carte" dining rooms. These had to be booked in advance with a 4 day waiting time.

The beach was well laid out with excellent soft white sand, a well kept boardwalk to the beach, and even a lifeguard to supervise those who needed watching. Some water sports activities were available which we did not use( Catamarran, kayak, snorkeling) but staff were there to assist as required.

This hotel had 272 rooms divided into a four floor main building and various 2 floor (8 unit) buildings. This appealed to us because the entire facility was easy to walk around and not too far from any one spot.

We would definitely return here for another stay at some later date.





"
Reviewer: riteonmotorcycle1147
Date: Feb. 28, 2009

Rating:
"We had a wonderful time..I echo all the comments that the other couple from BC made. No Mosquitos, the Beach was amazing, we had a bungalow that was centrally located to the beach, the bar and the restaurants. The staff were friendly, accommodating and like to joke around. After two weeks we knew the names of most of the staff and they knew us. We had no difficulty at all. If you are polite and friendly, you get friendly back...

RECEPTION the ladies there were great. We arrived at 8am not expecting our room to be ready, we even had a backpack with a change of clothes ready to hit the beach, and to our total surprise our room was ready....Pedro was there with his big smile to take us to our room......great way to start....the reception is open 24hrs and most of the ladies speak english, french, spanish and some german. Pretty humbling when we only speak english. We had a very easy check out and no hidden charges.....

BEACH: Best on the strip and we walked from our resort to the Plaza d'americas 5km towards Varadero and to the TRYP which was another 5km down the peninsula. Our beach was soft, white, cleaned daily and the fellow that set out beach chairs was always ready to get us the best ones. There was never a problem getting chairs and no one played the "towel" game. The beach bar was always entertaining to visit - lots of activities for those joiners out there, for the rest of us, we were left alone at the beach. The vendors were few and none of them aggressive.

POOL: We aren't pool people but from what I could tell those that enjoyed the pool were there daily and Fidel was most accommodating to their drink needs. The pool was cleaned twice daily early in the AM and then at the end of the day.

ACCOMMODATIONS: We had a bungalow, 2nd floor overlooking the pool, very centrally located. Niki, the gal that was assigned to our quad, looked after our room. She was apologetic when we requested a 2nd beer, so she brought us a pair of robes. The only complaint I have at all is that the mini bar service was only every other day and there was no coffee maker in the room. But hey, we walked over to the Lobby bar at 9am for our Cappuccino and we were happy. The room was kept neat and clean. No bugs. Air-conditioning worked and the mini bar was cold. The deck was a nice size and we sat out every evening.

GYM & Other Services
Fairly well equipped with modern equipment. Not sure why anyone would run on a treadmill when there is a world class beach on your doorstep but hey when it rains, it's a good alternative. The Masseuse Noel was excellent. Both my husband and myself had some aches and pains and he was terrific. I would highly recommend you take in this service.

FOOD
We certainly didn't come home hungry or skinny. The food was great. Simple for sure, but when you are trying to accommodate 550 people, you have to cook simple. There were lots of sauces and spices around if you needed to add that something extra. The food was always fresh and well prepared. We did the buffet mostly because we aren't schedule people. We did take in both the restaurants, but really preferred the variety at the buffet. The cooks were always smiling and would prepare pretty much anything you asked for. Keep in mind the best food comes to the resorts and it's all imported. We would have liked a larger variety of drinks to have with our meals but we also could walk out to the bar and grab a cocktail or Eduardo was also willing to do that too.

Our favorite place to unwind was the pool bar where Arlien and Juan Carlos kept us entertained. I fell in love with Millwood and need to find a place in Canada where I can buy it. Watch out for those Cuba Libres, they tend to sneak up on you, especially when Migual is pouring.

TIPS FOR CUBA
-tBring clothing for cool evenings, yes you will need it
-tBring a pack of cards for light entertainment
-tDon't over pack -- 18CUC for every KG extra over 20KG (we paid 90CUC)
-tBuy your Rum, Cigars, Coffee at the airport AFTER you go through security
-tBe sure to take the excursion into Havana and Cayo Blanco, both are well worth the CUC
-tTake the Matanzas tour 10CUC and you can get on and off the bus all day
-tEat at Calle 37, there is a little restaurant around the corner off the main drag and it's wonderful. We recommend the fish.
-tTake the time and get out of Varadero and see Cuba

If you are looking for the Mayan Riviera STAY HOME...open your mind to the wonderful world of Cuba, you can't compared it to anywhere else in the world. It's history, it's people and the rhythm of the island is unique. It is remarkable what they can accomplish with the restrictions they have. Travelers seem to forget this is a poor country and Varadero is not a reflection of the real Cuba. The resorts import pretty much everything so that they can accommodate us fussy tourists. The tourists get the best of the best. The locals have to go through a toll to even get to Varadero. Do yourself a favor when in Cuba do as the Cubans do, relax and smile.
"
Reviewer: Shebert
Date: Feb. 03, 2009

Rating:
"We spent New Years & the following week at this resort and truly enjoyed it! I have stayed at many resorts in Varadero and I can say that this is definitely a 4* by Canadian standards. I'm extremely picky with my room & food but this resort had clean spacious bungalows and I always found something at the buffet to enjoy, and believe me ALL buffets are not the same! The staff were friendly, courteous and helpful, we will definitely stay here again!"
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Jan. 14, 2009

Rating:
"Service was good....especially front desk... Japanese restaurant excellent.!!!! cuban restaurant v.g. Buffett about the same as most all inclusive hotels.. repetitive. but no complaints. we were in a bungalow and enjoyed it. maid service fairly good..All in all we had no complaints with this hotel.."
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Nov. 18, 2008